After four years...

Readers!

I literally haven't posted on here in coming up to four year! Four years! A lot can happen in that time.

Below is a recap of my life since then - including reviewing the resolutions that I made that many years ago!

New year resolutions 2010

1. To become vegetarian

I did achieve this goal. I originally wanted to become a vegan, which lasted about five weeks. I struggled because of the social aspect of it more than anything because eating out as a vegan is really hard, especially when you are new to it! I did however manage as a vegetarian for nearly a year at which point I started eating fish again. Since then I have stayed at this level and haven't eaten meat for nearly 4 years now. So I'd count this resolution as a success!

2. To be able to run a 5k race

I succeeded in this in June 2010 - I booked myself onto my local race for life and ran the entire thing! I did it in about 35 mins and was incredibly proud of myself. My heart felt like it was going to burst through my chest I was so proud; I can't imagine how it must feel to complete a marathon!

3. To get a 1st at uni and get an amazing work placement

I think my definition of an amazing work placement was a little different back then, but I did have an amazing placement! I went to New Zealand (living there for a year from summer 2010 to summer 2011) and worked in a 5* hotel over there. I was lucky in the job that I ended up doing and loved it. My boyfriend came with me and it really solidified our relationship and took it to a new level.

I graduated in the summer of 2012 and got a 1st! So yes I would again consider that resolution a definite success!

4. To become a top shop size 8

And this is where I didn't achieve the goal (although I am about 6lb. lighter than I was then!). However I don't mind, because since then I have become far more clued up about what a healthy diet really is and how to look after my body. Which is where this blog now comes in.

For me now, eating clean is really important. I was to do what's best for my body. I do want to loose weight in the mean time, but my main problem is maintaining interest in a clean diet. There is only so long that you can eat a slightly different version of the same meal for!

So I am going to use this as a platform to stay inspired, and also practise my photography!

I will work out the calorie content of all of the food that I cook for reference - eventually I will up the calories of the recipes but for the time being I want to keep them at the lower end of the range.

Lots of love,

Rosie xx

Exam Motivation

I failed one of my exams at University this year, so I am having to re-sit it on the 2^nd Sept. Why did I fail it? Because I avoided revising like the plague, because it all seemed so daunting and difficult. All I could think about was how much stuff I had to revise for this one topic, and because the topic is kind of psychology based (looking at consumer behaviour) whilst interesting, it’s pretty intense and you can’t really wing your answers because you have to understand the key concepts and models and you have to actually be able to remember them.

Now my boyfriend always says I give myself too much to do, and whilst it probably is achievable in a day, it’s highly unlikely that I would ever actually get it done. So he always says look just do that because it is achievable, but I always say yes but I need to get more than that done! And what happens? I do nothing because it all seems so daunting and if I had taken my boyfriends advice and just done that little achievable bit, then I would be one step further towards completing my revision and would be panicking less because I could tick something off my list.

So I am basically writing this blog entry so that those of you out there who read this and need a reminder or encouragement (just in case you are in the same hole as me) get a kick in the right direction. And also this should help me.

Just do a little bit. Take that easy first step and then leave it for today. So right now I am going to go downstairs and read through my motivation topic, which just so happens to be the topic I had revised the most when I had the exam the first time around. I need to pass this else I will have to retake the entire module so pressures on. But I have 11 days left to revise 9 topics. It’s doable. I’ve just got to get it done!

Veganism and uni work

I decided to make the pledge to be a vegan for a month on the Vegan Society website. It's actually really good because you answer these questions and then you can request to have a mentor to help you and stuff and they send you all this information and recipes and stuff which is useful. So I am feeling really positive about this whole vegan thing and I'm thinking its something I could really get into :)

On a more negative note, uni work is really doing my head in at the moment. We have a big project on at the moment which is going ahead next week and I can't wait until next weekend. Thing is we have a business plan due in soon and its is MASSIVE. We could choose to do it in groups but its something I want to do myself and its about 5,000 words and pretty complicated if you don't have a clue about financial forecasting and the likes. I am really looking forward to getting on with it it's just a little daunting. Then we have our evaluation for our project and some research stuff to do and while it's all spread out I really need to get on with this Business Plan stuff. Agh stress! I just want this project to be over. Please leave me some nice positive comments people. Something inspirational preferably :) something that will give me a good kick up the backside like I need right now.

Speak to you soon anyway,

Much love,

Miss Multiplicity xxx

ps and I keep forgetting about my damned placement! I. Must. Remember. That. I. Need. To. Find. A. Placement!!!!!!!!!!!

Finding Motivation

I have really been struggling with finding the motivation to do things recently. I have an essay due in on Friday, and while it is only 1,500 words (which to be fair is nothing) there is quite a bit of research to be done to understand the topic. It's based around consumer behaviour and I chose the topic of motivations of amateur poker players to pay the $10,000 buy in to enter the World Series of Poker Main Event. It's quite interesting anyway and I am quite enjoying the research but I really struggle with motivation. I am hoping that I will eventually find something that will instantly motivate myself, because at the moment I always become motivated at inappropriate times, like when I'm in bed trying to sleep and I'm too tired to being work then. I always struggle with motivation whenever something needs to be done, and especially at times like these when I have several important things that need doing I tend to ignore them and avoid doing any work at all costs by coming up with excuses and distractions (the internets a killer for this). So last time I was struggling with this I found Zen Habits which I've mentioned before, and I read this article: http://zenhabits.net/2007/02/top-20-motivation-hacks-overview/ . Now he has some very good ideas about motivation, but for some things like uni work I'm not sure that they apply. So yesterday I wrote myself a motivational list of things to motivate myself with and here it is!:

"You've got no chance of being recognised for doing well if you don't try" (R.B.W.)

1. I want to be recognised for doing well and doing better than anybody else. - Now i realise that this sounds very conceited, but it's because I want to do well. I know I am capable of getting a first and getting the best grade on my course if I was to try, but I don't try and I get good results, but nothing to write home about. It's nothing that is really going to impress people and make them go oh wow! And it's also because I want to prove to myself that I can do it, because I know that I am capable yet I have never proven this to myself.

2. I want to get a very high first at uni. - This is very do-able, but I just need to make sure that this year...

3. I want to get a solid first this year at uni. - and if I do this then I will be well on track for a very high first at the end of uni. I want to be congratulated at how well I have done and people be jealous that I have done so well, but I also want to deserve it because I know that I have worked my arse off to get there.

4. I want to feel proud of myself. - this leads on to the next point...

5. "What are you most proud of?" "Nothing" - This is what one of my lecturers asked me in a seminar along with the rest of the class. I was the first person she asked and that was my response, before she went round everybody else and they all reeled off lists of things they were proud of doing. There is nothing that I am really proud of myself for doing, because as far as I am concerned it wasn't specific to me because anybody could have done it. So here are my list of things which I want to achieve so that next time somebody asks me the question "what are you most proud of?" I can reply...

- Getting 80%+ at uni

- Organising a trip to climb mount kilimanjaro and raising over £30,000 to do so

- Running the race for life without stopping

- Doing really well at my placement and being asked to return when I finish uni

- Working at camp america and fulfilling an ambition I have had for the past few years

- Setting up my own business

So there you go. Your opinion of me may have quite possibly changed and you now think of me as an arrogant twat, but hopefully you can understand my reasoning behind each of the things I have said. I challenge you anyway to write a list of things that you are both currently proud of (because everybody should be proud of something) and what you want to be proud of in both the near future and within the next 10 years. Post me a link in the comments or send me a message because I would like to hear your personal accomplishments, seeing as I obviously lack my own.

Speak to you soon anyway,

Much love,

Miss Multiplicity xxx

My "Healthy Eating" Challenge

In my first post I said how I wanted to be a vegetarian by the end of this year and eventually a vegan. I have thought a lot and read a lot since then and I have now decided that while I will live a primarily vegetarian/ vegan diet I will still consume the following things:

- fish

- yoghurt

- eggs (thought I don't really like the thought of it)

- honey (because apparently proper vegans don't eat honey)

- margarine/ butter (although I have bought soya butter, but if it's on something I order or I eat at somebody's house then its fine)

and I think thats it.

So I have decided to do this now from a health perspective, because in theory I will be a healthier and less disease prone person if I stick to this kind of diet and obviously eat a variety of other foods. The whole exercise thing needs to be upped a bit too but never mind. Need to get training for the race for life (okie its only 3.6 miles but it's a challenge for me!), but because it's so cold at the moment and I don't want to get up early when its dark to do it, I am going to start skipping in the conservatory in the morning for about 5 mins to start off with to get my fitness levels up. Thing is the conservatory is freezing so I am really going to have to psych myself up for it.

But the main reason I was writing this post anyway was to give a quick product review of a brand of some dried fruit that I recently purchased. This brand is called "Forest Feast" (can be found at: www.forestfeast.com), and the products I bought were:

- "Fantastic Physalis" (if you don't know what they are google it - they are often used as a garnish on deserts in restaurants)

- "Mouth-watering Mango"

- "Scrumptious our Cherries"

- "Gorgeous Goji Berries"

Okie so I love love love love love Physalis fruits and I eat them by the boat load when they are in season, but I saw these in their pretty packaging (which is nothing like the packaging shown on their website by the way) and thought "Oooo! I love physalis fruits! So I should buy some dried ones!" so I did. But the thing is the real fruit has quite a lot of seeds in them so these has quite a lot of seeds in them. They are only mini and you don't notice them in the fresh fruit, but because it is dried the seeds are harder, and because the fruit has quite a distinctive flavour and the dried fruits taste is more intense I think they taste a bit strange and then add the nasty texture and, well I just don't really like them, but I am forcing myself to eat them because I hate throwing things out.

Now the mango one does taste nice, although I was dissappointed to find that they have a light dusting of sugar on them, because while it makes them taste nice I am trying to avoid refined sugar so that I find vegetables and things without a sauce more palatable. They are also quite tough, and perhaps a little hard to chew without them swimming around in your mouth. I also had one piece that was particularly fibrous (because mango does tend to have strange vein like bits through it) which I had to spit out because it wasn't overly pleasant. Although out of all of them they are definitely my favourite and if I wasn't trying to cut out refined sugar (although there is hardly any at all - it literally is the lightest of dusting's) then I would definitely buy them again to keep in my handbag for a snack (thats the other good thing about the packets is that they looks nice but they are also resealable)

Next was the sour cherries which I was very disapointed in, because I didn't read the back of the packet in the shop but they have quite a few things added to them to make them sour, and it has caused them to have a strange film over the dried fruit, kind of a bit like a very thin layer of wax, and while they taste ok it means that I don't really like the texture.

Finally there was the Goji berries, which on their own aren't great because they are a little bit hard, but they are good for you, so I added a few to a bottle of water so that my water tastes nicer and so that the water soaks into the fruits a bit and makes them more edible. Don't leave them for too long though else they go a little too soggy.

So overall I wasn't the biggest fan, but that said I have never really been a big fan of dried fruit, much prefer the fresh stuff. But the mango was good and so were the goji berries when you leave them in water for a few mins. But I hope this was helpful anyway if any of your were interested. Speak soon!

Much Love,

Miss Multiplicity xxx

Pan 10 - Round one

Ok so I have just emptied my cupboard of all of the toiletries which need using before I buy anymore and to be honest I'm shocked my how much stuff I actually have. And I really need to use this stuff up before my birthday. So here is my looonnnngggg list of things which need using before I buy anything else in that category:

Perfume:

Anna Sui - Sui dreams - have about half an inch left in one 75 ml bottle and then a brand new one still in its box from christmas

Hugo Boss - XX - I have a tiny bit left in the bottom of a 40ml bottle and a tiny bit left in the bottom of a 60ml bottle. I then have a brand new 100ml from christmas still in its box.

Next - Paradise - This is a nice cheap perfume from next. I have about an inch left in a 100ml bottle and a full 100ml bottle from my birthday last July :S.

Escada - Moon Sparkle - I love this perfume so much , it reminds me of my family holiday to new zealand so much, but they don't make it anymore, and I found a shop that does discontinued perfume so bought an over priced 30ml bottle of it and I only have a tiny amount left in it. Might have to order some online when I have used all of my perfume up.

Hugo Boss - Deep Red - Again I really like this perfume but i prefer the Hugo Boss XX. I have the tiniest amount left in a 50ml bottle.

Anna Sui - Secret Wish - I don't really like this perfume. My mum bought it me as a present because I loved the Anna Sui Sui Dreams, and while I don't mind wearing it, I doubt I'll buy it for myself. But there is about half an inch left in a 30ml bottle.

Avril Lavigne - Black Star - I really liked this when I smelt it in the shop, and it reminds me of something else which smells really similar, but it is aimed at younger teenagers with its studded ring, and it does perhaps smell a bit cheap? maybe that's just me.

Ok so that's all of my perfumes done. Now onto the moisturisers.... oh god....

Facial Moisturiser:

Boots Botanics Organic Face Hydrating Day Cream 50ml - To be honest I don't love this cream because it drys out too quickly and I don't feel like it actually sinks into my skin, but I have it now so I need to use it - its pretty much full.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream 50 ml - I got given this for christmas from my mum, and I was really quite delighted with it, but its not the thickest cream in the world and again I don't feel like it really hydrates my skin - and again its pretty much full.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream 50ml - Now this is the night version of the above product (yet it has a pink lid and the day one had a black lid which I don't understand). This is a much thicker creamier consistency and its really nice to apply, but I can't help but that that because I have combination skin it is too oily for my T-zone, yet it works nicely for my cheeks. But if you have normal or dry skin this would work really nicely - this is again pretty much full.

Boots Botanics face Normal/ Dry Day Shift Moisture Lotion 75ml - I haven't rally used this much - I bought it to combine with a tinted moisturiser I bought (below) so that it was paler because I am very pale. It isn't very thick but it seems to be ok. About 2 3rds left.

Boots Botanics Face Beauty Booster Instant Glow Tinted Moisturiser 75ml - This is the product I used to combine with the above product to create the below product. Its a bit drying, but I bought it to wear on holiday instead of foundation. About 2 3rds left.

100ml bottle containing the combination of the above two products - about 25ml left.

Boots Botanics Organic Face Super Balm 15gI - this is basically an oil in solid form until you rub it in. Goes into the skin nicely especially if you are prone to random dry patches on your face. about 75% left

And now here is the biggie - my normal body moisturisers.....

Body Moisturisers:

Vaseline cocoa butter vitalising gel body oil 200ml - now this stuff is oily and not suitable to put on in the morning or during the day. probably best for after a bath when your still damp so that it soaks into the skin better, because I find it tends to just sit on the skin for quite a long time, and because I am at uni I don't have baths. It is quite an intense moisureiser thought so its good if you have dry flaky skin on your legs like me. It is again pretty much full.

Anna Sui Sui Dreams Body Lotion 50ml x2, 100ml x1 - I got this as part of perfume gift sets and never really used them because I'm crap at moisturising. They smell nice and have bits of glitter in them which look nice and it sinks in well to the skin, although they are a little thin but I think thats because they are so old. They are probably all about 2/3 full.

Boots fresh strawberry surprise body cream 140ml - I got this as part of a gift set for christmas and have yet to use it but it looks nice and thick and smells good.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Dry Skin Lotion 200ml - have had this for AGES. I think I nicked it off my mum when I needed some moisuriser. Its about half way gone but again is very thin because it is so old.

Nivea Sun Moisturising After Sun Lotion with aloe vera 400ml - I am including this is the moisturisers because it is getting old and needs using up. There us probably a bit less than half left.

Ambre Solaire After Sun Skin Smoother Hydrating Milk 200ml - have had this for a while too and needs using up. Probably about 75% left.

Soap and Glory hand food 125ml - This is a lovely smelling moisuriser and I had the body version of it too which is the only moisturiser I have used up recently. Its about halfway.

Boots Botanics Bodycare Moisturising Body Balm 200ml - bought this on a whim - didn't actually need it. Its ok but a little thin. About 20% used.

Avril Lavgine Black Star Body Lotion 200ml - nice smelling - smells like the perfume. Still quite thin.

Avon Naturals renwing black cherry and nutmeg moisturising body yoghurt 200ml - haven't actually opened this yet either.

Boots Botanics Body Overnight Hand and Nail cream 100ml - i bought this when i bought those socks and glove that you are meant to wear over night to moisurise your hands and feet but never really used it.

Virgin Vie Honest and Almond 24Hr Moisturising Body Butter 125ml - this stuff is gorgeous and thick and smells good too. I like thick moisturisers for my body because I dont look after my skin enough and my skin sucks it right in.

Ok so a lot of moisurisers but I am going to use all of them and live the virgin vie one till last because i really like it. And on to shower gel....

Shower Gels:

The Body shop Papaya sample bottle 15ml - got given it in store not long ago. Smells good and should be used up after a couple of washes.

Anna Sui Sui Dreams Bath and Shower Gel 50ml x2 - need to use these up! they have never been touched.

Radox shower smoothies soul soother 50ml - got given this free in town one time and still haven't used it!

Radox moisture shower therapy and Radox nourish shower therapy both 250ml - bought these when shopping with my mum last week because I didn't think I had any shower gel. guess I was wrong.

Virgin Vie Honey and Milk Shower Creme 250ml - this is the shower creme version of the really nice moisturiser. will save it till last me thinks :)

Two lots of Nivea sun tan lotion factor 15 both 200ml - need to use them up because they probably don't work anymore.

Cleansers:

Boots Botanics Organic Face Soothing Cleansing Balm 70g - this is really nice cleanser but you have to do it over the skin and as I don't have my own bathroom it doesn't get used very often, so I may start using it in the shower instead.

A Multitude of Hair Products:

Avon straight and sleek smoothing balm 100ml - don't even know if I have ever used it.

GHD opulence mask for colour treated hair 75ml - nearly finished

GHD thermal protector -1 50ml and one 150ml - both need using!

GHD obedience cream 50ml - never used it. should see what its like

L'oreal professional tec liss control 50ml - its basically a serum but i need to work it into my daily hair care routine.

Avon curly and chic curl extender lotion 150ml - I have naturally wavy hair so i bought it to encourage them but couldn't figure the product out.

Avon curly and chic defining cream 150ml - same as above

kms hair play molding paste 150ml - never had a need to use this but I have it anyway.

Sunsilk waves and curls frizz control cream 200ml - used to much when I first used it and never used it again.

AC salon solutions no kinks straightener 100ml - never used it before.

So as you can see I have a rather large collection of toiletries all of which need using. But I will update you on the things that I finish so that you know progress is being made! God its a lot of stuff....

Much Love,

Miss Multiplicity xXx

Diet Diary Business

I forgot to mention in my last post that another one of my new years resolutions is to sort out my sleeping pattern and to get up earlier than necessary. For instance this morning I got up at 7:15am to be in uni for 9. I meant to get up at 7am but I had a slight snooze, but anyway. So usually it takes me about 50 mins to get ready including a shower, doing my hair (not properly) and makeup. However this can go up to an hour and a half if I start mucking around reading or watching crap on my laptop. This morning however I decided not to have a shower because my hair looked fine and if I had a shower it would only frizz, and I'm not really doing my make-up at the moment because I have developed some eczema round my eyes (its never happened before so I dunno how the hell I've got it) so to avoid irritating I have been applying minimal make-up. But anyway so I decided to quickly shove my hair up before going downstairs to make a breakfast of cheesy beans on toast so that I didn't get hungry and snack on crap. I then ate it in the living room, drank a cappuccino and glass of orange juice before watching an episode of friends (I got the boxset for Christmas), getting dressed and brushing my teeth. However I knew that this morning my housemate would give me a lift to uni with them so I wasn't in such a rush because I have to leave 15 mins earlier if I'm walking (however I still managed to be late because I was fannying about). But my point being is that because I had extra time this morning to get ready I had enough time to have a cooked breakfast (which is another one of my resolutions - to have a proper breakfast every day), and in theory I would have had enough time to do many other things. Although really I would like to get up 3 hours before I need to be at uni so that I have loads of time to do stuff such as cleaning, washing up, clothes washing, tidying my room, printing off lecture slides, writing up lecture notes, writing a to do list for the day, eating breakfast slowly and not gulping it down etc etc. I also need to drink more water because i think I have drunk about 2 litres in the past 3 days....

But anyway the next and main item on my agenda is to inform you all of this diet diary business. Basically me and my best friend want to look fit. Neither one of us are big but we have a little excess fat around our stomachs, bums and thighs which we would like to get rid of. So I suggested after reading a magazine article I found, that every day we send each other a food and exercise diary listing what we have eaten/ done throughout the day so that somebody else knows exactly what we have eaten/ done and how lazy or good we have been. I like it because it means that if I have a bad day I don't just give up, and I will carry on with it tomorrow. It's also a bit of competition which never hurts but also if the other person has had a really good day then you want to prove to them that you can too.

Me and my friend probably have different things going for us diet and exercise wise. I can cook for myself and onlyI buy the food that I eat therefore my food intake is perhaps a little healthier (well most of the time) than hers simply because I can choose to have boiled potatoes, salad and salmon for dinner where as she may have a spag bol. Yet she benefits much more from the fact that she has managed to wangle free gym membership to the same gym as my other best friend (both live in my home town, which is approximately 170 miles away from my uni) so they can go several times a week together. I however don't have gym membership or a gym buddy to make me go when I don't feel like it, so I have to make do with my stepper that I bought from Sainsburys for £30

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/shop/sport_and_leisure/fitness_equipment/115687164_sainsburys_mini_stepper.html?hnav=4294960280 , and my cruncher thing also from Sainsburys for £6 (although I can't find it on their website). I'm also going to start running in order to train for the race for life in July which I booked onto last night in a moment of madness, but I'll talk about that later.

So anyway, when we first decided to do this we measured each other, weighed ourselves, and took pictures or each other in our underwear to motivate ourselves with. In the photos I look awful so it's bloody good motivation for me - i just looked like i have a really chubby middle half and then skinny ankles and small boobs - not in proportion in the slightest. I may put the photos up with some after shots when I have reached my target size but I'm not sure whether to yet, but below are my measurements anyway, followed by what a topshop size 8 is - my target:

Bust - 33" / 32"

Under Bust - 30.5"

Upper Arm - 11"

Waist - 28" / 25.5"

Hips - 37" / 34"

Bum - 38"

Thigh - 22"

These measurement were done about 3 weeks ago now and I think I have lost around an inch off my hips and waist so far, so we are getting there.

Here is an example of my diet diary anyway just in case you and a friend decide to do it so you have a format to follow:

Saturday 9th January 2010

Target: Fit comfortably into a topshop size 8.

Weight 07/01/10: 9 Stone 2.25 Pounds

Next weigh in date: 7th Febuary 2010 (or as near as possible)

Eaten:

• Toast with margarine and marmite (yesterday)
• large bowl of pasta with sweet pepper sauce and 4 rashes of bacon
• breaded mushrooms with garlic mayo
• chips with salt, vinegar, and garlic mayo
• winter berry j2o
• hot chocolate
• tea with 2 sweeteners

General Activity Level:
Low/Moderate/High

Exercise Done:

100 step ups on stairs

Measurements on 07/01/10:
Chest - 33"
Under Chest - 30 1/2"
Upper Arm - 11"
Waist - 28"
Hips - 37"
Bum - 38"
Thigh - 22"
Calf - 14"

Next measurement date: 7th March 2010

Additional Comments:
disappointed at self today. Should have eaten a smaller portion of pasta because i was full but felt guilty not eating it so ate more. Wanted to eat the breaded mushrooms so not so disppointed in that but I ate the chips even though I didn't want them. Should have had a jacket potato like I wanted in the first place. Did 100 step ups to make up for bad day slightly. Doubt I have eaten over 2000 calories but it wasn't particularly nutritious food. Will have a better day tomorrow. NEED TO START EATING BREAKFAST!

We just chose to do our weight ins and measurements a certain length of time after our first session, but obviously you can do more if you want, but I don't go home very often so thats why mine are so far away.

Please feel free to join me with my diet diary, and I may start posting them on here so that you can see how I'm doing. But a beach babe body by the summer is definitely where I want to be. Me and a uni friend have agreed to give up chocolate for 2 weeks to get rid of the cravings so thats another thing I'm doing atm.

Speak to you soon anyway. May post something else today too, although I'm not sure what as of yet.

Much Love,

Miss Multiplicity xXx