The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #9

Hey Guys and Dolls,

So it's Friday again so that means another weighin of course. I love when it comes to Friday as I love to see the progress that I have made so far. I've always struggled with my weight throughout my life to be fair and seeing as I'm getting on pretty well now it makes me so happy! So I'm down another 2 pound this week, the same as last week but it's still amazing progress and I haven't had a gain since I started my weightloss journey back in January. In total I'm down 2 stone 3 and a half pounds now which is huge and I'm well on track to lose another 1 stone 10 and a half pound in the next 7 weeks. It's definitely achievable and I'm going to blow my target out of the park.

So what did I get up to this week. I didn't get to my fitness classes as I'm quite broke and everything costs money these days as you probably all know. I didn't let that deter me though and I went on a walk to Marley Park a couple of times this week which you can see on my Instagram. I actually ran into some peacocks up there one of the days and I had no idea peacocks were even in the park, sure you learn something new everyday. Marley Park is super close to my house like a twenty minute walk at most away. It's really nice to have this right on my doorstep, I literally go for a nice walk when I'm up there then I read a bit of my book. I'm still reading Unseal by K.M. Langdon and I'm loving it so far, it's such a great read I'd definitely recommend it. She's definitely going to be the next Nicholas Sparks that's for sure.

I thought I'd keep this post short and sweet. I'm starting college on Monday as you probably read in my last post so I'll be beyond busy all next week so hopefully that shows on the scales on Friday.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Fulfil Nutrition Protein Bars

Hey Guys and Dolls,

As I'm in the currently well into my fitness journey I like finding healthy foods that will aid my weightloss and fitness journey. I tried this protein bars a while ago and I was hooked there soo yummy and it's even better that there good for you. As I'm doing my weightloss journey I don't like eating bars but I definitely don't feel as guilty when I eat these.

There is lots of different flavours to choose from but my favourite is White Chocolate & Cookie Dough, doesn't it sound yummy? These bars are so filling, sometimes I have one instead of a meal as I just feel so full after one. You wouldn't believe there's 20g of protein in this little bar. My boyfriend and brother also love these, I'm pretty sure I got my boyfriend hooked on these aswell whoops. They aren't too expensive either they are under the €3 mark which is pretty good.

I  also have one of these in my bags for a snack if I'm hungry on the go, there perfect for that. I'd definitely recommend these if you are on the look out for a nice healthy snack. I don't particularly like the taste of protein but you can hardly taste them off these which is good.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Sadie's Kitchen

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I'm a big foodie at heart I have to say. I like nice food, doesn't eveyone? I was really excited for my my friend Sarah when she launched her Bone Broth range, Sadie's Kitchen. She's doing amazingly well and I couldn't wait to try the product. Over the last while I've been testing it out and I have nothing but good things to say about it, I really like it. 

The flavour is Comforting Chicken, my favourite and I'm surprised I've never actually tried bone broth before so this was quite new to me. You can use it in many ways, on its own as comforting hot drink, in smoothies or as in addition to meals as a stock. I like how it's a multi use product which is really good.

This stuff is so easy to put together, you heat it on the hob for minutes and boy is it yummy. Chicken Broth is really good for you too as it's full of protein. My brother is big into his fitness at the moment so he likes this stuff alot. Sadie's Kitchen products are available to buy in most stores and retails at €4.50 so that's really good value for a product like this.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Davy Cakes

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Even though I'm on my weightloss journey I still can appreciate a nice cake now and again. My Aunty's friend Johanna set up her cake company, Davy Cakes a couple of years ago and boy are they amazing. It was hard for me not to eat all of these I gotta tell you but I left them for my family who enjoyed every last tiny morsel.

Johanna gave me four scrumptious cupcakes to review and they got five gold stars from my family especially my Dad who loves these alot. The cupcakes she gave me are lemon and chocolate & vanilla with Nutella frosting, don't they sound yummy.

Davy cakes is such a amazing little company, Johanna is doing such a super job, if you want to check out her Facebook page you can have a look here. Davy Cakes caters for every budget imaginable and every themed cake you could imagine, novelty, special occasion, novelty cakes etc. You can also choose whatever flavour you like so use your imagination.

Prices start at €10 for 4 cupcakes and they are beautifully wrapped as you can see in the picture above. The more cupcakes you buy the cheaper they are which is good to know. Johanna needs 3-4 days notice to do each order and collection is from Ballyboden in Dublin or if delivered locally it's free. If you are from further afield a arrangement will be made and it will incur a small fee which will be negotiated.

If you want to see what sort of cakes Davy Cakes has to offer you can check out her fabulous Facebook page , they really are magical creations. If you are looking for cakes for any occasion imaginable definitely use Davy Cakes you won't regret it I assure you.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Propercorn

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Even thought I've started my fitness and weightloss journey I'm a big foodie at heart. I like good food but I've been making alot healthier choices as of late.

I was recently sent products from the brand Propercorn and if you haven't guessed already they have a range of popcorn, just so your in the loop. I love snacking on these between meals as they are really good for you. They come in big and small bags, the larger bags are great for movie nights.

I have two favourite flavours from the range which are Smooth Peanut & Almond and Sweet & Salty, they are both so yummy. If I'm out all day I always bring a bag of these with me so I'm not hungry throughout the day. There are 6 flavours to choose from in total but I did see on the website that they brought out a limited edition Honeycomb flavour which sounds unusual so I'll have to try it soon. Sorry about the picture above two flavours are missing some members of my family couldn't resist snacking on these. Propercorn also have a range of Crunchy corn that I haven't tried yet either basically they are slightly popped kernels that are a health alternative to nuts.

If you are on a health kick like me yourself I'd highly recommend giving these a try.

Laura<3

My Personal Training Diary - Week 2, 3 & 4

I would have liked to do weekly personal training updates, but as of late I've been getting more hours in work so it didn't really allow it. I've decided to combine the last three weeks into one big update to share my progress so far with you guys.

As the weeks goes on training has been getting tougher and tougher. No session is the same which is great as I find myself doing something different every day. When I started four weeks ago the thing that worried me the most was situps. I was so bad at them at first but over the course of the last couple of sessions I've gotten really good at them. This is such a huge deal for me as this time last year I could never imagine myself doing 1 situp let alone 40. Every week my trainer Sophie turns things up on notch so whenever I feel like things are getting easier they get so much harder. I was worried at first when I started training that I wouldn't be able to do what was being asked of me but I've been doing everything that has been thrown at me so I really couldn't be happier. Since starting training twice a week with Sophie I've made a lot of progress. I'm having an assessment next week which will show how many inches I've lost so far. However since I've started training I can see a big different in how my clothes look on. My college graduation is tomorrow and I was delighted to see that I had to go down a dress size which was amazing! I'll definitely let you know in my next update how my assessment goes.

When I started training at No.17 I switched to the Paleo diet. I know when I mentioned to people I was doing this they said it was really hard to stick to and for me I have to say it hasn't been the case at all. I didn't find the change to difficult at all, I have a feeling it could be down to the fact that I had already cut out a lot of food that you aren't suppose to eat on the Paleo diet. Having completely given up dairy products I can see a huge different in my skin, it seriously has never looked so clear. I've also started taking vitamins and supplements everyday which is new to me as I hadn't taken anything like that before. Instead of buying everything in capsule form I picked up this handy Better You Vitamin D oral spray in Nourish in town. It's perfect to throw in my handbag and this small little bottle contains 100 sprays, great considering I only need one a day. Seeing as I'm steering clear of dairy products, Vitamin D not only supports your immune system but its also good for bones and teeth. I know from my school science class we also get Vitamin D from the Sun, I can't say we get much of that this time of year in Ireland. I've also been taking 2 Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules a day which are huge and not going to lie they can leave a nasty aftertaste in your mouth. I've found this offering from MorEPA better than other brands I've tried as they are orange flavoured and I'm not left with no horrible taste in my mouth so these definitely get two thumbs up from me.

Since my last update I got membership at my local gym, they had really good student rates for the year so I snapped that up. I haven't gotten around to going as much as I'd like to go, work seems to always get in the way of things it seems. I'm still trying to work out the best time to go as it always seems to be so packed whenever I go. I guess I'm just so used to having the gym to myself in No.17. I'm hopefully going to start going to my own gym in the mornings before work which means I'll have such an early start considering I'm in work at 9am. I'll just have to time everything very well. The only thing I'm missing is nice workout clothes, I can't wait for Payday to come around as I'll be paying a visit to Lifestyle and Elvery's Sport for sure.

After working out at No.17 for the last couple of weeks, I'd definitely recommend going to a personal trainer. I find it totally different to a gym as you have someone there guiding and motivating you every step of the way. As I've been really happy with how the last few weeks have gone I've already decided to sign up for another 10 sessions at No.17. I know €450 is a lot of money but I feel that its totally worth it. I could think of lots of things I could be wasting my money, sure a night out in Dublin alone would set me back €100. I know some people have gone to a trainer in the past and it hasn't worked for them but for me its all down to sticking to the plan. If you spend money it's so important to follow the program that your trainer has set out for you. If you don't it's just pointless and it will be a waste of money, I've been sticking to mine and I can definitely see the results.

Until my next update,

Laura<3