Adventures of Cumbrian Blondie

Kickstart

Hands up who got into bad habits during lockdown or rather the ongoing lockdowns?

That was me, I was exercising but that just made me justify my eating, oh I can have this as I have just run blah miles.

I have been following Karen and Topaz Fitness Academy for a few years now. I was always impressed with the results she shared of her ladies doing the Kickstart Programme.

With lockdown and work pressures I had gained weight, the Coronastone was real, bad habits had crept in, from eating the wrong things to skipping meals. I had always been fit, running marathons, and doing regular exercise classes. With an under active thyroid and being peri pausal in the mix, I felt everything was an uphill struggle. When I saw Karen was running another kickstart programme, thought right time to get head into gear.

I was nervous but this was quickly dispelled with Karen’s clear guides and the Facebook live chats getting us ready for week 1. Getting organised and writing down my meal plan made things easy to follow. The weekly online tutorials as to why we were doing the things we were being asked of were so insightful.

I was eating more and after week 1 really noticed a difference in my mood and energy levels and my jeans were already feeling looser. I completely love the online exercise classes; Karen is a fab teacher and no 2 classes are the same so you don’t get complacent. You definitely get very sweaty!

The kickstart programme flew by and I had lost 1 stone in weight and 22 inches in 4 weeks, I have more energy, my anxiety is under control. After a week had passed I realised that I hadn’t taken my sertiline medication.I hadn’t felt the need which felt amazing.

I have cheat meals, but I find I do not enjoy them as much these days. I have found I have a intolerance to Gluten and feel much better for cutting that out or eating much less. I have carried on with Karen’s online classes and they are amazing. Hard, but you only get out what you put in. I have ditched the scales as they don’t truly reflect the results. I have now lost another 10 inches. I am getting stronger, I can get deeper into squats and my bum feels lifted! My stomach is less bloated as my hormones are rebalanced with eating the right things. Oh and drinking lots of water helps!

I’ve still got a little way to go and it’s still hard fitting everything in, but I feel great. I cannot recommend Karen enough and if you are wanting to kickstart your body sign up. What are you waiting for?

Check Karen out here

Make your own Gin

When you are at that age when lots of friends are celebrating milestone birthdays. Back in the first lockdown way back when, our very good friend Jo celebrated her 50th birthday. Lockdown down meant it wasn’t the celebration she had planned. So our gift to her was a “make your own Bathtub gin” with the nice folk at Shed 1 Gin in Ulverston, Cumbria.

Sticky pork meatloaf

Such a simple recipe and makes for a great lunch.

HOT stuff

At the grand old age of 47 and 3/4 the menopause has started and in the last few weeks the hot flushes are real. It does make you consider your own mortality and dwell on the meaning or purpose of my life. My body ageing, though according to people I don’t look my age, something to be grateful for.

A tick of the fabulist – become a Guinness world record holder

I put this on my list as a bit of a joke, I had the grand plan of getting lots of people together on Space hoppers. But i didn’t need to do anything like that to be a record holder, just run 26.2 miles.

Lockdown – Light at the end of the tunnel

In a speech to the House of Commons on 22nd February the prime minister gave details of the government’s road map for exiting the current lockdown in four stages, subject to four conditions being met at each stage.

Lockdown 3.0

For the last 3 weeks all we have heard is Happy New Year! But somehow, it doesn’t really feel like a ‘new year’ does it? Starting off 2021 in Lockdown was not how we all planned it to be. By now, we are all aware that the world has changed dramatically. We have adapted to furlough schemes, shops being closed, schools moving to online learning and of course, sourdough starters and banana bread.