This Girl Can. This Girl Can. This Girl Can.

I mean just reading that, does that make you a little motivated? Does it make you think I can do this? Because we can. Now watch this and tell me that it doesn't make you inspired? That it doesn't make you want to get out there and do everything you wish to do?

I will rarely post spontaneously, and I will rarely post twice a day, and I apologise (I actually really don't) if you hate when people post twice a day but this is way too good to wait. 

I know you enjoyed that video, and if you didn't please explain how you couldn't! If you read my post earlier today, or if you didn't read it below, then you will see that I have in fact lost weight this week but I am still struggling a little to be positive. 

Well I've found my motivation, I have found the one thing that I know will get me motivated everyday. Whenever I feel myself doubting what I am doing or reaching for that bar of chocolate, I will watch this and I will instantly feel positive again. 

This video instantly made me smile, because we can do it, and we will get there, no matter how long it takes. 

All I ask is that you share this post with your friends and family and all your lovely followers to tell them that they can, they just can.

Because This Girl CAN. And This Girl WILL.

New Year Update #2

Last week I told you I was doing something exciting during the week. I wouldn't exactly call it exciting anymore, more like a really tough 4 days that I probably wouldn't do again. 

I did a cleanse for 4 days and while I was really hoping to lose more - I lose 2 lbs in total. There were definitely mood swings and really, really low points. If you have the determination to do it then you should definitely go for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased that I lost some weight but I'm not sure it was worth doing it all that. I've dug out my gym kit and I'm just going to get down the gym more often. I mean if I take my gym stuff to work then I have no choice but to go after!!

I've also cleared out all my good so there is only healthy ingredients left. It's a good start right?

I also did a Tesco order of tonnes of veg! I'm feeling way more positive now.

It also helps when you get friends telling you that you look better!

Baby steps!

Is anyone else struggling? or do you have any good motivation for me?

New Year Update #1

I’d be seriously lying to you if I told you that I started off the year with tonnes of exercise and healthy food. This has not been the case. I am lacking some serious motivation, I even weighed myself and I’ve written down everything that I’ve done and eaten but something isn’t clicking.

Is anyone else having this problem? Or is it just me?

If anyone has some great motivation blog posts or even some tips, please please PLEASE send them my way.

There’s something mentally stopping me from getting up and sorting it out. Don’t get me wrong, every other aspect of my life is sorted, thought about, planned out, you name it, i’ve done it. It’s just losing weight that has me stumped.

I’m desperate to shift this weight, so why can’t I get down the gym? I’m sat here writing when I can be at the gym. 

On another note, I do have something exciting happening from Wednesday to Saturday which you will find out all about next week. Don’t worry it’s 100% health related, I’m not giving up on myself! So all that motivation you’re going to send my way will be much appreciated as it’s going to be a tough 4 days. Apologies to anyone who has to be around me!

A little bit of greatness

I won’t lie to you; it’s been a very stressful couple of weeks where nothing has gone to plan.

This week has picked up straight away though, I’ve got job interviews lined up, I feel more motivated to do everything and my Dad is finally home after being stuck in America for two weeks.

While I’m writing this I’m not even sure where this blog post is going…so it will probably be a random one where I’m getting my thoughts down on to paper.

Job interviews

This is one of the highlights of my week; I got up extra early on Monday morning (actually normal time for me but extra early for any normal person) and set off in to town to hand out CV’s. It felt like I was 16 again looking for a new job but with a bit more confidence! I normally just apply for jobs online but I need something ASAP so I went round the shopping centre in town handing them out to all the shops I could. I always find it positive when you get a call back within a few hours, and that’s what happened! So I’m getting my best dress on to look all professional in the next week.

Motivation

Leading on from my previous point, I got some bad news that I wouldn’t be going back to Uni to finish my degree. To say I was/am gutted would be an understatement, there was a lot I wanted to take part in to make my final year the best it could be. However, I don’t need to dwell on it and after a strong drink (I needed to calm down somehow), I picked myself back up straight away and headed off to the library to start applying for jobs.

Gym

I’ve also been going to the gym, like seriously. I signed up as soon as I could when I got back to Kingston and I’ve bee going every few days, a great improvement on not going at all. My fitness is absolutely terrible, the first time I went I got off the treadmill and thought I was going to faint, even though the workout I had just done felt great, it was maybe a little too much too quickly so I’m going to work it up a bit more slowly but I’ve seen an improvement on my fitness already. I’ve also started a gym and food diary to keep track of everything, but more of that another time.

Positivity

I think this is really important to try and stick at. If you have a positive attitude you get so much more done (yes, I am being slightly hypocritical, I don’t always have one). I find that if I go in somewhere feeling positive beforehand then it’s so much more effective than if I don’t. Even though it’s only been a couple of days, this week I’ve been much more positive and it’s gotten me so far already. Bring on the rest of the week.

Money

I’m really, really bad with money. There I said it. It’s the one thing I can’t seem to keep organised but I’m trying and I’ve even said that I’ll take on two jobs till next year just to sort it out. I’m 21, with no savings and there are people younger than me who are better with money than I am! I mean I’m actually an adult now; I should probably start acting like it with everything…

Travelling

I won’t give up on this dream at all. There are so many places I want to go and so many things I want to see and why shouldn’t I? I wanted to start my travelling this year, and maybe I still can, but right now I’m thinking about going interrailing round Europe next summer and that seems like the better option as by then I WILL have my money all sorted out, like seriously I will. Travelling is something I want to do so badly so I won’t be giving up on it so easily.

F…is for Future

This is something that I try to stay positive about, and trust me it isn’t always easy. Over the past year or so there have been a few unfortunate situations that have left my future undetermined. Not something I’m proud of but I wouldn’t be who I am now if they hadn’t occurred.

I have overcome all of the hurdles and I’m certainly ready to jump over the next one whether I go with plan A, B or C (yes I need all 3 plans!).

I admit it is tough when you aren’t sure of the career you want or what your next plan is. I’ve been there and there is no doubt I will be there again. Your future is a tough one but it is what you make it (Bursts into Hannah Montana song Life’s What You Make It).

It is true though, you could sit around all day watching TV and getting fat by living off of someone else. Or you could go out and do whatever it takes to get a job or even if you are at home, try and do something with your time. I know that I have done this at some points but it doesn’t help my future at all.

If I’m not studying or at work then I’m most likely doing something blog related but at least there’s something to show for it… it really helps having a hobby like this but I also now finally have one I can enjoy and share with others.

And I know that I can use it as part of my future, making it look that little bit brighter!

Coconut Prawns with Glass Noodles

This is an amazing recipe I made this evening from the Clean and Lean Diet Cookbook, a definite buy for anyone wanting to eat really healthy food. Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I absolutely love cooking and I love to experiment with new recipes and make them my own. Obviously this blog is all about losing weight and eating a healthy diet so I thought this was a perfect recipe to share, and definitely one of the best dishes I’ve cooked in a long time!

As it says on the recipe page, top tip: ginger is good for your digestive health and can help your body to break down fatty foods.

Recipe:

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

20 tiger prawns, raw and unpeeled

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, finely sliced

50g creamed coconut

3 tbsp of soy sauce

250g glass rice noodles

A bunch of coriander, to garnish

1 lime, quartered, to garnish

Method:

1. Rinse the tiger prawns under cold water
2. In a wok, heat the oil and gently fry the garlic, ginger and chilli, until well softened. Add the creamed coconut and 120ml boiling water. The sauce should be of a thick consistency. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes; do not allow to boil.
3. Add the prawns and continue to cook until they have turned pink.
4. Add the soy sauce and taste. Add more of both if needed to adjust the flavour.
5. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
6. Serves the prawns over noodles, sprinkled with coriander and a wedge of lime on the side.

This is my own take on the recipe, being at home meant I was able to use tiger prawns as they are quite expensive, if I was still at uni I would adapt it to what I was able to afford!! Also the original recipe used a green chilli but I decided to use a red chilli, which gave it a good kick.

Curry in the making!

The final dish!

Athens - Part 3

The end of the holiday really revolved around where we were going to sit by the pool. It was quite an eventful few days doing all the sightseeing so we just wanted to relax. I definitely did anyway!

I spent the days doing some revision and writing (as per usual) as it just lets me get out what I need to, even if no one sees it.

We went back to the sky lounge restaurant that was on the rooftop of our hotel, but the highlight of that meal had to be the bread and olive tapenade...the salmon I had was overcooked and really dry, which was a shame.

We did go back to our favourite restaurants, Dionysos and Strofi, again. In Dionysos I had the chicken with bulgar and a bit of sauce and I had a cheeky chocolate soufflé too. I mean look at it!

Then in Strofi I had the exact same meal as last time! Although I did try Moussaka for the first time and it was spectacular there.

We couldn't leave without writing in their guest book

I actually continued writing on but I wrote it all before I even left the hotel to get on the plane and I was so pleased with the flight that I needed to come back and add it in. As you would have read in Athens part 1, I was convinced that all plane food was terrible and I would never have a good meal on a flight but boy was I so wrong. There were two options for our meal, either pork and potatoes or chicken tortellini, I don't eat pork so I went for the chicken option. I was convinced it would be horrible and I could just eat whatever came with it, but it was delicious (for plane food that is, I wasn't exactly thrilled by it). It came with a Greek salad and bread and my brother had the kids meal so I got to eat the fruit off of that, so really it was a pretty good meal!

I know it's really cringe and cliche but I really feel as if I've come quite far over the past week. I've realised where I've been going wrong and what I need to do to change this. Personally, that's quite an achievement as I would normally deny there was a problem whatsoever and just carry on. But as I return home, I have planned out realistically what I can and hopefully in 4 weeks I will have progress to show for it!

All your words of encouragement mean so much, so keep them coming! And I truly hope that whoever reads this is taking at least a little bit of good from it!

Response

A few weeks ago I got my first negative response (that I know of) to my blog. To say the least I was shocked. To be honest, I didn’t know how to react. The fact it came from someone I could trust, or so I though, made it a little bit worse and they clearly hadn’t been reading it.

This really goes to show how judgmental society is these days and the quote ‘never judge a book by its cover’ could not be any truer in this case.

I’m sure that this isn’t the only person who has jumped to conclusions about my blog, and when I started, this is very much what I anticipated. I have put my story out there for everyone to see, which has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and for those who are judging me, they are clearly not worth being a part of my life!

However, that aside, to all of you who keep reading and offering me an unbelievable amount of support, my family, old school friends, I could never thank you enough and its really keeping me going right now.

So as another little update, I’m keeping positive (despite negative comments) and lining up a load of dishes I want to tr. I’m also going to go cold turkey on crisps, my real true weakness, and this will be my biggest challenge yet and I will let you know how it goes.

Time To Be Honest

This is going to be the hardest blog post I've written so far and I'm still unsure of how people will react to it. To be honest, I'm disappointed in myself, the last month or so has been quite difficult on many levels and as you've probably noticed I haven't posted as regularly as I would have at the start. I love writing on here, getting supportive comments from friends and family so its been a shame I haven't been able to keep up.

However, I haven't been sticking to my diet or even going to the gym, yet I have noticed that my portion sizes have decreased and with all the stress I've put myself under over the past few weeks I haven't resorted to comfort eating as much as I would have before March. Yes, I'm upset that I haven't kept up with losing weight, but this isn't to say I have gained weight, I've actually lost 4 lbs in the last 3 weeks!! This has really helped me to know that the way that I see food has in fact changed and also having a more active job, where I stand on my feet for hours on end instead of sitting down all day, actually makes a difference and I've seen that my legs have gotten slightly more toned just from this!

I've got a few recipes lined up that I want to try out and I'll be doing so in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Other than that, I'm going to keep it short and sweet as this has been hard enough to admit to and I need to get on with revising! I promise that I'm going to make more of an effort to keep posting, and I'll be changing the name of my blog to something more appropriate (any ideas will be more than welcome). Much love.

Mid Week Positivity

This week I've felt loads better I must admit. Yet again I've tried so much harder, tried new recipes (which always boosts my mood) and spent time properly talking to people I wouldn't normally talk to. All of this has really lifted my mood and made me feel more positive about the coming days and the future. Sure there are still moments where I hesitate and think 'what if...?' but I've managed to pass that and think more about the present moment.

It makes a difference being able to stay positive most of the time, it means more good days than bad days, which obviously means getting closer to my goal! 

I am doing this purely for myself, to get a better quality of life and for a better future for myself. The last thing I want is to not be able to live my life to the fullest because I'm overweight or I'm so self conscious of the way I look. It's not a good way to live, so why should I have to live like that? The answer is I won't compromise my life in that way.

I started a new job this week and I've already agreed to work all kinds of hours so coffee is officially my new best friend to get me up early for the gym. Wish me luck!

So here's another progress picture, the first was taken at the beginning of March and the second was taken this morning. I'm not going to lie I was quite disappointed as I couldn't see of much of a change as I thought I would have. However, I went to the gym after and did a HIIT workout. I cam out feeling better and more determined! Roll on tomorrow!

A Quick Update

Last week I confessed that I had had a bad week, cheated on my diet and promised to try harder over the next coming days, and that I did. I haven't cheated on my diet and I've actually been to the gym, a much greater success than the week before. I've been told this week that I look skinnier as well which is a great compliment that I will never get tired of hearing! However I still feel like its not enough, obviously I know I could have gone to the gym more and stayed for longer when I did go and that will be my aim for this week. I never really know which equipment or machines to use in the gym though, to maximise weight loss (any advice would be greatly appreciated).

It's tough sometimes, I could have 1 or 2 great days that are really productive but after that I could end up having 2 or 3 really awful days that seem hard to get out of. I'm sure I'm not the only person that has this problem, and as these other people, you feel like you're the only person that this happens to, in that sense I guess we are not alone!

I'll keep this short and sweet and stop complaining now! I'm getting up extra early tomorrow to go food shopping and to the gym, starting the week the right way!!