Guiltless Yum Yums

As many of you know, I have an enormous sweet-tooth. Literally cannot function without chocolate. Unfortunately, my diet forbids such things, and so do my thighs...

But fear not, fellow sweeties, I have found a guilt-less sweet alternative that is not only super healthy, but also delicious.

Bit like Eton-Mess, but without the cream.

You will need:

Fat Free Frommage Frais
Iceing Suger
Meringue Nests
Raspberries
Blackberries

What to do:

1.Break up the meringue nests into large enough chunks, they will tend to crumble a bit but that's fine.
2.Pour in enough frommage frais to cover the meringue.
3.Sieve in some iceing suger (I'm not one to weigh things, I prefer to taste as I go along)
5.Add in the blackberries and raspberries
6.Enjoy!

I made these for the first time today and they were so simple and so quick.

Et voila... 

9lbs lighter

Okay, I'm not entirely ready to start posting before and after pictures just yet, nor have I complete resolution #16, look good in a bikini. I have in fact lost 9lbs, and am feeling healthier than ever! 

I though it might be some encouragement to know that if like me, you've struggled with your weight for a while, that it is possible to loose it, and those skinny bitches out there could be you someday.

While I've never been fat I have been preeeetty chubby my whole life, but worse than that, just really unhappy with my body, and no matter what size or shape you are, there's always something you can do about it. Instead of harping on about what a terrible diet you have and how you need to go outside and immediately run 10km or face a life of ridicule and general fat-ness; I thought it'd be more helpful if I gave an example of what I've been eating, exercising etc, plus some of the difficulties I've faced. 

★ First of all, find yourself a buddy. Someone who's not going to feed you with chocolate when you're being a hormonal bitch, who'll go for a walk with you at 1 in the morning cause you're feeling guilty about not exercising all day, who you can maybe cook with, and who'll encourage you. I've got Maeve. 

Find yourself a Maeve :)

A typical day for me, goes something like this...

Breakfast: Porridge, slimline milk, flax seeds and a banana + a cup of green tea

Lunch: Strawberries, pineapple, orange, melon, berries in a fruit salad + a can of Diet Coke (try water if you can, I'm just addicted to Diet Coke)

Dinner: Grilled Salmon, asparagus, broccoli, peppers + water

Snacks: Handful of nuts (be wary of nuts, they seem like a healthy alternative, which I suppose they are, but do contain a lot of fat so just treat them with caution!)

★ I don't limit my portion sizes, or starve myself. I've also eaten a lot of chocolate lately, but I'm not going to let it affect me, I just take everyday as it comes.

★ I've cut out all white bread, bagels, rice, pasta etc and made the switch to wholewheat or brown. Difficult to get used to at the start, but trust me your body will thank you.

★ I'm not one to drink gallons of water during the day, so I try drink green tea instead of regular tea or coffee, as it speeds up your metabolism like cray! Seriously, all the celebs are drinking it.

★ A really handy hint which I've only recently discovered is eating berries after everything. They help break down your food and are packed with fibre. Try have some handy in the fridge along with some pineapple chunks as they're so handy when you're feeling peckish and you can eat unlimited amounts.

★ I try shop in ALDI and LIDL as there fruit and veg is yum and a fraction of the price of other supermarket chains.

★ Exercise wise, I built myself up slowly. Think snail's pace. Started off burning 50-100 cals in the gym, now I'm doing 45 mins of the treadmill 5 times a week and burning 500+!!

★ If you just can't hack running, like me, try walking at a quick pace on an incline. You can thank me when you have buns of steel! ;)

★ Finally, and I can't stress this enough, do it for yourself. If you're doing it cause your friends are skinny, or to impress some guy, you're never going to maintain it. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. Embrace it. 

I really hope this post encourages some of you, and I'd love to know how you're getting on. 

Best of luck girl-ohs

Stuck in a rut!

It's now the end of March and while I have completed some of my new years resolutions, the term new year has become a distant memory. 

Do you think it's possible to hit a mid-teen/twenties crisis? Why, when my whole life, I've been so sure of what I wanted to do with my life, am now questioning everything? I have a good job, I'm living in an amazing city with some of the best girls I've ever met, I'm single, no strings attached, loosing weight, feeling great; but way in over my head! 

I no longer want to be a journalist. I hate my course. Why does no one tell you how you're doing in college? I get no praise for my work, no one cares if I show up, in fact, my lecturers don't even know my name! I have news stories to write every week with tight deadlines that get shredded apart by a cut throat editor. Is that really what I want with my life? To work my ass off on a story, just to be told it's shite? No thanks.

Working in Gourmet Burger Kitchen, although it is only waitressing, gives me a sense of achievement. I get told when I'm doing a good job, I get wages, customers tip me because I have a bit of banter with them (and can carry three plates at once!) While I'm not saying I want to be a waitress all my life, I just think it needs to be said, if you're like me and need a bit of encouragement every now and again, you're not going to get it in college. You're probably doing a great job, but no one's going to tell you.

What I really want is to travel the world. I want to swim with dolphins in Hawaii, skydive in Vegas, eat mad things in Thailand, motorbike down route 66, eat croissants in Paris.....

I want to present E!News, go to The Oscars, interview stars, run my blog as a business, organise fashion and music events...

Not much, I know.

Does anyone know if there's a course for this? Or some special grant scheme I can apply for? lol

I'm afraid if I drop out of college I'll have to leave Dublin, loose my grant, loose my student over-draft and my student card, which gives me so many discounts. I apologise for this moany post, but after a night of crying my eyes out to my parents and the massive stress spot on my nose, I decided it was necessary. 

Please tell me I'm not alone?

P.S did I mention I'm in bed listening to Norah Jones? Desperate times I tell you...