You may have already read my blog post about my new health & fitness plan with my online coach/personal trainer, Nicolle Smartt. Having now reached my 2nd milestone of losing 10kg in weight, I thought I'd share a few tips about things that are helping me and making it easier to hit those targets.
It's been 2 months now since I started working with Nicolle and she switches up my plan every 2 weeks. My workouts change, my steps and water were increased (although have thankfully now stayed the same for a bit as I really would struggle to fit any more in my days) but my daily calorie allowance has stayed the same throughout.
Insulated Water Bottle
This was a game changer for me!
When it comes to water, I struggle. I have never liked drinking water, in fact I always preferred milk until I discovered a liking for sparkling water a few years ago. Fizzy water isn't as good for you though, apparently it's not great for your gut and it's also more acidic on the teeth so can lead to erosion of enamel. I've been trying to force down more normal water but my target is now 2.5 litres which I'm finding difficult!
Luckily my new purchase is helping! I bought a large water bottle by Mayim in TK Maxx which is insulated so my water stays ice cold which helps massively. It's one which you sip through a straw so I'm finding it easier to just sip constantly throughout the day (but still have to put up with multiple toilet trips from drinking so much)!
I'm hitting my target much more often since buying this bottle! It's also more of a teal colour than it looks in this pic, one of my favourite colours!
Waterproof Clothing
As for the steps, I'm now on 10,000 a day which is fine on the days I can walk the kids to school, there and back twice does the job. On the days I work, it's a quick drop off and race to work so we can't walk so I do 7k steps on Tues/Wed.
It's getting harder now we're into the rainy autumn weather though. I've had to bribe the kids a couple of times and on weekends it's hard to get us all out walking if it's miserable outside. I am contemplating a treadmill or walking pad of some kind but don't want to spend a lot in case I don't use it enough. It would be fab to binge watch my favourite shows whilst getting my steps in though, marching around my coffee table makes me dizzy!
To help combat the weather issue in the meantime, I dug out my fabulous ski suit and it makes me SO happy!
Even though I don’t ski, I bought it with photography in mind to keep me dry when lying on the wet muddy ground taking photos of mushrooms. It turns out, it’s perfect for making sure I get my steps in when it’s chucking it down and/or freezing cold outside.
Protein Puddings
I've found it fairly easy to follow the diet to be honest. I always liked healthy foods and lots of protein, but had gotten into some lazy bad habits over the last few years of running a business alongside dentistry and raising twins. I've stopped drinking, bar the very occasional wine (the last one being Cava during my retreat in Spain a few weeks ago).
I don't have a huge sweet tooth but occasionally I fancy a wee pudding. I've found some nice options which aren't dosed with cream (nor do they taste of sweeteners, yuck!) and I'm a lot more organised with batch cooking and having meals ready for me in the fridge/freezer when I need them so I save time during the week. (See some of my favourite healthy recipes here, I have a few more in drafts to share soon too.)
Comfy, squat-proof, bright leggings
Of course, I’ve got my beloved bright coloured leggings too! Whenever I find an amazing design I can't resist adding to my collection. I wear them to work too so I can justify it as part of my uniform! I even have seasonal ones like these Halloween skulls among my rainbow collection!
My current favourites:
Clockwise from top left: Llama Leisure, Llama Leisure, Locket Loves, Sturdy By Design, Rainbows & Sprinkles, Locket Loves.
Waterproof walking boots
My old walking boots had started to rub for some reason. I also noticed when marching around the rugby pitches one Sunday that the dew was leaking in, they are distinctly NOT waterproof. So I started the hunt for comfy waterproof boots, tricky when you have wide feet, I was about to give up on the "ladies" ones which all seem to be very narrow one and thought I'd have to plump for some boring black men's ones. Luckily Decathlon came up trumps with these Grisport purple beauties! They're super comfy and have been well tested now!
I've Bexed them up a bit with rainbow laces too! ;)
Bluetooth Headphones
My new(ish) headphones are fab! They double up as ear warmers at the moment as I've never been able to cope with in ear ones, they pop out when I smile! I have weird ears!
Anyway, these are fab, a gorgeous colour and they can connect via a cable too if I want so I can use my old iPod if they run out of charge. I've enjoyed making a walking playlist for all my steps! Certain songs definitely get me going faster! I'll share that in a new post soon. You can find these Urbanista Miami headphones for the best price here. (Affiliate link.)
New Scales
I LOVE my new scales, they give me so much extra info and are much more accurate than my old ones. I obviously bought the colourful ones but the black ones are usually a bit cheaper (I've noticed the price keeps going up and down as I recommend these to people but they currently have an extra 15% off!) Here's my affiliate link to the black scales for the best deal at the moment! And the colourful ones are here if you really want them too! ;)
They tell me my weight, obviously, but also my body composition including breaking down my subcutaneous fat (sitting under my skin) and my visceral fat (the more dangerous kind which sits around my organs). I love seeing those numbers come down even more than the weight dropping and there's a whole host of other info too! Apparently I have great bone mass and skeletal muscle, it's all in the app which is super easy to use and I've synced it so my coach sees everything every time I weigh myself, I love receiving her congratulatory messages every time it drops!
The Gym
I know, who even am I?! I've decided to join a local gym and have checked out a couple. We only have two so it's not too difficult, lol. I'm going back to one on Thursday to have a swim as I forgot my towel on Monday, doh! If it's all good then I reckon I will sign up! I've really enjoyed my workouts in the gym which I didn't think I would. Although it takes longer, it seems quicker and I'm definitely lifting heavier when using the machines as I'm more stable. I'll keep you updated!
Let me know if you have any tips or recommendations which might help me stick to my plan, so far I'm really enjoying it and seeing great results, feeling fab and so much happier. These bits and bobs have just helped me to keep going along the way a little bit.