A new way of life.....

 I so want to clean up my diet. I'm not generally unhealthy. I don't always eat fast food and I rarely buy crisps and sugary snacks but I really want to clean it up properly.

I find it so frustrating that there are no healthy eating plans out there for girls like me who don't really want to lose weight but just want to be healthy. All I want is to maybe tone up some muscles and lose a little bit of fat that lingers right where it isn't wanted! I already have a gym plan and weight training....more on that another day. I just want a back-to-basics eating plan that I can keep up for life!

The other day I discovered the Clean and Lean plan by James Duigan. It goes back to basics and, yes it is mostly common-sense, but it lays everything out. What not to eat and drink and why....just what I wanted.

It starts with a 14 day kick-start where you cut out the CRAP (Caffeine, Refined Sugar, Alcohol and Processed food). I can have a cup of good quality, organic coffee a day but everything else is lean protein and complex carbohydrates.

For a while now I have known that certain foods have an affect on me, and not in a good way. Pasta and bread tend to make me feel bloated and uncomfortably full. I always figured I had a slight wheat intolerance but I thought it was fairly normal as I tend to eat quite large portions, especially at dinner. The Clean and Lean diet means that I will cut out all wheat-based foods so I am hoping that will put an end to that uncomfortable feeling.

Deciding when to start this is the tough part! I am going away this weekend and in a fortnights time. Although there won't be anything too heavy, I can guarantee there will be alcohol and bad food galore so there isn't much point starting the kick-start plan only to be interrupted half-way through. I don't want to delay too much but I also want to do it properly so I have decided to start by slowly cutting out the rubbish over the next week and starting the 14 day plan next Saturday.

I will post an update each day of the plan so I can share how it's going....wish me luck! xx

A weekend in Bristol...

I had a lovely weekend in Bristol meeting the boyfriend's family. I saw his Dad's band play which was brilliant and had a family meal. It was not at all scary and to be honest I don't know what I was worrying about.

We stayed at his parent's house which has a lovely view of the building below. I tried to find some information about it but all I have found is that it is a listed building converted into flats and that it was a stable. Not much but I thought it was a lovely building so I wanted to share it. :)

A trip to Bristol would not be complete without acknowledging the work of Banksy. I found the below picture online.

A night in...

I am having a night in on my own tonight. The last one before the Christmas decorations come down. It's actually quite nice really.  I am all cosy on the sofa in my slippers with a blanket around my shoulders. The TV is on and I have a glass on Malibu and Coke on the go (soon to be followed by a cup of tea no doubt!).

The next few weeks are going to be pretty busy starting with a trip to Bristol this weekend to see the boyfriend's parents for the first time (eeek!!). Why is meeting a partners family so scary? I guess there is always the fear that they won't like me or that I will make a fool out of myself, slightly juvenile fears I know but there it is. Anyway, we are going to see Emelyn's dad's band play tomorrow night which I am really looking forward to. It'd be good to get out for a few drinks and listen to some live music.

Time for a cup of tea! xx

This new year....

2012 has begun and for the first time I really have high hopes for this year. I have a feeling this is going to be a good year.

I am not usually one to make resolutions if only because it seems a little pointless. They are never kept, even with the best intentions. Having said that, I do have a few things I really want to do over the next year and it only seems fitting that I write them down here. Maybe it will mean I actually stick to them this time....

(By the way, these are in no particular order)

1. To get back to my healthy eating and exercise. Yes I know this is a cliche and everyone puts fitness on their resolution list but I really want to keep up with my fitness and get my weight training back on track.

2. My coursework is going to take up so much of my time and I really want to make sure I can get the best mark possible. I have neglected it over Christmas and I know it's going to be hard going over the next few weeks while I catch up and get my next assignment in. I have so many more distractions now but I really want to make sure I can knuckle down properly.

3. This year I want to put more effort into my crafts and baking. Its something I really enjoy doing and I really believe that we should put just as much effort into the things we enjoy as we do in our work.

4. Finally, I want to get some of my debt cleared. I dont have a lot but I have neglected it. I have a few credit cards that could so easily be cleared in a few months if I start putting some money aside. I could save myself a lot of money a month in the long term. It's one of those things I should have done years ago but could never be bothered!!

I think thats everything. I am sure I will think of some more but I have listed the most important for now. Al that is left is to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2012!! Xx

Time to celebrate....

As it's the last day of the year, I thought now would be a good time to take a look back over 2011; or at least the last quarter if it. I'm not usually one to reminisce and I am certainly not the kind of person who makes resolutions but this year is different. A few things have happened over the last few months that I am really excited about so it seems fitting to do a little summary if you will.

The year didn't exactly start off with a bang. It was much like any other. Going to work, worrying about money and the usual rubbish. I was lonely in truth. Yes, I had friends and family but I wasn't overly happy and I think I was just going through the motions of day-to-day life. In September, I made the decision to do more with this blog; to keep a journal of my life and for the most part I managed that. Yes over the past month I have neglected it slightly but there are good reasons for that!

I started my teaching assistant course in October  and started volunteering at the local school every Thursday. It is honestly the best thing I have ever done and although I will be slightly panicked going back to it in the New Year (I have so much to do!) I know I will enjoy it all the more.

In November I started seeing a guy at work. Emelyn asked me out very randomly one day over email. It has been 6 weeks and I couldn't be happier. I got to meet his little girl over Christmas and she is the sweetest thing, next to my nieces of course! I was so worried she wouldn't take to me but it seems she has and I love it. I am actually really happy and we have even talked about moving in together maybe in the summertime.

The year may not have started out particularly exciting but it certainly is ending on a positive. For the first time in a long time the New Year is full of so many possibilities and even though I will turn 30 in 2012 (!) I am so excited to see what it will bring. :) xx 

Merry Christmas....

It's Boxing day night and I am officially tired and full of food! It has been a lovely Christmas. I got to spend most of yesterday with the family, eating Christmas dinner and playing with my nieces. Christmas is so much fun when there are children around. We played silly games on the wii and laughed at Dad trying to fly his new remote controlled helicopter! In the evening I went to see my boyfriend and got more pressies (yes it is official, more on that later!). It was lovely.

I can officially report that my cakes and biscuits went down very well. The biscuits were lovely, especially the cheese ones...not bad considering I have never made biscuits before!

Sorry, no pictures of the biscuits but here are a few of the cakes.

Mobile phone mania....

The text message turned 19 today if you can believe it! In 1992, 22 year old Neil Papworth, an engineer at Vodafone UK sent a Happy Christmas message to an Orbitel phone.

It would be at least another 8 years before texting became commonplace.  Now it seems a mystery as to how we ever coped without any form of mobile technology! 

Growing up, I remember that technology moved so fast. In my lifetime, computers have become faster and smaller, games consoles more advanced to the point where we don't need controllers, TVs are in 3D and my smart phone can do more than my 5 year old laptop! I have 5 different ways of getting onto the internet in my house, all without wires.  It seems crazy that we ever lived without it....almost like my childhood took place in the dark ages! We only had one land-line in the house and if I went shopping with friends at the age of 15 I had to find a payphone. I was so deprived!

On the plus side, I didn't have the extra pressure from mobile technologies and the internet that teenagers must have now. They can't hide anywhere from it.

I had to take my cell phone to be repaired today. The thing would not charge! My whole life is on that phone: emails, phone numbers, photos. It is my link to the world.  I can't imagine not being able to Tweet whenever I want or check my emails while I walk to work. I know these are trivial, unimportant things but they have become quite a big part of my life. It's something that has crept up on me too. As phones become more complex and sophisticated, the more I become hooked. I want to use these gadgets to their full potential! xx