Time to get back on the wagon!

After being on holiday and not having a day to day routine I have found it so hard to stay on top of eating healthily and doing exercise. My meal prep has gone to pot as I am away a lot at the weekends and find it hard to come back late and meal prep. This has meant that instead of eating my prepared snacks I will skip them, wait for lunch and then eat the world because I am hungry and have nothing ready! Once I get into a bad routine I find it so difficult to get back into a good one and swear I get really addicted to anything containing sugar and crave it forever! Other people are satisfied with just 1 or 2 bites of chocolate.... with me, if a packet is open, it WILL be finished all in one go and then I will crave more for the rest of the day, so it is actually easier not to have it at all! (I think I have a problem.)

Back from my mini holiday holiday of eating anything and everything: 3 course meals, mountains of bread, hot chocolates galore, crispy kreme' s, Rocky roads and basically anything that is even slightly chocolatey, I have decided enough is enough! I feel a lot more wobbly especially in the thigh arena which is not the look I'm going for and my skin is terrible and feels like all the sugar is exploding out of my face. So I am going on a sugar detox and not eating any processed food, so chocolate and a lot of other food is out! As I have an actual chocolate addiction this is going to be very hard! I've done it once before and managed to not eat ANY chocolate for over a month and after the initial cravings for the first week or so it was surprisingly easy and the more I didn't have it, the less I wanted it!

This is where the boyfriend comes in handy where I force him to shout at me and make me feel guilty if he sees me with any sugar related items! However, this will ultimately end in an argument with me saying things like 'leave me alone', 'stop interferring', 'why do you think I'm fat?' and 'I just need a little bit today, goddd, why don't you understand me!' It's going to be fun for him...

So as of today, its back  to the gym and running and the aim is to get back in the jeans as they are a tad on the tight side! Once I get into a routine I start to feel good again and it gets a lot easier. These things will help me get back on track:

1) Don't skip breakfast
2) Meal prep
3) Gym
4) Cut out the artificial sugar
5) Don't forget to drink water and green tea
6) Have a goal

So these are out.....













and these are in.....










Although I have massively fallen off the wagon, I don't necessarily think it is completely a bad thing as it makes me more motivated when I get back on it and it is also nice to relax a little and enjoy all the naughty foods you know you are not supposed to have. Also, as my life basically revolves around going out to eat and food related activities, I and my friends would find me extremely boring if I refused to do these things or only ate a plate of salad every time we went out. I would like to have a six pack and no wobble on my legs but my social life is also very important and I am not willing to sacrifice the fun to get these things, so I'll settle with eating well when I'm at home and exercising, but also enjoying myself and not worrying about things when I'm out with my friends. If this means I will never get a 6 pack, then so be it, I'll settle with feeling healthy the majority of the time and not being obese!

CW

Our Top 10 Favourite Yummy-And-Good-For-You Snacks!

We both have loads of yummy snacks we love, so we thought we would compile them into a list!

Our top 10 tried and tested, which we have usually between breakfast and lunch and then lunch and dinner.


1. Fruity Protein Bars. 
The absolute fave. Try not to eat them all at once. 
1/2 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup of honey, 2 scoops protein powder (I use choc). 1 1/4 ish cups of oats, half cup of dried apricots, cranberries and sliced almonds. Mix altogether, sprinkle a few mixed seeds in and put in a baking tray and squish down with a fork, put in fridge until a bit set. Wrap them up individually in foil and keep in fridge. Usually makes about 12.

2. Apple Slices with Almond Butter. 
Easy to prepare and tastes sooo good: 
Yum yum.

3. Protein Powder Peanut Butter Balls. 
Very Moreish!
Makes about 12. 2 cups almond butter, 2 scoops of protein powder (again I use choc,) 2 ripe bananas mashed, 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds. Makes walnut sized balls, place in container, put in fridge, wrap individually once a bit set.

4. Graze Box
This is a bit cheating but you don't have to prepare them and they are delicious. Order a graze box,  it's relatively cheap and you have 4 snacks prepared for you straight away! Our favourites are flapjack, chocolate pudding, and chocolate brownie.

5. Turkey Muffins

Don’t forget, like I did, that they are meat based and not just muffins and leave them out of the fridge for days.... Go to eat one and find it’s extremely sweaty and nearly makes you sick... Results in a lot of wasted muffins. Woopps.

I left out chipotle pepper spice (I had no clue what it was)

Celery (I didn’t have any and don’t like it)

Added 1 tsp of mustard for extra flavour.

Also will get you boyfriend points (if you don’t give them gone off ones...)

6. Tone It Up Protein Bars
So yummy and a good way to use protein powder other than having a shake.
(see post on top 5 ways to use protein powder)

7. Greek Yoghurt Pancakes

Make lots, eat cold.

Add honey/almond butter/fruit/nutella for extra yuminess.

8. Greek Yoghurt with Honey and Fruit
(I like strawberries best) - so simple but very delicious.

9. Frozen Nutty Banana Nibblers
These are AMAZING. Such a good snack and one serving allows 7 which is actually really generous and you feel very satisfied afterwards. However I didn't put the 2 halves on top of each other, I kept them separate and topped them all with the mixture.

10. Cottage Cheese with Pepper and Cucumber or Reduced Fat Hummus with Cucumber and Grapes. 
I've tried a couple of different cottage cheeses and found that the plain one is definitely the best, but there are a few to try out there if you don't like one, don't be put off!

If all else fails and you don’t like any of those, then these really-not-good-for-you-but-so-good-and-ok-for-a-treat cookies are THE best cookies in the world. Loads of people have said so. Got the recipe from Tanya Burr (beauty you tuber/blogger/lots of other things. Check her out). She got it from Anna's cookie blog post and Anna got the recipe from here (I def can’t get sued.)  Just don’t eat them all at once.... you may be sick and will definitely get fat. Makes 12...

• 200g unsalted butter.

• 300g caster sugar

• 1 large egg (protein... they must be quite good for you then.....!)

• 275g self raising flour

• 75g cocoa powder

• 2 big bars of chocolate (one milk, one white, or whatever you like best)

• Splash of milk if mixture too dry.

Put the butter in a bowl and mix to make soft. Mix in the sugar until creamy.Crack the egg and mix that in. Throw in the dry ingredients. If dry add few drops of milk. Line 2 baking trays. Scoop mix into 12ish balls (about a handful). Place far apart on tray 200 degrees centigrade in the oven for only 10 mins.... they will look super sloppy but after half an hour will be at the perfect consistency to eat! I suggest inviting some friends round as soon as you get them out of the oven, or there is a massive chance you may devour them all in one go.

CW. CP. x

Hangover hell or as fresh as.... fennel (?!)

So... the ‘minimise hangover’ techniques have been tried and tested at a fancy dress party last night... I did almost all of the things I said, however I didn't have toast when I got back in, as I had had a massive hog roast not long before and wasn't hungry/didn't want to add more calories to the already millions I had consumed through liquid and pig.

This morning, I had to wake up at 8 to let the dog out and feed the hens (house sitting for the parentals) and didn't go to sleep until 3, therefore only had 5 hours sleep.  I think the main factor that contributes to a hangover is lack of sleep and because I have not had a lot I still feel realllly tired/a bit hungover. But I do think all the things I tried helped me not to feel as bad this morning and I can still function which is always a plus, as it means I can now go and enjoy a delicious beanie burger at Nandos. Yum. I also had a delicious breakfast of eggs on toast and PB and banana smoothie which def soaked up some excess alcohol.

In conclusion: The tips and tricks did help to lessen the hangover, but unless you get a really good night’s sleep you are always going to feel a bit rubbish the next day. So make sure you get those extra zzzzz’s.

CW. x

Top 5 Super Scrumptious Sexy (sometimes smelly) Smoothies

I LOVE a smoothie.  Especially in the morning as it is easy to take with you, which means more time in bed.  I always get 10 minutes extra on a smoothie morning, which is definitely worth it.... They are always packed with loads of fruit and/or veg which means you don't have to worry as much about getting your 5 a day as most of them are probably in your smoothie.

CP and I have tried a few and find that the recipe often makes 2 and then because it’s so yummy we often drink all of it, which I don’t think you’re supposed to do... So I halve the recipes so I can’t drink the world in smoothie. Also, depending on how thick/sloppy etc you like it, I always make it how it says then work out what I can do next time to make it nicer, eg add a few more oats for a more oaty/thicker texture. (Don’t forget to write it down otherwise you will probably forget, if you have a fish brain like me).

1. Almond Butter Smoothie (This is for 1glass)

Half a banana

3 ice cubes

74 mls (my stupid measuring jug is in US fluid ounces.... bought by my mum... I bet it was the cheapest. If it is, 2.5 US fluid ounces)

2 desert spoons of low fat greek yoghurt

About ½ cup of oats (I just pour it out of the packet until it looks right... not sure how accurate that is..)

Squirt of honey for sweetness

Half a table spoon of almond butter (myrotein.com)

Shove it all in and blend. Yum. It is also quite filling which is pleasing.

2. Kale and Spinach Smoothie.

It sounds disgusting but it is sooooo delicious! You can literally hardly even taste the veg, but it looks good because it’s green and is reallllly refreshing. If you are going out that night, have one. It’s so good for you it will practically counteract the alcohol...

Again this is for 1 glass:

1 cup of spinach

1 and a half cups of kale

½ cup strawberries (I use frozen ones so you can keep them for ages in the freezer)

½ cup of orange juice (I use Tropicana... maybe use an actual orange if you want to be super healthy)

½ cup of low fat greek yog.

I cup of ice.

I cut the stalks off the kale as you don’t want gross stalky bits floating around in your mouth.

3. Apple and Cinnamon Smoothie

(from pinterest, see post below...)

This is really delicious, think it may be CP’s fave.

4. Get Well Smoothie (www.toneitup.com)

Another one of CP’s favourite.

4 clementines

1 banana

1 cup of spinach

1 cup of kale (think CP leaves the kale out)

1/3 cup almond milk.

Similar to the other one (which I prefer).

5. Banana and Strawberry (Bawberry... Strawbana...) Smoothie

This one is from laurenconrad.com

Quite sweet and very fruity.

Half cup of ice (I use 3 ice cubes...)

½ cup of frozen strawberries

½ cup low fat greek yog

1 banana

½ cup oats

1 table spoon honey.

NB If there is a p missed out in any words it is because my silly computer has decided to not like the p key today...

Go and try a different one every day!

CW.

Green Tea Goodness/Forcing Yourself To Like It!

I hate tea. Weird, I know. To me, it tastes of watery grossness with a bit of weirdness added in. It becomes a tiny bit better when sugar's involved but I’m still not a fan. I don’t think CP is either, which makes us both weird, which we knew already.

So,  I started trying to drink green tea... My mum has drank it forever and swears by it, she hardly ever gets ill and she thinks that is why! The first, I’m not going to lie, 25 times I tasted it, it was so gross and I was trying to convince myself I liked it! But as time went on, I found myself beginning to actually look forward to it and found it quite refreshing. I’m not going to pretend it’s my favourite drink, because... well, it’s not, hot chocolate it. But, it is drinkable and you do get used to it after a while, so stick at it.

There are many benefits that are believed to be associated with green tea which is part of the reason I think I like it – because it makes me feel like I’m putting goodness into my body.

·         It is believed to boost your metabolism.... and   who doesn’t want that to happen?! (Except maybe those lucky ‘I can never put on weight people’ (annoyiinngg))

·         It is an antioxidant against cancer.

·         It helps prevent wrinkles... obviously at the age of 25 it is time to add that to the list of life worries.

·         It helps prevent depression.

There are probably loads more, but those are the ones I’m most interested in.

However, most importantly to me, it really does suppress my appetite! So when I’m feeling peckish (all of the time...) I try and drink a green tea rather than reach for the biscuit tin.... and then the chocolate bar... and then the ice cream.... and then binge for a week because 'I've ruined my healthy eating anyway so I might as well get be fat.'

Which to buy:

I personally don’t like the flavoured ones so I opt for the standard green tea bags. I did, however, think I was being really clever and buy loads from a bargain shop and once they had ran out decided that I couldn’t be bothered to troop all the way back there so went to a standard supermarket instead. Whilst there, I discovered that my bargain wasn’t such a bargain and actually I could get 100 green tea bags by Tetley for about £4, which I think was a better deal than the ‘bargain’ ones I got from the ‘bargain’ shop. Also, they are a MUCH nicer flavour which was a nice surprise.

So, basically, don’t be scabby and buy things from nice shops.

In conclusion, you should definitely try green tea and force yourself to like it....

(picture from http://www.city-connect.org/green-tea-versus-coffee/ )

CW.

Green Smoothie

The best smoothie ever…. Can’t really taste the veg, it’s just refreshing and so good for you! 
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup kale
Half a cup low fat Greek yog
Half cup orange juice
3 ice cubes
Half cup strawberries (I used frozen)
Half a banana! 
Amazeeee

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CW

CW's Meal Plan and Food Prep Week Two

Wow, meal plan looks good! Now all we have to do is…. Do it!!! Here’s mine for the week…. 

As u can see I have 2(ish) fast days, (a review on the 5:2 diet coming soon....) but if this week goes well I may reduce down to one! Also I’ve got a busy weekend which often proves problematic as I eat the world! Hopefully I can control my urges as I will have been eating high protein food and snacking, unlike usual where I’ll starve so I can eat the entire world at the weekend!

Meal plan and meal prep for some items!

Protein bar - http://toneitup.com/blog.php?ToneItUpand-039-s-Homemade-Protein-Bars-27

Overnight porridge - www.laurenconrad.com

Breakfast Smoothie (Peanut Butter and Banana) - http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2012/05/healthy-breakfast-ideas-slideshow?mbid=enws_row0430#slide=1

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CW

CP's Meal Plan For Week Two

I’m not sure how rigorously I’m going to stick to this meal plan this week but it’s worth a try! I’ve managed to go to Sainsburys and not buy any naughty stuff which is a good start! The next step went ok too which was meal prep! Now I have not much of an excuse to not stick to it!

Recipes used above:

Protein Bars - http://toneitup.com/blog.php?ToneItUpand-039-s-Homemade-Protein-Bars-27

Breakfast Smoothie (Peanut Butter and Banana) - http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2012/05/healthy-breakfast-ideas-slideshow?mbid=enws_row0430#slide=1

Green Smoothie - http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Stay-Healthy-This-Season-with-your-TIU-Get-Well-Smoothie-5644

Turkey Muffins - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/video-jamie-eason-turkey-meatloaf-muffins.htm

4 Bean Chili - http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-4-bean-chili/

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CP