27.2.13

What's in my cupboards

So today I thought I would give you a slight tour of my kitchen, starting with today's post, we shall delve into my cupboards! Louis has his own cupboard that he puts his food in. Stops me feeling tempted as he has much more naughty food than I do! I don't deny myself all the time but I also don't like looking at it all the time so this way works out. If I do ever want a packet of crisps I just jump into his cupboard then scuttle off.

So, onto my food...



This is my main food cupboard. The top shelf is packed with pasta! I didn't pay for most of it either. My best friend's mum got me a food hamper for Christmas and in that was 2 packets of pasta (the green ones) and a packet of spaghetti. I also got sent a 2kg box of pasta sent to me, yet I have no idea why! I didn't ask for it, didn't win it, but the label had my name on it so I kept it! There's also the last bit of a massive bag of pasta I bought from Tesco about a year or two ago! It just got finished tonight! The rest of the top shelf is my extra sugar, teabags, coffee etc
Next shelf is couscous, rice, cooking sauces, pasta n sauces (another hamper gift but not too keen on the flavours)  noodles, beetroot (that I've still not tried) and my meal tins. Beans, tuna, soups etc
Bottom shelf is stock cubes, salt, jerk sauce (wee freebie!) cup-a-soups, pasta n sauce (the one flavour I like) and plenty custard, rice pudding and tinned fruits!

Overall I'd say it's a reasonably healthy cupboard.


This is my breakfast and snacks cupboard. Top shelf we have porridge oats, one last tortilla, strawberry crisp cereal, special flakes (Tesco's Special K?) and malt wheaties.
Next shelf is my slightly naughty shelf, there are some maltesers up the back, you can see the red packet there and a little plastic ferrero rocher tub that has some little sweeties in it. I've shown mega restraint though, those maltesers have been there since my birthday in November and the small sweeties have been there since Christmas! Next to that are my cinema mints and some Asian White Rabbit sweets. Hidden behind the orange mould are my jars of chocolate and caramel spread, honey roast peanut butter and smooth peanut butter. The big blue jar are my multivitamins.
Bottom shelf are my good snacks. Banana chips, bombay mix (well they are a bit naughty), my oatcakes, almond flakes, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, my Ryvita crackerbread that I posted about here, my wee Ricola sweets that I have one of before bed if I feel the need for something sweet and my Disney bag up the back that I need to remember to take shopping with me as it's deceptively huge!

I need to have a wee organise day and sort out these cupboards properly! Have like minded items together and the such. I can definitely tell I'm ill as I want to organise!

The next update on the tour of my kitchen will be my fridge so look out for that post!

What's in your cupboards?

26.2.13

Louis and I did a mini food shop yesterday and having read Nikki's post about Ryvita a few days ago, when I saw them in the shop, I decided I'd give them a go. I've only ever tried Lidl's Rivercote wheat crispbreads so I didn't have much to compare them to.


It was only a small Tesco garage we went to so there wasn't any options, this was the only kind they had. I'd like to try the wholegrain version next time, I tend to prefer wholegrain options to their refined brothers and sisters.


They are so lightweight and just feel like they are filled with air!


Because I'm still not 100%, I decided to just have some slices of wafer thin honey roast ham. They were delicious though! I think I might try them with some tomato soup next time, well I actually thought that while I was eating these ones!

I'm also gonna give Nikki's mini pizza recipe a go, just with a few substitutions. Tomato paste and just regular cheese. Looking forward to it!

What are your thoughts on crispbreads/wheatbreads/crackerbreads etc? A good substitution for bread or not enough?



25.2.13

I made my own soup


I don't know why but I always think of chicken noodle soup when I feel ill. By some luck, I bought a sachet from Asda from their Simmer Soup range. Quite low in everything apart from sodium which was to be expected really.

As I'm currently not feeling well in the slightest, I had chicken noodle soup on the brain! So I wrapped up warm and slowly shuffled through to the kitchen to make it up. I also chopped up some cauliflower and chucked that in too. All in all, a tasty wee lunch for my sick wee self.

The packet says it makes a pint, in bowl equivalents it was 2 and a wee bit left over. 

It was actually really tasty, maybe not a contender for the same soup from a Chinese takeaway but if you're looking for a quick snack or lunch without the calories that come from a takeaway, then they are perfect!

Someone bring me some soup?


I am one of the worst people when I'm ill. I'm never just a little bit ill, everything goes wrong at once.

With that, I am spending the day on the couch in the above onesie. I've not had any breakfast because the thought of food this morning made me want to be sick and my throat is killing me. I'm going to attempt to eat some lunch in a bit. Plenty water today even if I don't eat much.

I weighed in this morning and I've lost 0.4lbs. My losses have been getting smaller and smaller the past couple weeks. I'm going to have to up my exercise if I want to lose more. Once I'm done being ill, I'm thinking about starting Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I've tried it before, probably when I was at my heaviest and unfittest, I couldn't finish it and only lasted about 3 days. I'm optimistic that I'll last longer this time round and I'm actually looking forward to starting it!

That's it for today I'm afraid. I need to try and think of topics that I can write about. I think I might do collage posts once a week of meals instead of daily as I don't always have the laptop to edit the pictures. Any other ideas for posts?

22.2.13

Not just health

After much ummming and ahhhing (I am the most indecisive person ever!) I've decided to make this a lifestyle/health and fitness/beauty/fashion blog. A little bit of everything just the main focus being on me getting healthy. I can't just run away from my beauty/fashion and I like blogs that have a little bit of everything!

With that being said, say hello to my first beauty post! ;)

I found a pound in my bag during college yesterday and as soon as I did, I thought about Andrew of andrewjamesblog I always see him posting good things about MUA on Twitter (@AndrewJamesMUA) so I decided that's what I was going to spend my pound on!

I already have the moasaic blush and one of the lipglosses so I decided today was a lipstick day. I never used to wear that much lipstick but since quitting smoking (today will be day 52!) I've found that I'm wearing more lip products. It's not being wasted now by transferring onto cigarettes!


So I went for Shade 12, looking at the colour at the bottom it looked like a hot pink with golden glitter through it. I used to hate pink lipstick and was all about a red lip but these days I'm more open to other lippies.


Now I got a bit of a fright as I left Superdrug with my lipstick in hand as the bottom started to twist off and I thought I'd broken it already! I looked down however and all that had unscrewed was the bottom compartment with the colour in it which I was very shocked to see was more product! I'd heard of the Lip Boom's doing this but I thought it was exclusive to those products. The bottom looks a a tad darker than the actual lipstick, I'll need to hunt out a lipstick brush and test them out side by side.


It's so shiny!! I love a good bit of glitter and so I think this was a very good choice for my first MUA lipstick. I'll probably experiment with it a bit, see what glosses I can wear on top or even if I can mix it with any other colours for a one off shade.

I will definitely be purchasing more MUA products in the future (but I'll need to find more pounds first!), such great products and amazing prices. I'm still amazed that this only cost £1!

And so my first beauty post on alanagetshealthy has come to an end. I do hope you enjoyed it!

21.2.13

Local market


Yesterday I visited my local market and wandered around trying to find the fruit and veg stall. I eventually did and honestly felt like I'd just found a cave of treasure! Ok so there wasn't as much choice or variety as the supermarkets but I will still pleasantly surprised.

I wandered about it for a bit, eyeing up the produce and deciding what I would get and what I would make with it. I eventually decided on the above. Golden Delicious apples, carrots, iceberg lettuce, another form of lettuce? and cauliflower (I want to try mashed cauliflower, keep reading about it!)

Ready for the best bit? All the above cost me £3.50! I was amazed. I actually repeated the price back to the guy serving me and he just laughed and said "First time here? I'll see you again soon." You certainly will sir! He was such a nice guy as well! Telling me prices, what things were and he even chucked in a free apple, was supposed to be 5 for £1.

So it's a tad more expensive than supermarket 'value' fruit and veg but the quality, the freshness, it's gotta be like 10x better! I've already had one of the carrots and it tasted great. Fresh, crunchy, delicious.

I'm so happy I decided to go in and I will definitely be going back again. I'll keep you posted on my market finds!

20.2.13

My Meals 20th Feb



Breakfast - cottage cheese and baked stars sandwich
Lunch - Lentil soup with unbuttered roll and egg mayo roll
Dinner - Admiral's crumble and salad of carrots, cucumber, iceberg lettuce and balsamic vinegar

Yeah, crisps for breakfast, not the best start. A slight improvement on yesterday's nothing but still! I need to get into the habit of eating breakfast again. Lunch was bleedin' tasty! Love some homemade lentil soup. Dinner was a ready meal but I don't really think of these in the same vein as findus meals or tesco value microwave meals. At least there's no horse in this! ;)

Snacks were a packet of crisps and some mints. I'm usually a lot worse with snacks and tonight was a cinema night too so I did quite well I think.

I'm slowly getting back into the habit of eating better food after my 'break'.

19.2.13

Kick up the backside!

So this week, I only lost 0.2lbs. TOM didn't help but I had a few days of eating rubbish when we were in Edinburgh. I can feel my motivation slowly start to slip so I'm giving myself a kick up the backside.  I will be a fitter, healthier, slimmer more toned me. It will take time but I'll get there, I just have to stick at it!


Despite my minor loss (which I'm still happy about if I'm honest, it's better than gaining 0.2lbs!) when this popped up I was quite proud of myself. That's almost a stone since December 31st. I did that!

When I feel my motivation start to wane, I'm just going to look at this and remember that I can do it. I need to get back into doing WiiFit daily, walking more, doing the housework, stairs instead of lifts. Need to watch out for old habits slipping back.

I'm thinking about starting a C25K once I've lost my first stone. Not looking forward to the prospect of running as I know I'll be awful at first but you gotta start somewhere right? Who knows, this time next year I might be calling myself a runner and banging out record times.



17.2.13

Valentine's fun!

So the other half and I went to Edinburgh on Wednesday and stayed at the Travelodge on Shandwick Place till Friday. It wasn't a 'typical' Valentine's though, we did touristy things instead. Monuments, museums and so much walking. At least 5 hours on Wednesday and Thursday each! I'll have legs of steel soon. 

This will be quite a picture heavy post, just to warn you all :)


It decided to snow before we left so my plan of taking dresses and leggings was cut short and instead I packed my jeans and tops, hats and scarves. Just as well I did too as the day after the snow, it was raining all day!


Getting ready to go and wrapping up warm!

On Wednesday when we got there, we went for lunch (my eating was kinda bad when I was there, definitely could have made better choices!) then we decided to conquer a fear of mine and climb the Scott Monument in Princes Gardens. I'm terrified of heights and spiral staircases so I've avoided the monument for years now!


Look at me at the top! I've such a sad face on because the thought of trying to get back down filled me with even more fear than going up. It was really narrow at the top so it was a wee dtruggle getting my fat arse through! Of course I did make it down, I'm not blogging from the top of the monument! ;)


Wednesday night, we went for a walk to Fountainbridge. We went for a Pizza Hut and the very kindly let me charge my phone at one of their outlets and they didn't charge us for our drinks! After that we went to the bowling alley for a wander and played on some ticket machines. Louis had never been on a ride simulator before either so we jumped on that and had a giggle. After it finished, my seatbelt got stuck though and I had to limbo and shimmy out of it! After the fun times, we went to the Cineworld and saw Django Unchained. It was bloody amazing! I loved it, can't wait for it to come out on DVD, I'll definitely be getting it!

We were quite surprised that we got free breakfast at the hotel. I was really happy with it too. Anything that didn't get eaten was brought home and given to my daughters while they are here for the weekend. I called it their magic breakfast because of the rumbler's cornflakes, they loved them!


Louis I swapped a few things as I don't like raisins in my muffins and he doesn't like pain au chocolats. It all worked out very evenly!



On Valentine's Day we walked up to the National Museum of Scotland on Chamber Street, Louis had never been before so it was a first for him! I've been loads of times but it's different every time so I still loved it.




I now weigh as much as a grey wolf, last time I was at the museum, I was closer to bear!

After the museum, we took a walk back down the mile to get to Cockburn Street and walk along to the hotel. On the way we stopped at St Giles Cathedral, I'd never been in before so we decided to go in and see what it was like. Now I'm not religious in the slightest but I do appreciate beautiful buildings and this was gorgeous. I lit a wee candle for my brother (it's his 21st birthday today) and wrote him a letter. It was quite cathartic.



So all in all it was a great weekend. We walked for hours on end, conquered some fears, learnt a lot, took lots of pictures and ate naughty foods. I enjoyed the wee break but I'm now ready to get back to kicking my butt into gear!

And now I leave you with one of the funniest pictures of our time away.



I hope you all had wonderful Valentine's whatever you did!

Normal eating, exercising and meal picture taking shall resume either today or tomorrow.

Alana 

13.2.13

Perspective


I tried very hard to find an older picture of me wearing the dress on the right but I couldn't.

But still, this amazes me! This is 6 months difference and I've only really been properly trying since NYE. Imagine what I'll look like in another 6 months! And another after that, and so on.

I can't wait to see and feel my body getting fitter and healthier.

This is such a good wee boost! Positivity is through the roof!

12.2.13

My meals 12th Feb


Breakfast - Seedy bread with soft cheese and honey roast ham, a handful of grapes and a handful of sunflower seeds.
Lunch - Oven cooked salmon fillet, couscous with garlis sauce and button sprouts.
Dinner - Ham and cheese salad with balsamic dressing.
Shrove Tuesday! I had 3 pancakes but we cooked one ate it, cooked another ate it etc. Some naughty fillings in them, honey roast peanut butter and chocolate and caramel spread, sugar and lemon in another.

So today started off really well. I must have subconsciously known that I would be having some calorific pancakes! I've not put them into mfp yet, I'm quite scared to! I'll be jumping on the elliptical when I get home I think.

11.2.13

My meals 11th Feb



Breakfast was Tesco Special Flakes with semi skimmed uht milk and sliced almonds.
Lunch was meatballs with carrots and iceberg lettuce and a sauce of cottage cheese, tomato puree, paprika and mixed herbs ( a tad too much paprika this time! )
Dinner was salmon portion, button sprouts, sweetcorn and mashed new potatoes.

I made all these choices thinking I wouldn't be able to log it on MFP or put on here/tumblr. Quite proud of the fact that I still made good choices. That means it's all sinking in!

I'm thinking about maybe doing these kinds of posts, my meals either every day (although I'm afraid that it might get very boring very quickly) or perhaps doing it once a week and just doing it all in one, I'm leaning towards that a bit more just now but who knows I might change my mind!

6.2.13

Hello there

Welcome to 'alanagetshealthy'!


This blog pretty much does what it says on the tin. I am on a mission to lead a healthier life and would now like to document that mission for others to see and for me to look back on. You can learn a little about me from the 'About me' tab up the top there.

December 31st

So, I started this mission to get fit on Dec 31st 2012, as I type this, I'm just over 5 weeks in and I've already lost 10.8lbs. That in itself amazes me but on top of that, I've also not smoked for 36 days!

I'm loving the new healthy me, I don't get out of breath going up some stairs, I can move more without my body crying out at me not to. I feel fantastic!

I started at 224.8lbs and my goal is to be about 150lbs but I'm not set on this. If I feel comfortable before I reach that, then that's ok. If I reach it and still want to lose a bit more, that's ok too! My waist was 40" when I started and I'd like to get this down, I'm not sure what size to so I will just keep measuring it as I go and see what happens. I was a size 20/22 to start with and would be very happy to get down to a 12/14, again if I'm bigger than that but happy or get there and want to be smaller that's ok! I'm doing completely set on numbers, they are there as a guide. I will be listening to my body more than anything.

I am a poor student and so I do not have all the things I would like to help me in my healthy lifestyle (a fitbit being the main lusted after item!) and so I am making do with what I can. I am not a member of a gym, running club or anything like that. I use WiiFit, Just Dance, my elliptical, my 2kg dumbells, resistance bands, exercise mat and ball, walking and a few apps on my phone that you can see here.

I think that's about it for my first post. Future posts will contain recipes, exercise routines, motivational pictures, pictures of me and anything else that goes with this healthy lifestyle. Just so you know what you're getting yourself in for!

Until next time.
Alana



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