NEEEEW BLOG!

Hello you! Just wanted to share the fact I have a 'new' blog for my health/fitness. I don't know why but I have always preferred wordpress for my health blog, so i got my old one back! 

SEE IT HERE!

I update more regularly on this one and post about my daily eats, workouts etc etc. I just posted about all my Good Hemp Nutrition goodies so go check it out! There's a recipe in there too for you ;) 

See you over there! 

What i ate last week

Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles!

Chocolate is my guilty pleasure and i adore truffles. These are quick(ish) and easy to make and far better value for money and healthier than buying them.

Ingredients;

-100g dark chocolate (atleast 70% cocoa),
-1 tbsp honey,
-2 tbsp strong coffee,
chopped hazelnuts to roll them in.



Method:

1. Melt the chocolate, i did mine in my microwave but be careful you don't burn it!
2. Stir in the honey and coffee slowly, it will start to thicken and seem like it's not mixing properly but just keep going, it will soon turn glossy.
3. Put it in the fridge for 15-30 mins until it is nearly hard. Then remove it from the fridge.
4. Get a teaspoon and scoop out a small ball of chocolate and roll it into a truffle shape.
5. Roll the truffles in the hazelnuts and place in a jar and store in the fridge.
6. Enjoyyy :)



Of course you can use alternatives but they won't be as healthy. You can use whatever chocolate you want and sub the hazelnuts for cocoa powder if you don't like nuts. If you use milk chocolate with the hazelnuts they make a great gift and taste like Ferrero Rocher!

 

USN Pure Protein Individual Packs!

Just a quick post today but i wanted to share these individual packs of protein powder i found in Tesco! 

They are the USN Pure Protein and i am so glad i found them! They are in such a handy individual portion so if its towards the end of the month, you run out of protein powder and can't afford to pay £30,£40,£50+ on a whole tub of powder, a few of these will tide you over! It probably isn't as cheap in the long run but if you're desperate i think they're the perfect solution!  

They are also BIG portions (56g) so i usually get 2 or more portions out of one sachet, especially when i only need 1/2 scoop for a certain recipe! Bargain! I have actually just been buying these as i don't use them everyday, just occasionally and mainly for recipes.

These taste great, i got the Strawberry which I'm not usually a fan of but its all they had left, boo :( They are low in sugar and carbs and high in protein which is just what i look for. They don't taste too artificial either which is why i liked the strawberry more than i thought. I mixed it with unsweetened almond milk for a post workout milkshake and it was so good! Not overly sweet.



Have you tried these? Whats your favourite protein powder?

No bake chocolate protein cookies!

Ingredients;

1/2 cup peanut butter,

3/4 cup almond milk,

3 cup of rolled oats,

1tbsp baking cocoa,

1.5 scoops chocolate protein powder,

1 tbsp honey, 

2 squares 80% dark chocolate, crumbled.

Method; 

Mix everything together!

Form into cookies shapes on a lined baking sheet.

Place in the freezer for 30 mins.

EAT!

PS. I did cook mine for 10 mins to melt the chocolate which is why they look dark, but that is the protein powder they aren't burnt! ;) They were yummiest raw/not baked!!

SoBe V Water Review

Flavoured drinks are something i struggle with finding that A) are not loaded with sugar and way too sweet or B) loaded with aspartame that won't let your body burn fat. No-one wants that!

I am partial to a diet coke or pepsi when we are out, that is about the only thing i will drink, but sometimes i do want something a bit different from water or diet coke.

Whilst looking around Tesco yesterday, i came across the drink aisle and thought i would just have a look as i was really in the mood for something fruity. These SoBe V Water's immediately jumped out at me because of the '0 sugar'. I have seen these before but always assumed they would be full of aspartame so i never even bothered to look. Silly me!

Surprisingly,  there was no aspartame to be seen and only the natural sweetener Stevia, which is 'approved' by the tone it up girls as a suitable sweetener source, so i know it's fine to have! They remind me of 'Kombucha' that all the US health bloggers drink so this excited me!

They were also on offer so i grabbed two to try. There are 6 different flavours; Blackcurrant & Goji Berry, Elderflower and Pear, Ginger & Mango, Lemon & Lime, Pomegranate & Blueberry and Tropical Citrus. I picked up the Blackcurrant and Goji berry and the Ginger and Mango. Not flavours i had tried before but i'm known for liking odd combinations! 

The Blackcurrant & Goji berry tasted great, it wasn't too sweet because it only has the natural ingredients which i personally like and was the fruity hit i was after! The blackcurrant was the min flavour with a zing of the berry coming through. The Ginger & Mango was refreshing but i did find the ginger a little strong, personally, but i'm not sure if that's because i knew it was in there. I got Warren to try it without telling him the flavour and he loved it and couldn't even distinguish the ginger but he got the mango. I guess it is just personal taste! 

I am glad i found these and i know now that if i am after something a little different, these fit all my nutritional needs and taste yummy! I can imagine they taste even better with some ice on a hot summer day!  

Have you tried these? What flavour sounds good to you?

What I Ate Wednesday!

Hi everyone! So it's time for another What I Ate Wednesday! A couple of things look so unappetising but thats always the way with nice food! 

Breakfast was un pictured sorry! But it was the same as always 2 pieces of wholemeal toast with peanut butter, honey and cinnamon.

Mid morning snack was a green tea and yogurt bars. I know these are technically bad, but i have ran out of protein powder and these were on offer so i just picked these up.

For lunch, i quickly made a wrap with sausage and scrambled eggs. I added tomato ketchup too, it was reduced sugar and salt.

Afternoon snack was a decaf coffee and a chocolate! I have chocolate everyday :)

For dinner we had homemade slow cooker curried chicken with rice and mango salsa. I didn't eat all the rice and normal i chuck a tonne of vegetables in with the curry but yesterday i just forgot, silly baby brain! 

and that was it! I did a workout after my dinner and then went to bed :)

I always feel like this doesn't look much, but this is a standard day and obviously at the weekend i eat a bit more and have a naughty roast ;) so i guess it balances itself out!

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Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Recipe!

Hi guys! So in my 'How i lost my baby weight' post, i forgot to mention that you also need to treat yourself, but not blow your whole diet out of the window, remember, you can't outrun a bad diet.

I 'treat' myself a lot, but it's all 'cheats treats'. Sometimes the things i eat taste so good i don't understand how it is 100% clean and good for me, but it is and that makes me happy. Like this ice cream recipe! 

Healthy Ice Cream Recipe:

One banana cut into chunks, frozen overnight, 

1tbsp natural no added sugar peanut butter,

1 tsp cinnamon,

1 square dark chocolate crumbled (optional)

Method:

1. Get frozen banana chunks out of the freezer and whizz in the blender.

2. Add peanut butter and cinnamon and whizz again.

3. Voila! Done! Top with chocolate if you like!

Feel free to add some agave nectar/honey/sweetener if you want it a little sweeter. You could also add other toppings such as nuts or a little more peanut butter. Also play around with the base mixture, add frozen strawberry or mango with the banana, or add nuts or raisins to the mix.

This is a great recipe when you're craving ice cream, and nothing is better than peanut butter and banana! :)

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How i lost my baby weight!

This has been a much requested post/video so here it finally is! Above you can see my 'weight journey' in terms of baby weight. The first thing i want to say is i don't weigh myself. I have no idea what i weighed in any of these pictures, but why does that number matter? I can SEE and FEEL the difference, that is what matters.

I didn't do 'no carbs', i didn't work out for hours on end and i didn't give up chocolate. 

So, how did i lose my baby weight? With hard work. 

I've had many people say to me 'you are so lucky you got your body back' and i always feel like reply with 'it's not luck, it's hard bloody work'.

I didn't just sit there whilst 'luck' cut away the fat, i sweated, i worked hard and i ate well.

How to lose weight;

DIET. 

1. Swap all white foods for wholemeal. 

This is bread, pasta, spaghetti, wraps, flour anything you can imagine. And in terms of bread, no don't swap for brown or granary, it needs to be wholemeal/wholewheat. They help fill you up for longer and release energy slowly. White processed foods burn off quickly leaving you hungry sooner and most of them are full of sugar making you crave sweet foods.

2. Get more protein/less carbs.

Now, i can't do no carbs, i die. I need carbs, i just make sure they are wholewheat. Breakfast is always carb heavy with toast, peanut butter & fruit. But as the day goes on, i try to eat less and less carbs. Sometimes if i'm feeling 'strong' or trying to get back on track i will have no carbs at dinner, but not all the time. I also try to swap my usual snacks for protein heavy snacks; greek yogurt, plain grilled chicken breast, cheese & fruit, protein shakes/bars.

3. Avoid sugar.

Sugar is the ENEMY! I see a lot of people (sometimes even me) eating all these 'low fat' snack bars. They may be low fat but they are FULL of processed sugars and guess what? Sugar is worse for your body than fat. It plays havoc with your sugar levels and causes weight gain. Try to go for things that are 7g or lower in sugar per serving.

4. Control your portions.

Portion control is key. This is how i am able to eat whatever i want and stay in shape. I eat chocoldate every day. I have what i want, i just keep my portion size low and have it in moderation.

5. Eat slower.

SAVOUR what you are eating. If i'm at home, i make sure i take the time to sit down and savour what i am eating. I don't grab something while i'm running upstairs and it's gone in 2 seconds. This goes hand in hand with portion control. You may think 'AH THAT IS THE TINIEST PORTION EVER IM STILL GOING TO BE STARVING' but, if you take smaller bites and really taste it, you will still be satisfied and full, listen to your body.

WORKOUTS.

With your workouts, you need to push yourself whatever your level. You need to combine cardio and strength. No girls, you won't bulk up and look like the hulk if you use light weights, you will tone and you will sculpt your body.

You see the pre-pregnancy picture above? All i ate was low fat foods and i focused my workouts on cardio. Yes, i lost weight but i didn't change my body shape or tone up. Now the 18 weeks post pregnancy picture? I started doing blogilates and really trying to tone and sculpt my body, and it bloody works! I have more definition in my abs, legs and arms and my bum has lifted and got perkier POST pregnancy, with pilates/blogilates and cardio.

Here are some of my favourite workouts!

CARDIO.

Fat melting routine.

30 min kickboxing routine.

Ultimate 10 min cardio workout.

Sarahs interval workout.

Super intense cardio workout.

Fat blasting workout.

At home circuit workout.

Make you sweat workout.
Spring & Sweat workout.

LEGS/BUTT.

Drive by inner thighs.

Legilates Legsercizes.

Saddlebag shaver.

Tone It Up lean legs pyramid.

My thighs are dying.

Lean legs, lifted butt.

Tone It Up Malibooty workout.

ARMS.

Love your arms.

Want you back arms.

Slim arms for summer

Victorias Secret Angel Arm Slimming workout

ABS.

10 min intense abs

TIU best ab workout

Makeover defined abs

Abominable abdominals

Ab time

THE JOURNEY.

I get reading this may seem like you have to change a lot, but if you start off slow, it will become part of your lifestyle, which is when you will change forever and it is no longer work. I swapped from white foods to brown foods about 3 years ago, and now it doesn't even cross my mind that i am 'swapping', it's normal.

Take the diet tips and try one thing a week, so the first week swap to wholewheat carbs, the second week swap your snacks for protein and so on. Gradually doing it you are more likely to stick to it. 

The same thing goes to working out, i started off just walking before i was 6 weeks post partum, then i went back into intervals and strength training. And don't be fooled by quick workouts, that '10 min intense abs' above, i thought i would need more and so i did it twice. I could barely move for a week, i actually hurt my muscles it is so intense, i do not recommend doing that! If you do these properly, you will see change without hours and hours of work.


Other post you may find helpful;
What I Ate Wednesday
How to stay motivated with exercise
Weekly prep
Recents Eats
Another what i ate wednesday

That's all for this post, it is long enough already! If you have any specific questions please email kerrydyer03@googlemail.com or tweet me @kerrymarie

Thanks for reading, i hope this was helpful!

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Spring & Sweat HIIT workout

Well it's been forever and a day since i posted on here, i have just been SO busy and to be honest i haven't been working out regularly, i haven't for about 2 weeks, naughty! Time is limited and sleep is precious. Sienna has started waking more in the night because she is hungry, i think she is getting ready for solids, milk doesn't seem to be enough anymore!

Today i got a workout in and it was a good one so i thought i'd quickly share it! I took template of Gina's Hot Mess HIIT but changed it up a bit like a circuit. I tried to includes the moves i hate the most to really push myself; high knees, burpees & mountain climbers.

HIITs are so good to burn the calories in a short amount of time, i was a sweaty mess after this! It feels good to be getting back into it again and making my own workouts is a great way to not get bored and look forward to it, so expect more workouts from me! I also really push myself when i know it's only 20 minutes and i get some recovery time, result!

That's it for today! Let me know if you try this workout and how it was ;)

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Fitness Friday!

..or Saturday! Sorry, i have been so busy i haven't had chance to get this up!

I feel like this week has been hectic and i'm just a bit run down, so i haven't done much exercise and i've had a few bad meals, but not whole days. I've also struggled to drink much water as i've been reaching for coffee more because i'm cold and tired! But tomorrow i'm going to recuperate and hopefully next week will be better!

Here are what my workouts looked like this past week;

Saturday;

TIU bikini body max burn & i did the itty bitty bikini ab workout! 

Sunday; 


REST, woohoo!


Monday;

40 minute jog, TIU Malibooty workout x3 total,  TIU slim arms for summer 



 
Tuesday;

 TIU Jump your heart out, this 8 min ab workout, jillian michaels 6 week 6 pack abs level 1 (only 18 mins; first round)

Wednesday;

I got my most attractive coat out ;) and did a nice 4.6 km walk @ 10:03 min/km

Thursday;

SLOW 35 min/2.39 jog @ only 14.39 min/km, 90 deadlifts with 5kg, 30 spiderman ab moves 100 bicycle crunches(50 each side), drive by inner thighs.

Friday;

REST

Today has also been a rest day, whoops! But i just feel so exhausted. Tomorrow i am actually going to do nothing all day but i might do a little workout in the evening depending how i feel! But i can't have  3 rest days in a row!

So that's my workouts this week, the jogs/walks would normally be HIIT which is why i feel i didn't do enough. Although i do love going for a nice long jog early in the morning to clear my mind!

What was your favourite workout this week?

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What I Ate Wednesday!

Another What I Ate Wednesday! Nothing very exciting and it all looks a bit unappetising but you know what it's like 2 ays before payday! Rations! Haha!

For breakfast i attempted a cottage cheese pancake, it turned out ok actually but we didn't have a blender so i just had to mix it! It also fell apart, whoops! Of course i had my coffee too!

We didn't get up until 10ish so i had a late breakfast, therefore i didn't have a morning snack. For lunch i had leftover chicken & prawn curry and a baked sweet potato, i added some greek yogurt on the top because it was spiiiiiiiicy!

After lunch, i had to take Sienna to the doctors and we walked, it take around 30 min to walk their, then we had to wait etc so by the time we got back, it was nearly dinner time, therefore no time for a snack again! I did have a little pick me up coffee though, naughty! 

Dinner was a good old bowl of comfort, sausage pasta with a little cheese.

Afterwards i had a Highlights hazelnut hot chocolate while Warren's mum was here.

 As a pre-bed snack i had a cheese string and some strawberries, i really notice when i don't eat snacks, before bed i am starvinnnnng!

And that's all! Normally i would eat more snacks than this but like i said, i have been too busy to snack! :) I'll see you Friday for Fitness Friday where i will share what workouts i have done this week! 

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Bionsen Aluminium Free Deodorants

Since i have been trying to eat more clean and working out again, i've become more conscious of what i put on my skin as well as what goes in and trying to use more natural products. Deodorant is something i never really thought about going natural with. I never thought about what was in it, if it had parabens etc. I just put it on and hoped it worked. 

Bionsen Roll-On Deodorant RRP £2.29 & Pump Spray Deodorant RRP £2.79

Bionsen kindly sent me these aluminium and paraben free deodorants to review and this is when i realised deodorant is probably one of the products that should natural. We have them on one of the most sensitive parts of our skin all day everyday.

Here's what Bionsen say about them;

"Bionsen is specially formulated to be naturally protective. Using natural minerals, Bionsen effectively neutralises the bacteria responsible for bad odours, and it keeps them at bay all day long. Bionsen is a deodorant, so it doesn’t stop your body from sweating like an anti-perspirant sweating is a natural cooling and detoxifying process needed to keep the body healthy. Bionsen simply prevents bacteria from growing and is as effective at neutralising body odours as the leading brands."

The main selling points of these for me are;

-Paraben free,

-Aluminium free,

-Hypoallergenic/Great for sensitive skin,

-Contains spa minerals,

-Dermatologically tested.

They smell great, like a cross between baby powder and a normal 'fresh' deodorant and they do the job. I applied this after shaving and it didn't sting or cause any reaction so i can safely say they are good for sensitive skin! I also think they are well priced, usually natural products tend to be more expensive but these are slightly cheaper than some regular brands.

Bionsen have a bigger range of deodorants including a spray, deodorant stick and a crystal deodorant which you can view here. They are currently available at Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Do you go natural?

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Buffalo Chicken Bites!

Buffalo Chicken Bites.

Makes 15-30 depending on size. Serving size is 1/2 for a snack or 3/4 if using as protein part of a meal. They are low fat and high protein.

3 cups shredded cooked chicken,

1/3 cup hot sauce,

3 1/2 oz of soft low fat cream cheese,

1 cup grated lower fat cheddar cheese,  

1/4 cup spring onions,

1/2 cup wholewheat flour,

1 egg & 1 egg white, whisked,

5 handfuls of crushed cornflakes.

Method.

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Mix chicken, hot sauce and cream cheese together, make sure you mix well.

3. Add grated cheese and onions and stir through.

4. In 3 separate bowls have the flour, eggs and cornflakes.

5. Get some chicken mixture and form into a ball, coat in the flour, then egg and cornflakes. 

6. Repeat until all balls are done and place on a baking sheet.

7. Bake for around 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

8. Serve with dip of your choice, i chose low fat garlic mayo!

Recipe adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny.

These were very messy to make but would be lovely to make with your children, it would make a nice change from cupcakes and cookies! Although i would miss out the hot sauce if making for children! They are delicious and a great high protein low fat snack, it's easy to make a bunch of these and shove them in the fridge ready for snacking or adding to a simple salad! 

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How to stay motivated with exercise!

Here are just my tips on how to stay motivated with exercise! I forgot to add that sometimes i look up fitness quotes and they really inspire me and remind me of why i workout. Here are some of my favourites!

I hope this video is helpful!

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Liverpool weekend!

On Friday, we packed up and went off to Liverpool, Sienna's first time going & meeting some of Warren's family! It takes agggges to get there so we made sure we had some stops in the service station to feed Sienna and let her have a stretch etc! 

Service stations are so bad for naughty food and as much as i told myself i was going to try and keep it healthy, that just didn't happen. Well, it was a weekend away after all :) I got my magazine to help me get back on track when we're home and make me feel a little better about it, haha!

 When we were about 25 miles from the hotel, we go stuck in traffic on the slip road. There had been an accident but luckily we had missed most of it and were only waiting for about 20 minutes! I managed to feed Sienna before we got moving again!

It was so nice to arrive at the hotel! We didn't get there until the evening so we chucked our stuff in the room, met up with Warren's cousins & Dad & Step mum and went to bed! We had some playtime with Sienna on the bed before we went down to the bar, again so she can stretch! 

Sienna had a travel cot in the room and i was a bit worried if she would sleep well, but she was so good! She slept from about 11-6 which was good!

Morning! 

We got up and got ready & met for breakfast which was yummy! Again we had a little photoshoot! haha! I also had time to curl my hair which was so nice, i miss my conical wand!

We then went to Warren's Nan's and she met Sienna for the first time, it was so cute! 

We all loaded into the cars (there was about 10 of us and 3 babies!) and went shopping in Widnes. I got some bargainssss it was lovely, i hardly ever go shopping these days! I will post about them on my beauty blog soon! We then took Warren's Nan home, headed back to the hotel and chilled for a few hours and then went down to the restaurant for dinner. 

We had some fun time and took lots of photos, mummy & daddy had silly face time, haha!

We then had another early night and got Sienna to sleep, again she was so good and didn't wake until 6:30! We were going out for Sunday lunch for Warren's Nan's 80th birthday so i wanted to dress up a bit, i wore my new skirt i got from the Widnes market, i LOOOVE it! I loved this outfit :)

While we were waiting in the car for everyone to be ready and loaded up into the cars, We got Sienna out her seat to have a little drive ;)

She is just the cutest! 

We got the the pub, it was cute and cosy and we all gave Nan her presents and Sienna had cuddles with everyone.

We headed straight home after the meal because they had given severe weather warnings so we got ready for the long journey ahead with a million stops! ;)

We didn't have dessert so when we stopped on the way home we grabbed a coffee and some cakes to finish our weekend off! Yummy! Carrot cake is our favourite  & will be our wedding cake ;)

We got home about 8:30pm and i was straight back to work.. washing, cleaning etc! A women's work i never done! 

We had such a lovely weekend, i'm just so sad it goes so quickly! Warren still has today and tomorrow off though so he had taken Sienna out this morning and i have a few hours to myself, i have a face mask on blogging and going to do a workout without stopped every 2 minutes to see to Sienna! Not that i mind of course, but it takes twice as long. 

Now it's back to healthy eating & working out, i have missed it! 

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