Product Reviews - Fat Girl Fit

Halfway through my Julia Buckley pilot programme

I am halfway through my four week Ignite pilot programme and I am loving it!

Don’t get me wrong I chose to set my alarm daily for 5.30am so that I can get the workout done before I went to work so that I could not fall into the trap of getting back late or being too tired and making excuses not to do it. I can’t lie there have been a couple of mornings my alarm has gone off and I have thought please let me stay in this warm and cosy bed but no I’ve got up and got it done! No excuses!

My husband is my accountability buddy and he knows the score but so far I’ve been so good he hasn’t had to kick my butt at all (insert smug face here).

Julia Buckley has an online gym and the support on there is incredible. Julia is on hand every day and so are all the other members so the conversation flows so easily, which is incredible in terms of support and swapping advice.

The workouts are 30 minutes each but don’t let that fool you into thinking that they may be an easy 30 minute workout because they are not. I am dripping in sweat after all of them.

It works the same as HIIT workouts with maximum calorie burning in minimum time, achieved by intervals of high and medium intensity exercises. No equipment is needed so this can be done at home, in the park, at the gym – lots of options. the workouts are more interesting than the norm so don’t get boring at all.

Of course you only get out what you put in so you do need to give it your all for the duration of the workout.

In order to see the results from the pilot programme I have kept other working out to a minimum though I have had an 8 mile run and a spin class. I’ve lost one pound and when I ran I slowed it down by 30 seconds per mile and it felt much better than before so for me at the end of this programme it is not weight loss or measurements that will be the tell tale signs of results from this but if there is an improvement in my running.

So the programme is going well though yesterday I did have a toddler tantrum as I didn’t want to run, I was tired, I wanted to lay in my bed or on the sofa and stay under my warm blanket. But I got up and changed and headed out the door for a run. After two laps round the block my Garmin watch had not picked up the satellite signal and the wind was blowing and it had started raining and I’d had enough and decided I would just stop right there so no run. After all if it isn’t on Strava it didn’t happen! ha ha

strava-4

Category: Fitness, Product Reviews

My four week plan with the amazing Julia Buckley

Very excited to announce that as of tomorrow I will be taking part as a member of a pilot testing group for the four-week online fitness programme for the amazing Julia Buckley.

Julia is a fitness trainer based in London, who shares support and advice on fitness and fat loss – you will probably have heard of her and may even have her amazing book The Fat Burn Revolution.

During this programme I have committed myself to completing five to six 30 minute workout videos per week.

My main goal from this programme is to increase my overall fitness and have a good base that I can then continue with long after the four week programme. I have picked this as my main goal because up until now I have concentrated mainly on running and cycling and have started to introduce other aspects such as weights (though have not done that much up until now) and pilates to try and add some overall improvement in my fitness, which I know will in turn benefit both my running and cycling. I am 55lbs down on my journey so far and have at least another 28lbs to go and without adding some overall fitness, including toning up I will almost certainly look good when clothed but like a crepe paper saggy god knows what underneath! I’ve hit a plateau and I want to feel better, look great and know I’m healthy. I want to be better than I used to be. Most importantly I want ‘normal’ people (like me) to realise you have to start somewhere and yes it will take time but it will be worth it and you can do it – I used to think there is no way I can do that but I am and if that inspires someone then I am happy with that!

There are three things I will be doing for the next 4 weeks as part of this programme and they are:

Getting up earlier in the morning to complete the workout videos prior to starting my working day and set my off first thing on the right track.
Making sure that I drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day – I went through a period of being very good with this but of late sometimes get to mid afternoon at work and realise I’ve had one cup of tea and one glass of water and can feel the dehydration when working out.
Planning my meals in advance – I am usually very good with what I eat and 99% of the time I am a ‘from fresh’ girl who cooks but with an active lifestyle I have tended to, of late, eat a lot of variations of egg as its quick and easy and can mix with avocado, smoked salmon etc but planning will give more a variation for my meals.

I have roped in the help of my hubby for this programme. He will be my accountability buddy. I was going to choose my son but I changed my mind as he is 17 and try as I might to get him involved in my weight loss and fitness journey he is just not that interested in either (as you would expect from a 17 year old boy) and is lucky enough that he doesn’t seem to share the genes that myself and my husband have as we have always been a bit bigger and he is the polar opposite with very little fat despite the fact that he could eat more than the two of us put together!

So over the next four weeks I will be sharing with you how I am getting on with this new programme.

Category: Product Reviews

Ufit Protein Drink review

The lovely people at The Protein Drinks Company were looking for people to review some of their product and it fit quite nicely for me to do with my new active lifestyle.

I am surrounded by cyclists, runners and generally super fit and healthy people and as I currently only have 1 or 2 rest days most weeks I am conscious that my nutrition is something that cannot slip in order to get the best results from my training.

Protein put simply is important for the growth and development of muscles. Protein assists with the development and maintenance of lean muscle mass and can benefit overall health, also increasing metabolism and acting as an aid in weight loss.

Protein is of course not the only element for nutrition during training and should be taking into consideration along with carbohydrates and fat.

There are different ways to incorporate protein into your diet;

Lean meat (chicken, pork, turkey, some cuts of beef)
Fish (tuna, halibut, salmon, tilapia, sardines)
Eggs
Dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt – greek yoghurt is a good source and Skyr is a good high protein yoghurt)
Beans, pulses, nuts and seeds (lentils, peas and also nut butters – we are a fan of cashew butter in our house)
Veggies and fruits
Quinoa
Soy products (tofu, edamame – if you like tofu that is – its not for me!)
Protein powders
Protein shakes

Homemade protein drinks are the preference in our house and my husband loves to experiment with our Nutri Bullet though there is an increase in ready made protein drinks that you can buy from most supermarkets now for ease.

U Fit drinks are pre mixed protein drinks that are quick and easy to have ensuring you get your protein fix. I was sent the strawberry and chocolate U Fit milk with added oomph. They are 310ml bottles and contain:

22g protein
No added sugar
Low in fat
Rich in calcium
Vitamins and fibre

I was also sent the strawberry and chocolate U Fit Pro 50 supersize protein shakes, which can be used as a single serving or split between two servings in between meals. They are 500ml bottles and contain:

50g protein
Low in fat
Rich in calcium
Vitamins and fibre
Rich in amino acids

The drinks were delivered just in time for our annual cycling club BBQ and so I was able to hand out to members of the club in order to get more feedback than just mine!

So here are the pros:

Most thought it was easy to drink.
Most thought the U Fit Milk with added oomph was a good consistency; I agreed – I’m not a fan of thick shakes or smoothies and so would have been put off it if were an overly thick consistency.
Low fat – however, compared to other shakes on the market it is a little on the high side by comparison but just a little.
Favourite flavour seemed to be hands down strawberry over the chocolate.
Handy as a pre made protein fix and to drink on the go without having to mix.
The U Fit Milk with added oomph is priced at £2.00 per bottle in Tesco and currently half price so you may want to stock up while it is only £1.00 per bottle (until mid-September)!

And here are the cons:

A couple of people did think the consistency was a little too thick and heavy for their tastes. The Pro 50 seems to be a lot thicker and would be better split over two servings rather than just the one. The benefit of mixing from powder does mean you can determine the consistency better.
The bottle says to ‘serve chilled and shake up your health’ – do shake the drink otherwise there is a slightly oily taste to it.
There was a general consensus that although it was fine whilst drinking there was a slightly artificial aftertaste.
The chocolate flavour tasted a little on the tinny/metallic side.
The Pro 50 is priced at £3.75 per bottle in Tesco and so slightly on the expensive side compared to other brands marketing similar products so maybe not an everyday purchase.

Considering the pros and cons lists above seem heavier on the cons most people said that they would buy and use again. I would say if you like a thick shake you will love the Pro 50 but if you don’t then, like me, this one will probably not be a hit with you. It does say they are for ‘use between meals as a nutritious snack or on the go when you’re pushed for time’ and that sums it up for me; for me they would be post workout rather than just through the day and more of a quick fix if I were out and about and wanted to buy something like this without having prepared my own rather than part of my weekly shopping list or my regular diet, I am afraid. A good product, and one of the better tasting protein shakes out there, and I would drink again though for me only as an emergency quick fix.