Amazing Energy Boost Smoothie

I recently bought the Morphy Richards easy blend. It is awesome. It blends so fast!!! So smoothly!! And at just £20 it is definitely a bargain buy (Robert Dyas - on promo)

Anywho, obviously, when you buy any new toy you have to play with it!! It came with a couple of recipes to get you started but I've just played with tastes I like and even tried fruit I previously dismissed as yucky =P

This recipe is a little high in sugars but some need that sugar and makes an excellent per workout energy boost. Even better its all fresh fruit so 100% clean. 

Ingredients:

Half a punnet raspberries

Half a punnet strawberries

Half an orange

1 medium banana

40g pomegranate (which I spent 30mins squeezing the juice out with a spoon and a sieve (cos those seeds blended taste like bone )) could just use pomegranate juice

Optional:
'1' spoonful of natural Greek yoghurt - makes it thicker and higher protein!

Add them all to the beaker, add the blending lid, place on the blending unit, release the lid, change it for a drinking lid and your ready to go. 

Easier cleaning, no pouring, great smoothies. If you like making your own smoothies, protein shakes, soft desserts or even a cheeky cocktail or two to share with friends, you'll love this blender =D

Makes refreshing drinks in summer, a drink with a small meal, a snack or add protein powder for a meal replacement.

Alternatives:

Kenwood smoothie 2go - Tesco - £19.50
Salter - Amazon - £39.99 £27.99

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

Improving recipes

Today I made some lovely cranberry and hazelnut flapjacks. This is the recipe I used but it can be altered to make it healthier.

Cranberry and Hazelnut Flapjacks

 Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

100g Natural Selection Ideal Ingredients Dried Cranberries150g butter75g golden syrup125g  jumbo oats125g porridge oats50g roasted hazelnuts, chopped.

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4) and grease tin with butter. In a saucepan gently melt the butter, then add the sugar and golden syrup. Heat until smooth and syrupy. Add oats, cranberries and hazelnuts and mix well. Place the oat mixture into the tin and press down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven.

It neglects to say how much sugar so I used 100g of brown sugar for the colour. How to make them healthier: 

1. Measure in grams how much sugar you needed and replace with same weight of maple syrup. 

2. Maple syrup has lower sugar than golden syrup so as long as its thick enough to hold your oats together use that!

3. Almonds have more protein, less calories, less fat tons more calcium and magnesium. 

Adding any dry ingredient like fruit flakes, protein powder, or nuts just substitute that weight of dry ingredient from the oats. Try it out!!!
Original recipe from Natural Selection

Lunch idea avocado chicken salad

Shake paprika over chicken mini breast fillets. Grill, I place tin foil to collect the juice help coat the chicken - plus it cooks quicker.

Cut half an avocado, 2 leaves romaine lettuce, cucumber, half bell pepper, handful of spinach and toss together. 

Throw the chicken on top. 

I grated some cheddar over the top to add a kick to the avocado =D

A lovely, healthy, filling lunch or dinner option. Low calorie, high vitamins great and quick meal idea!!!

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?

Paying for your sins

I was doing so well then yesterday happened.

At work they have no consideration for healthy eating or vegetarianism. There was nothing to eat. I was happy when she said chicken (possibly my favourite food) but they'd wrapped bacon round it so that was out. The other choices were lamb (don't eat any meat other than chicken) or chilli. My Lovely balanced lunch consisted of a 250ml Cola, a 330ml Lilt, smarties tube and a bowl of cooked, frozen, then recooked fries!!!
And break was a toffee crisp

I might work in a supermarket but there is no where to prepare your own food. The cook stands on the tables without wiping them afterwards. We're not even sure if she washes her hands, its that bad!! So buying basic food and preparing lunch is out unless you have the time at home, which I wish I had this time.

Dinner

My mum had cooked me a chicken Kiev for when I got in but had let and there was no side. Being so starving hungry from my 'nutritious' lunch I did something quick so grilled some baguette (loaded on starch yesterday)

The real downfall

Then my friend wanted MaccyD's. I told her not to let me have any but when she went back round for seconds I couldn't not get a yummy choc muffin. one choc muffin every now and then is fine but on top of all the other waste food earlier in the day?! 

Consequence

My devastating consequence was at 4am sitting there not knowing what was gonna happen. I felt so ill I couldn't move for 1/2hr I don't know how I wasn't sick! My body was trying so hard. Can't be certain if it was the cook or the muffin but either way it reinforced that rubbish food makes you ill!!!

For half an hour I thought I was going to throw up. When I finally got back into bed I had to make a pillow mountain so that I wasn't and it still was a close call. Going to make my own Lunch for work today and hope I can go a nine hour shift as still feeling dodgy =S but at least my meal won't make me ill!

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