HELLO lovely people.

I've been procrastinating! Now there's a surprise HA.

It's been a while and I have attempted to write a new post a fair few times. I have deleted 14 drafts of posts because I just didn't like them or want to finish them. So hopefully I will actually finish this one.

I thought I'd show you my latest plus size clothing order, this time it was from Forever21, the UK website. My first ever order consisted of 3 dresses and 1 playsuit. I love 3 out of the 4 I love, 1 of the dressed was a bit meh only because it was a little bit tight. However it only cost me £5ish so the best thing to do is for me to lose weight. Which I am still doing by the way! The picture below shows you what items I got, all from the Forever21 plus size range. I did do a bit of research into what the sizes were like and what the equivalent size from USA to UK sizes were and found it very useful. In the UK I wear sizes 16, 18 ad 20, depending on garment, fabric and shop. For Forever21 I went for the 2X or 3X depending on the style of garment and fabric.

I am in love with the floral smocked playsuit which cost £19, and worth every penny. It is so comfy and has surprise pockets! Always a bonus. I got this in a size 2X,  I am so glad I went for the 2X for this playsuit as it fits perfectly, very flattering and comfy, any bigger would ruin this piece.
The black and white stripey smock dress was £15, also a 2X, fits lovely, floaty and flattering, just a warning, wear a white or nude bra with this dress! Anything else you will be able to see.
Matelasse floral bodycon dress was £5.99 3X., ironically this is the only item I got in the bigger size, but the only item that didn't fit. It was to tight. However, I reckon with some good pants that suck everything in, this dress would be lovely. Time to invest in some sucky in pants.
Plus size floral dress was £13 2X, this dress also has surprise pockets! I do love a good pocket. Loely light material and perfect length, I do not feel the need to wear leggings with this, I normally do with all dresses.

Books 
I finished a few books in the time I have been gone, The Martian by Andy Weir (started and finished whilst on holiday in Thailand) I am in love with this books and film. PLEASE READ IT! Also a couple of easy chick-lit books, On the Fence and The Distance Between Us both by Kasie West, lovely little books, vry easy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed them, good little summer reads.

TV series
FRINGE! I am obsessed with Fringe, in 2 weeks I have watched 4 seasons, nearly onto the 5th and final season. I have been gripped from the start, so many twists and turns and Walter Bishop, I love him. He is spectacular and always has something witty to say, his one liners re amazing.

Food 
I am right in there with my salads at the moment, a cheeky tuna and quinoa salad goes down a treat now that the sun is here. Also, iced coffee, I discovered this marvelous invention thanks to my mum, and I can safely say I am addicted. I now make my own iced coffee, its a hell of a lot cheaper and so SO easy to make. Also, a little shout out to Graze who have got me through the munchies lately, I get a box every Thursday/Friday and its full of lovely little snacks.

Sorry for taking so long to post again. And for this post being all over the place. I hope to post more regularly from now on. Fingers crossed

Love yah
IsThataReddHerring

Workouts that I enjoy doing and feel working.

Let's face it working out can be boring if you are doing the same thing over and over again. So when I work out I keep it varied to stop becoming bored and tired and well giving up.

The first workout I turn to is one that I know works. It’s not very adventurous but perfect to do when you only want to spend 45 or so minutes in the gym. It’s simple but effective. Simply its:

• 30 minutes of cardio -  I do it to a level in which I cannot talk to the person next to me
• 15 minutes on the treadmill. High incline and around 3.5 mph. Not too fast but after 15 minutes you know you’ve done a good workout. 
• Then 15 minutes cross trainer, mid-level around 8 or 10. I choose not to use the bikes because I tend to get lazy. But with the cross trainer I can feel my muscles working. 
• I walk around the gym twice as a ‘rest’, then straight into my next part. 
• Squats and lunges. 
• 10 squats and 10 lunges repeat 5 times. 
• I use a 3KG weight for balance when doing the lunges. I step the weight up every couple of days. 

If I cannot get to the gym or it’s a 'rest' day I still do my squats and lunges at home. I am quite lucky that my job keeps me active. Always running and walking around. It's amazing how quickly your heart rate can raise. Even on days when I don't go to the gym I know that being active at work helps.

This week at the gym I've been doing something slightly different:

• 30 mins of cardio
• 15 minutes on the treadmill, 3.5 mph on full incline. 
• 15 minutes on the bikes or cross-trainer. Level 8 or 10 depending on how my knees are. 

Then I go through a routine in-which my gym instructor has given me. It's tailored for me, to lose weight quicker. See picture below:

I really enjoy this work out and you can really feel it working. My shoulders, calves and thighs in particular. Each time I push myself to do more. Heavier weight and more reps. Building it up slowly.

Another good option is the couch to 5K app. It helps with jogging, running and of course motivation. It’s a free app, and can be downloaded on most smart phones. I would really recommend this app if you want to start slowly. 

NHS- Couch to 5K

I hope this has helped, given a few of you a couple of ideas for fitness. If I can do it, anyone can :D

Love Yah 

IsThataRedHerring

I am never going to be a size 8! And I am fine with that.

My dream/ideal size is a UK 14! Many of you may be shocked that I want to be that size, a lot of people think that is massive and not a healthy weight. But the fact is in the UK, the average size is 14/16. It is a healthy size and the size I aim to be. 

I have always been a larger girl, and like I've said in previous posts it only bothers me because of how unfit and unhealthy I am. 

The point of this post is to explain what I am doing to make myself healthy and happy. For my height my BMI is shockingly high, and it scares me. I turn 21 in a month and I am obese. I am overweight, unhealthy and scared that if I don't change now I won't have a long future. I want to get married, have children, travel and most importantly I want to get old and wrinkly with white hair. I do not want to die young and have wasted my life eating and being 'fat'. It is time to change, I am finally in the right mind set to do it and take action. 

What have I done?

1. I joined my local Weight Watchers group. I felt that if I had to pay each week to attend and get weighed, it will motivate me more to lose weight and it really has. In 5 days I have already seen a difference in myself. And sticking to a plan that I have made is so much better. I still enjoy the little naughty things, but I'm learning to do it all in moderation. 
2. I got a new bicycle (and helmet, safety first kids). Myself, my dad and brother used to cycle everywhere up until I was about 15/16. Every Sunday we would go for a 3 hour bike ride and although I moaned a lot then, I did really enjoy it. I'm very lucky to live near a town but also in the countryside which means there are plenty of places to cycle. I've managed to rope my brother into it as well and now we are going to try and cycle for 30/40 mins 3 times a week and slowly build it up and have less breaks.
3. I am doing this for me. Time and time again I have tried to lose weight but for the wrong reason. If I lose weight boys will like me more and that is the sad truth but now I say sod it, I am doing this for me and myself only. And that's why it is so important to me to remember that in order to be happy I do not need to be a size 6 I can be perfectly happy and healthy as a 14. 

I want everyone to know that if you are happy with yourself, no matter your size, stay like it. But if you aren't do something about it but take the healthy route! Don;t go trying to lose or put on weight too fast. It may takes years to get to how you want to be, but that is a fight we must all take. And for me mine started on the 10th of Junes 2015, and I am determined to carry on and prove to myself (not anyone else) that I am worthy of being happy and healthy and still be myself. 

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring

Where does the time go?

Tomorrow is February, one whole month of 2015 gone! Where has this time gone seriously? I guess this is a little reflection of January and look at what February holds for me and this blog.

January
I looked like this for one...

...which is absolutely bonkers because not only have I changed my hair colour 3 maybe 4 times since December/January I have also changed the hair style. I am forever changing my hair. However, I am hoping to stick to one colour soon, but first I need to find the right colour. I returned back to uni in January, which I had several mixed emotions about, but thank goodness I am here. I am so glad to be back, and still shocked how quickly my final year has gone! Just under 4 months until my time at Plymouth uni is over. I also began to write my dissertation which is rather daunting but so far I am enjoying the challenge and researching into a subject I really enjoy. I don't hate my subject yet, which is a massive bonus, I have about 2000 words ish written of it at the moment, so only 6000 more to go haha. What else has January brought me? Oh yeah, yet more illness :( which is sucky, but I am hoping that I have found the problem so I can fix it. Also, myself and Chelsey have started a new blog together which focuses on us becoming healthier and fitter mentally and physically. Which for means I need to start making a lot of adjustments which I know in the long run are going to make me a lot healthier both body and mind. Oh yeah, also more about my hair changes:

So as you can see January has been a crazy time for my hair, and February will also be the same, I no longer have blue and purple hair. I am in transition, so its a white/blonde/green mess at the moment. Which is great fun. According to Chelsey I look like an old women who has had a perm and a blue rinse, I think I look amazing! But back to the serious stuff... January has made me think about a lot of things, how I look, how people see me, what I plan to do after uni, question friendships and relationships, look through mistakes I've made and some things that just need to stay in the past. But I feel that it has made me look at February as a bit of a fresh start, healthier eating, exercising and maybe even just finding myself a bit (peace man peace). I know January is supposed to be the time to make changes but you can always make changes, you do not need to wait for the new year or a Monday to start that diet again. I firmly believe that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger (thank you Miss Kelly Clarkson) and that just because something hasn't turned out the way you want, just pick yourself back up and try again and again. Hey, I'm trying to lose weight and become healthier for the millionth time, but this time I have a lot more riding on it, I have support from family and friends and you guys which is amazing. And if you are reading this and feel that you have something you want to do but do not have anyone to support you, I'm here. I am always here to help anyone, so don't worry you are not alone, I am a comment or an email away even a tweet anything, I'm here! 

Anyway I went a bit off topic but I think it was essential to mention. Anyway for me February is a start of a newer me in all aspects. I'm going home also for a week which will be great, see the family and some friends, and have a bit of a break from uni and just chill for a bit. Also, this year I am doing lent and giving up meat (I miss bacon already) so we will see how that goes, I also hope to have a lot of my dissertation done. 

So that was my first month of 2015 and here's to the second... 

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring 

Homemade Breaded Chicken Fillets

This is a really easy and tasty recipe and would recommend it to everyone! It is very quick to do and with very little steps, this recipe is for 4 medium chicken breasts, so lets begin:

Ingredients 
4 medium chicken breasts
2 slices of wholemeal bread (or any bread of your choosing)
1 medium egg
Salt and pepper

Method

1. You need to start by making breadcrumb, you can by them already done, however it is cheaper and very easy to make your own. Simply break your slices of bread up into a blender, and blend until you get breadcrumbs. Put these onto a plate, or I use a plastic container (such as an take away container), as long as it is big enough to place your chicken in, one piece at a time. 
2. Next, beat your egg and put onto a separate plate or container, 
3. Get your chicken and dip into the egg, coating each side with egg, then dip into the breadcrumbs, making sure there is an even coating all around the chicken..
4. Get a hot frying pan and place a little oil, I use vegetable oil, once hot place the chicken into the pan and allow to evenly brown on each side.
5. Although you can just pan fry, I prefer to place mine in the over to cook all the way through. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins at 180C which is gas mark 4. 
6. Serve hot or cold and enjoy

Serving suggestion

I serves mine with pasta with a bit of tomato sauce and light mayo, with a small side salad. I call this a perfect summers meal, although I eat it all year round. 

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring 

Not a new me, but a better me.

Inspired by the wonderful blog by Lovelychubly I have decided to rid myself of 2014 and the things that sucked, and better myself.

2014 did not start off well for me, my late Aunt Pauline passed away, I hit rock bottom, some friendships fizzled out. However, others were gained, thanks to a mutual drunken experience, lost in Amsterdam, myself and Jess met the wonderful Vikkay and Danni. Thank goodness we met them, otherwise we might still be lost in Amsterdam now, and plus they are fantastic loyal friends. Despite having an amazing time in Amsterdam my struggle with depression continued, I took a month from uni to clear my head that seemed to do the trick.

A lot of things happened throughout 2014, I turned 20, I got drunk a lot, I moved uni houses,end of second year, got a well paid job, met awesome people, made new friends. Discovered new things, had adventurers, started this blog, summer ball. Third year started;  Joined the gym, got ill (mumps, abscess, infection, flu, depression, flu) you no the usual, quite gym.. 2014 summed up, could have been better but I don't want to change anything because it is part of my life.

But here it is my small goals, things that I want to aspire to do. Some are easier than others, so here goes:

Section one, University:

1. Hand in all assignments by the deadline, by at least one hour!
2. Finish my degree (May the 5th DEADLINE DAY)
3. Enjoy last part of third year

Section two, healthy body, healthy mind:

1. Have breakfast everyday, without fail!
2. Which you lazy person, getting up early!
3. Hey guess what!.... EXERCISE... no more 11 hour naps followed by binge eating
4. And of course, eating healthy... mmmm salads! 

Section three, because why the hell not?!:

1. This year I celebrate my 21st Birthday, and I want to read 21 books this year. (separate blog too follow) 
2. Be more organised! 
3. Let's ease up on spending the money and try and save
4. By the end of 2015.... I want to be able to drive! I aim too take my driving test by Christmas 2015!
5. Run the race for life again, and actually run/jog it!

So those are my goals, not resolutions for one year, but my life goals, some are short and easy but others are ones I plan on continuing my whole life. It takes 21 days to create a new habit so here goes! A new step towards a new me.

Happy New Year , you beauties.

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring

P.S 

        Without the help of my friends and family this year, I would not have survived, so thank you <3 forever