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Dear Readers,

Due to the popularity of this blog, I decided to make my blog more professional by skipping over to Wordpress. My husband, Adam Randall kindly did all the heavy lifting.

Please jump over to thosewhoweight.co.uk for more fitness blog posts.

Happy reading!

April Favourites

I haven’t written a monthly favourites blog post before, but I felt compelled to do one this month because I have used a few new products worth mentioning.

Dr Organic Bioactive Skincare Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil Complex - I have dry skin, which requires a lot of moisture to take away the tightness and make my skin look plump and radiant. Over the winter months, as part of my evening skin care routine, I would slather my face in Bio Oil. Not attractive, but necessary. I like the idea of using a facial oil on my face, but I just felt that maybe Bio Oil was just a bit too greasy and I didn’t feel like it sunk into my skin well.


Recently, I watched a Youtube video, by one of my favourite YouTubers Barbara from thePersianbabe. She purchased the Dr Organic oil and gave an impressive review of it, so I hopped on over to my local Holland & Barrett and picked one up for myself.


I have only used this for over a week but I am really impressed so far. Obviously, one week isn’t enough time to give the product a full review, but I really do it. The first thing I noticed when using it, was that it isn’t as greasy on my skin as Bio Oil, and it sinks in quite well.


For £8.49 you get 50ml, but you honestly don’t need a lot to cover your face, so I can see this lasting me a while.


You can read more about the Dr Organic product on the Holland & Barrett website.


Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Skin-Brightening moisturiser SPF15 - I brought this as I was looking for a moisturiser that didn’t contain any harmful ingredients, such as parabens or phthalates.


It contains light diffusers, which makes the skin look more radiant.


It is clinically proven to even out skin tone and texture.


I also love that this product comes in a pump. The only compliant I will make about this product, is that I wish the packaging was transparent. I have a thing now for using products which I can see, so I know when I am likely to run out.


You can read more information on the Aveeno moisturiser on the Boots website.


Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I have heard a lot about this product in recent weeks and after using a recent 10% discount code on Feel Unique, I placed an order.


The main ingredients include extracts of grape, rosemary, orange blossom and rose extracts. It has a strong herbal scent, so if you don’t like strong mint smells then steer clear. The beauty elixir is somewhere inbetween a toner and a facial mist. I use it to set my makeup, or just to refresh my skin throughout the day, particularly after the gym.


It costs around 9.90 for 30ml. A larger 100ml version is available, but I prefer the smaller size as it’s perfect for travel.


You can read more about the Caudalie Beauty Elixir on the Feel Unique website.

How to eat "clean"

Following on from my Spring fitness tips post, I thought I’d write a post about how to eat well. I know it sounds obvious but it’s not always easy.


Working out and eating right go hand in hand. We all know this, but it is hard sometimes to eat the foods that you know you should be eating. Healthy foods not only provide your body with nutrients and vitamins to function properly, but the right foods also feed your skin and hair, so it is important to try and follow a healthy diet plan.


- Avoid soft drinks and fruit juices - They are loaded with sugar. It is better to eat the actual fruit than to just drink it


- Eat 4-6 small meals everyday


- Drink at least 2 litres of water or 8 cups everyday - Water is essential to flush out toxins and to keep you hydrated


- Never miss a meal - especially breakfast - See my previous post on why breakfast is the most important meal


- Avoid calorie dense foods that contain little or no nutritional value - Eating crisps or chocolate will not provide you with any nutritional benefit, they are simply filling a hole. Swap your sweet or savoury craving for something a bit more nutritious


- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables for fibre, vitamins and enzymes


- Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates with every meal


- Eat often - aim for around every 3 hours


- Avoid over processed, refined foods, especially white flour and sugar


- Avoid alcohol

Spring fitness tips

This blog post will be shorter than my last blog post, which turned into an essay!


Since we are now officially in Spring, you’ll surely see more people starting their fitness programme in the gym, or you may be one of those people. So, below are a few tips that I hope will help with your Spring fitness goal:


Drink more water - It is recommended that we drink 2litres of water a day, but this is only a guideline since our bodies are different. Swap soft drinks for water to keep your body and mind hydrated. Water is also important for your metabolism, so drink up!


Exercise with a partner - It really helps if you workout with someone else. You can motivate, support and train each other. Find someone who has a similar goal to you.


Eat more greens - Vegetables are full of nutrients, but you already knew that. Aim to eat a portion of vegetables with the majority of your meals.


Enjoy a treat - We’re only human, so if you say to yourself that you’ll never eat a chocolate bar or biscuit ever again, you may be fine for a few weeks, but wanting something you can’t have, only makes you want it more, so don’t deny yourself a treat once in a while, just make sure it’s not all the time.


Have a goal - Go to the gym with a purpose or goal. If you make yourself accountable to your training partner or even yourself, you are more likely to stick to your plan.


Being fit and healthy consistently is hard, but starting out is harder, so I hope this blog post helps.

My leg training routine

Since giving up my cardio obsession, and becoming an avid fan of strength training I've found a new found respect for strong men and women.


My eyes opened up to the many ways I could train legs. I was excited but apprehensive.


I've always quite liked my legs, but you know that being called "chicken legs" was never really much of a compliment, so began my determination to swap my "chicken legs" for legs not so much chicken-like, but defined and sculpted (I don't like the word toned)


I never ever thought that I could lift much weight, but over the year I've been training, I have found increased lifting power and strength that I never knew I possessed!


My training for my legs normally consists of (in order with four sets of around eight reps):


- squats with dumbbells/ barbell
- leg press
- single leg squats with dumbbell (or for balance than anything else) or walking lunges with dumbbells
- bunny hops (for a tiny bit of cardio)
- calf raises with dumbbell in each hand


My routine has pretty much stayed consistent but I have tweaked it every so often, because even the most determined weight lifters suffer from the inevitable boredom that occurs doing the same leg routine every week for three months, for example.


I actually remember when I first attempted to do a single- leg squat, oh my, I could just about manage one rep on each leg, but I am proud to say that this has now increased to double figures and it's probably my favourite leg exercise!


Every couple of weeks, the pin moves further down on the leg press machine, I am picking up heavier dumbbells and I am doing more reps on other exercises and I'm secretly happy. After all, it's proof that I am making progress and for a small woman, I can lift heavier than I ever thought.


I hope this post encourages and helps you a little bit if you're trying to train your legs. Leave any comments or questions below and I'll get back to you soon.


Next blog post will probably be about HIIT or debunking the myth about women and the bulk up!

Love & Loathe Issue 1

I wanted to start a new regular feature on my blog, so I've decided to start a current love and loathe post.

Love
- worked out hard with kettle bells this morning

- one week off from work

- new series Touch starts this week

- season two of Game of Thrones starting soon. I wasn't that keen on the first season, but it is definitely growing on me, especially after the last few episodes, I'm intrigued to see how the story lines evolve.

- finally discovered the name of the song playing on the LoveFilm advert, it's called "A Real Hero" by College. It was driving me nuts and then I realised that I've heard it before in the film Drive.

- watched back-to-back Come Dine With Me, which always inspires me, and I've already noted down two recipes to make (courgette roulades and key lime pie, if you're interested)

Loathe
- not eating as clean and healthy as I know I should be over the last few days (currently blogging with a half-eaten bag of M&S sweets next to me...)

- no access to work gym or local gym whilst I'm off work, so no strength
 training but I'm hoping to do some home workouts a la Bodyrock

That's it! Hope you're enjoying your weekend. I will hopefully post my leg training post on Monday, so keep an eye out for that.

Benefits of green tea

I’m sure you’ve heard countless times that you should drink more water and reduce your caffeine intake. However, studies have shown that tea and coffee (in moderation) actually do have health benefits, and they do count towards your recommended daily water intake.

I am not really a hot drink fan, I much prefer to drink cranberry juice or water (boring I know) but when it does come to hot drinks, nothing beats a good old hot chocolate. However, I have been getting more and more into drinking green tea. My love for it began whilst out having sushi, I ordered a cold green tea, and quite liked it. Since then, I’ve switched to the hot variety.

It’s no secret that green tea has a plethora of health benefits; it increases metabolism, which is great if you are trying to lose weight, it can also prevent bone loss, and is also rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body from free radicals - naturally occurring particles in the body associated with accelerated ageing and an increased risk of major diseases. Exposure to pollution, smoking and excess sunlight increases the number of free radicals in the blood.

According to the Harvard Health Publications green tea is the best source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including skin, lung, colon and bladder.

My personal preference is Tick Tock Green Rooibos Tea, because it is caffeine free. Green tea actually contains less caffeine than coffee, but if you like caffeine, you can get caffeinated green tea varieties.

Whilst we’re on the subject of tea, BBC1 aired a documentary recently about Britain’s Favourite Supermarket Foods, which included a tea test and showed that a cup of tea, brewed for seven minutes, provided the best health benefits. And although they used good old fashioned English tea, I think you can brew green tea for five to seven minutes to achieve the maximum health benefits and flavour (any longer and it will taste bitter).

I know quite a few green tea fans and hopefully, after reading this post, you’ve been persuaded to try it if you don’t drink it already. And if you already do drink it, keep going, your skin and health will thank you for it.

Kettlebells and You

Kettlebells have been around for a while now. But sadly, I haven't had a chance to use them until recently.


I've been going to the gym at work for over two years and I'm also a member of my local gym, and eerily they have both started to stock kettlebells within weeks of each other, which is amazing news for me!


I attend a kettlebell class every Saturday and let's just say that I'm not much of a class person. In fact, I prefer to work out solo or with a training partner, but there is something about this class that keeps me going back!

When using a kettlebell, you can execute the same exercises you can do with dumbbells, plus many more that involve swinging, pushing, and balancing the bell. The difference between dumbbells and kettlebells, is that with kettlebells, you work out fast, whereas with weight-training the movements are slow and steady. Kettlebells give you an all-over body workout. You won't really build muscle but they are a great cardio workout, which is great for me, as the only cardio I do is shopping.


If you have kettlebells in your gym, try them out! I recommend starting off with a light weight first so you can learn correct technique and posture (my instructor always reminds us to use our hips!)


Kettlebells take a little bit of practice and getting used to, but you'll soon get into the swing of it!


[image source]

Small Boots Haul

Like I need an excuse to go skincare shopping, but Boots are currently running one of their 3 for 2 offer on skincare at the moment, which I believe will run for at least two more weeks, so check it out, it really is worth stocking up on your favourite products, or like I have, a cheaper way to try out new ones!

I brought:


Aveeno positively radiant daily skin-brightening moisturiser (with SPF15)-- £9.99


I've seen the brand Aveeno stocked in my local Boots, but never tried it. I was really after a new moisturiser since binning my paraben-laden Olay one that I had used for years and years. I'm still lusting after the gorgeous Origins vitazing moisturiser, but cannot part with the eye-watering £26. This Aveeno one was a lot cheaper at £9.99.


Link here to the Boots website.


Aveeno positively radiant daily exfoliating cleanser -- £5.99


I brought this because I really wanted a foamy cleanser to use with my Clarisonic Mia. The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish works fine for me at the moment, but it is quite creamy. I'll post my thoughts on this cleanser after using it for a month.


Link here to the Boots website.


Oilatum natural repair face cream -- £7.65


I had been using my Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate, and as much as I loved it, I wanted something a bit more rich and moisturising to use at night. As the name suggests, it contains natural ingredients and is free from fragrances, preservatives and emulsifiers. I'll post my thoughts on this face cream after using it for a month.


After I brought this, I heard that Sam and Nic from Pixiwoo recommend it, and you know something's good when they use it!


Link here to Boots website.


Have you tried any of these products? Let me know your thoughts below!

Are you getting enough sleep?

When I was younger, I could wake up at four or five am for uni or work no problem. But as I’ve got older, every single minute of sleep is precious. The majority of people need at least six hours sleep a night to properly function. I am not one of those people. I need at least eight hours, ten is ideal though.

Some people are of the belief that you can get by with minimal sleep during the weekdays and make up for lack of sleep by having a lie-in on weekends. However, this is not the case. Sleep deprivation not only affects the brain's ability to function, but also the body's ability to recover. Eating clean and training hard will only get you so far. Your body recovers from a hard workout during rest and this is also when the process of muscle repair and growth occurs.

If that doesn't persuade you to go to bed early, research shows  that individuals who are sleep deprived eat more overall and consume more fat, notably saturated fat. 

Therefore, you should aim to maintain a consistent sleep habit.

Charles Poliquin recently wrote an article titled Get more sleep and make it a habit for optimal body composition (link here)

From the article, I’ve listed five things you can do to ensure you get adequate sleep:

1. Go to bed at the same time every night.

2. Do things in the hour or half-hour before your set bedtime to help you relax.

3. Turn off all screens during the hour or half-hour before bedtime.

4. Have a very small snack with carbs about an hour before bedtime.

5. Ensure you are taking adequate magnesium.

To read Poliquin’s article in full, click here.

Current skincare routine

To be honest with you, up until a few months ago, my skincare routine had stayed the same for about eight years. But then I learnt about chemical nasties and parabens in products, so I switched up my skincare routine pretty sharpish. The only two original products that I still use are the Elemis fruit active rejuvenating mask and St Ives invigorating facial scrub. Everything else is new and has been tried and tested since January.


My skin has taken quite well to this new arrangement, and apart from the inevitable crazy purging stage of five simultaneous pimples (thanks to my Clarisonic Mia!) my skin is now soft, smooth and clear, I'm happy to say.

My skin type has always been dry and a bit dehydrated. But the majority of products I use are suitable for all skin types.

First row Products:
1. Origins Ginzing eye cream
2. Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate (night-time)
3. La Roche-Posay Rosaliac UV Legere anti-redness moisturizer (morning)
4. Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvanating Mask (once a week)


Second row products:
5. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

6. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

7. Bioderma Crealine H20 Cleansing Solution 

8. St Ives Invigorating facial scrub (once a week)

Review: OPI Nail Envy

I've never worn false/ acrylic nails and I don't wear nail polish that often, and whenever I'm sporting it, you can bet that it's either the nude nail or a French manicure.  So, it's suffice to say that my nails aren't in that bad shape. 


However, my nails are a bit dry and lacklustre, and whilst a cuticle oil is currently winging its way to me, I wanted to try the OPI Nail Envy, which seems to be a much loved product in the beauty world. It is a nail treatment which claims to help a multitude of nail ailments such as nails peeling, cracking and splitting, but also claims to help nails grow harder, longer and stronger. Wow, that's some great expectations to live up to!

You're supposed to apply two coats the first time, then one coat everyday for a week, before removing it all and starting again. I used it for two weeks straight and I can honestly say that my nails certainly feel a lot stronger than before.


Aside from using it as a nail treatment, I also use it as a base coat before applying a nude shade, which protects your natural nails.


OPI Nail Envy retails for a whooping £18, but I got it from eBay for around £12 (including P&P) but you can also get it from Amazon for as little as £8.00.

Cardio vs Weights

There are two types of exercise; cardiovascular (cardio) and weight training.


Exercises that are cardio focused include the cross-trainer, bike and treadmill.


Weight training, also known as strength/ resistance training improves muscular strength through the use of free weights, machines or your own body weight.


Which one is best for you? Well, that depends on what you are trying to achieve. If your goal is initially weight loss, you should do cardio. But if you want to increase your strength and build muscle, use weights.


If you want to incorporate both cardio and weights into your workout session, use weights first before moving onto the cardio machines. This method will fatigue your muscles, so that when you start the cardio, your body will burn fat instead of muscle.

Chemicals in your nail polish

Following on from my chemicals in your skincare blog post, I thought I would write another post about chemicals, but this time, the ones found in nail polish. I love having nicely manicured or polished nails. I’m sure the strong unpleasant nail polish smell doesn’t do my health any favours, but I never considered the ingredients in my nail polish would be harmful.


After doing some research, the three main ingredients that kept cropping up as harmful are:


- Formaldehyde
A carcinogen (possible cancer causing substance) and can cause headaches, watery eyes, and burning throat when inhaling the fumes.


- Toluene
A neurotoxin and can interfere with the functions of neurons. Basically, neurons are cells in your nervous system and brain that aid many different brain functions. Typically, these cells should not be tampered with and toluene is known to cause short term problems such as weakness, nausea, confusion, and fatigue. Long term exposure to toluene can cause a severe nervous disorder.


- Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
Known to cause pregnancy complications, birth defects, or even loss of pregnancy. DBP is most commonly used as a plasticizer in PVC and then used to manufacture things like hoses, wires, cables, sheeting, tubing etc. Another study has shown that DBP accelerates the puberty stage in girls and has the potential to cause genital abnormalities in newborn males.


A bonus bad ingredient:


- Camphor
Research has shown that it can cause seizures, headaches, and stomaches.


So I am going to clear out my current polishes and will certainly be stocking up on these three brands of nail polish that do not contain any of these bad ingredients:


- Deborah Lippmann
- Nubar
- Zoya




These brands can be found on BeautyBay and Feel Unique.


The sources for which this blog post is based on:
- Go Green Street
- Beautiiful Healthy Fingernails

Review: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Xerand Hand Repair Cream

I have pretty dry hands. I wash them far more than any normal person does and the Wintery weather hasn't helped either. So it's safe to say that my hands are in desperate need of some TLC. I have tried many different brands of hand creams but I have never found one I loved enough to recommend or re-purchase.


Many beauty bloggers have heard of and recommend La Roche-Posay for their face products, and whilst browsing the selection in my local Boots, I discovered that they also sell a hand cream. It is called Lipikar Xerand Hand Repair Cream and costs £7.15 for 75 ml, which is a reasonable price, and I was excited to try it out. I cannot find the product on the Boots wesbite, but here is a link to the La Roche-Posay website for more information.


This hand cream is serious stuff! You only need a pea-sized amount and there is a slight fragrance, but it is not overpowering. The cream is quite thin and sinks into the skin quickly.
What I love most about the La Roche-Posay brand is that all their products are paraben-free. If you read my previous blog post, it's a preservative I am keen to avoid in my skincare products. The only downside to this product is that it doesn't contain an SPF, which I would've liked.


I've only used the hand cream for two weeks, but I am loving it so far (so much that I had to blog about it)


If you suffer from dry, or severely dry hands, I would recommend that you try this.


What hand cream do you currently use and do you like it?

Chemicals in your skincare

When it comes to skincare, I’ve always held the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. I’ve been using the same skincare products day in, day out for many years. After all, I didn’t have an adverse reaction to them and they did the job so I never thought to change them. But it wasn’t until recently, that I really took an interest in reading about chemicals and skincare ingredients. I realised that I had been quite naïve about the ingredients and subsequently, I updated my skincare routine (bar one product) based on everything I had read.


There are many dangerous chemicals used in skincare and cosmetic products every day. Below I’ve listed three common ones, which pose a high risk:


- Parabens (or anything ending in -bens)
These preservatives act like estrogen in the body, throwing off hormonal balance. Parabens have been shown to accumulate in cancerous breast tumours. Parabens can be found in cleansers, body washes, for example.


- Tetrasodium EDTA
Preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide. It is also a penetration enhancer, meaning it breaks down the skin's protective barrier, going right into your bloodstream. Many companies trying to be "natural" will use Tetrasodium EDTA instead of parabens to preserve their products.


- Propelyne Glycol
Is a penetration enhancer, meaning it’s a carrier for other chemicals, bringing them into your skin and your bloodstream. It's a known skin irritant, which can be found in deodorants, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner and body washes.

The most important meal of the day

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but it really is true; Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but it is also the most overlooked meal of the day.We’ve all skipped breakfast before, but it really does pay off to eat something nutritious after you wake up.


The benefits of eating breakfast include:
- Keeps you sharp
- Increases your metabolism
- Prevents overeating at lunchtime
- Fuels your brain and body


Some examples of good breakfast foods includes:
- Porridge (add some honey, spoonful of Nutella, or berries to liven it up)
- Eggs on toast (my personal favourite is poached)
- Granola with Greek yoghurt
- Peanut butter on toast and a banana

Top three carb sources

Consuming the right type of carbohydrates will stimulate your brain, fuel your body ready for a workout, and aid recovery afterwards.

Below are three of the best carbs you should incorporate into your diet.

- Oats
Perfect for breakfast, oats are a great source of carbohydrates that will give you fibre. Oats are low in sugar but easy to add flavourto. But if you have a sweet tooth, try adding some blueberries or drizzle with honey. Quaker Oats sell a really good 2-minute microwaveable sachet in avariety of yummy flavours.

- Quinoa
Admittedly, I hadn’t even heard of quinoa until recently, but after doing some research, it is a great source of both protein and carbs. Great news if you’re a vegetarian. It is quite easy to cook.

- Sweet Potatoes
Taste great and also have slightly more nutrients than regular potatoes. As they are a low GI food, sweet potatoes will release energy more slowly into the blood stream, which means that you won’tget that sudden spike. Try making sweet potato chips or mash with peas (recipe to follow in a later blog post)

Coming up soon will be a post on top protein sources, so keep an eye out!

Need a little motivation?

We all have a goal, a focus that we want to achieve because that’s whywe joined the gym. So going to the gym shouldn’t feel like torture. Butsometimes it does. Let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t feel like it, or it’stoo cold or you’re too tired. We’ve all been there.

If you really want to dosomething, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse - Jim Rohn

So, once in a while you need a little kick or reminder as to why youwake up at the crack of dawn, weery-eyed and go to the gym. Or after work, whenall you really want to do is go home.

Below I’ve listed some of my favourite motivational quotes. Print themout, stick them to your fridge or save them on your phone, just a little reminderto keep you on track when you’re doubting yourself:

- Don’t give up what you want most, for what you want now

- Eat clean, train dirty

- Motivation doesn’t get your results, results get you motivated

- The only thing better than reaching your goal is knowing that youearned it

- Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going

- Pain is temporary, pride is forever