Frumpy to fabulous

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Over the last month I’ve been experimenting with ways to improve my lifestyle choices and in turn, lose weight.

For a long time I’ve been unhappy with how I look and haven’t felt confident. I would wear yard clothes, work uniform or baggy jumpers yet have lots of Summer dresses sat in my wardrobe gathering dust.

On the 21st June, I sought advice from my closest friend who had personal training experience and my new lifestyle began. Now I’m not going to exaggerate anything in this post. I want it to be an honest article to help NORMAL people lose weight in a NORMAL way around work and a social life. No fancy diets or magic here I’m afraid and you won’t be shifting 10lb in a week. These are steps I have taken to kickstart my frumpy to fabulous journey and I’m living proof they’re working.

So here we go. I’d love to hear your thoughts at the end!  

An open attitude

Honestly, the best thing to adopt before any kind of weight loss journey is an open attitude. If you’re stuck in your ways with food or exercise you need to accept that to lose weight you will have to make changes. I did and it was difficult but so far I don’t think I could go back to my lifestyle before. Having an open attitude and looking at the journey positively will help you progress; remember, the start of the journey is you at your heaviest so try to not get bogged down about your starting figure. Mine was my heaviest weight by far but 4 weeks in, I feel less frumpy and more energetic, even if I don’t look much different on the outside!

Spices

The more spice you throw on food, the tastier it is. The tastier it is the more you enjoy it. The more you enjoy it the less you feel like you’re dieting. This is how I’m looking at food now! I was stuck in a rut making the same dinners so to experiment with herbs and spices was one step towards making new meals. I headed straight to Aldi to stock up as they’re super cheap and have a wide variety of spices and flavourings, as well as fresh herbs and herb plants for your kitchen windowsill.

Portion sizes

Looking back, I think my worst enemy was always portion sizes. I was never one for weighing food and once the food was on my plate I wouldn’t like to leave it or “waste it”. I started off by weighing my cereal and it was so upsetting that my usual portion size was literally double the recommended serving. Another example was when I would make a recipe from a cookbook and weighed out pasta to use, again it was half the amount I would have pre-lifestyle change. Getting this under control was difficult the first couple of days but after that my body seemed to adjust.

Water intake

Following on nicely from the point above, I’d always have water with my meal. I’d been told that quite often when you’re stomach feels empty it is often due to dehydration and to take a big drink of water. Well, I’m now drinking approximately 3 litres of water a day and can just about curb the snack cravings!

Alcohol-free zone

One of the most difficult decisions was to give up alcohol whilst I was trying to lose weight. Now, I come from a family of alcohol appreciators and not having wine, prosecco, gin or cider in the house was considered a dire emergency. I also recently purchased a crate of wine of Laithwaites that I hadn’t quite finished, so I had to hide the last bottles at the back of the cupboard. Alcohol is empty calories and as my body only needed about 1600 calories a day to maintain weight, let alone lose any, I didn’t have ANY calories to spare. So, since the 21st June I have only drank water or tea but a positive is that my skin has cleared up nicely. However, I did break this rule for my birthday but didn’t go too crazy!

Balsamic vinegar

I never knew how delicious this stuff was until I started using it to cook with. Throwing it over a steak whilst it is cooking adds so much flavour or it’s great to jazz up a salad. Farm shops have some fantastic selections and I’ve currently got a balsamic and orange vinegar to try from the brand new Elliott’s Farm Shop near Weedon.

Low fat spreadable cheese

I’m a cheese lover and between Dan and I we used to go through 2 blocks a week. Not great for the waistline! However, low fat spreadable cheese is great on crackers or Ryvitas and I still feel like I’m getting my cheese ‘hit’. I also fell in love with Parmesan, an equally cheesy substitute that you don’t need much of for flavour.

The Body Coach’s cookbooks

I’ve had these books for a few years now but never really paid much attention to them until I decided to start my new healthier way of living. However, once I opened them and saw how easy the recipes were, I never looked back! I’ve had cookbooks before where you have to buy lots of hard-to-find ingredients that could be expensive. They also only included recipes that take a while to prepare – something I found tedious fitting in around work and sorting the horse. Yet, the Shift, Shape and Sustain cookbooks from Joe Wicks are SO easy. As explained above, I stocked up on spices and coconut oil and now adapt the recipes so both Dan and I will eat them (he is much fussier than I am). We’ve had steak, meatballs, paella, sausages, pasta dishes and all of them are made with a healthier lifestyle in mind. I often share my own attempts of these dishes on my Instagram stories and highlights so have a look for some dinner inspiration.

Low calorie ice cream!

I LOVE ice cream. I knew this was one thing I couldn’t give up so had to research (as in taste test) quite a lot of the low-calorie ice creams on offer. The protein ice creams I didn’t particularly like as the texture of them wasn’t quite the same as normal ice cream. However, the Moophoria range from Ben & Jerry’s and also the Graham’s Goodness range found in Aldi are both delicious! The tubs are between 300-500 calories each and each will last me 3-4 days. The salted caramel Grahams Goodness flavour is particularly delicious.

At the point of writing this blog I had lost 4.2kg in weight just from these changes. I endeavour to lose more and will be sharing the progress over on my Instagram feed. I’d love to hear your thoughts so either comment below, on my Instagram post of feel free to DM me.

Green fingers

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At the beginning of the year I wanted to start growing my own fruit and vegetables. I’ve grown up with grandparents who always used their garden space to help stock the kitchen. I remember going to their house where she’d let us eat the juicy red tomatoes she had just picked from her greenhouse. I didn’t like tomatoes then; now, 20 years later, I use them in every dish.

My mum also made an allotment space at the bottom of the garden. This would be full of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot and runner beans. There were also apple trees, plum trees and cherry trees, as well as potatoes, chilli’s and peppers growing in pots. We’d make apple crumble, potato salad, plum jam and then use the rest to bulk out meal ideas. I loved digging through the potato trough to find the tatties for tea and finding extra apples to feed my horse – usually when we had too many and they were starting to go over.

Since moving out last year with my partner Dan, our small patch of lawn (fenced in by rotting panels with weeds taking over the patio) just didn’t quite fill me with the same excitement. Our rental contract said we weren’t allowed to change the layout of the garden which meant growing things in pots. I’m not a seasoned gardener so wasn’t sure where to start. I remember walking round our local garden centre in early March with the intention of stocking up on pots, compost and seeds but left empty-handed.

I wasn’t put off though. I follow lots of gardening blogs so after consulting my Grandparents about what was best to grow, I purchased some deep troughs and a half-barrel trough ready to plant some potatoes, strawberries and leeks. This was a good start and I felt so accomplished. This led me to spiralling and buying more seeds…

Since then I have spoken to our landlord and they’ve agreed to let me change the use of an old sandpit that was built into the side of the garden into a raised bed. I want to use this for salad plants and carrots, both from seeds donated by my Mum. I also get to paint the fence and tidy up the plant beds in which I have planted some sunflower seedlings. I may also plant some lavender as I love the smell and colour.

I planted potatoes, runner beans, strawberries, leeks, onions and beetroot in various pots. I have also purchased grow-bags ready for tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies and melons – all plants donated by my Grandparents. I am excited to see how everything turns out and can’t wait to eat some of the produce I’ve grown for myself.

Blakesley Show 2019

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Every year in the middle of Summer my work diary becomes hectic. Boxes upon boxes of branded merchandise are sorted out between rotas of colleagues who are free on the first Saturday of August, packing up my truck and all of us traipsing over to a field with barely any phone signal, let alone 4G. Once there, we will all work hard to fill the bare bones of a marquee with our brand, hoping that clients and other attendees will visit our stand to learn about the business we dedicate a third of our life to. Put like that, it doesn’t fill you with much excitement. Yet, there is something thrilling about Blakesley Show day. Arriving before the first announcement to put your brand’s stamp and design on to a plot of land that will be visited by hundreds and hundreds of guests. Figuring out the best games and prizes to attract more people to encourage more business, as well as speaking to those people who have heard of us and have thought of moving to us but haven’t quite got there yet. Also spreading the word about charities we are supporting and exciting events that we are planning. Blakesley is the perfect place to provide a fantastic first impression and I’m happy to say that my team definitely did that!

My colleagues Chloe and Jade showing off how busy our stand was for the majority of the day.

Blakesley Show itself is a local legend, having been organised annually for 135 years. Generations of farmers and their friends and families have been visiting the show ground for years with their cattle, sheep and horses in the hopes of winning a qualifier on home turf. It’s also a chance for these same farmers to peruse the latest farming technology, purchase locally sourced products and support their neighbours and country sports that may well take place on their land. You can also be sure of an education, learning about stock judging, the history of the Shire horse and also how local hunts operate within the boundaries of the law.

Some of the sheep entered for judging.

2019 was no exception. Even though I was busy with work for the majority of the day, the local sense of community was undeniable. If you didn’t know the person walking past you, you can guarantee you’d know one of their friends. If you weren’t a member of the local Grafton Hunt Pony Club, or if you’d never tried hunting with the Farmer’s Bloodhounds, you could ask a Master or previous member about their experiences at their stand. You can also be sure you’d get given a free drink and you’d find some complimentary refreshments at another stand close by.  

This Shire horse on the display team was giving me some inspiration for my own traditional cob’s feathers!

After attending many country shows in the past, I’m happy to say that Blakesley is the only one with a true local feel. It’s not so much about companies making money, but about companies and organisations giving back to the community that has supported them over the years. I’m happy that the company I work for has given me the opportunity at representing them at such a prestigious local show and, even through the stress and tears of organising, I can’t wait to begin the journey all over again in 2020.

The Towcester & Onley Equine Vets stand inside our TVC marquee.

Listen, laugh and try not to fall off.

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As of yesterday, I am no longer a showing newbie. By no stretch am I claiming to be good at showing, or even massively successful, yet I have tried it and thought I would compile what I learned from my first experience…

  • If you have a grey / mostly grey horse, ensure that travel boots are clean before you place on newly washed legs. This will save you a lot of stress and baby wipes.
  • Make sure you are correctly dressed. I wasn’t wearing a shirt and tie, but did look smart in a coloured stock. Also, it was unaffiliated level so I probably got away with a hell of a lot more than I should have done. Maybe consult Horse & Hound for facts about showing etiquette.
  • Instead of the fancy sheepskin numnah, opt for a simple plain turnout. A black or brown numnah (no fluff allowed) will suffice. Also, if you show your horse clipped make sure that the numnah and saddle cover the unclipped saddle patch. Nobody needs to see a square block of hair poking from underneath a smartly rounded saddlecloth (hands up, I am guilty).
  • Also, make sure that tack is simple and traditional. I need to invest in a Hunt Cavesson bridle to emphasise Pancho’s (beautiful) face. The judges do not like modern gimmicks, so avoid them completely. No drop nosebands and no bits that “look like they’re from a Western movie”- direct quote from the judge.
  • Remove all boots from your horse. This was a big no-no that I found out after I entered the ring with overreach boots on.
  • If you have a big arena to show your horse in make use of ALL the space. It’s no good trying to show a large horse on a 20 metre circle. Really let your horse stretch out in canter and gallop so that the judge can effectively judge all paces.
  • Make sure you listen to the judges instructions. Line up when asked to (oops) and when they ask you to step forward towards the judge, make sure you point your horse’s nose in the right direction- towards the judge (guilty again).
  • Don’t stress out if your horse is naughty. Cantering disunited, napping, neighing and also refusing to stand when he had hands run down his legs- this all happened. Horses are horses, don’t put unnecessary pressure on your partnership. There will always be another day. Don’t sweat it.
  • Lastly, a smile says a thousand words. Smile, look pleasant, act like you love trotting round in front of a group of people even if you have a sweaty upper lip and needed a breather 5 minutes ago. There’s nothing worse than looking unapproachable and miserable. This last point can be a general piece of life advice if you so wish.

 

I didn’t bag any prize money, win loads of rosettes or get given a medal. But I did have a good day out with my amazing (yet quirky) horse and I learned from my experience.

Next time I attempt showing who knows what will happen, but I am excited to give it a go.