Still truckin'

Despite a strong start at the beginning of the year, my weightloss came to a bit of a stall in April and I found myself losing and gaining the damn 5lbs over and over again.

 It was hard and my motivation has not been forthcoming but i have finally pushed through and seem to be back on track.

January (200lbs) to May (173.6lbs)

 I posted this progress picture on my facebook the other day and I can't believe how much my body has changed in a matter of months.

May in Norway is a crazy time with public holidays left, right and centre which is great as it means lots of breaks from working and lots of time to chill out but it also means lots of sitting inside watching TV (seeing as its still raining rivers in Bergen) or lots of drinking/party time.

so my main goal for this month is to enjoy the parties and celebrations on the long weekend, which includes the Norwegian national day, my dear friend Katharines birthday, my 25th birthday, and then the party for my birthday. and then get back down to business seeing as my holiday is now only 38 days away!!!!

NSV - Non Scale Victories

Now let me start off by saying

 I LOVE MY SCALE

  even when it shows me a number I don't like

for me stepping on the scale in the morning is the best way to get myself ready for the day. If it shows me a loss I feel fantastic, if it shows a gain, it reminds me to stay focused and to work my ass off!

However sometimes it can be incredibly gratifying to find some NSV's or non scale victories.

Like this comparison picture

When I was originally putting together this picture I did not realise just how different I looked, and while the weights aren't hugely far apart it really shows me how much my body has changed!!

another NSV has been fitting into all three pairs of jeans that my mum bought me for Christmas,

When I got them and tried them on I was gutted to realise that not one pair of them fit well, and I almost send them back but a mere two months later and they all fit perfectly!! (now they are even getting a little loose after being worn all day!)

I recently bought this dress online

In a size a lot smaller than I am today and I am hoping that this will be one of my future NSV's!!!

hopefully in time for my 25th Birthday!!

What are your latest NSV's???

Fitbook Review

I came across the Fitbook on Amazon a while back while looking for a food journal of some sort, and was instantly attracted to it, especially because it functions as both an exercise and food journal. oh and it comes with a super cute little pen!

"research shows that people who write down their goals are 75% more likely to achieve them. true - living a healthy, fit lifestyle takes discipline and hard work, but setting up yourself for success starts with jotting down your goals and making a realistic plan for achieving them.

introducing fitbook™ - the personalized, flexible and functional line of fitness + nutrition journals that offer a unique 12-week system to plan for success, track your progress, and reach your goals."  - visit the fitbook website

I have been using my fitbook for 6 weeks now and during that time I have lost over 10lbs, so I really wanted to share what it is like.

At the beginning of the book it gives you some sample pages to give you an idea of how to fill it in,

borrowed from amazon

Then it is time to get started yourself.

First up is setting yourself a 12 week plan, there are spaces for you to enter your current stats and your goals, and on the other side a 12 week exercise planner so you can figure out when you are going to get your workouts in.

as you can see I have not entirely filled in my plan yet as I always think of extra things as I go along.

And then you can really get going 

Each week starts off the same way with a weekly exercise and food planner on one page and a place to write down goals, rewards and notes on the next page.

I really like this feature as I am a natural born planner with lists coming out of my ears, so sitting down on Sunday evening and planning the week ahead is very satisfying.

Next you have your daily pages

an exercise log on one page

I really like that it has separate spaces for strength training and cardio and also has a little section so you can jot down anything noteworthy from the day.

and a food diary on the opposite

Probably one of my favourite features of the whole book is the nutrient tracker and recommended servings next to it. It certainly helps me keep in mind what i SHOULD be eating during the day.

At the end of the week it has a lovely little wrap up section where you can write down how well you followed your plan, you also get spaces to note down the good points from the week and the not so good, as well as a space to journal your thoughts and feelings from the week.

I especially enjoy the inspiration section on this page which helps me remember why I am working my ass off each week!

Then when you finally reach the end of your 12 weeks (mine finishes on my 25th Birthday!)

you will find this page

which lets you see how you have done compared to the goals you set yourself!

I cannot wait to reach the end of my book and I hope I will have achieved some of my Goals, I know for sure that I will 110% be purchasing another Fitbook, maybe in white this time!
and so should you!! go grab one! they are a fantastic way to reach your goals!

this review was done entirely off my own back. I am recieving no compensation from FITBOOK

The Flat Tummy Club

Hey guys this is just a quick one to tell you about this new book i have been reading which in turn has inspired me so much i am getting ready to walk an hour to work!

 in the cold and possible rain people!!? 

this book must be doing something rightt!

the blurb says:

Depressed by her expanding waistline, Kate Adams set out to lose weight - and keep it off for good. Six months later and over two stone lighter she decided to share her experiences and set up the Flat Tummy Club. 

Now you too can become a member by following the foolproof Flat Tummy Club Diet:

1. Do the Flat Tummy Inquisition to work out where exactly your spare tyre comes from.

2. Beat the bloat and shed up to 7lbs in a week with the 7-day Jump Start.

3. Swap in the Top 20 Flat Tummy Foods to keep you on the straight and narrow-waisted.

4. Keep your flat tummy forever with tips to help you maintain your willpower when stress, holidays and work start getting in the way.

I say:

I haven't finished this book so far as i have only read week 1 of the plan it includes but i cannot tell you how inspired i feel by the first chapters 

(not even including the plan its self) 

The author knows her stuff 

and better yet when i'm reading it i don't feel like its all sciency jargon i don't understand.

 She talks about the need to tailor make a diet and not to just blindly follow a crazy one. 

she also talks about looking at the root of our  unhealthy and unhappy habits. 

after reading the first half of this book i woke up this morning at 6:30 

(usually i drag myself out of bed at 8) 

and have decided that to save the bybane money 

(another of my resolutions was to get debt free by 24) 

I am going to set off an hour and 15 mins before work and walk all the way to work!

so call me crazy, call me weird but check out this book -

 i downloaded it to my kindle and LOVED IT <3

also there us a website if you guys want to look a bit further into it

The Flat Tummy Club

also i forgot to mention yesterday but many of you found me anyways i am on MFP too