STOPtober!

Birthday Night Out and Baby Brother Photo Bomb!!

September has been a blast! and I mean a BLAST!! I finished up in work (had an amazing leaving night - see pictures!) then I started my new job (exhausting but already I am much happier), I've been moving house slowly (again exhausting!!! I am never doing this again...sorry Mum and Dad but I'm here to stay), I also had an amazing weekend with the manfriend all to myself, then a double dunker birthday weekend with dinner AND a night out (see more pictures) and FINALLY had a tremendously tiring (and at times soul destroying) but reflectively positive in a self exploratory kind of way weekend at an international guide camp.

Leaving Night! 7 Tequilas! 7!!!

 I actually love camping...I love being in a tent! and being smelly....no one cares :)

September has whirled by and I have overindulged and underexercised. Its no wonder I feel bloated and sore; although I also feel very blessed to have had the amazing times, friends, family and opportunities that have made up my month.

But this blog is about diet and exercise. Lifestyle choices. And after an amazing month it's time to knuckle down and do this thing.

Firstly October is the NHS designated month for STOPtober, where there is a focus on (and therefore time, resources and support) to quit smoking. So tonight is most definitely my last EVER cigarette. No more excuses, no more crap. I have patches and the support of my family (my mum's stopping too!). So this, for the last time, is it! STOPtober is only available in England and Wales, but I figured seen as loads of people are trying to stop together, why not us!

Birthday Champagne...followed by birthday shots!!!

As I mentioned before I really struggle when trying to stop smoking when I go out for a drink. So I figured I try kill two birds with one stone, and raise some cash for Macmillan Cancer Support (who helped nurse my Nana at home at the end, and who I have worked with in the community and seen first hand the AMAZING work they do). So I am ALSO doing Go Sober for October as well. Which means I ain't going to be on the booze either!!

You guys know that my weekends pretty much revolve around alcamahol. I do love a night out with the girls, a casual pint at the Grosv and a wee mixed fruits in the house after a stressful day! So cutting out the booze may not seem like a hardship but when days roll into weekends well...lets just say I'll have to remain very conscious of the fact I am not indulging! So I would really, really, appreciate any donations at all which you can do on my PROFILE PAGE!

And if that wasn't enough (and surely it would be I hear you scream!!) I am starting at the gym first thing tomorrow morning. I am now a fully fledged member of the Renfrewshire Leisure Centres and will be hitting it hard at bodypump at 7.15AM tomorrow morning. Figured I gotta replace two of my vices with another (healthier) addiction!!!

try something new challenge...September.

Sorry its been a while, I've been crazy busy for the last weeks. First of all I had a horrific viral infection and was floored for like a week. Then I started my new job, and was absolutely shattered. A combination of the viral and just taking in vast amounts of information for 5 days straight.

Anyways I am reporting on my new experience of the month. You may remember that when I made the decision to try and get fit I also wanted to make sure I tried new fitness activities to keep my life (and fitness life) interesting.

July was free weights - which I love and continue to do now!
August was metafit - which I love and aim to continue to do!
September - was mountain biking.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, my cousin enjoys a bit of cycling. London to Paris...you know, just little cycles here and there.

Anyways he invited me out for a trial of mountain biking! We headed to 7stanes in Dumfries, and the wee soul even paid for my bike hire as a birthday present! It was pouring from the heavens when I picked up my cous, and the feeling of dred was getting heavier and heavier as we got closer to the mountains.....

Luckily the rain held off as we started our ascent! I very quickly felt well out of my depth, I kept slipping and sliding all over the place, couldn't work the gears, kept having to walk up bits. I went very quiet, and out of breathe, and instantly just thought "I HATE THIS!!!!"

But after a wee while we had got onto parts that were flatter, or had some more downhill bits. The rain stayed off, the sun even came out, and I managed to get more of the gears worked out. I suddenly found myself peddling along, and smiling!

Not just smiling....LAUGHING!!

4 hours later we fly down the hill (I say fly, I was crawling...but it felt like flying). I was soaked, I was dirty from my toes to my hair and I was completely high! I had an amazing time and I am totally go gonna back. My whole body is stiff as hell but I felt amazing, I felt proud and I felt like I had achieved something.

September - Done!!

October....... Rock Climbing!!!