A Matter of Choice

A couple of years ago I saw a friend on facebook had started following a yoga program on YouTube by Yoga With Adriene . Back in 2008 I used to go to Pilates classes weekly which I enjoyed and continued going to until I was about 7 months pregnant, I'd never managed to find any Pilates videos I liked online and as  I surmised that Yoga would be pretty similar so thought I'd give it a go too. I like a program to follow, exact instructions if you like, I think it's why I've got on so well with Slimming World over the years so I was full of optimism as I started 30 Days of Yoga. I can't remember how many days I did,  maybe 3? I wanted to get fit and I had probably at least a couple of stone I wanted to lose and when I sat on the mat closing my eyes and holding my hands together over my heart I couldn't help but think 'I haven't got time for this s**t)   Meditation has never held any interest for me, my mind would wander too much and I'd be impatie...

Happy new year dear blog readers! On New Years Eve I'd taken the boys to Paralimni town centre just as it got dark to see the Christmas lights as we'd not got round to going there yet and I felt like we hadn't left the house in days.  We came home to a warm house,  music on, bubbly chilling and so our traditional NYE evening was about to get underway! Mum and Dad arrived and we celebrated with lots of food, drinks and music. Mostly sat ( and at various points dancing) and singing along to youtube,  all the old songs that it wouldn't be NYE without! Even Leo was singing along to Chas and Dave! Just before midnight I played our usual countdown which ends with the 'bongs' of Big Ben and a rousing rendition of Auld Langs Syne - although we don't get the chimes live at midnight, it's just not New Year until I hear them!     We all stood outside on the balcony (luckily it was not raining yet)  and I opened the front door as is the tra...

Just over two weeks ago I started the 30 Day Shred, I was a little nervous as I'd heard lots about it and it sounded very hard, but I was also excited as I'd also heard of the results people had achieved doing it.  The first day was hard, harder than any workout DVD I've done before and I regularly used to do the Ministry Of Sound workouts, although I always took the easy option on them and probably never pushed myself as hard as I could have done.  I made the decision when I started the Shred to push as hard as I could after seeing a quote online related to it 'Unless you puke, faint or die, Keep Going' And I did, I could hardly breathe during Day 1, Day 2 was the same with the added muscle aches gained on Day 1 but by Day 5 it was a lot easier, note I said 'easier' not easy! ! I had been worried as I always have been whilst exercising about my knees which I've had problems with or years but as the days progressed they actually felt better than ...

At the beginning of the year I announced that I had th e mad idea to try and do the '30 day shred'. It sounded terrifying so I thought I'd work up to it and do the 6 week challenge on EA Sports on the Wii. However, a week into it and I realised it's a bit rubbish so I thought I'd just go for it! So on Saturday I dug out my exercise mat and tins of beans (as weights!) and did Day 1. It was bloody hard work, and I did think I was going to die but I figured it was only 20 minutes so I just powered through whilst swearing and moaning (in my head as I didn't have the breath or energy to do it out loud!) The push ups were the probably the hardest, well those and the jumping jacks, oh and the last section of abs. I could feel like I'd worked out afterwards but was pleasantly surprised the next day, although I did ache I had been expecting to be unable to move. Day 2 was harder as it was the same as Day 1 with the addition of aching muscles. Day 3 was about t...

I love the expression 'The first day of the rest of your life' and although technically every day is today certainly felt like it.  Usually I hate January with a passion but currently this one is looking all good. Today I rejoined Slimming World, at a new group (new to me, not the area).  It's within walking distance as was my old group in the UK which is good as you get that little bit of extra exercise on the way! They seem like a nice bunch of people there which makes all the difference when it comes to wanting to go along each week. I already know 3 of the ladies who go so it's even better. I tried to get back on the plan after Louka was born and lost 1/2 stone but I was struggling a little without the support of a group. It really does make all the difference going along each week - people have often said I don't need to go as I know the plan so well but it just doesn't work as well. I KNOW Slimming World works, and I know it works really well if yo...

Today I dug out my great collection of fitness DVDs, they've been gathering dust for quite a while now due to pregnancy, the heat and general laziness!  But believe it or not most of them have been very well used in their time.  Before I amassed this collection exercise was not a word in my vocabulary, growing up I hated sport (unless it was an excuse to go out drinking) When I started Slimming World back in 2006 I was pleased to hear you didn't HAVE to exercise but it didn't take me long to realise that it would make a huge difference to my weight loss and that I would actually start to get fit for probably the first time in my life! My first purchase was the Ministry of Sound Pump it Up DVD, I loved the music and thought it would be fun - but I nearly died when I tried to do it, It was impossible, I couldn't breathe and couldn't get anywhere close to what they were doing on screen. I dismissed it as gimmicky and thought them just an...