I Don't Have Time to Work Out & [Insert other excuse here] Revisited

Those of you who are new to the blog might have missed my original post way back in September 2013 which talked about the various reasons why people can't or won't try and stay in shape and provided some viable solutions to those problems.

That post, if you missed it, can be found HERE.

As we're nearing the end of January, I keep hearing and reading the same story be it "I want to loose weight" or "I want to tone up" or "I'm really unhappy with my body." On several of these occasions I have offered solutions and seem to come up against something of a brick wall of excuses such as:

1. I don't have the time
2. I don't have the money
3. I'm not near a gym
4. It's too much effort

Being my usual helpful self, I want to revisit my original post and share some new options and maybe provide a reality check at the same time. There is nothing worse than being asked for advice and being completely ignored, make the effort.

So, first things first, I don't have the time.

The solution here is simple, make the time. We recently moved offices which now means I get home later than I used to. As such, my evening work-outs have gone out the window somewhat.

My solution? I set my alarm 20 minutes earlier and now crack on with a work-out first thing in the morning (6:08am 3 times a week Monday-Friday) and get a train which leaves 15-minutes later. As I was getting into the office an hour earlier than I needed to, I had a little time to spare and now arrive 40 minutes earlier than I need to. I could get an even later train, but as we know, Southern are unreliable at the best of times.

What, you don't have the time to cook proper meals? Cooking from scratch doesn't need to take hours, I frequently whip up a good home cooked meal in less than 30 minutes, and yes, that's totally from scratch. Struggling for inspiration for quick cook meals? Check out the Lean in 15 cookbook by Joe Wicks, the meals are uber tasty and seriously filling.

By the time you've gone out for dinner at the local pub, ordered your food and then waited for it to arrive at the table, you could have cooked yourself something wholesome and nutritious which will give your body the energy it needs to function properly.  

Next, I don't have the money.

Well this can be checked off fairly easily as eating well doesn't necessarily have to cost the earth. Ad and I have done the High Fat Diet on several occasions and found this only increased our weekly food bill by around £10 a week, but, given we weren't buying mid-week snacks we were making quite the saving.

You don't need to buy any fancy books or nap yourself a personal trainer to get results either. How about utilising free diet based resources such as the Eat More Loose More plan run by Good Morning Britain? This website comes complete with a full eating plan, shopping lists, work out videos and even recipes. I mean, the shopping list is literally done for you, the recipes are done for you, the meals are planned out for you, can it get any easier? 

And, tying in I don't live near the gym as well as, I don't have the time in with I don't have the money, I'm sure you have an internet connection no? If so, Youtube is your friend!

I regularly use Youtube as a means of tracking down great workouts which can be bashed out quickly. Youtube is of course FREE and you don't require access to a gym. At most, you might need a yoga mat which can be picked up from a TK Maxx or a Sports Direct for £5, or a light set of free weights which, again, can be picked up for around the price of your morning Starbucks. To get you started check out these great channels:

The Body Coach TV

Full of  High Intensity Interval Training based work outs, many of which can be done in small spaces and in under 20 minutes. Everyone has 20-minutes to workout, the below Fat Burning HIIT and Ab workout is one of my favourites mixing cardio with ab focused moves.

Popsugar Fitness

There are tons and tons of workouts available on this channel, ranging from 5-minute intense body weight workouts, 15-minute boxing workouts, 20-minute HIIT workouts, kettlebells, yoga and everything in between. Please don't try and kid yourself by saying you haven't even got 5-minutes to do something for yourself. The 20-minute Bikini HIIT Workout below is fast becoming my go-to morning workout.

Tone It Up

Now these ladies seriously know how to pack a punch into their workouts. They're not easy by any means but again, if you've got 20-minutes, then that's enough time to tuck a good workout under your belt. Their HIITy Bitty Bikini workout is hard work and you will require some light weights but it literally works everything including your shoulders and your core.

Finally, it's too much effort.

Well, it took all of 10-minutes of utilising the worlds favourite search engine Google to find all of these resources and I'm sure, if I wanted to, I could waffle on for pages and pages.

5, 10 or 20-minutes of your day to get a workout in, is not effort, suck it up and get it done!

If you honestly find yourself saying, after this entire post that it's too much effort or that you can't be bothered then clearly you don't really want to change. That's totally fine, you have to do what makes you happy, but please stop making excuses about why you can't and actually get out there and DO.

It's your body after all!

Do you have any free resources that you'd like to share? Have you tried any of the above workouts?

A Couple of Reads Which Might Change Your Life

Following on from my recent book related post, I have two more which I need to share with you before I forget!

First of all, The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson, the same Jon Ronson of "The Men Who Stare At Goats" fame. I'll be honest and say I absolutely demolished this book and found it totally hilarious. I loved it so much, my other half has read it already and I've already finished his latest offering which is entitled "So You've Been Publicly Shamed."

What's great about this book is it's educationally, but it's been written in such a way that it feels fun and enjoyable. However, I will say, once you've finished this, you may be convinced most of your friends of psychopaths and if you work in London, you'll know that everyone is off their trolley and could therefore make you doubt EVERYONE!

I realise I'm not describing this particularly well, so, if it helps, Amazon describe this as follows "What if society wasn't fundamentally rational, but was motivated by insanity? This thought sets Jon Ronson on an utterly compelling adventure into the world of madness...Along the way, Jon meets psychopaths, those whose lives have been touched by madness and those whose job it is to diagnose it, including the influential psychologist who developed the Psychopath Test, from whom Jon learns the art of psychopath-spotting. A skill which seemingly reveals that madness could indeed be at the heart of everything...Combining Jon Ronson's trademark humour, charm and investigative incision, The Psychopath Test is both entertaining and honest, unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges."

Next is an absolute god send for those of us that have a slight obsession with cleaning and tidying in general. Of course, I'm talking about the sensation that is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. This really is life changing, especially when it came to me tidying out my wardrobe and clothing in general. In one swift (well 2 hour) session I managed to completely organise my clothing and rid myself of three bags full of clothing. Two of those bags went to charity whilst the other sadly contained clothing which had become damp damaged in our flat so had to be binned.

I've now done the entire house and gotten rid of so much stuff it's unreal! I slept like an absolute baby when it was done and feel much more calm at home which is wonderful. If you're strange like me and actually feel a sense of accomplishment when tidying and cleaning then this book could be for you. 

Amazon describe it as "Transform your home into a permanently clear and clutter-free space with the incredible KonMari Method. Japan's expert declutterer and professional cleaner Marie Kondo will help you tidy your rooms once and for all with her inspirational step-by-step method....The key to successful tidying is to tackle your home in the correct order, to keep only the things you really love and to do it all at once – and quickly. After that for the rest of your life you only need to choose what to keep and what to discard...The KonMari Method will not just transform your space. Once you have your house in order you will find that your whole life will change. You can feel more confident, you can become more successful, and you can have the energy and motivation to create the life you want. You will also have the courage to move on from the negative aspects of your life: you can recognise and finish a bad relationship; you can stop feeling anxious; you can finally lose weight....Marie Kondo's method is based on a 'once-cleaned, never-messy-again' approach. If you think that such a thing is impossible then you should definitely read this compelling book."

Have you read either of these books? Did you find them life-changing? 

A Couple of Great Comedy Reads

During my commute into work, I find I need a distraction to help with any anxiety attacks if the train is especially busy. Reading is one of my favourite distractions, especially if it's one that is going to make me chuckle!

I appreciate these two books probably are fairly obviously choices, but I genuinely loved reading both of them. Being a huge fan of Parks & Recreation and 30 Rock I couldn't wait to read both books!

Yes Please by Amy Poehler is part memoir, part life advice and is an absolute hoot which made me laugh out loud on several occasions. If you're not familiar with Amy, she's an Actress, Comedienne and Writer who hit the big time with Saturday Night Live and the UBC. Since then she's gone on to do some awesome bits and pieces including Parks & Recreation which, if you haven't seen, you need to watch because it's frikken hilarious. 

The inside of the book describes this as  "A collection of anecdotes, essays, ideas, lists, and haikus from the mind of one of America's most beloved entertainers, Yes Please offers Amy's thoughts on everything from her 'too safe' childhood outside of Boston to her early days in New York City, her ideas about Hollywood and showbusiness, the demon that looks back at all of us in the mirror, and her joy at being told she has 'a face for wigs'. A delight on every page, Yes Please is chock-full of words, and wisdom, to live by."

Without spoiling anything, this book will make you feel pretty darn chuffed about being weird, a little different, or perhaps someone whose mind didn't quite think like everyone else's. We're awesome!

Bossypants by Tina Fey is probably the book that started the whole comedienne book writing trend and again, I loved this! This is more memoir than than Amy Poehlers book and follows Tina through school, summer camp and her rise to fame, again through Saturday Night Live where she and Amy met for the first time. It is hilarious and well worth a read.

The synopsis of this on Amazon really does set the whole tone for this book, with the description stating  "Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her. Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls and 'Sarah Palin', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately half-hearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy."

Again, I don't want to spoil anything for you, but if you'd like somewhere to start on the comedienne front, I'd recommend this as it's not too long and really will make you chuckle. As a fan I really enjoyed finding out more about where she started from. It certainly makes you appreciate how hard people have worked to end up doing a job they've dreamed of and makes me motivated to keep on pushing to wind up where I want to be. These things don't happen overnight people!

Have you enjoyed any good comedy reads lately? What would you suggest I read next?

Things to do in London - Borough Market

If you're a food lover and your close to London Bridge then the famous Borough Market really is a must. It's perhaps the most renowned of London's food based markets and really does sell a little bit of everything. 

Ad and I are very fortunate in that we travel into London Bridge every morning for our commute, that makes the Market only a short 20 minute train ride from home and a super short walk from London Bridge station.

Borough Market has been an epicentre for chefs, restaurateurs and food lovers since as long ago as the 13th century. It's a had revamp fairly recently and is now home to over 100 traders.

As well as the more traditional fruit and vegetable stalls, you can also find bakers, butchers, fishmongers and of course specialist wine and beer stalls.

One of Ads favourite spots to visit is Utobeer who stock a wide range of craft products from all over the world including ale, beer, larger and even wheat beer. The people at this stall are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their products which is handy if you find their selection to be overwhelming. 

If you have a good idea of what you're after, they'll be able to point you in the right direction. If it's hops you're after then Ads favourites of Brew Dogs Punk IPA, anything by London brewers The Kernel or Red Mistress by Siren Craft Brew should see you right.

In fact, most of the traders here are very passionate about what they do, they're super passionate about food and some will even grow, rear or produce the products on offer themselves.

This is reassuring for me as a consumer because it means that I know exactly where my produce has come from.

You'll find that all of the produce here is of an extremely high standard having been tried and tested by a food quality panel before it can even earn itself a spot within the Market. After all, Borough is one of London's oldest fruit and vegetable markets and it's therefore important to ensure that these high standards of taste and quality are maintained. 

Again, this is what keeps me coming back to Borough on such a frequent basis! The desire to try something new, something that I know will taste good, and something that I know I'm not being ripped off for. It's always such a worry at markets that you don't really know what you're buying, but that's really not so here.

If you fancy a visit yourself, the Borough Market is open for lunch on Monday and Tuesday between 10-5 and a full market is available on Wednesday through to Saturday, albeit the opening times do vary so be sure to check online.

Friday afternoons are incredibly hectic as is a Saturday so if these are the only days you have free, please do ensure that you brace yourself for a battle with the crowds. Below I've popped some more photos from over the weekend to give you a flavour of the other produce available and the general vibe.

If all of this is making you hungry, then Borough Market also has a ton of street food vendors from you to choose from including Pie Minister (they sell pie if you weren't sure,) the German Deli, salt beef bagels, curry of all varieties and paella which is cooked up in a huge dish!

The central area is always packed full of baked goods and sweet treats.

 Delicious hand made fudge

 More scrummy sweet treats

 Grabbing some gluten free brownies

 Enormous cheesecake slices

 Clearly I was feeling the sweet treats

 There is always a ton of street food to choose from if you get peckish!

Have you been to the Borough Market? When do you find it's best to visit? Who's your favourite trader?

The Fitness Gear I Love!

I work out 5 days a week, pretty much without fail. One of the things that keeps me motivated to work out is the fact that my fitness gear looks pretty darn good! Gone are the days where working out means pairing a mangy ill fitting t-shirt with a baggy pair of shorts, work-out gear is now not only fashionable but functional as well.

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite stores which sell gorgeous work out gear which you'll actually be excited to wear! 

First up, is Gap and their Gapfit range which you can find HERE. This is a fairly new discovery for me and I've really been surprised by the quality of the bits and pieces of picked up. Gap sell everything from shorts, super soft t-shirts, sports bras and even cotton capris.

My favourite pieces are the Medium Impact Sports Bra which is only £22.95 and is made with a lovely breathable jersey which wicks sweat away from the body and is surprisingly supportive. I'll use for yoga and lighter workouts. On the left we have the gSprint Shorts which I've loved so much,, I've bought them in three different colours! These are only £19.95 and have a lovely relaxed fit which allows for lots of movement without feeling restrictive. 

Next up we have Sweaty Betty which is certainly a more high end store with a price to match! I've been lusting after numerous goodies from their collection but I've not quite had the courage to part with my cash just yet. What's great about Sweaty Betty is that they have work-out gear for everything from ballet to yoga and tennis to surfing, there's something for everyone.

My picks are the Chaturanga Yoga Vest which is a super stretchy camisole top with a gorgeous 5 strapped back and would set you back £60. It's specially designed for yoga so there'd be no awkward flashing while you're in downward dog position. I think this would look gorgeous paired with the Urdhva Yoga Leggings which are a rather hefty £85. Whilst this might seem a little bit steep, these aren't your ordinary leggings and are guaranteed to be 100% opaque as well as being totally reversible. I'd have no problems wearing this combo down the shops as it's so stylish!

My final store of choice is Fabletics which many of you may be familiar with owing to the fact that one of the founders is the gorgeous Kate Hudson. What's great about Fabletics is the first outfit will only set you back £22 which means you could save yourself an absolute fortune! Fabletics tend to work in outfits (although you can pick up pieces individually) and prices vary from outfit to outfit depending on the number of pieces.

My picks are the Summerland outfit which consists of the Taylor Tank with a gorgeous draping back, the Miramar shorts and the Koia medium impact sports bra for only £52. The sports bra on it's own is worth £22 so you can appreciate just how much of a saving you're in for. My other pick is the Kanpur outfit which is the perfect slouching at home set with the loose fitting Love hoodie, the Ko Jogger pants and the Kemi light support bra for £62. All of the outfits come in a range of colours so you customise them to suit you.

Now you've seen some of my top picks, there really is no excuse for looking frumpy while working out, invest in some gorgeous pieces so you can look fabulous while working yourself to breaking point!

Have you tried any of the above stores? What are you top fitness based picks? Where do you shop for workout gear?

Fun things to do in London this Summer - Hyper Japan

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a little bit of a geek. I love to game with the other half (Final Fantasy is one of my favourites if you're wondering), I'm a sucker for foreign film, I enjoy cooking food with a few choice ingredients and I genuinely get a kick from doing something a little bit different.

If you're like me, it might be worth you checking out Hyper Japan this summer. This summer it will be on from the 10th-12th July at the O2 and I believe that they will be touring again over Christmas as well if you're not about this time.

So, what is Hyper Japan? In a nutshell, it's an enormous celebration of  all things Japanese! So if you're a sucker for Japanese cuisine, you'll love this, think delicious food and drink ranging from a good old Katsu curry right through to bubble tea and even Saki tasting. How about Japanese culture? Then there will be martial arts demonstrations and the year I attended, there were also dance demo's and even some real Geisha!

There's also loads of weird and wonderful innovations for you to take in with artisans showing their wares and their skill such as with the mini-van above.

Of course, when you think Japan, the mind does wonder to Manga, and when Ad and I attended a couple of years ago, there were artists showing us their skills and producing some gorgeous sketches for visitors to have a peek at.

It was fascinating to watch these people at work! If you're a big fan of Manga and Anime then Hyper Japan will most definitely appeal to you. There will be stall upon stall laden with all sorts of goodies from books, figurines from your favourite shows and other paraphernalia which can often be hard to source in the UK.  

On top of this there will be live performances from many famous J-Pop stars such as May J. When Ad and I attended, the Japanese Version of the Blue Man Group Siro-A were performing. How they managed this in such huge hats, I have no frikken idea.

Naturally, the most exciting bit for me was the opportunity to dress up and embrace my love of cos-play! It's so much fun and in all honesty, you'll feel a little left out if you don't embrace the inner urge to dress up.

My costume was fairly basic considering, there were some serious cos-play enthusiasts and if you're looking to grow your costume collection, then you'd be in luck! This year there will be cos-player tables which allow you to pick up hints and tips such as sourcing materials for your costume from professional cos-players.

What was amazing was seeing just how much effort people put into their costumes. Don't worry if, like me, your outfit is cobbled together from bits and pieces or it's been hand sewn, there's such a sense of community that it's only the effort that counts (unless you're entering the cos-play competition of course, you've got to go all out if that's the case!).

If cos-play isn't your thing, then how about some kawaii Japanese fashions? Namely some serious j-style in the form of wigs, accessories, dresses and make-up. There are even stalls which will show you how to apply your make-up to embrace the trend. I'm not sure Amy would manage though!

If none of the above sounds like something you'd like, then perhaps you'd be better of sticking with the Game Park. In this area you'll have the opportunity to play some gaming gems and even some new releases which are yet to hit the high street!

If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, then please do make sure you grab a couple of tickets which you can get HERE. It really is such great fun and if you're a bit of a geek then this will be an absolute riot!

Have you been to Hyper Japan before? What's your favourite section? Did you dress up?

What Laura Wants - Spring Time Loveliness

It's been a very long time since I did this kind of post. I thought it'd be nice to revisit What Laura Wants now that we're heading into another new season and stores are overflowing with some gorgeous pieces both in terms of clothing and beauty finds!

First up, we have these cute Western Ankle Boots from Next. I'm currently on the lookout for another pair of ankle boots as my beloved M&S boots have pretty much died. They have a huge hole in the side and the padding in the soles has pretty much worn through. Tis a sad time indeed, but does mean I can justify spending some pennies. These are only £36 and they're simple enough that they'll go with most bits and pieces in my wardrobe with a small enough heel that I should be able to wear them whilst pottering about the city.

Next, it's the Louche Elisha Dress from Joy at £55. I love the shirt dress style as it's chic enough to wear for work with some cute nude heels or dress down at the weekends with a pair of converse and a sweet leather belt. This particular dress also has pockets and the skirt itself is nice and full meaning it'll flatter most body shapes and hide my tummy.

I can't do a What Laura Wants post without featuring something beauty related, after all it is my main passion! The OPI Aloha From polish is from their new Hawaii collection which is full of some seriously dreamy shades. This is a gorgeous creamy coral shade which will look beautiful on both hands and feet in the summer months and is something I quite fancy before our holiday later in the year.

Regular readers will not be at all surprised to see a piece from Oasis on here. This is the Floral  Crepe Duster and costs £50. I've tried this on and it's very loose and flowing. I thought it'd be ideal as cover up as the weather gets warmer and will look great with denim shorts when I want something to cover my bum! I do always feel a wee bit self-conscious when wearing little shorts and just feel a bit better when I have some sort of cover-up on. It just stops me feeling like I'm baring a ton of flesh!

Finally, we have the new Chanel Rouge Coco in Arthur which is simply stunning. I've had a sample of this and I'm so impressed I need to purchase this ASAP. The colour goes on super glossy, but dries down to a gorgeous long lasting matte shade. I popped this on at lunch, drank 4 cups of tea, drank from my water bottle and even worked out and this stuff was still going strong! This is more of an orange based red which suits my fair skin and again, will be a beautiful pop of colour when the sun pops out to say hello.

What's on your current want list? 

Pet Peeves of a Londoner...

Being a Londoner (and British), there are a few things which really do grind my gears, all of this is obviously meant to be taken with a pinch of salt and is all for a good fun!

• I work in the Insurance district, right by the Tower of London. I get one whole hour for my lunch and I like to take this time to go for a wander and a breath of fresh(ish) air. There's nothing more frustrating than when HUGE groups of tourists take this sacred time to walk as slow as humanly possible in large groups taking up the entire pavement (forcing me to walk in the road) talking about where to go for their lunch and then complaining everywhere is full.

• This leads me straight onto my next point tourists who walk at less than 5 mph are one of the most frustrating things ever. Something I've learnt from when friends and family who visit us is that Londoners seem to be perpetually in a rush. I don't notice it because I'm used to it but I walk incredibly quickly now I live here. Anyone who dawdles, or just generally dithers around will be walked into.

• Tourists who insist on travelling into and out of London on a commuter train...REALLY?

• Londoners who won't wait more than 3 minutes for their own train. Case in point, I get the 7:19 to London Bridge in the morning which calls at East Croydon, there is also a 7:23 which also calls at East Croydon however goes to Victoria. There are numerous people who will literally cram onto my train in the morning (potentially meaning I can't catch my own train) and pile off again at East Croydon...JUST WAIT!

• People who insist are taking teeny tiny dogs down Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon. Oxford Street is one of busiest streets in London and most people aren't looking at what their feet are doing, we're too busy focusing on not walking into other people. If I trample on your dog, it's probably your fault.

• The same as the above, but buggies and parents who insist on dragging their kids into me also fall into this category, especially when, as with point one, two or three parents insist on pushing their buggies side by side.

• Numb walking, namely people who are surgically attached to their phones. I'm sure London isn't the only place with this phenomenon, but I've walked across London Bridge many a time only to have people who are either watching a movie on their phone or are so engrossed in texting  that they've literally walking right into me or into a lamppost.

• People who sit in the aisle seat on the train and then huff and puff when you ask them to move so you can sit next to the window. Just move over please! You will only gain seconds by refusing to move.

Anything that frustrates you with city living?

The High Fat Diet - We're Done!

The last 14 days feel as though they've flown by and my body has been through some serious changes in a very short space of time. I've not only lost a rather hefty amount of weight (I'll tell you how much below) but I've managed to shift some serious body fat too.

My body is now in full Ketosis which means that instead of burning carbohydrates for energy, my body is now burning fat instead. To keep an eye on my bodies progression into Ketosis, Ad kindly invested in some Ketostix which, whilst aren't necessary to complete the diet, they allow you to see how your body is doing in your quest to ween it off carbs!

Rather than waffling on, I thought I'd give you some key bits and pieces which I've learnt while doing the High Fat Diet:-

• The diet is somewhat diuretic, after all, Ketones only leave in the body in one of two ways, so hydration is key! Drink water, drink green tea, drink whatever you're allowed on the plan. When you're done, drink some more. Just be prepared to be heading to the loo fairly frequently

• Linked to the above, but if you don't drink enough, you will probably feel dizzy, light-headed, faint, nauseous and are likely to be ill. How do I know this? On day 13 I ended up on the floor with serious dehydration, please don't make my mistake, it wasn't pleasant and resulted in a PJ and duvet day for me until my fluid levels were back up

• If you're a vegetarian, you CANNOT do this diet

• You need to be able to eat avocados and cream cheese almost every day, after all, it's not nicknamed the cream cheese diet for nothing. Whilst there are substitutions for avocados, you will be eating A LOT of cheese for the next two weeks so if you don't like that idea, don't bother trying this

• Be sure to check the labels on the bacon, chorizo and smoked salmon you're buying, you'll be surprised how many supermarkets add sugar to these which will obviously affect your results. I found some sugar free smoked salmon in Tesco (organic only), Sainsburys (perhaps the cheapest option), and also Marks and Spencer. Be careful, not all of the lines on offer are sugar free so check labels.

• The first four days on the pre-tox are not easy! Stick with it, plough through it, you're only in this for two weeks and that feeling will pass

• Following on from the above, Magnesium supplements will help with the fatigue induced during the pre-tox so be sure to grab some before you start and take them every day

• Don't try and do additional exercise on top of the 12-minute HIIT plan as this could be counter-productive and cause your body to store the fat your eating. The 12-minute plan is more than sufficient and will help to tone your body.

• It doesn't work out that much more expensive than your usual shop. We used to spend £50 a week on our shopping and it's currently around £65. BUT, when you take into consideration that you'll no longer be buying that morning coffee or additional snacks, you've soon made up the difference in cost. Be sure to shop around as well, I've used two different supermarkets (one last week and a different one this week) depending on what I need - there can be a MASSIVE difference in cost so shop around

Now, without keeping you hanging, here are my final results, well sort of, I forgot to weigh myself before my breakfast on Saturday so my results are from Friday morning, the last day of the diet! I've taken an extra photo as it's difficult to see all of the extra definition (from the muscle I've put on) from purely a front on angle, I hope you guys don't mind!

Here's the final scores:

• Waist: 27 inches (I've lost an inch here)
• Tummy: 30 inches (I've lost 3 inches here)
• Body Fat: 25.2% (down 3% since I started)

Hopefully you can see how much flatter my stomach is since I started, if you're not sure what that looked like, you can find the post HERE.

It's also worth noting I've lost 9lbs since I started, albeit I suspect much of that was water weight as it were. Towards the end of the diet the weight loss did start to slow down, but the drop in my body fat percentage was huge! You've gotta remember that whilst your loosing fat, you're also building muscle.

Hopefully this picture will show that a little better.

All in it, this style of diet really worked for me, to remind you, I used the book written by Zana Morris & Helen Foster which is available on Amazon (and probably from other retailers as well).

I hope you enjoyed this series and you found it helpful, please do let me know how you get on if you decide to try it!

A Couple of Great Beauty Reads

I love to read, but sometimes I'm not in the mood for a full on novel. I love to read features in magazines about new beauty launches and I also enjoy reading bits and pieces which give me handy information on what's in my favourite beauty product, or what ingredients to look for to help improve my skin. 

These two books are currently rocking my world. Both are very different but I'm really enjoying getting stuck into both.

The first is Sali Hughes 'Pretty Honest' which I was very kindly given as a Christmas present. As the cover says, it's a straight-talking beauty companion and gives no nonsense beauty advice for us regular ladies. Sali covers everything from teenage beauty, make-up essentials, grooming in public and even how to handle counter staff when buying make-up and skincare. The book is fantastically written and it feels as though she's there talking to you.

I'd highly recommend this for any beauty addict. As a side note, it's great for bedroom reading as each segment is nice, short and very much to the point. No waffling in sight.

Next up, is the Neal's Yard Beauty Book which I've only had for a few days so I'm still working through it. Inside, it's got everything a beauty enthusiast could need and it's bursting full of useful information. The book covers, well, almost everything you could need and covers common ingredients found in skincare (and what they do), natural ingredients (again, what they do and how they benefit the skin) and there's also a big section of recipes which you can use to create your own skincare goodies at home!

Whilst I've not tried any of the recipes yet, I can't wait to give these a go and see how I get on. Who knows, maybe I could become so good at making my own skincare, I won't need to spend a penny on moisturiser ever again?

So there you have it, two awesome beauty reads for you beauty fanatics out there. Do let me know if you've tried to Neal's Yard recipes as I can't wait to give them a go. Have you read either of these? Are there other books you'd recommend me getting hold of?