January 2018 – LouLou Fitness

January 29, 2018

Uncategorized

I can’t count to 50…..

When I was 5 years old I had a 110 IQ of maths and today…..well…..it seems I am unable to count up to 50.

I signed up to a challenge to run/walk 50 miles in the month of January and although I was sick for 5 days and we have 2 days left in this month, I have so far clocked up 61 miles!!! Yep I smashed it LOL!

To be totally honest I have loved and hated the challenge. I hated getting up early, especially when it was really cold outside in the morning, as I LOVE to sleep in. Taking those first few steps on the road to get a rhythm of my running/jogging pace was also hard, but when I got going those negative thoughts went away. I loved how much my mind would drift off and I would think about my day ahead. I would also get into the music on my iphone and sometimes start singing along LOL. I would get excited everytime my Garmin watch would vibrate telling me my pace per km. If my pace had gotten faster than the time before I would get excited and set myself another goal for the next km. Also seeing other fellow runners on the road would keep me motivated as I would make me feel less alone in my passion for running.

Finally seeing the skyline as it changed from dark to light or in night runs watching the moon and stars was so beautiful to see, it would make me realise that there is much more to see outside and around the area I live in than sitting on the sofa watching TV or scrolling through Facebook LOL.

So all in all, I have really enjoyed the Race At Your Pace Virtual challenge and I am tempted to do it again for March but sign up for 75miles. What do you think? Fancy joining me?

Can’t wait to get my t-shirt and medal 🙂

January 7, 2018

Eating late, Running, Snacking, Vegan Cookies, Weight loss

Stop Eating late…..

….is my next target. After last weeks heart attack, finding out that I gained nearly 2 stone, I needed a new focus and my cousin suggested I should sign up for the ‘Get Fit for 2018’ challenge with her. So the challenge we are doing is to run or walk 50 miles in January which can be done at your own pace. So far in my first week I have clocked up 15.5 miles and lost 4 lbs which has made my week.

However next week is going to be a bit more difficult to get my mileage in, as I will be back teaching my fitness classes as they all start back this week and I drive everywhere.

Eating snacks late at night is another one of my biggest weaknesses as I have a massive sweet tooth, and it is going to get harder as when I teach in the evenings, I do get quiet peckish when I get back home.

It is said that you gain weight if you eat more calories than you burn and eating crisps, biscuits and drinking alochol like I have been doing late at night will make you gain weight. These high calorie sugary foods and drinks are calorie-dense, nutrient-poor and more likely to add pounds to your bodyframe which it certainly did for me. Regularly eating late can also throw off your internal clock. When you eat during your body’s normal “sleep” time, you may be more likely to store the calories as fat. Researchers surmise that your body reacts differently to food depending on the time of the day, because of body temperature, biochemical reactions, hormone levels and physical activity.

So planning my meals and going to sleep on time is going to be a priority. Not just preparing my main meals but also making healthy snacks. Making sure my meals contain ingredients that will give me enough energy not only to teach and move but also to be healthy and nutritious…….so no pressure.

Thankfully I found a lovely recipe for Vegan Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies by Detoxinista. Let me tell you for a nut free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free cookies they taste absolutely AMAZING and are filling and satisifed my sweet craving. Buckwheat is a grain that is not related to wheat and contains no gluten. So if you are like me an have a number of intolerances Buckwheat is a grain that you should check out.