I Need a Whole New Wardrobe.. and Some More Gym Gear!

How has it been a month since Christmas already?! 4 weeks have passed and it's been a complete contrast from the first month of 2019 for me. 2020 has well and truly been kicked off to a great start and habits have been created that I hope will stick with me for the rest of the year. 

I've written before of my big plans for 2020, with a few holidays/trips to go on and weddings to attend in the calendar that I wasn't really looking forward to... until now.. and some other plans that required me to be in good shape and healthy, both physically and mentally for this year. I've been determined to achieve this, so with the help of Holland and Barrett's newest product SlimBiome, I'm well on my way to being a happier, healthier me, ready to take on the world.

Starting the New Year Off Right | Ad

How are we 3 weeks into January already?! On one hand, I'm SO SO glad, because December's pay has been s t r e t c h e d to its absolute limit so I am counting down the days until payday, but on the other, I do feel like Christmas was absolutely ages ago, how can it not be February yet! I feel like I've really hit the ground running this year though with my new love for the gym, focus on myself and all-round self-love mission I've put myself on for 2020. This week, I'm feeling the best I've felt in a long time (minus the cold/flu that's creeping up on me... thanks work colleague...) and I'm actually so excited for the year ahead and the events and trips and weddings I get to go to throughout the year. This is all down, as you know, to my 4-week SlimBiome trial. So here's my week 3 check-in.

I've had a Major Boost in Confidence This Week, Here's Why.... | Ad

You'll likely have read my last blog about my first week trying SlimBiome (if you haven't - here it is - How I'm Regaining Body Confidence in 2020) and were interested in either trying it yourselves to see what results you could get - whether weight loss or just gaining energy and reducing your need to snack - or are just checking back in on my progress... either way, welcome back!

This week has gone by incredibly fast and the weekend, even faster. I've gotten into such a habit with taking my sachets after each meal now (or around the time I'm supposed to eat if I'm not hungry enough to eat) and taking lunches into work, going to the gym and making sure I drink enough water and get enough sleep, I certainly feel like this trial is setting me up with some great habits.

How I'm Regaining Body Confidence in 2020 | Ad

Disclaimer : I am in no way promoting weight loss, or intentionally fuelling to the negative diet culture. I am sharing my honest views of a product that has helped me and is helping me regain confidence in my body after a pretty shit few years of constant MH issues caused by and contributing to my weight gain.

Okay, so it's already 5 days into the new year and everyone seems to have already announced that they're more determined than ever to make 2020 their year, lose weight, feel great about themselves and look their best. Now, the thing with me, is that I always say I'm going to lose weight each year, but then either cannot find any willpower to do actually it or just get too busy with work, life and other stuff to focus on myself and my goals. This year, however (fingers are well and truly un-crossed for this one!), I hope it's going to be different. I have huge plans this year and haven't really set myself a 'goal' or 'target' as such, as I've decided weight watching and obsessing over my weight is super unhealthy, but certainly have some changes in mind that I'd like to achieve. One of these changes is to finally feel good about my body and be healthy, not lose weight as such, but to just feel good in my own skin and be happy with how I look, as well as be healthy enough to go ahead with my biggest plans of 2020. For me, personally, that means toning up, going to the gym more and fitting into my old clothes, though going up the stairs without getting out of breath would be nice! I'm such a bad snacker and have the appetite of a horse so I always fail at any sort of healthy eating or lifestyle changes as I am WEAK AF, so I know I need help curbing my cravings somehow. I've sought the help of Holland and Barrett's new product SlimBiome to help me stop snacking... and already feel better about the year ahead. Here's my 10-day check-in on my 4-week journey...

Getting Back into Shape in 2019 | Esquared Fitness

How is it March already?! 2019 is slipping through my fingers and my body hasn't quite got the message that it's no longer Christmas, or a time for fattening up for hibernation (I totally wish that humans actually hibernated!). With a friend's wedding and a potential holiday on the cards this year, I think it's about time I got more active and started cutting down on all the junk food I've been scoffing... My banking app legit sent me a message the other week saying if I go to McDonalds one more time this month, it'll start listing it as a monthly bill. HAHAHA Shame on me! 

In this bid to kick-start my metabolism (or what is left of it) ahead of Lent and become happier and healthier this year, I've teamed up with Esquared* to challenge myself to workout during my lunch breaks using their new London based Fitness App.

Superdrug's NEW Some Body Protein Range | Reaching My Fitness Goals

Source: Superdrug.com

Okay, I said in my previous post that I wasn't into the whole 'New Year, New Me' goal setting, but I guess I lied... a little. My goal within the last few years was to get back to my weight in sixth form. you'll see various posts from me in the past few years that try new exercises, diets etc in a bid to lose weight, get fitter and get my old silhouette back. This year, it's just a re-commitment to myself to be better, thinner, fitter. 

NutriBuddy Breakfast Shake | First Impressions

So the 'New Year, New Me' posts have been cropping up all over the place in the past few weeks, with people promising themselves to be happier, healthier and better this year. For me, I find that setting a New Year's Resolutions is basically setting myself up for a failure; I know myself too well, I know I wouldn't last a week. If you don't make 'em, you can't break 'em! My 'do whenever' goal however does include losing all the weight I've gained since being in a relationship and I am always looking for ways to lose it, long-term.

We Tried Hot Yoga! | Westminster Lodge, St. Albans

 

In the run up to the wedding, I've gone through periods of being super motivated and trying every exercise possible, and then being super lazy and eating like an oaf - not good when I've got my final dress fitting coming up (and a holiday!). Looks like I'll need to cut carbs in the few weeks before the wedding!

Results With Lucy | Wobble to Model | Wedding Day Weight Loss

Getting engaged was the best thing that's happened to me. Not only do I get to marry my best friend, but it has also been the beginning of a new chapter of my life. Striving to be the fittest me I can be and get back down to my pre-relationship weight - let's face it.. we all let ourselves go when we get comfortable - which was 3 1/2 stone lighter than my weight when I got engaged. I know, I really let myself go! I was determined to begin my married life as I ended my single life.. thin and fit.

13lbs in 13 Weeks | Results With Lucy Review | AFTER

For the past 13 weeks, I've been eating healthy and exercising 4 times a week. In this time, I've lost a total of 13lbs (5.8kg).. that's almost a stone!

Check out my progress at just 6 weeks, where I'd lost 7lbs!

The final few weeks were a lot more demanding and really made me feel like I was completing a hardcore workout at the gym. I still wasn't too keen on the dancy videos, as I realised I have 0 co-ordination and just could not follow the steps! Although, I spent a long time frantically trying to catch up with them, so it was good cardio at least!

As mentioned in my 6 week progress post, I was really bad and didn't follow the plan all the way through to the letter, as I missed a couple days then had to catch up and even took the plan on holiday! As all the videos and food suggestions are online, you can pretty much access them everywhere and anywhere, including in Algarve, where I was for 2 weeks recently. Yoga on the beach and Pilates by the poolside, you have access to your online personal trainer wherever you are, meaning there is no excuse to be lazy!

That's the thing I like most about Results with Lucy, is that you can do it whenever you want, which usually for me, is at 10pm in the evening. As I get home quite late from work, by the time I've sorted things out, eaten and let my food go down, it's quite late, so going to the gym is restricted to weekends or days off. 10pm is my only free hour before bed, and before you ask, I'm usually knackered by the end of it and sleep like a baby whilst burning off the calories in my sleep. 

Talking about my weight has always been so weird for me, I've never really felt comfortable revealing my weight, but as I've worked damn hard at this, I have no shame in admitting it now.. so long as the numbers are going down and not up! I started at 12st 7lbs, and am now at 11st 8lbs and falling! I'm much more confident than I was and fit into more of my 'thin clothes' that were stashed in a suitcase in the cupboard. But most importantly, I had a lot better time on holiday in bikinis and not feel overly self conscious. I'm a lot closer to my pre-relationship, pre-university weight than I was before and progress really is the best motivator. 

Ideally, I would like to lose another stone, and then see where I am with my body shape and clothes size, and see if I feel more comfortable in my self. Initially I wanted to get down to 9st 7lbs, but I don't know if that will feel like me.. if that make sense. I just want to look and feel amazing for my wedding next June.

L-R: Week 1, Week 6, Week 13.

Here's my final measurements:

Chest - 91cm (9cm loss)

Waist - 69cm (11cm loss)

Stomach - 79cm (11cm loss)

Hips - 85cm (8cm loss)

Bum - 100cm (15cm loss)

Thigh - 63cm (7cm loss)

Arm - 29 (4cm loss)

Fitness Test 2:

Press Ups - 22 (knees) (1 more)

Squats - 38 (full) ( 5 more)

Plank - 1 minute (full) 

Jacks - 62 (full) (6 more)

I can't wait to try the next stage; Wobble to Model, which is an Intermediate level 6 week programme to tighten, tone and define. With my holiday out the way, and summer weather on the horizon, I can't wait to get some more wear out of my summer clothes! Check back for my continuing progress! 

Have you tried Results with Lucy? What're your weight loss goals?

Results with Lucy | 6 Week Progress*

I'm about half way through my journey in to New Beginnings and I must say, I'm really pleased with the progress I've made. I'm going to admit here and now, and put my hands up and say I haven't followed the programme to the tee. But there have been great results regardless and I can't wait to see what the remaining half of the programme can help me achieve. 

To read my initial post on this, click HERE.

I started off at 12 st 7lbs. Not a happy weight, but a long way off my heaviest weight that I'd reached over Christmas. After developing a dairy intolerance and sticking to a dairy free diet, I shed 6lbs, but soon found my way back to indulging my sweet tooth once I'd fully discovered the Free From ranges in local supermarkets. I've found chocolate bars, cake recipes, brownies, and every other thing that I shouldn't be able to eat, but now I can. My sweet cupboard at home, which I once thought would be baron for many years, this time is full once again with dairy free/vegan sweets, cookies and chocolate. I just can't help myself!

Now with the help of Results with Lucy, I've shed another 7-8lbs (my weight has fluctuated over the last week - birthdays are never healthy) and am now (almost) below 12st. Which is still huge for me, as I was a scrawny child, but once puberty hit, I ranged from an 8 to a 14 and back down again, then slowly crept up over the past 5 years. I realise clothes sizes and weight is just a number, it should be how you feel about yourself looking in the mirror. But with that.. with slimming down and toning up, its nice to know that you've dropped a dress size or you're back to your pre uni weight. 

When I was weight lifting and hitting the gym on a semi-regular basis (my friends would laugh at this) I wasn't losing any weight at all and I got really frustrated and started fixating on the numbers. My then-PT told me to stay away from the scales and start taking measurements as these would be the indicators of my body changing. As I was building muscle, the fat was being replaced pound for pound the more I worked. As muscle has a higher density than fat, I was actually slimming down, but still weighed the same or saw little difference in my weight. This is totally normal. 

After these 6 weeks, I've noticed my legs and tummy toning up, and other areas of my body getting smaller, despite not seeing too much change in my weight. Obviously 8lbs is loads, but in 6 weeks, had I followed the diet plan (and the timetable) correctly, I probably would have lost around 12lbs. I gave in to my sweet tooth, and missed almost a whole week of exercise. Luckily they give you 2 weeks extra to catch up! 

My clothes are fitting better, my sports bra even sits better and isn't as tight and I'm feeling a lot more confident. I really want to be able to shed another 7lbs at the very least over the next 8 weeks in time for my holiday to Portugal, where I hope I'll be able to exercise a couple times too, so I don't lapse!

I'm quite proud of my before and after photo as it really shows my progress. I just cant wait until I have the 13 week photo and see the difference (praying that there is some). You can see my ribs coming through at the sides, my stomach has reduced in size (to be fair, I was really bloated in the first one, as a reaction to dairy), my bum has shrunk, legs toned, chest has shrunk too and arms are toning up.

Here's my new measurements compared to my starting:

Chest - 92cm (8cm loss)

Waist - 71cm (9cm loss)

Stomach - 83cm (8cm loss)

Hips - 86cm (5.5cm loss)

Bum - 105cm (9cm loss)

Thigh - 66cm (4cm loss)

Arm - 30.5 (2.5cm loss)

Fitness Test 2:

Press Ups - 24 (knees) (3 more)

Squats - 37 (full) ( 4 more)

Plank - 1 minute (full) (30seconds and on knees previously)

Jacks - 61 (full) (5 more)

So I've lost a huge 9cm of my bum and waist and 8cm off my chest and stomach. These types of numbers, I like! I've also made an improvement on my fitness too which I've also noticed on my journey to work. I no longer am dying when I have to run up the escalator to catch my train!

Check back in 8 weeks to see the final results!!

If you want to sign up to a New Beginnings plan or a similar Virtual Personal Training plan (they're so cheap!) Click HERE

Have you tried RWL? Which plan have you used?

Results with Lucy* | Virtual Personal Training | BEFORE

After trying and failing (or giving up) tonnes of different diets and exercises, I found Results with Lucy at the perfect time. I started running a couple weeks ago, and being really busy one week knocked me right off track and couldn't pick up the energy to get back at it.

I like having a regime or a timetable to follow. RWL offers a variety of different plans you can choose from including one for Students, one for Abs etc.. I went for the New Beginnings, which includes both workout videos and a nutrition guide to follow.  On the website, there are hundreds of recipes and work out videos to choose from each day, however, with my plan, the videos are tailored to me so I follow a particular sequence, with the intensity gradually getting harder and harder as the weeks go by. Each workout session takes less than an hour and goes through a Warm Up, a targeted workout, for example an Abs workout, followed by a cardio workout, Yoga or Pilates and finally a Cool Down. It's like having your very own personal trainer with you!

The variety each week keeps you motivated and stops you getting too bored of the same workout over and over again. And trust me, you'll certainly feel the burn with these ones! Don't be fooled by the Yoga and Pilates sessions, they're so much harder and more effective than they look! I could barely walk after my first legs-concentrated Pilates session!

So sticking with my 'new beginnings' that are coming up over the next year or so; getting married next year, eventually starting a family, progressing in my career, I have wanted to start a new fitness journey to get in to shape for not only my wedding, but to get into the best shape of my life. To start a-fresh, to start over.  I was at my heaviest ever weight at 12 stone 13 lbs last year, and I have sworn to myself never to get that large again. Not that there was or is anything wrong with being that weight, just for me, I wasn't happy and didn't feel healthy. I was knackered after even the simplest of exercises, none of my clothes fit, I just didn't feel good about myself.

Pre-relationship and pre-university I was 9 stone 7 lbs. I was confident, I was healthy and I could wear anything and it looked good. Still a couple sizes bigger than my friends, but I didn't care. With Results with Lucy, I know that weight is achievable if I put my mind to it. The New Beginnings plan is just 13 weeks long, but with the 4 exercises a week and a healthy eating plan along side, losing 2 lbs per week will be easy. That's around 26 lbs I can lose if I keep it up.. almost 2 stone!

In the first week alone, I've lost 4 lbs! So I'm steadily getting there! I have to admit, I haven't followed the diet to the letter, because of my intolerances to wheat and dairy. But I have used them as inspiration to create similar, equally healthy meals for myself each day. My goal is actually to reach 10 stone 7lbs and a healthy size 10. From then, I will set myself further goals to reach my pre-uni weight. I am determined (despite giving in to my chocolate craving once in a while!)! I will share my photo results in my AFTER post!

My pre RWL measurements are as follows:
Chest - 100cm
Waist - 80cm
Stomach - 91cm
Hips - 93cm
Bum - 112cm
Thigh - 70cm
Arms - 33cm

Fitness Test 1:
Press ups - 21 (on knees)
Squats - 33 (full)
Plank - 30 seconds (low)
Jacks - 56 (full)

Check back in 3 weeks to see how my fitness has improved and see how much weight I've lost using Results with Lucy. To sign up to your very own training plan or just want to pay per month rather than trek to a gym, join here!

What do you do for fitness? Have you used RWL before? Share your results with us!

Fitbit Flex Review | Fitness Tracker Band

Mobile phones have never been a reliable way to track your fitness, steps, sleep, heart rate etc. as we simply don't have them on our person 24/7, even if we think we do. Even through the amazing technological advances that have happened over the past few years, we still can't rely on them to track our every move. We needed a more accurate way of measuring these things, so fitness bands, pedometers and other attachable gadgets were invented.  They come in all shapes and sizes with different functionalities, styles and units of measurement. Some come with compatible apps, others sync with your computer, or both! After losing control of my weight shortly after leaving uni (where I was at the gym every day/ doing Insanity and eating super healthy) and so just over a year ago, I decided that I needed to be more active, and start taking care of myself, and with that, my weight would sort its self out (here's hoping!). With that decision, I bought myself a Fitbit Flex for Christmas and I haven't taken it off to this very day! The Fitbit Flex is a small device around 2 inches long and fits in a rubber wristband. You can also get a leather band or loads of other designs, whichever suits your personal style. I got the pink band to start off with, but have since bought a black replacement band as the pink went an odd colour after a year's use.  Completely waterproof up to a couple of meters, I even wear it in the shower, swimming etc. It's tracking my every single move. Including when I'm asleep! With this additional sleep tracking function, you can train yourself to get a better night's sleep and identify which factors are causing you to wake in the night, not get as much sleep or why you're so tired in the mornings. I'm getting so much more sleep now that I monitor mine! Syncing daily with an app that's available for both Android and Apple devices, and a more in-depth dashboard on your PC, you can keep an eye on everything with a touch of a button.

As you can see, you are able to set goals for pretty much everything, from how much water you want to drink per day to how much weight you want to lose, or how many steps to aim for. These things are measured against your goals and there's nothing better than see that little "You reached your goal!" message at the end of the day. It's motivating and encouraging!  Upon initiating the app to start off with, you're asked what you'd like to use the Fitbit for; losing weight, gaining weight or maintaining. I obviously would like to lose weight so it uses your current weight, height, age etc. along with what your goal weight and fat percentage is and sets your food goal accordingly. For weight loss, you can either have a 500 calorie deficit, a 750 calorie or a 1000 calorie. These being the easy, moderate and hard options and gives you a time scale for when to expect to meet this goal.  Personally, I reset my goal after Christmas and I went for the challenging 1000 calorie deficit, in the hope to lose 2- 2.5 lbs per week. With some luck, I may reach my goal by May!  I also set my other goals as follows: Water intake: 3000 ml (3 litres) Steps: 8000 Sleep: 7 hours Active Minutes: 40 Distance: 4 miles Not only can you record your food intake and keep a track of your calories that way, but it also takes into consideration the amount of calories you burn just being awake. This is your metabolic rate and is calculated using your weight, age, height and other such details; it's not incredibly accurate but it means that because you burn calories throughout the day doing nothing, it means you can eat a couple more and still meet your goal.  Personally, I use My Fitness Pal to record my food, as I have found it has a much bigger database of food and tells you more information about the macros and ingredients in what you're eating. This app can sync seamlessly with Fitbit and all the data is shared across the two apps.  If you've got other models of Fitbit, you may also be able to track your heart rate, which is an even more reliable way to record calorie burn and some also record steps/flights climbed, the route you walk using GPS, play music, have on-screen workouts, touch screens, timers and clocks. In terms of functionality, the Flex is one of the lower end bands of the Fitbit range, with the Blaze and Surge bands being top of the range. But of course, they come with a price tag at £159.99 and £199.99. You can even buy a sync-able set of scales to accurately record your daily weight and fat percentage changes without having to input it yourself.  For exercise, you can either record it as you go, so for example, if you're going for a run or cycling, you can live record your activity in-app. Otherwise, just input it as you would your food. Again, I use MFP for this and input exactly what time I started the exercise so that it can attribute the steps/calories burnt in that time to the exercise its self. Overall, I think the Fitbit Flex is great for the money and performs well. Charging is also super easy and only needs to be done every 5/6 days and takes just a few hours ( I usually do this when I know I'll be sitting at my desk not moving). However, if you're looking for a band that records much more than this, or even if you don't want to wear something on your wrist, there's so many more trackers to choose from in the Fitbit range. But after using other bands and their apps, I definitely think this is one of the more user-friendly apps and I'm still motivated to lose this weight and be a healthier me! You can get your very own Fitbit Flex for £79.99 from House of Fraser. Have you got a Fitbit? If you use a different tracker, which one do you use?

Couch to 5K | Week 1 | Day 1

Days keep passing me by and still I am not down to my pre-Christmas weight. I really need to step up my game with more exercise. We've joined the gym again, but with S still recovering from his key hole surgery, he can't quite go to the gym yet and make full use out of it. But I still don't want to go to this new gym on my own! I may pluck up the courage this week. After all, I have actually been there before with my old personal trainer - Tyler. Sticking mainly to weights, with a small bit of cardio intervals, I stuck mainly to one area of the gym. Now I've got to reintroduce my body to the concept of exercise, I feel I'll be adventuring round the cardio section a lot more to start off with. A friend told me about this Couch to 5K app that she'd been trying and at first I was sceptical. But with a little research, I soon found out it was actually provided by the NHS. It's a 9 week programme designed to.. well.. its in the title.. get you from the couch to running 5K in just 9 weeks! The plan is very simple, you start off doing intervals and gradually you start running for longer and longer until boom, you've run 5K in one go. That's something I can only dream of at this point as I absolutely hate running and have never really seen the attraction of it. Well, cardio in general has never really appealed to me. I'm much more suited to heavy lifting than sweaty, red faced, out of breath cardio.  So on Monday this week, I finally plucked up the courage, despite having really bad stomach cramps, nausea and a migraine, I went for it and completed day 1 of the Couch to 5K challenge.  It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, and only actually took 20 minutes. It doesn't help that it was about -4 degrees, so breathing in the cold air at such an accelerated rate was painful. The programmes starts off with a 5 minute brisk walk and slowly introduces you into a slow jog. This is just for 60 seconds, so its manageable! You then slow down back to the brisk walk for 90 seconds and so on. You do this 8 times and then do a warm down 5 minute brisk walk.. how simple and easy is that?! You need to do this three times in the first week at the least, to really see the benefits. In the second week you are running for 90 seconds and walking for 2 minutes, in the third you alternate running for 90 seconds, walking for 90 seconds and running for 3 minutes and walking for 3 minutes. In week 4 you are running for between 3 minutes and 5 minutes, and finally ending up running 3.1 miles (5K) in just 30 minutes with a simple warm up brisk walk. There's even a 5k to 10k app to use afterwards if you're feeling daring! It's actually quite a good way of introducing yourself to running if you've not done it before, or if you just want to kick start your fitness regime. You can do this either out on the street or on the treadmill at the gym, whatever suits you better! I'm definitely going to try and keep this up as well as fitting in the gym and other workouts such as yoga. Combined with a healthy diet and lots and lots of water, hopefully this will be the start of the new me and see me fitting into a size 10 again in no time! Have you used the Couch25K app yet? What are your 2016 fitness goals?