Walkies for Weight loss

I have received a few compliments about my weight of late. However, my gym time has significantly
reduced as a lot has changed in the last couple of months.

The big changes being we have a dog! We have also moved house which is, as everyone knows, quite stressful.

Kendal, the six-month-old black labrador joined us two months ago and now our lives revolve around her. We walk for half an hour in the morning and for 45 minutes to an hour on an evening.

This is the only thing I can attribute to any type of weight loss as I am doing nothing different other than reducing my hours in the gym.

The point to this is, if you are struggling with your weight and you find it tiresome spending time in the gym, perhaps you should start putting the miles in? Is that something you had ever considered?

I'm not suggesting everyone goes and gets a dog, they are exhausting but find yourself a walking buddy, or you can even sign up to walk someone else's dog if you think that would motivate you more.

It is such a sociable activity and there is nothing like a bit of fresh air to perk you up. As mentioned before, I am an avid Fitbit user and mine sings me praises every day now, I tend to reach all my goals which even on gym days was something I didn't always meet.

So if you are struggling, and you don't want to spend days on end in the gym, give walking a go and see if you notice a difference.

Kendal loves to play, it's such a joy being in the fresh air watching her play

High Intensity Low Impact Workout

Sore knees? Or just low on time?

Let me tell you about the new grueling routine Matt and I have been going through a couple of times a week.


20 Minute Cross Trainer Intervals

Disclosure....
1. I hate the cross trainer
2. Anyone who thinks 30 seconds isn't a long time, has never done a Hiit session
3. You will feel great afterwards, so persevere


We both tend to go through phases when we get sore knees for some reason or another. So this cross trainer work out is easier our joints (I know we sound like pensioners, not twenty somethings).

If you do it for 20 minutes, each round should be between 2-2 1/2 minutes. Train at a medium intensity for 2 minutes and then push your feet forward as fast as possible for the next 30 seconds. Then repeat the whole process.

If you really feel like burning some cals, make the regime 1 1/2 mins medium and 30 seconds intense.

It is worth noticing your RPM when you are pushing yourself to see what you can get up to and then aim to keep it at that each time you go at full throttle.

You will definitely appreciate the next 2 minutes as a  slower pace and you will get off nice and sweaty.

I find doing intervals makes the tedious job of using cardio machines go much faster.

Of course you can apply this to any of the machines, I love doing it on the treadmill but I don't have as much recovery time.


Here is a rough guide (based on my abilities so adapt to suit eg, Matt's RPM is much higher than mine, some people's may be lower)

0 - 2 mins 70 RPM
2 - 2.30 mins 103 RPM
2.30 - 4.30 mins 70 RPM
4.30 - 5 mins 103 RPM
5 - 7 mins 70 RPM
7 - 7.30 mins 103 RPM
7.30 - 9.30 mins 70 RPM
9.30 - 10 mins 103 RPM
10 - 12 mins 70 RPM
12 - 12.30 mins 103 RPM
12.30 - 14.30 mins 70 RPM
14.30 - 15 mins 103 RPM
15 - 17 mins 70 RPM
17 - 17.30 103 RPM
17.30 - 19.30 mins 70 RPM
19.30 - 20 mins 103 RPM

Cool down... or keep going to 30 if you're brave enough.


Let me know if you try it and how you get on.

K x

Why we run

Why We Run by Robin Harvie.


I have never written a book review so please bare with me here.
I recently completed Robin Harvie's Why We Run. It was a book I was at first unsure of because I don't tend to read biographies or autobiographies.

But as a keen but amateur runner I thought this would be a good read. And I was right.
It is a truly emotional tale about an addiction to running and bettering yourself -something I believe most people aspire to in some way or another.
You really feel like you are on this journey with Robin and you can't help but empathize not only with him but his wife too.
Not born a natural runner, the things Robin has accomplished are incredible and something that I envy, as I know I will never manage the majority of his achievements.
This is a story about the Spartathalon in Greece. A 246km, 36 hour race that follows the footsteps of Pheidippides, an ancient Athenian long distance runner, who in 490 BC, before the battle of Marathon, was sent to Sparta to seek help in the war between the Greeks and the Persians. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after his departure from Athens.
Robin's goal is to complete the remarkable race and all the way through you cannot help but root for him.
It is so well written. At one point in the book, Robin gets incredibly lost on a long, hot run and you can almost feel the pain he describes both physically and mentally. My feet were throbbing just reading it.
One thing is for sure though, as a short distance runner (I never go more than eight miles - usually six), it really inspired me to run more.
Every time I read it all I wanted to do was get up and run and challenge myself.
So I would dub this book as heartfelt and inspiring. Worth a read if you like a little run once in a while.

Slave to snacking

I love a good snack, whether it be sweet, salty or savory. 

So this week I am setting myself the challenge of stopping the snacks. If I can do this week without snacking on the naughty stuff even just one or two bits here and there I will feel such a sense of achievement. 

I am so weak when the good stuff is put in front of me but one thing I have learnt about myself is I am stubborn and competitive. Give me a challenge and I will do it. Therefore I challenged myself to this. 

I need to prove to my brain that I don't need bad snacks, they are not a treat and I don't really enjoy them while I eat them. It is all in my head, I know that but sometimes my head is very strong willed. 

(There maybe a left over Easter egg in it for me if I can do the seven days). I have done two days so far no problem. And temptation has been put in my way so there is a positive I can thrive off. I have shown some strength.

Fruit salad is one of my favourite things to eat so I have made a huge one to put in the fridge for snacking on.

I have banned everything naughty from my flat and have a healthy eating plan in place. 

This can be done!