Finding the Motivation to Stay Healthy After Summer

I know I'm not the only one guilty of wanting to look the best I can in my swimwear during the summer but how about when the holidays are over? Now that the sunnier weather has begun to fade away and the darker mornings are setting in, I'm finding it increasingly harder to muster up some motivation to get out of bed each day, let alone working out.

Throw in the fact that my eating habits aren't typically the norm, I'm faced with a real difficulty to not pile on the pounds over the colder months.

Now this isn't specifically a post about weight loss. I don't want to change how look, more maintain what I've managed to achieve throughout the year so far. 

I'm not sure I've actually mentioned on here but around the middle of the year I changed the way I eat, beginning to use the method of intermittent fasting. What this basically means is fasting for a certain amount of hours and only being able to consume foods for a set amount of time before beginning your next fast.

Right now I tend to stop eating around 9pm and I don't then eat again until around 1.30/2pm the following afternoon. Luckily for me you are allowed to still drink water and black coffee (without sugar) and seen as I basically run on caffeine, this works well for me.

The real question is how to prepare myself to get out of bed to exercise?

My best tips especially as the temperature drops:

* Set a more gentle sounding alarm tone, sounds silly but makes it a lot easier to open your eyes when you're not being woken up so abruptly.

* Make sure the heating comes on before you get up, waking up in a warm house makes a huge difference!

Homemade Wholemeal Tortilla Chips

It is no secret that I love crisps, it is true what they say, once you pop you just can't stop. They were always my go to snack but the salt content alone makes them a not so healthy choice. So what's the alternatives? Well making my own seemed like a good choice so I'm sharing with you my quick and easy recipe for homemade wholemeal tortilla chips.

Frozen Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwiches

I love bananas and I love peanut butter so what could be better than combining the two to make the perfect snack. I love putting both ingredients together in sandwiches or on slices of toast but in the Summer months I rarely fancy either so an alternative for my favourite foods was needed, introducing the frozen banana and peanut butter sandwich.

My Health and Fitness Routine Right Now

Routine is something that has always worked with my kids and I think the same can me said to me. If I'm a bit strict and do things at certain times etc each day then I tend to stick to it. It's taken me til this point in the year to sort out what really works for me and my body so I thought I'd share my typical healthy and fitness routine with you all.

Healthy Lunches Needn't Be Boring

There can be a misconception sometimes when it comes to being healthy and in more ways than one. Some people see healthy food as boring, tasteless even. Others think the foods that are generally seen as better for you are too expensive. I think the same can be said of junk food. Now if you've been reading my blog this year then you will have seen that I've been trying to get fitter and be healthier and this includes changing what I eat. Simplyhealth recently wrote an article to talking about promoting healthy lunches in the work place, to make the public see that they needn't be hard to incorperate into a hectic lifestyle. So I wanted to share with you my favourite lunch right now.

Homemade Fruity Ice Lollies

Summer is finally here, hooray!!! So of course the kids like nothing better than eating lots of ice cream to cool them down. I've already shared a couple of recipes which are healthier alternatives such as my frozen yogurt but when I spotted the below ice lolly moulds in Tiger a couple of weeks ago I felt the need to come up with some healthier calypo like recipes.

Breakfast On The Go - Banana and Coffee Smoothie

It is no secret that I love smoothies and I have been making more and more of them since purchasing my Nutribullet (seriously everyone should have one!!). They are simple to make, they take away the need for cooking sometimes and it makes sure that I actually get my 5 a day.

There are so many varied flavour combinations, the possibilities are quite literally endless. I am forever experimenting with different ingredients and ok they might not all look the most appealing but they certainly taste good.

My latest creation is great as a pick me up but also fab for anyone that doesn't tend to have a big breakfast/needs to eat on the go.

Introducing the banana and coffee smoothie….

Changing Things Up

I'm becoming like a broken record but I've found myself slipping further and further into a rut with my eating habits and even though I keep talking about how much I've begun to love exercising this year, my motivation to get up and do it in the mornings is also beginning to waver.  I have been avoiding the scales for a few weeks as I've got a strong feeling that the numbers won't be what I want to see.

Exercising definitely releases those endorphins that get me feeling good however sometimes the routines can get a bit boring, the same with the foods I'm eating and I feel the need to change it up a little.

I've recently taken to buying Women's Health. There's a great mix of articles inside including some yummy recipes, health tips and exercise routines, definitely worth a read ladies.

Chia Pudding Recipe

One of my favourite breakfasts, especially in the hot weather is overnight oats. There are so many great variations and the fact that it can be made the night before makes it really convenient. I have discovered another exciting breakfast alternative that can also be made in different flavours and again making it up in advance making a perfect in a rush breakfast choice, I'm talking about chia pudding.

Now chia seeds themselves are a great ingredient. Packed full of nutrients, high in protein and the carb content is mostly fibre so brilliant when you are on a diet. They are the perfect addition to meals when you are on a diet as the protein and fibre content are known to help you lose weight. I use them in smoothies, on top of salads and in my breakfasts.

Cauliflower Crisps Recipe

One of my downfalls with my diet has always been crisps. The saying with pringles is true, once you pop you just can't stop. I can never have just one bag and if I open up one of the larger bags lets just say it doesn't last long.

I've been trying lots of healthier alternatives, a good one to reach for is nuts, infact one of my favourite snacks now is the roasted chickpeas that I showed you last year.

However I like to mix it up a little. I'm sure you've seen vegetable crisps being sold in supermarkets, I have eaten carrot crisps, beetroot crisps and even apple crisps so I thought I'd have a go at making my own.

My vegetable of choice, cauliflower.

Now this might not be to everyones taste but trust me, don't knock it til you've tried it. I've spiced these up a little with a touch of smoked paprika and chilli. The end result a crisp and tasty decevingly healthy snack.

My Favourite Salad Tuna Nicoise

I love a good salad and you should know by now that salads needn't be boring.

There are so many different combinations, these days fruit can even be used as an ingredient, don't knock it till you've tried it!!

And with the Summer months finally arriving I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share with you my all time favourite salad recipe.

My go to salad happens to be the tuna nicoise, however I will admit I don't like the normal sauce that accompanies it.

It is fairly simple to prepare, wonderfully colourful and is packed full of protein, perfect for a post workout meal!!!

Nutty Oat Bars Recipe

There are days when I have next to no time in the mornings and then there are the afternoons where I feel like I'm in need of a nap. Apart from my regular hit of caffeine from my bucket of coffee, sometimes I need something else to either run out the door with or do give me a bit of a pick me up to keep me going with the kids. (where do they find their energy?)

These nutty oat bars which I'm about to introduce to you have a great mix of a salty and sweet taste and because of the oats you are kept full for quite a while which is why they are the perfect on the go breakfast food. And as I've found great for anyone on a diet as you won't find yourself craving more food after eating them.

Ingredients

* 1 cup of rolled oats
* 1 cup chopped salted peanuts
* 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
* 1/2 cup wholemeal self raising flour
* 2/3 cup soft brown sugar
* 150g butter

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

I think I mention on a weekly basis just how much I love cake and even though I'm trying to be healthy I really can't live without it. So what's better than cake? A healthy cake packed full of protein, that's what!!

My latest recipe combines peanut butter, chocolate and protein oh and banana because fruit definitely means that these delicious muffins are indeed good for you.

Simple Frozen Yoghurt Recipe

I used to skip eating breakfast. Many people told me that it was the most important meal of the day but I chose to ignore this advice until this year.

Since starting on my healthy eating journey back in January, I have made a concious effort to eat breakfast every morning.

Sometimes I find myself in a rush with little time to prepare and eat anything after sorting out the kids so I've found a great way to counteract this is by preparing breakfast the night before. Overnight oats quickly became my go to breakfast but having this day in, day out started to become a little bit tiresome so I began to search for other alternatives.

Frozen yoghurt seemed like a good option. Only three ingredients needed, takes very little time to make and because you pop in the freezer, it lasts a long time. The recipe I'm sharing lasts me 5-7 days depending on how hungry I am and what fruit etc I decide to serve with it.

Apple, Cinnamon and Flaxseed Muffins

I love cake. It is no secret but since trying to stick to healthy eating it just seems to call to me more. But worry not, there are so many healthy recipes out there that I don't need to take cake off of the menu!! My latest offering is a muffin that is both full of favour and full of dietary benefits.

Flaxseed is both high in protein and high in fibre so the perfect ingredient to add into your diet. It can mixed in with cakes, smoothies, porridge, the possibilities are endless.

No Flour No Egg Cookies

Trying to diet can be hard, especially when you love cakes and cookies as much as I do. I mean it is hard to resist the flavours and the textures. And it doesn't help when the Great British Bake Off is playing on the TV either.

There is something about the smell of them baking in the oven that is really appealing too, and licking the bowl, this just calls to my inner child.

In an attempt to curb my cookie craving I have come up with a recipe that only needs 4 basic ingredients, there there is no flour of eggs involved so not only are they healthy, they can be eaten by almost anyone!!!

Sweet Potato Mug Cake Recipe

I can't deny it, I love cake, especially mug cakes. These individual puddings are literally to die for. The problem is that they aren't so good when it comes to my diet. I mean my norma nutella or peanut butter ones can't be considered the healthiest.

Trouble for me is that I tend to crave something sweet and I don't know about you but once I have something on my mind I feel I need to have it, sooner rather than later preferably.

So I have been trawling the web and racking my brain, trying to come up with an alternative that squashes my cravings but leaves me feeling less guilty when I reach the bottom of the cup.

I introduce to you the sweet potato mug cake…

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.

Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

I love meatloaf, I think partly because it was something I grew up with, I remember eating it a lot when I was younger however because I'm still trying to be healthy with my eating habits, I wanted to come up with a recipe that was still full of flavour but didn't contain so many calories/fat. Immediately I thought of turkey.

This is a meat that is packed full of protein but contains a lot less fat than other meats and the way this dish is cooked means that any fat doesn't get soaked into the meatloaf like a traditional one would.

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.