Bargain Blues

Yes, Yes, I haven't blogged for aaaaages. But as we all know life can catch up with us and it gets real busy and you haven't really got time for the Internet malarkey. All I seem to have been focusing on recently is work and the gym. And there are a few exciting things happening relating to both of those things  but lets just say I've learnt a few good lessons from the past few months too, chiefly that people can be fickle and can drop you like a hot potato as soon as something (one) new comes along. But like I say, lesson learnt.

I've been loving my gym routine lately, especially the PT sessions with Sarah at The Peak. She gives me a different and very tough session each time I see her. The last one with a 1000m row finisher. Ouch, but 4m33s beat my last attempt so that was fantastic!

With the gym in mind it was with great delight that I managed to find a bargain pair of Nike Free trainers at the local Nike Outlet. And because I can buy kids sizes, these really were a bargain. I know they're supposed to be for running but I like them for my training. I love the dark electric blue colour contrasting with the bright pink and since I've been (strangely) buying lots of blue gym gear then these will co-ordinate nicely. Because we all know you gotta have matching gym gear, right?! (You don't really, in fact there's nothing I like more than clashing colours).

Anyhow, I browsed the shop for ages and put back the pair of Nike Legend capri pants i had in my grasp. I just don't need another pair at the moment and at £45 they still weren't enough of a bargain. But ladies, I've tried a few pairs of the Nike training trousers and the Legend ones are a great fit and the material is quite thick so hugs you in all the right places. Having put those trousers back I did pick up another Dri-Fit top and you can't grumble at £14. Luckily it's almost a direct match for the trainers so I will be all matchy matchy, haha.

I tell you what I need ideas about though... Sports bras. I've got a few of the Nike ones in my collection but being small chested I don't really need anything with all sorts of support but I do need something to combat the 'see-through' nature of a wet sports top - if you know what I mean! I hadn't noticed it until I was in a body pump class with a light t-shirt on and there it was... so embarrassing! So I suppose what i need is something with support but also something that has enough padding to hide your assets. Thoughts?

#BBGQA week 1

Since starting the BBG guide for real this week i've spent a few more hours on Instagram looking over all of the hashtags that the BBG girls use and one jumped out at me #BBGQA (I think this was started by @Corporate_Sneakers ).  Each week you answer a set of questions most people post their thoughts on Instagram but i thought i'd record them here too. It'll be a progress check too.

Here goes, week 1 #BBGQA

1. One thing that surprised me about myself this week was how determined and single minded i was that I was finally going to start this guide that's been hiding out as a pdf in the iBooks app on  my phone. Last summer was when I purchased the guide and it's taken me until now to become comfortable enough to take over a little space in the gym and do my own workout. It feels great to have started.

2. The #1 thing that made me happy this week was that I managed to complete 1 1/2 rounds of each 7 minute circuit on each of the 3 days. Also, the cheeky wink I got from a lovely guy in the gym after having completed Week 1 Full Body workout. That did make me smile ;)

3. Something that didn't go as planned this week was the food. The eating. The Sweeties. I will conquer this sugar craving addiction! ARGH.

4. My toughest hurdle this week was trying to fit the BBG guide into my 'normal' gym routine and trying not to jump ahead and do the workouts on consecutive days. I am not doing the BBG guide alone. I am working it into my current long-standing gym routine because as I mentioned in a previous post, I wasn't seeing the results I wanted and so decided to finally start the BBG guide to give me that extra little reward for all of my hard work.I have finally figured out that i am going to substitute some classes for the guide.

5. What I want to remember this week was the feeling I had after each workout. The feeling of accomplishment and the realisation that I can do it, and i most certainly will.

Angela

Fitness Update

Hello! Yes, I'm still here. I've had an extended blogging break and i've no excuse other than i've been really busy with life. Well, mostly work and being at the gym, and then you're tired when you come home and the last thing you want to do after you've showered and fed yourself is fire up the laptop. So there it is...

Anyway, since I've been spending most of my non-work time at the gym, I thought I'd do a fitness update post about what I've been up to.

After Christmas I made a conscious decision that I was going to mix up my training a bit. Rewind. When I say training, I just mean my fitness classes and gym sessions because I'm not actually in training for anything as such. So yeah, i wanted to mix up my training routine because I felt I'd been stuck at a plateau for a few months and wasn't seeing any changes in my body that I want. I want to be stronger, a little bit leaner and fitter - although I am pretty fit. Losing weight is not my goal since I haven't actually lost or put on any weight for about 6 months. Apart from 2 weeks ago when i lost 2 lbs, but that aside I'm the same weight as I was 6 months ago.

My routine went a little something like this:
Monday - Circuits
Tuesday - Shockfit circuit (weights, body weight exercises)
Wednesday - morning Metafit - HIIT; then gym session
Thursday - insanity OR Metafit - HIIT
Friday - Spin class
Saturday - insanity - HIIT
Sunday - spin (every other Sunday)

But then i started to get bored. After I got my MyZone belt and was getting readings after each class, I realised that my Monday night circuits weren't giving the results I thought they were. I wanted more. My Tuesday shockfit class is all about strength with a little bit of cardio. It's mostly body weight and heavy weight lifting techniques and again my calories burned reading wasn't that high. Now it could be said that I may not be working hard enough but trust me, I am. Wednesday morning class gets the blood pumping then we do a little session in the gym afterwards. Thursday again, high intensity. Friday is my favourite spin class. I've been doing Friday night spin for about 3 years now and boy has it been getting tougher recently. Saturday was a half hour insanity class which is great and Sunday is spin. And so all of that wasn't producing the results I was after.

Then I mixed it up a little. And now my routine looked a little like this:
Monday - Circuits, then Spin
Tuesday - Shockfit
Wednesday - morning Metafit, then gym session; evening Spin
Thursday - Metafit, then Body Pump
Friday - Spin
Saturday - Metafit
Sunday - Spin (every other Sunday).

I've been doing that for about 6 weeks now and my legs are really starting to show good definition. My upper arms have great shape as well as my upper back and my abs are coming along nicely too. My butt is still a bit wobbly and bigger than I'd like but slowly does it. I can see change and that's a good thing. There was nearly a set back though when I accidentally dropped a 20kg weight plate on my foot the other night at Shockfit. Right on my left metatarsal. Luckily there's no break but it is quite bruised now. Wowsers.

I love a nice bright trainer and tight - Nike Free trainers, Nike Legend capri tight

To shake things up a little bit more I've booked a session with a personal trainer at the gym to see where i can improve and get tips and tomorrow I'm going to start the Kayla Itsines BBG workout guide. I'm committing to those 12 weeks because i believe it will add to my routine or I can substitute a class for the BBG workout in the gym. I'm inspired by all those women who post amazing transformations on Instagram. So much so this morning I posted the picture at the top of this post on Instagram and immediately got great support from a good few people. Hopefully that community will push me through.

Aside from all of the fitness stuff above, I've been really trying to watch my eating. Eating healthier than i have done in years but not denying myself a pancake or a burger if i want it. Everything in moderation. Need to up my protein though, that's a fact.

My real struggle comes with sweeties. Chocolate. I have about 1 can of Coke a week, but still drink little Irn Bru bottles. Only 1 a day mind - I know, I shouldn't. Maybe I'm hoping that if I write it down here it'll kick me into really trying to give. Really making that final effort to cut out the sugary stuff.

We can only hope. I'll update in a few weeks when I'm further into my new routine but feel free to leave any tips, comments below.

Angela x

My heart skip skips a beat

Over the past month or so I've upped my game in terms of the fitness routine and classes I take part in on a weekly basis. I'm doing something every day of the week, and after a couple months break sporadic attendance, I finally started regular spin classes again. Well, two per week so far.

On the other days it's mostly cardio and strength and man what improvements I've seen in my strength and my body shape. My press ups are better and I can do more in a row, burpees are one of my most favourite things (I'm weird, I know!) and I can even do a plank lifting an arm up and alternate leg - I'm sure there must be a name for them - alternate planks maybe? Anyway, when I started I couldn't do half that so these improvements are great.

But here's a thing... I also go tone of those heart rate monitor thingamys. It's a strap and a little gizmo called a MyZone belt. You strap it to yourself. Exercise. Record the data. Boom. You can have challenges with friends (at the gym) and set yourself goals. Then. You discover that your heart rate is running high all of the time - queue mad panic! That's what I did. I panicked. By all calculations that I Googled, my maximum heart rate should be 183. So that's what was registered on my profile. Then I done a few classes and noticed that I was working quite hard. You have different zones and percentages, again depending on your max HR, weight etc. Anything above 70% is good when working out. As a side note, in a spin class you can see your results in real time as they relay it onto a big screen form a projector, so you know exactly hard you're working at any given time.

So, one Friday night, my first Friday night spin class in about a month, I strapped the MyZone to my body and set off on the class. Now, this class is an hour long and mostly high endurance tracks - meaning that we do long steady rides with very little rest in between. These rides can be 6-7 minutes long at a high pace with gears up high enough to give good resistance, then there's hill climbs and your maximum gears. All in all the toughest spin class I do. I could see myself in the green zone during the warm up. This is up to about 70% max HR. Then I hit yellow - phew - 70-80% max HR. And then BOOM, RED ZONE. 90-100% max HR, and that's where I stayed for most of the class. Like I said above, there's not much rest between tracks so from 6 minutes work you get about 1 minutes rest which isn't that much when you're puffing and panting away like an old workhorse. I mean I think I only reached 100% for about 20 seconds the whole class but I was going from 90-96% during the ride. I was chuffed. I always knew I worked hard in class because my train of thinking is this - what's the point if you aren't putting the effort in.

some stats

After class I was in the changing room chatting to a few others who were asking about the MyZone belt. I said I was fairly new to it but that it seemed okay. One lady piped in "I don't think yours is working properly. There's no way you could have been in the red zone for that long. It could be dangerous!". WTF! And why not exactly?

Why can't I be in the red zone for that long? My heart rate runs high when I'm exercising. I've had that checked before. According to this gizmo my resting hear rate is fairly low, around 58-60, which is proper decent. Who was this person to question my ability or effort?

That weekend I was googling heart rates, max heart rate, what happens when you're heart rate runs high during exercise etc etc... All because of that person.

On the downside I might keel over and die when I'm a little older! on the upside I could have the heart and lung capacity akin to Lance Armstrong. I am a machine! *wink*

So, for a minute there, my heart skip skipped a beat. And then I calmed down.

Side note: with a title like this post has, I wanted it to be about affairs of the heart rather than the actual workings of a heart. Oh well, next time...

Angela x

Been Busy

Wow, it's been ages since I've posted here. Sorry!

There are only a few reasons why. Mostly because life has taken over and I've started having much needed early nights so by the time work is over and the gym has been ticked off my daily list. It's dinner and then pretty much bed time. Phew. But I'm going to try to really put the time in and get this blog up and running again.

So, what's been happening? Well, as sure as night turns to day it's only four and a bit weeks until Christmas. Where has 2014 gone?! I mean, wow, it's flown by. It's been quite a year. I finally started Christmas shopping last weekend. Got the nephews some stuff. Then I picked up loads of stuff from the Boots 3 for 2 shelves and then promptly put them all back when I decided they weren't what I wanted to buy. I was thinking, there's too much choice in there. Does anyone else get that feeling in Boots?

View from the gym at 7.30am

The Gym... has pretty much been my life for the past month or so. I've upped my fitness game and am there 7 days a week. My exercise classes change everyday but this week i even started running again (and we all know how much i am so not a runner!). I've not gone crazy though, 10-15 minutes on the treadmill, some weights, some rolling and stretching... It all adds up. Classes are mostly metafit; Shockfit circuits and strength training; and spin classes. Almost two weeks ago I got this heart rate monitor device called a MyZone that they sell in the gym. I mostly got it because I was curious to see how hard i am working and how many calories are being burnt off with each bead of sweat that drips off my pink face. I was surprised. In a good way! I seem to be working pretty hard. I mean I kinda knew that anyway, I can't really give anything more by the end of a workout, but the heart rate thing appears to be saying I work in the 'red zone' pretty regularly during a workout. (The red zone being 90-100% of your max HR). A few people have said it's not working properly - cheeky things(!), but after a week it's settled down and I think it's bang on. How dare they say I'm not working that hard. I know I am. The good thing about this Myzone belt is that you can set challenges up with groups of friends or other people at the gym, you can push each other on and get motivated. I'm currently 3rd in our little Christmas challenge. I plan on being at least 2nd (the guy in 1st place is wearing his all day every day i think!). We'll see how i get on in the next few weeks.

Work has been really busy and really crazy just now. There's loads going on and my workload is doubling. I seem to be at too many meetings for my liking plus I've got a full days' training next week that couldn't have come at a worse time. On the upside I got a new computer last week and it's great. Quite fast and I can still listen to my music during the day. Being busy is good but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming. I'm learning just to take a few moments out to have a cup of tea a put things into perspective. There's only so many hours in the working day and there's only so much one person can do. My mantra.

Anyway, they are by no means excuses but just some of the reasons this blog has taken a little back seat for a few weeks.

I'll be back...

Angela x

The Good Stuff Of...August

August. A funny month. The tale end of the summer, slowly but ever surely transitioning into autumn. You can feel the change. We have a saying here in the central belt of Scotland that "once the Bridge of Allan games are over, the nights draw in" and it's true. Since early August there has been a marked change in the nights. Street lights coming on around 8.45pm now...on a clear day. Earlier if it's been raining. And it's been doing that too. Like I say, August, a funny month.

Holiday - New York, New York!

But there's been some good stuff happening too. Perhaps the most exciting (for me) is that I went on another holiday. Yes, another New York holiday this year. Why the heck not eh! Cheap(ish) flights and a couple of bargains on Expedia for my hotels was the only impetus i needed to get me there. Thankfully the weather was fantastic and I even got my first bit of tan colour on my skin for the first time in YEARS! Downside - i got sunburn on the backs of my legs and it was so itchy that my legs are really scabby just now. Eesh. Anyway, sneak peek photos above. More photo heavy posts to follow in the next few days.


Connor

Connor

This guy started school a few weeks ago. He's 4 years old just now and I can't believe time has flown so quickly. He is one of the two best nephews an auntie could ever have. Swear to god. He's always smiling and is a right chatterbox, total opposite to his brother. Well I mean on the chatterbox front.

They both smile lots. And when they do the room lights up. I adore these little guys. They are my world right now and forever more. On his first few weeks at school he 'played sometimes', he 'didn't like the hymns we sang in the hall where we get gym', wasn't allowed to play football with the big boys because 'that we wuman told me I couldn't'. He ate chips, sausage egg and beans for his first school dinner (Jamie Oliver's healthy school meal initiative haven't reached these parts - several years on!!). Next week they get their school photos taken. I can't wait for the face he pulls in those. The week after that he'll be 5. A big boy. My boy. Connor.

Fitness

Picture from Kayla Itsines Website

It's fair to say my fitness is pretty decent. I go to the gym/classes at least four times per week, five times most weeks. But I've hit another plateau. I can't fathom why other than simply our bodies get used to the exercise routines that we get in to and the food that we eat. Although, swear it, I have really made the effort to cut down on sweets. I'm not going to say 'junk food' because I do eat decent food. But it's the sweeties for me. I really am addicted to sugar I think. Cold turkey may be the only option.

Anyway, the point of my story is that I happened upon Kayla Itsines and her 12 week bikini body guide. Now normally anything that mentions bikini bodies would be a big turn off for me considering the fact that I bought a bikini back in 2003 and have yet to wear it in public! True story. But, I got past the headline and read on her website. It got me curious enough to check out her Instagram and see all of these fabulous transformations, on a Tuesday (transformation Tuesday, geddit!). Granted, most of the girls in those pictures are in no way overweight but what they say is that they are out of shape and need toning up. So yeah, after perusing the website and those addictive 'fitspo' (shite word, by the way) pictures I bought her guide and downloaded it. Much to my amazement (and relief) most of the exercises in the guide are what I do at circuits / insanity / shockfit classes so that was good. They are realistic, achievable and most importantly you don't need lots of equipment therefore doing them at home is fairly simple. Now, if I'm totally honest, I bought the guide back in July and haven't really started it yet because I'm not sure where I'm going to fit it into my current routine. I know I could substitute a few of my classes for this routine but...

The guide is really informative and there's loads to read before you even get to the exercises. It's all about education from the outset = good. You have 12 weeks to complete it. There's 3 circuits per week with different themes of abs, cardio, legs etc. She says they take around 27 minutes to do, which is about the same time as my insanity classes. I plan on adding it into my weekly routine, somehow. I'll let you know how I get on. And believe me if my body turns out like those in the transformation Tuesday pictures you'll be seeing them too! *wink*.

And that was just some of the good stuff of August. Albeit a little later than hoped.

Angela x

Encouragement

Sometimes you just need a little encouragement.

I'm on holiday from work for two weeks (whoop!) and I have an empty. Since I'm not going away during this holiday I have a few things planned to keep me occupied. As always I have some fitness classes and gym time pencilled in when it will be a bit less quieter than it is in the evening. 

I booked a spin class with an instructor I haven't had before although I've heard she's great, and a little bit tough. Just what i like. So this morning i had my breakfast, did some yoga stretching for an hour, had a shower and headed off to this spin class. It was on at 1.15pm just after another class by Ross (my Friday evening instructor) and I felt like I was cheating on him with the new class. Weird. 

Anyway, this new class was with Louise (or LouMac) as most people know her. She does early morning spin classes too as well as metafit and insanity outside of The Peak in local villages. There was about ten of us in the class and we started at a little after 1.15pm. The music was loud, the instructions were clear and we were soon pounding our way up three imaginary hill climbs. I like to think of it like those ones on show in recent days on the Tour De France coverage.

Halfway through the class I had a quick check of the little display screen and noticed that I was pushing much more 'power' in a higher gear and that my calories used was higher than in other classes at this point. Result. 

The second to last track was to be the biggest one yet. Push a higher gear, cadence a little higher too and for quite a few more minutes than before. All throughout the class Louise was giving instructions about gears and cadence and then she got off the bike and came around. I was pounding out at 79-81 speed in my highest gear. I thought my quads were going to explode and my lungs burst and just at that moment she walked past and gave my hand a squeeze as if to say "you're doing great". That was me. A lump in my throat and my breath nearly gone with emotion but I didn't give up, in fact it spurred me on and I coughed that breathlessness away. What a really lovely thing to do, I thought. 

We had one track left. Another hill then a quick speedy round 'downhill'. We breezed through it and it was soon time for the cool down. 

She was really encouraging and after we had stretched and cleaned the bikes I was putting my trainers back on and she gave me another "well done, you were going really well there". "thanks" I replied with a cheesy grin on my face.

Those little things make all the difference in a class. In fact those little things make a difference, full stop. I was completely stuffed by the end but you know what? I will try to get into one of her class again. Because sometimes all you need is that little bit of encouragement.

Angela 

It was a mud bath

Two Saturday's ago I took part in a race, a 10K race, with obstacles, and plenty of mud! This was the Major Series Scotland 10K race. And I was roped into it at the last minute. If you consider 2 weeks to go the last minute.

A friend goes to a fit club with boot camps every few days and they were going as a group. Some people had dropped out and when she asked me if i wanted one of the spaces, I agreed. I'm not much of a runner these days but i do like to keep myself fit. It'll be a personal challenge to see where I'm at, i thought.

On the morning I met them and we all headed on the bus to the venue, a country estate just 20 minutes outside of Stirling. It was bright and sunny but not too warm. I was dressed in training tights, a long sleeved top and the very shoes I wore to trek some of the Himalayas. They're much more grippy than trainers and i thought water, mud...I need some grip. Turns out that was the best decision i made about that day.

We hung around for a little while then headed over to the start area. The bunch I was with were a lively lot with varying degrees of fitness. Our wave of people were due to set off at 10.15am and after a quick warm up and shouting at from some fake soldiers (this was a BMF fitness run event), we headed to the start line and were soon on our way.

Pretty soon we were running through some woods and downhill, then it was up and over a few dykes. Not too bad so far. I was fairly brisk over the walls. The next obstacle and my biggest challenge was a wade through the river. Not just a paddle, an actual chest height wade through the river. By this point I didn't know where some of the group were, mostly behind me. I did manage to see some of them in front of. This is without my glasses on. You see I'm short sighted so anything more than 2 feet away is a blur. If you're 10 feet away I've got no chance of knowing who you are. So I was in this water, without my glasses, I can't swim, what if i got swept under *dramatic much*. Luckily there was a big guy beside me who kindly offered to stay until we were near the edge and i got out. This wade wasn't just a 2 metre long wade either, it went on for what seemed like miles. It was probably more likely about 20 meters. The water was cold when I got in at first, taking my breath away slightly but I was surprised how much I got used to the feeling and the initial coldness soon faded away. When we got out of there it was a run up a hill which by now was very mucky since we were the last wave of 10K runners in the day. The first group having set off at 9.15am.

On the run i realised I was completely on my own, away from the group. I had a decision to make. Do I stop and wait on the people behind me (who let's face it I only know 3 out of about 15 of them) or do I try to catch up with the ones who'd sprinted off ahead? or do i see this as a right challenge to myself and head off on my own with the wind and some luck behind me? I opted for the latter. I made good ground up the mucky hillside and soon was ticking off obstacle after obstacle.

Took me ages to get this mud out from under my nails

There were 'stench trenches'. Ankle deep trenches of thick sticky mud and other brown coloured stinky substances! There was an 'electric field' obstacle. Basically thin electrical wire that you had to jump over or duck under. Standard. There were streams to cross and then double back on yourself, crawling under nets, fake soldiers with big pads running at you, a water slide, more stench trenches, chest height muddy water, getting sprayed on with water guns and more running. I have to admit though, having to jump in this mud and water was really quite liberating. Everyone was dirty so there was no point in being precious about not getting covered. It was inevitable so you just had to embrace the muck! At one point there was a girl on a gate directing us. I asked her where we were, in distance. 3K she shouted. THREE!! I thought I was at least halfway around the course.

The sun was out and wasn't too hot, which was nice. There was a welcome breeze when we were in the fields, walking. I'd given up running at this point due to my ever tight hips and quads giving me that dreaded knee pain again. That is why I don't run, or take part in crazy races like this! It was excruciating at times but i stopped a few times to stretch off and just gritted my teeth.

On one of the last parts we had to go through another dense wood and the route took us through a stream out the other side, back in the stream, up and down the muck banks, then climbing up a rope on a very steep bank. I was pretty quick up that one and i think that's due to the strength training I've been doing recently. Nice one, Ange.

Once out of there I was sure I could hear lots of people and hoped that the end was in sight just around the corner. But it's never that way is it. There was the water slide down a huge hill but we all know, when you go downhill there's an uphill around corner, and that's just what happened.

By now I was super tired, covered in muck, my knees were shot to pieces and it wasn't even funny any more. All of that and i badly needed to go to the loo. I mean I could have just wee'd myself in one of the many muddy waters but I just couldn't let it go then. Pretty soon I did see the finish line. I was never as glad to see it and I actually sped up my hobby walk towards it. I crosses that line in 3hrs and 16 seconds, and I've never been so happy to finish a thing.

I picked up my t-shirt and medal, scoffed down a fruity bar and drank about 5 cups of water. I was covered in mud from my chest down. Luckily I managed to get through the whole thing without falling or stumbling head first into a mud pit. From what I could see, others weren't so lucky. About 15 minutes later the rest of the group started to come through the finish line in varying states of dirtiness.

Pretty soon we were on our way to the bus to get changed and heading back home. I say 'get changed'. What I meant was standing by the side of the road next to the bus doing a weird juggling act of trying to remove the dirty clothes *and* keep my dignity. Once I changed my bottom half i whipped my top off and quickly put the clean shirt back on. I'd brought some shorts and a change of top with me, and baby wipes were used in abundance to get the worst of the mud off. However, it was pretty clear when I took my clothes off that this would need more than a baby wipe but that would have to way until I got home. The mud was plastered to me. I hope it was mud!

When I finally got home I took a few minutes to relax then jumped in the shower to give myself a thorough cleanse. Half a bottle of shower gel and a wash cloth later I was clean. And aching. I stretched out on the foam roller for a while and scoffed down my steak.

I slept like a baby that night.

The next day I woke and wasn't too sore, thankfully, but my legs were covered in bruises - war wounds - ha! I gave myself a pat on the back for taking on a challenge at such short notice. If I were to do it again I'd certainly put more training in. But let's just say I won't be rushing to do anything like it anytime soon.

Angela

Juicy Brainwave

The other week I had a brain wave. I get them now and again you know. I decided that to kick start my sugar detox and help my bodily functions I thought I'd try a juice cleanse.

Now, the back story is that I don't eat that much variety of vegetables or fruit. Shameful I know. I can't really eat apples or skinned fruit anymore due to them getting stuck in my brace and then I have to do a thorough brush of my teeth afterwards to get any apple skin out, and so it goes on... Lazy and really no excuse I know, but still.

Anyway, my brainwave.

I started looking at juice cleanses on the web and found a local company who delivered a one day sweet cleanse (a taster pack) for £45 plus delivery. That is expensive but it's almost half the price of other ones i found. A few emails back and forth and we'd arranged my delivery on Thursday of two weeks ago. I picked Thursday as it's the day I didn't really do any exercise and the information mentioned that you might want to take it easy on juice days.

The guy appeared at my office at a little after 9.30am as arranged. I got two brown papers bags with five 500ml glass bottles of varying colours, along with a lemon, a shot of ginger, two detox teabags and information leaflets. I read the leaflets and I was to start my juice cleanse with one nice fuchsia pink coloured liquid. Oh they also included straws. Very handy when you want to just slurp and swallow instead of taste this liquid. The pink liquid was watermelon, lime and mint. It was okay. It was drinkable. You aren't meant to gulp these drinks down. The information said to drink it like food. So, no sipping, but no gulping. It took me two hours to finish this bottle. Good start from me, high five.

The next one on the list was a green one. I was dreading the green ones. Green drinks aren't appetising really. This one had kale, apple, cucumber, ginger and something else that I can't recall. I want to purge this smell from my mind. For yes, when I opened each bottle I had a sniff. This one was a very strong cucumber smelling juice. Like, very strong. I popped in a straw, pinched my nose and took a long draw of liquid. Ugh. Disgusting. I couldn't do it. Bleurgh. I gave a colleague a taste too. She didn't mind it but agreed about the cucumber being overpowering. 

I decided to miss this green one out and go straight for the purple one. The beetroot one. Now, looking at the ingredients it didn't have the much beetroot in it but we all know that beetroot stains easily and the colour most certainly was of the beetroot hue. I lasted about three draws of drink throughout the straw and I gave up. I can't do juicing. I went and got a cup of tea and some water.

There ended my foray into juice cleanses.

Seriously, who would do juicing for the love of it? They aren't my taste at all. I can't think why anyone would do this for more than one day. That's totally nothing against the company i bought mine from, in fact they were very good. The juice came in lovely glass bottles, or you can opt for plastic ones. You do get a little money off your next order if you return the bottles to them so that's good. So yes, the company were good but juicing is just not for me. 

The last green one was a broccoli and kale affair. I can only imagine what that tasted like!

The juices that were left didn't go to waste. A colleague took them home. But I think I've had it with the idea of juice cleansing. It's not for me.

Now I'm left with some really nice glass bottle to up cycle into some nice table decorations/ornaments. So I suppose something good came out of my juice cleanse. If you think you can stomach the taste of juices, go ahead. I think from now on I'll stick to my fruit and chicken salads - not together!

Oh and granola. I am obsessed with Jordan's Super Nutty Granola, with some yoghurt and fresh strawberries. I'd eat that every day if could.

Angela 

Shockfit Banter

So, if you're visiting this here blog via some banter at tonight's Shockfit class, welcome. Hello RYAN! Don't go back and read my deepest darkest thoughts, and if you do then don't ever mention them to me. Okay? Good.

Right. I thought i'd do a little update on my fitness routine since it's been a few months and some things have changed. There's no more Grit classes. Boo. But there's a strength training programme of weights in the gym. Yay. I don't know why I say yay because i've only ever ran through it once. It's really good too but I'm not really comfortable being in the gym lifting weights on my own when there's a few bods around. What I need is a gym buddy 1) for moral support and 2) for when the weights fall on me and I need someone to lift them off! I'd hate to be awkwardly stuck horizontal on a weight bench unable to get up whilst the life drains from me under a 40kg weight bar. Dramatic!

Anyway, if you're free one day a week, come be my gym buddy?

Here's how my week is supposed to look, training wise...

Monday - was Metafit, now Insanity (cardio)
Tuesday - Shockfit circuit (strength)
Wednesday - Spin class (cardio)
Thursday - free day or could be weight session in the gym
Friday - Spin class (cardio)
Saturday - Insanity and weight session in the gym (if not done on a Thursday). (cardio/strength)
Sunday - NO TRAINING ON A SUNDAY! my rule.

Ideally I'd do this every week and perhaps mix it up a bit but i definitely need to get these weights sessions going. It's only a few months until summer and it would be good to feel like I've finally reached a target. HELP!

What's your weekly fitness routine like? Is cardio your favourite or do weights fit you better?

I'm off for some chocolate, ha.

Angela x

The Non Edited Gym Routine

The edited versions of our lives we show on social media and blogs and stuff really can play tricks on a person. All we see are the good parts, the glossy parts, the perfect outfits, the well made up faces, the celebrations and all that jazz. People don't tend to show their comfies, their unmade-up faces (except recently the no-makeup selfie has taken off...). You never see someone right after their gym workout or 5k run sweating like I seem to do. They just seem to glow. Instead you get the flat layout perfectly lit instagram picture of their Nike Free trainers and lycra outfit (or should that be their free Nike trainers!), with their Beats headphones off to the side, and usually a bunch of colour matched flowers or a burning candle in bokeh effect in the background. Edited.

I was coming out of spin class the other day and I decided to take a picture of my pure pink, red-marked face. Yes, red marked because despite what Beyonce tells us, we aren't all flawless. We all have our flaws and that's what makes us us. We're authentic and beautiful in our own sweet ways. But then I had a second thought. Should I post this? And for a split second I hated myself for even thinking that. Because I believe in being genuine. Pink faced post gym selfies are the new no make-up selfies. Let's shout that loud!

So as is my usual routine, I had a thought in the shower. Showering is when I get some real inspiration you know. Anyhow, here's what i thought...

This is the reality of my gym routine.

My hair is too long to leave down (and for health and safety reasons) it's best to tie it in a bobble. So I scrape my curls up, tie it and i'm set. Trouble is, when I start to sweat my hair inevitably gets wet and those little fine hairs around my face turn into tight baby curls and i end up looking like i'm 12 years old! Not that bad of a problem to have admittedly. 

Let's talk about sweat. We all do it. Some more so than others. (Deodorant, people!). I wear a pair of capri length tight trousers, a quick drying t-shirt and my trainers. Currently all Nike but that can change. Nike trousers seem to fit me best and the Miler t-shirts are comfortable. Anyway, you're there in your class. You've worn your new salmon pink coloured Nike Miler t-shirt, you start to sweat and the dreaded patches appear. You know the ones. Patches right on your breast bone, on your back, heck even on that little bit of belly paunch the t-shirt clings to! Dang, sweat patches. No no likes them, everyone gets them. And if you don't, you're definitely not working hard enough. 

Now let's talk about trouser sweat. Yes, I'm going there. Because I dunno about you but when i go to spin or metafit or weights or shock-fit I sweat and I get a sweaty bum. C'mon, don't dare recoil and say you don't, because if you don't...*then you're not working hard enough*. Heck since I got my new car i've had to take an extra towel with me to put on the seat because of SweatyB syndrome. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's just a little bit icky.

There you have it. The unedited version of what really happens (to me) when I exercise.

Angela x

Let's Catch Up

It's been over a month since my last post. Sorry. A lot can happen in one month. A lot of good stuff that is. Life got in the way, as is the way of things, and with that came opportunity. I concentrated on that for the past month. But hopefully I can get back to this blog and make it what it should instead of some barren wasteland of intermittent posts that it has become, probably over the past year.

Good things from the past month are... that I have finally booked my first holiday in about 4 years. Exciting. Well I say holiday, what i really mean is a city break. but not just nay old city break. I am going to NEW YORK. I KNOW! I can't believe it but it's happening, at the end of March. Finally. Phew. So as you can imagine i've spent about the last three weeks booking flights, researching hotels, booking a hotel and generally Google mapping routes to sites and shops every spare minute I have. (Okay not *every* spare minute). I've listed every site I want to visit, I've searched the shops i'm going to shop in, places to have tea and cake, burgers, pancakes and I cannot wait for my first yellow cab ride. Big kid alert! And I've listed it all on a FourSquare To Do List. Exhausted even before I go.

As well as that excitement, I am also getting a new car. Not a big del for some but i've had my current runabout for seven years and it was about time I bought my first brand new car. Actually, I had to go and choose my number plate today so that they can register it as soon as the calendar hits 1st March. Now that I am really excited about. I probably won't be picking it up until about 3rd March (due to timings and stuff) but that'll be a really good way to start of the week of my birthday.

This sounds so materialistic, I know but these things don't generally happen to me so when they do I'm gonna celebrate it. I think I've earned that right.

Also in March I've booked myself onto a photo walk and workshop in Glasgow. I'm really looking forward to this one since I missed the first one. It looked really good and this one has a workshop by someone I follow on Instagram, so that should be really interesting and inspiring. Cannot wait.

So..this blog? In all honesty every time I sat down to write a post I'd just get a mind blank. In those instances I thought it was better not to try to force it. I always believe blogging should come naturally to you. You should't try to force it. I see every day now on Twitter too many people simply getting a post out there, even if it's similar to what someone else might've posted that week. That's fine too.

I've tried to become organised. I've tried to get a notebook and folder together with a blog calendar. Lasted a few weeks. I tend to forget, what with working all day then hitting the gym, there's not much time in the day leftover after i make my dinner. You've got to want to do it though I suppose and I really do so i'm setting myself mini goals.

Last week saw me up my training regime too. I got a new strength programme worked out in the gym. For completing one to two times per week, or as an alternative to one of my classes. I've also been set an ab challenge, ten sets of ten leg raised crunches. It's not as easy as it sounds and after six sets I was flagging yesterday. I ploughed on through though.

Now onto the bad. Ugh. I've been getting bad stomach problems. I self diagnosed myself the other week and added to the stress which made my symptoms worse. Tip: never Google any medical symptoms, go to your doctor. I did. He gave me some medication. It didn't really work. I now think there are certain foods triggering my symptoms and I'm going to try to note things down that may flare up the pains. But... ONIONS! I was watching a video on YouTube earlier from someone who talks about healthy eating and fitness. I did not know that onions can make you gassy, did you? I had onion gravy last night with my steak, my symptoms are bad today after a fairly stable week. Hhmmm, I think we could be on to something. Let me know if you have any triggers or indeed any natural ways to prevent bloating, stomach cramps and the like. I'd really appreciate it.

So that's all for now. Hope you'll visit again.

EDIT: OH I can't believe I nearly forgot this. I'm going to see the Mrs Carter tour next week. Yep. Queen Bey, Beyonce! Woohoo, can't wait.

Angela x

Healthy and Fit, a little old update

It's been a few months since I wrote about my fitness routine. To be totally honest, in December it kind of fell by the wayside. I was down to one or two classes per week. This was due to a combination of external factors. Work being busy, rubbish dark weather nights, not 'feeling' it, and generally just feeling out of sorts really. All pretty lame excuses I know but I feel it was an inner voice telling me I needed a little break. And so I did just that. And then I got the worst cold i've had for a while. Typical.

Over Christmas there's a limited timetable of classes taking place at The Peak (my local gym). But I did manage to drag myself along to about three of them and I tell you something for nothing, it really made me feel better. I didn't feel as guilty that I'd been overindulging in all things chocolate related. It really was good to get back into the swing of things too. Last Friday night's spin class was amazingly hard but brilliant feelings afterwards. Exercise where you almost del sick will do that to you.

Yesterday the timetabled classes started afresh for the new year and I'm planning on hitting up my regular classes and perhaps add more actual gym work in a few days too. As the truth is I haven't actually been in the gym part of the building in over a year. I do classes and then go to the smaller gym over at the Forthbank football stadium to do shock fit (HIIT (high intensity interval training) weights class).

So the routine will go something like this:

Monday - Velocity blast (high intensity 30 minute spin bike class) and then Faster, higher, stronger class (30 minute HIIT with agility, strength and plyometric exercises).
Tuesday - Shockfit (50 minute weight and body weight routine class)
Wednesday - Les Mills RPM (50 minute spin bike class)
Thursday - no gym day, but may become a gym session day, we'll see.
Friday - Velocity (1 hour high intensity spin bike class)
Saturday - Faster, Higher, Stronger.

EDIT: Monday's Faster, Higher, Stronger class was cardio heavy so I may swap the Velocity Blast class for a body pump class - with weights.

At the moment I'm giving Sunday a miss.
I might slowly introduce the double Faster, higher, Stronger class back into my early morning Saturday routine. You're done by 10.45am, feel great and you're free to fill the rest of your day as you please.

Anyway, this is my motivation. This below and those rock hard abs above, which are mine by the way! ;)

This was about 2 years ago when I was at my slimmest I'd been for years. Granted it's only about 7lbs less than I weigh just now but still, I know I'll feel better about myself when I get back there.

A funny thing happened last week too. I weighed myself. I know, I know you shouldn't really do that during Christmas but much to my utter surprise I've only gone and managed to lose 2 pounds. I know! I don't know how I did that either. It's a Christmas miracle.

In all seriousness, I think it might be due to the fact I didn't eat as much carbs. I opted for a slice of grilled bacon and an egg for breakfast most days of the holiday. I mean it can't be all down to that but it played a part I think. I'm not a believer in diets but i do think I could eat healthier and that's what I tried to do. In saying that i totally ate loads of chocolate (my great big downfall). I've scoffed one Terry's chocolate orange; two bags of Thornton's strawberry creams; most of a tub of Jacob's cheese lets; ice cream; a bag of chips from the chippy; fudge; a large Galaxy Caramel bar; some Quality Street sweets (all over the two week period)... need i go on. So you'll see, there be no diets going on around these parts. But looking at that list right there I know that i need to cut some of that very bad but oh so tasty stuff down (I'll never cut it right out) and start introducing more vegetables and fruits. So that's one to stick on a list, say, of resolutions, maybe...

Angela

Fitness routine, an update

I thought I'd give a little update on my fitness routine lately. This weekend has I've been out the game so to speak. I got my first cold of this year and i think it was my body's way of telling me to slow as since about February i have been exercising at least 5 days per week. Phew. I couldn't have imagined doing that a few years back. So with me having a cold for a few days I haven't been to the gym since Wednesday nights spin class.

Other than that I had a blip the weekend i went to Alton Towers. Well, the week after to be exact. I just didn't feel like exercising so i cut it down and got back into my stride. And you know what, that's ok. If your heart's not in it then you won't enjoy it.

After I posted a few months ago about my routine which was every day of the week, i have made a few adjustments that have really just happened organically. I've cut out the Thursday night shock-fit (weights class) and only go to the sunday morning spin class every other week. I needed a little lie in every now and then. The Thursday night class is one I want to get back to because I love the weights and the changes that you see in your body from doing them. But here's what happened...

I'd been going to Tuesday and Thursday night shock fit classes since about Feb/March time. That's months! They used to be at 7pm and there was usually me, my cousin and a few other regulars on a Thursday, and me and maybe one other woman on a Tuesday. Those classes were cancelled in July due to low attendance, so I switched to the busier 6pm classes. Now, those are fine but the first week 12 people turned up and it was a very tight squeeze to say the least (since they're held in the smaller gym inside Forthbank stadium).

Anyway, about a month ago i turn up to the Thursday class. There's 4 of us there, including a few regulars to other classes. We were doing a new circuit so the instructor showed us each of the moves and we were soon on our way.

I was paired with a woman. (I'd rather have worked my way around on my own). Every now and again she would comment like this "you're not doing that right"... "i think you need to move forward a bit"... and so on. It really really put me off. I ignored her as best I could, not responding at all. What I really wanted to say was "please, you're doing it al wrong but i won't comment on your technique. And anyway if I were doing it wrong I'm sure the instructor would have told me since there's only 4 of us in the class". That's what I was saying in my head. I never said it out loud of course. Typical me, but i;m sure my lack of facial expressions told her what I might be thinking.

It's such a shame because when it was my usual group at those classes, we had a good rapport. But most importantly we encouraged each other and had a laugh. This other group really seem to be too serious and actually truth be told, their techniques are way off. I mean we're not talking athletes here who are training for anything but still. I'm surprised one of them hasn't put their back out.

So, I'll try to get over that and hope she stops going to that class because it really did put me off.

Other than that, I am still going to spin bike classes as well as GRIT strength and GRIT cardio classes. I do love the feeling you get afterwards having completed the high intensive training. Although my pink sweaty face may tell a different story!

What are you doing to keep fit?

Angela x

Teeth Brace: Check up 3

I actually had my third 8-weekly check-up at the orthodontist two weeks ago. I was in and out in a flash (about 10 minutes to be exact).

She seems to be happy with the progress and never changed the main wire. Probably because it was the thicker one she put in the last time. What is causing some concern is the gap the appears between my two front teeth. I don't mind the gap which may or may not be there upon removal of the brace. What she said is that it still isn't in the right place. It's a bit off centre to the right hand side. Your two front teeth should meet nicely just below the tip of your cupid's bow top lip (or in line with the tip of your nose. Providing your nose isn't wonky). Mine's don't.

Excuse the up-the-nose shot below, but look at my cool Ray Ban Aviators! *winkey eye face*

Gap, nearly gone, and a bit off centre.

It isn't really a big deal but she would like it dead centre. And maybe i would too. She removed the thicker e-chain plastic loops she'd put in on both sides and only replaced the left hand side one to try to force-pull those teeth around. There's space for them to move to too, it's just the moving part that's taking some time.

Excuse the weird colour. My skin isn't great just now.

There wasn't much pain this time but i can definitely feel the teeth are tender and moving a little. The gap appears to have closed at the bottom, but that usually happens and then they separate again.

I still can't get over that this little magical metal contraption can actually move your teeth within a few days. It's a feat of engineering to say the least. Below are some (not very flattering) pictures of before and after check up number 3.

That's nearly six months I've had the brace on. Only another 18 to go! But when you look back at this post you can see just how far the teeth have moved. 'mazin'.

Oh, and I found this fantastic video on YouTube about adult braces from two Australian girls. They explain everything really well - beware, there are a few sweary words in there so if that offends you, you'd best not look.



Angela x

Get Fit and Healthy: Motivation and Perseverance

Despite the weather, summer should be here. For some it may already be here. And with the imminent arrival of summer, comes that ever more important need to sort your body out for the beach (if you're lucky enough to be going away for a beach holiday, that is).

The magazines are filled with the way they think we should be. All tall, bronzed and with the perfect beach hair. The reality is more often than not the total opposite to that. Women start to panic themselves into eating less. Filling themselves up with artificially sweet smelling gloopy liquids that promises them one step closer to that beach body. Again, the reality being that you will only lose weight (the healthy way) by exercising and eating healthier. I say healthier because I myself do not get enough fruit or vegetables in my diet. I am no expert when it comes to weight loss. But what I do know is that I'm only seeing results through hard work and cutting back on the crap in my diet. Incidentally, this weekend a newspaper here had pull-out booklets on a diet called "The bikini panic diet" - how utterly ridiculous and irresponsible to call it that.

It is tough. I'm now exercising for 7 days a week and I'm into week 4 of that. It's starting to become a habit. An amazing habit. Progress! I try to separate out different forms of exercise into different days of the week. It goes something like this...

• Monday - Spin class (cardio), GRIT Strength class (cardio and weights).
• Tuesday - ShockFit TRX suspension class (weights, strength).
• Wednesday - RPM biking class (spin, cardio)
• Thursday - ShockFit bells class (weights).
• Friday - Spin class (cardio)
• Saturday - GRIT cardio class
• Sunday - Spin class (cardio).

Gym for ShockFit - "there is no strength where there is no struggle"

It is tough. It requires focus and perseverance but I do like it, a lot. It wasn't always like that. I'd need no excuse some days just to give up on the Monday classes and then that knocks your week all to pot. Then you'd feel bad and it would all start again. But thankfully I've managed to get right out of that habit and into another more healthier one. My fitness is improving, although I can tell you that since introducing the GRIT classes, i feel like they could move me up a notch. Don't get me wrong, i am by no means an athlete. I'm just a girl who wants to get fitter and leaner and healthier.

I've never been into faddy diets. I was never allowed to when I was younger and I thank my mum for that. She was never into diets either. I tend to hold all my weight on my bum and thighs. I'm blessed with a fairly flat stomach and small chest so i do kinda look out of proportion.

Before January, my routine only consisted of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday spin bike classes. All cardio and no weights at all. I'm not really a fan of the gym - well, not a fan of the body builder types that hang around the weights, so it always put me off. Then I started the ShockFit classes twice per week and the difference in tone of my arms, quads and stomach is great. My bum could really do with a really big tone up though. It's my hardest part to shift any weight or tone up. But I'm determined. Of course the chocolate i eat doesn't help, nor does the juice. But they're my only vice and I have to try to wean myself off them. Well, that's really only an excuse now isn't it.

pic from a few months ago

At the start of June the gym introduced the Les Mills GRIT classes and I've added them into my weekly routine. I really hope they can help shift those last few pounds.

I've never really been a weight watcher, except in my mid 20's when I reached 10 and a half stone. At 5ft 2in, that could almost be considered obese. Probably is, I haven't checked any charts. I lost a bit of weight about 2 years ago through eating less crap and doing exercise. Then by February of 2011 I let it go a bit and put some more back on. For months I hovered around 9st 6lb. Which was better than 10st but still not ideal. Currently I'm sitting at 8st 6lb. Ideally I'd like to get to the lower end of 8stone. So that's my summer challenge to myself. To do just that. 6 pounds to go.

It'll take some real discipline on my behalf. You don't understand how panic starts to set in if i don't have a chocolate Freddo or something in the house to quash my cravings. Argh! But, the motivation is being able to wear the clothes I want to wear. The perseverance will come from my own inner and outer strength and the will to succeed at something that I control. Only I will know whether or not I succeed or fail but I think, this time, I'm going to succeed. I've written it down here after all and that means I HAVE to stick to it. Eek!

Join me. Let's motivate each other. I'll check in on you, if you check in on me.

Remember "there is no strength where there is no struggle", virtual gym buddies!

Angela x
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Teeth Brace: Month 2

I had my second 8-week brace adjustment appointment with my orthodontist last week. So I'm now 16 weeks in to my 2 year brace life. I've come to like attending the hospital for these appointments (I go to the hospital as it's the NHS treatment I'm receiving). I'm in and out in about 15 minutes for these appointments. All very efficient.

A gap had formed where my troublesome front tooth had been straightened up a little bit. Remember my front left tooth had a severe squint overhang of the right front tooth. After my last appointment the left tooth had straightened out a little and had given me a gap in between my two front teeth. It was kind of quirky. I'm not that bothered abut a gap, so long as it didn't develop into a severe gap. The only problem with this gap is that it's is off centre. Like a good 3mm off centre to the right hand side. Anyone looking probably wouldn't notice this but in orthodontics, every millimetre counts.

To combat this gap and right hand side pull she inserted a thicker wire as she wanted the teeth to move in a different way and for the upper arch to expand a little. I was told the front gap might get worse before it gets better but that this was fine as the teeth need to be straightened up first and then pulled into line, so to speak.

She also attached some joined up plastic loops on the side wires where there are huge gasp due to the teeth I had removed back in January. The technical term is e-chain plastic. It's basically to close the gaps, and also protects the slightly thinner side wires. So my large side gaps will close a little bit, meaning the front teeth can space out and straighten up properly. All very complex but an amazing piece of engineering when you think about it.

Lastly she added on some of the little rubber bands that hold the main wire onto each bracket. I chose the silver again. I was going to white or clear but they say the bands can get discoloured with food and general eating so silver is the safe option. Next time I might get a coloured one. Maybe!

See how they're kinda off-centre?

After each appointment my teeth are always a bit sensitive, but that's because they are moving again until they get used to the new adjustment. It means I can't really chew anything tougher than a piece of toast but I've managed to figure that if i cut my food into tiny pieces I can just about get away without too much pain when chewing.

After just a few days I can already see that the front tooth gap has gotten smaller. There's only really a space at the top now. I'm always amazed at how this metal contraption can move my teeth and the results I see so quickly.

After only a few short months, I can already see that my confidence has lifted a bit. I'm actually smiling wider than I thought my widest smile has ever been. I'm not afraid to show people the brace in the way that I always shy'd away from showing people my wonky teeth. Isn't that peculiar?

It's another 8 weeks until my next appointment. But for now I just have to keep on going with it. Clean my teeth thoroughly and try to cut down on the sugary drinks! Yikes. Cola and chocolate is my craving. Bad.

Angela x

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