September Monthly Round Up

Wow! I can't believe how long it is since I did a monthly round up (July was my last) and how lazy I've been since I got back from holiday with no weekly weigh in posts. I'm rubbish. I apologise.

Goal Number 1 - Complete Managerial Level of my CIMA Qualification

Since I completed the operational level in July, this is a new updated goal. Managerial level is level 2 of the qualification and today I've just finished the tuition courses for the two modules I'm sitting in November. I think I've pushed myself a bit far, opting to do two at once but I think it's going well. I have two mock exams to do this week which should give me an indication of how I'm getting on, and then it's just revision revision revision until exam day. Fingers crossed!

Goal Number 2 - Move into my Own Home

I can't wait for this goal to be gone, and hopefully by the end of October it will be. I got a phone call on Thursday to say it was 98% complete and should be 100% complete by the end of next week, so there's no reason I won't be in by the end of October....I'll believe it when I get there though. I have been inside and seen it so I know progress is being made but it's taking far too long for my liking.

Goal Number 3 - Loose a Stone in Weight

I don't even know where I currently stand on this. I haven't been on the scales in a good few weeks. I won't be surprised to see a gain, I've been lazy and I know I have. I can't remember the last time I was at the gym, and my diet has been all over the place. But from this week I'm going back to the gym, I'm going to be good and I'm going to get my dancers body back. I've joined the professional dance class permanently now so if I want the chance of performing in public from it I need to get my fitness up, so no more excuses.

Goal Number 4 - Get my Splits on Both Legs

I'm getting there. Slowly and surely. I've been doing lots of stretching at dance to help, my leg hold is getting better and I'm managing to lift my leg into the hip flexor stretch (picture before for reference), something that I've always struggled with. I can definitely feel the stretch getting deeper and hopefully I will get this by the end of the year. It's on my bucket list so I better.

Goal Number 5 - Learn to Cook

Although my cooking hasn't been tested out much recently, my mind is spinning with food ideas I can't wait to try. I have a long list of recipes ready for when I get into the flat, and I'm getting more adventurous with my food choices so hopefully my food vocabulary will expand. I'm also getting bored of eating the same things all the time, which is very unusual for me so hopefully I'll be motivated to start experimenting as soon as I get my keys.

Plan for October

For many people October is stoptober, a chance to either give up smoking or drinking for an month to improve your health. I don't smoke, and I very rarely drink, so my stoptober is to stop making excuses. I'm notorious for making them. Whether it by why I didn't go to the gym, why I ate that piece of chocolate cake, why I haven't done any revision, I make them a lot. But I'm going to stop. No more excuses. That's the plan.

Sarah x

May Monthly Round Up, 3rd May Weigh In & 100 Happy Days...Day 91

I can't believe how quick this year is going, it's already June! Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?

I'll apologies now that this is going to be a bit of a long one, I missed my weigh in yesterday and I'm a little late on the round up so thought it'd be better to combine them together. So, here goes...

Goal Number 1 - Complete the Operational Level of my CIMA Qualification

I finished my exam! Yey! I can now have a normal life back. I just have the long wait until result day. So for now, I'm not marking this off as complete until it's passed, but fingers crossed that will be soon.

Goal Number 2 - Move into my own Home

The wait for my flat is now starting to get boring. I understand how pregnant woman feel when they're fed up and just want it to be the day you've spent so long waiting for. I still don't have a roof on my flat, the move in date has been pushed back to July (no exact date as of yet), and I'm getting a bit tired of constantly being asked questions about it. Plus, fridge/freezer shopping is not a fun shopping trip. I'm hoping not much longer now.

Goal Number 3 - Loose a stone in weight

Ok so here goes my weigh in. I gained a little this week, but as I've proved the last few I can loose it again. I'm back at dancing and the gym, when I stop being an idiot and forgetting things I need to go, like my sports bra or my trainers. I need to be better organised and pack my back the night before not on a morning when I'm rushing around crazy. After not being to the gym in a while I was surprised that I hadn't lost my running ability as much as I had previously. This slow build up I've been doing must be working.

I've been doing ab exercises maybe once a week around revision and although my ab appearance probably doesn't look as it did after my challenge, I've still got quite a lot of the strength. I'm just going to keep going, up the amount of exercises I'm doing each week and hopefully get back into a weight loss streak.

I'm going to a Christening in July and plan on wearing something I already own to save money. I have a few things in mind for what I'd like to wear, but I'm not sure they'll be a good fit. I'll try them on at the weekend and make a decision, they might motivate me a bit more to make sure I look good in them.

Goal Number 4 - Get my Splits on Both Legs

I'm still working on this and found some new stretch advice to follow. This was a Pinterest post I found that has been a great help.

I also found this which I'm quite enjoying too. These stretches feel really good.

Goal Number 5 - Learn to Cook

I've not made anything really fancy this month. My most adventurous cooking attempt was to take some chicken breasts and coat them in a Maggie's So Juicy Mixed Herbs spices (rather than cooking them in the bag in the oven) to be cooked on the barbecue. They were very tasty.

Plan for June

June's plan is to get back into a gym routine. I've been very lazy the last month and that's not good. I'm going to go for 2 gym workouts a week and then dancing as extra. The only downfall I see is it being quarter end at work and that cutting into gym time for the last week of the month. I'll just have to be extra good when I can't get to the gym.

My dance show is soon so if I can improve my core strength and flexibility a bit by then that would be great too.

And to round us off, a bit of 100 Happy Days - Day 91

Pinterest posts making you smile. So I just set up my Pinterest account, go check it out if you get time, and this post popped up on my feed today and it made me smile. A Lhasa Apso as an Ewok. It reminded me so much of my Gemma that I had to smile. How cute.

100 Happy Days...Day 73

Day 73 - Filling Tasty Dinners

I bought my Mum a new cookbook for mothers day, it's by her favourite cooking show and the best thing about it is the portion sizes are actually good portion sizes and not the little portions you see on some of the TV shows. We've tired out a few different recipes but we've found her new speciality. A chicken and chorizo bake which is so tasty and filling.

It's pretty simple to make, seal some chicken and chorizo, add some herbs and spices then cook in the oven and serve with potatos and veg. It's now one of my new favourite meals, and so filling you don't need to eat much.

April Monthly Round-Up

So it's a few days late, but here's my April monthly round-up.

Goal Number 1 - Complete the operational level of my CIMA qualification

I'm now only 18 days away from my next exam (wow, is that all?!), meaning that for the next 18 days my life is largely going to resolve around revising. I have a practice exam day on the 12th May which I'm hoping will be a major help in my revision steps. I'm feeling relatively alright about the prospect of sitting my exam but we'll see how it goes on the day.

Goal Number 2 - Move into my own home

So my flat is now the next in line to get the roof put on, and the aim is still for a move in date at the end of June. My focus is now on buying bedroom curtains ready for move in day, and then just big stuff like Fridge/Freezer and washing machine. I'm so excited.

Goal Number 3 - Loose a stone in weight

April wasn't a great month what with Easter giving me chocolate and me not being very well, so I didn't get any closer to my target. I managed an 8 minute run, the longest I've done all year, non-stop in my cardio routine, so I just need to keep going on that and soon I'll be seeing more progress.

I started the 30 day abs, squat and plank challenge at the beginning of the month, but as I seemed to loose my ability to properly do a plan I only ended up completing the abs and squat one. The progress across the 30 days was amazing, my tummy is a lot flatter than it used to be and my core strength so much better than it was. Now the challenge is over, I don't want to loose all my progress so I'm going to try a few different abs exercises each night. Taking some of the ideas from these two Youtube videos I've found to give me some variety.

 

Goal Number 4 - Get my splits on both legs

I'm still so close and keep trying to push myself that extra step. I'm going to try a few more exercises on my theraband to help my get that little bit further in time for my dance show.

Goal Number 5 - Learn to cook

I managed to make some chocolate coconut cupcakes (which weren't very healthy) and then a chicken and chorizo bake, and a beef casserole all from my new cook book. The results were rather good and I'll definitely be trying them again.

Plan for May

May's goal is to focus on passing my exam, and not put weight on in the mean time. I'm going to watch what I eat, and still aim to do at least one workout a week so I don't loose the progress I've made. I'm going to keep up with some ab exercises and stretch as much as I can so I'm in a good position for the dance show at the end of June.