I'm still here!

But not finding the time to 'make' anything delicious!   Or have much to say right now - apart from I have been running every morning, apart from this morning as I would have needed a boat!

But I am still throwing myself across the living room in a sweaty mess with kettle bells and dumb bells and grimacing through planks, side planks, squats, lunges...and wondering why I'm not losing any more weight - diet is good, occasionally it's bad, but 85% it's good - I think I want it perfect overnight, that's the problem and that's why so many people decide on fad diets as they're convinced they'll lose it all in the 5 days it tells them they will, not realising that they'll stop it or get bored or, let's say 'HUNGRY' and pile it all on again and more - this is why I'm all for longevity - I don't CARE how long it takes me to lose all the weight I want to lose - if it takes 5 years, let it take 5 years... I want to lose slowly and yeah, I have a wedding to go to and I'm terrified of looking fat and need to find something to wear in Exeter on Monday and am exercising like a demon and eating clean, but I know things won't be different, it's only a few days LOL

Today I had a WHOLE day to play with my new lens and on this day it has RAINED all day - so these are the shots I got through a very dirty window, with a massive ISO because the light was so bad...

 House sparrow and great tit sheltering from the rain

 A pair of bullfinches and a young goldfinch in the foreground 

A young great tit

I'll be back!  SOON!!! xxxx

Linky Thursday

There used to be a 'Linky' day, every week, on the original blogs of yesteryear... And it used to be just once a week, but I don't do once a week ;)

Anyhoooo

I'm rather liking the articles on Born Fitness recently, I found it on the 'top 60 health blogs' of 2015 - I must admit, most of them were drivel... but this one makes a bit of sense from fitness to motivation to nutrition.    So a good blog to explore when you have a bit of time!

Then what's not to like about Deliciously Ella?  She's a bit of a 'sloane' but that's no bad thing and she's certainly got her head screwed on...!  I like her ideals, I like some of her recipes, although I find some are not to my taste and the fact this girl must have a dinner party each night because the ingredients are HUGE and she does use lots of internet only purchases - fine if you live in London with all those trendy shops, but like me if you live in the heart of North Devon, chickpea flour and coconut sugar is not something you can find here!

And that brings me onto The Green Goddess - I'm not too big on the 'self love' part, I'm not that kind of person and it creeps me out, I find self love selfish, I've always been for my family and for my friends, my needs do not come first, well, not much!  But I love her recipes, although the clean blueberry muffins I made the other day were not nice - it's all trial and error, but her peanut butter chocolate cups are simply DREAMY!

Although very American - these websites usually are - I do enjoy the advice and the words written on Greatist - Health and Fitness News - lots to read and look at... another website for when you have more time to, er, burn? ;)

And finally - well, you knew she wouldn't be too far behind - I utterly LOVE all the workouts and the question and answer advice she gives on a whole range of things from weightloss to exercise - it's the Jessica Smith YouTube Channel - over 200 fitness vids to pick from and believe me, they WILL get you very hot and sweaty!

:) xxx

Yummy Healthy Food

Well, as long as you don't go overboard, you can eat these...

Last night's meal - Green Goddess Mini Pizzas - apart from one small change I'd make, cook the initial pizza shaped dough a little longer then said 5 minutes to begin with (maybe 10?), it was pretty delicious and there ARE leftovers!  So that's 'nibbles' for tonight sorted!

 First up, some simple sweet potato wedges - just cut and roast in the oven on high (200 degrees C, we have a fan oven) for 35 minutes turning them over once half way - coat in fresh rosemary, drizzle olive oil and season with black pepper and salt before roasting naturally!

 2 with different cheeses - goats cheese and mozzarella with mushrooms on now and green and yellow peppers with spinach on the other - drizzled again with olive oil - major yumminess!

 Am I making you hungry yet?

Then this afternoon - as it's raining so no chance for a walk - I've made:

Clean Blueberry Muffins - they're cooling so not sure yet, but when I tasted the mixture it was nice and the smells in the house is gorgeous right now, I'm getting impatient!  I guess the only downside is the face you need coconut flour and almond flour, unless you're 'into' all this healthy cooking like me, it's not the sort of thing you're going to have in the house unless you make a special trip out to a health food store or take time to shop online as it's not something you can buy in a general supermarket!

 A muffin 'selfie' - but then it had to be done! ;-)

Two muffin trays filled - not sure what these people think when they come to write their recipes, I'm really not running a bakery you know - I'm just glad my mum decided to buy two of everything!

And finally - I have to admit, I am suffering grave disappointment with Jessica Smith right now - my workout girl on youtube - I bought her book - The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan - and apart from the good exercises with a good dvd of said exercises, quite frankly the recipes are APPALLING - even advertising to look at 'weight-watchers' recipes and they're all the same - low fat this, reduced fat that, ALL THE THINGS WHICH IN MY MIND ARE TOTALLY AND UTTERLY WRONG - I mean, FFS, how can you have 1% milk???  There's no point having ANY milk if you go for that?  What have they bulking up the other 99% with?  I dread to think!  The recipe 'ideas' are good, so I shall adapt them - but I'm very, VERY disappointed!  Light butter spread?  Poison!  Microwavable brown rice?  You're off your rocker!  Panko bread crumbs?  Foul!  I realise 'The thin in 10' title is for 10 minute ONLY preparation - but why skimp when you can eat so much better then that?  It makes me mad in fact, why did I buy it?  I hate people who can only find '10 minutes' of their day to do some exercise or to eat better food... Surely if you want and need to lose weight, or just want to live healthy, you have to dedicate more time then that?  I realise people have busy lives from jobs to family, but that's just ridiculous!  Anyhow, rant over....

So saying that I STILL love her exercises, her walking dvds, her youtube channel..... :) xx

The Perfect Lunch

I saw this on a website I know and love:

Avo Baked Eggs

And today I had it for lunch and it's utterly delectable!  Just right, not too much and not too little, we had a slice of sourdough bread with it, just to mop up the yolk of the egg and it's using the WHOLE egg - hooray!

 Slight downside - a bit of washing up and very difficult to balance the cracked egg in the hole of the avocado without it swimming out at speed - but I guess will all these kind of things, it takes practice!

 Fresh chives from the garden!

It was eaten and the plates licked clean - definitely be making this again!

I haven't been feeling up to scratch of late, very low energy and even though I've been exercising like a demon, I just feel bushed now!  But this morning I successfully held a side plank on either side with no wobble nor strenuous effort - it was easy!!!  How did that happen?  You see, practice and in my case daily practice for a month - makes perfect!

Now I'm off to relax and watch the Men's Wimbledon Final - I like both players, but I have a soft spot for Roger! :) xxx

What To Do, What Not To Do... That Is The Question!

Healthy advice - what to do, what not to do, over a thousand different thoughts, ideas, science, proven, not proven, personal experiences, you name it...  Everything I read and collect, contradicts the other, from red meat, dairy, fruit, nuts - vegetables are fine, you can eat as many of those as you like it seems - but the others... Here goes...

One article - Avocados are good fats, you can eat these, however many you want.  Next article, yes, avocados are good but only eat a half a day....

Second article - EGGS - amazing little shapes of poor goodness, eat, eat, eat and eat them again - poached and boiled - eat ALL of it (well apart from the shell!) and then one other article, stay off eggs, eggs are bad...

And so it continues - eat only grass fed red meat too, actually, no, don't eat any at all, eat only lean chicken/turkey but really, go vegetarian, even better, go vegan - in fact, eat raw, that's better but then again don't eat raw, no raw is bad for you, as is the Paleo diet.... Instead, juice, just juice, detox on juice - no wait, juice is full of sugar and takes out all the fibre (blah blah), blend instead - make smoothies - no, wait a minute, smoothies are full of fattening sugar too - all the ingredients together, massive calorie intake - just drink water - yes, 3 litres of water, no, wait, actually, drink 'half' your bodyweight in water, yes, that's better... Nuts... I'm sorry, what?  Nuts, you know, almonds, cashews, walnuts - eat those, good source of protein - yummy - no, wait, only have 1 handful a day... actually, no, cut that down to only 3 brazil nuts a day... Oh, actually, cut out nuts altogether, full of fat, not good.  Sugar - don't touch it, sugar free, forget it, natural sugars, nah, just as bad but better?  Dairy - good, full of calcium, oh, no, and fat and yes, cheese is a good fat (is it?) but it's processed by man, don't eat anything processed and as for low fat, best buy low fat, better for you, actually, no it's not, full fat is much better as there's nothing added to bulk it up, but don't have more then a cup full, no, wait, tablespoon, actually, half a teaspoon!  And don't continuously eat, don't think 6 meals a day will keep your metabolism revving, it doesn't work, only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, like the French - actually, scrap that - fast, don't eat anything till lunchtime... or dinner - actually - fast 2 days a week and eat normally the other 5, actually, don't eat normally, eat better, no sugar, no dairy, no bread, no....  I think I'm going mad...

What do you you eat?  How much of each?  Do you eat a diet high in protein and ditch all the fat and carbs?  But then there are bad fats and good fats, surely you're allowed good fats and carbs?  Carbs are turned into sugar by the body and then can be used as energy for when you exercise... Because, quite frankly, I do exercise a lot!

And this is where I'm leaning towards - yes, I know, abs start in the kitchen, a slim waistline, less fat, better shape - all kitchen - but when the willpower is not there (which happens to a lot of us) that's when it all goes wrong.  We all start with the best intentions to change, to become more aware of what's around us and what food and drink we're putting into our bodies - as in, don't see it as food see it as 'fuel' but I find that a very alien way, we are human after all and most of us love to eat good if not naughty food and drink - but it's true, everything in moderation - which is hard too.

I went to the gym every day for 6 months and lost nothing, in fact, I put it on - but I was stuck - same exercises every day, no confidence to branch out and I had the mentally that told me, as I was exercising, I could eat whatever I wanted the rest of the day as I had worked hard and needed to be rewarded - bad, BAD mistake!

What changed?  Apart from my world into juicing, blending and using ingredients to make healthier food and I broke from the gym trap via doing something I never dreamed I would and could ever do!  I started running!  Last August, with a friend, I still remember by first run and remember a sense of freedom - I could disappear, not have to feel obligated to compete with anyone but myself - and since then I've tried to run as much as I can in the mornings - I've built it up to 7 miles and want to go further but 'life' keeps getting in the way.  Plus since I started running, my willpower is enormous as I have you ever run on a pizza dinner from the previous night and copious amounts of wine?  It's not pretty, you have no energy and just feel bloated and even walking is tiresome and you just feel guilty - but running on better food, literally now fuelling your body to run well makes you think twice about what you eat and what you drink - running is the only thing that takes out my stresses, I can meditate when I'm running at a good doable pace or completely get 'in the zone' and do a few HIIT's!  When home I make either a juice or a smoothie which replaces my body with everything I had lost through sweating and then I eat so much better throughout the day and don't grab for the nearest sugar laden snack - I go for an apple or a banana or some full fat yogurt, or a small handful of nuts and they all keep me going and I feel so much better!  Much more energy too, which is the most important.  Also I've started to up my weight training, from own body weight exercises to the use of dumbbells or kettle bells and at the moment am doing a 28 day strength challenge - nothing more then 40 minutes a time each morning, no less then 20 and I'm loving it and am already noticing my arm muscles getting, well, slightly, let's say, 'noticeable'.  And I'm doing this all in the comfort of my own home in front of my tv and youtube and using my own equipment, which is mine and only use by me, not used by other people say in a gym (which are never ever cleaned, yuk!)

I would also sleep better, but like I said 'life' and it's various stresses has been pretty awful the last 7 months but now I hope it's all over and I can get back to properly 'living' again and 'enjoying' food and drink - I do believe in treats and not on just treat days - if you fancy it, have it and then get straight back on to your good healthy tasty lifestyle, if you start beating yourself up, then don't, it's not worth it!  Plus anything you read, just take out what you think which will 'work' for you, do not follow any advice you read religiously, it just doesn't work and like I've demonstrated (merely scratched the surface) there is so much contradicting advice, just use your own common sense - that's one of the best things you own!

Phew - what else?  Have a few photographs! :) 

 First spear thistle is flowering!

 My roundly moulting female blackbird

 The meadow cranesbill in my garden, yes, there has been lots! :)

 Verbena flower - a magnet for butterflies!

One of my favourite butterflies - a ringlet (in my garden!)

I'm hoping life IS going to get better now! :) xxx

Pain is not Pretty

Well the inevitable has happened, I've hurt my back thighs, I guess hamstrings and am having trouble walking, bending, kneeling... I keep promising myself a hot bath in epsom salts, but it doesn't seem to happen.  I tried and failed my workouts this morning and I gave up and went for a 5 mile walk in my living room (one of my exercise dvd's) and even that was painful!

So after an expensive food shop, I set to work trying out some new recipes - I didn't take any pictures as I got so engrossed in them!

First of all I made Mushroom and Mixed Bean Pate from the Green Goddess - in fact all of these recipes I did today are hers... I think it needed more garlic or something, but it's very interesting and I like the taste a lot, plus it's easy to make and definitely one to play around with!

Then I made from her as well -  Peanut Butter Cups - they're in the freezer and will be tried for pudding - again, another simple thing to make, I hope they taste as good as they look!  I'll let you know!

Thirdly and finally I made her Peppered Kale Crisps - and the jury is still out with me with them, I just don't like the bitter aftertaste, although I made them perfectly, amazing crispness!


Oh and this will make you laugh - the flat tummy water I was drinking the last 3 days, I told me dad I was going to stop drinking it, but had one day left to finish it - he didn't hear that part and threw it all away - oops!  It didn't work by the way, these things never do!  I'm going to try some other flavoured waters soon, and I'll let you know!

Sorry I didn't get to take any photographs of the recipes I made... But I did manage some pictures earlier when the sun did shine in-between showers and strong wind!

 A flower beetle on meadow scabious

 Bumble bee on knapweed

 Bumble bee on knapweed

 Louie Robin still in his moult

And even though he's moulting, he's still posing for me! :)

So that's been my day today, finger's crossed I can wake up pain and stiff free tomorrow - wish me luck! :) xxx

Foam Rolling Rules

Day 2 of Jessica's #SummerofStrength (I know, hash tags don't work on blogs, but I need to get into the habit of linking this!) and my thighs, legs - hamstrings, glutes, calf muscles ache like sodding hell - in fact, they ache so much, I can hardly kneel down let alone sit down - all the squats and lunges with weights - ouch ouch ouch!  Coupled off with my Pilates class this morning (every Monday for an hour), I decided to say nothing, but it hurt even more!  I came home shattered and had to lie down!

So.... This afternoon I got my foam roller out - something I purchased a few months ago, determined to keep it up (something I have done in Pilates) and found (hooray) a 15 minute foam roller workout with my favourite instructor of ALL time - Jessica Smith - and believe me, I was in heaven.... It usually hurts like hell in Pilates, but for those 15 minutes, the knots in my muscles came out and even though my hamstrings still ache, everything else feels a whole lot better - so I really need to do this every single day!!!  As Jessica said, a school of science say it's best to do it before and after each workout, but time is an issue... But I think I can do it, just get up 'earlier' (I'm trying, just so knackered in the mornings!).

I walked down the end of the drive this morning and looked up at the ancient crab apple tree, possibly one of the oldest trees in the parish and it's laden with apples!  I wish I knew how to make crab apple jelly!  What a waste!  Anyhow! :) xxx

Louie is Back, Life is Good Again

Louie is my tame robin.  He's from the same line of robins who I have known over the last 4 years - 'Larry Legs' was his Granddad, 'Little Larry' his dad and I also have 'Ozzie' or 'Oswald' one of Louie's sons!  I've photographed all these birds for the 4 years I've known them all and named my business after one in particular Larryware - both Larry Legs and Little Larry are long gone, but Louie still reigns and now I have Ozzie too!  But this is Louie:

As ever, he came when I called him and posed for pictures - we were both as happy as the other to see the other... That sounded better in my head! ;) xxx

Sweet July

Well, it's when one of my favourite hedgerow flowers emerge and I've managed to successfully grow them in our garden!  Meadow Sweet:

This morning I did the first 15 minute of Jessica 'Aha' Smith's Get fit in 15 Youtube vids - for people kickstarting their fitness, I just did it because I want to do the 15 days!  Plus I did her first Summer of Strength Youtube vid, 1/28 - 40 minutes of leg work with dumbbells - my legs wobbled like crazy after that, could only manage to do one walking routine with her and her mum Debbie from her WALK ON dvd before my legs just refused to walk anymore... This is the trouble having a fitbit, I've only just done my 10,000 steps today at 4pm, usually I've done them by mid morning and go on to do 10,000 more, but since I've stopped running for the time being, I haven't been help to do much stepping!  I'm thinking of running tomorrow... Maybe!

I'm still drinking the water from starting it the other day, the jug lasts 48 hours if you keep refilling and I'm on my second jug - I love the taste, it keeps me really refreshed - but whether or not it's giving me a flat tummy, it's hard to tell!  But I'll keep on with it!  It's just A LOT of cucumber, which I try and eat through it all, but I do end up throwing a lot of it away!

I made some protein ice cream earlier - you know - like you do - no idea what it's like, will try it out this evening for pudding - I still want to strive after the high protein diet in order to lose more weight, but since it knocked me out yesterday, I'm a little wary!  :) xxx

The Nutty Lark

Which I am, always, truly, utterly nutty!

Since discovering and falling in love with Deliciously Ella (she got me cooking and I didn't cook, never cooked) I found her almond butter recipes in her fabulous cookbook and since then have been making my own - plus cashew and today, my first peanut!  I buy all of my nuts at healthy supplies, I've tried quite a few websites but these people are by far my favourite, and their postage is really quick!

So basically it's roasting nuts in the over for 200 C (I have a fan oven, not sure what it is for others) for 10 minutes, let them cool and then stick them in a magimix with a little salt and within 10 minutes or less (depending on how strong your magimix is) you have fabulous homemade butter - you never have to buy shop bought ever again!  (Well, unless you have a lazy week!)

 25 years old and still going strong!

 Nuts left over to give a crunch, just pulse them in the mixture for 30 seconds

Ex-jam jar for air tight storage and rice cake smothered in peanut butter for Dad (he loved it!)

I had some too, I mixed it in with coconut yogurt as a snack, but sadly as I've overdone it somewhat with a few fast paced, arms coming out of their sockets workouts these last few mornings, the protein rich paste sent me off to sleep this afternoon, but I so needed it, believe me!

So that brings me to a challenge I'm undertaking starting this Monday (6th July) - Jessica 'Aha' Smith's 30 Day Strength Challenge - you need to sign up for it - it's all free and she sends you an email with a daily workout for a week, each week - already received it!  She says there's no cardio, but I'll be doing that too, as got to keep that up!  I might do her 15 day cardio challenge as well along side it, as well as anything else that takes my fancy!  Just wish this stiffness would reduce... I could always take a 'rest day' tomorrow, it being Sunday.... But you know I won't, right? ;) xxx

The Fitness Struggle

Well, certainly for me!

I am addicted to exercise,  I admit it, I am an exerciseholic - no it's not even a word, but if it was, it would describe me down to a T.  Exercise is my drug and I often feel that euphoric high when I'm moving at high intensity levels for a few minutes at the time, the more I push myself harder, the more I can do and keep going and in fact sigh when I have to slow down or if the exercise stops altogether. Sadly for me that's a bad thing, as I've read so much about short bursts of exercise are a lot better for you then long drawn out cardio sessions - but then, I don't do those, I keep my HIIT going and can go for longer times (unless I'm sprinting!  And that's just my legs tiring, not anything else!)  (HIIT stands for 'High Intensity Interval Training').

Also since purchasing and wearing continuously my fitbit flex, it has become another obsession to walk at least 10,000 steps a day (I'd like to do 20,000, but life keeps getting in the way) and at least do 100,000 steps each week (last week I only did 92,000 steps!  Irritating!) - it's not that I beat myself up or have feelings of failure or punish myself with more vigorous exercise, I just start again, but I just feel frustration that I can't seem to do what I want to do!  My life though is free, I have no husband and no children to tie me down, I don't think I could handle it somehow, I've always been fiercely independent, an only child with two incredibly loving parents who have given me the green light to do whatever I want to do but I think narrowing everything down, I think I feel guilty more then anything, guilty that I should be doing more to better my career, care for my house and home and try and find this 'amazing' man who's still 'meant' to be in my future somewhere... But my head and my heart somehow mixes everything up and I'm never sure if I'm coming or going.  Let's just say I do indeed have an addictive personality, I can get into something and give it my 100% full attention, but then something happens or I get bored and then I move on to the next thing... Or is that just normal?  But since starting this exercise lark, I've kept on now solidly at it for 2 years and have never lost my fitness, every day I literally get fitter and everyday I mix more and more things up - from the rut of the gym and the continuous same machines now to a run, a walk, a kettle bell routine, a kickboxing morning, a bounce on my rebounder, a Pilates session, some yoga... Every day is different now, but there's still part of me which wants a proper timetable so I WILL strength train 3 times a week, I WILL do endurance cardio on the days I'm not training so hard, I DO HIIT training at least 3 times a week etc...

I'm not sure where I'm going with this - I need to talk to someone properly about it.  I still feel fat, no matter what I do though, I still look at in the mirror and sigh at my bulging stomach and wonder how that is?  I will admit I do like wine - but have been drinking watered down red wine recently and only one glass and not every night.  I need to talk to a nutritionist but as ever life IS GETTING IN THE WAY - as got something important next week so can't do anything until that's over and done with.

As for rest days - what are they?  I can't seem to take any time off exercising and I'm not tired, I'm in fact so unbelievably energised, so I'm not burning out just yet!  But I still feel I need help somewhere!

Anyhow - just ignore all that up there and see this!

Aha Jessica - I love when you say that in your workouts!  And thank you so much for replying to my tweet last night, which is here!

I never got a reply tweet from Leslie Sansone when I raved about her to, er, 'her' but then it might not be her, it might be someone in 'her' management!

I did a new workout with Jessica this morning, her dvd of Walk On: 5 Fat Burning Miles and as ever, absolutely loved it and wanted to do it all again!  I particularly love her two bonus workouts for feet, hips and knees - just what I need!  And yes, my toes did cramp rather a lot and my hamstrings cramp too as they're so short and tight, but I'm working on it!  (it's hell in Pilates!)  Anyway, so another huge thumbs up for yet another Jessica workout, I so want to invest in her other dvd's, as well as try out more from her youtube channel << see, this is typical me, throwing myself 100% into these new workouts, let's see how this one lasts until I find someone new! ;)

:) xxx

My home

Is rather beautiful!  I left London for the countryside, for my favourite county - Devon - and I've never looked back!  I am so lucky to be living in my once favourite holiday destinations (well, apart from Italy, but, I can't speak Italian!) and I'm only sorry I've lost my mum to love it with... but I have my dad and he means everything to me!

Today I've had a real battle with myself - I've got all of these lovely fitness dvds and I just want to try them all out at once... around 5pm I fought with myself 'not' to have another hours workout as I am afraid of burning out, of over training, but I have so much energy and utterly love my fitness levels as it makes me feel so well and good!  I overcame it by hoovering the house instead! ;)

I thought I'd use this blog post tonight to show you my home and a special walk we try and do each evening - either we go over the road to watch the sunset, or we just walk around the village, which is a nice gentle walk and then go and visit my mum's gravestone - I realise she's not there, she's with us at home and anywhere we are, but it's still a place to go and tend!

My village from a gate on the other side of the road, looks rather idyllic doesn't it? :)

My house is the one with the tall ted brick chimney

As much as I'll ever reveal of myself for now - my shadow! 

 My dad striding out in front, we keep each other fit! :)

 The hedgerows this year are lush - this is red campion and lady's lace

 Looking over at the view from our 'sunset' gate

 Looking opposite our sunset gate

 A pair of beautiful beech trees that always look so enchanted

Last nights sunset

Quite dramatic!

Looking across at the Atlantic Ocean over the countryside

I have many favourite trees in the area and this ash tree is certainly one of them!

Sunset cow!

Inquisitive beasts!

Today in the garden, it's all gone rather pink!

Mullien moth caterpillar getting fat on the figwort!

So, as you can see, I live in a totally amazing place, I utterly love it and I get to run these routes too when I can!  Although it does rain a lot here... But then, without it, I doubt it would be so remarkable!

:) xxx