Outfit of the Day : Mix and Match

 

Considering its a very mild December, this isn't a very wintery look I went for. I woke up on my first Sunday off from when I started working in retail and felt like getting dressed up! I always wear black in work so I wanted to add a pop of colour to the outfit and mix and match the textures.

 

I pared a black crop turtleneck with a high waisted Aztec print skirt. I then layered my tan faux shearling gilet over it and topped it with a floppy orange hat from Parfois. I'm not one to accessorise a lot as I prefer one stand out key piece, so I went for the long chain and the hat to complete the look.

 

 

To ensure I was warm enough to brave the shops on a Sunday, chunky black tights and black zip ankle boots finished the look. Curvy girls can wear crop tops when paired with a high waist skirt they are also day time appropriate and draw attention to the slimmest part on someone with an hourglass figure which is often the waist.

 

Gilet: Forever 21

Crop turtleneck : Penneys

Skirt : Penneys

Tights: Penneys

Necklace: Penneys

Hat: Parfois

Boots: Diesel @ TKMAxx

 

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation Review

I was on the search for a new foundation... My recent purchase of Revlon colour stay in shade Buff had let me down... It was just too pale. My friend Laura who works for Clinique introduced me to Clinque Beyond Perfecting foundation in shade 2. She gave me a sample size large enough for five days use and I am still using it as a little goes a long way with this foundation. It is long lasting, and provides fantastic coverage. I really like the shade match as I do wear fake tan on occaision so it's a little warmer toned and really gives a glow as you can see in the below photo. 

                 

I'm also wearing my new Naked weightless complete coverage concealer in light/warm shade. I love to use this as an under eye concealer, highlighter and on my cheeks to tone down any redness as it has a yellow pigment in it which counteracts any hyper pigmentation. 

                             

                             

These two paired together are really my favourite base at the moment providing the kind of shade, coverage and wear that I look for in foundation and concealer. Debenhams had a recent 10% off event for Black Friday so I picked up the Urban Decay concealer for around €19 I think it was. 

                             

If you want to try out th Clinique foundation I'm sure they would be more than happy to match you up and give you a foundation sample to try out at home. This supposedly contains enough for five makeup applications but I've barely put a dent into it after five days so I suppose it depends on how much you wear. 

                             

Awkward head angle but I was trying to find the light in the above photo to show you the foundation in natural unfiltered light. I paired it with a natural eye and my new favourite nude lip combo - Mac lip liner in Subculture and Mac matte lipstick in Honey love. 

   

Let me know if you try the concealer or foundation! Xx

   

   

   

   

Review: Vichy skincare

   

It's my birthday today and at the ripe old age of 22 I think it's about time I started looking after my skin. I heard a great quote once about the skin you have in your twenties is the skin your genes give you and the skin you have in your thirties is the skin you have yourself so it's never to early to start looking after your skin. 

Mc Cormacks pharmacy in Maynooth sent me out this lovely little parcel of Vichy goodies to try out. I've always heard of Vichy recommended as a brand for dry and sensitive skin (my skin type) but had yet to give it a go so I was delighted to put these products to the test.   

                            

   

I received both mini versions of the day and night cream from their Aqualia Thermal range, the Dynamic Hydration Power Serum (what a name) a lovely Eau thermale spray to refresh the skin and a mini Micellar makeup remover. 

I am loving the day and night cream. The day cream is light on the skin, easily absorbed and not greasy at all but you really feel like it's nourishing your skin. I lost the night cream after only two uses unfortunately but the texture was lovely and rich and it had such a lovely fresh scent. 

I was already a convert to the face serum but this dynamic hydration serum is definitely my favourite that I have used so far. I would use this as night to really let it sink in. The texture is very watery and a little goes a long way so be careful with it.   

The lazy girl in me really likes the concept of Micellar waters but to be honest no matter what I've heard my science and beauty experts alike I really don't think it gives the same cleanse and makeup removal as a cream cleanser and hot cotton wool. I'm old school like that.

Last but not least I am a huge fan of the Eau Thermale spray - Vichy Thermal spa water which is rich in rare minerals apparently. It is just so refreshing to spritz on the skin especially with the heating on so much this winter and to relieve and tightness after cleansing it is my go to. 

I really enjoyed getting to experiment with this range and will definitely be investing in my skincare regime in the future!   Prices available on request.  

Review: L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Primer

No makeup lovers arsenal is complete without a hardworking primer. As the saying goes you wouldn't build a house without laying foundations, this quote very much applies to your makeup. If you want your makeup to last, not sink into your pores and to not slip off your face you need a decent primer. 

Recently when Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on I opted for the Loreal Infallible Mattifying Primer. I hadn't actually heard anything about this primer which is rare for me when I'm buying beauty products I would usually opt for something that came recommended by one of my blogger friends. What drew me to this product was its likeness to the much applauded Smashbox primer. I am a huge fan of Smashbox photo finish primer but as its a little on the pricy side I decided to opt for this more purse friendly alternative. 

                             

Coming in at €11.99 which was a special offer in Boots its more affordable than its sister Smashbox. I definitely feel after using this primer for over a month that I can vouch for its longevity. It definitely has helped my foundation stay put a little longer however one thing I am not a huge fan of is the feel of it. It does feel a little greasier than the Smashbox primer and I feel like it can tend to leave a bit of a residue on your hands if you apply with your fingers so to get the most out of the primer and without wasting it I definitely recommend using a flat foundation brush to apply the primer before your foundation. 

I know the above photos were taken in totally different lighting however this is to show that the photo on the left was taken in the morning and the photo on the right was taken late that same night. Lipstick is gone and since I wear glasses I always feel makeup tends to fade off quicker on my nose but apart from that it's stayed put pretty well. 

    

Banana & chocolate oat bites

I'm always looking for ways to maximise my choices from the Slimming World plan  so I decided to experiment with making banana oat bites with dark chocolate chips and keep them healthy and SW friendly. Here's how I got on...

Thirty five grams of porridge oats are your healthy extra B so I took them, a banana and 10 g of dark chocolate chips. 100g of the chocolate hips were 500 cals so 10g was equivalent to 50 calories which works out at 2 and a half syns roughly. So essentially you get five banana oat bites for only 2 and a half syns. These are delicious and really fill that sweet craving. 

I made them by mashing the banana and mixing the oats in with it and then adding the chocolate chips to the mixture. 

I know slimming world say if fruit is cooked it has to be synned but let's just focus on this as a far healthier version than having a banana bread muffin or a chocolate chip cookie - yes these oat bites really do taste like that! 

Then I used a tablespoon to divide he mixture up into five small spoonfuls which I put on tinfoil on an oven tray. I sprayed the tinfoil with fry lite to ensure that they don't stick. 

I baked in oven gas Mark 7 or around 180-200 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on them.. If you increase the weight of oats etc they will take longer to cook. 

I really recommend this recipe, quick and easy and so so tasty. 

My Slimming world journey : Update

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't updated in the last week or so but I've been maintaining and not losing and then I gained a pound! I blame Halloween! Too many sweets and chocolate in our house to not give into temptation. I am very much an all or nothing kind of person and I can never just have one piece of chocolate or one bag of jellies! I have to have another and maybe even another. I think the trick here is to just not have anything in the house. At least the goodies which I have been tempted with and snacking on aren't SO high in syns. 

Jaffa cake Mc Vities bar is 5 syns

Fudge bar 25.5g is 5.5 syns

Malteasers snack pack is about 5.5 syns too

The above aren't too bold on their own but when you have all that and a bag of crisps you're really gone to hell. 

So I'm still at my weight loss of 8 pounds and I got to 9 pounds weight loss and into the next stone bracket last week but put up another pound this week. I'm like a yo yo...I'm not going to worry though. I am still making healthier choices and eight pounds lighter than I would have been so there is no need to panic. I'm a size smaller in jeans already which is definitely something to be celebrated! 

In slimming world you get your 105 syns for the week and over the last two days I've had about 70 syns which while not recommended still means I am under my allowance treat wise for the week. I really want to concentrate more on eating healthier, nutritious food free from sugar and processed chemicals so that will be my aim from now on. 

Have a mindful Halloween everyone and here's to a loss on the scales next week!

Brand Spotlight: Flormar Spider Lash volume mascara

Lashes are my life! My desert island beauty product would definitely be mascara so I am always on the hunt for my perfect match. I was sent out this mascara recently to try from the brand Flormar. This brand is incredible value and while it's cheap it doesn't scrimp on quality. 

The Flormary Spider lash volume mascara describes itself as 'More than a Mascara'. It's a perfect lash builder for full and defined lashes. The brush itself is a little clumpy but that doesn't mean at it gives a clumpy look. Lashes are defined, true black and lengthened significantly. I'm wearing the mascara below and have worn it all week. It is long lasting doesn't clump or flake off or irritate my sensitive eyes! 

In the below photo I only applied mascara to one eye to give you an idea of the difference. 

I have very fine and fair lashes as it is so it really worked as a lash builder as you can see from the above photo. 

Have you tried any mascaras from the Flormar range? 

It's the little things...

Today walkinmyshoes.ie are doing a campaign called #MindYourSelfie to promote awareness of mental health problems. One in four people will suffer with mental health problems in their lifetime and I just wanted to write a short blog post to help anyone who suffers from low mood or anxiety to remind you of the little things that will really help you get through the day. This is from my own perspective, what helps me.

Self care is so important and while sometimes it feels the hardest thing to do is get out of bed, put on clothes and behave like a 'normal' person sometimes doing just that will make you feel ten times better than staying in bed with your thoughts, and the guilt of letting another day pass by. 

                             

    

1. Have a hot shower 

It sounds so basic to people who might not have suffered from anxiety, depression or low moods in their life but it's the simple little things that can be hardest to do from day to day. Use a nice shower gel scrub, exfoliate, moisturise, wash your hair and relish the hot water and enjoy the moment. Sometimes it is so difficult to even make yourself shower but it genuinely will make you feel like you have accomplished something that day and once you start taking care of yourself your mood in general will improve. 

2. Write it down 

Don't let things overwhelm you by letting them whirl around in your head, write down what you need to do or what you want to accomplish today. Small goals and tick them off as you go, this way you have control and don't feel overwhelmed by your thoughts. If you feel yourself start to catastrophising or thinking negatively take deep breaths and rationalise with yourself. This can be easier said than done but sometimes it is about mental willpower and not letting your anxiety take over. Don't feel like if you didn't accomplish your goals either that you have failed or let it put you in a bad mood. Little things shouldn't cause you guilt and in the big scheme of things don't matter.

                                    

   

3. Go for a walk outside

Make a promise to yourself to get up, put on your workout clothes and runners so you have no excuses and get outside in the fresh air and greenery and even if it's just ten minutes down the road and back or fifteen minutes up and back your mood will lift. Doing this with a friend is good too, but personally if I have a lot on my mind I know going for a walk will clear my head completely and make me focus on other things. 

4. Don't isolate yourself

Sometimes the hardest thing to do feels like getting up and going to visit your friends or keeping plans or seeing family but making yourself interact can be better than isolating yourself. 

5. Talk to someone

I'm guilty of this myself as I have never really talked to anyone about my general low mood or anxiety. Sometimes I feel people will think, Ah well if you aren't taking medication for it then it doesn't exist but those are my own preconceptions. I prefer to reach out and talk to someone I don't know very well but who I know has suffered with the same issues that I have rather than someone close to me as sometimes you feel like they won't understand, will think you are making a big deal of nothing or who can't relate to how you are feeling. Next time someone asks you how you're feeling, don't just say 'I'm fine.' 

                                                 

    

Week 6: Slimming World

There is no week 5 post because I was having a crappy two weeks..I gained two pounds, then I gained a half a pound but THIS week I lost three and a half pounds! I'm delighted as I really wasn't going to go to the class and weigh in and I was about to give up and revert back to my old ways. I went and by God I am so happy I did! I've lost eight pounds in six weeks and I can't remember seeing that number on the scales for a long while. 

I sort of planned my week I didn't rigorously stick to a food diary but I planned about three or four days meals, batch made soup and had my fruit ready as snacks. I had a refresher course on the plan with my leader Michael and realised where I was going wrong. I assumed all fruit and veg were speed foods so I wasn't having the third of your meal speed as is recommended. I think changing that around this week definitely helped with weightloss. 

Speed fruits: 

Strawberries 

Pears

Plums

Apples

Oranges 

The above are fruits I like to snack on instead of bananas, kiwis, blueberries and pineapple which although good for you aren't considered speedy foods ie foods that speed up your weightloss. 

Speed veg: 

Mushrooms

Baked beans 

Spinach 

Tomato 

Peppers

Onions 

These are my favourite speedy vegetables to throw into omelettes, stirfrys or with a baked potato, on toast or with a fry etc. 

This was an example of a dinner I had this week! Literally does it look like I'm on a diet...haha 

Mallows gluten free low fat sausages are syn free as far as I know, baked beans, bacon with the fat cut off, poached egg...ketchup which has to be synned and SW chips. So delicious, filling and feels like you're being bold! 

I also made a 'fizza' or a fake pizza. I used a BFree multigrain wrap which was my healthy extra b or 4.5 syns if not using as your healthy extra b. My healthy extra a two slices of 40g reduced fat cheddar or 6 syns if not using your hexa. Tomato purée as base, mushrooms, red onion, red pepper and a small bit of chorizo. 25g of chorizo is 6 syns but well worth it considering the rest of this is free if you use your hexa and hexb as part of it! It was so so tasty, and way better than the Pizza Hut Version I was tempted at ordering. 

I drank more water this week which I hope to keep doing, I find it so helpful at keeping you hydrated, keeping cravings at bay and flushing out toxins. I went back to play hockey this week after years and I think the training session really helped boost my weight loss this week as I didn't do much else exercise wise. 

Here's to a successful seventh week and the weeks ahead. Hopefully onwards and downwards weigh loss wise! 

Are you doing slimming world? How are you getting in? I would love to hear of anyone's experiences in the comments.. If you have any questions about the plan feel free to ask me as well. 

Xx

Cocoa Brown Instant Bronzing Gels

I was so excited to try out Cocoa Browns latest offering to the tanning table. I am a big fan of instant tan being a last minute kinda gal so was eager to see how the new instant bronzing gels stood up to the test.

There is a shimmer and a matte version available now to buy on cloud10beauty.com and they will be in stores on the 12th October if you want to give them a try yourself. I roadtested the matte tan as I wouldn't personally be a fan of shimmer unless I was going on a night out.

I applied the bronzing gel with the new double sided velvet mitt which feels very luxurious for a tanning mitt. I used a few small coin sized amounts to cover my arms, chest and neck area. For day time this matte tan is a good option. As you can see from the above photos there is a very subtle difference. This is one layer applied and I have to say I am a tiiiiny bit disappointed that the tan itself isn't darker. I prefer to actually feel like I am wearing tan although I know a lot of people will prefer this subtle look which is similar to the Gentle Bronze shade. Maybe with another layer I will get a better colour from it.

The shimmer tan has a glorious sheen off it which will look great down legs or like Marissa Carter herself suggests on cheekbones and collarbones to make them pop.

The bronzing gels are non comedogenic which means they are perfectly safe to use on your face and I only realised the brand does not test on animals which is always a plus! Now can I just be cheeky and suggest a darker matte shade?
Perfect for the paler girls but for those of us who like a darker shade maybe stick to your Night and Day Cocoa Brown.
 

Flormar Friday: Brand Spotlight

Have you heard about Flormar? It's the new budget beauty brand that's on every beauty blogger's lips literally these days! While attending the Cocoa Brown Passion Persistence Pink event in the Shelbourne recently, which you can read about here, we were lucky enough to be gifted a lip liner and long wearing lipstick from the Flormar brand.

 

I received a stunning 'Breathtaking apricot' shade. It is a bright coral colour pop lipstick that is longwearing and retails at €5.95 which is fantastic value. It look like a sheen lipstick in the tube but dries to more of a matte finish. Apply some lip balm and then wipe off before applying the lipstick as it can be a tiny bit flaky on your lips.

 

I love the liner, I got a true red shade in no.232. The lip liner retails at €3.99 which is a fantastic price for such a long lasting high performing lipliner that glides on smoothly and doesn't drag on the lips. The idea behind a red liner and a coral lipstick was to create an ombre lip effect on the lips. Using a lighter shade in the middle also gives and effect of plumper lips which is always a plus!

 

I will definitely be investigating more into the Flormar range and expect a review next week on my favourite desert island beauty product from their range! ;-)

 

Flormar can be purchased online at simplyfoxy.com and in selected pharmacies.

 

Week 4: My Slimming World Journey

I've been putting off posting this post as I was a bit embarrassed. I gained two pounds last week after getting my half a stone award. I know it's not that big a deal to some people but I really am someone who believes in an all or nothing approach. 

I went off the rails.. Share size bag of crisps, chocolate, etc were had to myself. I didn't plan my meals, didn't drink enough water and didn't get enough exercise. I got too cocky after my first three successful losses and that was my major downfall. 

My next weigh in will be on a Thursday and I will be lucky to shift those two pounds. I don't know why but as soon as I am doing well in weightloss or fitness I tend to self sabotage.  

I just need to draw a line under it and move on. 

Sometimes we just need to acknowledge our bad habits to move on. So here's to a good week ahead for everyone on their journeys. Thank you to you all who have been reading my Slimming World posts! They are averaging about 450 views so I'm glad that I'm blogging about something of interest to you all.

Til next time xx

Cocoa Brown Passion Persistence Pink Event

Passion Persistence Pink is a slogan so befitting of the Cocoa Brown brand and the phenomenal powerhouse that is businesswoman Marissa Carter and her equally talented Pink Ladies, Kate Kelly and Stephanie O'Quigley. 

In only a few short years Marissa and her team have taken the false tan market by storm creating serious brand loyalty and almost breaking Twitter when Kylie Jenner, ( yes that Kylie! ) featured Cocoa Brown products on her Instagram. It's not hard to see why. These ladies are so hardworking and really know their target market and seem to actually care about their customers! This event served not only to reveal the two new Cocoa Brown products on offer but to motivate, inspire and encourage all women young or old not to believe in a "glass ceiling". In fact Marissa herself said that we only tend to "self sabotage our own success when we think that there is a glass ceiling." 

I was delighted to be invited as a VIP blogger to attend the event free of charge but I am sure the ladies who paid for tickets thoroughly enjoyed the day out. In the Shelbourne Hotel's Great Room. 

We were treated to afternoon tea, numerous on the spot prizes and competitions and of course got to take home an enviable swag bag. I might post a snapchat of me going through the swag bag if anyone is interested! 

Julia Carta, celebrity make up artist, was also in attendance and lucky Marissa got to be her makeup guinea pig as Julia worked her magic and created a glowing flawless base. 

I made a collage out of all the products Julia used. Pic credit to Marissa's snapchat! @cartermarissa 

I will most certainly be picking up some of these products. It was fantastic to hear from someone so successful who has worked in the beauty industry doing makeup and hair for so long. Julia had been doing it since she was 15/16! She gave us brilliant tips and tricks. Always luninize, never cake, lots of small layers - to name a few. 

Before I go off track Cocoa Brown's big reveal did not disappoint. The two new products are instant bronzing gels: 1 shimmer and 1 matte and they should be in store in the next two weeks. What makes these stand out from the crowd of  instant tan is specks of water will not leave you with spotty tan when you use Cocoa Brown's instant tan gel. 

I am so looking forward to trying out these tans as I love a good instant tan! I also got this gorgeous double sided velvet tanning mitt that feels super soft and like the product will just glide over skin! 

If you were at the #PassionPersistencePink event please leave a comment below and if you have s blog I would love you to leave a link so I can follow it. 

I'm off to bed after such an exciting, inspiring day. I'll leave you with these words, 

"beauty is what happens when you are just being yourself." 

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish

I bought these two hot cloth cleansers recently in Boots having heard much hype about the Liz Earle cleanser, I wanted to buy a cheaper alternate to compare. For now however I've been using the Liz Earle cleanse and polish and I absolutely love it! It leaves your face super clean and smooth, removes every last bit of makeup and smells fresh and clean without stripping your skin. 

A mixture of camomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus oil leave your skin clearer and smoother without any need for scrubbing. The 100ml bottle came with two muslin cloths in a handy little travel pouch for €19.75 and you use the muslin clothes to remove the cleanser and your makeup. Splash your face with warm water, massage two pumps of the cleanser over your face and then gently wipe off the day with the Muslin cloth after you have dipped it into hot water and wrung it out. 

This is the first Liz Earle product I have tried and I am now eager to try the serum and moisturiser as I hear it is a great range for hydrating dry sensitive skin. 

I'm glad I made the switch from my No7 cream cleanser for a change, and while the Liz Earle cleanser is a little steep on the budget I'll see how long this bottle lasts and make my final decision. It's definitely made a change on my skin which is always good as my skin was starting to break out from overuse to a product. 

As soon as I start using the botanics hot cloth cleanser I will let you know how I think they compare price wise and performance wise. 

Til then ..xx

Dress well, Train well

Exercise clothes don't have to be plain, boring black...BooHoo, Missguided and New Look all have a fantastic range of sports wear focusing on great slogans guaranteed to be a bit of a conversation starter in the gym. Here are some of my favourite picks below:

BooHoo has great motivonal slogan vests and tees. The first three are €11 and the last t shirt is €8.

 

Printed leggings are also the order of the day from Missguided. These range from €16.80-€22.40.

 

 

I'm a big fan of this 'Flexin ' two piece and the 'Determined' print leggings from Missguided shown below. There is 30% off on first time orders from this site.

 

 

Neon print sports bra is €11.99 from New Look and is available in a range of sizes.

 

These trainers will go with any of your gym clothes and come in at €34.99 from New Look.

 

The above tops are only €5.99 in the sale online at New Look so there is something for everyone's sportswear budget!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slimming World Banoffee Pie Recipe

Photo: My Instagram : bloggingitbeautiful 

Slimming World Banoffee Pie 

You will need: 

10 plain reduced fat digestive biscuits 

5 tablespoon low fat spread 

2 x 12 g sachets of powdered gelatine 

250g quark

3  x Muller light Toffee flavour pots

4 tablespoon sweetener 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

2 egg whites 

2 bananas to top after its set ( thinly sliced) 

Crush your biscuits in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, put them in a bowl then melt the spread in the microwave and add to the crushed biscuits in the bowl. Mix it all up well then spoon into a baking tin lined with parchment paper. I didn't have any so sprayed the tin with fry lite and it didn't stick. Bake the base in oven for 15 minutes at 170 degrees if you have a fan oven. Then leave to cool. 

Dissolve your gelatin in five tablespoons of boiling water. Whisk your quark in a bowl until smooth then add in the toffee mullerlight yoghurts, sweetener and vanilla essence. 

Whisk the egg whites until stiff or there are peaks and then fold into the quark mixture with the gelatine. Spoon onto the biscuit base evenly and smooth with a knife. Leave to set in the fridge for five hours. 

The next day or later on when it has set simply slice your banana thinly and spread over the top...et voila! It really is so so tasty. 

Try it out and let me know what you think.   

Serves 8 slices and syns are 6 per slice. Well worth it. 

Week 3: My Slimming World Journey

   

The above saying is certainly true for me tonight anyways! I had my third weigh in this evening and lost three pounds! I have lost seven pounds in three weeks and got my 1/2 stone award this evening. I have to stop saying I'm shocked that I've lost weight because I know myself I have changed a lot of bad eating habits and stopped being so lazy. I've started walking every single day doing at least half an hour, mainly 45 minutes walk and I've started running small amounts of that walk. I've also seriously upped my water intake which I think is a huge contributer in the weight loss this week! I have been flushing it all out of me and have been drinking two litres of water a day. 

An easy way I find to remember to the water into you is to fill up a 500ml bottle and carry it everywhere. Simply refill three times over the day and you have your recommended daily intake. 

Those are two major things I really think have helped me this week. I've cut back so much on the amount of bread and snacking I used to do which is making a big difference and I also enjoy my treats more. I made a slimming world friendly banofee pie this week which was as good as the 'real' thing and can put the recipe up if anyone wants it. 

My favourite thing about the plan is that I don't feel guilty about eating any more. I can have a treat as long as I plan it and know it's within my 'syns' so the element of control is something I really needed. I even was peckish the other night before weigh in and wanted something savoury so I peeled and chopped up FOUR potatoes, sprayed with Fry Lite and sprinkled garlic salt and pepper over and made myself some Slimming World chips and still had a loss the next day. 

I'm eating so much more fruit and vegetables than I would have before and really enjoying it. I have mushrooms, spinach and tomato all the time and am snacking in oranges, plums , apples and peaches instead of reaching for something unhealthy. I'm almost afraid to be losing weight so quickly and don't want to be getting too comfortable and gettin ahead of myself so I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully will have another good result next week! 

I'm thinking of joining the gym as well as I want to tone up which weight loss won't do but I don't want to start exercising and have it mess up my numbers on the scales. I know it sounds silly...any advice? 

Good luck to anyone who is embarking on their own healthy fitness and lifestyle plan and I hope your enjoying reading about my progress! Til next week :-) 

Xx

Blueberry Breakfast Pancakes

Stuck in a rut eating porridge or eggs for breakfast? Switch it up on the weekend to make yourself something truly Instagram worthy with this Slimming world friendly breakfast! Three pancakes is 3 and a 1/2 syns and well worth it! 

I even gave myself an extra chocolate treat for 1 syn. One square of the Bourneville chocolate from Aldi is equivalent to a syn. I just melted it in the microwave. 

I mashed three bananas in a bowl. Lightly beat three eggs and added them to the bowl along with a tablespoon of sweetener, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla essence or a teaspoon of cinnamon. I beat all of this together with a hand mixer and then added 100g blueberries. 

Spray a large frying pan with fry lite and place over a medium heat. I was able to cook three pancakes at once using a spoon to do equal sized pancakes.

They only take like two minutes on either side so be prepared to flip over gently.

The mix is supposed to serve 6 (18 pancakes so 3 each) . 

I served with my one square of melted dark chocolate and a spoonful of fat free natural yoghurt. It was delicious and well worth the effort. 

If you have leftover batter I would just cook and freeze the other pancakes. 

Week 2: My Slimming World Diary

Second week in and I've lost four pounds! I'm delighted, I usually give up and never have faith in these types of plans but it just goes to show you can still eat proper meals AND lose weight! Either that or they are rigging the scales... ;) 

So I had a pound and a half weight loss this week even after a night out and two bad food choices ( I had a McDonalds nugget meal after the night out and I ordered a spice bag but only ate about a third of it). It really is all about balance. I walked loads, have been eating a lot more fruit and vegetables and have really cut down on the amount of bread I used to eat. 

What helps with the Slimming world plan is there are so many recipes online and on the app to make tasty healthier versions of food you already eat or in my case wouldn't eat. I am a fussy eater I am realising and before this plan would have existed on a very monotonous diet  consistent predominantly of carbs and very little fruit and veg. I don't really like meat like pork or beef so I mainly eat chicken and fish like salmon, hake, tuna but I can't turn down bacon! It's all about working the plan to suit you. 

For examples of what I've been eating I've cooked diet coke chicken (random I know) salmon curry ( was actually delicious) healthy version of fish and chips and my favourite thing of all to have when I've the time is a big slimming world friendly breakfast. I do spinach mushrooms and tomato for my speed foods (foods that speed up weightloss) and then a fried egg in fry lite (1 calorie spray oil) some baked beans if I have them and either bacon medallions or bacon with the fat cut off. This is such a satisfying breakfast and sets you up for the day. I usually have it it on top of a slice of wholemeal bread or two or a Sandwich thin available in Aldi for your healthy extra B. 

I really wasn't expecting to lose weight this week. I usually gain when it's that time of the month and because of two bad food choices and lots of drinks but it's all about balance and a bad day really doesn't make a bad week. I can only imagine if I was super strict with myself how much weight I could lose in a week. 

My goals for the week ahead are as follows: 

1. Drink more water - aim for 2 litres a day not counting counting cups of tea! 

2. Walk for at least thirty minutes everyday. I was in the gym previously doing weight training and since I've moved I've yet to join another gym so I decided just to start off small and start walking and build up to running. It's free which is always good when you're a student on a budget. 

So that's all for now I've done a food shop and planned a lot of my meals for the week ahead already so fingers crossed for another good loss!