How to Keep Your Energy Levels Soaring When the Temperature Plummets

We all know how this story goes. Winter closes in, the weather gets cold and all we want to do is snuggle up in front of the TV, watching some box set or another and eating stodgy food. Like runny noses and cold toes, a dip in energy levels goes hand-in-hand with winter. This can be a natural reaction that the body has to the change in seasons. We end up in a bit of a spiral where we feel the urge to hibernate and fool ourselves into thinking that the extra sleep and relaxation will improve our energy levels. But actually the opposite is true.
Part of that lethargic feeling we get is psychological, so the first step to feeling more energised is to think yourself more energised and focus on the positive aspects of this time of the year.
So whilst we're busy appreciating mulled wine, good times with friends and family and the slimming effects of black tights we can also make some small tweaks to take our frosty days from 'meh' to 'marvellous'!

 Wake Up Call!
Wake up at the same time - every day
This strengthens your circadian rhythm (basically your waking and sleeping routine) and it'll help you sleep better at night. Bad news is that this applies to the weekend as well. No more Sunday snoozing! The football mums amongst you won't remember what a weekend lay-in is anyway so this'll be a cinch for you!

Get Outside!
Getting some early morning sunshine can increase your energy for the rest of the day. It also triggers production of melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates your body clock, so you'll want to rest at the right times. Working out outside is an added bonus!

Eat for energy!
Eggs are the best! They contain choline which improves brain focus. Wash it all down with a big glass of water. The most common cause of midday fatigue is mild hydration so try to pass up on that hot mug of coffee or hot chocolate that's calling you.

Get Some Air!
Electrical appliances and air conditioning generate positive ions which can lead to bad moods, lethargy and sleepnessness. So maybe take the opportunity during your coffee break to go outside for a quick breather instead. The negative ions outside will help to make you feel more alert.

Cut the Carbs!
We tend to gravitate towards comfort foods in the winter which are generally high in carbohydrate. The trouble is, although they give a quick boost of energy, that's soon followed by a slump so you end up feeling sleepy. Try to eat to sustain your energy levels by eating protein with complex carbohydrates (such as sweet potato or brown rice - try a baked sweet potato with tuna salad, or chicken noodle soup).

Have a Snack!
Most people have a bit of a slump at about 4pm in the afternoon. To beat it have a protein snack. Try a small handful of unsalted nuts or some fat free Greek yoghurt).

Get to Bed Early!
The short winter days prompt our bodies to slow down, so try and get to bed a bit earlier. Going to bed an hour earlier than you do in the summer feeds your body's natural urge and hopefully will help you to drag yourself away from your comfy warm bed in the morning.

Now get out there and feel as sunny and bright as you did all summer!

Parmesan Pork Recipe

This is a really quick and easy meal to make. I like to make this on weekday evenings when I'm stretched for time. Serve it with something that doesn't take long to prepare and cook and you'll have this on the table within 30 minutes!

Parmesan Pork (Serves 4)

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
4 extra lean pork medallions (or pork chops)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Approx. 30g grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
3. In a small bowl mix together the oil, mustard, herbs and garlic powder.
4. Season the pork on both sides with the black pepper. Lay the pork on the prepared baking tray.
5. Spread the uppermost side of the pork with the mustard mixture.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top of the pork.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The top should be browned and the meat should be cooked through.

Eat up! We enjoy ours with steamed tenderstem broccoli and wholegrains.

Turkey Meatballs Recipe

I was looking for a new recipe today. I had some low fat turkey mince in the freezer that I wanted to use up so I thought I'd try something different with it. I made some turkey meatballs pretty much making it up as I went along. I based it very loosely on my family favourite Pork Meatballs recipe, but this time I used basil, parmesan and some fresh tomatoes to give them a mediterranean-style flavour. They turned out really good and the
children were quite happy to gobble them up (excuse the pun!). I served them up with roasted asparagus and brown rice. I'll definitely be making these again. Here's the recipe...

Turkey Meatballs (serves 4)

500g 2% fat turkey mince
100g fresh spinach leaves
3 tomatoes, chopped
A handful of fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Spray a baking sheet with spray oil.
3. Put the spinach in a covered microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Leave to cool then squeeze out some of the liquid (but not all, you'll need some to keep the meatballs moist during cooking) and then chop the spinach up.
4. Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together using your hands.
5. Form balls with the mixture and place onto the baking sheet. You should get about 12 meatballs in total.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Progress report! General ramblings on how my first 5 weeks has gone.

Hey all you lovely people!

It's now been 5 weeks since I began my concerted push to improve my health and fitness by starting my workout programme and by committing to clean eating.
Today sees the end of the particular phase of the HIIT programme that I've been following. and I felt it was as good a time as any to tell you how it's gone for me.

I can honestly say that I've been fully committed and dedicated to both the working out and the clean eating. Have I been 100% perfect? Well... not entirely, but it was never about being 100% perfect. It was about the 80/20 balance so things didn't feel overwhelming and out of my reach. So where did that 20% rear its head during these last 5 weeks?
I've stuck to eating clean meals and honestly that part has been easy as I'm already used to it. I've been trying out new recipes and I've found some great new snack recipes to keep my sweet tooth at bay. But, I have allowed myself some treats . This has solely been in the form of Halloween sweets that have lingered in the house longer then they've been welcome. I didn't have the heart to throw them away though. So they've just been sitting there calling my name until I was able to devour them all so they couldn't haunt me anymore. It's fair to say that I have limited the extent of my sweet-eating in any given day, so I've managed to keep my troughing within reason. To balance this out I've made sure that I haven't had any cheat meals. This was intentional, but actually I just didn't feel I wanted or needed to. I'm quite happy with my clean meals and I know I feel better for eating them. I've been drinking lots of water and haven't felt the need for a glass of summer fruits squash since 'water week'. I call that a result :)
The workout schedule I've been following is prescribed and it tells you exactly what workout to push play on each day. This is perfect for me as it tells me what to do and I just do it. No procrastinating umming or ahhing about what workout to do, it's all laid out for me - no excuses! I've missed 1 out of the full quota of 25 workouts. That was yesterday! I had fully intended on doing the workout. I was even in my workout clothes and trainers already, but then my Mum and Dad decided to pop round for an hour, and 3½ hours later they were only just leaving! I love them very much and it was great to see them, but I hadn't factored that time in. I could have just done my workout in the evening but I'd already set aside that time to be with Rog (it was Saturday evening after all) and I didn't want to compromise on that. So I made the decision to miss my workout yesterday.
All in all though, it hasn't been a bad 5 weeks!

The workout programme I've been following is based on HIIT (High Intensity Interval training for those that don't know). It takes on one muscle group at a time, works it to exhaustion and then moves on to the next muscle group. It's only 25-minutes a day, but it's full-on, without any rest. It's been challenging at times but I know that it's worth it. So I've been making that small decision to push play each day for the greater goal. It's worked!!

The benefits I've seen in just 5 short weeks are:

• I'm noticeably stronger. I've progressed to my heavier set of weights in all but one of the moves in the whole programme,
• I'm fitter. I can go longer in each move without having to take a break or modify,
• My clothes are fitting better. Less of the waistbands digging in and jelly belly hanging over the top. I generally feel less wobbly and I can't feel the rolls so much when I'm sitting down,
• I can see visible changes to my body. I can manage to look at it in the mirror now without pulling a disgusted face! This has made me so much more confident about myself,
• I feel like a badass lifting weights!!!!!!
• I'm feeling in control, 
• I've lost 7 lbs. 

You might have noticed that I put my weight loss at the end of the list. This is completely intentional. My weight is not something I'm obsessed with, it never has been. It's not something I measure my progress or success by because it's just a number. Weight is affected by lots of factors that can change on a daily basis. I would much rather go by how I look and feel. I did weigh myself before I started the workout programme purely as a baseline because I know that people tend to be interested in that. It's the first thing anyone ever asks you - 'how much have you lost?' So I'm using that information for those of you out there that want to know. I have no interest myself in whatever that number is. I will be using the mirror as my monitor.
I also took body measurements and I have before and after photos. I'm choosing not to post the photos here (mainly because I'm not brave enough to), but they're good for me to use going forwards as reference.

 

So what's next I hear you cry!

Well, my personal health and fitness goals for the end of the year (my year end resolution if you like) is to remain accountable going into the festive season. I am committing to:

• Follow the next phase of my workout programme and not miss any workouts. It'll be a step up and it's focused on getting lean, strong muscle whilst burning fat. It relies even more on using weights,
• Stick with clean eating but allow myself one laid back meal or an evening where I have a few drinks or sweets,
• Stay accountable by checking in regularly with you all on my Facebook page and Twitter (feel free to follow me!),
• Meal plan every weekend and keep clean eats in the house to reduce temptations  (this week is already planned out and set in stone),
• Rock it!

I'm gonna make 2015 better than I started!!!!

Tomato and Basil Turkey

This is one of the first clean eating meals that I ever made. It went down well with the family and so it's become one of the regulars.

This absolutely has to be the quickest and easiest clean meal you can make! Not to mention that it's delicious and pretty cheap too. If you're new to clean eating then it's the perfect one to try. And I love that turkey is such a lean protein so it's great if your trying to lose or maintain your weight.
Serve it with a side of vegetables and a complex carbohydrate (like some grains) and you're onto a winner!
I've served ours with sautéed spring greens and freekeh.

Tomato and Basil Turkey (Serves 4)

4 x turkey breast steaks
Garlic powder
Dried basil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
25g low fat mozzarella, grated

1. Preheat the oven to160°C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion until translucent.
3. Line the bottom of a baking dish with foil.
4. Lay the turkey steaks in the dish.
5. Sprinkle the turkey with the basil and the garlic powder.
6. Spoon the cooked onion on top of the turkey, followed by the chopped tomatoes (straight out of the tin).
7. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top.
8. Cover the dish with foil.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.

Voila!   

How I'm Feeling Three Weeks into Sweating the Small Stuff

Hey everyone! Today marks three whole weeks since I started Sweating the Small Stuff in the form of this blog and my Facebook 'like' page. It's been an odd thing for me. Those of you who are my close family and friends will know that I'm quite a private person so putting myself out there in the public domain has been both exciting and scary for me.
I'd been working on building the blog for a while and it had been a long and difficult process. I'm not very techy and I had to google what to do every step of the way. I can't believe I was writing code!!! It was tedious and there was a lot of trial and error but it was important to me that the blog looked and felt right before I published it. It isn't perfect still, there are lots of things I want to do with it to make it more user friendly and to improve how it looks but I had certainly got it to a point where I was happy enough for it to go out to the masses. However, I became aware that I was at the stage where I was just tweaking bits and bobs here and there, and I realised it was because I was procrastinating about putting it out there for all to see.

It took me a few days to pluck up the courage to publish both the blog and my 'like' page, and I was so scared about it! I reasoned with myself that publishing them wasn't really an issue because if nobody knew they existed then nobody would see them anyway! So I went ahead and published them with a rush of blood to the head!

I'm not even really sure what it was that worried me. I was a bit concerned about what people might think, but then I'm not generally bothered about that sort of thing. People can think what they want but I know me, who I am and what I'm about and so do the people who I care about. That's good enough for me. I was certainly worried that I didn't know what I was doing! It was a massive leap of faith. I even had to teach myself how to do selfies as I'd never done them before! I was also worried that people would get irritated by the Facebook feed. But then I had to remind myself that was why I'd set it up as a separate 'like' page instead of using my personal page so that people could choose whether or not to follow me and see the posts.

It was Roger who pushed it through for me. He went and invited people to like my Facebook page and, much to my surprise, people did!

I've been overwhelmed by the support and positive comments that I've had from people. Thank you to all of you! The feedback I've had has made this so much easier for me and has spurred me to keep going when I've been wavering on my ability to do this. The children and Roger have helped and are fully participating, and I've got a new-found 'cool mum' status now that I'm a 'blogger'! It's probably only fleeting so I'll take if for as long as I can!

 

Although the main intention of all of this was for my own accountability in my health and fitness journey I truly hope to be able to inspire and motivate other people on their own health and fitness journeys. I've been surprised and humbled to hear from people who have taken action towards their own fitness as a result of what I'm doing, some of whom I'd never had imagined would be inspired in this way. I'd love to be able to help other people and am more than happy to do it. Please reach out to me if you think I can in any way. I'll do my absolute best to help you or at least to find the answers you're looking for. I'm certainly no expert but I've learnt lots and I know what has worked for me. On that note, I really would welcome any constructive criticism you feel you can give me regarding both the blog and my Facebook 'like' page. I want everything to be useful to other people so please connect with me so I can focus on things that would be beneficial to you.

Also, if you feel happy to, please invite others to join me on my blog and 'like' page. The more people that are watching me the more accountable I feel!

In summary, I'm so glad that I've done this. It's been challenging and I'm sure it will continue to be, but I'm really enjoying it and it's given me a new lease of life that I didn't know was missing. I'm making great progress in my own personal journey and I'm loving being able to share my passion.

I truly hope that you're getting something out of this too and I'd love for you to stay with me as I push further.

Planning for Success

Success doesn't just happen, you have to plan for it!

This holds especially true for my nutrition. When I need to stay on top of a healthy eating lifestyle and I'm cooking for my family I really couldn't do it without planning.

Every week without fail I sit down and set out my game plan for the entire week.
I decide on what dinners we'll be eating as a family for the week ahead and list them out. While I'm doing this I take into account anything that's going on during the week and make sure I plan suitable meals. For example, if I know we're going to be home late one evening because of football practice I make sure to plan in a quick and easy meal for that evening, or I plan in something that I can prepare up front to save time to ensure we don't end up eating too late.

Then I use this plan to write out my full shopping list. I nearly always order my food online, either for delivery, or for me to pick up. I absolutely cannot stand food shopping so this is the best way for me. It means I can manage it without it being a massive aggravation. I also get that time back to do other, more exciting stuff! Things like this...

Once I've got the shopping back home I check all of the use before dates and double check that these fit in with the meal plan. I usually have to make a few tweaks here and there so that we'll eat everything before its expiry date, and I freeze meat at this point if I need to, noting down which day I'll need to get it out of the freezer to thaw.

The key is to look out for and anticipate any potential obstacles and be sure to plan around them so they don't throw you off track.

Once the weekly meal plan is set I write it down so it's visual and available to me and I can refer to it every day. Sometimes it'll just be on a bit of paper that annoyingly hangs around on the kitchen worktop all week, other times it's a bit more formal, like this.....

Then, I STICK TO IT!!!!
Simple as that.
Healthy week of eating in the bag. Repeat for next week :)

How to Achieve Balance with the 80/20 Rule

To keep me on track and to help me stay focused on my healthy eating I apply the 80/20 rule. This means that for 80% of the time I stay on track, eating the right foods according to my plan. The other 20% of the time I give myself opportunities to indulge a little in my favourite treats. It's completely OK to enjoy a few treats here and there!

 

This rule works for me because I feel balanced. I don't feel deprived and it makes this healthy lifestyle doable.
I know this approach won't work for everyone, some people are all or nothing types of people (my hubby is very much like this) where they need to commit fully to be able to make the changes they want to see. I'm certainly not one of these people and I suspect most of you aren't either. It's tough sticking to something 100%, especially if it's for something more long term like weight loss. The journey I'm on isn't a fad diet or a weight-loss plan. It's not a quick fix, this is my lifestyle so I need it to be workable. I'm not expecting perfection from myself, just progress.

Yo-yo dieting tends to happen when people are so restrictive in what they can and can't eat that they just aren't able to sustain it. Then it's a slippery slope back to their starting point.
With the help of the 80/20 rule I can do this forever. It's a bigger picture thing. I'm focused on my health rather than dieting.

If I know I'm going to be indulging one day, say for a friend's birthday meal on a Friday evening, I'll make sure that I don't give in to temptation during the rest of the week. I'll think about and look forward to that meal that I'd rather be having on Friday. It makes it easier to say 'no' during the week because I'd rather splurge on what I feel is really worth the calories to me.

There is nothing wrong with 'cheat' meals. If you're sticking to the plan 80% of the time you totally deserve them. Don't feel guilty! It's OK, it won't ruin your progress.
But, without planning them in you can end up cheating during the week on small things like crisps and chocolate, then when you get invited out to dinner or a party on Friday you say 'yes' and then you go and have a cheat meal. But in reality you've already had your cheats earlier on in the week. You undo all of your hard work in a short space of time. All of those little, seemingly insignificant choices add up to a lack of progress.

The key is to plan it all out. If you want to be able to relax a little at the weekend then be on point all through the week. If you find it harder during the week (say for example you travel for work) then switch it around and be tight on it at the weekend. There really is no right or wrong way to make the 80/20 rule work. The important this is to do what's right and works for you.

And remember, everything in moderation!