Early days…no change yet

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A few updates on my #fitfor40 endeavours:

30 day shred

I’ve done 3 days. Day 2 was so hard as my muscles ached. Day 3 I was away for work and dragged my bum out of bed early to work out in my hotel room, I was pretty pleased with myself. Today is day 4 and I’m working up the motivation to get my kit on. My muscles hurt less now 😊

Dry January 

So far so good! I was away in a hotel for work with colleagues. That was my toughest test yet. As they all laid into the beer and wine I sipped my virgin mojitos and alcohol free beer. It was ok, but by the end I felt so bloated. I was sorely tempted but they are a supportive bunch. They have already seen me through Sober for October so any pressure was just in my own head. Glad to be home though and counting down to the halfway mark 😄

Water water everywhere

So I’m about 4 days into my water challenge and it is going well! Not seeing any real difference in my skin yet, maybe a bit brighter but it is marginal. I also have a massive spot on my forehead, but that is probably just detox!
So things are on track at the moment, hopefully I will start to feel the results soon to keep me motivated!!!!

Fit for 40

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Ok, I am reinstating this blog after a long lull. Yep, I’m back and this time I want to be fit for 40!!!

But there is more to this blog than just being physically fitter (and thinner) by the time I turn 40 in August 2017. It is also about being mentally fitter. 2016 has been a tough year mentally, I suffered a bout of emotional exhaustion in October which saw me off work for 3 weeks. I still am not fully recovered. It had never happened to me before, I didn’t recognise the signs until my world crashed in. Since then I have made some moves to tackle this, but not really. So after a restful Christmas break with family I finally have some emotional clarity and feel ready to tackle things properly.

I’ll probably muse over my emotional collapse in later blog posts. But in a nutshell I am a mother of two small people aged 7 and 4, I work full time; manage the school and nursery run; travel regularly for work; my husband is out three + nights a week and half the weekend, when he is home he is working on his laptop until 10 at night; I sit on committees that eat into weekends and evenings. So life is full pelt. Then add in a work restructure where my job was at risk and I ended up with a worse, bigger job (no more money), a negative working environment and being passed over for a long overdue promotion (which shocked everyone in my team) and I hit a wall. My confidence and motivation were broken. Over the past year I have neglected my diet, fitness and quality time for me. 

So what am I doing to try and change things?

Dry January

Following my success in Sober for October 2015 I decided to do Dry January to kick start my year. My wine o’clock habit wasn’t helping my emotional state, or my waistline. I’m 8 days in and feeling good. Having successfully done this before I actually feel pretty happy this time, no need to constantly reassure myself and motivate myself. I may even stray into February with it!

30 Day Shred

Yes, I am turning to the goddess Jillian Michaels. I have tried before and never got past level 1. But I figure if I can be so solid on dry January, then I can absolutely do this. Today was day 1. I admit I nearly died so rubbish was my fitness level. But I puffed my way through and pretty much managed all of it (admittedly the modified moves).

MyFitnessPal

I have wasted so much money on slimming clubs over the years. I know what I need to do so I figure as long as I track then that should help me focus. And I save money!

Fitbit Alta

I have had a Fitbit flex for a couple of years, admittedly I wear it but am a bit erratic. My last one fell off and got lost before Christmas so I have just ordered a new Alta. It talks to MyFitnessPal so fingers crossed I take this one more seriously!

Water water everywhere!!!

Yep, I am erratic here too! When I do drink my 1.5-2 litres a day I look and feel great, but then I forget and survive on tea, wine and gin! So let’s see if I can get this nailed!!!!

Beauty time every day

It may seem simple but 15-30 mins each night to do something. Nails (mine are a state), legs, facial, pedicure. All these things I have neglected and it makes me feel crappy. 

Digital detox

Each night I waste time on my iPad. I have the tv on, play games, browse websites. I don’t focus on anything in particular and my concentration is suffering. I stay up late doing nothing at all, prevaricating. So I’m going to limit my evening iPad activity to 1 hour……eeeeep!!!!!! Which brings me to my final one….

Go to bed earlier!

Yep, 10.30pm at the latest! Hopefully with less booze, technology and more water my sleeping will improve!!
That is a pretty big list! I’m not sure if it is too big and I should focus on a few things at a time, but let’s think big, be audacious! Notice I’m not setting a weight goal. I’ll take anything. Right now If I’m honest I am a UK size 20. I pretend I’m an 18 but I’m not. By the time I turn 40 in 8 months it would be great to be in a U.K. 14, but if I only manage a 16 I can live with that, as long as it is smaller and I am fitter!!!

I’ll no doubt muse on each of these as I go along, but this is a good place to lay it all out so I can check back.
Wish me luck staying on this wagon!!!!!!

Pumpkin scones (Starbucks knock off)

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I was wondering what to do with my pumpkin purée (there is only so much pumpkin pie you can make!) and stumbled across this recipe for pumpkin spice scones. They are very quick and easy. To be honest you don’t really need the icing, they are nice without, and being Scottish I prefer my scones simple!!! But I wanted to get close to the Starbucks version.

They have gone down well and the hubby requested a batch for his team at work!

  
The recipe below has American measurements:

Makes 8

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

7 tablespoons golden caster sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 tablespoons cold butter

1⁄2 cup canned or fresh pumpkin purée 

3 tablespoons half-and-half (whole milk)

1 large egg
FOR THE GLAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

FOR THE SPICED GLAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of nutmeg

2 tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Add cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, milk and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.

Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pill, roll the dough into a 10- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Using a large knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut into 2 even pieces crosswise, making four rectangles. Then cut each each rectangle into two triangles, making 8 triangles.

Place scones onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the glaze, combine icing sugar and milk. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk as needed; set aside. To make the spiced glaze, combine icing sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and milk. Whisk until smooth; set aside.

When the scones are done, cool for 10 minutes and spoon the glaze on each scone before drizzling with spiced glaze. You can also make a piping bag from baking parchment if you want.

Allow glazes to set before serving.

  

Pumpkin time!!

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Each year me and our best man get a bit competitive over pumpkins. This year I started simple with a tinkerbell design (although her legs are looking a bit short!!! I still have one more pumpkin to go though so may get more adventurous!

In the meantime I have a ton of purée so I’m planning on putting it to good use in the next few days!!
This year was the first time I used a power tool on a vegetable…life is full of firsts!!!
   
 

Gorgeously gooey raspberry brownies

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The eldest was on half term this week. After a trip round a museum Moo and her pal Deelybop were exhausted, they had been at sports camp all week. I asked if they wanted to help bake, but they preferred watching Wizard of Oz with a bowl of popcorn. So instead I whipped these little gorgeous bites up by myself. I had some raspberries frozen from our last fruit picking trip, I probably used too many so it all got very gooey, but blimey it was tasty!

Chocolate Raspberry brownies

Makes 16

  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 100g good quality dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa
  • 2 large eggs
  • 275g golden caster sugar
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 2tbsp cocoa powder
  • 150g raspberries

Grease and line a 20cm square tin. Pre heat the oven to 180c (170 fan)/350f/gas mark 4

  1. Put butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl on a pan of water on a simmer making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Melt both and stir once or twice.
  2. Remove chocolate from heat and allow to cool slightly
  3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and caster sugar with an electric hand mixer for 5 mins until pale and fluffy.
  4. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
  5. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into the bowl and fold into the mixture.
  6. Fold in half the raspberries then pour into the prepared tin and level the top. Scatter the rest on top.
  7. Bake for 35-40 mins until risen but still a bit soft in the centre. Remove from oven and leave to cool in the tin. Then turn out and cut into squares.

Alternatively, replace raspberries with 80g honeycomb broken into chunks.

Best eaten warm with vanilla ice cream. My family demolished these in one evening.

  

Frantic family! And best place to live in the UK!

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Just realised it has been over a week since I posted. Things have been busy, travel for work (both me and the hubster), the eldest has been on half term, the youngest still has nursery. Life has just taken over!

But here I am on the verge of yet another sober weekend. Whilst I find it easier in general, I am looking forward to next weekend and a wee glass of wine. I have learned that I can be sober. I have learned that I feel a lot better in general. But I have also learned that I won’t be giving it up long term. I think I am moving to a place where I will have less of it, less often but higher quality.

In other news, turns out we live in the best city to live in the UK, Edinburgh!!! hurrah! Could of told you that years ago. It is an amazing city, and I have lived in lots of places, but Edinburgh makes me very, very happy. Especially as we live right by the water so have the benefit of lovely sunsets. I’ll remind myself of this fact next time I’m stuck on a red eye flight somewhere!!! Here is the view from my bedroom….

 

Halfway through Sober for October!!

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Yay!!! Success!!!! It is all downhill from here 😀

Time for some reflection. I have actually been booze free for 19 days, and have successfully drunk 2 litres of water each day. I have also been sticking to a pretty healthy diet. So far I have shed about 7lbs. I was away for work yesterday and unprompted someone said my skin looked amazing, glowing! Then she asked if I was pregnant 😐 mind you, I half expected that question when I decided to go sober.

But there are points where it is still a struggle. I do crave a glass of wine from time to time. To get through the weekend I decided to try an alcohol free wine. I was distinctly underwhelmed I have to say, it was a jumped up Shloer. I have another one to try tomorrow, but that doesn’t even pretend to be wine.

On non health news, the eldest child (Moo) was poorly this week. I was a rubbish mum and slept through the carnage whilst the husband dealt with it (I blame the flu jab for making me feel a bit worn out). She also finished up for a two week school holiday. Other parents look horrified when I say 2 weeks, their half term is a week and two days. So two weeks of frantic child and work juggling ahead!

Anyway, I’m posting a pic of my alcohol free wine. Don’t everyone rush at once! 

 

Day 11 Sober for October – unexpected wobble

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Not even halfway, I have successfully negotiated two weeks, including a night out. Whilst I felt a bit grumpy I didn’t really waver.

Today we made a big family Sunday lunch, roast beef with all the trimmings. The hankering for a glass of wine is strong!!!! I stuck to tonic water and a fruit tea, but it is now 10pm and I feel like the next 20 days are going to be loooong! 

The hubby was amazed I didn’t drink last night, and if I hadn’t taken the car he wouldn’t have believed me….the support is overwhelming 😉 I started toying with finished 3 days early since I actually started three days early. All of a sudden he has an opinion and insists it would ruin the whole thing 😮 Although he did promise to buy me a bottle of champagne to open on the stroke of midnight on the 1st November…so I guess that is an incentive!

20 days a and 2 1/2 weekends to go!!

Day 10 Sober for October – First night out survived!!!

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I was dreading it. I delayed leaving the house, tried to think of excuses. But it was a night out with a good friend who is going travelling for the next year and a half. On Facebook I could see other people dropping out right, left and centre. I would be a terrible friend to let a little thing like sobriety stop me going.

Now as part of the challenge I could use a ‘golden ticket’ to have a drink, but to be honest that felt like a cop out. Do it properly or not at all.
So I hopped into my car and off I went. After the initial banter about me not drinking and everyone being shocked I settled in with a virgin moijto. I thought that I would only stay a short while, but before I knew it it was midnight and I was taxiing people home. It was a lovely night, a good laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This morning I feel great about myself and very proud. Completing this challenge seems very doable just now!!

Sober for October – bit of a lull

It has been a few days since I came on here. Life has been hectic. I’ve been travelling for work, the hubby is going through a bit of a crisis at work so things have felt frenetic. 

There was a challenge whilst travelling. Me and my colleague arrived early for our flight coming home and went for some food. Normally in this situation I would have a large glass of wine, but I didn’t, I went for a virgin moijto (go me!!). Then on the flight I turned down the free booze and had a tonic water. I felt very smug!

I get the feeling the husband hasn’t really believed me so far. He is probably just caught up by work but He seems underwhelmed by my efforts. But hey ho, I’m not doing it for him. 

Yesterday I did feel very exhausted. The week caught up with me and every muscle in my neck and back ached. So as a treat for getting halfway through Sober for October I booked a Swedish massage for next week at a fancy spa. I had a voucher from my birthday so this seems a good time to put it to use 😃 I’m very excited!

I have however been shedding the pounds. The scales were broken for the first week, but this week I lost 3lbs, so I reckon I have shifted a decent amount. I feel slightly better round my middle. Nothing startling, but the mum tum overhang doesn’t seem so bad. Hopefully in a couple of weeks it will be more noticeable in my jeans!