84 days to go!

So life got busy and I didn't make the time to blog. Just double checked and I have 84 days until my big birthday and I really need to get back on track.

I have been reasonable with the food, exercise and sleep. My strength seems to be improving and my weight is stable so must be getting a bit fitter if nothing else.

Going to try and be stricter on the food front, as a busy work diary often results in my grabbing anything to munch on the go rather than planning proper healthy meals. I also want to set aside some time to give myself a nice pamper as constant dog washing results in dry hands, little furs infiltrating your skin, and licked off make up - not a great look, though well worth it for my cuddly work chums :)

I'm hoping to attend pole routine, stretch class and level 4 classes this week and perhaps a bit of practising over the weekend. I'm inching closer to achieving superman, and am hoping I will get there in time for my birthday. This is my amazing teacher Holly doing it, and my attempt....I will keep trying lol

So this evening I shall make fridge oats ready for breakfast tomorrow and a Juice Plus shake to take to work as I have 7 doggies to cuddle...I mean pamper. If I do the 10 minute workout as soon as I get in it should limit my excuse making. Then perhaps some fresh fish, broccoli and sweet potato for dinner ahead of my routine class. I usually come home, attempt to show Mark what I've learnt...forget most of it or get confused...then toddle off to bed rubbing my bruises as I go. Wish me luck :)

Day 9 - I suspect Mrs Crutchley in the Kitchen with the Kitchen Aid

I had a lovely day off work - with a nice slow start to the day. Mark and I played Skipbo while drinking coffee, I did my two lots of body blitz ( a hardcore leg/core workout and a fun jam jar wrist strengthening exercise), I then walked the dogs in the pouring rain for an hour which was actually ok - the pups were so happy and totally oblivious to the wet. My hairdresser Poppy then transformed me from bedraggled mop head to blondy curls and then I sauntered about sainsburys swishing my hair.

I then had a meltdown with my stupid Kitchen Aid which is rubbish at chopping cauliflower but in fairness to it the end result was very yummy, so all is forgiven. My lovely friends came round for board game fun and we went retro and played Cluedo. This was my first healthy dinner party and I'd made gluten free cauliflower base veggie pizzas. I must admit I was a bit sceptical as I'm a huge pizza fan and I love dough, but these were really yummy and much more filling than standard pizza - 3 slices and I was stuffed! Sorry the pics are not very good but I'm hoping you will be able to zoom in on the recipe.

Despite my best intensions I still didn't make it onto the pole! I have my stretch and strength pole tomorrow evening and I am so looking forward to it :) I have made a large batch of fridge oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow as Markles and Alec are keen to try it.

Roll on tomorrow, night guys xx

Day 8 - 6 minutes before midnight, got to write this blog!

Gosh what a manic day. Mark only having 1 leg makes a huge difference!

I was up at 6am to give the dogs their hour walk, before I left for work at 7:45. Filling my tank with water was good exercise for my little arm muscles - water weighs a ton! My fridge oats were scrumptious and I will definitely make more, though not tonight as its too late. After a full day at work, I dashed back, got changed and went straight out again to drive Mark to Stowmarket to give his Greenpeace talk. The Rotary club were so lovely and had laid on a meal for both of us at last minute and I had a really nice evening chatting away about all sorts (though they did comment on me being at least 1 generation away from the rest of the attendees, it could easily have been 2). The veggie broccoli and brie bake was very nice and I only ate half of the compulsory apple pie pud (more out of politeness than hunger) - I never leave pudding so this was a mega achievement. While Mark gave his talk I did some work in the bar (dog wash work not a quick bar job lol), and it was 11:25pm before we were home.

Alec had kindly taken the dogs out for their bed time walk, as Mabel is meant to do her 'do a poo' challenge before bed. However she hadn't managed to achieve this, so I popped my boots on again and went out with her for a 2nd attempt. More wandering around the streets with no success, so I brought her home whilst contemplating sneaking bran flakes into her breakfast tomorrow morning. I tried to do my body blitz but it kept buffering 3 minutes in, so tomorrow I will do 2 of them.

7 minutes past midnight and its time for bed! Must get on the pole tomorrow and work through my ridiculous to do list. Praying Mabel doesn't complete her poo change in the night....

Day 7 - Planning for a healthy week

So todays body blitz was actual hard cardio, couple that with a Jasper who gets very excited when he sees me jumping about. He basically spent the 10 minutes jumping up at me, trying to nip my bum or biting at my slippers, just what you want when you are doing jumping jacks and mountain climbers lol.

Unfortunately Markles was not able to stop him, as he is under doctors orders to spend all day cuddling Mabel on the sofa whilst resting his ankle. Whilst out walking this morning, a gorgeous big black lab charged straight into him and wiped him out. Bless him, he has torn ankle ligaments and is hobbling about, so all dog walking duties are on me.

I was wandering around Sainsburys hunting for healthy food - this is much easier with recipes, especially if you need gluten free none processed food. I will have to point out a few possible options to Markles :P

Still I have planned a few healthy options for the week. In the fridge is my overnight oatmeal (http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal) ready for breakfast. I'm taking fish, veg and sweet potato round to a friends house tomorrow evening and am planning cauliflower base pizzas for board game night on Tuesday. Also a stretch class and pole class to look forward to as well as my daily blitzes.

Now off to bed as I've a busy day tomorrow. Night night xxx

Day 6 - Confessions already!

Ok lets get straight to it....I have just been very naughty. I had an amazing gluten free veggie mushroom stroganoff at Rivergreen Cafe, which is undoubtably the scrummiest veggie restaurant in Norwich....and then I ate plum and brandy brioche with custard. Oh my god it was so yummy!!!! I know I shouldn't have and I'm sorry but it was so nice :(

Anyway we all make mistakes and while this would typically mean I call it quits and accept I've failed, I'm actually just accepting I slipped up, and will get back on track tomorrow :)

This mornings body blitz was really challenging in an odd way. It was all about balance and the hardest part was standing with one foot in front of the other and then holding your finger 10 inches in front of your face move it up, left and right, following it with your eyes whilst not moving your head. Mark almost fell over and I certainly felt wobbly. It confuses the brain and as you are having to rely more on your ears than eyes. We practised it again on the way up the hill from the restaurant and still struggled lol

Tomorrow I shall be back on the pole and have a healthy veggie Moussaka to look forward to. Onwards and upwards and away from plum brioche....99 more days to go!

Day 5 - 100 days until I'm 30!

Happy New year everyone! Hope you had a brilliant evening and aren't too hung over. I stayed in the the dogs and watched  Poltergeist - for someone who is typically afraid of every horror film going, this was more funny than scary, I didn't scream once or hide behind a pillow. Maybe I'm getting braver lol :)

Having not noticed it was the 1st and thus a bank holiday, I had booked two gorgeous doggies (Bobby and Meme) in for a pamper at 8:30am in Dereham, so it was an early start for me.  That said, it was a wonderful way to start the year - tootling along in my van called Alfie, drinking a cup of tea, singing along to Aerosmith - Dude looks like a lady (my first music of 2016 - thanks Radio 2 lol). After I'd made Bobby look more dog than mere cat, their parents and I sat wittering in the kitchen about the batty habits of our respective dogs and why we love them so much. I then got a huge hug from Eida their owner who despite only having met me once was absolutely lovely and seemingly really proud of me for setting up on my own. I can't wait to go back and see them again in February :)

Markles picked me up from Whitlingham, where I was busy cuddling soggy dogs and talking to strangers, and took me home for coffee and pancakes - turns out my maple butter from Canada is vegan and gluten free so they were extra scrummy. I then did my body blitz workout which focused on the lower back (http://www.polefreaks.com/body-blitz-5/). I found it really good and will try and do it more often as I am conscious I put a lot of strain on my back carrying dogs from table to bath and back (very few jump in lol).

I'm off to the cinema this evening to watch Lady in a Van so will try and get some pole practice in beforehand, but generally I'm opting for a relaxed day not doing much :)