Fitness Friday: Food Maths

Good morning!

I've had a really bad 2 weeks of exercising, I've had a bit of a virus that wiped me out for a week or so. I thought I was OK but went to Body Combat and had to leave when the stars came rolling in and I thought I was going to hit the floor!

After a few days without the gym I felt better but work has taken over a session or two so I haven't really got my A game back yet.

Throughout this time I've had to try and reel in my eating habits. I do eat healthily and can't remember the last time I had crisps, biscuits or chocolate but I am constantly hungry so keeping my food and snacks all within a decent calorie range and without overdoing the sugar is important.

There's one thing that always helps me keep my raging food monster from taking over, and that's Food Maths. Bear with me, I'm not about to get some crazy equations out and boggle your brain in a Friday.... This is pretty simple. 

I'm giving you some foods and their equivalent exercises you would need to burn them off. Get ready to be horrified!

To start off, here are images from Pinterest so you understand what I mean:

Image from Pinterest but property of Skinny Mom

I don't know about you but 87 minutes of crunches, 272 burpees or endless running sound horrendous and boring and totally uninspiring!

There are definitely more fun ways of burning these foods off but MY GOD isn't it a wake up call?!

Let's have a browse of the next one.....




I love fried chicken but 65 minutes on a bike? I struggle with a 45 minute spin class!

159 minutes of climbing stairs?! My heart rate would sky rocket doing that, and don't even get me started on the 170 minutes of Pilates.

Wow, doesn't it all make it really hit home what you're eating??

I do find things like this really help but a lot of these snacks aren't what I eat so I've looked up a few of my favourite snacks and treats to see what I'd need to do for those:

1) Starbucks Blueberry Muffin - admittedly I am more likely to eat my mums homemade muffins as I'm a cheap individual and wouldn't fork out the cash (forever a student....) but blueberry muffins rate highly on my treat scale and I would pay for these when I had the cash....These come in at 380 calories which according to My Fitness Pal would take me 40 minutes of running (at 5mph) to burn off or 32 minutes of swimming.

2) Whitworth's Fruit, Nut and Seed mix - this stuff is the best mix I've found. It's an even distribution of fruit and nut as opposed to a game of 'spot the almond amongst the raisins' and all of it tastes great. In my opinion it's healthier than eating chocolate and sweets but it's easy to get out of control. A serving is 25g but I never measure.....going with a 50g helping this would give me 240 calories to burn. This equates to 23 minutes on the elliptical trainer as punishment...just for a few bits of dried fruit and nut!

3) 9 Bars - I can't get enough of these beauties, so many gorgeous flavours and some even have a bit of chocolate on them.....drool! The 50g bars can take you into the 280 calorie region meaning a 33 minute Zumba class is coming my way!

4) Nutella - its a shameful secret that I have a tub of Nutella by my bed (literally with my name on thanks to Selfridges!) that I tend to have a teaspoon out of when I'm feeling low, it does work to cure my chocolate cravings usually so I don't feel guilty about it but the other day I sat and ate quarter of the tub with a spoon straight out of the jar....whoops! That's 520 calories for a few spoons of happiness - I felt seriously better afterwards (long day and feeling run down, you know the drill) but the 65 minute hike with a weighted back pack necessary to burn them off definitely wouldn't!

So even with my seemingly healthier alternatives to a pizza and a family bag of crisps I'd still have to do some serious exercise to burn off my treats.

Have you thought about your snacks as an exercise to complete afterwards? Have you really thought about how much your weekend takeaway chinese food or pizza might be ruining your hard work during the week?

It's a scary thought, but it's all about balance. Being aware of your calorie intake from treats goes a long way to helping you towards your goals!

L xxx

Nip and Fab Body Wash - Energy Boost and Detox Blend

Shower gel can be a bit of a boring topic can't it?

Everyone uses it, most people would just use whatever is on offer during their weekly shop and I'm no different. I have been making my way through my stash and have finally used up the Soap and Glory bottle that seem to last for up to 6 months at a time.

However I couldn't resist picking these up from Nip and Fab, on offer at the moment in Superdrug in a buy one get one free offer. If I'm honest £7.50 is a lot for a shower gel but in a deal like this at £3.75 it didn't seem too bad.

I picked up both the Energy Boost and Detox Blend and have been testing them out.

The Energy Boost Body Wash contains uplifting Lemon, Grapefruit and Sweet Mandarin fragrances. It's a lovely awakening scent which is something to be welcomed in the morning, however it's not as authentic as the Original Source shower gels. I'm a big 'sniffer' of products (if that doesn't sound weird and disgusting) and scents are a big hit or miss for me. This was strangely neither, it had a lot of promise but didn't amount to anything which was a little disappointing.

The packaging is perfect though, colour coded for each scent and just like the rest of the Nip and Fab skincare range which I really like. I also like that all of the info is on the front of the bottles and just on the one sticker. Its funky and draws your eyes to different areas.

The Detox Blend Body Wash contains Tea Tree, Green Tea and Jasmine to purify and detoxify as well as cleanse.
This scent was the same for me, it had lots of promise and whilst I'm grateful that both weren't overpowering (I get headaches from strong smells) they were just a bit too bland and could have had more of a punch, particularly with the lemon.

That said they both lathered up easily courtesy of SLS being the second ingredient in the products. I just feel a bit disappointed with these and can't say I would pay the £3 for them again let alone the full price of £7.50.
I'm a self confessed lover of Nip and Fab but feel like these products have misfired and are a bit 'meh' when compared to other products such as their Viper Venom and Dragon's blood ranges (both of which are fabulous!).

With Original Source recently on offer in Tesco for half price at £1.10 for 250ml or in fact Superdrug who had them for 98p (!) smelling a good ten times better and more authentic than these I know which one I would choose....

I hate to write negative reviews but feel like its necessary sometimes to save another from spending hard earned cash on something that ultimately is a little disappointing - sorry Nip and Fab! It's probably because i have such high expectations from how amazing the skincare range is that this was a bit of a surprise.


Have you tried the body range from Nip and Fab? Are you a fan of authentic scents from real essential oils?

L xxx

Sale Picks

Hey All

I'm meant to be saving my money at the moment as I'm off on holiday tomorrow but with all the sales around I can't seem to stop spending money. They keep on tempting me with the bargains especially with things being reduced down by 70% now.

Accessorize was the first to take my money. I absolutely love rings so when I saw these bargain packs which were reduced from £10 to £3 each they were too cheap to leave behind. The stacking rings are perfect as I don't have many gold rings but have a few gold belt buckles so when I wear them I like to wear gold jewellery. I love the big purple stone one. I tend to wear them on different fingers as for me the 5 on one finger is a bit too much. I love the crossover ring on the silver set and that was the main reason I bought them. I love midi rings but don't tend to wear them much. These are simple with the sparkle to add a bit of glam. I didn't plan to get new gloves but when these real suede ones were reduced to £10 I couldn't resist. They are quite old fashioned ladies gloves but I think they are quite classic. I love burgundies for winter so can see me using these lots.

This North Face jumper I've wanted for ages. It's the crescent sunset hoodie. As I'm off to Iceland tomorrow I've been eyeing up warm clothes. I couldn't resist this. I've been trying it on since October but as it was £100 I couldn't spend that much. After Cotswolds reduced it to £65 I couldn't resist it. It's so warm and snuggley. I can see me getting lots of wear out of this.

Dorothy Perkins was another shop with an amazing sale. I'm always on the look out for dresses that are long enough to wear to work and don't need ironing. I managed to pick up the red lace sleeved dress for £7. It's a waffle material so really comfy and easy to wear. I love red dresses. The burgundy skater dress was £10. It's got a lace print through it. This is surprisingly long which I love. On me it finishes a little above the knee. I find it hard to find dresses that are longer than bum skimming. I couldn't find the picture of the skirt I got but this nude one is similar. I got it in black. It's perfect for work as it's high waisted and long. It also looks really smart and will be great for summer and winter.

Fat face also sucked me in with great skirts and jumpers. I'm starting to prefer more expensive classics and getting a few fashion pieces. I also grabbed some great boots which were reduced from £80 to £25.

What pieces have you grabbed in the sale?

Love M

xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hello there!

This is my first installment of Beauty Rehab for 2015, and I'm off to a good start. I know I say this every post, but I really do want to make headway in using up my stash and create more valuable space. I've got so many drawers full of products and I really don't need them all so instead of throwing them and buying more I'm just working my way through.

Body moisturisers are the worst for me; I seem to be really lazy with them and although I've started using up more and more of them I need to do better!
Same with face masks, I need to use them up before they all go off. I've learnt my lesson the hard way recently as one of my creams had gone off.

Heel Genius from S&G - a product that sadly went off; I went to use it and it smells vile, absolutely disgusting so it had to go. Brand new as well, annoying.
Sugar Crush Body Wash from S&G - Love the smell of the matching scrub but this doesn't quite smell as authentic. Nevertheless a good body wash and I'd buy again in a 3 for 2.
Eau Pure Body Lotion - This was given to me by my aunty from a set, it was nice but nothing special. I liked the twisting lid design but it did get hard to get it out towards the end.
Origins Checks and Balances Face Wash - a favourite, have another already!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - Amazing stuff, the only thing that saves my hair! Always have more in the sides as I cannot live without it
Good Things Stay Clear Cleanser - a great cleanser for a bargain price, would definitely repurchase if my skin broke out
PhytoKeratine Repairing Thermal Protectant Spray - This was from the Space NK bundle that we got from spending over £150 that they do every year in October. It costs £18.50 for the full size 150ml, I'm not sure I'd pay that but it was a lovely spray that was really lightweight and did make my hair feel better. It also went down in the tube pretty damn fast!
Nip and Fab Dragon's Blood Plumping Serum - love this! Already have another and am really impressed that it's in a 100ml bottle whereas most others are 50ml. Love how hydrating it is.

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub - loved this and would repurchase, quite pricey for a small pot but does a great job using only natural ingredients.
Lush Mask of Magnaminty - another product that I really liked and would repurchase when my skin needs it in a future breakout!
Boots Cocoa Butter - a small pot that was great for travel, wouldn't repurchase as i have too many others and find the smell a bit overwhelming
Nip and Fab Bee Sting Fix Cream - also really liked this, really soaked into my skin and hydrated it. Would repurchase when a deal was on
N&F Dragon's Blood Cleansing Pads - another surprise like for me, I'm not normally a toner-like product fan but these pre soaked pads I've really liked. I have another pot of them to keep trying them out and see if they really have a long term effect

From the Lab Face Primer - no idea what this brand is now as we trialled it before it was officially produced, it was good but sadly separates weirdly and has definitely gone off now!
Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment - this was the most luxurious foot cream I've ever used, such a treat! I'd love a full size tube!
Batiste Dry Shampoo - the best dry shampoo on the planet
Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo - a good dry shampoo, I don't think it's worth the mark up in price from Batiste though

Caudalie Cream Mask - loved this sample! My skin drank it all up overnight and I'd definitely repurchase
Bioderma Atoderm Cream - really good for a night cream/mask and helpful to dry skin over winter. I've had a lot of Bioderma samples but never a full size product and I've never been disappointed so need to invest!
Avon Nail Experts Base coat - an average base coat, did let some polishes through and stained my nails
REN Hand and Body Cream - the sample lasted one full body use and was moisturising, again not sure if it's worth the full price but was nice to try
REN Global Protection Day Cream - unfortunately this brought me out in tiny little spots so had to give up on it but it sounded promising before that!

This was mostly a clear out - the glosses are either really old or going a bit gloopy so getting rid is the best option.
Bourjois 1 Second Volume Mascara - got this in a beauty box, the brush looked interesting and promising but it seems a full bushy brush is the only option for my lashes! Wouldn't repurchase.

S&G Youthful Super Serum - really loved this sachet, super hydrating and made my skin feel fabulous!
Dr Organic Snail Gel - same goes for this, loved the hydrating feeling and would buy this in future, once I've got my head around the snail gel factor.
Revlon PhotoReady contour kit - this has unfortunately gone really weird, you can see in the photo below that it seems to have dried out (even though it was a powder) and loads of crystals have formed on it. I'm a little too dubious to use it with this on it!

Last image!
Collection Lasting Concealer - loved this initially but unfortunately now I've tried Nars this one just doesn't compare. I have a spare of this so will use it for work until its gone, but Nars is just amazing.
Caudalie Polyphenol Eye and Lip Cream - this absorbed really easily, wouldn't repurchase as I have others I'd prefer for my sensitive eyes but it was really good.
YSL Lipstick - was given to me by a friend but was a weird gold colour that I just cannot wear! Time for the bin
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - lovely product and I would repurchase and I'd especially buy the magazines that come with a sample of this

Have you been using up your products recently?

This is all from Christmas onwards, so I feel like I'm on a roll but possibly thats just wishful thinking!

L xxx