Health - Drinking Enough Water

Eight glasses a day.

This is what we're supposed to drink, and I reckon that I'm lucky if I drink one or two. Yikes!

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Water is of course the healthiest option for quenching your thirst as it contains no calories and no sugar. It's also free!

I know that it's so important to stay hydrated and yet why do I struggle to drink the recommended water? I have zero excuses. And when I have a thumping headache and am feeling lethargic then that's when I wish I'd had a few extra gulps of good old H2O.

I tried using an app as a prompt to get me to drink more, but it didn't really help.

I'm making progress with my PT goals, and weight wise I'm now down to 11 stone 10 lbs. I've about another half a stone to go.

I'm not sure if this is a myth or not as I've not done enough research, but did you know that drinking water helps keep fat away? I'm hoping this will motivate me to drink more!

Your kidneys can't function properly without enough water, and when your kidneys don't work to capacity some of their load is passed onto the liver. One of your liver's jobs is to metabolise fat, but if the liver is having to do some of the kidney's work then it can't function properly and as such it then metabolises less fat. This means more fat is stored in the body and weight loss stops. Makes sense doesn't it.

So I'm adding this onto my Health & Fitness Goals: I will consciously drink more water each day.

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I have a plastic drink bottle at my desk and I'm lucky if I fill it once each day, if that. I'm going to put some reminders in my phone and get my water consumption up. Watch this space to see how I get on!

Healthy Eating

I was asked over on Instagram by Merry in the Ferry about my work day eating habits after posting this photograph of my office drawer filled with snacks!! It also ties in quite nicely with my health & fitness goals that I posted about last week.

As you'll know if you are regular readers, I am currently seeing a personal trainer once a week for an hour sesssion. I was struggling to get motivated, especially hard at this time of year when it's dark and cold! For me, I knew that some sessions with a PT would be money well spent. Exercise is great for your mental health and wellbeing, helps you sleep better and I know that by losing a bit of weight I'd boost my confidence. I wasn't exercising at all, and had totally gotten out of the habit of exercising, and Ross has got me back into  it. I started in November last year and now that I'm seeing results I'm finding staying motivated a lot easier. I weighed myself this morning, and that's me now lost 7 lbs.

However, it's not just exercise, what you eat is just as important.

The key for me is being organised - hence why I have a drawer full of snacks at my work. This way if I'm feeling peckish and my colleagues have donuts or crisps, I can get myself a healthy snack and I'm able to stay clear of the junk food. I actually managed to resist the donuts...! Are you impressed?

So at the moment in my desk drawer I have the following:

• Decaf tea bags (Tetley)
• Rude Health Oat & Spelt Thins
• Peanut Butter
• Oatcakes
• Munchy Seeds, Chilli Bites
• Muesli (one with more seeds and nuts than dried fruit, like Jordan Nut & Seed)
• Baby plum tomatoes
• Bear blackcurrant yoyo (these are designed for kids, but to me it's a sweet treat!)
• Food Doctor Roasted Bean Mix
• Beyond Dark chocolate drops

I've also got some Light Philadelphia cheese in the fridge, which I have on the oat & spelt thins.

Some other snacks that are great are crudites & hummus, sugar snap peas, popcorn, yoghurt & berries, a handful of nuts, rice cakes or a few dates.

On a typical day I'll have the following:

7.30/8am Breakfast - muesli & cup of tea

Muesli with dates & bananas

10am Snack - see list above!

12.30pm Lunch - soup or salad, sometimes with a spelt thin and Philadelphia cheese

Hummus & oatcakes with salad

3pm Snack 

5pm Dinner - this varies and depends on whether or not I have the kids but I try and stick to healthy options where possible. If the kids are having pasta, then I'll have gluten-free pasta or choose to have steamed cabbage instead. I'll possibly write a separate post on our dinners.

Chicken stir fry

8/9pm Snack

So I'm actually eating lots, and eating a lot more than I would have previously. But it's all about eating the right kinds of food. However it's also about being realistic. I can't stick to this 100% of the time... I've got to have a life and I do love my food. We were at Pizza Hut at the weekend for dinner, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also still have take aways, but again I'll be sensible in what I choose.

Hopefully this has provided some inspiration, food for thought you might say ;-)

You can find my Weight Loss Inspiration post with before and after photographs here which has a few more tips on losing weight and getting healthy.

{Cravings}

The problem

As soon as you tell yourself you can't have something, then why is it that that's all you can think of??

I demolished the last of the Easter eggs over the Bank Holiday weekend whilst I painted!

I'm trying my best to get back into the way of healthy eating. Since my Crohn's flare-up and starting steroids, I've put on another 7 lbs!! So I now have over a stone to lose. I'm really annoyed at myself for letting the situation slide...I should have got it under control ages ago. But I keep telling myself I was ill & blaming the drugs too (they do apparently cause weight gain)... But now I have no excuses. I've got a fortnight of steroids left to take, I'm on a lower dose & thankfully things in that department seem to be more like normal again. Well, as normal as can be for someone with Crohn's I guess!

This week I went out and did a 5K after work. Boy was it tough, but I at least got back out there. My plan is to run again on Sunday & Tuesday whilst the kids are with their dad and I have an opportunity to pound the pavements. It will be good for my mind too - some time to think and clear my head.

After my 5K!

I desperately need to get the eating under control through. I tend to be good in the morning...breakfasts I've been enjoying a small portion of muesli with plenty fresh fruit which is exactly what I had when I was under the watchful eye of my personal trainer a few years back.

For lunch I've been having soup and/or salad. The more colourful the better. As long as I'm prepared, I'd happily eat salad every day. I've been throwing chicken, prawns, feta cheese, beetroot, pine nuts etc into lettuce, cucumber & tomatoes. Yum! I also had a massive bean salad which I made at the weekend as part of the #MorrisonsMum campaign & it lasted me my working week too. This week on one of my days off I was at a soft play with the kids & chose their homemade lentil soup & even managed to resist the bread!

I'm trying to snack healthily too... I have rice cakes, oatcakes, peanut butter, dried cranberries and mixed nuts in my drawer at work. 

It's the evenings that get me though, particularly when I have the kids with me. I find myself picking at their leftovers as I hate to see food wasted. Today they had pasta and I had a salad with feta, chorizo, falafel & olives. But I must have had 3 or 4 mouthfuls of their cheese loaded pasta that they didn't finish.

We also baked a banana bread from the Three Sisters Bake cookbook, with chocolate chips in it, as you do! Which would be fine, apart from that I've eaten the majority of it myself in the space of one day!!!! I just cannot resist sweet things especially cake. 

Banana bread ready for the oven

The kids are currently fast asleep and I have a cup of tea in my hand. I'm craving something sweet and wish I had bought something nice whilst at the supermarket earlier today. Instead I have grabbed a handful of dried fruit and some Food Doctor roasted bean mix. It's not really hitting the spot... :-/

The plan

Here's my five-point plan... I'm starting small with a hope that I'll stick with it.

1. Start meal planning again
2. Shop online, it will help me avoid the temptation to grab naughty cakes and sweets
3. Get out for at least one run each week
4. Drink more water
5. Avoid white bread and pasta

The reward

I desperately need some new clothes for work. I've been wearing the same dresses for ages now and I'm getting so bored of them. My reward when I get back to 11 stone 7 lbs (half way to my target) will be a couple of pieces of clothing for the office. I already have my eye on a few things (more on this in a separate post).

If by some miracle I manage to get to my target of 11 stone before Brit Mums Live, which is now just 6 weeks away. Then my next reward will be a new outfit for the event.

Right, that's it now in black and white. No going back... 

{Motivation}

I've been lacking in motivation to get back into shape.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have much to lose... just 10 or maybe 11 lbs.

I know I'll be happier when I get back to my target again, but does that motivate me... nope, it does not.

I also know what I need to do... because I've done it before.

Eat less, move more.

Simple, you'd think?

I'm hoping as the weather improves I'll get back out running...

But I also need someone to shout at me and tell me to stop eating all the cake (& sweets, chocolate, pastries...).

Seriously, you'd better be quick or there will be none left!

{#JanuaryJoy - make a fitness target}

'Make a fitness target' is today's Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy prompt and it's time to get serious...

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I have 11 lbs to lose (I'm fairly disgusted at myself!) and now that Christmas, New Year and my birthday are over, I've no excuse!

As well as getting back in the kitchen and making some clean eats and making a move towards Meal Planning again, I want to get back into the way of exercising regularly.

I was doing so well and in July last year I made it back to my target weight of 11 stone, but it's crept back up as the winter months kicked in and I'm now back at square one.

So here are my targets, both diet & fitness:

I will start back with a Paleo diet (especially given that it helped with my Crohn's).

I will get back to my target weight of 11 stone.

I will start running regularly again - it would be great to run the Glasgow Half Marathon this year given that we're hosting the Commonwealth Games.

I will beat my previous half marathon time (2h 12 min).

{Smitten Saturday: Alison}

Each Saturday I'll be featuring one thing that I'm loving, whether it be food, make-up, an activity, a person... you get the idea!

You can grab my button over here ---> and take part if you so wish? 

And please help spread the word - I'd love to get a few more bloggers joining in :-)

There should hopefully be a linky tool at the bottom to allow you to add your post *crosses fingers*

Anyway, this week I am smitten with my little sister, Alison (also known as Ali & The Grey House or @the_grey_house). (Everyone we meet that doesn't know us thinks that she's older though, sorry Ali!)

I was starting to lose my running & keep fit mojo and Ali has managed to get my spark back again.

Yesterday she signed me up for the Glasgow Half Marathon and I'm actually excited about my next race (I know, I can't believe it either - me, excited about running!).

Glasgow

I got such a buzz competing in the Edinburgh Half Marathon last year in May, my first ever race! Since then I've done a 10 mile run around Millport (September 2012) but then after that I'm ashamed to admit I've done nothing and my fitness levels have decreased dramatically. The weight has also started to creep back on :-/

This is it though, I've now got a goal... to beat my time of 2 hours 12 min.

Bring it on! Thank you Ali for giving me the kick I needed!!

So tell me, what's got you Smitten this week?

{Grooving, or not as the case may be...}

I'm linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her weekly #groovingmums Blog Hop. This is week #6 already, and we're now into November... where has the time gone? Grab the badge that features above and check out Kate's blog if you fancy joining in.

I've had a bit of a mixed week if I'm honest.

My dad was here last week which was lovely to catch up with him and his wife. My son adored having his granddad around - we went to the garden centre and you could here my son shouting at the top of his voice from all corners of the store... 'Granddad, where are you?'. My sister also came down for one night and we had a mini-celebration for my dad's 60th (which is actually in November, but we won't see him again until April). I enjoyed being the hostess (I used to love hosting dinner parties b.c.) and I prepared a few nibbles for our friends & family which went down a storm (big thanks to my friend Claire for the inspiration for all the canapes). We also had a day trawling round some fabric shops and I'm feeling inspired to get the sewing machine out to make some curtains for the house (watch this space!). My sister has already made a cushion amongst other things with the fabric she purchased (she's child-free so can get things done much quicker than me!).

Some nibbles.... healthy-ish!!

On Thursday after my dad left I had a 'Keeping in Touch' day at my work. I'm due to start back in January, but had a day of training organised. I have to admit it was nice being back, even though I spent the afternoon reading Standard Operating Procedures! I wore my new Gok Wan dress (size 10!) and got a few nice comments about my new slim figure.

At work.... 

I also had a lovely night away in a 5 star hotel with a friend. We had a day of pampering at the spa followed by a lovely dinner that we got all dressed up for...

Dressed up for dinner in my new Wallis spotty dress

For Halloween on Monday I took the kiddies in their pirate outfits to visit granny & grandpa and they had a lovely day. My sister-in-law also came along with her two little ones so my son had great fun playing with his older cousin.

Last night, my friend Becky and I went to a flower arranging course. It was a one-off 2 hour course at a local florist and I had a great time and learnt loads. I'll do a separate blog post on this, but here is a quick photo of my creation:

However, here are the negatives (thought I'd start with the positive, up-beat bit!)...

Sticking to the healthy eating has been difficult now that Maria, my personal trainer, has said I can ditch the food diary. I've had too many nice cakes with my dad when he was here followed by a weekend of indulgence... must try harder this week.

I've also not been feeling great. I've had a bit of a cold and my tummy has been a bit sore too. I've been a bit of an idiot when it came to my Crohn's medication. With my weight loss I should have really reduced the dose of my medication, so I've technically been taking an overdose and I've been getting some not-so-nice side effects! My own fault really. My dose has now been lowered, but it's going to take a wee while for things to settle out. 

I've also not been doing much exercise... partly because I've been too busy and partly because I've been feeling a bit rubbish. I'm finding it difficult to go out running in the evenings now as it's so dark and it's not really safe to go on my own. I would go in the morning before hubby & the kids get up, but again it's too dark. I'm finding it really tricky to keep to the exercise plan at the moment and I'm feeling sluggish and a bit bleugh...

I feel like all I do is go round and round the house picking up stuff all the time and don't actually get anything done... dirty nappies, messy clothes, toys, more toys and even more toys...

Here's hoping the week picks up!

{Jogging}

Maria, my personal trainer, has got me to start jogging as part of my exercise regimen. So far I've been doing 2 or 3 mile jogs round the local area, and it's been ok. I wouldn't say I enjoy it (maybe I'm starting to), but once I'm home I'm certainly glad I went. I'm not sure that I'm a competitive person... I try to set myself targets... e.g. keep jogging until I reach the next set of traffic lights or try to beat my time from previous jog... but it doesn't really spur me on. I'm planning on joining Maria's running group in the near future and I think that will make a big difference to my motivation to have other people running with me.

Happy Fitness on Tumblr

I've also signed up for a half marathon in May next year (yikes!!). I've joined Team Macmillan and will be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.  My mum died of ovarian cancer when I was at university 10 years ago, and this will be my first sponsored jog (might end up being a walk!) for charity.  My sister has done a few 10k runs before, and she has also signed up for the half marathon (it was her idea) so it will be nice for us to do this together in memory of our mum.

I've dropped a dress size already and have nearly reached my target weight. I'm still a long way from my target body fat % (25% is target, I'm currently at 34%!) but it's moving in the right direction at least. I feel so much happier and healthier - lots more energy!

{Motivate}

So far so good... I've been on my new diet, or healthy eating plan, for a week and I have lost 2lbs in weight and my body fat percentage has also dropped. Phew! I was dreading my first weigh in with the Personal Trainer as I had been at Becky's wedding the day before (great day had by all I might add!) but I managed to stick to the diet for most of the week and despite having curry, creme brulee and the most delicious wedding cake I still managed to shift some of the flab!

My session with the Personal Trainer this week was tough. I've been given an exercise regimen for the week and have to continue with the diet (no bread, no pasta, no white rice...).  But I am determined to succeed...

Reposted from i love you asshole on Tumblr.com