Motivation Moodboard

Images sourced from Pinterest UK (minus the trainers... that's mine!)

When I was a child, cutting out pictures from magazines and printing things out to make moodboards and collages was always one of my favourite things to do.
Of course as an adult now it's not really as acceptable to have a fun wall of mix-match pictures covering your bedroom... especially when you live with your partner.

I still have a tendency to cut pictures out of magazines though.... yes I'm that girl.
I even have a small notebook that I have glued in styles, looks, tips and images that I love but because it takes up so much time it's not that often I get to sit down and do it....

So.... what better way to stay motivated and have something I can see all the time than to create it digitally.
Obsessed with moodboards and collages I find it SO enjoyable creating them on my laptop. (For a tutorial on how I do this please click here :)

Here is my Motivation Moodboard for the next few months...

Staying Focused
With my new job in full swing I really want to keep on throwing myself into it as much as I possibly can, I learning new stuff every single day and I love it! I'm so grateful that I got this opportunity to start in this industry and I want to do as well as I possibly can.

Eating Clean

Before Christmas my diet was amazing. All clean, healthy, natural foods and I hadn't felt that good about myself in years. 2016 so far has NOT gone well for me and I am SO disappointed in myself. Time to rewind to last year and remember how great I was feeling.

Image

Yes. Margot Robbie is my ultimate girl crush.

But, I shall not compare myself.... because I mean that never ends in happy thoughts! I LOVE her hair here and with my hair appointment just around the corner I think I'll be taking this photo with me!

Organisation

I'm becoming more and more organised as the weeks go on and I love it. Not only at work, I want my home to be tidy, organised and clutter free - it's so much better for me, mess = stress.

Saving For A Puppy?

It's no secret that being an owner of a French Bulldog is probably the number one thing on my bucket list. Fingers crossed we can move out of our flat over the next year or so and then I'm hoping it's then puppy time! So I want to start putting a little money away each month for the little nugget!

Worrying

I love this little image about only focusing on what you can control. I spend so much time worrying about things that really don't matter and won't change as much as I worry about them, time to just focus on the things that matter!

Writing

Like I said in my blog make-over post, I really want to focus on my content. I love writing and this year I want to stretch myself and head out of the normal 'beauty review, wishlist, favourites' types of posts! Plus.... I still really want to write that book, I'm determined to get that started this year, even it's just a page a week.

Reading

First up how gorgeous is that image?! I've already talked about this (here) but reading has now taken the place of my nightly social media addiction. Every weeknight I've been putting my phone down earlier then normal and had a nice little reading session before bedtime. It's so relaxing and my love for Harry Potter has well and truly increased by a million percent!

Running

Yes. I must start again.

 Joining in and making one yourself? Let me know what's on your motivation moodboard! 

Follow

A New Me : 2 Week Update

You may have noticed on Twitter I've been tweeting away about this new 'me', this new changed 'diet' I am on etc etc and I've been getting a few questions about it so I thought it was about time I did a good old blog post to explain myself!

First off I just want to say - I am not on a diet.  
Nope, I refuse to say that word now - I have just decided to permanently change my eating to hopefully change the way I feel inside and the way I approach/look at food.

I was given a huge kick up the backside recently when I read Scarlett's 6 Month Food Transformation post - reading her thoughts, feelings and experiences was like reading a diary of my own.
 I read so many similarities and realised that 'Hey, maybe I'm not the only person that feels like this' and I don't actually have to feel like it at all, it CAN be avoided.

For years I've known the foods I have to avoid. Alot of people in my life call me fussy which I can find really embarrassing. I can't eat certain foods... kind of not my fault - it's not my choice, I don't want to be fussy, but that's just how it is. I'd rather be that way than be ill.
My tummy troubles have ruled alot of my life since I was a teen, thinking through everything I ate, panicking about going out to eat somewhere new or going to people's homes for dinner - sometimes I would do anything to avoid these situations, in fact, I still do.

The diet I had was poor. Alot of sugar, way too many snacks and not enough fruit and veg... nowhere near enough. 
I was lazy, I would just eat the most convenient easy dinners and fill myself up on unhealthy snacks like biscuits, chocolate and sometimes crisps which I would then totally regret and in all honestly would just want to throw up as I felt so full and disgusting. 
I would decide to diet every other month and maybe loose a few pounds but it would be a stupid diet. One where probably wouldn't eat enough and get so bored that eventually I snapped - it just didn't work.

So that Sunday evening 2 weeks ago after reading Scarlett's post I kind of had a food epiphany. 
I needed to actually start looking at what I was putting into my body, cut the crap and unnecessary over-eating and maybe just maybe I could actually feel normal for the first time in years.
This isn't about loosing weight, it's about becoming healthier and happier and after only 2 weeks I already feel a total difference, I'm eating enough and of the right stuff, I can't believe I've been letting my body go without this for so long.

So.... I've cut out main dairy products like milk, cheese, mayo and eggs, avoided unhealthy processed snacks full of sugar and salt (which I was kind of addicted too) and tried to increase my protein, fruit, vegetable intake as much as possible.

So far I feel brilliant, no tummy aches, no sluggish feelings and I'm feeling alot more positive! It's amazing what just a few changes can do.

I won't lie... when I was hungover I had a bounty .... but we can let that go right? haha! Could have been alot worse.
I've avoided the biscuits that are still in the cupboard, which is kind of a miracle and I'm bought 2 birthday cakes for people in the last fortnight and not had a single slice!
 I've found what I'm eating really does keep me fuller for longer, I'm not thinking of snacking half as much as I used to. 

I've already lost 4lbs which is a total bonus and I can't wait to add exercise into this new life routine of mine! I just struggle to find the time when I'm at work 9 hours a day and trying to blog on my days off.

I'll be keeping you all updated on my journey and this 'new me' - so far I'm SO happy with how I feel, I can't imagine ever wanting to pop into a shop and buy a family size bar of dairy milk to stuff my face with again - which can only be a good thing.

Don't get me wrong though, of course treats will still happen. I'm not going to let myself go without popcorn at the cinema - that would just be rude!

Got any fab recipes or things to share? Link them below or tweet me @KirstieLouiseS

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Dieting & Me : #4 Healthy Snack Alternatives

Dieting & Me : #1 Falling Of The Wagon

Dieting & Me : #2 Motivation & Keeping It 

Dieting & Me : #3 My Top Tips

Snacking is something I am seriously guilty of.

 It's normally late night binges, seeing friends and boredom at home that lead me to take in all those unnecessary extra calories and grams of fat, salt and sugar each week and I've been tying my hardest to change my ways slowly but surely!

So instead of picking up chocolate, crisps, cake and sweets (basically all that junk) I have been grabbing other things to add to my lunchbox and have at home to try and help me change my diet from horrifically unbalanced to something a little more acceptable!

As you can see, it's still not a totally crazy-healthy diet - that clearly isn't going to happen over night! But it's got to be better than scoffing a family-sized packet of biscuits and 12 mars bars right?

 

I've been loving raspberries -  not only a great sweet snack to help me avoid chocolate but fab extra in my porridge in the morning! Make it taste extra yummy and a portion of fruit before 8am too, perfect! (Hate supermarket prices though, I really need to head to an actual greengrocers to save some pennies!) 

Banana's I've found are great for break times, they really do fill me up until lunch if I'm feeling a little peckish between 10 and 11 and again another portion of fruit!

Savoury snacks like Ryvita minis and bites, snack-a-jacks and Special K mini breaks are great! If you haven't tried them yet go out and get some, hardly any calories and they taste so good - I'd pick them over a packet of walkers any day!

Peanut Butter.... on everything! I love rice cakes and peanut butter for lunch and spread on sliced Granny Smith apples as a lovely pudding after dinner - don't knock it til' you've tried it!

Tea's are obviously a great 'snack' too! They fill you up, keep you hydrated and if you avoid the biscuits then most of the time are 0 cals! 

I am currently drinking alot ginger green tea along with my favourite Clipper's green tea!!

Have you tried any of the foods pictured? What are your favourite snacks - healthy and unhealthy?

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