FITNESS DIARIES NO. 16

Hola,
Coming off of a bad week with zero weight loss, I am determined this week. I've decided to work out pretty much every day so let's see how it goes! I'm heading to London on Saturday so obviously that will be my cheat day, but I'm going to wear my pedometer and do a lot of walking so I'll keep track of that.
Monday
Breakfast: Coffee and Apple and Grapes
Lunch: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
Snack: Nutella and Strawberries on wholemeal toast.
             1/3 portion chips and mayonaise
Dinner: 3 chicken drumsticks w/o skin, roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli
Workout: Intense cardio session - 20 mins running, 15 mins cycling, 15 mins elliptical, 10 mins stepper
Net calories: 1410 food - 500 exercise = 910
Macros: 98g protein, 113g carbohydrates, 64g fat

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee and Onken fat-free strawberry yogurt
Lunch: Chicken, spinach and green pepper with wholemeal pasta and tomato and olive sauce
Snack: Breakfast brunch bar
Dinner: Sweet chilli salmon, brown rice and broccoli
Snack: Peach green tea
Workout: 45 minute spinning class and 15 minute run
Net calories: 1265 food - 500 exercise = 765
Macros: 86g protein, 159g carbs, 32g fat

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker Cinnamon Porridge
Lunch: (same as yesterday)
Snack: 2 pieces wholemeal toast and nutella
Dinner: Grilled haddock, baked beans and green cabbage
Snack: Watermelon, 1/2 box graze strawberries and cream granola topper
Workout: 30 minutes elliptical and back/chest day including chest flies, tricep extensions, dumbbell rows, bicep curl and press, reverse fly, lateral raises and one-legged military press.
Net calories: 1298 food - 250 exercise = 1048
Macros: 91g protein, 168g carbs, 27g fat

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker Apple and Blueberry Porridge with added cinnamon
Lunch: Smoked salmon 2 scrambled eggs, 2 small pieces wholemeal toast
Dinner: Chicken Tikka Bhuna, boiled rice, 1/3 naan bread
Workout: 5 mins elliptical, 20 mins treadmill. Bicep and tricep workout
Net calories: 1237 food - 250 exercise = 987
Macros: 69g protein, 134g carbs, 42g fat

Friday
Breakfast: Same as yesterday
Lunch: Same as yesterday
Dinner: Sausage and pepperoni pizza, bacon cheese sticks
Workout: 45 minute high impact legs, bums and tums class
Net calories: 1545 food - 400 exercise = 1145
Macros: 69g protein, 169g carbs, 61g fat

Saturday (Cheat day)
Breakfast: Pret a Manger: Tomato and Mozzarella Croissant and skinny latte
Lunch: Hot dog with sauerkraut and tater tots
Dinner: Southern fried chicken wrap, cheese and onion squares:
Snacks: Dried mango chunks. 2 macaroons
Workout: 11 hours walking in London
Net calories: 1501 food - 542 exercise = 959
Macros: 39g protein, 194g carbs, 62g fat (oooooooops)

Sunday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch: Sweet chilli chicken noodle salad, skips crisps and summer fruits oasis
Dinner: Lean burger, salad and sweet chilli sensations
Snacks: 2 macroons
Net calories: 1017
Macros: 46g protein, 116g carbs, 41g fat

Overview:
Fastest mile: 10 mins 9 seconds (-22 seconds)
Weight loss: -1 lb
Total weight loss: -5lbs

Look at my cheat meal omg
This week was pretty mixed in terms of food, some days and meals were great! My macros were good, especially how low my fat intake was. I'm a serious carboholic and I feel like without carbs, I just don't have any energy at all so it's hard to keep those down. One thing I'm not happy about is the fact that Saturday didn't have my only cheat meal, I had a pizza on Friday night which is my absolute favourite! I am really happy with my workouts. I feel like I really gave it my all this week, I did have to drop my cardio in the middle of the week because I was suffering from shin splints. But it was really good to feel a difference from my strength training, even if the aftermath of leg day was a bit extreme!
I am hoping to try to keep these blogs going while I'm on my holiday too! Hope your journeys are going well as always
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 15

Morning all,
This week I've been really stuck with the weight loss. I understand it's not all about the number and I'm not going to lose weight every week but I'm just stuck at the same number and it's really demotivating when you aren't seeing all your hard work pay off. Unfortunately, I can't have a cheat day for TWO WHOLE WEEKS now due to my Chicken and Waffles on Saturday and it was my Grandma's birthday on Monday so we went out for tapas. I have no idea how I'll manage without a cheat day, give me strength.
Workout count:
1 x Leg session - 5 minute elliptical warm up, 20 minute run, 10 minute stairmaster. 3 x 12 calf raises, 3 x 12 hip abductors, 3 x 12 hip adductors, 3 x 15 squats, 4 x 15 walking lunges, 4 x 15 jump squats
1 x arm session - 5 minute elliptical warm up, 25  minute run. 3 sets of 10 reps of the following: Chest flies, Lying tricep extensions, Squat curl and press, Dumbbell row, Reverse flies, Lateral raises
Breakfast:
Coffee and strawberry slim fast
Coffee and sultana, raisin, cranberry and apple oatmeal x 2
Coffee and Onken strawberry fat free yogurt x 2
Coffee and Raspberries
Coffee and a breakfast bar

Lunch:
1/2 tin baked beans on 2 pieces wholemeal toast with strawberries
Smoked salmon on toast (NO cream cheese)
Green pepper and spring onion omelette with raspberries
Chicken, tomato and basil pasta
Pate on toast
Tuna and red onion melt on wholemeal bread
Chicken Tikka salad

Dinner:
Tapas - pescado blanco frito, honey chorizo, paella, calamares AND 1/2 piece red velvet cake :(
Grilled chicken, vegetables and wholemeal pasta with sundried tomato pesto
Grilled chicken, tomato pesto pasta, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
BBQ - 1 x burger, 1 x beef kebab, potato salad (THREE CIDERS - oops!)
Leftover BBQ - 1 x burger, mixed vegetables
ANOTHER burger (sorry)
Beef satay kebabs, sweet potato and butternut squash

Snacks:
Mango chunks
Peach iced lemonade (costa)
Alpen light lemon drizzle bar
Sweet chilli and sour cream crisps
1 glass dr pepper
Pineapple chunks
2 glasses coca cola
Mango chunks


Water: 2 litres a day

Fastest Mile: 10 minutes 31 seconds (-26 seconds from last week!) 

Overview: Ok, so as you can see I said at the start of the week I wasn't having any cheat days, then I had tapas for my Grandma's birthday, a BBQ and two days of left over burgers after that BBQ so I'm already not off to a good start as far as food goes. Furthermore, after my BBQ on Thursday, my friends left me with FOUR OPEN BOTTLES OF COKE (this is an OCD nightmare) so I had to attempt to get rid of some of them by having 1 glass a day (2 in total).

Weight loss: 0lbs

Total weight loss: -4lbs

As you can see, despite my cardio getting faster and feeling stronger during strength training, YOU CAN'T OUT EXERCISE A BAD DIET. This week hasn't been disastrous, but it hasn't been my finest as far as eating goes. The drinking, BBQs and coca cola really hasn't helped and I honestly regret it because I probably would have lost weight without them. Oh well, every new day is a new start.
Check out previous weeks here:
Number 14
Number 13
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 14

Hello!
So as you know from my previous blogpost, I have completely cut my diet. Limited myself to 1200 calories, 45g sugar, 40g fat - just gone for it. I've been fuelling my body with the nutrients it's desired and I am feeling so much better for it! My runs are the fastest they've been in a year, my workouts are more varied, my endurance is stronger, my sleep is better. And this all comes from the way you fuel your body, basically. As mentioned before there is going to be a MASSIVE shake up on here. I'm not going for a half-hearted attempt anymore, you are going to read about every time I eat or move, and I'm not sugar coating anything (*emotional sigh*)

Workout count:
1 x Leg and cardio - 20 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes stepper. 3 x 12 reps of adductor and abductor. 4 x 25 reps of calf raises. 3 x 16 sets of normal, plie and narrow squats with 5lbs weight. 2 x 16 walking lunges with 2 lbs weight.
1 x Arms and cardio - cardio as above. 3 x 16 reps bicep curls. 3 x 16 reps tricep extensions. 3 x 12 hammer curls. 3 x 12 skull crushers
1 x  Cardio hour. 30 min spinning class and 30 min run
1 x Fat burn session (consisting of weighted squats, wall sits, sprints, burpees, panks, dumbbell rows, walking planks push ups) and 1 x Abs Class (Jackknives, reverse crunches, bicycle crunches and spider planks)

Breakfast:
Onken Fat-Free strawberry yogurt with graze's strawberries and cream granola topper and raspberries on the side (411 calories)
Nakd banana crunch bar and strawberries
Onken Fat-Free strawberry yogurt
Nakd banana crunch and coffee x2
Sultana, raisin, cranberry and apple oatmeal x 2

Lunch:
Heinz cream of tomato with a hint of basil soup and 2 pieces wholemeal dry toast (314 calories) x 2
Turkey bacon and scrambled eggs, with carrot sticks and hummus
Light cheese and green tomato chutney toastie with carrot sticks and hummus
1/2 can baked beans on 2 pieces wholemeal toast with side of honeydew melon
2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces toast and 1/3 can baked beans
Prawn mayo sandwich on wholemeal bread with apple and grapes on the side

Dinner:
Grilled chicken with spinach and broccoli
Grilled seabass with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
Slimming world chicken wings with Moroccan couscous
Grilled salmon with left over Moroccan couscous and broccoli
Salmon parcel with baked sweet potato and broccoli
*Cheat meal* 1 piece fried chicken, 1 waffle, bacon, maple syrup and mango juice
1 nandos chicken pitta with mash

Snacks:
Graze lemon and poppyseed slice (my faaaaaaavourite)
Nakd banana crunch bar
Hartley's sugar free strawberry jelly
1 bottle Dr Pepper (sorry. not sorry)
Graze herby bread basket
6 strawberries
Muller light toffee yogurt
2 x Kopparberg strawberry and lime
1 can cherry dr pepper
6 Tuc biscuits

Water: 2 litres a day every day

Weight loss:  - 1lb

Total weight loss (2 weeks): - 4lb

Motivation of the week: Nikki Blackketter

Overview: I did want to lose at least 2 lbs, if not 3 in order to be at my short term goal weight for my holiday. I'm not disappointed with only losing 1 lb this week and I'm absolutely putting it down to the poor choices I made in the snack department towards the end of the week (cough, cough the 2 kopparbergs and dr peppers). I've been keeping track of my calories and I have almost always been under my calorie goal of 1200 except on the days I had the kopparbergs. Point for next week: no alcohol at all.

Thanks for following my new and improved weight loss journey, of course it's not all about the number on the scale but the way my body improves. After I realised I'd gained this weight, it made sense to me why my miles hadn't been as fast; it was taking me nearly 2 minutes to run a mile and this time last year it took me 9 and a half. However, this week I managed to get it down to 10 mins 57 seconds which is the lowest it's been since October! Therefore, the scale was my second biggest achievement of the week.
If you missed last week's, here's a link - Fitness Diaries no. 13
Catch you next time!
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 13

OK, so first of all, I want to apologise for my absence over the past MONTH. I could give you a million excuses about exams, illness, whatever. But this blog isn't for excuses, this blog is for fitness.
I would just like to say that over the course of writing the fitness diaries, I did not have a perfect diet and exercise routine, but instead I was working on making improvements, which I did. However, although my diet wasn't necessarily a high calorie, high fat one, it did contain a lot of sugar, and that's not good for your body.
Exams are the absolute WORST THINGS for anyone trying to lose weight or tone up, because you just don't have time to work out. I'm not one to cover up the truth, so here it goes. For four weeks I literally just sat in bed or at my desk, barely moved for entire days and ate. A LOT. Once a week, my boyfriend and I would have our Game of Thrones pizza nights, order a Papa John's and obviously, watch Game of Thrones. I honestly hardly even walked anywhere.
Now, because I've never been one for weighing myself, I didn't see the problem with my weight ... until I weighed myself. Finding out I'm around 20 lbs heavier than where I would like to be is shit. I just stood there and stared at the number thinking that if I didn't move, or tried again, it would go down (it didn't).
So now is the time to make a change I thought. I went into my cupboards and threw out EVERYTHING which wasn't good for me, and then went shopping. I stocked up on high protein, low fat foods, green, leafy veg, fruits and that's it. Cut out half of my carbohydrates, half of my sugar, and half of my fat.
Then I set a target of burning 500 calories a day (or more if I'm only doing 5 workouts a week). First couple of days went better than expected, I was headed to spinning classes, going on runs, doing at home workouts all to get to that glorious number. The sad thing is, I could tell in myself that I'd gained weight just from how heavy I felt when running, it really hit home hard.
AND THEN, the abdomen pain hit. This is still undiagnosed but it basically put a stop to everything. I had to leave the gym early, I couldn't eat anything, it was awful. I'm currently awaiting results from a blood test so hopefully it's sorted out soon.
Starting my new lifestyle on Monday, I was 3 lbs lighter by Friday, and now it's Monday again, I'm still at that weight. I really wanted lose at least 12 by the time I go on my summer holidays (which is three weeks away!!!) Although it's not looking likely with the intensity of my workouts at the moment, I'm going to give it my best shot, and as long as the number's going down, that's good.
Thanks for listening to my ramble this week, hopefully there'll be better news and better results next week!
CJ x

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 12

This week's theme: Gym Classes!
Ok, so you know the saying: It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for you friends and family to notice and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Well, by my calculations, everyone should have noticed a change in my body by now, but I personally don't see it all that much. Not through lack of trying either! I am noticing I'm starting to slim down in places, and I am SO much more capable than I've ever been, I just want to see more results, you know?
So, as always, switching up my routine. I swapped 2 out of 3 workouts this week for classes (yay!) The first was a cycle class and the second was legs, bums and tums. If you've been to either of these classes before, you'll know the score, if you haven't, you're in for a treat.
So I have love/hate relationship with cycle classes, like I do with most exercise, however this one I feel just takes the cake. It's so good, it's the first time that I've ever physically felt and seen the sweat dripping from my face and body (sorry - tmi), and it just overall feels amazing. Doing speed intervals and climbing intervals and even though it's killing you, being able to keep up just feels so satisfying. However, if you're considering taking part in a cycle class, clear your schedule for a few day after that because there is NO WAY you'll be able to move like a normal human being, and that's not just from aching muscles. Not sure if this is the same for both men and women, but I'm just warning you, you might bruise.
Legs, bums and tums however, was amazing. It's so good to mix up your routine and do it with other people! It motivates you so much more. This was great a we had intervals for legs, glutes and abs. There was still some cardio involved, but not all that much. The one thing I CANNOT do though, is burpees. I just can't cope, it's so difficult. And this class usually contains a lot of burpees and jumping around in general, I managed it, not without some difficulty.
Fitness classes benefit you so much in the sense that it gives you motivation when you're lacking some. You don't have to tell yourself what to do, somebody else is doing tat for you. Al you have to worry about is actually doing it. I feel like I burn way more calories and work a lot harder when I'm following a video and especially when I'm in a class with other people, you don't want to be the first one to give u after all.
As of this week as well, I'm going to start weighing myself and actually keeping track of my progress, which of course, I will keep  you updated with for any pounds lost/gained. It's been way over a year since I last weighted myself and I'm actually terrified of the outcome.
Favourite at-home workout of the week comes from X hit Daily, I love this workout because even though it's called legs, bums and tums, it's really an all body workout and really helps back strength too!

 



I hope you enjoyed this week's instalment! I'm really trying to fit some exercise in anywhere I can at the moment in between revision sessions! And I definitely want to start toning up for summer, only 7 weeks until my holiday now! Try to do the above workout 2 times and you will really feel it! Don't forget to stretch!
CJ x

If you've missed previous weeks find them here:

Week 11

Week 10

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 11

Hola,
How did we get to week 11 already?! Like, seriously, how.
This week's theme issssss: How to Eat Clean
So, as you may know I'm trying so hard to get myself in gear and I'm finally starting to see results! I can run faster for longer and I can push myself harder than I've ever been able to before. It's really amazing how far so little time can take you. I've even started to incorporate more strength training into my routine (I'm really wanting to work on my back and arms lately). But I don't think that's the reason I'm seeing my physical results.
The reason I think I'm seeing results on the outside, is the work I'm putting in on the inside. In other words, my nutrition. I'm so proud of the way I'm eating lately, and yes, some things may come easier to me because not only to I tend to avoid bad foods, but I don't particularly like them either. Chocolate, coke, cheese and salt are just a few examples. One thing I found that benefitted me soooo much was giving up caffeine. I would always walk around feeling bloated and sluggish during the day and once I cut the coffee, it was gone. So, this week is a little different. Here are my top tips for clean eating!

1. Cut the caffeine. Although most diets don't really comment much on caffeine, apart from saying one cup a day won't do you any harm, I wouldn't recommend it. Some sources actually say it helps you metabolism, which it does to an extent. But too much caffeine can actually cause stress and anxiety levels to rise faster than you have time to work them off. My tip? Stick to one cup a day AT MOST, or simply switch to decaf.

2. Decline the drinking. (Do you like my alliteration? I do). Similar to tip numero uno is that you really need to think about the fact boozing WILL make you bloated, it'll also make you dehydrated and has TONNES of calories in it. When you really feel like a drink, go for it. But if it isn't that necessary, maybe keep the nights out to a minimum.

3. Don't drink your calories! Even more similarly, you really need to consider where your calorie and sugar intake is coming from, and it's most likely going to be that 4th glass of Dr Pepper I'm (I mean you're) drinking. Do you know how much hidden sugar is in a 500ml bottle of fizzy drink? Like more than half your daily intake. I'm basically telling you not to drink anything but water.

4. Chug some water. Wait a sec, didn't I say this blog was about clean eating? Regardless, drinking water can really aid weightloss and health. It's so pure and natural and as long as it's clean will never do you any harm. Drinking at least 2 litres of water is so beneficial it helps metabolism, energy, obviously hydration, your skin feels better, you brain works harder. Just maybe impose a tactic like use a 1 litre bottle to help motivate you to drink it.

5. Stop with processed foods. I know it's hard, McDonald's, pizza, even frozen ready meals are so hard to cut back on! But I realised since my shopping contained NO processed foods, my body has greatly improved. When I say no processed foods this is nothing but pure ingredients, vegetables, meat, carbs, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

6. Whole grain. EVERYTHING. I never understood people who don't like wholegrain foods, they're so much better for you. My recommendations would be to switch bread, pasta, rice, even sugar from white to brown. Whole grain helps aid healthy digestion while fighting the bloat.

7. Learn to live without sugar. I'm not saying you all have to go out and buy the 'I quit sugar for life' book. But if you're anything like me, you'll have a serious sweet tooth and nothing tastes good unless it's sweet. We just have to learn to use natural sweeteners like fruit and honey instead. I know, it's so hard!

8. Skip the added salt. This is a MUST. But also something I've never done. Salt is so bad for you, and once you cut back on processed, packaged foods, you'll really start to notice the difference in your daily salt intake. Yes, it is there to add flavour, but there are so many substitutes for that and adding salt is just unnecessary.

9. 5 a day. This  really should have been point 5. But I can't express how important it is to have fresh produce in your diet. It doesn't even need to be straight of the shelves. If you're worried about having so much fresh food in the house it might go off, freeze some. I keep frozen raspberries and mango, as well as mushrooms and peppers just for when the mood strikes. Starting off you day with some fruit will have you in such a good mood too!

10. Control your serving size. And by this I don't just mean cut back as a whole, but watch how much of each food group you're eating. For dinner, for example, half of your meal should be veggies, one quarter should be protein and one quarter should be carbohydrates. Most women tend to put carbs first, protein second and veggies last and most men put protein first, carbs second and veggies last. Oh no. Not how we play it, the more colourful your plate, the better too!


So there are my favourite clean eating tips! I full understand that I'm not a nutritionist and everybody's bodies work differently BUT these tips have definitely worked for me. You don't even have to do all of them, but if you're someone who drinks coffee and coke and lives off white bread, carbs and ready meals, then definitely try to incorporate some of these tips into your life! Hope you found this useful!
Until next week,
CJ x

The Fitness Diaries - WEEK 10

Hi guys!
This week I'm a woman on a mission! I have 10 weeks until I hit up the beautiful Adriatic country of Croatia on my summer holiday! Say whaaaat? When did summer come around?! So I am squeezing workouts in everywhere I can.
This week's theme: No regrets
So as I said, I'm squeezing workouts in EVERYWHERE. I only have a few days until my end of year exams start, I am in uni 4 days a week, work 3 days a week etc. So whenever I get a spare minute, I'm usually found reading or making notes getting ready for my exams (property law is a killer). But this blog isn't about revision ... it's about fitness. And I would be lying if I sat here and told you that I'm managing to go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour and a half each session. No. That is not happening. I might make it to the gym once, maybe twice. But I can say that I feel like I'm getting my movements in.
As usual, I am using these quick 5 minute video workouts thanks to Blogilates - I seriously love her. But I'm also managing to squeeze in a few of my own. I love doing 100-200 jumping jacks first thing in the morning. I squat while I'm brushing my teeth. If I have a spare few minutes, I run up and down the stairs a few times. Of course, this means I don't know exactly how many calories I'm burning, but I do feel the burn! Especially when it comes to burpees. Omg actually attempt doing around 20 burpees a day. I think I'm dead.
I also attempted Cassey's I really like you Squat Challenge and oh my this hurt. I for sure felt the pain the next day but it was oh so worth it. I'm so sick of being unhappy with my body and my level of fitness that I am making a change, no matter how small. And that's why I write these blogposts, so I can keep you all up to date with my progress, motivate you, motivate myself, and so on.
I am also debating running a 10k in Manchester soon, or maybe trying the tough mudder challenge. I feel like doing one of these races will really give me the push I need to take running seriously.
As I'm not consistently gymming it, I have to make sure I'm eating healthy. My current breakfast consists of porridge with a side of fruit. Mid morning snack is usually fruit or carrot sticks. Lunch will normally be a salad, soup or sandwich. And my dinner may be a bit more unpredictable (I'm working on it!) The main point I have to reiterate though is that you absolutely have to watch what you're snacking on when you're revising or working. As tempting as it may be to get the crisps or chocolate or fatty foods, you need to stick to fruit, veg and nuts both for your brain and body.
This week I did attempt a really tough fat-blasting treadmill workout courtesy of PopSugar Fitness. As I've mentioned before, I am NOT a consistent runner. My friends can get on a treadmill and run at like 5/5.5mph for half an hour. No. Not me. I can run at 5.5mph for 5 minutes and then I seriously need to catch my breath. What I am better with, is intervals. I can run at 10mph for a minute and then walk at 4mph for a minute and that's how I like to run best (I am working on it though). So I thought, interval run - perfect for me! I can handle this. Oh my gosh I was wrong. There were some parts of this I couldn't even do. I'll link it below for you all to try too!
Let me know how you're fitness is going through the dreaded exam period!
Hopefully we'll all be back on track in no time!
CJ x

Check out my favourite workouts of the week:

Check out my previous fitness blogs here:

Week 9

Week 8

The Fitness Diaries - WEEK 9

This week's theme:Staying Motivated
We all know that motivation is really hard to come by, and the difficult truth behind that is - it comes from within.
There's only so many scrolls through instagram at the pretty girl with long hair and a nice bum lifting weights before it has no effect anymore. The same goes for guys - how many videos do you watch of hench men doing different varieties of pull ups before it comes more depressing than motivating?
Yep, I know you all feel me. And what I find the hardest is, even though you have to work hard to motivate yourself, you also have to do it for those around you. If we don't help lift each other up, then we're never going to get out of the rut that we've been stuck in for 20+ years.
My tip for you guys is, find a friend. They don't even have to work out with you all the time, but just find somebody to talk about fitness with. And it's so easy! Pretty much everybody is on this journey, so what's the point in all doing it alone? Rather than hating on the girl in the kettlebells class at the front who's doing really deep squats (and I do mean REALLY deep), convince yourself that you're going to be that girl next month.
Listen to a bit of Kanye on your ipod, turn it up. This is your moment. Increase the speed on your treadmill. Skip a step on the stairmaster. Cycle and extra mile. It doesn't matter, as long as you get out of your normal routine and challenge yourself, you will see and feel a difference.
Furthermore, motivating others will help motivate yourself. Why else do you think I write these Fitness Diaries blogs? The fact that I know there is so many of you out there reading them is a bonus. I would really love to think that I'm helping to motivate you in some sense.

Keep going
CJ x

Week 8

Week 7

The Fitness Diaries - WEEK 8

Hello everybody!
Welcome to Week 8 of the fitness diaries! By this point, I'm guessing the blogs are running a week or so behind so I'm technically on week 10 right now, but regardless, week 8 needs addressing.
This week's theme: Staying healthy when traveling.
If you've read my other recent blogposts, you'll know that I just took a short trip to Paris! eek! And if you haven't, you should go and read them. Even though this was only a 4 day trip, it still affected my normal routine as I wasn't able to eat my usual meals at the usual time and I couldn't work out as much.
But I embraced it! I had a super early flight in the morning so I packed a few Nakd bars for the trip and headed off. As usual, I only drank water (and a lot more of it!) It was super hot in Paris while we were there so it was so important to stay hydrated. I found myself drinking about 3 litres of water a day.
As for the eating, I can't say I was on top form. The food there is something else, and who can resist it? There were far too many incidents with macaroons, pastries, croissants and crepes than I'd like to admit. But I was always careful with my portions and I'd only allow myself one treat per day *sob*.
I find it so hard to control your eating habits when traveling because you're always on the go! We found ourselves grabbing croissants in the morning on the way to the metro, eating a sandwich in the afternoon in some elaborate gardens and then finally having a proper meal at about 8:30pm (not good!)
We did manage to do a hell of a lot of walking in Paris, we walked all around the gardens of Versailles, walked from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, walked UP the Eiffel Tower - yes I did say WALKED UP. And I even managed to sneak a workout in one morning!
This one consisted of:

• 100 jumping jacks
• 100 skip ropes (imaginary rope)
• 100 high knees
• 100 butt kicks
• 40 squats
• 40 lunges
• 40 crunches
• 40 reverse crunches
• 40 push ups
• 1 minute plank

Not bad ey? Getting back into my normal routine after Paris has been HARD. I managed to do a quick workout during the week, but nothing too exciting, I will keep you posted week by week on my progress. As from Week 10, I will be kicking things up a notch as there will only be 12 weeks until I need to achieve my summer body! And the panic begins! Why don't you join me on my fight for fit for the next 12 weeks? Let me know!

Week 7
Week 6


CJ x

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 7

This week's theme: Strength Training
Hello from Paris everybody!
As we are now on Week 7 (can you believe it?!) I am definitely noticing a change in my body, more so in the strength I have rather than the exterior but as I said last week, things are slimming down.
I am still loving my morning workouts, there's something about going to the gym first thing in the morning in the fresh, crisp air and then having the rest of the day ahead of you without having to worry about squeezing a workout in!
Last week's goals were to incorporate strength into at least two of my gym sessions. The first one I did was leg day (oh my god - that hurt). Leg day consisted of:

• 5k bike ride
• 2 mile run
• 10 minutes on the stairmaster
• 100 jumping jacks
• 50 weighted squats
• 50 weighted calf raises
• 50 weighted lunges (25 each side)
• 50 weighted plie squats

(All weighted exercises were with a 4kg kettebell)

In addition to this, I did one normal cardio workout, you know the drill, 5k cycling, 5k running/walking, elliptical and stairmaster. As well as incorporating an upper body workout into my week as well. This workout had:

• 25 tricep dips
• 25 bicep curls
• 25 overhead presses
• 25 overhead tricep extensions
• 25 lateral raises
• 25 hammer curls

(I repeated these exercises twice - ow!)

So there you have it, this week's workouts and routines. Eating has been as normal, may have had a few dr peppers here and there but no caffeine, everything wholeweat, no red meat etc. Sorry this is a tad late - I've been out of the country. Be sure to check back for more about that!
CJ x

Week 6
Week 5

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 6

This week's theme: Morning workouts
Happy April, Happy Easter
This week I have been super busy. I've actually worked 32 hours in my part time job and have started revising for my end of year exams. But that doesn't mean I've stopped working out!
As of this week, I've actually noticed a change in my body, I feel myself getting slimmer and can see it too. I just need to work on toning my muscles now!
What I've really loved about this week is the fact that I've been going to the gym first thing in the morning. I wake up, have breakfast, potter round for a bit and then go to the gym about an hour later. I'm really loving morning workouts because they set you up for the rest of the day, I feel energised and my workout is out of the way then. I'm actually trying to train myself to go a little earlier each day, I'm currently going at 9am but I'd love to be one of those people who can wake up at 6 and go!
Furthermore, I've really noticed the importance of a good night's sleep recently. If you get at least 7-8 hours in, it's so beneficial for you and can even aid your weightloss (I think it has something to do with curbing hunger).
As for last week's goals, my Jump Nation class was amazing! It was really hard but so fun that it didn't even feel like a workout and I'd love to go again soon just to mix up my routine a little. I went to the gym an additional 4 times this week, 3 cardio sessions and one leg session which consisted of weighted squats, plie squats, walking lunges, calf raises and a hardcore stairmaster session.
This week I am going to continue with the cardio-strength combined sessions, focusing a little more on my legs because I really want to tone them again and I might even do a quick arm session too!
Thanks for sticking with me all the way to Week 6!
CJ x

Catch up with the latest Fitness Diaries!
Week 5
Week 4

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 5

This week's theme: Finding time to work out
Ok, so this week was quite difficult. I could sit here and give you a million reasons why I didn't find time to go to the gym, and give you excuse after excuse, but I'm not going to do that. I'm coming off one of the worst weeks I have ever had and it's definitely the worst of the year. However, I did find tie to get in a few workouts ( even though the blog wasn't out on time).
Last weeks targets were to build up my endurance when running, and beat my previous cardio times. As for endurance, I'm currently trying to build it up so I can just run a mile straight, without any walking in there. I'm asthmatic so it is tricky to regulate my breathing but I'm currently running for half a mile, then walking for a minute, running for 1/4 a mile, walking a minute and running the rest. That is actually an improvement on last week so I'll keep you posted! My first mile on the treadmill was 13 seconds better than in week 4 and my 5k on the bikes was 7 seconds better.
As far as incorporating strength training goes: I've been doing it via my at home workouts. I've been loving blogilates '6 minutes' videos.
These videos have really helped me this week as I was still getting a workout in even though I didn't have a lot of time; I did these workouts either first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening and I managed 4 of them! So proud of myself!
Moral of the story: when you're feeling sorry for yourself, don't let it affect your body, even though I've been stressed and I have slacked on my workouts. I haven't let it affect my eating. I still manage 2 litres of water and 5 pieces of fruit and veg a day while trying to watch my carb intake.
Next weeks goals: I'm going to a jump nation workout this week and I'm so excited to give it a try, so one goal is to do that and at least 2 more workouts which are cardio and strength combined. I'm going to start building up my strength training with a leg day this week!
Wish me luck!
CJ x

 

Week 4

Week 3

Week 2

Week 1

 

I've also got some super exciting announcements coming up soon on the blog - we're going to be seeing some huge changes leading up to the 50th blog post!



The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 4

This week's theme: At home workouts
Hello everybody! I hope my tips from last week about drinking water have worked for everybody! I used to find it so hard to stick to drinking 2 litres of water a day, especially if I wasn't doing anything, I just wouldn't remember. But now I drink at least 2 litres a day without any fizzy drinks and I'm so happy about it, I feel so much better, more energised, my metabolism is better. I have one coffee per week on a Saturday morning, and for the rest of the week it's off limits. It's slowly killing me, but I know it's better for me in the long run.
So, for the workouts, I've made it to the gym twice; once for a class and once for a workout. This is mainly due to the fact I had to write my LAST two essays of the year (yep - I'm essay free, yay!). However, I've found that working out at home can be just as effective as going to the gym, just a little less time consuming. At the gym, I usually spend about an hour an a half doing strictly cardio for the first month. Therefore, if I couldn't make it, I'd still keep to a cardio workout using youtube videos, and I'd make it equal the same amount of time. I've found channels like POPSUGAR Fitness and Blogilates have the largest variety of videos to follow.
My  choice to build up my healthy lifestyle has really paid off. I used to go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and I knew if I picked up immediately where I left off, I would have given up by now. Set yourself weekly targets and you'll be amazed by what you can achieve. Coming into my fourth week, I'm astonished that all of my cravings for Dr Pepper and coffee have gone, I don't feel the need to eat large amount of carbohydrates anymore.
I've found that having 3 small meals and 3 snacks is the best way to combat hunger and cravings. Every morning I have either yogurt and granola, oatmeal or a piece of wholemeal toast and peanut butter. Whichever one I choose I have with a portion of fruit too. Mid-morning I like to have either more fruit or a nakd bar. For lunch I'm sticking to either an omelette, soup, a wholemeal sandwich or pitta or a salad. My afternoon snack normally consists of carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus. And for dinner I'm having mostly protein (chicken, turkey or fish only) and vegetables, with a small amount of carbs.
As I've only just finished week 3, and I'm starting week 4, I haven't noticed any visible external results yet. But I do feel stronger, I have more endurance when I run (something I've previously found really difficult due to breathing problems). I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but I know I'm off to a good start. I'm also sleeping better and spending less time staring at screens all day. Something for the mind as well as the body!
This week's goals are simple: build up my endurance when running, beat my first mile in the 5k on the treadmill and beat the overall time for 5k on the bikes. After this week, I'm hoping to incorporate strength training into my workouts! Fingers crossed it pays off!
My favourite video workouts of the week:

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this week's fitness diaries! If you'd like to see pictures of any of my meals or a run down of any of my workouts, let me know in the comments and I'll be happy to put them up weekly! This will be much better when I start doing strength training exercises!

When I start seeing visible progress, I might even keep you updated with pictures. But for now, here's my week 4 motivation picture



 

If you've missed any of the previous weeks, don't worry! Here are the links:

Week 1 

Week 2 

Week 3

 

Have a nice week!

CJ x



The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 3

This week's theme: 5 a day
Hello there! I am pleased to announce that last week's targets were achieved! I consumed at least 2 litres of water a day (even more if you count my twice daily green tea and once daily mango juice). Now, I've not been one for drinking loads of water, I don't know why, but I just can't do it. I've tried carrying a bottle round all day with me, but that only seems to get me through one, maybe two 500ml bottles a day. Want to know my secret? Increase the bottle size. Yep, it's that simple. I bought a 75cl bottle. I fill it up with filtered water before bed, and I'll have that one gone before I go to uni. I'll consume another 75cl during my day at uni, and another in the evening. If you struggle with drinking enough water, you definitely need to try this!
Furthermore, I went to the gym ... wait for it ... 3 times this week! And I knocked 30 seconds off the time it took me to run the first mile in my 5k last week and 45 seconds off overall! I also took 25 seconds off my 5k on the bikes too!
I have also been trying to get at least 5 pieces of fruit and veg in a day. I've done this by having peanut butter and banana on wholemeal toast for breakfast, taking an apple and grapes to university with me, and having at least 2 vegetables with my tea, I'm trying to mix it up a bit more though! Healthy eating this week has been OK, but I need to do a food shop so there was an incident with a fish finger sandwich (I know it sounds horrible and I wouldn't normally eat it if we actually had food in).
However, there have been incidents with starbucks this week (sorry, not sorry), but they do have to stop. I need to give up coffee for good because I've realised it's just not worth it. But I haven't had a single glass of Dr Pepper in 3 weeks now! So happy that I've managed to stay away from fizzy drinks all together because those were my downfalls. OK, OK, so there was a slight situation on Saturday with a cherry Dr Pepper, but it's because I was in Manchester! That's one fizzy drink in 3 weeks, don't judge me!
As for next week's targets, I'm going to continue walking between campuses and I'm going to go to the gym 3 times next week hopefully. I have a kettlebells class on Monday so I'll report back on how that goes! Hopefully I'll be doing at least 1 class a week from now on too. Also, I'm going to try and cut carbs .. this will be a massive challenge for me as I am a carb fiend. But hopefully with my app called My Fitness Pal, I'll be able to keep track of the amount of carbs and sugars I'm eating.
Wish me luck!
CJ x



Missed Week 1 and 2 no problem? Links here. Week 1 and Week 2.

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 2

This week's theme: Healthy Swaps.
YESSSSSSSS. Week 1 is officially over. And I stuck to it! OK, so I didn't go to the gym that much, but I DID find my pedometer and walked between 9 and 12000 steps a day, which is right where I want to be.

My target was to go to the gym twice last week and then just do a healthy amount of walking a day. So I commuted into Liverpool by train and walked, I got the farthest parking spots at university, and even walked between campuses instead of driving (impressed? You should be.) If I wasn't happy with the amount of steps I'd done that day, I'd either go for a quick walk in the evening, or walk up and down the stairs if it was raining and I was close to my target, that isn't cheating by the way.

As for the gym, I haven't been overdoing it, in fact personally I think I've been underdoing it. Before I decided to start the Fitness Diaries, I went back to the gym for the first time in about a month and a half. I wanted to start slow and not burn out, but once I got on the treadmill, I felt like I wasn't pushing myself enough so I cranked up the gradient and the speed aaaaaand I threw up. Yep, like actually threw up in the gym, classy right? What did I do next? Went right back to working out! Pushing myself like that really wasn't my finest moment. So this week I just took it slow. Jogged for 15 mins and walked for 5 mins on the treadmill. Then did 5k on the bikes and had a quick 5-10 mins on the rowing machine and the stairmaster. Second workout I took it a little further, jogged for 15 minutes, walked for 5 and jogged for 10. Then did 5k on the bikes, 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 10 minutes on the stairmaster.

Now let's talk food and drink. I STARTED my healthy swaps, meaning I haven't cut everything that's bad for me out. My super sweet coffee has gone (let's just take a moment) and has been replaced by green tea with 1/2 tsp of honey. My beloved dr pepper has gone and been replaced with water, although I do treat myself by having 1 glass of mango juice after dinner. Furthermore, I try to drink 2 litres of water a day, but it's hard to keep tabs on that. As for food, I don't think I was necessarily eating unhealthy things, I just wasn't eating enough. Now I actually get up really early and eat breakfast every day (usually wholemeal toast with banana or yogurt and granola) and I have 5 pieces of fruit or veg along with that too.

This week my goal is to increase the amount of water I'm drinking to at least 2 litres a day, and beat my times for 5k on the treadmill and bikes. I'm going to try to go to the gym 3 times this week, but I won't be upset if I only go twice as I have a massive essay due in on Thursday. To motivate myself, I pack my gym bag every morning so and keep a pair of trainers by the door so I can just get up and go whenever I feel like it.
Talk to you in next week's post!
CJ x

If you missed Week 1's post, find it here.

The Fitness Diaries: WEEK 1

Hi everyone,
I don't know about you lot, but I have been seriously lacking in the fitness front lately. I don't know what it is, I just haven't had the energy or the determination to keep fit. It isn't just the gym, but my diet too. I either eat nothing or I eat crap. And I've decided it's time for a change, for good. I can't go on gaining weight and dropping it, eating and not eating.
Therefore, I've decided to start a new series called The Fitness Diaries. I'm unsure whether it'll be weekly or fortnightly but I thought if I have the blog to consider, then I'm more likely to stick to my goals. Every blogpost will have a theme and this week it's Getting Back into the Swing of Things. Original, I know, but sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and start again from square 1. No gimmicks, no 30 day challenges, no fad diets, just gradually building up the change.
So, my goal for this week is to find my pedometer first of all, and then walk 10000 steps a day and go to the gym twice this week. This won't seem like a lot to most of you, and it doesn't even seem like a lot to me, but I'm starting small and building it up. I know if I go back to the gym 5 times a week guns ablazing I'm going to burn out pretty fast.
I also know that it's not a realistic goal to have a set amount of times to go to the gym. I'm going to be pretty busy with university deadlines over the next month so they come first over the gym, but getting the parking space furthest away and walking won't hurt, neither will going for a 30 minute walk when I get home. After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
I'll keep you posted,
CJ x