Hello again

20 posts?! Really just 20... Scarlet for my Ma. At the time, I really thought that I had more dedication to the blog. Second time for everything I guess. Lets Fast forward 21 months, I've changed jobs and gotten older,  that's about the height of it.

My relationship with food and with myself has remained pretty consistent. Nutrition wise, I am still trying to walk the tight-rope between "healthy, healthy, healthy" and  "all of the delicious food". I have always used food to coped with stress and life, which isn't ideal when you're on the old side of 25. I'm over that, I have decided to have a more forgiving, more sustainable outlook. As far as exercise goes things have been pretty similar to my food situation, I am either completely on it or completely off it, which not really forgiving or maintainable. I am absolutely going to address this, I can easily make the time for a few quick workouts during the week.

My new job is going really well, I say new job, but I've been there for almost a year.The working world is still sometimes stressful, I think it always will be, but hey it keeps me on my toes. I usually work three weekdays and every second weekend. On weekdays I finish up at 8 pm after a long 11 hours, this was leading to me being ravenous and scoffing dinner at 9 pm. This obviously ins't ideal. So I am toying with changing up my mealtimes.

Round two has officially kicked off, I hope to blog about health and lifestyle with some beauty and fashion thrown in for good measure.

This basically sums up my life...

Gym and healthy lemon drizzle cake.

My kitchen hates when I get the urge to bake! It knows what is coming... Something that looks like this:   

I got a Mary Berry cookery book for Christmas and I've been looking for an excuse to pick out a nice recipe ever since, then I thought feck it I don't need an "excuse"! After about five seconds of page turning, this really caught my eye. http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/lemon-drizzle-traybake I love lemon drizzle but I wanted to healthify it a touch. I got myself a bag of coconut flour, woooza it was expensive, €6.50 for a small bag. I've never used it before so just totally winged it. I defo needs perfecting, but as a first attempt it was really good. - man does coconut flour need moisture! 

Ingredients: 

For the cake mix. 

1 cup of stevia sweetener

220g soft butter

100g coconut flour - next time I'll use less! 

4 medium eggs

75g self raising flour

75g whole wheat flour - next time I'll do all whole wheat

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Milk to make batter consistency 200ml

The rind of two lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For the drizzle: 

The juice of two lemons stevia/sugar to taste- about a dessertspoon full. 

The best bit is how easy it is, all you have to do is put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and beat until mixed well and at a cake batter consistency. 

Cook at 170 Celsius untill cooked through and golden brown. Wait for a few minutes, gently remove the tin.

When warm - not hot, make up the drizzle and spoon over. 

The result 

Cakey deliciousness! Even the Boyf thought they were good! 

This quantity made 12 small cakes and one large cake, too much for me could have done a half measure. I also made a big mess getting them out of the tin so that also needs adjusting. I have to say though at half the carbs and vertually no sugar they make a pretty tasty treat. 

Now to the gym: 

I've managed to stick to my three day a week target, and mostly I get in four days!  I did an FX cut class on Wednsday- sweet Jesus, I found out first hand how slight my muscles are! I also got my gym programme and I'm signed up for a PT session on Tuesday, so it's all go at the min. 

Next week I'm on for Monday Tuesday and Friday with a possible Wednsday or Thursday. Then I'm off to Amsterdam at the weekend, woohoo. 

WIAW- from Monday

Oh jeez, I did an FX CUT class last night and I don't think I'll pull through. My legs and arms are sooo sore. Eeek, a very quick 40 mins though. Really good workout, but I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself now. 

Anywhooo, back to the food, look at all of the other WIAW's over with peas! 

Breakfast was two hard boild eggs. 

Again snore but so quick and easy. 

Snack was a bananna- no pic, I scoffed it before I remembered to! 

Lunch: one slice of brown bread, half and avocado and a small tun of no added sugar beans. - so delish! With water tea and an apple.

Snack was a few sugar free sweets and a handful if fiber one cereal. 

Dinner: the other half of avocado, a salad topped with some leftover chilli and a slice of brown bread, plus cheese on top. 

Evening snack was a small snack bar and tea. 

High protein satisfying breakfast.

Protien pancakes seem to be fairly common on the healthy living blog circuit these days and I have to say I am partial to one on the weekends. I first started out making them with protien powder, but I've run out and prob won't purchase any more in the near future. So I had to improvise, this recipie was my inspiration for sure! 

Ingredients: 

1 egg

1-2 dessert spoons of musli- I wanted plain oats but didn't have any! 

1 dessert spoon of milled linseeds with goji berries.

Milk- enough make a batter consistency 

Vanilla extract. 

Dump all of the ingredients in a blander untill smooth. Pour onto a hot pan and allow to cook slowly. I put too much milk in so had to finish mine off under the grill, untill golden and cooked through. 

While the pancake is cooking I put some frozen mixed  berries in the microwave and added some stevia for taste. When bubbling a syrupy I poured over the cooked pancake. 

Result: 

Now, this for me was a success, no added sugar, low carb, high protein and very satisfying. That said, I'm not going to lie the pancake still tasted slightly eggy- not overly so, but still more than a regular pancake. 

I reckon if I could adjust this slightly it could be a winner. 

Sunday catch up gym and next week work outs.

This week was kind of tricky, but I managed to get in a two gym workouts, and two walks.

Each gym session was cardio and strength, Wednsday cardio was a run and strength was a 45 minute pilates clas that was really great.  Thursday, I just did my own thing. Then Saturday and Sunday are hilly walks. Two crisp 60 minutes! 

This week will be easier to fit exercise in, I'm thinking Tuesday, Wednsday, Friday and Saturday. 

I had a consultation with a personal trainer. Apparently my body fat is 26%, eeek not too bad but I think exercise will help to drop this slightly. He was a lovely guy and I will get my full programme next Friday. And I'm actually really looking forward to getting started on it. 

I have still yet to meditate at all.... Ugh, it's just not in my routine at all. My drive to work on Friday was quite stressful and then I found myself emotionally eating on Saturday, I know one leads to and other. I just need to get relaxation into my routine, do it regularly, it needs to be a priority! 

Wiaw- snacking muchly

Thanks peas for hosting! 

This is my WIAW from Monday! 

What a disaster day, I got up, got myself ready to go, packed up my breakfast (threw it into my hand bag), but left my coffee and lunch on the counter (ready to carry out to the car), I was running a bit late so it all became a bit frantic. I jumped into the lift and realised my dress was on inside out, when I got into the car I realised I had left my coffee behind, then I needed to stop and get petrol, then, just as I was walking into work I noticed that I had left my luch sitting happily on the kitchen counter ready to live another day. Ugh! It was all uphill after that though. 

Anyway, breakfast, this is not Mondays picture I bagged up my lunch and made it in work but this is exactly what I had. One banana, with a dessert spoon of musli and two of milled linseed and chia seed mix, and a hand full of chopped almonds, cover in milk and eaten like cereal.- two large warm waters, no coffee :( 

Snack was another bananna. 

Lunch: takeaway soup and two slices of brown bread. Seriously delish, red pepper and tomatoe I think. 

Snack: almonds

Dinner: a slice of whole grain bread, hummus and  half an avacdo.  That plate looks messy, ewwww.

Evening snack was a light hot chocolate and two squares of cadburys caramel bar. 

Very delisious, very snacky day! 

http://www.peasandcrayons.com/2014/01/wiaw-156.html?m=1

Gym recap and this weeks plan

Ah , so last weeks plan was to work out Monday, Tuesday and Wednsday or Thursday and Friday. Monday was a wash, I was passing the gym at. 8.40 and I just wasn't feeling it that late at night, but I went on Tuesdays for a proper cardio and strength session, Wednsday was a lovely short swim and sauna, I also went on Friday and Saturday for similar cardio and strength work outs. 

I try to do about 30 mins cardio and 20-25 mins strength. For strength I normally pick two upper body, two lower body and two ab exercises and rotate them. 

This week is a little tricky because I'm going to visit the parentals waaaaaay down in the sticks this weekend, which rules out the gym on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sooo, my aim is gym it on Monday, Wednsday and Thursday, then I'll go for a good walk on Saturday, possibly Sunday aswell depending on the week. I'm going to see 12 years a slave on Tuesday and might go to a work meal on Thursday so I'm not 100% this week will work out as planned. 

I didn't manage to get in even one meditation session, I think I really could have used a couple though. Yesterday and today I found myself stress eating for sure, I know it's emotional when I'm eating junk food I don't even normally want! Such a waste of food to be honest, I get no enjoyment out of it and it's a waste of time. But look, it's okay it wasn't a major blow out or anything just totally unnecessary. This week again is tricky, Wednsday I'll get a quick session in and Saturday but I really think that might be it. 

I know that the relaxation is key, but I just can seem to "find the time"!