The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #14

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Another week is almost over and you know what that means another weightloss update of course. I could never have imagined in January that in May I've accomplished so much in such a short period of time, it's pretty unbelievable and I almost can't believe it myself. Losing weight isn't easy for me it's an extremely hard thing to do but once you get into it it's plain sailing from there on in. You just have to be commited and everything else will follow suit. Before I started my weightloss journey I was so unmotivated but now I can proudly say I am alot more so.

This week I lost 2 pound which brings my total weightloss to date to 3 stone 5 pound which is amazing and I'm really happy about it. The support I get is unreal and I know alot of people are trying to lose weight so I'm going to do what ever I can to help them out. If your in the same boat definitely email me and I can write you out my weightloss tips and trick. It's exactly what I'm doing myself so it definitely works. I still treat myself on my weighin day and enjoy food so that's a good thing cause I know it's hard sometimes to cut out the food you like.

It really is just making some small changes and this could really change your life for the better. I was always a confident person, that being said I am much happier now in myself and you could be like that too. I think at the end of the day you get out what you put in.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #12

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Another week as over and of course that means it's time for this weeks weight loss update. I can't believe I've been doing this for 3 months now, that's totally insane in my opinion. Time really does fly so we should all definitely make the most of it and make everyday count for sure.

So your probably wondering how my weightloss went this week. I'm down another 4 pounds bringing my total weightloss to date to 3 stone and a half pound. Like what is life right now?? I am so unbelievably happy, I'm smashing all my goals and feel so much better in myself right now. I feel so much healthier, I do have a long way to go but I do feel amazing.

I got minor head surgery during the week so I won't be doing much next week. I don't think I'll be even going into college cause I'm in alot of pain which is never good. This means I'll have to work extra hard this week and eat super healthy. I want to lose another half a stone in two weeks so I want to seriously smash that goal aswell so fingers crossed and all that jazz.

Before I finish off this post I just wanted to mention something to you guys. As I'm doing so well with my weightloss I wanted to share some of my tips and tricks with you that definitely work. I'll be doing a sports and recreational therapy course in June so I think it would be pretty cool to start off by doing something like this. Of course it will be completely free so if your interested leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you smash your goals and achieve your dreams.

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

The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #4

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I'm four weeks into my weightloss journey and I'm happy with the progress I've made so far. As I've been doing so well lately I wasn't too sure how I'd get on this week. I've eaten healthy but you can never predict what the scales is going to say.

This week I lost  one pound so that means in total I'm down one stone 3 pounds in 4 weeks which is beyond amazing. The progress I've made has been soo good and I really want to keep it up for sure I'm just getting started.

I would love to lose 7 stone I know it's alot but it's what I'd like to lose in the long run. I'm not going to put a time frame on it I'm just going to take everyday as it comes and just try my best. Sure your best is all you can do at the end of the day. This week I've been eating pretty healthy foods, I did treat myself to a sneaky KitKat Cookie Dough and it was beyond worth it so yummy. I thoroughly enjoyed every last piece.

I've also pretty much cut out eating bread completely which has been helping alot. I haven't replaced it with anything as I'm not missing it too much at all to be honest. I was told by a specialist a while ago that it's not too good to replace food with other things as there is a chance you could end up overeating that food, I totally agree with him as I'm guilty of that.

I have started back going to Aqua Aerobics classes this week. My Nanna and I were busy last week with it being my birthday and all, I missed it alot so it was nice to get back into the pool even though the water was freezing. I love having my partner in crime, my Nanna, we have all the chats and a good laugh when we go swimming. 

I'm going swimming twice a week now and I might be starting to go three times a week next week and I can't wait. Swimming is so good for you, it works every muscle in your body. I do be so tired after a class. The classes only cost €6.50 a pop and go on for 45 minutes. I love the music they play during their classes, it's soo old school. I feel the swimming has definitely helped me shift some of the pounds since I started my weightloss journey. If you were looking for a new hobby to help you lose eight I'd definitely recommend swimming to anyone. Not only is it great for you it's also really enjoyable.

So yeah all and all I'm so happy with my progress losing almost one and a half stone in four weeks has been reallty good going. I'm really hoping to lose my one and a half stone target next week. I'll be even more thrilled. I'm definitely going to treat myself to something nice when I do maybe some new makeup products or a bag. If course I'll keep you posted on future weightloss in upcoming posts.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Weightloss Update #3

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Three weeks ago I started my weightloss journey and I've come a long way since then. I began this journey cause of course first and foremost I wanted to lost weight but I also wanted to make some healthy changes to my diet. I'm happy to say I did just that.

I weigh myself every Friday morning when I get up in the mornings which is sometimes pretty early. I like to weigh myself at the same time as I get a better idea of my progress.

This week I lost a further two and a half pound which brings my total weightloss to date to one stone two pound. I couldn't be happier to see all the progress I've made so far. It shows that the simple changes to my diet have worked. I don't like calling what I'm doing a diet it's more of a lifestyle change. I did Slimming World and personal training in the past so as they aren't really in my budget anymore I decided to take what I learned before and put it into action which I thought was the best thing to do. It has definitely payed off so far. I haven't made too many other changes to my diet although I have pretty much cut out Pepsi Max completely, I only had one can this week and I didn't miss it that much at all to be honest. I'm aiming to lose another two pound next week which I feel is pretty achievable. Daragh and I have started to go on long walks aswell so I definitely think they have helped alot this week indeed.

I'm still eating the food that I enjoy, sure last Friday I went out and celebrated my 27th Birthday in a beautiful Thai restaurant with my family and my boyfriend. Like you can treat yourself at times but remember always get back on track the day after. I always go out for a long walk the day after as it clears my mind and I know I'm doing something healthy aswell. I missed out on swimming this week cause my Nanna and I had other things on so it was important for me to get a walk in. We will definitely be starting back swimming next week though cause we definitely both miss it alot.

As always I have the best supporters ever who always give me such good feedback on my Facebook weightloss status which is so nice and again much appreciated. I know it's a small thing but it means a great deal to me indeed.

So far this hasn't been difficult at all. It's simple and easy to make simple changes it's just really important to stick to it because that's where I believe this factor can let people down sometimes. If  I can do this anyone can.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - My New Weightloss Journey

Hey Guys and Dolls,

As I'm sure most of you already know I properly started my weightloss journey last week. I've been eating healthy for the last month or so but I eventually borrowed my brothers scales so I'm finally able to track my progress for you lot. The last week hasn't been too difficult at all to be honest I was expecting it to be a little harder but I still ate the foods that I enjoy eating but I did make a couple of changes to my diet. I am so happy with my first weigh in you guys, I made a little video below that you can watch and see how much I lost this week. MAKE SURE TO PRESS PLAY!

I firstly drank a tonne of water this week I always had a bottle beside me whatever I was doing. I am partial to the odd Pepsi Max (I even did my advertising college assignment on it) I usually drink alot  but I cut it down a bit this week. I'm not sure if I could cut it out entirely. I cut out cheese because I tend to eat a bit too much, I love mixing it in with my omelette in the morning it tastes unreal. I haven't missed this that much though to be far. I did on some days have two meals a day cause I either found myself not being hungry or I had healthy snacks that made me full throughout the day. I am actually going to do a post on my favourite health snacks very soon so be sure to stay tuned in for that. I have been writing down all my food intake this week which I have found pretty helpful since I started my weighloss journey last month. I just like writing things down its a good way to stay on track and focused on what your doing.

Something I added into my fitness routine besides walking and the odd bit of jogging is swimming. I'm going to do a post solely on swimming very soon so I'll keep this short and sweet. I swim with my Nanna and Aunty twice a week and I've been really enjoying it so far. It's a Aqua Aerobics class and it's like a workout in itself so I've been so tired after classes and my legs have been totally exhausted. You do feel absolutely amazing after a session though.

I have such an amazing group of friends I put my weightloss up on Facebook on Thursday evening and they all have been nothing but supportive with their lovely comments. I beyond appreciate it there a seriously great bunch and I wouldn't change them for the world. Little did I know I was going to love another 3 pound by Saturday, my official weighin day.

I like to call this more of a lifestyle change to a diet to be honest like I'm not going to deprive myself of stuff. It's my birthday on the 15th of February and I'm heading out next Friday for dinner and drinks with my family and boyfriend so I'm obviously without a shadow of a doubt going to treat myself that night. Sure I'm only 27 once but I am probably going to stick to gin and tonics. I really like them though it's definitely my drink of choice just wish it wasn't so pricey! It's almost better value to go for the double sometimes in my opinion.

Hope you enjoyed this post and the new format I chose including the video. I'll be back next week with the next segment in my weightloss journey.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - It's Fitness Time

New Year New You, that's the words that come out of everybodys mouth in January. A positive mantra that helps you on your journey to whatever you want to be. I quite like it as it's so positive, I take it as it is, forget about the past and look on into the future.

Since the first week in January this year I've been keeping a food diary. I've had one before and I find them super helpful to keep track on your progress, mistakes in your diet and what you want to or sometimes need to change. Weightloss journeys aren't easy, I have first hand experience on that matter. Once you fall off the horse it's sometimes difficult whatever the situation to get back on the saddle. I for one at one stage found it that bit too difficult and I'm going to tell you my story and how it's never too late to start again.

In April 2012 I started my weightloss journey which both made me nervous and excited all at the same time. I did a lot of blog posts at the time so you can check them out here! I joined Slimming World I was nervous because I'd tried weightloss groups before and some I have to say didn't quite work in my favour after a couple of months I'd lose a bit of weight and to my despair but it back on instantly so not going to lie I'd quit. Something was different when I started Slimming World I had a big burning desire to succeed this time and I did. In a little over a year I lost eight stone it wasn't easy as I changed my diet and opted for the Paleo diet which really limits you in what you eat. Kind of bad when you meet your friends for dinner, just saying! It was the first time I could comfortably fit into the clothes that all my life I wanted to be wearing pretty Taylor Swiftesque dresses that fit beautifully and I was happy. 

Fast forward to 2014 and things started to slide and I just wasn't feeling myself. I signed up to run the Mini Marathon with the paper which I thought was a good idea at the time and for months the training completely drained me. On the day of the actual Mini Marathon a family member who was super close to me like a second Mother passed away and it really broke my heart big time and still not a day goes by that I don't think of her and her witty humour. I did the Marathon in a bit over an hour I met my ex boyfriend at the finish but I have to say I wasn't feeling at all the best mentally or physically. A week later it happened when I least it expected it, I broke down completely. 

The next couple of weeks were a complete and utter blur. I went to see a doctor and explained my symptoms which is kinda difficult to explain when it's going on inside your own head. A week later I was admitted to one of the best mental health hospitals in the country where I stayed for a while. At first it scared me as it was like nothing I ever experienced before being confined in a place with other people. Slowly but surely I came around and made a lot of friends which I'll probably have for life by the looks of things. It's still great to have that support on days that I'm feeling down. After a few appointments the doctors diagnosed me with an anxiety disorder and depression and put me on a course of medication which I'm glad to say worked and I don't have to take them any more. If anyone is reading this and going through stuff like this themselves just know that it's ok to get help, you're special and so important to people around you. I know I didn't realise at the time but you really are, life is precious and you don't get a second chance at things. Medication, sometimes long term can be a great help to you in the long run. Also remember, you are not illness and never will be. Your diagnosis doesn't label you and all your good friends will still recognise you as the fun, strong and outgoing person that you always were. They will be blown away by your inner strength which you probably thought you never had but you definitely do.

When I came out of hospital I did realise I'd put on weight from not being as active as I usually had been. I didn't want to jump back into things so I gave myself a bit of a break which was much needed. Unfortunately my boyfriend and I at the time decided to call it quits which was in the best interest of both of us. As we had been through alot in those past few months. We still had the highest amount of respect for each other at the end. When you get out of hospital I think it's a good idea to take it easy but to not get too isolated and see your friends when possible. Lastly on this topic it's so important to talk, I can't state this enough. There was sometimes I didn't want to when I was so far inside my shell but I know now that that never helps noone so I can't stress it enough TALK!

Fast forward to 2016, I was back working for a short period of time and I met my now boyfriend Daragh on Tinder in June. We'd been chatting since February and after a abundance of hour long phone calls we finally met up and the rest was history. With his support I decided to start my fitness journey again. I've been eating really healthy lately and using my food diary to jot everything down. We also go for walks  here, there and everywhere which is good for fitness and also for the oul head. We are already planning some more adventures so I can't wait to see what the future holds. I know he's going to be my gym buddy everyone now and again which will be great I think. I can't thank him enough aswell cause he is just about the most laidback, friendly, understanding and caring guy I know and I love him to pieces! Of course I also wouldn't be anywhere without my amazing family behind. They have helped me through alot and always push me to succeed and achieve my goals which is really important. I'm a real go getter at times to be honest. The picture above is of me and my little brother on my last holiday before my battle with mental health began. He's a superstar and very knowledgeable when it comes to anything regarding mental health so I have a tonne to thank him for too. He's always going to be my little brother but he's definitely my best friend too. 

Now thankfully I'm more positive than ever and I know I'm going to succeed. I'll definitely keep you guys and dolls posted on my progress. Of course if you ever have any questions feel free to contact me on my email which is laura.allmadeup21@gmail.com I'll be happy to help in any way I possibly can.

Laura<3

A bit of an Update!

Sorry guys for the lack of blog posts over the last while. I've had to deal with a lot of stuff so I thought it would be best to leave blogging for a while. Don't get me wrong I still absolutely love blogging even more so now than when I started blogging over five years ago. I love my little part of the internet where I can post all my ramblings about life and beauty products that I love. Over the past while its been hard to do so though and for that I'll have to explain.

 

First of the reason I've been MIA from blogging for the past while is because of ill mental health. I find this point pretty hard to share with you guys as I had such a hard time with it. Over two years ago I was in a relationship with my long term boyfriend at the time Paddy who was often included in some blog posts on here. We were quite happy and going into our 6th year of dating. Out of the blue I became unwell which was very hard for both of us to deal with at the time. Just imagine one day being on cloud nine and then falling off that cloud and hitting rock bottom. It came too hard for both of us to handle and we called it quits on our relationship. I was so unhappy because I hated being on my own and after spending so much time with the one person for over five years I found it pretty difficult and it was definitely one of the hardest periods of my life. There's no hard feelings between us and we definitely both thought at the time that it was for the best. I went through a hell of a rough time negative thoughts can definitely get the better of you that's for sure but after almost two years of focusing on myself I'm better which I'm so happy to tell you guys.

 

Fast forward two years and I'm beyond happy. I have a new boyfriend who I met on popular dating app Tinder. We went for a few drinks on our first date and we definitely hit it off that was almost two months ago and we've been seeing each other ever since really. We get on really well and just click. I feel like I can tell him anything and we definitely have a good time together when were out and about. We went to see a Dublin Gaelic match for one of our first dates and I had never been to one before and we definitely enjoyed ourselves, Dublin won aswell so that was all good. I couldn't be happier right now to be honest. We've already planned to go on holidays together in September so I'll definitely put up a post about that.

 

Lastly I'm buying a rather expensive diary as I'm starting my weight loss journey again. I lost a lot of weight in the past so I want to jump back on the horse and try again. The diary I'm buying in question is a beautiful gold polka Kate Spade one so I'm definitely going to try to do updates every week if I can.

 

That's pretty much all my news for now how have you guys been over the last few months.

 

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

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

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

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