Hey all, this is my last post using this blogger tool.
But, don't worry, I will still be blogging, it's just all my blogs now are on my website www.cloynefitness.ie.
Take a look now at this site and see what you think !
Thursday, 2 April 2015
Sunday, 22 March 2015
Weight loss happens in the kitchen !
I could hazard a guess, there is a good chance that why the scales is not moving is due to diet. A lot of us fall into the trap of thinking that just because you exercise regularly, you can eat more, and can have more treats. You might come back from the gym and, after your shower, head straight for the kitchen looking for a little reward after your hard work.
Head for the kitchen yes, but do not reach for a calorific treat. Instead, have a snack of protein to help repair muscle.
Did you know that just by eating an extra 100 calories a day, can lead to gaining 11 lbs in a year !
On the flip of this, by making small changes in your diet, can result in big differences over a year.
So, starting in the morning, why not make some small changes in your diet?
E.g. Reduce your portion of porridge or cereal, start weighing out your portions, aim for 40g of dry porridge oats max.
Or, start your day with protein to keep you full.
Avoid sugary cereal, and resist that slice of white toast, remember, this will not fill you and will only leave you wanting more. Eat to fuel your body and not for immediate satisfaction!
Also, do not be tempted to have a spoon of your kids breakfast ! (This is one I struggle with, it can be so hard to resist a spoon or two of crispies when you are hungry!!
Yes, working out does burn calories, however, probably not enough to offset that chocolate bar, or even that extra spoon of pasta, rice, butternut squash etc. (Yes, even veggies have calories I am afraid, root veggies having more than celery, cabbage etc.)
80% of weight loss is down to diet, so, if you want to shed a few lbs before summer arrives, prepare to work hard both in, and out of the kitchen!
Watch out for my next blog where I give the recipe for a really healthy, yummy pizza :)
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Happy Mothers Day!
For all you mammies out there, have a lovely mothers day tomorrow! And if you are not a mammy, have a lovely day anyway :)
So, am I going to say have a lovely day but don't have any cake or chocolate? No, I won't say that, where is the fun in that?
However, what I will say is, have your treat tomorrow, but make sure to get some exercise in also. The weather forecast is looking good for the coming days, so make the most of it.
As long as you have balance in your life, you will be ok. When the your life goes off balance is when you have to stop, and rebalance again.
This can swing both ways actually. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Obviously this relates to junk food, processed food, alcohol etc., however, it can also relate to exercise and obsessing over healthy eating.
There is so much pressure everywhere now, every magazine has images of "perfect" bodies with toned tums, arms and legs. Social media is full of images of six packs, pert bums, defined arms etc., it is very easy to start feeling bad about yourself if you feel you do not match up to these images. This is when your quest for a fit and healthy body could end up in an obsession. Some people are addicted to exercise and healthy eating, but in a bad way. And do you know what, sometimes it can be difficult to see the difference between obsession, and just being healthy.
For me, I have to exercise every day, if I do not get my exercise in, I do not feel right. I feel something is missing from my day. However, if for some reason I do not get out for a run, get to gym etc, I don't beat myself up over it. I just look forward to getting back to it the next time I can.
Is that obsession ? Some might say it is, I would say not. Obsession for me is when you think about something nearly all the time, and it starts to control your life. You might start neglecting other parts of your life just to get your "fix" in. You might turn bad tempered if you cannot feed your obsession. etc.etc.
If you feel like this over something, including exercise, then address it today.
Also, I do eat healthy 95% of the time. Do I have an occasional treat? Yes I sure do! Do I feel guilty afterwards? Honestly, sometimes I do. And that is just being honest. However sometimes I have a treat and enjoy it, and do not feel guilty. I guess it depends on the frame of mind on the day.
Anyway, back to the images of perfection we see in magazines and online. You know what, a lot of these images are photoshopped, the girls are full of tan, make and hair professionally done, have been styled professionally etc.
If this is not the case, if the people you see have genuine six packs etc, it takes a HUGE amount of discipline and hard graft. You have to sacrifice A LOT and prepare to be very cranky sometimes when you are craving that piece of toast that you cannot have.
Your family and friends will have to understand and support you, and be there for you when you get down over how long it is taking to achieve that physique you are striving for.
So, unless you are willing to make these sacrifices, can you please love your body the way it is. Sure, watch your diet, avoid processed foods and junk, exercise as often as you can, preferably 5 times a week, drink lots of water, and stay healthy. But, once you do your best, then that is good enough for me!
So, tomorrow, have a little treat, enjoy it, but just make sure that it is only a treat and it does not become a habit!
So, am I going to say have a lovely day but don't have any cake or chocolate? No, I won't say that, where is the fun in that?
However, what I will say is, have your treat tomorrow, but make sure to get some exercise in also. The weather forecast is looking good for the coming days, so make the most of it.
As long as you have balance in your life, you will be ok. When the your life goes off balance is when you have to stop, and rebalance again.
This can swing both ways actually. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Obviously this relates to junk food, processed food, alcohol etc., however, it can also relate to exercise and obsessing over healthy eating.
There is so much pressure everywhere now, every magazine has images of "perfect" bodies with toned tums, arms and legs. Social media is full of images of six packs, pert bums, defined arms etc., it is very easy to start feeling bad about yourself if you feel you do not match up to these images. This is when your quest for a fit and healthy body could end up in an obsession. Some people are addicted to exercise and healthy eating, but in a bad way. And do you know what, sometimes it can be difficult to see the difference between obsession, and just being healthy.
For me, I have to exercise every day, if I do not get my exercise in, I do not feel right. I feel something is missing from my day. However, if for some reason I do not get out for a run, get to gym etc, I don't beat myself up over it. I just look forward to getting back to it the next time I can.
Is that obsession ? Some might say it is, I would say not. Obsession for me is when you think about something nearly all the time, and it starts to control your life. You might start neglecting other parts of your life just to get your "fix" in. You might turn bad tempered if you cannot feed your obsession. etc.etc.
If you feel like this over something, including exercise, then address it today.
Also, I do eat healthy 95% of the time. Do I have an occasional treat? Yes I sure do! Do I feel guilty afterwards? Honestly, sometimes I do. And that is just being honest. However sometimes I have a treat and enjoy it, and do not feel guilty. I guess it depends on the frame of mind on the day.
Anyway, back to the images of perfection we see in magazines and online. You know what, a lot of these images are photoshopped, the girls are full of tan, make and hair professionally done, have been styled professionally etc.
If this is not the case, if the people you see have genuine six packs etc, it takes a HUGE amount of discipline and hard graft. You have to sacrifice A LOT and prepare to be very cranky sometimes when you are craving that piece of toast that you cannot have.
Your family and friends will have to understand and support you, and be there for you when you get down over how long it is taking to achieve that physique you are striving for.
So, unless you are willing to make these sacrifices, can you please love your body the way it is. Sure, watch your diet, avoid processed foods and junk, exercise as often as you can, preferably 5 times a week, drink lots of water, and stay healthy. But, once you do your best, then that is good enough for me!
So, tomorrow, have a little treat, enjoy it, but just make sure that it is only a treat and it does not become a habit!
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Targets revisited...
Hey all, remember 14 days ago I asked you to set a target for 14 days? How did you get on? Did you stick to it?
I'll tell you how I got on...
I had set two targets, one to write a blog every day for 14 days and the other to drink 2 to 3 litres of water every day.
I did stick to my target of writing a blog every day for 14 days. However, I failed to hit my target of drinking all my water.
Why did I fail? I guess I just forgot. I did drink water when I remembered but that wasn't 2 to 3 litres every day. I wasn't focused enough maybe, and I let my busy life hamper my efforts!
So, what do I do now? I will tell you what, I will reset my target and try to remember for the next 14 days again!
That is the important thing about targets. Do your best to meet them, and if you don't meet them, don't be discouraged and give up, just try harder the next time!
If you do not reach a target, that should give you even more determination to reach it after setting it again!
So, if you reached your target, well done! If you didn't, don't be annoyed, just reset it and try harder the next time!
Remember, successful people do not reach their goals with no bumps along the way. It is like the Ballycotton 10 mile race, (or any race). Lots of twists and turns, up hills and down hills, a struggle at the end, and then a fabulous result when you cross the finish line!
Good luck.
I'll tell you how I got on...
I had set two targets, one to write a blog every day for 14 days and the other to drink 2 to 3 litres of water every day.
I did stick to my target of writing a blog every day for 14 days. However, I failed to hit my target of drinking all my water.
Why did I fail? I guess I just forgot. I did drink water when I remembered but that wasn't 2 to 3 litres every day. I wasn't focused enough maybe, and I let my busy life hamper my efforts!
So, what do I do now? I will tell you what, I will reset my target and try to remember for the next 14 days again!
That is the important thing about targets. Do your best to meet them, and if you don't meet them, don't be discouraged and give up, just try harder the next time!
If you do not reach a target, that should give you even more determination to reach it after setting it again!
So, if you reached your target, well done! If you didn't, don't be annoyed, just reset it and try harder the next time!
Remember, successful people do not reach their goals with no bumps along the way. It is like the Ballycotton 10 mile race, (or any race). Lots of twists and turns, up hills and down hills, a struggle at the end, and then a fabulous result when you cross the finish line!
Good luck.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Positivity, Consistency, persistence, patience and time !
So, how are we all doing ? I am feeling great, started c25k last night, I enjoyed it, I hope everyone else did ! In 8 weeks time, provided everyone puts in the hard work, we will be running 5k together.
For anyone starting something new, exercise or otherwise, it is daunting. You might question why are you doing it, will you be able for it, what happens if you can't do it, what happens if you are the slowest, most unfit , etc etc etc... The one thing all of these thoughts have in common are that they are all negative ! You are almost setting yourself up for failure even before you start.
If you are one of those people who tries to talk yourself out of something even before you brgin, then please try to not hamper your efforts by being negative !
It is hard enough to get into a regular exercise routine, with life throwing challenges at you all the time, then it is going to be even more difficult if you are thinking negative thoughts !
So, instead of saying "what if", or "I can't", tell yourself "I can do this and I will!".
The visualisation method is something that is spoken about regularly. This involves picturing yourself being the person you want to become. If you want to start running, imagine yourself crossing the finish line of your first 5k, if you want to lose weight, then have a picture in your mind of you being slim and trim. Then, when you are tempted to miss a training session, or tempted to binge on cake and biscuits, bring up the picture of the slim and trim you in your head. You won't be long about dropping the biscuits !
Once you are being positive, and can visualise the end result, it makes the job in hand a little easier ! I am sure Padraig Harrington yesterday didn't tell himself that he won't win the golf ! He stayed positive, and focused, and got one million Dollars as a result ! If we had that carrot of a million dangling in front of us, I'm sure we would be focused too !!
After being positive, it is all about consistency, determination and patience to get to your goals. The harder the goal to achieve, the greater the satisfaction once you reach your goal !
So keep plugging away at whatever your goal is, keep focused, work hard, stay disciplined. And don't ever compare yourself to anyone else ! Everyone achieves their goals in different time frames, genetics play a role here I believe !
It may take a long time to reach your goal, it may take months or even years, therefore you have got to have patience, and whatever you do, do not give up! Never lose focus, and if you do lose focus for a little while, don't worry ! Just refocus and start again. It is a marathon to reach your goals, not a sprint !!
For anyone starting something new, exercise or otherwise, it is daunting. You might question why are you doing it, will you be able for it, what happens if you can't do it, what happens if you are the slowest, most unfit , etc etc etc... The one thing all of these thoughts have in common are that they are all negative ! You are almost setting yourself up for failure even before you start.
If you are one of those people who tries to talk yourself out of something even before you brgin, then please try to not hamper your efforts by being negative !
It is hard enough to get into a regular exercise routine, with life throwing challenges at you all the time, then it is going to be even more difficult if you are thinking negative thoughts !
So, instead of saying "what if", or "I can't", tell yourself "I can do this and I will!".
The visualisation method is something that is spoken about regularly. This involves picturing yourself being the person you want to become. If you want to start running, imagine yourself crossing the finish line of your first 5k, if you want to lose weight, then have a picture in your mind of you being slim and trim. Then, when you are tempted to miss a training session, or tempted to binge on cake and biscuits, bring up the picture of the slim and trim you in your head. You won't be long about dropping the biscuits !
Once you are being positive, and can visualise the end result, it makes the job in hand a little easier ! I am sure Padraig Harrington yesterday didn't tell himself that he won't win the golf ! He stayed positive, and focused, and got one million Dollars as a result ! If we had that carrot of a million dangling in front of us, I'm sure we would be focused too !!
After being positive, it is all about consistency, determination and patience to get to your goals. The harder the goal to achieve, the greater the satisfaction once you reach your goal !
So keep plugging away at whatever your goal is, keep focused, work hard, stay disciplined. And don't ever compare yourself to anyone else ! Everyone achieves their goals in different time frames, genetics play a role here I believe !
It may take a long time to reach your goal, it may take months or even years, therefore you have got to have patience, and whatever you do, do not give up! Never lose focus, and if you do lose focus for a little while, don't worry ! Just refocus and start again. It is a marathon to reach your goals, not a sprint !!
Monday, 2 March 2015
Are your energy levels ok?
Hello all ! Today, I want to talk about energy levels. Do you hop out of bed in the morning and keep going with gusto all day until bed time? Or, do you drag yourself out of bed in the morning and take about an hour to wake up? You are fine until after lunch when, around 3pm you start to feel tired again..? If the latter is you, I would hazard a guess that you have sugar and white carbs in your diet? Am I right? These really mess with your blood sugar levels, causing highs and lows in energy. When you get energy dips, you then crave sugar to give you a quick pick me up. And yes, the sugar does give you a quick fix, but this is short lived until you start to feel tired again and crave more sugar.
Your diet largely determines the amount of energy you have during the day, given that you have had a good nights sleep. So, get rid of as much junk as possible out of your diet, drink lots of water, start your day with warm water and lemon, and help get your energy levels back on an even keel.
Now I will look at sleep. Do you get 7-8 good hours of sleep a night? If not, why? If you have children interrupting your sleep, then this is out if your control. However, if the reason for your lack of sleep is within your control, then try and change it.
If you have trouble falling asleep at night, there are things you can try doing to get to sleep quicker, examples are:
Listen to relaxing music before bed.
Don't watch tv, computer, smartphone, iPad, or otherwise 30 minutes before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine after 6pm.
Try and get some daily exercise.
Meditation.
Try having a herbal tea, or cup of warm milk before bed.
Keep your bedroom nice and cosy, if you are cold, you will not have a good nights sleep.
Make sure you never go to bed hungry. This isn't an excuse to fill up on junk or cereal at night, if you are feeling peckish, have some protein.
It is so important to get a good rest at night. When I am tired I tend to crave sugar more the following day, looking for a quick fix of energy. Also, if you are tired, you will find it harder to motivate yourself to exercise.
Tiredness results in you being more quick tempered, often taking your quick temper out on your kids or close family/work colleagues.
Tiredness also results in you being more forgetful and scattered ! A lot of us get baby brain after having a baby, I think it's just down to us being over tired.
Also, remember, it is when you are resting that your muscles are recovering and repairing after exercise, resulting in stronger and more efficient muscles.
So, in a nutshell, try and get more sleep !
Your diet largely determines the amount of energy you have during the day, given that you have had a good nights sleep. So, get rid of as much junk as possible out of your diet, drink lots of water, start your day with warm water and lemon, and help get your energy levels back on an even keel.
Now I will look at sleep. Do you get 7-8 good hours of sleep a night? If not, why? If you have children interrupting your sleep, then this is out if your control. However, if the reason for your lack of sleep is within your control, then try and change it.
If you have trouble falling asleep at night, there are things you can try doing to get to sleep quicker, examples are:
Listen to relaxing music before bed.
Don't watch tv, computer, smartphone, iPad, or otherwise 30 minutes before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine after 6pm.
Try and get some daily exercise.
Meditation.
Try having a herbal tea, or cup of warm milk before bed.
Keep your bedroom nice and cosy, if you are cold, you will not have a good nights sleep.
Make sure you never go to bed hungry. This isn't an excuse to fill up on junk or cereal at night, if you are feeling peckish, have some protein.
It is so important to get a good rest at night. When I am tired I tend to crave sugar more the following day, looking for a quick fix of energy. Also, if you are tired, you will find it harder to motivate yourself to exercise.
Tiredness results in you being more quick tempered, often taking your quick temper out on your kids or close family/work colleagues.
Tiredness also results in you being more forgetful and scattered ! A lot of us get baby brain after having a baby, I think it's just down to us being over tired.
Also, remember, it is when you are resting that your muscles are recovering and repairing after exercise, resulting in stronger and more efficient muscles.
So, in a nutshell, try and get more sleep !
Sunday, 1 March 2015
It's March already ...!! Eeeekkk, time to get moving !
Hello everyone and happy Sunday!
Tomorrow is an exciting day in my fitness world, I have Spinning class in the morning which I love instructing, it really sets me up for the day!
Also, tomorrow is the first day of my teaching people how to run, following the C25K programme. I am excited about this as I love running and I love to see people who do not currently run, also catch the running bug! There is nothing like a good run to de -stress and blow the cobwebs away! If you go out with a frown you will definitely come back with a smile ! You also burn lots and lots of calories in the process :) It really helps keep your weight under control.
Here are more great things about running:
Running makes your heart stronger and more efficient, remember, your heart is a muscle which also needs to be worked, along with all your other muscles! It's a great way to get fit!
It also improves your lung capacity.
Running, like all weight bearing exercises, strengthens your bones.
It also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers, etc.
You will have more energy during the day, and sleep better at night.
Being active and a healthy diet go hand in hand. Did you ever notice if you are exercising regularly, you tend to eat better?
Running is great as you can do it anywhere, anytime, for free ! All you need is a good pair of running shoes and some workout gear.
So, if you haven't already gotten the running bug, maybe you might think about giving running a try and see how you get on !
Tomorrow is an exciting day in my fitness world, I have Spinning class in the morning which I love instructing, it really sets me up for the day!
Also, tomorrow is the first day of my teaching people how to run, following the C25K programme. I am excited about this as I love running and I love to see people who do not currently run, also catch the running bug! There is nothing like a good run to de -stress and blow the cobwebs away! If you go out with a frown you will definitely come back with a smile ! You also burn lots and lots of calories in the process :) It really helps keep your weight under control.
Here are more great things about running:
Running makes your heart stronger and more efficient, remember, your heart is a muscle which also needs to be worked, along with all your other muscles! It's a great way to get fit!
It also improves your lung capacity.
Running, like all weight bearing exercises, strengthens your bones.
It also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers, etc.
You will have more energy during the day, and sleep better at night.
Being active and a healthy diet go hand in hand. Did you ever notice if you are exercising regularly, you tend to eat better?
Running is great as you can do it anywhere, anytime, for free ! All you need is a good pair of running shoes and some workout gear.
So, if you haven't already gotten the running bug, maybe you might think about giving running a try and see how you get on !
Saturday, 28 February 2015
Heart Rate Monitor
Hey all ! I saw today that there are heart rate monitors on sale in Lidl this coming Monday, 2nd March. €19.99 (bargain!)
I would really advise you to get one if you are a regular exerciser, or if you intend to become one !
It is recommended that you workout at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, this is 220 minus your age.
Once you have your target heart zones calculated, with the heart rate monitor watch, you can keep an eye on your heart rate and make sure you are working hard enough !
This is great motivation to get you going and keep you going. Also, if you have any heart issues, it stops you going into the danger zone.
Did you know that the body draws on two fuel types when exercising, carbs and fat. Science has shown that working at lower intensity draws on more fat reserves, whereas when you are working at a higher intensity, the body uses more carbs, as these are turned to energy at a faster rate.
If you want to burn fat, longer periods of low intensity work is recommended, i.e. More than 20 minutes of low intensity. This is why walking is such a great fat burner.
I hear you ask the question then, why bother pushing yourself hard then and why bother suffering through high intensity workouts ?? Well, did you ever hear of EPOC? This is basically the calories you burn after a high intensity workout whilst your heart rate is returning to normal. So, it means that you are still burning calories even after you stop your high intensity workout.
So, which do you do then if you want to burn fat ? Low intensity or high? Do both ! That is why interval training is so popular now, you are drawing on more fat reserves for lower intensity, and switching to more carb sources for higher intensity, along with getting the extra EPOC calories. Also, higher intensity is great for increasing your fitness levels. Win, win !!
Hope you found that informative, bye for now !
P.s.
The watch in Lidl also tells you what calories you have worked off, fat burnt and fitness level. I don't know how accurate they are but I know where I'm headed to Monday morning !
I would really advise you to get one if you are a regular exerciser, or if you intend to become one !
It is recommended that you workout at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, this is 220 minus your age.
Once you have your target heart zones calculated, with the heart rate monitor watch, you can keep an eye on your heart rate and make sure you are working hard enough !
This is great motivation to get you going and keep you going. Also, if you have any heart issues, it stops you going into the danger zone.
Did you know that the body draws on two fuel types when exercising, carbs and fat. Science has shown that working at lower intensity draws on more fat reserves, whereas when you are working at a higher intensity, the body uses more carbs, as these are turned to energy at a faster rate.
If you want to burn fat, longer periods of low intensity work is recommended, i.e. More than 20 minutes of low intensity. This is why walking is such a great fat burner.
I hear you ask the question then, why bother pushing yourself hard then and why bother suffering through high intensity workouts ?? Well, did you ever hear of EPOC? This is basically the calories you burn after a high intensity workout whilst your heart rate is returning to normal. So, it means that you are still burning calories even after you stop your high intensity workout.
So, which do you do then if you want to burn fat ? Low intensity or high? Do both ! That is why interval training is so popular now, you are drawing on more fat reserves for lower intensity, and switching to more carb sources for higher intensity, along with getting the extra EPOC calories. Also, higher intensity is great for increasing your fitness levels. Win, win !!
Hope you found that informative, bye for now !
P.s.
The watch in Lidl also tells you what calories you have worked off, fat burnt and fitness level. I don't know how accurate they are but I know where I'm headed to Monday morning !
Friday, 27 February 2015
Healthy meal ideas
Happy Friday to everyone, I hope you have a nice healthy weekend planned !
Today I am going to talk a bit about healthy eating and how to make your meals healthy, but still as tasty !
Spaghetti Bolognaise is always a favourite in our house, it is always a guaranteed hit with the kids. And for those of you with kids, you know how fussy they can be !
If you make spaghetti bolognaise, chances are you use a jar for the sauce. There is no need to use a jar as they are full of sugar. Why don't you make your own sauce? There are so many recipes online and it is so easy to make. It's just tomatoes, herbs, onions and garlic.
Another meal we make is curry. Again, don't be tempted to use a jar of sauce, there are so many recipes out there which result in delicious curries ! Just give yourself an extra twenty minutes in the prep work. I actually saw a gorgeous looking curry today on The Today Show on RTE, look up the recipe on rte.ie/food.
Here are other ways to make your meals healthy:
1. Add spices and herbs to make healthy food interesting and tasty, healthy food does not have to be boring !
2. If frying your food, use a small amount of coconut oil, make sure it is non processed, pure, coconut oil.
3. Swop white potatoe for sweet potatoe.
4. Use a food weighing scales, and don't go over on your portions. Know what a portion of pasta, protein, etc should look like. Even if you are eating healthily, you have to still watch your portions !
5. If having chicken or turkey, be aware there is a lot more fat in the darker meat, e.g. Thigh meat. Opt for breast meat instead.
6. Don't go back for seconds, just because it is there in the pot. If there are leftovers, freeze it and you will be glad of it next week when you are too tired or too busy to cook !
7. Load up your plate with veg.
8. Make a gorgeous stir fry. Put in lots of veg, batch fry in coconut oil, don't overload the wok. Otherwise you will have terrible, soggy veg !
9. White meat and fish have a lot less calories than red meat.
10. Try something new this weekend. Pick a vegetable that you have never tasted, google a recipe, and make a meal to include this vegetable !
My last tip is, if you do not use Myfitnesspal app to track your calories, then start using it ! It is easy to use and really helps in portion control. So take an hour over the weekend and familiarise yourself with this brilliant app.
Have a great weekend everyone !
Today I am going to talk a bit about healthy eating and how to make your meals healthy, but still as tasty !
Spaghetti Bolognaise is always a favourite in our house, it is always a guaranteed hit with the kids. And for those of you with kids, you know how fussy they can be !
If you make spaghetti bolognaise, chances are you use a jar for the sauce. There is no need to use a jar as they are full of sugar. Why don't you make your own sauce? There are so many recipes online and it is so easy to make. It's just tomatoes, herbs, onions and garlic.
Another meal we make is curry. Again, don't be tempted to use a jar of sauce, there are so many recipes out there which result in delicious curries ! Just give yourself an extra twenty minutes in the prep work. I actually saw a gorgeous looking curry today on The Today Show on RTE, look up the recipe on rte.ie/food.
Here are other ways to make your meals healthy:
1. Add spices and herbs to make healthy food interesting and tasty, healthy food does not have to be boring !
2. If frying your food, use a small amount of coconut oil, make sure it is non processed, pure, coconut oil.
3. Swop white potatoe for sweet potatoe.
4. Use a food weighing scales, and don't go over on your portions. Know what a portion of pasta, protein, etc should look like. Even if you are eating healthily, you have to still watch your portions !
5. If having chicken or turkey, be aware there is a lot more fat in the darker meat, e.g. Thigh meat. Opt for breast meat instead.
6. Don't go back for seconds, just because it is there in the pot. If there are leftovers, freeze it and you will be glad of it next week when you are too tired or too busy to cook !
7. Load up your plate with veg.
8. Make a gorgeous stir fry. Put in lots of veg, batch fry in coconut oil, don't overload the wok. Otherwise you will have terrible, soggy veg !
9. White meat and fish have a lot less calories than red meat.
10. Try something new this weekend. Pick a vegetable that you have never tasted, google a recipe, and make a meal to include this vegetable !
My last tip is, if you do not use Myfitnesspal app to track your calories, then start using it ! It is easy to use and really helps in portion control. So take an hour over the weekend and familiarise yourself with this brilliant app.
Have a great weekend everyone !
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Be your own best friend :)
How's everyone doing? Almost the weekend already! I hope you are all sticking to whatever target you set last week. It's not easy, but it will be worth it if you stick to it!
Instead of giving advice today on what to eat, what not to eat, how to exercise, etc...., I think I should talk about you, me, everyone as people. As people with feelings, emotions, thoughts etc.
I feel society is so caught up now with weight loss, being healthy, being fit etc., sometimes we forget about what is really going on in our minds, and who we are as individuals. Yes, obviously it is extremely important to eat healthily and be fit, if we want to live a healthy, happy and long life, however, what goes on inside in our heads, and who we are is equally, if not more important! As Bressie talks a lot about!
We are all so caught up with looking and feeling good (including myself), sometimes it is easy to neglect what is so important, and that is how we really are, emotions wise. There is so much now in social media and on tv, radio, newspapers etc about weight, it seems sometimes that the value of a person is based on how they look, and not who they are as people. Don't you agree? If this is the case, isn't it such a pity. Why should we be judged on what we look like, how much weight we carry etc. Wouldn't it be nice if we were all judged on who we are as people, and not what size clothes we wear.
And do you know what, I think we are our own worst enemies sometimes! I am sure most people reading this rarely look in the mirror and say "wow, you look beauiful". It is probably more like "oh, look at my tummy sticking out", or "look at the size of my thighs / bum, etc".
There is so much pressure to be slim we are all so overly critical of ourselves! So, if we are judging ourselves all the time, and some others may also be judging us on how we look, then when do we ever get a break??
The solution is, for those of you who are constantly working out, and constantly watching your diet, stop looking for perfection. There is no such thing as perfection in our bodies, we have to accept the body we were given, feed it with good nutritious food, give it exercise, and after that just learn to love yourself as more than just what you look like!
So, I guess what I am trying to say is, stop being so hard on yourself. If you look in the mirror and see something you don't like, then, by all means work towards changing it. However, don't let what you see in the mirror dictate your happiness! We are so much more than just what we look like, sometimes it is easy to lose sight of this! If you are eating good, nutritious food most of the time, and have an occasional slip up, deliberate or otherwise, don't beat yourself up about it!! And if you don't get as much exercise in a week as you would like, that's ok, just as long as you do your best. That's all we can do, isn't it!
Remember, we are so much more than how fit we are, what we look like. So, if you are reading this and thinking yes, I am hard on myself, then make a conscious decision to start looking in the mirror and seeing you as a person, and not a person with a belly!
Instead of giving advice today on what to eat, what not to eat, how to exercise, etc...., I think I should talk about you, me, everyone as people. As people with feelings, emotions, thoughts etc.
I feel society is so caught up now with weight loss, being healthy, being fit etc., sometimes we forget about what is really going on in our minds, and who we are as individuals. Yes, obviously it is extremely important to eat healthily and be fit, if we want to live a healthy, happy and long life, however, what goes on inside in our heads, and who we are is equally, if not more important! As Bressie talks a lot about!
We are all so caught up with looking and feeling good (including myself), sometimes it is easy to neglect what is so important, and that is how we really are, emotions wise. There is so much now in social media and on tv, radio, newspapers etc about weight, it seems sometimes that the value of a person is based on how they look, and not who they are as people. Don't you agree? If this is the case, isn't it such a pity. Why should we be judged on what we look like, how much weight we carry etc. Wouldn't it be nice if we were all judged on who we are as people, and not what size clothes we wear.
And do you know what, I think we are our own worst enemies sometimes! I am sure most people reading this rarely look in the mirror and say "wow, you look beauiful". It is probably more like "oh, look at my tummy sticking out", or "look at the size of my thighs / bum, etc".
There is so much pressure to be slim we are all so overly critical of ourselves! So, if we are judging ourselves all the time, and some others may also be judging us on how we look, then when do we ever get a break??
The solution is, for those of you who are constantly working out, and constantly watching your diet, stop looking for perfection. There is no such thing as perfection in our bodies, we have to accept the body we were given, feed it with good nutritious food, give it exercise, and after that just learn to love yourself as more than just what you look like!
So, I guess what I am trying to say is, stop being so hard on yourself. If you look in the mirror and see something you don't like, then, by all means work towards changing it. However, don't let what you see in the mirror dictate your happiness! We are so much more than just what we look like, sometimes it is easy to lose sight of this! If you are eating good, nutritious food most of the time, and have an occasional slip up, deliberate or otherwise, don't beat yourself up about it!! And if you don't get as much exercise in a week as you would like, that's ok, just as long as you do your best. That's all we can do, isn't it!
Remember, we are so much more than how fit we are, what we look like. So, if you are reading this and thinking yes, I am hard on myself, then make a conscious decision to start looking in the mirror and seeing you as a person, and not a person with a belly!
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Change it up - FITT principle.
Isn't it great, today I think is the first time in a while that it is not really, really cold outside. It makes me look forward to some warmer days ahead. And it reminds me that soon it will be time to start thinking about summer holidays... remember, summer bodies are made in winter!!
So, you are one of the lucky ones, and are at the stage where you enjoy going to the gym, going for a walk/run, or other, a few times a week. And yes, you are lucky that you are able to workout, and that you enjoy it! There are many, many people out there, who, for whatever reason, either cannot exercise, or if they can exercise, do not have the motivation to. I guess that is partly why I write these blogs! I love to try and get people motivated to do some regular exercise and have a healthy diet. Onee you have these two things combined, you really are onto a winner! You will feel great both physically and mentally.
Anyway, back to the subject of this post. It's all about change. If you have been doing the same workout more or less for the last few months, it's time to change. Your body gets used to doing the same thing all the time, and it stops reacting and adapting. You will reach a plateau and might even get demotivated if you are not seeing changes. In fitness, you have to create an overload to get changes from your body.
Some of you might have heard of the FITT principle. Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. In order to create change in your current fitness routine, look at each of these and change one at a time.
Frequency: If you are currently working out three times a week, why not make it four times.
Intensity: If you are a runner, why not introduce interval training or threshhold running? In the gym, increase the intensity of your cardio, try going slightly heavier on your weights. etc
Time: Look at each of your workouts, could you run for longer? Could you add more exercises to your gym routine? Could you add more sets?
Type: Why not change they type of workout you do? If you run on the treadmill, you could try incline walking at a brisk pace. Or try out the rower. If you currently do purely cardio, introduce some resistance training. Outside of the gym, if you walk, try jogging. Try swimming, dancing, etc. Anything that gets your heart rate elevated is good!
So, there you go. If you currently do little or no exercise, start doing something today! If you do have a current exercise routine that hasn't changed in a while, then it's time to change it up! You have got to keep progressing and keep your body challenged and guessing, in order to get the best results!
So, you are one of the lucky ones, and are at the stage where you enjoy going to the gym, going for a walk/run, or other, a few times a week. And yes, you are lucky that you are able to workout, and that you enjoy it! There are many, many people out there, who, for whatever reason, either cannot exercise, or if they can exercise, do not have the motivation to. I guess that is partly why I write these blogs! I love to try and get people motivated to do some regular exercise and have a healthy diet. Onee you have these two things combined, you really are onto a winner! You will feel great both physically and mentally.
Anyway, back to the subject of this post. It's all about change. If you have been doing the same workout more or less for the last few months, it's time to change. Your body gets used to doing the same thing all the time, and it stops reacting and adapting. You will reach a plateau and might even get demotivated if you are not seeing changes. In fitness, you have to create an overload to get changes from your body.
Some of you might have heard of the FITT principle. Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. In order to create change in your current fitness routine, look at each of these and change one at a time.
Frequency: If you are currently working out three times a week, why not make it four times.
Intensity: If you are a runner, why not introduce interval training or threshhold running? In the gym, increase the intensity of your cardio, try going slightly heavier on your weights. etc
Time: Look at each of your workouts, could you run for longer? Could you add more exercises to your gym routine? Could you add more sets?
Type: Why not change they type of workout you do? If you run on the treadmill, you could try incline walking at a brisk pace. Or try out the rower. If you currently do purely cardio, introduce some resistance training. Outside of the gym, if you walk, try jogging. Try swimming, dancing, etc. Anything that gets your heart rate elevated is good!
So, there you go. If you currently do little or no exercise, start doing something today! If you do have a current exercise routine that hasn't changed in a while, then it's time to change it up! You have got to keep progressing and keep your body challenged and guessing, in order to get the best results!
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Eating out at lunch or dinner, tips on how to save calories
If you tend to eat out at lunch or dinner quite frequently, you know how easy it is to overdo it. Sometimes we think because we are not eating at home, the calories we eat out do not count ! The same goes for airplane food, whenever I am flying ( it has been a while !), I always try to convince myself that the food I am eating is calorie free and that it will not count towards my daily calorie allowance. Madness isn't it what we try to convince ourselves of !
Anyway, here are some tips on how to eat out and not load up on extra cals :
1. If you are ordering coffee, stay clear of lattes,cappuccinos etc, even skinny ones. These are loaded with calories. Have an Americano instead,or be really healthy and have a cup of herbal tea.
2. Stay away from cakes, desserts, etc. Just because you didn't bake it, doesn't mean it's calorie free! If you must nibble on something with your beverage, have some nuts or a rice cake in your bag.
3. If you are having a sandwich, try to go for wholegrain bread, stay clear of white. Also, avoid coleslaw, egg mayo etc. Opt for plain tuna, or chicken/turkey with salad, and a tiny tiny scrape of mayo if you must.
4. If you are going for salad, avoid any dressing. Fill up on protein.
5. It goes without saying, avoid chips ! Did you see last week on operation transformation, one portion of chips in Eilish's cafe was 1,100 calories !!!
6. In a restaurant, avoid picking at the bread basket. If there is one, ask them to take it away, or move it to the other end of the table.
7. Ask for sauce on the side.
8. Opt for chicken or fish.
9. Once full, cover your plate with a napkin, until the waiter takes your plate away. Out of sight out of mind.
10. Some restaurants are very accommodating if you tell them you are eating healthily. They might even cook your meat/fish in a different manner to save cals, or ask them to go easy on the butter on the veg! Cheeky I know, but no harm in asking. !
11. If you really, really must have dessert, get two spoons and share. Or ask for a delicious fruit salad minus the cream.
12. If you are going out at night for dinner, don't be tempted to eat dinner before you go out! If you are going for a late dinner, it is a long time between lunch and dinner. So, have a little snack two hours before dinner. Maybe some Greek yogurt and berries, or some rice cakes and nut butter.
13. If you are having wine, go easy. Pace yourself, and always finish your glass before topping up again. Drink lots of water along with your wine. Also, before you go to bed, drink one or two pints of water !
14. Finally, enjoy your meal when you eat out, just remember, don't feel like you have to double your normal portions ! Just because you are eating out, doesn't mean you have "free"calories !
Anyway, here are some tips on how to eat out and not load up on extra cals :
1. If you are ordering coffee, stay clear of lattes,cappuccinos etc, even skinny ones. These are loaded with calories. Have an Americano instead,or be really healthy and have a cup of herbal tea.
2. Stay away from cakes, desserts, etc. Just because you didn't bake it, doesn't mean it's calorie free! If you must nibble on something with your beverage, have some nuts or a rice cake in your bag.
3. If you are having a sandwich, try to go for wholegrain bread, stay clear of white. Also, avoid coleslaw, egg mayo etc. Opt for plain tuna, or chicken/turkey with salad, and a tiny tiny scrape of mayo if you must.
4. If you are going for salad, avoid any dressing. Fill up on protein.
5. It goes without saying, avoid chips ! Did you see last week on operation transformation, one portion of chips in Eilish's cafe was 1,100 calories !!!
6. In a restaurant, avoid picking at the bread basket. If there is one, ask them to take it away, or move it to the other end of the table.
7. Ask for sauce on the side.
8. Opt for chicken or fish.
9. Once full, cover your plate with a napkin, until the waiter takes your plate away. Out of sight out of mind.
10. Some restaurants are very accommodating if you tell them you are eating healthily. They might even cook your meat/fish in a different manner to save cals, or ask them to go easy on the butter on the veg! Cheeky I know, but no harm in asking. !
11. If you really, really must have dessert, get two spoons and share. Or ask for a delicious fruit salad minus the cream.
12. If you are going out at night for dinner, don't be tempted to eat dinner before you go out! If you are going for a late dinner, it is a long time between lunch and dinner. So, have a little snack two hours before dinner. Maybe some Greek yogurt and berries, or some rice cakes and nut butter.
13. If you are having wine, go easy. Pace yourself, and always finish your glass before topping up again. Drink lots of water along with your wine. Also, before you go to bed, drink one or two pints of water !
14. Finally, enjoy your meal when you eat out, just remember, don't feel like you have to double your normal portions ! Just because you are eating out, doesn't mean you have "free"calories !
Monday, 23 February 2015
Squat, squat and squat some more !
Anyone that has been to my circuits or that has done any training with me know that I am a big fan of squats :)
I know what a lot of you are thinking, oh squats, I really do not enjoy them, they hurt ! You know what they say, the exercises that you dislike the most are probably the ones you should do most !
I will tell you now a few reasons why you should learn to love squats !
1. Squats really help tone your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. These are powerful muscles in your body. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn even at rest. So it makes sense doesn't it to really focus on the larger muscles in your body !
2. I am sure a lof you have heard about functional exercises. These are exercises which help in your day to day life, as opposed to being able to operate pieces of gym equipment. Squats are one of the best functional exercises out there. If you want to know how to squat correctly, just look at a child squatting ! They are so flexible and have no tight muscles to restrict them performing a perfect squat ! Squats help with mobility and balance. As a result your body will move more freely in day to day life.
3. Speaking of mobility and balance, squats help build strong, powerful legs. This is crucial for staying mobile as you get older. Squats also work your core believe it or not, which will help you to maintain balance and prevent falls. This is especially important in our later years !
4. Many people who engage in regular exercise, often complain of sore knees. This is especially common in walkers and runners. A possible cause of this could be weak and tight leg muscles/ ligaments e.g. Quads, hamstrings, TFL, IT band. Squats ( and lunges/side leg raises) are all excellent at strengthening these muscles. For runners and walkers, having strong leg and glute muscles is essential if you want to increase your speed !
If you want to perform a squat properly, practice at home in front of a chair. Stand with your back to the chair, legs slightly more than hip width apart. Now, keeping your chest up and back straight,sit down and stand up again, all the time putting your weight into your heels.
Repeat this 20 times a night for a week, then add 10 reps every week.
Once you are comfortable with the technique, take away the chair. Also, remember in the squat, no knees over toes !
Get squatting everyone :)
I know what a lot of you are thinking, oh squats, I really do not enjoy them, they hurt ! You know what they say, the exercises that you dislike the most are probably the ones you should do most !
I will tell you now a few reasons why you should learn to love squats !
1. Squats really help tone your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. These are powerful muscles in your body. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn even at rest. So it makes sense doesn't it to really focus on the larger muscles in your body !
2. I am sure a lof you have heard about functional exercises. These are exercises which help in your day to day life, as opposed to being able to operate pieces of gym equipment. Squats are one of the best functional exercises out there. If you want to know how to squat correctly, just look at a child squatting ! They are so flexible and have no tight muscles to restrict them performing a perfect squat ! Squats help with mobility and balance. As a result your body will move more freely in day to day life.
3. Speaking of mobility and balance, squats help build strong, powerful legs. This is crucial for staying mobile as you get older. Squats also work your core believe it or not, which will help you to maintain balance and prevent falls. This is especially important in our later years !
4. Many people who engage in regular exercise, often complain of sore knees. This is especially common in walkers and runners. A possible cause of this could be weak and tight leg muscles/ ligaments e.g. Quads, hamstrings, TFL, IT band. Squats ( and lunges/side leg raises) are all excellent at strengthening these muscles. For runners and walkers, having strong leg and glute muscles is essential if you want to increase your speed !
If you want to perform a squat properly, practice at home in front of a chair. Stand with your back to the chair, legs slightly more than hip width apart. Now, keeping your chest up and back straight,sit down and stand up again, all the time putting your weight into your heels.
Repeat this 20 times a night for a week, then add 10 reps every week.
Once you are comfortable with the technique, take away the chair. Also, remember in the squat, no knees over toes !
Get squatting everyone :)
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Clean eating
I am sure many of you know all about clean eating, and the benefits of this way of eating. And for those of you who don't know what it is, it doesn't mean eating cream cake and not getting it all over your face :)!
By clean eating, you are eating mainly natural, unprocessed foods, that often contain only one ingredient. e.g. vegetables, fruit, meat etc.
The easiest way to "eat clean" is to think of a typical supermarket. Think of how the aisles are laid out. All the fruit and veg, meat and fish, grains etc. are all on the outside aisles. So, when you are doing your shopping, aim to have 3/4 of your groceries from the outside aisles of the shop. All the processed foods tend to be in the middle aisles: biscuits, cakes, crackers, packaged soup, sauces, sugar laden cereal etc. If you have kids with you, it is especially important to stay away from these aisles! You may go shopping with good intentions, but the kids might lead you astray!
If you are wondering if something fits the description of "clean eating", look at the list of ingredients on the package. Usually, if it contains more than three or so ingredients, it probably isn't the best. If it contains a long list of ingredients, and ingredients you cannot even pronounce, then it definitely isn't "clean eating" ! (I am open to someone proving me wrong however!)
At the end of the day, "clean eating" is just another way of saying, "eat a healthy balanced diet, and stay away from junk" !
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and try to plan for a healthy week this week. We are almost in March already so if you are hoping to have your body fit and toned for summer, then time to really start moving :)
Remember, it is not about perfection, but it is about consistently trying to be as good as you can be!!
Consistency, patience, and hard work all pay off, just remember that...
By clean eating, you are eating mainly natural, unprocessed foods, that often contain only one ingredient. e.g. vegetables, fruit, meat etc.
The easiest way to "eat clean" is to think of a typical supermarket. Think of how the aisles are laid out. All the fruit and veg, meat and fish, grains etc. are all on the outside aisles. So, when you are doing your shopping, aim to have 3/4 of your groceries from the outside aisles of the shop. All the processed foods tend to be in the middle aisles: biscuits, cakes, crackers, packaged soup, sauces, sugar laden cereal etc. If you have kids with you, it is especially important to stay away from these aisles! You may go shopping with good intentions, but the kids might lead you astray!
If you are wondering if something fits the description of "clean eating", look at the list of ingredients on the package. Usually, if it contains more than three or so ingredients, it probably isn't the best. If it contains a long list of ingredients, and ingredients you cannot even pronounce, then it definitely isn't "clean eating" ! (I am open to someone proving me wrong however!)
At the end of the day, "clean eating" is just another way of saying, "eat a healthy balanced diet, and stay away from junk" !
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and try to plan for a healthy week this week. We are almost in March already so if you are hoping to have your body fit and toned for summer, then time to really start moving :)
Remember, it is not about perfection, but it is about consistently trying to be as good as you can be!!
Consistency, patience, and hard work all pay off, just remember that...
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Weekend Survival Tips
Hey all, I hope you are having a nice weekend ! Today's blog is all about trying to have a healthy weekend!
Are you someone who tries really hard to stay healthy all week, then Friday comes and it all goes downhill rapidly? Friday evening comes and you just have to have a glass or two of wine. Of course with wine then comes the hunger pangs. You start sniffing around the cupboards for some tasties, sweet, savoury, or both! Before you know it, you have sat for two hours watching tv and munching mindlessly on snacks and sipping alcohol, all the while telling yourself that you deserve a treat after your long week.
And you know what? You do deserve a treat! Our weeks are long and hard, and what is life about only working hard, but having down time and our treats also. However, a treat doesn't have to be calorie heavy food and alcohol.
Why not try, for one weekend, not to have any alcohol or calorific treats in the evening?
If you are used to having wine and treats at the weekend, it will be hard to break away from this. It will take a lot of willpower. You will be telling yourself that you deserve a glass of wine or two. You will tell youself that you deserve to take a night off from cooking and have a take away. I think we all have a little Satan on one shoulder telling us to go on, forget about calories, munch away. However, we also have a little angelic angel (named Siobhan :) )on the other shoulder telling us to avoid the wine and munchies, and go for a healthy treat instead. If you have to munch on something, why not make a small portion (tablespoon of seeds) of wholegrain popcorn made with coconut oil. Or why not make some delicious kale crisps? Or how about carrot and pepper sticks dipped in homemade hummus? There are so many healthy snacks you could choose from.
Drinks wise, have some sparkling water, or some herbal tea. I know it is nowhere near the same as having wine and pringles, but if you are genuine about losing weight and getting healthy, these are the sacrifices you will have to make.
Then, once in a while, do have your wine and small portion of "unhealthy" treats if you must. But only make this once every 6 weeks or so, and not every weekend. It is not a treat if you have it regularly.
It would be a shame if, all week you went to the gym, got your walks in, stayed healthy, only to go and undo it all at the weekend! Come Monday, you will be delighted with yourself and have an even healthier week due to the lack of hangover, sugar withdrawal symptoms, etc.
Here are some other tips to make your weekend a healthier one:
Are you someone who tries really hard to stay healthy all week, then Friday comes and it all goes downhill rapidly? Friday evening comes and you just have to have a glass or two of wine. Of course with wine then comes the hunger pangs. You start sniffing around the cupboards for some tasties, sweet, savoury, or both! Before you know it, you have sat for two hours watching tv and munching mindlessly on snacks and sipping alcohol, all the while telling yourself that you deserve a treat after your long week.
And you know what? You do deserve a treat! Our weeks are long and hard, and what is life about only working hard, but having down time and our treats also. However, a treat doesn't have to be calorie heavy food and alcohol.
Why not try, for one weekend, not to have any alcohol or calorific treats in the evening?
If you are used to having wine and treats at the weekend, it will be hard to break away from this. It will take a lot of willpower. You will be telling yourself that you deserve a glass of wine or two. You will tell youself that you deserve to take a night off from cooking and have a take away. I think we all have a little Satan on one shoulder telling us to go on, forget about calories, munch away. However, we also have a little angelic angel (named Siobhan :) )on the other shoulder telling us to avoid the wine and munchies, and go for a healthy treat instead. If you have to munch on something, why not make a small portion (tablespoon of seeds) of wholegrain popcorn made with coconut oil. Or why not make some delicious kale crisps? Or how about carrot and pepper sticks dipped in homemade hummus? There are so many healthy snacks you could choose from.
Drinks wise, have some sparkling water, or some herbal tea. I know it is nowhere near the same as having wine and pringles, but if you are genuine about losing weight and getting healthy, these are the sacrifices you will have to make.
Then, once in a while, do have your wine and small portion of "unhealthy" treats if you must. But only make this once every 6 weeks or so, and not every weekend. It is not a treat if you have it regularly.
It would be a shame if, all week you went to the gym, got your walks in, stayed healthy, only to go and undo it all at the weekend! Come Monday, you will be delighted with yourself and have an even healthier week due to the lack of hangover, sugar withdrawal symptoms, etc.
Here are some other tips to make your weekend a healthier one:
- There are so many healthy recipies online, why not use some free time at the weekend trying out a new healthy recipe?
- You should hopefully have more time at the weekend to get an extra bit of exercise in. Maybe don't have a big lie in at the weekend, instead, set your clock for the usual time you get up at during the week and get out early for your exercise. Guaranteed you will be delighted you did!
- Don't be tempted to go overboard on the junk on Sunday evening, just because you have another week of eating boring lettuce ahead of you! During the week, make your meals healthy, but they don't have to be boring! By adding herbs and spices to your meals, makes healthy meals very interesting. Why not start experimenting with some herbs and spices that you might not have used before?
- Lastly, if you really feel like a calorific treat at the weekend, and all your willpower isn't going to help, then have a treat. But make it a small treat. If you really must have chocolate, or cake etc, have some if you really can't resist it, but make it a small portion. And if it's a Friday night you are craving a treat, don't have it until Saturday night. Tell yourself you will have it the next night. Then, who knows, Saturday night might come around and you might have forgotten about it! Think about it, if you indulge on a Friday, this is only setting you up for a weekend of indulgence. However, if you hold off as long as possible, then you will have less time until Monday comes around again and you will find it easier to stay healthy. Honestly, you will be glad you did when summer comes and you will be getting wolf whistles as you walk down the street! Put in the hard work now, and reap the benefits down the line :)
Good luck!!
Friday, 20 February 2015
Goals - Don't give up!
Hey all! Hope everyone is doing good and enjoying my daily posts so far ...
Today I am going to write about setting goals, and achieving them.
Yesterday I asked you to set some targets for two weeks, I hope you did and that you are sticking to them so far...
Today, I would like you to set a specific goal, be it fitness or other. It doesn't even have to be diet or health or fitness related! So , have a little think now about your goal...
Now, think about how are you going to achieve that goal, and how long would you like it to take to reach your goal.
If you want to lose a stone in weight by May for example, think about how are you going to do that. Remember, you will not achieve this unless you change something that you are already doing. You cannot expect your body to change unless you do something different to what you are already doing. If your diet is unhealthy, then make it healthy. If your diet is already pretty healthy, then look at it in detail and see where you can make more changes... Also, look at your exercise regime...
If you want to get fitter, then start training harder. Introduce some interval training, walk faster, exercise more frequently, exercise for longer, just change something from what you are already doing.
Whatever your goal is in life, then start doing something to achieve that goal.
After you have set your goal, and decided how you are going to achieve it, comes the most important part .... Never Give Up until you have reached your goal!!
When you are working towards a goal, you will have good days, and bad days.
I will give an example of weight loss.
Your goal is to lose a stone by summer. You are so motivated and determined when you set that goal. You have fire in your belly and a strong desire to reach your goal. You say to yourself that you will get there, how hard can it be?
I tell you now, it will be hard. You will have setbacks. You will work hard, exercise lots and watch your diet, and the scale will not move every week. You will have days when you are tired and demotivated. You will have days when you think "What's the point, I am not seeing any changes?". You will be busy with everything else in your life that finding time to exercise will be difficult. You might have social arrangements where there will be lots of food and drink tempting you. You might get bored with the healthy lifestyle when all your friends and family are out enjoying themselves and you might be sitting at home with a cup of herbal tea. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you might be demotivated with the length of time it will take you to get to your goal. You might hate exercise and to go for a walk is torture. The list is endless, there could be so many setbacks to reaching your goal, it will take a huge amount of self motivation to get there.
However, you know what? You will get there!!! If you stick at it, you will get there. It might take years, and you will have bad days where your healthy diet goes out the window. You will have days/weeks even, when you will not exercise. You will have weeks where the scales won't move, or might even go back up after moving down. The key to success is to keep going! Keep getting back up when you fall down. Keep digging deep and working hard. For anyone who tells you that they never ever have bad days where they are not motivated, or that they never eat junk, then, in my opinion, they are not being truthful.
Everyone has bad days, but the people who reach their goals are those who keep picking themselves up and start working hard again.
So, set a goal, decide how you are going to get there, be prepared for setbacks along the way, and NEVER GIVE UP until your goal is met!
And then, set a new goal :)
Today I am going to write about setting goals, and achieving them.
Yesterday I asked you to set some targets for two weeks, I hope you did and that you are sticking to them so far...
Today, I would like you to set a specific goal, be it fitness or other. It doesn't even have to be diet or health or fitness related! So , have a little think now about your goal...
Now, think about how are you going to achieve that goal, and how long would you like it to take to reach your goal.
If you want to lose a stone in weight by May for example, think about how are you going to do that. Remember, you will not achieve this unless you change something that you are already doing. You cannot expect your body to change unless you do something different to what you are already doing. If your diet is unhealthy, then make it healthy. If your diet is already pretty healthy, then look at it in detail and see where you can make more changes... Also, look at your exercise regime...
If you want to get fitter, then start training harder. Introduce some interval training, walk faster, exercise more frequently, exercise for longer, just change something from what you are already doing.
Whatever your goal is in life, then start doing something to achieve that goal.
After you have set your goal, and decided how you are going to achieve it, comes the most important part .... Never Give Up until you have reached your goal!!
When you are working towards a goal, you will have good days, and bad days.
I will give an example of weight loss.
Your goal is to lose a stone by summer. You are so motivated and determined when you set that goal. You have fire in your belly and a strong desire to reach your goal. You say to yourself that you will get there, how hard can it be?
I tell you now, it will be hard. You will have setbacks. You will work hard, exercise lots and watch your diet, and the scale will not move every week. You will have days when you are tired and demotivated. You will have days when you think "What's the point, I am not seeing any changes?". You will be busy with everything else in your life that finding time to exercise will be difficult. You might have social arrangements where there will be lots of food and drink tempting you. You might get bored with the healthy lifestyle when all your friends and family are out enjoying themselves and you might be sitting at home with a cup of herbal tea. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you might be demotivated with the length of time it will take you to get to your goal. You might hate exercise and to go for a walk is torture. The list is endless, there could be so many setbacks to reaching your goal, it will take a huge amount of self motivation to get there.
However, you know what? You will get there!!! If you stick at it, you will get there. It might take years, and you will have bad days where your healthy diet goes out the window. You will have days/weeks even, when you will not exercise. You will have weeks where the scales won't move, or might even go back up after moving down. The key to success is to keep going! Keep getting back up when you fall down. Keep digging deep and working hard. For anyone who tells you that they never ever have bad days where they are not motivated, or that they never eat junk, then, in my opinion, they are not being truthful.
Everyone has bad days, but the people who reach their goals are those who keep picking themselves up and start working hard again.
So, set a goal, decide how you are going to get there, be prepared for setbacks along the way, and NEVER GIVE UP until your goal is met!
And then, set a new goal :)
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Emotions
Are you someone who finds themselves sometimes overeating, when not even hungry? Do you sometimes feel you reach for food if you are stressed, bored, worried, happy, celebrating, angry etc? Especially high calorie, high sugar, junk food! If so, then you are an emotional eater. A recent study found that 88% of us are emotional eaters! We tend to overeat when it is our emotions driving our hunger, and not actual real hunger.
If we humans were emotionless, then we would not have as many problems with weight and overeating!!
However, we are full of emotions, (some more than others!). Therefore, the trick is how to not let our emotions dictate our food choices!
Yes, it is easier said than done! When you really, really, really want some chocolate, even if you know you are not actually hungry, you are just craving it, it can be damn hard to deny yourself. You have got to muster up all your willpower and step away... But, if you do manage to step away, you have got to give yourself a pat on the back for using all your willpower!
Sometimes, I think if you make sense of your cravings and emotions, and how they are linked, you might be able to talk yourself out of your craving. It's worth a shot anyway!
Here are a few examples of emotional eating from a personal point of view!!
1. Stress.
You are tired, and cranky. The kids are tired, and cranky. They are bickering over something and this turns into tears for one child, if not all of them. You lose your cool, and get angry with them. Your stress hormone cortisol at this point is racing through your body. What does cortisol do? It turns your blood sugars into a rollercoaster, having highs and lows. When your blood sugars are low, you crave sugar! So you are reaching for a quick fix of sugar. Problem is, it won't solve anything. The kids will probably still be fighting once you have satisified your craving!!
Cranky kids + cranky mammy = stressed mammy + sugar craving !
How to avoid this: (again from a personal point of view!).
Ok, you can't help being tired, the kids can't help being tired. They are non changeable factors in the equation.
What you can change, is how to deal with the stress! Instead of giving into the sugar cravings, as they will pass in a few minutes, is to walk away from the situation if you can! Go to your bedroom and flick through a magazine for a few minutes, if you can get out of the house, get out for a quick walk and fresh air, watch tv for a few minutes, phone a friend....just do anything to deal with the stress rather than reach for a quick sugar fix!
2. Boredom.
You are a stay at home mammy. Or you are home at the weekend or days off from work. You have a spare few minutes / hour. You don't feel like reading a book, you have already gone for exercise, there is nothing on tv to watch, all your chores are done, the kids are happily playing away. What do you do? Start looking in the presses / fridge for something to nibble on! Or make a cup of tea and of course with that you have to have a little treat, don't you?
No, you don't ! Just have tea, or herbal tea/water, (even better!), and have it on it's own! Break the habit of having to have something with your tea, it tastes perfectly good on it's own, trust me:)
And don't keep looking in the presses or fridge for something to eat, this will only kill a few minutes of your time and what do you do then?
Of course, the alternative is not to go near the kitchen at all. As above, in the stress situation, there are lots of things to do rather than eat!
3. Worried: Food isn't going to solve any problems. Try to deal with problems without using food as a crutch.
4. Anger: again, the stress hormone cortisol is at play here!
5. Happy: Ok so, you have gotten great news, you are celebrating something. It doesn't have to involve eating lots of sugar laden food! If you are at a party and there is lots of treats tempting you, it does take a lot of willpower if it is sitting out in front of you, just tell yourself you can't have any, and stick to it! Have a pint of water or some herbal tea. Or have an apple or some sugar free yoghurt instead!.
To sum it all up: A lot of us are emotional eaters. Once we are aware of this, you can try to talk yourself out of using food as a way of dealing with our emotions!!
Good luck!
If we humans were emotionless, then we would not have as many problems with weight and overeating!!
However, we are full of emotions, (some more than others!). Therefore, the trick is how to not let our emotions dictate our food choices!
Yes, it is easier said than done! When you really, really, really want some chocolate, even if you know you are not actually hungry, you are just craving it, it can be damn hard to deny yourself. You have got to muster up all your willpower and step away... But, if you do manage to step away, you have got to give yourself a pat on the back for using all your willpower!
Sometimes, I think if you make sense of your cravings and emotions, and how they are linked, you might be able to talk yourself out of your craving. It's worth a shot anyway!
Here are a few examples of emotional eating from a personal point of view!!
1. Stress.
You are tired, and cranky. The kids are tired, and cranky. They are bickering over something and this turns into tears for one child, if not all of them. You lose your cool, and get angry with them. Your stress hormone cortisol at this point is racing through your body. What does cortisol do? It turns your blood sugars into a rollercoaster, having highs and lows. When your blood sugars are low, you crave sugar! So you are reaching for a quick fix of sugar. Problem is, it won't solve anything. The kids will probably still be fighting once you have satisified your craving!!
Cranky kids + cranky mammy = stressed mammy + sugar craving !
How to avoid this: (again from a personal point of view!).
Ok, you can't help being tired, the kids can't help being tired. They are non changeable factors in the equation.
What you can change, is how to deal with the stress! Instead of giving into the sugar cravings, as they will pass in a few minutes, is to walk away from the situation if you can! Go to your bedroom and flick through a magazine for a few minutes, if you can get out of the house, get out for a quick walk and fresh air, watch tv for a few minutes, phone a friend....just do anything to deal with the stress rather than reach for a quick sugar fix!
2. Boredom.
You are a stay at home mammy. Or you are home at the weekend or days off from work. You have a spare few minutes / hour. You don't feel like reading a book, you have already gone for exercise, there is nothing on tv to watch, all your chores are done, the kids are happily playing away. What do you do? Start looking in the presses / fridge for something to nibble on! Or make a cup of tea and of course with that you have to have a little treat, don't you?
No, you don't ! Just have tea, or herbal tea/water, (even better!), and have it on it's own! Break the habit of having to have something with your tea, it tastes perfectly good on it's own, trust me:)
And don't keep looking in the presses or fridge for something to eat, this will only kill a few minutes of your time and what do you do then?
Of course, the alternative is not to go near the kitchen at all. As above, in the stress situation, there are lots of things to do rather than eat!
3. Worried: Food isn't going to solve any problems. Try to deal with problems without using food as a crutch.
4. Anger: again, the stress hormone cortisol is at play here!
5. Happy: Ok so, you have gotten great news, you are celebrating something. It doesn't have to involve eating lots of sugar laden food! If you are at a party and there is lots of treats tempting you, it does take a lot of willpower if it is sitting out in front of you, just tell yourself you can't have any, and stick to it! Have a pint of water or some herbal tea. Or have an apple or some sugar free yoghurt instead!.
To sum it all up: A lot of us are emotional eaters. Once we are aware of this, you can try to talk yourself out of using food as a way of dealing with our emotions!!
Good luck!
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
It's all about targets!
Hey all, so sorry I've been neglecting my poor blog these last few weeks! I've been very slack in the posts.
I've been so busy with personal training, Operation Transformation walks, classes, on top of trying to keep my little family going, it's all go! I'm also trying to work on designing a new website, with my blog, Facebook page, personal training section, etc included. I can't wait for this to go live! Will keep you updated :)
Isn't it so easy to neglect something in your life, when you are so busy with everything else!
The same can be said for diet and exercise. If you are caught up with work, family, illnesses etc. etc, it is so easy to let your healthy lifestyle slide. It's much easier to grab a few biscuits than have a healthy snack, or to sit on the couch in the evening due to tiredness, than get out for some exercise.
Sometimes, you really have to push yourself to get going! But you know what, you will always be delighted you did!
What everyone needs to do, including myself, is to set targets! If you have a target, and are any way determined or stubborn (like me! ), you will not let yourself down by missing your target. And don't make weight loss your target please. If you do, and you don't meet your target despite your best efforts, you will be demotivated and fed up. So make a healthy target that's not weight loss!
What's my target? I have decided to set a target to write a new blog post every day for 14 days
What made me say 14 days?
It is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time specific)
When you are setting targets, you have got to make them achievable. But not too achievable either, they can't be too easy! If it is something you already do,
So, for anyone reading this, why not set a target for 14 days?
How about aim to drink 5 pint glasses of water every day for 14 days?
Or how about avoid biscuits, cakes and sweets for 14 days?
Or how about committing to exercise for minimum 20 minutes every day for 14 days? This could be something like a brisk walk, if you can't get out, you could do 20 minutes of exercises at home.
Or how about committing to getting to bed by 10pm every night?
Or how about committing to having 30 minutes of "you" time every day where you can sit down, guilt free for 30 minutes and read a book, watch tv, write a blog, listen to music etc..
e.g. Jumping Jacks * 20, Squats * 20, Push Ups * 20, jog on spot for 1 minute. repeat until 20 minutes is up.
When you are setting targets, also make them realistic. e.g. if your target is to exercise everyday for two hours each time, this is not realistic. Or if you make a target to get up at 5.30am every morning for exercise, (when you find it hard to get up at a normal hour), this is not realistic. You know yourself best, and what you think is realistic for you!
Also, if you are planning on setting a target diet wise, if you are going to stay away from biscuits, sweets etc, make sure you have a substitute healthy snack ready. If you don't, you are in big danger of resisting junk for a few days, and then having a big binge! Then you will feel so fed up with yourself, you will throw all good intentions out the window and lose the motivation to get fit and healthy! Until a few weeks/months time again and you will have to start all over again.... (more about that in tomorrow's post!)
Instead, have a little healthy treat everyday, e.g. 100g of greek yogurt with berries, or 2 rice cakes with some nut butter, or a small portion of nuts, or fruit salad, or small portion of wholegrain popcorn made in coconut oil ..., or some seeds, etc,etc
So, who is going to set a target with me for two weeks?
I will write a blog every day for two weeks, (and also drink 5 pints of water every day!), what will you do??
This day two weeks is the 4th of March. Decide your target now, and stick to it for 14 days!
I'm off now to drink a pint of water and lemon...
See you tomorrow!
I've been so busy with personal training, Operation Transformation walks, classes, on top of trying to keep my little family going, it's all go! I'm also trying to work on designing a new website, with my blog, Facebook page, personal training section, etc included. I can't wait for this to go live! Will keep you updated :)
Isn't it so easy to neglect something in your life, when you are so busy with everything else!
The same can be said for diet and exercise. If you are caught up with work, family, illnesses etc. etc, it is so easy to let your healthy lifestyle slide. It's much easier to grab a few biscuits than have a healthy snack, or to sit on the couch in the evening due to tiredness, than get out for some exercise.
Sometimes, you really have to push yourself to get going! But you know what, you will always be delighted you did!
What everyone needs to do, including myself, is to set targets! If you have a target, and are any way determined or stubborn (like me! ), you will not let yourself down by missing your target. And don't make weight loss your target please. If you do, and you don't meet your target despite your best efforts, you will be demotivated and fed up. So make a healthy target that's not weight loss!
What's my target? I have decided to set a target to write a new blog post every day for 14 days
What made me say 14 days?
It is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time specific)
When you are setting targets, you have got to make them achievable. But not too achievable either, they can't be too easy! If it is something you already do,
So, for anyone reading this, why not set a target for 14 days?
How about aim to drink 5 pint glasses of water every day for 14 days?
Or how about avoid biscuits, cakes and sweets for 14 days?
Or how about committing to exercise for minimum 20 minutes every day for 14 days? This could be something like a brisk walk, if you can't get out, you could do 20 minutes of exercises at home.
Or how about committing to getting to bed by 10pm every night?
Or how about committing to having 30 minutes of "you" time every day where you can sit down, guilt free for 30 minutes and read a book, watch tv, write a blog, listen to music etc..
e.g. Jumping Jacks * 20, Squats * 20, Push Ups * 20, jog on spot for 1 minute. repeat until 20 minutes is up.
When you are setting targets, also make them realistic. e.g. if your target is to exercise everyday for two hours each time, this is not realistic. Or if you make a target to get up at 5.30am every morning for exercise, (when you find it hard to get up at a normal hour), this is not realistic. You know yourself best, and what you think is realistic for you!
Also, if you are planning on setting a target diet wise, if you are going to stay away from biscuits, sweets etc, make sure you have a substitute healthy snack ready. If you don't, you are in big danger of resisting junk for a few days, and then having a big binge! Then you will feel so fed up with yourself, you will throw all good intentions out the window and lose the motivation to get fit and healthy! Until a few weeks/months time again and you will have to start all over again.... (more about that in tomorrow's post!)
Instead, have a little healthy treat everyday, e.g. 100g of greek yogurt with berries, or 2 rice cakes with some nut butter, or a small portion of nuts, or fruit salad, or small portion of wholegrain popcorn made in coconut oil ..., or some seeds, etc,etc
So, who is going to set a target with me for two weeks?
I will write a blog every day for two weeks, (and also drink 5 pints of water every day!), what will you do??
This day two weeks is the 4th of March. Decide your target now, and stick to it for 14 days!
I'm off now to drink a pint of water and lemon...
See you tomorrow!
Monday, 2 February 2015
1st February. Let's commit to a month of health and fitness!
I am always glad to see January over. January for me is usually a dreary month. Christmas is over, the days are still long, summer seems an age away. Resolutions which we made, may be broken.... which often results in being a bit fed up with ourselves ...
However, don't fear, February is here :) Yippeee, time for a fresh start again !!!
So, don't look back, start looking forward and think of the months ahead!
At the moment we can look on ourselves as caterpillars, all covered up in layers, clothes or otherwise!
When summer comes, if we put our minds to it now, we will emerge as butterflies!
The days are getting longer, the lovely bright colours are coming into the clothes shops, we might be starting to think about summer holidays... Which leads me onto summer bodies !
Did you ever think about the fact that summer bodies are actually made in winter and spring !
Once Summer arrives, it will be a bit too late to try and lose that stone before we start putting on the summer clothes. So, why not give yourself a great chance to get slim and lose a few lbs.
Why not start now?
There are only 28 (27 now), days in this month, why not commit to being as healthy as you can for the month?
Here are some things you could try:
Best of luck!!
However, don't fear, February is here :) Yippeee, time for a fresh start again !!!
So, don't look back, start looking forward and think of the months ahead!
At the moment we can look on ourselves as caterpillars, all covered up in layers, clothes or otherwise!
When summer comes, if we put our minds to it now, we will emerge as butterflies!
The days are getting longer, the lovely bright colours are coming into the clothes shops, we might be starting to think about summer holidays... Which leads me onto summer bodies !
Did you ever think about the fact that summer bodies are actually made in winter and spring !
Once Summer arrives, it will be a bit too late to try and lose that stone before we start putting on the summer clothes. So, why not give yourself a great chance to get slim and lose a few lbs.
Why not start now?
There are only 28 (27 now), days in this month, why not commit to being as healthy as you can for the month?
Here are some things you could try:
- Exercise 20 times this month.
- Limit processed food and try to eat foods with one ingredient. E.g. Meat, fruit, veg, brown rice, sweet potato, fish etc.
- Drink 2-3 litres water every day.
- Limit tea / coffee to 2-3 per day. Drink herbal teas or water instead.
- Sleep 7-8 hours every night.
- Learn to relax and de-stress for 30 minutes every evening before bed.
- Use mindful eating. Be aware of every single thing that you consume.
- Stop eating when you are full, and step away from the kitchen table.
- It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register you stomach is full, be aware of this !
- Use smaller plates when eating.
- Try and rope in a friend to commit to your new health kick for February.
- Weigh yourself every Monday morning. However, if you do not like what you see on the scales, don't let this dictate your efforts! It is only a number, and if you are eating sensibly and exercising, the scales will eventually move! Just sometimes it might take a few weeks to start moving! Don't lose heart whatever you do!
Best of luck!!
Friday, 16 January 2015
How are we all doing?
So, it's mid January. Did anyone make any resolutions ? How are they going? If they are still going, well done ! If not, don't worry about it, just remember, we all have slip ups. The most important thing is to keep going, keep persisting !
No one is perfect, everyone has good days and bad days. We just want the good days to outweigh the bad days !
I am not doing too bad these days. It took a few days post Christmas to get back on track, I had to fight off the sugar demons again, I am winning so far :) The only way that works for me to beat the sugar cravings is to go cold turkey. I am an all or nothing kinda girl. So it's easier for me to cut out junk completely. It's just what works for me, everyone is different !
I am leading the Operation Transformation walks out three times a week, and loving it ! I am also busy in the gym and loving every minute. I tell you, once my head hits the pillow every night I am asleep in seconds :)
Did you get anything nice from Santa?
Santa brought me a Garmin Vivofit activity tracker, I am enjoying using it. It tracks activity, steps, calories, heart rate etc. It also tracks your sleep.
It is also intelligent enough to reset your target steps if you are going over your target for a few days. It keeps you challenged all the time to meet your daily step allowance.
I will leave you with some tips on how to stay healthy and how I am just about managing to stay away from the junk.
No one is perfect, everyone has good days and bad days. We just want the good days to outweigh the bad days !
I am not doing too bad these days. It took a few days post Christmas to get back on track, I had to fight off the sugar demons again, I am winning so far :) The only way that works for me to beat the sugar cravings is to go cold turkey. I am an all or nothing kinda girl. So it's easier for me to cut out junk completely. It's just what works for me, everyone is different !
I am leading the Operation Transformation walks out three times a week, and loving it ! I am also busy in the gym and loving every minute. I tell you, once my head hits the pillow every night I am asleep in seconds :)
Did you get anything nice from Santa?
Santa brought me a Garmin Vivofit activity tracker, I am enjoying using it. It tracks activity, steps, calories, heart rate etc. It also tracks your sleep.
It is also intelligent enough to reset your target steps if you are going over your target for a few days. It keeps you challenged all the time to meet your daily step allowance.
I will leave you with some tips on how to stay healthy and how I am just about managing to stay away from the junk.
- Drink lots and lots and lots of water, green tea, other herbal teas. If you find yourself eating out of boredom, stress, reward etc, just have a healthy drink instead of food !! Or munch on celery, cauliflower etc.
- Get active, even a twenty minute walk every day is fantastic.
- Get good sleep every night. Go to bed as early as you can. If you are tired, you will be more susceptible to food cravings and will have weaker will power.
- Sleep is also essential for recovery after a workout. It is the hours after a workout that your body is getting stronger !
- Stay away from any feeders. If you are trying to stay healthy, ask people around you not to tempt you with treats.
- At the end of the week and at weekends, treat yourself with things apart from food. E.g a nice walk on the beach, a relaxing bath, a massage, a good book, a fitness magazine !
- Stay strong. It takes enormous willpower sometimes to keep away from junk. Just remind yourself of the benefits, and why you want to get healthy and trim !!
Good luck on your health and fitness journey.
Monday, 12 January 2015
What I ate - Last day
Ok so, yesterday I ate:
Breakfast : homemade Paleo bread and an egg.
Lunch/Dinner: we ate out so I treated myself to roast lamb, veg and potatoes yummy !! Even treated myself to some desert, paleo friendly apple crumble (topping was made from almond flour)
Tea: was so full after dinner I had small tea, half a pitta and some salad.
Snacks: two apples.
This is my last documentated food diary.
And you know what, it helps hugely to keep you on track when you have to account for everything you eat ! It stops this mindless snacking throughout the day.
A lot of the time, I personally snack through the day just as a habit. I might not be hungry at all, but just have a habit of snacking. If I am out of the house I do not not snack much at all, only when I am hungry ! Although I snack mostly on healthy food, it is still calories and will be stored as fat if not burnt off !!!
But I am working hard on breaking this habit of snacking, it takes 21 days on average to break a habit, or start a new habit, so I will keep with it !
Every time I want to snack, I will try drinking some water, or drink a herbal tea....
Wish me luck !!
Cheerio for the moment !!!
Breakfast : homemade Paleo bread and an egg.
Lunch/Dinner: we ate out so I treated myself to roast lamb, veg and potatoes yummy !! Even treated myself to some desert, paleo friendly apple crumble (topping was made from almond flour)
Tea: was so full after dinner I had small tea, half a pitta and some salad.
Snacks: two apples.
This is my last documentated food diary.
And you know what, it helps hugely to keep you on track when you have to account for everything you eat ! It stops this mindless snacking throughout the day.
A lot of the time, I personally snack through the day just as a habit. I might not be hungry at all, but just have a habit of snacking. If I am out of the house I do not not snack much at all, only when I am hungry ! Although I snack mostly on healthy food, it is still calories and will be stored as fat if not burnt off !!!
But I am working hard on breaking this habit of snacking, it takes 21 days on average to break a habit, or start a new habit, so I will keep with it !
Every time I want to snack, I will try drinking some water, or drink a herbal tea....
Wish me luck !!
Cheerio for the moment !!!
Friday, 9 January 2015
What I ate 09.01 2015
Breakfast: 40g porridge
Snack after OT walk: Apple and unsalted pistachios
Lunch: tuna, lettuce, tomatoes
Snack: pear and apple
Dinner: chicken and butternut squash
After gym: Greek yoghurt and sunflower seeds
Grapefruit
Snack after OT walk: Apple and unsalted pistachios
Lunch: tuna, lettuce, tomatoes
Snack: pear and apple
Dinner: chicken and butternut squash
After gym: Greek yoghurt and sunflower seeds
Grapefruit
What I ate - 08.01.2015
Sorry about the late post..
Here's yesterday's day:
Breakfast: Porridge 40g
Snack: Apple
Lunch: More salmon !!! (It's gone now thankfully). Oatcake with light cream cheese, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoe. My diet is rather boring I'm afraid, I eat the same things most days when I'm being good!
Snacks: The afternoon is usually my downfall for snacking. I had a HUGE craving for chocolate due to being a woman. I fought it for a while but gave in and found a rose hiding in the fridge, my goodness did I devour it!! Then, of course I had the taste for sugar and ate a teaspoon of nutella spread, yummy!
I would have continued having more sugar so I just had to walk away. I made myself a cup of peppermint tea, which I find helps when I am craving sugar.
The rest of the day, I ate some more nuts (too many!) in the afternoon, some greek yoghurt.
At dinner time, I ate some chicken and carrots and broccoli.
After dinner went to the gym as usual, when I got back I ate another apple.
That was yesterday, not brilliant but not a total disaster I guess.
Here's yesterday's day:
Breakfast: Porridge 40g
Snack: Apple
Lunch: More salmon !!! (It's gone now thankfully). Oatcake with light cream cheese, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoe. My diet is rather boring I'm afraid, I eat the same things most days when I'm being good!
Snacks: The afternoon is usually my downfall for snacking. I had a HUGE craving for chocolate due to being a woman. I fought it for a while but gave in and found a rose hiding in the fridge, my goodness did I devour it!! Then, of course I had the taste for sugar and ate a teaspoon of nutella spread, yummy!
I would have continued having more sugar so I just had to walk away. I made myself a cup of peppermint tea, which I find helps when I am craving sugar.
The rest of the day, I ate some more nuts (too many!) in the afternoon, some greek yoghurt.
At dinner time, I ate some chicken and carrots and broccoli.
After dinner went to the gym as usual, when I got back I ate another apple.
That was yesterday, not brilliant but not a total disaster I guess.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
What I ate 07.01.2015
Today was a "picky" day !
You know some days, especially when it's raining outside, you just end up picking a lot !
Breakfast: 45 g porridge
Snack: Apple and oatcake
Lunch: salmon, tomatoes , cucumber, slice of brown bread . I don't usually eat so much salmon but my husband got some as a present and I am the only one in the house that eats it! It's so yummy though, I don't mind eating it every day, 2-3 times a week is enough to be eating oily fish.
Snacks all afternoon: mixed nuts, another oatcake, teaspoon almond butter, Apple, Greek yoghurt, tiny bit of muesli .... More nuts ....
Dinner: because I was snacking all afternoon, I only ate carrots and celery for dinner. Disastrous day really !!
After Op Trans walk I was peckish again so had small portion of Greek yoghurt with seeds on top.
Tomorrow will be better, I promise !
Still no sweets, cakes or biscuits though !!
You know some days, especially when it's raining outside, you just end up picking a lot !
Breakfast: 45 g porridge
Snack: Apple and oatcake
Lunch: salmon, tomatoes , cucumber, slice of brown bread . I don't usually eat so much salmon but my husband got some as a present and I am the only one in the house that eats it! It's so yummy though, I don't mind eating it every day, 2-3 times a week is enough to be eating oily fish.
Snacks all afternoon: mixed nuts, another oatcake, teaspoon almond butter, Apple, Greek yoghurt, tiny bit of muesli .... More nuts ....
Dinner: because I was snacking all afternoon, I only ate carrots and celery for dinner. Disastrous day really !!
After Op Trans walk I was peckish again so had small portion of Greek yoghurt with seeds on top.
Tomorrow will be better, I promise !
Still no sweets, cakes or biscuits though !!
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
What I ate 06.01.2015
Ok, here goes for today:
Breakfast: Porridge
Snack: Apple
70 g low fat natural yoghurt
Lunch: two oatcakes
Smoked salmon
Low fat cream cheese
Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes
Snack: Almonds and baby bel light cheese portion
Dinner: cod, green beans, Brussels sprouts
Apple
After teaching circuits:
Oatcake and small bit of almond butter, some pumpkin seeds,
Confession time: kids had fish fingers for tea, I ate half a fish finger also, and tablespoon of pasta !
Happy enough today :no sweets, bikkies or cake !
I also had a few cups of tea, peppermint, and green tea. Not enough water however, must drink more water !
Night night.
Breakfast: Porridge
Snack: Apple
70 g low fat natural yoghurt
Lunch: two oatcakes
Smoked salmon
Low fat cream cheese
Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes
Snack: Almonds and baby bel light cheese portion
Dinner: cod, green beans, Brussels sprouts
Apple
After teaching circuits:
Oatcake and small bit of almond butter, some pumpkin seeds,
Confession time: kids had fish fingers for tea, I ate half a fish finger also, and tablespoon of pasta !
Happy enough today :no sweets, bikkies or cake !
I also had a few cups of tea, peppermint, and green tea. Not enough water however, must drink more water !
Night night.
Monday, 5 January 2015
What I ate - 05.01.2015
Ok so, here goes for today:
Up at 5.15am (Instrusting Spin at 6.15am)
Up at 5.15am (Instrusting Spin at 6.15am)
- Slice Wholegrain Toast (Usually I try to stay away from toast but had a small upset tummy this morning from the sugar probably that I've been having the last few days!).
- Cup Peppermint Tea ( to help my tummy)
After Spin class:
- 8am: 40 gram cooked wholegrain porridge made mainly on water.
- 9.30am: Apple and 2 spoons leftover porridge (Spin class gives me an appetite!)
- 11 am: Another apple and 6 almonds. (was out getting some groceries)
Lunch: 12.30pm
- One oatcake with 25grams Philadelphia Light
- Smoked Salmon
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Tomatoe
Snack: 3pm
- 6 Almonds (daily allowance is 12 almonds)
- Green Tea
Dinner:
- A good portion of smoked Cod
- Veggies (carrots, courgette,)
- Small portion of sweet potatoe
- 100g low fat natural yoghurt afterwards.
- Banana
I ate the banana as I was out with the Operation Transformation group this evening and I felt tired beforehand after my early rise this morning, and as a result needed some sugar, it was either the banana or some chocolate!
So, that's it for today. It was a good day today, no junk really at all, no chocolate, biscuits, sweets or cake passed my lips. One day down, another day tomorrow :)
Every day that you refrain from eating junk is one day closer to your end goal!
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Struggling !
Hey all,
So, how's it going so far in 2015?
I have a confession to make, I'm finding it very hard to kick the junk after Christmas, I really am!
Every day, I tell myself that I will stick to healthy food only, and by nightfall I have broken that promise to myself and indulged!
So, I've decided to write a food diary, and publish it every day for a week !!!
It's the only way I can think of to get me back on track.
If anyone out there is also struggling, how about also writing a food diary for a week, and maybe sharing it with someone other than your partner, or family member. Maybe share it with a colleague at work, or someone in your gym class that you know, but know not too well that you might be slightly embarrassed if it's all junk food.
It's worth a shot, isn't it!!
Anyway, every night before I go to sleep, starting tomorrow, I will share my daily food diary with you, and I will be honest, I promise!
Nighty, night!
So, how's it going so far in 2015?
I have a confession to make, I'm finding it very hard to kick the junk after Christmas, I really am!
Every day, I tell myself that I will stick to healthy food only, and by nightfall I have broken that promise to myself and indulged!
So, I've decided to write a food diary, and publish it every day for a week !!!
It's the only way I can think of to get me back on track.
If anyone out there is also struggling, how about also writing a food diary for a week, and maybe sharing it with someone other than your partner, or family member. Maybe share it with a colleague at work, or someone in your gym class that you know, but know not too well that you might be slightly embarrassed if it's all junk food.
It's worth a shot, isn't it!!
Anyway, every night before I go to sleep, starting tomorrow, I will share my daily food diary with you, and I will be honest, I promise!
Nighty, night!
Friday, 2 January 2015
Operation Transformation 2015
I am delighted to say that I have started a group for this years OT. First meeting is this Sunday, 4th of January, 9.30am. Meeting place is the car park opposite Val's Country Kitchen in Cloyne. This Sunday, after the walk, I will be making a little video for the TV show, they are looking for groups to send in some footage.
After that, I will be leading the group out Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm. After the walk, I will be doing some toning exercises, if anyone is interested !
Might see some of you there....
After that, I will be leading the group out Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm. After the walk, I will be doing some toning exercises, if anyone is interested !
Might see some of you there....
Happy New Year!!
Hey everyone ! I'm back to torment you all :) Apologies for the lack of posts, Christmas kind of got in the way ! Anyway, not many of us are interested in being overly healthy during Christmas, it is the only time you can eat some junk and not feel too guilty. Christmas calories don't count :)
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed every minute of it :)
So, how is 2015 going so far health wise? Have you made any resolutions? Are you sticking to them? Have you weaned yourself off the overindulgence habits of Christmas yet?
You know what? It is hard to switch off the "sugar" switch in your head and turn on the "healthy" switch again.
You have probably gathered from me by now, that I am a health and fitness junkie. However, I have a confession to make. I also love sugar. I did indulge over Christmas, but did make sure also to get in my daily fix of exercise. Unfortunately, the sugar won, and I did gain a little weight over Christmas. Never mind, I will lose that with a bit of hard work in the coming weeks. What I am finding tricky now however, is how to turn off that "sugar" switch in my head. My goodness, isn't sugar addictive !!
Every morning, for the last few days, I have told myself not to give in to my sugar cravings, however by nightfall, I have had some junk food with the main ingredient being sugar.
It has got to stop !
Here is how I plan to get back to clean eating again, some of you might join me in the fight against sugar cravings :
I will:
Drink water every time I crave sugar.
Replace biscuits with oatcakes.
Replace Roses with some dates.
Replace savoury food with a small portion of almonds.
Eat plenty of roasted veggies, e.g. Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoe, garlic, red onion.
Keep exercising every day.
If I get bored, find something apart from food to fill the void.
Not emotionally eat.
Focus on the end goal.
On a final note, when you are trying to lose some weight, do not focus on the scales. Focus on your diet and exercise, and the weight will take care of itself !
Also, I plan on emptying the house of any junk left over from Christmas, there are plenty of charity shops who will gladly accept unopened tins of biscuits, sweets etc...
Wish me luck on the war over sugar, it will not be easy, but it will be so worth it !!
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed every minute of it :)
So, how is 2015 going so far health wise? Have you made any resolutions? Are you sticking to them? Have you weaned yourself off the overindulgence habits of Christmas yet?
You know what? It is hard to switch off the "sugar" switch in your head and turn on the "healthy" switch again.
You have probably gathered from me by now, that I am a health and fitness junkie. However, I have a confession to make. I also love sugar. I did indulge over Christmas, but did make sure also to get in my daily fix of exercise. Unfortunately, the sugar won, and I did gain a little weight over Christmas. Never mind, I will lose that with a bit of hard work in the coming weeks. What I am finding tricky now however, is how to turn off that "sugar" switch in my head. My goodness, isn't sugar addictive !!
Every morning, for the last few days, I have told myself not to give in to my sugar cravings, however by nightfall, I have had some junk food with the main ingredient being sugar.
It has got to stop !
Here is how I plan to get back to clean eating again, some of you might join me in the fight against sugar cravings :
I will:
Drink water every time I crave sugar.
Replace biscuits with oatcakes.
Replace Roses with some dates.
Replace savoury food with a small portion of almonds.
Eat plenty of roasted veggies, e.g. Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoe, garlic, red onion.
Keep exercising every day.
If I get bored, find something apart from food to fill the void.
Not emotionally eat.
Focus on the end goal.
On a final note, when you are trying to lose some weight, do not focus on the scales. Focus on your diet and exercise, and the weight will take care of itself !
Also, I plan on emptying the house of any junk left over from Christmas, there are plenty of charity shops who will gladly accept unopened tins of biscuits, sweets etc...
Wish me luck on the war over sugar, it will not be easy, but it will be so worth it !!
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