'Easter' Holidays

My BEAUTIFUL Easter eggs!
Yes I have two!
( I WILL wait until Easter to open them!)

I say 'Easter' beacuse my Easter week typically comes before Easter, unlike 'normal' university students who get 5 weeks off at Easter. 5 weeks?! Sheesh!
Anyway, after finding out that I was only working Saturday this week, me and the other half decided to go over to his parents house in Carnforth, while they were away on their hols too. I love split second decisions! So after going to visit my next placement on Monday we went that afternoon and returned this afternoon, so I could make it to Slimming World (commitment ey?).

I honestly thought I would have put weight on this week since from last Thurs til Monday I have been going a little overboard with the 'syns'. These included a pizza hut pizza, which was BURNT! I was not a happy bunny since I rarely have pizza. Ate half of it and threw the rest away and made half a garlic baguette with cheese instead. Anyway that weekend me and the other half made a Chocolate Coca Cola Cake. It was amazing!!! Too nice to not have any after all that effort! On top of all that came the pic'n'mix from Wilkinsons. Again, AMAZING! Then the junk fest ended with another half a pizza on Monday night, since it was 10pm and needed something we could both put in the oven.

PHEW!

So after all that I was feeling pretty bad, it got to the stage where I was weighing myself twice a day to see if I had lost/put on weight. I ended up eating a tonne of veggies aswel so we did not have to carry any food home today.

However...
I did manage to lose 1.5lb at Slimming World! Woop! Bought myself a fancy new Green Plan cook book since it is full of vegetarian recipes that are all free! Yumm! So that's me at 10st 6.5lb. Only 3.5lb away from my 1.5st award!

On the up side of my few days away, we climbed a small mountain in the Lake District called Old Man Connistion. Very pretty! Well worth the climb, also helped me see where I am at in my 'training' for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. I took some very pretty photo's too! Just a shame that it was soo misty that day.

 Half way up :)

 Half way up - at the Tarn

 The top!!

But the walk did not end there! :)

So after this week of trying out being vegetarian again I have decided to continue it thorugh this week, I just feel so much better in myself. Well...I say vegetarian, this just means I won't be eating MEAT. My Glucosamine supplements are made from shellfish. However I do look forward to more lunches like this....

 

 

Yumyumyum!

 

 

So it's back to normality, and the gym tomorrow. I have a good set of articles ready to start my essay og Leadership in nursing. Placement starts on Monday. I have a feeling this week is going to be a good week!

I wish you all good weeks too in whatever you are doing, be it weight loss, work, or anything else! :D

Too much thinking, not enough working!

Work and Play
I am almost halfway though my nurse training, and I need to get my act together! This is because I just cannot find the motivation to start/continue with the all the essays I have to write, two of which are due in April so I really need to kick my bum into gear if I am going to get a good degree.

My reasons..
Apart from the motivation issue, I just get soo distracted by other things. Like making meal plans or organising my time so it is balanced between my fiance, workouts, nursing (placements and theory) and part time working.

(A little off topic but...I have just seen my the first wasp of spring hitting my window. ARG! Is it that time already?!?)

Maybe if I actually sit down and make a proper plan of my time to include everything I might actually get round to getting some work done! However it is difficult to plan at the moment due to my bar work as I only find out what I am working during the week on the Monday. A little pain when it comes to trying to plan...anything. I usually only work some Wednesday evenings and Saturdays (can be all day!) but I can be put down for any evening. I am just scared of changing my availability in case my boss gets mad. Yes I am a wuss. This WILL change. Soon. Hopefully. It needs to be done if my stress levels are going to remain anywhere near normal. :)

Going Veggi...again
Yupp, it's that time of year again :P, haha! My reasons for giving up last time (some time last year) I started to get dizzy, possibly due to iron levels? I had my blood taken (but of course by the time this happened I had started eating meat again to be on the safe side) and it came back fine. So my iron level will be something to pay attention to this time round. I only plan to try it for a week, to see if it makes any difference to my weight loss at slimming world. I am doing a meal planner, so I don't buy what I don't need and so I make sure I good a good varied diet!

Slimming world
Lost 1 lb! YEY! I honestly didn't expect to lose any, in fact just before I went my Wii Fit told me I weighed the same as last week. The cheek of it! Anyway I am VERY pleased! That takes me to 10st 8lb! I am REALLY amazed! I also got my Club 10 award at slimming world (lost 10% of my body weight). New target of 9st 7lb. 9st 7lb?!?! It's a dream!! But an achievable one ;).

Exercise
I have had my gym induction this week, so I am clued up on how to use the weights! I even have my own weights plan for when I go to the gym. I am excited to see the results of this in a few weeks time! This week I have also done more zumba which I love! I'd like to go swimming sometime soon, just need to buy a new costume. The uni is on its Easter break at the mo for 5 weeks, (not for us nursing students tho! Our WEEK is next week) when they all come back I am thinking about joining Pole Exercise. I would love to try it, I just still don' have the nerve!

Oh.My.Gosh
I am very very very possibly going to see Bill Bailey in May. BILL BAILEY!!! I may have to restrain myself from wanting to get out of my seat and stroke him :P.


...that wasp is bothering my window again.....it's HUGE

A new challenge

As of yesterday evening I have given myself a challenge to drink at least 2L of water each day. I did the weekly food shop yesterday with the fiance and got myself a 1L bottle of water so all I need to do is drink two of them. Can't be that difficult.

So today I am on my second bottle, so doing well so far. I am really interested in seeing if 2L of water each day will actually make me feel any different. So I will keep you updated on that one!

This week my eating hasn't been soo great. Since my weigh in on Thurs I have since been to Nandos, had a takeout chicken burger and chips, more nibbles then usual thanks to my fiances' insistence to bake cookies! Oh and a little more alcohol than normal. Whoops!

But on the upside I have stared running again! On Friday I did a small 1.5 mile jog, just to make sure I didn't over do it too fast. Then on Monday I went out for a 4 mile jog with some little walks. Felt really good! My mp3 had run out of battery (hadn't charged it since the half marathon in Feb!) so ran 4 miles in the lovely sunshine, on a nice route. After a while I forgot I didn't have music, because usually I get bored and I tend to stop quicker due to focusing on the pain, but this time I managed to distract myself.

What do you think about running with or without music?

Good news!!

It was Slimming world weigh in today and...*drum roll*....


I lost 3lb! Woop! Which meant that not only did I get my stone award, I got slimmer of the week too! So I got a huge bag of fruit to take home. Saves me fruit shopping for a while! =D

I WILL start running again this week (maybe even tomorrow morning if I can motivate myself out of bed when I don't NEED to be ^_^)

Another aim for this week is to try and drink 2 litres of water each day, mainly to see if I really do feel a difference.

Uni wise, saw my personal supervisor today to get some advice on my essay writing, since I seem to be plodding on at 40% (pass mark), and I want to be 50% +. Especially since I plan to do the degree option of nursing rather than diploma. I really want to do well, all I need to do is stop waffling in my essays so I can get more relevant information in them. Video assessment next week of me assessing someone (actor). SCARED!

I think I am going to change my weight loss incentives, because I have been thinking of other tattoos and I am sure I can think of better things. They might change a few more times before I make my mind up. Because I am like that *grins*.

Since I am waiting...

I have an online delivery coming this morning, so I thought I'd do a quick update while I wait. Well as I said before the Great North Run is definate and as is the Yorkshire 3 peaks. I decided this weekend that I need a new pair of walking boots since mine are slightly too small making my toes rub together and cause blisters. Not nice. Especially for a 20 something mile trek during the peaks! I have seen a few pairs, mainly on sportsdirect.com but I think I really need to try stuff like this on, to get the best result, plus my budget isn't big at all so I want to get the best value for my money!

I maintained at Slimming Wold last week (10st 12lb) but really I wasn't suprised with it being my birthday and eating like a royal pig. =D
I am determind to lose the 2lb that would take me to 1 stone in weight loss!

Running hasn't returned yet, it will be hard to get back into it now that I have gym and my wii, but I do miss it so I am planning to get out sometime very soon! Off to the gym this afternoon then taking my friend to starbucks for her 21st birthday (I have a list of drinks and their syns that I am going to take with me).

Eating is going well(ish). Snacking really is my main problem. Grapes solved that for a while but being a skint student I can't really afford to spend £3 on two tubs of grapes each week (I should mention here I live with my fiance, also a student who is an 'all you can eat but never gain weight kinda guy'...grumble). Anyone have any ideas for super healthy snacking?

I have been thinking about becomming vegetarian again (for the third time!) but I need to think about it carefully in terms of food because last time I ended up getting dizzy spells. Not good. But I did it before for over 5 years and it was never really a problem for me, and Slimming world has a good plan for vegetarians, so we will have to see what happens.

My job is going well, I was back on the bar Saturday evening for 3 hours (after already doing 7.5 on the floor collecting glasses) it was alright, it did help me get back into it. I am working this Saturday 11-8 a nice short shift YEY!

I'll leave it their, hope you are having a nice day :)

I am still here

I know it has been a little while since I have posted, just havn't had the chance yet :) I will do a proper one very soon. Promise!

Smiles x

Oooh what an eventful evening!

This is what happens when I mull about on my laptop! I have...

• Signed up for the Great North Run 2012!! 
• Confirmed my place on an organised walk to do the Yorkshire 3 Peaks!

The Great North Run (13.1 miles) is on the 16th September and I am aiming to beat my first time of 2 hours 38mins. I am running it for Mind, a charity that supports those who have mental health problems, I have spent some time with them during my nurse training and they really do an amazing job! I have to raise £300, but I am not capping it at that, I'd love to raise as much as I can! Here comes the cheeky bit... If you wish to support me (which would be far greater than amazing) my donation page is http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmilyRichardson

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks has been organised by a charity at my university HYMS Marrow. Helps find bone marrow donors to help people with blood cancers. Again an amazing chartiy working hard. For this walk I have to raise £40 by April 14th. Shouldn't be too difficult. I have thought about becomming a marrow donor maybe I'll sign up soon. It is 24.5 miles over Pen-y-ghent (694 metres - 2,276 feet), Whernside (736 metres - 2,415 feet) and Ingleborough (723 metres  2,372 feet) all in one circular route ( info from http://www.3peakswalks.co.uk/) .

So there will have to be lots of training! Both running and walking! Wish me luck!

Oh, and today I made a slimming world half syn cake. Basically a cake with no flour, instead it is made from Quark, sweetener, vanilla essence and eggs. Sound horrid? Its actually nice. It is half a syn for the whole thing! Considering you can have 10 syns a day that is pretty good going! I made 2 with a fromage frias and strawberry filling (also both free on slimming wolrd!) So thats one syn in total, and I have only eaten half. Yummy!

Anyway thats enough rambling for now I think! :)

Smiles x

Wow...its been a long time!

So since November I have done sooo much!

• Joined Slimming World (So far lost 12lb!)
• Ran a Half Marathon
• Dropped a jeans size :)
• Turned 21
• Got a Wii and Wii fit 
• Joined a gym

Not bad if I do say so myself! But this is all a working progess, my goal weight is 9st 7lb, I am currently 10st 12lb, 1st 5lb to lose!
My BMI at the mo is 26.7, so I am classed as overweight, but hey considering I was (at my highest) a BMI of 32, again that is something else I am proud of!

I completed my first half marathon in Brighton on the 19th Feb in 2hr 38min! I really thought I'd be closer to the 3 hour mark due to complete lack of training before hand. I think the biggest distance I covered before the race was about 7miles! I havn't been running since, taking a nice long break (I still have a purple toe. ICK!) But I have been going to the gym about 3 times a week and since my birthday on friday I have been on my Wii and Wii fit. I LOVE the zumba, it is great fun :). I am hoping to get out running again soon!

I do have some new fitness goals that I would like to achive this year..

• Run the Great North Run 2012 (September)
• Another 10k or two
• Do the coast to coast walk (Summer time)
• Walk the Yorkshire 3 peaks in under 12 hours.
• Join pole exercise (optional).

Now to make it all happen! :D

The pole exercise thing is optional, mainly due to money and time but it is something I would love to get round to trying at some point!

I have found this blog called Running on Healthy, it is the main reason why I started up this blog again. But it has given me a good idea to set weight loss goals and incetives for when I get there. I will try and put this somewhere a little more permanent on my blog but I will pop it here for now....

☐ 10st 10lb (1 Stone loss) - Hair dye / Nice shower gel
☐ 10st 3lb - Paw prints tattoo
☐ 9st 13lb - Hair cut/ Try a Pole class
☐ 9st 10lb (2 Stone loss!) - New outfit
☐ 9st 7lb GOAL one :) - Weekend away with the Fiance <3

That will do for now, these may change, but it looks pretty good now now! They are quite small but the weight loss is quite slow and steadt at the mo so these should work out well :).

As for the nuring training... I am about half way through my second year and I love it! I am learning how to assess and my mock exam was today ek! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though it does not help that I have a small fear of CCTV cameras (weird.. I know). Next placement is in April on an Elderly ward, I can't wait! I'd love to get on to the bank for HCA but so far I have had no luck due to the lack of experience I had before my nurse training (none!). At the moment I am working at a bar, which isn't great hours regarding the course but it gets me through the month abit easier!

Feel free to follow/join! It is always nice to know that there are others out there! ^_^

Smiles!