Soo much to write, so little space

Where does the time go?  As a hairdresser it’s been a busy month therefore my blog has lapsed, but my exercise has not. Still getting to my Hiit sessions twice a week at 6.15am, the gym either 6am or squeezed in elsewhere, PT weekly, the running not as much, the odd effort session with the club and cross country races on a Sunday, that was until 18th December when I tore my calf muscle in a deep muddy bog as I wrenched my leg out. Game over there and then. 

I’ve been looking at meal prepping, lacking ideas I turned to the services of Juice Kitchen In Chelmsford , they deliver freshly prepped and cooked meals to my door at very competitive prices and the food is delicious. After a couple of weeks I decided to have a go myself, no comparison. They quite often do special offers, at present they have one too good to miss for new customers. 

This picture is my own prepping Anyway with Christmas over with, I am focused again, NYE I will be having a drink, then battle will commence. I know what I want to achieve and I WILL do it

Watch this space 

No Surrender!

Mad week again! Still fitted in gym Monday, Hiit Tuesday, PT Thursday. Friday I drove 5 of us to The Isle of Wight for a weekend of racing.

Saturday at 11am was St. Boniface fell 3.8km of straight up and up then down. 

Saturday at 3pm The Ventnor Horseshoe, 12km, twice the climb

All in all that day, whether it be running, walking or climbing I covered 30km.
Sunday it was the longest of the 3, 21km The Wroxhall Round. By now my calfs despite foam rollering were rock solid and every climb, there were a lot, my poor calfs were on fire. They say racing is 85% mental, it really is. Within first mile the voice in my head was telling me I wouldn’t finish, I couldn’t let it win, by mile 5 the hills had evened out my muscles had warmed up and I had settled in to a nice pace, no one ahead or behind me therefore no need to power it on. 

Well I did finish, and to my utter amazement I earned myself third place V40 lady!

Fell running is not for the feint hearted, it’s tough but thoroughly enjoyable and they’re the only races we seem to hit the booze without a care! 

Monday I was achey, decided to rest and stretch. 

Tuesday I rocked up to effort training at my running club http://www.springfieldstriders.org.uk though I genuinely took it easy managing a respectable 5.5 miles.

Wednesday I hit the gym in my lunch break for a session on my abs. Then tomorrow, Thursday I have my PT, Friday will be Hiit, Sunday Pleshey half marathon plus run home. 

Despite all this and healthy eating again my weight isn’t going down. I still will not give in to the cake!!! 

Selfies…..Why?

Why do we indeed? Or why do I? I get ribbed for it constantly. So why do I put up with it and still live in the selfie revolution? Another brutal truth today, it’s all about image, whether it be body image, facial, how do people perceive me, in my case all of the above. I don’t take hundreds to get it right, if it’s not right it gets deleted, I don’t photoshop them as I’ve been accused, I should take that one as a compliment. Yep I use filters, not all the time but maybe half the time.  I’m happy to post ones without makeup for the haters, but also because I’m fed up of seeing pictures on social media of all these 20 somethings that have so much contouring, make up, editing, filters that the photo isn’t actually them.  Sod the poor bloke that picks one for a date without actually meeting them first. 

Barefaced, no editing, no filters

I see myself differently in a picture than I do in the mirror, I accuse mirrors of not being flat if I look fat and so on. Without a doubt I see myself differently than others see me, and what no one until now knows is that one nasty comment, believe me I get a lot, my self esteem is destroyed, then my  determination to improve ignites , bootcamp, Hiit, running, cycling, change my hair colour, cut my hair, grow my hair, lets have another tattoo the routines begin again. Having said all that the lovely messages I’ve had from all sorts of people, most I know but some I don’t make me just as determined to keep it all going.

no filters, loads of slap, brilliant lighting

The bottom line is I do it for me, I do care how people perceive me, how they see me, if I didn’t care I wouldn’t bother. I think a lot of people can relate to what I’ve written tonight.  

Back on it

Back home and now to sort the collateral holiday damage.

Last week of holiday I smashed out gym sessions some days I ran also, tho non of this would negate the all day alcoholic binge I was on. I had lost the plot.

Now I’m home that’s all changed. 

Sunday was a huge running event I’ve been part of organising the past few months, it’s called The Essex Way Relay, it consists of 10 legs that start from Epping and end in Harwich over an 86 mile route. A large amounts of running clubs participate but our, Springfield Striders submits by far the most teams. I’m usually in charge of organising over 100 runners before and during along with the men’s captain. We also run. The results our ladies, men and vets won so the hard work was worth it. I managed to fall over, quite badly grazing my arm, feeling quite battered today. My run wasn’t my greatest the 3 weeks of booze took its toll.

Today Monday I’m back to personal train job with the Brettman, great session building what he calls the foundations. Though in full thrust lifting a weighted bar above my head I didn’t move my head quick enough and manger to smash into my chin. Now that hurt!

I’ve also started a 5 day juice cleanse with a company on Chelmsford called The Juice Kitchen, they are doing a special offer so I thought I’d tuck in and shed the unwanted pounds (well kickstart) for this week 

https://www.facebook.com/JuiceKitchenChelmsford/

Day 1 and so far so good. Wish me luck for the next 4.

I Will Not Give Up!

Sorry it’s been 2 weeks, life has been manic. I’ll fill you in. 

If you recall my last post I was starting a 5 day juice cleanse. I did it, no tea,coffee or food for 5 days! I didn’t feel hungry at all as it turns out the 6 juices amounted to 1500 calories per day,  but I felt drained and bored. The result…… despite having an evening meal on the final day was a weight loss of 9lbs. Yes I have put 4lbs back on but it was the boost I needed, 

My personal training has resumed with Brett, I gained a new confidence in using weights since having my training sessions and have now joined Absalute Gym in Chelmsford to keep up with what I’ve learned. At £25 a month, no contract it was hard not to. I’ve had to do a few 6am sessions to fit it all in, no wonder I’m shattered. Did I mention I’m also marathon training? 

My weekly timetable at the mo is 

Monday   weight session in gym 

Tuesday Hiit with bootcamp 6.15am then effort training with Springfield Striders 7.30pm

Wednesday 12 hour work days so no training 

Thursday gym session, followed by running club 

Friday 5.30 Hiit 

Saturday long work day

Sunday long off road run (up to 17 miles)

My healthy lifestyle is back on track though I’ve had a couple of nights out. Annoyingly I’m still 10lbs overweight, my Abs are nowhere to be seen, clothes too tight. I will not be despondent and throw in the towel, I’ve done it before so I will do it again. 

Holidays!

Only 5 days left here in Spain. It’s been a struggle. I have eaten well and healthy if I’m honest, I brought along my protein powder, trying white chocolate this time, some protein bars and chia seeds.  I am drinking 3-4 litres of water per day. I’ve either run or been to the gym 6 out of 7 days per week yet I still feel fat. Some of my clothes I bought only end of May don’t fit. 

Don’t get me wrong the exercise really isn’t a chore, I love it, it sets me up for the day. I’ve always done it if I’m honest but this is the first time I’ve joined a gym on holiday. I dread to think how I’d be if I hadn’t.  Plus I’m truly enjoying the gym, I’ve done some really tough workouts, used what I’ve been taught, plus advice from a couple of world class fitness peeps who I follow on Instagram, they’ve been really helpful.  Also YouTube is really good. I can’t wait to get home and continue this new found love now I have the confidence with the weights.

Anyway back to the flab issue….
Question….why?

Answer……alcohol

Not even that much, just a steady amount from lunchtime onwards most days. I’ve gone from no alcohol to two holidays of constant boozing, after Thursday no more….

Getting Better With Age

It’s been a tough week, mega busy at work as going away soon, kids off school, I still got it done though I am laying on the sofa blurry eyed at this moment.  

I made my own protein balls, I am uber proud of these and they taste lovely .
Ingredients 

Dates (200g)

Ground almonds (100g) 

Almond butter (a dollop)

Coconut oil (a dollop)

Chia seeds (couple of spoonfuls)

Dessicated coconut (couple of spoonfuls)

Cacao powder (few spoonfuls)

Vanilla protein powder (30g)

Water as needed

Zapped it all up (remember to take the seeds out of the dates) rolled into balls, a few I rolled in melted cacao buttons and coconut think I may have overdone the buttons though. They last for ages in the fridge and can be frozen.

This weeks activity consisted of 

Monday 7am PT session with Brett Bowen, 7pm offroad trail race with my fast runner friends Nikki and Catherine,  almost 6 miles. 

Tuesday 6.15am Hiit session 

Thursday an hour weight session at home

Friday The Ipswich Twilight 10k, I smashed a PB by over 2 minutes and also was first in my age category 45-49! I won my first trophy, so pleased and forever grateful to my pacer Nikki.

Sunday a very tough 13.1 miles, mainly off road and hilly but with a twist, the middle 5 miles was a road race put on by my running club. Followed by 30 minute ab session.

So yes I’m shattered,  bring on another week . 

The Important bits

My change of lifestyle had begun. September 2015, the carbs were ditched, though not entirely, protein was my main source of food. Be aware a totally carb free diet is near impossible, they are everywhere, fruits, salads, veg, are the good ones, it was the bread, pasta, potatoes, rice I ditched or have in moderation. As I put it I don’t actively add carbs to my diet, unless I have a race on the next day.

I discovered ways to get extra protein in my diet in the form of protein powder.  After any training I have a protein shake.

• 1 scoop  protein powder,
• 250 ml Alpro Almond milk or Coconut milk, these milks have less calories, more calcium than cow’s milk.

The famous protein pancakes my friends hear me banging on about.

• 1 scoop protein powder,
• 1 egg
• Splash of milk

I eat these with Nutella, Almond butter, fruit with Greek yoghurt, Zero Syrup. A few pointers, I eat between 3-5 meals a day, I no longer pick in between meals as I don’t feel I need to, I never ever eat low fat, I don’t measure or weigh stuff. Coconut Oil instead of Olive oil to cook with, finally I drink 2-3 litres of water per day.

 chocolate protein pancakes with Nutella and banana.

The bottom line is exercise alone does not work for me, diets do not work for me,  and I most certainly am what I eat.

I buy my protein powders from http://www.bulkpowders.com cheaper than on the high street, fast delivery and very often some very good deals