Fitness Friday: Eat the Right Amount with Gousto

I must admit, I'm a distinctly average cook. I love my food (and I need to work on what I eat) but I'd much rather be eating it than cooking it! My main problem is portion size - I always cook far too much or leave ingredients to go off in the fridge. So this Fitness Friday, I wanted to talk about Gousto,* who solves this problem by providing the right amount of ingredients for delicious, healthy meals:

I was sent three meals to try; Mushroom Bolognese, Lamb Biryani and Soy-Glazed Smoked Salmon - which my Grandad's dog couldn't resist having a look at! All meals were for two people and brimming full of fresh and organic vegetables. I sometimes struggle to eat the right things, with the right amounts, and Gousto simplifies this process, removing any unhealthy temptations and providing wonderful ingredients and easy to follow recipes.

My favourite of the bunch was the Lamb Biryani. It took just 15 minutes to cook and the instructions were clear and comprehensive. I am terrible at following recipes; not because I experiment but because I don't read the whole thing properly and then make mistakes! The Gousto recipe card was simple and easy to follow in a small amount of steps. There was even a speedy YouTube video showing how to cut an onion, which was very helpful for any newbie cooks. The spice level was just right for me, and I loved the inclusion of some fresh green beans to add some colour to the dish. Initially, I thought the amount of ingredients looked a little stingey, but once cooked the dish could have easily fed three people - this just shows how I would have definitely cooked too much if I didn't have the pre-prepared portions.

You can save a huge £20 off your first box with the code JESSICAINYOUREAR20 so it's a great time to check out what they offer. I was so impressed with the quality, fresh and organic ingredients and it's a fantastic healthy way to eat the right amount of the right foods. Have you tried any kind of subscription food service?

Jess

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OOTD: Seventies in the Snow

It's time for an outfit post! Outfit posts are how I started my blog, and I will always love doing them. However, without meaning to sound too #BloggerProblems, they are a pain to actually do; you need decent clothes, decent lighting, preferably a photographer and nice location, and most of all, time! Luckily, recently I've had these things, so I wanted to share some outfit snaps from my time in New York:

Coat: Asos. Pinafore: Urban Outfitters. Turtleneck: Matalan. Hat: Asos. Gloves: Tesco. Bag: Sainsbury's. Trainers: eBay.

First of all, isn't Central Park incredible in the snow? It may have thrown out the image quality of the photos, but I was so amazed by the weather, as I have already mentioned in my previous New York posts, and I couldn't resist getting some outfit snaps covered in snow. I picked up this pinafore style dress in the Urban Outfitters sale; my favourite sale as you always get such great bargains and they let you use your student discount on top. This dress was therefore just over £13, as opposed to its original price of £55. You can't wear it without anything underneath, thanks to its pinafore style cut, but I layered it with a turtleneck. They're my new favourite thing to way, as they are so easy to layer and keep you toasty and warm! I also love the sixties/seventies vibe which they create, without being too over the top.

I bought this floppy hat from Asos with a gold heart band and it has quickly become a favourite in my wardrobe. I never wear hats, but I like the style of this one and think it frames my face well. Furthermore, it was a complete must in the biting snow and wind, as it kept the snow off my face and eyes. I would definitely recommend a hat when visiting New York in the winter!

Another must is of course a coat, and I wanted something practical yet fashionable for the climate. This coat was of course from Asos, and of course, in the sale. I've wanted a classic camel-coloured coat for ages, if not only for the alliteration! It's chic and professional with my work clothes, but casual enough that is doesn't look odd with my trainers. You can just see the pink highlights underneath the collar and lining the top pocket and this adds something slightly different to coat.

The final thing I have to recommend for New York is trainers. We did a huge amount of walking and comfortable shoes are a must. I didn't have any 'fashionable' trainers so I picked up these Nike trainers off eBay for about £20. I loved how the pink matched with the pink detailing underneath the collar of my coat, hopefully making them fit in with my rather girly style.

What do you think of my New York look?

Jess

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Fitness Friday: My Realistic Week #1

So it's time for Fitness Friday! All the fitness bloggers I seem to follow are absolute inspirations - they eat clean, they train hard and they look incredible. I'm not pretending that I am anywhere in that league; I enjoy talking and writing about fitness but I am definitely no example! Sometimes this means that I find it hard to write my Fitness Friday posts, as there is a certain amount of pressure to be the demonstration of what I preach. I think it's easy to beat ourselves up, spending hours pouring over Instagram and Googling ridiculous diets in frustration, so today I wanted to share my weekly fitness routine. However there is a twist - not only am I sharing my planned routine, I'm also sharing what I really did!

Monday: 
The Plan:
Work an early shift at my local leisure centre until 1pm, then head straight to the gym.
The Reality:
I started off the week well and actually completed this. I completed an arms set, followed by some intense cardio on the stepper machine. I also got my body fat percentage checked, and although I have gained weight since my last record a few months ago, I have lost body fat and gained muscle, so I was really happy (not to mention surprised) by the results.

Tuesday:
The Plan:
A study day at university, followed by either a circuits or TRX class in the evening.
The Reality:
After a long yet unsuccessful study day, I headed home and promptly went to sleep. No exercise for me tonight! The only saving grace was the fact that I had opted for salad and dried fruit as study food rather than chocolate whilst studying.

Wednesday:
The Plan:
Work another 6am-1pm then head to spinning. A university lecture followed by my weekly adult ballet class.
The Reality:
I completed both ballet and spinning - hurrah! Working part-time in a leisure centre makes my gym routine much easier in many ways, because exercise is much harder to avoid if you are already in the gym! However, it can make you rather sick of the place, and working shift patterns means getting into a routine can be a nightmare.

Thursday:
The Plan:
Rest day: Internship all day then lectures until 8pm.
The Reality:
I always plan a rest days on Thursday as it's impossible to fit in any exercise. This Thursday was slightly different, because after my seminar I also had my cocktail masterclass at The Snug, which you can read about in my previous post. Let's just say that my diet went to pot this evening!

Friday:
The Plan:
Body Blitz class at 9:30, followed by lunch with a friend.
The Reality:
I woke up with a sore head from last night's cocktails and couldn't face jumping around for an hour. I definitely couldn't have coped with 'blitzing' my body. I weighed myself for the week and had miraculously lost two pounds - so I obviously headed to meet my friend and ate a packet of triple chocolate biscuits and three chocolate rice crispy cakes. Oops!

Saturday:
The Plan:
TRX class at 9:30, followed by a day of studying.
The Reality:
However well I start the week, it all seems to go to pot once I get to the weekend! I didn't get out of bed in time, so I instead spent my day watching the Six Nations on TV, accompanied by a gin and tonic, rather than doing any exercise myself!

Sunday:
The Plan:
Nothing specific, because I have accepted that I am a lazy sod on Sundays and there is little chance of me doing anything!
The Reality:
I got called into work last minute in the afternoon, which promptly gave me an excuse not to bother with any exercise for the day. I promised myself I would get up early tomorrow for the gym and start the week afresh. (Did it happen? Of course it didn't...)

So what have I learnt?
I actually quite enjoyed logging what I planned to do vs what I actually did this week. I've learnt that I start the week well then seem to get worse towards the weekend. This week, I exercised three times, over the space of two days, which isn't too terrible for such a busy week and I don't feel too disappointed in myself.
The main change I'm going to make is to weigh myself on Monday. This will hopefully stop me from overindulging too much over the weekends, as I know that I will need to step on the scales on Monday morning. I've also started Yoga with Adrienne's 30 day challenge, in an attempt to complete some form of exercise every day; I'll let you know how I get on!

Do your weekly fitness routines go to plan? Or are you more like me? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Jess

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