AD / PR / AFF. - Foodie Friday - Quick. Healthy And Easy Meals With Love Yourself*

I love cooking, I love being in the kitchen and I love the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you've just made a fabulous meal for scratch. If I had time and energy I would be working my way through every recipe book that I own, but let's be realistic life gets in the way sometimes and you don't always the time or the energy, to prepare a meal or to even go to the supermarket. I don't know about you but when I'm having one of the those days and even weeks, I just grab the first thing in the freezer, the fridge or the cupboard, to fulfil my need for food, and 9 times out 10 the things that I pick aren't that healthy or nutritious.

Now you've probably heard of one of the many food boxes that you can that contain all the ingredients that you need to make a few days worth of main meals, I personally subscribe to one and I think that they are really good for meal planning, and for solving the age old dilemma about what to have for dinner, but whilst you can select quicker recipes on average each one takes about half and hour to make, and for most of them you do actually need a few culinary skills, not only that but as I say they generally only contain the ingredients for a few main meals so you still to brave the supermarket for your other two meals and the other things that help you feel satisfied.

They are still good, and they definitely have their place, but did you know that you can have a full days worth of freshly prepared meals delivered straight to your door - no work and barely no preparation needed? Well you can, and it's all courtesy of a company called Love Yourself, who deliver freshly cooked, nutritionally balanced, healthy, gourmet standard meals direct to your kitchen.

They full comprehensive, and easy to understand and use website gives you the choice of around 15 different plans based on nutritional needs are dietary requirements, including Vegetarian, Performance, Keto, Dairy Free, Pescatarian, Halal Balanced, Gluten Free, and a basic Balanced diet option.

Once you've selected your meal type - on most diets you can then select a calorie option depending on whether or not you want to lose weight or just eat an average days calorie intake. Once you've selected that you can then decided when your want to receive your food, you can choose anything from one days worth, to five, to six days worth, to Monday to Friday, for four weeks, and eight weeks and Monday to Saturday for both both four and 8 weeks. You can buy a day or two to try the plan or you can cut out the stress and the meal planning, and order yourself a full 8 weeks of food.

Most boxes contain a breakfast, a lunch, a dinner, and two snacks and whilst you don't have the option of selecting individual meals the menus are posted the week before, and if you contact Love Yourself both when your placing your initial order and after with dislikes or allergies etc. providing they have at least 48 hours notice they will try their best to substitute unwanted meals.

Now the lovely people at Love Yourself kindly sent me two days worth of meals to try. The meals I was sent were from the Vegetarian range, and I was send the 1500 calories a day option, which was priced at £25 a day. Created by a chef and a nutritionist, all of the meals in the plan contain fresh locally sourced ingredients, and none of the food is processed and none of it contains preservatives. They also contain all the nutrients you would need for one day and slow release carbohydrates for increased energy

If your lucky enough to live in certain areas of London or Bristol then you can get your meals delivered freshly every day, but don't worry if like me, you live elsewhere in mainland UK, then your meals will be delivered via DPD, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Now I received my box on a Tuesday, and as you can it was very well packaged. My meals came in sturdy outer box, which was lined with thick corrugated cardboard, and contained some ice packs. Once you've received them the meals should be be put in the fridge and should be eaten with 2 or 3 days. Some of the meals can be frozen but Love Yourself say they won't taste as good or as fresh as they should. 

All of the outer packaging is recyclable, and the meal containers which are made out of a fibre like, cardboard are fully recyclable and compostable.

This is the menu that I received and as you can see below, the food packaging features full ingredients, and nutritional information and if you use My Fitness Pal, you can scan the meals directly into the app. I actually use Nutri Check, a calorie counting app, and a lot of the meals are already on the but it's also really easy to add them yourself. I did switch the order of the meals around and I tended to eat the lunches in the evening, and obviously I got my meals on a Tuesday, but I going to just leave the Monday and Tuesday headings, and the other placements to avoid confusion x 

Monday

Breakfast

Baked Apple And Oat Cake With Blueberry Yogurt

First meal, first breakfast, and it was something familiar for me yogurt! I eat yogurt pretty much every morning, so this was a usual start to the day. The yogurt itself was a nice thick, blueberry flavoured greek yogurt, with real fresh blueberries mixed in to it. There was no real sweetness like you get with a lot of mass, supermarket yogurts, it tasted natural, and you could really taste the flavour of the blueberries.

Alongside the yogurt there was a piece of apple and oat cake. It was a very dense, very moist piece, of gluten free cake, it contained gluten free oats, apple, coconut, agave syrup, eggs and sunflower seeds. Agin it wasn't overly sweet, you could really taste the ingredients particularly the real apple, and the coconut, and the sunflower seeds gave it a nice crunch. 

I've got to say that I not normally that full after eating my breakfast but this was a really filling and tasty start the day, and it was fun dipping the cake in the yogurt.

Morning Snack

Sweet Potato Hummus

I've got to admit that I wasn't quite ready for the mid morning snack, and I was still a bit full from my breakfast but this really was a revelation. Using sweet potatoes instead of chickpeas, blended with red pepper, and the usual hummus ingredients of garlic, salt, oil and tahini. This smooth textured dip was amazing! It was slightly sweeter than normal hummus, but you could really taste the garlic, and sesame paste. Despite been packaged for around 24 hours the carrot sticks were real still fresh and crunchy. This would normally be a lunch for me instead of a snack but again it was really fresh and tasty, and I'm definitely going to be trying to recreate this in my kitchen.

Lunch

Tofu Tikka Masala With Rice & Goji Berries 

Now, although this was officially a lunch, I prefer to eat my main meal at night so I switched this one. Although the majority of meals can be served as it, some like this need to be heated. So although you can put them in the oven for speed I popped this the microwave for 3 minutes. First thing it smelled really good and it contained tofu and I love tofu! It contains big chunks of tofu, that had held it shape and hadn't gone mushy, as well as onions, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes, goji berries, and cashews, all in a mildly spiced, subtle coconut sauce, served alongside some white rice.

I probably overly microwaved so the rice was a touch dry, but the masala itself was perfect, with a slightly sweet, mildly spicy tomato forward sauce, it was a really nice mix of textures with softness of the tofu and the veg, and the slightly chewy, tartness of the goji berries, and the crunch of the cashews. Size it was about the same as an average ready meal, but it tasted so much fresher and again I felt full.

Afternoon Snack 

Chocolate Brownie

Ah chocolate! As as self confessed chocoholic - I was so pleased to see something chocolate related in my box. Now this is a brownie but not what would you probably expect in terms of sweetness and texture. This is a healthier brownie, and it's gluten free. Containing eggs, coconut milk, dark chocolate, almond flour, and dried dates, again it was very moist, very solid, very dense, very small and almost fudge like in appearance.

It had a really good dark chocolate flavour, and at the same time it had a slightly fruity flavour from the dates. Again it wasn't too sweet, but it was very rich, and it delivered that perfect chocolate hit. If you've ever eaten something like a Naked bar, or a chocolate protein bar, then this is pretty similar taste wise. I actually saved this for my evening snack because I like something sweet before bed.

Dinner 

Nectarine, Mozzarella & Broad Bean Salad

The one thing that I was slightly, worried about with this box was the salads and vegetables - just how fresh would it actually be! Well I needn't have worried, instead of the soggy salad expected, everything was fresh and crunchy. Containing grated mozzarella, fresh broad beans, nectarine, mixed salad leaves, and cherry tomatoes, the salad came with a little separate pot of dressing which contained raspberries, cider vinegar, dijon mustard, basil, and xylitol (a sweetener).

The nectarine was a touch underripe which actually worked really well with the salad, everything was nice and fresh, but by far the star was the dressing sweet yet tart because of the raspberries, with an almost pesto hit, it had a really good flavour but oddly enough it didn't overpower the freshness or flavours of the rest of the salad.

Tuesday

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs With Homemade County Style Bread

Day 2, and it started with one of my favourite food, scrambled eggs with homestyle bread. The tray contained a small portion of scrambled eggs, which was just eggs, egg whites, olive oil, salt and black pepper, and three smaller end pieces of a country style, brown loaf.

I heated the scrambled egg up in the microwave, and I toasted the bread under the grill, as the pieces were a bit small and thick for my toaster. The eggs were really good, they were well seasoned, and not too dry, and too wet, just the way I like them. Now I shouldn't really be eating wheat but there was so little in both days worth of meals that it wasn't a problem. The bread itself was nice, and slightly sweet, with a dense and chewy texture.

Compared to what I normally eat first thing, this seemed like a lot but I really enjoyed it, and  it made me think that I should really switch up my breakfasts a bit more.

Morning Snack

Sweetcorn & Feta Muffin

Day 2, or egg day as I came to call it, contained with a mid morning snack, and it was what was described as a Sweetcorn and Feta Muffin. Containing sweetcorn, onion, eggs and egg whites, feta cheese, coconut oil, cumin and salt, you could eat it as it was, or like what I did warm it in the microwave for around 20 seconds.

It wasn't a muffin in either of the traditional senses of the word, instead it was more like a crustless quiche, a savoury pudding, or a heavier souffle. It had a lovely creamy texture with pieces of sweetcorn and it had a lovely savoury taste. It wasn't what I expected but I actually really enjoyed it.

Lunch

Meatless Bolognese With Pasta And Cheddar

 There is nothing I love more than a good veggie bolognese, and the lunch (which again I switched with my evening meal) was a good. Accompanied by gluten free penne pasta, the meat free bolognese was full of veg includes tomatoes, onions, carrots, and chickpeas, as well as chunks of vegetable fibre, and soy based, meatless meat, and it was sprinkled with cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds.

With all the traditional Italian herbs, the sauce had a nice sweetness, and a touch of smokiness, and again the textures were a real bonus. It was more of a chunky meat based bolognese than a mince, and the meatless meat was good and added some nice texture, as did the sunflower seeds. As a gluten free pasta aficionado this was a decent pasta, it will never be the same as wheat pasta but it was decent texture wise, it wasn't soggy, it was al dente which was perfect. I really enjoyed it was tasty and filling.

Afternoon Snack

Apple And Banana Slice

Afternoon snack time, and it was another yogurt and cake combo. Again a small piece of very moist, very dense cake made from bananas, apple, coconut milk, eggs, coconut milk, buckwheat flour and agave syrup, alongside a portion of natural yogurt.

As I say it very moist, almost wet, but solid at the same time, you could really taste the nuttiness of the buckwheat flour, with a hint of fresh apple and a lot of real banana flavour. Again the cake worked really well with the tart yet creaminess of the yogurt. I've been thinking while I've been writing this post about how to describe the cake, and the only thing I can think of is if you've eaten any raw desserts, solid, damp, and full of natural flavours.

Dinner

Cumin-Spiced Lentils & Brussel Sprouts

I know it trendy to hate them, and I do know that some people genuinely dislike them, but I'm a huge Brussel sprout fan, I love them steamed, stir fried, roasted, and I even put raw ones into salads so I was really to see them served in another way. This one was another heat and eat meal so I removed the egg and popped it into the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Containing a boiled egg, some nice al dente lentils, Brussel sprouts, onions, leeks, this meal had a lovely slightly tangy flavour coming from the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. It was a really unusual but really flavourful, tasty meal, and again it was really filling.

So they were my two days and they were my meals and snacks. All the food have to say was really fresh tasting and the lack of processed food was really evident.

Of the sweet thing, all of the sweeteners were natural, and there wasn't any more added than what was needed, and as a result you could really taste the ingredients, and the fresh fruits. The cakes could possibly be a bit on an acquired taste and texture (Mummy Lou wasn't keen on the textures of the bites that I gave her) but I really enjoyed them as a more healthier, filling alternative, to chocolate, biscuits or even fresh fruit, and it really made me realise just how much sugar I eat even in the savoury thing that I eat.

The main meals and savoury items were very flavourful, again they weren't overly salted, and the seasoning and flavours were perfect for me personally. Something I really I really enjoyed about all the savoury dishes in particular was all the different textures, the crunch from the seeds and berries, to the different textures of the vegetables and pulses.

As I say purely based on food, and ignoring drinks etc. my total calorie count was 1500 or there or there abouts. What really surprised me was just how filling all of the meals actually were, I would normally eat more than 1500 calories a day, and I would usually feel a lot less full, and a lot less satisfied then I did over the course of these two. The quality of the food was really good and every aspect of each meal was really well thought out and I honestly didn't feel as though I was on a 'diet'.

The one drawback of Love Yourself unfortunately is the price,  as I say one days worth of vegetarian 1500 calorie meals is £25 but the more meals you order the more you save, and you can get 5 days worth for £115 and 4 weeks Monday to Friday for £460. You can cancel with 48 hours notice at anytime so you aren't tied in to any contracts, and you only get what you pay for.

It is pricy but you probably could say goodbye to that weekly shop, and the temptations that it brings. If you really are time poor, or energy poor, or if you're unable to cook for yourself though this is a really great idea to get good healthy, fresh food with the effort. I personally found that those two days really helped to think about food in a slightly different way, I still love cooking things from scratch but it's made think about ways that I can improve my own diet and way of eating, and it's a really good kickstart to a new healthy eating regime for me.

The Love Yourself website is full of advice, and information not only on how their plans work, but also generally on how to live better, and eat more healthily and more consciously, and if you want to try it for yourself you can use my link or quote Louise H at checkout for 20% off your first order. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be back soon with another post x 

*This Post An Unpaid Advertisement For Love Yourself. Meals Were Provided For Review And Promotional Purposes. This Post All Contains 2 Affiliate Links And An Affiliate Discount Code

Collaborative / Partnered Post - A Few Ways To Help Boost Your Self Confidence And Self Belief*

When people meet me for the first time, a lot of them think that I'm bristling with self confidence I talk 20 to the dozen and generally seem quite comfortable in my own skin, but scratch a little bit below the surface, and they'd soon see that a lot of the times it's just an act. I've never had a lot of self belief or self confidence, I was a notoriously shy child, and even one of my best friends used to call my mouse girl when we first met at university. It's only the last 10 - 15 years that I've actually started to feel comfortable in my own skin, and as a result I've developed a more confident and positive outlook.

Self confidence and self belief, though isn't a fixed think. Even people who consider themselves as bubbly, positive and happy human beings, can sometimes have a crisis of confidence. This could be because of a certain trigger like your overbearing boss at work telling you that you are underachieving. It could be that you feel inferior to all of the super toned individuals in the gym, or those gorgeous people on Instagram, or it might be because you are generally feeling down and you can’t pinpoint any real cause

Although it seems like such a minor thing, our confidence levels are crucial to help us to maintain a positive outlook on life. When you're feeling confident and positive, you can feel more empowered to take on life’s challenges. When you're lacking in self confidence you can be unwilling to try new things, and to try and achieve your goals for fear of failure, if you're not feeling great confidence wise at the moment, there are a few general ways in which you give you self confidence a boost.

Get Active

While those bronzed bodies and gym bunnies may be preventing you from feeling comfortable on the treadmill or having fun in your favourite Zumba class, there is generally no excuse to remain sedentary. Instead, consider heading outdoors and having some fun jogging around your local park or partaking in a bike ride. If you don’t fancy going it alone, consider roping in a pal to keep you company. This can make exercising a more social activity that you can enjoy with friends.

Being outside will also help you to soak up some much needed Vitamin D (something which I and a lot of people in the UK lack!) which can help regulate your body clock, and help you to sleep better. Natural sunlight is a natural mood lifter so try to get outdoors for at least thirty minutes every day. This is especially important if you work from home or if you have a desk job.

Alas being active and getting fit isn't something that I can do that much of, jogging is a distant memory for me, but even I can manage a little walk around the block or a couple of minutes walk everyday enjoying my surroundings, and experiencing nature, so what if it's raining, grab and umbrella and a waterproof jacket, believe me you'll feel so much better if potentially a little bit soggy when you come back. Changes don't have to massive but even making tiny changes to your daily routine can make a small difference to your mental health.

Image

I firmly believe that my own self confidence issues boil down to my facial palsy, although I've learned to accept myself now, bullying, and name calling can really effect how you see yourself. In this day and age, of social media perfection, more and more of us are self conscious about their looks and appearance. The first thing I would say to that is that you're perfect the way you are please believe that - but if aspects of your appearance are causing to lack confidence in social situations then don't be frightened to look for solutions If you suffer from a condition like acne, all is not lost. While the scarring on your face may make you feel embarrassed or anxious, you could head to your doctor and ask about new drugs like erythromycin. After taking this drug for six weeks, you could see a huge reduction in your acne. There is a wealth of information about Zineryt that is the brand of choice for many medical professionals. Whilst my acne wasn't horrendous as a teenager I did end up seeing my GP about it - I promise they won't dismiss your concerns, and they will help you find a solution.

As someone whose been a size 10 and a size 22, I know all about how weight can effect how you feel about yourself. To be honest probably had as many days being self conscious about my body at both ends of the weight spectrum but if you're really unhappy with your body shape, then again seek professional help. If you want to lose a few pounds though, then it's easy enough to make some small changes to your diet. I'm not big on the whole diet and denial thing, eat those "naughty things" in moderation. and try and swap the sugary chocolate snacks and saturated fat laden meals for more fruit, green leafy vegetables and lean meat and fish. Forget about having to rely on meat and go vegan or if that's to much for you, go meat free for a couple of days each week to maximise your antioxidant intake and to help boost your mood. With a new eating plan, you might be able to lose a few pounds which might help boost your self confidence, and improve your body image

As I said before body image has probably taken a battering since the emergence of social media. Instagram is the most visual of these platforms with plenty of perfectly filtered selfies and lifestyles appearing in your feed every day. Even though you know that these photographs are often faked by a spot of Amaro or Holga filtering, you can’t help but feel envious or inferior. While Instagram aims to be aspirational, it has morphed into a damaging tool that has a negative impact on people’s health. Instead of scrolling through your social media feeds for hours on end, take a detox. While difficult to begin with, you can swap your screen time for something more beneficial in the real world. Head for coffee with pals, go and see a movie or enjoy relaxing with a long hot soak in the tub, or do what I've done and unfollow people who make you miserable. Remember a lot of people only post what they want you to see, you don't see them sitting in front of the TV, eating cereal with no make up on, and wearing a past it's best jumper covered in cat hair. People curate their images to create an image of perfection, they will have a their bad skin, untidy house, rubbish days the same as you do. Keep this thought in your head take a step back and I can guarantee you'll start feeling happier better about yourself, and a bit more confident to boot.

Do Something New

As the old saying goes a change really is as good as a rest. Switch your routine up and if you fancy trying something new, be brave and go for it. By taking the plunge and doing something that is naturally a little scary, you can boost your self confidence. If you fancy trying out for the local ladies football team, go for it. If you want to learn the piano, book yourself in for a taster session. And if you want to have a go at a cake decorating course, enrol yourself in an evening class. There are so many evening classes at local colleges, and a lot of local community centres offer everything from yoga classes, to writers groups and art classes. 

There are plenty of things that you can do to help increase your confidence levels, don't let fear rule your life, if you want to do something do it. Yes it can be scary going into a room of people you don't know for the first time, but meeting new people and making new friends helps to extend your social circle and it also might help you to learn a new skill. Try something new, meet new people, and improve your self esteem.

Travel

To say that heading overseas and partaking in a spot of solo travel can be daunting, is an understatement, and it's would be a huge thing to do for the majority of people to do. However, it needn’t be, and lots of people, are now holidaying alone, enjoying their own company, and finding out a little bit more about themselves along the way. Travelling to another part of the world could see you immersing yourself in new cultures and trying new cuisine. Being somewhere totally new and speaking a different language forces you to rely on your own wits and you will find yourself in unfamiliar situations. Working out your own itinerary and solving problems on route will help boost your self confidence.

Take some holiday that you are owed from work or ask for an unpaid sabbatical so you can embark on your own wanderlust adventure. Think about the sort of destinations you would like to visit. Do you want to head to Iceland to look for the Northern Lights, or perhaps you’d like a physical adventure and trekking the Inca Trail is more up your street, or maybe you’d rather enjoy the beach life of Goa or the Maldives and a relaxing break is just what the doctor ordered. Whatever it is that you want to do and whatever vistas you want to see, ensure that you bite the bullet and get yourself booked on a flight. Book your accommodation and plan your travel to ensure that you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime. You will return oozing with self confidence, but if that's a tiny bit much for your there lots of travel companies that specifically focus on lone travellers, so you could explore somewhere new and meet new friends at the same time.

Self confidence is a funny thing, even a tiny comment from an acquaintance, or a message from someone online, or even a picture that we see online, can change how we feel about ourselves - a positive comment and our confidence soars, something negative, and a cycle of self loathing begins or is intensified. Whilst some of the things that I've mentioned can help you improve out self belief and self confidence. It's important to start with you - read these words, and remember them - you are as good as anyone else, you look amazing, you have an amazing personality, and you are a great person, don't ever let anyone make you feel anything less than what you are x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

My Weight Loss Journey Featuring XLS Medical* - An Update And Birthdays

A million apologies that this post is a few days later than planned but yet again life got in the way. For once though it wasn't for anything bad, I've uploaded a couple of You Tube videos this week, and I had a lovely day yesterday with Mummy Lou, we went to Chiquitos for lunch, did a bit of shopping and then I had an amazing Kiehls facial, hand and arm massage in the newly refurbished House Of Fraser Beauty Rooms, in their Intu Metrocentre store. Heaven, and the perfect start to my birthday celebrations!

Yes it's my birthday on Sunday and ahead of any potential naughtiness calorie wise, I though I better update you on how my weight loss journey is going.

Not too bad is the answer, although I've had a couple of wobbles here and there, and a couple of weeks where I didn't manage to lose any weight, since my last update  I've managed to lose 6lbs taking me to 12lbs in total.

I had a couple of really good weeks then I got sick again which contributed to a couple of wobbles, and then I had my godfathers 87th birthday party, which involved cake and lots of gluten free pizza :) so I'm taking the fact that I didn't gain anything over the 5 weeks or so as a bonus.

Maybe this is the XLS Medical Max Strength doing it's thing who knows? Even on my off days and days when I haven't been calorie counting I've still been taking the supplements so maybe they've helped stop the absorption of some of the excess fat and calories

Celebrations normally involve food, and I'm not intending to be too careful about what I eat over the next few days but I will be talking the supplements and trying to make some good choices. Yesterday in Chiquitos we didn't have starters or dessert, and I just had a salad (the Halloumi Citrus Salad in case you're interested) and me and Mummy Lou shared a side order of Sweet Potato Fries. I had a Costa Creamy Cooler too but I didn't eat very much else all day.

So one  birthday event down two to go, obviously there is my birthday itself and tomorrow night I'm going for a meal with my best friend to a local Greek restaurant so although there might be a few calories from the olive oil, maybe some chips and some cheese, I'll definitely be getting my five a day when it comes to vegetables,

I intend to enjoy my birthday and if that means eating a few bad (good) things then so be it - Everything in moderation and they say and I'll be back on it as soon as I can, and I'll be updating my Instagram from Monday with my weekly weigh in's regardless of the result..

I only have about a month's worth of the XLS Medical Max Strength supplements remaining so in about a months time I'll do another update, where I'll talk more about the supplements and talk about my experiences with them.

Thanks again for your support and if you have any questions please leave me a comment and let me know x Thanks for reading xx

*Samples

A Weight Loss Journey Update - Illness, A Big Fat Fail And A Small Positive

It's been over a month since I announced that I was restarting my weight loss journey and since then it's all gone a bit quiet, so I thought I owed you an explanation.

The reality is that yet again my healthy eating and weight loss plans went down the pan - I had a good couple of weeks without managing to lose any weight (probably down to star week) and then it all went belly up.

I had a few wobbles over Mothers Day weekend but then I was hit by an awful virus or should I say viruses! Over the next 3 weeks I had a UTI (sorry if that's a bit TMI), a sickness and diarrhoea bug, and finally a horrible cold / chest infection that I can't seem to shake off, and then of course came Easter!

How I haven't gained any weight I'll never know, maybe the various viral infections played their part and scared the calories and periods of over indulgence away, but whatever the reason I have to take it as a positive and put this wobble behind me.

So from yesterday I'm back on it and I've even more determined then ever - I took what I hope will become a before photograph, that almost made me cry and that I hope will give me the push and inspiration that I need.

I'm going to trying to eat more healthily, I'm aiming to eat less than 1500 calories a day and I'm going to be resuming my XLS Medical Max Strength* trial. I'm also going to try and up my activity levels, I'm going to start slowly and just do more around the house including tidying and decorating before hopefully moving on to a bit of Wii Fit, a bit of yoga, and hopefully once the weather gets better I'm going to pop my trainers on and start going for a daily walk just to get myself out of the house and to get myself moving.

So after yet another false start I'm back and raring to go, as per usual I will be weighing on Monday's and updating my progress be it good or bad on my Instagram (link in the sidebar x ) and in a month's time I'll do another blog post to let you know how I'm getting on. Wish me luck xx

*Sample

Restarting My Weight Loss Journey Featuring XLS Medical Max Strength*

It's hard to believe but it's been nearly 3 months since I put the breaks on my latest weight journey - doesn't time fly. A lot of water has gone under the bridge and I've eaten a lot of chocolate since then but after a few months worth of trials and tribulations I'm ready to start again.

Although I couldn't eat anything too hard, or too sticky or too crunchy I still managed to put on quite a bit of weight over Christmas. Salvation came though when the tooth said goodbye, 7 days of liquids and sloppy food meant that my weight loss journey started without me even trying. 

In the month that' followed I've had some good days and some bad days but since I first stepped on the scales on the Monday before my surgery I've managed to lose 6lbs by just making little tweaks here and then.

From today though I'm back on it good and proper and I'm going to be resuming my XLS Medical Max Strength trial. I started using this weight loss aid last June, and I really think it made a difference (Find out more about my previous experience by typing XLS Medical into the search box or have a read of some of my previous posts, here, here and here. Thanks to the tooth though and various unrelated health issues I had to put the trial on hold. From today though I'm back on it and for the next 3 months I'm going to be taking 4 tablets a day, whilst watching what I eat, drinking plenty of water and trying to increase my activity levels. 

What I was doing before seemed to be working so I'm going to try and do the same thing again - I'm a bit of a devotee of calorie counting so that's what I'm going to do. It makes sense really, eat less calories, and you'll lose weight - simples! Well I know it's not that simple. it's tough, it's hard and it needs serious willpower, but by making small changes, taking my XLS Medical supplements,eating 3 healthy meals a day, cutting down on the cheese and the chocolate, and by moving my body a bit more, hopefully I'll be able to shed those pounds and feel a bit more confident and a bit happier.

I still don't feel confident enough to reveal my full weight on the blog at the moment so all I'll say it at the moment I weigh:

1%st 8lbs

I have quite a bit  of weight to lose, and I know that it won't be a quick fix but I'm hoping that the XLS Medical tablets can do there thing, and at least help my kick start my weight loss over the next 3 months. I'm only going to be posting monthly updates on the blog, so if you want to keep tracks on my progress please follow me on either Instagram or Twitter where I'll be posting my weekly weigh in's every Monday. Thanks as per usual for your support, if you have any questions let me know and if you're interested in XLS Medical in general or the XLS Medical Max Strength supplements then don't forget to check out their website for more information x

*Sample

My Weight Loss Journey Featuring XLS Medical Max Strength* - Part 2

It's been a little while since I posted a weight loss update so I thought it was about I did a little post to let you know whats been going on.

I started my new weight loss programme with XLS Medical Max Strength, with a huge amount of enthusiasm and willpower and by the time I published my first post, which you can read here, I'd already lost 5lbs, fast forward over a month and a half later I'm only 8lbs down, so what happened?

Well the usual thing for me - illness. The chest and lung infection from hell, attacked my system for over 3 weeks, so dieting was pretty much out of the question, my immune system was shot and it needed all the help it could get. Throw in a family bereavement and another relative being in intensive care and to be honest I'm surprised that the scales are still showing an overall loss.

From this week though I'm back on it, I'm keeping an eye on my calorie intake, I'm keeping a food diary and or course I've started taking my XLS Max Strength supplements again.

I promised in my last post that I'd tell you a little bit more about the supplements and how they work, so here we go x I'm not going into too much detail but basically what XLS Medical Max Strength is, is weight loss aid that can help users reach their weight loss goals up to 4 times faster than diet and exercise alone.

How it does this is by the inclusion of a patented, gentle, organic plant based complex, Clavitanol, which reduces the break down and absorption of dietary carbohydrates, sugar and fat, which in turn leads to a reduced calorie intake. It also helps to stabilise blood glucose and insulin levels which helps to reduce food cravings.

This product has been rigorously tested, and the plant based ingredient is gentle on the system. Full instructions and contra indication information is supplied in every box and all you do is take two tablets, about half an hour before you eat your two main meals of the day, you even get a nifty little pillbox for when you're on the go. Unlike some weight loss supplements I've used in the past these don't seem to have any of the nasty side effects such as diarrhoea or nausea, in fact all I've noticed is a little bit of bloating.  

Although it sounds good these tablets aren't for everyone and for good reason. Supplements like this are for people that have a weight problem and really need to lose weight. For that reason you need to have a BMI of over 18.5 to take them. It's also only recommended for adults over the ages of 18 unless it's given under the supervision of a GP or a dietician, and it goes without saying that it isn't suitable for women who are pregnant or breast feeding. If you're diabetic its also recommended that you consult a health professional before use as the tablets can interfere with medication, but to be honest before you take any form of supplement or pill you should always consult with your GP even if you consider yourself fit and healthy.

So I'm back on it and with just over 2 months supply of tablets remaining, I'm going to give it my best shot x I I'm looking forward to receiving some support and encouragement from Jodie Reif who is a registered dietician and in house dietican for XLS Medical Max Strength, and of course from you guys x  I want to thank you all as per usual for your support. From next week, weekly weight losses (or gains!) will be appearing again every Monday on my Instagram and Twitter page so don't forget to follow me, and in a month I'll do another update post for you x You can find out more about XLS Medical Max Strength by visiting their website and if you have questions about my journey please let me know x 

*Sample

My New Weight Loss Journey Featuring XLS Medical Max Strength* - Part 1

I guess I'm beginning to sound a bit like a broken record with so many false dawns and false starts, but last week I restarted my weight loss journey.Over the last 12 months or so it's been a bit stop / start but on my birthday of all days I decided that I needed to make some changes in all areas of my life.

Why weight loss? well I'm officially classed as obese, bah humbug you should be happy what ever your size, people shouldn't be labelled and all that. Fine if you're happy and you have that self confidence but not so much if you're like me and looking the mirror at times makes you feel miserable.

Recently I attended a press event and I the night before I literally burst into tears as I tried to find something that looked decent and didn't highlight my wobbly tummy and my bum. Okay I was probably being a bit dramatic but if you don't feel comfortable in your own skin, all the reassurances and common sense in the world won't make one bit of difference. Believe me I've tried, I admire and love so many plus size / eff your beauty standards bloggers but when you're hating on yourself as much as I have been lately it's impossible to see anything positive about the way you look.

I've never had a lot of self confidence, or confidence in my appearance, even many moons ago when I was a size 8, so why do I think it will make a difference now? Well I'm older and maybe a little bit wiser, I know that being a bit slimmer isn't going to change my life dramatically but I need to at least give it a try for my health, if not for my self confidence.

I didn't want this to be an Oh Woe Is Me post, so I'm sorry if it's heading that way but losing weigh isn't the easy thing that some people make it out to be. It's a physical and emotional journey that effects every part of your life

I've been told on many occasions by my GP and my hospital specialist that it's will be hard for me to lose weight due to my illness, lack of exercise and my medication but I'm going to give it my best shot and I fully intend to prove them wrong.

So how am I going to be doing it? Well pretty much the same way that I've done it in the past, watching what I eat, making healthy choices, and less snacking. I did consider trying a slimming club but the expense put me off and I know that this method works for me - Many moons ago I lost 4 stone doing something similar so despite the obstacles now in my path I know it can be done.

This time round though I do have a little bit of a support. A month or so ago now I was invited down to London to meet Denise Van Outen, who is the brand ambassador for weight loss tablet XLS Medical Max Strength. Unfortunately because I'm a northerner travelling down to London the majority of times just isn't possible so the PR company gave me the opportunity to take part in the week XLS Medical Get Back To The Real You, 12 week challenge, and sent me three months supply of the XLS Medical Max Strength supplements*

Diet pills and supplements have always been controversial but for me I need a kick start. I'm going to talk more about what they do and who they are for in a future but be rest assured these aren't just some random pills I've got off the internet. XLS Medical are the biggest weight loss brand in Europe and their products are available in most major pharmacies. My BMI is high enough and I've checked with my GP so I'm good to go.

I'm not going it alone though, every person who buys XLS Medical Max Strength can either log onto their website or download the app, and register for their free support programme, to get support, meal tips and advice from their in house dietician Jodie Relf. I'm going to be speaking to the XLS team once a week via email and I think that their support will be invaluable.

I've been taking four tablets a day for the past week, and in my first week I've lost 5 pounds. Have the tablets helped? I'm not sure yet but I've experienced no side effects as yet so all's well. I'm not going to be doing a weekly update post or anything like that, instead I'm going to be updating my instagram every Monday with how much I've lost or gained, and I'm going to be doing a monthly post to keep you updated. My next post will be in around four week time and as well as updating you on my progress I'll also be explaining a bit more about XLS Max Strength how they work, the science behind them,and who can use them, but if you want to find out more please have a look at their website x

So although I'm going down a slightly controversial route to some, hopefully it's going to give me the kick start that I need x Thanks for your support as per usual and thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with either a beauty or fashion post depending on how I'm feeling xx

*Samples

My Final Weight Loss Update - 11 Months In And Still 27lbs Down! - Honesty, Regret And Moving On

I'm going to apologise for the honesty within this post if that isn't your thing feel free to click the cross and come back tomorrow for some beauty cheeriness. Try as you might life isn't always a bed of roses though and sometimes you just need to share.

I started 2014 with the best intentions I wanted to deal with my excess weight once and for all. Up until April I did well by and large I ate healthily with the occasional treat, and as expected the weight came off. The problem I guess started with my birthday I got out of the healthy sensible eating pattern, it showed, and I gained a few pounds.

I did manage to lose most of  and I really tried to get back on track but for some reason it just never happened. I don't want to make excuses but medication changes, stresses, and periods of ill health all played their part, and over the last 4 months or so I've really struggled to lose any weight at all. I've become one of the yo yo dieters, gain a pound, lose a pound, and repeat, and repeat, so when I weighed in this morning I was exactly the same weight that I was at end of September.

I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed after all I haven't gained anything really for 2 whole months and I should be starting 2015 weighting less than I did in 2014, but I am. I started this year so well and it just all seems to have fizzled out. People who started their weight loss journeys at the same time as me have streaked ahead of me and whilst I know we shouldn't compare ourselves to others, to be honest I feel like a bit of a failure.

At the start of the year, the idea was to use my blog to inspire me on my weight loss journey but lately it's done the exact opposite. When the numbers stop changing, the pounds stopped coming off, and the posts started to become repetitive I almost felt as though I was letting you down. I know that's daft but losing weight for a lot of people is very much a mental thing and if your feelings about it change then it inevitable that the outcome will change too.

I'm not saying that documenting my journey on the blog is the reason why I haven't done as well as I'd hoped but I need to make a fresh start. I'm not the type of person that gives up easily so my weight loss journey will continue. Yes I'm going to allow myself treats over Christmas but from January operation weight loss will be back on.

I'm going to make a serious effort to develop a better relationship with food, and getting back into regular mealtime routines is a must. I'm also hoping that the Thinking Slimmer system will do it's thing and help me achieve a more positive mind set again when it comes to food and weight loss. It helped me so much at the start of this year and in the early days of my journey way back in 2013 and fingers crossed that it will make a difference this time round.

So nothings going to really change, well, apart from the fact that I'm no longer going to be documenting my journey on my blog. The monthly weight loss updates are no more and my update page will disappear from today. I hope you understand my reasoning but I will still be updating my instagram page as and when if you're still interested.

I want to thank you all for your support over the last 11 months, and despite what I've said I really appreciated every tweet, piece of advice and every encouraging comment. Onwards and upwards, as they say or downwards in my case x Thank you for reading and thank you for being there x

(Various Thinking Slimmer Slim Pods Have Been Provided For Review / Promotional Purposes)

Weight Loss Update - 10 Months In - Still 27lbs Down

If you been following my weight loss progress over the last month both on instagram, and via my weight loss page, you'll have noticed that I haven't updated either. I could make excuses as to why but to be honest what's the point. The truth is quite simple - I haven't weighed myself for a whole month.

I have had so many other things on my mind this month, and I've been so busy doing lots of new and exciting stuff, that thinking about what I've been putting in my mouth just hasn't been that important, to me. I've had one of those months where I've eaten exactly what I wanted, without a thought for the fat or calorie content. It hasn't all being bad as I'm sure Friday's Foodie Review Of The Month will prove but nothing was off limits.

Admitadly I've started the new month at the same weight that I ended the last, so it's not all bad, but I really feel as though I'm on runaway train at the moment when it comes to weight loss. I have a horrible feeling that if I don't start putting the brakes on, I'll undo all my good work from the beginning of this year, and end up back where I started.

Being so busy I guess has highlighted one of the reasons why I struggle with food and weight loss. Because of my varying illnesses and conditions I have really irregular sleep patterns, bad enough on it's own but it also has a knock on effect on meal times. I really struggle with the 3 meals a day thing - Because I have trouble sleeping at night I often don't get up till at least lunchtime meaning that I'm missing out on at least one meal a day. The sensible option would be to replace that meal properly but more often than not I just graze or pick at food instead.

It's easy to blame my illness for so much but I'm making a real effort not to let it define me anymore.
The sleep problem won't be solved overnight but I know I can make a real effort to get out of my rut and change how I eat. Not only watching what I put into my mouth but also by trying to eat regular meals rather than just the one a day and a pile of snacks. ,

It's not going to be easy but I think it's the only way. I did so well at the start of the year by eating two or three good meals a day and cutting down on my snacks so I know that I can do it. So from today I'm calorie counting, and I'm back listening to my Slim and Chill Pods and I'm really trying to get back on it.

I've been a crap role model with this one, I know, but I always said that this would be a hard and long journey for me, and so it proved. I promise I will keep my instagram and my blog page updated for you so you can see how I'm getting on x Thanks for reading and for your support and I'll see you tomorrow with a beauty review x

(Various Thinking Slimmer Slim Pods Have Been Provided For Review / Promotional Purposes)

Foodie Friday - Diet Coke Quorn

Happy Halloween hope your having a spooktastic evening, I've had a busy afternoon carving my pumpkin, and making my traditional Pumpkin And Toasted Sweetcorn Soup, and my Spicy Mexican Cornbread - Yummy! I thought about making something spooky themed but instead for today's Foodie Friday post I'm going to give you a recipe that's been requested quite a few times.

Way back in January when I started my weight loss journey, I went on the hunt for new low fat, and low calorie recipes to add to my repertoire. Although I don't follow either Slimming World or Weight Watchers I've really enjoyed cooking and trying out some of the recipes that people on the pans use. Obviously their own websites are worth a look but I also found a few gems via instagram and google.

One of the strangest recipes that I found was for Diet Coke Chicken! The idea isn't really that new though, Nigella has been doing here ham in Coca Cola for years and speaking to several people that have tried it, it's amazing. Odd sounding I know but Cola is quite a sweet, spicy drink, full of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, which adds real flavour and depth to anything that it's cooked with. Obviously being vegetarian I couldn't use chicken but I saw a few people make it with Quorn pieces and fillets so I thought I'd give it a go. 

I wasn't really sure about putting this recipe up because it's not really mine. You just have to look around on the internet to find a zillion different versions of this recipe. Every time I've posted a picture on here or on my instagram though I've been asked for the recipe so here you go. This is my interpretation, it's still quite healthy though but I'll tell you later how you can make it less or alter it to suit your own tastes.

Diet Coke Quorn

10 Spray Of Fry Light (I'm Using Garlic)

4 x Cloves Garlic- Roughly Chopped

1 x Onion - Roughly Chopped

2 Sticks Celery - Finely Chopped

2 x Carrots

1 x Courgette

1 x Pepper - Red, Yellow, Or Orange

300g Quorn Pieces - Defrosted If Frozen

1 x Tin Chopped Tomatoes

200g Mushrooms - Roughly Chopped

330ml Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Or Any Other Diet Cola

1 Tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1. Spray your Fry Light into a large pan, I'm using a large saute pan here but a casserole dish or pan would probably be better. Add your garlic, onion and celery to the pan and cook over a medium until the onions are soft and translucent

2. Roughly chop your courgette and carrots, You want everything to be roughly the same size so cut them both length ways, then slice. Add those to the pan and cook for a few minutes x

3. Then roughly chop your peppers, I have a combination of red orange and yellow here because I was using mini ones. Add those to the pan and cook your vegetables for about 5 minutes.

4. Then add your mushrooms, and cook for about 10 minutes, your pan will be quite full but don't panic the mushrooms and the vegetables will continue to cook down and soften.

5. Finally your Quorn Pieces, you could add them at the first stage but to be honest you don't really want to crisp the, you want them to absorb all the flavours, so adding them now works fine. Pop a lid on for about 10 minutes.

6. Add your tinned tomatoes

Then your Chinese 5 Spice powder. This is a fab herb and spice blend containing cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, ginger and black pepper. It's quite strong and quite aniseedy, so if your not sure add less that I do,you can always add a bit more later.

Then add your tomato puree, and your soy sauce.

7. Stir it all together and then add your Diet Coke. I'm using a bottle of Pepsi Max here which I've measured out but any diet coke type drink works. In fact I think the cheaper ones work better because they usually have a bit more of a cinnamon or clove flavour. 

You might not be able o fit it all in at once but just let it reduce a bit and then add so more.

8. The cook over a low / medium heat for at least an hour. The sauce, will have reduced, thickened and darkened. Have a taste and then you can add more 5 Spice or soy to taste.

Done - serve with either rice, pasta, or even fried rice. This recipe makes 4 very generous portions, and it will keep for a day or so in the fridge if you have left overs. Simply reheat in a pan or in the the microwave adding a little bit of diet coke or a bit or water.

Simple as it's very easy to adapt to suit your own needs and tastes. You can use whatever vegetables you like, this just happens to be what I usually have in the veg basket. You can also vary the flavouring although I do think that 5 Spice gives it a great flavour. You can also add a bit of chilli or some Worcester sauce to give it a bit more of a kick. The original recipe used tomato passata instead of tinned tomatoes but that gives a much more sauce based dish, but it's up to you. ou could also use Quorn Fillets or chopped up Quorn Roast and it goes without saying you could use chicken or gammon.I'm trying to be health conscious here but if you want to throw calories or caution to the wind you could use oil instead of Fry Light and of course you could use full fat and full sugar coke.

I was really sceptical about this dish when I first made it but it's become a really favourite and Me and Mummy Lou now have this at least once a month. If you haven't tried it yet I'd definitely recommend you give it a go, sometimes it pays to experiment x Happy Eating xx