Dealing with Weight Gain Part Three: On a Budget

This is the third part in my little mini series called 'Dealing With Weight Gain'. The first part was all about how to deal with it in general, the second was all about blogger confidence and this part is going to be all about not breaking the bank in order to handle your weight gain. I posted the former two way way earlier on in the year (in fact I think one might have just caught the tail end of 2015!) so this post is something that I've been thinking about for just about forever. 
I've been into the whole idea of 'clean eating' for quite some time now, and in fact my blog was originally based all around it, BUT after some time away from this life style, I came back to find that all of a sudden it was a lot more class based than ever before. I used to feel content eating my brown pasta with turkey mince spag bol - a meal that was both simple and, most importantly for me as a student, cost effective. However, in the last six months or so, all of my research into going back to 'clean eating'  showed me that the game had changed. Brown pasta wasn't a think to be used anymore, and turkey mince? Well, you may as well just use plain old beef mince. Instead, simple changes seem to have been replaced with smashed avo on toast (grim) and a need to buy endless amounts of cauliflower so that you can use it as a base for pretty much anything. It really seems to have become a game exclusively for the middle and upper classes.
I know, I know, it seems like I'm being really cynical here, but for a while I totally bought into it, in all senses of the word. Soon I was a proud owner of gluten free organic soy sauce, and a tub of organic brown miso paste. Because, you know, I NEEDED these to make the recipes I was coming across. At the time I was doing online shopping because of the shifts I was working, and I started to find that neither Morrisons nor Asda could satisfy my needs anymore - it had to be Ocado, because no where else was 'good' enough to offer a massive range of organic food, or all of the niche ingredients I was coming across. The problem was that I'm neither middle or upper class, so I was totally grinding my finances into the ground with this belief.
Soon I found myself almost doubling my food bill because I had become so wrapped up in the idea that I 'needed' to lose weight and this was the only way to do so. If you've read my overcoming food fears post, then you'll know how much I hate trying new foods, so doing this all of the time was making me miserable. And guess what I turn to when I'm feeling rubbish? Junk food of course! So I ended up half eating super healthy food, and half scoffing away on takeaway and chocolate. This in turn then bumped up my expenditure even more.
As well as this, I came to the 'realisation' that I needed a gym membership - because obviously if I signed up to a gym contract which took another hefty fee out of my account each month I would have to exercise, right?! If any of you have done something similar then you'll probably know how it went down: I rarely motivated myself to go to the gym, but because I had the membership I didn't want to exercise at home, so I ended up doing precisely nada.
After a few months of this I came to the realisation that I'd pretty much been duped by the media into spending a ridiculous amount on trying to lose some weight, but in reality, all my waistband was doing was expanding. Clearly something had to change if I really did want to go back to a healthy weight for my size. So, I took my mind back to when I first decided I wanted to eat healthy, and considered what I did that was different, and realised that everything was so much less toxic back then. I could make myself simple, cheap, nutritious meals without feeling like I was missing out because it didn't contain a so called 'superfood' ingredient. Now I've had the time to look at what I was doing however, I feel like I've come to an understanding with myself that I don't need to feel pressured into buying silly foods I'll never eat just because all the health bloggers on Instagram love them. And neither do I need to buy an expensive gym pass. So, here are my top 5 things I'd keep in mind in dealing with weight gain on a budget:
1.) Stay realistic with meals. I'm a big fan of meal planning, but if I plan a day in which I'm hoping to eat smoked salmon on rye toast with a quinoa and pomegranate salad in the evening, I'm probably going to be grumpy at the end of the day and end up ordering out. Think about what your body wants and needs and find a simple way to keep things a little healthy.
2.) Shop around. Did you know that Aldi actually have a massive selection of fresh fruit and veg that's incredibly affordable (and even has a fairly decent selection of affordable organic ingredients!). We did our main shop here for a few weeks and legitimately halved our food bills.
3.) Keep things simple. If you don't want to spend three hours cooking a meal that you might not even like, then don't. Find something easy and filling that will keep you going without slaving over the oven. Don't feel as though you have to over-complicate things just because you see other people doing it on Instagram - you can't see what they're eating off-screen, and besides, who gives a fuck what strangers do?!
4.) Remember that exercise doesn't have to be expensive. Heard of Pokemon Go at all? Seriously though, me and my boyfriend downloaded it as soon as it came out in the UK and we've done more walking in the last few weeks than we probably have done altogether in the last year. I'm not even exaggerating here. If you're not a fan, then remember that there are tonnes of way to get your dose of exercise in, and you can even create a mini gym at home with a set of dumbbells and some Youtube videos!
5.) You don't have to keep up with all the fashion trends. Starting to have fewer and fewer items of clothing that fit you really sucks, and there's no way about that. But, if you've been gaining bits of weight here and there, then buying a whole new wardrobe every month or two is really not going to be realistic. Instead, keep your comfy baggy tees for time inside the house, and treat you to a new piece of clothing or two every month, rather than ALL the clothes. Plus, you can find some rare treats in charity shops for a fraction of what you would expect to pay for new clothes!
I really hope you enjoyed this post - let me know if it's been helpful!
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Dealing with Weight Gain | 2016 Fitness Goals

Weight gain is often a taboo subject - you can't really go up to someone and ask them how they're feeling about the fact that they've put on a few pounds. But, I want to talk about my own experience over the last few months, and how I've kept myself from falling into a pit of self hatred and despair, as I've done when I've gained a bit of weight in the past.
So, here's what happened really. After I graduated I worked in a pub over summer and joined a gym. Although I was on my feet for at least seven hours five days a week and going to the gym at least once a week I was also eating pub food every day, aka a recipe for disaster. I usually like to cook my own meals, and had been going dairy free, so this obviously had a fairly large impact upon my body (get the pun?). 
In October however I got a new job, one behind a desk. At the same time my gym membership ran out and I didn't renew it. I also managed to convince myself that my five minute bike ride to and from work basically was the same as the amount of exercise I was doing at the pub, so I could afford to eat what I wanted (note to self, this is a lie!). Snacking is a major issue at work when I'm sat in front of a computer all day, and there's a vending machine upstairs, and things may have gotten a little out of hand - two chocolate bars every day is not a thing I should be partaking in. 
Despite actually getting a new gym membership I was unable to use it for five weeks as our car broke down and we couldn't physically get to the gym. This was incredibly frustrating and I may or may not have used it as an excuse not to bother even exercising at home.
So where did it all come to a head? Well, my clothes stopped fitting. If you've ever tried on a dress that fit a few weeks before and the zip will no longer go all the way up, you probably know the feeling of absolute self-loathing that I did as I stood in tears glaring at the mirror. What's even worse is when clothes that you used to have for your "fat days" when you were feeling super bloated and hadn't been eating right for a couple of weeks stop fitting. I'm currently down to one pair of jeans and zero dresses, and nothing is okay about that. Things got truly awful when I was late to work because I bent down in my work trousers and they just completely split open and I had to go back to the house and get changed. Believe me, explaining to your manager that you were late because of your weight gain is not exactly confidence boosting.
However, I have managed not to let it get me down completely, and here's why:
- I've remembered that perhaps over eating isn't the worst habit I could have fallen into considering how hard a year I've had. Despite the weight gain getting me down I know that it's temporary, and I want to lose it in a healthy rather than drastic way as I've done in the past.
- Buy new clothes. Don't pine after the old ones too much! In the end, trying to squeeze into jeans that simply don't do up at the top, or tops that show off all your lumps and bumps is going to make you unhappy everyday. On the other hand, having a few new pretty clothes is going to boost your confidence when it's at its lowest.
- I've made sure that I don't completely forget to eat healthy foods. I believe that what you eat has a massive effect on your mental state, which is partly why we all find it so hard to pick ourselves out of the weight gain slump. I've started making sure that I have hot honey and lemon water to start my day off right in the mornings, and remember to eat plenty of fruit and at least two vegetables per day. I've only started doing this in the past couple of weeks and the effects on how I felt about myself were astonishing. 
- Make an action plan. As soon as I head back up to my house in Leamington after the Christmas period I'm going to start going to the gym again as the car is (finally) fixed, wahoo! Me and my boyfriend are lucky enough to be heading skiing at the beginning of January so I'll be getting a rapid introduction to the notion of exercising every day (Lord, help me!). I'm hoping that after this I'm going to head to the gym twice a week and do a daily yoga session at home. Last year I did Yoga with Adriene's 30 days of yoga twice and the flexibility gains I made were amazing! I'm determined to nail crow by the end of this year, as well as being able to hold a non wobbly plank for a decent amount of time. Dinner, breakfast and lunch are going to be a feature of my life every day, and will enhance my strength and ability to perform longer and better workouts. I'm going to be moving away from cardio and towards weights and full body exercises in the gym
I hope you find this helpful! Do you have any 2016 fitness goals?

Fabletics: A Con? | Favourite Gym Wear

When my order from Fabletics first arrived, I wondered why I hadn't heard any other bloggers raving about it - decent gym outfits for £26 don't come easily! It was only when I started to notice that £44 was being taken out of my account near the beginning of each month that I started to get concerned. Quickly doing a google search for "is fabletics a scam?" came up with a truck load of hits, and I instantly thought "well, shit". After doing a bit of research, and having a lengthy conversation with one of the customer service team on the telephone, I came away with the result that no, Fabletics isn't exactly a scam, but you ought to be wary. When you sign up initially to get your cheap gym gear, and agree to be a VIP member, you are actually agreeing to pay £44 a month to get given one "credit" for an outfit. The company gives you up until the 5th of every month to skip that month if you don't wish to purchase anything that month. However, if you simply want to cancel the membership entirely, there is a phone number to do so posted at the bottom of the website.

So, on to the clothes. I'm not going to lie, when these arrived in the post I fell in love. I've never owned a sports bra before, which is pretty shameful in itself, but this one was so comfortable and stylish I now hate the days when I go to the gym and it's still in the wash (damn my student house for not having a tumble dryer!). This and the leggings are made out of similar material. Both are elasticated, yet firm, meaning that they don't go out of shape too easily, but give room for you to make those gainz, or y'know, put on a few pounds during exam season like I did. The top itself I also loved, as it was so light and airy it meant that I didn't overheat quite as much as usual.

All in all, I loved the quality and appearance of the items, especially as you got to choose which colour and pattern you wanted them made of! Although I was greatly perturbed at the fact that Fabletics didn't make it entirely clear that you were going to receive monthly charges, I now have two credits to spend despite cancelling my membership. I would recommend using this company, but just make sure you have your facts straight: get good quality gear and if and when you want to cancel your membership or skip a month make sure you do so.

What have your experiences been with this company?

Love and Light

Steph

White Musk Gift Set | Evening Scent

I love a good ol' bit of Body Shop skin care loving and fragrance, but this probably wouldn't make it onto my favourite everyday wears. The white musk perfume in this little gift set is one of The Body Shop's signature scents, but I would suggest that it is better for an evening out as it is quite a heavy one. My boyfriend, knowing that I love The Body Shop, tried his best to remember what I liked, but kind of got half way there (hey, we all know we need to tell our other halves exactly what we want - I'm a nightmare at buying him stuff too!). 

The shower gel and body lotion have been great if only for their size. These cute little bottles fit perfectly into my gym bag so that I don't have to lug round full size ones with me. Plus, the scent is very potently girly, and after heading to an intense gym session it's always great to be reminded that you can actually smell nice again!

What do you think of this range?

Love and Light

Steph

Back to Basics | Day Five

Yes, there was no Day Four post. I fell off of my detox bandwagon a bit and wanted to secure today's health before writing a blog post. Today was really a day for hitting things hard and boy am I exhausted. Currently fighting the urge to write this in a foetal position under my favourite fleece blanket is a challenge.

I am loving how vibrant my fruit bowls are at the moment. I have a major sweet tooth, so fruit really helps me manage to stay off of the artificial sugars and forms a fairly large part of my diet. I have at least three portions of it in my morning smoothie and will most days have a fruit bowl like the one above.

Finally, I hit the gym for probably the longest time ever today. Let's pray that I don't have to walk anywhere tomorrow. The fact that the only bathrooms in my student house are upstairs is probably going to result in me crawling around pathetically. Anyway, the second picture is a couple of gym essentials for me: my water, shower gel & body spray and spare socks (hey, no one wants to be re-using after a hard workout am I right?!).

Love and Light

Steph

Back to Basics | Day One

Recently I've been falling away from my clean eats diet, and I've started to notice the effect it's having on both my physical and mental health. My sleeping pattern in particular has been all over the place. So, this week I'm going to be posting every day as I attempt to get back to basics, and remind myself why I started this journey. 

So, I've started off the week with a glorious trip to Wholefoods (honestly, I could spend hours in there). This is just a very small sample of some snack-type foods I picked up for when I feel like eating something really bad so that I don't do exactly that. Plus I've been hunting for Himalayan pink salt and wholegrain penne for just about forever, so my little beady eyes lit up with joy when I spotted these. 

As I sit here sipping on my Clipper's organic detox tea, which btw is a million times nicer than any other I've tried so far, I realise that I feel fulfilled about how I've spent my day for the first time in a couple of weeks. I hit the gym super hard for the first time in forever, and you can see the massive smile it put on my face in the top picture. 

Hope you all have a healthy, fulfilled week - what are your plans to improve your wellbeing?

Love and Light

Steph

150 Followers Giveaway | New Years Resolutions & Looking Back

(This looks half empty, but it's not! Body butter always shifts to one side whenever you want it to just stay flat, urgh!)

Full Bloom Lavender Round Essential Body Kit (inc. flannel, bath cream, bath crystals) |

Soap and Glory 250ml The Righteous Butter |

Boots Extracts 50ml Cocoa Butter Body Butter |

LUSH Think Pink Bath Ballistic Bomb |

So as I've reached 150 followers, I've decided to offer you guys the chance to win these goodies as a token of my gratitude! I've really enjoyed creating and improving this blog over the past four or five months and am so looking forward to the next year of more improvements and blogging! Scroll down and you'll see how to enter - UK ONLY, sorry. I will be checking to make sure that you've actually done them!

I created this blog because I believe that what you eat, and the way you treat your body has an incredible impact on your mentality. I find that on days, or weeks, when I eat junk food and don't exercise I lose motivation for uni work, looking good, socialising, and focusing on general life admin (ugh) which I really ought to keep up with. Hence "Nourish ME": to nourish oneself, in my opinion, is to give your body the ability to perform well both physically and mentally. Thus, when I started clean eating I also developed a good skincare regime (which I will get round to blogging about one day, I swear!), regularly moisturising, and switching to products that were a lot less harsh for my skin and hair. Since then, my nails have been growing like crazy, and everyone keeps commenting on how long and thick my hair has gotten! 

So, this year I really want it to get bigger and better, and to keep the goals I set up when I started blogging. I think this is the first time that I've ever made any New Years resolutions, so here goes:

1.) Keep up with regular blogging, and make a list of new recipes!

2.) Go to the gym two times a week, and exercise at home on my new yoga mat on the other days - it really gives you a lot more energy to get on with other week.

3.) Actually keep up with the reading for the final half of the final year of my English Lit degree (this one makes me chuckle thinking about it)

4.) Tackle my problems rather than avoiding them. Work on my experience and endeavour to secure a job in publishing by Summer.

5.) Avoid dairy! Being intolerant to it helps, but boy do I let myself in for it sometimes out of lack of willpower/negligence for what's good for me.

6.) Meal prep - I am so bad at this, so at the end of a long uni day I always end up on the junk trail, but NO MORE. 

What are your New Years Resolutions?

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