WIAW: Tuesday's Eats and Favourites

As I sat down at my laptop I thought why not write a blog post, and then I remembered that it was Wednesday tomorrow and so WIAW it is. Thanks Jenn for keeping up this link-up...I only have myself to take care of and sometimes that's a struggle, so god knows how she manages to do it!

It's one of the link-ups I always like to take part in if I have the time. And this week I'll be sharing what I ate today, which is Tuesday. And also my favourite dishes from the past week.

Today (which is yesterday) I went swimming for the first time in about ten months. And it was so good to be back in the pool. It was one of my most favourite sports to do whilst growing up, and I always go through phases of going regularly to not going at all. And I think that was very evident in my swim.

I went with one of my housemates, so it wasn't so bad. But with the hours I have been putting in in the gym I thought it would be easier, and it probably was...but it wasn't a 'stroll in the park' in the slightest. It took a few lengths to get into a pattern, more with my breathing than anything. But it felt so so good. With each length of the pool I began to relax, and I could feel the tension melting away from my shoulders and neck. I began to get comfortable after ten minutes of the thirty minute session, but by the end my limbs felt like jelly. When your already poor technique turns into a half-hearted doggy paddle, it's time to get own! But I plan to go again Thursday instead of the gym. I love the gym, but on Monday I definitely wasn't feeling it. The main thing was I got out and went and got a mediocre forty-five minutes under my belt, which is better than nothing. 

I can feel my endurance and strength building once again, after the break I took over Christmas and I am feeling good. But I have noticed a pattern...when I am exercising regularly my eating is more relaxed. Of course it gets better, like most people, when I workout I don't want to put in the hours to no end and not see results. After all, that's how we stay motivated and progress but my eating also relaxes and I don't stress about food as much, especially eating out. I watch what I eat, but not in an overly obsessive way.

I have an healthy approach to food if you will, and that's one of the best parts for me!

Ok, moving on to the good stuff. There's a few meals from the past week that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately I haven't got any photos of them...You could say that I was enjoying the moment...

Yesterday's Eats:

After swimming I was quite hungry, but I needed to take a tablet before I ate and that gave me the time I needed to shower and wash my hair. I enjoyed a small glass of milk before I went in.

Once I was out the shower, I rammed a small browning banana down my throat (a little too fast), and got a bit of indigestion. No photo.

Then, I ate what I was craving...

2 Slices of Wholemeal Toast with a Laughing Cow wedge, 2 Quorn Sausages, 2 Fried Eggs (in Frylight), Mushrooms and Ketchup

A couple hours later I found myself peckish, mainly just craving sugar as it was nearly 2pm and the afternoon slump was setting in after waking up at 08:30 am. So that's when I indulged my sweet tooth in a yoghurt drink and a small kinder choccie bar. It was so good I spent the next five minutes choking on a tickle at the back of my throat.

I cannot get enough of the sweet-crack like stuff lately...why so addictive?

This was last nights dinner. It was basically a mixture of my fridge and cupboard...I haven't been 'properly' shopping in over a week. I've got quite a lot to get through before I need to do a big shop.

Whilst enjoying a whisky and coke I indulged in this old classic of a snack...did anybody else have these growing up?

Favourites from the Week:

 We went to the tea house again, and that's always worth an indulgence.

Over the past week I have been indulging in a whisky and coke when I feel. The first time since Christmas...

I've re-fell in love with an old cereal classic - Bran Flakes Mix.

And I have finally got going with the exercise, so hopefully more healthy food photos to come.

What's your favourite meal of the week?

xoThanks for Readingxo

I'm Running on Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Caffeine...

I love that quote.

Between working full-time this week and sleeping until 1 on my days off, I am wiped! I am running on dark chocolate, peanut butter and caffeine and it's not a pretty picture. I managed to get some chores done. I hung up my clean washing that's been sitting the washing bag for days. Disgusting I know. But I still haven't got around to changing my bed, hoovering my room and just having a general clean.

This week my priorities were to work my hours instead of finish my school assignments and on reflection that may have been a bad decision. But times of tight and some extra cash could help. So I have basically spent the past few days playing catch-up. That means the gym has been put on hold.

I managed to get a gym session in Friday and my upper chest is still quite sore. But that's all I've managed exercise wise this week. Like I said my priorities didn't match my previous goals this week. But I accommodated and didn't do too badly. My eating hasn't been super clean but I've been trying and it's a step in the right direction.

I have my goals for this week already written down in my diary, and they go as follows.

*Drink more fluids.

*Go to they gym 4 times (one of those may be changed to a walk, given my two assignment deadlines).

*Avoid eating after 7.30 pm.

Drinking more fluids seems to always be a goal of mine, but it works to remind myself how important it is.

I always want to get to the gym and once these deadlines are over things will be easier to make that a reality.

And finally not eating after a certain time has always been a good goal of mine. And when I get into the swing of things this is an easy one to maintain! It's all about exercising that willpower again. Like any other muscle I know it will get stronger with repetition.

Or Write About It...

xoThanks for Readingxo

New Year, New Me...?

Like I said in Mondays post for MIMM, I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. When I was in Secondary School or High School, whichever you prefer, I was. But I haven't made them in years. Instead I find it more helpful to set them whenever I choose to. You can choose to be a new you every day you wake up. That's in your control and 24 hours doesn't change anything. 

But what I will write down is my goals for the month of January.

Three goals seems a reasonable number to start with...so here they are. Oh and these will more than likely be beginning when I get back to Cheltenham, as I am spending the next few days with my family.

To exercise five days out of seven.

and that doesn't necessarily mean get to the gym. That can be anything I want it to be. Maybe walks or a dvd or even strength exercises.

To drink as much fluids as I can; mainly water and squash.

And...finally

To eat a 80% fresh foods diet.

When the holidays are over some may find it hard to quickly convert, but if I am honest I am really craving an apple now! 

Can't wait for normality to begin and routines to revert back to normal. It really can't come sooner. I love to relax my diet and skip workouts in order to spend time with friends and family, but I am all ready for it to be over with.

The reason I'm not setting any weight goals yet, and this is just a personal choice, is because I am not going to weigh in. Maybe I will at the end of the month, or I might even leave it until the beginning of March. I can feel for myself when I am being healthy and doing everything I am supposed to be doing. And so I am not going to weigh-in knowing I will see a gain. Call it what you will. But for me this is the best way to proceed.

I am also thinking about trying out a challenge. My last challenge was back in October, and I attempted a squatting challenge. Can't remember how far I had gotten now, but I didn't fully complete it, which was a little disappointing.

Here are a few I am considering...courtesy of Pinterest!


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Any challenges that you are embarking on in the month of January?

Have you set your January goals yet?

xoThanks for Readingxo

Via The Camera Roll

I thought I'd do a 'Via the camera roll' post today. I haven't really got the time to chit-chat away. Those kind of posts will now be posted on weekends, or days off. Which today is, but I need to get on with work and other necessary life things!

Anyways here's what I found when I flicked back through my phone. I went to The Times Cheltenham Literary Festival both on Saturday and Sunday last week. I enjoyed both and even managed to get one of my books signed by Helen Fielding on Saturday. It was so nice meeting her. It's a shame I haven't gone in the past to be honest. Oh well...you live and you learn.

Roll The Camera Roll

Forgot about this snap! Check out the terribly chipped nail polish.

 These mini-bars of chocolate are good to break in half and share if you want something sweet!

Home-made Apple Crumble

New Jacket.

My Face.

Great Seats Saturday Night!

The Queue to get something signed, and that's when we'd been there fifteen minutes or more!

Wasn't happy when this came through the post the other day :-(

New Outfit Alert! Loving those Shorts especially.

Naughty-Meal on Saturday. Didn't like the sauce it came with, definitely not my cup of tea!

How was your weekend? Any Events?

xoThanks for Readingxo

Where Have I Been?

Well, I can completely confirm (loving the alliteration), that the semester has begun. It began three weeks ago, but first week is just reassuring us, the students, what's going to be happening on each Module. They usually last an hour and we are released. And then we move on to week two, and the realisation of what the semester will be about finally begins to sink in. Then we have the third week, and BAM.

Oh yes, those caps are definitely in order. I will list write now everything that is going through my head, and unusually there are many questions. It's like I have finally woken up and realised this year education will end and then what?!

The many questions floating around my mind...

*What do I want to do?
*When and what should I be applying for?
*Should I be applying for Jobs or Internships or Work Experience?
*Should I try and cram some work experience or an internship into this academic year?
*Do I just apply for retail and basic jobs?
*Do I apply for everything?
*What should my C.V look like?
*What should my cover letter look like?
*Should I apply for part-time jobs this semester (even though I am exceptionally busy!)?

I think you get the point right?

But with realisation brings productivity, which I am thankful for. Sometimes in the past under pressure I freeze up and then have to make rushed decisions towards the end - so it's nice to at least be planning a little ahead and sorting out my options.

Hopefully when it comes to the end of the academic year, I have a plan of what I want to do, my next move in life and where I want to live. That would be lovely. I have always been someone who likes to know where I am going, and that will probably never change! Direction is key to success. With me anyways. I've known this for years, since I began high school really. So, that's what I have been doing in regards to Academia and Work related things. If I am honest all it looks like I've been doing is panicking, but productive panic is always favoured over straight up panic, am I right?

If you've glanced at the right-side bar, you will have noticed that my weight has gone down. It's basically four of the pounds I gained over Summer with two more pounds to go! But it's nice to see them go nevertheless.

But I have also took the step into joining the gym. We looked around the all ladies gym last Friday, and then on Tuesday we had an induction and a mini-stair climber fitness test. It wasn't too bad, but I've been going everyday since Tuesday and it feels great! It's so good to be working out again. I am by no means a gym bunny, but I love the gym. I may not be the most athletic, or the slimmest or the most toned. But I absolutely love the strength I get from going to the gym, and it has also helped me sort out some of my stomach issues - just in the sense of my eating schedule and the certain foods I want to eat after a workout etc. I mean you don't have to be the brightest bulb to know that going to the gym is a positive thing, but in the past my anxiety has stopped me from doing such things and definitely a year ago I wouldn't have been able to do this and for that I am proud.

I joined with my best friend, only for a month as tester. I don't think that she's going to join again when our month runs out, but I am enjoying it and will make my decision in a months time. I just keep thinking of the amount of money, but then I weigh up the benefits and I think they are completely worth it.

Here's some Photographic Catch-Up:

Blueberry and Blackberry Smoothie.

Study Time.

Study Time some more.

Oh and more Study Time.

Tasty Left-Overs.

Home-Made Apple Crumble.

New Faux-Leather Jacket.

Porridge with Blackberries, Almonds and Nutella.

Greek Yoghurt, Almond Flakes, Blackberries and Banana.

Honey and Tea Time.

Anyway, that's me. Let me know what's been going on with you lately. Anything important or worth a mention (no matter how big or how small!)

xoThanks for Readingxo

Lethargy, Food Diaries and Final Year

I've decided to give a photo food diary another go. I did it yesterday (Saturday), but then I thought about it and how am I going to comment on the food eaten? I am super terrible at keeping a food diary anyways and photographing my food is the easiest way.

So now I am in a predicament...

Does anybody else keep a food diary? Comment below how because I am really trying to keep this up, but it's so time consuming!

Anyways, here were yesterdays eats. Not the best they good be, but lately I have just felt so lethargic and especially on the days were I need to get a lot of reading done. I will read for a couple of hours and then break, either with a beverage or I take a YouTube break and catch up on the videos in my Watch Later list. I'm aware that I seriously need to start taking walks during these breaks and getting outside in the fresh air. But for the last couple of weeks there has been a day each week, either Sat or Sun, where I don't get out and I catch up on anything that I seem to be behind with.

That will change soon when I get back into the swing of this work load.

Also I kind-of had the munchies yesterday...so bad. My sleeping pattern was definitely off this weekend, because I ate late and went to bed really late!

I need to stop babbling, seriously this time and show you my eats.

 It was a full-banana.

My 'new' favourite cereal. Love this stuff. But now I am out. That's why I need to go out today and pick up  a few bits!

Just to point out. There was only a third of this left.

I was having this to tired me over (about 3pm) until we went for a meal later on about 9pm, but I got my nights mixed up and it turns out we weren't meant to be going to the Helen Fielding talk at The Cheltenham Literature Festival until next week. FAIL.

Gala Apple. I ended up throwing half if this away, it was powdery and not nice and I now have 3 more to eat!

Crackers and what was unpictured was some mature cheddar. Like I said it was a snacky day!

Porridge and Nutella, which is always a classic/favourite in my book.

Nutella on Wholewheat with a mini banana. Just what I was craving at half eleven after a glass of wine and couple of beers.

I must admit at the moment, even with my lethargy and illness, I am doing well to keep up. I am attending all my classes (minus one) and I am doing all the reading and more in preparation for my classes. I'm seriously hoping that it lasts. This semester, if not year, I am finding that I've become more determined as a person and I am really fighting for my future. This includes taking the best steps in that direction, and as always healthy living is a big part of that - even though I feel that of late my healthy living hasn't took top priority. But in my mind I am like 'how could it'. I leave the safety of academics a few months time and I want to find a way of earning a living, one that covers bills and so that's been my top priority as of late (everything that will go towards the end product of my Final Year).

But I do find myself starting to wonder what the scale says and also wanting to start exercising more again and make time to exercise. I did take a step to doing this by joining an all Ladies gym on Friday with my best friend. We signed up for a week, but after that I plan to try out swimming again and hopefully I will have brought my exercise videos back with me by that point. I thought I'll pay for a month (student budget), and then after that swimming! So I am still trying to attain a healthy lifestyle, even if it's not my top priority.

Admittedly, I do need to start eating better than I am. Mainly portion control and going for walks.

Anybody else on a new exercise adventure recently?

Food Diaries?

xoThanks for Readingxo