Making Recipes - Protein balls

Everyone should be familiar with protein after a workout, but protein is probably also one of the best snacks as it keeps you fuller for longer. That said I decided to try make my own recipe for a little protein snack.

This is not a finished recipe as I haven't fiddled with it to try and get the best results but is a start and can be adapted to put whatever you want in it.

Ingredients:

1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
100g Almond Flour
1/4 cup (american) cacao
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3tbsp Peanut Butter
5tsp oil (I used vegetable oil as its all I had)
Hazelnut milk

Method:

Add dry ingredients to a blender/mixer/processor and set on lowest setting to equally mix all the ingredients. 1tbsp at a time add the peanut butter. (I used organic but a cheaper crunchy pb with bigger nut chunks will just add to the crunch of your finished product) This will bind your dry products together.
Next I had to add some oil to help bind and this also gives the outside a nice glaze when finished forming.
I probably used a little to much cacao as it was a little bitter, as I couldn't take the ingredient out instead to sweeten and again bind as they were very dry, I added small splashes of hazelnut milk to the mixture and just keep processing until a lump that travels around the processor forms.

The mix is still very dry at this point so prepare to get dirty!!
Spoon out a heaped tsp into your palm and squash the mix to compact it, then roll  into nice even sized balls (mine made ten) and chill.

No cooking required although you could try it if you wanted - substitute sesame seeds for any other seeds that take your fancy - substitute veg oil for coconut oil or substitute pb and oil for any other binding agent.

The recipe will work with cocoa powder too but might need a different amount. If you have chocolate protein powder perhaps you'll need less binding agent?!

When you try my recipe send me a pick and let me know how you got on!

Personal Milestones

It's important, no matter how big your progress, to notice it and recognise all your improvements.

Although I've bee trying for a couple months I'm only just seeing results. 

A tighter frame than when I started

New trousers a size smaller than my usual pants

Getting fit makes so many differences. I might still look pale but since I've started looking after myself I have a skin tone, no longer a ghost!!!

What differences do you measure?

Getting Fit Doesn't Mean Losing Weight

Everyone thinks that getting for is measurable on the scales but its not always the case.

Don't get disheartened when you start exercising and the scales go up. It happens to the best of us. I had a tablet review with the nurse who had to take my weight and she moaned about the increase; not even she realised that they aren't always correlated. 

This photo shows the reduction in fat that I have noted with the body fat calipers. The calipers only measure millimeters less than when I started.

Even the doctors don't understand that getting for includes building muscle (you'll weigh more) and taking in more water ( you'll weigh more). 

Even if your weight goes up you're still improving don't give up!!!

Need inspiration? Just head to Instagram. So many to chose from but my fave is #naughtygirlseatclean who also uses #ngec workouts and recipes. She is also on fb head over to SJX Fitness

Today

One of  my friends got back from uni yesterday so we went for some drinks and after getting very hungry, a fudge cake =( 

So today had to kick it back in a little. (I could have done a lot more but am restricted on time, height and various other things)

I was gonna have a nice healthy breakfast but am to short to reach any of the cereals except the coco pops =S but healthied it up but substituting my semi skimmed milk for hazelnut alpro.
This saved approximately 3g of sugar, 60 calories a small victory for the day.

Due to shopping and mum needing my car I didn't have as much time to exercise as I wanted but made the most of what I could.

The floor is still a little messy ( its covered in christmas decorations and boxes ) so I couldn't do proper sit ups - I need the sofa to hold my feet down. Instead I did the better compact movement - Crunches.

Next I did an evolution on crunches - a mix of vertical leg crunch and crunch to your legs if I had a ball I would have used this to make more of the exercise. 

     - start by crossing your legs in the air 90 degrees to the floor
     - crunch raising your arms towards your toes
     - lower your arms back to the floor and engaging your abs lift your pelvis off the floor

        using a medicine ball will make more of the exercise as your burn more calories

After I tried a new exercise for me, kick backs.
     - on all fours, keep your back straight, abs engaged
     - kick your leg back straight for 20 reps, change leg
     - repeat for 3 sets

At the gym I only had half an hour while my mum was in the area so I didn't get much but did 9 min treadmill, uphill with 3 'sprints' and 18 minutes cycling level 4. Not long, or many calories burnt, but a personal milestone, longest cycle I've managed at the gym.

Tonight's dinner, I would have takn a pic but it was too good to resist and I ate it straight away.

1 bell pepper
Cous cous (already prepared) with basil
1 spring/salad onion finely chopped
sprinkle of cheddar

stick it in the oven for 20 mins gas mark 5/6 - our ovens not very reliable so adjust where necessary

=D much better than yesterdays meals/drinks

Enjoy the exercise ideas and my little recipe

saying no to laziness

It can be so easy to say no to working out or doing anything. But its important to keep motivated as much as possible.

Yesterday at the gym, their fire alarm went off and I was so close to calling it a day. Disrupting your workout can be dangerous as you don't get back  into the swing of things. My motivation yesterday was my tablet review appointment today. Today's motivation is that I got back on the bike after having to evacuate yesterday.

Carrying on after you decided to give up is a great achievement and a great source of motivation each session.

When you haven't got the energy to carry on get in the right state of mind, working out sometimes is a job but JUST DO IT!!!!!

Weights Room | How to exercise when ill

So I'm still ill =( and this cold is making it impossible to breath so hard cardio isn't a choice at the moment.
I thought I would give you an insight into how I exercise when I'm ill.

I always like to start any session with a cardio warm up as even using weights you need to get your HR up and kick in your metabolism a little.

Warm up: 7 mins cycling level 4 a gentle warm up, followed by 5 mins cross trainer, gets your legs and arms working, stretched and ready for lifting.

Main exercise:
1. I start with shoulder press as I find that the most difficult machine and every week I try increasing it by 2.5k but at the moment I'm only capable of lifting 10k. Set the weight so you can manage but the last rep is a real struggle! 10kg, 10 reps, 3 sets
the order afterwards depends on how many idiotic men sit on the machines doing nothing or talking and not exercising; you want to chat go to a coffee shop and get off my machines!
2. Chest press. Again every week I try to up it but by 5k. 25k, 10 reps, 4 sets
I visited the chest press again and tried 27.5k as I couldn't get to my multi tool bicep/tricep machine
3. Leg extensions. 30k, 10 reps, 4 sets
4. Squats with exercise ball. 9 squats tenth hold for 10 seconds, 4 times
5. Sitting on your exercise ball to balance bicep curls and tricep extensions. 2k (3 for curls when available) 10 reps, 5 sets
6. Leg press. After doing the squats I wasn't sure what my legs would hold so I started at 30k, 15 reps then each set increased 10k up to 80k - next week I'll try 90k

Cool down: Reclining bike 5km level 4. Then importantly STRETCH that's how to avoid DOMS - that pain after exercising.

Don't let illness ruin your workouts this winter
For those in my area after trying out other gyms I'm very happy to use the weights room and cardio at Loughton gym, part of the Everyone active gyms with great online extras, tips and workout plans

Excuses

When you stop finding excuses you find your answers. The motto of weight trainers.

We fin so many excuses everyday for why we can't do something, but most of them are made up and stand in our way. Fighting through the excuses is a measure of strength unlike any other. 

Today I woke up not quite able to breathe properly and the air tasted stale (I have a cold) and I was tempted to tell myself I can't go but then I reasoned with myself. I can't breathe so I'll avoid the cardio that'll labour my breath, but I can still lift to my hearts desire. 

I'm planning to spend my whole time in the weights room. Do my squats, bicep curl on exercise ball, over head tricep on balance ball,   Shoulder/chest/leg presses, front row leg extensions and curls and my rope machine. 

I'll be able to get a good work out and everything even though I was thinking of not going, plus I can try light activity on cardio see how I do and still get a cardio workout too!!! 

What excuses have you got to drop?

Todays Gym Plan

Tonight after dinner I'm going to the gym and here's what I will be doing.
This feels like a nice balance of cardio and weights and can be altered while there to get even more out of my workout.

Warm up:

Treadmill - Increase speed up to 6 over 4 minutes hold for 2 mins, increase speed to 8 for 1.5 mins, decrease to 6.5 for 2 mins, increase to 9.5 for 1.5 mins, decrease 6.5 for 1 minute cool down 1 minute = Total 13 minutes

Main exercise:

Bike - 7 minutes resistance 5 with two 30 second sprints in the middle
Shoulder Press - 2 sets, 10 reps 5kg (I'm a little weak when it comes to this exercise) then try 10 reps, 7.5kg
Squats with Ball - 4 sets of 10
Front Row (seated cable machine) - 3 sets, 15 reps, 25kg; 1 set, 15 reps, 30 kg
Chest Press - 3 sets, 15 reps, 25kg
Reclining Bike - 10 minutes, interval training
Row Machine - 1000 meters
Leg Extension - 3 sets, 10 reps, 30 kg
Cable Tricep Extension and Bicep Curl - 3 sets, 10 reps, 15kg
Leg Press - 3 sets, 20 reps, 50kg

Cool Down:

Cross Trainer - 12 minutes, resistance 4
Stretches - Arms, back, legs hold each for 20-30 seconds

Go home feeling happy that you got off your backside XD
How would you improve tonights workout? Whats you favourite workout plan?

How You Know Your Making Progress

How you know your making progress

With so many things to watch out for and so many ways of measuring improvement you might feel like your making no improvement at all, but sometimes the biggest improvement comes from how you feel. There isn't a scale or measurement for that one!!!

Scales are good for weighing mass but not a great deal else. If your doing a full body workout, strengthening or just starting It can feel like your making no progress or even going the wrong way but its could just be your body holding on to more water so you don't dehydrate while exercising.

Important to remember: Muscle is denser than fat!!!!

So just because the scale doesn't move doesn't mean there isn't a difference

Calipers give you a good idea of how much of your body weight is fat and gives a better indication of how much difference you can achieve. even if that scale is making you feel down body calipers can show you how much you've toned up!

Before and after images are the best visual way to see your progress. This picture explains so I need say nothing more

My Favourite method Personal Milestones. So today at the gym I was using the treadmill. instead of my normal time of 10 minutes I pushed my self just that little bit further and went for 12. Recently the fastest I could jog was 7.5kmh but yesterday I managed to hold a jog at 10kmh. Not the whole jog at that speed but intervals at that speed which is much faster than I ever managed before. I have lost or the core strength I used to have so the plank, being able to hold it for just five seconds longer each time shows I'm improving. And being able to lift either at a higher weight or the same weight but at higher reps shows that your body is getting better. But don't just stop there - every exercise should never be easy or your not doing it right. Push yourself to your limits or you wouldn't make a difference!!

Achieving your personal milestones makes you feel good, proud or your accomplishment and that's how I prefer to measure my progress how many of those moments am I feeling?!

How you know your not making progress
When you do a great workout and your friend drives you to McDonald's =( never mind back to the gym tonight!

How do you like to measure you progress??

Disclaimer: These images are not mine and I do not own any rights to them - They just illustrate my points precisely

We All Start Somewhere

Beginnings

This is the start of my blog for measuring my progress in becoming fit, sharing great recipes and tips and hopefully inspiring myself and others to carry on.

I'll be sharing tips from my favourite Intsagram accounts as well as great health tips from publications such as women's health, recipes I have concocted, workouts I have done and progress pictures!

Day One: 

5'3", 95 KG, Size 16/18 UK

Sorry about dodgy picture quality

Will post again soon; not sure yet if it'll be progress or nosh first though