Go Away Hunger

One of the problems that I have one it comes to eating right/better is that horrid hunger feeling. I'm sure you've all had the same issues one time or another. It's strange really because there are some days when I just don't seem to feel hungry at all yet other days it doesn't seem to matter how much I eat, I just can't get myself to feel full.

One of the main times that I tend to think I'm feeling hungry is when I'm bored. The worst times are of an evening when my husband is working and the kids are in bed, I find myself at a lose end and all I can think about is food, items in the fridge start calling to me, well metaphorically speaking that is.

I've been trying to make a conscious effort to stop giving in to these cravings and I now how a few methods that are starting to help when I feel the hunger pains kicking in.

Water

Drinking a glass of water before I jump for the chocolate. This does actually work sometimes as it turns out in some cases that I was actually thirsty not hungry, I am awful for getting enough fluids in my system as unlike hunger, I don't ever seem to get the feeling of thirst.

Switching Foods

I think every knows that to lose weight or maintain a certain weight you have to have a good mix of exercising and eating right. Obviously we all have our off days and treats are most definitely allowed, I'm not giving up cake for anyone!! But I've found switching certain foods definitely helps when it comes to not only my weight but my general well being too. So this week I thought I'd share with you just five of switches that I've made in my diet.

Oils

Cooking foods and baking can be made a lot healthier if you switch normal oils for coconut oil. I use coconut oil when making cakes, frying any foods etc. The difference is that this oil contains a lot of the good fats instead of those bad ones. This oil can also be great if you suffer with dry skin conditions too.

Bread

Bread is something that I have always loved, I eat a lot of toast and sandwiches and in recent weeks I've discovered that the best bread to eat isn't wholemeal/brown like most people tell you, it is infact rye bread. I find this to be a little bit more doughy in texture but it has definitely stopped the bloating affect I always got after eating bread and because the loaves tend to be smaller, you end up eating less of it too.

Milk

Another thing I 've switched up is milk. Now I've never been a huge fan of milk but since changing my diet at the start of the year I use it a lot in porridges and smoothies. However instead of using semi skimmed, these days I opt for almond or coconut milk. These provide great added flavours to foods and are brilliant if you have problems with things like lactose.

Sugar

I don't use a lot of sugar but I do like to put a couple of spoonfuls in my coffee. The best alternative I've found to this is sweetener. I now use only one tsp of this in my coffee compared to the two tsps I was using of sugar. Another good alternative to sugar is honey or maple syrup.

Spreads

I mentioned I like to have a lot of sandwiches and toast, I also like to have a lot of smoothies. Something that I use in these is spreads. Now instead of chocolate, jam etc, I opt for nut butters such as peanut butter or almond butter or cheese alternatives such as cottage cheese or quark. All of these are full of protein, great to eat pre or post workout to help build muscles and also help them recover.

So there are just a few ways I've tried to improve my diet, I'd love for you to comment with any other tips you have.

xxxx

Got My Bikini So I'm #BeachBodyReady Right?

I think when a lot of us try to lose weight, tone up etc, we have an ultimate goal in mind. Infact I didn't just have a singular goal, I kind of had a bit of a list but ultimately it all added up to wanting to feel comfortable in my own skin. One of my targets was to be confident enough to wear a bikini on holiday, to get rid of that feeling of wanting to cover up.

Now I'm sure it didn't escape your attention when there was a media frenzy over a particular image and slogan.

Holiday Indulgence

Up until now I think I've been doing a pretty good job at losing/maintaining the weight. That is until the half term holidays hit last week.

I'm quite sure I'm not the only one that struggles with food over the holidays. Whether staying at home or holidaying abroad, it is hard not to over indulge.

Days out, ice creams on hot days, take aways as treats and then of course alcohol comes into play too, well it was a bank holiday too.

I've tried to maintain an attitude of not feeling guilty for allowing myself a week off the healthy eating and if I am honest I've not been overly bad, but my efforts have slipped. The 80 to 20 ratio went to a more 50 to 50 ratio and for the first time in weeks I missed a days exercise on Sunday.

Food Is Not The Enemy

Ok so a short but sweet update from me this week. I've come to realise over the past few weeks that food isn't the enemy, yes it can be fattening and far too tempting at times but the real enemy when it comes to my body, my weight and my appearance is me.

I am my own worst enemy. We are all in charge of ourselves and what we eat and drink and how we let that affect ourselves.

I mentioned recently that I've been weighing myself less, well I actually jumped on the scales yesterday and in 4 weeks I've put on one lb, this I'm more than happy with, I'm actually hoping that gain is down to my period being on the way, yes I said the word period!!

Maintaining Weight After Losing It

With all my new found revalations about losing weight and my change in attitude to just what I want my body to look like I've been thinking how I'm going to maintain the weight that I've managed to reach.

I mean when you think about it maintaining a steady weight can be just as hard as the process of losing it in the first place. It all comes back to getting that elusive balance doesn't it.

At the start of the year I seemed to be exercising almost every day, this is something which was hard to keep up and to be honest now that I've lost over a stone in weight this year, I don't really need keep up such a vigirous routine.

My trouble is that I've always been a yoyo dieter and although I always manage to lose weight fairly quickly, I also allow it to creep back on far too easily as well. It is a vicious cycle that I would really like to avoid this time round.

Not Weighing In

So I'm trying something different this week. I'm not weighing in. I've decided not to step on the scales and I have to say it is strangely liberating. Continuing on from what I said in my post last week, I'm trying not to obssess so much when it comes to the numbers, the lbs and inches because as I keep trying to remember, it is how we feel that really counts.

I know I had a not so great week when it came to what I consumed. A tad to much alcohol was drunk and not all the right foods were eaten but my clothes still fit so I can't have piled on too much weight no can I?

Weighing In, The Progress Edition

Last week I talked about trying the 3 week diet plan and how I came to the realisation that perhaps I don't need to be on such an extreme diet. I want to make progress in the right way. I've always been quite hard on myself when it comes to my image and my weight, realistically I know how I see myself is not how I appear to others but I just can't get myself comfortable in my own skin.

Even last week I happened to mention that I didn't really see any difference in my body. I mean I've lost almost a stone in weight since January so you'd think that there would be a noticeable difference right?

I've been taking photos to document my journey, up until this point I'd not put them together, only ever looked at them separately and I suppose that made me more blind to the reality that my body is infact changing.

The photo below shows me in January, at the end of March and last week.

Weighing In and Changing My Mind

Last week I mentioned that I was going to be following the 3 week diet plan. Today is supposed to be day 8, I've managed a full week on this plan and as proud as I am of myself for sticking with it, I have to admit it's not been easy going.

For the past 7 days I've had no carbs, no fruit, no junk food, no alcohol and no caffeine. My will power has been really tested. Just vegetables and meat/fish and even then only certain ones of these were allowed and they could only be cooked in a certain way.

My meal times have been shifted around, a lot of fasting which has left me feeling hungry more often than not and there was quite a few moments where I considered stopping, as really why I am putting myself through this, to lose a couple of lbs?

Weekly Weigh In 21.04.2015

So last week I said I was going to have a week without alcohol, turns out I have no will power when it comes to wine, although I did make a bottle of wine last over 4 days so it wasn't all bad.

Jumping on the scales this week I was feeling more positive, exercise has been going well and for the most part I've been eating really well, I may have snuck in an ice cream or two, well it was extremely warm weather.

So this week I stayed the same with my weight and my measurements which I guess I should be happy with.

Weekly Weigh In 07.04.2015

I can't believe we are into the month of April. I'm admitting straight away that my will power failed last week and I couldn't resist the Easter eggs but I am not going to feel too bad because the chocolate tasted good!!!

So the scales this week said that I had put on a 1lb, now the chocolate eating combined with the two bottles of wine I consumed, I was expecting a lot more put on so I'm not overly disappointed.

And I measured myself too with my waist and my hips measuring the same as last week. All in all not too bad and the photo below shows just why I'm not beating myself up about a gain.

I took a photo last week and shared it on my facebook page so I thought I would share here too. I know I'm not wearing the same clothes but I can see a noticable difference both in my hips (the love handles aren't as wide) and my stomach, definition is beginning to appear.

Weekly Weigh In 31.03.2015

I can't believe we are 3 months into the year already. It has flown by, I don't feel like I've been trying to lose weight for that long and I'm surprised that I've managed to keep up doing a weekly weigh in and blogging about it. I think this is the longest I've ever stuck at being healthy.

So with my period out of the way I was hoping for good results on the scales but the scales didn't budge, I stayed the same however my measurements went back to what they were 2 weeks ago minus all the bloat.

This week I'm starting a new exercise challenge, I've downloaded the ebook from Kayla Itsines and I'm hoping to stick with this 12 week workout. I've seen lots of amazing photos on her instagram account of brilliant body transformations, a great motivation so fingers crossed these exercises will make a difference.

Weekly Weigh In 24.03.2015

Almost a quarter of the way through the year and I'm still sticking with this whole weight loss thing even though I don't feel like any big changes have happened so far.

I was talking to my husband the other day and I said despite not really changing my body, I actually enjoy the lifestyle I've taken on. The healthier foods are far tastier, I'm cooking a lot more fresh foods and being more adventurous with my recipes and most days I actually look forward to doing some exercise.

Weighing in this week, I was scared to step on the scales as my period is trying to make an appearance so I was expecting a couple of exra pounds to go back on but surprisingly I lost 1/2 a lb.

My measurements altered slightly on the waist, putting on 1/2 an inch but my hips are still the same
slightly disappointing but I'm using the excuse of bloating!!

Weekly Weigh In 17.03.2015

Before I even stepped on the scales this week I was feeling good in myself. I'm trying not to stress so much about the scales and the measuring tape and just enjoying what I'm doing more.

I got back to exercising on Tuesday, nothing too strenuous as I still wasn't 100% but it felt good to be working out again. I've decided like to give yoga a go as this is meant to be good for toning and destressing!!

The scales actually showed a welcome difference for a change, I lost 1 and half lbs but my measurements stayed the same (not a bad thing). 

I keep getting stuck around the 7 stone 8 mark, really want to shift those last few pounds but not sure how to kick start it?

Food wise I have stuck to a 80:20 ratio of healthy vs junk. One thing I've added to my menu is smoothies after workouts, I'm adding a scoop of protein powder to help with building muscle. I actually have a recipe from vegfest.co.uk to share with you all :

- handful of kale leaves

- short knob of cucumber

- juice of half a lemon

- knob of ginger (sliced)

- 1 teaspoon of Yaoh hemp protein powder

- 1 teaspoon of baobab powder

- 1 teaspoon of chlorella powder

- 1/2 pint of coconut water

- 2 bananas (sliced)

Simply add all of the ingredients into a blender and you have a healthy drink/snack that will help your body to recover after exercising!!

Weekly Weigh In 10.3.15

So the last couple of updates I was back on track, losing weight slowly but steadily but last week I was struck down with illness, it was like I had the flu without the cold. Constantly going hot and cold, shovers, aches and pains and absolutely no energy. As a result I have to admit I did no exercise last week. Well I walked around etc but no workouts, I honestly just couldn't manage it.

However I did stick to eating relatively healthily, I admit to making a small chocolate brownie mug cake after watching the Great British Bake Off, taps own hand.

This made be reluctant to step on the scales this week but the results are in, I put back on the 1lb and half that I'd lost over the past 2 weeks. Disappointing but honestly I kind of knew that would be the case.

I also retook my measurements which I'm happy to say remained the same as last week so not all bad.

Starting afresh this week, I'm slowly introducing the workouts back in as I'm still not 100% but I can't put it off any longer.

Weekly Weigh In 03.03.015

Well I've made to March and I haven't given up on my weight loss goals just yet although I have to say I haven't really noticed a change in my body over the past 4 weeks, despite continued exercise and eating well (most of the time). I tend to dread the weekly weigh in as I'm always left thinking that my efforts are never quite enough.

This weeks results are in, I've lost 1/2 a lb, a loss is a loss and I suppose slow and steady wins the race!!

However I finally remembered to buy a tape measure so this week starts the weekly measuring :

waist - 25 inches
hips - 35 inches

These measurements match up to what I managed to get down to last Summer so not bad at all, I don't want these to go down by a lot more but it would also be great to see them not go up even if the scales decide to tell me I've put on weight.

This morning I finally finished a 31 day fitness challenge, I really enjoyed a couple of the circuit training days so I'm going to keep using these to mix in with other workouts I'm doing. What I'm trying to do now is increase the size of weights that I'm using when doing weight/resistance training, at the moment the most I'm using is 1.5kg in each hand.

Weekly Weigh In 24.02.2015

It's weigh in time again, I have to admit I've been scared to step on the scales. My official "time of  the month" finally appeared on Saturday and it's still lingering now and this plays havoc with both my body shape and my weight.

So what's the results?

I have lost a 1lb since last week but seen as I'm still bloated oat from period I'm hoping to see better results next week. Will update this post with my measurements as I am going to buy a tape measure today.

I think I've become addicted to exercise, not a day goes by where I don't do something, even if it is just going for a walk with the kids. I'm a week into my kiqplan and I'm enjoying the workouts and the daily tips.

Now food, I'm still struggling with this. I love it but I hate it at the same time. With my kiqplan I have the chance to record my daily calorie intake and it has been interesting to see just how much I'm consuming, or in my case how little. Turns out I need to actually consume more calories but this leads my brain to think a chocolate bar or cake wouldn't hurt then.

Weekly Weigh In 10.02.2015

5 weeks in and it is time for another weigh in. I'm quite pleased with myself that I've made it this far into the new year and I haven't given up on my goals.

So this week I haven't lost any weight, I have stayed the same. Now I'm not as disheartened as the last time this happened because of two reasons. One I have been doing more work with weights so I think I have lost any fat then I may have gained it in muscle. Two, this may be too much information but it is nearing "my time of the month" and I always seem to gain couple of lbs around then so I'm hoping I'll notice more of a difference next week.

What I have noticed, usually around this time of the month I become extremely bloated, I start to look like I'm pregnant but this month I am staying roughly the same size.

So what's my plan for this week?

Exercise wise I'm continuing to add in more weight and ab based workouts as I'm keen to tone everything up, those wobbly bits need to go!! I'm also part way through this 31 day challenge, I find little challenges keep me motivated and encourage me to do a bit of exercise each day.

Weekly Weigh In 03.02.2015

Can't believe we are in February already. I've been on the path to getting fit and healthy for 4 weeks now. Weighing in each week and writing it down here has certainly kept me motivated, even when the lbs weren't dropping off.

The scales results are in and last week I managed to lose 1 and half lbs so in total I've lost 5 and half lbs in 4 weeks putting me at 7 stone 8 n half lbs which I am really pleased with. Infact I'm that happy that I'm sharing some photos of my progress with you.

Weekly Weigh In 27.01.2015

It's that time of the week again and I have to say I've been left feeling really disheartened after my weigh in. I didn't lose anything at all.

Now I have to admit I had a couple of glasses of wine and a slice of birthday cake over the weekend and I was already feeling guilty about having them but now I'm left feeling even worse. The only positive to take from this is that I didn't gain anything so I guess you could say I broke even.

I think I'm more disappointed because although I allowed myself a treat, I really worked on the exercise doing more every day but I'm not giving up.

It is my birthday today so I am going to allow myself a chocolate bar that has been sitting in the fridge for a few weeks now and then I'm back on that wagon.

Exercise wise I think I did well. I went for a couple of early morning runs and kept up with the exercise dvds, a mix of 30 day shred and 3 minute belly blitz.  I am going to add in more weight work along with the cardio and resistance this week.