Fruit fruit fruit!

The weather has been so nice lately and I don't know about you,

but when the sun shines I'm so much more likely to eat yummy fresh

fruit.

It's so healthy and full of goodness.

I've got a bowl full of different fruits in my kitchen.

Grapefruits, apples, satsumas, bananas, mango, kiwis, avocados, lemon

and

I've got blueberries, grapes and a cantaloupe melon in the fridge.

I offer my kids fruit every day, they have two pieces of fruit

in their lunchboxes, have a fruit snack in the afternoon and most days

have fruit salad for bedtime snack.

Sometimes the fruit I've put in the lunchboxes comes back...

because eating a piece of fruit by itself is boring.

(according to my oldest)

Boring, can you believe it!

Let's have a look at how we can make eating fruit FUN.

Mmmmm, looks good!

Think I might have one of these later.

Cute idea for serving melon balls

How cute are these strawberry fruit cups, my kids would

go crazy for them!

Great idea!

ideal healthy snack for a kids party.

Fruit pops, perfect healthy snack on a hot day.

Most awesome idea ever!!

All images can be found on my Pinterest board

I think most of these would be winners in my house.

Thinking of making the fruit cones for after school snack today.

Sure they won't find it boring at all.

I'm still on track with my running plan as well, in case you were wondering,

although not much has changed from last week.

Have a happy, healthy week my friends!

Linking up

My weekly running plan: week 4 + shopping list

This week I've been back on track and

I have finally tackled those four minutes of running.

I'm not going to lie, it has been hard on me.

Luckily fitness improves fast and I am finding it easier

every time I step on the tread mill.

So here's what I've been doing this week:

Warm up: 5 minute brisk walk

Minutes 1 and 2: run

Minutes 3 and 4: walk

Minutes 5 and 6: run

Minutes 7 and 8: walk

Minutes 9, 10, 11 and 12: run (hard four minutes!)

Minutes 13, 14 and 15: walk

Minutes 16, 17 and 18: run

Minutes 19, 20 and 21: walk

Minutes 22, 23 and 24: run

Cool down: 5 minute brisk walk

This week I will be continuing this and adding another 4 minutes of

 running, slowly building up until I am ready to run for FIVE minutes.

So apart from running I've also been eating more healthy.

Later on I'm going grocery shopping.

                                              I always make a shopping list and stick to it.

I usually sit down and make a weekly menu plan first.

That way I can see exactly what I need to buy. I also check my

cupboards and fridge/freezer to see what we still have so I don't overbuy.

Here's this weeks menu.

I do add loads of snacks as the days go by,

but usually they are quite healthy snacks such as

fruits, yogurts or rice crackers.

You may also notice that I eat the same breakfast every day.

I just find the porridge (Oat so Simple with sultanas, raisins,

cranberry and apple) very tasty and filling. I usually have this with

a coffee and have my grapefruit later on in the morning...it makes for a

delicious mid morning snack.

On the other side I write down my shopping list

I like to categorise my items by aisle, it just makes it so much more

easier to shop and I don't find myself running back and forth between the

aisles and getting distracted by other items.

 It also makes shopping a lot quicker.

I NEVER go shopping on an empty stomach.

I did once and bought a whole load of stuff I did not need.

Mainly freshly baked pastries...so hard to resist the smell

of chocolate croissants when hungry.

Linking up

Have a healthy happy week my friends

xxx

My weekly running plan: week 3

This week I only ran once!

very disappointing, I know.

I had a good reason (excuse) though, my husband

had surgery and was in hospital all week, so after

running back and forth between the hospital, picking kids up

from school, cooking dinner, helping with homework,

bathing kids, bedtime stories and housework I was pretty

exhausted.

I know I could have probably squeezed in  half an hour

in the mornings...

I just felt I didn't have the time.

Excuses right!

Maybe I should have titled this post

excuses, excuses

as this is exactly what I'm going to talk about this week.

1. I don't have time! (my excuse)

Make little adjustments to your every day tasks, that

way you can "save" some time for exercising.

You could also try to break up your exercising time, for example if you

normally exercise 30 minutes (like I do), do 15 minutes in the

morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Your body still gets the

same benefits.

You could do some of you errands running or run while playing

with the kids.

Turn the TV off and exercise instead or go on the treadmill

while watching your favourite programme.

2. I'm too tired!

When you are tired it's hard to get motivated, but going

for a run will energise you. You will feel less

tired the more you exercise and feel a lot fitter.

If you feel tired at the start of a run just start slowly and

build it up.

3. The weather isn't on my side!

Dress appropriate. Lot's of layers when it's cold,

a wind and waterproof jacket when it rains and remember to take a

water bottle when it's hot.

4. I don't like running in public!

Don't worry about what others think and be proud of

yourself for exercising and doing something healthy.

If you don't like running by yourself you could find a running partner.

If you don't like running outside use a treadmill and run in

the comfort of your home.

5. Running gets boring!

Listen to your favourite music while running and

if you run outside look around and enjoy the scenery.

Try and shake up your run by taking new routes.

You could join a running group or go running

with a friend.

Just remember

I'm ready to start a new week and am ready to

tackle those 4 minutes I was talking about last week.

No more excuses for me!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

xxx

Linking up here today

My weekly running plan: week 2

I've had another really good "running" week!

You may remember me saying in last weeks

post that I had to run for three minutes and found it really hard,

but did it anyway.

Well, this week I've continued on from that and

focused on those three minutes.

I'm just so amazed at how much easier I'm finding it now

and at how fast my fitness levels are improving.

Considering I didn't do ANYTHING before,

it's all going so well.

I'm very proud of myself!

So here's what I've been doing this week.

Warm up: 5 minute brisk walk

Minute 1: run

Minute 2: walk

Minutes 3 and 4: run

Minutes 5 and 6: walk

Minutes 7 and 8: run

Minutes 9 and 10: walk

Minutes 11, 12 and 13: run

Minutes 14, 15 and 16: walk

Minutes 17, 18  and 19: run

Cool down: 5 minute brisk walk

This week coming I'll be trying 4 minutes.

On top of all that I'm finding that I'm eating a lot less chocolate.

Who wants chocolate anyway after a run right?!

Instead I've been munching this

DELICIOUS!

Have a happy, healthy, fit week everyone.

xxx

My weekly running plan: week 1

I've never been much of a runner.

I've never enjoyed it and have never really been

able to run for very long.

After about a minute I'm usually gasping for air and

regretting even starting.

So you'll probably be surprised if  told you 

 I ran 4 times last week.

Yep, four times!

Me and the treadmill are slowly becoming friends.

I've been doing the walking/running method

and am very pleased to say it seems to be

working incredibly well for me.

I'm still gasping for air but am starting to find this whole

running business easier

and more enjoyable.

Here's what I've been doing this first week:

Warm up: 5 minute brisk walk

Minute 1: run

Minute 2: walk

Minutes 3 and 4: run

Minutes 5 and 6: walk

Minutes 7 and 8: run

Minutes 9 and 10: walk

Minutes 11 and 12: run

Minutes 13 and 14: walk

Minutes 15 and 16: run

Minutes 17 and 18: walk

Minutes 19, 20 and 21: run

Cool down: 5 minute brisk walk

It did this every other day, it is VERY

important to give your body a day to rest

and recover.

Those last 3 minutes of running were HARD on me,

especially the first time, but I puffed my way through it!

I also listened to some good tunes, which made

it all a lot easier!

Tuesday I'm shaking my programme up a bit

and starting week 2.

A bit more running, a bit less walking.

It will be hard but I am SURE I can do it.

Linking up here:

Have a happy week everyone!

Fit Club : 2 pounds, oh yes!!

Today was weighing day and the day couldn't

have started out any better.

I got on the weighing scales with a heavy heart,

not sure what it was going to say...

but hoping it would be good.

And was it?

Oh yes!!

I lost just over 2 pounds this week! Woohoo.

I'm sooo happy with this progress,

honestly I don't think the smile has left

my face all day!

I thank the yummy grapefruits (I think)

I have had half a grapefruit every morning before I ate

anything else.

Half an hour after that I had the rest of

my breakfast, porridge.

I've also been doing sit ups  with the help

of this. Genius!

A friend of mine lended it to me about a year

ago and it's been gathering dust under

my bed ever since...up till last week

that is.

Other than that I haven't changed much.

I kept remembering one of

the photo's I posted last week every time

I felt like having something sweet, and that kept me

on track.

I hope everybody's week has been as good as mine!

Keep it up fellow Fit clubbers :)

Fit club: getting motivated

This week I've been looking for some good motivation.

We all need this sometimes don't we.

To tell you the truth I've been finding this first week

of getting back into a healthy lifestyle quite hard.

I think it's because my body got so used to having all the sugary

food over the Christmas holidays.

I'm constantly craving biscuits, chocolate or crisps.

Not good :(

So this morning I had a look for some inspiring

quotes and pictures and you know what...

I think it's working!

Earlier my mind was wondering....the cookie way.

So I thought of this

It did the trick for me and I had some grapes instead!

Sometimes you just need to visualise where you are heading to.

 Exercise is also VERY important.

Wednesday I am going to Zumba classes.

I LOVE zumba

I just need to start walking a bit more....maybe I can

talk one of my friends into going

for a walk with me a couple of times a week.

I seem to enjoy exercise a lot more

when there's someone else with me.

Call me social, hahaha!

Might have to memorise these...and keep repeating them to myself!

You feeling motivated yet? I know I am.

If not

just

look

at

this

...

I'm sure that did the trick, no?!

Lastly just remember this

Have fun and stay motivated my Fit club friends!