Life Update

Sidari Beach

Liam and John

Hi guys, 

I thought I would just check in with you all and give you a little run down. Its not going to be super exciting cause I am one boring bastard but I thought I would do it anyway ha-ha. I love Life Update posts, they are some of my favourites to read so here is mine.

Firstly, I just got back from Corfu on Saturday. I’m going to go in with this one guys. I’m sorry. On the first night, I was a silly cow wasnt I and fell down a flight of stairs! Sober as well! WHATS THAT ALL ABOUT? I only went and damaged the ligaments in my ankle so you can imagine how painful it was to even put pressure on never mind walk on it. I was pure looking forward to walking for miles each day, having fun in the sea with Liam and checking out some of the sights we left out last year but we had to stay on the private decking area within our apartment which did become somewhat boring. Im not whining, I know some people dont get to holiday every year and I am very lucky to have gone away, but when you have been an idiot & ruined your holiday from the very first day, your gonna have a bit of a moan arent you? Don’t get me wrong, looking out to the sea was beautiful and because it was private it was quiet plus it had stairs going straight into the sea but you want to get out n about on holiday don’t you? I was raging with myself for not looking where I was going that night, so the first few days I was a right moody bitch and ended up snapping a few times at Liam but bless him, he just let me rant and rave before filling up my wine glass more and more ha-ha. I’ve got a keeper ladies!

The complex itself was stunning. We stayed in the Galini Apartments in Messonghi, Corfu which was right on the beach with the sea right at your doorstep. The weather was intense, it never fell below 30 degrees so of course I had to drink as much alcohol as my body would allow to keep me hydrated ha-ha. Also this helped alleviate the pain. I would hang my head in shame at the amount of alcohol consumed, but I’m not ashamed ha-ha. I enjoyed every minute of it. I did also drink a lot of water but let’s not kid around, I was more interested in the wine and vodka!

Private Decking Area

We met up with Liam's mum and her partner, while we were there which was lovely so we had a nosey around the gorgeous streets and had a lovely wee lunch in Corfu Town. Since I stayed at the complex most days, I read a few books, not as many as I wanted right enough. Once I was propped up on a sun lounger with an endless supply of vodka & wine I found myself just looking out to the sea for a couple of hours. It was so beautiful. Along with the vodka and Britney's greatest hits blasting in my ears, I have to say, it really calmed me down.  I will do a breakdown of what books I read while I was away on another blogpost.

Moving on, as you know, I joined Slimming World at the start of July and have been so pleased with the results. In my first four weeks I lost 7lbs which may not sound like a lot but I had a lot going on throughout July. I had my sisters birthday meal, my birthday meal, my aunties 50th birthday meal, my other aunties 60th drinking marathon and my mums birthday meal so I am surprised I lost anything to be honest. Its nice though, even though its only 7lbs, I can already feel the loss in my clothes and see it in my face which is excellent. SW has been amazing, really cant fault it at all. I have well and truly found my feet when it comes to the eating plan as it’s very generous and I don’t feel like I am losing out on anything. If I want an ice cream, chocolate bar or packet of crisps, then I have them and add them to my syn count for that day which never goes over 15. Obviously I will have put on due to my holiday but I can easily get back into it. UPDATE: I lost 1/2 lb which I am over the moon with considering I drank pretty much every day and had a lot of coffees & pastries as well as chips ha-ha. 

As for fitness, I bought a Fitbit Flex (£79.99) before I went on holiday as I wanted something to count my steps throughout the day and this had the best reviews. I am in awe at this little guy as it goes on like a watch and counts each step taken. It also connects to your phone via Bluetooth, keeps track of food & drinks as well as tracking your sleeping pattern. I would highly recommend you get one of these as it’s amazing to see how many steps you can take during the day.

Flowers

Arggghhh. The dreaded Uni! I start back on 8th September and I am so nervous guys. It’s not really a good nervous either. I'm just not looking forward to it and have been toying with the idea of just looking for a job and sacking off my honours year but I may be acting a little hasty there. I think it’s because I have built it up in my head over the course of 3rd year and the fact that I have to attend a new campus. But I don’t know. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that some of my favourite people will be coming with me apart from my favourite one! If you’re reading this Heather, I am devastated you won’t be there!! It’s all good though cause I know for a fine fact she will always be up for a liquid lunch which will turn into a night out. I can’t believe it’s been three years since I decided to leave my job and take the plunge with education as the time has flew by. I am so glad I done it though as I love the course and have been lucky when it came to the friends I have met. It’s kinda sad that it will all be over soon and I will need to find a full time job, but I am equally going to be glad that I don’t have to look at another exam again or write a report on something that seems ridiculous to me. Wish me luck!

As far as my little job went, it kinda didn’t if I’m honest. From the interview I never should have accepted the role. They said some things that had alarm bells going off with regards to time off for exams, holidays and the fact they didn’t want me to become accredited with an accounting association but I took it regardless and hated it from the minute I stepped into the office. I cried every day I came home from work, and I mean full on sobbing as it wasn't what I was used to at all. Poor Liam had to console me every time he saw me and constantly told me to quit if it made me that upset but I am not a quitter, especially when it comes to my work but it was too much and I ended up leaving after 6 months. Even the days leading up to me working were filled with anxiety which is not something I suffer from usually but when my Uni work started to suffer, I knew it was time to go. Even my lecturers noticed a difference in my work and attitude as it really got me down with one actually taking me aside and asking if I had broken up with Liam ha-ha because I looked terrible (Cheers Fiona!) I am not going to butcher this small firm at all, especially not online or on this blog, but I am glad I am away from it all to be honest as it wasn't my cup of tea which was such a shame.

Achilleion Palace

Achilleion Palace

Family wise, my gorgeous little niece, who is really my cousin by the way but she is 26 years younger than me and I refuse to call her my cousin. It all gets a bit weird when I say she is my uncles daughter which could also mean he is my brother but we aint hillbillies (no offence), we do not condone those type of relationships in my family! Anyway, that was some tangent to go off on, but I wanted to clear it up. She started school this year and I missed it *crying emoji* I cannot believe my little baby is going to be five years old in October and has started school! Where has the time gone? I feel as though she was just a chubby wee baby five minutes ago and now she is giving me makeup tips due to her love of YouTube ha-ha. Seriously, she sits at my makeup table pumping the foundation onto the back of her hand and tries to apply with my RT miracle sponge. SHE IS TOO CUTE!  I missed her first day at "college" as she calls it but I was sent some very cute pictures of her in her uniform and the cuteness oozing from her was unbearable! I actually can’t get over her sometimes, she is adorable and the light of my life. 

Lastly, I still haven't found a house for me and Liam to buy, I’m still not engaged and I’m still not preggers but do you know what, I’m enjoying life just the way it is and hopefully those things come with time. He better hurry up though as it’s been 8 years and I’m only getting older ha-ha. 

Anyway, I’ve got my first weigh in tonight with SW (shitting myself) but after that, I will be buying a nice bottle of red, have a relaxing bath and chilling out with a book tonight. I don’t know which one right enough so I will have a wee look and see what tickles my fancy but I hope all is going well with you guys. Leave me a comment below giving me a wee update or send me the link to your life update as I love reading these posts.

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Slimming World | What I Ate This Week

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Hi guys, 

If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed me waffling on about Slimming World this week and that’s because I finally joined my local group. I’ve never tried anything like this before and was a little apprehensive as I wasn’t sure what it was going to entail also I didn’t want to waste my time on a diet that was going to cut out my favourite foods and leave me feeling hungry. I have tried several diets in the past such as Slimfast, Cambridge Diet and Detox`s but they aren't necessarily a lifestyle change, they are more of a quick fix where the weight comes back on. I also bought The Body Coach and have really tried with it, the meals are nice but I don't like to stick to the same ingredients, I like to change my meals up which this didn't allow in the first month. This isn't to say that it doesn't work, I actually lost weight and all of my clothes were very loose after 30 days which was incredible but there were a lot of ingredients that I just don't like and I couldn't substitute them. One week with SW and I am pleased to report that I have been able to eat what I want, minus copious amounts of chocolate and crisps on the frequent movie nights we have and I haven’t felt like I am craving all the bad things.

I joined slimming world because I want to lose weight, it's really as simple as that. I am sick of hating my body. I end up falling off the wagon with healthy eating as I feel like I am depriving myself but with this, I can eat as much of all the food I crave such as fruit, fat free yoghurts, pasta, potatoes and meats and I am also allowed bread and cheese but in wholewheat or reduced fat which is fine with me. Obviously bread, cheese and cereals are limited but the thought of eating what I want in a healthier format and still lose weight is very appealing. It’s not all good news as I can’t eat what I really want which would be a diet of sweets, doughnuts, cakes and crisps but I can look for alternatives such as ice lollies, smaller bars of chocolate and low syn homemade desserts which is an added bonus.

How it works is simply by having as many free foods as you want including meat, mince under 5% fat, deli meats, fish, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, pasta and yoghurts. You then choose one Healthy Extra A (HEa) per day which includes various cheese's & milk. You also have one Healthy Extra B (HEb) per day which includes cereals & breads. There is also a section for speed foods (S) which include different fruits & vegetables which help speed up the weight loss process. As I love fruit I have just gone to Aldi and Lidl and gone wild in the fruit aisle so my fridge is bursting. I am then allowed between 5 and 15 syns per day but I have been limiting this to 10 instead. I mean if I really want a Mars Bar (11.5 syns) I will have it but I will make sure I don’t have any extra syns that day to balance it out.

I haven’t felt hungry at all during my first week and have felt that I have been eating more than I normally would, especially with all the added speed foods so I thought I would give you an idea of what I have been eating this week. As a side note, if I have bread and cheese in the morning then I don’t have it with any other meal during the day. I only have these items once per day with one meal or else I save them up and have a slice of toast with reduced fat cheese later on when I am feeling peckish. Also, if I have cheese then I don’t have milk or anything else in the same category as it’s just adding to my syns which I don’t want. Equally if I have cereal or bread in the morning then I won’t have anything from the HEb section.

Breakfasts

• 60g whole-wheat bread (HEb), beans, worcester sauce, deli ham and 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa) 
• Large bowl of fruit including a lot of speed foods, banana and Muller light yoghurt.
• Wheat Bick’s from Aldi (HEb), 1 tsps. sugar (1syn), 50ml semi skimmed milk (HEa)
• Omelette with 3 medium sized eggs, splash of milk (HEa), 30g reduced fat cheese (Rest of HEa), tomatoes (S), onions (S) & deli ham. 
• Smooth Toffee Muller light yoghurt with banana.

Lunches

• Pasta with tuna in brine, fat free natural yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp. Hellman’s Mayonnaise (2.5 syns) spring onions (S), mustard & garlic salt.
• 60g whole-wheat bread (HEb), beans, deli ham and 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa) 
• Large salad with a load of speed foods, deli ham, egg, 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa), pickled onions & beetroot. 
• Homemade soup with lots of speed foods.
• Pasta with ham, cucumber (S), lettuce (S), peppers (S), fat free greek yoghurt, dijon mustard, onions (S) and peas (cooked and cooled).

Dinners

• Homemade meatballs, courgetti, whole-wheat spaghetti, homemade tomato sauce with bacon and the 40g reduced fat cheese on top.
• Homemade beef burgers with homemade salsa, homemade coleslaw, salad & oven cooked sweet potato wedges with spices.
• Pasta with tuna in brine, fat free natural yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp. Hellman’s Mayonnaise (2.5 syns) spring onions (S), mustard & garlic salt.
• Fillet Steak with tomatoes (S), onions (S), balsamic vinegar and a baked potato with 40g reduced fat cheese.
• Roasted chicken breasts with herbs and spices, salad & baked sweet potato.

Snacks

• Melon & Ham
• Muller Light Yoghurts (syn free varieties only)
• Speed fruits throughout the day
• Other fruits including cherries
• Vegetables
• Low Syn ice lollies like fruit pastel ice lollies.
• Low syn chocolate bars
• Toast & cheese (if I haven't used them with any other meal)

Obviously my birthday was on Wednesday and I went for lunch but I stuck with a Butterfly Grilled Chicken, Jacket Potato & Salad but then I had 2 glasses of Red Wine ha-ha. I then went for dinner that night to Crossbasket Castle and had an extra small glass of wine with each course & 3 glasses of prosecco. Then I came home and had another bottle of Rose Wine! Safe to Wednesday was a complete write off. It was worth it though.

The day after, I woke up hangover free (don't hate me, I have my dad to thank for that one) and went straight back to the plan. This was a great day but I was craving a little bit of chocolate due to my period and then Liam suggested we have a movie night. Obviously you can't have movie night without some nibbles but I do admit I went slightly overboard. We bought packs of Revels, Fruit Pastels, Fruit Gums and 4 x Rolo Mousses. It was great but we didn't eat all of it. We left the bags 1/2 full and put them out of sight. 

Total weight loss for the week was 2lbs. I am happy about this but equally a little pissed off with myself as I really tried this week. I am putting this down to finding my feet and having a particularly bad birthday with regards to my food and drink choices. But, a loss is still a loss. I realised I was having 2 slices of 800g bread rather than the 400g loaf which meant I was adding syns without realising it. I will know better for next week.

If you would like a recipe on any of the homemade meals above just leave me a comment below with which one you would like to see and I can arrange that as most of them as syn free or low in syns. 

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Next Fitness Wishlist

Hi guys,

As we all know, January is the month of fitness and getting back on the diet after our overeating during the festive period and I know it’s cliché but I embrace it fully. I don’t know why, but I’ve always tried some new diet or tried a new fitness class in January and my body does thank me for it. Not that it lasts further than the first few days of February ha-ha, maybe that’s my downfall and why I am plus size! This year, I am trying out the Slim Fast plan to see how it fairs to the Cambridge Diet which I tried a few years ago so if you would like a SF vs CD post, let me know in the comments below. This isn’t a diet and fitness post, but after I received an email from Next showcasing their new fitness range and I decided to put together a wish list from their new additions.

Trainer Socks (£9)

Tech Vest in Monochrome (£10)

Tech Capri Pants (£14)

Studio T-shirt (£15)

Zipper Hoody (£20)

Grey Non Padded Sports Bra (£22)

Tech Full Leggings (£24)

Black Mesh Trainers (£36)

Are you a sucker for the whole New Year, New Me thing? Or are you more realistic and know you wont stick to a fitness plan? Or are you already in the best shape you can be and wouldn’t change a thing?

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Keeping Fit with AG Fitness

Hello guys

I thought I would give you a little fitness post today as I have been working my socks off at the gym and totally changed my food habits (find out how here) but when Andy from AG Fitness contacted me way back in July to offer me a free session for my birthday I jumped at the chance, well not literally as I had a broken foot back then, but I was so keen to have a personal training experience with him as so many people I speak with rave about him. 

After my foot healed, I finally managed to agree on a date with Andy and took along my friend Sara to see what he was all about. Don’t be put off with what I am about to tell you, but Andy will push you as hard as he can as he wants you to see results and to get the best fitness experience possible. He has the most amazing knowledge of fitness and is well versed in nutrition too which is an added bonus. Most people stick to what they know in the gym and will be happy with the results they are seeing but as soon as you change your diet then you really start to notice a difference with not only your appearance but your health, skin and energy levels too. 

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When my friend Sara and I arrived, we were a little apprehensive as we didn’t know what to expect but as soon as we met Andy he put our minds at ease as he is so lovely. We both started off with a 5 minute warm up and then straight into deadlifts. This was easy until Andy started adding weights on ha-ha but as soon as I lifted 10kg, I found it easy to lift 20kg. We moved onto the usual squats (I wondered when the twist would appear) and then he added in the dreaded kettle bells *muscles are screaming*. After squats, we moved onto step ups with weights before being whisked upstairs to enjoy the battle ropes. I had seen a lot of videos on Andy`s Facebook and was keen to try them but man alive, they are harder than they look. Fun, but hard!

Battle Ropes courtesy of Steady Strength

After our hour was up, I was drenched! I am not being dramatic; I was literally a walking puddle. I also almost fell down the stairs too ha, I would have loved that, waiting for my foot to heal to go try a PT session and then break it again! Anyway, I was fine but my muscles were not. I was aching all over the next day and I had promised my sister I would help erect a triple wardrobe, drawers and a dressing table as well as wallpaper her room!! What was I thinking? I truly felt like I had been given a great workout though and promised myself to attend another class with Andy as soon as I could. This will probably need to wait until I return from my holidays though as I leave on the 24th! All in all, this was not the normal slog at the gym, this was hard work made fun and I will be definitely back again.

Now, as I am a good blogger and Andy is a gentleman, we put together a little something for all of my lovely readers who live in the Glasgow/Surrounding areas. This is a code for 15% off your first time package purchase so just quote "animpatient15" when booking through website (click to see latest prices). Also, if you know you are going to be in Glasgow at a particular time and want to brush up on your fitness, arrange a PT session with Andy in advance.

I really hope you manage to book an hour with him as it will leave you wanting more, I promise you!

Andy can be found at

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Skinny Coffee Club | 14 Day Body Transformation

Hi guys,

If you have been following me on Instagram then you would have probably seen my posts regarding Skinny Coffee Club. If not, whats the hold up? Get over there and have a gander haha. Anyway, I was kindly sent the 14 Day Body Transformation Coffee* (£19.99) for review and I have no problem telling you, after my Slendertoxtea experience I was a little apprehensive about this. I had flash backs to unbelievable cramping and living in my toilet for 2 weeks :( but this was, thankfully, different. 

Skinny Coffee Club has created a coffee blend to aid weight loss and detoxification; it is also gluten free so anyone who is intolerant can have a go too. The coffee itself is a green powder which has a definite coffee aroma, it’s not strong but it’s recognisable. What I liked about this detox was the fact that it came with an eating and exercise plan which helps you choose healthier options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn’t stick to the plans to be honest as I dont like following a guide, I like to do my own thing and I also like to do my own exercises. I hate sticking to a plan as I might not feel like going a swim in the pissing rain, I might choose to go to the gym instead so do your own thing but follow the guidelines.

I drank this first thing in the morning as it does contain caffeine (so maybe not good for people with anxiety). I added one teaspoon of the coffee mix into a stove top coffee maker (you can use a French Press too) and left to infuse for 5 minutes. You don’t want to add the coffee mixture straight into a cup and add boiled water, even though this is a finely milled powder, there are small lumps within the powder and it makes it quite undrinkable. Once the coffee was brewed, I added some maple syrup to sweeten it up as I don’t like coffee straight up, I need some sweetness in my life but as long as it’s a healthier alternative to sugar then you will be all good! You can also add milk but try and stick to non-dairy milks such as coconut, almond and hazelnut if you can. The taste of the coffee is quite subtle, well for my palette anyway, I love my coffee strong but I know a lot of people don't so this might be perfect for you.

It seems I had nothing to worry about, with regards to it being the same as Slendertoxtea as there was no cramping, no side effects, no pain and certainly no turning myself inside out in the bathroom! Phew! I loved using this and would go as far as saying that I would replace my morning coffee with this. It gave me added energy, obviously due to the caffeine but I liked the taste of it and I liked the lack of bloating I felt every day. If I had any criticism, then it would be that it wasn't strong enough for my tastebuds but you can't please everyone can you?

I didn’t notice a huge amount of weight loss to be honest, but my stomach was a lot flatter and the bloating I normally feel was gone. As I said, I would add this into my daily routine in place of my normal drink. If you want to beat the bloat and have a nice flat tummy for a holiday then I would seriously suggest picking up the 14 Body Transformation (£19.99) pack to help. Skinny Coffee Club offer free shipping worldwide with parcels being delivered between 1-7 days. As always, even though I was sent this for review, my opinion is 100% honest. Please see full disclaimer here.

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Would you try this coffee?

What are your thoughts on coffee cleanses?

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