Sugar rush

Here we are again, on a sugar high. 

The viscous circle has completed its loop for the thousandth time.

I really am on a mission to cut sugar from my life but my problem is, I just love food too much.

Being a big cook means I do not have to worry about unhealthy meals. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the most part are home cooked foods. It is the stuff in between that get's me.

Unfortunately, the job I am in means I am rewarded by happy customers with treats.

The issue here is the people around me. I am in an office full of sugarholics, and while their intentions are good in that they like to share the food they buy, it does not help my mission.

I do not binge to the extent I used to which is a positive but I really have not restrained myself lately. If a cookie has been put in front of me, I have eaten it, if the bowl of cereal has winked at me, it  has not lasted very long. 

Now I feel my skin is awful. The sugar is punishing me.

I need help, what can I do? The world is surrounded by temptation. My will power is not quite developed enough.

My Fitness Pal

I would like to take a moment to appreciate an app of which I swear by.
My fitness pal is a fantastic app that has really helped me in my quest for a healthier life style.
It tracks your calorie intake. Not only that but it differentiates between fat, carbs and protein (as well as much more but they are my three main focuses).
I've banged on enough times now about my high fat and protein, low carb approach to food. This really helps me understand what I am eating and what I need more of.

An example of last Thursday's chart. Not as much protein as I would like and more carbs then is preferable but I did a lot of intense exercise that day so I needed the carbs. 

When I realised I needed to lose a few pounds this app helped me tenfold to what I would have done alone.
Not only did I understand the calorie value of food more but when I was naughty, I would force myself to enter it as a guilt trip.
You can create your own recipes and it calculates the nutritional values for you and adds up the calories. It saves your meals if you want and it records your exercise, so you can get a fair, accurate recording.
My fitness pal will tell you at the end of the day how that day will translate for you in the long term.
Warning, it is addictive. But give it a try even if you just want to learn more about the food you are eating.

Festival fitness

I am currently dealing with the after effects of Leeds Festival. 

Having a booze break 

While it was one of the best weekends of my life, I can really feel that my fitness level has deteriorated.
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.

Feeling a bit worse for wear after day one

I started each morning with an apple and breakfast biscuits. Not the best start but certainly better then anything else on offer. 
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.

Mid day music with larger to fuel us

 All worth it I must say - I attempted to eat as best I could when the option was available. We made a supermarket trip where I got a sandwhich for my tea one night and yoghurt and granola for a lunch another time plus watermelon and grapes throughout. But at the end of the day it does not compensate for everything else bad for my body that I consumed. 

It was all worth it 

Ever since I have been attempting to get my sleep pattern back to normal, my exercise routine back to normal and my eating much healthier. I have felt lethargic and constantly hungry since though, so it is proving a challenge at the moment.
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. 

We had a lot of late nights 

I can also see it in my skin and hair. Both look dull and my skin is quite bad at the moment. It is due to the amount of sugar I took on board. My next step is to try and cut out sugar completely - bar the odd block of dark chocolate. We have to have some luxuries. 

Fitspiration

I had not run in eight days. Not because I was injured for once, but because I lost all motivation.
I temporarily felt bored by running.
Luckily that phase has passed and I do not know how or why.
The track I usually run on just does not appeal to me at the minute and I cannot explain it.
But I have found a new route which has more than one benefit.
It incorporates hills, climbs, flat, different terrain and a segment running with a friend.
My good friend and work colleague wanted to get into better shape. He cannot run as far as me so to get my miles in I run to his house, collect him, run with him and then run home.
It motivated me to get back out running again.
Seeing my friend getting fit inspired me to keep up with my fitness and not to let it slip.
Knowing that I am the force that is helping him is also a great motivator. I can't let him down.
I'm doing a 10k in a few weeks with two friends and they have turned it into a competition.
I usually run between five and six miles but I ran 6.4 today.
It was great knowing I could do that distance easily and it gives me a bit more confidence for beating them.
I would not have run that far had I not seen my new running buddy and been inspired by him.
So if you have learned anything from today's post I hope it is this.
Other people are inspirational.

Colour run fun

I might be a little bit late blogging about the colour run but never the less it is worth a post.
I recently ran a colour run with two friends, both of whom I run with separately. 
One of them I enjoy running long distance with, the other I am sort of training.
So we were all of different abilities but it did not matter. It was so much fun. 
I certainly recommend doing a colour run. They may only be 5k which to some is a short distance but it is not about the miles. A colour run is more about the atmosphere and enjoyment of running surrounded by people who also want to get smothered in colour.

Celebrating crossing the line

I have to admit, I did not hang back for the boys I ran on at my own pace. But the pride I felt when my friend crossed the finish line having run the longest distance yet was unbelievable. 
I love that he is starting to run and enjoy himself. 
The sun was shining and everyone was in good spirits, some people walked, some people did two laps some people jogged. There was a huge variety of people all with smiles on their faces and it was uplifting. I had read on many other blogs from marathon runners and serious runners a like that they still do colour runs. Because they are an experience and one that everyone should have a go at. 

Open water swimming

My family always said I could swim before I could walk.
How true this is I don't know but I do know some of my earliest memories are being in the pool and loving it.
I was lucky to have grandparents who had an indoor swimming pool.
I am a Pisces so maybe it is in my blood but I love water, I am in it at every available opportunity. Only last week I was swimming in a local lake because it was a hot day and, well, why not.
It has become ingrained in me now that I want to complete a triathlon soon.
Now, I can run 10k and I can swim a mile easily, but putting the two together will be a challenge as well as cycling, which I need to work on.
A trainer at the gym told me about this open water swimming locally. I thought this was something I should try if I am serious about a triathlon because it is slightly different to swimming in a pool. I headed down, it's called Uswim Openwater and it is an official weekly event that is run by professionals.
I even convinced my boyfriend (who is a swim-a-phobe) to come in and do a lap.
It was exhilarating. Boundary Park is a lake lined with trees so  it was really picturesque which adds to the charm of open water swimming.
Swimming is a bit like running. Yes the treadmill is a great machine - the swimming pool is a great facility, but why be stuck inside when you can be outside in the open taking in the world?
I headed down with a nervous stomach but full of excitement because I have finally found something that was made for me.
As soon as I was given the run down by the friendly professionals I was in and off. Buoys mark the course so you can swim without getting tangled in the weeds as they clear a path for you. On my first lap however, right at the end I did get stuck in a big tangle of weeds but it is something they raked away quickly.
I did four laps of the 400m course and felt fresh. It does not feel like exercise to me swimming comes naturally so I had a great day out and it was something different for a Sunday. It did also help that it was glorious weather.

Holiday blues

I can only apologize for my lack of posts recently. I have been working my butt off for some exams I had to sit and then I went on holiday - pause while the jealousy kicks in - so I have had a lot of other things to focus on. But now i'm back and you have my full attention.

Anyway back to the post... 

I have the holiday blues but not the typical type. I have the holiday blues of a food and fitness fanatic. I have had the most relaxing 10 days baking the heat of Cypriot sun. But unlike the more sane part of the population – relaxing for me includes incorporating exercise.
Without it I become jittery, anxious and convinced I’m becoming fat. Running also helps keep my head clear and my mind calm. So the 39 degree temperatures did not stop me from running. I promised myself I would go for morning runs before it got too hot. Not every day, I was on holiday after all. I am naturally an early riser so 8am runs came easily the first few days. But, as everyone knows, the sun and the heat can tire you out and make you lethargic. 

It was even baking in the evenings

The fourth day in I woke up at 8.45am at which point the heat was already searing. It was no time for a run. That was fine, as I said I wouldn’t do it every day. The next day was fine, I got up and ran but each day was hotter than the last and it got to a point where I thought I would be sick while running. Never the less, I soldiered on because the route I was doing was only a 15/20 minute run. Short and sweet but enough for a holiday.
But then I woke up late two days in a row and it started to spiral. Now I really started to feel agitated. Normally I would do between 45minutes to one hour exercise, six days a week. So the lack of activity combined with what I like to call the holiday affect – You eat stupid amounts of unhealthy food but are made to believe it is ok because “you’re on holiday”, - spelled trouble. I don’t have enough fingers to count how many people have said that. I am an emotional eater anyway, so if I eat badly I feel like a failure and convince myself I may as well indulge on everything in sight and I can start again tomorrow. This coupled with “you’re on holiday” gave my greedy side license to gorge. So between the guilt and the gluttony and the short, sparse runs, I have come home with the holiday blues. I feel like there is a lot of hard work ahead of me to combat the crux that comes with holidays.