The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #10

Hey Guys and Dolls,

 Sorry with the delay in putting this up, I had so many posts to put up it and it completely slipped my mind. Here we are now though so let's get into it.

So you may be wondering how did I got on last week with my weightloss, I'm down another 1 pound bringing my total weightloss to 2 stone 4 and a half pounds, it may be a small amount but I'm still happy that I'm making progress. It's been hard  as I've started college which means there's alot of nice lunches in the canteen  and of course there's not a healthy option in sight. I've had to have really good will power there.

I'm trying to have a really healthy week this week so we'll see how I get on. I do miss my fitness classes though as I feel like they helped me lots, once I get though any free time I'm going to go back to one for sure.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #8

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I've been doing my weightloss updates for 2 months now and wow I could never imagined what I would have achieved in this short period. I'm seriously delighted with life right now. The jeans I bought two weeks ago are already two big which is a bit mad to be honest. I liked those jeans aswell but going down a size is always a good thing so I'm happy.

I weighed myself this morning and I'm down another two pound which brings my total weightloss to 2 stone 1 and a half pounds so yeah I'm chuffed. I seriously didn't think I'd be doing so well when I started this journey back in January that's for sure. I'm well on course to losing another two stone by May I can feel it, then I can get my Gryffindor hoodie from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. I've been wanting this hoodie for ages so of course I'm going to wear it around lots when I get it.

This week wasn't the best of weeks either I wasn't feeling the best so I couldn't go to my fitness classes which was a shame as I miss them lots I'm not going to lie. Boxercise and Aqua Aerobics are seriously the best two classes I ever could have started and I'm seriously hooked on them. I do Aqua Aerobics twice a week and Boxercise on a Thursday, the latter is definitely more intense you definitely feel it on Friday morning that's for sure.

I'm going to try and put lots of hard work in this week. I'm going to eat super healthy and go to all my fitness sure I miss them so why wouldn't I to be fair. I'm hoping to lose another good bit of weight next week so we'll see how things go.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #6

Hey Guys and Dolls,

For me this week totally flew by I was so busy, I had a lot of stuff to do so I didn't really have a minute to chill out at all. I had such an amazing week I got my eyelash extensions, went to a Yves Saint Laurent event but probably the highlight of my week was going to the Kong Skull Island Premiere with my Dad on Monday night in Town. It was awesome,everyone should go see it.

We went into town early and went for food so it was a lovely day as we're usually both so busy we don't get the time to go out. Of course after going out for food on Monday I was a bit nervous about how my weightloss was going to go this week but I needn't have worried as this week I lost a further 2 pound which brings me total weightloss to 1 stone 8 pounds to date. I'm seriously happy right now when I started my weightloss journey six weeks ago I never thought I'd get on this well.

It just takes pure willpower and detemination after all and I truly believe anyone can do it if they put their mind to it and make a couple of health changes. I'm bringing my fitness game at the moment, I already do aqua aerobics a couple of times a week but I'm starting Boxercise aswell on Thhursday and I can't wait I'm soo excited. I did a boxercise class at the Pure Results Bootcamp last weekend, it was intense but really good fun and I'm definitely recommend it To anyone who is trying to get fit.

So that's my weightloss update for this week, I'll check in again next week.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - My Weight Journey #2

Hey Guys and Dolls, 

I'm into week 2 of my weightloss journey, I'm down another 5 pounds and I couldn't be happier. I've lost 13 and a half pounds in total which is huge just a half a pound off a stone. I can't visibly notice a difference yet but I feel healthier. My Mom bought me some new clothes from Simply Be during the week for my birthday and If I do say so myself the look amazing on. It was so hard to decide what dress to wear for my birthday dinner last night as two of them are so nice.

My eating habits have no changed drastically. I'm just making healthier choices that are easy to make. I'm eating less foods, like fizzy drinks, cheese and sweet things. I'm drinking a hell of alot of water lately. So this week went pretty good and went by so quick. I went swimming on Monday, had a meeting on Tuesday and then I had a hospital appointment on Wednesday, I also can't forget my birthday dinner last night so it was a busy week all round.

Next week is going to be tough as it's my birthday, the big 27 and I'm so excited. I'm sure plenty of drinks will be had so I hope it doesn't affect my weightloss too much. I'm aiming to lose another 2 pounds next week to get over the stone which I will be over the moon about. It's alot to achieve in three weeks and I couldn't be happier with how I'm doing so far, I'm making great progress.

Laura<3

Running with Team Herald for the Mini Marathon!!

Sorry guys for the serious lack of posts over the last couple of weeks,I've been super busy in work and life has seriously gotten in the way of things. Don't worry I'm back again, I've really missed blogging and sharing my favourite gems with you all. I also have pretty exciting news that I want to tell you guys. As you can see from the title of this post I'm going to be running the Flora's Womens Mini Marathon in June. Last year I took part and I jogged it in a time of 1hr 13mins which I was over the moon about. I wrote a post about my experience on the day and if you ever are considering signing up for the Marathon I'd definitely say go for it. It's such a wonderful day out and the rush you get when you see the finish line is unreal. I know it was a huge accomplishment for me.

A couple of weeks back reading the Evening Herald, I seen a blurb saying they were looking for people to run the Marathon with the Evening Herald. I applied for it, never in a million years thinking that I'd hear back. Last Wednesday after work I got a email from the lovely Dee telling me that they'd love me to be a member of Team Herald. Not going to lie I was in shock, when I sent my email in I didn't think anything else of it and hearing that I got it completely blew my mind. My family and friends were really delighted for me as they know how hard I've worked over the past two years. My goal for this years Mini Marathon is to beat my time from last year which I guess is on everyones mind. After getting the phonecall everything happened so quickly, I had some pictures taken and a telephone interview which happened in just two days. On Tuesday I picked up the paper to see my story in there which was really surreal. I put it up on my personal Facebook page and within a day it had 100 likes which was a bit overwhelming to see how supportive my friends are. To get such amazing feedback really made my day! I'm in the Fast Jogger category which is a bit daunting but I know if I train well and right I should do just fine.

I hope some people draw inspiration from my story and it helps them. I know weight is such a personal topic and I know back before I started Slimming World it never effected me but I still wasn't too keen on talking about it. As I have 11 weeks to go until the big day I've started training, with the weather being so bad in Ireland I've been going to the gym quite a bit but when the weather gets better I hope to go jogging around my area. I got a pretty good app called Map My Run on my phone which I feel will help alot. I also want to buy the Now That's What I Call Running CD, I seen it in HMV last week and I love listening to good music when I'm jogging so this will be perfect. I'll be doing updates every week until the Mini Marathon in June so if you guys get to read the articles definitely tweet me and let me know! I'll be putting links up on Twitter regardless so don't worry if you miss them. This is another exciting new chapter for me and I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for all the support so far, you guys are truly amazing,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #13

Sorry for the serious lack of Slimming World updates lately guys. I've come to a bit of a stand still weight loss wise over the last couple of weeks. I guess I've plateaued which I knew would happen eventually after losing so much weight in such a fast period of time. I'm by no means saying Slimming World isn't working for me after achieving so much. I'm still an avid member, never in a million years did I think over a year ago that I would have embarked on such a successful weight loss journey. I have so much to thank this programme for and I'm so glad I got the encouraged by my Mum to do it. She is my rock and always has my back, I couldn't ask for a more supportive Mum!

Over the past month I've wanted to try something different and after hearing great things about No.17 Personal Training I've decided to give it a go. I start on Monday so I'm pretty nervous. Having not worked out in forever I don't know what to expect. My goal is to tone up and get fit in the process *fingers crossed*. I've signed up to train twice a week for five weeks straight. I know I can already tell that I'm going to be nackered after it. On my free days I'm going  to go to my local gym to workout and do some classes too. As I'm still a student the gym has a really good offer on so I'm going to take advantage of that of course.

Top Picture - January 2009 Bottom Picture- Holidays Sepember 2013

Don't worry I'm still going to keep you guys up to date. I'm going to do weekly updates to let you know my progress regarding the personal training and I'm going to keep doing Slimming World posts too. This is a new chapter that I definitely want to share with you all. You guys were the first people I told about Slimming World and you've all been so unbelievably supportive. I couldn't ask for better readers, thanks so much for everything.

Until my next update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #12

 As you can see I haven't done a Slimming World update in quite a while. Over the past month or so I didn't get around to going to as many weigh ins as I would of liken to. I wanted to wait til I managed to attend a couple of meetings before I posted another update on my progress so far. Seeing as I haven't done a weight loss post in a while, I've decided to do a five week update instead of my usual monthly offering. I've still been sticking to the program itself even though I haven't made it to class. I myself don't find it hard to stick to it as I've been a member of Slimming World for over a year now. If you want to read over my weight loss journey to date you can check out my other posts here.

A lot has happened since my last update, I finished my college exams (and passed) plus I also took part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon. The latter is something that I couldn't have imagined taken part in this time last year. It's such a huge achievement for me, I've done a full post on my Mini Marathon experience. I've definitely been keeping busy over the past month which I think helped my weight loss somewhat. Since my last update in April I've lost a further 9lbs which brings my total weight loss up to 6st 12.5lbs which is a pound and a half of 7st. Some days I still can't believe it myself it's unreal! My life has totally changed since starting Slimming World, I feel much more confident now plus I have a brand new wardrobe of clothes which I love. I feel like I have much more choice in what I get to wear nowadays too. I did find it hard to reach the 6 and a half stone mark but since I reached that I've started to get back into the swing of things again. Always remember that these things do take time, before I started Slimming World I used to think changes happened over night but I learned fairly quickly that they don't. If you really set your mind to something though you can achieve it. As long as you believe in yourself you can do anything!

I'm heading to London (post coming soon) on Friday which I'm so excited about. I'm definitely going to treat myself over there to something nice, I have my eye on some bits from the Burberry makeup line. Before I go I just want to thank you guys for the lovely supportive tweets you've been sending me in regards to my Slimming World Journey. You've all been with me from Day 1 and I really appreciate all your support thus far. You guys are seriously amazing!

Until my next update,

Laura<3

My Beauty Essential Picks for the Marathon/Update #3

The Mini Marathon is tomorrow and of course I'm starting to get really nervous which was to be expected. I hope all the hard work and determination in training has paid off. I know once I cross that finish line it will have been all worth it. I wanted to do a post sharing some products that I feel are essentials for the Mini Marathon. Besides beauty products of course water and good footwear are the two biggies. The joys with these products is that they will come in handy over the Summer too!

Suncare/Moisturiser

This is such a big one, even if the sun isn't shining on the day doesn't mean that it's non existence. La Roche Posay and Vichy have a brilliant range of suncare products to choose from. I'm not a million percent sure if I'm going to be wearing makeup on the day but if I was, Vichy's Mattifying Face Fluid* is exactly what I'd reach for. It does exactly what it says on the tin, it doesn't leave a greasy residue and would be perfect under makeup. Did I mention it also has SPF50? Another great sunscreen is La Roche Posay's Anthelios XL Extreme Fluid*, I've used this a couple of times on holidays but I don't know how well it would far under makeup. That's why Vichy's Mattifying Face Fluid is a winner for me and I reach for it all the time. Anthelios XL Invisible Nutritive Oil* is a new addition to La Roche Posay's suncare range and I love this product, it has a really nice light scent. I'll be using this on my arms and legs tomorrow for sure. Unlike most oils this won't leave your skin feeling oily. Again this offers high protection which I think is a must all year round especially in the Summer months. I hope they bring it out in a travel version too for holidays! The most important thing for me on Marathon Day is to keep my skin moisturised, hydrated and protected from the sun.

Lip Balm
Everyone I know that is doing the Marathon tomorrow is bringing along one of these, with the sun pumping down it's inevitable dry lips will occur. I'm big into my lip balm as I get dry lips a lot plus I don't want them to be sore on Tuesday from getting sunburned. The Body Shop's Vitamin D Lip Balm* is not only moisturising but it also contains an SPF15 and has a lovely light Vanilla scent. Another lip balm I love is Nivea's Vanilla & Macadamia lip butter, there's other scents to choose from in the range but this one is my favourite by far. This lip butter is super moisturing and smells amazing like Kinder Eggs. They ring in at under €3 too which is a steal! As you can see from my own looking a mess it's very loved indeed. As it comes in a tube I think The Body Shops offering is practical for the Marathon so I'll definitely have this on me tomorrow.

Facial Sprays
I can't put into words how much I love facial mists. Mini Marathon or not, I use these all year round. Vichy's Thermal Spa Water* is a soothing mist that also leaves my skin refreshed and especially hydrated. This bottle will last for ages, I use mine all the time and still have loads left. This also comes in a nifty little travel size which would be perfect for your handbag. Another facial spray I've been reaching for a lot after training is the Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz*. I haven't tried too much from The Body Shop's skincare line to day, you'll usually find me stocking up on their gorgeous body butters so I didn't know what to expect from this product. My verdict, I've really enjoyed using their Vitamin C Facial Spritz, it comes out as a light mist, rest assured this stuff won't drown your face plus it smells like oranges. I've been using this for a while now and I can't fault it, my skin literally drinks it up. It's jam packed with Amazonian Camu Camu and Community Trade Aloe Vera which leaves my skin looking brighter and refreshed. After trying this product I definitely want to pick up some more bits from the Vitamin C range in the future.

Post Marathon Pampering
Yay for a bit of pampering when you finish the Marathon. Of course Post Marathon I'm going to want nothing more than a relaxing shower. At this stage I'm seriously envious of people that have baths. After the marathon, everyone will want to chill out and unwind after a long day. You can't really go wrong with these two shower products from Soap & Glory and Radox. Both brands offer a huge variety of lovely shower and bath products, you'll certainly find something that will tickle your fancy. I'll be finishing everything off with Roger & Gallet's Fleur d'Osmanthus Beauty Oil*. This product can be used for the hair and body, I mostly use mine on the latter. I love Roger & Gallet products, it's a brand that I discovered when I first started blogging over two years ago. Fleur d'Osmanthus Beauty Oil contains a number of precious plant oils, perfect for relaxing. It sinks into the skin super quick too, leaving it nourished and soft. Safe to say I'll definitely be using this after I finish the Marathon.

Before I head off for some much needed sleep before the Marathon I just want to thank you guys for all your support in the lead up to the big day. I'm definitely going to tweet when I cross the finish line so keep an eye out for that. I'll have a post up on Tuesday/Wednesday giving you the lowdown on how I got on at the Marathon and my experience of the day.

Laura<3

Flora Mini Marathon Update #2

With the Mini Marathon just a week away, I thought it was about time to do my second update. Not going to lie I'm a bit nervous, training fell by the wayside with college exams so I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. I recently received my charity pack from St Luke's Hospital, a charity that is really close to my hear. I'm hoping to raise a good bit of money for them in the lead up to the big day as every donation really does help. I'll be collecting my race number over the weekend at the Womans World Show. The largest female exhibition event runs from Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June. I'm looking forward to heading along as I've been before with my Mum when she was collecting her number when she was competing and I remember having such a good time. There's something for everyone from live catwalk shows to beauty & hair, I love nothing more than browsing through all the different stands. I heard Vita Liberata have a stand this year, being a tan I've seen so many reviews of lately I'm definitely going to be checking them out. If you'd like to come along over the weekend yourself, you can avail of free tickets from their website which you'll be available to find here. The tickets are €12 at the door on the day so it's definitely worth getting your hands on them now so you don't miss out on a great day-out. If you do end up going definitely let me know I'd love to meet some of you guys.

Lastly I'm trying to get my attire right for day as we all know there's nothing worse than running in something your not comfortable in. I want to get it right, I'm thinking leggings or possibly shorts. Would love to hear your suggestions! I already have my top sorted, my St Luke's Hospital Official 2013 Marathon top. I wasn't too sure on which size to get but this one fits perfectly.

In the coming week I'm going to do a post featuring my essentials for the Marathon. This will consist of products which I think are worthwhile getting your hands on, if you too are competing in the Marathon. The post will be up in the next day or two so stay tuned for that.

Are you competing in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon this year? Is anyone heading to the Womans World Show in the RDS over the weekend?

Laura<3

Flora Mini Marathon Update #1

If you read my last Slimming World update you'll probably already know that I've decided to take part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon in June. It will be my first so of course I'm a little nervous. Both my Mum and Sister have taken part in previous years, they both really enjoyed the experience and said it was so much fun. I've opted to jog the marathon which is huge for me, it's 10km which is a lot so I hope I'm cut out for it. This time last year I couldn't have even imagined walking it let alone jog it. I just hope we have good weather on the day, it can be so unpredictable in Ireland I wouldn't be surprised if it rained.

I've started jogging daily with one of my work buddies with one of my work buddies Alison, who is also taking part in the Marathon with me. I'm not going to lie for someone who isn't the fittest person out there it has been difficult so far. I've been training for nearly two weeks now but I know I have so much more work to do. I feel jogging has really helped out how I'm doing at Slimming World each week too. I'm not going to give up though as at this stage I'm determined to jog it, for me it would be such a huge accomplishment and would be the cherry on top of the wonderful year I've had. I have just about 40 days (countdown has officially started) to train for the marathon, so I'm trying to put every free second I have into it which is extremely hard with studying for college exams and work. I believe that I can do it though. I'm collecting my race number at the end of the month at the Woman's Day show in the RDS which I'm looking forward to, I'm going to bring my Mum along with me on the day.

The charity that I've chosen to jog for is St Luke's Hospital. A close family member of mine passed away ten years ago from a terminal illness. She spent her last months being cared for in this hospice. I can't remember too much of this though time but I've been told how kind and nice the staff were. I'm hoping to raise a good sum for my chosen charity. I feel like I'd be helping more people get brilliant support during the hard times they face. I know I'll have a wonderful guardian angel on the day cheering me on.

Have you taken part in a Marathon? I'd love to hear your tips!

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #11

It's been nearly a week since my last blog post so I wanted to get another one up today. I though I'd come back to you all with a Slimming World update as I haven't done one in a while now. The reason for my absence from the blogosphere over the past week you may ask, I finished college!! It's technically my last ever class tonight and I'm beyond proud of myself for sticking out the whole year. My exams start in a month so I'm officially in study mode, everyone spare moment I have I basically read over all my lecture notes. I really enjoyed the course and who knows after a little break over the Summer I may go back again. I'll keep you guys posted on that one.

It's also been a pretty successful month for me in Slimming World. I lost a total off 3lbs over the past couple of weeks which I'm really happy about. I'm losing the weight gradually, a few pounds a week which is the best way to do it. In my last two updates I mentioned the gym and I have to put my hands up and admit it wasn't out for me. I know people enjoy going to the gym but in my case it's just not my sort of thing. However I have started jogging with one of the girls from work which I'm really enjoying. I wouldn't call myself a brilliant jogger yet, it's all just a bit of fun but I do put a lot of effort in. My next big goal is to jog the Women's Mini Marathon in June which for me would be such a big accomplishment! I feel like I've achieved so much over the past year so I definitely think anything is possible right now. I'm a pound and a half away from hitting a total weight loss of 6st 7lbs which is huge for me. I'm complete confident the next time I write an update I'll be over that milestone. I feel my target inching closer and closer, I can't wait to reach it.

Until my next Slimming World Update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #10

I can't believe I'm writing my tenth Slimming World update, it feels like only yesterday that I wrote my last one. February definitely flew by for me. I had quite a few things on, Valentines, followed by my birthday the next day and a lot of college work. This month I did gain a pound and a half which I was kind of disappointed about at first but in the grand scheme of things I'm very proud of myself for how well I've done so far. I think really where I went wrong this month was nibbling at bits and pieces while doing my college work. I'm usually out and about doing x,y and z but with deadlines fast approaching I've been focusing on getting assignments done. I only have another month left in college so I can't wait to get it out of the way.

I have something to be really proud of this month, I was named "The Greatest Loser" in my group. This award is basically given to the person who lost the most in the group for that particular year. For 2013, I'm that winner!! At one of my recent meetings I was presented with a certificate, sash and a new sticker for my book. I really couldn't be happier guys, it's been almost a year in April since I started Slimming World and I couldn't be happier with the results. I'm not going to lie it wasn't easy to start with but once I got going it's been all plain sailing from there. I've seen my confident flourish in the past few months, I've gotten so many nice comments from people in work and friends that I haven't seen in a age. I know a couple of you in a post a while back asked would I be putting up a before and after picture. At first I wasn't a 100% sure I would but I've decided over the past few weeks to put one up. You all have been nothing but supportive since I started this program and reading your comments everyone month has given me such motivation. I really can't thank you all enough.

I still have a bit further to go with Slimming World, I'm not over the final hurdle yet. I'd love to be down to my target weight by Summer so we'll see how that pans out.

Until my next update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #9

I got some pretty exciting Slimming World related news this month which I can't tell you guys about yet. When I can talk more about it you all will be the first to know. We're now onto my , it doesn't feel like I've been doing the program for that amount of time. It's hard to believe that at the end of April, I'll be doing Slimming World for a full year. I feel like I've accomplished so much so far and I'm very happy. Just after I posted my last update Slimming World came out with these new members booklets. I really like the presentation of these as they look much nicer in comparison to the old books. The inside layout is easier to follow too. A plus even for me when I want to read up on the program and keep myself  up to date with everything. I have nearly everything transferred over from the old book, except my weightloss award stickers. I still have one or two of them to get.

 This month has been another good one for me with Slimming World. My weight has stayed the same which I'm really happy about. So far to date I've lost 6st 4lbs which I still can't get my head around. I did have two small gains during the month which I'm not too worried about at all. I had surgery during the month so I was held up with that for a bit but now I'm perfectly healthy again. To be honest I feel like I've already won, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd lose this amount of weight. I feel myself even getting a little emotional as I write this. I always feel thankful that I have you guys leaving comments on these post, you all have been nothing but supportive. If I can keep maintaining the weight I'm at now for a while I'll be happy. I don't have a set time for when I want to reach my target weight as of yet but I'm hoping maybe sometime during the Summer. I want to lost another 2 stone, after that I'm going to see were it goes from there. I think this deserves a drum roll, I joined the GYM during the month. Yeah I know I mentioned that I was going to join the gym in my last two updates but I finally bit the bullet and went. Let's just say after the first day I was absolutely shattered. My lovely gym instructor wrote up a program for me on my first day. It's intense but really great.  Basically I want to continue to lose weight and tone up at the same time. Since I started Slimming World I've been walking everywhere but I thought I needed that extra push as well. I'm not big into exercise so joining the gym was probably the best option for me. I'm hoping I get really good results with it, so I'll keep you guys posted on how I'm getting on with that in my next update.

Until the next time,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #8

You may of noticed that I haven't posted a Slimming World post in quite a while. I've been super busy with college and work, that I missed a few weeks here and there. I didn't want to put up a post showing just two classes I attended so I waited til I made up a month to put up my next update. Rest assured I haven't stopped doing these posts as I really enjoy reading your comments and it motivates me even more. I've been doing Slimming World for almost 9 months now but this is my eighth update what with missing classes and the like.

Since my last update Christmas has come and gone, I know alot of people were unsure with how this time of year would go for me. I'm happy to report I didn't fall off the wagon yet, I did treat myself to a hot chocolate or two here and there but that's it. There was still lots of chocolate around the house but I guess after doing Slimming World since April, I have gained alot of will power along the way. Something that I don't think I really had 9 months ago. Before Christmas, I along with my group were given these sweet little decorations. Just to congratulate us on how we got on so far, I'm really delighted with mine and I'm going to hold on to it. Slimming World goes on for 52 weeks a year so there's no breaks to be had there. I like it this way though as going to class every week has turned into somewhat of a routine and it was helpful to have over Christmas and the New Year.

Over Christmas and the New Year, I've lost a further 6lbs which brings my total weight loss up to 6st 4lbs. I'm over the moon that I did so well over the festive period, at some points I wasn't so sure how I was doing. I've bought some new clothes over the last month which I love and that I don't think would of suited me as much if I didn't get the weight down. That's one of the highlights for me since starting Slimming World, I'm enjoying buying new clothes even though it's not so good at all for my bank balance. I still haven't joined the gym yet, but I have looked into a few and there is one that I'm considering signing up for. I find that alot of them can be very expensive but this one has quite a good deal for students. I know I've said that I'm going to be joining a gym in recent blog posts but I'm genuinely serious about this one as it looks great. Aswell as aiding my weight loss, I'm hoping to tone up a bit aswell so I'll definitely keep you posted on how it goes. You guys who go to the gym will have to give me song suggestions for my Work Out playlist for my Ipod! After paying your join up fee, you can use the gym and attend any of their fitness classes on the side, I don't think you can really go wrong there. I've always heard that spinning classes are brilliant so I want to possibly do that, though I think my legs will be dead the next day. I don't have too long left to go on my Slimming World journey, I'd like to lose another two and a half stone which I hope to achieve by the Summer of this year. I want to give it a bit of time as I know it's hard to lose that last few pounds or so but it will be unreal when I reach my target.

Until my next update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #7

I'm back with my seventh Slimming World update, I can't believe I started this program way back in April. Where has the year gone people? Next week will be the start of my eight month of the program it doesn't feel that long at all the time has flown by. I should of really done this update last week but I missed a Slimming World class cause I was sick, so yesterdays meeting made up the month. I couldn't of been happier this month as I feel like I've progressed alot.

Many people thought I would find it hard over the Halloween period as my Mom goes all out and buys some amount of goodies for all the trick or treaters and the family. Back in April when I had a serious sweet tooth I would of probably told you I'd find it impossible to stay away from the sweeties. That wasn't the case though at all this Halloween as I haven't eaten any chocolate since I started the program so I wasn't tempted at all. I was so pleased this month as I'm still gradually losing weight. I was worried that I would begin to plateau after losing so much early on in the program but I needn't of worried as this hasn't happened yet *fingers crossed*. One week during this month I put on a half a pound which I was disappointed at but my Mom told me to look how far I have come already and to not be worrying. You have to love my Mom, she's the one who told me about Slimming World at the beginning. I seriously couldn't of done all this without her and my Dad's endless support over the past couple of months. Over the last month I've lost a total of seven and a half pound which brings my total weight loss up to 5st 12lbs. I'm 2lbs off 6st now which is huge for me, I seriously can't put it into words how happy I am right now. On my Slimming World book cover my stickers go up to 5st, apparently they don't have ones after that which I can deal with. I still liked getting them every couple of weeks though. One of my goals for this month is to start going to the gym. It's always been something that I've kept on the long finger, I walk alot so I never felt the need to go as of such. I didn't think I'd have the time with work and college either but now I really do want to start. I'm not joining just to aid my weight loss but I also want to tone up a little. I've never been a Gym Bunny at all so I'll let you know in my updates next month. I already have my brother Gerard signed up to be my gym partner so I'll definitely be kept motivated by him. People in the clothes shop were I work have been unbelieveably nice to me this month. Many customers have complimented me on how amazing I look now and that I'm a inspiration. I don't know about the latter but it's still such a nice thing for someone to say to me. Not going to lie I was a bit taken aback at first as I would never be so forward in commenting on someones weight myself but understandably they were just being supportive. I've never experienced it before so it was nice to know that people have noticed the work I put in myself. I know how hard it is to lose weight, it's never easy. Slimming World wasn't the first weight loss program I joined in my life but it's certainly been the best. Whenever someone asks for advice or how I did it myself, I'm always happy to help in some way and give my experience.

Until my next Slimming World Update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #6

I can't believe this is my sixth update, the time has flown by so fast. I'm glad I started these posts as I can always read back on them and see how much I've achieved so far. At the end of this month a half a year will have past since I started the Slimming World program and I seriously couldn't be happier with the results. The last month has been pretty hectic for me, I started college and that has taken up so much of my time. I already have like a million assignments to do, YES I'm being a bit over dramatic but it seems like alot. My days seem much more fuller now, I literally rush from college to work on Mondays and Wednesday, then I have my Slimming World Meeting on Tuesday.  Nearly half my week now consists of college and the rest is left to more work and assignments. I was pretty happy on my way to college last week, I got a text on my phone saying I was Slimmer of the Month for September which is a big deal I guess. When I went to the meeting last night I was given a little fridge magnet that says Slimmer of the Month, I was beyond happy about it and it's definitely going on my fridge. Since my last update I've lost four and a half pound which I'm really happy with, I'm super close to my target now, something that I thought would never happen over five months ago. My Food Optimising book is full up with award stickers now as you can see, I'll have to start using the back now too. Something I've been eating more of this month is salad, which I surprisingly I really like. I was never a vegetable person growing up, I couldn't stand the look of the stuff but now I can't get enough of it. The only thing I don't like about it is the price, it's so much more expensive to eat healthy. I paid nearly €8 for a salad that consisted of lettuce and chicken, how shocking is that. I haven't got in as much exercise as I would of liked over the last month. I did alot of walking when I went to Kilkenny over the weekend, that place is seriously beautiful. It's so relaxing compared to busy Dublin so it was nice to have a break. I did a bit of shopping down there so I may stick up a haul soon. Let me know what you think.

Again I'd like to tell you guys that I'm glad I shared my weight loss journey so far with you, reading back over your comments has actually given me so much more motivation. I seriously can't thank you enough.

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #5

I can't believe this is my fifth Slimming World update, like where does the time go? I'm now into the sixth month of the program and I'm so delighted I started it. My journey began way back in April, my Mom suggested we tagged along to one of the meetings as she heard such amazing things about it. She was perfectly right as five months down the line I've lost 5st which I never would of thought possible back then. I'm not going to lie it was hard work at the start but once I got into the swing of things it's been mostly plain sailing from there on out. I've had such a good time this month picking out new clothes and throwing out old ones. Even though I will miss some of the latter which some people find ridiculous, but I did love my navy hoodie. One of the highlights of this month was some of the girls in work commenting on how well I look, even the smallest compliment means so much to me. I've been getting some great advice off one of the girls in particular who will remain anonymous. I despise the gym with a vengeance and I haven't set foot in one since I started this program back in April, I much prefer to walk everywhere. This lovely girl in work suggested some really quick and easy exercises that you can do at home to tone up, I've been doing them constantly lately. You may be thinking do they work, I don't know yet but I'll touch on it in next months update for sure. This month they didn't seem to have the little awards stickers, so one of the ladies wrote 4&a half and 5 stone on the book for me which I thought was super nice. One thing changed this month at my meeting which I wasn't expecting, my class leader left.  I was very sad at first as I had no clue that was going to happen, she had been nothing but supportive since I started back in April. I'll miss her alot.

This month in total I've lost 13lbs which is crazy, I can hardly believe it myself. There was one set back in my second week when I put on 2.5lbs. I was pretty disappointed but then I remembered how well I've been doing so far and that these small glitches happen. I got back on the horse and at next weeks weigh in I lost a whopping 7.5lbs, everyone was so happy for me and I couldn't of been more pleased myself. It's weird I can see my target weight getting closer and closer which I couldn't of imagined five months ago. I got also some great news this month, I'm heading back to college in October. I've wanted to go back for ages so I'm very excited. I didn't realise how expensive college supplies were until now, maybe I just bought too much stationary. Well enough about that I'm probably going to do a post soon talking about what course I'm doing and college related bits.

Until my next update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #4

There will be a slight interuption to my regular beauty posts for me to bring to you my fourth Slimming World Update. I know it's hard to believe I'm onto my fifth month of this amazing program, seriously where has the time gone?! It feels like yesterday when I was writing my last update for you guys. Before I start rambling on about how I got on over the last few weeks, I just want to thank you all. Over my past three Slimming World posts your comments have meant the world to me. Since I started four months ago I've only told a handful of people about this program, so I was a bit hesitant to put it online of all places. After weighing up the pros and cons for what felt like an eternity I finally decided to start doing these updates. From the bottom of my heart I'm so glad I did in the end, for people who don't know me personally you all have been so supportive it's quite overwhelming. At recent events I've been to other beauty bloggers have commented on how well I look and for people who only know me through my blog to say this is so nice.

You'll be probably wondering how I did this month. Well firstly I wouldn't really call it a month as I was away so I only managed to go to three meetings. At the last weigh in before I went on holidays, I lost a half stone which I was in shock about. It's the most I've ever lost in a week since I started the program. To say I was surprised is the understatement of the year as I have no idea how I did it. I was kind of worried before going to Manchester as I wasn't too sure how things would fare over there. In my opinion when you start a weight loss program you get into a routine, you know where to buy your healthy foods and places to eat out in. In Manchester it was totally different as I don't really know the place too well. In the end it couldn't of gone better then it went, there was so shops that stocked bits and pieces I like so it wasn't a big issue. Not going to lie I did have the odd treat here and with my Mom. I wish we had a Spud U Like in Dublin, that place is so good if you ever go get the chicken and baby potato salad it's amazing. In the two weeks since I've got home I've lost a further four and a half pound, eleven and a half pound in total which I'm over the moon about. If someone told me at the beginning of the year that I was going to lose this weight I'd probably of laughed at them. I'm now only a half a pound away from 4st so I should hopefully get my next sticker by Tuesday. Last weekend I raided my wardrobe and cleared out the whole thing, it was crazy looking at the amount of clothes that are too big for me now. I gave them all to charity so hopefully someone out there will be happy with them. During the month I've bought some gorgeous new clothes too, my prized new purchase is my green parka (think Liam Gallagher style) I love it so I've been certainly getting a lot of wear out of it. I'll have to do a fashion style post soon and show you guys. Let me know if it's something you'd like to see.

Until the next update,

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #3

I'm into my fourth month of Slimming World, time has certainly flown by since I started back in April. I'd never in million years have thought I'd be doing so well this far down the line. Since I've started the program I've lost 3st 2lbs, this month I've lost 10 pounds which for me is seriously incredible. I couldn't be happier and to be doing so well after three months has motivated me alot to do even better. I think this was my big downfall in other weight loss programs as I just didn't have this at all and only ever lasted a month at most.

Since my last update I've definitely been trying to squeeze in some extra bits of exercise here and there when I can which I haven't done before. Sure I walk everywhere but as my brother told me if your not breaking a sweat your not exercising. I've fixed this now by going out jogging with him on a daily basis, let's just say I'm absolutely wrecked the next day but hopefully it pays off. It's great to have the support of my little brother as I doubt I'd do it on my own otherwise. I haven't started going to the gym yet but after talking to lots of people I'm going to go soon. I think it will add that extra something to the program that I need. As everyone know weight loss does slow down after the first few months so I'm going to have to add something different into my routine shortly. I've been doing a lot of clothes shopping recently, I've been able to get a size smaller which I'm so thrilled about. Even though I've been trying to save over the last few weeks it's become a bit of a fail when it comes to retail therapy, when there's a nice dress I just can't help myself. In exactly a week from today I'm heading to Manchester for nearly two weeks. I'm really excited for my trip and I can't wait. I love Manchester it's such a lovely city, I've been there twice already but there is some things I still want to do and see. I'll be doing a PR Internship for five days while I'm there which will definitely be interesting. I've picked up some new work clothes lately which I love. I may do a few  scheduled outfit posts while I'm away so you can see them of you'd like. For my time off while I'm there I have a couple of exciting bits planned. I'm going to Morrissey on Saturday 28th in the MEN which I can't wait for, it's sure to be a amazing gig. I've been to the arena before for Taylor Swift two years ago and it's such a great venue. I'm also *fingers crossed* going to an Olympic football match in Old Trafford. I'm big into football so this is another thing I'm very excited for. Of course I'm going to be doing a spot of shopping while I'm there seeing as everything is so much cheaper compared to over here. I already have my eye on a few bits in Zara, I'm in love with their shoes so who knows I may treat myself over there. While I'm in Manchester, I will be missing a week of Slimming World which I was kind of worried about but you can book holidays during the year so it wasn't an issue. I haven't missed a class since I started so it will be weird come Tuesday evening I'll probably be thinking I should be somewhere else. I'm sure I'll be fine during the week and hopefully there will be no glitches.

Until the next update:)

Laura<3

Slimming World Update #2

I've been attending weekly Slimming World meeting for two months now. I did a monthly update post last month and your nice comments meant so much. I was quite reluctant to do a weight loss post as this is first and foremost a beauty blog, but your support was overwhelming.

This month has been great, I had some meetings were I wasn't too sure how I did during the week but ended up doing really well. In the last four weeks I've lost 1st 3lb which is identical to what I lost last month. In total, I'm down 2st 6lbs which I couldn't imagine happening when I started this programme, I'm over the moon. I have a few more stickers added to the front of my log book, you receive one everytime you lose a half stone. I find this to be great motivation it might not be for some people but it is for me. I can't really say what my weight loss so far has been down to. I haven't started a strict fitness regime yet, I'm hoping to soon though. However, I have cut some foods out of my diet which I believe has helped tremendously. Here are some foods I cut out completely, all kinds of bread, dairy products except low fat milk, and every form of sweeties (no chocolate for me). With Slimming World you can eat these things in moderation, but for me I think it's best to take them out of my diet completely. I don't notice my weight loss when I look in the mirror but I definitely see it with my clothes. My favourite zip hoody has been looking alot baggier on. A good excuse to go out clothes shopping I think.

When I went into town yesterday, my boyfriend treated me to these lovely goodies. He said I was doing so well that I deserved something nice. Lush's Breath of Fresh Air is a toner I've been wanting to try for a while. I've seen brilliant reviews on blogs lately, so I have high expectations. This is the larger size of the two available and it's massive so I see this lasting ages. The other gift was Lindsey Kelk's I Heart London, this was only released last week so I can't wait to get stuck into it. I've read the entire series and I'm hooked on it. If you haven't read them and you love a good chick lit like me then you should get your hands on these.

I know I'll be kept extra busy this month as we have a new addition to the family. Meet Sam, he's a cross between a spaniel and a sheep dog. Isn't he just the cutest thing ever? We just got him yesterday and already he's made himself at home. Our labrador Sid loves his new buddy, I can see them both being a handful on their daily walks.

That's it really for my Slimming World update. I'm just getting ready to watch the Ireland game which is a must win game for us, so until next months update.

Laura<3