• fry lite
• 4 new potatoes
• 1 large carrot
• quarter of an onion
• 4 mushrooms
• salmon
• natural fat free yoghurt
• tomato puree
• egg

• salt
• chilli
• tumeri
• curry
• cumin
• black pepper
• five spice pepper
• coriander leaf

 

So, I've kinda been trying to be healthier. My first year in university hasn't half helped me to gain weight and it needs to be shifted sooner rather than later. I want to lose some weight before going on holiday, but not only that my skin needs to clear up a bit. So this is just what I've been doing...





















I've been planning my meals the week before. I'll write out my breakfasts, lunch and dinners and then make a shopping list. If anyone would like to see a shopping haul then et me know :) I tend to follow the slimming word plan just because I've lost weight on that plan before and it's really easy to follow.

An app I've also been loving is My Fitness Pal. This just helps me track my calories so I'm not eating too much food and I'm getting the right amount of nutirents. It also helps me track my exercise. Speaking of exercise I now try to workout 5 times a week. I'm not doing anything too much just some easy exercise. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I run, walk or do some aerobics and on Tuesday and Thursday I love doing some blogilates workouts to balance the cardio with weights! I've also been loving the Nike Run app to help me track my walks/runs which is just so useful :)

I want to now start drinking more water, that's my next goal. I've actually been really enjoying being a bit healthier and I want to take it a bit more seriously now to really start shifting the weight. If you want to know more let me know!

Some things you should know since the last update:

So, omg, I've finished my first year of university. Whaaaat? I'm currently kicking back with a homemade cocktail just chilling and it feels so good. I may do a full post on my first year because I just have so much to say. It has been the most incredible year with some incredible people. The exams, the reading and the essays have all been difficult but it's been so worth it. Now I just need to see if I've passed...
Since now that I've finished uni until September this gives me a lot of time to blog. Hopefully I'll be a lot more scheduled with blog posts or may even blog more than normal. However, I'm also going to up my hours at work so we'll have to see...
I've got a full fringe again! It was completely impulsive. I just wanted to do something exciting and new after my exams and so this was how I celebrated haha. I've had a full fringe before though and didn't like it, but this time I love it! It frames my face really well and covers my eyebrows (meaning if I haven't plucked them in a while I don't have to care haha).
Also, I'm on my way to being healthier. I'm exercising 5 times a week and eating so much more healthier. I want to start running more, and maybe one day in the extremely distant future run the London marathon. I'm going to start documenting it on YouTube if you want to follow me on my journey (if there even is one). But I think recording it may be a really good motive for me :) I'm thinking as soon as I get a decent camera I'm going to start YouTube (officially, like beauty videos and things).
One last update- I'm moving house! Well my parents are but I still kinda live with them so y'know. I haven't moved house since I was three so this is kind of a big deal for me. New house also means new bedroom which means decorating. It's kind of weird how excited I am to paint the walls and rip up the carpet. It's going to be so satisfying. I've made a pinterest board on all my ideas so far, so check them out and tell me what the best ones are.

I'm not really sure if you'll find this cool or interesting, but hey here we go. I've been doing slimming world for quite some time now and I've found that I stick to it best when I have a plan. So here's what I'm going to be eating this week, and yes everything on here is Slimming World approved! (and obviously healthy...)

Monday
Breakfast: Poached egg on wholemeal toast
Lunch: Parsnip and leek cakes
Dinner: Home made fish and chips

Tuesday
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: A bachelor's pasta'n'sauce sachet
Dinner: Linda McCartney veggie sausages and mash

Wednesday
Breakfast: Fruit'n'fibre
Lunch: Home made chips with salt and vinegar
Dinner: Home made KFC style chicken and chips

Thursday
Breakfast: Beans on wholemeal toast
Lunch: Home made cheesy pizza toasties
Dinner: Linda McCartney veggie sausage casserole

Friday
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: Spanish omelette
Dinner: Home made pizza (using smash, I know- what?)

Saturday
Breakfast: Fruit'n'fibre
Lunch: Jacket potato with bacon and cheese
Dinner: Spaghetti bolognese

Sunday
Breakfast: Poached egg on wholemeal toast
Lunch: A bachelor's pasta'n'sauce sachet
Dinner: Egg, bacon and chips

Haven't blogged in quite a while I know. I guess now I understand how hard it is to keep on top of things, but hopefully now that I'm feeling all inspired again I can share with you some new posts! This one is all about being healthy.
Recently I visited home for Christmas, and to my horror many people noticed that I had put on (quite a bit of) weight. Christmas didn't help as I enjoyed being home through celebrating with some drinks and lots of chocolate. I had been saying for ages that I would go to the gym and I'd be healthy soon, but it didn't happen. The end of the week would come, I'd finish of  my meal and I'd think "Yeah I've been pretty healthy this week... except for the pizza... and the drinking... and the chocolate... and oh the kebab...". I felt pretty bad too, tired and self conscious almost all of the time. I thought I'd get some new clothes and a haircut would cheer me up, but I still had some new stretch marks and one chin too many which made me feel awful and upset. My mother encouraged me to join slimming world again. I had already been once before and lost a bit of weight so I thought I'd give it another shot. I'd thought I'd share with you the idea of slimming world because its very simple and actually a lot of fun.

• Increased energy levels
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Reduction of blood pressure
• Reduction of aches and pains
• Improved mobility
• Improved breathing
• Helps you to sleep better and wake up more rested
• Prevents angina (a chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart)
• Decreases your risk of sudden death (heart disease or stroke)
• Prevention of Type 2 diabetes
• Improved blood sugar levels
• Better confidence

Slimming world doesn't focus on a 'quick fix'. It's a support group helping individuals and families across Britain (and now in America!) to gain a healthier lifestyle which I love.The plan is simple, follow it and you will lose weight. I follow the extra easy plan which is really simple and is helping me to shift the pounds. It's split into 5 sections: Free foods, Superfree foods, Healthy extras, Syns and Body Magic.

Free Foods
Eat as many as you want! Never go hungry! I know- what? But seriously, it works and if something is 'free' go back for seconds and eat at whatever time of day you want! These foods include: all meat and poultry (except processed meats), quorn, eggs, quark, low fat natural yoghurts (and muller lights!), startchy vegetables and pulses (beans, mushy peas, potatoes...) pasta, rice, grains, shellfish, white fish, oily fish, spices, fat free dressings, frylite, tea, coffee, sweetener and diet (sugar free) fizzy drinks. That's a lot of food.
However, don't cook them in oil (see syns) and some yoghurts are bad for you (at slimming world they will tell you what is good and what is bad for you). Everyone should eat 2-3 portions of fish a week to maintain good health.

Superfree Foods
Eat as many as you want and more! These foods are particularly healthy for you as they are high is vitamins, minerals and fibre and so aid weight loss whilst making your body balanced and healthy. These are fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables (apples, pears, carrots...) so stock up and eat!

Healthy Extras
Ok. Now it gets a bit harder. Choose one A and one B per day. An A choice is basically cheese or milk and a B choice is like brown bread, cereal soup and nuts. However these have to be measured!

Syns
This is the fun part. Eat crisps, chocolate, cake. Yeah. Enjoy everything you love, just limit it. So you can have 5-15 syns a day. So for example, walkers lights are 6.0 syns, but a big mac is 24.5 and that's without fries and a drink. So you can enjoy all your favourites, but just make sure you keep to plan and try not to go over board on the syns!

Body Magic
Not exercise. SW don't like to call it exercise because it doesn't have to be. It can be going to the gym or joining Zumba which is what I do, but it can also just be walking not driving, take the stairs etc. However. You don''t have to exercise or work any harder, just following the food plan will help you lose weight, but it's advised to do so just for extra health benefits :)

I'm going to make some SW strawberry and chocolate cakes later so maybe I'll post a recipe and show you what things I eat during the week.
SW really does work If you need to lose weight. Visit www.slimmingworld.com for more information and to find a class near you. The class provides information, support, laughs and tips.