Bloggers Christmas Slimmers Club!

So here goes, my first weigh in! This week I managed to lose 3.5lbs. I was so relieved to jump onto the scales and see a loss!

During week one I got to grips with my new slimming world diet, took some dreadful "before" photos and signed up to a couple of work out classes at my local gym. I've mainly been focusing on getting into the swing of things with my diet, but this week I plan to add in gym work outs and classes. After all, I'm not doing this just to lose weight; I want to get fit, healthy and strong too!

I've actually been going to 'body combat' classes every monday for the past few weeks but (much to my embarrassment) this week I fainted during the class. Apparently I haven't been eating enough food that has sugar in so my blood sugar went to pot and my body couldn't cope with the exercise. I was mortified! After a slap on the wrists from the gym guy on duty (and my dad) I've certainly learnt my lesson. If anyone knows of good foods/fruit that has natural sugars in I'm game, so please let me know! 

I should've probably mentioned in my last post that over the past year or so I managed to lose two stone. I wasn't following a specific diet, I had just cut down significantly on drinking alcohol (a uni students prerogative!) and swapped take aways for fresh home cooked food. Since graduating from University and moving back home I've found myself slowly creeping back up and so to nip it in the bud I joined slimming world for some extra guidance/motivation. I'd love to lose an extra 2.5-3 stone in total! 

I hope everyone else has had a good week! Bring on the next. 

Total loss: 3.5
Left to lose: 10.5

Words of Wisdom Wednesday | #8

It's far too easy to say 'no' and turn down opportunities that may arise for you (I know I'm guilty of that!). Try to say yes more this week; take yourself out of your comfort zone. You never know where it may lead!

Happy Wednesday!

Past 'Words of Wisdom Wednesdays'
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 

Lose A Stone For Christmas!

Last week I joined Slimming World. I was fed up of feeling low and always waiting to 'start my diet on Monday' so me and my friend scooted along to a local meeting. I'm a super fussy eater and because of this I always struggle to follow diets. Much to my delight though, slimming world offers you a huge variety of foods. I've been following the diet plan religiously everyday and I've gotta say I'm really impressed so far. I almost don't understand how I could possibly lose weight without ever feeling hungry or restricted. Sure, you can't eat a whole bar of galaxy, or munch on a tube of pringles but I mean really, what do you expect? The diet allows you to fill up on as much fruit/veg/potatoes/pasta etc as you like. Yes, you read that right! Pasta, potatoes and rice all fall under the category of 'free foods' meaning you can eat as much of it as you like without feeling guilty. 

Coincidentally, I stumbled across a sort of 'bloggers slimming club' today whilst catching up on some blogs. I jumped at the chance to be a part of it; the more motivation the better! I think it's such a great idea, particularly if (like me) you're just starting out on your weight loss/healthy eating journey. 

 

The aim of the bloggers slimmers club is to lose a stone by Christmas. I think I'm a little late jumping on the bandwagon but as I was aiming for this anyway I'm hoping I will be able to lose it! I'd love to finish this year/start next year on a positive note. My ultimate goal is to lose 2.5 - 3 stone in total so this would be a great way to kick it all off! I'll be checking in every Thursday with weekly weigh ins (my Slimming World weigh in occurs on a Wednesday night so it works out best that way). Good luck to everyone else participating. We can do this!   

MAC Eyeshadows: Vanilla + Satin Taupe

I finally took the plunge and bought my first ever MAC eyeshadows. I've wanted to try some out for so so long! Due to the rather ridiculous price tag I opted for a quad. I bought two eyeshadows to begin with; partly to start me off and partly because I couldn't choose (there are soo many gorgeous shades to choose from!). 

 

I decided to go for 'Vanilla' a soft ivory shade that offers a velvet finish; because what palette doesn't need a good ol' neutral base shade? It has a tiny bit of shimmer in the pan but it doesn't really translate to the eye. 

 

Next, I opted for their infamous shade 'Satin Taupe'. I'd heard so much about this shade from bloggers and YouTubers alike, and after a lot of google searches I decided this was a definite Gemma shade! As the name suggests, it's a taupe shade (duh!) that has purple undertones. I've mainly been wearing this in my crease but it's also gorgeous applied all over the lid. A great all rounder!  

Apparently it's impossible for me to take a decent photo of swatches on my camera so I decided to get a shot of them in action! Just be warned - I'm super cack handed at applying eyeshadow so don't expect anything spectacular.

 

This eyeshadow is absolutely beautiful! It is a taupe with strong purple undertones. Also, the finish is quite metallic, so keep that in mind. I prefer wearing it on the lid because it brings out my eye color so well, but you could also use it through the crease. It may suit cooler skin tones a bit better but I think it looks gorgeous on just about anyone. - See more at: http://www.eyeshadowaddictsanonymous.com/2012/12/top-10-mac-eyeshadows-for-fairpale-skin.html#sthash.FRVIEnmf.dpuf

This eyeshadow is absolutely beautiful! It is a taupe with strong purple undertones. Also, the finish is quite metallic, so keep that in mind. I prefer wearing it on the lid because it brings out my eye color so well, but you could also use it through the crease. It may suit cooler skin tones a bit better but I think it looks gorgeous on just about anyone. - See more at: http://www.eyeshadowaddictsanonymous.com/2012/12/top-10-mac-eyeshadows-for-fairpale-skin.html#sthash.FRVIEnmf.dpuf

I don't have a MAC store anywhere near me (in fact the closest store is over 100 miles away) so I've had to heavily rely on reviews and swatches online. Luckily, it's worked out quite well for me so far. I am in love with satin taupe, its such a gorgeous and wearable shade. I find that vanilla works best as a brow bone highlight; I've been wearing it across the lid but the colour pay off isn't great and it takes a ton of building up. I read somewhere that someone else had trouble with pigmentation for a little while until they had 'worn' it in. I'm hoping this will be the case for me.

I've been wearing these shades together almost every day since they arrived. I sweep vanilla all over the lid and blend satin taupe into the crease. & I must say they work wonderfully together!

What shades would you suggest I buy to fill my quad? I'm not a huge fan of warm golden tones on my eyes, I just don't think they suit me. So shades like 'Woodwinked' for example, I'm not interested in. I'd love to hear some suggestions to help me choose gals so please let me know if you have any!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday | #7

Woah, I can't believe we're on week 7 of my 'Words of Wisdom Wednesday's' feature. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am! Just a heads up; you can find all of the quotes I've used in past posts (+ a few more!) on my Pinterest board. 

 

Be extra friendly to the people you meet today. It never hurts to be nice! x

Happy Wednesday :)

Past 'Word of Wisdom Wednesdays'

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //