Leading a healthier lifestyle

This year I made a conscious decision to start leading a healthier lifestyle. Losing weight was one of the main results I wanted to achieve by this decision but it wasn't the only reason. I was tired of making the same poor decisions when it came to my lifestyle choices and I wanted to do something about it. 

Over the past few months I've actively changed the way I think about food and the decisions I make about physical activity. I've been putting these new and healthier lifestyle choices into place and I am seeing such a benefit from doing so. So far I have lost 17lb, I am more active than I have been in years and I'm feeling pretty awesome because of it! 

Being move active.

It's hard to find time to exercise when you are looking after a toddler but chasing after them is a work out in itself. I recently bought an exercise bike which I go on every other night but my main source of activity is walking. Every day I make a point of getting outside, in the fresh air. Whether it be a quick burst to the park with Noah or a couple of miles through the woods it all helps and I feel so much more energised for doing so. 

I recently bought a Fitbit band to track and log my steps, food and water intake and it's been motivating me to really push myself each day. I've also recently bought some fitness gear from Esprit as I didn't have anything suitable to wear when working out.

I feel like my fitness level is really increasing and I would love for it to continue because I'm feeling so much better in myself for it. 

                                                             Eating and drinking better.

Along with becoming move active my diet has changed dramatically. I am currently on Slimming World which I don't look at as a diet, it's food optimising. It changes the way you look at food and teaches you how to choose and balance the right foods. 

When you are following a plan like this it doesn't mean that you need to cut out any treats that you do like to indulge in, you can still have them. This I think is better in the long run because by not depriving yourself of a treat every now and again it keeps you motivated and on plan. 

So there you have it. This has been my progress in the past couple of months and I'm happy with things are going. Hopefully I can keep at it and further down the line report back with even more positive results.


Have you got any fitness or healthy living tips you would like to share with me?
I would love to hear them!

Slimming World - 1 stone lighter

Another New Years Resolution of mine was to lose weight. I had put weight on before becoming pregnant then put weight on whilst being pregnant and even more so after Noah was born. In those newborn days we were eating a lot of takeaways and having naughty treats as we didn't have the time to cook so the weight pilled on. I have around 3 stone to lose.

I chose Slimming World to help me on my weight lost journey and I love it! I am now 8 weeks in and I have finally lost my first stone! 14lbs! I am so happy! I feel so much better in myself, healthier and happier. I've had good days and bad but I have on a whole been strict with myself and know I need to stick at it otherwise I won't shift all this baby blubber.

I have tried other diets in the past but soon lost all motivation a couple of weeks later and then quit. I found myself bored, hungry and felt it wasn't worth it. This hasn't happened with Slimming World. I am never hungry and it's easy to mix up your eating plan each day to keep it interesting. You can also have treats too which you syn. I like that you can still have chocolate, crisps, bread, cake as long as it is within your daily syn allowance. I think that is where I have gone wrong in the past, I have done diets where you can't have them. I need my treats! 

Slimming World isn't really a diet, it changes the way you look at food and makes you think about the food choices you make. My diet is a lot more balanced now. As you cook most meals from scratch I feel like I have become better at cooking too, which is a win win. 

If you are thinking of losing weight then I couldn't rate Slimming World high enough. I am aiming to lose another stone before the end of May as I have a wedding coming up and want to look my best. If you have any questions about Slimming World or what to join me on my journey then I am just a comment or tweet away! 

My New Years Resolutions

I'm not normally one to actually make New Years Resolutions nevermind stick to them but this year with how much my life has changed recently I wanted to change my ways and create a few New Years Resolutions and stick by as many as I can.

Family time.

Now Nick, Noah and I are a family I want to make sure we spend a lot of quality time together especially now while Noah is young. As he get's a little older and more aware I want to take him to the zoo and the sealife centre. I'm so excited to be able to do things as a proper little family.

Mummy and Daddy time. 

If you are a parent you will know that as soon as your little bundle of joy arrives there is a lot less time spent with your significant other. Although I see Nick every single day sometimes I miss him because we don't have that quality time together anymore as our focus is on our son. At least once a week I want to snuggle up on the sofa and watch a film together and at least once a month I want to have a date night with Nick where we go out and enjoy one another's company.  

Diet - Join Slimming world. 

I was heavier than I would of liked to of been before I was even pregnant so of course going through pregnancy too I have a lot of weight to lose. The last time I was weighed was at my 12 week scan and I didn't even ask what I weighed as I didn't want to frighten myself. We don't actually have any scales in our house but I know I need to bite the bullet and see how much I weigh. I feel like I could lose about 2 stone. So I have a long long way to go. 

I am not the best when it comes to dieting or eating healthy. I did join Weight Watchers a few years back and lost a stone as it was easy to follow but it didn't really work for me in the long run. I have decided to give Slimming World a go as I have heard nothing but positive feedback from the programme. So wish me luck! I am going to need it. 

Excersize - Be more active.

I just want to be more active on a whole. I don't mean go full throttle working out every day cause lets face it I have a baby and don't get much sleep so at the moment that won't be feasible. Perhaps in a few months down the line I may join a gym but at the moment I just want to get out the house and go for long walks with Noah in the pram. This will be more appealing when the weather picks up a bit. 

Holiday - First family holiday.

Nick and I love going abroad and our home away from home is Alcudia in Majorca. We didn't go away in 2013 as I was pregnant. It was the first time in years we didn't go on holiday, we really missed it. This year we want to take Noah on his first holiday, which is so exciting. Probably back to Majorca knowing us! 

Mortgage - Buy our own home.

In 2013 we were accepted for a mortgage but we just need to now decide where we want to live and find the home that is right for us. We are getting there with our deposit but by the end of 2014 I hope we are in our very own home or atleast on our way to that goal. We are currently looking through various estate agents UK to find the perfect family home because now we have a baby it's time to start building a foundation for us as a family. 

Savings - Pennies make pounds.

Nick and I are dreadful when it comes to spending. We waste so much money and really need to learn how to budget better. Our savings would look a lot more attractive right now if we weren't throwing money down the drain left, right and center. We spend way too much money on meals out and takeaways. I aim to put a little bit more money away into our savings each month.  


Wedding - Make plans.

We have been engaged for a few years now and haven't talked in depth about our wedding as of yet. We've always been preoccupied with moving house, new jobs, redundancy, pregnancy and now a baby. This year I want to atleast start discussing our wedding plans and begin saving up. 2015 wedding? Who knows!

Here are my New Years Resolutions for the year. Lets see what I stick to! Here's to 2014!