I had a dream

So last night I had a dream about running shoes, specifically other people's ones. It was odd but I kept putting the wrong people's shoes on. What does this mean? That I feel like I have barriers to exercise I need to overcome? Or that I need a new pair of trainers (I have 2 pairs and one set have a hole in the bottom and are better for walking and the other pair dont have a hole and are better for running).

Last night's healthy dinner was delicious and I'm pleased to say I didn't eat anything after dinner. I had a skinny cow (40kcal) hot chocolate later on in the evening but no food. That is a big achievement for me because I can't remember the last time I didn't eat anything after dinner.

My aim for tonight is not to snack when I come in from work (late tonight). If I'm hungry I will have a glass of milk. It's a good halfway house, more filling than water but not so calorific as a big snack and it's a good hit of calcium.

I have walked the dog again this morning, it was drizzly but we still went for a nice long walk. It doesn't seem like too much effort. I feel very content right now.

Here's to a good week of losing and being healthy.

I'm 4lbs down

So I weighed in yesterday and I've lost 4lbs yay! (I started trying to lose 2 weeks ago yesterday)

I'm pretty tired today and need to give the dog another walk before it rains so this entry won't be very long.

I think I have been doing reasonably well with my eating, it's not brilliant but nor is it awful. In terms of exercise I have been walking the dog the last few days for quite long walks. This mornings was only just over 20 minutes as I had a doctors appointment I needed to get back and get ready for. As I said above I need to walk him again so once I'm done on here I will take him out again.

One of my goals last week was to increase my intake of fruit and vegetables. I would say some days I have increased it and some it remains about the same. So that is a work in progress.

I am having a friend round for dinner tonight, we are both trying to lose so are not going to blow out. I'm going to make Spanish Chicken with rice and vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower). I am looking forward to the meal but more so to having a good catch up with my friend. That is sure to make me feel happier.

Tomorrow I am only working in the evening and am getting my eyebrows waxed early afternoon, this means that I have time to go for a long dog walk tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be reasonable and I will feel motivated to go for a long rather than not so long walk.

Hope everyone else has a good week.

I made soup!

I made soup yesterday, I had some uncooked vegetables left over so I made soup with those, I also threw in some roasted veg that was left over. I then discovered that the blender was broken! I put it in the food processer which didn't work as well as the blender does so my soup is a bit lumpy but only tiny pieces. I didnt eat it yesterday, it's in the fridge at the moment and I think I will freeze it to have later on in the week so that I can mayb get away with going food shopping less. I did have a tiny taste of the soup and it was delish!

I am now in sole charge of the dog for the next week so I will be getting a lot of walking done. Hopefully this will kickstart my weight loss a bit more. I do enjoy walking the dog.

I have work later on this afternoon but only for a few hours, then I have a couple of friends coming over for dinner. I am making fajitas because they are yummy and pretty healthy. The ones I make are pretty healthy as I don't add cheese or sour cream like you can do. Then we are having toffee pavlova for dessert! Naughty I know but as desserts go meringue isn't very calorific. There's about 250something calories per quarter, there will be 3 of us so that leaves me with a slice to have tomorrow. It is the weekend lets not forget and I reckon tomorrow if I know I have pavlova for my treat in the evening I can be good the rest of the day. I do have work tomorrow so will be up early to walk the dog beforehand and will take a healthy lunch (in fact I might take some of the soup). I have found myself including more treats again towards the end of this week. But I am aware of it and keen to get back on the straight and narrow. I think it is fine to have dessert some days and in fact a treat each day, as long as it's not several very large treats every day and no exercise.

One tip I will share that I do sometimes is to walk up and down the stairs when you are waiting for something, for example I walked up and down them a few times while I waited for my computer to load up, also waiting for the kettle to boil is a good time, even during the ad break when watching tv. It won't burn thousands of calories a time or anything but it all adds up. Over days and months it will make a difference. Also as it's getting to a chillier time of year it can give you a nice boost of warmth.

Relaxing

I have the day off today yippee! I was going to be helping someone out today but the deadline for what we need to do has been extended by a lot so we decided to have the day off from it. I was getting quite tired so I am glad of the rest, I have work all weekend so having a quiet day today has been a blessing.

I have got all my little jobs and chores done now. I had a lovely lie in this morning, I was truly comfy in my bed. Then I got up and discovered it's a beautiful sunny day. So I showered, breakfasted and got my jobs done. Since then I have sat in the garden enjoying the sunshine and pottered about the house/garden playing with the dog here and there.

Yesterday I applied for a job that I really, really want, I think my application was pretty kick-ass so I'm hopeful! Once I had finished the application I felt all excited about the possibility of getting the job!

The only downside of today is that I've been feeling pretty hungry this afternoon, it's taking all my willpower not to go into the kitchen and eat cake and chocolate and allsorts and stuff the whole healthy eating. I'm going to allow myself a treat this evening if I really want it. I am looking forward to my dinner tonight, it's healthy and yummy what more could I want?

I'll be having chicken and roasted vegetables, the recipe is as follows:

Chicken breasts (1 per person)
Onions-(half medium onion per person)
Garlic- as much as you like
Mushrooms-(small handful per person)
Peppers/capsicum-half to one per person (they shrink a lot)
Sweet potato (1 large is enough for 3 people)
Baby new potatoes-(small handful per person)
Olive oil (enough to lightly coat the vegetables)

Firstly peel and chop the sweet potato into inch square cubes, boil for 5 minutes then drain, meantime chop the vegetables into largeish pieces (they shrink considerably) chop the baby new potatoes into 2cmx2cm pieces. Place all the vegetables into a large roasting tin add enough olive oil to coat and mix thoroughly, garlic can be added in whole cloves and also crushed and mixed in, add the chicken breasts and cook in a preheated oven (about 180c for our fan oven in the UK, not sure about temps for other ovens) after 20minutes stir thoroughly and cook for a further 20mins or until potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Serve up and enjoy!

This meal allows for large portions as there are a lot of vegetables in it which shrink a lot during cooking, the most calorific part is the olive oil, this can be used sparingly.

In other news I've lost 3lbs so far! yay. I must say I am a bit impatient and would love to have dropped say 7lbs by now as it seems like I have been trying forever but then I remember that I only started 10 days ago and I did have a few less healthy choices last weekend so I'd say I'm doing great.

Welcome

So today I was welcomed officially to the healthy you challenge, I have had a couple of comments welcoming me already so that's great. I already feel encouraged and supported, thanks guys :-)

I haven't weighed myself today as I was in a rush this morning and I like to weigh first thing, I think that I won't have seen much of a difference in weight yet due to my poor eating over the weekend, so I'll weigh in later in the week or I'll wait until next week perhaps.

I have greatly reduced the amount I eat, yesterday evening I had a mars bar after work and it was so delicious! I feel that I can get away with that as previously I would be eating large quantities of chocolate several times a day as well as crisps, puddings you name it. I found I really enjoyed the mars bar whereas usually I just gobble chocolate down without really thinking about it.

At the moment I am doing some work for someone as well as my normal job, this leads to me being busy and so not thinking about food so much.

As a snapshot here is what I have eaten today

Breakfast- 2 boiled eggs with 2 slices wholemeal granary toast and light margarine-I figured this would fill me up longer than my usual cereal so that I didn't get a massive hunger pang at 10am.
Mid morning-half a seeds and fruit bar
Lunch-peanut butter sandwich on wholemeal granary bread, apple
Dinner-2 small baked potatoes, tuna, green beans and cauliflower

I had to force myself to have the vegetables for dinner, I really didn't want them but the thought of writing my blog post made me eat them. Ever since dinner I have still been feeling hungry, I have decided that I will have a snack later of either a small piece of cheese or some milk as I haven't really had much calcium today.

In terms of exercise I haven't done much lately, I am trying to include more lifestyle exercise. Today I cycled to where I needed to be, I think it took about 20mins each way, I could certainly feel it in my bum muscles, hopefully that means it was doing them some good.

So aims for this week:

Try to eat more fruit and vegetables as although I am eating less rubbish I am still not eating enough fruit and veg.
Get moving more-I am dogsitting as of next Saturday for a week as my parents who I live with are away. So that means I will be going for lots of walks which=good for weight loss and feeling positive. It also means I can choose what dinners I have rather than the 3 of us trying to reach a compromise and trying to have something we all like. I think I will try and make some really nourishing foods to give me a good boost.

This next week is going to be really busy with work and I also have a couple of other things on the to do list in my head, but with careful planning it will hopefully be a healthful week.

Good luck to everyone else taking part in the healthy you challenge x

Healthy You Challenge

So I have a degree in nutrition, I know what I need to do and how I should do it, but it never quite works that way does it?

I'm talking about my weight and eating here. I am unhappy with my weight and the food choices I make a lot of the time. My sister is taking part in the healthy you challenge at http://www.scalejunkie.com and I thought hey this is just what I need, somewhere for support and to see that I'm not the only one etc. If I can blog about my experiences then it should help me to stay focussed and motivated. So I have emailed to join and I have been trying to add one of the buttons to my blog but as yet it comes up with an error message when I try to put it in!

I started trying to lose again last week, I have been eating better than I usually do but found that towards the end of the week the amount of junk I have been eating has crept up. If only being healthy was easy! I have also found myself lacking in energy and motivation to exercise lately.

Hopefully this week will be better, I just feel time has been passing so quickly lately and I have been busy working etc and what with working different hours each week it's hard to find the time to plan meals etc.

Sunshine

The sun is out yippee!

I have just popped online quickly to order something and to check train times for tomorrow.

I'm off to the pub tonight with some friends and then tomorrow I am off to Manchester for one night for a goodbye type thing for my friend who is moving back to St Helena where she is originally from. I am very much looking forward to both occassions although it will be hard to say goodbye, I realised how much I miss my uni mates when we were texting earlier this week to finalise arrangements. It will be great to have a catch up :-)

Right now I am off back out into the sunshine to enjoy it while it lasts.

101 in 1001

A few years ago my sister introduced me to the 101 in 1001 project, I immediately set to work creating my own list, I am now on my 2nd list, details of which can be found below.

Day zero is the 'home' of the 101 in 1001 project http://dayzeroproject.com/ the descriptive information below is taken from that website.

The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.


Below is my 101 in 1001 list, items in bold are ones I have completed, my list expires on Tuesday 13th September 2011.
1. Complete a half marathon
2. Graduate from university
3. Walk/cycle everywhere for 1 week
4. Go on holiday abroad
5. Continue to give blood regularly-this one can't be ticked off until the end of the 1001 days.
6. Make baked Alaska and invite Laura and Kirstie round to try it
7. Make a gingerbread and sweetie house
8. Type all the recipes out from Gran’s cookbook
9. Make the wartime fudge from Gran’s recipe
10. Go to the beach
11. Make Christmas dinner
12. Eat only homebaked bread for 1 month
13. Make jam
14. Learn some basic Italian
15. Go sledging
16. Learn to play squash
17. Eat 5-a-day fruit/veg everyday for one month
18. Eat 3-a-day dairy everyday for one month
19. Complete a full marathon
20. Go camping
21. Go on the London eye
22. Teach Milo to rollover properly(get him to do it once!)
23. Journal properly for 1 month
24. Cook a new recipe once a month
25. Join the bone marrow register-this one is a little awkward as I have since found out I am not eligible to be a bone marrow donor due to my latex allergy. Therefore I need to think of something else to add in here.
26. Go crabbing
27. Watch the sunrise
28. Go horse riding
29. Don’t eat meat for one week
30. Go ice skating
31. Bake something for Milo to eat from the dogtreats recipe book
32. Cycle to Kimmi’s house
33. Climb a tree
34. Make my own mulled wine
35. Go to Scotland
36. Go Carol singing with Laura
37. Go rollerskating
38. Buy someone some flowers
39. Read all of the lord of the rings
40. Go for one month without eating any chocolate (means no hot choc too)
41. Buy something with the £50 from Nan for my 18th
42. Play the lottery 10 times over the 1001 days
43. Keep a record of everything I spend for a week
44. Paint a picture-this was done whilst working at the playscheme!
45. Spend an entire day in my pjs
46. Take part in a conservation project
47. Eat oily fish twice a week for 6 weeks
48. Take an evening class
49. Get a manicure.
50. Go to York again.
51. Climb Ben Nevis.
52. Bake a cake for someone.
53. Make my own sweets.
54. Watch all three the lord of the rings films in a row.
55. Make a massive sandcastle.
56. Go on a ghost tour (and try not to suffer nightmares afterwards!).
57. Watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
58. Watch all of the labyrinth.
59. Walk round Grasmere and Rydal Water (Lake District).
60. Buy something designer-my glasses are.
61. Do karaoke again.
62. Have a weekend in a new city.
63. Make my own tiramisu.
64. Try yoga.
65. Make pretzels.
66. Get into my old jeans.
67. Customise something.
68. Get something from Tiffany’s.
69. Make my own nutella type thing.
70. Spend one day a week off facebook for 6 weeks.
71. Enter more competitions (as Mr Jones used to say if you don’t enter you can’t win)-I have been entering a lot more competitions, I will need to continue to do so for the duration of 1001 days to ensure this stays as a completed item.
72. Make flat chips.
73. Feed the birds.
74. Have a tapas night.
75. Read 101 books over the 1001 days.
76. Epilate my legs at least 20 times over the 1001 days.
77. Do some regular volunteer work.
78. Go on a lot more walks to different places locally.
79. Go to Warwick castle (again).
80. Go to Birmingham shopping.
81. Have a barbecue.
82. Cook over a camp fire.
83. Make a themed cake (something in the spirit of the pirate cake we made before).
84. Make chocolate truffles.
85. Buy some more matching underwear.
86. Visit Stonehenge (again).
87. Visit Liverpool.
88. Visit Blackpool.
89. Go at least one day a week without eating choc for 3 months.
90. Make my own cereal bars.
91. Throw a 3 course dinner party.
92. Learn to change a tyre.
93. Have a poker night.
94. Learn to play chess.
95. Throw a proper slumber party.
96. Visit Ireland.
97. Learn to play 10 songs on the piano.
98. See a Shakespeare play at the Globe.
99. Make a bracelet.
100. Go to a pub quiz.
101. On day 1001 write a new list.

When I look at my list it makes me feel inspired, also some of the things make me cringe as some of them are a bit materialistic. Having written this post I feel determined to get on and get some more tasks completed.

The one in which I post for the first time in a week

Hello!

Yes I am still here, I haven't abandoned my blog. (hmm after typing that sentence it seems that the 'b' on my keyboard does not want to work very well and requires extra effort to work)

I think I will keep brief things I meant to blog about that got delayed due to me being ill, as they were over a week ago now and I am still feeling a bit ill.

As I said previously I had fun in Cardiff. We went to Cardiff Bay and I really enjoyed it. We ate out and were both stuffed afterwards! Then we had a mooch, I was very impressed with the Millenium Centre and another building, think my friend said it was the welsh assembly. Anyway another highlight of the trip was going on the merry go round-I think that's what it's called, the one with the horses. It went pretty fast and was great fun, there were more adults on there than children!

I really can't remember what else I have gotten up to!

I eventually went to the doctors about my throat, the doc thinks it was a reaction to either toothpaste or something I had eaten and it had then got infected. I had ended up with some patches on the roof of my mouth too. So I was prescribed antibiotics and some stuff to gargle to take the inflammation down and have to go back if they return again. Since I went to the docs I ended up with more spots but they are down to 2 now and my throat is much less sore. I am still feeling very lacking in energy though.

I haven't got many shifts at work for the next while, this means that I can have a few lazy days in which to hopefully gain some more energy! We are all on a health kick in our house as of today and hopefully the combination of a bit more rest and eating slightly healthier will sort me right out.

The only other thing I have been up to is that a couple of my friends stayed over Sunday night and we had a lovely evening, we put a dvd on but then talked all the way through. We all agreed we should do stuff like that more often. Time goes by so quickly and I will suddenly think cor I haven't seen so and so for ages. It's awkward with me frequently working evenings and weekends, but I am determined to find the time to do stuff like that more often.