Autumn feels like the right season in which to crumble. I suppose the classic is apple and blackberry but coming from a dynasty of crumblers, I can say I've had a fair few courtesy of my grandmother - not all of which I would call a treat. Canned strawberries are not the one. Last year I finally found the recipe, the 'one', the perfect crumble topping which both C and I agree is the pinnacle of crumble toppings. None of the others I have made over the years have quite been perfect, with the very worst being those so-called healthier ones with oats.  The butter has to be cold, cubed straight from the fridge and cannot be substituted with spread. I leave my topping as breadcrumbs but with larger buttery blobs because these melt wonderfully in to the topping. Also, the sugar has to be demerara to give the proper crunch. 

Fruit wise, I stuck to the quantities of fruit but in terms of apples just work with what you have got. I used just windfall cooking apples we picked up locally mostly and once added some unwanted eating apples. To stop them going brown and manky after slicing I mixed a little citric acid and water to mix them through as we didn't have any lemons. I drained off any excess. The addition of sugar and cornflour to the fruit gave it a lovely thick and syrupy quality after cooking and didn't allow for the watery wishywashy bottom that can otherwise result. 
This is before it went in the oven. It took around 45 minutes to cook. Topping must not be pressed down, just gently tipped on, no matter how precariously over-filled it looks.

It wouldn't be January without a trusty fitness post, would it? Or rather it has been and this has drifted into February. Over the years the level of content has shifted from the way it started, which is just a natural progression. I've developed some interests while others have ebbed and flowed with some being dropped altogether.
It was around 9 years ago I found myself re-connecting with exercise after the time that I imagine many people find themselves in once school finishes and they don't have any ongoing sporting commitments. That void that you don't even notice until one day you realise that you can't just pick something back up, like running and your body has changed without you having ok-ed that.
Since then I have had peaks and troughs in my relationship with exercise but it's not fully lapsed except for times of injury.

I'd say I'm at my strongest and most capable at present than ever before. No, my running isn't up to scratch but after a knee scare last year it gave me a fright and I haven't wanted to push my luck. I would definitely classify myself as someone with the fitness bug. There's nothing I enjoy more than exceeding my own expectations or taking others by surprise. Lets smash goals and grow, I have the appetite. An easy workout leaves me feeling grumpy yet one which wears me out to the point of wanting to throw up is fully satisfying.

The strategy of exercise has changed too, I'm now happy taking control of the direction of travel instead of feeling like a passenger on a package trip. Once a week I attend the hour long outdoor bootcamp which has been a mainstay for years. Not only does this prove challenging physically but also serves to tick off the social side of things too, technically I am mixing with others. An hour of hard-as-you-make-it bodyweight exercise is great for endurance, keeping myself competitive against myself and naturally others. Sorry guys, I secretly beam every time I note my form is better, or I'm faster or I have better recovery than anyone else. I know it's childish, but that part of me that wants to win surfaces frequently in this environment. Quite often I'm last to finish because I'm doing everything properly which also makes me smug, you get out what you put in and if you think skimping on effort and form in a bid to finish first is worth it then you can keep your results. The only thing I really hide away from is the group games and swapping partner work, help!

Much of my self identity is made up by my physical build and capability. I've got very fixed ideas about who I am in terms of health and I'm unwilling to budge on that.

A couple of years ago my Mum of all people introduced me to YouTube Hiit workouts (High Intensity Interval Training) which are by nature short and intense. Through these I've maintained a good rhythm of working out 4 or 5 times a week, kept up the momentum and enthusiasm with really quite minimal time commitment.

This year more than ever I want to set some goals, tangible ones, not just feeling more comfortable in my clothes (although that would be awesome too). I want to learn to master pistol squats and handstand press ups. These are two easy to see results - either you can do it or you can't. Aside from this I want to dedicate different days to different muscle groups in a bid to get stronger in a more organised way. A full body workout is great but a focused workout might be the way forward from now on. It's going to take a bit of sussing out but I'm ready to give things a whirl.

Take care,
Sophie

Making soup is a regular ritual for me. Whenever we have a chicken I ensure that it gets popped in the big pan and boiled up to make stock which is then portioned up and frozen, ready to be used for my next mega batch of soup. It's always preferable to use whatever is in season and needs using up before it spoils.
Over the summer it's usually courgette which needs using up but this year we easily kept pace and didn't have a glut at all that I can remember.
I ditched the pumpkins of yesteryears which are difficult to cut, peel and use all in one go and instead I grew two types of butternut squash and uchiki kuri (red kuri). These are brilliant for using in soup from the day they ripen on the plant all the way through winter as they will happily store for months. The flavour of these squashes is far superior to pumpkin and they are much easier to handle although I would mention that holding the peeled flesh dries out my skin and I look particularly crusty of hand the following day.

• One large or several small chopped onions - sweat in generous blob of butter until soft
• Add a teaspoon each of curry powder and (smoked) paprika , stir and let the aroma develop for a minute or so
• Dice into approx 1cm cubes 3 or 4 small aubergine and about half a small butternut squash and pop these into the pan, stir
• Add in a can of chopped tomatoes and top it up with stock of choice, I use my homemade chicken for extra flavour. Season with salt and pepper, stir, bring to the boil then simmer for around 25 minutes
• Ensure it's all soft, take off the heat and blend when a little cooler. 

The celeriac we grew are very small this year. They are such a slow growing vegetable that if the conditions aren't right, or they have a late start you will never end up with a good crop. The little veg scrub up alright so I teamed them with some ugly parsnips to make a creamy white soup. Again, start with onions. This time add a few cloves of garlic once the onions are soft. Add sliced or cubed veg and top up with stock but if in doubt add too much liquid as the celeriac and parsnip thicken things alarmingly. Blend!
I did want a good broccoli soup recipe and the one I found from a well known chef was essentially just broccoli, stock and a drop of cream which I thought was a woeful effort. I at least added onions but mine was uninspiring.

Take care,
Sophie

It's become tradition to make rose hip syrup each autumn, I wrote a rough method last year. While out and about each year we try to earmark particular locations for the future gathering of fruits. Our go-to hedge for foraging has a marvellous quantity of several bounties, one of which being roses. Back in spring we gathered rose petals and in early autumn it became time to harvest rose hips. There doesn't seem to be a 'right time' to pick them; they're either solid bullets or already a pulp so just gather any red ones that haven't started to go rotten and be glad there's enough to make a meaningful batch.
I use my hedgerow cookbook recipe as always which this time made 3 bottles' worth; my winter cold avoidance ritual wouldn't be complete without it.

Take care,
Sophie

I don't like to bang on too much about exercise because I strongly suspect it's dull to read about unless you happen to be in the exact same position. Maybe you're already stifling a yawn - for which I can absolve you for. Continue at your own risk.
The year started with resolving to push myself harder and broach a more challenging regime of exercise. I've done some searching on YouTube and have settled on some channels that offer a good range of mirroring workouts. Some are so hard they make me want to wave a white flag from the floor or retch onto my shoes. These are my favorites. There's no doubting I like to be pushed to my limits because you don't know where your limits are unless you find them. Then maybe set about nudging them a little further. The 20 minute time frame is most pleasant as it is all over and done with quickly but I have to agree that a longer endurance session once in a while is also key to stretching myself in another direction. Varying intensity, weights, equipment and even maneuvers is the way to mix things up. How can I expect to change myself by keeping things the same?

We bought some body composition scales last year and although I hate getting on them barefoot because they make me yelp with the cold surface (and they weigh me heavier than the other scales- come on guys!) they track some interesting information.
What I don't need the scales to tell me is that I've put on fat as a consequence of 'maintaining condition/the pre, during and post Christmas overindulgence'. But it is interesting to see how much and when. What I'd like them to start reporting is that I'm losing it and FAST!
It's ok though, I knew it was happening. It was a self aware 'food is amazing and I'm going to eat all of it' in a cookie monster style scoffing. But food is just so delicious! I'm just eating too much of the high carb and high fat things.

Here's the plan. Take steps to lose the 3.2kg of fat I have gained.
Exercise is going fine and I'm feeling pretty much the fittest and strongest ever except for my running.
I need to sort out my eating. Yes, I eat a predominantly decent balanced diet with lean meat, plenty of veg and drink lots of water. However, I suspect my snacking on chocolate, biscuits, sometimes having a dessert and occasional lot of crisps has caused the majority of the gain. I also point the finger at bread for having crept back in to my life at too higher a frequency. Naughty loaves.

As I write this the clock starts at 26.6% fat mass compared to the 22.7% I would like to return to. Of course it's not about the numbers, it's not. I want to wear trousers and shorts with greater comfort again. It's strange really because 18 months ago when I felt really out of shape it was a different feeling. I feel like the fat is being stored and held differently on my frame. My arms make me feel happier now, they're more defined and less wobbly. Overall I don't feel too bad at all but I know that I'll be better off physically and mentally on a slow but sure journey to shedding the excess fat which is currently weighing me down.

It's all good. Just with a little less carbs.

Take care,

Sophie

I've been meaning to write about making soups for a while, years even. Soup making has become a sort of ritual for me.
The making of soup serves multiple purposes in my life:

• Utilising allotment vegetables, especially when there's a glut.
• Using up vegetables in the fridge which have lost all appeal and need to be finished
• Creating lunches for weekdays, to be re-heated in a few minutes
• To share, in that curious way that sharing food seems to make you feel good about yourself

My soup repertoire is not exactly limited but I more base the soup on what I have rather than the soup I'd like, whereas C would find a recipe and buy ingredients accordingly. For me it's very much the opposite.

Just about the best use of pumpkins is soup - it's a bland fleshed old thing and this was my last year of growing them. I'm focusing on squashes this year as they have great flavour and tend to be more versatile.
My first key tip is to whatever you are making - make as large a portion as you can. I have a 5 litre stock pan and if I'm doing better than expected use my largest saucepan in tandem. Up to 15 portions inn one go? Genius. Freeze everything in 1 portion tubs. Always label (contents and how nice it is eg 'best squash soup 30/1/19' which is super helpful when you find one and cannot remember what it was or when made.
Tip 2 is to use onions sweated in butter as a base. I do this most of the time and although it takes a while, I have sacks of onions to use, it starts the cooking with an amazing smell and the flavour of the soup will be much nicer.
When I made pumpkin or squash soup over the years I tried various methods. Boiling cubes is quick but brings the least flavour. Roasting two halves is middling but peeling it, cubing and roasting with about 4 cloves of garlic and sprigs of fresh time will be amazing. After roasting for around 20-35 minutes - low and slow is better really, you don't want to burn them but the caramelising of the squash on the baking sheet is flavour.
Remove thyme sprigs and tip in the leaves but the stems are woody so chuck those.
Add homemade stock, a can of full fat coconut milk, bring to a bubble for a while, stir and blend.
Tip 3 is make your own stock. It is delicious. If we have a roast chicken C picks all the meat off and we pop all the bones in a stock pan and boil it up for around 30 minutes. Lovely and free. You can freeze this too.
Tip 4 is after a roast chicken, make the stock and use some of the leftover chicken meat to make soup. Just add a can of sweetcorn and salt (I never bother with pepper as I don't much fancy it) for the most simple and satisfying soup.
Obviously soups with cream, creme fraiche or coconut milk will be thicker and more full of calories but it depends on your objectives. Usually I don't put any in unless I happen to have some in the fridge and that's rare.
Borlotti beans are sometimes cooked and added after blitzing. I don't always blitz but it does save you the bother of keeping ingredients tidy if they'll all be whizzed together afterwards. That's tip 5.

C sometimes takes hot soup to work in a soup flask and that saves time/bother heating it up.
Many of my soups turn out as 'green' or 'orange' or 'off-white' for the more parsnip or celeriac based ones. Add herbs and seasoning to taste.
Actually I did make a nice squash soup with a large spoonful of curry paste and coconut milk. Gently spiced, but not too hot.
Be creative.
Soup has so much potential to feed.
Take care,
Sophie

Fitness in 2019 will be interesting. I've had a brilliant year and a half which has set me up for feeling super motivated for 2019. A healthy balance is for every day, not just for new year's resolutions which is why throughout the festive period I kept up my regular regime of exercise. Usually in a week I have one 5K run outdoors, 4 hiit workouts, a one hour outdoor bootcamp session (if not, then another indoor hiit workout) and a day of rest. It felt good to workout as part of a routine and maintain the continuity of activity despite the abandonment of most other parts of daily life over the Christmas break..
Back in 2017 I was in despair about how I had put on weight and lost my fitness mojo. It was around September 2017 that I finally found a way forward when I was introduced to High Intensity Interval Training workouts on YouTube. Joe Wicks 'The Bodycoach' was the channel of choice  initially and continued to be so up until a couple of months ago when I decided that I really wanted to up my game and challenge myself. I've dabbled with new channels and have found a couple which tick the box of kicking my backside. Heather Robertson has some really tough workouts (and she's got such a calm manner with no shouting or faff, just a clear video) and BodyFit by Amy has some good kettlebell sessions.
I love high energy cardio, strength and endurance. Give me a kettlebell and a pint of water and I'm away. The videos you shadow are absolutely essential for me; I can mimic along for an eternity but the ones which tell you what to do then expect you to crack on under your own steam are a complete no-no, I just can't be bothered.
Fitness has never been this accessible before. Thousands of free channels for inspiration, guidance and following along. Remember back in the old days where you had to buy a video or dvd? Now there's infinite choice on tap. We are so lucky!
So what's new? I'd like to try keeping up with running 5k as much as possible. It's great to try bettering myself and attempt to make inroads into my target time. Running a sub 23 would be perfect for me. I came close to a 22:30 a couple of times last year but didn't quite reach it but if I put in the effort then maybe I can run a sub 23 a few times and feel like I've achieved something. Finishing a good run and not feeling like I need to throw up would also be nice.
I want to find challenging workouts to do this year, ones that push me to grow stronger and for my heart to become fitter. It's not all about physique, your heart is the most important piece of kit you own - without it there's nothing so getting fit isn't just about dropping a few pounds and creating a better silhouette. I don't think this is emphasised enough throughout health campaigns and across the fitness industry in general.
I want my heart to become not 'the best it can be' because that sounds to pinnacle-esque really but just to gradually become stronger. A resting heart rate gets lower the healthier and stronger your heart becomes as the beat becomes more efficient. Measuring fitness is more about how quickly you recover, rather than what you can do.
Yes, I'd like to shed a few pounds of fat, just so that I feel a little happier in my clothes.
Also there are some fitness goals I'd like to reach, though these my be adjusted through the year and added to.

• I want to reach level 11 on the bleep test (gracefully, no grim consequences!)
• I desperately want to better my planks which are my worst aspect of fitness - still haven't addressed this. 3 minutes of strong frame would be amazing.
• Stronger everything and to work on this I intend to do more kettlebell and dumbbell workouts
• Increase my fitness test scores at the monthly bookcamp check in. We do 90 seconds of (jump) squats, press ups, burpees and then the plank to expiry. 
• Back in the mists of time - so far back I can't even find the post I declared I wanted to get washboard abs. I didn't remotely manage it. But this year I want to lose the fit round my middle and feel like I have toned up enough to feel fit and healthy - and like I can wear a cropped gym top without feeling grim.

Have you considered your fitness aspirations for 2019?
Take care,
Sophie

Just over a year ago I wrote about my turning point in taking back control of my fitness.
Things had lapsed into excessive eating, scant exercise and an ever increasing waistline. Then I gave the 15 minute hiit sessions a try and suddenly I'd found the answer to some of my problems. High intensity intervals are great value for money workouts. They maximise your benefits in that short space of time and have an enormous impact on the rest of your day.
Since January I made a streamlined effort to eat in a way that suited me, my goals and my allotment produce. By mid March it was evident how far I'd come, I wrote an emotional post back in April and I'd say my form peaked in May/June. Inevitably, the hardest part by far, as I've found in the past, was finding balance once 'goals' have been reached. Yes, I've put a little weight back on, off and on and off and on but that's the way of it. The scales we use every Saturday morning measure water, fat and muscle content too. I don't much care for them only as a habit now really but measurements say far more. Knowing that I'm able to wear my clothes without having to struggle into them (or giving up and buying something bigger) has been a load off my mind. I'm about 3/4 pounds more than my 'lightest' but once you reach a point where you're satisfied, which I did, it's almost impossible to stay at a constant and although I could go back in heavy to reclaim my best form I'm satisfied with a step down in favour of a good healthy mix of lifestyle.

I was asked the other day as a flippant question which had an unmistakably rhetorical undercurrent how do you stay so slim, Soph*?
It was a relative easy one to answer and as I feel strongly about how to quantify the recipe I listed precisely how: (and I think if you ask a question then expect to hear an answer, even if it's not one you want to hear).

• 4 High Intensity Interval Training (hiit) sessions ranging from 15-25 minutes each per week 
• an hour of bootcamp a week
• a hard 5k run a week (ideally although I don't beat myself up if I miss one, or two)
• Cut out/right down on carbs like pasta, rice, bread, too many potatoes and instead fill up your plate with extra vegetables
• Drink plenty of water
• Get enough sleep
• Walk and get fresh air regularly - I also do a lot of allotment pottering

I suppose the norm is to feel heinous about what happened in December and in a fit of insanity to start on lettuce and join a gym on 2nd January (after the new years' eve hangover has finally worn off) but quite contrary to the trend, I feel good. Back in September I wrote about where I was at at with my healthy lifestyle - trying to haul myself back on the bandwagon with bloodied broken nails and how I envisaged turning things around. Well I'm pleased to say that I've kept up a regular amount of exercise since then, with great results. My fitness levels seem to be better, I'm feeling more inclined to start a workout than try to bunk off with excuses. With the dark evenings it's been impossible to run outside although each weekend we do try to get out for a 5k as long as it's not icy. Over the Christmas break I think I ran about 25-35k in total and it left me feeling uplifted instead of guilty. So what if I over-indulged in food and drink for the best part of a month? That's just life. I stuck with exercise and have no regrets. That said, this year we are trying to pack in more vegetables and less processed food especially carbs. The main change being porridge for breakfast instead of toast. No biggie.
I bought myself a new pair of running shoes as my others are so worn away inside that it looks like a rodent as been in and nibbled away for nesting matter. I like the way they match almost identically with the colour of the cyclamen flowers (apparently this may be an indoor variety but it is hanging on even though the deer munched half).
So what goals should I set? It's a tricky one because there are not an awful lot of ways to measure if you don't use weights or weigh yourself or measure yourself. Although I would obviously like to slim down so I can wear my clothes again (yup that would be nice), I want to stretch my physical capabilities disregarding appearance.
Here's a few goals for 2018 (some more optimistic than others)

• Our best 5k run to date was at the weekend (23:55) and I'd like to run sub 23 minutes. Breaking my PB of 21:47 sounds too much of an ask so I'll see how running goes this year.
• I'd like to be able to do 10 of those close arm press ups with your elbows in to your sides
• I'd like to do one respectable diamond press up
• I'd like to work on doing a handstand push up (best try a handstand first!)
• I'd like to do a convincing 2:30 plank. My planks are terrible - I can't breathe and my main risk is passing out if I push too much. I need to research how to improve this
• I'd like to get up to level 11 on the beep test. We do one at boot camp and I believe it's the 15 meter one.
• Pull ups - I want to try these and get better. 

That sounds like plenty to be getting along with for now.
Take care,
Sophie

It's been a while since I delved into something new to eat. My usual breakfast choices swing back and forth between porridge, toast or maybe at the weekend some kind of full English or bacon sarnie. When I was asked if I'd like to try some granola I wracked my brain in attempt to recall if I'd ever eaten any before but if memory serves me right I haven't. Lizi's Granola looks really interesting with plenty of varieties in the range; I've been trying out both the low sugar and high protein products which are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and are GL tested.

The thing I've realised about trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle is that you need to include a good variety of food in your diet. It is pointless eating the same things day in day out. As a first look, I thought I'd compare the two granola mixes side by side. The low sugar is much paler, looks very 'healthy' full of oats and seeds. The high protein mix looks temptingly crisp and crunchy with a lovely glazed appearance.

Both granola mixes are free flowing and ready to eat - straight from the packet if you fancy it (and thankfully neither of them resemble those rocky clusters which resemble something which could require your dentist on speed dial). They smell good. Appetising. I like the idea of being able to use granola is a multitude of ways.
The low sugar mix is ideal for anyone who shies away from sweet breakfast cereals (RRP £3.89 for 500g). The sugar content is less than 4% and I agree, it doesn't taste particularly sweet. As a relatively health conscious individual I know that I shouldn't be eating as much sugar as I currently do and the best types of sweetness to include are fruits and honey instead of naughty spoonfuls of granuals heaped on food. My suggestion was to eat the low sugar granola with fruit. With plums worked a treat! The low sugar mix is dairy free but contains nuts.
The high protein granola looks like a real gem. Not only is it a joy to eat - it has a whole load of protein inside so that adds neatly to my protein tally for the day (which I quite often find is lacking in my diet). RRP £3.99 for 350g.
As a big kid at heart I would only be too happy tucking into a big bowl of some kind of sugar coated or chocolate cereal but hand on heart I am pleased to report t's been at least a couple of years since I buckled. The high protein mix has a fantastic crunch to it in a light way (your teeth are safe) so I decided to try it with yogurt - a greek style pot in the fridge was ideal. I have to say the mix was a taste sensation! One of the most enjoyable things I've discovered in years!
Rich, creamy yogurt and granola to start the day. I've eaten it twice again like this since and added another big pot to my shopping list.
What I do really like about these granolas is that they are so versatile! Eating just by the handful from the packet, with milk, with yogurt, with fruit, as a sprinkle on porridge, with hot milk in the winter for a real warmer, as part of baking for things like flapjacks and biscuits. The possibilities go on. You can buy online or in stores - I did spot a couple of packets in my local Tesco.
Fancy a bowl yourself?
Sophie

Do you recall the last fitness post? It feels like a distant memory as I write but over the past few weeks and months I've found myself about to compose a piece about how things are going well and how my motivation was on an all time high and yet before the words have found their way onto the page all has collapsed again into the abyss of emptiness.

My conclusion is that it must be normal to go through peaks and troughs of progress. I honestly feel like no matter how much good intention there is behind planning, sometimes things fall to pieces when it comes to the crunch. There are only 24 hours in a day. Spend them wisely. From a personal point of view, I have to say that it's utterly impossible to have everything. And I'm so disappointed.

Those 24 hours a day are a balancing act. There is no way to fit in everything that wants doing. Prioritising is key. Sometimes 'free' time has to be spent on cooking batches of food for the freezer to provide fast meals for future nights. Sometimes spending the time doing extra housework is essential for achieving a calm living space. Sometimes you need extra sleep. Other times you can spend time exercising. Being an adult is exhausting. Sometimes you have the time but no energy.

This year I've been weighing myself weekly. Scales are the enemy and I don't take much notice of what they say anyway but there is no denying that skinny jeans are now really rather uncomfortable and dresses with waistbands are a no-no. My diet is one I would describe as haphazard, though in my defence I would say I drink plenty of water, eat a fair amount of vegetables and quite a bit of fruit. I also eat quite a bit of protein and nuts, so technically it includes a whole host of all the good things I'm supposed to eat. However, I imagine it's the everything else that's the problem. There are no biscuits or cakes in the cupboard, though we often have those big sharing bags of crisps.

Exercise is currently down to once a week of intensive activity, plus running 5k up to twice a week (but often no running). It's lousy and I'm cross in a way that I don't make it more of a must do than just a want to. But in my defence I'm fitter than ever before! My strength and endurance is at an all time high, though running is a bit lame.... I think my days of racing are over, there's no joy in it any more. So I'm at my fittest while at my flumpiest too. Hurrah. Or not. Not much of a consolation when my belly is hanging over the top of the jeans.

C bought me this book I talked about as a surprise. It's written by The Lean Machines; John Chapman and Leon Bustin who are two inspiring local faces from Norfolk (you must have heard of them!They have a website too). They not only share advice on healthy eating and exercise but also on the mental health side as well. I'm a positive person in the mornings but these guys really put me to shame for the rest of the day. I'm going to try with some of their techniques for keeping happy and I'm sure it will make a positive impact. They also don't talk bull about things being easy nor make wild promises. It was really refreshing.

I guess this turned into a bit of a ramble really but I really wanted to check in with myself and say things aren't perfect by a long shot but I'm trying my best and still finding my way.
It must be about balance and I wouldn't want to work out 6 nights a week but live in a dishevelled house with no clean clothes and nothing to eat in the cupboard.
Please tell me I'm not alone.
Sophie

Writing this is a must. Why do I constantly gravitate towards terrible eating habits? Given the choice, I usually make poor judgements about what to eat and how much of it to have. Enormous portion sizes, snacks, filling the freezer with junk food...
It's not that I can claim ignorance because I know exactly how fatty and sugary all these processed foods are, it's more just that these are things that in my head seem like tastier things to eat. We usually don't buy biscuits or cakes or chocolate, simply because I'll munch my way through them in no time at all.
Weekends and holidays are usually the worst time when regular good habits all but completely evaporate. All progress made during the rest of the time is quickly reversed (and then some) and it's pretty disheartening when you realise how long it takes to make any progress at all.

The question I have is why do I want to eat all the rubbish, when I know it's going to make me feel disappointed afterwards. I'm sitting here after a fortnight of excesses and wondering why this keeps happening. My usual idea of healthy eating isn't too strict, too restrictive, it's not celery and lettuce leaves for every meal.

I'm left meal planning week by week (as always) and hoping that my willpower will last me a good bit longer this time.
Sophie

Have you made any food discoveries lately?
Sophie

Last year saw my fitness regime all but completely evaporate and funnily enough, there were consequences. At the start of the year I stepped on the scales for the first time in a long time, met with something of a shocker which has only been corroborated by most of my jeans refusing to do up. I knew that something had to change, both in my weekly activities and in my head too. A healthy body goes hand in hand with a healthy mind, or something like that. Late nights and bingeing on junk food is no good for you regardless of how much you work out so I had to look at everything in the round.

As my strength is better than it's ever been, it was clear that cardio was where improvement was needed and running on the treadmill was the obvious answer. I can't lie, most of the time I still whine about having to run after work. It tends to be something that feels like it's getting in the way of relaxing and enjoying my evening but deep down I know I have to do the exercise. So after a bit of a dither (I still need to iron out the 'putting it off' stage) I don my running kit and hop on the treadmill four evenings a week. One hour of bootcamp still stands firm in my diary. The rest have been allotted to a run. My relationship with the treadmill is hate-hate. It's a machine and therefore will not negotiate nor show compassion which doesn't sit well with me. What I really want is to set a time and count down with a neat way of scheduling the speeds but so far no joy. The treadmill is sturdy and safe but as I've got a relatively fast sprint in me the speeds I whack it up to seem to end up with me running in a messy fashion with one false move potentially ending in disaster. Due to the insane irritation that the treadmill causes me, I try to vary what happens on each session; sometimes a short fast mile, a HIIT session, a steadier longer go... To be honest my longest encounter has been about 1.75 miles this year and my shortest run lasted ten minutes. I always get off the treadmill puffing and hot.
I'm getting there. Once it's light enough I'll be outside hitting the roads again. I want to fall in love with running again, looking forward to feeling like this is something I want to do and enjoy. It's progress!
Sophie 

Much as I like to know my exercise was a worthwhile endeavour, I could really do without the muscle aches for the day (or two, or three!) after. When working out as part of my group class we always do both a warm up and cool down but I have to admit that when I work out alone or go running there is precious little attention paid to cooling down properly.
There's a new product out from Deep Heat which I'm pretty sure has been designed specifically for me. It looks like a roll on antiperspirant but it's a muscle massage lotion. Deep Heat is one of those products I have always classified as one for Dad; along with all the other really strong manly smelling soaps, aftershaves, lotions, TCP, Vicks. All the strong stuff. In fact I can't recall daring to use Deep Heat myself, even when it would have been wise to. C has used it and the doctor has recommended it for his dickie neck.

So back to this roll on lotion. This one is for me.

It's a double whammy of a product as you can use it both before and after exercise.
Use before to warm up muscles both with the massaging of the rollerball bottle and the lotion which heats the muscle and increases blood flow. I find that my feet and ankles are very cold before I hop on the treadmill in winter so I popped some around my ankles then ran. I found the muscles heated up super fast once I started running and it took me by surprise. An excellent idea for me especially in winter.
Once I'd finished my run and bathed I put the lotion on the backs on my knees and calves as this is where I quite often feel stiff the day after. This time the lotion started warming almost immediately! No stiffness or aches at all afterwards.

It's non-medicinal, so there's no fretting about drugs (have I mentioned before that I really hate taking medicines?) It's got a pleasant herbal fragrance which I have to say I rather enjoyed. Now, Deep Heat tend to be a little modest when they say the product is 'warming', I have to say I nearly let out an initial expletion on the maiden trial of this lotion but my overall opinion is that it's a darned good product which I've enjoyed using and I would concur that it does exactly what it claims to. I'll be buying another of these when I've used up this one.

Sophie
Thanks to Deep Heat for sending this product to me to review. All content and opinions are my own as always

The start of every new year can be a little unsettled; what with getting over the last dregs of Christmas as well as the introduction of resolutions. I'm not entirely sure I like beginning anything new in the middle of winter - it's the worst time of year for inspiring any sort of enthusiasm. Surely spring would be the optimum point in the year for implementing positive changes? Certainly from my personal viewpoint it would make more sense. Nevertheless, in accordance with my resolutions for 2016 I have been making a few changes which I'll probably cover in greater depth over the next little while.

After the success of last years amaryllis, I'm already filling up with joy over since planting this little beauty (another present from my Nan) and this one is an unusual purple one so I'm excited to see what the flower will look like in a few weeks' time. The bulb from last year was kept around the house and after just sprouting greenery I lopped it all off and stuck it in a dark cupboard for a number of weeks. Last week I took it out, watered it and popped it out on the table, I'm not convinced it will spring back into life but who knows.