Day 10

30 day shred + full time job + a business to run is quite hard some mornings, and today was such a morning!

Things are quite stressful, anyone who is a teacher will know, this time of year you've got reports to write, meetings to have and next year to think about.  I'm also doing a course caller the OTP or Outstanding teacher program, which is taken a lot of my time, as well as being helpful.

so im pretty much feeling thusly:

And to be honest - this is a pretty accurate portrait too!!

So I think tomorrow needs to be a new start - I need to get up, shake off the tiredness and get on with it!  ooh, there is also an app for Jillian!  Might have to have a nosy!

Until next time (and hopefully after a bit more success!)

Day 8

Good morning to all out there!  Feeling good this morning!

Got in from work last night and because Gemma hadn't done her workout, I joined her, which meant that I did 2 30 day shred workouts yesterday! And to be perfectly honest, it wasn't that hard either! After completing shred, I then did the bubble butt workout from the blogilates and then the stretching video.  Now if shred is getting easier, blogilates isn't! I found bubble butt to be very tricky and some of the moves I wasn't able to do properly! I can't be the only one out there who feels, even though it says for beginners, it really isn't!! 

Anyway, having said that the stretching is getting a little better and I can feel myself able to get deeper into the movement than I could before, so that's encouraging!

Back to day 8. It was hard, as I did feel the double workout from the day before, but I got up and did shred with Gemma! Enjoyed it too! Well, to be honest, the enjoyment definitely comes post-workout!or at least in those if al stretches!

Some excellent news too, and a firmer goal to work towards, heard from the wedding venue yesterday and the entertainment license came through, which means, it's officially on! Very exciting!

Until next time

Kx

Day 6... Wait, day 7!

As you can probably tell, there was some confusion yesterday as to what day I was actually on!  This is for the simple reason that on Tuesday I missed a day of the exercise. Now, before you jump on me, let me explain myself.  On Monday, I did the 30 day shred level 1, and some blogilates first thing in the owning, I was so proud of myself, I had managed to get up and do my workout before my morning coffee, result! Unfortunately for me, then I was at a course all day long, which meant I basically sat in a room, on a chair all day! Not good! I was so stiff and sore I couldn't walk down the stairs without flinching in pain.  So, Tuesday (what would have been day 5) was a day I had to skip!

After having missed a day out, I felt suitably guilty to say the least. But I resumed again on Wednesday and it felt great, the stretching out was great and the exercise felt good and I felt very proud of myself! Yesterday, day 6, I did the exercise after school and felt so much better for it!

This morning, which is now, day 7! Was great! I got up this morning, and with a little internal pushing, I did it! And this morning at work I feel great!

So...what's the lesson here? Morning exercise works! It may be hard at first, but you feel so much better all day!

Day 5

So, day 4 went well. I got up early, did my 30 day shred and blogilates exercises and all before 7:15am!! I felt great for it too! Had a kind of energy about me all day! Someone even commented that I had a glow and looked well! So I would say a great success.

I'm also starting to feel a bit trimmer too. I haven't done my measurements yet (which I must, must do!!!) but I think if I did do them, it would be starting to come off. I k ow its still early days, but I suppose I had some to come off and for sure some muscles to time up!

So day 5... Well it's certainly not started as well as day 4. I got up, half past 6, good intentions. Thought I'd start with blogilates this morning. Bad idea. I began the beginners workout and it just wasn't getting me. My heart rate wasn't elevating enough and I felt that I wasn't working hard enough. Now, I'm not blaming the video for this. It's just, at that time in a morning, half asleep I think I need a more firm, energising approach, which the 30 day shred offers a little more that blogilates. The verdict? Home early from work and do the 30 day shred FOLLOWED by blogilates!!

Until next time
Kx

Making good choices...

Well, the course food wasn't too bad, and I think that my food choices were good enough, I had jacket potato and a little cheese and table spoon of coleslaw and plenty of salad, then...a muffin!  Well, it could've been worse, there were donuts and chocolate cakes and everything!

So onwards to dinner.  Just had a snack of chicken breast with a little feta and mint, very nice and curbed the hunger while I wait for dinner.  Dinner is consisting of new potatoes, green veg and a piece of fillet steak!  Not exactly lean protein, but not too bad all in all.  Oh, and we have a twirl for later!  I'm sure this could be better too!! Maybe one day i won't feel the need for pudding....maybe not!

Maybe I need to try something like this instead of a twirl...

1 synn from slimming world

Day 3

Up this morning bright and early at half 6. Late start at work as I'm in a course so was able to easily get the 30 day shred in as well as a stretch video from blogilates.

So, feeling good and very proud of my self! Hardest thing today? Eating well!! This course is renowned for 'yellow foods' I.e sausage rolls, bread etc. so I need to try and choose clean foods! Breakfast choices were ok, managed to get some fruits and granted, some pancake things, but after 40 mins workout, I need some carbs!

Until lunch!
Kx

Bucket list

Before I start, I feel that I should confess something...I had the sunday roast, and the sticky toffee pudding.
---I know, I know, but in my defence, I had the chicken, no skin! And then lots if veggies, one or two new potatoes and thats it, so not too bad!  Well, ok, the pudding was bad, but you can't have everything!  I need to remind myself to eat clean!

Anyway, to the task in hand...
I've just tidied my house, which always inevitably leads me to think what I want out of my life.  I know it's a little peculiar, but candles on, favourite tv programme on and a tidy living room can't help but bring on these thoughts.  So, with my fitness (and almost) my diet in hand, I feel I need to think about what else I want out of my life.

Some things are in hand, granted.

1.  Get married:

Bohemian style...

There are many things that I want from my wedding; bohemian style, babies breath flowers, grass, outdoors, gardens... yes, yes, im an old romantic and also love the outdoors and all things country, so this is my wish number 1!










2.  Go coast to coast via route 66!

Route 66

So, this one is almost in the bag too.  Gemma and I are planning to go coast-to-coast for our honeymoon.  So far, we have decided to start in Las Vegas (so I can see Celine Dion!) and then maybe go and see the Grand Canyon and then head out onto the open road...it's still in the early planning stages, but it's certainly one for the list!



3.  Open my own business:

Giraffe

It's certainly something that's been in the pipeline for a while.  Last year, Gemma and I went on a business course as we were interested in opening a patisserie.  Nothing really took off.  However, in January, circumstances or fate brought along the purchase of a Hair Salon in Retford.  Capelli is absolutely great and we're loving the challenge of running our own business and it certainly has been a challenge at times!  Still, the hope of owning our own restaurant is still there and we haven't given up yet!  Recently, we were sat in Giraffe in London, just behind Selfridges.  It's always been one of my favourite places to eat around there.  Anyway, we were sat having a burger and a milkshake, and it suddenly occurred to use that Retford doesn't have anything like this.  In fact the nearest place really would likely be in Doncaster, which is more than 20 miles away.  So this is the idea, growing slowly, but surely.  It definitely makes the list!

4.  Trivial, but decorate my home;

Home decor

It's been a year now since we moved into our new home.  It's great, but at the minute its very impersonal.  It's quite new and there was a man in it before and it has that, well, feel.  I'm loving this vintage, rustic home look, quite hard to achieve in a new house, but not impossible I don't think, there's certainly things I can take from some of these ideas!





So, that's it for now, until next time...
kx

The thousand dollar food question

Well that's it isn't it. So I'm at a restaurant (waiting for dad to arrive so not being totally rude) and I'm weighing up the food options. Is it salad and 'eating clean' as Cassey Ho puts it. Or is it a Sunday dinner and treacle sponge?

At one time the decision would have been simple! Roast lamb and roasties would've won hands down no question. Now...well, I'll be honest, they're still winning in my head! How am I going to get that bikini body!? I hear myself cry! Well, maybe the lean meat choice, plenty of veggies and a tiny bit of gravy? Can I then have treacle sponge?!

Who knows bloggers. Time will tell if I cave...
Kx

Day 2

Day 2

I know the obvious place to start would of been Day 1...but I wasn't convinced I'd actually make it into Day 2...not because it hurt or was too hard, just because I am one of these people that is very good at starting something, not so good at finishing it!  Now, of course, 2 days does not make a finished project as it were, but i've dabbled for months in Slimming World and healthier eating etc. and at some point must commit to change.  I have 2...no 3 main motivations:

1.  Im getting married in just over a year and will not be a beach-whale bride.
2.  I am going on holiday this summer and, well, see reason above.
3.  I refuse to go into my 30's (2 years away) still battling with myself and feeling fat!!

Oh, and I suppose I should add a forth to that:

4.   To regain some confidence and feel better about myself!

So, where did I begin?  Well my parnter and I have giving up smoking, and an unfortunate side-effect of this is that you tend to eat more.  Who knew!?  Yeah, I know, highly expected.  Anyway, with eating more comes weighing more and that's where we both find ourselves.

My partner, Gemma, she's opted for the Level 1 30 Day Shred, of which there are 3 levels altogether, spanning ... well, 30 days!  Myself, well, I came across Cassey Ho some time ago and her blogilaties had inspired me then, though (as mentioned in my first sentences) it never really caught on at the time.  Now however, i've printed off her beginners calendar and i'm away to go!  It very simple in principle, there are 30 days worth of videos to follow, all based around Pilates movements, though I think it gets more cardio based as you move through it.

So, how has it gone so far?

This pretty much sums up how I feel today!

Yesterday was relatively ok, though my abs were killing after the pop pilates total body workout for beginners.  Today, well, that killed!  I could barely perform any of the moves properly from the day 2 videos as they were abb focused and mine were already hurting!  So stupid me decided, after struggling with the moves on the Pilates so much I felt I hadn't done a fair workout, i'd try the Level 1 30 Day Shred as well.  Suffice to say, I am a shaking, sweaty wreck!  But, I did it!!
I'm yet to do my measurements, but I will update when I have those.  I've done a 'before' shot, but you can get stuffed if you think im posting those online!!

Until next time:
kx