Health & Fitness

RIP Winston

~ lorz83 ~ Leave a comment

Oh Hi! Yes, I am still alive! Apologies for the complete lack of GGGoL posts over the past few weeks, last night was the first time I’ve had really to write my blog (now I’ll struggle to remember what I’ve been up to – Old age and all)

Now do you recall I mentioned my car failed its MOT and was booked in at the garage? Well sadly Winston didn’t make it, his life support was switched off on Saturday 14th May, aged 10 years. We had some good times together, lots of fun journeys, my first trip to Cornwall, numerous drives to airports for my many holidays, lots of visits to Silverstone for the Motogp (my parking permit was still stuck on the windscreen). As one life ends another begins and I’m pleased to announce the safe arrival of my shinny Night Blue new Golf. He (yes my car is male) hasn’t officially been named yet, but I’m leaning towards Boris.

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What else have I been up to over the past few weeks. Well I’ve been rather naughty and I’ve been shopping (more than once) buying new outfits for my holibobs and I think I’m just about kitted out, I’ve got some new pairs of shorts, playsuit, shirt, vest top, dresses. I like to look stylish when I’m on holiday – Look good, feel good, and I am going away with my gorgeous little sister so I need all the help I can get from my outfits.  I’ve also bought a few new pieces for work (I’m telling you this gym malarkey is costing me a blimin’ fortune). Last Monday I debuted a gorgeous new H&M dress to co-inside with my first drive to the office in my new brum. I love new things.

So Florence is less than 4 weeks away now and I’m sooooo excited!! I’m usually really good at planning and organising holiday things (I’ve been on quite a few solo vacations over the past couple of years) but I think I’m almost too excited that I just haven’t been able to plan – Anything! So my usually not so organised sister has taken control and we have a vintage Fiat 500 self drive Tuscan wine experience booked – Perfect! We have a rough idea of what we want to see and do so things are coming together. I have also been informed that we will be eating at least one gelato a day, and will be eating the Italian way with our antipasto followed by primo, then secondo finished with dolce, all washed down with copious amounts of Prosecco and Chianti – I seriously can not wait; although I’m not looking forward to coming back the size of a casa.

Now, gym. I have been going, perhaps not as often as I should or I planned to this month and I do seem to have lost my gym mojo a bit; which is actually really sodding annoying! I’ve been having my usual PT’s with Phil and I’ve been working out with my fellow Moany Bitch, we’ve been to a couple more Spin classes, and I’ve been attending the Healthy Weight Programme (we did a core workout session last week – I feel like I should have abs like old school Peter Andre). At the moment I feel like I’m actually becoming less fit and fatter, although I know this isn’t the case when the clothes I’ve been buying are smaller than I used to wear (I even had to treat myself to a new pink VS Sports Bra on Saturday due to my shrinking bust!) It was lush shopping with my friend Saturday and being able to pick up smaller clothes off the rails, try them on in the changing room and for them to fit my body perfectly and flatter my ever changing shape. I think I might need to channel those feelings when I’m having my fat days at the gym, to encourage me to work my Kim K that bit harder – Bring the A game as Phil is forever telling me to do.

Dates! Now the cute Italian went home for a week at the beginning of the month, he’s back but we haven’t had a chance to see each other yet, we’ve been messaging and I might be seeing him Sunday.  I had been hoping I’d have another date lined up with someone else, but I’m obviously not in favour at moment – silence speaks volumes right!

It’s bank holiday weekend approaching and so far the only date I have set in in stone is catching up with one of my closest friends on Friday with her new bubba; well she’s five months old, but I haven’t met her yet. I’m so looking forward to snatching some cuddles. Other than that, I will naturally spend time with my mum and sister; we’ll probably go on another afternoon stroll ( we went to Snelsmore again weekend before last – No bog issues this time!).

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I think that’s me done for another week. Who knows when I’ll type again, I’m just so shoddy at the moment aren’t I? Shocking!

Enjoy the rest of your week and the bank holiday weekend (I do appreciate those few Mondays that I actually don’t hate and kinda love).

L x

HWP – Week 5

~ lorz83 ~ Leave a comment

We’re five weeks into the HWP and all seems to be going well, with lbs dropping left, right and center.

Last week was a recap week, discussing the food topics covered over the previous 3 weeks. The group shared views on the course so far, how we’ve found things, what’s worked for us, what hasn’t, the changes we’ve made etc.  It’s good to get input from others, we shared information about products we’ve tried and tips on meals and meal prep.

The group catch up was then followed by the weekly exercise class – 30 minutes of Helen out us through our paces. All 7 of us started the session on the exercise bikes (good luck to anyone else who wanted a go, I think there was one or two bikes what didn’t have HWP peeps on them) Helen then set up 7 work stations for us to move around (she really knows how to have fun!?!) We each took our turn, getting hotter and more knackered after each one – What’s that saying, “No pain, no gain”

There’s no food club this week, however exercise class is still on – So I might have sore aching limbs Friday morning – Eek.

We have all now been booked in for a second nutrition talk with Kim and 1-2-1s have also been booked to go over out fitness plans – We’ll all be slim gym bunnies in no time.

L x

HWP – Week 4

~ lorz83 ~ Leave a comment

Week 4

Last week we discussed how sleep and stress can impact weight management.

Our daily lives are so fast paced these days with numerous factors that can cause us stress be it traffic (hands down this gets me riled up, I have terrible road rage!) work, family / friends, even health and weight can stress us out. When we are under stress our bodies undergo something called the ‘fight or flight’ response, whereby stress hormones are released.  Our response to this serge of hormones can often be to overeat, which in turn leads to increased body fat (which in my case then makes me depressed, which relates back to last week and emotional eating – Everything’s linked)

Cortisol, the stress hormone which makes us alert in the morning and sleepy at night can be disrupted by poor food and drink choices which can cause a topsy-turvy affect whereby we are sleepy in the morning and wired at night. Try avoiding stimulants such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine to get some undisturbed Zzzzz.

Food class was followed with a 30 minute workout (Helen was back from her jollies and ready to make us all sweat!) Six of us stayed for the exercises this week, so in pairs (like Noah’s Arch) we worked our way through three different exercises.  I was paired with my new partner in crime, and like naughty school girls we giggled and chatted whilst completing the tasks (you need to have a laugh when you’re in the gym, it has to be fun)

Following on from our workout with Helen, Charlotte and I continued our gossip and exercise with a stint on the treadmill, cross trainer and lateral machine – Needless to say I was blimin’ knackered and had a very good night’s sleep – Yay.

Remember if you’re interested in taking part in the next HWP course or simply want some more information you can contact the team at Nuffield Newbury on 01635 569944.

L x

MOT Pass – Advisories – Body work requires some work

~ lorz83 ~ Leave a comment

So Friday evening I had another date with gym; as I said last week things are getting quite serious, and these dates are certainly helping with mission ‘Love Me’

Before my hot and sweaty session this week I had an MOT, yep like a car, I was checked and tested to see if I’m in good condition and working order. Good news is I passed, it would appear that both my PT and solo workouts are paying off – Yay! Internally I am apparently in tip top shape, fantastic, however there was an advisory, boo, which basically says my body work needs some work (tell me something I didn’t already know) So there’s obviously only one thing for it, I’m going to have to seriously up my game and as Nike preach “Just Do It”

With advisories for your car you’ve got a year to fix any issues, I’m giving myself 20 weeks to panel beat my exterior. In 20 weeks time my sister and I will been sunning ourselves, enjoying pizza, pasta, fine wine, gelato and that wonky tower in Pisa, on a girly holiday in Florence. Although no flights or hotels have been booked yet I am very excited!! Those who know me will know that for me to have to wait 5 months before jetting off somewhere will be tough – I love a holiday. I usually have at least two a year; last year me and one of my best friends had a girly weekend in Paris, then Mum and I had a 6 day break in Barcelona, primarily for the Catalunya MotoGP, but we also saw lots of the iconic sights and ate some amazing food (anyone going to Barca has to visit Uma http://www.thefork.com/restaurant/uma/48497 it’s fab) and then my final holiday of 2015 (yes sadly I only jetted out of the country 3 times, well twice actually plus 1 Eurostar journey) I went to Sharm El Sheikh in September.

On one hand September seems forever ago, on the other it seems like last week. I can honestly say that my week in Sharm was one of the best weeks I’ve had. I went on my own (the price a holiday loving singleton has to pay when all her friends are married or attached) well I say alone, I went back to a hotel my friend and I had stayed in a few years ago, a friend we met there in 2013 was working at the hotel so I knew I wouldn’t be completely on my own (although I hadn’t banked on his girlfriend, Polly Pocket, being there so that did change the dynamics somewhat)

With Polly kiboshing the holiday I thought I was going to have, I did what I love doing and I networked. I mingled and made friends and had a fantastic time. My new friends adopted me, we’d meet by the pool after breakfast, have some giggles into between swimming and sunbathing and then we’d have dinner together and drinks in the bar. They even managed to get me on the stage doing karaoke with them, taking me so far out of my comfort zone! Monday evening was Pool Party night – So much fun. We drank cocktails with every spirit known to man in, and topped it off with giant measures of Ouzo. I somehow managed to walk back to my room (after announcing to my new friends that I was going to the bar because I felt the party had finished too early, only to change my mind and zigzag my way across the complex to my room) which was freezing because I’d foolishly left the aircon on, doh! I dropped the towel that was wrapped around me and crawled into my bed, damp bikini still on, contact lenses still in and the next thing I knew the sun was shining and its Tuesday morning – Come on, that’s a good night and sums up the weeks shenanigans. Thank you The Greens & The Kenleys for my holiday memories.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait until June for my next holiday, and with the emails from Secret Escapes, Voyage, BA and Monarch (email subject “Fancy a little city break”) sitting in my inbox I’m certain my passport will see the light of day in the next few months! Anyone fancy a little trip with me?

L xSharmParisImage-1