21 practical weight loss tips for beginners

Tag: exercise

11
Jan
2019

21 practical weight loss tips for beginners

I’m often asked for my top weight loss tips, so I’ve put together a post that contains the many tips I’ve picked up over the years that have helped me to lose 4 stone and keep it off for quite some time now. These are not quick fixes, but practical steps you can take to improve what and how you eat. These weight loss strategies have also helped me to improve my relationship with food and how I view my body. If your New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight, I hope you find these useful and I hope that you are kind to yourselves in the process of changing your eating habits and associated behaviours.

1. Record what you eat
Tracking what you eat is a simple way to keep an eye on what you’re consuming, as it’s quite easy to forget what you eat, especially if you’re prone to snacking. It’s also a useful tool to adopt if you calorie count or want to track how much protein, carbs or fat you’re consuming. Apps such as MyFitnessPal are great for tracking and recording your progress, but simply writing down what you eat on a piece of paper is just as useful.

2. Plan your meals in advance
I’m a huge plan of meal planning. All you need to do is jot down what you plan to eat and when. I find this helps you to make and stick to healthy choices “in the moment”.

3. Walk more
I always think that walking is a hugely underestimated form for exercise. It’s a great fat burner, free to do, relaxing, and suitable for all fitness levels. Incorporate it into your everyday schedule or set some time aside to take a stroll.

4. Eat way more vegetables then you’re currently doing
Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that will leave you feeling great in so many ways, plus they’re a wonderful source of fibre and can help fill you up for very few calories. Include a large portion of veg with as many meals as possible. Carrots, cucumbers, peppers, celery and fruit make great snacks too.

5. Be kind to yourself
In the pursuit of weight loss many of us can be very cruel to ourselves – whether that’s in the form of starving your body from food or having negative thoughts and opinions about yourself. For anyone wishing to lose weight, please do be kind to yourself. It can take time to lose weight and for long-lasting results it’s far better to work on creating new, healthy eating and exercise habits one step at a time that are sustainable. Although this book – Body Positive Panda – isn’t a weight loss book, I would highly recommend reading it if you continually find yourself having negative thoughts about your body, or feel you may behave in a less than positive way towards yourself. This book does not advocate dieting, so it may seem like a very strange thing for me to recommend it, but it helped me to put my weight loss goals in perspective and re-evaluate why I’m wanting to lose weight and if I actually want or need to. After some time asking myself some difficult questions, I realised that I have a genuine interest in nutrition and I enjoy exercising, so from a distance it might not seem that a lot has changed in my behaviour but take my word for it that mentally and emotionally, I’ve experienced a huge shift in my attitude towards weight loss and I feel far happier and healthier for it.

6. Remember the basics of weight loss
There are a lot theories when it comes to successful weight loss methods, but there is one fundamental thing experts agree on – consume less than you’re using. If you eat more than you’re ‘burning off’ you can gain weight. Plus, there’s undeniable research when it comes to the benefits of consuming a wide range of fruit, vegetables and foods as close to their natural state as possible (e.g. heavily fried or processed foods are never featured in a healthy weight loss plan for this reason). I find this helpful to keep in mind when I feel conflicted by healthy food messages or if a new fad diet appears on the scene. A healthy diet consists of a wide range of fruit; vegetables; wholegrains (brown rice for example); legumes; pulses; protein (e.g. chicken, tofu, salmon, eggs); healthy fats (found in avocado for example), lots of water and exercise.

7. Food shop online
Supermarkets can be tempting places, with buy one get on free offers on foods that tend to be high in fat and calories, and low in vitamins and minerals. Once you’ve made a meal plan for the week ahead, why not shop online as a way to reduce the temptation to buy foods that aren’t great for your health or weight loss goals.

8. Cook from scratch whenever possible
This is a simple way to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fat in your diet, as many pre-made sauces and ready meals contain a higher proportions of these compared to when you cook a meal with fresh ingredients from scratch. Plus, cooking from scratch is an easy way to include a load of vegetables – think soups, stews, curries and stir fries.

9. Cook in batches
If getting in the kitchen to cook everyday is impractical, then start ‘batch cooking’ and save the extra portions in the fridge or freezer for future meal times.

10. Enjoy fruit as a dessert or afternoon snack
Fruit is naturally sweet and makes for a great dessert or snack, especially if you have a sweet tooth. Fruit needn’t be ‘boring’ either. I personally love a piece of fruit but I also love making banana ice cream (blend a frozen banana with some milk – that’s it), fruit sorbets (more frozen fruit in a blender), fruit salads, mixing fruit with some yogurt or making a smoothie. Plus, you’ll be consuming a load more vitamins, minerals and fibre too!

11. Eat more protein
Lean sources of protein can really help you to feel fuller for longer, and reduce the urge to overeat on foods that may not be great for you. My favourite protein sources are plain greek style yogurt, quark, chicken, tuna and salmon. I also love lentils and beans, which are great sources of fibre too. I should state here that I’m not an advocate for cutting out carbs, but when it comes to breaky, lunch and dinner I have found it beneficial to reduce my carb portion sizes slightly, if favour for a larger portion of protein and veg.

12. Eat more fibre
Nutritionists and health experts often report that we do not consume enough fibre, and we can all benefit for upping our fibre intake. Fibre ensures you have a healthy working gut, are ridding your body of toxins and, well let me just say it – stools! Stay regular by opting for brown rice, brown bread, lentils, beans and green leafy vegetables. There are many other benefits too and I personally have found in recent years, that increasing my fibre intake has helped significantly with my weight loss.

13. Join a group
The buzz of other people working out or eating healthy is infectious and I’ve always found it beneficial to be around people with a similar goal. Groups can come in so many forms, so have fun finding one that works for you and keeps you motivated. It could be a group (online or in person) where you discuss healthy food choices (like WW), or a local exercise class or gym where you naturally have conversations with those taking part about their goals and share tips. Or, start your own group with friends and family and motivate each other to try new healthy recipes and new activities.

14. Learn from the process
If you have a ‘bad’ day and go off track, try not to beat yourself up about it. Put it in perspective and learn from it. For example, I would overeat anytime I would restrict my food intake too much during the day. This may sound silly but it’s almost as if I thought I wasn’t allowed to eat while trying to lose weight. That is ridiculous, we all have to eat. I learned that I simply needed to eat more nutritious foods and not to let hours and hours go by without eating, as that was also a trigger for me to indulge on high fat and high calorie foods.

15. Eat
Eating less and burning more will create a calorie deficit that will lead to weight loss, but please don’t take that to the extreme. From experience, when you eat more nutritious foods (such as lean protein, fruit, vegetables, brown rice and bread, lentils, beans) you may feel as though you’re actually eating more than you’ve ever done before. Your body will thrive on receiving all the right macronutrients (fat, protein and carbs) and micro (vitamins and minerals) nutrients it needs.

16. Forget ‘good’ and ‘bad’
I’m guilty of referring to myself as having been ‘bad’ if I eat a piece of chocolate or as if the chocolate itself is ‘bad’. For me it’s important to establish and share that eating chocolate (or any other food not on a superfoods list) doesn’t make you a bad person. There are no ‘bad’ foods; some foods do have higher nutritional benefits than others but eating chocolate or crisps doesn’t make you bad. If you like these foods, enjoy them in moderation and don’t be hard on yourself after eating them. Life is too short for that.

17. Be mindful of your portion sizes
Without sounding confusing having just said eat and forget good and bad foods, for weight loss a deficit between what you’re consuming and what your using needs to be created. I went through a time when I just wasn’t losing weight, even though I felt as though my diet was healthy and any treats I had were in moderation. It came as a bit of a shock to me when I realised (through research and talking to a PT and weight loss coach) that I was simply overeating – even though the foods I was consuming were healthy. Here’s a link to a handy portion size guide I came across online.

18. Be mindful when you eat
As much as possible sit down to eat and focus on your food without distractions – even if you’re just having a snack or a hot drink. When you eat while watching TV for example, it’s easy to consume your food without really acknowledging it and that can leave us wanting more food than we need. Try to savour every moment and make eating a fun event.

19. Enjoy feeling better
While I understand the happiness that can come from losing weight, I also want to shout about the benefits of eating well and exercising more, because this has (ever since I started to really change my eating habits for the better) always been a surprising benefit. Binge eating on chocolate and consuming portion sizes way bigger than I needed for my lifestyle I believe where the reasons why I was overweight and felt so lethargic. Eating more natural foods and moving more has given both my energy and confidence levels a huge boost. Eating better makes me feel better and every time I complete an exercise (be it running, cycling, or weight lifting) without wanting to keel over, I feel extremely proud of how far I’ve come and how much stronger and fitter I am today.

20. Weigh yourself just once a week
Weighing yourself is one way to measure your progress, and if you do weigh yourself regularly please only do it once a week – ideally at the same time each week, first thing and in the nude! If that’s not possible, weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time each week wearing similar clothes each time. Weighing yourself throughout the week can be disheartening if the number on the scales fluctuates, which is does depending how what you’ve eaten, how much you’ve drunk and so on. Other measures you may like to try or consider are how you feel; how your clothes feel; you may be able to access scales that tell you your body composition and see if your ratio of fat to muscle changes over time; or a measuring tape – so that you can see if you’ve lost inches from your waist, hips, thigh and arms for example.

21. Make one change at a time
There are many ways to achieve successful, healthy weight loss. In this post alone are 21 tips and I wouldn’t blame you for feeling a little overwhelmed if you’ve reached the end of the post and aren’t sure where to start. While you lose weight focus on one area (or tip provided in this post) you could change at a time. Focus on that area for a week and give yourself time at the end of the week to review your progress and see if you’re ready to focus on another area.

If you’ve enjoyed this post and have found it useful, please like, share and comment; and I wish you the best with all your health goals, you can do it!

Chloe

30
Oct
2018

5 ways to keep exercising this Winter

Categories: Fitness

As the weather turns colder it can be far too tempting to put off the usual fitness regime, in favour of cozying up on the sofa with a blanket. While I’ll be doing plenty of the latter, I’m keen to keep up my workouts during winter to stay fit, healthy and to achieve my own weight loss goals. If you’re with me and want to do a bit of both, read on for 5 ways to keep exercising this winter!

5 ways to stay fit in winter

1. Team up with a friend
This is a good one to do all year round. Teaming up with a friend to exercise, more often than not, makes you stick to your workout of choice – even when it’s cold.

2. Upgrade your winter workout wardrobe
This isn’t just an excuse to go shopping (although it’s a good excuse in my book). Making sure you have appropriate workout clothes also helps you to stick to you fitness regime. It could be a new set of gym clothes, that you’ll want to show off, get use out of or feel comfortable in; or winter specific items if your favourite exercise means being outside. For example, I love jogging so my new winter kit includes running gloves, a hat, and a warm but lightweight high vis jacket.

3. Put the date in the diary
Whether you make a note of it on your phone’s calendar or on paper, setting a date to workout also means you’re more likely to stick to it.

4. Sign up to a gym or indoor classes
You don’t have to spend money getting fit, but having the financial commitment and a place to exercise inside are both good motivators for keeping active as it gets colder. Plus, local leisure centres usually offer a ‘pay as you go’ membership and there are a growing number of ‘cheap’ gym clubs around.

5. Home workouts
Lastly, set a date to do some exercise in the comfort of your living room. There are tons of online/YouTube workout videos, with many being free. I’m a fan of The Body Coach videos and any beginners yoga session I can find. I also like the YouTube channel Cosmic Kids, it’s yoga with fun stories, so that I can do some stretching with my daughter or at least keep her entertained while I do it! Other exercises you can do without heading out include classic resistance moves such as press up, sit ups/crunches and squats.

23
Oct
2018

29 foods to beat a cold

Categories: Food

As we enter prime cold and flu season, I thought I’d share a little roundup of all the foods that are great for boosting your immune system and can help you beat those winter bugs.

What foods boost your immune system?
Vitamin C has high antioxidant properties, which is why most of us turn to a glass of orange juice when we’re feeling under the weather and want to ward off a cold. It can help strengthen your immune system and aid in the absorption of iron, too. Unlike other water-soluble vitamins, the body can not store it, which is why it’s important to consume it every day. The recommended amount is 40mg.

Good sources of vitamin C include;
Oranges
Grapefruits
Blackcurrants
Kiwis
Mangoes
Papayas
Pineapples
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Watermelon
Tomatoes and tomato juice
Potatoes
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Green and red peppers
Spinach
Cabbage and
Butternut squash

Foods to boost your immune system
Zinc, Copper, Iron, Selenium and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K also play a key role in building a strong and healthy immune system.

For foods rich in Zinc opt for;

Wholegrains (e.g. wholegrain bread)
Pulses
Nuts and
Seeds

For foods containing copper, selenium and vitamins A, D, E and K go for foods such as;

Broccoli
Carrots
Apricots
Nuts
Seeds and
Peppers

For some iron, you could consume;

Red meat
Pulses
Fortified cereals and
Seeds

Plus, keeping active also boosts your immune system, so be sure to keep moving.

If you found this post helpful, be sure to leave a comment or like it on my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook page.

Thanks for reading, and stay healthy!
Chloe x

08
Oct
2018

My weight loss journey

Categories: My Journey, Weight Loss

I used to find the phrase ‘weight loss journey’ really bizarre and a little bit silly, until I realised that changing your eating and exercise habits for good really does take you on a journey of discovery. It was seven years ago that I decided to start my own weight loss journey and today I’d like to share with you what 2018 has contributed to my weight loss experiences. Warning: This post contains verbal diarrhoea.

Pre-2018
In case you’ve not read my blog before (or you’re not one of my family and friends… hi Michelle), let me share with you why I wanted to lose weight.

I’ve always felt like the ‘fat’ one and over the years my ‘obese’ (according to the NHS BMI charts) weight levels started to get me down. I would cry a lot about my body image and I would feel guilty eating (be it healthy or not). So, I joined Weight Watchers (now called WW) after many years of yo yo dieting. It was the first slimming group I’ve ever been too and the only time I successfully lost weight week after week. Not just that, but it encouraged me to exercise and learn how to cook healthily from scratch. (This is not a WW advert but the way, just what happened to me). A little while after I joined WW I got engaged and my motivation to get to my ‘goal weight’ went through the roof. Fast forward two years, I lost 50lbs, got to my goal weight, dropped 5 sizes and felt amazing.

Then I went on honeymoon and gained a lot of weight in just two weeks – almost a stone if memory serves me right. I was disappointed and disgusted with myself. In hindsight I still looked slim and could fit into my smaller dress size, but I wasn’t happy. Months went by and I maintained the new higher weight and came to terms with it. I then fell pregnant with my first child and gained five stone.

Having a baby and that extra weight completely threw me. Not only was I learning how to be a mum, but those old feelings of hating the body I was in came rushing back with great force. I’m very aware as I write this that way worse things could happen. I just had a precious baby (and my daughter is everything), but my body felt so alien and simply disgusting. Which is really harsh considering it (my body) just grew a human being and managed to push it out of another one!

A negative start to the year
It’s been three years since then and I did reach my ‘goal weight’ once more, but that was in 2017; and so my 2018 started in a less than positive way. I was heavier than I was in 2017 and feeling incredible down about that fact. In hindsight, (again) it really was only a few pounds but because I beat myself about it so much, I ended up comfort/overeating and the weight crept up towards the end of 2017.

In 2017 I had also run 10k in under hour in a fun run, and whilst I’m incredibly proud of that I hadn’t realised just how much of my year had been focused on training for the run. Without a major event to work towards, and with the change in weather, I was lacking enthusiasm to get out and work out.

Body positivity
I started reading more about body positivity and felt that I needed to change my mindset in 2018. It wasn’t healthy for me to be so transfixed on a number on the scales and having that fun run to work towards made me realise that it’s the getting fit and healthy that really inspires me. If I aim for that, then any excess weight (fat) will in turn come off. I absolutely loved reading Megan Jaynee Crabbe’s Body Positive Power and it had a way bigger impact on me than I could ever imagined. I would hugely recommend this book if you are constantly beating yourself about your body.

New learnings
My thinking started to change and I decided that I wanted to learn the facts about good nutrition and exercising healthily. This is something that, in my view, WW has always encouraged but I wanted to further my understanding and seek out more sources of information – which I’ve been doing and I have enjoyed. I’ve also seeked advice from Personal Trainers and have learnt a lot about the importance of resistance training, and protein – to name just a few things.

Wrap it up
In a nutshell, I’ve been re-educating myself this year and working hard to question my attitude towards food, exercise and body image. It’s been challenging in places but I feel like (without being super cringey) I’ve grown a lot and have made some good progress in cementing healthy habits and a healthier outlook.

Give me the facts, how much do you weigh?
I’m not going to tell you that, although I’ve had some fun featuring in various WW articles and you will probably find the answer if you Google it! I will say that I’m 12lbs away from my ‘goal weight’ and feeling a lot slimmer and toned than I did at the start of the year (despite weighing a little more). I’m also feeling less bothered by that number on the scales and have enjoyed working on my muscles! Yeah I said it, if you happen to be in my house after I’ve been to the gym it’s common to see me flexing my new muscles to anyone willing to inspect them – normally my 3-year-old.

Binge eating
Plus, one of the biggest changes and something I’m most proud off is the decrease in binge eating episodes, which used to be a common occurrence. It was usually set off by bad news or having an indulgent weekend and then feeling guilty about it come Monday. Instead, I’m enjoying those occasions where I may eat and drink a little more but not letting then send me into a downward spiral of unhealthy habits.

The end
So, good luck to you all if you are trying to improve your health (be it physical or mental) and if you managed to read the majority of this post, then well done to you because I really did go on a bit!

Chloe xx

03
Sep
2018

Hello September!

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

Although I’ve not been in school for quite some time, September for me still feels like the start of a new year and a chance to embrace new (or old) goals and to get stuff done! Holidays have come to an end, there are less and less social functions to attend and getting back into a routine actually feels good. This month has already started with a huge positive…

Post-holiday happiness
I write this post after a two week vacation in Italy, which was absolutely amazing and I was able to witness two of my best friends get married. I’m well and truly still in a happy holiday bubble, but instead of having post-holiday blues (which may still come), I feel rejuvenated and excited for the rest of the year. Towards the final days of my holiday I was delighted to see a little feature in Weight Watchers magazine of me and my daughter.

Weight Watchers
The article is all about how Weight Watchers encouraged me to get back into exercise after having my daughter. Seeing the feature made me feel so proud of the many healthy habits I’ve adopted since being a Weight Watchers member. The holiday I’ve just taken was a huge example of how different I am compared to trips away pre-Weight Watchers.

A healthier me
Over the course of two weeks I went for several jogs, walked lots, swam, went to the gym and enjoyed plenty of healthy food choices with a few treats thrown in (aka wine and ice cream). A younger me would of binged on unhealthy food just because I was away and would of left all gym clothes at home. That same person would of returned home a stone heavier and feeling terribly guilty about all the indulgences. Then I would of fall into a downward spiral of feeling horrible about my weight and myself.

For some this may sound crazy and a bit dramatic, but this has been a previous consequence of many holidays. I know a lot of people who are able to go away, eat what they like, come home happy and not give a damn about any fluctuations in weight – so please don’t take this as me saying you’re doing anything wrong. It’s just for me that ‘letting go’ approach on holiday meant eating everything and anything and then feeling rubbish about myself after.

“Fruit salad mummy?”
I’m also incredibly proud of daughter who appears in the magazine article. She is such a confident little thing and was both hilarious and well behaved during the photoshoot. It’s for her that I also want to continue eating well and exercising regularly – I want to be a healthy mum that can play without getting out of breath within seconds and to set a good example of how to eat well. On holiday when we were talking about the day ahead she would often ask if I was going to eat a fruit salad again for breakfast. It may sound silly, but hearing her recognise me eating something healthy made me feel great.

Support
I’m so thankful for Weight Watchers for encouraging all of the healthy habits mentioned above. Joining the programme has deepened my interest in nutrition, has encouraged me to try new sports and in turn has led me to meet whole host of fantastic people who continue to support me as I work towards my health goals.

Never sporty
I was never a sporty kid at school and if you told me then that I would one day enjoy running, spinning, long walks and would even have one-on-one personal training sessions, I would of burst out laughing. Weight Watchers taught me the importance of exercise and gave me the confidence to try new things and discover activities that I could keep up long-term. I am also so thankful for the several PT’s I’ve been in recent contact with, who have helped me embrace lifting weights and have giving me extra guidance on what to eat for good health and effective weight loss.

A negative outlook
I have to admit, that until I saw the final Weight Watchers article mentioned and had a little September inspired overview of how far I’ve come, I was feeling less positive about myself and weight. Whilst I’ve lost a lot of post-baby weight and am proud of all the healthy decisions I made on holiday, I’ve been feeling frustrated that I’m not at my goal weight. I got there last March and somehow it’s crept up a bit. However, with this new month and feeling inspired I would like to announce that I will draw a line under that, and do my best to get to that goal, but ultimately to continue to work on leading a healthier life for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading this mind dump,
Chloe xx

02
May
2018

I’m in the Weight Watchers magazine!

Categories: Fitness, Weight Watchers

If you follow me on Instagram, twitter or Facebook you would have seen some very chuffed posts this week about my appearance in the June issue of the Weight Watchers magazine. I am absolutely thrilled to be featured and I still can’t get over the fact that I’m actually in the magazine.

If you’ve not seen those posts here’s what it’s all about… last year I took part in an event called #WW5Kmyway. The idea was to complete a 5k in any style you wanted. Be it walking, running, swimming, dancing, whatever! My lovely Weight Watchers Coach teamed up with a fellow Weight Watchers group and together we walked 5k on a very hot summer’s day. The event really gave me the fitness boost I needed.

Pick up a copy of the Weight Watchers magazine asap to find out more about the event and my full story; plus here’s how to get involved with this year’s #WW5kmyway.

Chloe x

14
Mar
2018

A PureGym review

Categories: Fitness, Reviews

I’ve been in search of a new place to workout and I have finally ended up at my local PureGym. Here’s how I’ve been getting on at this mega cheap gym chain.

What is PureGym?
PureGym is a chain of gyms that offers super low cost memberships. There are clubs all over the country and many are open 24 hours.

I had heard good things about the gym chain and could never believe how cheap the membership is in comparison to others – subconsciously I perhaps thought the price meant that the gym would be super basic, but I was wrong.

My local PureGym
Equipment wise I would never spot the difference between this gym and another where you may end up paying triple the price; and did you know that PureGym membership includes a ton of fitness classes too? From spinning to kettlebell to dance classes – the range is amazing and I’ve really enjoyed trying as many new ones as possible.

PureGym gym review
I’ve been really impressed with PureGym and absolutely love all the classes – especially spinning. With the cost being low I also don’t feel guilty if for some reason I can’t make it to the gym, but that said I think it’s actually had the opposite effect; I’m going way more than I had intended because I can’t get over how cheap it is and how much you get included.

However, I am absolutely pants in knowing what to do in the weights section, so next job is to get au fait with the dumbbells and get my squat on! Perhaps I need to book some one-on-one sessions with one of the many Personal Trainers at the club, who all seem lovely too!

Cons of PureGym
I wouldn’t usually notice this and I’m really not a picky person but my particular club has an awful carpark – there are no clear spaces and it looks as though the ground itself needs resurfacing urgently. I’m also a bit suspicious of the air con in the Spinning studio – does it actually work? They say it’s on but I think that’s debatable! There’s no pool either, which doesn’t bother me, but just a heads up if swimming if your thing.

Would you recommend PureGym?
I would definitely recommend PureGym to anyone looking for a friendly and well equipped place to work out. Nice one PureGym, keep doing what you’re doing.

06
Nov
2017

5 unusual reasons why I love buggy running

Categories: Fitness, Phil & Teds Sport Running Buggy

I’ve been asked lots lately if I would ‘really’ recommend buggy running and my answer is yes! Can’t you tell? I talk about it all the time! Here’s a little on why I love buggy running and my Phil & Teds Sport.

1. I feel so free!
Getting fit and losing some unwanted pounds is really important to me, but I felt so frustrated having to be dependent on childcare if I wanted to go for a run (something I enjoyed doing before having a baby). Thanks to buggy running that’s no longer an issue. Plus, now my daughter is older we can make quite an event out of it by including a park visit before or after my jog.

2. It makes me feel like a super mum keeping me and my daughter active
This is a bit silly but when i’m running with my daughter in the buggy I feel like a right super mum. ”Check me out keeping fit and looking after this one” is what usually goes through my head. “Someone applaud me” but that never happens. The running bug seems to be catching too and my daughter does enjoy a good jog as well, and seems genuinely excited when I say lets go for a run.

3. Having all that fresh air helps me feel less guilty about staying in for the rest of the day
As much as I love running, I also like sitting on the sofa! Going for a jog with a park visit included helps me feel like we’ve earned ourselves some lazy time once we’re back home.

4. My Phil & Teds Sport has the best shopping basket
I use my running buggy to go for walks too and sometimes (often) that includes a visit to the shops. I’ve had my fair share of buggies and I can say with confidence that this has the best and biggest basket, which is so handy for picking up some essentials (or treats) when we’re out and about.

5. I feel so much fitter and stronger
The first run I went on after having my daughter was extremely challenging. I definitely thought that was it, no more running for me. I’m so thankful running buggies exist as mine has helped me to regain my fitness at my own pace, and at times that worked for me and my family. So much so that (if you hadn’t spotted) I completed a 10k run in under hour just a few months ago, all thanks to training with my running buggy.

Thanks for reading and see you again soon,
Chloe

03
Nov
2017

An active day out at RHS Garden Wisley

Categories: Baby & Me, Reviews

Half term just gone me, my daughter and our besties headed off to Wisley Gardens in Surrey. Over the years I’ve heard of it but I hadn’t really thought of it as a place for young children, which I’ve come to learn was very foolish. This gorgeous setting is a great place to take kids and if you’re a Fitbit fan like me, you will definitely earn yourself some steps exploring all that the gardens have to offer. If you’ve not been before and you’re interested in heading somewhere new this weekend over the festive period, here’s a bit about our day out at RHS Garden, Wisley.

The Gardens
You can’t help but be impressed with these grounds and this post probably won’t do it any justice. Just believe me when I say that it is simply stunning and extremely varied. For example, there’s a Glasshouse which is home to tropical plants and a waterfall; a whole garden filled with unusual wood carved seats and statues; a large dinosaur that my daughter was fascinated with; and a kids park.

Park and soft play
The park for little ones is huge and surrounded by picnic benches, which is where we enjoyed our lunch. There’s also an indoor soft play and throughout the year you can find plenty of events on just for children.

Special events
This half term there was pumpkin carving, storytelling, a puppet show and lots of other activities for children to get involved with; and I’ve just seen there’s lots on at RHS Wisley over Christmas too – including stories with Santa!

Food and drink
There are several cafes were you can pick up lunch, cakes, coffees and so on. There are also plenty of places dotted around to sit and enjoy your own food if you fancy taking a picnic with you. That does keep costs down and saves on queuing during busy lunch periods. That said, the coffee and cake I had was delicious!

See you soon Wisley!
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

23
Oct
2017

Why you’ve not seen how much I’ve lost lately

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

I’ve been a little quiet lately when it comes to sharing my weight loss stats and that’s because i’ve been slowly gaining weight (well losing and then gaining what I lost) – since I got to my weight loss goal in March. Whilst I feel slimmer in some ways and definitely fitter, that pesky number on the scales has been rising and we all know I’m a little bit obsessed with the scales. So, here’s what i’m struggling with and how I hope to turn it around. Plus, should I hide my scales?

My trouble zones

Evening snacking: When it’s dark and my daughter is in bed I seem to snack like there’s no tomorrow. It feels like it’s a bit of me time and for whatever reason, my hands and mouth seem to constantly want food in them! But, i’ve got a couple of strategies…

I used to snack on frozen grapes. Because they’re frozen they take longer to eat and being grapes you get that satisfaction of going back for more. Does that make any sense? I kind of got out of the habit of eating them, especially when it’s a little colder, but i’m bringing grapes back! Also, when colouring with my daughter the other day I found it surprising therapeutic and kept my snacking hands busy, so I may actually get some of those adult colouring books and pencils which I used to think were a bit gimmicky – you win, i’m buying you!

Events: I’m guilty of admitting defeat before an event has begun. “Oh I’ve got a party and I know i’m going to be terrible so i’m going to be a massive piggy”. Instead of creating a game plan and making healthy choices during said event, I don’t track (and I usually track everything I eat and drink) and get carried away with the old prosecco, which eventually leads to drunken munchies. My strategy for this one is…

I must plan ahead and track what I’m eating and drinking during the moment. So that I feel better about those occasions where I will eat and drink more (but could do it more sensibly), I could go for a buggy run before the event to hopefully balance out any extra indulgences.

Tiredness:
Like many people, I tend to eat more when I’m tired, I just need to go to bed earlier!

To weigh or not to weigh: that is the question
While all of this has been going on, I’ve had more compliments lately on looking slimmer (people probably just being nice, but I’m taken those compliments vey seriously haha) and my stomach does feel flatter. Being able to complete a 10k run in a decent time I hope is evidence too that my fitness levels are ok, so why do I care about the number on the scales? I don’t know. It’s been my marker of good health for so long, I guess it’s tricky to abandon them.

Sometimes I think ‘should I just hide the scales’, as they can really get me down if I put on weight on when I feel like I should of lost a few pounds. Plus, I do love my Weight Watchers group, so perhaps I should bin my home scales so that I only weigh once a week at my meeting (as opposed to several times a week). That said I’d really like some Fitbit scales for Christmas!

My plan of attack
So that’s where i’m struggling and this is my successful weight loss plan in a nutshell…

Eat frozen grapes during evening snack attack
Get my adult colouring on to distract my hands during evening snack attack
Plan and track what I’m eating during special occasions to prevent massive binge on booze or food
Go for a buggy run the day before or morning of a special event as a damage limitation strategy
Go to bed earlier when possible
Weigh only once a week at my Weight Watchers meeting
Start taking my measurements to see if I am losing inches
Ask for some Fitbit scales for Christmas

Thanks for reading this brain dump, I really appreciate it.
Chloe x