Lauren Loses It | Weigh in #3

Well hello there...

It's time for another 'Lauren loses it post!' - if you missed my last post, have a nosy here.

I hope you enjoy reading these weight loss posts, as much as I enjoy writing them!

Let's get started...

Reaching my goal
I have reached my goal! I can't believe that after 6 and half months of working my arse off, I have finally seen my goal weight pop up on my scales.
I thought I would share some before and after photographs, with you lovely lot!

 Before...

 After!

The middle picture is me wearing my old (and now extremely baggy!) pair of size 18 jeans!

Exercise

I have continued to work out 3 times per week and have been doing lots of toning exercises - such as squats, lunges and sit ups, as well as cardio.
I have also been loving the Just Sweat section on the Just Dance game, it's a great cardio workout, including a warm up, cool down and stretches.

Food and Snaps from the week

Here are a few snapshots of my meals and snacks from the past few weeks; If you would like to see more, give me a cheeky follow on Instagram @clumsybaby 

Wants, goals, needs and achievements
1. I still can't believe I have reached my goal weight!

2. I can't wait to start buying new clothes, sorry bank balance!
(I may have already made a few cheeky purchases from ASOS and Dorothy Perkins... shhh)

3. My ultimate goal is still to wear a bikini on my holiday in January, no cover up required

4. I want to continue to tone up my arms, legs and stomach 

5. I have actually dropped 4 dress sizes! I can't bloody believe it!

Weigh in

Start weight: 13 stone, 11 pounds, Dress size: 18-20

Goal weight: 10 stone

Current weight: 9 stone, 12 pounds, Dress size: 10-12

I hope you enjoyed this 'Lauren Loses It' post, I will continue to keep you updated with my journey as I try to maintain my current weight and healthy lifestyle.

Are you also trying to lose or maintain your weight, if so, do you have any tips or tricks? 

Or are you also tracking your progress?

I would love to know and hopefully we can support each other!

Leave me a lovely comment below :)

Want to chat?

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram or even drop me an email (click on the envelope at the top of my blog)

Love Laurenx

*I just wanted to quickly say; I am not a nutritionist, healthy eating expert or fitness expert, I am not saying that I work out 7 days a week for hours at a time, starve myself or deny myself anything.

I am just trying to be healthy, do some exercise and lose weight, and bring you lovely lot along for the journey!*

Gift Guide | Looking for a unique gift this Christmas?

Well hello there...

An email popped up in my inbox recently from a company called Frame Again asking if I would be interested in reviewing their frames, after having a nosy at their website, I jumped at the chance!

Frame Again is a relatively new company, with a great concept - trying to get people printing and framing their photographs.

 In this modern world of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, we all have hundreds of great photographs taken with our phones, we share them on social media - but, we never seem to take the time to actually print our photos out and frame them. 

That's all about to change...

The process is very straight-forward, all you have to do is go to the Frame Again website, click on 'Get Framing', upload your favourite photograph either from your computer or straight from Instagram, then you simply pick the colours you would like your frame to have - I went for baby blue and midnight blue as they complemented my picture very well. 

Then add your frame to the shopping cart and checkout.

Easy peasy!

It only costs £9.99 for the frame, plus £3.00 standard delivery. 

The delivery is very prompt, I ordered my frame on the 17th and received it on the 19th. 

The frame comes beautifully packaged with your chosen photo installed behind the glass, so they are gift-ready and you could also include a personalised gift card too!

You can hang your frame on the wall or simply display it on a shelf and they are also magnetised to sit side by side, if you choose to purchase more than one frame. 

I think this would be a perfect gift for a budding photographer, friend, parent, partner -  anyone who loves taking photographs or even a new home owner - it's such a versatile and personal gift.

I would highly recommend Frame Again, they make gift-giving so simple and their customer service is excellent!

I hope you enjoyed this post, What do you think of Frame Again? Will you be purchasing a unique frame this Christmas?

I'd love to know, leave me a lovely comment below!

Want to connect?

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

Love Laurenx

*I received a free frame from the lovely people at Frame Again, for the purpose of a review, I wasn't paid for this post.*

Lauren Loses It | Weigh in #2

Well hello there...

It's time for another 'Lauren loses it post!' - if you missed my last post, have a nosy here. 

I hope you are enjoying these weight loss posts, let's get started!

*I just wanted to quickly say; I am not a nutritionist, healthy eating expert or fitness expert, I am not saying that I work out 7 days a week for hours at a time, starve myself or deny myself anything.

I am just trying to be healthy, do some exercise and lose weight, and bring you lovely lot along for the journey!*

Exercise

I have been working out at least three times per week, I have actually been using the Just Dance game on the wii console, quite a lot.

I find it's great for cardio, burning calories and having a good ol' fashioned boogie!

Who says exercise can't be fun?

I have also been doing sit ups, lunges and squats, to try and tone my stomach and thighs. 

I have noticed that my calves are looking more toned and my legs are looking slimmer. 

I hated my legs so much before I started my weight loss journey, I think they were the worst part of my body. 

I have a long body and short legs, so they looked very chunky and wobbled a bit too much!

I am happy that I am starting to love my legs more!

Food and Snaps from the week

Here are a few snapshots of my meals and snacks from the past few weeks; If you would like to see more, you can follow me on Instagram (Link at the bottom of this post)

Wants, goals, needs and achievements
1. I can't believe I have lost 3 stone, I am pretty proud of myself!

2. I can't wait to be able to buy pretty clothes, when I reach my goal weight.

3. My ultimate goal is to wear a bikini on holiday in January, no cover up required!

4. I still want to tone up my arms, but one thing at a time!

5. I have actually gone down 3 dress sizes! I can't bloody believe it!

Weekly weigh in - 29/09/14

Weight lost: -2 pounds

Total weight lost: 3 stone

Weight to go: 13 pounds

I hope you enjoyed this 'Lauren Loses It' post, I am going to keep you updated with my weight loss, and will be doing another post in November, to show you my progress. 

Hopefully I will be at my goal weight!

Are you also trying to lose weight, if so, do you have any tips or tricks? 

Or are you also tracking your progress?

I would love to know and hopefully we can support each other!

Leave me a lovely comment below :)

Want to chat?

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram or even drop me an email (click on the envelope at the top of my blog)

Love Laurenx

Lauren Loses It | Weigh in #1

Well hello there...

I have been on a weight loss journey since May this year (May 9th to be exact), I was and actually still am (according to my BMI) - overweight.
 I had been kidding myself for a while that I was just 'curvy', but you can only lie to yourself for so long, until one day you look in the mirror and see a fat girl staring back at you.
 I am 5 foot 3 inches tall, which only makes things worse, as I think the shorter you are, the wider you look. 

I have lost 2 stone and 1 pound so far (Pretty much 2 dress sizes), but I still have quite a way to go before I reach my goal healthy weight. 

I am not comfortable disclosing my start weight or current weight just yet, as I still don't feel all that confident with my body. Hopefully, when I reach my goal weight, I will share some before and after pictures. 

*I just wanted to quickly say; I am not a nutritionist, healthy eating expert or fitness expert, I am not saying that I work out 7 days a week for hours at a time, starve myself or deny myself anything.

I am just trying to be healthy, do some exercise and lose weight, and bring you lovely lot along for the journey!*

Exercise

The dreaded word. I have always been an exercise phobic, I am just a lazy person to be honest; I would rather be lounging on the sofa eating a packet of crisps, than going for a bloody run!

But, I have really been trying to overhaul my life, as this isn't just 'a diet', it is a complete lifestyle change. Which means, exercise!

I have kept a list of all of the exercise I have done this week, I don't go to the gym as I prefer to work out in the comfort of my own home and save some dosh!

Monday - 30 minute stretch and tone exercise DVD , 45 minutes on the Wii Fit (boxing, step aerobics and more)

(I think this DVD is fab as you have a warm up, cardio, cool down and stretches, all in only 30 minutes, which is great for lazy people like me!)

Tuesday - 20 squats, 20 lunges, 20 sit ups and 20 knee push ups

 (I cannot for the life of me, manage full body push ups, I prefer the ones where you are on your knees with your legs crossed up behind you)

Wednesday - 20 squats, 20 lunges, 20 sit ups and 20 knee push ups

Thursday - 35 minutes on the Wii Fit (boxing, step aerobics and more)

Friday - REST

Saturday - REST

Sunday - Angela Griffin's Dancemix Workout DVD (25 minutes), 30 minute stretch and tone exercise DVD

Now, my exercise routine does vary from week to week, depending on what shifts I am working, if I have any plans to go out or if I'm just feeling plain lazy! But, I try to aim for at least 2 hours of exercise per week. 

Food and Snaps from the week

I use the MyFitnessPal app to track my calorie intake each day.
 It's a very simple app to use, all you do is input your height, weight, amount of exercise you do and how much weight you want to lose per week, into the app and it calculates how many calories you need per day to lose weight. 
(You can also use it to gain weight or maintain weight)

 I have 1,200 calories per day and aim to lose 2 pounds per week. 

I would not recommend trying to lose more than that per week, as you want to be healthy and set yourself an attainable goal. 

Here are a few snapshots of my meals and snacks from the past few weeks; If you would like to see more, you can follow me on Instagram (Link at the bottom of this post)

Wants, goals, needs and achievements

1. I would love to tone up my arms, as they are rather jiggly at the moment

2. I would also like to tone my thighs, stomach and bum

3. I have been lusting after a Polar Watch for bloody ages, and have finally caved in and bought myself one. After many hours of scouring the web, I found this beauty for only £47!
(Picture above)

 I have seen so many lovely ladies, sharing pictures of their pretty pink polar watches, so I thought I'd be a rebel and get a green one (Well... green is my favourite colour!

4. I am also quite proud of myself for losing just over 2 stone so far! :)

Weekly weigh in - 18/08/14

Weight lost: -2 pounds

Total lost: 2 stone, 3 pounds

Weight to go: 1 stone, 8 pounds

I hope you enjoyed this 'Lauren Loses It' post, I am going to keep you updated with my weight loss, and will be doing another post next month, to show you my progress. 

Are you also trying to lose weight, if so, do you have any tips or tricks? 

Or are you also tracking your progress?

I would love to know and hopefully we can support each other!

Leave me a lovely comment below :)

Want to chat?

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram or even drop me an email (click on the envelope at the top of my blog)

Love Laurenx

Skiing in Austria... holiday photos and what I got up to!

Well hello there... I'm back! Did you miss me?

I have just returned from a weeks holiday skiing in Austria. I am currently writing this sitting in my most comfy pyjamas, after getting up at 3am this morning (pretty much the middle of the night!) to get a two hour mini bus ride to the airport, then catching my flight to Bristol and travelling the two hours back home to sunny Devon, so it's safe to say I'm more than a little tired, nevertheless I am powering through! Yawn!

 

 

 

 I had an amazing time in Austria, I stayed in a place called Niederau, it is a breath-taking area, with the most beautiful views.

 So, I skied... I did fall over a couple of times which was to be expected, but I did manage to get down a hill and stop at the bottom without speeding into a tree or falling on my arse, which I'm taking as a personal victory!

I had ski lessons every morning and afternoon for two hours each, I only did three days as I wanted to see the sights as well. But if you are a complete novice (like me!) then I would highly suggest you have at least two or three days of lessons to learn the basics.

Skiing is really tiring on your legs and tricky to get the hang of as there is so much to remember, also walking in ski boots is such an odd experience, but as I was told many times, 'Nobody is born able to ski' and it's so true, it is hard and you will get tired and just want to take a nap right there on the slope but it is so much fun as well! 

There is a great feeling of exhilaration and pride when you ski down a slope without falling!

I would highly recommend giving it a go, you never know you might love it!

My top tips:

Make sure you have a bottle of water with you, skiing is thirsty work

Your bum is your best friend, land on it, not your head!

If you feel tired, take a break, the instructors don't mind, it's not school, you don't have to ask permission

If you do fall (or when you fall...) don't worry about the people around you, everyone is learning, everyone is going to fall at some point

Make sure you have the correct size and fit of ski boots for your height, weight and shoe size, if you are wearing the wrong size the boots will cut off the circulation to your feet and it will be very painful. (If you can wiggle your toes and only move your heel up slightly, your good!)

Eat a hearty breakfast, you will be burning it all off anyway, go nuts!

Mars bars are brilliant for giving you energy when your sugar levels are low, make sure you stock up!

Don't be afraid to ask for extra help if you need it, that's what the instructors are there for!

All content and pictures on this blog Keep calm it's only a blog, have been taken and written by me personally, Lauren Percival 2014

I didn't ski every day while I was in Austria as I wanted to explore the area and see some sights as well, I went on a day trip to Salzburg and saw where Mozart was born and grew up, it is a lovely place to visit, I also saw some stunning cathedrals and gardens. I also went on lots of walks to nearby towns and villages and stopped at the cutest bakery or 'Bakerei' in Austrian, which sold the yummiest cakes.

I hope you enjoyed this Holiday post, what do you think of skiing? Have you ever been or do you really want to try it? Have you ever been to Austria, if so, what did you think?
 I'd love to hear all about it, leave me a lovely comment below.

Share the love, follow me on bloglovin :)

Love Laurenx