Chocolate Flapjacks

 

I came up with these as an attempt to devise a snack to keep me away from chocolate Easter eggs. I think they worked out quite well. I added the olive oil because the cacao powder does tend to try out the mixture. The Lacuna powder is a natural sweetener and gives a nice creamy texture but it is optional,

Ingredients
2 bananas
150g golden syrup
3tbsps cacao powder
3 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp Lacuna powder (optional)
200g porridge oats

Method

1. Peel and  mash the bananas until fully smooth.
2. Add the golden syrup, olive oil, cacao powder and lacuna powder, then stir until fully combined.
3. Add the oats and then stir thoroughly until they are fully coated with the mixture.
4. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking tray or dish. Anything that has raised sides will be ok. Press down the mixture so that it is level with no gaps.
5. Cook in a preheated oven at 175 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Allow to cook completely and then cut into squares.

 

 The recipe makes 24 chocolate flapjacks which are only 80 calories each. This makes them the perfect healthy snack when you really do need something sweet and chocolatey.

I'm definitely going to make another batch so we have some to last over the Easter weekend. Speak to you soon.



Love Erica xxx

 

How school holidays can mess up your healthy lifestyle plans

I woke up at 6am this morning. The problem was that, for the fourth night running, I woke up on my couch with my laptop still open on my lap. I had literally worked until I fell asleep.

If you have read my blog before then you will know that I struggle with a work/life balance. I'm self employed working from home as a contractor. I'm habitually broke and am paying off a mountain of debt. So if I don't work then I don't get paid. I desperately try while my daughter is at school to set aside an hour per day for exercise and sometimes I don't even manage that. School holidays blow all my plans out of the water though.

I still need to work, I have bills to pay. But my daughter expects us to do things at least a couple of times a week so working during the day is sometimes limited hence the working into the middle of the night. Even if we are in because I have insisted I need to work, she is a distraction, bless her. She also has the capacity to create chaos throughout the house. Her learning difficulties have meant that she is perhaps not as independent as other girls her age too.

Food isn't any easier. If we are out then McDonalds is her favourite place to eat and none of their options are that healthy apart from the salad which frankly is really only fit for rabbits! Plus I'm tired all the time so my body is craving carbs and sweet things for an energy boost. I am an emotional eater too do the fact that I am just completely and utterly pissed off at the moment is not helping!! Today I just feel like I have been hit by the sadness shovel so have dug out the St Johns Wort in an effort not to dissolve in a puddle of tears!

So what is the answer to this? Basically there isn't one and this is just a bit of a rant. If there are any other single mums in a similar position reading this then I salute you and we will get through it - just maybe a couple of pounds heavier in my case.

One week of the holidays left to go and then some semblance of normality may return to my life. Hope you are all good!

Speak to you soon


Love Erica xxx

Fitness Favourites - what things can't you do without when you workout?

Do you have things that you use every time you workout and that you really couldn't do without? I certainly do; there are several things that I use all the time, that help motivate me and that are really essential for me.

We all know the value of drinking while working out and for me, my favourite drink has definitely become infused water. It's part of my nightly routine now to make some up. I use frozen fruit as it gives a more intense flavour. I keep it in the fridge so it's cold and refreshing when I need it. I forgot to make some one day and had to use just plain water after my run but it just wasn't the same.

I do a lot of workouts at home either by dvd or using FLEX TV. To try and increase the intensity of the workout, I started using small hand weights, particularly for workouts that include boxing moves. Now I use them automatically and it feels weird to workout without them.

Running is definitely something where I need motivation. I don't know about you but I really need music to give me running so headphones are an absolute essential. I use ones that hook behind the ear for security and I also have a specific running playlist.

If I'm looking to monitor the distance that I'm running then the Map My Run app is essential. I love the fact that it logs your run and you can visually see your progress.

There is a new app that I have just been introduced to that is fast becoming an essential part of my running routine. Aaptiv provides an audio workout with motivation from qualified trainers coupled with an amazing soundtrack that's guaranteed to keep runnning at the right pace. The voice of the trainer in my ear is just what I need to give me going, it beats the little voice in my head that is telling me to stop and walk. I want to start working up to running 5k now that I'm finally over the bronchitis so Aaptiv is perfect as they have a training programme designed  specifically for that. They even have programmes for marathon training. There are so many different workouts available that you will be sure to find one that suits you. I love the fact that you can also set yourself monthly challenges. My first one will probably be to run further. I'm still quite new to Aaptiv so I have only checked out the running workouts so far. I'm excited to explore the rest of the workouts as they include workouts for treadmills, cycling and yoga. It was simple to set up Aaptiv and join. I downloaded the app to my phone and joined through Facebook. If you are interested then why not try a free 7 day trial? You can find more information on their website at  Aaptiv.com I'm definitely impressed with Aaptiv and I think it will be one of my essential workout tools for a long time.

Let me know what you find essential for your workouts, I'd love to hear from you.

Speak to you soon



Love Erica xxx

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 62 - Slow Progress

I know I haven't posted too much lately and this is been partly because I have been horrendously busy and partly because I've had little news to report to you. Family life has also taken over a bit as my youngest daughter broke her elbow when she fell running. She has been in plaster so has needed a lot of extra help.

Anyway I'm back now and although it's a day late, here's my Wednesday Weigh In

So at least things are going in the right direction!

I finally have shaken off the bronchitis, I was quite shocked that it took about four weeks to go completely and my immune system took a real battering. What has been really hard is that the bronchitis has left me a bit wheezy and my fitness level has definitely suffered. I have had to rule out running at the moment and instead I been out walking a lot and trying to build up my fitness in that way. It seems to be working but it's a slow process. I walked 5km the other day and did feel good afterwards!

So weight loss at the moment is down to diet more than exercise at the moment. Now that I am feeling better, I have definitely been finding it easier to stick to a healthy diet. I've also overhauled the vitamins and other supplements that I take and I feel that has been very beneficial. I am actually in the process of writing a post about that so watch out for that coming soon.

Hope you are having a good week and I promise to get back to posting on a more regular basis from now on. Speak to you soon


Love Erica xxx

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 60 - Yes, I know it's Thursday now!

Firstly apologies for being so late with this. I had a bit of a family emergency when my youngest daughter had an accident at athletics, she has an arm in plaster but is fine.

Anyway I lost 1.25 pounds. Yay! That's despite spending the weekend eating in motorway service stations between here and Nottingham. For those of you that don't follow my Instagram, my daughter ran in the National Cross Country Championships so I was away with her.

It was a muddy but inspiring day!

As far as my fitness is concerned, it's building up very slowly. This is the first week that I have felt fully clear of the bronchitis and no more fluid on my chest. However I definitely have lost quite a lot of stamina and fitness. I'm increasing the amount of walking that I do and am continuing to slowly improve. Hope you are all having a great week 

Speak to you soon 

Love Erica xxx

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 59 - Confession Time

I was finally brave enough to step back on the scales today. Although not 100% well yet, the bronchitis has virtually gone and I'm taking steps to get myself back on track.

I knew it would not be good. I was eating whatever I wanted and eating anything that would either stop me coughing or give me an energy boost to get through the day. Basically this was pretty much a diet of ice cream and carbs! Hence the scales showing an increase of 5.5 pounds today. I hate the fact that my body can put weight on that easily and that quickly but I have to work so hard to lose each pound.

So now I'm facing up to the fact that I have to get back to the grind. I'm not really wheezing anymore and I'm upping my vitamin intake this week for a boost. Then all being well, I will start some gentle workouts from Monday. I'm still being a bit flexible with my eating pattern partly because we are away overnight at the weekend which will necessitate living off motorway service station meals. I thought I might as well get that out of the way first and then start afresh from Monday.

So it's onwards and upwards guys. Remember if you lapse or relapse in your healthier lifestyle plan, that doesn't have to be permanent. Do what I have done, look for the reasons why it happened and then move on leaving it in the past.

Speak to you soon



Love Erica xxx

Changing your life is hard

If you follow my blog then you will know that I have been ill for the last few weeks. A heavy cold turned into bronchitis which literally wiped me out. I'm on the mend now but it's been really hard. I genuinely can't remember the last time I was so ill. Being a single parent doesn't help. There was no one else to take my youngest to school, no one to cook and look after her and also no one to cover my work.  I work freelance so if I don't work then I don't get paid and then I can't put food on the table and pay my bills.

Anyway, exercise was clearly out as I couldn't do anything without coughing and I was quite wheezy. I'm afraid healthy eating went as well. I will confess that I filled myself up with anything that might give me enough of an energy boost to get through what I needed to do in the day.

I know making permanently healthy changes to your life is never easy and there will always be obstacles. This has been the biggest obstacle that I have had to face over the last year. It has made me wonder about these people who lose so much weight so quickly. What happens when something goes wrong? I wonder if they keep the weight off.

The important thing to me is that from Monday I'm trying to get back on track. My energy levels have improved so I'm back on the healthy eating plan. I'm going to have to build up the workouts as I'm still a little wheezy. I think I will start off with some long walks first.

I haven't weighed myself so I don't know what the damage is. I know I will have put on and I do feel a bit like a fat slug at the moment.

So yes, changing my life is hard but getting over setbacks and carrying on is half the battle. Onwards and upwards, guys!!

Speak to you soon



Love Erica xxx