Attempt 1,000,000.

I'm back again, and I'm intrigued to know how well I'm going to do this time around. It's going to take some preparing and definitely some pushing, but mentally I feel like I need to start this soon.

Everything has been completely crazy in my life, I have been running myself ragged. I've finally got myself 2 jobs, which is one more than I originally needed and I've started University. I am now studying Graphic Communication with Typography, it's painful and to say I am struggling is an understatement, but I am trying.

I've found myself unstable, and struggling to deal with positive thoughts, I've been very self critical lately. I don't know if it's because I don't feel like I'm good enough or not, but I do know one thing I am going to practise healthy thinking.

Every time I say something bad I have to say something good, it's going to be difficult to do but my mind will eventually get used to it.

I will also hopefully be starting gym again soon, I don't get very many spare hours now-a-days, but I will try my very best to stay on top of University work and also to stay on top of work, then I will be able to attend gym without any worries in the world.

I am going to be doing my best to update this blog on an almost regular basis, I will be hopefully using it as a fitness journal.

I may even look into making a special page for the journal and then the main blog page can be dedicated to other important posts like changes, etc.

Wish me luck everyone.

Cellulite & Stretch Marks.

We all have those beautiful marks that taint our bodies, but should we look at them as completely bad marks or should we embrace them and use them as a lesson and a reason to change ourselves? I don't know about any of you, but my stretch marks and cellulite started popping up when I gained weight, at first I ignored them. Soon enough, I started to feel self conscious about them and now I just know that I will work as hard as I have to, to get rid of them and train my body to the best that it can be.

I know for a fact that weight loss is not easy and I have been looking into ways of giving myself that extra bit of exercise to hopefully start seeing results. I found out, that I should be working out 6 out of 7 days a week for at least 45 minutes if I want to see decent results, of course this makes me not only scared but worried that I won't be able to afford it, which trust me is the story of my life.

But I am going to try, thankfully I have two dogs that need exercising and a boyfriend who needs to lose a few pounds so I'm going to drag him around with me, whilst walking the dogs and I'm going to look into buying a pedometer, this way I can make sure I do a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.

Now, we can't exactly understand Cellulite until we study it and understand why it's there in the first place, so I did my research and found a reasonable image which basically explains what it is and why it is the way it is. I know that Cellulite is something that none of us want, but remember almost everyone has it, even those beloved celebrities.

 It isn't impossible to get rid of either, it just takes time, effort and dedication and of course willpower. As long as you are willing to get rid of it, it'll go. I have been looking into the wonderful Bio Oil product that you hear so much about, and I have seen a lot of good reviews about this. I am going to purchase this (when I have money) and I'm going to review it weekly, you are supposed to see your best results once you've been using it for 3 months, which is highly recommended by both the company and the reviewers. I will take photo's of my thighs weekly and give you before and after photo's. This way if it does work, for me, I can give you my honest opinion. Then if you want to banish the cellulite, that maybe the way to go.


We all know that cellulite and stretch-marks come in many different sizes and shapes. No matter what size or shape it isn't exactly wonderful, but just remember you do not have to be a larger lady to get cellulite, this stuff is just as mean on those skinny-minnies.

So, do any of you out there have any good methods of getting rid of cellulite and stretch-marks, have you found any exercises that have tamed it in a matter of weeks?

If so please feel free to comment below, after all, all of your comments are welcome. Don't feel afraid to share your opinion, or perhaps there is something you may want me to post about, something you are interested in, I can do the research for you.

After all this blog is for all of you out there, who have taken the time everyday to read my blog posts and just browse around my blog.

It would be amazing to hear from you all.

Good luck on your weight loss.

Food Avoids Me.

I don't know how this post came to mind, but as seen as I haven't updated this blog in a little while I felt the need to basically tell you all what is going on food wise with my diet and exercise routine. As you may not know, yet, is that I am an amazingly big lover of all things food related. I will eat anything from crab meat, to the sweetest chocolates. I just adore the stuff.

Then it happens, and I don't know how but suddenly I look at food as if it's a must have instead of a want or need this I believe is in fact a huge improvement from craving food 24/7 which I did do once upon a time. I have found myself looking at food but never drooling due to it's mouth watering amazingness.

I mean, look at the meal above, I would eat that no problem but at the same time I am just not interested. I'm actually barely eating even two meals a day, it's just what I need not want I want any more. Although I am being very good and trying my best to eat the right types of food, although it is not easy I can honestly tell you that.

The strangest part of it all is that my weight is both going up and down, it's almost as if it can't make it's mind up. That has to be the strangest part, although I can see the changes on my body which is even stranger. I will never quite understand how the body works.

I am going to be looking into cellulite etc in my next post, and I'll even show you mine. You are not alone.

Sorry for the bad post today, I think exhaustion has officially taken over my body.

Weight Loss.

Have you ever felt like you've been working out forever yet you never see any results? 

If you have, I am here with you. This has been on my mind recently, for more personal reasons. I will explain these to you very soon in another post. 

I've been going gym twice a week and trying my best to eat healthier, yet I don't feel like I'm getting any results. I honestly believe that somewhere along this path I am slipping up somewhere, the only major problem is I'm not quite sure where the slip up is. It could be anywhere from me not eating the right stuff, to not drinking enough water. 

I have to take action and take this completely serious. I don't believe in starving myself of junk food but when I have junk food I tend to eat it at night time, of course the worse time to have it. Because of this I believe it's time to set myself a few rules, no more eating after 7.00pm and once I get used to that I'll change it to 6.00pm. This will hopefully after time stop me from craving foods every hour of the night. 

I'll start getting up earlier and then I'll start making more of my days, from cleaning my room to walking my dogs and I'm even going to try and jog around the block and see how that goes. 

One thing I have never mentioned in my blog posts is how I feel about myself, I judge myself 24/7 I am extremely critical of every thing that I do, from walking to running anything, even talking. But now it's time to stop, because I judge people I assume they will judge me, but why should I care what they think? After all, am I not doing this to prove those type of people wrong? 

I am going to do my best and remind myself of this constantly, another reason why I wanted to share this with you today! 

Of course these changes will not be simple and I'll fight constantly against them, but it's about the push or should I say the mental push through these barricades in my life. 

Lets see if things will change with these little changes I make. 

Gathering Motivation.

This post will definitely be a strange one but I've found a way of keeping myself motivated at the hardest of times. As you all know, I attend McCauley's gym in Plymouth. It's an amazing place, good fun and they have all the equipment I need, I do wish the facilities were slightly larger but that's just because as summer has arrived so has new members.

'Doesn't it annoy you when summer creeps in and suddenly everyone joins gym thinking they'll get a summer body within a matter of days/weeks?' 

Any way, I've always struggled with motivation and being a positive thinker, it's hard to imagine when you meet me in real life but it's true. I've begun a little bank of images that I use to remind me of why I'm doing this, I'm doing this for myself I want to impress myself with how hard I can work on something and achieve it. 

This is in fact a lot harder than I first thought it would be, this is because I can only go gym twice a week at the moment due to money but this isn't stopping me. Illness does get in the way, but I work through illness. 

None the less, it's time to give you an idea of what kind of imagery I keep, this is on my phone so it's with me 24/7, this is not only for convenience but for the sake of me needing it. I need to know what I'm aiming for, I can have them as backgrounds of some kind. Anything to bring the image to my attention to highlight the reasons for me doing this once more. 

She has a beautiful body doesn't she? It's incredible, but most importantly it's healthy! I understand everyone has their own way of losing weight but I think we have to remember to do it the healthy way. Remember you want to improve your body, not torture it. 

Another woman with an incredible stomach, you'll notice they are mostly legs and stomached I have because I'm so desperate to improve these two areas as they are my trouble areas. 

I've also got a goal in mind, I want to improve my mid section to the point of being able to wear these sexy crop tops whilst working out. This will not only help me to boost my confidence but it'll help me be a stronger person. I'll have to work hard to maintain the beautiful mid section. 

I just hope these photos help you the same way they help me, remember you're doing this for yourself and no one else you'll just have to remember that as best as you can. 

Good luck on your weight loss. 

Daily Troubles.

Lately, I have been trying to get more physical in my day to day life, there has been one problem that is constantly stopping me which is stress and money. Both of these factors are stubborn and just won't leave me be, but this is something I am working on. I'm even applying to every job I can possibly get my hands on to get that little extra cash in my life. It would after all make my life  that much more easier.

Stress has been causing me troubles because it is constantly thrumming around in my head leading me down different paths, but not any more. I'm staying committed to everything I want to, from jogging around the block to going gym and pushing myself beyond words.

I have struggled with life since I can remember, it's never dealt me a good hand except from a handful of friends and a boyfriend and mother and father who I love dearly. Other than this life has been hard, I've barely got money to go anything other than catch the bus to college and even then, I can barely afford that, I would walk to college but with it being an hour and a half walk it doesn't quick great to me. Especially when I live in Plymouth, one of the worst places in England. The weather is absolutely rubbish down here all the time, it's unbelievable.

I have been finding ways around my money issues recently and I've even managed to get a job interview with Clarks, who I actually do enjoy, I just never have any money to shop there. I have to make sure I am on top form when I walk in that door and I show them exactly how hard I am willing to work.

Okay, now lets get down to the serious stuff.

Fitness, I have decided when going gym to do an hours work of Cardio.

15 minutes - Treadmill

15 minutes - Rowing Machine

15 minutes - Cross Runner/Elliptical

15 minutes - Bike

Each one will help massively with toning different sections of my body, giving me a full body workout which is exactly what I need. Then once I've finished that workout, I'll be heading over to the weights to do my strength workouts.

I'm going to be doing:

100 crunches at 10kg (My stomach can't take much more yet)

100 leg presses at 30kg (I will in fact have to work up to this, as I can only just manage 50 presses)

100 leg abductor's Inner & Outer thigh 30kg (This will help to tone up the legs, my main trouble area)

100 arm presses 14kg - 21kg (I'm still struggling with this, my arms are a lot weaker than I first thought)

100 leg raises (I haven't done this one yet, but I want to add it.)

100 dumbbell curls (I'm not sure what weight I'll use for this yet, but this will also be joining my list)

I say that after all of this I shall be thoroughly pooped and I'll be one step closer to a sexy body. I just know it'll be worth it all, and I could be getting a new gym buddy very soon which shall be amazing.

My dear friend Shauna who I've spoken about before has decided that she wants to join gym to help me, and to tone herself up. She's a very dainty girl, someone you wouldn't expect to see at gym but she wants to tone up the figure she's been blessed with. This will be amazing, because I know I can rely on Shauna to come through and even if she didn't want to go gym she'd still help me to go.

This is the kind of hard work and dedication that I need in a gym buddy. I know it's going to be strange seeing her there but it'll definitely be worth it, and the best part is we can sit with our headphones in and it doesn't bother either of us, this will be good for certain workouts we do. I know she'll be able to go by herself and she'll be able to workout on whatever she wants without having me to be there with her, this makes her a strong individual but also a strong team player, which actually makes her perfect for a gym buddy.

I hope you all enjoyed this rather long post and have a nice day, perhaps you're enjoying this blog so much that you might want to follow it on blog lovin'?

Well if you do here is the link: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5484397

Tribe Sports, Work It Out.

Let's take a look at this new website that I've found, this is if you haven't already guessed Tribe Sports (the link is right there). It's a simple website with the encouragement and resources to make you want to work out. It's also filled with 100's and 100's of challenges all getting you doing little workouts here and there, and the best part of it all is, it makes you want to workout it. Even when you're sat there watching a programme on TV is gives you workouts to do.

If I'm quite honest the entire website is genius, I've signed up and already signed up for a lot of different challenges, well to start me off. Now all I have to do is make sure to do them. After all you earn medals and achievements and don't forget the fact you're losing weight and improving yourself.

I've taken a couple screen shots to give you an idea of what the website is like, I must admit it isn't exactly flooding with colour but that doesn't matter but it's aimed at people who want to work out and who needs ideas of motivation to do so.

This one above me here, is a general view of your timeline almost like Facebook, although you can link your account up to both Facebook and Twitter, which is handy when it comes to enticing your friends to do it with you, you could even considering challenging each other into doing workouts, which would not only be fun but competitive, and nothing is wrong with a little competition.

This image is what my profile looks like, but as you can see the general layout is quite neat and very easy to use, you even have more multiple sites to share your information to. Then you have of course your main topics, from Tribes which is where you can sign up to these groups. Challenges basically explains itself, and I can honestly say it's there and it's catering to everyone's needs, which is just brilliant. You can also include yourself into Discussions, Guides and Q&A if you want to, but personally I don't think I will. It's not my particular style, then of course you can upload photo's of absolutely anything you please.

I'm just going to upload photo's of my process, and that way I can keep track and also check to see which areas need more work etc.

Then of course you have the Challenges which I can honestly say is just wonderful and it really does give you a few things to think of, I mean they even have challenges for just going outside and soaking up some sun, I would join that challenge but my town doesn't get sun, like ever.

It's really easy to use and you have a nice easy filter system to your left, this can come in stupidly handy if you want to do certain types of exercise and when I say they cater to all, I really do mean it. Have a look around and see what you find, you never know you may just find something that catches your eye and makes you want to work out as well.

Starting from today I'm going to be doing a few of these exercises and do you know what, I'll keep you updates and let you know exactly how it's all working out for me, you never know some of it may kill me quietly but otherwise it'll be good hard work and put me one step closer to getting my lovely healthy skinny body.

I hope you enjoy the site, and you never know you may enjoy it.

What I'm Working With.

Hey there everyone, I thought I'd finally show you the body I am working with. I know it's not huge but it's not healthy nor slim either. The images you are looking at are of me today. I also weighed myself, although it was after I'd eaten my breakfast...

Weight: 67.1kg

Height: 5ft 1inch

I was going to do an underwear one but honestly I have no matching underwear and just didn't feel quite comfortable enough to do it, you'd think considering me and my family are quite poor that I would actually be skinnier, I wish. I think as I don't get decent food often I also gobble it all down without thought, which is silly in more then a few ways.

Either way, my size clothing wise is a size 12, well in Primark sizes it's roughly 14 and upwards in some clothes, in tops it's different again. As you can see in these pictures, I have three main target areas that really need sorting out. That of course would be my arms, especially the top half, my legs (thighs) and my stomach. I'm not quite sure if it was due to my abortion from my age at 14, but my stomach has never had roles only this almost bloated look to it instead. I'm not quite sure why it does it but a number of times I've been asked if I'm pregnant, when I was at my largest. I'm still in that area where I don't know what routine would be the best one for my body, so I generally aim for a bit of everything, from heavy cardio to heavy weights, going to light cardio and light weights, I did do yoga on the Wii Fit at one point but it was hard to access, as it was at my boyfriend's house.

I have a few important events coming up in the next few weeks and months and I really have to start tackling this body of mine, especially if I want to get down to a nice sexy size 10, in time for it all. I just need to start exercising everyday, from doing a DVD workout or two, and then doing some Challenges.

Have we all heard of fitness challenges? I have, it's only been recent mind you, but I have been looking into them and as seen as they do quite a harsh workout in a short time frame, usually 15 mins or so, it's quite an interesting thing to look into.

You see, today is going to be the day that I try out two DVD workouts from Davina's Body Buff and then I'm going to do a 15 min work out (I'll post the image when I can) and then I'm going to try a couple more challenges, this way I am literally giving my body the full workout it needs and deserves. Then I'm going to be drinking 2 litres of water, as this is another challenge to clean your body out.

What I'm going to do is do a separate blog post on these challenges, giving you a website a few images and also some advice and details about the entire thing, then if you feel like it's right for you, you can sign up and give it a go. Also leave a comment if you have already tried them and if you think they work, you never know it maybe a nice little treat that just sorts you out without you even realising, well we all can hope.

Wish me luck, and leave a comment. I don't bite, promise. 

Time For Motivation & HARD WORK.

Everything has been annoying as hell lately, I'm going to be honest it's been stressful. Money is a all time low, and even then it's basically nothing and then you have college, that entire part of my life has been the cause of most of this stress. After all the project we had recently was extremely difficult, but thankfully it's over.
I have a few things in my life that I try to organise myself around, which is college, my boyfriend, home life, trying to get a job, and preparing my body for later life. Each part is different in such drastic ways that it's almost impossible to image it all running smoothly but I believe with the motivation I have now, I maybe able to do it.

I have however been going gym except from this past Friday, it's been beyond words when I tell you that day was one of my worst. I had to head home before the weather was horrendous and once I got off the bus my back completely gave up on me, and for the past 2 days I have been bed ridden.
This happened briefly after I said 'I want to workout every single day.' How is that possible when you can't even move properly? This has now put me 3 days behind schedule but this just means that I'm going to have to work harder, I'll make sure to use my workout DVD and really push myself and once I've done that I'll be cleaning, walking my dogs and even doing random workout challenges all in the name of fitness.

I have been looking at photos to help me stay motivated and even perfected my routine at the gym, still with no gym buddy, but this isn't something I care for any more. I know I can go gym by myself, and I'm proud of myself for being able to do that, I can't go on Mondays any more, as I have absolutely no money. But that doesn't matter.

I may even be walking to college two and half days a week, which is an hour and half both ways. This will be both exciting and annoying beyond words, shows don't last more than 1 month maybe 2 at the moment, especially when they are from Primark.

I've also been looking at a large variety of motivational images and each one in just another piece of inspiration that I adore, I'm amazed at the results and how amazing they all look. It's also a healthy reminder of what is healthy and what is skinny and unhealthy I definitely find myself staring at these images in 'awe' these women look amazing and you can see the work and effort that has gone into them.

It hasn't taken days, no it's taken months and years and it's been worth every ounce of time they've spent doing it. They all look incredible in their bodies and the best part is the fact that they look happy I can't remember what it feels like to look at myself and feel truly and amazingly happy but soon this will all change and then I'll be able to enjoy every ounce of my life and body without a trigger of doubt.

Of course there will always be things about myself that I'll never truly love, like the fact that I don't tan and I also burn, badly. Silly things, that can't ever be changed, but don't worry. Those things I can overcome in my own way.

I just hope one day you'll all be able to do the same.

After all it isn't easy and it never will be, but it is something that is very possible and will always be possible.

Why should be hate ourselves, this is who we are and we are this way because we allow ourselves to be, if you don't like what you see in the mirror every day then change who you are. That is the gift of life, you can change yourself to how you want to be, be thankful for that.
You never know what the results maybe and you may even find yourself loving yourself all over again, in so many ways it seems vain, but isn't the fun part. Knowing that you're not vain but in fact happy, truly happy with the person you are and have become.

I hope you are all exercising like mad and enjoying every moment of it, if you enjoy this blog then please follow or comment anything, it would be lovely to know what you all think of it.

Aches And Pains.

I have done two workouts by myself since the awkward situation that has developed with Taylor, and honestly, going gym by yourself is not that. Well not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

Working out by yourself is a simple and easy process which can include more and more music and private thoughts, you don't have to worry about awkward silences with your gym buddy, and most importantly you don't have to worry about trying to keep the conversation rolling. Which, in my case seems to be next to impossible. My life is not nearly as interesting as I wish it was.

After the first workout I found myself aching beyond belief, especially my inner thighs as this is my problem area at the moment and I'm aiming to lose a couple inches from that area, and my calves have been causing me quite a bit of grief, yet this has just enticed me to do more. After my second gym workout I've found myself aching once more, yet this time it's all over. I'm eager for my next workout on Monday!

It still seems to be a solo gym workout, as my 'gym buddy' doesn't seem to be aiming for the beach body she once craved, perhaps her motives have changed and it isn't quite the path she wishes to take. My motives are still the same and I aim to fulfil them as best as I can.

On the other hand here is a photo of me and my friend Shauna, she's been a stone in my life more than you could possibly know.

Time To Perfect A Routine.

It seems that in some strange situation things have turned almost sour between me and my gym buddy Taylor, I don't quite know how it's happened but it's quite clear that we aren't gym buddies any more. We've both got quite different views on fitness, where as I'm more determined to push myself beyond my limits and train until I can't possibly breath any more, Taylor has found herself dismissing gym consistently. So now it's time to take it on my own, it'll be harder that is sure, but I would rather face gym by myself, than have someone who isn't motivated bring my down.

I haven't been gym for roughly 2 weeks perhaps, and it's actually worn my body down not attending, but now it's time to change this. I'm going to create a plan and give myself mini goals to aim for. This is definitely going to be a new experience for me, considering I haven't exactly aimed for any form of goals whilst exercising which could be a cause of my lack of weight loss.

This is going to be interesting to see if, with mini rewards I'll be able to sort myself out. I'm aiming to get down to a size 8-10 which is only 1-2 sizes smaller than what I am now which is a size 12, but when you have shops like Primark you can find yourself judging yourself terribly, as in Primark I am a size 14, which is absurd. Not any longer though, I am going to try and go gym everyday for the next three days for an hour after college, I'm aiming to do 15 mins on each machine and then for perhaps 15 mins after go on the weight machine and do a few sets of weights.

Whilst doing this, I shall continuously play my favourite upbeat songs and push myself to as far as I can go so far and then I'll aim higher.

I'm also going to start cleaning religiously, and walking my dogs religiously. This brief piece of exercise at home will force my body into being more active and also push me towards being active more often at home instead of sitting around lazily doing nothing.

Then of course you have Lewis, the dear boyfriend. He's not exactly with his weight so I'm going to try and push him to workout, not in any nagging style, just enough to help him along until he can become capable of doing it himself. He has the potential to be a fitness freak, he just has to stay clear of that dear old friend the xbox every boy's best friend (and some girls).

I'm also going to be evaluating my diet, I may have some snack troubles that I haven't quite tackled yet. Then I'll begin replacing this with sultana's and other little snippets of fruits and healthy snacks. I'm also going to be making sure I'm eating enough during the day, and if I happen to be under my calorie count then I'm going to find some healthy food to lift my calorie count up, up and away.

It's time to start considering little home exercises as well, anything from this image you see to the right, or doing the squat challenge which you may have already seen floating around the internet.

There is also a couple of things that I have to consider now, the perfect gym workout playlist along with saving up my money for some new workout clothes some actual decent clothes and footwear. As the clothes I have at the moment aren't what you'd call decent or even flattering, how am I supposed to appreciate the hard work I'm doing if I can't see it.

Only if there was a way for me to talk my boyfriend into accompanying me at gym, then it would be perfect as he's already agreed to joining gym when he gets a job, it's just the hard task of getting himself a job. Then I won't be the lonely girl at the gym, well not any more.

I guess I can only ask for luck from you all, this maybe the very thing I need to 

push me in the right direction.

1000 Views.

I can't believe I've hit 1000 pageviews, I didn't expect that at all. Now time to aim higher and hopefully more and more people will view my page and maybe just maybe decide follow me, wink wink, nudge nudge.

I think I'll aim to update more and more and then I'll have to work harder to get better results and then I'll be able to show you.

I'll have to take a picture so you can see exactly what shape of body I'm working with, and then I'll have to try and work extremely hard to tone and trim it do.

Motivation.

Yes, it's come to that time everyone. 

My motivation has hit an all time low, I didn't quite expect it to be so bad but it has been. I started college last week and as you all know, I didn't attend gym once, already it is Monday and I still haven't gone gym. I have been walking more and getting a small dose of exercise each day, but not enough to say I've worked hard to lose weight.

I am trying to get Lewis (the boyfriend) to help me out in some ways, but without someone to go gym with it's been increasingly hard. Taylor has been struggling to go gym, for her own reasons I'm sure but it's left my high and dry. I guess the best bit of advice I can give here, is if you are going to get a gym partner, make sure you get someone who is going to be truthful to their word.

Make sure you choose someone who is dedicated and motivated, otherwise you will find yourself lost half way through your weight loss. This is exactly what has happened to me.

I am going to try and detox myself this week, I am going to go on a steady diet of flavoured teas and green tea, as well 2-3 bottles of water a day. It's going to be tough and I'm going to be on the toilet a lot, but let's face it my face and body will be forever thankful for it.

I'm also going to be cutting back on the rich foods and try and eat a little more healthier, although my tea's haven't been horrendous, I mean who can say no to waffles?!

None-the-less I am aiming higher now, I am going to organise my college work, writing, promotion work and my gym (fitness) life style. I basically think it's time for a fresh start, I would do it today but it's getting late and bed time is just around the corner.

I have decided that if I want to lose weight and do better in college I am really going to have to push forwards in everything I do, from sleeping properly and at good times, to waking up bright and early to make the most of my long days. I think it'll possibly be the death of me, but it'll be worth it.

I just need to give myself a bit of a routine.

Structure to a life style after all is very important, I guess all this lack of motivation has struck a nerve with me and pushing me in the right direction, it's nice to know someone's wrong move can push you into your right one.

I hope you all stay positive and keep working hard, I bet each and everyone of you is doing amazing. I'll make sure to keep updating the blog and perhaps I'll do reviews on healthy products that I'll be drinking etc. You never know you may find something useful about it all.

Good luck, everyone.

New Blogger Design?

I've been reading quite a few blog's lately and I can quite honestly say, I am madly in love with their Blogger themes. I am tempted to spend a long time and really work on making my own, I know it's not something that is exactly easy to do but it will definitely come in useful for my 'future job' hopefully.

I just thought I'd show you a couple, and I'll also put their links beneath so if you do want to check them out then they will be right there at your finger tips.

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First up is the beautiful 'Couture Girl' blog, the theme of course is pastel pink, a colour I have and would choose for my own.

Her layout is beautiful and the unique font is just another girly touch and feature that I adore, also the way Kayleigh presents her Display Picture is beautiful, it screams amazing. I really do adore every inch of this, and the fact that she is such a dedicated blogger just inspires me more to improve my own. Perhaps I'll look into making a more personal blog as well, this is definitely something to look into.

As I promise, the link to her blog is here.

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Now time to move on to the next blog, once more the theme is pastel pink (which I still adore).

Bird's layout is similar to that of Kayleigh's but at the same it's unique touches brings it to life. I really do enjoy the simple features that she has incorporated into her theme, I also adore the fact that Bird has spent ages learning how to create a Blogger theme, and to be honest I'm highly impressed. There are some small features I wouldn't use in my own, but that's more for the personal reasons.

As I promise, the link to her blog is here.

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I hope you've enjoyed having a look at these two blog's and I hope you follow them, they are amazing and let's face it you can't beat a good old blog sometimes. Especially when it comes to Fashion blog's they are a huge weakness of mine.

McCauley's Gym.

I thought as seen as I haven't got any news on my weight loss, I would show you around my gym. The one gym that costs me £9.99 a month and has everything I need to get fit, although smallish it's actually pretty good.

As you can see the place is called McCauley's and they happen to have some of the best deals I've seen when it comes to Gym's (I haven't checked many though), and even though it's a 25-30 minute bus drive from my house I still don't mind. I know that I enjoy my time there and it's basically feeding me the facilities that I desire to trim me down in every way.

This is the Plymouth facilities, it's a little cramped at times but I guess more and more people in Plymouth either want to bulk up or slim down, I'm with them 100%. I've seen some of Plymouth's largest people come strolling through here and within months have slimmed down massively, they have the help of the Personal Trainers, although they are a little pricey they really do get the job done. 

'They aren't bad looking either.'

I have been sticking mainly to the Cardio equipment for the moment as I am aiming to lose the weight, but I actually found that I lost more weight when moving between the weight machines and the Cardio machine's. 

Perhaps this is something I should look into.

I guess the best way to explain this post is, that if you live in Plymouth and perhaps you're a student who wants to get fit and healthy but don't quite have the money to attend a slightly more expensive Gym, then this one is perfect for you. The staff are friendly and helpful and are constantly around to help, the equipment works well and is easy to handle and the people that attend the Gym are polite beyond belief. I thought there was no hope for some of the Plymouthian people, but these are generally some of the nicest people I've briefly met.

If you are interested in checking it out for yourself, well here's the link.

http://www.mccaulays.com/leadinglowcostgy.html 

Fitness Update & CARROT App?

 Lately CARROT has been my partner in crime when it's come to exercising, although as you can see from above she is a todo list I have found myself getting a lot more stuff done within a day thanks to her. This has caused me to exercise more and make sure to do something quite productive everyday.
From what has happened so far I can honestly say that it's worked a treat. I got CARROT when she was free on App of the Day but you can pick her up in iTunes for a cheap 0.69 pence. I can quite honestly say she's worth the money as well.

The fact you level up with the more tasks that you do, the better you feel. I am constantly wanting to do something or anything just to earn more points and level up, my addiction is pushing me towards level 100 which is a way away, although I am on level 54 at the moment.

But basically if you want to make sure you do exercises then I recommend you get this app, after all she gets extremely angry with you, if you don't do it. So make sure you do it within a short time of adding it to the list, that way you level up and get active quicker and CARROT stays happy with you. It's pretty simple to be honest, I didn't look at her as a exercise app but she's proved that can she can be useful for everything.

I would say she is highly recommend, I haven't heard one thing about her. I must admit it makes me wish I had a iPhone 4S or a iPhone 5 so I could have Siri as well, but unfortunately I don't, so it's up to my thumbs to do the typing for me.

FITNESS UPDATE!

Okay, now let's get down to business. 

I haven't been gym in a week almost 2, this was due to half-term at College. Now it's time to get back on track, thankfully I didn't take advantage of the holiday and stuff my face full of junk food, I even started exercising everyday, even if it was simply hoovering and cleaning or walking the dogs. I know it's simple stuff but it's just enough to make sure I can eat my full calories amount everyday. 

Taylor on the other hand, she's had some troubles. Thanks to the holiday she's been taking advantage and scoffing everything within sight, this has caused her to gain weight again, roughly 4 pounds I believe. This has pushed her back in the right direction of working out, but I don't think it's enough.

I am going to be doing 1 minute planks everyday and I'll be trying to do the 30 day squat challenge, I'll be starting today as well. Let's hope that goes smoothly.

I am also starting gym off this week with a 45 minute workout, and then next week I'm going to start pushing towards the 90 minute workout I was doing before, or I'll ease up towards it. This is something to consider, I may create a workout plan and do it that way, either way it's on-wards and up-wards. 

I am aiming to get fit, so I'm not going to be weighing myself as much as I probably should be. Instead I'm only going to aim towards getting better on the 4 machines I am using at the moment, then once I feel comfortable on them I'm going to work towards the weight machines and push myself in that way, lose the weight and then tone. Simple really.

Everyone wish me luck and good luck with weight lose.

Wedding & Celebration.

Recently I've been lucky enough to be invited to my boyfriend's Uncle's wedding, a know a pain to describe but it's been a privilege. I've been able to celebrate Michael & Amy's Wedding Day with them and also enjoy myself quite a bit as well. This was in fact one of the main events that myself and Taylor were working towards when losing weight, I didn't manage to lose the weight I had targeted for, actually I still have quite a way to go before I hit that mark, but I did lose weight none-the-less.

I've even got photo's of how I'm looking now, but I'll give you a glimpse at them at the end of the post. First of all I'll tell you how I've been working through the workouts and exactly what I've been doing.

I've been keeping myself as productive as possible, from doing the 40 minute to Lewis' from mine and back again, but I've always been doing a 30 day squat challenge, unfortunately though I didn't keep up with that, so I'm going to start that again today. I have also been going gym three days a week doing a 90 minute or a 45 minute workout each time. It's been tough and both Taylor and I have slacked in ways we should be ashamed of, but we have worked through the pain and the aching muscles.

Then of course I have been doing my little bit of cleaning for home exercise and then I've been walking the dogs when I can, it's all the little things. I've also been making sure I eat 1200 or just a tiny bit more calorie wise each day. As for a while I was under eating I felt tired all the time but this has helped to brighten my mood a bit, I've also been doing one exercise of something every day, more if possible.

So lets have a look at some wedding photo's of myself, I'm still 

a size 12 but I am a slimmer size 12 thankfully.

Just so you aren't completely at a lose here, I'm the short one that's in every photo and then you have the red  head in the top left hand corner (Taylor) and the dashing but chubby faced boy in the suit would be my boyfriend (Lewis). Not bad, but I would definitely say, there is still a lot of weight lose to do.

Onwards and upwards.

It's Been A While.

I seriously have to say a HUGE sorry that I haven't been updating as much as I should have, I just don't want to continue with the same posts.

There is only so much I can say, as recently I have finally got my motivation back and continue to go gym three times a week with Taylor. Although there has been a lacking on my side, I have continued to work as hard and push myself yet I haven't lost as near or barely any weight. In comparison to Taylor I have lost nothing, I am proud of her though as she's lost Over 1 Stone in a month.

It's almost unreal, I just wish that I was able to lose that kind of weight. 

I am going to try and de-stress myself as I have a funny feeling that maybe a cause of my problem, I'm not losing weight due to the heavy level of stress I'm feeling, hopefully there is a way around it. I am also going to be going gym for an entire week next week, this is going to be completely impossible.

I can only say wish me luck, I will type up a better update as soon as possible.

Renewed Motivation.

We all have those moments where we suffer from lack of motivation, and trust me it's hit me like a train this following week. I have been struggling to get even the slightest bit of motivation to drag my sorry ass out of bed, it has been a tough one. 

But now I've been blessed with motivation, I have been craving it badly and now it's finally arrived, I hadn't realised for quite some time how I wanted to push myself and better myself.

Now it's happened, I am ready more than ever to push myself to the limits I have to, to finally get the results am I so badly craving.

I have been going gym with my gym buddy Taylor still and things have been going well, not only is she half way to losing a stone but she's sailing towards her goals, I suffered badly with her good fortune. Finding myself crippled in pain at my failure. 

This is where my motivation dwindled, I felt that I was failing because I wasn't seeing the same results as my gym buddy, which mean't I wasn't going to get any results the way she was. 

But you have to work through it, especially if you have a gym buddy who is sailing and you aren't, there are ways to work through it but you just have to push your mental mind more than probably care to think about.

Attitude is everything, it couldn't be more important to always remember that, even if you aren't seeing the results you expect continue forwards and pursue your goals. Don't let a small fault put you back at the beginning. You should always move forwards, this is major downfall.

Always give yourself something to aim for as well, small goals for example getting a certain amount of calories on a machine. Then when it's the next time you use that machine, aim higher. Always excel.

I have begun to take my diet more seriously than I ever have before, and even begun drinking water 'well, like it was water' I need to detox my body and also push my metabolism higher. I will be drowning myself in green tea as well, and I'll be viewing more and more motivational images like these below. 

They will be a constant reminder of why and what reasons I'm doing this for, and then it proves to me that this can be done. It is possible to hit your goals, you just have to forget about the negative and move forwards. I know I have mentioned that more times than I care to share, but it's extremely important, and if you're going through the same difficulties as I am, I don't want you following the same annoyingly cold path that I did, you can take the short cuts.

Good exercising and dieting.

Next Week.

Okay as you know I've been extremely ill recently and been bedridden for a good part of it, but now things are going to change. I haven't been able to go gym this week so far but I have been able to decide on another plan, I am going to be doing some rather long and productive walking tomorrow which isn't only just good for me exercise wise but will burn off the calories of the food I'll be eating tomorrow.

I'm going to be having a KFC bargain bucket with Lewis for our 3 year anniversary, even though it was today. I know we are a classy pair, having ourselves some KFC but we never treat ourselves to junk food any more, we always eat more meals and that's it. I'll be having a McDonald's cheeseburger with my friend whom I'm also meeting tomorrow.

It's going to be a high calorie day but thankfully it's okay because me and Lewis have to walk to get our food and then walk back and of course I have to walk to meet my friend as well, each walk there and back are roughly an 1 hour or more, so it's going to be a good day for exercise.

Now all I have to do is somehow find a way to get myself back to gym, I have managed to talk Taylor (Gym buddy) into doing 2 half and hour workouts from my workout DVD, and we'll see how that goes, because it'll give us a nice change from going gym all the time.

I wanted to make sure you all knew that I have still been eating healthily even though I haven't been gym, and I've been very good and been lowering my calorie count due to the lack of exercise I'm doing, I know you only really need high calories for when you're exercising as well.

Things are going okay, but next week is going to be a whole new experience.

Taylor and myself have decided that we are going to work our ass off at the gym, the whole three days we go next week. It's going to be tough and probably will kill us, but it'll be worth it if we get the results we are so badly craving.

I just hope that I'll be completely better and healthy by then, because being ill is just something I do not enjoy.

Losing Weight And Illness.

Isn't it typical, I am a couple weeks into my exercise routine and I fall ill, it's almost too predictable, I almost never get ill yet this just happens to be my luck. I am on the other hand losing weight, even if it isn't nearly as much as I should be losing. I have lost 0.4 of a pound, and considering my weight has been flying up and down the scales for a little while it's actually wonderful that there are some results appearing, if it's small.

I have been going 3 times a week with my gym buddy Taylor and we have been having a generally good time, the routine has become a bit stale but we've spicing it up here and there, and of course the more we go the more we'll improve and the more we'll be able to start pushing ourselves to limits we almost didn't believe we'd be able to do.

Taylor has been doing amazing at gym and even pushing herself on the treadmill to burning 450+ calories, I haven't been quite that successful even if I do the same exercise straight down to the effort level and gradient, but maybe I've got to push myself even more. I have promised myself that when I go gym on Monday I am starting the running workout, I know it seems silly going on a treadmill and not running but this time will be different, my goal is to be able to run 5k with no struggles.

I'm not sure if Taylor has any specific goals that she's aiming for at gym but she's doing amazing, we did unfortunately struggle yesterday as she's drained of energy after a long week and I've fallen stupidly ill, there is nothing worse than struggling to breath and having your whole body ache whilst trying to do exercise, I did give it a go but it just strained me more than I could handle but I am doing everything within my power to get better before Monday, if not it may have to be a vigorous session with me complaining the whole way through.

If anyone has any advice for working through the common cold and flu without dying please comment, you'd be doing me a huge favour. As I am struggling quite a lot, and more than I should be because I honestly can't handle being ill, it doesn't happen very often for me and when it does my body goes into shock I'm sure of it.

I hope everyone is working their asses off and toning those bellies, all getting ready for the summer.

I'll do my best to keep you as updated as I possibly can, mind you when you don't have the internet it isn't the easiest thing to do, I can tell you that now.

Wishing you all luck, and hope everything is going smoothly for you all, well more so than mine.

A Quick Update & A Thank You.

I know that I've been terrible with updates lately and trust me, I apologize. I should be on top of them but I'm just not. I have on the other hand started planning a better dietary routine and also decided that I will deserve one treat once a week, I just have to do my best to stick to it.

I will treat myself once a week starting from tomorrow, and Monday shall be my treat day for that week. Then no more treats for the rest of the week, it'll be hard but I'm slowly mentally preparing myself for it.

I have on the other hand, had a very successful week of gym training with Taylor. For the first few workouts we decided to take it a little more calmer than usual and now we've stepped it up a gear. Instead of doing the usual 1 hour and 10 minute workout, we are now doing a 1 hour and 30 minute workout. I have felt the burn so much recently that I've found myself struggling in simple day to day tasks like walking, and climbing stairs. Who knew these would be my mainly affected areas of pain, but we are doing a long cardio workout which does strain almost all of my leg muscles.

I have also felt a little effect on my belly, a nice trimmer feeling but I'm not sure if that's just due to the workout or the fact I've been under my calorie count every day of the week. I have been extremely well on My Fitness Pal I have been under my calorie count for quite a few weeks now, I've had some close calls but I've fought through them.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of me and Taylor during our first gym workout together, but don't worry. I can promise you it all went extremely well, she's also enjoying the perks of attending gym, and by that I mean all the muscle men who walk around wearing their teeny tiny tank tops. I'm just glad I don't have to pry her off them all the time, thankfully she has quite a bit of self control.

I also have quite a few thanks to say to Taylor for giving me the motivation to constantly work through the pain and keep pushing forwards, she's also made sure I've gone gym on time and attended everyday we said we would, and I just know that with her help we'll be able to work through our fatty problem and get the bodies we're both craving so badly.

It's amazing how much difference having a gym buddy can make, I didn't realise it until now that, that was what I was struggling with, the fact I had no one with me whilst doing the most important part of my weight loss journey, I just needed someone there with me to help me through the pain and fatigue whilst at the gym.

Now that I have that, it's time to move forwards.

BRING IT ON.

Gym Buddies.

I have myself a gym buddy as I've told you all about in one of my recent posts, and her name is Taylor Ebsworth my boyfriend's younger sister. We've both had problems with our weight recently due to relationships and the more comfortable life that comes with them, but now it's time for a change.

So far together we have had 2 successful sessions, we've even began to organise a decent routine and expand it more to get the best weight workout we can possibly get. Our work lasts roughly 90 mins (1 hour and 30  mins) at the moment, but our next session will be lasting 110 mins (1 hour and 50 mins). Doing this three times a week whilst dieting and cutting our calorie count down to 1200 calories a day should hopefully result in a quick and balanced weight loss. It's going to be brutal and tough, after our second work out I found myself struggling but still pushing forwards.

We have so far prepared our workout to this:

20 mins: Bike (Effort level 4 and above, whilst pedalling 60 - 80 rpm)

20 mins: Cross Runner (Effort level 6 and above, whilst going 140+ rpm)

30 mins: Treadmill (Varied, Taylor enjoys intervals of jogging and a brisk walk. Whilst I prefer hard brisk walking up hill, then short intervals of jogging)

This workout alone can take it's toll on us , but Taylor has found herself still bursting with energy so we've decided to add Rowing into the workout to see if this will give us that extra push to losing just a little more weight.

20 mins: Rowing Machine (Effort level 6 and above, intervals of steady pass, quick burst etc.)

I must admit, I do struggle with the Rowing Machine because it causes problems with my hip, I know I'm 19 and shouldn't be saying things like that, but it does happen. I have decided to take thing a little slower than Taylor because I think I might struggle with this one, but I'm ready and that's all I can be.

I have considered changing out mid-week workout (Wednesday) to a weights day, but I think this heavy cardio workout is the best way to go for now, well until we start to see results that is.

This is the part of working out that I struggle with most, I am constantly expecting to see instant results and this is where I fall back into a relapse of my old behaviour, but thankfully Taylor has a firm tongue and is demanding, she'll make sure I'll stick to this routine and if I don't she'll give me the grief and motivation to remind me why I'm doing this.

It's going to be tough, but now that I have Taylor there with me and I'm not so alone as I once was, I think I'll be able to get through this.

Introducing A New Page.

I'll be introducing a new page to this blog very soon, I'll be my weight lose diary. I'll try and weight lose diary as much as possible, I'll also be planning to check my weight twice a month from my first weigh-in day.

I must admit I am a little panicked about having weight, but I'm also nervous about losing weight as it'll be such a successful feeling which I haven't truly felt in a long time.

I hope you enjoy the new page and once it's ready and prepared with it's first entry I'll put up the page for you all to see, along with the date for the new weigh-in. I'll do my best to update the blog on the same day.

There will also be the following updates:

• My first gym session with Taylor accompanied with an image of us both, before starting.

• The release date of my Dear Diary page.

• My first photo's to show you exactly what body I'm trying to improve.

• Cravings and how I struggle with them.

• The new plan for exercise and diet.

• Starvation.

• Weigh-In day.

• The true feelings behind each bite of food, and desperate cravings for losing weight.

Each blog post will have addition stuff and news along with them, but for the moment enjoy those delicious foods and get out an exercise.

Motivational Pictures & Gym Partners.

 The Younger Me.

Okay, let's face it we all have those images tucked away somewhere of us when we were younger, here are three of my almost 'full body' images.

I've always been a little strange about having my full body image taken but this was a time where I actually didn't mind quite so much. It's also the comfortable size I would love to get back to.

Each one was roughly around the time I believe, not quite sure to be honest. Although it was a time where my arms looks trim and nice and my legs weren't awful and large and my stomach didn't have a muffin top.

It's just a matter of looking at these images every now and again to give myself the encouragement I need to lose more and more weight, I have finally got myself a wonderful enthusiastic gym partner. 

Actually, let me tell you about my gym partner. Her name is Taylor Ebsworth and she's my boyfriend's sister, she's 17 going on 18 and desperate to lose the pounds she's gained during a long-term relationship, as that relationship has gone the weight hasn't. It's stuck around like an unwanted guest.

 

But every since she's found out about the gym I go to, she's joined and decided it's time to change her life. She's even joined My Fitness Pal to keep serious track of her calorie intake and exercise routine. We've been working as a team preparing ourselves for our first joint gym session and we've decided going hard and tough is the best way to go.

We want to shift the pounds quickly and be ready for a wedding which is next month and our birthday's which are coming quicker than we dare to think about.

Exercise and dieting is a must do, especially at the moment.

It's all about aiming high and with Taylor's strong will and determination and my quick thinking and planning, we'll work together as a great team and finally get ourselves looking fit for both single and taken life.

Maybe I'll even start tanning once I look good, just so I don't look like a ghost any more, I can't wait for that overwhelming feeling of satisfaction when I look in the mirror, I'll finally be happy with what I see.