Book Review: The Poison Diaries

Most of the books that I have read have been mainly spiritual books. I decided that I was going to try and read a few fiction books to see what they were like and try to find another interest instead of my spirituality.
The first book that I read which made me fall in love with fiction books was The Poison Diaries.

The story is about a young girl called Jessamine Luxton living with her father, telling us all about her days looking after her father's garden while he is away trying to help ill people get better by using herbs.
They end up being host to a young boy, who has also an interest in herbs and plants, and things starts to get more dangerous for Jessamine as she is drawn to the poisonous plants, but not the way she could have imagined.


I was really excited to read this book as it was based around Alnwick Gardens, which was in the area that I went to school and always loved that area. Plus the main theme of the book was about plants and herbs, which is another interest of mine.
After I had read the first chapter I just fell in love with it and the style of how it was written, somewhat like a diary form.
When I was reading the book it reminded me a lot about myself due to the whole gardening, so I felt closer with the main character and as if I was going through that myself.
As the book got closer to the end it got even more interesting, I liked what they had done with the plants and I had not read anything like that in any other book so I thought that was very intriguing.
As the book ended I felt very disappointed, I believe I screamed when I read the last page as I didn't want it to just end there, but I am pleased to know there is a second book out (The Poison Diaries - Nightshade), which I can not wait to get a hold of.

Fitness Challenge: Week 2

Its the end of the second week and although I have managed to keep to a good portion size, fluid intake and doing exercise everyday; I feel as if I was more lazy this week.
This is pretty normal for me and I assume for most people, their first week they are head strong they will continue to do it and the second week comes along and they just don't have it in them. Maybe it is because I used a lot of energy in the first week and now I just want to rest and catch up on myself? But I did keep going, I made sure I got out and done some exercise and pretty much forced myself to drink (I have never been keen on drinking throughout the day so this is a huge challenge for me in itself).
I did have a few treats as well, a quarter of a pork pie and two chocolate treats, not in the same day but through out the week. Part of me feels guilty because of that but the other part of me doesn't and keeps telling me that I deserve it as I haven't had a treat for 2 weeks.

Week 2 Mini-Challenge
(The mini challenge was to find out why we emotionally eat and how can we change that)

All week I have been trying to figure out why I eat, of course for survival but why do I over eat?
I believe that it all started when I was little, I wasn't big when I was little..Well ok I had a little bit extra then everyone at school but I wasn't huge. But then I started to get bullied by most of the kids at the school and sometimes by the teachers. This continued until I was 16, once I got to high school the teachers didn't bully me but there were new faces and they would laugh and me or call me names and I just got sick of it and decided I couldn't go back to school, I left school without any grades..
Through all my school years I would turn to food to help, it seemed at the time to have all the answers for me but at the same time it was the problem. So I basically ate because I was unhappy, and I was unhappy because I ate.

My mum and dad would always cook our meals, we would normally have home cooked meals with veg and a decent portion. But my parents were getting tired and hurting more so we ended up having more processed food rather than homemade, but always making sure there was some sort of veg on our plates.
After meals I would sneak back in the kitchen and take a bit more food or get a biscuit or chocolate.

My mum and sisters would try and help me with losing weight, but it would pile on, even when I was eating the right foods and doing the right exercise and not cheating I would just put more and more weight on. And in the end I couldn't understand why.


I don't want to blame this on my health problems, but I do think that they do have some sort of role in this. Some of the problems I have and the medication that I have been on in the past and current say that one of the side effects are gaining weight, so this is something that is going to make losing weight even more tricky.

I am also not smoking as much as I was (used to smoke 40-60 a day) and so I am eating more because of that, I don't know why that it is but I think that happens with everyone.

My partner did have some influence for me gaining weight, as he would buy me chocolate treats and add extra to my plate, we would be playing more on the computer than going out walking the dog or just going for a walk. So he was adding to my problem, but after talking to him about this he helping me so much through this, he is even taking part in this without blogging about this and with these two weeks he has lost 4lbs, so we are now working together to be more healthy.

I guess the whole reason why I eat is for comfort, I haven't been able to get over the whole school problem fully and I still comfort eat because of that reason, or I think I am hungry so I will eat.
To stop this from happening I am going to try and switch this to drinking, if I think I am hungry get a drink or get some fruit, or even take the dog for a walk. Which I am starting to do.

Week 2 Results:
Fluid Intake - 4 cups per day
Chest - 52" (+1.8")
Waist - 51" (-1.6)
Hips - 58.8" (+0.2")
Weight - 19st 2lbs (-1lbs)

I am pleased I have lost some weight I thought I would have gained it with those treats I had.
I am slightly surprised with gaining a few inches on my chest and hips considering they look smaller, but my partner seems to be happy with me gaining an inch or so around the chest area, lol!

Fitness Challenge: Week 1

Well, it has been the first week of this fitness challenge, it has been a good week, I have managed to cut down on my food portion. I haven't went back for seconds plus I have said "no" to any extra food on my plate which is I am extremely proud of.
For snacks I have cut up some carrots and put them in the fridge so I can eat them whenever I feel like I need to eat something, plus I have some natural yogurt (fat free) and add some spice to it and have that as my dip for the carrots. Also eating a lot more fruit, well whatever I can get in the shops which is mainly kiwi fruit, pears and apples.
My fluid intake has been really good as well, I am now drinking about 4/5 cups a day which is pretty good.

It has been a bit challenging for my first week, the time of month. So I am normally craving all pasta and cheeses, funnily enough I go off chocolate slightly when it comes to this time, but I have managed to keep my cravings under control by mainly eating the carrots.

I have managed to do half an hour of exercise a day, whether that is a DVD workout or just walking the dog. It has been painful on my knees and so I may walk the dog more during the week and only do the DVD workout for 2 days a week, so it is a bit more gentle on my joints.

And here on my results for Week One:

Chest - 50.8" (-4")
Waist - 52.6"(-3.12")
Hips - 58.6"(-0.4")
Weight - 19st 3lbs(-4lbs)

I am very, very pleased and hope that I can continue to keep it off and not put it back on.

Fitness Challenge: The Plan

Each week of the Fitness Challenge the host will be giving us all a mini challenge to do, and as it is the first week she has done just that.
Basically there were 3 things to do in this mini challenge, the first to take a before photo (which I will post at the end of the 3 months), the second was to weigh and measure ourselves and lastly was to make a plan for our self for the 3 months.

Which I have done and it is:

• Eat more fruit and veg
  I hardly eat any veg or fruit at all, I have always found it boring and I am not too sure why. There is one veg that I will always eat and that is carrots, we always have some in the kitchen, always. But when it comes to fruit, I hardly have it in.
  
  
• Try to do an half an hour - hour exercise a day
  Whether that is half an hour walk and then do some exercise on the Wii. I do have to be careful with myself because of my conditions as well the size of myself and I don't want to rush things, so I am taking this steady with no running or anything similar to that which could really hurt my knees.
  If I cant get on the Wii I will try and make sure that I can do one of the exercise DVDs that I have.
  
  
• Drink more fluids
  Now this is something I really, really need to do. I am lucky if I have about 3 cups/pints of fluid a day, some days I can go with only 1 cup of fluid. I don't want to force the drinks down me so I will be taking this steady, but at the end of these 3 months I do want to be able to drink a lot more than 1 cup.
  
• Eat smaller portionsAlso if I feel as if I am hungry have a drink or get some fruit. I also need to learn to say "no" when it comes to extra added to my plate. I love food and I feel like I have a close bond with food after always going to it when I was younger when I was upset. I need to learn to distance myself from it, but at the same time enjoy what I eat without feeling guilty.

My measurements and weight:

Chest - 54.8"
Waist - 54"
Hips - 59"

Weight - 19st 7lbs
Goal weight - 18st
It may be only a small amount that I am wanting to lose, but I feel that it would be safer and easier for me to make sure that I am going at a steady weight loss. I don't just want to lose weight and be able to fit in smaller size clothes, I want to feel and be healthy.