Official Food Diary 'Clean eating' FAQ's!

Thank you for all of your support on my Official Food Diary

 I just wanted to answer a few frequently asked questions to clear the air.

How did you start eating clean and what research did you do?
The night before I was walking past the mirror on the way to the kitchen and noticed my arms were looking rather large and couldn't believe it was my arm. It looked so soft and out of shape. I did no research, and created '@officialfooddiary' on Instagram and promised myself to post everything I ate. At first I was going to keep it a secret but obviously couldn't keep it to myself. I luckily already had some knowledge on clean eating thanks to my husband who has been eating clean for years, but deep down inside nobody needs advice and we all really know what's good and bad for us. You don't need any books, just google something if you are confused.

How tall are you, and how much weight have you lost?
I'm 165cm (5'5") and my start weight was 145lbs, and I now weigh 126.6lbs and my goal weight is 120lbs (55kg) and to be toned. (All of this is in the profile) I'm on day 98 so it's been roughly 3 months since I started this journey.

 Why do you eat so many eggs whites? 
This has honestly been the most entertaining question. Eggs are one of the best sources of quality protein and also the cheapest. When eating just the whites, it's practically fat free, very low calorie and high in protein. It also keeps me full and therefore I have no problem eating as many as I wish.

Why don't you eat the yolks and what do you do with them?
I have nothing against egg yolks but choose to avoid them when trying to lose weight due to the calorie, fat, carb & cholesterol content. I do eat the yolks once in a while but generally avoid them as I'm trying to lose weight. Once I reach my goal weight, I'm sure I will sneak in the yolk a lot more as it's really good for you. Furthermore, I do not do anything special with the yolks, I do not secretly guzzle it down and turn it into a magic potion. I sometimes give the yolk to Esra, but generally bin them. I am aware you can buy egg whites in a carton, but I choose not to as they have been filtered, have other stuff in them and are more expensive.

Where can I buy chia seeds from?
I got mine from whole foods, but Holland & Barrett, and other organic shops sell them too, or if you want to entertain yourself google it.

Where can I buy Nakd bars from?
Tesco's, Sainsburys, Holland & Barrett and probably every organic/health shop you see.

Do you count calories?
No, as when I do I am left hungry. Although calorie counting does work so I would recommend it if your at a plateau. I do however count my carbs. I'm not strict about it but am conscious of what I eat and try to keep it between 70-100g per day.

Where did you buy your watch from and what model is it?
My 'heart rate monitor' watch is the 'POLAR FT7' and I purchased it from amazon. I'm sure you will find other places to buy it if you google it. The watch comes with a chest strap which monitors the heart rate and gives me an accurate reading of the calories I have burned according to the details I input on initial setup. The gender, age, height & weight is easy to adjust at anytime, it also gives me a reading on how much of my workout was 'fat burning' and my average and highest heart rate.

I would definitely recommend it as it's been a huge source of motivation to see how much I am actually burning. I am not an expert on all Polar watches so your best bet will be to google what suits you.

Are protein shakes good for weight loss?
No. A protein shake is a supplement and not a 'magic drink'. I use 'Syntha6' protein powder which I mix with water and generally the 'chocolate milkshake' flavour as it's high in protein but low in carbs and sugar. It also tastes the best and I actually enjoy drinking it. I have tried a few thanks to my husband as he's probably tried everything under the sun as he does body building. I am also not an expert on protein shakes, however I can tell you that protein is essential particularly after a workout to ensure you build and repair muscle. The aim is more muscle less fat. And just incase you were wondering I want to tone up and have some definition in my abs, not too much but enough to know there is no fat down there.

How often do you drink a protein shake and where's your protein shaker from?
Generally after each workout if I'm not going to eat a protein packed meal straight after. The protein shake is by 'smart shake' and I got mine from amazon.

How often do you workout?
I don't have a set routine as I have Esra to look after but go to the gym whenever my husband or mum can look after her which is generally 2-3 times a week, but sometimes I go more and sometimes only once a week. However, I have some workout DVD's that I do at home if I need to.

What do you do at the gym?
I generally do cardio, sometimes I do steady running to improve my fitness and sometimes I do intense interval training with 1min30sec walking and 30sec sprinting so fast you can't see my feet move. I also do speed walking on an incline, love the different types of cross trainer, and hop on and off machines if I get bored but I always break a sweat. I can't stand it when I see people at the gym leaving looking like how they came it. As they say "if you still look pretty at the end of a workout, you didn't train hard enough" and that's so true, because I always leave looking like a wreck LOL. I also work my legs doing the leg extender, leg press and adductor. I'm also experimenting with a few machines for my arms, I do squats once in a while but trying to figure out a short routine I can do everyday or every other day with dumbbells which I will share once I figure out what works for me.

Where did you get your trainers from?
I got my trainers last year from a website called 'pro running direct' but they are sold out everywhere but I am told you can get a similar one custom made on Nike's website.



FYI...
I want to finish off by saying I am not a nutritionist but am a lot more educated about the food and types of food that I eat. I am not perfect and not every meal is amazing and of high nutritional value but I do what I gotta do to keep the day rolling. I also, don't drink any alcohol whatsoever and am a non smoker. Also, I am not perfect and have a cheat meal and cheat dessert once a week. I didn't when I initially started but am not too hard on myself now as I am closer to my goal weight. I also plan on doing a 'getting started' on clean eating post with a recommended shopping list and tips and advice to beat those sweet cravings.

Good luck if you decide to love your body and start eating clean too! 
Any questions just ask below and I will answer them in my next fitspo post. xx

FOTD & Hair update...

I dyed the roots of my hair again yesterday and my hair feels so fresh, it probably also has to do with the fact that I got a haircut too at the actual hairdressers and didn't trim it myself! :)

I used Boots 'Botanicals' bitter chocolate brown and I really like that it's a cool shade and doesn't pull any red through, definitely one to keep repurchasing.

Loving the layers, the shortest layer at the front comes halfway down to my chin when pulled straight. I went to my trusty Turkish hairdresser and he always does the best cut!

To get this soft layered look, I blowdried my hair and rolled up and pinned the sections as I was going along, I usually use velcro rollers too but had no time for that! The result was a soft and 'not too in your face' look.

I have been using L'oreal's 'Ever Riche' No Sulphates shampoo & conditioner for a few weeks now for very dry rebellious hair, and I LOVE it, it's been so gentle and cleansing on my hair and I love the condition that it's in. Usually, with ombre I would have opted for a purple shampoo as not to turn my hair colour brassy, but I haven't felt the need. I also like the fact that the shampoo froths up unlike other non sulphate shampoos. The conditioner is also great, detangles yet doesn't leave a layer of wax.

Although looking at this picture, perhaps I do need a purple conditioning treatment of some sort, maybe I will just use more of Lush's 'Marilyn' or get a toner from Sally's.

On my face I am wearing:

Garnier BB cream 'light'

Mac studio finish concealer 'NC30'

Soleil tan de channel

Sleek Luminous pressed powder '02'

No7 'Stay precice' felt tip eyeliner

No7 'Extravagent Volume' Mascara

Mac 'Cork' e/s in the crease

Mac 'Plink' lipstick

My makeup is always pretty simple and just enough as to not make me look tired! *pass me the coffee* 

I need to do an update on my clean eating and weight loss *I will*, I now have more followers on that Instagram account than this actual blog! Thank you all so much for your continued support. I feel so much better within myself hence this 'face of the day'. I stopped taking pictures of myself for a while as I just didn't feel confident which in essence lead to the lack of updates on this blog.... Back in action baby and expect more outfit posts too! Woooo! :)

Speak soon. xXx

My new Ombre...

I dyed my roots darker and now my ombre is complete, I got lots of lovely comments from you girls on IG and I'm finally sharing some photos taken in natural light, no flash and taken on my phone.

Yes I did it myself.

I used the 'Smart Blonde' hair lightening kit to lighten the ends that I got from Superdrug for about £5, it says it lightens without bleach and it did, the scent however was really strong so there was still some serious chemicals in there probably renamed to disguise the bleach. I backcombed my hair from my ear downwards so that when I applied the colour it wouldn't have a harsh line and that it would blend in which worked out really well.

Yes I am brave and had been considering for sometime and just went with it and it turned out great! Well, I think so anyway! :) I'm loving the lighter hair for the Summer!

I dyed the roots darker with Boots 'Botanicals' bitter chocolate hair dye which was a nice cool toned dark brown.

I also used 'Marilyn' by Lush on the tips of my hair to take away some of the warm tones, it only made a slight difference so I think I need to do it again. But luckily, the colour is not too brassy so after a few washes it will look even better. 

I get loads of comments of people asking if my hair is damaged, no it's not, obviously the ends are dry due to the colour change but it's nothing a little serum or oil can't fix. Also, I trim my hair regularly myself every time I feel like the layers are growing out. 

Here's my outfit from yesterday! Yes, I am now finally back to my pre pregnancy weight *excuse me while I do a little dance* I'm actually lower and aim to lose a couple more kilos to get back to pre wedding weight! I have lost a total of 7.3kg and will be doing a detailed clean eating / fitspo post soon.

Jeans & Top - H&M

Bag & Sandals - Zara

This time I got the ombre right, I actually prefer it to anything I have had done before. 

What do you think about Ombre? Are you still loving it or are you past it?

'Joules' with Esra...

Happy Thursday all! Yesterday, me and Esra, who is now 18 months old btw went to preview the Autumn/Winter collection by Joules.

Joules are an English brand with lots of lovely colourful prints and country inspired clothing with an affordable price range.  They have a shop in Covent Garden, but also available online. Here's a peek at the women's wear... Their wellies were my favourite!

The best thing about 'Joules' for me was their children's clothing, I didn't see any MUST haves from the women's range but I have a nice wish list for Esra! :)

The wellies were adorable and I will definitely be getting some for her this Autumn, they are reasonably priced at approx £20-28.

Another thing on my wish list was the bag Esra is modelling, it's a hedgehog! How cute! It also comes with a matching pencil case.

(FYI: Esra is not wearing any shoes because she threw one of her boots as we was walking, her way of telling me she wants new shoes!)

The boys range is also adorable, some shops have really cute girls clothes and neglect the boys section, but not Joules. My favourite was the dinosaur rain coat!

They also have a small but cute home range, I loved the cake tins which come in a set of 3 for £30, how cute is the fox?!

They had some 12 week old beagle puppies in the showroom, Esra loved them!! And, yes you guessed it Joules also do pet beds. 

I have never purchased anything from Joules before, and wanted to bring it to your attention as they have some really cute affordable items, I love discovering new brands and this ones a winner!

FYI: I wasn't paid for this post and I'm not affiliated with the brand, I was given a 30% discount card which I will be putting to use!!!

What do you think about 'Joules'?

Time to get yummy...

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the term 'yummy mummy' as I'm not edible and probably not that yummy. But, if you call a mum who takes care of herself 'yummy' then I am indeed perhaps a 'yummy mummy' as I'm quite concerned about the way I look as you might of guessed due to the existence of this blog. :)

Anyway, rolling on...

This post is going to be about a few things that I have and will be doing today to yummyify myself!

This afternoon I went for a 1 hour 'Rodial' facial at the 'House of Rush' in the heart of London's Piccadilly. I was asked by their PR if I wanted to review one of their facials... Errr hello, of course. Who can turn down a facial? Not me. I had my hair done by them a while ago - LINK so I obviously didn't hesitate.

They offer various facials by different brands but I opted for 'Rodial' as I was intrigued by their products. I remember 'Laura' from 'Buy Now Blog Later'  reviewed their 'Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask' and it's a brand that has always been in the back of my head.

The 'House of Rush' is huge, the entrance looks like it's a small space but once you get up the stairs it's rather overpowering, I didn't know where to look. It's very chic yet cosy and I was comfortable waiting for my treatment.

 

The facial included the following products by Rodial:

• Glamtox Cleanser - Active cleansing balm
• Glamtox Facial Peel - Face lifting mask
• Glamtone - Hydrating facial spritz 
• Glam Balm - Intensive anti aging balm
• Glamtox Skin Bleach Mask - Brightening acid mask for uneven skin tone
• Glamtox Eye - Reduces appearance of puffiness, dark circles & fine lines
• Glamoxy - Snake serum - Active face serum
• Glamtox SPF15 Day - Active daily moisturiser

The snake serum is the product I was most intrigued about, it's supposed to be like botox in a bottle, it's a viper inspired serum to lift the face, freeze muscles and plump fine lines. Apparently some people like to use this in between their botox treatments. Now I don't know if it did anything to me, but the facial itself was really relaxing, the face, scalp and shoulder massage was amazing, I didn't want it to end. Overall, I was pleased with the facial and I can't fault it, but I didn't notice a 'wow factor', my skin looked great after but it generally does after some TLC. 

Here's what my skin looked like after...

The therapist asked me if I cleansed and toned and I didn't lie, I said I used to but I have generally been using a baby wipe and slapping the moisturiser on. So, when I left I went straight to Boots & restocked on my cotton rounds and when I got home placed them in a jar, tied some lace around it and made some labels. Job done. Hopefully now I will remember to actually use them.

Yes my friends... Cleanse, tone and moisturise.

I also took a trip to Lush as I wanted to buy 'Marilyn' a hair mask to help counteract brassiness as I did a DIY ombre job last night. I also ended up buying a few more things.

• 'New' Solid Shampoo - Got his purely because of the coral colour and because the sales assistant said it was gentle on the hair.
• 'Ickle Baby Bot' Bath Bomb - For Esra
• 'Rose Jam' Bubble Bar - For Esra but I will be halving it & using it for 2 baths.

I also got samples of:

• Trichomania soap bar shampoo for Esra & 'Big' Shampoo as I wanted to try it again without buying it! :) Here's a review I did on 'Big' a while back - Link!

Back to hair...

I dyed my hair dark brown last month but I missed my ombre so much that I did a DIY job. I used the 'Smart blonde' to lighten the tips of my hair, it's bleach free and I'm not entirely sure how it works but I only kept it on for 10 minutes and my hair is in perfect condition. It lightened up really nicely and I am happy with it but I feel it needs a little lifting and hopefully 'Marilyn' can sort that out. I got the 'Botanics' bitter dark chocolate brown to dye my roots darker to complete the 'ombre' with tonight or tomorrow morning. 

Here's what my hair looks like today...

It's not been styled and I have no makeup on as I took it whilst waiting for the bus after my facial. 

Anyway, this has been a long post but I definitely feel a bit yummier. I have an event to go to tomorrow and Esra's also invited, so that should be fun. I will share photos and you can see what my hair looks like properly!

Have you tried any of the products mentioned? If so what are your views?

Everyday Makeup Staples!

There are a handful of makeup products I can't live without, and I will repurchase over and over again. I don't wear makeup everyday but when I do it's usually a soft natural look, however evening makeup is another story.

My makeup has to be quick and polished, here are my staples and the order I use them in...

• I mix Mac 'Face & Body' foundation (Full Review HERE) with Mac 'Strobe liquid' in the palm of my hand, about half of each and apply directly to my face with my fingers. This creates a luminous sheer finish which I LOVE.
• I use Mac 'Studio finish concealer' in NC30 to pinpoint conceal, I have a couple of scars that need coverage.
• I use YSL 'Touche Eclat' under my eyes to cover up the darkness under my eyes. I much prefer By Terry 'Touche veloutee' but I'm out! :(
• I curl my lashes with the Shue Uemura curlers.
• I apply Clinique '03 intense chocolate' brown eyeliner on the upper lash line and smudge & wing  it out with the applicator on the other end. I also tight line and apply liner to the waterline but only on the inner and outer corners, I find that if i line it all the way it closes up my eyes.
• I apply Urban Decay 'Baked' 24/7 eyeliner on the lower lash line slightly smudging it into the brown which compliments my eye colour.
• I apply mascara.
• I contour/bronze with Benefit 'Hoola' (Full Review HERE) focusing under my cheekbones with the 'trish McEvoy' fan brush, I also dust it into my crease which balances me out.
• I apply Jemma Kid lip liner in '02 Nutmeg' which is the exact same shade as my natural lip colour.
• I then apply lip balm (Apivita is my favourite at the moment) & a tiny dab of concealer on the centre of my lips to mute them out to balance out the eyeliner.

I don't always wear eyeliner as it can look heavy and does take some time, usually it's just mascara and lipstick/gloss but this is the exact look I have been rocking lately.

Swatches...

And here's me wearing everything stated. I haven't been doing anything to my brows as I have been growing them out since January, luckily they're getting back into shape.

Hope you are all well, as an FYI: I have lost 15lbs so if I look a little different it's because my face has slimmed down. :) I will be doing a proper post dedicated to my weight loss quite soon! However, keep up to date on Instagram by following 'OfficialFoodDiary' with my daily food and fitspo photos.

What are your makeup staples?

Disclaimer: The Clinique eyeliner, Apivita lip balm & Trish McEvoy' brush was sent or given to me at a press event for review purposes a long time ago now :) I wasn't paid to mention any of the products & I'm not affiliated with the brands mentioned. Honest opinion as always.

Bedroom Interior Update...

Good morning and happy Monday! Heres' what our bedroom currently looks like....

I still have my feature wall - wallpaper from B&Q.

This is the view from the entrance, apparently all I needed was some yellow bedcovers from Ikea.

I of course made a crochet pillow to match. As you do. 

I'm still loving my Laura Ashley pendant light.

As you can see, Spring is in full swing in the bedroom. To be honest, I'm bored of my feature wall and plan to paint it white everyday but always have better things to do. If i ever redecorate I will do a more plain/neutral feature wall so I can switch things up more as I get bored easily.

Furthermore, I moved the cupboards so they're all facing the same way opposite the bed, Esra's bed is in front of us, poor thing is still sharing with us! :( hopefully we can move out and she can have her own room, I'm praying this happens very soon!! 

I will do more updates of Esra's corner, and how things have changed in the living room. Hopefully I can get back on a roll with this blog. I have so many posts planned but editing and choosing photos always takes longer than I anticipate.

Speak soon, the next post will be current beauty favourites!

New & Improved Makeup Storage...

I'm back with a storage post, one of my favourite things to do is organise and reorganise... as you might have guessed!

I had a reshuffle in the bedroom (post on that tomorrow) and things are feeling fresh for Spring!

I revamped the Ikea wooden 'moppe' drawers, I had initially painted them white but decided to cover them with fabric. Now, this is the 2nd time I have covered them with fabric as the first time I did it I did it with bold, colourful and busy fabrics, this time I opted for a softer look. Not sure if this was a good idea as it can get dirty quickly but I shall see how it goes, if I change my mind it's easy to redo! :)

Closeup!

Dymo labels in action.

To cover the drawers in fabric it's seriously easy. 

You will need:

• Scrap fabric
• Scrap paper to make pattern
• PVA Glue
• A bowl
• An old brush
• Scissors
• Dymo Labeler - If you want to label your drawers. (My Dymo labeler was from Amazon)

1. Draw around your drawers on scrap paper to create a pattern.
2. Place pattern onto fabric and cut.
3. Pour your PVA glue into a bowl and brush directly onto the drawer and stick fabric on top.
4. Wait for it to dry and use.

Simples!

  

The lavender flowers and glass vase was from 'The range' priced at about £3. The Mirror on the wall was from a charity shop, and the closeup mirror is from TK Maxx.

The antique glass dressing table pot is from 'Dot Com Gift Shop' (This was sent for consideration for review)

The brush holder is from Ikea and is actually a candle holder, the glass bird is also from 'The range' the tea light holders are from local shabby chic boutiques, the white wooden letter holder which holds my palettes is from 'BHS' and I made the crochet bunting.

How are you storing your makeup? and would you consider covering your drawers in fabric?