My weight has really been getting me down lately. I am a size 14 clothes and most of my clothes are size 10-12. I really need to fit back into those. It's not only that though, I've noticed how unfit I am. Just walking up the stairs I was becoming out of breath, that can't be a good sign so I decided it was time to start working out again. I am currently on day 4 of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I've done it before so I knew what to expect but it doesn't make it any easier! Here are five things I learned about myself since I've started working out and eating healthier, again.

1. It doesn't matter how slow you go, just do not stop. - I can't work out everyday because I have a brain condition (The fluid builds up around my brain and causes headaches/visual problems and so on. The medication I have to slows down my metabolism, therefore I gain weight) but when I feel like I CAN workout, I try not to push myself too hard. As long as I stay eating healthy and try to aim for 10k steps a day, workout three times a week and think positive, I CAN do this and I WILL be skinny for next summer! Slow wins the race, right? 
2. Green Tea is actually pretty good. Especially the berry flavoured green tea's. I actually find myself craving it now! Although it makes me feel sick and dizzy if I drink it on an empty stomach.. I've also been drinking a lot more water! Always a plus. No more fizzy drinks!
3. Eating healthy is hard. Although I am into the swing of things now, it does take some getting use to, it is not easy. I've been eating healthier for almost three weeks now and I don't even think about eating junk. It's ok to have a treat now and again but in moderation and only once a week! 
4. Don't become obsessed with the scales - This is easier said than done let me tell you! I weigh myself once a week but it's so hard not to weigh myself every other day and become obsessed with those scales. (I'm speaking from experience now! I've learned by my mistakes). I'm going to weigh myself once a week for the first month and then I'll weigh myself every two weeks after that. If I don't see a loss, I'll feel so disheartened. However, this week I have lost 2.2lbs and I'm very, very happy with that! 
5. Rewards - When I reach my first goal of loosing that first 5lb I am going to reward myself. I may reward myself with a nice face mask/pamper evening or something similar.
6. Stay active - Anything is better than nothing! I just need to MOVE more and eat less. Even just doing the housework burns a good amount of calories and then add in a half hour walk. It all adds up.  I find step counters help me - There are plenty of apps. I am planning on investing in a Fitbug after Christmas, my old one sadly broke. 

Do you have any advice for me? Or fitness/weight loss/healthy tips? Let me know in the comments.

Sarah xXx

Go Ahead! Sent us a lovely box of snacks to review.
Go Ahead! Have a wide range of delicious and satisfying snacks that are carefully portioned so you can snack the smart way! Go Ahead! snacks are have a wide range of healthy snacks. We were sent the Yogurt Breaks, Crispy Slices.Fruity Breaks and Cookie Bites.


First of all we tried the yogurt breaks which are light and crispy biscuits with a fruit flavoured filling and are topped with a yummy yogurty topping. The banana yogurt breaks have a banana falvour filling, they're ever so light and so delicious, as are the cherry ones! The cherry yogurt breaks we found tasted really fruity! Each box contains 5 individual packs and each pack contains two slices. They're a really good size and make the perfect healthier snack!



Ellie was all "I really love the cherry yogurt snacks best but they're all so yummy"
The yogurt breaks come in five flavours. The flavours include - Raspberry, Cherry, Tropical, Banana and Forest fruit. Each yogurt break contains only 73 calories! That's pretty impressive for such a yummy snack! I personally really like the banana flavour but they're all very tasty. Charlie said that he thought the top tasted perfectly like yogurt and is quite creamy. Yum!


The kids couldn't wait to try the crispy slices! The crispy slices are light,thin and very crispy biscuits that contain a fruit flavoured filling. They are very crispy indeed and quite sweet. I really enjoyed the orange flavour but the apple ones are yummy, too! All three kids really liked them but I think these were probably Harry's favourite! Each slice contains: 57 calories, 1.0g of fat, 0.1g of saturated fat and 5.3g of sugar, they're very low in salt (0.1g). The crispy slice range contain 7 flavours - forest fruits, orange, apple, red cherry, raspberry , blueberry & strawberry! The crispy slices come in packs 5 and each pack contains 3 slices. Priced at just £1.65, I'd say they're the perfect healthy snack and are well worth the money!


The fruity bakes are golden baked bars, filled with a tasty fruit flavoured filling. They come in two flavours - Sassy Strawberry and a-peeling! apple. We tried the strawberry flavoured ones. The kids absolutely loved them. The bar itself is soft with a slight crisp and a soft fruit filling. "They're perfect for snack time at school" Charlie told me and he's right, they are. They're quite sweet and very delicious. I really like these and so do the kids! They're actually pretty filling.
The strawberry fruity bakes contain 133 calories per bar and the apple flavour contained 129 calories per bar. Each box of Go Ahead! fruity bakes contain 6 individual bars. RRP £1.99.



Next we tried the cookie bites. The new crunchy mini cookies with chocolate chip and bursts of fruity flavour. These are perfect for when you're craving something sweet as they're a healthy option. (As are all the snacks mentioned in this post!)


The mini cookies are perfect bite size. They come in individual packets. Each bag contains 6 packets of mini cookies. The 'cheeky chocolate and orange' ones are quite chocolatey but not too much and they have a scrumptious orange flavour to them, too. They contain chocolate chips. Of course these are the kids favourite of all the snacks we tried! The white chocolate & raspberry biscuits are also the perfect bite size. They have a slight raspberry taste but taste very much like white chocolate. "I LOVE the raspberry flavour" Ellie declared rather loudly, haha.
The white chocolate and raspberry cookies contain 99 calories and the chocolate and orange cookies contain 98 calories!



All the snacks mentioned above would be perfect for lunch boxes too (depends on schools individual policies). They're all very reasonably priced and much lower in calories and healthier than other sweet snacks. All three of my children absolutely love them all. They are a huge hit with the kids and myself. I'll certainly purchase these snacks in the future.
You can find out more information about Go Ahead! snacks over on there website! You can also follow Go Ahead! over on Twitter. 

What's your favourite healthy snack?

Sarah xXx







(We were sent these products for the purpose of this review, all opinions are my own, honest, personal opinion. I was not paid for this post)

Here's our weekly meal plan. Mine will be tweaked a little as I am trying to loose weight so this is mainly for the kids. (I've switched from potatoes to sweet potato, brown rice and brown pasta instead of white rice/pasta and so on.. small changes make all the difference!). I've also got lots of Christmas food that needs using up, I think I over bought on meat, haha but it was on offer/reduced and it certainly will get eaten. Meal planning will help with that, too.

Monday - Gammon with salad, coleslaw and new potatoes.

Tuesday - Spaghetti bolognase with garlic bread.

Wednesday - Tuna and pasta with salad

Thursday - Chicken breast with home made oven baked chips and veggies

Friday - Pizza day!

Saturday - Chicken Tikka with rice and naan bread

Sunday - Turkey Sunday roast with, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, roast parsnips, yorkshire puddings served with gravy.

What's on your meal plan this week?

Sarah xXx

My main goal for this year is to loose weight. I did well last year but then I moved house and everything health and fitness wise just stopped. There's no excuse now though, I NEED to do this and I WANT to do this. So I am. I will of course be joining in with the relavent linkys (Please do let me know if you know of or host any weightloss/fitness/healthy eating linkys/bloghops) and groups etc.

On Saturday I did five hours of walking... well five hours of shopping (spending my Christmas money and shopping with my mum) and I did 11 minutes of the thirty day shred level one. I couldn't do the whole workout because I already ached so, so much from walking. On Sunday I did the whole level one workout (just under half an hour) and dude, let me tell you, that was jolly hard work! I feel good though and it feels SO good to be back to working out.
When the weather isn't so wet, I plan on starting jogging again. I live in the countryside and everywhere is muddy, I can't run down the little lane because the ground is to uneven and I don't have the best co ordination as it is! I don't have enough confidence to run along the road (where people drive. And people I know are bound to see me and to be honest, nobody wants to see me jogging with my flab, haha).

I am also eating healthy and trying to do low carbs, I am weaning myself onto low carbs slowly as last time I did low carbs (and lost 6lbs in ten days!) it made me feel rather poorly. So this time I am taking it slow and doing it the right way. I've realised that it doesn't matter how slow I do go, just as long as I don't stop.

If anyone has any weight loss tips, please do let me know in the comments!

Sarah xXx



Welcome To The Wee

I thought I would share with you my inspiration and motivating things I do and tell myself when I really don't feel like working out. Now, it's no secret that I am on a weight loss journey. I currently power walk/jog lightly at least twice a week as well as Jillian Michaels thirty day shred six days a week.I give myself a "rest" day and of course have a treat on the same day. I say "rest" because I still try to reach at least 10,000 steps even on my "day off"because that is better than nothing. I allow myself a rest day because I honestly think everyone deserves one!
Anyway I'll stop waffling and get on with the "what I tell myself when I really don't feel like working out" tips.

So this is what I do when I loose all m motivation and inspiration. When I feeling all "I can't be bothered" and "Stuff it this is too hard, I'll just stay fat and unfit because it's easier" and of course the whole "One bat of chocolate won't hurt" (Can you relate yet?). I remind myself of why I started trying to loose weight in the first place. 

Firstly, I find that looking at my -what I call- skinny photos of myself really does help! I know I am never going to be 110lbs again but it does help to remind myself of why I actually started working out. How good I look and how good I use to feel (Even though back then I was convinced I was fat. There wasn't even half an ounce of fat on me.. What was I thinking?!)

I look at the clothes I use to wear, my skinny clothes. This always, always helps me to get motivated! I have a pair of jeans I try on from time to time and of course they are WAY too small. Do you know what though? This time last year, I couldn't even get them over my KNEES, this year? I can get them over knees AND my thighs and up to my waste. Ok, so they're very tight and the button or zip doesn't do up, no matter how many times I lay flat on the bed trying my darn hardest to get that zip up... I am still too fat. But it's inspiring to see and I know that they do at least do over my thighs, yay!

I am not alone in this whole weight loss journey. I talk to people who are also trying to loose weight, like my friend Laura. She understands. She encourages me and motivates me. She also inspires me, too! She really helps me so much, I can't even put into words. Also reading other bloggers posts about weight loss. I enjoy joining in with blog hops and linkies, (Blogging To Jogging, Weight Loss Wednesday and Fitness Tuesday, just to name a few) reading other peoples weight loss stories, goals, success and even struggles. I like to encourages others too and I hope one day I can be an inspiration with my own successful weight loss story. I know that I am not alone and this, THIS, really helps in knowing other people know exactly how I feel!

Oh I have a problem with food and trying to stay strong and motivated with the whole healthy eating thing but again, I do the above and tell myself NO! "A moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips" and all that. I also know that everything is ok in moderation and it's about having will power! Eat less and move more! This DOES help when I tell myself it's ok. And it IS ok. A few malteasers instead of a whole packet? Sure! None would be the better option, obviously but it's ok. I will get there in the end.

Quotes!! Motivational quotes also help. Pinterest is a really good idea for this! I quite often head over to pinterest when I'm looking for a quote that describes exactly how I feel (about everything and every situation in life, not just weight loss) which actually, is quite inspiring. In fact searching pinterest for weight loss tips, goals and so on, is also helpful.

I also tell myself (quite often) to stop making excuses. Making excuses will get me nowhere.



And last but not least. I tell myself. I CAN DO IT. And don't stop! Keep going. "It doesn't matter how slow you go, just as long as you don't stop". The last few days have been good, I HAVE stayed motivated.

I also find that weighing myself less frequesntly helps, that way if I haven't lost weight or I've gained a few ounces or not had a very big weight loss, I won't be as disheartend. I seriously hate the scales (or perhaps they hate me, haha) and would rather judge my weight on how my clothes are fitting. Right now I am between a size 10 and a 12! So I've dropped a jean size. I'll go by the way my clothes fit I think!

It's not going to happen over night. I need to have patience, be strong and just keep going with it. I remind myself of all the above, I talk to other people and I read other peoples weight loss journey stories so that I know I'm not alone and it helps. It really, really helps.

And reminding myself of this:


What are your "stay motivated tips"?

Sarah xXx

I feel like I lost my motivation last week, well, motivation when it came to weight loss, eating healthy and what not. I am determind to get back on track now though, I HAVE to do this. Even just loosing 4lbs will put me at a weight I haven't been for almost two years.
I've been looking at skinny photos of myself, which has given me inspiration. I've dug out some skinnier jeans and tops that I haven't worn for over two years. That also gives me inspiration and motivation. It's just so hard to stay on track, especially when the scales are saying I haven't lost very much weight!

This week I am going to eat healthy and stay eating healthy. Despite the fact that it's probably not the right time of the month as I usually crave chocolate and all things that are not good for weight loss, I know I can do this. I've done it before, I know I CAN do it again. I just need to stay strong.


I know my body has changed and I totally do have more stamina, I noticed when I was jogging/power walking on Friday, I wasn't getting out of breath as fast, I could jog for a bit longer without having to stop and feel like I was going to pass out! I've also started level 2 of the thirty day shred which is awesome! I am actually enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Also, I am not going to weigh myself until 23rd July. That gives me time to at least see a small weight loss, right? If I keep weighing myself too frequently and I don't see a change, I get really dis heartened and just feel like giving up. I don't want that. I am not giving up!

My meal plan this week looks like this:

Monday - Jacket potato with tuna and salad.

Tuesday - Turkey breast (sprinkled with chilli spice) and sweet potato fries and salad

Wednesday - Stir fry (I'll make my own, I don't like the pre made ones as I don't like cabbage and what not)

Thursday - Wholemeal pasta with chicken, sweetcorn, cucumber, red onions and a tiny dollop or light mayo

Friday - Egg salad

Saturday - Low fat chicken Korma with brown rice

Sunday - Sunday roast (all low fat, low carbs)

I'll be sticking with just drinking water. No bread for me either as it really doesn't agree with me. I seem to have built up an intolerance to bread. Any bread. I'll have 0% fat yogurt, fruit and cracker breads for a snack. I might purchase some snack a jacks, just for when I crave crisps because snack a jacks are way healthier than normal crisps.
As you can see, I have a lot of salads thrown in there. I really could use some healthy recipes if anyone has any they'd like to share with me.

Wish me luck!

Sarah xXx

This week I lost 2.2lbs, which means I have 4lbs to do until I reach my first goal!
I think I mentioned last week how my size 10 tops are starting to fit again, which is great! Yes, I can see my flabby bits because a size 10 "hugs" me but at least I can get it on and over my boobs! I'm rather quite chuffed with that! I have been wearing size 12 jumpers which are actually a little baggy on me instead of being too tight and looking awful! I don't think it will be too long before size 10 tops fit me better! The same with my size 10 jeans. I tried on my size 10 river island jeans the other day thinking "There's no way they're going to over my thighs" (They are my absolute favourite jeans) I was very surprised that they DO go over my thighs and I can even do the button up! This hasn't happened for around two years (give or take) so that in itself is quite an achievement. However, I don't feel comfortable or confident in them because they are tight, I'm just pleased I can actually get them over my thighs and the button and zip done up without having to squeeze and pull! If that's no motivation, then I don't know what it is!

I walked around 35 miles in total last week (thanks to my fitbug orb for tracking it). Not bad. Not bad at all! I did ache and only did level 1 of the thirty day shred a couple of times, I was also very tired. I don't want to over do it though. I have children to look after, a household to keep going and a routine to stick to, I can't afford to be ill! I find listening to my body easier now, I know when enough is enough, hence why doing an easier level of the 30 day shred. Does that make sense? 

I have lost a total of eighteen pounds (and a few ounces) so far. All is good.

I've fell off the healthy eating bandwagon this weekend though and I need to get back on it! I haven't done BAD but I haven't done good either. I can do better - I HAVE done better so I know I can do it! It's nice to "indulge" every now and again but it's becoming a habit again. A habit that needs to stop I find myself picking while I'm cooking the kids (yummy) dinners or making packed lunches and that is not a good habit to have. Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!

My anxiety has been in full swing the last few days. I hate it SO much! It's so, so hard to control. I find myself worrying about silly things and then I get anxious and guess what I turn to? Food. Nothing overly bad but even so, rather than eating 2 packets of snackajacks and a special K cereal bar right off in one go, I should moderate it more! Ugh. I feel like I've failed a bit there but again, I could have turned to chocolate or proper crisps. At least I went for the healthier option, even if I did have more than I was suppose to have *sigh*

Let me know how your weight loss journey is going! I do love reading about everyone elses journeys! :)

Sarah xXx

This weeks weight loss is another small one but none the less, it's a loss and I am happy about that! I weigh myself every Friday by the way.
I've lost another 1.5lbs, which might be nearer 2lbs because I was fully dressed in jeans and a woolly jumper. I'm really pleased I've lost again this weight rather than maintain. I'm happy with it so all is good.

However, this weekend was my Birthday and Friday night I had no children (rare!), so I may have indulged in some treats - including alcohol and Birthday cake. I do think I deserved a treat and I actually don't feel guilty about it! I will however, workout extra hard this week and do some extra walking and what not. Didn't do the 30 day shred over the weekend but hey, it was my Birthday!! (Not that it's any excuse..) I still don't think I have gained though as I have done walking and small exercises. I actually burned a total of 2500 (odd) calories just walking over the weekend, so that's not too bad. 

I had a wonderful Birthday. I got a FitBug Orb and some new trainers, both very much appreciated. I absolutely love my orb and trainers. I am SO lucky. My old trainers had seen better days and I have had my eye on a fitbug orb for a while now. I may even review it on my blog in a few days or so :)


I'm quite shocked that my size 12 jeans are baggy around my thighs, waste and butt. I have to keep pulling them up! I can get away with a belt for now as they're not too baggy and I know I'm not a size 10 yet but I feel like I am getting there, even if it is a slow process.

I am still enjoying green tea, the odd smoothie and I actually now prefer brown rice rather than white! Brown rice takes a while longer to cook but I prefer it! When I first started swapping foods, I hated brown rice with a passion. It's amazing what you get use to and end up actually liking. 

I don't know if I wrote about this, but the meds I take for my IIH (brain disease) make me gain weight/slow metabolism down so that is most probably why it's a slow process for me, even though I am working out every night and walking a good distance most days. I HAVE to take those meds though.

How has your weight loss/healthy eating/fitness progress this week?

Sarah xXx

After staying the same for weight for two weeks, I am now pleased to say that I have finally lost another pound. Since October/November I have lost a total of 14lbs! The last few weeks has been a slow process when it comes to weight loss but at least I didn't gain! I was also quite poorly with a horrible flu virus which did set me back a bit.
I am still doing the thirty day shred and walking! One day last week, I walked a total of eight miles, which I am really pleased with. I also did the thirty day shred twice a day a couple of times last week. Not gonna lie, it was hard work and I was ever so achy and felt a bit blah but it paid off! Saying that though, I know I did push myself a little too far last week and won't be making that mistake again.

I put together before and after pics last night, I'm just not comfortable posting them on my blog, maybe I will post them when I've lost a bit more weight. 

It is of course half term and I am really hoping we have some nice weather so we can get out in the fresh air, I can continue with my walking and I'm sure the kids will have fun being outdoors, they are very outdoorsy kids!

I have seven pounds to loose beofe I reach my first goal, I would LOVE to reach that before my birthday but that's less than two weeks away, can I do it? I think it is very doable but we'll see. Wish me luck! 

Sarah xXx

I weighed myself over the weekend, I know I said I wasn't going to but I noticed that my clothes were really quite baggy and a pair of my jeans are SO big on me now that they fall right down when I walk... like right down to my knees, haha. Even with a belt they're baggy. All my bras are too big as well. Size 12 leggings are very baggy around my knees but I don't think size 10 would fit me quite yet, I need a size 11 haha. They should totally do a size 11 lol!  I'm not gonna lie, I was SO disappointed when I jumped on the scales to see I hadn't lost anything (again), I've stayed the same. Which is obviously a lot better than gaining.
 I do however think, I am loosing inches rather than weight, does that make sense? I know that can happen when you tone. I'm not disheartened though, I am happy that what I am doing is working because my clothes are fitting so much better! This happened over the Christmas holidays and I had actually gained a pound and then a week later I'd lost FIVE founds so perhaps it'll happen like that again, who knows. It's also that time of the month so maybe that plays a part in it. Sorry if that was TMI!

I am still eating really healthy, no processed foods and no junk food. No fizzy drinks and no sugary foods. Although I did have a cookie today because guys, I am craving sugar (probably for the above reason). I've cut back a little on smoothies as I was paranoid about my sugar intake. I need to start having veggie smoothies, perhaps I'll pick some veggies up at some point. I'm still enjoying green tea, epsecially the green tea with peppermint! 'Tis lovely on a cold morning.

I am now on level three of the 30 day shred! And I am really, really enjoying it! I also did it twice yesterday - Level 1 in the morning and level 3 in the evening. I might do that three times a week if I feel like it. I've walked a total of 8 miles (at least!) today, my legs are aching like crazy but all is good. I went grocery shopping and walked around town, had a look in a few shops and what not, just to keep me walking! Also done the school run three times today (After school clubs). So that's really good! I have got a bit of a headache right now but not as bad as it was a couple of hours ago so I think I'll still be able to do the 30 day shred tonight. This brain disease (IIH) really sucks but loosing weight is suppose to help (it hasn't in the past!) so we'll see how that goes :)

Thank you SO much to everyone who left me supportive comments on my last post, it really means so much to me. You are all so inspiring and encouraging. As is my friend Laura who is really helping me do this!!! 

Sarah xXx

This week weigh in is.... non existent because I haven't weighed myself. I don't think I've gained anything but I doubt I've lost anything either because I've still been ill. I have been keeping up with the healthy eating though and still making smoothies. I got brave last week and added rocket and spinach to my smoothie, wasn't too keen on it but I think I could get use to it!

I am debating on whether to start power walking and/or jogging a couple of times a week, even just around the block. I really don't like going out on my own though as the area I currently live in is quite.... rough. I think just around the block wouldn't be so bad though. I already do a fair bit of walking everyday (or try to when I can!) so maybe I should just power walk and/or jog instead - when I haven't got the kids with me of course.

Possible TMI - I am still doing the thirty day shred and loving it! I did miss two days over the weekend as I had those dreaded monthly pains (ovulation), that's the worst that pain has ever been! It was horrible., Sorry if that was to much info.



I've been drinking green tea with lemon (at least one cup a day) and I am actually going to add some (cold) green tea to a smoothie later and see how it is! This is quite huge for me because I never drink hot drinks, I don't like tea or coffee usually. I find that one of the (green) tea brands makes me feel a bit dizzy (bizarre) but I recently purchased the clipper green tea with lemon and I'm fine with that! (Was on offer in Tesco) I also have a decaff one but I'm really not fussed on that either. Did you know, green tea is a natural source of antitoxins and can help with weight loss! I actually find it quite refreshing, too!

How is your weigh loss/healthy eating journey going? :)

Sarah xXx

For the last six days I have been quite ill (again) all my glands were swollen and I have had a really bad cold. Whether it is just a bad cold or flu I have no idea but I think I am starting to get over it now. Needless to say I have missed a couple of days of doing the 30 day shred because I have felt so rough. I wasn't surprised that when I weighed myself today (on my nice new scales, you can read my review here. I can't recommend these scale enough, they are seriously the best scale I have ever used & I'm not just saying that - I truly do mean it.) I hadn't lost weight, I also haven't gained either. I weigh the same as I did last week which is ok. At least I didn't gain. Not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed because I have still been eating really well. I've still been continuing with my smoothies and healthy eating which I am really proud of myself for doing. I did cheat a little though and have a small bottle of lucasade at the weekend as I just felt so rough, had zero energy and felt like I needed something to help me a bit. Not that I could taste it mind as my taste buds are messed up.

I am still carrying on with the 30 day shred (still on level 2) and eating healthy! I will also get back into walking at least 4 miles a day now I am getting better! I have missed walking a lot so I'm rather looking forward to that. The weather has actually been quite mild here so lets hope that continues :)

How has your fitness/healthy eating/weighloss gone this week?

Sarah xXx

I have still been doing the 30 day shred daily and I have already lost one pound (the pound I gained over Christmas). I am so pleased about that! I really did push myself hard last night and it felt great. I ached a little today but I seemed to have 'walked it off' by doing lots of walking today! My thighs still ache slightly now but honestly, I feel good! I am really, really determined to loose this weight and fit back into my slim size 10 clothes.

The hardest part about this healthy eating thing is, that I can't eat what the kids eat. The lasagne and spag bol, the sausage and homemade chips etc, all smell and look amazing and it is SO hard not to give into temptation but I guess it's all just part of being a mum and loosing weight (at the same time! haha). It isn't easy but I am getting use to it again.

I've been having a smoothie for breakfast and sometimes after I've done my workout for the day. I really, really love smoothie. I do want to add in some veggies though instead of just fruits so if anyone has any healthy smoothie recipes that include veggies, I would love to hear about them!
My favourite is strawberries, blueberries, banana and greek yoghurt 0% fat.(with a couple of ice cubes all blended up together).


If you have any other weight loss tips and/or healthy eating tips please do let me know in the comments :)

Sarah xXx

As many of you already know, I am trying to loose weight! On 2nd November I started Jillian Michaeal's 30 day shred along with an online friend. We are now on level three! I never, ever thought I would get this far, but I have! I'm not sure if I've lost weight because I haven't weighed myself and nor do I intend to until I have finished the 30 day shred. I do know this though, my clothes are fitting me a lot better. My leggins are too big around my knees, they sag!! I've also lost a bit of weight off my back I think. Whoa. So whether I'm loosing weight or inches I do not know (yet) but I'm going to keep going with this because it's working! Once I've finished the 30 day shred, I am going to start it all over again - yup, I'm crazy, haha.
It certainly helps having someone doing this with me, she's encouraging and supportive! I'm not sure if I would have even got this far if she wasn't doing this with me. 

I have alos been eating healthy, too. Allowing myself a treat once a week. I eat a lot of fruit and salads. Chicken, fish and the liking is also low in fat and calories so I eat a lot of that, too! I try not to over do it on the carbs though. Everything is ok in moderation.

I've cut out all fizzy drink and crisps (both my down falls) and I am really proud of myself! I feel a lot better in myself for sticking with healthy eating and working out. I feel physically fitter and stronger already if I'm honest.

Yes, it is hard but it's so much easier than it was when I first started. It's hard when the kids are eating chocolate and nicer food than what I'm eating but then I remind myself that I want to be skinny again. I will get there. 

I'm intrigued to see how much I weigh next week, when I've finished the 30 day shred. I don't feel like sharing my weight -before I started- with the world right now but I was close to fitting into a size 14 but I'm quite short so I guess I was considered over weight.


Sarah xXx

Monday evening, I started the 30 day shred, I wanted to start on the 1st of November but I was so ill. I had either flu or a really bad cold as well as tonsillitis (I had it for well over a week) and it was not fun.

So last night I started the 30 days shed and wow, do I ache!!! Although, it feels good and I am really, really proud of myself. I did find it difficult but it's worth it and I know I'll loose some weight doing this workout every night. I'm excited to see results. I will be weighing myself tonight... I'm not looking forward to that but I know I NEED to weigh myself. I won't be weighing myself again until the end of the month.

I've also been eating healthy. No sweets, no chocolate and no fizzy drinks! I'm rather proud of myself. I've also been drinking a lot more water than I usually do. So all is good!

I've also been walking at least 15,000 steps a day, except for Saturday because I really didn't feel well, my chest really hurt (chest infection), I did still do a good amount of steps though.

How's everyone else doing with keeping fit, loosing weight and being healthy?

Sarah xXx

I thought it was about time to write an up to date update on how my weight loss & keeping fit challenge is going.

I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about how I needed to loose weight, eat healthier and get fit! Well, I am not really sure how much weight I've lost but I know I have lost at least three pounds because one pair of my jeans is a little loose around my middle. Which is great! And so encouraging. I've also been using my pedometer, which I recently reviewed. I haven't been eating junk food or drinking fizzy drinks (with the exception of yesterday and one day last week, I had a small bottle of lucasade/can of coke - I feel like I totally let myself down but seriously, I was craving it SO bad).

I was a little bit disappointed last week as I treated myself to a new pair of boots. The thing is, they were almost knee high boots but I couldn't get the zip to do up around my leg. My leg was just too FAT! Ugh. So I had to send them back (they were such a bargain too. Boo). That has however, given me the incentive to keep on eating healthy, walking at least 15,000 steps a day (I did 21,545 steps yesterday!) and just generally being healthy! There have been days where I have a had a headache, making 15,000 steps is hard when you have a headache. Which sucks. But generally I am trying my very best. I'll treat myself to new boots when I've lost a few pounds. I do think I need to invest in some bathroom scales because I DO need to weigh myself and keep track of what weight I am loosing. The thing is though, I don't want to become obsessed with weighing myself. So I'll weigh myself once every two weeks.

I've had a banana for breakfast (I'm not a big lover of breakfast and could quite easily skip it tbh), for lunch I'll have toast (brown bread) with a little low fat butter and for a nack I'll have an apple or rivita. For dinner this evening, I'm going to have chicken, (brown) pasta with salad.  It's really hard to not eat the same as the kids but it'll all be so worth it.

Sarah xXx

ZOOBs are a snack that are made from healthy vegetables: beans, carrots, tomatoes, peas, onions and chickpeas. These healthy treats are lower in salt and fat than traditional crisps and high in fiber, which is not only healthy but it keeps hungry bellies fuller for longer! They also contain protien, too! ZOOBs don't contain any artificial colours or preservatives.

We were sent the Pizza Margaretta flavour and Tangy cheese ZOOBs to review. My little ones couldn't wait to get stuck into them. We are ALL huge crisp lovers in this house and couldn't wait to try these new healthy crisps.

The pizza flavour ZOOBs contain just 77 calories and are made from nutritious baked vegetables and are low in fat, too! I really enjoyed this flavour. They taste AMAZING! The little's enjoyed them, too! Ellie loved that they were pizza flavour - her absolute favourite food is Pizza! 

The tangy cheese flavor are also low in calories, just 78 calories per pack!
"Ohh they really do taste like tangy cheese" Harry declared.
They're high in fiber and a great source of protein, too! Charlie loved that they're crunchy and tasty! Yum!

They make a perfect lunch box snack, too. Personally, I like that they're low in fat, low in calories, they taste amazing and they're healthy, too! What more could we ask for?
We will definitely buy these in the future.
ZOOBs can be purchased from Tescos.

You can keep up to date with ZOOBs on Facebook.

Sarah xXx

We were sent some of these crisps for the purpose of this review. I was no paid for this post. All opinions are my own, personal, honest opinions.

It's no big secret that I have gained weight in the last year and a half, probably around a stone and a half. I am 5ft3 and weigh around 10-10.5 stone (around 140 off pounds). I don't know exactly how much I have gained and I don't know exactly how much I weigh, I am not going to be weighing myself regularly, I'm going to go by how my clothes fit. In the past I HAVE gone by how much I weigh and I end up just not eating and then binge eating on the wrong kind of foods - weighing myself is not the way to go for me at this time. I might weigh myself once every so often, when I KNOW I've lost weight. I know it might sound strange to some people but to me, it makes sense.

Now, while I know that I'm not by any means HUGE, I am certainly not -what I call- small. I've ALWAYS been a size 8-10 (waste) and 10-12 on top (thanks to my boobs), even when pregnant! I know as you get older, it's possible to gain weight and for metabolism to slow down and so on, it's time to start taking care of myself! This is the "biggest" I've ever been and I do not like it one bit. It's time to be honest, my size 10 jeans do no longer fit and I've noticed that size 12 are a little tight around my thighs (Although Tesco and peacocks size 12 are a little baggy in fact - depends where you buy from clothes from I guess, sizes vary). I have some really, really nice clothes in smaller sizes, which I would love to fit into. My first aim is though, for my size 12 from NEXT to fit me perfectly. And then I'll concentrate on the rest. THEY do fit but I feel uncomfortable around my thighs. They even look "ok" but I'm just not very confident wearing them. Do you know what I mean?

I am aiming to do 10,000 steps a day and eat healthy. I'm not going to count calories, just eat healthy. 10,000 steps should be easy for me as I walk EVERYWHERE and I do more housework and whatever else. I also have an exercise bike that I plan on using, I'll start off slowly and work my way up to a longer time/distance. I'll keep a weekly log of how much exercise I do and share it every Wednesday with the will will do it linky. 
I will say this - I really AM going to stick to this, I am SO determined to loose weight and fit into my winter clothes again. I NEED to do this.

Who else is trying to get fit or loose weight? Does anyone have any tips or advice they'd like to share with me? I'd love to hear your ideas. Or perhaps progress stories? Let me know in the comments :)

Sarah xXx