We have all done it, spent one or two hours switching from cardio machine to cardio machine in the gym in an attempt to erase last night's pack of biscuits.
This past year has taught me a lot in terms of exercise, by no means am I an expert but after two years of religious one hour 30 minute gym sessions, five times a week with no change to my body, I began to feel a little fed up.
A combination of three things turned my plateau around. Weight training with my other half, extensive research and reading on my part, and a friend of mine gaining more and more qualifications as a personal trainer and using me as a guinea pig ahead of new classes such as GRIT.
One way to sum up what I learned this year is - longer doesn't always mean better. I got really fed up of not getting home until 8.30pm and not being able to sit down until I had washed, eaten, washed up and prepped the next day's lunch.
And so the shorter more intense bursts of exercise were born. I realised I didn't need to do cardio every day, in fact, I now only do cardio two to three times a week (two more often than three). And in this last year I have seen a bigger change in my body then I did in three years of mindless rowing and running.
Swimming, running or sprint intervals on the treadmill are my new go to cardio workouts. Swimming, as I have more than likely mentioned before, is very relaxing for me, even at a fast intense pace and running shorter distances has really helped my limbs recover from the damage I was doing constantly pounding the pavements - a marathon runner I am not. 20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill of 30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds jog, really makes me work hard and it has a better after burn affect than jogging for an hour.
I also do weight training a minimum of three times a week, targeting a different area of the body each time e.g. back and shoulders / legs and biceps (routine courtesy of the boyfriend). Sometimes I do a GRIT weight class which targets the whole body and incorporates body weight training too which is probably the most effective of them all.
Strength training is the key to building muscle which in turn burns more calories. But you must make sure your form is right and that you engage your core during every exercise to really feel the benefit and prevent damage. If that means a lighter weight, then that means a lighter weight! Don't let your self-confidence get the better of you, more reps with a lower weight done well will end in much better results than a strained rep with a heavy weight.
I now find myself at the gym for one hour three times a week and fit in two to three 30 minute cardio sessions. I get more time at home to relax, my clothes fit better and I don't have the constant fatigue five mile runs used to bring.
Showing posts with label biscuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biscuits. Show all posts
Monday, 7 March 2016
Sunday, 23 August 2015
Sugar free my a**
I have just about had it with all these fad diets and trends.
Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept of eating well. We eat food that fuels our bodies and what nourishes our bodies, or so we should.
Now, I will be the first person to agree that sugar is the enemy. Refined sugar that is. If it has been processed it is no good for you! Your body cannot deal with it, you will not digest it the way you should, it is unnatural and therefore not designed for human consumption.
However, I do believe that a little bit of what you fancy will not kill you. If you want that donut, eat that donut. Just stop at one and ensure all your other meals and snacks are nutritious. I would be the first to eat the donut.
But to hear all these people now say that fruit should be cut out, FRUIT! Yes, fruit it full of sugar, but it is natural. I like to think of it in the same way as fat. There was a huge trend for a long time saying that fat is the
enemy. Again, unnatural processed fats are. But dairy, nuts, salmon, avocado, they are among the many foods which burn fat, and guess what, they are high in fat.
Did you know you need fat to burn fat? That may not make sense to a lot of people but the healthy fats like omega 3 and 6 feed the body and give it the ability to slowly release energy and burn the visceral fat.
So now to be told to cut out fruit has really wound me up. As someone with a sweet tooth, I need fruit to help me avoid eating biscuits every day. (And I would). Not only is it a better alternative but think about all the fibre and vitamins you would miss out on too. Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, the list goes on.
Also, the sugar in fruit helps fuel my runs, because you need carbs and sugar to give you the energy to run.
Why does it have to be a diet? Why does it have to be a lifestyle, fat free, sugar free, dairy free, wheat free. Unless you have an allergy or a personal reason for not eating a certain food group, then eat that food.
What a lot of people cannot grasp is that it is all about moderation and nutrition. You feed your body the kind of food that it needs, that helps it run at optimum performance then you can have that slice of cake, it is fine. The only thing I have heard of lately which I agree with is the 80/20 method.
Eat well 80% of the time then that left over 20% when you want to eat something naughty, don't feel guilty for it. Your body can handle it because it is happy.
Think of your diet as a healthy life style, a way of living and eating rather than a quick fix fad diet which will work for a week and then the weight and the lethargy will come flooding back.
Today's lesson: Eat that apple, then eat your steamed chicken and veg and then you know what... Eat that Rocky Road!
Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept of eating well. We eat food that fuels our bodies and what nourishes our bodies, or so we should.
Now, I will be the first person to agree that sugar is the enemy. Refined sugar that is. If it has been processed it is no good for you! Your body cannot deal with it, you will not digest it the way you should, it is unnatural and therefore not designed for human consumption.However, I do believe that a little bit of what you fancy will not kill you. If you want that donut, eat that donut. Just stop at one and ensure all your other meals and snacks are nutritious. I would be the first to eat the donut.
But to hear all these people now say that fruit should be cut out, FRUIT! Yes, fruit it full of sugar, but it is natural. I like to think of it in the same way as fat. There was a huge trend for a long time saying that fat is the
Did you know you need fat to burn fat? That may not make sense to a lot of people but the healthy fats like omega 3 and 6 feed the body and give it the ability to slowly release energy and burn the visceral fat.
So now to be told to cut out fruit has really wound me up. As someone with a sweet tooth, I need fruit to help me avoid eating biscuits every day. (And I would). Not only is it a better alternative but think about all the fibre and vitamins you would miss out on too. Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, the list goes on.
Also, the sugar in fruit helps fuel my runs, because you need carbs and sugar to give you the energy to run.
Why does it have to be a diet? Why does it have to be a lifestyle, fat free, sugar free, dairy free, wheat free. Unless you have an allergy or a personal reason for not eating a certain food group, then eat that food.
What a lot of people cannot grasp is that it is all about moderation and nutrition. You feed your body the kind of food that it needs, that helps it run at optimum performance then you can have that slice of cake, it is fine. The only thing I have heard of lately which I agree with is the 80/20 method.
Eat well 80% of the time then that left over 20% when you want to eat something naughty, don't feel guilty for it. Your body can handle it because it is happy.
Think of your diet as a healthy life style, a way of living and eating rather than a quick fix fad diet which will work for a week and then the weight and the lethargy will come flooding back.
Today's lesson: Eat that apple, then eat your steamed chicken and veg and then you know what... Eat that Rocky Road!
Sunday, 17 May 2015
A little bit of what you fancy
Now, I know this blog is about the battle against the sweet tooth and fitness goals - but... I am a firm believer of having a little bit of what you fancy.
Every week, my boyfriend and I have a day of eating what we want. We both enjoy exercising (in fact he is my training partner) and we both like to eat well, so we look forward to letting loose.
I would be lying if I said it was the only day of the week we ate badly, sometimes it turns into a weekend and we do give in to the odd treat throughout the week, but generally, this is the day we look forward to.
And yesterday was so good it was worth sharing with you all. I won't talk about everything we ate, just my top three foods of the day.
First, the sun was shining so we went on a little drive to a place called Blaze Farm where fresh ice cream is produced.
There is nothing better than eating fresh ice cream in the sun, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green hills. I had cappuccino and raspberry, Matt had Turkish delight and rhubarb and custard (vile in my opinion).
We also made our own pizza, base and all. It was purely experimental and I had to use two different flours but it turned out pretty well. We both topped our own pizza's and then split them.
And then, the piece de resistance. Nutella stuffed digestives. We both love biscuits, they are a big weakness for us. And we both love a classic digestive - sometimes over a chocolate covered one. And dunked in a good brew they cannot be beaten. At least that is what I thought. I love Nutella, I eat it out of the jar with a spoon. So, I had a light bulb moment and spread a nice thick layer of Nutella on a digestive and topped it with another. Dunked in that brew - it was like heaven. I don't think you could get a better snack.
By no means am I trying to say that throughout the week we eat boring food. We cook some delicious healthy meals but we both have a sweet tooth which is our downfall and what we miss for five and six days of the week.
I am a firm believer of the 80/20 rule (even if sometimes the ratio is not quite that). I would rather indulge in good foods which we crave once in a while than have the perfect body and feel grumpy and hungry all the time. I am the kind of person that suffers with the "hangry" syndrome (hungry and angry). As is Matt.
We both enjoyed what we ate so much yesterday it was worth a mention. It may be a contrast to my usual blog posts but I wanted to show that everyone deserves a treat.
Every week, my boyfriend and I have a day of eating what we want. We both enjoy exercising (in fact he is my training partner) and we both like to eat well, so we look forward to letting loose.
I would be lying if I said it was the only day of the week we ate badly, sometimes it turns into a weekend and we do give in to the odd treat throughout the week, but generally, this is the day we look forward to.
And yesterday was so good it was worth sharing with you all. I won't talk about everything we ate, just my top three foods of the day.
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| The most delicious ice cream |
There is nothing better than eating fresh ice cream in the sun, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green hills. I had cappuccino and raspberry, Matt had Turkish delight and rhubarb and custard (vile in my opinion).
We also made our own pizza, base and all. It was purely experimental and I had to use two different flours but it turned out pretty well. We both topped our own pizza's and then split them.
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| My pizza (the best) parma ham, pineapple and sweetcorn. |
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| Matt's very meaty pizza |
And then, the piece de resistance. Nutella stuffed digestives. We both love biscuits, they are a big weakness for us. And we both love a classic digestive - sometimes over a chocolate covered one. And dunked in a good brew they cannot be beaten. At least that is what I thought. I love Nutella, I eat it out of the jar with a spoon. So, I had a light bulb moment and spread a nice thick layer of Nutella on a digestive and topped it with another. Dunked in that brew - it was like heaven. I don't think you could get a better snack.
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| It just looks perfect |
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| It tasted like perfection |
By no means am I trying to say that throughout the week we eat boring food. We cook some delicious healthy meals but we both have a sweet tooth which is our downfall and what we miss for five and six days of the week.
I am a firm believer of the 80/20 rule (even if sometimes the ratio is not quite that). I would rather indulge in good foods which we crave once in a while than have the perfect body and feel grumpy and hungry all the time. I am the kind of person that suffers with the "hangry" syndrome (hungry and angry). As is Matt.
We both enjoyed what we ate so much yesterday it was worth a mention. It may be a contrast to my usual blog posts but I wanted to show that everyone deserves a treat.
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Falling off the bandwagon..... again!
It was a spectacular fall.
Let me give you an example. Yesterday I had two slices of cake, didn't eat tea and went to bed scoffing lots of chocolate.
Woke up this morning, knowing I was going out for dinner and cocktails, had a healthy cereal and scoffed lots more chocolate.
I weighed myself and I am three pounds heavier than I want to be.
To be honest, I just haven't been focusing on food lately. I guess it has been a nice break but it is my birthday next week and I want to look my best for a good night out.
I need to gather all my will power and have a strong week which I know I can if there is no temptation in my way... which I strongly believe there may be, in the form of cake! - Birthday cake!
MODERATION - that is key which needs ingraining in my mind!
But seriously, if I wanted cake I had it, if I wanted to eat a pack of biscuits I did and so on and so forth. The problem is, I always want this stuff so, as one might imagine, I have been a little greedy porker recently!
On the plus side, I have also been nailing the gym and weights! Not so much cardio, I am working on that! So I truly believe that one of those pounds may be muscle. That's what I am going to continue to tell myself anyway.
I'm terrified I'm falling too far off the bandwagon though so I need to focus.
Get my head in the game! Happy, healthy eating all!
Let me give you an example. Yesterday I had two slices of cake, didn't eat tea and went to bed scoffing lots of chocolate.
Woke up this morning, knowing I was going out for dinner and cocktails, had a healthy cereal and scoffed lots more chocolate.
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| Coming back to monster mums I discovered I still had a tin of Roses left from Christmas - sorry waistline! |
To be honest, I just haven't been focusing on food lately. I guess it has been a nice break but it is my birthday next week and I want to look my best for a good night out.
I need to gather all my will power and have a strong week which I know I can if there is no temptation in my way... which I strongly believe there may be, in the form of cake! - Birthday cake!
MODERATION - that is key which needs ingraining in my mind!
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| What is cake without a brew - what is a brew without cake? |
On the plus side, I have also been nailing the gym and weights! Not so much cardio, I am working on that! So I truly believe that one of those pounds may be muscle. That's what I am going to continue to tell myself anyway.
I'm terrified I'm falling too far off the bandwagon though so I need to focus.
Get my head in the game! Happy, healthy eating all!
Saturday, 7 February 2015
This week's healthy feasts
Vegetarian Mexican casserole,
Avocado, rice cake and poached egg,
This week I have embarked on a culinary experiment.
I eat meat but I do love having a few days without it as it can be a bit heavy on my stomach. I have also been having trouble with my stomach lately and I suspect it is a wheat or gluten intolerance.
So I have tried a couple of new healthy recipes to try and get my tummy happy again. (Apologies about my sloppy presentation and photographs).
Guacamole and poached egg on rice cakes:
The avocado, rice cake and poached egg is pretty straight forward and came from me having half an hour to rush a lunch using the few ingredients I had in.
So these new buckwheat rice cakes are brilliant. Only 29 calories and full of healthy seeds.
I love avocado, it is rich and creamy and full of healthy fats, it was a no brainer really - the guacamole and rice cakes would be a match made in heaven. But I needed more. It had to be more substantial to keep me going for the rest of the afternoon. My go to protein is eggs and I love poached egg.
Essentially I made my own healthy version of egg on toast. I upped the benefits by using super foods.
It was really delicious and will be a regular meal in future.
Banana cookies
These banana cookies were delicious and satisfied my sugar cravings. You only need three ingredients and they take 20 minutes to make.
Mash or blend two medium bananas to make a smooth paste, mix in a cup of oats and a quarter of a cup of chocolate chips - or dried fruit if you prefer. Scoop out onto a baking tray, (it made about 12 for me) and bake at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Then enjoy!
Mexican casserole
Now this was something special. As someone who loves Mexican food and peppers this was perfect. I made it for friends and it served six so I had two portions left over for the next day.
I fried a load of peppers and onions in a pan, added some sweetcorn once the peppers had softened and sprinkled everything with chili powder and cumin.
Then I mashed up a tin of mixed beans and pulses with a bit of water to loosen them and made some enchilada sauce.
I used whole wheat tortilla strips and layered all the ingredients in a baking dish. Popped it in the over with some cheese on the top for 20 minutes and viola - a stunning dinner.
My boyfriend didn't even miss the meat!
Enjoy and keep an eye on my recipes page for instructions...
Avocado, rice cake and poached egg,
Banana cookies
This week I have embarked on a culinary experiment.
I eat meat but I do love having a few days without it as it can be a bit heavy on my stomach. I have also been having trouble with my stomach lately and I suspect it is a wheat or gluten intolerance.
So I have tried a couple of new healthy recipes to try and get my tummy happy again. (Apologies about my sloppy presentation and photographs).
Guacamole and poached egg on rice cakes:
The avocado, rice cake and poached egg is pretty straight forward and came from me having half an hour to rush a lunch using the few ingredients I had in.
So these new buckwheat rice cakes are brilliant. Only 29 calories and full of healthy seeds.
I love avocado, it is rich and creamy and full of healthy fats, it was a no brainer really - the guacamole and rice cakes would be a match made in heaven. But I needed more. It had to be more substantial to keep me going for the rest of the afternoon. My go to protein is eggs and I love poached egg.
Essentially I made my own healthy version of egg on toast. I upped the benefits by using super foods.
It was really delicious and will be a regular meal in future.
Banana cookies
These banana cookies were delicious and satisfied my sugar cravings. You only need three ingredients and they take 20 minutes to make.
Mash or blend two medium bananas to make a smooth paste, mix in a cup of oats and a quarter of a cup of chocolate chips - or dried fruit if you prefer. Scoop out onto a baking tray, (it made about 12 for me) and bake at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Then enjoy!
Mexican casserole
Now this was something special. As someone who loves Mexican food and peppers this was perfect. I made it for friends and it served six so I had two portions left over for the next day.
I fried a load of peppers and onions in a pan, added some sweetcorn once the peppers had softened and sprinkled everything with chili powder and cumin.
Then I mashed up a tin of mixed beans and pulses with a bit of water to loosen them and made some enchilada sauce.
I used whole wheat tortilla strips and layered all the ingredients in a baking dish. Popped it in the over with some cheese on the top for 20 minutes and viola - a stunning dinner.
My boyfriend didn't even miss the meat!
Enjoy and keep an eye on my recipes page for instructions...
Monday, 6 October 2014
Quitting sugar
So I really want to quit sugar completely.
I have come a long way since I started this blog a year ago. I have lost around a stone and I do not binge to the same extent. I can even just have one biscuit (occasionally) and not go back for more.
I have done a lot of research and a lot of reading. The one thing I have learnt is that sugar really is our enemy.
So I bought Sarah Wilson's book I Quit Sugar. It comes with an eight week program to help you quit. I cannot put it down, it is so helpful and full of great tips and recipes.
I'm no saint so I know it is going to take me a long time until I reach the point where I can detox for eight weeks. But I have had a reasonably good start. I thought I would go slow to begin with and cut down.
Now, surprisingly by thinking this way, last week I did not touch any sugary food except for an apple a day. My skin had been getting really bad lately which had been bringing me down but by Thursday I could see a slight difference.
But one thing I have learnt about sugar, it is everywhere, which means if you're not prepared for just how many things it is in, life and sugar will get in your way.
So I visited my family in Yorkshire and once again monster mum got to me with her delicious baking.
So I failed the week. However, I did not want to punish myself too badly as I had said I could take it easy to start with so I think I did pretty well.... I just wish it hadn't been for the last three days.
I have come a long way since I started this blog a year ago. I have lost around a stone and I do not binge to the same extent. I can even just have one biscuit (occasionally) and not go back for more.
I have done a lot of research and a lot of reading. The one thing I have learnt is that sugar really is our enemy.
So I bought Sarah Wilson's book I Quit Sugar. It comes with an eight week program to help you quit. I cannot put it down, it is so helpful and full of great tips and recipes.
I'm no saint so I know it is going to take me a long time until I reach the point where I can detox for eight weeks. But I have had a reasonably good start. I thought I would go slow to begin with and cut down.
Now, surprisingly by thinking this way, last week I did not touch any sugary food except for an apple a day. My skin had been getting really bad lately which had been bringing me down but by Thursday I could see a slight difference.
What more motivation do you need?
I was recovering from a pretty bad cold so I did not have the energy to stick to my usual exercise routine - I did keep up with it just not as strenuously as normal.
By Friday I was beaming because I had done so well to resist temptation.I was recovering from a pretty bad cold so I did not have the energy to stick to my usual exercise routine - I did keep up with it just not as strenuously as normal.
But one thing I have learnt about sugar, it is everywhere, which means if you're not prepared for just how many things it is in, life and sugar will get in your way.
So I visited my family in Yorkshire and once again monster mum got to me with her delicious baking.
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| I might have also ended up at a cake-away. But look at it, who could resist while you're still a sugar addict?! |
So I failed the week. However, I did not want to punish myself too badly as I had said I could take it easy to start with so I think I did pretty well.... I just wish it hadn't been for the last three days.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Festival fitness
I am currently dealing with the after effects of Leeds Festival.
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| Having a booze break |
There is no possible way of eating well at festivals.
Four nights in a tent is one thing but the ground you cover walking and standing is another. While it is good for burning calories it is not so good for eating the right kind of calories.
Walking so much is already a strain on both your feet and your back so you do not want the added weight of carrying anything around, particularly food.
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| Feeling a bit worse for wear after day one |
The rest of the day was spent nibbling on random snacks just for an energy boost, whatever was on offer really, which was unfortunately a lot of crisps and chocolate/biscuits. You are moving around so much any energy boost is welcome. Then in the evening you need something sustainable so you go for whatever is on sale. There is a lot of choice and I had a burrito, noodles and a burger over three nights. The burger in particular was not worth it.
Nevertheless it kept me going when I needed it. But on top of the bad food choices and random eating habits, I was drinking copious amounts of alcohol and having very little sleep.
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| Mid day music with larger to fuel us |
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| It was all worth it |
I will get there, today was a pretty good day for the cause so it will not take long. But it is crazy how four days can mess up your system.
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| We had a lot of late nights |
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Chocolate
While laid here struggling to sleep due to an incredibly guilty conscience after having an evening of mindlessly binging I realised I haven't yet blogged about my successful attempt at lent.
Being a self-confessed chocoholic I knew the ultimate challenge for me would be to go the whole six weeks without any form of chocolate.
It isn't until you give up something like chocolate that you realise just how many food products have chocolate included. Biscuits, cereal bars, granola's, ice-cream cones. It is a constant battle trying to avoid the stuff.
While I didn't go without the occasional craving I found it surprisingly easy to do. There came a point where I really didn't miss chocolate (although the bourbons at my sisters were a true test to my willpower).
So when Easter weekend came something in my mind told me I had to be excited about eating the luxurious milky egg I had waiting for me. I also decided I would eat a number of things I had craved over lent.
Now, I am not ashamed to say I ate the whole egg including the bars it came with as well as some extra bits. But one thing I really have to admit is, deep down I was not looking forward to it and when I was stuffing my face I really did not enjoy it. The one thing that has been a constant comfort in my life did not satisfy me and really did not taste that great. It has not stopped me having the odd few pieces this week but it has certainly opened my eyes.
I definitely feel much better after a big fruit salad then I do after a bar of chocolate. I can only hope the mental craving doesn't cloud my clear vision again. There really was a point in my life very recently where I couldn't get through the day without some chocolate but I know that is all in my head. The problem is I am very weak mentally.
Hopefully I can keep in mind the disappointment I feel every time I have eaten chocolate this week and it will become a rare occurrence in my diet.
Being a self-confessed chocoholic I knew the ultimate challenge for me would be to go the whole six weeks without any form of chocolate.
It isn't until you give up something like chocolate that you realise just how many food products have chocolate included. Biscuits, cereal bars, granola's, ice-cream cones. It is a constant battle trying to avoid the stuff.
While I didn't go without the occasional craving I found it surprisingly easy to do. There came a point where I really didn't miss chocolate (although the bourbons at my sisters were a true test to my willpower).
So when Easter weekend came something in my mind told me I had to be excited about eating the luxurious milky egg I had waiting for me. I also decided I would eat a number of things I had craved over lent.
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| Courtesy of Lee McCoy |
I definitely feel much better after a big fruit salad then I do after a bar of chocolate. I can only hope the mental craving doesn't cloud my clear vision again. There really was a point in my life very recently where I couldn't get through the day without some chocolate but I know that is all in my head. The problem is I am very weak mentally.
Hopefully I can keep in mind the disappointment I feel every time I have eaten chocolate this week and it will become a rare occurrence in my diet.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Lent
Ahh lent, the time of year everyone is hopeful and believes for a couple of days that they have will power.
Anyone who has read this blog before would know, I gave up chocolate for three weeks recently.
Since being able to eat it again I have binged, ridiculously.
The sad thing is I don't know why. I have not particularly enjoyed any that I have eaten. I think it was a matter of 'you can now so do!'
So I am giving up chocolate for lent.
In my opinion it is all in the mind. The problem is I am weak willed. There is so much chocolate around and on offer if I get it in my head I want something, it just sort of happens. Luckily I proved to myself I can go without by doing 21 days no choc. I just hope I can stick to it for six weeks. For me, it isn't chocolate bars per say, but biscuits. Chocolate biscuits, cookies and things with chocolate in. Luckily there are alternatives so I hope they will help. But only when absolutely necessary because what is the point of giving up the dairy goodness to just replace it with something else? This should help my sugar cravings too if I play my cards right.
Anyone who has read this blog before would know, I gave up chocolate for three weeks recently.
Since being able to eat it again I have binged, ridiculously.
The sad thing is I don't know why. I have not particularly enjoyed any that I have eaten. I think it was a matter of 'you can now so do!'
So I am giving up chocolate for lent.
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| My last chocolate treat before lent began |
So I hope whatever you have decided to give up for lent works out for you. Let's all keep thinking of the satisfactory feeling we will have when we do it! Because we will!
Just for good measure, check out my super healthy dinner from tonight.
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| Salmon with cajun spice, cabbage and spinach. Superfood! |
Friday, 28 February 2014
21 Day Challenges
So as you may be aware, I have recently done two 21 Day Challenges.
I had to do 21 days of exercise and thought I would do 21 days without chocolate alongside.
I did it and I couldn't be more pleased.
The exercise didn't phase me, I am pretty active already. However, I must say it has really made me appreciate rest days.
Those days when I sit around feeling guilty for not fitting a work out in are behind me.
I made the mistake of starting the challenge on a Wednesday having already done two days worth of exercise. I also finished on a Wednesday, I have spin class on Thursdays and will not miss the chance to go to the gym when I finish work early on a Friday. It is often empty so I love it. Meaning, technically I did 26 days of exercise. Tomorrow is my first day off and on one hand I can't wait on the other I can already sense that I will be having withdrawal symptoms. It will help that I will be hungover as it is my birthday night out tonight.
I was really not looking forward to 21 days without chocolate. However, it really was not that hard. There were two days in the second week where I really struggled but that had a lot to do with colleagues buying chocolate digestives.
One thing it taught me is I do not need chocolate and on top of that I don't actually like it that much. I love biscuits including chocolate biscuits, that will never change. But as for chocolate bars and solid chocolaty things I could live without. It doesn't taste as good as I remember. It really does only take 21 days to stop cravings because that is why I ate chocolate. I craved it because it is addictive. Having eaten chocolate since, even though I was not craving it, made me see it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Unfortunately, everyone who knows me seems to think i'm a choccy monster. So for my birthday I got a LOT of chocolate. I decided to let myself off eating well this week because I just wanted to enjoy myself without worrying about food. So I have eaten A LOT of chocolate. To the point where I am sick of it.
I need to get rid of it though, I am giving it up again for lent.
I'll miss you choccy biscuits. Wish me luck!
The main thing I learnt about myself is I can do it if I put my mind to something. Setting myself challenges works for me because I like to prove a point, I guess being stubborn is handy in this instance.
I had to do 21 days of exercise and thought I would do 21 days without chocolate alongside.
I did it and I couldn't be more pleased.
The exercise didn't phase me, I am pretty active already. However, I must say it has really made me appreciate rest days.
Those days when I sit around feeling guilty for not fitting a work out in are behind me.
I made the mistake of starting the challenge on a Wednesday having already done two days worth of exercise. I also finished on a Wednesday, I have spin class on Thursdays and will not miss the chance to go to the gym when I finish work early on a Friday. It is often empty so I love it. Meaning, technically I did 26 days of exercise. Tomorrow is my first day off and on one hand I can't wait on the other I can already sense that I will be having withdrawal symptoms. It will help that I will be hungover as it is my birthday night out tonight.
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| Birthday breakfast |
One thing it taught me is I do not need chocolate and on top of that I don't actually like it that much. I love biscuits including chocolate biscuits, that will never change. But as for chocolate bars and solid chocolaty things I could live without. It doesn't taste as good as I remember. It really does only take 21 days to stop cravings because that is why I ate chocolate. I craved it because it is addictive. Having eaten chocolate since, even though I was not craving it, made me see it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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| Birthday lunch |
I need to get rid of it though, I am giving it up again for lent.
I'll miss you choccy biscuits. Wish me luck!
The main thing I learnt about myself is I can do it if I put my mind to something. Setting myself challenges works for me because I like to prove a point, I guess being stubborn is handy in this instance.
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| Loving the attention |
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Bad blogger and bad eater
So I haven't blogged in a while.
It did not seem worth wasting time when I have had such disgusting eating habits.
You see my grandparents visited me at the weekend and I love them to death. The only problem is they come with a few added pounds.
They had about five bags of food for me. A lot of the food was biscuit orientated.
Now, I don't buy biscuits because I eat the entire pack so it has been a nightmare for me.
Needless to say this week I have eaten many a wheaty treat.
This whole week doesn't look too good to be honest and work has gotten in the way of work outs.
That always makes it extra naughty.
Today I went to my spin class again for the first time in a month (due to holidays and work commitments) and it was one of the hardest yet.
So I feel great for that but unfortunately I didn't feel like cooking at 8pm so I had two bowls of cereal instead.
Yeah I know not too bad but I had toast prior to the class and a big lunch.
The good news is, I didn't snack today. I think the key to it is have a big lunch. Dinner is usually my biggest meal which doesn't really make sense.
I don't burn anything after eating it because I just slob on the sofa. I think I may have to look into making lunch my biggest meal from now on.
I have no inspiration for yummy hot lunches that I can take to work though. It isn't the same as being in your own kitchen.
Next week is detox week. Very hard with little solid food. I will update every day with my progress but as for the weekend, I am having visitors so I am not watching what I eat.
We're all allowed to do that sometimes.
Remember guys, nobody is perfect!
It did not seem worth wasting time when I have had such disgusting eating habits.
You see my grandparents visited me at the weekend and I love them to death. The only problem is they come with a few added pounds.
They had about five bags of food for me. A lot of the food was biscuit orientated.
Now, I don't buy biscuits because I eat the entire pack so it has been a nightmare for me.
Needless to say this week I have eaten many a wheaty treat.
This whole week doesn't look too good to be honest and work has gotten in the way of work outs.
That always makes it extra naughty.
Today I went to my spin class again for the first time in a month (due to holidays and work commitments) and it was one of the hardest yet.
So I feel great for that but unfortunately I didn't feel like cooking at 8pm so I had two bowls of cereal instead.
Yeah I know not too bad but I had toast prior to the class and a big lunch.
The good news is, I didn't snack today. I think the key to it is have a big lunch. Dinner is usually my biggest meal which doesn't really make sense.
.JPG) |
| Today's lunch, not the healthiest but the most delicious |
I don't burn anything after eating it because I just slob on the sofa. I think I may have to look into making lunch my biggest meal from now on.
I have no inspiration for yummy hot lunches that I can take to work though. It isn't the same as being in your own kitchen.
Next week is detox week. Very hard with little solid food. I will update every day with my progress but as for the weekend, I am having visitors so I am not watching what I eat.
We're all allowed to do that sometimes.
Remember guys, nobody is perfect!
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