Hey dolls,
So yesterday I seen the lovely Tara Makeup make some energy balls on her snapchat & today I decided to attempt them. They didn't turn out very ball like as the mixture was too runny but they do taste amazing. They don't need to be cooked and are the perfect snack for those on a health kick.
So yesterday I seen the lovely Tara Makeup make some energy balls on her snapchat & today I decided to attempt them. They didn't turn out very ball like as the mixture was too runny but they do taste amazing. They don't need to be cooked and are the perfect snack for those on a health kick.
Ingredients
- Dried seedless dates
- Mixture of nuts & seeds
- Cacao mix ( from Dunnes Stores )
- Cacao powder
- Coconut oil
- Coconut shaving
What you will need
- Mixed nuts of your choice - Hazelnuts, Almonds, Pecan etc
- Pumpkin seeds & a Cacao Mix ( I got mine in Dunnes )
- Soft Pitted Dates
- Dry Desiccated Coconut ( to roll the balls in, this step is optional )
- Cacao Powder
- Coconut Oil
- A blender or food processor
How to make them
- Blend dates, seeds & nuts together
- Add two tablespoons of cacao powder
- Melt a tablespoon of coconut oil
- Mix the dry ingredients with the melted coconut oil
- Time to get your hands dirty and roll the mixture into little balls
- Roll the balls in the dried coconut
Hope you enjoyed this healthy snack recipe, they are perfect to keep in your fridge or handbag.
They are so delicious and perfect for hitting that chocolate craving.
Love Grace xox
Hey dolls,
You may have seen I had a delicious green curry last night on my snapchat. My cousin kindly made me the paste and you all seemed really interested so I thought I would share the recipe with you today. It is Slimming World and contains 4 syns.
Green Curry Paste
4 green chillies, deseeded & chopped
2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled & finely chopped
2 stalks of lemon grass, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
grated rind and juice of a lime
1/2 tbp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 black peppercorns
I chopped the veg, carrots peppers and onions and fried my chicken. I then added my curry paste with a half pint of chicken stock and some coconut cream.
You may have seen I had a delicious green curry last night on my snapchat. My cousin kindly made me the paste and you all seemed really interested so I thought I would share the recipe with you today. It is Slimming World and contains 4 syns.
Green Curry Paste
4 green chillies, deseeded & chopped
2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled & finely chopped
2 stalks of lemon grass, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
grated rind and juice of a lime
1/2 tbp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 black peppercorns
I chopped the veg, carrots peppers and onions and fried my chicken. I then added my curry paste with a half pint of chicken stock and some coconut cream.
It was so yummy and also very low calories, the perfect fake away.
Big thanks to my cousin Jennifer for making the paste for me.
Love Grace xox
About bloody time I hear you say. I know, right!!! I've had a rough few weeks with Slimming World and gaining weigh but this week I mixed it up and I think it was my best week in months. Just randomly on Friday I decided to follow the SP plan (I'll explain it later) and I'm so happy I did because it worked. I literally thought I was going to have a melt down or leave Slimming World if I didn't have a loss soon. Finally the week came and I've decided that going forward, the 4 days prior to weigh in I'll follow the SP plan.
So what is SP I hear you ask. Its pretty easy, on the SP plan you stick to foods that have S and P beside them in your slimming world book and have as much of them as possible. On this plan you get two HEB's (Healthy Extra B's) which makes me so happy because I can have two weetabix and my bagels. Happy Out!!! You have to avoid all other free food that aren't SP like bananas, grapes, blueberries & sweet potato but you can have 15 syns a day on SP. It's that simple, keep your slimming world book near for reference and you wont go wrong. This plan is great for a boost and a quick loss. I found it really worked for me so as I said I am going to follow the regular Extra Easy plan the 3 days post weigh in and SP the 4 days prior to weigh in! Hopefully this works and I can have a loss next week.
A lot of you where asking to know what I was eating on my SP days. Day 1 I started with 2 weetabix and lots of speed fruit. For lunch I had a bagel with some Slim Valley sausages (which are free and 100% fat free and can be found here ) and bacon medallions with two poached eggs and spinach. I snacked on fruit like apples and peaches but I did forget that bananas weren't speed. For dinner on day 1 myself and Christopher made chicken fajita with lots of speed veg. Instead of the wraps I had mine in a leaf of iceberg lettuce. It was so delicious.
On Day 2 I pretty much had the same breakfast, lunch and snacks but for dinner we made spaghetti bolognese but instead of pasta I made my own pasta from courgette and carrots using a spirializer that I got in Home Store & more. It was so surprisingly tasty that I went back for seconds and thankful it was free so I could fill up on it and not feel guilty. It didn't leave me stuffed or bloated like pasta usually would.
Day 3 I had the weetabix and berries again and then for lunch I had a bagel with spinach, chicken and poached eggs. Then for dinner I had a steak with lots of speed veg.
I feel like the SP days really contributed to my weight loss and I am so glad I did it. There are so many different meals you can make on it you just need to be a bit more adventurous. If you are in a rut and are struggling each week like I was I would definitely recommend trying the SP plan and see how you go. On that note I am starving and I am off to make dinner ( chicken kebabs from Slim Valley and sweet potato fries, in case you were wondering haha)
So what is SP I hear you ask. Its pretty easy, on the SP plan you stick to foods that have S and P beside them in your slimming world book and have as much of them as possible. On this plan you get two HEB's (Healthy Extra B's) which makes me so happy because I can have two weetabix and my bagels. Happy Out!!! You have to avoid all other free food that aren't SP like bananas, grapes, blueberries & sweet potato but you can have 15 syns a day on SP. It's that simple, keep your slimming world book near for reference and you wont go wrong. This plan is great for a boost and a quick loss. I found it really worked for me so as I said I am going to follow the regular Extra Easy plan the 3 days post weigh in and SP the 4 days prior to weigh in! Hopefully this works and I can have a loss next week.
A lot of you where asking to know what I was eating on my SP days. Day 1 I started with 2 weetabix and lots of speed fruit. For lunch I had a bagel with some Slim Valley sausages (which are free and 100% fat free and can be found here ) and bacon medallions with two poached eggs and spinach. I snacked on fruit like apples and peaches but I did forget that bananas weren't speed. For dinner on day 1 myself and Christopher made chicken fajita with lots of speed veg. Instead of the wraps I had mine in a leaf of iceberg lettuce. It was so delicious.
On Day 2 I pretty much had the same breakfast, lunch and snacks but for dinner we made spaghetti bolognese but instead of pasta I made my own pasta from courgette and carrots using a spirializer that I got in Home Store & more. It was so surprisingly tasty that I went back for seconds and thankful it was free so I could fill up on it and not feel guilty. It didn't leave me stuffed or bloated like pasta usually would.
Day 3 I had the weetabix and berries again and then for lunch I had a bagel with spinach, chicken and poached eggs. Then for dinner I had a steak with lots of speed veg.
I feel like the SP days really contributed to my weight loss and I am so glad I did it. There are so many different meals you can make on it you just need to be a bit more adventurous. If you are in a rut and are struggling each week like I was I would definitely recommend trying the SP plan and see how you go. On that note I am starving and I am off to make dinner ( chicken kebabs from Slim Valley and sweet potato fries, in case you were wondering haha)
I hope this helps & good luck with this week.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO
Stay Healthy & Happy
Love Grace xox
Hey dolls,
Most of you know my story and as I'm slowly but surely making my way back down the right road again I wanted to introduce you to someone. I am sure you have hear of Nicola from TheNakedBlondie she is an amazing lady and a true inspiration. I started following her only recently on snapchat (thenakedblondie) and I instantly fell in love with her, she has the most amazing personality and tells it how it is. She keeps it honest and doesn't sugar coat anything which I love. If she is having a bad day or is eating bad she will tell you about it. Nicola has lost a whopping 8 stone and I thought no better woman to have on here and share her journey with you all. She has done incredible. I came up with 10 questions that I thought all of you would want answered and she did amazing at answering them honestly. I'll say no more and let you get into the blog but OMG check out her transformation. It is mind blowing
Most of you know my story and as I'm slowly but surely making my way back down the right road again I wanted to introduce you to someone. I am sure you have hear of Nicola from TheNakedBlondie she is an amazing lady and a true inspiration. I started following her only recently on snapchat (thenakedblondie) and I instantly fell in love with her, she has the most amazing personality and tells it how it is. She keeps it honest and doesn't sugar coat anything which I love. If she is having a bad day or is eating bad she will tell you about it. Nicola has lost a whopping 8 stone and I thought no better woman to have on here and share her journey with you all. She has done incredible. I came up with 10 questions that I thought all of you would want answered and she did amazing at answering them honestly. I'll say no more and let you get into the blog but OMG check out her transformation. It is mind blowing
- What was the turning point or the moment of realisation that you need to do something or change your lifestyle?
My turning point was the realisation that I was becoming a Mother. I could not live my life selflessly anymore. I now had someone that was going to rely on me to be there for them for at least the next 21years and I could not do that at 22 stone. My lifestyle was a shambles, working in a concrete jungle sitting at a desk 24/7, living on takeout and slowly but surely getting bigger and bigger. I had to ask myself what it was going to take for me to cop on and man up to the fact I was a heart attack waiting to happen. When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes, I struggled to do daily chores that other people take for granted, I broke toilet seats, I could not walk up the stairs without gasping for breath. Life is just too short to be short to be short of breath!
- Why did you chose Slimming World?
- What was your first meeting like and how did you feel when you stood on the scales the first time?
- What was your starting weight and did you set an initial goal?
I stood on the scales to my amazement I weighed 20 stone 12.5lbs. I had lost over a stone since my son was born and it was a great boost to start my journey. But I still weighed over 20 stone which was just to most gut wrenching experience. As I still do I take every 7lbs as they come and work on small goals. If I was to take on a mountainous 10 stone weight loss the 1st week I don’t know how far I would be now.
- How was your first week? Were you hungry?
I knew when I joined I was ready for it, I took every day as it came and concentrated 100% on getting the plan planted firmly in my head. I wanted to learn and I wanted to absorb everything that was going to get me to where I wanted to be. From day one I can honestly say I have never been hungry, because I plan and I make sure that I always have a healthy on plan option waiting for me in the fridge.
- How much weight did you lose in your first week?
My 1st weigh in did not go to plan as I would have liked. I lost 1.5lbs and was so disappointed. But someone advised me that day not to worry or let it throw me off, that at the end of the day all of those pounds add up and they defiantly have.
- How did you feel when you started to look and feel different?
To be the size that I was with a height of 5ft 2, you can imagine I was like PC Plod in Noddy the cartoon, rolling from place to place! When my cousins 21st Birthday came around in April 2014 and I was able to fit into a size 20 top, my elation was just undescribable. It was like winning the lotto. Not only did I look better but for the 1st time in a very long time I felt confident.
- What was the hardest part of your journey?
The hardest part of my journey was accepting that this was not a quick fix. Accepting that this was the way I would eat for the rest of my life. Letting go of old habits and creating new ones. That was the light bulb moment I was searching for all my life, if you cannot accept the above then you will be wishing and dreaming for change for a long time to come.
- Did you have many setbacks or big gains? How did you feel and can you see what triggered it
I had a continuous loss for 22 weeks, then I had my 1st gain, I thought to myself that’s it now it’s all over I am going to fail AGAIN! Was it? Absolutely not, I picked myself up, brushed myself off and had another amazing week. Sometimes the scales is not your friend but that’s ok because if you keep the faith it will all add up in the end. The scales do not measure, fitness, inch loss, beauty and they certainly do not measure how amazing you are inside and out. This is a journey, not a race to the finish line. Life gets in the way sometimes, you have to live your life and enjoy yourself. This is most certainly not a dress rehearsal and you have to remind yourself that you will cross that line!
- If you could go back to the old you what would you tell yourself and how would you motivate yourself
I am not one for living in the past but if I could go back and have a conversation with my 20 year old self, who lay in bed all day and lived to eat, I would tell her to stop looking for a quick fix, and to just have the confidence to believe in her self-worth. After all Life is Journey and you hold the Map! Nobody can do this for you, only YOU!
How amazing is her story and doesn't she just look incredible. I am so glad I found Nicola, her blog has amazing recipes and lots more. Check it out here
All of Nicolas social media handles are @thenakedblondie so get following her.
I hope you liked this post.
Stay healthy & happy!
Love Grace xox
Hey dolls,
For about 2 months now I have been stuck in the biggest rut. I was falling into old habit and eating crap again. Since my holidays I haven't been able to shake it. Last night I took to snapchat and really opened up about it. I had to fight back the tears while I shared how bad I was feeling and the response I got from you all was phenomenal. I got so many messages from people telling me it really hit home with then, thats exactly how they where feeling and it was nice to know they weren't alone.
Throughout my whole journey I've been completely honest with you all. I never hide what I am eating and I definitely never disguise when I have a gain. Last night really was an eye opener. The amount of people that feel this way too. It's so easy to start eating badly again and once you fall down it's so hard to get back on track again. So many people said they were feeling the same and that they had been going good for so long but where slowing gaining weight again. It is so refreshing to know that it happens to people and that I'm not alone too.
I also had a few fitness bloggers message me and tell me that it had happened to them too but they came back from it. That was so reassuring. I know for the past few blog post I've said i'll be back on track but I really mean it this time. I hit the gym hard this morning with Damy. Follow him here and I did a big healthy food shop. I have already made some of my speedy mushroom soup and I've a lovely healthy dinner planned.
A follower of mine sent me this last night and it's so true I wanted to share it with you all.
For about 2 months now I have been stuck in the biggest rut. I was falling into old habit and eating crap again. Since my holidays I haven't been able to shake it. Last night I took to snapchat and really opened up about it. I had to fight back the tears while I shared how bad I was feeling and the response I got from you all was phenomenal. I got so many messages from people telling me it really hit home with then, thats exactly how they where feeling and it was nice to know they weren't alone.
Throughout my whole journey I've been completely honest with you all. I never hide what I am eating and I definitely never disguise when I have a gain. Last night really was an eye opener. The amount of people that feel this way too. It's so easy to start eating badly again and once you fall down it's so hard to get back on track again. So many people said they were feeling the same and that they had been going good for so long but where slowing gaining weight again. It is so refreshing to know that it happens to people and that I'm not alone too.
I also had a few fitness bloggers message me and tell me that it had happened to them too but they came back from it. That was so reassuring. I know for the past few blog post I've said i'll be back on track but I really mean it this time. I hit the gym hard this morning with Damy. Follow him here and I did a big healthy food shop. I have already made some of my speedy mushroom soup and I've a lovely healthy dinner planned.
A follower of mine sent me this last night and it's so true I wanted to share it with you all.
What Edel said is 100% right! I may have fallen off but I am still holding on to the wheel! I haven't let go completely and given up! This is just one of those bumps in the road on a long journey! This may be what is happened to you but know you haven't given up completely yet. If you are reading this then you still want to change and you still will. Let this be the last of the bad decisions and together we can all do this. There is no better feeling then feeling healthy and confident and I can't wait to get that feeling back.
I hope this helped some of you. We can all do it if we put our minds to it.
Stay healthy & happy
Love Grace xox
Hey loves,
I just made the most incredible mushroom soup. I had been craving it all day. I wanted to share it with you because it us something different that I have never made before. It was so delicious I had to tell you all about it. It's so simple to make, so tasty and its free.
Ingredients:
Method:
I chopped up the mushrooms nice and small with the onion & garlic. I let them cook for 5 mins until they became soft. I then added half a pint of veg stock and seasoned. I let it simmer for 20 mins. Once it was cooked I blended and served with a dollop of fromage frais.
I just made the most incredible mushroom soup. I had been craving it all day. I wanted to share it with you because it us something different that I have never made before. It was so delicious I had to tell you all about it. It's so simple to make, so tasty and its free.
Ingredients:
- 2 packages of cup mushrooms
- 1 clove of garlic
- Small onion
- Vegetable stock
- Fromage frais
- parsley, salt & garlic pepper
Method:
I chopped up the mushrooms nice and small with the onion & garlic. I let them cook for 5 mins until they became soft. I then added half a pint of veg stock and seasoned. I let it simmer for 20 mins. Once it was cooked I blended and served with a dollop of fromage frais.
It was so nice. Send me your pictures of your soup or any recipes you think I will like.
Happy cooking
Love Grace xox
Hey my loves,
Some of you may have noticed I haven't been on my best behaviour when it comes to Slimming World. I had to take 2 weeks off because of work and when I say I took the 2 weeks off I really mean it. Mc Donalds, chippers, chinese, burgers, washed down with lots of alcohol. I have West Coast Cooler to blame for that hahaha.... Anyway, I really didn't want to go back to my group today but I knew I had to. I could see myself spiralling back into old habits and totally neglecting my healthy diet. I was feeling lazy, unmotivated and bored.
I decided today was a new day and I wasn't going to be disappointed at what the scales said. I was going to start fresh today and act like it was day 1 in Slimming World. I had a 4 lb gain today, which isn't bad considering the amount of crap i've been eating. If you follow my snapchat story you will believe me. So with this 4lb gain that brings my weight back to 11.13lb. I am 5:7 and have always weighed heavy even when I was very slim. I have 13lb to get to target and that is so achievable. I am giving myself a mini goal to get to target in 6 weeks. That is 2lb a week and is nothing compared to some of the losses I've had whilst on this journey.
I am still fitting my size 10 jeans but I just don't feel that 100% confidence I felt a few weeks back. I really want this and I never want to go back to the way I was last year. I suppose this fresh start might help some of you that are struggling or who are only realising that you want to start. Today is the day. You don't need to join slimming world if you don't want to. Making small changes to your diet and really pushing yourself to do it will help you achieve the goals you set for yourself.
If you are like me and have lacked motivation that last few weeks then why not join me today and start again. Scrap the last few weeks, don't make yourself feel guilty (because that won't change anything) and lets do this together. I have a group on FaceBook ( The 7am Club ) that anyone can join and I am going to become move active on it and really try help and encourage you all. Its easy when you start something with friends.
So the plan is to go back to basic in terms of clean eating. Cut out all crap and alcohol and be as active as I can. I am going to try train 4 days a week with Damy and Paul from BodyTec. I really want a killer body as I am sure many of you do too. I want please to be like Damn Gurl hahahah.
Some of you may have noticed I haven't been on my best behaviour when it comes to Slimming World. I had to take 2 weeks off because of work and when I say I took the 2 weeks off I really mean it. Mc Donalds, chippers, chinese, burgers, washed down with lots of alcohol. I have West Coast Cooler to blame for that hahaha.... Anyway, I really didn't want to go back to my group today but I knew I had to. I could see myself spiralling back into old habits and totally neglecting my healthy diet. I was feeling lazy, unmotivated and bored.
I decided today was a new day and I wasn't going to be disappointed at what the scales said. I was going to start fresh today and act like it was day 1 in Slimming World. I had a 4 lb gain today, which isn't bad considering the amount of crap i've been eating. If you follow my snapchat story you will believe me. So with this 4lb gain that brings my weight back to 11.13lb. I am 5:7 and have always weighed heavy even when I was very slim. I have 13lb to get to target and that is so achievable. I am giving myself a mini goal to get to target in 6 weeks. That is 2lb a week and is nothing compared to some of the losses I've had whilst on this journey.
I am still fitting my size 10 jeans but I just don't feel that 100% confidence I felt a few weeks back. I really want this and I never want to go back to the way I was last year. I suppose this fresh start might help some of you that are struggling or who are only realising that you want to start. Today is the day. You don't need to join slimming world if you don't want to. Making small changes to your diet and really pushing yourself to do it will help you achieve the goals you set for yourself.
If you are like me and have lacked motivation that last few weeks then why not join me today and start again. Scrap the last few weeks, don't make yourself feel guilty (because that won't change anything) and lets do this together. I have a group on FaceBook ( The 7am Club ) that anyone can join and I am going to become move active on it and really try help and encourage you all. Its easy when you start something with friends.
So the plan is to go back to basic in terms of clean eating. Cut out all crap and alcohol and be as active as I can. I am going to try train 4 days a week with Damy and Paul from BodyTec. I really want a killer body as I am sure many of you do too. I want please to be like Damn Gurl hahahah.
Anyway I hope this helps motivate you and maybe even give you the kick up the arse you need. It is so possible, If I can do it you can do it.
Stay Happy & Healthy
Love Grace xox
Hey dolls,
Quick little update and then I will fill you in a fab recipe. If you follow my snapchat you will know I had a massive gain last week and I was soooo disappointed. I gained 6lb and there is not excuse for that, I ate out and ate take away and had chocolate and rubbish food. I said to myself I was starting fresh and going to be good. I wasn't completely honest with myself and I don't really know what is going on with me.
It is not always plain sailing and some days are harder than others. Always remind yourself how far you have come and that tomorrow is a fresh start. This week I was down half a pound and I was so revealed it wasn't a gain. All I can do now is try my best and start fresh. I did just that today with an amazing pasta bake. I am going share that recipe with you all now. It is the perfect meal to make the night before when you don't have time to cook the next day.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast diced up
- Lean bacon
- 1 garlic clove
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Quark
- Low low grated cheese
- Salt & pepper
Chop and fry chicken and bacon in garlic.
Fry Mushrooms and onions or veg of choice.
Boil and cook pasta
Add quark to the pasta and add veg and meat
Quark is available in Dunnes & Tesco
Add it all to the dish and cover in low low cheese
Oven bake at 150 degrees until cheese melts or until cheese turns golden brown , then enjoy
I hope you girls and guys enjoy this recipe and send me snaps of you making it.
Stay happy and healthy
Love Grace xox
Hey Dolls,
Are you having a bad week? I know I am. I can't seem to stick to plan and I keep having slip ups and find myself snacking on cheese or chocolate (my two faves haha) I don't know what it is but the closer I seem to get to target the harder it becomes to stay on plan. One thing I constantly tell myself is I have come along way and I'll never go back to the way I was.
Each day is a new beginning and a fresh start. Never be too hard on yourself, feel guilt or judge yourself. You are only human at the end of the day and we can only learn from our mistakes. I decided to write this post as I sat down and started picking at my second packet of buttons this week. I don't know why I am picking at junk food again and I thought writing it all down and addressing it might help.
Some of you may benefit from this post and realise you are doing the same. I always say that treats are fine in small doses and not to often. I think because I am so close to the finish line I feel it is ok to allow myself junk food. In reality these little snacks are holding me back from my goal. This is a lifestyle now and something I am going to do for the rest of my life.
It is apparent from when I have weekends of eating crap that my body doesn't appreciate it. I gain weight almost instantly and it is also so much harder to shift. What I am trying to say is, if you are nearing your target or even if you are at the start if your journey be aware of what you are doing and try to stick to plan as much as possible.
We all struggle and we can all pick ourselves up and start again. That one pizza isn't going to make you fat just like that one salad isn't going to make you slim. Don't be hard on yourself. This is probably one of the hardest journeys you will take in your life but one of the most rewarding.
Are you having a bad week? I know I am. I can't seem to stick to plan and I keep having slip ups and find myself snacking on cheese or chocolate (my two faves haha) I don't know what it is but the closer I seem to get to target the harder it becomes to stay on plan. One thing I constantly tell myself is I have come along way and I'll never go back to the way I was.
Each day is a new beginning and a fresh start. Never be too hard on yourself, feel guilt or judge yourself. You are only human at the end of the day and we can only learn from our mistakes. I decided to write this post as I sat down and started picking at my second packet of buttons this week. I don't know why I am picking at junk food again and I thought writing it all down and addressing it might help.
Some of you may benefit from this post and realise you are doing the same. I always say that treats are fine in small doses and not to often. I think because I am so close to the finish line I feel it is ok to allow myself junk food. In reality these little snacks are holding me back from my goal. This is a lifestyle now and something I am going to do for the rest of my life.
It is apparent from when I have weekends of eating crap that my body doesn't appreciate it. I gain weight almost instantly and it is also so much harder to shift. What I am trying to say is, if you are nearing your target or even if you are at the start if your journey be aware of what you are doing and try to stick to plan as much as possible.
We all struggle and we can all pick ourselves up and start again. That one pizza isn't going to make you fat just like that one salad isn't going to make you slim. Don't be hard on yourself. This is probably one of the hardest journeys you will take in your life but one of the most rewarding.
I hope this helped at least one of you.
stay happy and healthy
Love
Grace xox
Hey girls,
Today is a good week, not only did I buy a mini and a coffee machine (LIFE MADE) I also lost 3lb and I am feeling so much better. This week has been great so far.
From my last post what you need to take from it is to take every week & every day as it comes. Don't get bogged down on bad days.
I am delighted with my 3lb loss and it is all thanks to healthy eating and I also exercised a lot last week. I had a personal training session with Method Fitness. Follow Damy Here. Did my own at home workout and went spinning and did bums and tums. I also ate a massive amount of speed food.
If you aren't in slimming world and wondering what the hell speed food is. It is food, mostly fruit and veg, that speed up you metabolism and help you lose weight fast. I packed my fridge (well my Mam did haha) with water melon, honey due melon, strawberries and all sorts of berries. I also mad lots of slimming world dishes like spag bal, veg stir fry and a slimming world spice bag.
I find the key to sticking at any kind of weight loss or diet plan is to change things up. Keep meals interesting and have lots of speed food. I just uploaded my health and fitness Q&A video with lots of good tips and advice when it comes to weight loss.
Today is a good week, not only did I buy a mini and a coffee machine (LIFE MADE) I also lost 3lb and I am feeling so much better. This week has been great so far.
From my last post what you need to take from it is to take every week & every day as it comes. Don't get bogged down on bad days.
I am delighted with my 3lb loss and it is all thanks to healthy eating and I also exercised a lot last week. I had a personal training session with Method Fitness. Follow Damy Here. Did my own at home workout and went spinning and did bums and tums. I also ate a massive amount of speed food.
If you aren't in slimming world and wondering what the hell speed food is. It is food, mostly fruit and veg, that speed up you metabolism and help you lose weight fast. I packed my fridge (well my Mam did haha) with water melon, honey due melon, strawberries and all sorts of berries. I also mad lots of slimming world dishes like spag bal, veg stir fry and a slimming world spice bag.
I find the key to sticking at any kind of weight loss or diet plan is to change things up. Keep meals interesting and have lots of speed food. I just uploaded my health and fitness Q&A video with lots of good tips and advice when it comes to weight loss.
I hope all your journeys are going well and you are sticking to plan. Be active, that weather is beautiful out there so go for a nice evening stroll or get your morning run in. If you are lacking motivation then check out the 7am club I have going on FaceBook. It is amazing for sharing ideas and recipes. It is full of amazing inspiring ladies. Find it here
Until next time,
Stay happy and healthy
I love you all
Grace xox
Hey lovelies,
With yet another gain this week (That is now 7lb in 3 weeks) I am determined to get back on the health buzz. It really shows can't go off track as my body instantly gains weight. I was on holidays and took a break from the plan and really enjoyed myself. It isn't the end of the world and today is a fresh start. I could have gained a lot more if I wanted too but I ate so much speed food which really helped.
As you all know if you read my 4 week fitness challenge blog post I am giving myself a 4 week goal to get to target. That means I have to loose 2 lb a week to get there. To me that isn't too difficult. We will see next week.
I am going to be extremely strict on myself and I don't have anything planned this week that will sabotage my weight loss. I plan to exercise daily and eat lots of fruit and veg and cook lots of lovely new recipes.
I hope everyone is doing ok and sticking to plan better then me. Try not be to hard on yourself if you have a gain. All you can do is draw a line under it and start fresh. That is what I am doing today and will continue to do all week.
With yet another gain this week (That is now 7lb in 3 weeks) I am determined to get back on the health buzz. It really shows can't go off track as my body instantly gains weight. I was on holidays and took a break from the plan and really enjoyed myself. It isn't the end of the world and today is a fresh start. I could have gained a lot more if I wanted too but I ate so much speed food which really helped.
As you all know if you read my 4 week fitness challenge blog post I am giving myself a 4 week goal to get to target. That means I have to loose 2 lb a week to get there. To me that isn't too difficult. We will see next week.
I am going to be extremely strict on myself and I don't have anything planned this week that will sabotage my weight loss. I plan to exercise daily and eat lots of fruit and veg and cook lots of lovely new recipes.
I hope everyone is doing ok and sticking to plan better then me. Try not be to hard on yourself if you have a gain. All you can do is draw a line under it and start fresh. That is what I am doing today and will continue to do all week.
Just a quick post to check in and let you know where my head is.
Hope you all well.
Stay Happy and Healthy
Love Grace xox
Hey girls,
If you are new to my blog or new to weigh loss and fitness then todays blog post might help.
I wanted to share some tips when getting started. The thing that got me started on my weight loss was wanting to look and feel good for summer. Now that summer is here I am so happy I started in January. If you have decided that tomorrow is the start for you then please stick at it.
The three things you need to remember when starting to lose weight is, organisation & preparation is key, stick with the plan, and it will all be worth it in the end.
The first couple of weeks of my Slimming World journey where not always plan sailing. I had craving, I was fed up with salad and I was ALWAYS hungry! The more the weeks went on my stomach got smaller and I very rarely felt hungry. I keep full on free food and I changed my meals around so I wasn't always having salad. I find now that being more adventurous and trying new dishes really helps and excites me when cooking.
Tomorrow is the start of my 4 week challenge and I am starting off with a 5k run. If you are new to this start out light. I always run and walk as I haven't built up my running ability just yet. Rome wasn't built in a day and remember fitness takes time. I am then going to do a quick ab and squat session before getting ready for work.
I am going to change up my morning exercises and will be doing some personal training with Damy and spin classes too.
Remember you have to start somewhere and you have to really want it. You need to work hard, stay focused and have self discipline. And of course you need to treat yourself every now and again. Just not every day like you usually would.
I hope this helps and I cant wait to see the #FacesByGrace4WeekChallenge pictures.
Also check out the Sunday World magazine today as there is a 4 page spread with myself and Joanne Larby all about our weight loss journeys :)
If you are new to my blog or new to weigh loss and fitness then todays blog post might help.
I wanted to share some tips when getting started. The thing that got me started on my weight loss was wanting to look and feel good for summer. Now that summer is here I am so happy I started in January. If you have decided that tomorrow is the start for you then please stick at it.
The three things you need to remember when starting to lose weight is, organisation & preparation is key, stick with the plan, and it will all be worth it in the end.
The first couple of weeks of my Slimming World journey where not always plan sailing. I had craving, I was fed up with salad and I was ALWAYS hungry! The more the weeks went on my stomach got smaller and I very rarely felt hungry. I keep full on free food and I changed my meals around so I wasn't always having salad. I find now that being more adventurous and trying new dishes really helps and excites me when cooking.
Tomorrow is the start of my 4 week challenge and I am starting off with a 5k run. If you are new to this start out light. I always run and walk as I haven't built up my running ability just yet. Rome wasn't built in a day and remember fitness takes time. I am then going to do a quick ab and squat session before getting ready for work.
I am going to change up my morning exercises and will be doing some personal training with Damy and spin classes too.
Remember you have to start somewhere and you have to really want it. You need to work hard, stay focused and have self discipline. And of course you need to treat yourself every now and again. Just not every day like you usually would.
I hope this helps and I cant wait to see the #FacesByGrace4WeekChallenge pictures.
Also check out the Sunday World magazine today as there is a 4 page spread with myself and Joanne Larby all about our weight loss journeys :)
Stay Happy and Healthy
Love Grace xox
Hey dolls
Please excuse the mess of the blog post but my Mac still thinks I can speak Arabic
After a holiday of over indulging and not being very active.... More like falling asleep at every given
opportunity haha, I have decided I want to set myself a mini fitness goal
Starting Monday I want to exercise on a daily basis, whether it be going for a run, a walk or doing some squats and ab work in my front room. I want to start incorporating excise into my daily routine. One question I get asked so often is, if exercise is necessary to help with weight loss. For me, the first month and a half was down to my diet 100% I ate properly and avoided all junk food. In the last few months I have tried to be more active and go for regular runs/walks.
I really want to be able to run long distance. I find running releases so much stress and I always feel a million times better after it. It releases happy endorphins and over all has an amazing impact on your fitness. I will also be doing a mini workout at home and will try do 30 minutes a day. Once I have come up with my exercise plan I will share it with you. On top of all this I will be still doing my personal training session with Damy from Method Fitness. The pain of my muscles after a workout with Damy is nothing I could ever achieve on my own. He really pushes me and makes me do things I never thought I could. I will also share mine and Damy's workout plan so that you too can do the exercises from the comfort of you own home or in you local park.
I would love for you all to get involved and if you need more motivation you should join the group I set up on Facebook called The7amClub. It is such an amazing environment where everyone shares ideas, tips recipes and inspiration. I would love if you tagged me on Instagram or FaceBook in your fitness pictures and use the hashtag #FacesByGrace4WeekChallenge.
Starting Monday fresh and active
I hope to see you all join in
Stay healthy & happy
Love Grace xox
Love Grace xox
Hey ladies,
After a lovely bank holiday weekend down in Wexford with my family I was very nervous to step on the scales this morning. I wasn't as good as I could have been and I did drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of junk. It was a tad disappointed but not surprised when I was up 3 pounds this morning. The first thing I said to myself was I enjoy the weekend and enjoyed all the food. I didn't over indulge for no reason or emotionally binge eat, it was a great weekend and I treated myself! Maybe a bit more than I should have.
I did cook slimming world meals and go for runs but I think the main reason I gained this week was due to the Bulmers I drank and only discovered that each can contains 9.5 Syns each!!!! I don't think the chipper chips and two slices of pizza helped either haha. OH or the Eddie Rockets last night!!! I am hanging my head in shame now haha!!!
What I can take from my gain this week is a clearer mind that I can't over indulge like that. I can have one day of it maybe but certainly not a full weekend. I am starting fresh today and with only 3 days until I fly to Tunisia I need to be very good because we have a week of all inclusive food and drink ahead of us. I don't want to be too strict on myself and I want to enjoy my holidays but I also need to be aware of what I am eating and make the best possible food choices.
At the end of the day a gain is not the end of the world. I makes you realise that you can't go on eating crap and expect a loss. Today is a new day and a fresh start. There is no point beating myself up about it or feeling guilty about it. I need to rethink and get organised. I want to try and do the SP plan for the next few days. This is just eating speed and protein foods. Weight loss isn't a short term thing, it's a lifestyle. You need to make permanent changes to your life and diet to maintain a healthy life. Yes, treats are allowed but everything in moderation.
To be honest, I don't feel great today. I had Eddie Rockets last night while catching up with friends and I just feel a bit bloated today. It isn't really worth it. It may taste amazing at the time but an hour or two later, when your body is trying to digest the junk food, it doesn't thank you for it.
What I want you to take away from todays post is, it's ok to have treats but in moderation, if you have a gain don't judge yourself and make yourself feel guilty, just learn from your mistakes.
I have set up a Facebook page where you all can join and share ideas and inspiration. I see so many amazing pictures of your meals on snapchat I thought it was a great idea if you could all help and inspire others too. You can search "The7amClub" on Facebook and you should find us all there.
After a lovely bank holiday weekend down in Wexford with my family I was very nervous to step on the scales this morning. I wasn't as good as I could have been and I did drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of junk. It was a tad disappointed but not surprised when I was up 3 pounds this morning. The first thing I said to myself was I enjoy the weekend and enjoyed all the food. I didn't over indulge for no reason or emotionally binge eat, it was a great weekend and I treated myself! Maybe a bit more than I should have.
I did cook slimming world meals and go for runs but I think the main reason I gained this week was due to the Bulmers I drank and only discovered that each can contains 9.5 Syns each!!!! I don't think the chipper chips and two slices of pizza helped either haha. OH or the Eddie Rockets last night!!! I am hanging my head in shame now haha!!!
What I can take from my gain this week is a clearer mind that I can't over indulge like that. I can have one day of it maybe but certainly not a full weekend. I am starting fresh today and with only 3 days until I fly to Tunisia I need to be very good because we have a week of all inclusive food and drink ahead of us. I don't want to be too strict on myself and I want to enjoy my holidays but I also need to be aware of what I am eating and make the best possible food choices.
At the end of the day a gain is not the end of the world. I makes you realise that you can't go on eating crap and expect a loss. Today is a new day and a fresh start. There is no point beating myself up about it or feeling guilty about it. I need to rethink and get organised. I want to try and do the SP plan for the next few days. This is just eating speed and protein foods. Weight loss isn't a short term thing, it's a lifestyle. You need to make permanent changes to your life and diet to maintain a healthy life. Yes, treats are allowed but everything in moderation.
To be honest, I don't feel great today. I had Eddie Rockets last night while catching up with friends and I just feel a bit bloated today. It isn't really worth it. It may taste amazing at the time but an hour or two later, when your body is trying to digest the junk food, it doesn't thank you for it.
What I want you to take away from todays post is, it's ok to have treats but in moderation, if you have a gain don't judge yourself and make yourself feel guilty, just learn from your mistakes.
I have set up a Facebook page where you all can join and share ideas and inspiration. I see so many amazing pictures of your meals on snapchat I thought it was a great idea if you could all help and inspire others too. You can search "The7amClub" on Facebook and you should find us all there.
Have a great week and stay happy and healthy.
Love you all
Grace xox
Hey Loves,
Everyone wants to know how I made my chicken curry the other day. It was soooo delicious and tasted better then a curry from the Chinese. It was a tad spicy for my mam so next time I will add less curry powder and cumin. It took about and hour to cook and is free on extra easy :)
The Ingredients-
The Method-
I chopped up all the veg and fried it in a pan in fry light. I also fried the chicken in garlic in a separate pan. Once the veg and chicken where fully cooked I added them to a large sauce pan. I then mixed them together and added the tin of chopped tomatoes along with some slimmed milk, curry powder and cumin. I let that simmer and mixed all the ingredients together. Once the mixture was simmering I boiled the brown rice (it takes 30-40 mins to cook) Once the curry was cooked I added in the fromage frais. This is when it started to really look and taste like an amazing curry. Once the rice was boiled I strained it and served it up a broghie. These can be bought in Tesco and are like a giant flavourless prawn cracker haha. They are only 1 syn each.
Everyone wants to know how I made my chicken curry the other day. It was soooo delicious and tasted better then a curry from the Chinese. It was a tad spicy for my mam so next time I will add less curry powder and cumin. It took about and hour to cook and is free on extra easy :)
The Ingredients-
- 3 Chicken breasts chopped into chunks
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 5 sweet peppers finely chopped
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 200 g mushrooms chopped thickly
- 2 onions sliced thickly
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 5 tbsp Fat free fromage frais
The Method-
I chopped up all the veg and fried it in a pan in fry light. I also fried the chicken in garlic in a separate pan. Once the veg and chicken where fully cooked I added them to a large sauce pan. I then mixed them together and added the tin of chopped tomatoes along with some slimmed milk, curry powder and cumin. I let that simmer and mixed all the ingredients together. Once the mixture was simmering I boiled the brown rice (it takes 30-40 mins to cook) Once the curry was cooked I added in the fromage frais. This is when it started to really look and taste like an amazing curry. Once the rice was boiled I strained it and served it up a broghie. These can be bought in Tesco and are like a giant flavourless prawn cracker haha. They are only 1 syn each.
It was so simple and so delicious. I had enough left over for 2 more dinners. This meal is perfect for cooking up and freezing for days when you are too busy or tired to cook. What I always do is separate each portion into tupperware and freeze them. The night before I take it out of the freezer and there is zero preparation the following day.
Happy cooking
Love
Grace xox
Hey loves,
I am so excited to share this recipe with you all, I made these breakfast muffins yesterday and had them this morning. They are so tasty and fun to make. I needed a change in my breakfast routine as I was getting very bored. As promised in last weeks post I am going to try and be more adventurous with my food to keep it interesting.
Lets get straight into the ingredients.
YOU WILL NEED -
I am so excited to share this recipe with you all, I made these breakfast muffins yesterday and had them this morning. They are so tasty and fun to make. I needed a change in my breakfast routine as I was getting very bored. As promised in last weeks post I am going to try and be more adventurous with my food to keep it interesting.
Lets get straight into the ingredients.
YOU WILL NEED -
- 4 or 5 Large eggs
- 5 lean bacon medallions
- 200 g of mushrooms finely chopped
- A handful of spinach
- A fairy cake tray
- Fry light 1 cal spray
METHOD-
- Preheat oven to 180/160 fan/gas mark 4
- Dice the mushrooms and bacon and fry up.
- Beat eggs together
- Grease the paper holders with fry light, I would recommend using silicone cases instead of paper.
- Add mushrooms and bacon to the tins
- Pour eggs over the filling
- Top with spinach
- Cook for 30mins or until golden brown
Enjoy as part of your breakfast or snack on these when you get hungry. They are even nice cold :) Oh and they are SYN FREE :)
Snap me pictures of your muffins, be adventurous and add what ever filling you fancy
Happy cooking
Grace xox
Hey Dolls,
With a 1.5lb loss this week (woohoo) and only 2lb until I hit target, this post is all about how I'm going to stay on track and get to my goal. If you've been following by journey and blog posts for a while you'll know I changed my target last month. I don't want to lose as much as I first thought. I am happy in my skin now and feel like if I went to 10stone I'd be too skinny. I am a curve woman and want to keep my shape but tone up and get fit in the process. My new target is 11 stone and I'm in reaching distance of it now!
This last week I was ok and stuck to plan most days. If you follow me on snapchat you'll know the terrible craving I had for a battered sausage and chips last week!!! I had to give in to it or else it would have driven me insane! I also pigged out on crisps and dip in my friend Denise's on Sunday. For the most part I was good but I did have some slip ups. I exercised about 4 times last week and I think that helped with the loss this week.
Enough about last week, lets focus on week 18 and what I'm going to do to stay on track and hopefully ( fingers crossed) reach my target next week. This week is going to be a tricky one as I have two events, a communion and a SoSueMe workshop planned. These are all massive risks and I need to be in the right frame of mind before hand and be prepared.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon cooking and preparing meals for the coming week. Our fridge is stocked with healthy free food and I have a big pot of speed soup to keep me going all week.
In class this morning there where a lot of disappointed and disheartened people. One thing to remember is that the week is over, the past is in the past and not to dwell on it for feel guilty for yesterdays mistakes. The best thing to do is start fresh everyday and try be as good and as motivated as possible. It's all about making the right choices, if not the right choice then the best possible choice you can make in that situation. For example, yesterday all I wanted with my cuppa tea in the evening was a bar of chocolate. I asked Chris had he any and he produced a little dark chocolate bar from Aldi. I looked up the syn value and it was worth 7syns. I hadn't thought much about it and then thought to myself is this tiny bar really worth the 7 syns??? I came to the conclusion that no, it wasn't. The hardest thing I had to do this week was put that bar back in the press and walk away. It killed me but it was the right choice. The best thing I can advise is to take ever meal and ever snack as it comes, be aware of exactly what is in it and think to yourself, is it worth it? If your answer is no then leave it behind. You will thank yourself on weigh in day :)
This week I am going to try my hardest to stay on plan, I am going to exercise regularly and make better choices when it comes to snacking or eating out. I really want that 2lb loss, lets see if I can do it. If not, there's always next week. Remember not to be too hard of yourself and don't judge yourself. This journey is a learning curve and we need to take baby steps.
With a 1.5lb loss this week (woohoo) and only 2lb until I hit target, this post is all about how I'm going to stay on track and get to my goal. If you've been following by journey and blog posts for a while you'll know I changed my target last month. I don't want to lose as much as I first thought. I am happy in my skin now and feel like if I went to 10stone I'd be too skinny. I am a curve woman and want to keep my shape but tone up and get fit in the process. My new target is 11 stone and I'm in reaching distance of it now!
This last week I was ok and stuck to plan most days. If you follow me on snapchat you'll know the terrible craving I had for a battered sausage and chips last week!!! I had to give in to it or else it would have driven me insane! I also pigged out on crisps and dip in my friend Denise's on Sunday. For the most part I was good but I did have some slip ups. I exercised about 4 times last week and I think that helped with the loss this week.
Enough about last week, lets focus on week 18 and what I'm going to do to stay on track and hopefully ( fingers crossed) reach my target next week. This week is going to be a tricky one as I have two events, a communion and a SoSueMe workshop planned. These are all massive risks and I need to be in the right frame of mind before hand and be prepared.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon cooking and preparing meals for the coming week. Our fridge is stocked with healthy free food and I have a big pot of speed soup to keep me going all week.
In class this morning there where a lot of disappointed and disheartened people. One thing to remember is that the week is over, the past is in the past and not to dwell on it for feel guilty for yesterdays mistakes. The best thing to do is start fresh everyday and try be as good and as motivated as possible. It's all about making the right choices, if not the right choice then the best possible choice you can make in that situation. For example, yesterday all I wanted with my cuppa tea in the evening was a bar of chocolate. I asked Chris had he any and he produced a little dark chocolate bar from Aldi. I looked up the syn value and it was worth 7syns. I hadn't thought much about it and then thought to myself is this tiny bar really worth the 7 syns??? I came to the conclusion that no, it wasn't. The hardest thing I had to do this week was put that bar back in the press and walk away. It killed me but it was the right choice. The best thing I can advise is to take ever meal and ever snack as it comes, be aware of exactly what is in it and think to yourself, is it worth it? If your answer is no then leave it behind. You will thank yourself on weigh in day :)
This week I am going to try my hardest to stay on plan, I am going to exercise regularly and make better choices when it comes to snacking or eating out. I really want that 2lb loss, lets see if I can do it. If not, there's always next week. Remember not to be too hard of yourself and don't judge yourself. This journey is a learning curve and we need to take baby steps.
I hope this post helped in some way and encourages you to get back in the game. I'll have two posts to follow of the delicious speed soup and breakfast muffins I made yesterday. Stay tuned for them!
Love
Grace xox
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