One week in!

So I have been dieting and exercising for a week now! The weekend wasn't too bad, I went out for the Chinese for a birthday on Saturday and I was pleased with myself because I didn't stuff my face till I felt sick! Well done me!

So I weighed in this morning and I lost 3lb! I can't lie I was dissapointed as I expected to loose a bit more, like 5lbs!

But I didn't put on weight and I did loose weight! I am going to try and channel my disappointment into working even harder!

Today I went to the gym and I really pushed myself! And if I manage to loose another 3lb next week I will have almost lost half a stone! So really I should be pleased with myself!

How are your diets and exercise plans going?

Day 5

Friday 10th January

Today my headache is almost gone! Yay! I was really hoping it would go soon! But my skin is now terrible! I'v got so many spots! Generally speaking I'm not a very spotty person, so I'm pretty sure it's just my body detoxing! I'm still going strong on the diet! Everything I have eaten has been low fat and I'm sticking to my calories! Planning is key! Plan all your meals at least a day in advance! After a while you don't need to as you get more into the swig of things but right now, for me, planning meals is keeping me going. 

No exercise today, today is a rest day! And tomorrow will be too. I am going out for dinner tomorrow, that will be hard, it's Chinese all you can eat... I am going to eat very slowly so I don't stuff myself then feel sick and try not to eat things I know are really fatty! And to make up for it on Sunday by going in a fiv mile run! 

I'm still finding resisting the temptation not to weight myself really hard! I will be weighing myself once a week on a Monday morning! There is no point in weighing yourself loads of times in the week, if your just bloated one day for no reason you may put on a couple of pounds and completely demotivate yourself! 

I'm finding the diet quite easy at the moment, I mean I have thought a lot about chocolate and sweets but the thought of running that half marathon in 2 months and how proud I'll be when I achieve that is a much stronger feeling! I'm finding mind over matter is really working for me at the moment! And looking at old pictures of myself when I was slimmer are really working for me!

Some good lunches I have found are the Tesco healthy living salads, they are really tasty, low fat and low calorie, if you see them I would recommend them!

Good luck on your healthy eating! 

Day 4 swim and run

Thursday 9th January
Today I have had the day off work, which I always find is an easy day to eat, and eat things you shouldn't eat and eat to much of it!

I'm so tired today as this morning I had nothing to do so I went for a swim, only for 20 minutes but it was good, I done lengths and I felt good but tired after!

When I got back I had lunch made from some of last night's leftovers, I'll add a pictur because it was AMAZING!!!

Then this afternoon I went for a run for 3.3 miles! I felt exhausted after but I gave it my all! Iv got to really push up the running to get this half marathon under my belt! Iv also eaten really well and burt lots of calories so all in all I'm still going in the right direction! My headache is still mildly here just powering on in the backgroud!

I'm so exhausted this evening I'm off to sleep now!

Day 3

Wednesday 8th January

I woke up this morning feeling so much better than yesterday! I still have a slight headache but I feel that is expected in the first couple of weeks of cutting down! I really have to go to the gym today as I didn't go yesterday!

Diet went well today in terms of eating healthy,low fat and calorie controlled! And when I finished work I was ready to hit the gym! But man was it busy at the gym today! I couldn't find a machine to go on for the first 5 mins when I got there! I want to start quite light with my exercise and build up. I'v been feeling quite weak over the last couple of days as well. 

So once I had warmed up with 10 mins of cardio I went to the (I dono what it's called so I'm going to call it the mat room, to room with all the yoga mats, bouncy balls, weird weighted balls, kettle bells and battle ropes) mat room and started on a circuit I had been shown by one of the gyms trainers. Last time I done this I learnt a valuable lesson.... Don't go to hard the first time when your also trying to run twice a week and go swimming as when your not used to exercise you go over the top and then can't move for days on end as your in so much pain you can't motivate yourself to go back. As it was also so busy I couldn't do everything I wanted so it worked out quite well anyway! 

One thing I saw at the gym and I didn't understand was a girl in the mat room who was sat there, on a mat, taking lots of pictures of herself and on the phone! I mean come on! Your being a greedy mat hog and you clearly haven't been working out as your hair and make up look like you have just arrived for a photo shoot! Anyway moving on....

When I arrived home pretty exhausted my papa had made dinner! And again low fat! It was so good I'm gona pop a picture up! He made salmon marinated in soy, ginger, orange and chilli with egg noodles, mushroom, peppers and carrots! It was dreamy! I think it's so important when you are cutting down to have food with lots of flavour and this was beautiful! My headache still hasn't gone but it's only mild, no need for painkillers, I hoping this will go away soon.

Day 2

Tuesday 7th January

So today started well! I got up and packed my things to take to gym after work... I even had time to get a slice of toast with jam, no butter, before I left the house at half 8. I was feeling good! 

I went to Tesco while at work for lunch, not Costa or Starbucks or BHS cafe for a cheese a bean jacket potato but I went and stocked up on some porridge pots, fruit and salads! I got back to work put all my new healthy food away in the fridge and cupboards sat down and ate my lunch! I think it's really important to keep some healthy food that will last in the cupboards at home or work or wherever you eat your lunch as temptation is so easy to give into. I personally find if I have good healthy nutritional food around me it's easier to turn to that than popping to mcdonalds! But by 2 o'clock the lack of sugar and fat I had eaten over the previous day had really hit home, I was tired, light headed, I felt slightly sick and had a headache kicking in! - I basically felt like I had flu coming on! 

I was not in a good place! So today once I finished work I just went home! I couldn't face the gym! And to my relief my lovely mumma had made dinner, and a low fat dinner too! We had chicken that had been slow cooked with veg and one of those packets for the slow cooker! So I ate that with some steamed rice and went to bed! 

I forgot how much cutting back can affect your body, this would have been a really easy time to cave in and have something with lots of sugar in it. I think when I really get into the swing of things if something like this would have happened then a piece of fruit really would have sorted me out but I was craving fat and lots of sugar! There is no way I was going to give in! 

So tomorrow I MUST go to the gym!!!

It's D Day!

Monday 6th January

So today is D day! I'v spent a while psyching myself up for today! I'v eaten and drank so much rubbish over the last year let alone just christmas! I want to spend the next 2 weeks really going at my diet hard! I think it's a go hard or go home matter! And I believe if you go into something with the right attitude you will get results! In the past I have lost weight using Rosemary Conley's programme, I highly recommend it to anyone who is unsure! This time round I am not going to join up yet but I may in the future, I am going to go it alone, I think once I have done my half marathon I may join up again then but I will be following the diet guidelines!

So I woke up this morning and before I had anything to eat or drink I weighed myself.... I'll tell you I was not happy with what I saw! 

With this weight loss plan you can only eat it if it's under 5% fat that means if there are less than 5 grams fat per 100g of food. This is on the packet of nearly everything so is much easier to follow than it sounds! There are some exceptions to this rule such as fish, lean meat, porridge ect. But if you really like the sound of this diet you should just join! 

The second thing you have to do is count the calories, this again is on most packets so for me I get

Breakfast 200 cal

Snack 50 cal

Lunch 300 cal

Snack 50 cal

Dinner 400 cal 

Milk 200 cal

Now this is only the plan for the first 2 weeks then depending on your weight height ect you have a new plan set out for you. It is a missive cut back from what your normally used to but by following this I should loose a stone in 1 month which gives you the drive to continue. After the first month the weight drops off much slower.

I pretty much just ignore the milk and just don't count any tea or coffee and don't count the milk I have in cereal, but that's not what your meant to do that's just me. 

And last but not least no alcohol! (Just for 2 weeks!!!)

Now for me I find getting rid of all the "bad" food is essential (by bad food I mean food over 5% fat and alcoholic!) I find the best thing to do is store away any bad food so any left over chocolate or sweets I have stored in a shoe box for when I feel I want a treat, because let's face it just because I'm going hard core now doesn't mean I will be for the rest of my life! 

So day one I weighed in and just over 13 stone! I know! I'm only 5 foot 6! But luckily I carry weight quite well and it mostly sits on my waist! So today I stuck right to my diet, to the letter! I had a day off today so other than avoiding the chocolate in the bottom of my wardrobe at all costs I only ate what I was meant to eat. I also went on a 2 mile run! It's not particularly a long run but just to ease myself back into the swing of things! I don't want to pull a muscle or anything! I was quite proud of myself as this time last year I couldn't run half a mile without stopping and gasping for breath but after not running for 2 months and stuffing my big fat face at any opportunity I ran the 2 miles well! 

I ran with. My grandad who took a picture when we just got in from the run so I'm hoping this will give you a good idea of where I am currently standing with my weight and fitness! As I'm sure you can see it is not my most flattering picture! But when I'm on my summer holiday I know I'll be so glad my grandad took this picture to motivate me!

Welcome to my story...

Hi I'm Steph, I'm 25 and I work in retail. This year I have decided I want to loose weight and become more healthy! Loosing weight can be so hard and keeping the weight off is even harder! Last year I ran a half marathon and I've decided I want to do this again this year, I'v got until March to train. I have done it before and I know I can do it again. I decided to start wrighting this blog as I think it will keep me motivated.

When you start a diet it's hard to know what works and what doesn't, I would really like it if like minded people joined me on my quest to become more healthy. I want to share my experiances, product that can help and foods which are good for you and that I enjoy! I'm not an expert but I do have a passion for setting myself goals which seem unrealistic.

To become more healthy I will be be following a low fat, calorie controlled diet while trying to exercise 4 times a week. I will be trying to run twice a week, swim once a week and go to the gym once a week. When I run I enjoy to run outside rather than on a treadmill.

So if you like the sound of this then join my on my journey! I'll be posting pictures and short posts along the way!