Slimming World: My first month.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

That's right I'm back and I actually have things to share with you all. The main one and for me the most important thing is that I took the step to lose weight, but properly this time. And as the title suggests I joined Slimming World. I was going to write a week by week diary of how I'm finding it but I wanted to give it a month to give it a proper go. And honestly I am loving it. I am so proud of myself for sticking with it. I joined 21/02/2017 weighing 20st 9 lb and its been a month so here is my progress. 

Starting weight: 20st 9lb
Dress size: 22
Target dress size: 14
5% target: 14lb

I did well in my first week considering I went out and got really very drunk at my cousins wedding. I ate well but wow those empty calories haha. The second week even better, I lost more and really stuck to the plan, I even out out for a meal with the girls and with making good choices I managed to lose more weight. Now the third week was a tricky one for me, I broke up with my boyfriend and well food was there for me. But I still lost, even if it was only half a pound. A loss is still a loss. I was determined this week to get my half stone reward, and I managed it. I am so proud of myself that in four weeks I have lost 8lb in total, Meaning I am now 20st 1.5lb. I aim to lose at least 3lb next week so I will be in my next stone bracket.

It has taken a lot of guts for me to put up my actual weight and size. For so long I've been ashamed of what I look like, but now I honestly feel happy. I am losing weight and on my terms, I've found something that really works for me, and although I do have those cheat meals, I know that I can jump right back on it. In four short weeks I have proven that no matter how big you are, as long as you are determined you can do what you want, Eat amazing food and learn simple ways to change your life for the better.

First week I lost 2.5lbs
Second week I lost 3.5lb
Third week I lost: 0.5lb
Fourth week I lost: 1.5lb
Total: 8lb

I'm learning to love food and not be afraid to experiment. To follow my plan and see and reach the goals I never thought were possible, If I lose 2/3 lb each week for 12 months this time next year I will reach my dress size and my target weight. I will follow this up either each week or monthly depending on how things are. I will start posting food diaries, my tips and tricks kind of thing. And of course my progress. Thank you for reading this and joining me on my journey.

Love yah
IsThataRedHerring

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

Fuck it, I'm going to prove myself wrong!

I’m terrified.

I’m terrified of never being truly happy with the way I look. I want to change I do, I try so hard but then something happens or I make up an excuse and I’m back to square one again. I self-sabotage all the time. I know this but yet I keep doing it.

Today I had the day off work, I could have gone for a walk, run or a jog. I could have got my bike out of the shed and gone for a bike ride. Even if it was for half an hour it would have been better than what I actually did. But surprise, surprise I didn’t instead, I got up at noon, ate some cake and proceeded to watch T.V. all afternoon. I did a marathon… of a T.V. series. I’m so lazy and I know that, I really do. I keep trying to lose weight and get healthier but after 3 weeks I get bored, annoyed and angry because I haven’t lost the amount of weight I wanted to. Of course I know that it is a long process but let’s face it, if we could all just press a button to make us look the way we want to we’d all press it. But life is a bitch and that’s not how it works.

I’m scared that if I don’t make the changes now I never will. My weight is already causing problems for me. I was 14 when I was told I have an 80% chance of not having children. I was told then, that if I lost weight that statistic would go down. But did I listen, did I fuck! I carried on the way I was. And my weight has piled on. I’ve tried a lot of things but as soon as small excuse appeared I’d grab it and make it massive. I got ill, I had 3 operations. Now what’s my excuse? I’m tired after work… well Gemma MAN UP!

I need to stop thinking of excuses. I work 4/5 days a week. Always have at least 2 days off work. Work is great, I am more active at work. Running after the kids and eating reasonable meals. But it’s the snacking and picking.

I always have plenty of time to do exercise after or before work but I never do. I either start work at 7am and finish at 3:45pm or start at 3:15pm to 10:30pm… I have plenty of time before or after to do something. I know that if I did 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day I will see a massive difference but once again I can’t be bothered.

But the difference this time is that, I have my family, my friends, a personal trainer and my boyfriend rooting for me. I lack motivation but with each of them supporting me I know I can do it. One step at a time. One pound at a time, with every step I will get there and be healthier. I’ve said it so SOOOO many times that I will change but this time I NEED to do it. I can’t keep slacking. I have a future to prepare for. I have a full time job, a loving partner and the only thing holding me back is my weight! It’s one thing I can control and change so here goes!

I promise… for every pound I lose over the next year I will donate a pound for pound to charity. On the 13^th of November 2016 I will update you all. With weekly updates (every Friday) I will let you know how I go. What I’ve eaten, how I’ve exercised. My highs and lows. Everything.

I hope you can all join me on my journey

Love yah

IsThataRedHerring 

Sunday 26th July 2015 - She believed she could so she did.

Sunday 26^th July 2015

Its 17:19 and I’ve been sat on my bed for two hours looking at this blank screen. I haven’t written anything meaningful in a couple of months. Every time I try I just delete what I’ve written, not knowing how to proceed or even start.

Tired of work, running around for 12 hours straight, my first full time job as a carer is really taking its toll on me. But I love it. I’ve learnt so much. But I feel like its stopping me from writing, I start work at 7pm and finish at 7am and I rarely get a day off, and when I do I am too tired to do anything other than sleep.

Last night I finished work at 10pm, went to bed at 11pm and woke up at 10 am. I had a full night’s sleep, went shopping with my brother and sat in front of my laptop, wanting, willing to write something but for 2 hours nothing came. I gave up, loaded up Sims and proceeded to waste my day.

To the right of me were two new books I had recently purchased. One book in particular stood out to me. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. I shut my laptop down and picked up the book, got comfy in my bed and began to read.

I didn’t even get passed the third page before having to stop, and contemplate my life and my choices, I sat there in my pyjamas crying my eyes out. How stupid was I being, this young girl who worked her arse off died three days after graduating from Yale University and I’m sat here moping about because my job consists of a lot of hard work and long days/nights.

Marina Keegan was just 22 when she died in a car crash of no fault of her own. She was an inspiring writer and did everything in her power to improve herself and prove to the world that the art of writing and literature was not dead.

The way in which this young 22 year old women wrote was inspiration enough to get me motivated again. But I still felt unsure of what to write… and then I picked up my birthday present from one of my closest friend Jenny. She had given me a personalised notebook, and wrote a beautiful paragraph in there for me. And on the front a simple little quote that I adore; She believed she could so she did.

If Jenny believed in me then it was time to prove it, time to prove that I could. I needed to believe in myself, and here I am. It’s now 17:45, after 2 months of being absent I am back. And I do not plan going anywhere.

I am going to chase my goals. Life is too short not to chase the things we want and love. So here goes… here’s to my future, the struggles, heart ache but most importantly achieving my goals. Not dreams because my goals are real and I will achieve them.

Love yah

IsThataRedHerring