Lisa - Fat Girl Fit

Category: Sweden

A Bit Of A (Big) Life Update

Oooooh where to start?!

I guess back in July when we sold our house in Essex, packed up and left our family home of over 22 years. If you know me you will not be surprised that there were a lot of tears. We made that house what it is and have so many happy memories there, so leaving was difficult.

We moved out to Levels Green, Farnham in Essex – I didn’t even know there was a Farnham in Essex! We were planning to short term rent but in our naivety, and having never rented before, we quickly found out that short term renting is basically 12 months and we were looking for a 3 month or so lease. Add in a dog and it became almost impossible! However, we found a converted thatched barn and fell in love with the quiet countryside (as did the dog). The owners were lovely, as were the neighbours and locals and it is somewhere I would definitely recommend, so if you are interested check it out here.

So where are we now? In Sweden! Permanently. As I type this, I have a huge grin on my face. Sweden is somewhere we have travelled to for around 10 years and every time we go, we love it a bit more. We always spoke about ending up in Sweden and after spending a month there last June we finally thought why wait? And the rest is history.

Saying the rest is history makes it sound a simple process but of course with Brexit there was a visa/work permit process, the logistics of moving our entire lives from the UK to Sweden (and with a camper van and a dog) and of course it has been EMOTIONAL! But we have some great friends in Sweden and they were the best in answering a lot of questions and helping, way more than we could have ever hoped for and we are eternally grateful to them!

We are also extremely grateful to our family and friends back in the UK for all their support.

Get ready for Sweden spam (sorry not sorry).

Nu borjar aventyret – now the adventure starts!

Category: Cycling, Product Reviews

My Review Of The New Zwift Play

Zwift has launched their new Zwift Play and kindly sent me a set, which I have been having a play around with.

So what did I think? Let me tell you……

What Is Zwift Play?

When I was contacted by Zwift, I will be honest, I had not heard of this so was intrigued. A relatively small box turned up and I quickly fitted them to my bike to check it out.

I was sceptical and must admit I didn’t really get it. I use my set up with Apple TV and Companion App on my phone, which I have on my bars using a Quad Lock and it works well. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the controllers can be used for not just steering but also accessing settings, which is much easier.

Is It Easy To Set Up?

The controllers are clearly market left and right, easy to attach to the handlebars and out of the box there are also spacers if you require them.

Log into Zwift you can connect via the pairing screen as easy as you would for heart rate or cadence sensor for example.
Press the Zwift button and the light will come on and it will power on.
You can see paired devices including battery life for the controllers too.
Then you are pretty much good to go!
Good to go after a short tutorial, which explains how to use them.

How Does It Work With Apple TV?

As I mentioned earlier I was pleasantly surprised that the controllers can be used for not just steering but also accessing settings, which is much easier.

When pairing using Apple TV, this is limited to 2 devices so in setting up I had to use the Companion App for this.

What Did I Really Think?

All of the pics I had seen showed the controllers level but I found that due to the handlebar drop I was unable to get them level unless I was to roll my bars right up, which I don’t want to do as it is set up following a bike fit.

The steering can be done both on the road and at junctions without having to use the app/Apple TV controller to select anything, which is much easier when you have the options of straight/left/right. I find depending on the road or if I am doing a structured training session the last thing I want to do is mess around too.

Think of the menu options and ease of use at your fingertips including power ups, ride ons, drafting (always a winner) and braking (which I have accidentally used more than once!).

I use Zwift with my road bike but I have seen others use with a mountain bike and I can’t see how these would work for that or bikes with flat bars in general and TT specific bikes too. Basically you need drop bars to use these.

It can be a little bit laggy and it did drop a couple of times.

Battery life says 20 hours and I have not had to charge mine but you can do this whilst riding, which is handy.

They are currently £99, whilst in beta, on the Zwift website so you can save £50 right now. Depending on how much you use Zwift this could be seen as really reasonable or a lot of money for a bit of functionality. Check out the technical requirements here before you purchase to make sure they are compatible with your set up.

Product was gifted but all opinions are my own.

Category: Fitness, Hiking, Product Reviews

What Hiking Leggings Are Best?

We all have favourite kit and honestly this is one of those things that is personal preference – I prefer hiking leggings to trousers as I find they give me better range of movement when both hiking and also climbing and scrambling.

And yes I do have my favourites but here is an honest review of some that I have tried and tested:

North Face – Women’s Mountain Athletic Leggings – £50. I have a lot of their clothing (tshirts, fleeces and jackets) and always a fan, however, the leggings were not great (at all). They were very poor fitting and too big in some places and snug in others. There was a lot of movement when hiking and I had to pull up and readjust a lot (like constantly), which is far from ideal. Unfortunately not a pair I would use for hiking, like I recently did in the Lake District, probably more for local short dog walks.
Columbia – Hike Leggings – £35. These were nice fitting, with a little movement but nothing too much. I did slip over on a descent wearing this and ended up with a very wet backside, which stayed wet for a very long time – this may sound odd but others that wick better will dry quicker.
Berghaus – Aether Leggings – £45. Really comfortable and no movement at all. Was a little worried when I received them as they looked very small but they were fine and material was super wicking too.
Rab – Flux Pants – £45. These are my go to leggings. They are super comfortable, no movement and have withstood a lot of scrambling and rock surfaces where I use my backside as a crampon! Plus they wick quickly when wet.
Rab – Skyline Tights – £70. These are more robust than the others and feel slightly warmer with a little compression. They also have zips at the ankle should you need to adjust for socks/boots.
Revolution Race – Energy High Waist – £69 – a friend of mine recommended this brand and since moving to Sweden (they are a Swedish company) I see it everywhere so figured why not. Their about them says they are the hikers who got tired of overpriced, badly fitting clothes and honestly from a few wears they have done a great job in my opinion. No movement, super comfortable, pockets on the legs, which considering all the leggings I have this was a first and now a must going forward!
Revolution Race – Summit Core – £75 – more robust feeling than the above pair from the same brand but all the same excellent qualities plus more. These have reinforced knees, which is great as I tend to be more of a nervous scrambler and often use my knees and bum!

And for tops I wear a lot of my mountain biking clothing as it is comfortable, breathable, wicks really well and does the job perfectly!

I also regularly look at the Fjallraven clothing but the pricing is a little wowsers – I would be interested to know from anyone who has tried and tested them if they are worth the investment? I did invest in a winter coat from them when I moved to Sweden and have a warm beanie for the snowy months, both of which are amazing, plus I have a couple of bags.

Category: Fitness, Hiking

Back To The Lake District For More Wainwright Hiking

Last year I put up a post about how a friend and I had decided we would start to try and tick off some of the Wainwright fells in the Lake District (you can read that here). Last week we went back for more!

Why Go To The Lake District?

Super easy question! If you like being outdoors you can’t go wrong! The Lake District is one of those places that is picture perfect around almost every turn.

It is, however, somewhere with unpredictable weather and often referred to as one of the spots in the UK with the most rain so need to be ready to adapt your plans and keep checking the forecast! The plus side of it being somewhere with a lot of rain means it is very green and lush and when there is a lot of water the waterfalls are in full force and lakes full.

You can also spot a red squirrel although we were not so lucky.

If hiking the fells is not for you there are many outdoor activity centres with different things on offer and of course many lakes to walk around that do not include the climbing and are most suitable for prams and wheelchairs when using the paths.

Accommodation

Last time we stayed in a yurt but as we were staying for longer this time we thought it might be good to have a proper bed, bathroom and facilities to wash kit so we opted for a cottage in Keswick. We stayed in Crag Cottage with Sally’s Cottages and it was very central so we could walk to everywhere in town. There is no onsite parking so you do need to leave your car in the nearby car park but the cost of this, for one car, is included in the booking cost.

Keswick has a number of outdoor stores so if you need any additional kit there is plenty of choice and many a nice pub too to refuel post hike!

How Dog Friendly Is It?

I didn’t take our dog as she is 13.5 years old now and the walks would be too long and too tough for her but my friend took her two cockers and they loved it!

I would also note that almost all shops and pubs we went were dog friendly, which is nice, some had towels for muddy paws, dog menus and all had fresh water and treats too.

You will see other dogs on the walks and if you are unsure check the route out online and see as there are some ridges where people do not advise taking dogs – it is more commons sense. If you do walk with the dogs just be conscious of your surroundings and signs for farm animals – it was lambing season when we were there so there were a lot of signs asking for dogs to be kept on leads.

Planning A Route

I mentioned in my previous post that we had found the website from The Walking Englishman, which includes routs to tick off multiple summits across a number of walks as well as the GPX file. We did have a Garmin GPSMAP 66ST to load the routes on to but also our phones and both had the Ordnance Survey app we could load the route to as well.

I will fully admit that my friend Lee was master navigator and was amazing as we found with the some of the routes that they were not sticking to paths and we did not want to trespass across farmer land so needed to adapt and also quite a few times we found there was no path, which was interesting!

Kit

In my last post I listed my kit and it was pretty much the same, however, I think for next time I will look to downsize my backpack. I have an Osprey Radial, which is 26 to 34 litres as it can expand and I love this bag – really comfortable and great for hiking, cycle commuting and everyday use. However, I found that I didn’t need this much space for my kit and so when I was scrambling there was a bit of movement. As someone who is not the most confident when scrambling, movement in the bag did not help so I think next time I may look to invest in one slightly smaller but ensure I can still fit the essentials.

Photo credit to https://www.instagram.com/songasport/

What Progress Did We Make?

This time round we completed 16 more, including the following:

Allen Crags
Barf
Broom Fell
Dodd
Fellbarrow
Glaramara
Graystones
Kirk Fell
Latrigg (sunrise hike)
Ling Fell
Lords Seat
Low Fell
Rannerdale Knotts (sunset hike)
Sale Fell
Seathewaite Fell
Walla Crag

We covered over 53 miles and over 15,000ft of climbing. This takes our total now to 27/214 so still a very long way to go!

Category: Hiking, Van Life

The Camper Van Goes To The Isle Of Wight

We are always up for any excuse to have a weekend away in the van. Plus weekends away mean minimal holiday days need to be used allowing more time to go away over the year!

The crossing to Isle of Wight, with Wight Link, has several options for routes including:

Lymington to Yarmouth (40 minutes)
Portsmouth to Fishbourne (45 minutes)
Portsmouth to Ryde (22 minutes although this route is not for cars and only foot passengers and cyclists)

Booking the ferry was easy online, I downloaded the app, which gives a QR code for quick check in on arrival, however, the registration of the vehicle was recognised and we were through very easily. On the way back we were early and offered to go on the ferry due before us (they departed once an hour). Staff were very friendly and accommodating and it was good to see all the dogs on the crossing – we were not sure how April would be as she has never been on a boat and not the best with some floors but she seemed to love it! There was a poster on the ferry that estimated there would be 4.6 million passengers during 2023.

We had booked to pitch the camper van at Grange Farm in Brightstone. We managed to get a pitch right near the edge of the campsite overlooking the sea. We had an electric hook up grass pitch. The site had really good facilities with toilets, showers – even a bath which we have never seen before on a campsite, and more for kids including two playgrounds. There were also goats, pigs, alpacas and rabbits everywhere! They also have two street food options onsite – one offers breakfasts, fish and chips and drinks and the other wood fired pizzas. There is also a shop with loads to offer and you can pre order fresh pastries and breads the day before for collection the following morning. Staff here were lovely and couldn’t be more helpful.

You could walk directly from the farm down to the beach and walk along the front and it is located on Military Road, which stretches from Freshwater to Blackgang. The road has scenic sea views for the entire stretch.

There is so much to see and do on the Isle of Wight and something for everyone. We managed to pick a weekend where there were a few things going on:

an ultra walking/running challenge on where participants were completing a route the circumference of the island, which is 106km in total, either over 1 or 2 days
a cycling event much the same as the above with different distances on offer including the full 100km or the 55km option
a beer festival at the steam railway

We did a lot of hiking, found a delightful tea room called Tandem Team Room serving a lot of fresh homemade cakes and is also a B&B.

There are so many walking routes and friendly faces in local pubs. Some of the footpaths were not as maintained as we thought they would be, but roads are not overly busy – the coastal path was lovely with stunning views.

Of course I had to take the opportunity to visit the Mermaid Bar and will admit until we were there this weekend, I actually had no idea that this gin was made in the Isle of Wight.

If you are interested in a short break off the coast of England with stunning landscapes, beaches, and something for everyone young and old the Isle of Wight is definitely one to check out. The Isle of Wight is also very camper van friendly and we didn’t have an issue navigating any roads or parking. It does follow the same rules as mainland England so wild camping is not allowed unless you have specific permission from a land owner.

This was the third time I had been to Isle of Wight – once when I was at school, once when our son was younger and now this trip. We will definitely return!

Ferry crossing was gifted but all opinions are my own.

Category: Product Reviews

Are Skinny Food Co Products Worth It?

Try some food, give it a review and rate it? Oh go on then!

Now as someone who has had their weight fluctuate up and down for pretty much all of my life, I am always up for a little better for you swap. So when Skinny Food Co sent me some items from their range, I was happy to oblige!

Who Are Skinny Food Co?

Now first things first, the name Skinny Food Co – under their ‘about us’ it says the following:

When we say Skinny, we’re talking about our food. Skinny because of the sugar we take away. Skinny because of the calories we reduce down to virtually zero. That’s the only Skinny we care about.

I will be honest when I see these products I assume low fat or a diet version of something else to compare it with. The company came about from having diabetic family members and looking how to find favourite foods that they could still eat with less sugar. It does, however, also state on the website:

Making sure we’re uncompromisingly low calorie.

So whilst less sugar they are implying low calorie/low fat. And less sugar does not mean not having lots of added sweetener.

What Is Being Reviewed?

The items sent to me were:

Ketchup
Garlic Mayo
Wraps
Hazelnut Spread
Protein Bars

I should caveat that I was not sent these products to compare with others, but it is hard not to do just that.

I would also note that a lot of the products on their website are also vegan (over 80% of all products are vegan), gluten free, dairy free, low calorie and high protein so could be ideal for those with certain food intolerances.

My Honest Opinion

If you have read my reviews before you will know I am honest – what is the point of a review if there is no honesty? I, like you, have seen many post from people about the products from this company. Most are influencers and I am often more sceptical when you see review after review after review that is all positive. I am not saying it is not possible, but we are all individual and have different tastes and opinions. That being said my review is mine and so you may well taste these yourselves and think what are you on about Lisa these are delicious – and if you do then great. Each to their own!

I would also not that I have not been under a rock and am aware of the previous Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) complaints about Not Guilty Food Co (who trade as Skinny Food Co) including removal of customer reviews and debate on nutritional information on social media posts) but I did not take this into consideration when forming my own view.

Ketchup – this was always going to be a tough call. Can you beat Heinz? In my opinion, no. But I gave it a go. Unfortunately it was not for me, neither the taste nor the consistency (very watery) was just right.
Garlic Mayo – just no. Less sugar sure but it was sweetened to death and so synthetic tasting. Garlic mayo is not something that should generally be sweet. Also far too runny – consistency of the sauce definitely needs some work.
Wraps – not much to say about this but they were more dense than normal wraps and mine split easily when I did wrap them (I had a tuna salad filling in case that makes a difference).
Hazelnut Spread – this is actually not bad at all. Again can definitely taste the sweetener but tasted ok.
Protein Bars – I received 6 different flavours and they were quite nice, however, for price and taste there is another brand I would buy over these.

Conclusion

I went through all the nutrition labels for all products and honestly the difference in calories etc is pretty negligible. Across the board. And you will pay more for these products too – taking prices from the Skinny Food Co versus comparable items from Tesco, it would cost just under £12 more from Skinny Food Co.

My husband uses the syrup in his coffee and is a huge fan – I don’t drink coffee (I know shock horror) so I cannot comment on that.

In summary eat what you want, when you want, in moderation.

Product was gifted but all opinions are my own.

Category: Fitness

The Joys (or more appropriately not) of Perimenopause

I feel like there has been a lot across social media in recent months regarding menopause and peri menopause. I also know there are some people who feel like it is a lot and would like to see less. BUT let me tell you as someone going through perimenopause, I feel heard and I can relate!

I was diagnosed with perimenopause following blood tests early last year and it has been a trip – that I would like a refund for.

I am sure everyone has different symptoms but for me the worst are:

Weight gain – my blog is Fat Girl Fit and focuses on not judging a book by its cover and proving that appearances do not define you and regardless of being bigger, that I am capable, However, the weight gain is not welcomed and I am not planning on buying a new wardrobe either.
Bloating – I am still in the process of figuring out which foods cause more of an aggravation than not as it is uncomfortable being so bloated most of the time.
Thinning hair – I already have what I refer to as old lady hair and making this worse is not great but I can definitely notice it getting thinner and falling out more than before.
Emotions – literally the worst! Absolutely anything could make me cry. It’s a whirlwind. I am sure my husband thinks I am going crazy. Our tumble dryer was making a sketchy noise a few weeks ago and I thought it was broken. I burst into tears, it literally felt in that moment that this was the end of the world. I can see now how illogical and ridiculous this is but honestly in that moment it felt so justified.
Anxiety – the weirdest things can cause anxiety and this is not something I have struggled with previously. Overthinking. Procrastinating. Yep all that.
Injuries – I have been injured before, followed advice and physiotherapy and all good but it is something that definitely takes a lot longer now and patience is not my strong point. This year I tore my MCL for the second time and although the tear is no longer there it is still painful when put under any pressure.
Hot flushes – now these are a joy (not). My husband can sometimes see from my face that it is happening before I feel it. I can only describe it as a rush of heat mixed with panic mixed with a sick feeling. My husband will ask if I need anything and honestly as kind as that is, in my head I am thinking shut up and leave me alone until it passes. I struggle to catch my breath and let the wave pass whilst my brain is going a million miles an hour thinking that I may or may not be sick.
Lethargy – I am someone who needs a solid 8 hours sleep and can sleep anywhere no problem but now despite the amount of sleep I get it never feels enough. My 8 hours feels like 3 or 4. Don’t get me wrong I know I am still getting 8 hours and some people would love that but I wouldn’t expect to feel so tired all the time with that. Where has my energy gone?
Skin changes – I can’t say I am someone who has a specific skin care routine and not a huge make up wearer either. But my skin can sometimes feel so sore and so dry like never before! A few months ago I purchased some of the new Boots No 7 menopause skincare and spent almost £100 on day cream, night cream and serum. I would love to say it has made a huge difference but it honestly hasn’t at all, which is disappointing. A friend has recommended some revitalift items from L’Oreal that she has found to be good so I am going to try that next.
Temperature – I need clothes for all seasons all year round. Regardless of the time of year, I am cold, I am hot, the blankets are off, then I wrap myself in them and then I need them as far away from me as possible. I can wake up covered in sweat even when it is so cold.

Disappointingly the initial medication that was suggested by my GP was a low dose anti depressant and this was not something I wanted to start taking. I also had my prolactin levels in my bloods cause a concern as each blood test saw these increase significantly so I am now over 18 months waiting for an MRI. There is definitely no rush from my GP to chase this up and I know I am one of many people going through this and no different to the others so it is a case of waiting.

I am taking collagen, which helps with bones, skin, hair and came recommended to help with menopause/perimenopause symptoms. I have also been recommended to take glucosamine, which helps with joint issues (hoping this will help with my current knee issues too).

It is great to see so much more discussion around this subject but this has also caused delays in being seen by professionals and reports of gels/medication being delayed or unavailable.

Oh the joy to be a woman!

Category: Van Life

Christmas Gifts Ideas for Camper Van Life

Van life has well and truly become part of our life and if anything I would like more adventures in the van!

Before we purchased our campervan we had spoken to others who had vans and we were warned they can be a labour of love. We are lucky (touch wood) not have had major issues to date (and long may that continue) but had the odd thing, but what I have found is that there are always things to buy – some you need and some you just want.

I wrote a blog post previously on essentials for van life that you can read here. It is Christmas shopping time for sure and if you have a campervan and looking for inspiration or looking for a gift for someone with a campervan then take a look at some suggestions below:

Games – we always have some games on hand in the van and our favourites are normal playing cards of course but also Uno and Monopoly (much quicker than the board game Monopoly).
Tripod fire pit from Aldi, £44.99 – this was an amazing find in store and it doubles as a fire pit and grill and packs away so slim and easy in a bag with handles. We very often light at night and have used to cook on also.
Dry robes, from £140 – we both have Dry Robes and always have them in the camper van when we go away. They fold down relatively small and are useful for changing, after wild swimming, for toilet/shower runs on camp and for all year round.
Physion Mini Massage Gun, £59.95 – when we are on adventures in the van we often take our bikes or go hiking and this massage gun is compact, easy to take with us and use after being out all day.
Adventure journal, £25 – I don’t have this but have seen it online and looks like a great way to document adventures and memories.
Grounded book, £16.99 – my son got this for me last year and it is such a good book all about how having a connection with nature can improve our mental and physical wellbeing.
Camping and Campervan membership, from £45 – we are members (feels like a very grown up thing) and definitely has been worth it, giving access and information on campsites and discounts. We have found campsites where you have to be a member and all have been sites we would recommend.
Brit Stops, £32 – not a membership as such but by signing up you get access to stay at certain stopovers (not campsites) and I have used this in a pub car park when doing the King Alfred’s Way bikepacking. You announce your arrival and have somewhere safe to stay – there is no charge but as I found we got a drink and food ahead of staying.
Big Bobble Hats, £22 – always useful to have in the van for cold days and nights and to keep adventuring all year round. Use code FATGIRLFIT20 for a 20% discount.
Camping Blanket, £77 – not something I have but will be going on my list.
JBL mini speaker, £29.99 – we got this on one of our ferry crossings on our trip to Sweden in June and it is fab, small and compact, easy to carry/store, sounds great and can charge by USB.
Jet Boil, £139 – I looked at this for a very long time and finally purchased at the start of the year and it is worth every penny. We have used for cooking and for drinks both when we are pitched and also on hikes – fab item!
Ordnance Survey app, from £4.99 per month – my husband has this and we very often use when out and about, very handy!

Happy Camping!

Category: Cycling, Fitness, Hiking

Christmas Gift List Ideas

I am not sure about you but I hate when people ask me for ideas for Christmas or Birthday presents as it is like a tap has been turned on and all ideas I previously had disappear!

I do, however, have some gift ideas that I can recommend and you may find useful.

The new book from GCN and Mark Beaumont, The Complete Guide to Cycling, £16.99. I have reviewed this book and you can read what I thought here.
One of the bottles on offer from Hydrate M8, whether it be a water tracker bottle or an insulated bottle now we are in cooler months. You can use discount code _FAT_GIRL_FIT_ for 20% off your purchase.
Big Bobble Hats, a firm favourite of mine and you can never have enough! You can use discount code FATGIRLFIT20 for 20% off your purchase.
Winter cycling cap – I have one from Rapha though they are no longer made but this Stolen Goat hat looks very similar and they are fab in the winter months when out in the elements, £35.
Queens of Pain, Legends & Rebels of Cycling book, £25. An inspirational read about female cyclists over the years.
Kapz customised headset caps. I have one of these that says Fat Girl Fit (in pink of course) and it is a fab subtle customisation to any bike. They also have stock designs, all from £18.95.
VeloPac Ride Pac from £20. I have had these on my gift guides before but they are fab and I am a huge fan so here it is again!
Fleece – it’s definitely fleece season and I am here for it, so any fleece. I recently got this one, which is very retro!
Five Tens MTB shoes from the Breast Cancer campaign, £130. I recently got these and they’re the usual Five Tens fab shoes and have pink and boobies on them – what’s not to love!
Ordnance Survey Maps – of like me you like to be outdoors this shop is like a treasure trove including custom maps that you can find here and they currently have 15% off too!

Happy Christmas shopping!