Fifty & Fab
  • Blog
  • Search
  • subscribe
  • About
  • Resources
    • Shop my Look
    • Discounts
    • Menopause
    • Downloads
  • Contact Me
  • IN THE PRESS
  • Work with Me
  • The Legal Stuff
  • Guest Blogs

​My Healthy Eating and Exercise Plan – Update!

29/4/2016

0 Comments

 
I’m nearly two weeks into the SSS Plan by Joe Wicks, The Body Coach.  As I write this I am on Cycle 1 Day 11, it feels good to be in double figures.  So here I am with a little update and some things I have learnt so far (you can see my original post here):

Activity Tracker

Firstly, I have been wearing my Jawbone UP2 for nearly three weeks now and I have to say I love it!  There is no doubt about it; it is definitely getting me more active.  So for optimal health and weight we are advised to walk/be active for 10,000 steps per day and I soon realised how difficult this actually was, taking into account my lifestyle (I am at home full-time) and that we do lead much more sedentary lives than I first thought (read about the benefits of walking here).

So I am not quite regularly hitting 10,000 steps a day yet.  But I am averaging around 7,000 to 8,000 steps and that is certainly more than I was doing.  I have learnt that to reach anywhere near the target I do need to exercise, go for a dog walk and maybe even add in a walk around the shops!

Exercise

As part of the SSS Plan I have to do 4 or 5 HIIT sessions per week.  I chose to do 4 as realistically I knew 5 might be pushing it a bit timewise.  But I have done them and that is a huge achievement.  Two are done with my friend/PT and two are done at home – via YouTube fitness videos.  They only last 20-30 minutes but they are hard work and I have incorporated them into my routine.  I have NEVER managed to exercise at home – it was always one of those things that I’d do ‘next week’ but always found an excuse now to. 

Picture
Off for a workout and learning to use my heart rate monitor to keep the effort up!

​Eating

I have never spent so much time in the kitchen!  If you are considering doing this, do think carefully.  If you (a) love cooking or (b) are at home a lot then it is easier.  Huge well done to those who follow the plan and work full time – I salute you!  However, that said, the meals in the plan are not complicated and there are very clear recipes to follow (in Cycle 1 anyway).  And prepping is key – Joe calls in ‘prepping like a boss’ and a weekly ‘cook-up’ is recommended.  I am not doing this as I am at home in the afternoon’s and can cook as I go along but I do make extra so that I have one portion for the freezer.  The portions are enormous!  But it is all good clean food, I have given up sugar and tea and snacking on chocolate. And I've not been tempted either!

The idea behind the plan is to gain muscle which burns fat more effectively.  So you are fuelling your body with high protein, low carb.  Except after exercise when you have a refuel carb meal.  And then you get LEAN!  And lose inches!

How am I doing?  Well I am not supposed to weigh/go on the sad step or measure until the end of Cycle 1 – it is encouraged to look for the NSV (Non Scale Victory) but come on we all need a little peek to motivate us to keep going.  I am about 2” down and I have lost a few pounds.  That’s pretty good at Day 10!  And today my belt has gone onto a tighter hole! I am keeping to the food … 95% probably and exercise 100%.  

There is a fabulous Facebook group – an unofficial one that is just so helpful and motivational, there are regular before and after photos from those ‘graduating’ after completing the 90 days and these really are impressive and do keep you going.  Plus it is a place to ask questions and get ideas that maybe the official Body Coach coaches can’t help with.

I’m off to the kitchen now to make RCO Muffins!  Reduce Carb Oatmeal which apparently as a cereal is pretty disgusting but as Muffins much much better.

Michelle x
Picture
0 Comments

My spring wardrobe

26/4/2016

0 Comments

 
I have had a bit of a de-clutter in my wardrobe over the last week or so.  Up until now I have stored my clothes by type (i.e. all jeans together, all t-shirts together, all blouses, all bretons etc).  But I found that I was struggling to pull an outfit together and I decided I would try hanging outfits together, obviously with some flexibility as several tops go with several bottoms. 

Time will tell how this goes, of course it does mean after an item is washed and ironed, I need to make sure I put it back in the right place and that might confuse me!

I don’t know about you but I am not keen on these ‘transitional’ seasons.  I am too hot in my winter jumpers and boots but we are not yet ready for summer clothes.  So I have my t-shirts with cardigans, lighter sweatshirts and breton tops along with jeans worn with either my adidas superstars or my Pretty Ballerina’s.  Take a look at my Instagram page for regular outfit inspiration.

Since I started writing this post though it has got considerably colder again, and so much rain!  Today I am back in a thicker jumper which I guess is proof of the old saying 'Never cast a clout till May is out'.
Picture

​Anyway, since my de-clutter, I can now see a bit clearer what I need to purchase to add to my spring wardrobe.  I would definitely like to try some of the lace-up flat shoes currently everywhere.  And I fancy a bomber jacket too.  So in my 'virtual basket' this week I have:
​
Picture
Warehouse from ASOS
Picture
Quilted bomber jacket ADY at ASOS
Picture
Embroidered bomber jacket Zara
0 Comments

Why walking is good for us

22/4/2016

0 Comments

 
I am 5 days into my The Body Coach SSS Plan and I have been wearing my activity tracker for a little over a week.  I am doing okay and I am ‘on plan’ and I have been slowly increasing my step count,  I reached over the optimum 10,000 steps yesterday!!  It is certainly making me more aware of what I am doing and encouraging me to be more active, like parking at far end of the car park, not next to do the door.

I saw this lovely summary on Livestrong which tells us all about the benefits of walking that I thought I'd share with my readers:

​Walking:

  • Improves mood
  • Improves sleep quality
  • Lowers blood pressure by 5 points
  • Decreases knee pain
  • Engages and tones ab muscles
  • Decreases the odds of catching a cold by 30-50%
  • Reduces significantly the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes
  • Decreases body weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference
  • Increases the size of the brain, improves memory and cuts Alzheimer’s disease risk by 50% over 5 years
  • Helps prevent arthritis, builds bone mass and reduces risk of osteoporosis
 
Source: Livestrong

What do you think?  Will these benefits encourage you to get outside and be more active?

Michelle x

Picture
0 Comments

Just normal everyday life!

19/4/2016

0 Comments

 
One of the things that I am trying to achieve with my blog is sharing normal fashion for normal women as well as health and lifestyle tips.  What I have noticed whilst researching other blogs though is how many of them are written by women who work or have worked in the fashion industry and whilst they are absolutely gorgeous with some wonderful content and photography, I am not sure we can realistically relate to them. 

What got me started with following blogs myself was the ‘School Run Mums’, like me, running about every day whilst also trying to look stylish and enjoy fashion and generally on a budget.  My favourites are School Gate Style, Style Guile and What Lizzie Loves but I am also getting to know some 40 and 50+ ladies via Instagram who I can really relate to.

I realised at the beginning of this blogging journey that I don’t have many occasions to dress up for, that most of my days are spent at home doing housework, exercise, lifts for my daughter etc and that actually being able to write about what I am wearing and take some photos gives me a bit of motivation to dress up and experiment with what I have in my wardrobe, rather than it just hanging there for a special occasion.
Picture
I am struggling with how on earth this wonderful photography is done though!  Everyone seems so good at ‘mirror selfies’, I can’t get them right at all!  Or they have a helpful photographer to hand.  My photos are often me persuading my daughter to spare me five minutes after school or worse still my husband or son, who tend to rush it all.

This is not a criticism of all the wonderful fashion blogs that are out there, I love following them but I hope that my followers will learn to love my honesty and that I am really just like them! 

I am learning ‘on the job’ and enjoying it.

Michelle x
Picture
A rare opportunity with my son and his camera in our garden!
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Michelle ...

    ​Welcome to Fifty & Fab – a lifestyle blog to inspire and empower women over 50. I’m passionate about sharing insights on health, menopause, fitness, beauty, and style, tailored just for you!

    Lifestyle blog, blogger Marlow, Buckinghamshire
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Beauty
    Being Fifty And Fab
    Days Out
    Embracing Life (in Midlife)
    Health And Fitness
    Lifestyle
    Menopause
    Style
    Travel
    Travel - Sri Lanka

    Picture
    Subscribe below to receive regular updates by email:
    Subscribe
    Hi, I’m Michelle and my blog Fifty & Fab is all about my journey into and through my 50s.  I started this blog in 2016 with the purpose of helping other women at this stage of life.  I’m delighted that my blog has grown to over 13k visitors per month.  Visit my Work with Me page and request my Media Kit for details of product reviews, blogging services and social media content creation.

    Join my mailing list (above) for regular updates and don’t forget to look at my social media pages too..

    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016


Email

[email protected]
  • Blog
  • Search
  • subscribe
  • About
  • Resources
    • Shop my Look
    • Discounts
    • Menopause
    • Downloads
  • Contact Me
  • IN THE PRESS
  • Work with Me
  • The Legal Stuff
  • Guest Blogs