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.

Coming back to monster mums I discovered I still had a tin of Roses left from Christmas - sorry waistline!

 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!

What is cake without a brew - what is a brew without cake?

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!

Fasted run

What a mistake - this is something I will not be doing again.

I decided to get up and do a fasted run. I haven't done many medium to long distance runs for a while due to my stomach (see previous post).

So when I was in Yorkshire - and we all know how much I love running in Gods County - I thought, get up and go!

That way I had the rest of the day to visit the family. I have done a fasted run (running first thing before eating anything) many times before but in hindsight, this has been when I just did short distances like two or three miles.

Any more than three I should eat, especially as someone with low blood sugar.

So I set off and I already felt a little ropey with the stomach problems (IBS) but I know that once I get into a run I am fine.

Well, this route I know is a good four miles - a nice distance for easing back into the outside world.

It is a great run in the open countryside, there are challenges to start with as I stumble on the slippery, muddy tracks until reaching the concrete. That makes me slower and uses extra energy reserves as I am so focused on not falling or doing the splits.

I got about one and half miles away and felt faint and terrible. It felt like I was so close to two miles but so far. I knew if I went two miles I would have another two miles back, which normally is a breeze but my body was screaming to stop. And I hate stopping! So I turned and back I went.

I ended up running past my usual junction to head in the direction home thinking I would at least try another. That was another mistake. That was so bogged down I didn't even attempt it.

That turned out to be a good thing because it made me go back on myself giving me an extra third of a mile on my run which made me feel slightly better for cutting it short.

Safe running guys, you live and you learn!

Troublesome tummy

For almost three months now I have suffered with a bad stomach.

I mean severe pain that has left me crippled, curled up in the fetal position in agony.

Doctors being doctors just sent me for blood tests etc... with no real interest or explanation.

So three months down the line of me cutting out foods, keeping food diaries and giving in because there is no real trigger for it, they have put it down to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

This is what I have thought it to be for a while but I did as the doctors said who did not seem to be pointing in that direction - I think it seems obvious given the symptoms but hey! What do I know? - Actually a lot.. No one knows their body better than themselves, chatting to people with IBS and doing lots of research I almost self diagnosed. But the Docs confirmed for me anyway, finally.

Now this is something that initially I thought was a little embarrassing - I think purely from other IBS sufferers feeling shy about it. But I don't see why I should be, It is common enough and there are loads of other conditions out there that people aren't humiliated by. It is only due to it being related to the bowels. Well guess what world, WE ALL HAVE THEM!

Some are just more delicate. Funnily enough, I have always had a strong stomach, I guess I will never know what caused it.

One thing I will say to those out there who do not understand it, do not underestimate it.
I think a lot of people think "oh is that it?" Well, I tell you what, it doesn't matter how common it is (1 in 10 people suffer, mostly women) It is incredibly unpleasant.

http://scarlettlondon.com/ibs-alone/ this was one blog I read that made complete sense to me and made me feel 100% about the situation.

I couldn't put in to words the way I felt physically but she does a good job. It has affected my work and social life - decisions have been made around my stomach and how I have been feeling, I have either missed out or forced myself to suffer so I can stay in the loop and really known about it the next day. It takes over my thoughts at work and when I have felt bad I have been helpless because it was too embarrassing to talk about - because I had no real explanation.

It has been an awful three months. I have felt fatigued, unhappy and generally not myself. It has affected my routines, food and exercise which as a gym bunny, has resulted in making me more miserable and feeling unaccomplished. But at least now I have an explanation I can begin to manage it and move forward.

Mind and Body

I am always saying when out on a run either by myself or with others "keep going your mind will quit long before your legs!" - but now I am not so sure.

I hit the road last night eager to run my comfortable five mile route but my legs did not make it an easy or enjoyable one.

Physically and mentally I felt I could keep going but my legs hurt! They felt like they wanted to drop off.

Every runner knows the feeling, when your legs feel heavy and like they're dragging.

It was awful.

The worst part was knowing I could do it. I pushed myself and didn't stop but all the way I was cursing myself for that stupid phrase - I now know why others hate me when I shout it at them!

I do still stand by it, your mind is weaker than your body but I have at least now learnt there are exceptions and this was one of them!

After a week off from running I think my body will be in tip top shape ready for a nice big jog!

Happy running!

This week's healthy feasts

Vegetarian Mexican casserole,
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...

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.

Training and gaining - Getting others fit!

So I recently embarked on a mission to get my brother's girlfriend fit.
Katy, has been complaining about her fitness for a while now and asked me for help.
This was a challenge I was more than happy to accept.
I love keeping fit and the chance to inspire and motivate someone else to do it really excited me.
One thing I learnt last year in particular is, cardio is not the key.
A good mix of cardio and weights (I like doing body weight exercise) is the way to get good results.
This is the mistake I made at first.

So the local park where she lives, Pontefract Racecourse, is two miles around. So we set off on a power walk with two little bursts of sprinting.

We stopped half way around and did some body weight exercises.

I wanted to do an overall workout with her so I chose a couple of my favourite exercises that best work each muscle group.

We did two arm/chest exercises, two leg/bum exercises and two abdominal/core exercises. We did three sets of 10 for each exercise.

Katy and I stopped at a bench and used it for tricep dips. These are something I struggle with too so it benefited me. I want to improve my upper body strength.

Tricep dips.
To do this safely you should position your hands shoulder width apart on the secured bench and slide your bum off with your legs extended out in front of you.
Push up with your arms to straighten them, leaving a slight bend then come back down so your elbows are at a 90degree angle.
That is one repetition.

Katy's first tricep dip

We then did squats.
Everyone loves a squat and who doesn't want a perky bum?
Stand with your feet hip width apart and keep your back straight. Slowly push your bum towards the floor so that your thighs are doing the work. Do not let your knees go over your toes and treat it as if you are going to sit down. As you lower down bring your arms up in front of you. Slowly come back up.
That is one repetition.

Mountain climbers.
These are great for your core, upper body and cardio fitness.
Get in the press up position with your hands directly under your shoulders and arms straight.
Keep your body in a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Lift your right foot off the floor and bring your knee up to your chest as close as you can. Move your leg back to the starting position and do it with the left knee.
That is one repetition, the better you get, the faster you can go.

Push ups.
It is a personal mission of mine to perfect the push up!
Assume the plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and toes stabilizing you on the floor. Keep your body straight as with the mountain climbers.
Lower the body keeping your back flat and look in front of you until your chest almost reaches the floor.
Keep your elbows tucked close to the body. Keep your body tight and engaged and slowly push back up.
That is one repetition.

Lunges.
I love a lunge, I love the stretchy feeling you get in your hamstring. I lunge everywhere!
Start with your legs hip width apart, your hands on your hips and your abdominal muscles engaged.
Step forward with your right foot, keeping your back straight, and with your left foot lift onto your toe.
Bend both of your knees so they are at 90degree angles but do not let your right knee go over your toes.
Push off your right heel to return to the starting position and repeat with the left leg.
That is one repetition.

We both started to tire at this point

Sit ups.
There are loads of variations for sit ups, I chose to have Katy cross her arms to punch my hands so it worked a bit more of her core, gave her a point to work towards and it is generally a bit of fun. (I'm pretty sure she wanted to punch me at this point anyway).
Lie on the floor with your legs bent and feet planted firmly on the ground. You can ask someone to stand on your feet or put something on top of them to help you - I stood on Katy's.
Put your hands behind your ears and slowly lift your head first and then roll up, imagine each individual vibrate coming up one and a time.
That is a sit up but I took it a little further.
Once up at a 45degree angle I made Katy punch my left hand with her left hand making sure she twisted her body and then she punched my right hand with her right hand. This worked her obliques as well as her abdominals.
She then slowly lowered her upper body back to the ground.
That was one repetition.

After repeating the exercises three times we continued around the park. We switched from walking to jogging on and off to try and raise her heart rate.
Once we got to the end Katy said she wanted to hurt me but she felt good and I felt good for helping her, so job done!

At the end of it all we both felt better!

I hope this inspires someone else to give it a try.