Its coming to get me

I've had a couple of near mosses with lurgies recently and there have been some blunders going around. When others have fallen, my body has soldiered on and I have been really quite proud of myself.  I have attributed this success to my clean lifestyle and the cutting out of all refined crap.. And then, boom; I have a couple of weekends drinking and inevitably eating crap and it has come to bet me. I have a feeling that it is well and truly going to get me too.. Sore throat, which sends men under at the best of times and now the headache is kicking in.

I have got up to 'medicate'. The reason I say it like that is that I have been trying to cut the amount of painkillers and rubbish I take as normally when I am ill I nail the lemsip drinks and end up feeling really sick. I have taken some paracetamol, drunk some warm honey and got some warm salt water. I'm fighting a blocked nose too which always disrupts my sleep and drives me nuts, I'm not sure where my sudafed is but that may have to be dug out unfortunately.

We were supposed to be cycling home last night but Tom got a puncture, which we repaired and then he got another one which we couldn't repair, so train it was.  I won't be going to the gym tomorrow or prob for the rest of the week now; just to top off a crappy health weekend!

On the flip side, we had a great night out in manchester and it was worth falling off the wagon for, when we got back I had the most amazing pizza and cheesy chips binge ever! That's where abstinence makes everything worth while, when you indulge it tastes out of this world!

Growing up is a strange thing

I never expected it to be such an obvious transition; it's like I'm witnessing it happening to someone else and it touches pretty much every area of my life.

The commitment I have shown with my lifestyle choice and the drive to achieve my goals is the one that I share mostly on here, but there are other ways too.  The fact that I can now mostly reason with myself when I encounter irrational thoughts, something most people encounter and handle their entire life but things that used to consume me with negativity. 

When having discussions with people, I have the ability to recognise a person who is open to a discussion and one who has no interest in your opinion but loves the sound of their own voice.  I used to get really frustrated with people like that and insist on pushing my point of view, I have learnt that this is a fruitless task and I stand to gain nothing of any use so just nod when necessary and let them get on with it. 

Its a shock for me, it wasn't how I expected it and there are loads of other ways but these are the two that have sprung to mind whilst sitting, soaked to the skin from riding in the rain and now waiting for Olivia to come and massage Mills.

I have started finishing at 4.30 two days a week, its great that I can have a couple of evenings where I don't feel I am rushing my girls just to get home. I love it, I hate not spending quality time with them and lately, they just seem to have been cast aside.

My back is doing well, went to David yesterday and it wasn't giving up any tension but he worked all around my shoulders and shoulder blades. It so much better than it was, I just need to start working on the stiffness now and doing more riding will definitely help there.  I could feel it working it out tonight.  I guess because riding is something I have done for years and years so my body has hardened to this in particular. 

We are aiming to cycle in tomorrow, works night out after though so they will be locked up tight for the weekend and we will cycle home on Monday evening.  It will be interesting to see how the night out goes, I didn't really enjoy the drink last weekend and decided my relationship with alcohol was changing... I do however, feel a bit of a thirst coming on!! Eek

its a revelation!

I learnt a couple of things this weekend, both good but really quite strange.  It changes a couple a core things about myself really and came with quite a significant slap in the face.

On Friday evening we had a theatre trip to see The Mouse Trap at the Lowry. We had some time to kill before as we were going directly from work, this was killed by going for an amazing meal at a restaurant at media city, called Damson. The food was beautiful, I had scallops to start and fillet for mains but then this is where the revelations began... I finished off with a dessert!! I just decided I was going to have one and I didn't care that it had sugar in it.  That's not the revelation, the revelation is that I didn't get anything from it particularly.  That is nothing on the quality of the dessert, it was amazing but I felt it totally unnecessary and not worth it to what it brought to the entire meal.

Whilst this may seem like nothing to a lot of people, I have always been a massive dessert fiend so this is defo progress.

Revelation number 2, off the back of another load of naughtiness is thay my relationship with alcohol had totally changed. I decided I would try drinking again as I needed to find something I could drink at the wedding that wouldn't kill my indigestion or get me too pissed. I also wanted something lower carb and less bloating than lager. So, wine it was and I opted for a fairly good Syrah red. Whilst it was lovely, there was no enjoyment there really. I need to switch the engrained opinion that I simply must get rolling drunk when I drink and I think I can merrily progress from there. As far as what I am going to drink at the wedding, I am undecided. We have some fantastic port for toasts so may just nab some of that! Ease myself in gently ;-) 

Happy spring!

This is without a doubt, my favourite time of year. Everything has emerged from the winter and is feeling happy; fluffing their feathers, oiling their songs, skipping around and generally being quite literally full of the joys of spring!

I'm not quite skipping around unfortunately, I tweaked my back a little bit again on Monday in the gym... Damn it.  Its not as bad as it was and I know to lie flat when my psoas starts cramping up which helps. I have done what I can at the gym to ease it off and I seem to be managing it pretty well. Tom has cycled in today and I daren't risk it, so pretty jealous about that. I'm loving the bike, it so great to be outside and be able to use the time I always feel I waste in a car, yo get fit and enjoy the fresh air.

There has been a campaign going on on Facebook. People are taking makeup free selfies in order to raise awareness to cancer. I think everyone is all too painfully aware of cancer and I think the message should've been to raise awareness to your own body and get regular checks where available and check yourself regularly too.  I was having my yearly mammogram yesterday coincidentally. I think I have mentioned on here before that we are part of a genetic study run by Genesis on families who, in our instance, carry the hereditary gene BR-CA1.  In fact, I did mention it on here because it was highlighted in the news when Angelina Jolie announced she had had a double mastectomy as she carried the gene and her mother died of breast cancer (or her gmother)

It has also pushed me to book in for a smear, can't remember if I have had one recently and it is such a simple and effective way to keep an eye on yourself.  No excuses!

Plus side, I'm down to 139lbs today... Woo. I think I have a balanced and thought out opinion on the protein debate, I will have to take my time writing it rather than whilst I am on an exercise bike.. Which is how this is being written!!

3 days

3 whole days I've been trying to update my blog and not getting chance. I'm going to bullet point everything as its irritating me now! I just seem to get busier and busier, I don't actually know what to do with myself.

• Didn't cycle again Friday as had sore spots from Thursday. Going to build up from once a week to begin with.
• Had crazy breakfast in town, I had soya latte which was amazing and Tom was defeated by a mahoosive plate of pancakes
• Cycled to my dress fitting on Sat, bet there aren't so many brides that can make that claim. Dress looks amazing and had come in at the grand total of £225¡
• Feeling more confident on my bike already
• Visited my mate Nic on Sat night.  She cooked us an amazing tea. She is helping coordinate wedding so we were chatting about that.
• Ride out early Sunday morning, tidied the house and did some wedding bits
• Tom is getting used to salmon, as long as wild caught sockeye! Progress though
• Difference in colour and texture of wild and farmed is insane
• Gym this morning as we are both exhausted
• SI joint is being a twat and getting sick of it

Pictures: 

I've earned my oats this morning

Yesterday was quite a rubbish day, it was high stress and volume at work and then driving home on the motorway, I managed to run over a piece of metal and puncture my back wheel.  Brilliant! An hour later and we had been retrieved by a tow truck and dropped back off at home.  As with most new cars these days, the manufacturers don't see fit to provide you with even space savers any more! oh no, you get a foam filler and then you cant get the tyre repaired if it is repairable.

So, options today were to work from home, which I really didn't want to do.  I had a new starter in my team yesterday and he was kind of ignored as it was so busy and I don't want him to feel ignored today. Call out a tyre fitter, which I don't think you can do as an emergency or wait until the tyre places open and get my mum to take myself and the tyre to be sorted.. Again, didn't want to waste working time on doing that... Never thought I would say that in my life!

And the other choice.. bring forward my commute to work on my bike! wooo, bring it on. That's just what we did.  +Tom Burgin came with me as he is working just up the road which is perfect and we took it easy as I have no idea how my body will cope.  It was 17 miles and we weren't particularly quick, part of the route was along the canal and the road bikes arent exactly in their element there.  The true test will now be what stiffens up, obviously my back still isnt perfect so, only time will tell!

Either way, that definitely beats sitting in a car of a morning!

Not that i want to jinx myself

But I'm starting to feel so much stronger again. I managed my first headstand since injuring myself, I felt pretty good, although I am still really weary of the slightest twinge I feel. I didn't dare to move into anything other than a plain, straight legged headstand though in case I over corrected and hurt myself.

I also did some messing about with my balance on the medicine ball, I had got so that I could get my head on my knees before my injury, I just have to resist the urge to push it whilst I'm still healing though.

I now have a photographer in the gym with me in the shape of Tom.  He started his new job this week so is going to be coming to the gym with me. Once he has settled in he will be doing 2 days with me, cycling in 2 days with me and then running on the other. Nice to mix things up a bit

And the war rages on...

Nothing like a bit of drama on a Tuesday morning!! I am making it into a little more than it actually is to be fair.  As no doubt most of you have heard, a new study has been released that claims that a moderate to high protein diet is bad for you, its marginally better if its plant based but still not great..

I have red a number of articles talking about this paper from more than one 'imaginative' journalist.  This one from The Guardian is one of a few that claims that the paper reveals that eating protein is just as bad for your health as smoking.

I haven't fully read the report, but I read somewhere that they stated high protein diet increased your chance of getting cancer by x% which is the same increased risk as smoking.  I will read the report fully when I have time to digest it properly as I need to understand the scenario, the subjects, the reasons for the study etc before I make my own educated conclusions, rather than reading some mainstream newspaper article that scandalises anything it can as that is what sells papers!

The reason I have chosen to write about it now, before making my own conclusions is that I find the attitudes of a lot of people, towards this paper, incredibly blinkered.  I don't suppose it is just this research that they disagree with, but it is the fact that people disagree with it just because it doesn't fit their lifestyle choices.  They throw claims around that it is rubbish etc, yet don't put forth a valid argument and counter reports/research as to why..  I personally eat a 30% protein based diet, and I get on with it.  I certainly wont suddenly change that until I have read all the facts, but, I am always willing to adjust my diet based on increasing my healthy life span and doing what is best for my body.

It amazes me that there are intelligent people out there, willing to put products into their body that have absolutely no scientific research behind them, they are very poorly regulated and make claims that they can not substantiate; all because some body beautiful person who has an incredibly strong marketing team behind them, flashes their pearly whites and says that it works.  The faces of products don't even necessarily use the products they are pushing.

I have also found a really interesting site https://chriskresser.com/ that I want to delve a little deeper into also.  The short of it that i have gathered so far is that he uses Paleo as a baseline diet, a template, that you can add to and adapt to suit your own body and utilise the good nutrients that we have available now and we didn't necessarily have back in the palaeolithic era.  He also disagrees with a lot of the arguments put forward by the Paleo crown as to why you should eat Paleo, as their arguments are flawed, which as you would know if you read a post of mine a while back, is what annoys me about the branded name in use for this.  He also puts forward a myriad of valid, scientific reasons as to why this is a great baseline to start from.

So, the conclusion I am drawing currently is that

1. I don't understand anywhere near enough about food still and the affects that it has on our bodies now, and in the future.  
2. I want to understand more about the inflammatory response that some foods may cause in our bodies and how to determine if you are affected by it.  
3. I want to read the latest protein papers and see if they have actually based their findings purely on correlation or if they have indeed taken causation into account.
4. I want to read more on Chris Kressers site and there is also a pod cast that he does, one of them is with a guy called Mat Lalonde and is on the subject of science behind Paleo and looks incredibly interesting from the transcripts that I have read, but it is also very sciencey, so will take me a good few reads to really digest and understand what is written there.

I think everyone should try and understand more about what they are consuming and how their lifestyle is affecting them now and in the future. I don't think any research is infallible and new research is happening all the time, research methods are improving and we are also evolving and living longer, so issues that weren't addressed many moons ago because they didn't need to be, do these days!

Wedding rooms and doing things

Back to a weekend of normal madness at last. Friday evening we went and welcomed our new nephew into the family, my sister had a beautiful little boy and nibling number 3 for us from my side at least. Nibling is a great collective term for nieces and nephews, we had to look around for it and it is basically something someone made up, but i think its really cute so I'm going with it.  Apparently the collective noun used to be nephews, but apparently that has been obsolete for years.

Saturday, we did then horses early and nipped over to Macclesfield to pick up some more material for table decorations and Tom started feeling a little ropey; loads of viruses are flying around at the moment and he always seems quite welcoming to the bugs. I was selfishly gutted as I wanted to take the bike out this weekend, missing two weekends in a row after getting a taste for it did nothing to impress me! So I packed him of to bed when we got back whilst I go on with chores around the house. We were booked in for another massage in the afternoon though so I had to wake him up unfortunately and amazingly, he was so much better.

As always, the massage was amazing. I wasn't in a great way but not as bad as I expected to be. My shoulders were tight as normal, but the area over my hip that was really sore the week I was really bad, was fine which surprised me. The right side of my bank was really tight which Olivia expected' having that massaged was brilliant, them onto my legs and WOW! I can tell that I haven't been doing my foam roller for a week or so, my quads and my TFL were bloody miserable! I could happily be massaged for hours every day if I could afford it! Tom was pretty tight too, his shoulders and his calves especially, I think he can blame running home from the train on Thursday night for that! It was his leaving do and the taxi didn't show to get him home so he thought a 2 mile jog was in order!

We went from here to watch Jack Whitehall at the MEN arena in Manchester, he's a British comedian and was very good, it many we got home fairly late though so we planned to have a heady lie in until 7 this morning!

Today was ring fitting, we are so excited about or wedding rings. Unsurprisingly, we didn't want to go for the norm and we decided that we wanted wooden rings. They don't seem to be a big deal around here so Tom contacted the local wood turning society and we went to see the chairman. His work is absolutely amazing and the different selections of wood that he had were fantastic, Tom has decided and I couldn't chose so I'm having 3 done! He doesn't take money for any of his work, he sells it all for charity.

The weather this weekend has been awesome, especially today. Beautiful sunshine and really warm, I even had my arms out for the first time in ages. After ring fitting, we nipped home and grabbed a slice of the spelt loaf I made in the morning (super tasty if I do say so myself ) then straight out for the first ride out of the year, after they, straight put on the bikes! We did 14 miles and I felt good, we were hoping to go a bit further but I could feel my psoas tightening up a bit and didn't want to push it. I am now officially pooped!

The texture was almost crumpet like, yummy!

That big bright thing is the sun I have heard people speak of :-)

on the mend

I finally feel like I'm getting there, I can even manage to pick things up which is progress! I have pushed my stretches a little bit further and still feel pretty good. I am having to resist the temptation to push myself too far though and be back to square one.. I really can do without that!

I managed to ride last night for the first time since I injured myself, it was tricky; every single twinge was scrutinised to decide wheter or not it was injury pain or just stiffness from not doing anything for so long. I could definitely feel it in my SI joint and that was aching a bit when I finished, but felt fine this morning.

The only thing that still remains in pain, but unrelated to my back injury is the sternum pain I have been having.  It seems to be getting worse, this was just doing pushups that caused me pain this time. I'm not entirely sure what to do about it, I can't face wasting my time by going to the doctors so I guess I just need to avoid doing anything that hurts it! Frustrating when all the moves I need to do to tone up my triceps are what do this and these are one of my main areas I am trying to target! Oh well, I should just be thankful my back is better really!

My skin is a concern at the moment and this surprises me; I expected great things from cutting out sugar and I definitely didn't expect to be worrying about my skin.  I suffered as a child from puberty spots for a fair few years and then, around the age of 17 they all cleared up and I have had beautiful skin ever since,  apart from 2 occasions; one was when I was working as a contractor and I think the stress of never knowing if I was going to have a job was too much for me, and the second time was when I had my copper coil fitted; I had a strange breakout on my chin for months that just suddenly disappeared one day and I am totally convinced that it was my body reacting to the changed levels of copper; although the doctors were having none of it.. this being the same doctors that refused to believe that the progesterone only pill was irritating my bladder.. but it was...  and for the last few weeks I have had spots constantly, not just monthly ones, and now I have started with what looks like the chin thing again... I am praying it isn't, just in time for the run up to the wedding. Que extra virgin olive oil and sugar scrub! Amazing thing

There is no reason for my outbreak to be related to quitting sugar, I think it is more likely to be related to the higher levels of fat in my diet as this is the only significant change that I have made apart from sugar.  I am eating a lot more full fat dairy now too, and I don't think that's too much of a stretch to be a possible culprit. I am going to try and cut back again and see what what happens. It's either that or work related stress one again, after I harped on about it not stressing me out!

Anyway, I need to get my positivity back; I'm on the mend and I haven't gained weight in the week I have done nothing for so I must have my calorie intake right at least, even if the macros aren't quite there!

Its pancake day!!

For as long as I can remember, this us one of my favourite days of the year. I absolutely love pancakes, my favourite of all the toppings that I have tried is good ol' sugar and lemon juice!

It was always a challenge when I was in primary school to go home and eat as many as your little tummy could handle and then brag about it the next day at school.  I am pretty sure there was a considerable amount of truth bending afoot across the country, but its funny what you remember! No coincidence my memory is a food related one!

Anyway, white sugar isn't on my list of things I am consuming at the minute so that little favourite was out of the window and I wanted to try and make the naughtiness a little more nutritious if I could, so Tom got on and made some spelt flour American style pancakes. These are a lot thicker than pancakes we traditionally have in the UK and my god, they are amazing! So light and fluffy too which I didn't expect.  The spelt wholegrain adds a considerable amount of flavour to the mixture too, I could happily eat them without any additional flavour as a savoury snack... But I had already reserved the relevant macros through the day and banana and maple syrup was the order of the evening... And what a good shout that was

A couple of sneaky little date pieces on there too! 

I was going to update you all on my poorly back situation but I'm shattered and need to sleep, I'm getting there though! 

Treats are a requirement

I feel like I haven't worked out for sooo long and I am missing it horribly. On the whole, I am considerably better but my psoas is still mightily annoyed... The result being that standing up and walking upright is incredibly tiring still, I don't actually feel like that part of it is getting better at all.  I was with David again this morning and he has advised me to start stretching again. Starting by laying flat on my back on a hard surface, this will force a stretch out of my psoas.

I spent a couple of hours like to that this afternoon and it did feel a lot better afterwards. I also need to stretch my flexors out, which I haven't done yet.  I feel really sore in my left SI joint where I had all that pain recently too... Its not going to be a quick one this time unfortunately.

Plus side, I went for my dress fitting and that's alls going well.  Should be pretty much sorted after the next one.  We have also bought some more fabric for decorations and there will be some more DIY going in tomorrow.  Might  s well make the most of the time whilst I can't do anything else!!

As we have decided to cut back on meat and when we do have it,  change the way that we cook it, the last few days have been somewhat experimental to say the least.  We Norma ill have meat at pretty much every evening meal anyway, so working out how to fill a plate and make it tasty and balanced is a new challenge.

Last nights tasty little feast above.  It was half eaten by the time I remembered I wanted a picture! Roasted mushroom with mixed herbs, mixed garlic stir fry veg, wholewheat pasta and steamed chicken breast.  We also had some amazing feta cheese crumbled on top.  It was like a plate of pizza!!

This bizarre looking creation was to satisfy a sweet craving. Its banana split with Brazil nut butter in the middle. The sweet banana and bitter Brazil worked brilliantly.

This was tonights creation. Roasted veg with another field mushroom and feta but the little dark blob on the left is a courgette, ginger and spelt flour muffin.  Absolutely amazing AMD worked fantastically with the veggies.

I also made it into dessert, it didn't work quite so well!

Lunch was steamed chicken with creamy leaks and courgette in oat cake wraps. I have just noticed we don't appear to be doing too great a job of cutting back on meat ;-)