Right Now, I’m Excited

A lot has happened this month. My cat died, I turned 22 and I moved out. I’m sad and hung up about my cat, Tigs, but most importantly I’m excited and refreshed with every aspect of my life.

I’ve wanted to turn back to my blog for a long time and I find it hard. I know it’s an over saturated market but like everyone else, I want to be different, I am different. I just need to show you guys what I'm made of and what I'm passionate about.

I like the idea of keeping my blog as an online journal from now on. What I like, what I dislike, how I find university, the relationships I have in my life and how I’m finding adult hood (hint, hint… adulthood is confusing).

This year I had a summer holiday (although I do still work 4 times a week), I wanted to use my spare time to do all the things I don’t usually have time to do. But guess what? I have three weeks left and I don’t believe I have done any of those things. Overall, I’ve just realised that these things aren’t a priority and if I really wanted to do them so much, I would have done them by now.

The things I have done though, well I enjoyed them a lot…

I went to Cornwall with my parents and it was beautiful.

My dad and I went to Brighton Pride, we drank, we ate, but more importantly we saw Britney Spears.

 I turned 22! I went to my favourite brunch spot with my parents and nan. We did some house shopping for the new flat and devoured cake.

The following week I celebrated with my friends, we started with tapas and moved onto cocktails. My dad bought a round of absinthe and I danced outside in the warmth, it was brilliant. 

 As I previously mentioned, I moved out and it was very exciting. Even though the van broke down *extreme stress* the day went smoothly and by lunch time we were able to sit and relax and at a local spot I’m sure we will be going to more often.

 The best bit is there is more to come and I’m not ready for the fun to end. 

Speak to you all soon,

Pops

LEARNING HOW TO BE HEALTHY

Why did I start, what have I done and where do I want to be?

After a long-term relationship and a habit of eating everything I could get my hands on (mainly stress related but also it just became a habit), I found myself fitting into a size 16 better than I did my usual size 12. 

In January 2017 I weighed myself for the first time in years, this came in at 71.4kg. This is when realisation began and I really wanted something to change but didn't really know where to start.

A few months went past, and I kept thinking about losing weight but took no action except from trying to better my diet but with no action plan. In July 2017 I weighed myself again and was now 67.5kg. I decided it was time to do something. 

I took up a local gym membership and was put in touch with an in house PT, I did 10 sessions with them hoping to feel more confident and to prove that the gym could make a difference to my physique and outlook on exercise. Although PT sessions really helped me and showed me what results you can achieve from hardwork I still didn’t leave feeling confident to head into the gym by myself

I trained a lot with a friend throughout august and then my commitment to the gym really trailed off in September to December. A lot of this came down to starting university, going part time at work and learning how to my balance my new routine. However I consciously stopped tracking food in December which really wasn't a good idea looking back as I went straight back into eating anything I could, but I have learnt from this and if I do have a treat meal I make sure my next snack / meal is right back on track.

Although living a healthier lifestyle has become important to me I don’t wish to miss out on any opportunities by prioritising the gym or stress myself out by cramming it into my day.

Come to the end of December and I felt ready to bring the gym back into my life. I weighed myself in at 6.5kg and seeing this instantly made me want to focus again. I learnt about macros and have started to focus on a well balanced diet as well as learning about the gym and new exercises as much as possible.

It's now the end of December and I'm back at 61.5kg, I'm currently still focusing on my macros and I'm learning to schedule and plan my gym sessions around the rest of my life. For me the gym is a massive outlet and something that gives me goal and targets to hit that solely rely on my hardwork alone. 

My next goals are to lower my fat percentage and raise my muscle percentage. I also want to perfect my form with squats & deadlifts and to be able to do 10 push ups (nose to floor with good form). 

The hardest part

I personally find the motivation hard to keep up but once I have goals set in place I want to achieve them and will try everything to do so.

A diet change is also difficult, especially when it is a big switch from constant takeaways and chocolate bars to a slight calorie deficit and lots of home cooked dinners. Changing your perspective from 'good' and 'bad' foods to all good in proportion and learning about macros has been a life saver for me.

What inspires me

My best friend is a total fitness babe and she helped me learn how to fitness (both in the gym and expanding my knowledge) and still does every day. She puts up with all my questions and will happily help me out with gym sessions if needed. Find yourself a friend that you can help you no matter how many times you have a question. 

Find your local fitness babe,Vanya, on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/vanya.louisa/ 

Instagram

Instagram is a great tool if you use it in the right way. Don’t follow people who make you compare yourself to them in a negative light, but follow people who make you want to work on yourself and your achieving own goals. 

There is also now a ‘save’ button so if there is a workout I like the look of I can put them there and follow them later.

These are just a few of the amazing fitness accounts I follow -

Please share your favourite fitness accounts below! 

Thanks for reading,

Poppy x

It’s been a while...

So much has changed and I have so much to update you. Where to start?

I completed my apprenticeship!

I finished my Level 2 in Business Administration and was kept on at my job! I am still in this job and loving it everyday.

I’m learning to love fitness.

After a long-term relationship and a habit of stress eating my life away I had come to the realisation I was fitting into a Size 16 better then I was my usual size 12. Neither of these sizes are good or bad but we all know when we’ve pushed the limit into an unhealthy weight.

I realised I needed to make a change and one I would enjoy or I just wouldn’t stick at it. I joined a local gym and worked with an in house PT for 10 sessions of an hour. My gym routine is still constantly evolving as I learn but I feel as if I have come a long way so far and my aim is only to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

I went back to uni!

Two years ago, little old me quit uni and said ‘No! I am never going back’. This year after starting to embrace change I considered what I love most. Art. I thrive from an artistic surrounding. Something I’ve never spoken much of here.

I took a look at my qualifications, my strengths and where I would like to see myself as an adult. I applied late, only July of this year but I got in to study in September. Now here I am studying a Degree in Visual Communication: Graphic Design.

  

I’ve taken a while to get everything back on track and stay balanced (or so I’m trying)! I have had a think about my blog and decided I want to add more of my art into it, so kind of an 'in the life of an art student', as well as still speaking of everything lifestyle. I hope you enjoy this little twist as much as I do!

Thanks for reading,

Poppy!

PandaVita Organic Baobab Powder - Review & Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I was very kindly been sent a packet of Organic Baobab Powder by the brand PandaVita. I'n not extremely familiar with superfood powders but this gave me the perfect reason to experiment with my smoothie whilst adding nutrients to them.

What is Baobab Powder?

Baobab powder is a 100% natural & organic superfood from the fruit of the magnificent African baobab tree.

Benefits of Baobab Powder

It has an excellent source of Vitamin C (six times more then oranges), is packed with Antioxidants and is full of Fibre. It will give you a natural energy boost (great for those long days) and will also help improve your mood, digestion and immune system.

How to use

You can use the Baobab Powder in a number of ways:

• As a tonic, 2sp of powder with water
• Scatter over cereal or oats (great on porridge)
• Add 1 - 2 tsp in smoothies (see my recipe below)
• Add to salad dressing and marinades

To make this smoothie I used two plums, eight dried peaches, one banana, one teaspoon of chia seeds and one teaspoon of organic baobab powder. I put all of this in my blender and mixed it with one cup of apple juice.

This is a really filling smoothie and adding the Baobab Powder just helps to gain even more nutritional value. The powder only adds sweetness to the taste of my smoothie which is an added bonus!

I'm really enjoying this superfood powder and cannot wait to try it in more recipes, keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks for reading and I hope you give this Baobab Powder a go!

Poppy x