Why cheat meals should be less of a taboo!

So last night I totally cheated on my diet and I regret nothing. 

I don't really like the word 'cheat' meal as it implies that you are doing something wrong when you really aren't!

I prefer the term 'treat' as this seems alot nicer, and less like you are doing something wrong and naughty! 

Now i havent been on a strict clean eating diet before so the concept of waiting and basically planning a treat day was new to me! 

I have been doing it in 6 week periods - I train hard, eat clean, admittedly with a few carbs and chocolates thrown in... hey I am human after all!

So my last two cheat or treat meals were pizza. I LOVE pizza, it is my favourite food and if I had to pick a last meal it would be 2 pizzas - one from Dominos the other from a kebab house. 

Once I have had the pizza and knocked the craving on the head I feel satisfied and content - knowing that I will be back in the gym the after but also that I have let my body have what it wanted rather than denying myself the food and making myself quite miserable.

So why is a cheat meal every once and while ideal for you?

Well like I said mentally you feel better for not denying yourself of anything 

Planning the meal will make it less likely to turn into a binge

It will boost the metabolism running whilst on the diet 

Choose wisely - I would pick a meal over a snack because you are more likely to be satified by the meal rather than just a snack

Some people recommend once a week for a cheat like your rest day, others say 2-3 times a week, I would say its up to you. 

My next cheat meal will probably be holiday! I am on full ab mission now so wont be eating that pizza for a while now!!

Let me know what your cheat meal, might give me a few ideas!

Egg Muffins

The love affair with eggs continues - today I am all about the egg muffins.

This one is basically an omelette in the shape of a muffin and it is delicious! It is also one of those recipes where you can pretty much use any ingredient and it will taste good... well within reason! 
But if you ever have veg left over or pieces of meat this is a good chance to use them up! 

So grab the left over veg and lets begin! 

Prep time - 10 mins 

• cut up the veg into smaller pieces 
• depending on how many you want to make depends on how many eggs you use - for the sake of the recipe we are using 6 
• crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble them then pour in the vegetable mix and stir
• once everything is mixed together pour the mixture into the muffin tray much like you would baking a cake
• place into a pre heated oven - gas mark 6 for 20 mins 
• checked they are cooked through and enjoy!

I tend to have these as a lunch so have only eaten these on their own or with toast. If you are looking to have these with dinner I would suggest salad, potato - sweet, jacket or new!

Another variety is lining the muffin tray with bacon, pre cooking for 5 mins and then adding the mixture! Yum! 

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Workout Wednesday - Shoulder press and bicep curl

I saw this on Instagram from the brilliant Sarah Bowmar and decided to give it ago - I mean have you seen her shoulders? She is my shoulder idol!

Start with a bicep curl, then in a smooth movement move into a shoulder press and repeat for 12 reps.
I usually do this exercise for 3-4 sets starting with a lower weight, then move to two sets on a higher weight, then finishing on a lower weight.
This exercise work both your shoulders and your biceps, keep your back and core strong so you maintain good posture throughout the sets.
If you feel yourself start to fatigue switch to alternating arms to avoid back posture and poor performance!

Veggie Egg Mess

There isn't really anything else to call this meal - originally it was going to be an omelette but in my true style when I flipped the omelette it went slightly wrong and well it became the veggie egg mess!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• grated cheese - 1 small handful
• 1 pepper
• 6 spring onions 
• diced chorizo

Prep time 10 mins 

• cut the pepper and the spring onions up
• put them in a pre heated pan with some oil 
• fry the veg until it is brown 
• add the chorizo and cook until brown
• scramble 2 eggs with the grated cheese 
• pour the eggs and cheese into the frying pan and stir into the veg and chorizo until the eggs are fully cooked
• serve with some bread or salad 

I find this meal to be a perfect post workout meal or a light dinner.

Looking for exercise tips, advice or have your questions answered? 

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Half full or half empty - you decide

Lately I have been in a strange mindset - I set out 2015 positive and ready, but a few weeks in I hit this negative wall of not feeling good enough, small enough, strong enough etc so I decided enough was enough and I needed to change the way I was thinking.

I feel a lot of people, myself included, will sometimes focus on the fails in life rather than what they have achieved.

For example - I am doing a 10 mile run in October so I am training for this working on my speed and endurance so I can hit my target time of 90 minutes. In order to this I have to be able to run a 9 minute mile, which I can now do.
But I had to work at it and was hitting 10 mins, 9.45, 9.30 and then the magic 9, great I had hit my target, but the next day when I ran again I was slower - instead of looking at the logical side of things - I was tired, it was my 5th day of training etc, I felt like I had failed, when actually it was only 30 seconds slower than the day before! 

My point is, sometimes there is SO much pressure in life - work, gym, personal life, you forget to celebrate the little achievements you make every day.

So this has been my mind set this week - look for the achievement not the failure, and really it hasn't been that hard - from lifting a heavier weight to running an extra sprint, it really changes your mind set and the way you looks at things in life. 

I still have my big goals of course, 90 minute race, unassisted pull up etc, but the more I work at it bit by bit the closer I am to being where I want to be! 

Sounds obvious and slightly cheesy I know but hey Rome wasn't built in a day!! 

So just for extra cheese on this Friday I will leave you with a great story I was sent the other day! 

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she enquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

Remember to put the glass down."

Looking for exercise tips, advice or have your questions answered? 

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Drink up!

Wait one second I know it's almost Friday but I am not talking about that drink!
Thirsty Thursdays are now dedicated to all the lovely water we should drink!
I drink around 4 litres a day, using a 2 litre bottle to monitor my intake.
Week days are easy I have that bottle sat on my desk and drink it religiously, weekends used to be harder but now I've started drinking out of a bottle or pint glass to make sure I keep up the water intake!!
If I dont I get a headache, cranky and all round sleepy, if this starts to happen I know I need to up the water intake!
Water doesn't kust hydrate the body, it keeps your fresh and alert along with keeping your skin hydrated and fresh!
If you are not a fan of plain water, try adding lemon or cucumber to make it fresh and add some flavour without the artificial sugar.
I also love a good cup of herbal tea, a huge cup, but sometimes I like to have hot water and lemon to refresh and kick start my day, and also to warm me up!

                                    

Workout Wednesday - Skull Crushers

Triceps to me is a slightly dirty word, if it wasn't for them I would have great arms... Well actually if it wasn't for the fat surrounding the muscle I would!
So an exercise that is perfect for everyone to tackle the 'Wing' area!
Skull crushers! Not as dangerous as they sound by the way!
So this week I am sending you over to the good hands at bodybuilding to learn the correct technique for this exercise so you guys do it safely and with good form - always important!
Click here to go directly to the page now! 

All you need is dumbells or an EZ bar to complete this exerxise, you lay on the floor, a bench or if your feeling brave an inflatable ball!

           

Skin care

Skin care is super important to me, especially when you have dry skin like I do and even dryer skin in winter!
I also have sensitive skin  so picking the right skin products is very important!
So what do I use?
After much experiementing I have perfecting my routine, only took about 13 years!
The face wash I use is a great scrub is by dirty work, it leaves your skin feeling fresh and tingly, like when you use mint shower gel, perfect for waking you up in the morning.
Witch hazel face wipes - to remove any make up I missed whilst washing my face and before I go to bed, it has two sides - one a scrub and one a softer side.
Next moisturise I use Nivia cream - it's thicker than normal moisturiser but works perfect for my skin and keeps it moisturised and soft!
For my body I normally use Nivia with Q10 in - good for firming and also has a slight tint to it giving  your skin slight colour - I use this before holidays, far better than fake tan!
At the moment because my skin is so dry I am using E45 for extra dry skin, it is my life saver  and really works!

It took me a while to get this right and I hate changing it, or not doing all the steps because otherwise my skin is wrecked!
I don't wear a lot of make up, but if I do I always make sure all of it has gone off my face, no matter how tired I am it must come off!!

And one last thing - WATER!!! Drinking water really does help the skin! As does hot water and lemon!
Try it and see the glow!

Burgers

Home made Burgers – makes 6 burgers

Ingredients

·      Minced Beef – large packet

·      Half an onion

·      1 clove of garlic

·      1 egg

Prep time 1hr - 1hr 15mins

Cook time: 20mins

·      Cut the onion in to small pieces along with the clove of garlic.

·      Add them to a large dish along with the minced beef.

·      Mixed up the onion and the garlic into the beef

·      Crack an egg onto the mixture and massage the egg in.

·      Once everything is mix together, take a handful to make the burgers

·      Out of this mixture you should be able to make 6 depending on how big you make them, for more burgers, just add more meat!

·      Once you have made your burgers, put them in the fridge and leave to set for 45 mins to an hour

·      Once they are ready place under the grill to cook

Serve with grated cheese on top (melt for extra tastiness!) buns and gherkins!

These are just my personal tastes though, I would love to know how you serve yours!

 

 

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Workout Wednesday - Chin ups

My new favourite workout are chin ups! 

So I am still working on them, at the moment they are assisted but hey I have no shame in my game, I am working on getting stronger and building muscle.

They are perfect for shaping your back, using your shoulder, back and arm muscles all in one go. 

I worked on a wide grip this week, along with a few sets with narrow grip. 

Not going to lie I was aching in the morning! 

Don't let the machine intimidate you, and if you don't know how to use it, ask! It is what the PTs are there for, and when it comes to gym machines and exercise there are no stupid questions! 

So go for it and shape that back!  

Looking for exercise tips, advice or have your questions answered? 

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