A Little Bit of What You Fancy (Does You Good)

Hey,

As we step into February, I was thinking about what myself and so many people around me have sacrificed during the month of January.

I'd put on weight last year after our wedding (which I fully expected after letting go so spectacularly!) so I'd decided that as soon as January hit, I was going to get serious about getting back into shape.

There seems to be opposing views on New Year's resolutions but I am firmly in the camp that if it takes a new year to give you a fresh start and the motivation you need to achieve your goals then good for you, girl! For me, I like to indulge a little at Christmas - drinking, eating, partying, spending, you name it - so January is the perfect clean slate.

Once January hit, I gave myself a week's grace and then it was straight into an intense diet and increased activity down at the gym. I've made some great progress so far - but approaching the last week of the month, I realised that I was unnecessarily punishing myself.

Like many of my friends around me (who've been doing Dry January, cutting things out like carbs and sugar and putting themselves on a spending ban), I was becoming miserable! I found myself not looking forward to weekends because I didn't want to make plans that would involve meals out, alcohol or even caffeine - I was happier in work, keeping myself busy without temptation.

And that's when I decided it was time to ease up. Having a treat every now and again isn't failing; sometimes it's needed to help you stay on the right track.

With that in mind, I allowed myself the first treat of the month - a wander into Altrincham with lunch out at Toast and a potter around the market, plus a few beers later on. It's not much but it did me the world of good!

Fedora hat - Primark

Green faux fur coat - Mango

Jumper - Tobi*

Velvet constellation bag - Ali Express

Leggings - Tobi*

Boots - Office

Even though I wasn't overly dressed up, feeling happy in my new casual pieces from newly discovered site Tobi, just slapping on a bit of makeup and getting out really lifted my spirits.

Sometimes I think I can be a bit hard on myself; I always strive to do the best that I possibly can and recently, I've been reflecting on the fact that not only is this not always possible, it's not necessary either. 

As part of the goals I've set for myself this year, I want to give my wellbeing a bit more attention. I need to remember that I don't have to go through life at 100mph, all or nothing. I can, in fact, take more time out for myself and not feel bad about doing so. 

So with my health goals in mind, I've decided that I don't have to smash them in record time - I can take things a little slower and not completely deprive myself of  everything. 

It's all compromise and I need to get better at not beating myself up over the small obstacles that make reaching life's goals that bit more enjoyable.

Did you set any New Year's resolutions? Do you feel differently about them now we've reached February?

Review: Bodylab Total Protein Powder For Women

Hey,

A little health and fitness review today! I recently got the opportunity to try BodyLab's Total Protein Vanilla Shake*.

I was excited to try BodyLab's products as they are created especially for women. Their range of protein-packed formulas don't contain any added creatine - which means they don't promote the building of bulky mass, or play havoc with your hormones.

I'm currently on a bit of a pre-wedding health kick so adding in an extra protein source to my daily routine amongst my increased level of exercise gives a great boost to my efforts.

Heralded as "simply a unique blend created with plant-based compounds to help you burn through excess body fat, get lean, and feel amazing" and endorsed by none other than abs-of-steel goddess, Jennifer Lopez, I was ready to begin!

To fully disclaim, I've been mostly using these shakes as meal replacements for a quick breakfast or lunch. To make them more filling, I've typically been blending the protein powder with a milk substitute like almond milk, hazelnut milk or coconut-based milk. My go-to brands for these are the Alpro and Almond Breeze varieties which are typically available in most big supermarkets.

I found this protein powder fairly sweet (as opposed to some others I've used previously like Juice Plus and Purition) so I found that I only needed to use the unsweetened versions of the milks. At only 80 calories a shake (if made simply with water), it's great that sweetened additions aren't needed.

I like to mix up my shakes so I often like to blend them up with fruits too. Bananas are always great and I've recently liked picking up frozen berries too. The frozen raspberries I've used below are from Aldi - they are a great alternative to fresh ones and it means you can use them whenever you like with no wastage!  

I find it best to put the raspberries in first and leave them in a little of the almond milk (or water if used) to defrost slightly; it just makes them a little softer for blending. I use the Magic Bullet for my shakes - it's made by the same people as the better-known NutriBullet. It was much cheaper and though it's not quite as powerful, it does come with lots more useful attachments. I have no complaints whatsoever about it and would definitely recommend it to a shake or smoothie newbie!

Something else I like to add to my shakes (though it didn't go into the one above) is an almond butter for a slightly nutty taste (and peanut butter isn't my thing). My favourite has to be Pip & Nut's Almond and Coconut Butter. You can definitely taste the coconut which also adds a nice sweetness - I got mine from a health food website but I'm sure I've since noticed it in some supermarkets and high street chains so I'd definitely recommend looking out for it.

Overall, I really liked Body Lab's shake! The vanilla flavour is subtle and sweet - though not too sweet; nor does it have that really fake chemically sweetness that some powders have.

Even though at 80 calories (without the calories in the milk), I found these shakes surprising filling! A shake like this one for breakfast easily kept me going until lunchtime - even after a workout!

I often make a big shake and might drink half for breakfast and put it the fridge and have the rest for lunch. I did find that these didn't keep so well and sometimes 'split' after being in the fridge. Though I'd say most protein shakes are best made fresh each time and this isn't the ideal thing to do anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed trying these shakes and think that packing 15 grams of protein into an 80 cal, great tasting shake is pretty impressive work. I was worried that the product would taste a bit 'fake' as it's not marketed as a 'natural' product - however after looking at the ingredients, they are surprisingly free from nasties.

I'd definitely recommend BodyLab products to any women looking to introduce a little protein boost into their health and fitness routine!

Do you use protein shakes alongside your workouts? What's your favourite brand?