Happy Hump Day week 10

So today, I weighed myself after plucking up the well needed courage and i've lost 0.4kg since 18 days ago, now that was a little disheartening but because I did measure my body and saw real progress thats the only thing that hasn't made my motivation drop to rock bottom.  I cant say I'm not a little disappointed about it I had lost a whole stone in 1 month, this time 3 years ago, but then I also didn't have an arse this firm or thighs and arms this strong before (or started at a considerably larger fat percentage before). So I did a bit of research and put it down to muscle gain balancing out the fat loss. I haven't beaten myself up about it too much, because at the end of the day, I'm seeing progress in my measurements, alarm bells should be ringing if in 10 weeks I haven't seen progress whatsoever. Weight is just a number it doesn't reflect your fitness level whatsoever.

My motivation hasn't dropped whatsoever which I am surprised about, I guess its because I adore hooping and the only way I can do hooping is at the park a 10 minute bike ride away or a 30 minute walk. HIIT is a mere 12 minutes long, 5 days a week so really there is no excuse not to do it.

If there is one positive thing I can take from today is the fact I have noticed I am so much stronger than I was this time 3 years when I had dropped down to a UK12. I can do pushups on my knees with ease, normal pushups (just about), and planks which was my biggest problem!! Also, I can squat and lunge very low now (need to up the weight now) and noticed I'm more flexible and I have not experienced any muscle cramps since Thailand. Woo!!!

Slow and steady always wins the race, just have to keep my goal in mind!

Hey there Delilah :)

So i've had a pretty average day today, then things just turned to shit in the evening, I had my dad completely lose his shit (not an understatement, raging makes a better word to describe it) down the phone in several different episodes to me over menial shit (stuff normal people don't rage over). I'm not a sensitive person, but recently things have been making me tearful and anything can easily set off the water works (I hate you mother nature). Today has been no exception, usually I just get angry but at the moment its tear inducing instead (I hate having a vagina at times).

So I started week 9 today and the workout helps a lot with emotional build up of any kind for me. Putting on some leggings I can only just about squeeze into usually have loosened up, I can successfully squat and lunge in them with no danger of tearing them at the seems :D. I wouldn't say my ass is the issue (its getting more lifted, larger, rounder and more luscious as the days go on...) more my lower abs or lack of in my case more of a pooch, but what I have come to notice today is its reduced down in size a bit, which again has turned my day around. My hoop was dispatched today which means any day this week It will arrive and I can banish the bastard belly pooch away from absville forever!!!


Another whirlwind day successfully turned around by fitness and my health journey!!! This is what makes sweating, aching, pushing through burning workouts worth it!!!

I'm not 100% as happy as I usually am, just because of hormones but I am a lot better than earlier. Success!!!!

My Hooping Playlist

After doing some research into music great for hooping i combined peoples suggestions with my own tastes and came up with my own diverse selection of hooping music, all compiled into a playlist, when I get a chance I will try and compile all of these into a youtube playlist or even better a spotify one!!!

But I havent had time to day so for the mean time I've attached pictures of what it contains so far! Enjoy!!

If you guys have anymore suggestions please let me know :)

Motherfucking progress!!!

Before I start my ramble for today, I want to say Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely bunch! I hope you have shown your appreciation in some form for that special woman who brought you into this world!

So I start week 9 tomorrow of HIIT and this week hooping begins (when the damn hoop arrives).
So as you may know my progress is slower and I know exactly what the culprit is, now the other day I was feeling down (emotions all over the place anyways, bloody hormones!) because progress is slow and its frustrating as hell! But something today changed my view on my body....

I put on a fur coat that was tight on me when I got back from Thailand, now there's extra room around my bust, arms and torso. This changed my thinking immediately just because I am so impatient I haven't cut myself any slack and I'm mad at myself and the past month every Friday, Saturday and Sunday my clean regime goes out the window (hence the slower progress), this is down to many factors and without trying to play the blame game, these occurrences have only occurred when I've been with friends for those days.

Now theres times when I would say that were justified, but other times I feel were just pure disregard and lack of respect for my health regimen. So I'm avoiding every situation now where this may occur, sorry but I value my health more than eating bad food and jeopardising my progress (yes, i'm gonna be that guy). I'm determined to get back down to a size 12 again and so far I've probably made it back to a size 16, maybe a 14/16?  Size is just a number I cant stress that enough, it doesn't define you, but I don't fit into any clothes I have, I'm limited on what I can wear from my wardrobe, and I can't afford to buy new clothes for every time I put on weight. I need to be more self aware of my body, It's not a vanity thing, its a health thing and a body confidence thing.

Anyways, I'm super chuffed I have learnt that things are getting there and maybe the slower path is better because I am not so strict on myself, that I have completely cut out things I know I will crave, now I'm not saying I eat this stuff on a regular but I'm trying to limit my intake as much as self restraint can allow me, therefore I'm not left craving foods instead I have a little of something now and again rather than over consuming everyday and not exercising (a major difference).

I took this pic today now, my double chin has yet to go but It's getting there but my cheek bones are becoming more and more apparent which makes me so pleased!!! Just one of the few things that are apparent at the moment that I'm progressing :D (view pic below).

Cherry's back from the dead!

My bad...

So yeah I went AWOL for over a year to be precise (oops..), sorry about that guys, my heads been a mess. I had graduated from uni, I put on loads of weight, I was in a dark place for a very long time, my long term relationship had ended after 6 years and I had no idea what to do with my life or what I wanted to do with my degree.

Then this miracle happened, I won a competition abroad to train in Thailand and work as as a qualified TEFL teacher, there's more on that if you check out my travel blog here.

Cue the violins...

Anyway, the real reason why I'm here is to have a bit of a bitch and moan and just to update you lot on my life, obviously a lot has happened over a year so, I'm going to try my best to compact this down as much as possible.

This is mainly going to focus on why I'm blogging again and that is because I have put a SHIT ton of weight over the past year and this is not me being a girl about it and moaning because I put on a couple of kilos. I'm talking from a UK size 12 to a UK size 18!!! I was fully aware after dissertation I was packing the pounds on, but in all honesty I had no time to eat at home, sleep a lot or leave my seat in the university library. I was really depressed and had started locking myself in my room at weekends and drinking everyday to cope (this was for various reasons, mainly because I was back on the dating scene and every bloke I thought was decent turned out to stamp on my heart on top of the stress of dissertation deadlines). I had come across one guy who was so manipulative and controlling, me being so vulnerable at the time, lets just say he really milked that situation.

Anyways back then I must have been a 14 approaching a 16. Then I won this competition thinking not to worry it will sort itself out go to Asia, eat asian food, lose weight :D During TEFL training yes I genuinely think I dropped a few pounds but it all started to pile on again when It ended :( I left England already at an overweight 89KG (which already had been the heaviest I had ever weighed), I returned back to London weighing a good 95KG.

Coming home...

Well I came back to London after experiencing more ups and downs than a yo yo in Thailand and I knew I had put on some weight but the realisation didn't hit me until I tried to put on clothes I missed wearing... It quickly dawned on me how much weight I had put on. The good news is, I was determined before getting back to London to lose this body fat I had gained. 

Pushing to the limits...

I got straight back on the clean eating and 5 day High Intensity Interval Training and at first it was fucking hard! I'm no going to lie, being pumped full of oil, refined sugars and processed food for 4 months and then going cold turkey is pretty hardcore!! It was a fucking struggle, I had mood swings because I missed certain foods, I would still give in to cravings, I hated myself in all honesty, I had left myself get that big and that weak and not even realise.

The silver lining....

So finally we get to the good part, that was 8 weeks ago now I started the process, I still go through the struggles of cravings now and again, but I have progressed!! I'm stronger, I've lost girth all over my body. Now i'm not saying that I am satisfied, I am far from it! But I am still so determined and seeing notiecable progress in reps etc. feels fucking amazing. I can gladly say I have dropped one dress size already, so I'm now back to square one where I started my fitness journey 3 years ago!! But I also forgot the uzz i get from working out and reaching a goal and seeing changes in my body.

Which leads me onto...

The Epiphany...

During this journey so far, I've noticed a change in myself I decided along with the food that doesn't belong in my diet, nor does negative behaviours. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but the changes in my mood and thinking has changed also, I'm a lot happier, I'm more comfortable with myself, I find joy in seeing others happy. Sometimes I do get hit with the emotional stick (beaten with it more like) but we all have ups and downs and how you deal and recover from it is important. I literally had an epiphany, just when I thought I couldn't be anymore positive, I was hit with this thought that totally blew my mind, when I say a thought I mean like a feeling but with more purpose. (I probably sound like i'm talking c***) It's just very hard to explain. It happened and I am astounded things could get this good.

Until the next one...

To end this ramble, these blog posts will be more of a regular thing now... I want to jot down my fitness journey and anything else that is blog worthy in all honesty!!! 

Be prepared for more positivity coming your way.

Peace! x

Welcome to my Blog!

Hi Guys!

So i decided to open up my first blog page considering I have a youtube channel it makes sense to finally open a blog up. There will be posts elaborating on my videos, you can also follow my fitness journey and whatelse i choose to post on here.

If you guys got any suggestion/questions then please do let me know!

Cherry  x