Friday 13 March 2015

What Keeps Me Motivated?

2015 - My 3 Month Progress 



Well its now the middle of march which is flabbergasting in itself how on earth have we gotten to March already??? 

Want to hear something even scarier? Its my last lecture for my masters on Thursday...I cant quite wrap my head around this! It doesn't seem long ago since the start of the degree & now its coming to the end of the taught part of the 12 month programme!!!




This got me thinking about progress and how I'm going to keep up my healthy eating and exercise whilst maybe not being in the same routine!! I started thinking about how I've kept myself motivated so far this year and what I can do to keep myself motivated to stay fit and healthy for the rest of the year!! 



I think one of the main motivators is the domino like effect that my diet and exercise has on my general well-being. 

Over the years many, many pounds of fat have come & gone...come & gone again...and come & hopefully gone for good this time.
The main lesson I have learnt is that when I eat unhealthy food and don't exercise I feel physically an mentally sluggish.



This is what keeps me motivated at the moment, because completing my Masters degree requires a lot of time, effort and energy.
There are lectures to attend and learn from, research to complete along with many different assignments.
To complete these to a high standard requires me to be on top form.
I find I am at my most energetic and motivated when I am eating a healthy well balanced diet and participating in regular exercise.



As a student this in itself can be a challenge, not only are you limited by budget but also sometimes your time is monopolised by numerous conflicting assignment deadlines.
I have to keep the knowledge that my best chance of completing assignments to a high standard is if I also prioritise my own health because as soon as this goes so does my motivation and ability to complete the assignments.

I find that I can sometimes feel guilty about exercising when I have numerous assignments, research and lectures to attend to even with the positive impact I know it has. So I like to have a fitness goal to keep me accountable for. This year that has been running a 10km race and now training to run another half marathon.
By having a goal that I have signed up to, this allows me to have a training programme to stick to.
A great motivation is knowing that in so many weeks/months you will have to run that race so you better be ready for it!!


Diet wise, I actually find it the easiest I ever have done to keep eating healthy. I think that is because this time I see it more as a way of life than a punishment for getting fat again.

This time round I am enjoying experimenting with new foods and finding healthier ways of enjoying much loved recipes.
I am also finding this blog, twitter and Instagram great motivators  to continue on the healthy lifestyle.
They are also really great for finding inspiration and a little bit of support when needed.



So there we go, that has been my motivation for keeping me on track for my 2015 health and fitness goals.
I think it's going pretty well so far. I will keep you updated throughout the year on my journey to a healthier lifestyle!

Let me know what yours have been in the comments below or tweet me @YourMBC

Remember, It's Your Mind, Your Body, Your Choice!

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Review of 1st GymJunkies Box

January's Gym Junkies Box
Review

So @Gymjunkies have sent out their first monthly box & I thought I'd review the contents :)

I chose the slimming box from their website (they also have a bulker & a beginner box), it's dead easy to order just go to their website & follow the links- https://www.gymjunkies.co.uk/

It arrived in a lovely little box (postman was a little cute as well ;p)
Like a big kid at Christmas I couldn't wait to open it to see what was inside...

Look at all the goodies :)
Packed in were 9 products to sample here's what I thought of them:


Bounce Ball Peanut Protein Blast

I really liked this, as you probably know if you read my blog posts I'm a little bit obsessed with PeanutButter so this was already a winner.
I used it as fuel for a nice long run, it was great and didn't leave me feeling sick etc!
Would not normally have bought them as they are a little expensive but after trying them will now get them to have in my gymbag

Protein Drinks USlim Chocolate Shake

Oh My Days this was gorgeous. I had seen the day before that someone had added it to their Weetabix instead of standard milk & had to give it a go myself.
Definitely a good idea, I tried it on it's own first which was lovely as well
Would definitely recommend, particularly as its only 106 Calories per bottle & 15g of protein so perfect for those trying to slim down but still have healthy tasty food/drinks
Battle Oats Double Choc Chip flapjack

This was beautiful, I had seen them advertised and raved about by many on Twitter and was so happy to find one in the box. It was very yummy and I will definitely be trying these again soon!!
Itsu Dark Chocolate Covered Rice Cakes
These were lovely, you get 3 in a pack which is more than enough for an afternoon pickmeup snack!
I really like rice cakes anyway but with the added chocolate on these they were lovely, they also do them in other flavors which I will be trying!

Sports Kitchen Beef Bolognaise Pasta
This I will admit I was a little dubious of as i'm not one for eating the 'just add water to' type of meals. However, after getting in from a long day in Uni and realising I failed to remember to take meat out for dinner this looked like an angel in disguise.
It was easy to make just boil the kettle, add water, stir and leave for 5 minutes. It was tasty, not like cardboard, was the right consistency...not just flavoured water and the ingredients are good and its high protein. I don't know whether I would buy them again purely because I like to make my own meals, but for someone who needs fast nutritious high protein meals that are easy to transport and prepare then I would definitely recommend them. Saying that...these might be perfect for a summer camping trip, hmmm... :)!!

Highs Zero

These were really nice. I added them to my water for in the gym/out running. They gave a nice flavour and its definitely an economical way to have electrolyte drinks without having to buy the very expensive bottles. Would definitely recommend these!

Jodie Marsh Semtex 6 Pack

I chose not to use these as I don't really like to use fat burners of any tablet form
I gave them to a friend who wanted to try them anyway & she said they seemed good
Ultimately I would recommend weight loss through Diet & Exercise rather than using these but it is personal choice
Itsu Crispy Seaweed Thins

I used to really like the seaweed that you get on a platter at a Chinese Restaurant so I was quite excited to try these
Unfortunately my taste buds did not agree :/ these were not nice in my opinion, but that's probably just personal preference.
They do look pretty when they come out of the pack, and at 24 calories would help with a calorie controlled diet if that's what your wishing to do
Raging Bull Original Billatong

I'm not going to lie, out of all the items in the box I left this until last and was definitely not looking forward to trying it
When I opened the bag and smelt it, it smelt nothing like what I was expecting, it was quite pleasant
When I finally brought myself to taste it (this did take a wee while) surprisingly it was palatable. 
I personally will not be buying it myself, again that is due to personal preference rather than a complaint of the product


And Finally included in the box is a magazine to help with your diet & nutrition along with some workout plans for Bulkers & Slimmers


This gave some great meal option ideas along with a Fat Loss Workout programme & space to keep track of your progress.
This is really useful for inspiration and to keep you on track.


So there you go, the GymJunkies January Box Review
I really enjoyed trying different items that normally I wouldn't have bought!
It's great value for money and I can't wait to try next month's :)


Remember, It's Your Mind, Your Body, Your Choice!!!

Friday 6 March 2015

My SkinCare Routine

What is my Skin Care?


Quite a few people lately have mentioned how good my skin is looking (one person even said the word "perfect") and they ask how?
So I thought i'd write a post about what my skincare routine is and show you the products that I use at the moment! I say at the moment because I do like experimenting with products others recommend so please feel free to make any in the comments below or on twitter @YourMBC

Firstly I have all of my products in a nice bag which stays in my wardrobe so everything is quick to hand rather than hunting around for things.



Step by Step 

1. This is the best thing you can do for your skin (and body in general) and its totally FREE aswell!! What budget friendly student could resist right??? 

WATER 

Just drink lots of water throughout the day, keep yourself hydrated its so so so important! I genuiney noticed the biggest improvement in my skin when I started actually drinking enough water throughout the day! If your struggle with this but like me are quite easily swayed by pretty things then get one of these watr bottles which actually tells you when you should have drank how much by each part of the day :) simple and pretty! 

I do this routine morning & night! It may seem time consuming but trust me its totally worth it! 

2. So I start by removing any makeup with L'Oreal Sensitive Micellar Gel.
I really like this because its like a smooth cooling gel which just feels lively on your skin, doesn't hurt if you get it in your eye and removes all traces really easily!!!


3. Then I go and cleanse with Simple 
This is gentle on your skin, leaves it feeling soft & velvety & is really reasonable value for money! 



4. I then use L'Oreal velvety soft toner
This is really nice and genuinely velvety soft, I use it on my face and neck (its important not to forget about that) apply using a cotton pad. 


5. Next is my eye cream, I use 2 different ones, one in the morning and a different one in the evening because that's what I need, this may be different for you! 
In the morning I use simple eye regeneration cream! This is nice and gentle around the eyes, you only need a little blob and it helps keep that delicate eye area protected and hopefully those crow feet away for a little while longer! 



In the evening I use Boots cucumber eye gel, this is because I get dark circles under my eyes and after research found that this could be due to dehydration around that delicate skin area! So I put this on at night to allow this area to get a little TLC overnight! So far I have definitely noticed a difference so going to keep using it to see if it continues being effective!



6. Just in the morning I use this fabulous product the body shop pore minimiser on my cheeks as I have quite large pores, it does wonders, smells great and feels lovely :)!! 


7. Then I use a moisturiser, I use 2 different ones for morning and night as its important to have an SPF in your daytime one as it protects your skin from those nasty UV rays!! But its always a little more expensive so to keep costs down I then use a daily moisturiser without SPF at night! 



Both of these are Olay as this is what my mum has always used and her skin is just beautiful, the price tag is so reasonable as well for such a fantastic product!  

8. Once a week I also use a face mask, currently using the Montagne Jeunesse, which are really good, I will be writing a review of the 7 I bought recently in a couple of months so keep your eyes peeled for that one! 


I also bought this Simple deep cleansing face mask which is also very good and can be used twice a week if you wish.



So there it is, my lovely skincare routine, if you have any suggestions please let me know as I always love trying new products!! 

Once you get into a good routine its really easy to do & you honestly feel great after!! When the compliments come rolling in you wont ever want to stop! 


Remember, It's Your Mind, Your Body, Your Choice!