A Break From Reality

For Christmas, my mum got a spa voucher for two at the Bowfield Hotel & Country Club and last weekend we finally made use of her gift – making this my first ever trip to a spa and I loved every second of it! You may think that at 20 (almost 21) it’s ridiculous that I’ve never visited a spa and yes, I guess it is but this is the first time I’ve ever felt confident enough to go into a room with a total stranger and let them rub oil over me. As weird and gross as that sounds, that’s essentially what it is and when you don’t feel very body confident, that’s the last thing you want to do!

We decided a few hours wasn’t enough for us to fully relax and unwind so we booked in for an overnight stay to truly get the most out of the use of the spa facilities. We had the best time ever just floating about the spa all day. We definitely got our money's worth out of the Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, especially since we were the only ones there for the first few hours – Fridays are definitely the best day to go! 

No mini break is complete without prosecco and chocolates, so naturally, we took both with us to enjoy after our massages - not very slimming world friendly but we decided to treat ourselves and enjoy our weekend.

Aside from the beautiful setting of the jacuzzi in the spa, the open wood fire in the restaurant area of the hotel was my favourite part - isn't it beautiful!? Nothing beats the smell of a wood fire.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mini break from reality and I'm now a lover of spa weekends. 

I definitely won't leave it another 20 years!

Until next time,

AJ x 

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Joining Slimming World

After gaining over 3 stone from the steroids in hospital, and getting more and more down about my weight and appearance I decided to join Slimming World.

Stepping on those scales for the first time was absolutely terrifying! I already felt so ashamed of my size and being told my weight made me so much more determined to start losing it.

What I looked like when I joined Slimming World

I found the plan relatively easy to follow once I'd got my head around the concept of speed foods, free foods, healthy extras and syns and how the combination of all 4 things helps you to achieve maximum results. To help me stick to the plan I make up a weekly menu and from that, I make my shopping list of everything I will need for the week ahead – I say myself but my mum is also doing it with me & all the shopping!

The first few weeks were slow, the weight wasn't coming off as quickly as I would have liked it to but I knew this was because of my medication which has side effects of weight gain, so really being able to lose any weight at all was an achievement! But by week 7 I’d achieved my ½ stone award and was feeling so motivated to get to that 1 stone award and by the time week 12 had come around I’d got it!

1 stone lost

The next half a stone also came off in a matter of weeks but from 1½ stone – 2 stone I’ve been really struggling: putting on a pound, losing 2, putting ½ a pound, losing 1 etc.

Current weight - 1 stone 12lbs lost

I’ve decided that in order to help re-motivate me and want to start losing weight and achieve my goals again, I’m going to start sharing my progress online, whether it be through what I eat in a day/week posts to try and motivate me to eat better, or the different forms of exercise I’m doing. People in my group have been encouraging me to share my favourite recipes on a blog because they love hearing about them in group and seeing the pictures of them I regularly post on our group Facebook page so here I am!

Until next time,

AJ x

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Leaving 2015 Behind

2015 was the worst year of my life.

I entered it with lots of plans for the year ahead, and goals I wanted to achieve; none of these came to fruition.

Instead, I spent the first 3 weeks of the year in excruciating pain but hiding it from everyone around me and trying to study for an exam I thought I had no hope in hell of passing - luckily I did!

Before everything went downhill

The next 7 weeks were spent in hospital battling my first serious flare-up of Ulcerative Colitis. My stay in hospital had some ups, but mainly downs. I almost lost my colon (large intestine) but thanks to the care of two amazing Consultants, their team of Doctors and the gastro specialist nurse I made it through those really tough times.

Thankfully, I was out of hospital in time for my 20th birthday on April 13 which meant I was able to finally see one of my favourite musicians live.

James Bay

I was due to be a bridesmaid at my big cousin's wedding in May, and had been working at losing some weight to look good in my dress next to the other bridesmaids but thanks to my stay in hospital and the thousands of milligrams of steroids that were pumped into my body I had piled on the weight - over 3 stone - and was no longer looking forward to the occasion. I almost pulled out.

My mum convinced me not to pull out, and kept reassuring me that no one would care how much weight I had put on and that they would all just be so happy to see me there, out of hospital. I'm so glad I listened to her and didn't pull out, I had one of the best couple of days of the whole year that weekend!

Bridesmaids

Bride, Groom, Bridesmaids and Ushers

Wedding Party

I got to see family from London that I don't see nearly as often as I'd like and, of course, see my big cousin get married in a beautiful location.

Cutting the Cake

Summer was relatively quiet. Being on many types of medication including one I have to get intravenously every 6 weeks in hospital, we decided not to go anywhere. Instead, I spent it reading books in the garden, eating ice lollies and going for swims in the local outdoor swimming pool.

Burning the chimenea

Gourock Outdoor Swimming Pool

Twister ice lollies in the garden

I did take a trip to the Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Fringe during August with some friends. There we went to see Jon Cozart's show - Laughter Ever After which was incredibly entertaining. Emma Thompson was also in the audience!

Udderbelly Tent

Jon Cozart 

Edinburgh Castle in the rain

September should've marked my return to university but I was forced to take a medical time-out and will be returning in at the end of January to pick up the second half of 3rd year where I left off.

November saw me being diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD as a result of everything I had been through at the beginning of the year and I'm now on medication to help with it. I've also taken up yoga as a form of dealing with my anxiety - I find it really relaxes and grounds me.

Yoga

December was probably the best month of the year. It was the first month where I didn't spend it in pain. It started with a last minute trip to London to stay with one of my closest friends Helena who moved there for uni. Whilst there we went to see MockingJay Part 2 and I cried. Multiple times. Mostly we just hung out in her room watching (getting addicted to) Jessica Jones and catching up. I hate how far away she lives!

Helena and I

I also took the annual visit to George Square to see the Christmas lights, take the obligatory picture in front of the Christmas tree and, of course, go on the Giant Swings!

Friends by the tree

On the Giant Swings

I ended the year spending Christmas and New Year with my family feeling very thankful to have made it to the end of the year in one piece.

Christmas Day

I'm finally starting to feel like myself again.

Hopefully, 2016 will be much kinder to me than 2015 was!

Until next time,

AJ x

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