Monday 30 July 2012

FITSPIRATION #4

People seem to enjoy these fitspiration posts so I'll keep them coming! Remember to check out my fitspo tumblr here for more regular motivation ;)

This post is going to be all about set-backs and how to overcome them.I'll give a few examples you might encounter and my advice on how to get past them, so whether you're trying to lose weight, or like me, you're trying to simply live a healthy lifestyle, you can overcome those set-backs!


Had one too many 'cheat' meals/ snacks?
Most people are guilty of this. It's absolutely, definitely okay to treat yourself every now again. Enjoy a take-away, go out for drinks etc etc. But not every day! Sometimes you'll feel like you've overdone it, but never and I mean never, think 'Oh well, I've eaten bad today, might as well eat badly for the rest of the day.' Um. Why? Get back on track! You'll feel a lot better (and a lot less guilty!) if you do. Just simply get yourself back on track and try not to worry about it. Eating a whole pizza today will not make you fat, eating a whole pizza everyday will.



Not feeling up to it?
Do it anyway. What if it was PE class back at school? You might not want to put on your gym kit and play rounders but you were doing it anyway or you failed that class. LIFE IS GYM CLASS BITCHES. I'm kidding, but seriously, if you just keep at it, it's going to become routine before you know it. Try to see working out and eating well as something you have to do rather than something you choose to do, it won't be long before it becomes second nature and you'll want to do it.


Can't get to/ afford the gym?
So what?! I don't actually go to the gym myself. I have an exercise bike, weights and a yoga mat and I don't need anything else. You can work out with nothing though. Exercise is free, it just depends on which kind. If you can, go for a run, if you don't want to do that, get yourself a cheap skipping rope, do some squats or lunges, run on the spot, dance in your bloody underwear - it doesn't matter. Anything is better than nothing, so look up some at home/ free workouts and get to it!

Cravings!
Eek! It's so easy to give into your cravings, and similar to the cheat meals, it's totally fine to give in sometimes. However, to stop cravings, you must actually practice self control. If you keep giving into your cravings, they won't go away. Next time you crave something a bit naughty, re-think it. Are you actually hungry or is your sweet (or salty?) tooth just bugging you, if you want ice cream and ONLY ice cream, you're not actually hungry, because if you were, you'd settle for fruit or veggies! Think about how you feel after you eat something bad. Is the guilt worth it?
However if you've been eating healthy all week and fancy a glass of wine or two on Saturday night, I think you've probably earned it ;) Just remember, self control! Don't go crazy and you'll be fine!


Skipped a few days work out?
Oopsie! When you've missed a few days or a week or however long of working out, it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things and your usual routine might seem like a total killer! So instead, start again, but slowly. Usually go for a half hour run in the morning? Try 15 minutes. As your body's used to working a lot harder, it will seem easier than you're used to, which will encourage and motivate you more. Then if you feel like it at the end, go on to do that extra 15 minutes. Just don't beat yourself up if you don't, remember, once again - something is better than nothing and you'll get back into your old routine in no time.

Not seeing results?
This can be an absolute killer for people trying to lose weight. While I'm not trying to lose weight, I do want to stay toned and when I first started, it did take a while to see noticeable changes in my body, but that's okay. These things do take time and we have to accept that. If you've been at it for a long time and your progress seems to have slowed down, it's probably time to step up your game. Try adding 10 minutes to your workout. It'll take time, but you will get those hot legs or sexy butt eventually ;) Don't be discouraged!

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Saturday 28 July 2012

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE FROM LANDAN!










In the spirit of the Olympics (sort of) I thought I'd show you all some photos I took around London this week. I was in London yesterday morning and on the tube on the way, there was an Olympics sign and some scumbag person had writte 'f*ck the olympics' on it, which kind of shocked me. Although I'm not a complete Olympic fanatic myself, I think some people are taking it for granted what an amazing and rare opportunity it is to have the games held in your country. Seeing the Olympic rings on Tower Bridge was breathtaking alone so I can only imagine what it's like to be at the events!
You'll already know this if you saw my tweet, but I can't help but be reminded of the Hunger Games when I think of the Olympics. All you hear about at the moment is 'The Games' and it just makes me think of it. Some might think I'm sad, but a few beautiful people might agree with me. Let me know if you do ;)

What are your views on the games, please do let me know in the comments!
Also, let me know what Country you're from and who you're rooting for!

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Thursday 26 July 2012

SUMMER BBQ

top - matalan
shorts - primark
shoes - red herring
hairband - primark
bracelets - topshop/ matalan
nails - topshop flamigo coral

Yesterday, I went to a summer bbq at a friends house. The weather is finally acting a bit summery here in the UK so we all got the chance to wear some lovely summer clothes, which I was more than happy about! I love the colour of this top, it's actually one Darren got me for my birthday back in May but this was the first chance I've had to wear it, because it's so gorgeously summery and the weather so not!

I am less than impressed with my hair/ face in these photos, so please excuse that, I took these photos five minutes before leaving yesterday and didn't have time to take too many and these were the best of a bad bunch. Hope you'll forgive me! ;)

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Monday 23 July 2012

FITSPIRATION #3

I'm back with another Fitspiration post! My followers, particularly on twitter have said they've been loving these posts so I'll keep them coming! Leave a comment with your opinion :)

My First Fitspo Post was all about getting motivated. This post is all about how to stay motivated. It's so easy to crash or get lazy eventually, particularly when you've gone from never or hardly ever doing any exercise, to working out every day. But in this post, I'm going to share my tips for staying motivated and picking yourself back up!

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You should never beat yourself up about skipping a couple days work outs, or eating badly once in a while. Slip-ups are allowed, but don't give up. Never think to yourself, 'Oh, I've ruined it now, there's no point'. Instead think, okay I've slipped up, but I can bounce back! Just get back into your old routine, or alter it if needs be. (Some people find they crash when they get bored of their usual routine). Don't get mad at yourself, a couple of days skipped won't mess up your hard work, but skipping a few weeks, months, etc etc, probably will. So just brush yourself off and start again!

Spread the word!
Tell people you're starting to exercise and eat healthy and change your lifestyle. The more people know, the more people will ask questions. You're gonna feel pretty bad if people say 'So, how's the exercising going?' and you have to say, 'Oh, I've been sitting in watching Friends re-runs all week, but I'll definitely go to the gym tomorrow.'
Take pride in having something to tell people. Having people know what you're doing will give you a motive to carry on. If you have someone that will help you out by pushing you and reminding you (though not in a scary personal trainer from 'MADE' way!) such as a boyfriend, bestfriend or parent, that can really help!

Better Together
Leading on from my last tip, working out with someone else is definitely a fantastic way to keep motivated. I've recently started to play tennis with my boyfriend as an extra workout during the week. It keeps me motivated for two reasons. The first being the obvious, it's so much fun! Working out with someone else makes it all the more enjoyable and secondly, if you bail, you're letting them down as well as yourself! If that's not motivation I don't know what is ;)

Help others, help yourself
I love looking at fitspo blogs on tumblr, they're a constant reminder to get up and get moving! Seeing photos of people working out, healthy food and fitness tips inspires me so much!
I recently started my own Fitspo tumblr, which you can check out here. This keeps me motivated because when I'm reblogging photos of people working out, or healthy eating pictures, I don't want to be sitting on the sofa eating chocolate. I'd feel like a total fraud! If I'm going to create a blog to inspire people, I'd like to be an inspiration myself!

Thanks for reading!

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Sunday 22 July 2012

SUMMER WISHES


Summer is finally showing it's face and it is (apparently) here to stay! About bloody time England. So this has put me in the mood to buy some cute bright summer accessories. Even though they'll be packed away again in a couple of months. Boo!

I love these Ted Baker Shoppers and this yellow one is such a fun summer colour! In all honesty though, I don't actually think I'll ever buy one. £35 for a shopper bag seems a bit silly and I don't think I'd get enough use of it to justify it. But that's what wish lists are for, right? Things you wish you could buy, but would need to have silly money to justify it!

I'm pretty sure you'll love or hate these Floral Print Heels but I think they're booootiful! They remind me of beautiful jungles and rain forests, not that I've ever been to or seen one like this. These would look fab with a little black dress on a night out or with skinny jeans and a plain vest top to the pub or to dinner. My dream shoes right now!

The Cambridge Satchel company are definitely on the pricey side, but I've told myself, if I get a good full time job soon, I can treat myself to one. This Pink Satchel is very high on my list. It's so gorgeous! It looks really roomy too which is definitely useful.

I like turtles. Brownie points for anyone who knows where that's from. But seriously how cute is this Turtle Purse? It'd be perfect to keep change for the bus or cab fare in. This one's only £4.99 so not such a crazy purchase, though equally unnecessary,  though who doesn't want a cute turtle lurking in their bag, really?

Blue Shoes aren't normally my thing, in fact, I rarely go for such bright blues as this, but these are just too beautiful. I'm picturing these with a black t-shirt dress and matching blue bag? Tell me what you think!

And finally, nude shoes with a neon pink heel? Who wouldn't want these?! These to me are like classy Barbie shoes. Disagree? You're wrong. ;)

Until next time beauties!

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Friday 20 July 2012

FITSPIRATION #2

I'm really enjoying these health and fitness style posts right now and I hope you all are too! I promise this isn't all I'll be blogging about from now on though, I just feel like I want to blog about more than one thing on here, as this is supposedly and Fashion and Lifestyle blog ;)
Anyway! Today I wanted to give some tips on eating right and getting your five a day etc etc etc. I briefly touched on it in my last fitspiration post, but I thought I'd go into a little more detail this time.

I personally don't think you have to get too hung up on what you eat, as getting too obsessed can lead to getting it very very wrong. Less is definitely not always the way too lose weight or be healthy. So on with my tips! Please, please remember, I am in no way a professional or nutritionist and all that jazz, so take this with a pinch of salt (small one, too much salt's unhealthy dontcha know ;D) and don't go suing me if I get things a tad wrong. I'm definitely not about to give you all a new diet plan, just a few tips on motivating yourself to eat better!

Stop Counting
I'm not sure if this is controversial or not, but I really don't believe in counting calories. To some extent, it's fine. If you want to know how many calories are in certain foods to see which is the lighter choice, then go for it. But 2000 calories a day of healthy foods, is going to have a very different effect on your body than 2000 calories of pizza, ice cream and doritos.

Mindful, not Mindless
Mindless eating is something that I'm pretty sure everyone can be guilty of every now and again. If you don't really know what mindless eating is, it's pretty much when you eat when you're not hungry, without thinking about it. Examples of this are if you have a huuuge bag of sweets/ crisps etc etc and you're distracted, maybe watching TV or something, and before you know it, the whole bag's gone. You're not really hungry, but it's just there. So because you're distracted, you're not thinking and you eat it anyway. There are ways to avoid this though, if you're going to have something unhealthy, put some in a small bowl instead, at least that way it's controlled.
If you're someone who likes to have enough to pick on throughout a whole movie, popcorn (preferably a low sugar/ salt kind!) is one of the lighter options, or maybe you could have something like carrot sticks, raspberries, grapes or something similar. (I wouldn't recommend carrot sticks in a cinema though, you will piss off pretty much everyone in the room)

Think about it
Are you really hungry? Sometimes, your body will think it's hungry, even when you know you shouldn't be. Say, if you've just finished a meal or you know you've had enough food for the day. There are many ways to stop yourself feeling like this though!
Re-think the hunger, are you only feeling like it because you're bored? If so, distract yourself, the best way is to exercise. I'm pretty much never hungry while/ just after I exercise and I still have adrenaline pumping through me afterwards and eating's the last thing on my mind. And hey, even if you do eat after, at least you don't have to feel so guilty ;)
Drink some water, your body can and will often mistake thirst for hunger. This won't work if you are genuinely hungry and haven't had enough to eat though, so don't even think about drinking water for breakfast!

Space it out
Are you eating regularly enough? Three big meals a day might seem about right, but what about those gaps in between? And don't even consider skipping breakfast. If you don't eat often enough, particularly in the morning, you are training your metabolism to slow down. It's true! Try to eat slightly smaller meals with a snack inbetween breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner. Your metabolism will speed up as it's having to work harder, without having too much food at once. 

YOLO
Always remember, you do only live once, so don't completely cut out anything bad. If you deprive yourself, that's what will lead you to crash and give in and probably end up having too much bad stuff, making up for lost time, or lost pizza at it may be ;)
Do enjoy the things you enjoy, have a chinese takeaway every now and again, or some chocolate when you fancy it. Just don't do it too often, having a little treat every now and again keeps your metabolism guessing, therefore making it work harder. Just not too often!

And of course.
Motivational pictures!
Remember, eating right makes you feel better, who doesn't want to eat yummy healthy food and be healthy and happy?
Enjoy!






Bon Appetite!

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Thursday 19 July 2012

FITSPIRATION #1

I know it can be a little hard to get motivated to eat right, exercise, etc etc. So I'm going to give you all a few hints and tips to get motivated!

Forgetful?
I actually quite enjoy exercising, so I try to do at least a little every day and when I get into it, I think I'm quite good with keeping it up, my main problem isn't motivation, it's memory! I actually only really slip out of it because I genuinely just forget to do it!
So to remember, I pretty much have my yoga mat out on the floor as a permanent feature in my room (it's just a rubber rug, duh?) And I have a big pink exercise ball on top of my wardrobe, so I have exercise-y things constantly in front of me as a reminder!

If, like many people (including me sometimes, I am human after all!) you just simply find it hard to get motivated, don't stress. There are simple ways to motivate yourself to get up and get on with it!

Think about it
But of course, don't just think about it ;)
Think simple, do you want a fabulous ass? Get up, do some squats and whatever else you fancy - it will be yours! Would you get an amazing job/ amazing grades if you didn't work your butt off for it? No. But you do work for it and you get what you want. So if you want a better body, you gotta work for it. It'll be worth it!

Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.
Legally Blonde reference! Elle Woods was right, Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. I won't go into the whole science of endophins, because I don't know the whole science of endorphins. But the point is, exercise puts you in a good mood, who doesn't want to be in a great mood?

Think of tonight
I know that when I don't exercise/ don't eat fruits and veggies/ do nothing, in a day, I lie in bed at night regretting it. No one ever regrets a workout, you'll just regret when you don't.

Treat Yourself
If you're someone who needs something more to motivate them, write a rewards list, starting slow. If I work out for 5 days in a row, I can buy a new Barry M Nail polish, if I work out 10 days in a row with a maximum of 1 day off, I can buy a new MAC Lipstick, etc etc etc. This works for everything, not just exercise! For example - Get my five a day everyday for a week - New top. It works! Sometimes when I want to get myself something, I set little tasks like these and tell myself I can only have it once I've done them.
Another method, if this is too specific, is putting a pound/ dollar etc in a jar everytime you work out or get your five a day or go a day without eating cakes and chocolate and such, save up, maybe set a goal of £100 and then treat yourself!

Music!
I have a constantly changing playlist of songs that motivate me while I'm working out, here's my current list - warning - most random playlist ever.



Which brings me to my final tip! The last thing that never fails to make me wanna get up and get moving, inspiring quotes! Search fitspiration blogs on tumblr - make sure you only use fitspo blogs though, 'thinspiration' blogs are another thing entirely, which I won't go into too much, I'm sure you can all figure it out!
Enjoy!







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Tuesday 17 July 2012

PAINT THE TOWN RED

red

I have been a little obsessed with red lately after buying my lovely new red skirt, featured in my last post. I don't know what it is about it, but I just think it's such a gorgeous colour! I've never really gone for red in the past but I've been very drawn to it lately. I go through serious phases with my wardrobe and right now, I wish everything I owned was black, white, grey and red. Seriously in love.
I think it's such an eye-catching colour, without being too crazy. I feel like its the perfect mix of girly and bold. There's something very sexy and ladylike about red, it makes me feel very feminine without looking overly sweet and girly. I love colours, but bright colours often scare me, but I feel like I can be brave with red! 
What do you all think? Will you be channelling your inner ladybug anytime soon?

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Sunday 15 July 2012

LADY IN RED


top - primark
skirt - ebay
shoes - primark
nails - essie lollipop
bracelet - tiffany's


Told you all I'd steal Daphne Groeneveld's style didn't I? ;) So here's my recreation of the look! Obviously it's not exactly the same as I'm sure her outfit was a little more expensive than the likes of Primark or ebay, but hey, I'm a high street girly without a supermodel budget!
I love love love this look though, it feels so cute and girly but also very simple and interesting. The red makes it stand out a lot, which I love. I often shy away from red but this skirt has made me a little braver I think! You may not have noticed, but I'm wearing this t-shirt backwards, but don't worry, my Mum did teach my to dress myself properly as a child and this isn't a school-girl mistake, I'm wearing it backwards because the t-shirt Daphne was wearing was low in the back and high at the front and I couldn't for life of me, find one like it. Then I realised I was a complete idiot and could just turn this one back to front. I think it works, but you'll have to let me know what you all think!


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Friday 13 July 2012

IF SHOES COULD TALK

Another shoe post Chloe? Really?
Yes, another one, I haven't bought a lovely new pair of shoes recently and like many normal girls (back me up here ladies) I'm getting withdrawals. These are a few pairs I've had my eye on recently and I thought I'd let you know my thoughts behind them. Shoe buying is serious business don'tcha know. Anyway, on with the show!
If these shoes could speak, they'd say, put me on your feet and all your wildest dreams will come true. Or maybe not, but these are shoes of Goddesses, or some Gods, if that's your thaang. These shoes say, I'm slightly edgy, because I've got studs and a metallic heel, but aren't I pretty with my pastel pink colour? Mysterious, no?

Oh these? These are just my casual shoes! Like the above shoes, they're adorable in colour and style, but fierce with the studs. They say, I'm cute and girly, don't mess with me or I'll kick you with my studded loafers. Rawr.
These things? I just threw them on. With jeans, you'll like to think you look like an off duty actress/ model, and with a dress and some pretty ankle socks, it looks cute, with just a hint of Avril Lavigne. Either way, I need some converse back in my life, they're not just for that awkward myspace chic phase back when you're 14. (I never really did get that look, girly girl at heart)

Studs, studs, studs. I have a problem, tell me about it (stud). These shoes are more than just black peep toes, they are the perfect shoes when I'm feeling an edgier, rockier look on a night out. Sometimes nude or patent black just don't do it. Carvella, come on down. I'm not going to lie, wearing these I'd probably spend the entire night telling as many people as I can that yes, infact I do play guitar. Even if they didn't ask, which they wouldn't. But if I'm going for Rock Chick, I'm going all out, THANK you very much. 

Like with pair numéro deux, these say, yeah, I'm wearing casual flats, probably with a pair of washed out skinny jeans, but aren't I still just fabulous? These are beautiful and these would be my shoe of choice when I'm feeling super girly (which is often) and I would absolutely shamelessly put my feet on coffee tables just to make sure people saw them.

What do your shoes say about you? Do I think too much into this? Let me know ;)

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