Thin Thursday #2

Well lovelies, not much to report this week. At least - not much positive. Weighing myself last weekend, I could see that I'd dropped the few pounds that are continuously disappearing then popping back up (they're like a really annoying ex boyfriend or friend - You THINK they're gone. You relax. You buy something to celebrate. And then they decide to re-enter your life.)

Even though I expected them to go away once I quit the junk food, any bit of positivity at the start is so motivational. I was delighted, even managed to keep up the 30 Day Shred. And then, disaster struck. I'm the first to admit that when I get busy/ stressed, my diet suffers. It's so much easier to grab a roll & tea in college than make lunch, or to eat out with friends instead of cooking for one. This week, I've been struggling to get some college work done. I have an essay due tomorrow, and it's just a disaster. I had been working away on it, saving all my research & typing on my laptop when, BANG. My hard-drive decided to fail. So, I figured I could do everything manually. Just write everything with pen & paper, then type it up when it was finished. I didn't plan on a litre of milk bursting in my bag & soaking all my work. AGHHHH!

The point is - I've been sitting on my bed the last few days & nights, trying to re-do my essay. And to keep my energy up, I've stupidly been munching away on chocolate & sweets. Even when doing the work with one of my friends, I had to make sure I had snacks. Before I leave college to come home, I've just been grabbing food that looks like it'll fill me up. So this week has been a bit of a fail in terms of exercise & food. 

Vegetarian diablo - Healthy but a massive portion & too much cheese.

Grilled chicken ciabatta - Again, not unhealthy but I don't usually eat chips & I ate past the point of feeling full.

My goal for next week? Come up with recipes that are easy & quick to cook, that I can make when I'm busy without compromising on nutrition. Because this is what my bed looks like at the moment:

Yep - Tortilla chips, wine gums, chocolate.. And a mess of notes.

Apologies for the long, ranty post but at least I know now what I need to specifically focus on - Eating healthier, & not giving into stress!

Do you let lack of time, & stress affect your diet?

Chloe x

Thin Thursday

Hi everyone!

Lately, a group of bloggers & Tweeters have begun a series of blog posts adorned with #ThinThursday, to lose weight/ get fit/ support one another. After my New Year's resolutions post & 21 before 21, I knew I needed some structure & motivation in my life. So, I asked to join in.

I'm not particularly going for weight loss, though it is something I'm conscious of. I honestly just want to be fit, healthy & happy (and a bit more muscle wouldn't go astray!) While this is spurred on a little bit because I weighed myself last week and wanted to cry, I plan on just going by size & fitness. If I can run a mini marathon in five months time at the same weight? I'd be happy.

So, to start off, I'm doing the 30 day shred, cutting back on junk, & walking more. I'm not following any plan - I think exercise and a balanced diet will work for me, in the long term. My parents are inspiring me a little - My dad gave up junk on New Year's Day and walks three miles, every night. My mum goes for two walks a day and is starting to jog. They've lost around two & a half stone between them plus I can see that they're much happier with themselves.

So, hopefully next week I'll report back as feeling a bit fitter, and having more energy. I want to take my time, because this isn't a diet for me - It's my life.

Click on #ThinThursday on Twitter to read the other girls' posts, & how they're getting on in week four. 

Do you follow an exercise/ meal plan? 
Chloe x

Life via pictures #5

Okay, it's been a while. But this is a quick glimpse of what I've been up to!

Rimmel Apocalips - Snowy view

Trying out my NIMA Mitt - Afraid Tesco might run out of Belvita?

Sorting out make up - Yankee candles 

Three bean chilli with Georgia - Reduced Topshop shoes

Life via pictures #4

New nail polishes - New ring - Love hear nails

Make-up for an interview - Broken, dirty nails - Liz Earle delivery 

Rainbow eyes on my sister - Essence blush sorbet - Burned my hand 

Pasta Carbonara - Scented Revlon polish - Bath time & pampering

Life via pictures #2

Galaxy Cookie Crumble was just €1 - Barry M Berry Ice Cream - Blingin' ring

Post-its are the highlight of my study - Topshop Bracelet - Half price Haagen Daz

Barry M Crackle - MORE study break food - Intense revision

New shirt with collar detail - My pet duck - FOTD

Dinner at Taste Restaurant

Hi!

Last night I went out for dinner with my boyfriend. We decided to just give each other a present under €10 for Valentine's, & go out together instead. Obviously most people who read this won't be near this restaurant, as it's in Wexford. But if you're around the area - I definitely recommend it.

We went to Taste, which serves 'Modern Irish Cuisine'. I'm a fan of foreign foods, but my boyfriend refuses to try anything more exotic than Chinese or Italian, so it was perfect. It's also quite inexpensive - A three course meal, or two courses and a glass of house wine, for €25. During February, they also provide a complimentary bottle of wine on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday nights. While menus are subject to change, we were faced with a choice of the following:

I chose the crisp roll of chicken with brie & thyme, cracked pepper aioli & chilli oil as my starter, followed by penne pasta tossed with spinach, roasted vegetables and black olives in tomato & ginger sauce, parmesan & herb oil, and for dessert, I had the chocolate brownie, chocolate caramel & vanilla ice-cream. The house wine was a Spanish Pinot Grigio, which neither of us had.

My starter wasn't what I was expecting. It was basically chicken with a mixture of sauces, etc, in pastry. For whatever reasons, I was thinking of something like chicken nuggets (never say I'm not cultured!). But, it was lovely. I'm not the biggest fan of cheese, so as I came to the end of it, I scraped some off, but the chicken was melt-in-my-mouth and the pastry was nice and crispy.

My starter

(Once again, using Blackberry in low lighting.)

I'm a big fan of pasta, so had a little mental argument about whether to opt for the pasta without meat, or another main course, with meat. But it was definitely a brilliant choice. The roasted vegetables were so juicy, and the sauce was a little bit spicy. Although, like I said, I'm not a cheese fan, the melting cheese in this was much nicer than I expected. There's no way I could finish it, my dress was too tight to risk any explosions of my stomach!

My main course.

I'm a major chocolate lover, so I didn't really even look at the other desserts. The brownie had almonds and actually wasn't too heavy and chocolately, which was nice after a heavy meal. What more can I say? It was a nice end to the night!

Dessert.

Overall, I definitely recommend it. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend would too - He said the soup (potato & leek) was amazing, and his lamb (cooked to medium) was some of the nicest he's ever had. I didn't get pictures, because he thought I was an absolute freak for taking photos of my own food. Also, service was impeccable - discreet, but constantly helpful. Fair play!

Since it was a special night out, I dressed up (hence the tight dress & fear of bursting). I wore this Asos dress (on sale for €15.09) with the shoe boots from this post. I pretty much did usual make up:

The dreaded mirror pose.

Primer - Catrice Prime & Fine Smoothing Refiner

Foundation - Estee Lauder Double Wear in Shell

Concealer - Collection 200 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Powder - ELF Studio HD Powder

Blusher - Benefit Coralista

Highlighter - Benefit High Beam

Bronzer - NYC Sun 2 Sun Bronzing Powder

Eyeshadow - Benefit Silky Powder Eyeshadow in Bossy

Eyeliner - Mac Liquid Eyeliner

Mascara - Lancome Hypnose in Black

Lips - Yes to Carrots Lipbutter & DuWop lipstick in Private Red

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Chloe x