This is still me ❤️

This post is dedicated to my friend and general life coach :) So after three weeks off of the plan due to the torn muscle and the tonsilitis I am now a week back in, sadly the drama in my life didn't stop there. I am at a stage in my life where I am happy and settled, I have some amazing people around me, I really am very lucky. Sometimes though, this reveals some of the people who have been not so amazing and unfortunately, this happened to be someone I had considered one of my best friends a couple of years back. I have this friend, we used to be really close, we went through a lot together, however the last few years I have become more and more frustrated as our friendship seems to have become very one-sided. Around the time I moved out of the area, she had her first child, all was good I went to visit her regularly and I would take time off of work to drive over to see her and the baby, who I later became godparent to. Understandably, she couldn't come out as much, but I s...

Last Friday was my birthday weekend, my boyfriend always takes me out for a surprise dinner & I was really looking forward to it. I had lunch with a friend and managed to stay on plan, I also bought loads of cakes and treats into work and didn't touch a thing. I was so in the zone. We went to a nice rooftop bar for some drinks and then headed off to the restaurant. We were waiting to cross the road and I went to run across and I felt a sickening pop in my calf. Oh the pain! Ouuuuuch! I managed to hobble to the restaurant hoping to walk it off. I got some ice from the waiter and LOTS of wine to try & dull the pain. The dinner was amazing, he took me to Smiths in Wapping which I love and it's very romantic AND I managed to eat healthy. Sadly the wine didn't work as I'd hoped and rather than go on for drinks after it was a taxi home. I'd planned to have a rest day on Saturday anyway, which was lucky as I could barely walk. I was feeling fed up and slightly pa...

Last night I made myself some overnight oats, which was actually a great trick as when I tried to have my usual argument with myself this morning about shall I exercise or stay in bed, I had to get up because I had to have my refuel meal. I decided to go up to level 3 on the Joe Wicks DVD, bloody hell, who thought that 5 seconds more could make such a difference? Feeling achey, but all pleased with myself. I got ready for work and enjoyed my oats I was in pretty happy mood for a Monday, work was pretty quiet so I thought I would go online and look for some outfits for my birthday dinner with the boyfriend on Friday. I'm not sure if this was the trigger, as I did find it quite depressing looking at all these slim women and all these lovely dresses and knowing that I was not going to be able to wear any of them but suddenly the black cloud arrived, I had managed to avoid it for the last few days but now it was well and truly here. By the time I finished work I was a really bad mood...

So as you know, week three got off to a wobbly start, but I was determined not to be beaten. I woke up on Friday, feeling refreshed and ready to go, I cracked on with a HIIT session and rewarded myself with some yummy pancakes. They are seriously good, but soooo filling. I was on such a high after exercising I decided to try out the chicken satay for lunch, which was delicious and better than the one I had from the chinese takeaway the other week, but that was rubbish to be fair! Although the recipe contains a whole 120g bag of rocket and it wasnt even enough greens!! Friday lunch went the usual way, the angel & devil in my head fighting out whether to go out to lunch, then my friend popped over to my desk and without thinking I suggested wine. Oh well. I still managed to go home and cook after meeting the boyfriends parents in the pub where they had taken the kids for dinner, more red wine! I tried out a new recipe, cod with Spicy peas. It was bloody lovely, really tasty, definit...

So things I learned from week 2 is mainly that I am incapable of giving up alcohol entirely, however, I have not let this get me down as this is supposed to be a lifestyle change and not a diet, I am also drinking a lot less than I was before I started this. Week 3. I knew was going to get off to a rocky start. The boyfriend and I (I still can't call him fiance, it makes me cringe) were going to a steak restaurant with his friend and his wife, they were big drinkers and there was no way I could sit there and watch everyone get drunk, I would have stabbed someone, I just don't find anything as funny as drunk people when I am sober. I was so exhausted in the morning from my evening work out that I allowed myself to have a rest day which also meant lime and avocado for breakfast (YAY!) I was good with my food all day and then met my boyfriend after work for a few pre drinks as the table wasnt booked until 8pm. I decided to drink red wine in the pub as that was what I would be dr...

Its Friday, Hurrah! I have been so excited about my weekend this week as I have zero plans!! I am in such a good mood!! I got up and done a HIIT session and treated myself to some pancakes, today is going to be good. That didn't last long, I've been having issues with a friend of mine and I've been noticing over the years how one-sided our friendship is, I have been upset before but I am kind of over it now as it is what it is, however, now I am no longer showing an interest in the friendship, I am finding her to be quite manipulative and she has even gone as far as saying that I havent seen her daughter for ages and she wants to see me, basically trying to guilt trip me. I am fuming, I was so angry about this, I needed to let off some steam, so I ended up enjoying a couple of glasses of red wine at lunch with friends and furiously texting my other friend/unofficial life coach. I stuck to my lunch plans but sadly ended up meeting my boyfriend for a few drinks after work a...

So week 1 is done, I could have done better but I could have eaten and exercised normally and been a lot worse. I am still really enjoying it, which is weird, I feel like I would usually give up by now but I am excited. I have picked up a few things on the way too, so for anyone thinking of trying this, here's how to make it a little easier on yourself. Plan your week in advance -  It's difficult to plan too far in advance as things come up but planning the following week should be easy, this way you know what to shop for, plan ahead for any nights out and when you're best to exercise. Order your shopping online - I've always been a bit weary of this, fearing ridiculous substitutes etc but its brilliant, I have been using Sainsburys now for 2 months and do not have one complaint, the last thing I want to do is be traipsing around a shop when I am not at work. Batch cook - I kept reading people banging on about this and whilst I do enjoy cooking my dinners, lunch meals ...