Bargain-osities

Hihi!

So taking on the narrative for possibly every other health and fitness freakaleak out there, Holland and Barrett is the place to BE right now with their penny sale afoot. Besides the fact that the penny sale only actually accounts for approximately 20% of the store's stock (I'm sure it applied to practically everything the last time it rolled around - le sigh), I did still manage to catch some barGAINS. Namely: coconut oil and spirulina powder (a pantry newbie, but a worldie according to the hype! £13.99 - or 1p, rather, when bought in conjunction with my £14.99 jar of coconut oil).



I've also taken a major shine to the pic'n'mix section of Holland and Barratt (these can only be found in the larger branches, unfortunately), as I've come to the conclusion that it's cheaper to buy certain goodies (i.e. goji berries - with which I've started a full-on love affair - and some more expensive nut varieties i.e. brazil nuts and cashews) in the tubs. With the small tubs priced at £2.99 and the larger ones at £4.99, it makes sense to fill them up to the brim and get more stash for your cash than if you were buying the little plastic packets that contain barely enough to last a day in our house!

While that turned into quite an essay for what would appear to be such a trivial issue, but I'm a firm believer in bulk-buying to save pennies, because ultimately it's quite a lot more expensive for us Fitspo's to survive and feed ourselves well without spending the earth; for example, the price of a multi-pack of crisps is around the equivalent cost of two peaches (or even just the one in some places!). Let's not even go down the fast-food burger vs salad route, because believe me, salads don't come cheap, anywhere! Ironic yes, but hey - it does pay off in the long run (health-wise), and at the end of the day what matters is that you're feeding your body with the nutrients that it thrives upon (aka no cheap shiz). Goji-licious.



I also hasten to add that I'm shaking things up in the hair department. Nope, this doesn't mean that I'm chopping off my mane any time soon. I have merely switched shampoo/conditioner to something hopefully less er, chemically-enhanced, which I hope will breathe new life into my somewhat lack-lustre locks. I invested in the Tara Smith range in M&S, which was a mere fraction of the price it would've been taking into account a) my staff discount, and b) the current deal for a free conditioner with every shampoo purchase (both 250ml bottles). Not bad, eh? This shampoo and conditioner contains naturally-derived ingredients, including soy protein (lubrication), pathenol (strengthening agent), bisabolol and aloe vera (scalp calmer). I'm not very good with anything hair/beauty related, but by the sounds of it, the Tara Smith collection seems a pretty worthwhile hair investment (plus, I initially found the range as recommended online by hair stylist Daniel Dyer at The Lady Magazine. Just in case you decided against trusting my personal instinct!).

I've only had a couple go's but so far so good; my hair feels soft and seriously stroke-able (note: must stop stroking hair in public, very likely that it looks weird), not to mention the pretty packaging (I'm a sucker for marketing). However, my hair does still lack the oomph factor, but that probably has something to do with the fact that I generally leave it to dry au naturelle. Perhaps I should start blow-drying like the hairdressers do, or maybe go to the hairdressers more often come to think about it...

I also picked up some Got2b hair styling oil, which contains argon oil - something that every beauty blogger seems to be going crazy for, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Was something of a steal at £2.80 from Boots (was £4.20). So here's hoping for a future of beautifully flowing tresses (!) (and no more split ends allowed plz). Anyone have any hair-friendly recommendations for moi?

Le Soleil Brille à France

My body is still very much in holiday-mode at the moment, following my aforementioned two-week stint in South-west France to visit my parents (and to sunbathe. A lot. Until I got a severe case of heat rash all over, that is). It was shocked back into exercise-mode on the day of our return (Monday) - legs day, no less! Needless to say, my legs are still feeling the burn of 55kg barbell squats (it certainly has been a while! Helloo DOMS :/).

A break from the humdrum that is life in England was all too necessary for me. It was a welcome pause from the stress/chaos, and the fact that my parents live in a barn in the middle of nowhere was ideal for that very reason! Just the occasional noises from the horses in the neighbouring disused garden, plus the faint echoes of the water machines from the surrounding corn fields - these were the only sources of sound pollution, and could hardly be categorised as 'disturbances'!

I would say I ate very well in France, without steering too far off course - plenty of fruit and veg, lots of salad, icy water (the fridge ice machine was truly a god send in that heat!), and the odd cheeky beverage or two. While I did control my diet to a certain extent, I didn't restrict myself in any way - so yes, the odd patisserie did sneak its way into my stomach, and I was very content with that. When in France, ey!?

Ultimately, though, I did keep it as clean as possible. Overloading my plate full of salad-y goodness was a daily occurrence, as was a morning wake-up call of fresh fruit salad - mmmm, mmm! And one very 'foodie' event that I just need to mention would be the 'geant omelette'. This is a yearly event that takes place alongside the usual weekly Sunday Bric-a-Brac (basically a French car boot sale, but with the additional goat/pig for sale along the usual tat that you'd find in a standard car boot sale. Mum was tempted by the goat).

The Geant Omelette event effectively involved a tractor being used as a kind of crane to transport a giant saucepan over a fire, followed by a load of large-bellied Frenchmen adding the ingredients to the pan one-by-one. Cue the largest 'knob' of butter I've ever seen, a humungous amount of mushrooms and bacon 'lardons', and - wait for it - 1800 eggs! Holy cow(/chicken), that was a looot of eggs - far too many to be eaten by the couple of hundred attendees present!

To say I was glad that our holiday fell in correspondence to the geant omelette would be an understatement! Sad as it may sound, I've been wanting to go again ever since I attended the event back in my mid-teen years - haha! There's just something I find so fascinating about a fiesta based upon the humble omelette, and being the massive omelette-fan that I am, it's probably no surprise really!

Even though the British forecast is somewhat dreary and 'cold' in comparison to the soleil du France, I have to admit that my body is thankful of it - heat rashes are the worst! Hey ho, life goes on - back to work I go tomorrow, and I have a blummin' half marathon to prepare for next month! So yeah, 5 weeks of intense training commences here I guess. My belly just got all nervous inside...

Life Outtakes

Hiya M&S scallops. Where've you been hiding all my life? (Tonight's dinner/pre-run meal, fried with spinach and a few wee potatoes)


Currently in my running shorts, ready and raring to go...but my stomach is not having any of it (found these babies in TKMaxx last Winter fyi).


Wednesday's protein smooti (1 banana, 100ml almond milk, 250ml water, 1 scoop chocolate protein. YUMMY in my tummy)


Shameless 'y so serious' facial posin' (eBay outtakes btw - ps. anyone wanna buy this strange yet wonderful looking garment I have on? Non?)

The Transformative Years

I toyed with the idea of this post for a while. I'm not a showy type of person, and having my photo taken is something that has always caused me the utmost anguish. But I was curious as to how my body shape has changed photographically throughout the years (or should I say the last two years). Obviously, I see my body on a daily basis so it's difficult for myself to notice any sort of physical change. All I know is that I've lost roughly 30lb since the end of Summer 2011 (which translates to 13.6kg), and I've gone down two dress sizes (from a 10 to a 6). Pretty drastic, huh?



The photo montage sort of speaks for itself, really. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of sounding overly self-centred and egotistic; however, you can evidently notice the difference in muscle tone and body fat %. These photos were taken in the summer of each year. Goes to show how much a difference you can make if you persevere with a clean diet and regular exercise!

And for those wanting a little more background info...the first photo is taken just prior to my second year at university. I wasn't exercising much, I ate whatever I wanted, and was fairly happy in my body - though I knew there was room for improvement. I upped the exercise routine following this summer, and started to pay a little more attention to my diet choices.

By the time the middle photo was taken, I was a member of the gym, had finished university and had changed my diet slightly, eating less carbs (but still indulging from time to time). I think this is around the time when people (aka friends and family) started to notice a change in my shape.

Moving onto the final photo (taken just over a month ago), I'm quite a lot slimmer and have sort of 'leaned out' significantly. My muscles are more pronounced in my arms and legs, and my face is a lot less, er... round. I exercise on average 4 times a week, incorporating running, cycling (static) and strength training. I follow a semi-flexible gluten free diet (in other words, I eat gluten with caution), have cut out all types of refined food (i.e. sugar and fast-food, also known as evil energy-drainers), and rarely drink alcohol or soda drinks.

I don't see this as being an extreme measure at all - ultimately, my body runs better when fuelled with natural sources of energy/food, and whenever I do stray from the clean-eating path, my body lets me know. It's only when you've cut out the junk - and then attempt to eat it again on some random occasion - that you realise how it really affects your body for the worse. I feel like I know my body so much more now - I've finally recognised my food intolerances, and what formulae to follow in order to keep my body looking and feeling its very best.

Does anyone else have any body transformation pics to share? Any other opinions? Do let me know, I love hearing from you :).

Staple Diet

Hello folks! It's a beautiful day...for sitting indoors, once more. I think today definitely calls for a run, considering the sun is out and all.

I'm in the process of deciding which long-distance run to go for this Summer - I did the Bristol 10k last year, but I think 2013 could be the year of my first Half Marathon. This is daunting for me, as I've only ever ran a maximum of 7 miles in one session - so 13 miles seems like a bit of a stretch! I suppose I do have a fair few months worth of training to build up my stamina...alas, we shall see.



Boredom taking its toll, I decided to put together this snazzy collage of my 'staple' daily diet, consisting of the basics that I tend to gorge upon mostly every day (give or take a few things). I'm not particularly adventurous in terms of my food choices, as you might well note - however, they serve me well, and I love each and every single item - they all offer a little 'something something', whether that be flavour, nutrients/vitamins, energy, liquid, protein, natural carbs, fat...or a partial combination of the above.

What forms your staple diet, and do you think there's anything glaringly MIA in mine? x

Winter Wouldn't Be Winter

Or rather, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without:

Copious amounts of sweet treats stalking you around the house

Fairy lights and decorations all around

Condensation lining the windows

Cosy knits stolen from my brother, and sniffly noses (and demonic eyes, apparently)

Thick winter-warming soup (be it cup-a-soup or homemade, any fits the bill)

Coming down with another case of the sniffles and feeling considerably sorry for myself, yet again. Belly full o'soup, and exercise off the cards once more - one of the many reasons I can't tolerate illness (excluding the soup part). Sympathy welcome; hope everyone else is lurgy-free and making the most of the run-up to Chrimble. ♥

An Ode to the Traditional Sunday Roast

Image courtesy of Rosadae on Flickr

The imminence of Christmas brings with it vivid memories of the traditional Christmas day lunch - which, for myself is one of the most satisfying meals of the whole year (subtracting the generally heightened stress levels).

It brings immediate thoughts of family, ultimate belly satisfaction (if not a little/lot of belly bloat), and harmonious happiness all-round.

For as long as I can remember, the traditional Sunday Roast has been my ultimate meal of choice. With this in mind, I'm extremely lucky that my Mum still bothers to go the vast lengths she does to dish up weekly platters of delicious, chunky roasted meat, complete with heaped piles of vegetables of every hue, not forgetting her amazing roast potatoes that always maintain the perfect balance between crunchy and soft (though I tend to feast on the veggies more so).

But with recent research stating that just 2% of the UK population have remained loyal to the beloved weekly traditional Sunday lunch, it appears that my family are one of very few who get to enjoy this kind of 'family time' over the dinner table.

For me, this is pretty shocking - I think food should naturally bring the family together, and that effort should always be made to subsidise a little bit of quality time that everyone can benefit from.

I've always associated food with family - it goes hand in hand, and our dining table is quite naturally the heart of the home. It's a rarity that I miss an evening meal (besides those days where I'm working an evening shift, of which a staff meal must suffice - begrudgingly so). Knowing that I'm one of the lucky few who get to experience this has opened my eyes to how it's really influenced my positive attitude towards food, healthy eating and nutrition in general (as well as appreciate my Mum's homemade cooking approach a whole lot more!).

Of course, it's understandable that for many families it's just not always possible to sit down and eat at a table - but, even if it's just a once-a-week arrangement, making the time for a hearty family meal with no distractions is an experience that shouldn't be taken for granted, nor should it be thought of as an outdated, past-generation thing (And that rule especially applies to Christmas day lunch!).

A Touch Personal

Happy and healthy, whilst still enjoying the occasional icecream!

I feel as if this blog doesn't delve much further than food and exercise - which is why (among other reasons that will become more apparent as you read on) I've decided to dedicate this post to something considerably more personal than the latest grub I've chosen to graze upon.

Let me start from the beginning. As I grew up, I was always an energetic and athletic girl. I was part of every after-school sports club you could possibly imagine, from rock-climbing to netball - I was always there, taking part in as much of the physical action as possible.

It was only when I moved to Southampton for University that I lost touch with my sporty side. None of my new friends were into exercise, and had never involved themselves with sports in or outside of school. As a result, I fell into a bit of a rut whereby I replaced my love of sporting activity, with a shameful love for alcohol and partying, alongside my friends and acquaintances at Uni (something I'd not really experienced at all prior to Uni).

This is something that is most definitely associated with university (though perhaps not so much now that students are paying 3x more for tuition fees!). 'Student' and 'alcohol' are two words that are sort of a match made in heaven, as sad as it may sound.

Inevitably, my first year at University took its toll on my body. I gained a lot of weight (so aptly labelled the 'Freshers Fifeteen') and became unhappy in my own skin, though I was still what would is generally considered a 'normal/average' female weight.

I desperately needed to regain the confidence in myself to exercise, and to return to my normal, pre-uni eating habits - not to mention detoxifying my body of all the alcoholic poison I'd wrecklessly filled it with over the past year.

This was a gradual process, but I took matters into my own hands and began to make those gradual changes in order to feel better about myself. And it worked.

Over the course of my second year at uni, I was armed with a more health-conscious attitude; I joined various group exercise classes at Uni and made time for myself, cooking decent meals rather than sticking a pizza in the over or grazing on empty calories.

By my third year, I was confident to attend those exercise classes on my own. This is when my body really started to tone up. I loved the variety on offer, and took part in pilates, circuits, and legs, bums and tums on a weekly basis. I became increasingly interested in health and fitness, which - over the course of a year - resulted in me losing all of the weight I'd put on over my University years.

I can't really input the figures in terms of how much weight I gained/lost over the years. As a teenager, I went through a phase of obsessive calorie counting and weighing myself, which saw my periods stopping for a few years, and so I now tend to avoid the scales as much as possible. However, I'd guesstimate at 140lb being my heaviest weight, and my current weight hovering around the 120lb mark.

But now I come more onto the matter at hand. It's currently mid-October, and my parents have just arrived home after living in France for the past 5 months (alright for some, huh?). Since their arrival, I've been subjected to various comments about my weight, the worst probably being my Dad suggesting I needed help to walk around Tesco due to my apparent frailty (!).

I understand their standpoint. They've been away for a long time, over which time I've changed my eating and exercising habits considerably, my awareness of health and fitness being acute to my interests and hobbies. It's completely understandable that they're worried about me, and they're open to comment (as opposed to taunt) if they so wish.

Though that should give me a free-pass to negatively comment on my Mum's weight-gain, too, surely? It's exactly the same situation, but reversed. But hold on a sec - of course, this would be completely inappropriate and, moreover, insulting towards my Mum.

As it stands, my diet is akin to that of a fitnessista (was that a new word I just created right there, or does it already exist?!) - or, alternatively, a female athlete (minus a fair few calories taking into account the difference in training intensity/time).

Yet, the story unfolds; I am merely a young twenty-something. I guess that must mean I have to follow the eating habits of the average young English woman, and have the body to match - a body that, by Western standards, would be considered acceptable.

So I guess I'll return to eating crisps, chocolate, and large portion sizes, right? After all, that will result in my body returning to what my parent's think is a 'natural' or normal weight. Clearly, my conscious choice to eat a clean diet is unhealthy by their standards.

This must mean that all of those celebrities, actresses and TV stars that we aspire to look like (to no avail, on the mostpart) must also be unhealthy. The bodies that we envy on screen are considered unachievable in 'real-life', and anyone who manages to achieve a similar body shape (like myself) must therefore be labelled as 'too skinny'.

I've finally realised the problem of the Western mindset in relation to food and diet. Fact is, you cannot possibly please everyone. Whether you're overweight, underweight, or the exact same weight that you were 5 years ago, there is no getting away from the labels that people will put on you.

We're all judgemental to a certain extent, and everyone has different ideals as to what is the desired or 'ideal' size to be. We're also all akin to bouts of jealousy, which is also an interfering factor in the matter.

My opinion follows that you should aim to make yourself happy before you start thinking about what everyone else thinks. I'm more happy in my body than I've ever been before, and I don't want to lose that feeling just because my parents tell me I'm 'too thin'. I've merely lost the layer of body fat that most women struggle to rid themselves of; my muscles are still very strong, and I consider my body as fit and toned, as opposed to thin and frail.

I have a strong opinion on this subject because I honestly hate the contradictory Western mentality on weight. It is certainly a 'weighty' subject, to say the least!

What's your opinion on the points I've made in this post? Do you similarly feel like a bit of a Western misfit when it comes to your diet/exercise habits? Please share your thoughts with me, I'd love to hear other points of view on the matter. :)