Beach body vs beach clothing

I have been quite furious the past few days, about this burkini bullshit in France. Policemen forcing a woman to take her clothes off. I don't need to finish that sentence. Because who cares what is their reason. If your blood pressure doesn't rise from the fact, that armed men walked up to a woman and forced her to take her clothes off in public, then please give back your "I am a human" card, because you are not bloody one. 

People are saying, that she shouldn't wear that to a beach. Well let me tell you something. My body wasn't touched by a swimsuit for almost a decade. Because I was so ashamed of it, and I didn't want Greenpeace to come up to me thinking I was a beached whale. So whenever we went near water, no matter how roasting it was, I wore my jeans and a T-shirt. In July. Because that is what I felt comfortable in. And no one ever came up to me and asked me why I wore that. It was my choice. 

An other story, me as well. I was 11, went on a school trip to Lake Balaton, and got burnt in the sun so much, that I had one massive blister starting from my left shoulder, going through my back, to my right shoulder. So from the next day on, I wore a T-shirt over my swimsuit, to prevent further damaging of my skin. I swam in that as well. That wasn't proper beachwear either. But I needed that. 

Also, I have a friend, who has sun allergy. She wouldn't go to a beach in a tiny bikini, because it would be torture afterwards. There are so many people with scarring, stoma bags, cellulite, bruising, you name it, who wouldn't feel comfortable showing these things in public, so they cover themselves in clothes that hide them. There are people who are so pale (raising hands here!), that are afraid of skin cancer, and don't want to expose their skin for the sun for too long. There are also people, who are currently battling skin cancer, but still would like to enjoy the rays of sunshine on a lovely day, by the water. 

Oh yeah, and there is an other reason for not having traditional swimwear on. Religious beliefs. Which is also a choice by the way, and should be fucking respected. I am sorry for swearing, but I just don't want to live in a world, where a woman has to take her clothes off, which gives her comfort, just because someone can't tolerate the fact that she wanted to wear them. It is no difference from stripping a fat girl into her underwear. Or forcing someone with sun allergies to go and sunbathe without clothes on. It. Is. Her. Choice. To. Wear. What. She. Wears. 

And I am not religious at all, but I respect everyone, and they can believe in whatever they want to, from the flying spaghetti monster to Cthulhu. And if they choose to wear or not to wear something, then go on and do it. No one moaned when I saw a grown woman walking around in a Pikachu onesie in broad daylight. It covered the same amount of her body as a chador would have. 

Let people wear whatever they want to wear. Please. 

How did I become a vegetarian

In my previous post I promised, that I would write a whole post about my decision in becoming a vegetarian. So here we go. :) 

First of all, just a disclaimer at the beginning. I am not preaching about what is right and what is wrong. I don't have a problem with people who eat meat. With people who only eat fish. Who doesn't eat meat. I don't have a problem with vegans, planteaters, rawdieting folks or anyone for that matter. We are all adults who are responsible for their lives, and should know what is good for them. If someone is happy eating meat, good for them, I am no one to tell them otherwise. This is only my story. So no hate please. :) 

I was a meat eater my whole life, and I come from a culture and country, where meat is the expensive food, therefore even though it is not luxury, it has to be on a table on weekends and holidays, special occasions. I liked meat, but only the type that is easily edible. I didn't like eating chicken legs, wings, anything around bones, where I had to "hunt" avoiding the veins or tendons or cartilages and that. So I was picky. It was the same for me with seafood, I loved fish and clam, but the second the "clammeat" opened, and I saw the whole inside of it, I just couldn't continue eating it. Same with fish though, could eat a slice, but wasn't really happy about a whole fish on my plate, tail, head and all. 

Now I kinda realized, that I didn't like these food, because I saw the animal in them. If you give me a slice of bacon or a breaded chicken breast, it doesn't resemble an animal. But if I see the little intestines of the clam, or the eyes of the fish on my plate, or the legs of the chicken, I see what it is. 

Anyway, back to like 2 years ago, when we moved here. I would have sworn to anything, that I hated curry, and people gave me funny looks for saying it. :D We tried it like the first week we moved here, and I kept on trying and trying different kinds, but just didn't like it. I always thought it was about the sauce. It turned out it was - surprise - the meat. Since I don't eat meat and order veggie curries, I can't get enough of it. It was always the Mr asking if we could order some curry and I kinda agreed but was never really happy about it. Now it is me initiating it, since I love it so much. 

The idea of not eating meat came to my head at the end of last year, I was thinking about it a lot, but kept putting it aside. I noticed it though, that more and more often I went for something vegetarian when we went out for a meal. I am a sucker for cheese, especially goat cheese, so whenever I saw something with it, it instantly beat anything meaty. 

It was in May when I accidentally realized, that I don't crave meat anymore. The Mr went to London for a conference for 3 days, and after I dropped him off at the airport I went grocery shopping for myself only. 

This is what I got. I didn't have a plan for shopping, I just went in and bought whatever I felt like eating. Not a single meat product. I didn't want them anymore. So I kinda knew from this point, that I am going to become a vegetarian, but I didn't want to break it to the Mr yet. He just recently found out that he couldn't have anything with dairy in it, as it made him very ill, and it was a hard enough change for him, didn't want to upset him even more. 

An other thing that made me think about meat: I noticed, that whenever I went running, it felt the best and easiest on days when I didn't eat meat. So I had this habit, that whenever I knew I was going to run in the afternoon, just had porridge or a porridge pie for breakfast, a fruit bowl or smoothie for lunch, and that was me. If I had some meat, even some ham in a panini I just had cramps while running, had to have walking breaks, etc. It didn't feel nice.

So I kinda ate meat when we had it, sometimes I didn't, but it kept building up in me, that I have to make this decision and I need to tell him as well. The last drop in the glass was a lorry I saw driving past me about a month ago, with loads of pigs on it. I just started crying, I don't want animals to be killed just because I want to eat. So since then I was avoiding meat, and it was on the 24th of July, while we were eating home made curry (with tofu, because we both like it! :D) I broke it to the Mr that this was my decision. I reassured him, that he can eat whatever he wants to eat, because I am not going to force my things onto anyone. This is my decision, not his, and I am not afraid or disgusted to prepare meat for him at home. We had a couple of meals, where I cooked separately for myself, but now he said that he is happy to eat the way I eat now, and will just eat meaty stuff when we go out, to make things easier. Isn't he the best. :) 

I have to say it is quite easy to be a vegetarian nowadays, Quorn does amazing products, their wheat protein sausages and patties can easily confuse a meat eater, because there is almost no difference. It is mostly about seasoning anyway. :) And I am not a fussy eater when it comes to vegetarian dishes, as long as there is one thing on the menu for me, we can go. This is how we had a meal at KFC the other day. (I was probably the first one to order a veggie rice box in ages though, because they put a chicken piece on it as well, and when I took it back the just looked at me like I was an idiot. Nevermind.)

Since I am a vegetarian, I have been on a couple of runs, and what a difference! As I said earlier, I didn't eat meat on running days anyway, but now since I stopped entirely, I am almost 30 seconds faster on a km! On my last 2 runs I felt that I can actually run faster now, so far I felt like I always ran on my highest speed, but yesterday I could differentiate  between just jogging and speeding up for a while, then jogging again. Never experienced it before. And it is not because of further weight loss, because I am on the same weight for a good couple of months now. Had an other bit of stagnating, but now I feel it is going to start going down again. My body does this every now and again, but it is normal, and I don't have a date when I have to be "finished" so I am not rushing anything. 

So this is me now, and I am very happy with it. I still eat eggs (I only buy free range happy eggs, 90% of the time from the locals), and eat/drink milk as well, but I go for organic British products, try to be as conscious about it as I can. The best would be to have half a dozen of chickens in the garden, and a cow named Daisy, so I could be a 100% sure that they are not mistreated, but this is the best I can do now, and it makes me happy. 

I don't consider myself anything because of this, and I am not an activist, not going to spill paint on people for eating whatever they eat. I actually think vegetarians and vegans who attack on as many platforms as possible sometimes make more harm than good. Being cruelty free is one thing, but we can't be just animal friendly and not human friendly at the same time. So if you want to take me out for a meal go ahead and enjoy a juicy steak, you are not going to hear a word from my mouth saying it is murder, you are eating a corpse or you are horrible. I will just enjoy my vegetables next to you. And we can share pudding. :) 

Please excuse the silence

Oh wow, I did actually sit down and started writing an other post.

Sorry about being this quiet for a while, I just never really had the inspiration to sit down and talk. Write, even. I know, how weird from me, I basically never shut up in real life. I guess I just needed some quiet time. However if you follow me on Instagram, I am still very active there (no surprise!), and I am still on my pathway, doing what I can to be healthier and more fit. 

I posted a couple of new before-after pictures on insta but let me just share a couple in this post as well. 

This is the most recent one, the one on the right side taken on the 5th of August

I also did my 10k race in June, and I would pretty much like to train for a marathon in the future. My main goal is a half marathon just now, there is one in Edinburgh next spring, so let's get there! :)

I am still practicing yoga, although not as often as I would like (working on it!), and I run of course, oh yes, and the most important, almost forget, I work as a midwife now!

Maybe this is why I was so quiet, job hunting was hard, as I had a couple of unsuccessful interviews, but finally I started my journey as a Scottish midwife 6 weeks ago in a midwife led unit, and I absolutely adore it. 

My diet has recently changed as well, since I decided to be a vegetarian now. :) Will write a full post dedicated to this decision, so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

So this is me, trying to get back to the routine and write a bit more often, I hope I can stick with it. Let me know in the comments if you are still here, reading, hopefully I am not just talking to a brick wall. ;) 

Be safe!

I have a friend, who runs for years now, so when it came to the colder months, I asked him what kind of running gear I need for the winter, as I had no idea how to dress. One of the things he said, was a headlight, as loads of people run in the morning, and obviously it is still dark at that time. I didn't buy one, as I never run in the morning, when I am going for a run, it is on my day off, and I don't need to get up early to fit a run in. 

source

Thank god for being smart, and never running in the dark. Last week on one of my runs, I was running just outside of the park next to me, good neighbourhood, etc. And I noticed a car (new Mercedes), that was just going next to me, at the speed of mine. I didn't look at it, I didn't want the driver to know that I know he is there. So I have no idea whether it was a joke, or god knows what else. But it was f*** creepy, let me tell you. He was doing it for a good couple of minutes, until an other car came from the other direction (god bless you, Mini driver), then the Mercedes stopped and I never saw it again. It was at half 3 in the afternoon, kids playing not far from me, and still this has happened. 

Whether it was a joke or not, I am pretty positive this would have never happened with a male runner. I don't know the driver's intentions, but even as a joke it is not funny, and gave me the creeps. I am not going to run in the dark ever, not that I have planned it or anything, but these things are scary enough during the day, what would have happened, if this was early in the morning, and no one was around? 

Please, if you go outside for activities, be safe. You can listen to music (I do it as well), but make sure it is not too loud, and you can still hear your surroundings. Make sure not to go into dark alley ways, and look around all the time. If you feel like you are not in a nice area, speed up and go to a safer street. If someone attacks you, don't be afraid to scream your lungs out. I read it somewhere, that screaming FIRE is actually more effective than screaming for help, as people are more afraid of a fire, as it can risk their life as well, not just someone else's. 

If you go for a run in the dark, be extra careful. Try not to run alone. Have lights on your head to make sure you see everything. Carry a pepper spray. Tell at least one person you know, that you went for a run, and tell them the route as well. Carry your phone with you. It is better to be safe than sorry. There are too many horrible stories around. 

It would be so nice not to make these precautions, but as long as there are stories of women being attacked outside, we need to be prepared. Be safe.

Fat AND fit?

I probably mentioned it before, that I am quite active on tumblr. If I haven't, then here it is now: I am very active on tumblr. A week ago or so, I came across a thread, that made me a bit angry, so here are my thoughts. 

This picture was the starter of the thread, which is in Hungarian, but here is the link if you understand any of it.

Firstly: I absolutely agree with this picture, and I think it is very good to show others, that a "fatty" can also be fit. What bothered me, that people started saying, that this is a lie, this is not even a motivator, it is worse, because it gives fat people the comfort, that they are fit and there is nothing to change about their lifestyle. 

What people forget most of the time is, that losing weight, and changing takes time. A long time. One does not start eating right and exercising, then the next day wakes up with a six pack and toned body. I started my journey in June, 2015. Lost over 20 kilos, dropped 3 sizes in clothing, but I am still not skinny. I still don't look fit, according to the - let's call them - haters. I have jiggly parts, I still have a tummy, I still have flabby bingo wings. Everything is smaller, but I still have them. And it is fine by me. Because I am in mid transition, and I know, that I am going to lose the leftover kilos just like I lost those 20+. But we can still say, that yes, in fact I still look fat-ish. 

But hell, I am running 7 kilometers non-stop now, I am training for my race in June, also I am practicing yoga almost every day, I easily hold myself in side-plank, regular plank, for minutes if I want to. What is that? I think it is called FIT. 

Just because someone who you see doesn't look like a fitness model, it doesn't mean they are not fit. They can be doing exercises for a long time. They might have been even bigger, and calling them fat is pretty ridiculous. Especially when most of these people who bash others for their looks are probably holding a doughnut/sugary shit drink while commenting these things, and have no self-control. 

Fat people can be fit. Of course they can be not fit as well. Just like skinny people. Your size doesn't determine your fitness level. It doesn't determine anything. Stop body shaming. 

Fruity porridge pie - My new favourite breakfast

I hated having breakfast for a long time, I rather just skipped it and went straight into lunch. By the time obviously I was starving, so I ate too much. Since I started working, I forced myself to eat something in the morning. On workdays I always eat a banana, that is the only thing I can swallow and I have the time for. On my days off, in the other hand, I love breakfast. I like thinking about what am I having, and always take my time to eat it. 

This recipe is definitely a day off breakfast, although if you are not a big morning rusher as I am (I like to sleep as much as I can before work, as I am working 12 hour shifts), you can definitely fit this in before work, because the preparing is only 2 minutes, and while it is in the oven, you can get yourself ready, then eat before you leave the house. Doable. :)

Anyway, I found this recipe on my friend, Andi's blog, it is in Hungarian, but even if you don't understand any of it, go and check it out, her pictures are to die for (she photographed our wedding, by the way! :D). 

Ingredients

50 grams of porridge oats

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 tablespoon of honey/maple syrup/coconut sugar, whatever you prefer

1 banana

a handful of berries

cinnamon to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan oven, 200 on a regular). Cut the banana into circles and lay them in an oven safe dish. Put some berries on top, then sprinkle it with cinnamon, cover it with tinfoil, then put it in the oven. 

Mix the oats with the egg, the baking powder, honey, and vanilla. If it is not liquidy enough (depends on the size of your egg and the type of sweetener you are using), add some milk. It is brilliant with coconut milk, but anything will do, even water. Take your dish out of the oven, remove the tinfoil. Pour your batter on top of your fruits, then add the remaining berries on top. Put it back for 15 minutes. This way it will still be a bit moist, but if you like your cakes drier, leave it in for 20. 

Today I used less oats, and it turned out a wee bit more spongecakey, but not any less delicious. Go and experience with it, next time I will add desiccated coconut as well, and it works with any kind of fruits. The bananas are great tho, because they become mushy at the bottom, and it is just heaven with the cinnamon. It doesn't taste healthy, it is like a proper sweet thing, but it is healthy. I love it. 

Let's go for 10K!

I started running in last June, but the first couple of months I wouldn't call proper running, as I was just getting used to it. So by the time I actually started enjoying it, the summer was over, and so were all the running events. I made a resolution, that this year I am going to keep an eye on all running events in my area, as I wanted to sign up for races. I have never been into sport events in my life. I was always the chubby one, who struggled in school at PE lessons, and hated everything that was mandatory. I loved swimming, but never did it professionally, I just did it because it helped my asthma as a child. 

The only race I have ever been to and I actually ended up being second, was when I was 15, and we went on a rowing camp with school. I was so happy when I came second in cajaking, but they didn't have any medals, and it just made me depressed. I won a fricking chocolate bar. Seriously. 

So this January, I signed up for Race for Life, which is organised by Cancer Research UK. And I went for the 10K distance. I have never ran 10 km ever in my life, the longest I did was I think just under 9 last autumn. But the event is in June, and I am dedicated, and I am going to do it. And everyone is getting a medal, which is funny that motivates me, but like I said I have never won anything, and I want medals. I want a lot. So I will keep my eyes peeled for other events as well, as it is such a great motivator to look forward for something like this. 

The weather started getting not that wet, so I am out in the park again, and I enjoy it very much. :)

The first run of January, 2016

The last time I was out, I almost made it to 6 km, so I am pretty sure by June comes, 10 will be no bother for me. 

And an other great thing, my running number arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I am number 72, which means I was quite early for signing up, which makes me proud! And I got temporary tattoos as well for the day, I am going to be the lamest but proudest runner out there! :D 

Of course my main reason for entering was to participate in a running event, but I can't post this without mentioning the cause. Cancer is a bitch and should GTFO. If any of you want to donate to Cancer Research UK, here is a safe way to do so, I set up a fundraising page: just click HERE. Thank you. ♥

Friends

Friendship is such an interesting thing. As a kid, you are friends with your neighbour, then the kids from school, and you feel like it is such a deep and strong connection between you (sometimes it really is), that it will never fade. But after moving, or changing school, or just graduating, you realize, that you were friends with certain people, because they were close to you, and you spent most of your days with them at classes, or at the playground. This doesn't necessary mean, that it was nothing important. But it is true, that if you want to meet up with someone, you are going to reach out for them, and when you notice, that you haven't spoken to someone since leaving school, there is a reason behind it. 

Interestingly enough, most of my friends, who I met in real life (school, university, work, whatever) are in this category. I think I have like a couple of friends, who I met in real life, work or through a friend, who I love and I care for, but the majority of my friendships come from the internet. 

Funny how they say, that being online, not going outside, not going out will make you lonely, you won't build your social skills, you won't have anyone to speak to. I think everyone who reads this can relate (we are on the internet after all! :D) to me, I experienced the opposite. I have lovely friends, whom I met thanks to the internet, and would have never met them otherwise. Some of you may know, I used to be a crazy hardcore World of Warcraft player, and and I still keep in touch with most of our guildies, hey, we even moved in with one of them for a couple of months! :) Two of them became great friends of ours, and we speak every day, luckily we are closer to them here. 

But not just WoW, the internet in general has been a great place for me to find people who I love. I was like 15 when I started being active on a forum of a Hungarian teen magazine, and I met so many people there, it is crazy. It was such a long time ago, that my oldest friends are from there, and I don't even consider them "internet" anymore, because I just forget that this is how it started. Most of them I met eventually of course, but there are still friends, who I love and care for, who I know from there and we are yet to see each other in real life. 

And there are so many other ways to meet someone, reading blogs, instagram, everything basically. I felt quite poorly the past couple of days, the flu got me, and I got the cutest get well card and gift from a friend, who is kind of a mix of real life and internet friend, as she is my sister's friend, but I know her from "here", the internet. Anyway, it is just so lovely, that someone, who you never shared a room with, is thinking about you, and cares for you. 

And so I am at least a bit on topic, it is so much easier to go through a big change like mine with the internet. There are so many people helping me with comments, likes, and just general support. Having friends and people who care for you is the greatest thing. Thank you, love you. Yes, you. :) 

Sticky sesame chicken

Yesterday's tea was the best we cooked in a while. It was easy to make, healthy, but still absolutely delicious. I found the recipe in a recent purchase in TK Maxx. As always I modified the portions and that, but here we go. :) 

Ingredients

500g chicken or turkey breasts

3 tablespoons of sesame seeds

2 pita breads

Marinade:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of mustard

the juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons of clear honey

1 clove of garlic 

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

fresh salad

2 carrots

half a cucumber

Sauce:

200g hummus

3 tablespoons of yogurt

Method

Mix 1 tablespoon of the oil, the honey, the mustard, the juice of the lemon and the crushed garlic together. Add salt and pepper, then put the diced chicken breast it. Cover it with cling film, then set it aside for 10 minutes. 

Peel the carrots then cut them into a shape you like. Cut the cucumber into dices, then mix them in with the salad. Mix the yogurt into the hummus, add salt and pepper to taste. 

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, then add the chicken. Reserve the marinade, as you are going to need it later. Once the chicken is getting brown, add the sesame seeds, then stir fry for an other 3-4 minutes, until the seeds are turning brown. Now pour the marinade into the pan, and cook until it becomes sticky (an other 4-5 minutes). 

Toast your pita breads, then stuff everything in your face. :D This amount will satisfy 2 very hungry, or 3 moderately hungry humanoids. 

Healthy banana pancakes

Every time people ask me about my diet, their main question is: what about my snacks? To be honest, I was never really a big fan of crisps, so I don't miss having my hands in a bag 24/7. I do like my sweet treats and cakes tho, so that was the main thing for me, to focus on food that I can still fit in my diet, but will satisfy my cravings for something sweet. This is an other great recipe, originally you only needed 2 ingredients, but I pimped in up a bit.

Ingredients

1 ripe banana

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of oats

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

a pinch of baking powder

desiccated coconut

a drop of maple syrup

Method

I didn't bother mashing the banana with a fork and then beating the eggs in, I just popped every ingredient (except the coconut and the maple syrup) in a smoothie blender, then that was it. Frying these pancakes is a bit tricky, as they tend to break and bend, but on a lightly oiled pan you will manage. And even if it breaks it will still be tasty. 

From this amount you can stuff yourself totally full, so it is more like for 2 to be honest. Without the syrup you can tell they are not real pancakes but fake banana ones (which I didn't mind at all), but a little bit of maple syrup did wonders, no one will ever tell the difference. Brilliant for breakfast, lunch, whatever. :)

Lemony date energy balls

A couple of weeks ago I came across this post, and decided to recreate the recipe. Now I am not a big health guru (yet, haha), so I didn't have chia seeds at home, and decided not to bother for the first time, so I just went with the plain ingredients.

Ingredients

15 dates

1 lemon (zest + juice)

2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut

1/3 cup (50 g) almonds 

Method

Get rid of the stones of the dates, then put them in a food processor, along with the zest of the lemon, the almonds, and the coconut. I don't have a processor yet, so I used a hand blender, but it was a proper nightmare, so I am definitely going to but a cheap food processor. It took forever to blend everything, especially that the dates become very sticky. I used up all of the juice of the lemon, it gave the mash a better consistency. When everything is blended, form little balls with wet hands, then store them in an airtight container. They will last for a week in the fridge, but trust me, they won't. You will eat them before they would have the chance to go off. 

They are basically home made naked bars, just juicier, better, and cheaper. Brilliant snack. 

Update with a photo III + news

New year, same me, because I am fabulous. :D Jokes aside, I decided, that this year I am going to spend more time on writing my blog. So here is the first post of 2016, yay! Let's start with an other photo. 

19th of January on the right :)

This January I joined the under 90 club, and just signed up for my first running race ever, and went for 10k! :) 

Since we have one new year's resolution with the Mr, which is to cook more, I decided to share a couple of recipes. We were stuck on the same 10ish for a long time, which became boring of course, so we started ordering and eating out a lot, which is obviously not too great for our accounts, so this is this year's resolution, cook more, spend less. Also we recently discovered, that the Mr is lactose intolerant, so it is more of a challenge to cook than it was before, but we are great, and going to make it work. 

Also I am lazy, so even though we have a pretty good camera, I am still going to use instagram pictures for the food posts, as I am not too great with composing food photography, and most of the time they look gross on a proper picture, even when they are not. 

I promise there is going to be an other post soon, take care! :)