'Lack of blog' apologies and 'Emily's Healthy Snack Bars'

Why hello strangers!

All I can do is apologise for my lack of blogging in the last month. The most annoying part is that I love doing it when I get round to it and when I get started- I have just had the busiest month ever and have now started full time work so it will be even more difficult but hey-ho... Challenge accepted! On a similar note, I've found it really hard to find things to blog about. Any suggestions or requests are always welcomed!

For this post, I thought I would let you guys know about my spontaneous invention that I have not quite found a name for. They are that good, they need a name! Suggestions welcome again (damned imagination, or lack of it...)

They are great for snacks, and are all completely home-made (which means additive free) and adjustable to suit what you have laying around your house which is always a good thing to hear. I feel a lot of ingredients can be hard to get a hold of or expensive to buy, which is why I love these as most of you will have these things around the house or can get them at a local supermarket for super cheap! 

I like to think of them as little bars of heaven. Ha! They are very like Nutri-grain bars in terms of texture and size and handy-ness (They are lovely along with a lunch or a biscuit alternative with your tea!)

Without further ado, here is how I made the little bars!

1- In a blender blend your dry ingredients. The main ones being porridge oats, branflakes, protein powder (not essential) dry fruit, seeds or nuts, cinnamon, dark organic chocolate and any other thing you fancy!

2- Once blended, pop into a large bowl to rest while you make your wet ingredients

3- Next make your 'wet' ingredients to make a sticky paste. In a blender, I used one large banana, 1 large scoop of peanut butter (organic is best) and in this first time round I also added some apple juice. (Weird, I know) You can also just use skimmed milk or water to make the consistency right. (It is meant to be rather sticky!)

4- Fold in all of your ingredients together to create a gloopy mass of wonder

5- Line a large square dish that is suitable for cooking with low fat butter. Excuse my manky photo-bombing foot.

6- Pat your mixture down with a wooden spoon so that it is equal levels all the way around

7- Pop it into the oven at high heat for around 15- 20 minutes

8- Take a 'Me cooking' selfie whilst they are in the oven. This is essential or the bars wont work.

9- Take your babies out of the oven and leave to cool and slice into little bars!

10- Once cooled, enjoy! I wrapped mine up in tin foil and took mine down to my gym like a cute wee auntie or something. The men appreciated my gesture! *I wouldn't put these in the fridge as it dried them out*

And there we have it! Simple, home cooked healthy snack bars in under 30 minutes. They were beautiful, I cannot get over how simple they were to make and that I just made it up out of my own head. If you try to make my bars (or come up with a better name than Emily's Healthy Snack Bars, because that name sucks) let me know because I would love to see you try them!



Have fun and stay healthy!


Emily xx

Protein Pancakes & My Lovely Friends & Followers

To follow on from yesterdays pancake post, (I seem to have caught pancake fever) I decided to combine the excitement of my new whey protein that arrived in the post and my new found love for pancakes and created some protein pancakes, YUM!

To be perfectly honest, absolutely none of this was measured out. I am one for experimenting and chucking a bunch of stuff into my blender and hoping for the best. In this case, it seemed to work so I thought I'd share these, 'guesstimates' with you all.

The protein I used can be found at; www.myprotein.com which is a superb site and has decent prices. I got the Impact diet Whey in Double Chocolate flavour because I am still in the process of losing weight and want to achieve lean muscle and the protein helps do this as it repairs them quickly after a work out! There are many flavours so check them out! I don't use these as meal replacements or anything because I do not believe in meal replacements for long term, healthy weight loss. Meal replacements can be great for short term weight-loss but as soon as you begin to eat normal solid foods again, there are high chances you will put the weight back on. And who wants to do that to themselves? There is no substitute for a healthy varied diet and exercise when losing weight. PERIOD. (Excuse the Americanism there, but I was feeling quite dramatic) So here we go!

1; I made my protein pancakes for 2 people so I used 4 eggs. Adjust this to your preference. Combine with milk in a blender.

2; Next I added a tea spoonful of baking powder (This can be optional but made the pancakes more fluffy)

3; Time for protein! I added a large scoop and a half. Upon reflection, I could have added more for a thicker batter.

4; Next I added a large banana. I added this to the blender in quaters. Blame my boyfriend for the bad photo.

5; Blend blend blend! I added some cinnamon in the mix as well. (optional)

6; The batter should be a quite a thick consistency. Add to your frying pan or griddle and make sure the heat isn't too high so that it doesn't burn! Mmm golden brown banana and chocolate pancakes...

7; Simply add your favourite toppings to your stack! Apple and peanut butter go amazingly or even some honey!

8; Sit back and enjoy! Looking at this photo I could really eat them again, they were that awesome...

Moving away from all this pancake talk, I would really like to take a wee moment to say thank you to all my lovely friends and followers on my blog for supporting me! It sounds so cheesy, but I was so nervous about starting a blog like this up as I didn't want to sound like I knew everything but I've realized that my experience of losing weight really does mean something to people as it is proof that anyone can do it! I also love the fact that you guys are trying out my tips and tricks with my recipes and I'm also so proud of all those that have decided to get fit through reading my blog and my experience. I compiled a small selection of some of the lovely positive things that my blog has brought about and the examples of why I will keep writing and helping you all out whenever I can. I want to be the reason you never gave up. I want you all to fit into that pair of skinny jeans, those high-waisted shorts, or that bikini. I want you all to feel confident! YOU CAN DO IT!

Thank you guys, it really does mean a lot. :)


Emily xx

Recent snacks :-)

Today I found the most simple and exciting recipe yet! I made it in no more than 6 minutes and it is completely guilt free! The only differences that ill make next time are to keep an eye on the temperature of the pan and to get 1cal spray instead of using light flora so that it holds together properly!

• Simply take 2 eggs and one banana and pop it in your blender for your pancake batter and cook away. No added sugar or anything!

I topped mine with a chopped apple, cinnamon and of course a teaspoon of peanut butter :-)

Yesterday for breakfast I took my frozen banana and peanut butter smoothie out of my freezer and blitzed it in the blender again and it was like a frosty drink from heaven, I highly recommend! Although I would leave your smoothie to thaw a little or run it under a hot tap just to take the edge off of it- we don't want any broken blenders!

Peanut butter is my obsession! It is great for protein and helps build muscle! It can be quite fatty so if I can afford it ill get the organic type, but in small doses its great to add to fruits and smoothies!

Hope you enjoy these quick tips for snacks and stay positive!


Emily xx

Do you like to Graze?

Hey guys!

I feel so awful for not having posted much at all this week. Had so much going on that I've not really had much time! I do want to keep my blog going, but its hit me that I shouldn't get too hung up on not being able to post every day, especially if I get this full time apprentice job!

Moving on from that, next week is the start of a new week, the start of someone's weight-loss journey, the start of someone's exercise plan, the start of someone eating healthily and most importantly the start of creating a new you and a new lifestyle!


Graze
www.graze.com

I had mentioned previously about my love for Graze boxes and I have decided to touch on the subject again. I have been subscribed to Graze for a number of months now and have loved every single box that I have received. Going to sleep on the Sunday night, I actually get excited with the anticipation of what goodies I will receive in the post the next morning.

So what is Graze? Graze are a company that send you interesting and perfectly healthy snacks in the post! The great thing about Graze is that they are letterbox sized, so you don't need to sign for your package. And on top of it all, delivery is free! Bonus!

In your Graze box you will receive 4 individual snacks in little sealed punnets, along with a little booklet explaining the benefits of your snacks each week!

By going onto the Graze website, (link below) you can 'love', 'like', 'try' and 'bin' certain things that you would like in your box, it really is that simple. Each box costs only £3.75 and can be delivered once a week or twice a week to your home or work. SIMPLES!

If you like the sound of this, but aren't 100% sure, why not use my voucher code and get your first box for free?! By doing this you will get a full box for free and I will get £1 off my next box for introducing you to the wonderful world of Graze.

Just head on to their website and once you have entered your details and chosen your box, simply enter the voucher code CG5CYCP 
to claim your free box!

Enjoy your guilt-free snacking!!     www.graze.com

 *Disclaimer*
I am not endorsed by Graze to advertise for them, I simply enjoy their food and feel that they should be recognised in the world of healthy eating! 

I'm backkkk

It's been a few days since I've posted much, had lots going on! I've also not had much in the way of exciting ingredients in the house to make recipes so today I shall be going to Asda for more smoothie ingredients!

However I've got a few ideas for posts. This morning I made boiled eggs, which are super easy to make to just about very one but I've came across a few top tops to ensure your boiled egg is soft boiled or hard boiled.

• To test how thoroughly cooked your egg is, take it out of the boiling water with a wooden or plastic spoon and spin on top of your work surface. If it spins slowly, your egg is soft boiled (nice 'n' runny!) if it spins fast and doesn't go off in different directions it is hard boiled! (In the case that it does spin around all over the place pop back into the boiling water for one minute.

• Another useful tip is a time saver! Instead of peeling the shell off in tiny wee bits, simply take a teaspoon on its side and half it down the middle and scoop out the insides! Much faster!

I'm really unsure if this will actually help anyone but I only learned these relatively recently and has quickened up my egg making so I thought I'd share it anyway!

Next ill be posting about my love for Graze boxes and handing out free voucher codes for a free Graze box! Coming up are also the benefits of green tea!

Emily xx

Fruity Smoothie!

Bonjourno!
Far too excited about this smoothie that I just made out of bits and pieces I found (I'm skint) and it is the best one so far! I really should think of a name for it but my hands are all frosty from holding the glass so it's pretty hard to type so I'll just get on with it!

It's a fruit smoothie and contains mainly pineapple and frozen stewed apple (recipe for the stewed apple down a few posts).

Yuuuuummyyyyyyyy

Ingredients;
- Half of a pineapple cut into chunks
- Frozen stewed apple (as much as needed)
- 1 apricot Weight- Watchers yoghurt
- 1 scoop of plain fat free yoghurt
- Sprinkle of Cinammon
- Dollop of honey



Method;- Cut off the head of your pineapple and slice down the middle into manageable 'slices'
- Get rid of the parts you cannot use (make a fancy hat with the head of it ;) )
- Grab your knife and slice round the edges of your slices and cut into chunks and place on a plate or container for freezing
- Pop in your ice and frozen stewed apples so that they are at the bottom and will meet the blades easier to mix
- Add all other ingredients and blitz on high power to break down the frozen parts and VOILA!

So yummy, considering I haven't been shopping and I picked up two pineapples for 50p each and had frozen my cooked apples I feel this went down amazing! Just goes to show you can make healthy smoothies with just about anything really cheaply! The weight watchers yoghurt was lovely touch also!

With smoothies, it is really a matter of trial and error so if you try it, try your own spin on it and let me know how it went! I've had some really good positive feedback of people trying my smoothies and people telling me they're own special recipes that I cannot wait to try out.

Have a lovely weekend guys and I'll be back soon!

Emily xx

Do I have something on my face?

Hump day is here :-)

After 3 hard training sessions in the week so far, I feel like I've been rather tired. Currently sitting with my feet up with a fancy class of diet Pepsi (I don't do things half- heartedly when it comes to my fizz) and a packet of weight watchers crisps watching The Lion King... Bliss!

Yesterday I had a lovely pasta salad from Morrisons in size small, only (1.79 I believe) and filled it to the brim with mixed Peppers, a boiled egg, some salmon pasta and many other yummies! I highly recommend Morrisons salads in small doses, they can be great protein fuel for pre work outs! I also had some of my favourite, 'YooMoo' frozen yoghurt as it was reduced to HALF PRICE!! Make the most of this guys, as its usually £1.59! Stock up yo freezers!

On another note, if any of you know me, you know that I have been stuck in a bit of a rut in terms of career. Having gained an HND in an art related course I realised I should have kept it as more of a hobby. So in this year out I have lost my weight and really loved fitness so my natural idea was to go back to college for health and fitness (which I'd need to pay for) or look into nursery nursing which I have always wanted to do as well. Turns out I may have found an apprenticeship in a nursery in which I would gain a qualification too. Except now I'm confused with college! I really want to help everyone lose weight and keep fit, but I'm hoping that ill be able to do both somehow. In short, I've got quite a few interviews for both of these things in the future so If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom it would be greatly appreciated.

**COMING UP**
I've had a few requests including;

- How to make a good detox soup
- Daily meal plans
- Good workout songs

Ill get round to these ASAP guys!
Thanks for the support and keep positive!

Fitness; What did I do & What I currently Do

     Sweaty mess, or sexy glow? Whatever it is I need a shower..

Hello again!

I thought that I would post this completely separate to the recipe I just posted, I'm sure there was a good reason behind doing this but it has completely escaped my sleepy brain so you shall just have to take my word for it that there was some sort of clever logic behind it.

Moving swiftly on...

As I explained in one of my first blogs, it has taken me 1 year to achieve my 4 stone weight loss. I'm just going to put this out there that this has been the biggest achievement of my life so far and explain that it did not come easy. When I first started, I could not run with my dog for any longer than 30 seconds without stopping and taking very long breaks and without feeling my legs were about to give up (receiving impatient looks from the dog in the process). The first couple of days/weeks are the hardest. There were so many times I felt, that I couldn't go on any more and the pain, sweat and heat was just too much for me. The pressure in my legs, the ache in my arms and the burning in my stomach whist exercising were the worst feelings in the world and I couldn't wait to be finished and in my bed. But the most amazing part of my transformation is, is that I have learned to love exercising. Those physical pains make me feel proud whenever I feel them because I know that I am working my body and pushing it to its absolute limit. I may not look attractive when I sweat (I think I am one of the sweatiest girls in the world) but I imagine it as my fat melting off my body, which it eventually did. I am not going to tell you that its easy or that there are some secret diet pills or potions that will work over night. Because there's not. When people ask me, what's your secret Emily? There is only one true answer; and that is healthy eating and plenty of exercise. If you want to change the reflection in the mirror, if you want to drop a couple of dress sizes or if you just want to feel confident then this lifestyle is for you. But you have to be dedicated and I will do my very best to keep you all motivated throughout your journeys!

So in the beginning of my process, I was lucky enough that my uncle happened to have a large wooden garage (hand built my my Grandmother's partner, Sam, who is 80! How about that for health!) in which he keeps second hand gym equipment that people have sold on or just left at the dump! In there he had 3 cross trainers, a temper-mental treadmill, sit-up benches, skipping ropes, punch bags, weights, and a whole bunch of other things! I worked out at this gym roughly 3 times a week to begin with then moved it up to 4 some weeks, depending on time etc. Most other days I ran 2.5-3 miles in my local area. I focused mainly on cardio based work for fat burning and did 30 minutes on the cross trainer, some 2 minute rounds with the punch bags, skipping, tummy exercises and some strength training with kettlebells. Each session lasted around 1 hour at night.

I talk in past tense because I moved on to other things once I gained a little more confidence. By other things I mean my current place of freedom and happiness that is my gym! I go to a little place called the Lions Den in Old Kilpatrick. The Lions Den is an MMA (Mixed martial arts) Fight & Conditioning Center and is focused around the training that fighters do. Having said that, the conditioning class is really for absolutely anyone of any size and fitness level. It usually works around circuit training and is a mixture of cardio and strength training. You work to your own pace and do the best you can. It is high intensity, yes, but everyone has their own goals when you are in the gym and you are not judged by anyone! I am currently getting really interested in the MMA side of things and I am looking into properly starting up fighting! WATCH OUT! ;)
 If anyone is interested in joining me at my gym then give me a little email or Facebook message and I
will tell you the details of classes, prices and any other information you would like to hear!


CONTACT;
- emilykirkwood@hotmail.co.uk
-https://www.facebook.com/emilykirkwood1

To the left you will see that I have included my original 'weight-loss journey' scrap bit of paper that I wrote my weigh-ins on! It's so bizzare to see the numbers drop, and how much I lost each week etc. This is something I definitely recommend doing when beginning your journey! (Notice my artistic drawings in the top corners, I wasn't an art student for 2 years for nothing y'know...)

I think that pretty much covers what I did do and what I currently do, but if you guys would be interested in some bedroom workouts like tummy tighteners or butt shapers let me know and I can think about ways to make this work via YouTube (If you don't mind my Scottish accent...) or via pictures on my blog.

For regular updates on all things health and fitness related click the, 'Join This Site' button at the right hand corner of the page! Any feed back is always welcome!

Peace!

Emily xx

Monday Madness

Good Evening Ladies & Gents!

I feel like it has been ages since I posted properly and not just a wee quickie from my mobile app. Had a pretty busy weekend with work etc, so I think now that I am getting into the swing of things with my blog, my main posts shall be done during the working week, (Mon-Fri) just like the way I work my strict diet and fitness plan!

Now that it's Monday, I thought I'd dive straight back into things with another fantastic foodie tip & later go on to introduce you all to the fitness side of my life!

A couple of days back I was introduced into the world of stewed apples. (Y'know, the inside of apple pie!) I know that I absolutely adore the inside of apple pie (and well, apple pie in general, but lets get back on topic...) So I decided that I would steal this recipe off of my Step-Mother and try it for myself and let you guys know how it's done!

Stewed apples- apart from being a great apple pie filler- can also be used with less sugar for a more healthy topping on porridge or even a smoothie filler! The making of this is extremely easy and I was so shocked how quickly I managed to make this!

Ingredients;

- Bramley Cooking Apples
**TOP TIP**
Buy as many apples as you like as you can make this in batches and freeze it all and it will last until the end of time! Although it tastes too good to leave it that long! (In this first instance of trying the recipe I bought 6 medium to large apples which would do roughly 3/4 servings depending on how much you use)

- Sugar/Low calorie sweetener

-Cinnamon (Not essential)


Method

- Wash, peel, chop and core the apples into small pieces
- Pop into a microwaveable dish and sprinkle your sugar/sweetener and/or cinnamon all over the the apples (bearing in mind, the less sugar/sweetener you use the apples will be quite sour, so it is all about personal preference. You can also cook the apples first then add the sugar/sweetener and/or cinnamon at the end to see what you prefer!
- Pop it all into the microwave for roughly 10 minutes (could be less depending on your microwave power) taking the mixture out regularly to check up on it and mash it all together
- Once cooked, pop the mixture into some plastic containers and freeze for future use and... VOILA!
Now you have a different topping for your porridge or ingredient to add to your smoothies, or even to mix with some Greek yoghurt as a tasty desert or snack! Yummyyyyy!
I really hope you find this quick and simple recipe interesting and useful, its cheap and tasty so why not give it a go and let me know how you get on?

Make sure to follow me for regular blog updates and as always, keep strong, work hard and achieve your dreams!

Weekend treats!

Hey guys!

How was everyone's weekend?!

I absolutely adored my treats this weekend and made the most of it. Went to a little restaurant my locals know as, 'The Glencairn', for the first time in over a year and had a lovely pub grub meal and enjoyed every minute! Was absolutely stuffed after it but I felt good knowing I could let myself go for a bit! I also went out on Saturday night to celebrate my friends 21st birthday and had a few to drink, and finished off my Sunday roast with one scoop of 122 cal ice cream!

I can safely say that I will be welcoming my lighter meals next week and going back to the gym as I am far too full to even move...

I will be back to posting more regularly next week- working weekends and being quite busy has thrown me off track a little. Not to worry- I'll be back with plenty of recipes, starting my fitness tips and more ramblings as of tomorrow so stay tuned!

My next post will be featuring how to make stewed apples, to use in smoothies, or as a perfect porridge topper! YUM...

P.S
Here's a cheeky little photo of what my boyfriend and I shared in the Glencairn for our starter (I was stuffed after this ha!) and a photo of me and one of my best friends Barry, before we left for our night out.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday night and get stuck back in tomorrow morning!

Emily xx

Barry & Myself

This was the 'Combo for 1'... So much food!

Weigh in day!

Good morning :)

Throughout my course of losing weight I have always weighed myself at the same time every week- Friday morning. This enables you to keep track without over-thinking it and also allows you to work hard during the week and have some time off during the weekend. It's important to not obsess over the scales as there are many factors that could affect your weight loss. You weigh more and weigh less at different times of the day. So my advice is first thing in the morning on a Friday so you can see your past weeks efforts!

After losing 4st, (56lbs) weight comes off a lot slower as there is not as much to lose. Unfortunately, I had hit a plateau in my weight- loss (got stuck at the same number even though I was still eating and exercising right) but today I broke it! :D I lost 3lbs which might not seem like much but I am so happy to be below the half stone mark, it means so much to me :) From 189lbs to 130lbs!

So don't get downhearted if you hit a plateau guys, it CAN be conquered!

If you weighed yourself today, how did you get on?

P.s
This morning I made another green smoothie, this time using water to replace the yoghurt!

Here's my ingredients today;
- 1 large handful of spinach leaves
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 5 green beans (chopped)
- 1 banana (cut into thirds)
- chopped mango
- chopped pineapple
- cup of water

Review; this went down a little easier than the last one which is a good thing!

Later I shall be making stewed apples to keep your eyes peeled!

Hope you are all doing well and I shall post more soon about fitness etc soon, it just seems to be easier to write about food to begin with!

Emily xx

Request!

Hi guys!
How are we all?

Since starting my blog I have been receiving many kind and inspiring comments- along with many questions. So I thought I would write a little post on the one's that I cannot answer in one sentence!

So here goes;

'How do you conquer cravings and gain self control in order to stop yourself from eating, 'bad things'?

Such a great question! The answers to this that worked, personally, for me came through experience of healthy eating and 'diet'. Getting yourself into the right mindset is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Thinking of healthy eating as a diet is a bad thing as it can set your mind up for failure. The word, 'diet' has negative connotations and sounds as if it is as much as a chore as doing the dishes or hoovering. Making healthy changes in your current diet will make you feel like it is a lot more achievable.

My top tips;

- WATER !
Water, water and more water! Good old H20 is extremely under-estimated in the secret to losing weight. Water in itself is a great way to flush out all of the bad toxins in your body, cleaning out your system and hydrating you internally, as well as externally in your skin and hair.

So, how can water help you lose weight you say? I tend to use water as a tactic of telling my very greedy brain that I am actually full. In no way am I saying, 'replace meals with water', as there is absolutely no replacement for food and its nutrients. What I am saying is, whenever you have a craving to go into the sweetie tin, cut yourself a slice of cake from your Sisters birthday last week, dive straight into the freezer for a large scoop of Ben & Jerry's... Simply get a pint of water down you. Not only will you feel full, but the severe amount of water you intake will make you feel bloated almost, making you not want to go near any snacks for the next hour! Drinking water before/during your meals also helps in the filling up process and makes you feel fuller for longer!

- RID YOUR KITCHEN OF TEMPTATIONS !
I cannot stress enough how much this will help you out in losing weight. Especially if you are home frequently during the day, having zero temptations in the house and having healthy substitutes will really aid in losing weight. Unfortunately, having an older brother in the house who's metabolism is faster than a bullet train, a younger sister at age 11  (I probably have more fat in my left butt cheek compared to her full body), and a step-dad who eats whatever, whenever, proved extremely difficult. On the other hand, looking back at it with a positive mind, it really taught me self- control and I still managed to lose just under 60lbs!

- REPLACE TEMPTATIONS WITH NATURAL SUGARS !
Your body needs sugars and when you crave something sweet, it is most likely your bodies way of saying it needs it (unless your greedy like me). Replacing chocolate and crisps with fruits that contain natural sugars instead of refined, processed sugars is a great tip. Mixing these fruits with a Greek plain yoghurt can really supress your appetite and keep you full until your next meal.

- BUY LOWER CAL/SUGAR/FAT SUBSTITUTES OF YOUR FAVOURITE SNACKS !
Weight- watchers really do a fantastic range of treats that are lower calorie and guilt free. I don't follow their diet plan, but their products are a great substitute. Personal snacking favourites from their range for me are; Their tomato & italian herb crisps (to die for) and their cake slices (chocolate brownie, yum!) I am also a great lover of frozen yoghurt and the, 'Yoo-Moo' range. They come in personal pots and contain less than 170 cals per serving. They come in all sorts of beautiful flavours, but the best part is they taste just like ice cream! HEAVEN! You can find these in the ice- cream aisle in ASDA.

There are always other options out there that will suit you and your personal diet!


And last but not least...

- ALLOW YOURSELF A TREAT
I currently follow the rule that I work hard in the gym 3/4 times (mostly 4) Monday- Friday and eat very healthily. However when the weekend arrives I let myself go. I mean I don't scoff down two dominoes pizzas, or eat a kilo of ice-cream... I enjoy a drink, (or two... ;)) and enjoy rewarding my efforts with that something I have been wanting all week. Whether its some ice cream, some wine, a chow mein or a mountain of popcorn I allow myself to eat it and I take the time to enjoy it. It really conquers your cravings during the week and is a more realistic way of living, instead of starving yourself of your favourite things! I mean you only live once after all!

I think that's all for now, if I remember anything else important I will be sure to let you know that I have added it in. I really hopes this helps and whenever you reach for the chocolate bar, allow yourself a square, not the whole bar! (unless that its your treat at the weekend!). Everything in moderation guys! 

                                   Stay focused and positive

Dinner time; Pork & Veg Noodles

Hi guys!

Hope you all had a lovely Wednesday!

Here's a little healthy treat to see you through the rest of the week until the weekend.
This is one of my favourite meals up at my Dads house and is absolutely gorgeous, and surprisingly cheap! To make this for two people will only set you back at a maximum of £6! If you want to find out more read on...

Firstly you buy pork loin and trim any excess fat off of the meat with a sharp knife. Cut into medallions and place in a glass bowl ready for marinating.

**TOP TIP** When marinating always use a glass bowl- not plastic as marinating ingredients can stain!

For the marinade;
-1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
-Large splash of soy sauce
-Garlic **buy 'lazy garlic' which is fresh but pre-chopped**
-A little (or alot, personal preference) of Chilli powder
-A little oil for texture
Mix it all together with the pork and cover it with lid or cling-film and leave it in the fridge for a few hours. The longer you leave it the nicer it will taste and absorb the flavours!
Get a very hot wok and pop in the pork along with any vegetables you fancy (peppers, green beans, mushrooms) and stir fry with blue dragon stir fry sauce (there are many to choose from, this is made with spicy tomato). Be aware that the natural sugars of soy will caramelise the pork so if the pork sticks don't panic! Leave it until it releases itself or you will get rid of the caramelised flavour. Take the meat off the heat and let relax. To make the Blue Dragon fine egg noodles simply pore boiling water over noodles and leave to soak until they're cooked! Bring it all together and there we have it, a deliciously guilt free dinner made from scratch!

If you try this recipe please be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!

Enjoy and any response from my blog is always fabulous! Soon to come will be the more fitness side to my life... Stay tuned!

Emily xx

Green smoothie!

Morning everyone!

Today was the day of the green smoothie! Greens have more nutrient goodness than any other food group on the planet! Greens even have high-quality, easily-assimilated amino acids – enough to build up the protein that supports the muscle mass of the giant, greens-eating gorilla, which is known to be one of the strongest animals in the world! As well as this, it has been proven that drinking green smoothies rather than munching on the raw veg is better for you, here's why!

The blending actually breaks down the cellular walls of the leaves, leaving you with the finest particles of nutrients which are delivered straight to your cells.

So what are the benefits of this hulk juice?

E N E R G Y!
If you think that green smoothies cannot give you energy for that workout, think again! Or better still, try it before you judge it.

It is true that due to the low caloric levels of greens, they cannot fill us for long. But the trick here is to combine it with sweet fruits – which supplies us with simple sugars.

This is one of the best pre-workout food which supplies us simple sugars to burn immediately as fuel.

W E I G H T- L O S S!
For those who have reached a plateau in releasing weight, this is something to be tried :)

When your cells are nourished, cravings for unhealthy food become lesser or non-existent. Proper nourishment of the cells is vital to maintaining a healthy weight.

B E A U T I F U L S K I N & H A I R

Smooth, blemish-free skin can be yours within weeks of constant drinking blended greens, countless subjects reported lightening of spots, smoother skin and radiant complexion.

So here's my version which can make 1 pint glass or two small glasses worth;

- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- Two handfuls of chopped brocolli
- 1 large carrot (chopped)
- 5 stems of green beans
- 1 large banana
- 1 large scoop of fat free plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp of honey
- sprinkle of cinnamon

**add water to liquidize if too thick**

Review;
Personally I was dreading the taste and only doing it for the sheer goodness of the ingredients! But sure enough the banana really over powered the greens in taste and made it bearable! The texture was funny but it is a game of trial and error and ill be sure to try out different fruits next time for sweetness.

Hope you enjoy!

Emily xx

It's lunch time!

Oh I do love food time. Lunch today consists of Heinz Weight Watchers chicken soup (which tastes exact same as the normal one!) to which I added two slices of cooked chicken. This was accompanied by two slices of rye crisp bread to replace actual bread which I try not to eat during the week (Monday-Friday). With a cup of green tea and a desert of a generous handful of raisins I'm happy :) in total, (if I'm counting the slices of added cooked chicken and handful o raisins) this meal was just about under 250 cals!

What are you having for lunch today? Let me know in the comments below!!

Peace!

Emily xx

AMEN

Start your day right!

I know you've heard it all before, 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day'. Cannot stress enough how much this is true!! It is believed that eating first thing in the morning may help to stabilise blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy! When you eat breakfast you are less likely to be hungry during the day and are less likely to overeat during the day! And let's break the word down a little here, 'break-fast' it is the break from your 8 hour long fast from food you've not had when you were sleeping, you're body needs the nutrients to get on with the rest of the day! So today I went to my silly blender (who needs to go back to the shop for the second time as a burning smell erupts from it every time I use it...) and made a banana and oat smoothie complete with a cup of green tea. I could talk for hours of the benefits of green tea so ill post that separately! If I'm not having a smoothie ill have porridge, I am the porridge princess! IT'S AMAZING! Porridge/oatmeal is super low calorie (only contains 130cals per cup!) it stays in your tummy for longer making you feel fuller for longer which means less hunger pangs and cravings! It also contains high levels of fibre, low fat, and high protein, what's not to love?! Topping it with banana or honey or peanut butter (a few of my favourites, shall post recipes to them soon) makes it taste super good and the potassium in bananas also give you energy and enhance muscular strength, speed metabolism, and can even relieve anxiety and stress!

In short, get munchin' on dem oats and bananas and let me know how it goes!

Peace!

Emily xx

Where it all began...

Well it's about time I get on with posting something relevant to the point of this blog! So I'll begin by explaining some key points I had going on in my life before I made this lifestyle change.

I had never been sporty as a child and absolutely loved to eat sweeties, cakes and crisps, just like any other kid! However, these treats came at a price as I never really took to exercise and the weight seemed to go on a lot easier on me in comparison to my slim friends with those damned fast metabolisms! Anyway, fast forward a few years and there comes the time of turning 18. Of course, this is a complete milestone, being able to go out and get drunk legally in a pub or club was pretty much going to be a feature of our weekends until we settled down. Naturally, I went out a lot with different groups of friends and, yes, ordered the large chips and cheese at the end of the night...

An important part to remember here is yes, I was extremely uncomfortable with how I looked but when you're young and experiencing these new things all at once you want to do it the same way as all of your friends did. This was until I met Thomas, my boyfriend of 2 years and I went on the Nexplanon Implant. This is a tiny wee bit of plastic fashioned by the devil in his little firey office in hell, that releases hormones in your system over 3 years to stop you from getting pregnant. Yay. NOT. This was probably the worst decision I had ever made. Getting the implant, personally, ruined me for 6 months. I gained an obscene amount of weight on top of my already chubby proportions, turned Anaemic, lost hair, and turned into an emotional, hormonal wreck over the tiniest scenarios. Again, I'd like to point out that the implant only effected me, personally, in this way. To other people, its fantastic, I was just the unlucky 1 in 4 who it affected in a bad way!

Back to my story (told you I ramble), I had tried numerous diets over the years and could probably count more bits of crumpled paper with, 'diet plans' scattered around my room than I have fingers and toes. I'm not sure if that made much sense but, you get the idea. I'd been round this block multiple times and always gave up because I was never focused. This was until February 2012. I was in the doctors clinic getting a regular check up of my blood count and iron. It was when the doctor told me I needed to be measured in height and weight that my heart skipped a beat. Scales. Something that I had always ran away from screaming, with my hands flailing in the air. This was the moment my life changed forever. As dramatic as it sounds, its so true. I was told I was border-line obese and that I needed to go on a diet or I would be too overweight to use the normal pill as a contraception, I would need a different type of pill because, well lets face it, I was too fat. KAPOW, the words that slapped me into action!

From then life changed dramatically. My mother and I decided to loose weight together which is something I cannot recommend enough. Having a partner to work with, to motivate, to inspire really does help. This is one of the reasons I'm making this blog so that I can help you all who don't have anyone else! Anyway, my first real, 'workout', was the next morning at- wait for it- 6am. We were pretty determined! From there, I never looked back. As horrible as being told those words off of a doctor was, I would never take them back. They were the push I needed to becoming healthier and better yet, loving working out.

This is where you need to look at your life. Have you ever avoided mirrors? Have you ever been upset in a changing room that your normal size just wont fit anymore? Have you ever bought loose fitting clothes in attempts to hide fat? Have you ever looked at someone and thought, 'I wish I looked like them' and doing absolutely nothing about it? Have you ever avoided getting full length photographs being taken? Has anyone ever called you fat...?

I felt all of these. I was a professional at covering my tummy with a giant bag in photographs, hiding behind friends in attempts of concealing my size in photographs and just generally avoiding anything which meant I had to look at myself. Another thing that I complained copiously to myself about was heat, especially when I went on holiday to Spain with my friends in 2011. The sand and sweat joining menacing forces all day, every day, creating stinging chaffing and unsightly red blotches all over my skin was nothing to be happy about. Having to wear minimal clothing to try and keep cool during the day proved difficult as nothing I wore made me confident, just fat fat fat.

Things like this in life shouldn't happen, you should be able to enjoy every moment of life and being proud of the person you are.

These are the things that you should swear will never happen again, and instead have a goal. My goal, and still is, was to wear a bikini on holiday when I went in June 2012. Which I did! I wasn't 100% comfortable of course, but I still wore one, and I wore it with pride. My goal today is to get down to a smaller percentage of body fat and tone my tummy up, which I'm afraid is still pretty jiggly.

Whats your goal? Whats your story? Please please please be sure to let me know. I would love feedback on this blog and I'm not 100% sure how subscribers work. If anyone knows, advice would be great! Anyway, leave a comment and tomorrow I shall be posting away again, letting you all know how I exercised, how I currently exercise and my food do-s and don'ts!

As always, thanks for the support and keep checking back for updates :)

Emily xx

                                                          B  E  L  I  E  V  E

Sweaty Betty!

Always seem to be the sweatiest girl in my gym, LOVELY!

Sweat is fat MELTING off your body!

Ill post a longer blog tonight explaining my fitness regime but now, DINNER!