Googal!

Hey guys, 

I notice that I'm still getting quite a lot of traffic on this blog. Unfortunately I've moved over to googalblog.wordpress.com

So please come say hello, and check out my 2014 Christmas Wishlist! 

xx

I have moved!

So you're probably wondering where I'm gone! Well, hopefully you are anyway...

But I've set up a new blog, www.googalblog.wordpress.com

Come say hello :)

Long Time No See!

Hey guys :)

So I know it's been a long time since my last blog post, but between college, moving house, job-hunting etc. It's been hectic to say the least!

But not to worry as over the next few weeks, I am planning a complete re-launch. It will no longer be Fiona's Fashion Ireland, however I will have all of the usual stuff that you guys love.

I'm shaking things up a little bit. It's not just going to be a fashion blog anymore, but more of a lifestyle blog. Full of beauty, health, photos, fashion, food, exciting competitions, and the shenanigans that I'll be getting up to!

I'm also starting an internship this summer in U!Magazine which I'm super excited about, and can't wait to fill you all in on what I get up to.

I've also plenty of new clothes, shoes and beauty products that I can't wait to show you. 

So as ever, thank you for being so patient with me, I really appreciate your support. And although I haven't been blogging in almost two months, you're still checking in everyday. 

Without getting too sentimental and soppy, you all mean the world to me, so thanks again for reading!

Looking forward to talking to you very soon,

4lbs Down!

So today, I had my induction at the gym. At two o'clock, I met with the lovely Brian, one of the instructors in The Swan Center in Rathmines. Firstly, he asked me a couple of questions, such as "How active am I?", about my medical history etc. 

After that then, he took my measurements (chest, waist and hips), before weighing me. As it turns out, I've lost 4 pounds, since starting back at the gym!

I'm absolutely delighted with myself, and have achieved it simply through cutting back on my portions, and exercising more.

I'm meeting Brian again on Monday, where he is going to give me a personal work-out plan, which obviously I will share with you all.

But for now, I've decided to put together my top tips based on my experience over the last few weeks:

1. WATER!! My biggest and by far most important tip. It will stave off any hunger pangs, keep you hydrated, and you will literally flush the pounds away.
2. Hot water and Lemon. Every morning and every evening I drink a cup and I love it! Much prefer the taste to Green Tea, and it has (almost) all of the benefits of drinking it.
3. Intervals. When I was talking to Brian today, he told me that instead of running, or walking at a constant pace on the treadmill, for weight loss, the most important thing is to vary your heart rate. This maximises weight loss. So for instance, try walking for two or three mins on the treadmill (or the road!), then run for one minute. Today I repeated this for 30 mins.
4. Eat something straight after the gym. Protein is the best post work-out snack. Try a handful of nuts (almonds are full of protein) straight after a work-out to keep your metabolism fueled and help replenish your muscles.
5. Walk whenever you can! Sounds obvious, but being the broke student that I am, I can't even afford the bus sometimes! Which I suppose helps me in the long run really, as it's an extra 30 mins walking each day.

Also, head over to my Facebook page: 
https://www.facebook.com/fionasfashionireland where you can enter into the draw for a copy of Ruth Field's 'Run, Fat Bitch! Run'.

Best of luck :)

The Post I Never Wanted to Write

Inevitably, it happened. I've been dreading writing this post for too long, but it's time to take my head out of the sand and admit it...I fell off the wagon.

And I've no excuse. Last week was a tough week mentally and physically, I also started back at college and I started a new job, but I can't hide behind excuses. I had plenty of time to go to the gym and I gave myself every excuse under the sun not to go. 

Once I'd eaten something crap, that was it "What's the point of going to the gym now after eating that?", or "I walked to work and back today, I've done enough exercise for the day". But realistically, I could've gone, couldn't I?

It wasn't until I did my neknomination video for Facebook the other day that I realised how much weight I've gained. Each take away, can of coke and burrito I've eaten in the past few months all slowly but surely crept on.

I'm tired of being so unhappy about it. "What's to say this time is different", I'm sure you're wondering. And the answer is, "I don't know?" But if I don't believe in myself, no one will. And the main thing is, I've been honest.

The hardest thing to do is to let yourself slip, even for one day, it's so difficult to pull yourself together and get back on it. I've been giving myself excuses for months now, and I'm finally ready to admit it.

I have no excuses. I'm just lazy. But I was happy with my weight once, and I can do it again.

I've brushed the dust off my old friend 'Run Fat Bitch, Run!', by Ruth Field.

This book is all the motivation you'll need. I couldn't recommend it highly enough, and I'm reading it for the second time. It really is the only fitness book you'll need to read, (apart from my blog, obviously!)

I'm getting a bit frustrated with my blog recently, as I'm sure you are too. I'm struggling with what direction to take it in. At the end of the day it is 'Fiona's Fashion Ireland', (although I am toying with the name). So what I've decided to do it, a weekly update (at least) of my weight-loss, rather than daily. And every other day, blog about the things I love. Fashion, reviews, and the odd bit of celebrity gossip.

Keep an eye on my Facebook page though for healthy recipes, tips, style tips and competitions. I'm definitely going to be more active on Facebook, so please please please don't be afraid to like and share!

Day Trois!

OK, so I'm starting to feel the burn. Yesterday was a busy day. I was handing out CVs in the rain, and did a lot of walking. My legs are beginning to ache and I'll be honest, I wanted nothing more than to skip the gym and go home to a hot chocolate.

But I didn't!

I did go to the gym and I was glad that I did, although I took it easier than I did on day 1. I did 40 mins, varying my speed and incline. I was definitely glad that I did though and I think that those are the days when you benefit the most, because you know you've pushed yourself.

I'm aware that gym membership is expensive, and I certainly wouldn't have it, only for Christmas, but there's always a free treadmill outside! And if you've a smart phone, there's plenty of apps you can download to help you figure out how many KM's you've done, and how many calories you've burned. My favourite is 'Map My Run'.

**Just remember, it's not all about the calories. You won't know yourself, how euphoric you'll feel when you get back in the house after being out in the fresh air.

Before you begin, make sure you're hydrated and have had plenty to eat about an hour or so before hand.

If you are heading to the gym, make sure you:

✔ Are wearing the proper gear; sports bra, tracksuit bottoms and a pair of comfy runners. There's nothing worse than runners that cut your heels and squash your toesies!
✔ Have a towel with you. The gym is a sweaty place...
✔ Bring a bottle of water. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!
✔ Have a playlist made; I'm going to post my ultimate gym playlist soon. There's nothing worse than being in full swing when a bit of Adele comes on. There's a time and a place!
✔ And off you go!

Tomorrow, I'm going to post my top 20 workout songs :)

Day Two

I've decided not to weigh myself until the end of the week, and although I'm not going to disclose my weight, I'll let you know what I've lost. 

Last time, I fell into a trap of weighing myself on the hour! Any chance I'd get I'd hop on the scales and tell myself "Ok well if I don't eat and go for a run now then I'll loose another pound", or if I'd put some weight on I'd be so cross at myself and starve myself as punishment (forgetting that although I was loosing weight, because of my gym regime, I was putting on muscle!)

Top Tip Number Two: Beware of the scales!

As you know, I headed out the night before last, and while alcohol is supposed to be a no-no, I drank vodka with a dash of blackcurrent, and didn't do any shots in the club. We tend to over look alcohol sometimes when dieting, after all it's only liquid, right? Well, it may shock you to know that there are 209 calories in a single Jager Bomb!

Top Tip Three: Be mindful of your drink choices.

So yesterday was a bit of a lazy day! I may or may not have gotten up at 4pm...

I didn't go to the gym today, instead I decided to try out Vicky Paittison's DVD, 7 Day Slim.

I'm not gonna lie, it was feckin hard, not only the workout, but having to listen to that accent! You'd definitely have to have some level of fitness built up before starting the DVD. I'm also very unflexible. They do an "easy" and difficult version of each workout, but I don't think there's much of a difference to be honest! There both pretty hard.

It's only a 10 min work out, that you do everyday for 7 days. While that sounds easy, it's a grueling 10 mins!

That said, it obviously worked for her. Tomorrow, back to the gym!

Last night, I went for dinner with Stephen to Jo Burger (yum!) I love Jo Burger! I know it might seem a little strange to be going out for dinner when trying to loose weight, but as I've said before this is not a diet, it's lifestyle change.

Instead of banning yourself from going out and enjoying yourself, just make some simple swaps. For example, in Jo Burger, you can opt for sweet potato fries, instead of regular fries. Or instead of getting a burger in the bun, you can opt for "nude", "half nude", or even have it in a tortilla.

You'll never stick to a healthy lifestyle if you deny yourself doing the things you love.

Breakfast: Melon, a handful of blueberries, and a yoghurt.
Lunch: 3 Crackers with medium cheddar cheese.
Dinner: "The Dobson": cheese, beef burger with tomato relish and rocket, half nude with a side of sweet potato fries.
Drinks and Snacks: Hot water with lemon, water.

Day One - Up and Addam!

For me, the best time to do a work out is in the morning. I'm the world's worst for putting things off, and can always convince myself that there's something more important that needs to be done, so the sooner I get started, the better. 

I've decided that I'm going to talk about the previous day in each post, that way if i've any late snacks, I can include them.

I was up at 9 yesterday morning (a time of day I rarely see!) I had bits and bobs to do in town, and was in the gym for 12. I also wanted to let my breakfast (below) settle.

I began on the treadmill, initially telling myself I'd only go for a half an hour because I thought that was all I'd be able for, having been out of the routine for so long. 

I never ever run on the treadmill. I hate running and I think 'Fun Run' is an oxymoron! However, I do power-walk on a speed of around 6.5 (varying it to 7.0), on an incline of 10. This burns just as many calories as running at a moderate pace, and the incline will give you buns of steel in no time! No joke!

Surprisingly, I ended up staying on the treadmill for an hour! I couldn't believe it! I did vary my pace and my incline after the first 35 mins, but in the end I'd managed to burn a whopping 550 calories! 

Unfortunately, while I was so proud for pushing myself, it seemed when I got home, that I had indeed pushed myself too far. I ended up having to take two nurophen plus and hopping into bed for an hour.

Top Tip Numero Uno: Know your limits!

Start off slow, and over time build yourself up.

I also headed out last night with my friends. I know drinking isn't supposed to be part of this, but I reckon I burned off the calories dancing! ;)

Food Diary:
Breakfast - A fruit of the forest yoghurt and a banana (Probably should've introduced more whole carbs here)
Lunch - Bowl of tomato soup, and a chocolate covered rice cake (to give me a bit of sugar)
Dinner - Wholewheat pasta with stir in sauce (I was in a bit of a hurry to get ready so I just threw on some pasta, should've had something more substantial.)

Drinks - Hot water and lemon, 1.5 litres of water, vodka and blackcurrnet.

Get Fit or Die Trying!

You've no idea how excited I am to write this post! I can hardly contain myself. As you may know, this Christmas I got gym membership from my parents, (nothing says "We love you just the way you are" like gym membership!) I'm joking of course, because I'm absolutely delighted to be getting my fitness back. And being the broke student that I am, this is the perfect motivation.

I've bitten my tongue for long enough about recent issues in the media. Pictures like this:

And the new craze of 'The Juice Diet'. 

Words fail me. Luckily, a friend of mine was able to put it better than I ever could, so please give it a read before we go any further :)

Internal Asylum

I'd be lying if I said I'd never tried fad diets like the juice diet, or tried skipping meals, even starving myself; I've done it all. So trust me when I say it doesn't work. Short-term, yes. Long-term, no. Was I happy? Definitely not. 

I remember one particular day last summer, having to call in sick to work because I'd fainted. I was living on my own in Dublin. Perfect, no one to monitor what I was eating, no one to judge me for living off watermelon and going for a run everyday along the canal. Even when I woke up to call work I remember thinking to myself "well, at least I'm getting skinny".

No one noticed. I always carried that bit of extra weight (although looking back now, I was never the beach-whale I thought I was), so it wasn't as if I looked "underweight". I looked healthy. But inside, I was weak, all I thought about was loosing weight, how many pounds I'd lost that day, and my holiday ahead. Two weeks in Portugal with the girls. The thought of getting into a bikini made me feel sick, and I was taking at least 2 panadol a day to deal with the headaches caused by dehydration. 

After my holiday I stopped going to the gym, started eating normally again, of course the weight came back. Not all of it, but around half of what I'd lost. 

So! With all this in mind, I'm getting back to the gym. I'm going to shed those extra pounds the proper way, while getting fit and hopefully having fun. I realise now that loosing weight is not a short-term thing. We should never loose weight for a holiday, a night out, a pair of jeans, but for ourselves. And that's the only way this is going to work. So if you've anything else in mind that you want to loose it for, quit while you're ahead, because it won't work!

What ever happened to the good old 'Eat less, Exercise more'? Less does not mean nothing, it means cutting back on your portion sizes. 

As we know, I'm no dietician, or personal trainer. But I am motivated, and I really hope i can motivate you too. So over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be giving my day-by-day exercise routine, eating plan (which will include a cheat-day, Im only human!), tips, my weight lost and difficulties I encounter.

I'm going to be completely honest. I hope this post is helpful to at least one of you out there, and thank you for reading this far! 

First post is tomorrow, so best of luck!

Outfit of the Week

This week has been a bit mad to be honest! I finished my exams on Monday, so afterwards, Stephen and I headed to the cinema to see American Hustle, which is absolutely fantastic by the way! I just love Jennifer Lawrence. Afterwards we headed for a few drinks, I met my mum in town for dinner, then Stephen and I re-convened and headed to Copain in Rathmines for a few cocktails.

I'd never been to Copain before and I was really surprised. €5 cocktails, and the place is amazing. It's huge and so modern, perfect for a girls night out. 

Tuesday night, I headed to the infamous Coppers, for a few beverages and a dance with my friends, (Maeve, Graham and Keith, I'd be killed if I didn't mention them!). Here's what I wore:

Shirt, Shorts and Boots: Topshop

Tights: Pennys

Wednesday night, I headed to Bruce Willis in The Lost Society in Dublin to have a twerk and a grind. Thursday, was truly a Throwback Thursday, as I got to go to Galway to see one of my best friends Caoimhe, who I haven't seen in ages! 

So now that I'm finally finished my exams, I have the time to do the maintenance work on my blog that I've wanted to do for ages! I'm going to give my blog a makeover. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it, but it'll be great. So please bare with me over the next couple of days.

Also, planning a competition soon! Watch this space...

Soap and Glory Review

For Christmas I got 'The Yule Monty', by Soap and Glory. Every year Soap and Glory make a big bag of their best products from the year. This year's bag included:

Sugar Crush Body Wash
The Righteous Butter Tub Body Cream
Heel Genius
Hand Food
Peaches and Clean Face Wash
Butter Yourself Body Lotion
Scrub of Your Life
Thick and Fast Mascara
Sexy Mother-Pucker Lip Gloss

Soap and Glory definitely out-did themselves this year with their bag. I love every one of the products. My favourite is the thick and fast mascara. The bristles are huge and really far apart which makes your lashes so dark and long and it never clumps.

I also love the scrub of your life, followed by butter yourself lotion you'll be so soft and smooth after the exfoliator and literally smell good enough to eat after lathering on some body butter. I like to use the exfoliator when shaving my legs as it makes them silky smooth, or use before tanning to avoid any dry patches. 

Throw the bottle of hand food into your handbag and say goodbye to dry, chapped hands! 

Anyone else out there a big Soap and Glory fan?

Wish List!

Being the broke student that I am, this really is a wish list. But after my exams finish on Monday, I'm job hunting. I can't wait to get back into some kind of routine; college, work and exercise. At least that way I won't feel guilty about treating myself to some of these gems:

1. A set of Crown Make Up Brushes
2. Contour Pallet from CrownBrushUK
3. A pair of Free Runs
4. A new Gym Kit, from Forever 21.
5. Sparkly Socks
6. A pair of navy Joni jeans from Topshop
7. A pair of Flat-forms 
8. Navy Disco Pants from America Apparel
9. White backless Body Suit from Misguided.co.uk
10. A Velvet Skort

It's my best friend's 21st in a couple of weeks and Valentine's Day is also coming up, so that's going to be my first weight loss goal. 

I know how difficult it is to maintain a diet during the winter. There's nothing more appealing than a Chinese take away on a cold night, or a hot chocolate to get you through the day in college, but the worst is behind us. It's nearly spring, and the perfect time to start working on that bikini body. 

So I've decided to set myself targets, and in return for my hard work, I get one of the treats above. Genius! 

My Year in Review

I had a good feeling about 2013. My 18th year. I just knew it was going to be brilliant, and I wasn't wrong. It began with myself and my best friend ringing in the New Year, dancing the night away in D2.

We've both changed a lot since then. I got my job in Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which I enjoyed every minute of. I met some great people who shared some of my worst hangovers!

Next, came a day trip that turned into a 3 day adventure to Galway. I couldn't even begin to tell some of the stories from that weekend, if I did, you wouldn't believe me! Turbulent to say the least.

I worked hard in 2013, which really paid off as I lost over a stone before my first girls holiday to Portugal.

It was the best 2 weeks of my life, and I'd recommend Albufeira to anybody. I made friends I'll have for life and memories I'll never forget.

I'll never forget the depression that set in when I came home. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that soon, I was moving back to Dublin, to a house in Rathmines, and going back to college to see all my friends again.

Last year was also my Dad's 50th, so we held a surprise party for him at home. It was great to see all of my family at a function apart from a funeral!

Halloween night, I started going out with Stephen. And I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend. He's made my year and changed my life. I couldn't be happier with him.

Christmas was fabulous! I'm a massive Christmas fan anyway, but this Christmas was extra special. 

Although I wasn't able to ring in the new year, it was still the best NYE I've had in a long time. 

Some other highlights included meeting So Sue Me, my 19th birthday (there are no pictures from that night for some reason? Although it's probably for the best!), nights out, a date to the Aquarium, interviewing the PRO for Leinster rugby, interviewing the owner of Whelans, becoming a brunette again, discovering Bob's Burgers, afternoon tea in The Westbury, and making it through the college year alive!

Thanks to all of you for making it the best year of my life so far, and here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014 xx

Happy New Year!! ....at last!

So as some of you know, this New Years eve I was at a wedding with Stephen. His cousin was getting married in Druid's Glenn in Wicklow, which was absolutely fabulous! I was delighted to be going to a wedding for New Years, as I hate going out to a pushy, sweaty nightclub and there's nothing more depressing than sitting in, ringing it in with Graham Norton. 

Unfortunately, I missed the count down as I was in bed with a migraine and couldn't move for the rest of the night. So forgive me that my New Year is a little out of sync. I suppose I'm just not ment to enjoy New Year's Eve.

I'm also in the middle of exams at the mo which are pretty stressful. So after next week, it'll be blog posts galore!

But keeping with tradition, I did make some New Year's Resolutions. Unlike last year (55 resolutions), this year, I've only made two:

1. Get Fit
2. Stop Being Lazy

Simple, but if I stick to them, I'll be very happy.

I also want to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to you all. You've no idea how happy it makes me, knowing you're all reading my blog and care what I have to say. So in return, I promise to fill this year with plenty more style tips, fashion snaps, competitions, interviews and all the gossip you can handle.

Hope you all had a good New Year, and I look forward to all of your comments in 2014, so don't be afraid to get in touch :)