Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget (My attempts to get debt free by April 2010)

Sun_Addict

Hi everyone!

Fire Fox there are people here ready, willing and possibly able to read your tips! Please divulge! Nothing too painful though!:D

I'll never be able to give up my magazines, would have to be destitute for this to happen. I subscribe to loads as well as buy loads from the shops. Have cut down a lot though as don't have that much spare time (or cash). I've been like this since I was 10 years old so don't think I'll change now.

Today's exercise - walk 3 miles to work, walk to Aldi and back (approx 2 miles in total), run 2 miles on treadmill, 100 sit ups, 100 squats

Today's meal plan:
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - last of homemade butternut squash soup, crispbread and cottage cheese
Evening meal - Homemade spinach and mushroom lasagne, huge salad
Snacks - fruit
No alcohol today
Naughty things from work table - 1 biscuit and 1 toblerone sweet (from people's holidays this time) I'm not good all the time!:rolleyes:

Big shop from Tesco arrived last night and was £93.20. This is for all the heavy stuff, cleaning stuff, cat food, freezer stuff, storecupboard items for 3 adults and 1 cat. Not usually this expensive but stocked up a bit. Walked to Aldi at lunchtime today and they had most of their Super 6 back in stock. Bought loads of fruit and veg and spent £9.69.

No luck with the free bodyscrub with Grazia voucher - out of stock in two different Boots. Will keep looking but I'm obviously not quick enough!

Friday tomorrow :beer:

Sun_Addict

Yipee it's Friday :j

Today's exercise: Walk to work, walk at lunchtime, 30 minutes toning exercises with weights in gym

Today's Menu:
Breakfast -porridge
Lunch - Greek salad and 2 satsumas
Evening meal - homemade salmon fishcakes and stir fried veg
Snacks - banana, grapes, 1 chocolate Hobnob
Alcohol - yes yes yes! 2 glasses wine for me tonight :beer:
Would have liked a NSD today grocery wise but batteries in bathroom radio have expired so had to visit the £1 shop. Spent £3 on batteries and WeightWatchers tortilla chips (weekend treat and very nice actually!). I also have in my possession 2 Green & Black's Maya Gold choc bars (the 35g ones mind not the big ones) as these were buy one get one half price at Holland & Barratt - so another £1.03 spent there.

Looking through my food cupboards I really need to use up a lot of stuff that's lurking in there. This would save me money as I only have about £135 to last until the end of June after this week's splurges.

New £5 weekly spending budget starts today but have already spent £1 in £1 shop on 5 pairs of trainer socks (very badly needed as only possess 2 pairs).

OH has actually done a full week at work this week! :T He could possibly be in danger of getting a decent month's paycheck this month! About time! Forgotten what it's like!

I'm desperately in need of a very large glass of wine tonight as I've had a hectic day at work after organising a training course and making sure it all ran smoothly - it did eventually!

Some of my Ebay items finish this weekend so will see if I've sold anything. Anything that doesn't will get put straight back on. I've also got a couple more things to put on.

Hope you all have a really good weekend. Sounds like it might rain so will actually get some housework done instead of sunbathing.

Swinstie73

Hi Sun Addict,

Well done on your food diet and not spending much diet! Ah wine, can't remember the last time I had a glass (or bottle), think might get one in for next weekend. Think I also need food, mmmm, which would I prefer!

Anyway, have a nice rest of the weekend x

Fire_Fox

Sun_Addict wrote: »

Hi everyone!

Fire Fox there are people here ready, willing and possibly able to read your tips! Please divulge! Nothing too painful though!:D

Today's exercise - walk 3 miles to work, walk to Aldi and back (approx 2 miles in total), run 2 miles on treadmill, 100 sit ups, 100 squats

Today's meal plan:
Breakfast - porridge
Lunch - last of homemade butternut squash soup, crispbread and cottage cheese
Evening meal - Homemade spinach and mushroom lasagne, huge salad
Snacks - fruit
No alcohol today
Naughty things from work table - 1 biscuit and 1 toblerone sweet (from people's holidays this time) I'm not good all the time!:rolleyes:

You seem to be on the right track, but to lose the last few stubborn pounds you always need to tweak your routine. Dieting plus cardio (fat burning) will get you so far, but you will lose muscle mass as well as fat. How much muscle you carry dictates how toned you are and how high your metabolism is. I am not talking body-builder here, you need testosterone (male hormone) for that!

Diet ... in general very good! :T Eat every four hours without fail, always a combination of protein and carbs. Breakfast as soon as you rise as metabolism drops overnight and eating kick starts it! You don't seem to be having protein with every meal - you need this to repair and rebuild muscle and digesting it fires up the metabolism. Try omega-rich eggs, oily fish or LesKol cheese for an extra metabolism boost from essential fatty acids. Also there is some evidence calcium, especially from dairy products, boosts the metabolism so two to three portions of dairy daily.

I recommend low glycaemic index carbs to keep your blood sugar stable and keep fuller for longer. Swap porridge oats to old fashioned/ jumbo/ steel cut oats. Brown basmati rice, brown pasta, granary or stoneground bread, wholemeal pitta, pearl barley, seeded rye crispbreads. Seven to nine portions of fruit and veg a day, including one portion of beans/ lentils if you can stand them.

Exercise ... how long have you been doing the same routine? It seems that you are doing a high volume of low intensity exercise so you will be missing out on the very significant 'afterburn' effect. Studies have shown that high intensity workouts boost your metabolism for up to two days - as a result interval training burns up to twice as much fat over time!! :eek:

Cardio: warm up for ten minutes (e.g. brisk walking). Then run at a steady pace alternating 30 seconds to two minutes of hills with jogging on the flat OR 30 seconds to two minutes alternating running with jogging. You should be VERY puffed out for brief periods, alternating with recovering to a comfortable pace. No more than twenty minutes of this three times a week as it's tough on the body.

Toning: if you can do 100 sit ups and 100 squats you are too fit for your current workout! :j Do you know how to do a knee press up, side lying plank, stationary lunges? What exercise are you doing for your lower back to balance the ab work or your glutes (bottom muscles) to balance the leg work of squats?

Every exercise should be done with the strictest technique and slowly (six seconds each repetition). For squats your knees MUST head in the same direction as your toes, heels stay on the floor, bottom back and down until you have a right angle at the knee. Try going down to the lowest position then up half way, then down to the bottom and up halfway (slow pulses). It should really burn and/ or your muscles should shake!

Ab curls: keep one knee bent, straighten the other leg. Gap between chin and chest and elbows out, never ever pull on your head. Move slowly and only until your shoulders come off the floor, lower back stays down. Better still do ab curls on a Swiss ball: bottom hangs off the edge, lift it and squeeze during the entire set so you are bending at the belly button NOT at the hips. Take your shoulders right back over the ball each repetition so that you lightly stretch your abs.

lellybun

Cripes Firefox! I feel exhausted just reading all that! :rotfl:

I am sure that loads of people on here will find all of it very useful though :T

Sun_Addict

Brilliant thanks Fire Fox:T

I am doing a lot of what you have suggested. I know I perhaps don't eat as much protein as I should as I don't eat meat or eggs, however, I do eat pulses. My porridge is always the old fashioned type, soaked overnight in the fridge so it's half way there the next morning. Eat tons of fruit/veg. I do try to vary my exercise when I go in the gym and mostly do sit ups on a ball. When I do my toning work I incorporate the plank, lunges, glute exercises, etc and do press ups using my step (not too keen on press ups though!). Before I started doing my own thing 2 years ago I went to classes for 20 years so use a lot of the techniques I learned from them as well as getting ideas for routines from fitness magazines. I've got a few DVDs that I use from time to time for variety as well.

Can I point out that I must be doing something right as I am only 4lbs over the minimum weight for my height (I'm 5ft 1) and have maintained this weight for the last 7 years since I lost a stone with WeightWatchers (I still follow the WeightWatchers plan). I'm perhaps being a bit silly trying to lose another 4lbs but I like to go as low as I can before holidays so I can relax my regime a bit and not worry too much about clothes being tight when I get back home.

Thank you very much for your ideas. I'm sure I won't be the only one who will find these very useful. :T

Sun_Addict

Today's bulletin:

Have sold 4 things on Ebay over the weekend:j and not bought anything! I'm posting them today on the way home from work so I really really hope I've estimated the postage right and won't be out of pocket. Still have 6 things left to sell. I'm hoping to make enough to at least pay for my manicure and pedicure the day before I go on holiday.

Exercise wise I've walked to work, been out to Sainsburys at lunchtime and tonight I will be doing a mix of cardio and toning work.

Today's meals: Porridge for breakfast (as usual), home made chickpea ratatouille at lunchtime, main meal is going to be noodles, stir fried veg and a few prawns (a bit of protein!). I've had 4 pieces of fruit as snacks and will also have 2 crispbreads spread with cottage cheese when I get home to tide me over until tonight (and see me through the gym session without collapsing with low blood sugar!). Best of all I have enough wine left from the weekend to look decent in a small glass wayhey!

As per Fire Fox's advice I'm going to try and incorporate a bit more protein and dairy into my diet and mix up my exercise routines a bit. If I don't lose any more weight so be it as I think I try to keep it too low anyway. Just don't want to put any on!

I've got to be careful with grocery budget now as I only have £118.62 to last the rest of the month. I spent £12.18 in Sainsburys today (£118.62 is my total after this). If (IF!) I have some money left over at the end of the month I'm going to buy myself a pair of gold wedge sandals for my holiday (shoes :j) - so have a very good incentive to do it! Should be okay as DD goes on holiday a week today for 2 weeks and she's the one who eats most of the stuff (and uses the most electricity!).

Have a great Monday everyone (if Monday can ever be great!).

Sun_Addict

Good afternoon!

Time to update my diary for today.

Exercise:
Walked to work this morning, went for a walk at lunchtime and tonight I will be running 2 miles on treadmill and doing some squats, sit ups, etc.

Meals:
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: Home made chickpea and courgette ratatouille, melon slices
Evening meal: Salmon, sweet potato wedges and tons of veg
Snacks: Peach, 2 satsumas, apple, 1 biscuit from Cornwall (tut tut!) and 2 slices of toasted nimble (no butter or marg as I don't like it)
Drinks: 2.5-3 litres water, 3 cups coffee, 2 cups herbal tea
No wine tonight (boo!)

Sold another thing on ebay last night! :j Posting it on the way home from work tonight. Posted 4 things last night but have been sailing very close to the wind with postage charges. One of the things cost more to post than I estimated! Will have to watch this in future.

Went to Wilkinson at lunchtime today and spent £4.99. Only bought what I went there for - I'm learning!

No Gok's Fashion Fix tonight and nothing decent to replace it so won't be watching any TV tonight (OH will be glad though). Will see if I've got some surveys to do. Last night I did a survey about van insurance and got £1.50 for it! :j

Nothing else to report today. Have a good evening everyone!

Swinstie73

Hi Sun Addict,

Your meals always sound fab, I had biccies for dinner last night and tonight it's chips! Lost my mojo for cooking! Boo to no Gok, guess it means I will need to do some housework, which badly needs done.

Have a nice night x

Sun_Addict

Today's plans:

Exercise - having walked 5 miles in total today (not counting walking about at work) I am having a night off the gym. Have some cleaning up to do so won't be bored:rotfl:

Meal plan:

Breakfast - the usual porridge (this is the only thing I can face at 6am!)
Lunch - crabstick pasta salad and melon slices
Evening meal - debating whether to have home made aduki bean stew out of the freezer or make a mushroom risotto as I bought a huge box of reduced price mushrooms from Sainsburys and they need using up. Whatever I have will be accompanied by tons of veg.
Snacks - apple, satsumas, cherries.
Drinks - the usual but no alcohol again.

Someone brought a cake into work today but didn't fancy a piece so no point eating it for the sake of it. Yet another celebration - it's all we ever do in this office!

Sold 2 more things on ebay so back to the post office again for me tomorrow. :j Only 3 things left to sell now! Not made a lot of money on it but will tot it up when all auctions have ended and ebay have taken their cut. Hoping to get about £30 but only made £15 so far so not holding my breath!

Another boring TV night(after Corrie). OH will be watching football so I shall find myself something useful to do. I lead a very boring life on weekday nights and have a long soak in the bath with a book/magazine at 9pm and go to bed around 10pm. I find the bath really helps me to fall asleep quickly and I rarely have a bad night's sleep.

Spent £7.89 of my grocery budget in Aldi today but got tons of fruit and veg so very happy with that.