AN UPDATE ON LOSING WEIGHT

Good Evening,

How is ‘getting trim’ going, you ask? Well not so bad actually. It’s been just over a week since I set out on my mission to lose weight and I’ve been pretty good. I’ve been exercising regularly and more organised and strict with my diet. I also have a bit of an addiction to Google'ing motivational fitness memes, like this one...

This week I actually went for a run every morning, except Thursday. I woke up at 5.55am and met my friend Fil for a half hour jog everyday... except Thursday. Admittedly we do a bit of 50/50 with the walking and jogging, but the point is that I was up and I was burning fat. I am really determined right now and I feel like I just want to exercise all the time! I’ve also been cycling to work every day still. It’s such a hard journey on the way in, as it’s mostly up hill. I’m glad that’s on the way in and not the way home though! 

There is one horrendous hill which goes on for about 5 minutes. It feels like it’s never going to end. It’s even made me a bit teary at times where it’s so darn hard and I just want it to conclude. Other cyclists overtake me, pedestrians have overtaken me, but I keep going until I get to the top and feel incredible when I get there. I’ve also figured out how to use my gears properly now… turns out I wasn’t making it very easy for myself. The hill is now a lot easier so that’s good. It’s still horrendous, but a tenfold better than it was.

Have another...

The diet hasn’t been so bad either. I’ve not been snacking in-between meals, I have cut fizzy drinks completely out of my diet, I’m drinking a lot of water (seriously, I’m weeing all the time!), I don’t really eat any bread and I’m just keeping a track on what I eat. During the week I had a McDonalds, due to my evening plans not allowing me enough time to cook dinner. This was a planned decision though and as mentioned in my recent blog, Time To Get Thin, I am allowed to eat fast food, as long as I am good during the day and it’s not because I am being too lazy to cook. It’s important to still have the odd treat whilst you’re dieting. Otherwise you will just become really depressed and turn to food for comfort. Well, that’s what I tend to do anyway. 

I went to my first Vibe Cycle class on Thursday, hence not getting up for my morning run. I was so nervous as I had heard so many people say it is tough. I LOVED IT. I think cycling to work these past few weeks helped to prepare me. Even though my legs were like jelly the following day, it was so much fun! The music really keeps you going and to be honest, it felt a lot shorter than 45 minutes! I am booked in to go again this week. I am aiming to make it a regular thing.

I will own up... I also had chips and a jumbo sausage from the chippy today. Sounds like I am being bad, doesn't it? But I didn't have anything in-between meals, I laid off the fizzy drink and it's a weekend, which (as per my Time To Get Thin blog) is allowed.

I weighed in at the gym today and I have lost three pounds! That's quite impressive for just over a week of being on this fitness-mad diet. I will continue to keep you all in the loop with how I am getting on.

Anyway, have a great weekend!

Mel x

WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG?

Happy Monday!


I thought it would be a good idea to write about my ever-changing make-up collection.


It's taken years of investing in different brands, some good, some bad, some mediocre. But I feel like I'm almost at the point where I know what I like to wear and rather than shop around, I could happily stock up on the same products. There are a few items I am not so keen on though.


So anyway, enough chatter and here we go...

1. Benefit Roller Lash.

This is honestly my magic wand. It does everything you need it to do. It lengthens my eye lashes, stays on, separates them well and they don't look too false. I used to use They're Real (also Benefit) which was great, however, I found it would dry out quickly and it didn't lengthen my eyelashes as good as this bad boy does.


2. Bare Minerals Get Started

My God. I swear to you, there is literally nothing better. Face coverage make-up products are something I have experimented with most. I've tried so many different brands to try and get the best coverage and also to not upset my skin, This stuff is literally the best you can get.


It is a dry mineral powder but gives flawless coverage and stays on all day. Mineral make up is so much better for your skin and I've definitely seen an improvement in the past 4 months I've been using it. I bought my kit on Amazon for £36.00 and it comes with a cute little carry case. I apply it in the morning but don't lug it around with me when I go to work.


3. Studio Fix by MAC

As mentioned, you can't really lug Bare Minerals around with you and it's not the easiest for a quick powder of the nose, so that's why I use Studio Fix when I'm out and about.


It's really good coverage and lasts ages. I've had mine for about 3 months, I use it everyday and still have two thirds left in the pan. I do feel like I can get just as good a use out of more cost effective high street brands though, so I'll probably try something else next time.


4. Brows That by Seventeen

Now I know all of the above are department store goodies, but I'm not a complete snob. I can't find a single fault with Brows That by Seventeen. In fact, I think Seventeen is a great brand and such good value for money. I've had this since the start of the year and I wouldn't be surprised if this takes me through to 2017. Ooo.. 20Seventeen... soz, moving on.


5. Shimmer Pallet by No7

I like to have a bit of a glow to my cheeks and Shimmer pallet is great for that. I am however considering trying Seventeen's version of this because it costs half the price so I promise to report back with my feedback.


6. Seventeen eye shadows

I was out of eye-shadow a couple of weeks back and had been planning to invest in Naked 2 by Urban Decay as I've heard so many good things. I only tend to wear natural colours to add a gentle bit of character to my eyelids so when I was in Boots and noticed they had a 29p sale (I'm not kidding) on Seventeen eye-shadows, I didn't hang about. I practically cleared the shelf.


Though I would still one day like to invest in Naked 2, I'm happy with paying 30p for my eye shadows, instead of £30.


7. Rebel by MAC lipstick

Up until recently, I was a huge fan of Revlon colour sticks. I still find them brilliant but now I'm using MAC lipsticks. Admittedly they are double the price however there are some great colours and they really do last on your lips throughout the day.


8. Rimmel liquid eyeliner

I'm using this cheap little liquid eye-liner at the moment, which does the job. However I'm on the hunt for something which will last all day. I am thinking of trying the liquid eyeliner by Lush Cosmetics.


So that's put that one in the bag, or taken it out of the bag, so to speak.


Have a great day!

Mel x

R&B BY LUSH IS THE ANSWER TO HEALTHY HAIR!

Aloha,

So recently I decided to have the ends of my hair dyed blonde by the hair salon.

Here's a pic...

I was happy with the outcome however, the blonde was a bit more of a brassy colour than I had hoped and it should have been more of a gradual red-to-blonde ombré - rather than just 50% red and 50% blonde.

I popped into Boots and picked up a home bleaching kit. I went with the more expensive option because, you know, the more you pay the more you trust (you'd assume). Anyway, after I had finally got round to dying it I almost had an emotional meltdown at the results. My hair actually turned to chewing gum. I could rip it out without even trying.

I had left it in for the correct amount of time. In fact, even a bit less time than suggested. On the packet it said it changes medium blonde to a light blonde colour. But, let me tell you this folks, all that home bleaching kits do is dry out your hair. NEVER under any circumstances would I ever suggest to anyone they bleach their own hair.

I've now had a few more inches chopped off of my hair so I've definitely learned the hard way.

I've since invested in a pot of this magic potion, known as R&B by Lush...

My friend swore to me that this stuff is the holy grail of hair products. I've been using it for the past couple of weeks and it's amazing. My hair is already in great condition, it smells delicious (like really, I want to eat my hair) and for £11.50 for 100g it hasn't exactly broken the bank.

I've also bought a bottle of L'Oreal's Professionnel Silver Shampoo...

I bought this on Amazon for just £6.95 after a girl at work suggested it to me. You basically leave it in for 10 minutes before using it as normal shampoo and washing it out. In just a couple of washes it rinsed the horrid yellowness out of my hair. Admittedly it does turn your hair a delicate shade of purple first time round, but I love purple, so I was cool with that.

Lesson learned. Avoid home bleach and stick with toner.

Thank you for reading.
Mel x

21 THINGS I LEARNT IN MY FIRST TWO DAYS CYCLING IN LONDON

Hi all,

So as I said in my last blog post, I now own one of those cute folding bikes (named Reuben) and am cycling in London everyday. 

It's quite a long distance each day and my bum is now in agony every time I place myself on the seat. I'll get used to the uncomfortable seating soon, I may even develop some hot bum muscles but I'm pretty sure there are one or two bruises right now. Apologies if I'm over-sharing. 

This is my journey:
Home - Ashford Station: 15 minutes
London St Pancras - Islington: 25 minutes
Islington - London St Pancras: 25 minutes
Ashford Station - Home: 15 minutes

Total time = 1 hour and 20 minutes.

This may not sound like a long time to some of you, but that obviously means you've not seen the hill from Kings Cross into Angel? No, as I expected.

I've learned a few things since I've been cycling in London. I'd like to share them with you...

1. There is a reason I never passed my cycling proficiency test when I was like 9.

2. Cars don't know where they're going.

3. Busses don't know where they're going.

4. Cyclists don't know where they're going.

5. Pedestrians don't know where they're going.

 
6. I don't know where I'm going.

- nobody has a clue

7. Traffic lights are more boring if you're on a bike than if you're in a car.

8. Never sit down when cycling over a speed bump. This may explain the sore bum issue!

9. Bicycles should have wing mirrors.

10. Fit everything you need into a rucksack. I have reason to beleive that H&M carrier bags, filled with tins of tuna, hurt when they bash into your shins.

11. I've had more near misses with bus wing mirrors in the space of two days, than I have with gym sessions since owning a gym membership - this is a lot btw.

12. Steep hills are impossible to cycle up, unless if you're planning on going backwards.

13. Other cyclists are speed-competitive. 'Take over, by all means, I'm going to be here a while anyway.'

14. Helmet hair is much less attractive than bed hair.

15. Never cycle with a skirt or dress on. Just don't.

16. Always carry deodorant in your backpack.

17. The wind and rain are not your friends. The two combined are your enemy.

18. One way road 'systems' are the worst.

19. They should make helmets with room for ponytails.

20. Don't get too cocky. I do this with ice skating. When I gain confidence I start showing off and soon make an idiot of myself by falling over.

21. If the roads aren't making sense (which even as a driver, they really never do) tag along with a group of big boys who seem to know what they're doing.

I'm sure there's more that will enlighten me as I continue in the cycling world. I'll more than likely tweet about it.

Thanks for reading!

Mel x

TIME TO GET THIN!

Good evening to you!

I've always been a curvy girl, since a young age. I have a really over-enthusiastic sweet-tooth and never used to be one for exercise either. I probably went to about 4 P.E classes in the whole time I was at school. Another issue is that I have an under-active thyroid so my weight tends to fluctuate each time my medication needs altering. It's a bit of a nuisance!

Last year I decided to join the gym. I have gone almost every week in the year and a half I've had a membership. About four months ago I decided to start working out 3 mornings a week and I've done really well at committing to it. I've had the odd break here and there but generally I've stuck to the plan. What's really frustrating however is that I've not lost any weight.

The reason why is because I'm only doing a short (but intense) workout in each session. So I'm only burning about 200 calories each time I go. To lose a pound you need to burn 3500 calories. So that's about a month worth of exercise to lose just one pound. I've definitely gained muscle in that time but I've not burnt any fat.

The other issue is that I've not done too well at the ol' dieting. So although I'm now having salads for lunch, I'm still partial to the odd Caramel Latte from Costa and I may go a bit overboard on the salad dressing. If I eat 300 less calories a day than I have been, I will lose that one pound in half the time. So I've decided to make some changes. Here's what I'm gonna do...

1. I am going to commit to the gym on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If I miss a day, I will go on the weekend. I am going to do a slightly longer workout and include more cardio.
2. I am going to eat less porridge (I do overfill my bowl a bit) and have only two spoonfuls of honey (rather than squeezing it out straight from the bottle - I'm so bad).
3. I am going to stick to a maximum of 3 coffees a day, still using sweetener but not sugar.
4. One full 750ml bottle of water during my work day.
5. I will continue to cycle to and from work.
6. I will continue to have salads for lunch but will have more salad content and less ceaser dressing.
7. Fizzy drinks are forbidden from my diet.
8. If I go out for lunch with my colleagues, I will have soup in the evening for dinner and if I can't do that, I will make up for it the following day.
9. I will weigh myself once a week at the gym. I have a really bad fear of the scales. It's been ages since I last weighed myself so I must face up to it and regularly check my progress.
10. Joe and I will need to have less fattening meals and more nutritious food. I will make meal plans every week for the week ahead.
11. I will aim to reach my goal weight before my birthday (December 3rd). I will probably pile it all on again over Christmas but hey ho.
12. If Joe makes me a 'joast dinner' (roast by Joe) I will have scrambled eggs for breakfast and will include an additional workout into my week.
13. I am going to keep a food diary of what I eat and when I exercise. I will also have a timetable of what I am going to eat and what time I am allowed to eat it.
14. I am allowed fast food however I must not eat anything bad during the day so it's well-balanced. I'm also going to make sure that I only have fast food on the weekends or if I am working late/going to an event.
15. I'm allowed a maximum of 3 coffee shop coffees a month. Any more = one extra workout.

So this is my plan. I will keep you in the loop with how I get on. Now I've spent the past half an hour writing a blog post I actually have to do this. I've said it now and there's no going back.

Wish me luck!

Mel x

A MOTHER/DAUGHTER TOURISTY WEEKEND IN LONDON

Happy Monday!

So I've just got back from such a lovely weekend, with my mum, staying in London. Naturally, I've decided to write a blog about the experience, the attractions we partook in and my views on them all. Let's start with the hotel...

The Wesley, Euston - 7th -9th August
A 5-minute walk from Euston Station is what made this hotel really ideal. As you may know, Euston Station is set before the line-break on the Northern Line. Considering most of our Underground use throughout the weekend was via the Northern Line, this made things really easy.



The hotel itself was nice too. It wasn't overly glam, but it definitely wasn't sham either. I'd stay in it again for the accessibility over anything else.

Friday

River Cruise
After checking in to the hotel we set off to the Southbank to hop on board a river cruise boat. I'd definitely recommend this experience, whether you're familiar with London or not. It was actually quite educational. The trip itself lasted about 40 minutes which I'd say was a good amount of time.

London Eye
After the river cruise we queued up for the London Eye. The queue lasted about an hour, which was a bit tiresome, however paying £16 for two fast track tickets would have been a bit silly.

I've been on the London Eye before so knew what a smooth and fascinating journey round it is. This was mums first time and she loved it. Their air con was also something which deserves a thumbs up.

I booked the River Cruise and London Eye together on the website for London eye as it works out cheaper, fyi.

The Ice Bar
This was a pretty 'cool' place, so to speak. Tickets were £33 for two of us, which I'd say was a reasonable price. They include an ice cocktail upon arrival, usage of the capes and gloves and access to the ice bar.

It is something which is worth trying, but doesn't leave you desperate to go back. When you're inside the bar, its a pretty small space, with not a lot to do. The music wasn't particularly upbeat so it doesn't help you if you're trying to dance away the chance of frostbite. The ice sculptures were impressive but once you've looked at all two of them, that's pretty much it. I'd recommend the 40-minute experience for a first timer, but won't be in any rush to head back.

The View From The Shard - at Night
The views at night are completely mesmerising. I adore city lights at night, if I could afford to, I'd love to live at the top of a huge building so I can look at over the city after a long day at work.

I've been to the top of The Shard during the day and now also during the night and both times were great, however nothing can beat the city lights at night. If you've not been before, I'd recommend going late in the evening. It's also good because it isn't as busy and there are no children.

One other thing... GO TO THE TOILET. Even if you don't need to go, go anyway. Each cubical gives you your own window, so whilst you're doing your business you have a whole London skyline to keep you entertained.

Saturday

Afternoon Tea Bus
At £90 for two people, this was quite a pricey bus journey. The staff are also not English which made it difficult to understand their accents as they pointed to landmarks on the journey round.

However, the staff were very friendly and the food was delicious. The good thing about this journey was that the bus took you around the more upmarket areas in London, passed the posh hotels, expensive residential areas and even Buckingham Palace. This was good as it was different to the other sightseeing tours we'd done the day previous.

I'd definitely recommend this bus tour.

They were fully booked online when I was trying to get us booked onto this, so I told them it was mum's birthday, just a little white lie, but we managed to get a table. Mum's birthday isn't actually until December so it was quite funny, in August, when they came out with candles to sing her 'Happy Birthday', Oops. Here's the video...

Ripley's Believe It Or Not
If it wasn't for the 2for1 voucher we had, I'd probably have been a bit disappointed. I think £26.95 per adult is a bit steep. Anyway, I've wanted to do this for a while so I'm glad I've finally done it. There were some really interesting things to look at and the attraction was quite educational.

I'd recommend this if you find a good discount like we did. I personally wouldn't recommend paying full price.

The Railway Children, Kings Cross Theatre
It wouldn't be a weekend in London without some form of stage entertainment now, would it?!

As a child, I loved the film The Railway Children. This was a perfect stage adaption of a wonderful story. The set starts the minute you enter the building, as the foyer and bar area is laid out like an old fashioned railway station. It really makes you feel as though you are part of the show. The cast all communicate with you during the performance, but not in a degrading pantomime kind of way. It's very cleverly done.

Uber Taxi
I requested a Uber taxi as we left our seats in the auditorium of Kings Cross Theatre. By the time we had left the building, the taxi was already there waiting for us. It's such a quick and cheap service. Don't bother with the black cabs, use Uber.

Hard Rock Cafe
When we got to Hard Rock Cafe we had to wait about an hour to be seated, due to how busy the restaurant was. If this was in Pizza Express I'd have probably cried of boredom and hunger, but there is so much music memorabilia on the wall, great rock music to listen to and really friendly staff, I was in awe. We spent most of the hour picking and choosing cocktails. For £13.95 you get a giant cocktail and get to keep the branded glass. I was pretty happy about that.

I'm pretty sure the portion sizes almost killed Mum and I. The starters were large enough to feed a family of four. The food was served quickly and was made to perfection. The only thing which was a bit disappointing was how expensive the food was. They add a sneaky service charge on at the end which they don't make a point of informing you about to begin with.

Sunday

Brick Lane Market
This place was great! So many vintage stalls and cute quirky things to look at. They also sold vinyls for £5 each! I loved Brick Lane Market and will definitely be going back.

If you've watched all of How I Met Your Mother you'll also love what I stumbled upon in the form of boot...

The Breakfast Club, Angel
I used to walk past this place every day on my way to work so I am glad I've finally tried it. It's a really cute little diner. the staff are all really friendly and the food was served really quick. The fruit juices are really nice and if you get a pitcher you basically get four glasses for the price of two. So do that!

Oxford Street
Most of our Sunday was spent shopping. We (of course) had to head down to Oxford Street. We went in to Lush, this was our first time in the Oxford Street branch and there were 3 floors of scented goodies to keep us entertained! There are also lots of Oxford Street exclusive products so definitely go there if you've not been already.

Roofnic, Oxford Street
I was looking forward to trying this place as I'd heard people talking about it. Mum and I were so exhausted after Oxford Street Shopping, mum needed a wee, we both needed a sit down and a nice cold drink.

The entrance is tucked away and you feel a bit like you've walked into some sort of abandoned crack den when you first enter the building. This is before climbing the massive flight of stairs and by the time you've reached the third floor you feel like Frodo and Sam climbing Mount Doom.

The one toilet was in a a shed (nothing compared to the toilets at The Shard) so mum didn't fancy weeing like she was in the 1940s. It's not very easy to get a spot looking out over the views and you can only pay by cash so we didn't hang about long for this one.

Overall we had an amazing weekend in London. If you're planning a trip to the city, definitely plan an itinerary, but leave enough spare time between each attraction. You'll cram a lot more in and still have breathing time to embrace the city!

Thanks for reading.

Mel x

MY WEEK IN REVIEW - HAPPY AUGUST!

Hi Guys,

Happy August! Sorry that tomorrows Monday. Believe me, I wish I had the power to change that.

Last week was a pretty busy one. I'm so exhausted as a result. I went to the preview for Impossible on Tuesday night. If you haven't heard about it, it's a new magic show in the West End featuring various world-class magicians. I took Joe along and my bestie Bex with her man Dan. It was so amazing how some of the stunts were done.

I then went to see the show AGAIN on the Thursday, as I was invited to the Press Night. This one was the more glitzy event of the two. There were so many famous faces in attendance, including Dynamo and Jamie Raven who were sat in front of me. I don't often get starstruck but these two very nearly made me lose my cool. 

I thought after seeing the show twice I may be able to explain how some of the stunts were done, but if anything, it has made matters worse! The show is at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End for a short period only. I'd recommend you all go to see it if you can.

I think I've reached that point in my life, at aged just 22, where I struggle with doing things on school nights. It just completely throws me out. Joe and I were going to see Mission Impossible on Friday but we were so exhausted we settled for Haagen Dazs and Netflix instead. 

- Which reminds me, If you've not tried salted caramel Haagen Dazs you're really missing out. Do yourself a favour and try it. Disclaimer: It could make you fat.

Yesterday I slept in until 11am, before I went to go and pick up my BRAND NEW FOLDING BIKE! It's the best thing ever in the entire world and I am so excited to start cycling to work. I'm also pretty petrified to embrace those deadly London roads. The cars in London seem to think they're competing at Grand Prix.

Guys, meet Reuben ->

...And this is my helmet that I pick up on Tuesday. I'm so in love!

So yeah that's pretty exciting. 

Today I slept in until half 11 before attending a family garden party, I think I've had too much sleep this weekend, so the 6am start tomorrow should be wonderful.

I hope your Mondays aren't too soul destroying. We'll get through it together!

Lots of love, 

Mel x