Intuitive eating

Here I am.. on my fitness journey loving life and loving food! Since having my second child I have not dieted! Food does not have to be the enemy, we do not have to be ultra strict on ourselves ending up a miserable sod! The truth is we can be as flexible as we like. I mean unless your goal is to drop a stone in 5 days then your literally going to have to deprive yourself of everything you love which is fine but really not sustainable.

You may or may not have heard of intuitive eating. If you have no interest in health and fitness you most probably haven’t but that’s all about to change as I go into it a little for you to shed some light on how I eat.

I’ve been one of those people that track all their macros (track calories/fats/proteins/fibres etc) including every piece that goes in their mouth but I found it made me too restrictive so I would end up not consuming the amount of calories I needed in a day because I was so set on hitting goals. I wasn’t relaxed about my food intake, I would always make sure I could fit certain foods in my macros before feeding my hunger signals which isn’t fun!

Everyone is different, some people like the organisation and having control over something, others don’t like the discipline and would rather have the option to just grab whatever they want when they want and if this is you then read this checklist on how I feel it should be;

✖️ How about we cut the stigma of not being allowed certain foods and not restrict ourselves so that actually we don’t crave it.

✖️ Learn to understand your hunger signals and feed them. Don’t just eat because you’re bored, upset or stressed.

✖️ Also learn to recognise when you’re full to stop overeating (eat more when you get hungry again instead of over indulging in one sitting)

✖️ Learn portion sizes and what your body needs for fuel.

✖️ Have a variety of foods, no one wants to be bored of what they are eating! Your body needs variety to get all the vitamins and minerals it needs.

✖️ Go with the flow of your body. Don’t beat yourself up for eating ‘unhealthy’ foods or missing a workout, lets not be militant on ourselves.

✖️ Learn to love your body for what it is, it keeps you alive daily so fuel it well.. depriving it of food will not get you long lasting results.

Everything in moderation is the key.. want a bit of chocolate? Have a little bit but don’t binge. Want to snack? Go ahead and reach for something of a healthier alternative or a small portion of what you enjoy and fill your boots! More food = more fuel 💪🏼 just do not forget that eating a load of crap every day isn’t going to get you anywhere, intuitive eating has to be mindful otherwise results won’t follow. Your food needs to be your goodness but remember you need to be treated and you need to be enjoying yourself ❤️

If you’re interested in finding out more about intuitive eating you can find so many books/ebooks on amazon or through your internet browser. If you’re struggling or in a rut I highly recommend giving this approach a go weather it’s your first resort or your last.

Livvy X

Icon seamless ombré leggings review

I’m back with another product review and I’m so excited about this one as I’m so in love with these leggings and they are made by the company that I jumped on board to ambassador for 😍

I came across the icon fitness clothing company on Instagram where I seen them reaching out for people to ambassador for them, I looked at their site and loved the quality and style of their clothing so I went for it and been impressed ever since.

I’m not gonna lie, I hadn’t really been drawn in by either of the two pairs of leggings they had previously produced but as soon as I saw these I knew I had to have them!

I had already invested in the mesh crop top pictured above which was my first item purchased to start putting word of the company out there on my social media and what an asset it is to these leggings.. outfit goals or what 🙌

So let’s talk about the quality and overall pros and cons of the product; They fit like a glove, the material is stretchy and thinner than most seamless which is a bonus for the warmer weather while still being squat proof. They shape to you lovely, including the bum 😝 but aren’t tight fitting, the waist is high (praise the lord) I do like a thick waistband but unfortunately the waistband on these is small so not so sucky in on the Mum tum. I went for an XXS-XS which is classed as a size 6-8 which is small for me as I’m a 10 in jeans so bare this in mind to size down slightly.

This ombré colour combo is just my fave!! I absolutely love greys and they are so flattering but guys I have prayed that they release more colours cause I mean how amazing would it be to have a whole option of which ones to wear in our wardrobes!! At only £24.99 I really don’t think you can go wrong AND if you want the whole outfit from my pictures you can purchase a bundle for only £34.99 with an extra 10% off if you use my personal code on any orders at the checkout: Liv10

In the mesh crop top I got a Small and it fits perfectly, sweat resistant and very airy ☺️.

Happy shopping to anyone that whisks up these beauties to chill in, head to the gym in, run in or whatever it is you do and I hope to bring you some more reviews very soon, after all it is coming into warmer weather so I may just need a gorge pair of gym shorts 👀

LivvyX

Dealing with gym anxiety/anxiety in general

Do you suffer with gym anxiety? Will you not even enter a gym because of it? Just know that your not alone, so many people suffer with anxiety but not enough people talk about! It’s funny how most of the people that do suffer are the people we think are least likely.

I was 19 years old when I was diagnosed with panic attacks, I used to suffer with anxiety daily! At the time it was a massive part of my life but now it’s only a small part and that’s because I’ve made it that way.

Anxiety is a difficult one, you do have to overcome it, you do have to be strong and learn how to deal with it but I suppose that is why when your at a low point/stressed/tired/facing hard tasks that is why it creeps back because at these points you are not feeling strong, in fact you are feeling the complete opposite!

For me dealing with it I just go into everything head strong, I tell myself I am going to do this, I can do this and I will! As much as I feel sick, my hearts palpitating, once I’m there, once I’m doing it, I relax and I’m absolutely fine! The truth is it’s just our way of thinking and if you can take over that way of thinking that’s when you will find strength ❤️.

For anybody wanting to go to the gym and struggling to face it, find someone you trust and feel safe with to go along with you until you get used to the place. Do it a couple of times and I promise the anxiety will ease, it’s just like anything new in life after all we are all human. That’s exactly how I dealt with it four years ago when I first entered a gym. I was lucky enough to have the comfort of my husband with me, he showed me everything I needed to know, he helped me out getting to know the place and it was just a reassurance of knowing I wasn’t alone.

So many people say to me I’m braver than them, that they couldn’t step into a busy gym especially when it’s full of testosterone but the truth is, that could be you too! I’m getting stronger for it, I’m building myself up, I won’t let anxiety get the better of me and I certainly won’t let it stop me from doing things and you shouldn’t either!

Don’t let anxiety be your bitch! Make it yours!!! 💪🏼

Remember people go to the gym for themselves, they don’t go to look at other people, to judge other people or to stand at watch other people! They are looking at their self in the mirror, not you. Everyone has to start somewhere!

A few tips for coping with anxiety in any situation:

❤️ Mind over matter, tell yourself you can do it/you can cope.

❤️ Deep controlled breaths in and out till you’ve calmed down.

❤️ Think happy thoughts, think of a time where you were happy/a place where you’re happiest.

❤️ Keep yourself busy.

❤️ Don’t keep it to yourself, if you’re worried talk it out.

How I lost my first baby weight!

So this is a big one for me, this is where my fitness journey started and the first time that I’ve ever struggled with my weight.

I expect most mums will relate when I say you go wayyy over the top with eating in that first exciting pregnancy where you think ‘yeah I’m gonna get fat anyway’ so you demolish a share bag of chocolate and a share bag of sweets all in one evening every evening! Yes that was me! It’s no wander I gave birth to a 9lb5oz baby boy 🙈.

Unlike most people my journey didn’t start in the gym, I hated the gym, had never been to a gym before and didn’t have any interest in going. My little boy (Harrison) must’ve been about 3/4 months when I thought nows my time, I’ve never been this big before and I’m not going to stay this way after all that’s all it is, a choice! A choice weather you want to work for it or stay the way you are.

A couple of people I know kept shouting on Facebook about having a PT. Now I wasn’t sure if this would be for me but thought the only way I’m going to stick to something is if I have someone telling me what to do and egging me on. I had tried many classes but kept getting bored of them and wouldn’t stick to it so I decided to go for it, give it a try as I had nothing to loose other than those extra pounds!

Through recommendations I decided to contact ‘Max cranage PT’ http://www.maxcranagept.com/ Max has his own gym equipment based studio. A lot of the sessions were HIIT based (this stands for high intensity interval training) they were 45 minutes long. The best thing about it was no 1 session was the same, it was always a variation of exercises from cardio to weight lifting you name it. I found myself loving it week after week, it was always tough but when you get that amazing feeling of conquer when your leaving it was worth it.

I only attended 1 session a week with Max, aswell as the training he talked a lot to me about nutrition. Once I finally listened and changed up my diet to healthy choices I’d lost my first half a stone in a week (he was super excited for me) that was it, it was that easy once I put my mind to it the addiction was there, I wanted to keep going until I was happy with me again and so I did.

Considering the pictures above were only 8 months apart that shows how little time it can take to loose weight if you really put your mind to it. Yes you need effort too but remember I only trained once a week so it can be from little exercise! Little changes in your lifestyle. I used to walk everywhere, I often cycled to Max’s classes, I ate so well but never failed to treat myself. Put 90% into diet and that extra 10% or more exercise then your on the road to success. You put 100% into exercise 0% diet, you will fail. The thing is I wanted it and I wanted it badly!!

I learned a lot from Max and I also learned a lot from my husband who has always been into healthy lifestyle and weights. I’m now using all my knowledge and know how to train myself at the gym, still seeing results and still succeeding. Money well spent in the long run, learned a lot, gained confidence while finding myself a healthy, exciting new hobby that I love.

Whoever you are, whatever it is you decide to do to kickstart your weight loss/ your healthy lifestyle just remember that it’s down to you, it’s all about choice and you are capable. If I can do it, you can! 😍

Livvy X

Why I’ve decided to have a week off the gym and focus on cardio at home!

Have you ever had those weeks where you just feel sluggish, feel sorry for yourself, feel you have no purpose even though you’ve got one of the most important jobs in the world as ‘mum’? Yep! That’s me at the minute 🙄.

If you have seen my latest post on my Instagram feed (if you haven’t, go follow me on Livvy_Goodland) you will know that I have decided to take a week off the gym and focus on cardio at home. My husband and I decided life would be easier if we could get our cardio done at home rather than spending extra time in the gym trying to get it done so we ordered ourselves a spin bike which arrived the end of last week and what better timing.

After a few weeks of up and down training I decided come Monday that I would take a week off the gym so no weight training, no trips back and forth and no stress of keeping on track. These are all things I enjoy on a day to day basis, I love the structure of it, it keeps me motivated and gives me an extra reason to get my butt out of bed in the morning but sometimes it can get too much and you can loose yourself in everything causing you to not know where you’re heading.

so considering I normally struggle to fit in cardio because I leave it till last being my least favourite thing to do (stupid cause it’s the thing that makes me feel the best) I thought what better thing to focus on rather than sitting and dwelling on not doing anything therefore making me feel worse so that is what I did. I’m on day 3/5.. so far so good! I’m loving being a bit more relaxed about things, not being in and out the house past my husband and actually feeling a bit more healthier getting in that extra cardio.

I’m hoping itl teach me to not only do what I love but also do what makes me feel good so I get more cardio sessions in which should be easier now with the spin bike at home. Skinny isn’t the goal though so I will never over do the cardio as my body reacts fast to this if I’m in a deficit with my food intake. I’m also hoping when I return to the gym for weight training next week that I will feel refreshed ready for a new start and remember why I love it, why I started and why I should take a break before loosing myself next time.

If like me you struggle to get into cardio/you find it boring then here’s some tips you can try:

•Switching up your cardio doing LISS or HIIT on different machines.

•Watching YouTube videos while working out.

•Watch a series on the telly if your working out from home

•Remind yourself in your head why your doing this and how worth it it will be when you finish (sounds crazy but I often do this when I want to give up)

I have been suspiciously quite over on my Instagram, you may or may not have noticed but I promise I am just trying to re find myself! My mojo will soon be back even stronger!!!

Thank you for bearing with me ☺️

Livvy X

Famme sportswear VS Flexxfit

Instagram viewers spoke so here it is; A comparison between my two favourite leggings that I own at the moment. The Famme sportswear ‘vortex’ leggings in dark red and the Flexxfit ‘luxe’ leggings in dusty rose.

Both these pairs of leggings are beautiful in their own way, I’m not sure if I have a favourite yet as they both have good qualities that work for me that I want to share with you.

Let’s start with the Flexxfit ‘luxe’ leggings, as you all know from my last review of these lovely leggings (if you haven’t read it then check it out) and from my Instagram that I’ve been in love with these since I received them, the quality of the material is brilliant, the fit is great, they are so comfortable you could wear them all day not just in the gym and they are super affordable. They perform really well through a workout, sweat resistant, a tiny bit of yanking up every now and then though (I’m not sure weather I should have tried an xs as I have a tiny waist). There are a range of colours that are all equally stunning but obviously my favourite colour is the dusty rose although they have just bought out a marble effect outfit that I would love to eventually get my hands on (go check it out, you’ll know what I mean)

Now on to the Famme sports ‘vortex’ leggings. I’ll start by saying these are slightly more pricier, fortunately I was approached on Instagram by the company offering me a personal discount code if I were to order from them which was ideal as I had been admiring their gym wear for a while (they have some stunning sets) Although they are set at a higher price they are totally worth investing in! If you’re looking at buying the high waisted GYMSHARK seamless don’t! These are a better alternative. Amazing compressed material, the tight high waistband does incredible things, the dark red colour is to die for and the fit is literally amazing (I went for xs, so glad I did). The vortex leggings have a bit more of a stretch to them than the Flexxfit luxe although the end product when on is a lot tighter (more compressed) for some this is a good thing (me included) as they definitely hug you in all the right areas and keep everything tucked in tight but on the comfy side of things they aren’t as all day wearable as the Flexxfit. The vortex also have a lot of breathable air hole patterns which could be an advantage when we finally get some warm weather, this is something that the Flexxfit luxe doesn’t have so they are definitely extra breathable, sweat resistant and durable.

One thing both these leggings have in common are how good they make your assets look 🍑 I can’t fault either of them for this and they have got it down to a tee, I mean who doesn’t love a bigger looking peach!

For those that will come to me and ask ‘which ones shall I go for’ my answer would be; If you’re looking for affordability with that expensive look and comfort then the Flexxfit luxe are for you but if you’re looking to spend a bit more for a more wearing material with more of a fancy look and tight fit then the Famme sportswear vortex leggings are what you need! That said though if you still have more queries then I’m here to answer them either through my Facebook page ‘Livvy fit Mum’ or DM on my instagram page ‘Livvy_goodland’.

You will find both of these companies mentioned on Instagram or through searching on your web browser.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Here’s one for all mums out there. The mum bloggers, the fit mums, the stay at home mums, the full time working mums, the part time working mums and the dads that are doing both. Today is our day!

Now I hope most of you will agree with me when I say today is not all about the gifts received and the money spent because money means nothing when it comes to the love between you and your children. We do all the things we do for our babies because that’s why we had them, to take care of them, to love them, to provide for them and give them the best life, the life they deserve and we shouldn’t expect anything other than appreciation and love back for that.

so today I believe should be a day for showing that appreciation to us mums, giving us that little break that we need, showing us extra love, care and support for the day. Giving something back even if it’s just time!

I don’t speak for everyone but I’d be happy with a cup of tea in bed, the dishes done, extra cuddles with my feet up and a magic cleaning fairy to visit weekly 😂 (in our dreams) but all in all I would be happy with my day being no different to any normal day because I don’t need it to be. My children fill me with love every day, although it’s one of the hardest jobs ever it’s also the most rewarding and I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without them, for that I would like to thank them both.

Whatever your Mother’s Day may bring, however you choose to spend it and whatever gifts you do receive I hope you have a lovely day, get to relax a little and cherish some special memories. Happy Mother’s Day!

P.s Happy Mother’s Day Mum! Thanks for being you.

My Weekly gym routine/how I fit it round my children.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is ‘How many times do you train a week’ so here’s a blog post to go more into depth about my current gym routine and how it fits around my two young children.

The gym should never be a chore while also it should never take over your life, you have to find that happy medium. It’s time for you to enjoy, for you to unwind and to take care of your health therefore as I’ve said before and will say it again I will never be too strict on myself with a routine.

So here’s my happy medium…. I aim to train 4 times a week, I use these days to train different parts of my body. I currently train lower body two times a week as growing my glutes/quads is my main goal. Upper body once a week, Cardio and abs also once a week and I like to try to fit in a home ab workout most Sunday evenings with the Husband. At the minute my weekday gym sessions are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings while my children are in bed and a Friday afternoon (my favourite day as the hubby has a half day) Dont forget rest days are important!!

Now I am lucky in a way as I work next door to the gym, I’ve got to be there every evening so I’ve got no excuse, it’s only an extra 60 mins out of the house (which let’s face it those of you that are mums/dads this is not such a bad thing 😝) It doesn’t always come easily though, some weeks I’m on top of it all and others I wander how I’m still alive on next to no sleep while juggling it all, that being said this is when you need to listen to your body. Plenty of times I’ve got to the gym tried to work out but just haven’t the strength or mentality to get the best out of my workout so I’ve just called it a day! Don’t feel bad if this happens, it’s our bodies way of telling us we need to rest, we all need a break sometimes! just remember to never loose yourself in that moment.

To sum it up, yes I aim to train 4 times a week but this doesn’t mean I train 4 times a week! I’m a mum and I’m a wife, these things are more important. Sometimes life gets in the way, plans change but that’s okay with me. I intend to keep smashing it weather it be once, twice or four times a week atleast the effort is there and the main thing is I’m making progress!

Suffering a bad week? How to get back on track!

After suffering a bad week I thought what better time to share with you how I can find it difficult eating the right things and getting my arse to the gym when feeling a bit rubbish and let’s face it, we can all relate to that.

So here’s one for all the ladies out there on that ‘time of the month’ your feeling moody, out of sync, tired then bam it hits you! It can really affect the way you perceive yourself and the way you feel in yourself so if this is you then don’t think your alone!

My week started off just fine with two gym sessions in two days smashed, eating on point, feeling good then came rest day. This is where it started going down hill, I woke up that day feeling grumpy, tired, bloated and of course I was then presented with the reason why. I think we all know that all we want to do is curl up in bed with a load of junk feeling sorry for ourselves.

Unfortunately this time it took over me, I then skipped the gym 2 days in a row after rest day, I was snacking on treats in between my meals, feeling grumpy, like the world hates me and looking at myself in the mirror feeling horrendous even though to anyone else I probably didn’t even look any different. Isn’t it weird how we end up hating ourselves in those mere few days!?

By the 3rd day I thought common Livvy it’s time to sort yourself out and what better way to jump back in than a heavy leg session to put all that food to good use. I knew I was feeling so bad because I wasn’t doing what makes me feel good in fact I was doing the total opposite.

There is nothing better than having a good workout at the gym to make you want to eat well. Why would we want to waste our time doing the work if we are going to go home and continue eating the wrong things.

I’m not going to lie, it is so hard getting out of that rut but the answer really is to just force your arse there, it is mind over matter. Once your through that door, or once you’ve smashed that workout at home you will instantly feel good, you will want to continue, you will wander why you’ve been sat around moping for so long! The gym really is my head space, my stress relief, it keeps me sane but it also doesn’t always come easily for me. Remember where you started, how far you’ve come and never look back.

A bad day/ a bad week isn’t a bad life! You’ve got this ❤️

Protein pancakes!

So you’re on that healthy train, your New Years resolution was to eat well and to stay clear of those bad sugary snacks then along comes pancake day (shrove Tuesday).

Fair enough if you want to go full fat, full sugar and dive right in but what if I was to tell you there was a healthier yet still so awesomely tasting way!? I know right, your just as shocked as me 😝. There’s no better time than now to share with you the way I make my own yummy protein pancakes so here they are.

Ingredients:

Method:

For ease I blend all ingredients together in no particular order in my active blender ready for pouring. Heat a non stick pan on a low heat on the hob, once the pan is warm enough pour out the mixture a small bit at a time so that your outcome is 4/5 small pancakes ready for stacking. To achieve this I cook each one one at a time flipping them half way through till light brown in colour either side.

Serving suggestion:

I love serving my protein pancakes with 3 heaped table spoons of 0% fat Greek yoghurt and agave nectar syrup drizzled all over the top for that perfect sweetness!

However you choose to top your pancakes this pancake day I hope you find them as truly tasty and guilt free as I do.