Moving

I have decided that I am moving my blog over to wordpress - http://shortstuffblogs.wordpress.com/
So if you wish to continue to read my blog then please follow the link.
Thank you for all those who have followed me and who have made comments on here :)

Fitness Challenge: Final Week

Well it is the final week of this fitness challenge and I am really pleased with myself, even though I may not have stuck to my original plan I feel that I have done pretty well. Not only with losing weight and inches but actually understanding my body more.

With the holidays been and gone I am surprised that I don't feel guilty or that I have gained a lot of weight, for a change I feel really good about myself throughout these past few weeks. I did have chocolate and ate more, which is normal as it is the holidays, but I ate sensible. I still have some chocolate left, which in the past would have been gone within a week.
I feel healthy, I am starting to understand my body much more since being on this challenge. I know when I should do some exercise and when I need to stop, I am drinking so much more and my skin feels more hydrated with doing that.
My clothes are not clinging to me anymore they are just hanging now, my family have even noticed a change in my body and are encouraging me with losing more which is giving me the extra boast to continue.

Before this challenge, all I really wanted to do was lose weight and be at a certain number, part of me thought it was gonna be easier than it has been, but my real challenge (other than losing the weight) is losing the weight and inches around my hips.

Anyways, onto the final results
Fluid intake - 5/6 cups
Chest - 50.5" (-0.15")
Waist - 50.8" (+0.5")
Hips - 59.11" (+0.13")
Weight - 19st 2lbs (+2lbs)

Before (front)

After (front)

Before (side)

After (side)

Ok so my final results show I have gained a bit in weight and inches, but I am not that upset about it. I have managed to lose 5 pounds and 9.3" through my chest and waist. Which for me is pretty awesome, plus I haven't gained another 7 pounds which is normally what happens when I lose some of my weight.
Even with my before and after photos I can see a difference, I don't look so round.

So overall I am so pleased with myself, I am glad that I joined in this challenge as well as it has helped me to understand things and actually give me more confidence to lose weight but still be healthy.
Thank you for that and I hope everyone has a lovely and healthy new year :)

Fitness Challenge: Week 11

I did it! I managed a whole week with no problems when it comes to doing any exercise..No pulled muscles, no toothaches which cause headaches which hurt more with any movements..Other than my usual joint problems.
I did forget to fill up the litre bottle and drink it during the day, although this week I drank a bit more than these past few weeks and it worked out that I did drink a litre and a bit, so that was good.

I am doing somewhat good for when it comes to snacks, I used to only want to snack on anything which had chocolate on, now I am being more healthier with not going for anything with chocolate. I make sure I tell my partner to put things like that on a higher shelf which I can not get to, because I know if I see it I will want it, so doing that does help a lot. I have swapped the chocolate for cheese, yogurt or carrot sticks or fruit.

Week 11 results
Fluid intake - 5 cups
Chest - 51.4" (no change)
Waist - 50.3" (-0.13")
Hips - 58.14 (-1.2")
Weight - 19st (-2lbs)

As week 11 mini challenge what to do some research on what it is to be healthy, I have tried to look through some sites. And from the ones I have looked at they have said pretty much the same thing. It is not just about eating the right food or doing the right amount of exercise that makes you healthy, its taking everything in life and having a balance of it all.
If you are working too hard, that may effect your sleep or your social life and you may get run down because you are wearing yourself out and not taking time to rest and get away from that sort of thing.
This is pretty much what I feel that being healthy is, its not just about being a certain size, its about making sure that your lifestyle, your mind and soul is healthy as well.

Fitness Challenge: Week 10

One of these weeks I will manage to actually  post on here that there has been no bumps in my week when it comes to this challenge!
I stupidly did some new exercise which I had found that was supposed to be good for losing inches on your hips - squats. And I didn't take it slow or easy I tried to do it the way that someone on a video had said was good for beginners, turns out it isn't that good if you haven't done these sort of exercises before.. I found that I had pulled a muscle in both of my upper legs and that I could hardly walk for most of the week.
I have defiantly learnt not to do that again!

Once my legs were back to normal I went straight back into doing a DVD workout and this time I pushed myself that tiny bit further of doing most of the DVD, about 3 different exercises - the last one I did, Rosemary Conley said this will help lose inches of your hips & thighs... Why didn't I read the info on the DVD in the first place, then I wouldn't have had that problem all week!

This week I am praying that nothing goes wrong and that I can actually get on and do more exercise. Apart from that this week has been ok.

So here are my results for Week 10
Fluid intake - 3/4 cups
Chest - 51.4" (-0.8")
Waist - 51" (-0.12")
Hips - 59" (+1.8")
Weight - 19st 2lbs (+1lbs)

Not that pleased with the results, mainly frustrated because of my hips - they will not lose many inches around there and I am going to try and focus a bit more on doing exercises for that area, also I am going to fill a litre bottle up and try to drink at least 2 of these.

My Top 5 Favourite Jewellery

A few days ago I decided to go through my jewellery and see what should be sent to charity and which should be kept. I ended up throwing most of my items to my local charity shop, could not believe how much jewellery I had kept over the years.
This gave me an idea to do a post on what my top 5 favourite jewellery would be.

5. Triskele earrings

I am in love with the triskele design and most of my current jewellery has this design. These were given to me by mum for my 23rd birthday.

4. Charm bracelet

This was given to me for my 21st from my oldest sister and now when anyone can either for my birthday or for Christmas they will try and get me a charm to be added to it. I love this so much, it is very simple but the meaning to it is huge.

3. Cross necklace

 I never wear this necklace and I don't think I ever will. But the reason it is one of my favourites is because my parents bought this for me on my 18th. My mum always wanted to get me a cross necklace for keepsakes and she thought this would be really good for me as it wasn't the traditional style.

2. Triskele ring

I never used to wear rings because my fingers were an odd shape and they just wouldn't feel comfortable, but when I saw this design I knew I just had to have it, every time I went to buy it it was out of stock, when last Christmas came round my partner had bought me this as I wouldn't stop going on about it. Now I wear it all the time.

1. Amethyst, triskele and ankh necklace

I know this is technically cheating but these are the 3 necklaces that I always wear every single day and I now count these as one. If I don't wear them I feel naked. These necklaces help me to calm down, if I am worried or stressed I always grab them, in a way they are my comfort blankets.

Fitness Challenge: Week 9

If you read my last "My Apologies" you will know why I haven't been updating my fitness challenge.
It was difficult to stay on this challenge when I made the slightest move my whole face hurt and once the tooth was removed I wasn't allowed to do anything that would get my blood pumping in case it irritated the blood clot.

I am very pleased with myself for last week as I did so much walking, I was paying for it then and there as well as now but I am still proud of how much I tried to do.

I am eating so much more salads with my meals I can not believe that its me who is eating it. I don't give myself huge amounts because I don't want to "scare" myself or get bored of eating that amount, I am not used to eating salads and when I have done in the past, the lettuce normally chokes me so I feel that taking small steps will help me in the future with making sure I have something like a salad or something similar on my plate.

Week 9 Results
Fluid intake - 4 cups
Chest -  51.12" (+0.12")
Waist - 51.12" (no change)
Hips - 57.8" (-1.3")
Weight - 19st 1lbs (+1lbs)

I am so happy that I have finally lost something around my hips!
I never used to care what my measurements were and only cared about losing weight, but now that I am seeing that they both need taking into consideration I am trying to make sure I do some sort of exercise to help lose some inches.
This has made me very happy and I am starting to see a very small change in my body shape. :)

My Apologies

Sorry for disappearing for a few weeks, this was not planned at all but I ended up getting a nasty toothache which caused me to have a headache and then I had that tooth removed the week after, so I could not eat properly for a few days and after that my in laws came to visit for a week - phew!

I haven't forgotten about the fitness challenge either, I have tried to keep on track with it. I forgot to weigh and measure myself, but I did try and not to over indulge, plus with all the walking I have done with the past week I think I have made sure I have had my share of exercise. Which is now making walking around the house very painful due to blisters on my feet - ouch.

So for the rest of this week and with the weekend, I think I need to stay indoors and rest my feet for the next week to carry on with my exercises. Which is a good excuse for me to try and sort through my draft posts that I have and start to post them, so hopefully there will be most posts coming.

I also wanted to let those know who read The Domestic Pagan blog, if they have been having trouble getting onto that blog that I because the owner has had to change the url. So now the the link is - http://www.thedomesticpagan.net