The Workday Lunch Dilemma

A lot of people that I know who work full time are big fans of junk food for their lunch. It's quick, accessible and tasty. For me, since I work in a shopping centre, I'm literally 100m or less away from an entire food court compromising of the likes of McDonald's, Spud U Like, and Nando's. But I have never ventured up there, and I'm definitely reaping the benefits.

I like to pack up my lunch/dinner before I leave the house, and enter the nutritional values into MyFitnessPal so I know exactly how many calories I will have consumed and whether there are a few left over for some frozen yoghurt, for example. This means that although I'm making healthier, low cal choices which are making me drop pounds, it's making my purse gain them. And what's better motivation than zipping up a pair of jeans in a size lower than usual, and finding that you have the money to pay for them too!

I'm in work from 4:30 until 9:30 today, so I don't have a huge dinner packed up to take with me. I've just had my lunch which was cucumber sandwiches and a pot of low fat Ambrosia, so I know that'll keep me going for a while.

This is what I'm taking with me today:

Campbells Asparagus Cup Soup ( it has little croutons in it which I really like)

Weight Watchers Caramel Mallow

Petits Filous peach flavour yoghurt

This comes in at just 234 calories which is just a fraction of what a Big Mac Medium Meal with Diet Coke would be, which comes in at a whopping 820 calories!

I know it is a little time consuming to make your own lunch, but it doesn't take that long. Setting 5 minutes aside from your day could make such a huge impact on your waistline!

Do you always make your own lunch? Or do you prefer to go the unhealthy (but admittedly delicious) route?

Lea

x

Slimming into Summer progress [6]

In the last week I've lost half a pound, which I'm surprised I managed! I've done a lot of eating out and catching up with people so I was expecting to have actually put on weight!

I managed to read another book, however it wasn't the Dawn French book, it was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- an old book from my childhood that reminds me of good times. I'd like to keep this up by reading at least one book per fortnight.

As far as the stretching I still have 2 weeks to go, so keep wishing my luck on that one!

This week along with continuing to improve my flexibility I'm going to try and get to bed earlier. I'd like to be asleep by 11:30 which is quite a change to my usual 2am kind of thing (I'm a night person).

I'm going to sign off now because like I said in my last post, I feel really ill, and my bed is calling to me.

Have a good day lovelies,

Lea

x

Cinema Snacking?

So we're going to take a second shot at MIB 2 tonight since we didn't get there yesterday!

I was just eating my dinner and watching ANTM, when I found myself pondering on how many calories there are in cinema popcorn, not that many I told myself, it's only puffed corn and air and it hardly fills you up does it? I did some googling on the subject and found out that it contains almost 500 calories in the smallest box, that is a hell of a lot of calories!

I don't think I'll ever be able to look popcorn in the box again!

So this has left me with a dilemma, everyone wants to snack on something naughty at the cinema right? These are my top picks:

• A Milkybar - 140 cals
• A small pot of Ben and Jerries Frozen Yoghurt at the cinema - should come in at 180 cals or under
• Skinny Topcorn Sea Salt flavour - 115 cals per bag
• 4 Strawberry Cables - 144 cals
• A fruit pot - around 100 cals depending on what fruit is in there
• Rainbow drops - 40g 107 cals

What do you recommend?

Lea

x

Slimming into Summer progress [5]

SO...

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted one of these, it's such a relief to be finished with exams (for now) and had the chance to catch up on some sleep and relaxation time. Now I'm in full swing of summer mode and I'm super excited to be back to blogging!

I've had a week off my health kick, I say off, I've been sticking to about 1500 calories a day, so hardly gone wild. But since it was the end of exams and the Summer Ball, I was obviously drinking more than usual (I'm not normally a big drinker) so I thought I deserved a treat.

As of tomorrow however I'm back on a full on health kick, and to keep me motivated and on track with my running I'm going to be doing the Couch To 5k plan. I'm also hoping to go swimming a couple of times a week (any excuse to use the steam room/sauna hehe!)

I have a really busy couple of weeks, I'm going back to my parents home this weekend, (even though they've left for Vietnam) to pick up my car and my keyboard, and to visit my grandparents. I'm also going to visit Alex's parents for a night and then on Sunday it's one of my best friend's, 50th birthday. (I know that might seem a bit odd, but trust me). Aside from that I'm rabbit sitting for my friend, and packing up my flat for our move in just over two weeks, while shopping for the new place and fitting in as much health as possible! Whew!

So! I'm now half way through my goal. I was initially hoping for a stone and a half loss in total, but I've decided to push for 2 stone. Although I understand that as my body becomes healthier and stronger I might put weight on due to muscle. Basically I want to reach somewhere that I feel happy with for my body, and then really work on maintaining it.

This half way point seems a good place to re-group and re-focus on what I'm aiming to do and really go for it!

So far I have managed to check 3 things off my list,

• I drink at least 4 glasses of water a day
• I go for a walk or swim around twice a week
• I meditate for two 1 hour sessions per week (works wonders, honestly)

This week I'm going to give myself two goals, one of which I've pretty much already accomplished:

1. The first is to read a book, I actually read a book last night from start to finish - it was Crossed by Allie Condie (I really enjoyed the two books in this series, it's an interesting concept and a pretty easy read - a nice change from EU Law Statutes!!) But I'm going to try to read 'A Tiny Bit Marvellous' by Dawn French this week. I bought it for Alex a while ago and she really enjoyed it, so I thought why not?

2. The second is to stretch daily - well I've signed up for a yoga class at my gym this week, and also a beginners pilates class. I'm so excited for them and hopefully if I like them I will keep it up with going! So for this one, I'm going to make it a three week check off and see what happens at the end of it!

I missed you lovelies, I hope you've had a nice time while I've been away :D

Lea

x

(Images via GoogleImages)

Slimming into Summer progress [4]

Wow I can't believe I'm up to my 4th week already! I'm so happy with what I've achieved so far, and I'm now half way to my weight goal!

I lost 2lbs this week, and have really started to notice a difference in my clothes. I can now fit back into 2 pairs of trousers that I could fit into before, but because they were so tight they just looked unnatractive. Now I'm pleased to say that one pair is a bit on the big side! :D

I don't feel as though I've drank as much water as I could have this week, I met my goal most days, but I feel like I could have done more and didn't push myself hard enough, so I'm sticking with that goal for this week.

I'm also still aiming to meditate 3 times a week and keep up with my exercise! Since it's exam time, I feel good to get out and about for half a hour, it clears my head and gives me some alone time.

I'll be back soon with a little haul for you, have a nice day!

Lea

x

Overhaul Inspiration!

Hello gorgeous!

I hopped on the scales this morning and was rewarded with a little bit less showing up than last time, so I'm super happy! I'll save the details 'till my Slimming Into Summer update on Monday though :D.

I've just had a lovely breakfast of low fat hash browns with a teaspoon of syrup on the side as a treat (only 110 calories per plate :o), and I'm about to go on a run when I've finished this - I'm feeling really energised and can't wait to get out there!

After that I have another thrilling day of Land Law in-front of me, and this is by far my most jam packed day yet. I have 3 topics to get through, which is the equivalent of around 3 months work :/. Once I'm done though I'm hoping that I can finally get round to opening a new book and snuggling on the sofa with a Cadbury's Options :D

I thought I'd show you some inspiration that I've been loving that's spurring me on with my image/lifestyle change. Once I've lost all the weight that I want I'm going to focus on toning up, and then the fun stuff starts. Hair, nails, tan (from a cheeky week away) and hopefully a few new things added into my wardrobe in celebration!

I love the top look as an everyday kind of sultry look, and the bottom as a holiday/summers day fun look.

I would wear either of these on holiday, but the bottom one especially to somewhere abroad. It would look great with a stack of brightly coloured bracelets on your writs. I'll probably go for the top look when it's my visit to London and Cornwall, fun, girly and with a bit of sparkle <3

I want to go a little lighter with my hair through highlights, I also love Gretchen's fringe in this pic, and the jumper in the top one <3

How pretty is that skirt? I need to find it - I really like the top it's with too! I can't wait to be able to buy some colourful clothes for summer and my holidays, and for them to be a bit more revealing than usual. I'd normally never get any kind of midriff out, but I'd love to do it in a subtle way like this!

This one might surprise you, I want my tummy button pierced. I used to have a lot of piercings, my most unusual being my hips. But now I only have my ears done once, and one other piercing. I know it's a love or hate thing, but I think with a tan, a little dainty crystal bar would look lovely! (I'd also like to get my nose done again)

I also love the outfit in this picture, I love the concept of a thick jumper being worn in a summery way.

And finally, I really want to keep it up with my health kick. I don't want to reach my target and let it go, I want this to be a real lifestyle change. I'll obviously allow myself more treats than now when I'm actively trying to lose weight, but I want to keep up running, even on holiday, and make sure I'm still eating healthily. No junk is going into my body at 2am in the morning on the way back from a bar!

Hope you're having a great day,

Lea

x

(Images taken from Weheartit.com, Google images, and Beautylish.com)

Let's kick this body up a notch!

I just found out today that I'm going away with my girls at the end of summer and I'm so excited! Not only do I get 10 days away to go to the Olympics and Cornwall with Alex, I also get some sun, sea and sand!

Now we all know what it means when a summer holiday is planned, especially when it's with the girls..... body overhaul!!

You all know that I've been dieting for almost a month now and have lost just about 8-9 pounds, but I'm still a stone from my target weight, and on top of that I really want to tone up!

I'm going to get back to running tonight/tomorrow depending on my foot and I'm also going to throw in half an hour of lunges, squats, and sit-ups every other day. I'm tempted to do the 30 day shred, I'll look into it a bit more tonight :D

Aside from exercise I also really need to start getting my hair into better condition, starting with a damn good cut which it's crying out for! I'm interested in trying the Phillip Kingsley elasticiser treatment too, so watch this space!

I'm so excited! Eeeee!

Lea

x

(Images via weheartit.com)

Slimming into summer progress [3]

I'm really excited to be writing this today as I have finally made some progress! I've been stuck at one particular weight all week no-matter what I did and it was really annoying me! I was just thinking this morning that I was going to have to come on here and say I hadn't lost anything, then hopped on the scales and finally my weight had tipped down below what I was stuck on! I lost 1.5 pounds this week - phew!

As you know my goal for this week was meditation, and I have definitely seen the benefits of it, as you might know from this post. I also started a running program but unfortunately have had to skip yesterdays as I had glass in my foot and it really hurts! Going to have to wait for it to heal up and then I'll be out and about again - I actually can't wait!

This week therefore I'm going back to walking until my foot is happy to have my full weight on it again, and I'm sticking with my meditation, which I'm aiming to do three times a week.

My new goal for this week is going to be to really push hard on my water intake levels. I've been getting into drinking more water since my Bobble came into my life, but I'm now aiming to up it to at least 4 'Bobble-fulls' every day.

Now I'm off to make my lunch and then I'm going into the library to make sure my paper is finished up by tonight - thrilling I know. Hope you have a more exciting day than me!

Lea

x

Bright eyed and bushy tailed!

Since I started my health kick it's no secret that I'm feeling so much better in myself. I'm especially loving the effect on my skin and all of this extra energy I've got!

I've decided to start endurance running, which is all a bit new to me! I'm a complete beginner! I have a programme that I have researched which I might tell you some more about if it works out for me, and tonight is my first session! I'll be running 3 times a week, every other day, in a park that is quite near to where I live (although not too close, I don't want to bump into someone that I know, when I'm 200m to the finishing line and looking like I'm about to die hehe).

(Image via Google)

The other quick thing I wanted to mention is how much I'm loving my Bobble. I've hated water for my entire life, all that I could taste was chemials! But since I have had this I'm drinking around 3 full bottles of water a day and my skin is literally rejoicing! I can't taste anything anymore, certainly no chemicals and for around £10 I think it was a fantastic buy!

The information on the website states:

Bobble is a stylish, reusable bottle that filters water as you drink, using an ingenious replaceable carbon filter. When water passes through the filter, the carbon removes chlorine and organic contaminants. bobble is intended for municipal tap water making water better, with every sip.

Bobble is a beautiful, sleek alternative to single-serve plastic water bottles, which harm the earth (and your wallet). Every filter equates to 300 single-serve bottles. After a year, you’ve removed thousands of bottles from the environment, simply by filtering the water from your tap. bobble is free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC. And it is guilt-free as well. Enjoy!

All sounds good to me! I'd highly recommend this product to anyone who is on a health kick or simply wants to drink more water.

Wish me luck on my first run!

Lea

x

Slimming into summer progress [2]

Goodmorning lovelies, I wish I could say it's a beautiful day but it's gone dull and rainy again. At least it means I'm not tempted to be outside when I should be working though I suppose!

So this is my second update which means I've been dieting for about 2 weeks now, and I"m super excited so say that I've lost half a stone! I was worried that since I've been away (eating out obviously) that the weight loss would have slowed down or I might have even gained a little. But I was really careful with what I chose to eat, I went for salmon with no dressing or sauce and salad mainly as I knew what the rough calorie content of that was. I'm happy to say that I'm pretty sure I stuck to my calorie goal of 1200 more or less :D

My goal from last week was to walk every day and I definitely achieved this, especially with all the walking I did in London. This weeks goal is going to be to begin meditation (as well as to continue walking obviously). I started it last night with an app, and found that it was so relaxing I was finding it hard not to fall asleep! This morning I definitely felt happier when I woke up, but then again, maybe it's all in my mind... I'm hoping that meditation will help me to unwind at the end of the day when I've been working hard, so therefore help me with my migraines. I can find it hard to switch off at night, so hopefully it will ease me into getting to sleep earlier and therefore going to bed earlier!

Now I'm going to finish my breakfast, and then sit down to do some work before my lunch, then I'll hopefully get out for a walk as long as it's not raining :D

Have a lovely day everyone <3

Lea

x

Slimming into summer progress [1]

I found this on weheartit.com (can you tell I love that site? :p) and really loved it! I've set it as my background on my iMac so I'm reminded by it whenever I look at my computer :D.

I've also decided to set myself a small goal to try to fulfil each week and I thought this list was a good place to start with ticking things off! This week I'm going to try to go on a walk (weather permitting) every single day.

--------------------------

So do you remember that I said I was going on a diet/health kick?

I had my first weigh in this morning and I have lost 4lbs! Now I know that's a lot if you're aiming to lose weight the healthy way, which I am (1-2lbs a week is average), but I think it may have been the drastic change that shocked my body a bit, I'm now expecting it to level out at around 2lbs a week fingers crossed!

I thought I'd do a quick summary of how I've been doing during week one:

*I've been eating 1200 calories a day and have been using the 'MyFitnessPal'

app to keep track of the calories. I absolutely love this app, scanning foods in makes it so quick and easy to keep track of what you're eating.

*I've been sure to eat three meals per day that are the recommended portion size (you'd be surprised how much difference this makes!) and one snack. I've been eating them at the allocated times and no later than 8pm.

*I haven't gone hungry at all - if I was hungry, I ate, I just made better decisions about what I was putting into my body. My meals have all been healthy and included lots of fruit, veg and whole foods.

*I've drank a lot more water - you'd be surprised how many calories are in drinks. I don't like water on it's own but I mix in 2 cap-fulls of cordial and it's fine. I think this is because theres the option on 'MyFitnessPal' to keep track of how much water you've been drinking during the day, so it's made me more conscious.

After this week I'm feeling more energised, much less 'sluggish' and bloated and I've noticed a difference in my skin. It's clearer and smoother so I'm obviously super happy about that! :D

I'm actually really enjoying pushing myself into making good decisions about my life, not just in the food department, but also exercise and my motivation to get things done. It means I can truly have the weekend off and not feel guilty :p

I'm off to have my lunch now, but I'm also going to have a little pampering session since I have an hour off for lunch (I got up extra early today to start work). I got some exciting things in the post today which I'll show you later :D

Have a lovely day everyone <3

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Yankee Candle Giveaway HERE (ending soon!)

Slimming into summer

(Image via Weheartit.com)

It's that time of year again, and this time I'm on a mission! We're hopefully going on holiday to somewhere sunny in September before I go back to Uni (for the final time eek!) and I want to rock that bikini! I thought if I started now there's no need for any panic dieting!

I'm hoping to lose around half a stone so it's definitely manageable - I just need to keep an eye on what I'm eating. I also want to get back into the habit of eating three meals a day at a reasonable time with one snack in between, this way hopefully I'll feel more energised and ready for the day!

So!

Wish me luck!

Are any of you on a weight loss journey for summer? I'd love to know :)

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Yankee Candle Giveaway HERE.