Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
- Dr. Seuss

Sunday, 23 February 2014

3. Make peace with food

The world we live in has gone diet crazy! Even though reports say that obesity is on the rise, more and more diets come to light. From zero carbs to fasting there really is a huge selection of 'Fad' diets to try.

Now I am not one for fad diets, though I can't say I haven't thought about them. My sister tried the 5:2 diet where you eat very little calories (500 for women, 600 for men), however she had a fairly active job and is also very active in general and found that it didn't work for her. My Mam has tried some, low/no carbs to not eating much (until she was given lectures by my sister and I!). The only foods I have an issue with are high fat and high sugar, so cake, doughnuts, chocolate, cheesecake (mmm...cheesecake). At one point I told myself that I simply did not eat these foods, even when they are in the house since my other half can eat what he likes (no hard feelings against him....hmmm) and I got on quite well, however, I slipped back into eating them when I got to my goal weight and inevitably the weight came back on.

I have figured that what I need to do is make peace with these foods, having them once in a while is not going to harm me but realising that eating them all the time will effect my performance in running and in general well-being is important.

It is four and a half weeks until my holiday to Spain with my best friend! Now back when we booked it I had planed to at least be in the low 60's in kg but that hasn't happened. I'm okay with that though, doing Insanity has made me fitter, my Fit Tests are improving each time and I can run 13.1 miles still with not a lot of training (not advocating this, I doubt it is good for your body!). We have both made a fitness plan for these last few weeks including Spinning, weight training, running, Insanity and other gym classes. I am so excited to get started! We both bought new notebooks and plan to use these to record our workouts, foods and feelings. :) Lets get this done!

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Honour your hunger and exciting new finds!

That's the whole point!

I am currently waiting to start my new nursing job in April, so that has left me a lot of time to think about one thing...food. On bad days I can watch the clock until it will hit 12 so I know it is time for lunch, and 3 so I can have my afternoon snack, whether I am hungry or not it is this awful cycle I have got myself in and I now rarely experience hunger. When I do, I actually enjoy the feeling! Hunger is something that if needed, can be ignored, which I do sometimes just to experience hunger and help my body realise it is not the end of the world to feel this way. Cravings due to triggers like boredom can be extremely hard to ignore and it seems like the feeling wont go away until you give in to what your brain is craving, when really it is just craving activity.

So this coming week I am going to focus on trying to recognise my hunger and start writing down when I feel I want to eat but am not hungry. Then try and think of other things I can do to fill my time.

Fitness news!
I completed the Brighton Half in 2:20:10. Not my best time, but considering I did little training for this due to Insanity workouts/Pole fitness/gym etc. Excuses...I know..

Now in less than a week I am completing The Nutty Challenge. 14k obstacle race. FunFun! To be honest if anything I can't wait to get it done and out of the way! I am VERY nervous about this and have no idea why I signed up!

Pole fitness is coming along, learning new moves, inverts and spins :)

Eating
Good and bad. Diet plans and calorie counting drive me crazy! This week I am going to try and make healthy choices with whole foods and less of the bad stuff. Watch this space!

In my recent weekly shop I came across these beauties:
Oh.My.Wow. Only 15kcal per cup and it tastes AMAZING! No joke. It is made with fructose, the natural sugar found in fruit and other fruit juices. This flavours is right up my street but I am interested in getting a hold of some more flavours.

Next is this, Peanut Hottie. I am so excited to try this! Peanut butter in a hot drink, I mean whaaaat?!



Friday, 31 January 2014

The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating

I have seen this posted on a few blogs including Running on Healthy and Run Eat Repeat, and since I am slowly going crazy with all this calorie counting and avoiding higher calorie foods I thought this would be right up my street. So over the next few posts I will cover the Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating. Which is about recognising your hunger and eating what you want while thinking about how it will affect your feelings. The Ten Principles start with:


Reject the Diet Mentality

I started my journey at 13stone. A BMI of 30 and unhappy. I started running and counting calories to 1800kcal. Then moving onto Slimming World as I found not having to count calories amazing! However even though I lost over 1.5stones here the novelty went, and I went back to calorie counting, telling myself that I don't eat biscuits/crisps/chocolate and counted calories to 1600-1800kcal. Continuing to run to keep my exercise levels up and even added in a few exercise DVDs to increase the variety of my workouts. I eventually got down to 9stone 7lb but wanted to lose a little more. I also wanted to see if I could maintain this weight without counting the calories and to see if I could eat what I fancied without worrying. Well...no. I couldn't. The weight creeped back on until I reached 11st 5lb. Even as the weight increased I was constantly fixated on losing weight but it just kept going up, I tried many things to be healthy like going vegan and clean eating but they didn't work for me and I found myself craving like crazy. So back in with the calorie counting! This time to 1400kcal and eating back any exercise calories, monitored on MyFitnessPal. I can't say calorie counting doesn't work, it does. But it don't half get boring! Low calorie eating and once again avoiding certain calorie dense foods is slowly driving me crazy! Also with being surround by people on low calorie diets and cutting out food groups it had made me think that I really need to become at ease with food. My main problem is over eating in the afternoon, if I fancy something outside my allotted calories I will think about it until I burst and eat it in abundance, a long with many other foods since my brain has gone into over eating overdrive!

So! It is time to reject this 'diet mentality' and eat what feels good and let my body find its natural weight. My goal is 53kg (8st 5lb...i think), we will see what the future holds!



Next: 2. Honor Your Hunger


1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect your Fullness
6. Discover your Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor your Feelings Without Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise
10. Honor Your Health

Read more at http://runeatrepeat.com/weight-loss/intuitive-eating/#5L5AZ2aJQHFp5r5g.99fbkldfmnn j

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

30 day Yoga challenge

I have been doing insanity for almost a month. A MONTH! Not often I keep things up as long as this, must be Shaun T's super motivational ways... ahem. My second fittest was great! There was already a huge improvement and I am already seeing changes in my calves, defiantly some definition going on there!

On top of my Insanity workouts I have started Spin again 1-2 times a week, that's a love/hate thing. I have also started Pole Fitness again! Before Christmas I managed to go upside down (no hands!) 

<--proof p="">

So I started again last week and have many fading bruises to show for it! Worth it!

Besides having another half marathon in less than a month, running has taken a back seat. I know my fitness will still be there I just need to check on the old endurance levels, so a run sometime soon is on the cards!

One thing I thought I was missing was Yoga. I have always wanted to incorporate this into my life, getting increased flexibility and 'calmness'. Originally today I was looking at what Yoga moves I could do 10mins before bed but then I can across this: The 30 Day Yoga Challenge

 So I thought 'Hey! Why Not!' So I signed up and I will start this tonight or tomorrow :)
There is a video for each day either focusing on one move or a set of moves for an area of the body, each day lasting for around 20mins. I am excited to try this and see where I end up!

I'll end on this...
I Finally Get To Graduate This Friday!!! Yipeee!

Friday, 3 January 2014

2013 review and 2014 begins!

My goals for 2013 included:
  • Running a marathon
  • Completing the Coast to Coast
  • Doing 2 half marathons in under 2hrs 15mins
  • Getting a degree
  • Find a weight I am happy with
Well I am proud to say I did them all apart from the half marathons in under 2hrs 15 but I DID do TWO half marathons, one without much training, awful weather and obscene hills, and I still managed a decent time! Oh and finding a happy weight didn't happen, in-fact I have gained 1.5stone since my smallest weight. But don't fear, that is changing this year! Aside from my goals I even tried pole dancing something I defiantly want to continue!

My marathon went well getting a less than decent time but one I am proud of considering again my lack of training. 

I am now a fully qualified mental health nurse with a 2:1. I am graduating this month! I can't wait!


2014


I started Insanity on Monday 30th December (who needs a new year to start something good?)
Holy WOW. It is tough but defiantly do-able! I am almost a week in and enjoying it! I am also following the meal plan although over the last 3 days that has been on and off with dipping into the Christmas chocolate stash. Damn cravings.


I also have plenty of races planned for this year! So onto my goals for 2014..


  • Brighton Half in under 2hrs 20 (it was under 2 hours but I'm unsure)
  • Finish The Nutty Challenge! 14k of obstacles!
  • Complete the 2nd Yorkshire Marathon in under 5 hours (previous 5hrs 40)
  • Finish the Beachy Head 10k
  • Start my first nursing job!
  • Begin pole fitness again
  • Get to my goal weight of 53kg
  • Do a pull up!
  • Plan a wedding!!
So just a few things to keep me occupied! 

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Vegan Challenge Week 1


Total time vegan 2weeks! BOOM. *Proud*


This time round it has been considerably easier then when I last attempted the challenge. Why? I think this time my heart is fully in it and knowing that I am going to an animal sanctuary at the end of the month is added motivation. I even went out for a 3 course meal at Pizza Express last night - all vegan! I had:
Starter: Dough balls with garlic oil rather than garlic butter
Main: Superfood salad no cheese
Dessert: Raspberry sorbet


OMNOMNOM. :)


I have also made these beauties:

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and leftover Vegan Banana Bread

The cinnamon roll recipe came from Chole's Kitchen cookbook full of amazing vegan recipes! (All views my own, not being sponsored by the book)

Looking forward to the coming week with other new foods to try like vegan pizza from VBites. Can't wait for that to arrive!

In other news next week I'm starting a pole fitness course! 6 week beginner class. So glad I have finally managed to pluck up the courage and go for it!
I also went back to Spinning after a lonnnng time of not doing it. OUCH. But a good ouch...

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

November Vegan Challenge and Pile on the Miles 2013

First of all, October:

I completed the marathon in 5hour 41mins and 39sec. Not a fast time but considering I only did up to 15miles in training I'll say that went pretty well :). Multiple times during the race I just felt like crying, not necessarily from pain but from exhaustion! Would I do it again? Probably!
All Finished!
The losing weight didn't happen.
I didn't do any Yoga.
But I did get back to bootcamp :)


November Challenges

30 day Vegan Challenge
Yep! That old chestnut! This time its official, done by Animal Aid, you can check out the challenge at govegan.org.uk.
From this I have been invited to an open day down in Kent for one of the animal sanctuary's that save animals from harm, I am really looking forward to this and it is taking place at the end of the month!
I have already started eating vegan and have been for about a week now. I am loving it, despite the fact that I am currently eating more than usual, probably due to my mind subconsciously thinking I wont eat much food but in reality of course I will. I am hoping it will calm down once I am more confident with knowing what I can and can't eat.

Pile on the Miles 2013
A challenge over at runeatrepeat.com, where you set a mileage goal and get there beat it. Since I am still trying on keeping runs easy I have set myself a target of 80miles over the month of November.

Other November Goals:
Attend Spin class, I have found one that is pay as you go, one problem, it is at 06:30am! Yikes! I will try and get there at least once before the month is over.
Go swimming! I have been wanting to do this for a while just never had the confidence!

Right! Lets get on it!