Finding Fitness | Running

I'm sure one of the most popular New Years resolutions must be 'get fit' or 'lose weight', 'be more active', 'join the gym' or something along those lines.  Being fit and healthy is always something on a lot of peoples list of the thing to devote more time too.  And I'm no different.  I've spoken before about losing weight and being more active and I've vowed to stop weighing myself and I definitely challenge you to do the same.  Since I've stopped getting on those scales I definitely feel better about myself.

But this isn't January and this isn't a resolution it's a change of mind set.  I don't want to get out of breath running for the bus (I don't actually ever catch the bus, but you see my point). I want to enjoy the exercise I do and I know that I enjoy running.  I've done it before and it fits in with my busy lifestyle as a full time worker, full time single mum, part time blogger and YouTuber.  I can get up half an hour earlier some mornings, throw on my trainers and go.  I can go when I've finished work and Mini Greenoid's at a friends or out at some activity. It just fits.  And it has the added benefit of really clearing my mind.

When I run I like to track my progress.  I think it helps me.  It encourages me, spurs me on to push harder.  I've been using the Runkeeper app on my iPhone and I've been really loving it.

Runkeeper shows your route, distance, approx. calories burned, split times, allows you to take a photo and add it to your run stats and allows you to write notes on the run.  If you're like me and enjoy numbers and knowing how far you've gone and how fast you went I'd definitely recommend it as, not only a tracker, but a motivational tool.

As well as running I tried to incorporate walking more into my daily routine. For example walking to nursery to pick the kids up instead of driving.

Here's my progress after 1 week.  The comments are from what I wrote in the note section immediately after the run. 

Day 1 - 30 minute steady pace 2.55 miles (Morning run)

Wow that was tough!  Can't believe I managed a whole 30 minutes of running though.  Very proud of myself.  Promptly walked through the door and was a tiny bit sick - yuck!  My right groin ached slightly throughout and my left knee started to ache around 25 minutes.
 

 

Day 2 - 30 minute steady pace 2.49 miles (evening run)

Was very tempted not to run as my inner thighs were quite sore from yesterday.  Not sure if I'll be able to walk tomorrow.  I need to make sure I do lots of stretching to help with the aches and pains.  The actual run itself felt easier than the first one and there was no throwing up so that was a bonus.

Day 3 - 1.96 mile walk

A walk to nursery with the pushchair. Really enjoyed it. Definitely want to do more often if the weather allows.

Day 4 - 30 minute steady pace 2.44 miles (morning run)

Felt good today.  Did a completely different route.  Can't believe how many people are out and about at 6:30am.

Day 5 - 1.6 mile walk

Walk to nursery.

Day 6 - 30 minute steady pace 2.41 miles

Hard! Really struggled with that one!  I was ready to give up after 5 minutes. Really pleased with myself that I battled though it.

Day 7 - rest day

I challenge you to move more today.  Go for a run if you feel up to it.  If not, go for a walk.  Just move more.  I guarantee you'll feel better for it. 

   

Why I'm No Longer Weighing Myself

Let's talk about The Scale. Argghhh nooooo. Stay. Stay. I promise it's not that bad.

 

Are you a slave to the scale?  How often do you weigh yourself?  

 

Way back in May I started a Shape Up For Summer feature in which I weighed and measured myself each week in a bid to get my 'bikini body'. After a few weeks I decided to stop the whole shape up for summer idea. I don't want to shape up for summer. I want to be fit, healthy, eat clean, enjoy exercising for life, not for summer. 

 

What do I need for a bikini body? A body. Check. A bikini. Check. I already have a bikini body and so do you. Is it the best bikini body I could have? No. Do I love the idea of walking around in a bikini for all to see my lumps and bumps? No. But that's kinda ok.

As women we all have body issues/hangups/things we'd like to change. I am currently the heaviest, most out of shape I've ever been in my life and I don't like it and I'm consciously making an effort to change that. 

We give the scale so much power. Getting on a scale and seeing that number alters how I feel about myself. My mood, my happiness, hell even my self worth. The crazy thing is it doesn't really matter what the scales say - I'm never happy with it. I have never been a body confident woman. I scoured through my personal facebook and old photo albums and could find only 2 photos of me in a bikini.  In these photos I was 116lbs (I know that because I weighed myself everyday). Was I happy when I stepped on the scales and saw 116lbs? No I wasn't. 

They were taken 4 years ago on my annual summer holiday to our family villa in Spain. I was around 30 lbs lighter in these photos than I am now and hell, I look ok in my bikini. I vividly remember that holiday and period of my life. I was still trying to deal with a relationship breakdown, I'd quit my job, I was desperately unhappy, had incredibly low self esteem and, if I'm honest, really hated myself. I looked in the mirror and saw a big, fat whale of a woman.

My point being, rarely do we look as bad in a bikini as we think we do.

No longer will I allow that number on a scale to dictate how I feel about myself. I will wake up every morning and take little steps towards being a healthier me.

I want to be the best version of myself I can be.

Do I want a flat stomach, inner thigh gap and lean, toned arms? Of course I do. But most of all I want to be happy, I want to laugh with friends and family, I want to enjoy every precious moment with my son and I don't want to be a slave to The Scale.

Shape Up For Summer Progress {20.6.14}

Hola Sparkly1s

It's Fitness Friday and time for another catch up with my Shape Up For Summer.  As I'm writing this I'm feeling bummed about it all.  I've just taken my measurements and weighed myself.

Weight - 159lbs   {-1lbs}

Waist - 36inches {same}

Hips - 42.75inches {same}

Bust - 35inches {same}

 

You see why I'm feeling bummed now.  I feel very demotivated.  Realistically I know what the problem is.  I'm not exercising enough.  I'm still loving my hooping.  I'm hooping pretty much every day for around 20 minutes but I need to step it up a notch now.  I need to challenge myself.  20 minutes non-stop hula hooping comes easy to me now so I've been looking more and more into hoop dancing and definitely feel like I want to give it a go.  It looks like a MAJOR workout! 

 

Hooping really is so much fun.  I wasn't sure if I could use the hoop I have though.  It's quite chunky and heavy so I thought I would need a 'dance hoop' as opposed to a 'fitness hoop.'  This helped me out into deciding I need a lighter hoop to dance with.  

 

Check out this awesome video of a really talented hooper.  

 

 

I know that this is my wobble AND the time when I could easily give up.  I also know it's the time when, because I'm not seeing results quick enough, I start doing silly things like missing meals.  I've been eating really healthy for the past few weeks and I've been enjoying the freshness of my home cooked meals.  I definitely feel like the amount of carbs in my diet were making me feel sluggish, bloated and generally just bleh.

 

Anyone got any advice for when things aren't going as you'd like?  I'm determined not to give up.

 

 

Shape Up For Summer Progress {13.6.14}

Hola Sparkly1s

It's finally Friday! This working week seems to have lasted forever but it's finally over and that means it's time for a Shape up For Summer update.

This week has definitely been the best week.  As I mentioned in my #WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) my eating habits have changed.  I'm no longer craving sweets and crisps and I've not been bothered about the lack of carbs in my diet.  I haven't eliminated carbs but I've tried to cut down on them.  I'm a vegetarian and I relied heavily on carb for my food intake - bread, pasta, potatoes, you name it I ate it - all the time.  I've started eating more lentils and other pulses.

 

My hooping has been brilliant. I've successfully completed 20 minutes of hooping everyday.  My anticlockwise hooping still leaves a lot to be desired but I'm persevering with it and its gradually getting better.  I've also started trying to walk around whilst hooping.  

Weight - 160lbs   {-5lbs}

Waist - 36inches {same}

Hips - 42.75inches {same}

Bust - 35inches {same}

 

I'm really pleased with those numbers.  There may not be any change in my measurements but I'm definitely finding my way with all this stuff now.  I'm eating right,  and I've found an exercise that I'm really enjoying.

 

 

Hasta Luego Sparkly1s

Gemzicle Sprinkles

xoxo

 

 

Shape Up For Summer Progress {6.6.14}

Naughty me missed last weeks SUFS. I had guests for a long weekend & an adoption party to host so, as I'm sure you'll agree, real life comes before internet life.

On the plus side, I have 2 weeks to update you on. I feel indifferent towards the last 2 weeks to be honest. One week was school holidays so I was off work which meant I was out of my routine which always throws me sideways.  We get up later, eat later, socialise more...  I definitely feel good about my eating. As I've said in my What I Ate Wednesday, I don't want this to be about being on a diet, I want to change my outlook on food. I've eaten some sweets here and there and an odd packet of crisps but that's ok. I do struggle with telling myself that it's ok though and that's something I'm working on. 

On the exercise front all I can say is I've. been. hula. hooping. I'm amazed.  Completely amazed! I bought this hula hoop from Amazon and I was quite sceptical (I remember my childhood of trying to hula & never being able to) but I've got to say I'm amazed at how easy I've found it. That's not to say the first time I tried it didn't just immediately fall to the floor, despite me wiggling my hips like I was having some sort of fit.  I have what I affectionately name war wounds, otherwise known on bruises on my belly.  I've been doing 20 minutes a day for past 4 days and I definitely feel the benefits.  

 

I am proud to say, after not that much effort, on Thursday I did 10 minutes 39 seconds non stop hooping.  That's 10 minutes 39 seconds hooping!! Wowsers.  It amazes me that it stays up but somehow I manage to do it.  I can only go clockwise at the moment.  I've tried anti-clockwise but it deflates me as I can only do 1 turn.  That's my project for next week - learn how to hula anti-clockwise.

 

 

  Weight - 165lbs   {-1lbs}

Waist - 36inches {-1inch}

Hips - 42.75inches {-0.25inch}

Bust - 35inches {same}

 

 

I'm disappointed with the numbers to be honest.  I do feel like since I've started hooping I'm becoming more 'sucked in' for want of a better phrase.

 

Don't forget to tweet me any pics or useful hints & advice using  #Sparkly1WeightLoss & I will see you guys next week when hopefully I can hoop anti-clockwise.

 

Hasta Luego Sparkly1s

Gemzicle Sprinkles

xoxo

 

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Shape Up For Summer Progress {23.5.14}

So I'm one week in to my Shaping Up For Summer.  I've not weighed or measured myself yet but as a whole I fell really good about how the last week has gone.  I posted my What I Ate Wednesday on Wednesday (obviously!!) & that's the kind of food that I've been eating all week so I'm quite happy that my diet has been good.  I did slip up on Thursday & ordered a Dominos pizza.  I didn't even want it but Mini Greenoid wanted one.

The exercise part I've found difficult this week.  I got off to a good start on Monday by getting up at 6:15am, slipping on my dusty running shoes & pounding the pavement for 20mins.  It actually felt really good & although I couldn't run for the whole of the 20 mins it was a good feeling just getting moving.  But Tuesday, I didn't wake up in time for the run, so I kinda stopped it for the whole week, which was silly really!  I find that if I don't exercise first thing in the morning I don't do it at all. 

I did find an awesome You Tube channel with some great little workouts though called Blogilates.  The instructor is Cassey Ho & she also has a blog which I've yet to check out but if it's like her videos I'm sure I'll love it!  Go ahead & check it out & let me know what you think?  I particularly liked her Ab Workout playlist & I tried this video a few times.  Phew!!! It was hard work!!! But, less than 10 minutes long.

So, the numbers for this week are

Weight - 166lbs   {-2lbs}

Waist - 37inches {+1inch}

Hips - 43inches {same}

Bust - 35inches {-0.5inch}

 

I tend to not pay that much attention to numbers in all honesty.  For me, it's about feeling good & healthy & happy with my body. 

Hopefully, next week I can try & be much more consistent with my exercise as if I want to lose the weight it's gonna have to be done!

Don't forget to tweet me any pics or useful hints & advice using  #Sparkly1WeightLoss & I will see you guys next week when hopefully I've been exercising more!

 

Hasta Llego Sparkly1s

Gemmy Sprinkles

xoxo

 

 

Shape Up For Summer

If you've seen my All About Me post you'll know that I used to be a gym instructor.  I used to teach Spin, Aerobics, Body Conditioning everyday.  I was pretty fit & weighed around 120lbs.  I left that job around 3years ago & since then the weight has been piling on.  It's not rocket science - I used to do intense cardio & weight training 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. I stopped & didn't do anything.  It's no wonder the weight piled on!  I've just stepped on the scales & am horrified to see it's crept up to 168lbs! The heaviest I've ever been!!
I'm determined to do something about it.  Like a lot of women, I struggle to find time to work out.  I'm a single mum who works full time, has a Minecraft YouTube channel & creates a Blog.  I'm definitely going to dedicate 20 minutes a day for fitness whether that's going for a walk/run, sticking an exercise DVD on, watching a YouTube workout or simply dancing around to my fav music.  What are your favourite ways to work out? 

Weight - 168lbs

Waist -  36inches

Hips - 43inches

Bust - 35.5inches

Those numbers are scary to me & I don't like it!  Wish me luck with my first week & make sure you check back next week to see my progress.  If any of you are on  weight loss journey at the moment I'd love to hear about it, you can comment below or you can Tweet me any pics using #Sparkly1WeightLoss.  It would be fantastic if we could support each other through this & provide each other with any tips, inspiration or words of encouragement.

 

  Hasta Llego Sparkly1s

Gemmy Sprinkles

xoxo