For many years now I have avoided having any colour in my wardrobe and I will be honest this was for a variety of reasons but my wardrobe was starting to look very miserable and to be honest I was just getting sick of how it looked as it showed no personality or anything and I was bored. I decided at the start of the year though that I was going to start adding more colour into my wardrobe and experiment with my clothing rather than just sticking to the same colours over and over again like I have been doing. 

In recent years I have tend to opt for a wardrobe full of black or grey clothing with the occasionally red or navy bits thrown into the mix. These were what I considered my comfort colours, the colours I didn't feel out of place in and where for once I felt comfortable. With how long it was going on it is safe to say buying only these colours just fell into place and I didn't bother changing anything as I wanted to feel comfortable over anything else but it always just seemed to be plain and boring. 

My biggest issue with trying different coloured clothing was my size. The only black and grey clothing started when I put on a lot of of weight and it was my safety net. I thought if I wore any other colour it would make peoples eyes fall on me and I didn't want attention being brought to my body which I hated more than anything. I avoided light colours as I felt you could see all the lumps and bumps I hated through them and I didn't feel comfortable at all. I felt like wearing black and grey just helped me blend into the background where I could get by with no attention being drawn to me. 

Now I am starting to lose weight though I decided enough was enough and that I needed to make a change and stop being boring with my clothing. It was time to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with colours to see what made sense to me and what didn't. I really wanted to broaden my horizons to see what I could get away with wearing and what colours worked in the style I wanted to aim for and so far with me pushing myself it is safe to say this little adding colour challenge is definitely working and I am finally being adventurous when it comes to my style and the clothing colours I am picking. 

Just 5 months into the year and even without losing too much weight just yet (we are slowly getting there though) I am finally starting to incorporate a variety of colours I would usually avoid into my wardrobe and I am actually wearing those clothes rather than just leaving them untouched. I never thought of buying t-shirts in white, pink, light blue or orange but now these are the colours I seem to gravitate towards the most and I actually really look forward to styling these clothes the most now. 

One of the biggest challenges has been working out what colours work the best with other items in my wardrobe however, although it is challenging it has also been fun as it has felt like a bit of an experiment and learning about the colour combinations has actually been an interesting, eye opening process. Granted getting outfits put together takes a little longer than before as I am still working out what works best but it is all a learning curve that I am enjoying at the moment. The best part has definitely been learning what goes well with each of my pairs of sneakers and it has also helped me wear some pairs that I might have otherwise neglected. I have even had my eyes opened to brands I might have often skimmed straight over as their plain colours didn't catch my eye but their bolder statement pieces definitely have and it has been nice to give them a try or at least add to my wish list for when I have dropped a bit more weight. 

Now that I am getting more confident and my body confidence is improving as my weight drops and body changes I think I am going to try experiment with even more colours that I haven't tried yet and also with the styles of clothing I wearing. What I am more excited for though is dressing for seasons rather than just wearing the same colours over and over. Now in summer I can actually dress in lighter clothing and not feel like I am melting in all black, in spring I can wear clothes that are a lot lighter in colour and overall I can just feel much better with my clothing options rather than opening my wardrobe and just seeing a miserable looking colour pallet of clothing.  

I am really excited to develop my confidence a lot more and improve my wardrobe as I am starting to size down as I am finally getting to a stage where I am willing and actually wanting to make changes to my wardrobe alongside experimenting with my style a whole lot more than I have previously. I think times are definitely changing for me when it comes to clothing and I can't wait to see how it all goes.

Do you like adding colour to your wardrobe or do you keep it plain and simple? 

Now that the weather is warming up I think I might go back to what I did in the first lockdown in 2020... outdoor workouts. I absolutely loved just heading outside daily and working out the best I could as it meant not only was I getting my daily workout in but I was also getting out in the fresh air and also enjoying the outdoor space we have at home which was great as it was just a bit of different scenery. It would be great to get out after work and get back into the habit of being outdoors a lot more and especially on a weekend when I have no reason to be sat inside all day. So I plan on taking my workouts outdoors and here is what I am hoping to incorporate into my weekly plan...

Online Coach Plan

Of course I am going to be continuing to work with my online coach throughout this period as I am still nowhere near where I want to be on my journey. The workouts in the plans involve weights and body weight exercises so I can very easily take these out into the garden to make the most of the weather and get my full workout done at the same time. I think being outdoors for these could be pretty beneficial too as the house often gets far too warm as I found out during the lockdown's when I started doing the workouts. 

Running 

Part of my plan also includes running so I am really excited to get going properly with that and I know that the warmer weather is going to help me keep up to this and going more often. The warmer weather and lighter evenings always bring me a boost of motivation and productivity so I am planning on capitalising on that and getting on a few runs each week, granted they won't be long ones but it is still better than nothing. 

Walking 

We got really good at walking most weekends the other year and then we just stopped however, now the weather is improving I am determined to get out for one long walk each weekend, if we can add a few on evenings that will be an added bonus but even if we just do every Sunday morning it is better than nothing. 

Skipping

This is something I tried a few times but then I lost my skipping rope, I have found it now though so fingers crossed I can get back into doing this daily as I felt so good when I had skipping in my routine before. I used to just do 15 minutes a day out in the back garden and I absolutely loved it so if I could do that again I think it will definitely help the pounds drop off me and it should help me out a fair bit cardio wise too. 

Football

Fingers crossed we get our side garden sorted out very soon as I am going to be having this as a bit of a football training for myself. I have the equipment ready to go but the garden just needs a good tidy and sort out. It feels great to have a football at my feet so I am aiming for a few hours a week just working on different training drills and I think the nephew could have fun doing this too. In the past the drills have helped me burn a lot of calories so fingers crossed it will do again. I am also hoping to get back to 5 a side which would be a fantastic weekly workout.

Boxing

Obviously this isn't going to be an outdoor workout but during the warm weather I will still be aiming to attend my weekly boxing class as I am still loving attending this. It makes me feel great and the benefits of going have been unbelievable. On top of these classes though we now have a punch bag at home so I will be planning on dragging that into the garden every now and then just to get an extra session in when I can.

Basketball (Added bonus)

I am still working on getting a basket ball hoop in the garden and fingers crossed I can get one this year as it would definitely be an added bonus for me. I think it would be fun just to spend some time outdoors shooting some hoops and enjoying a sport I am really starting to get into plus it could provide some good challenges for me and Liam to compete against each other with. 

I am really hoping that everything goes to plan and I can spend a whole lot more time outdoors this year and that the time I spend outdoors will really help me along with my fitness and weight loss journey as I am hoping to make a really big difference this year in my journey. I definitely need to spend a lot more time outdoors overall and this is workout plan is going to be a big help in that. 

Do you enjoy working out? 

I have mentioned in the past how I went off Vans for quite a while and honestly never thought about going back to them. But then I fell in love with the simple black and white Old Skools every time I went into JD but thanks to past experiences I never picked them up. As time went on though I was still getting tempted by them and my parents asked me what I wanted as a gift for Christmas so I bit the bullet and said the Old Skool's, I think this was the only way I was ever going to get a pair as I always talked myself out of them. As soon as I got them and tried them on any worries I had soon left me as I realised just how versatile this choice of footwear was going to be. These are perfect for all weathers as just a quick spray of Crep Protect has kept these looking fresh throughout autumn & winter and now we are in spring heading into summer these still look as good as new with just a few scuffs to show they are worn. They are definitely a sneaker worth the price and here are two ways I am going to be wearing them throughout the rest of spring and into the summer...

Ah Spring, a time of year I enjoy as it means the football season is getting to the interesting part as teams fight for survival or the title but it is also a time where I get out of the house a bit more too thanks to the weather changing, sometimes for the better as it begins to warm up however, the spring season does bring plenty of rain with it where I live. Something I really do enjoy though in spring is piecing outfits together, I spend a lot more time putting together the best outfits as I can as the change in weather just makes it a bit more enjoyable for me and it works better for what I already have in my wardrobe. Now that I have settled on a style that works the best for me I think this spring is going to be much more enjoyable as I am going to know what style I am aiming for each day rather than spending time just staring into my wardrobe scratching my head wondering what I fancy wearing that day. So now I do know that style I am aiming for here are the items I am going to make sure I have in my wardrobe ready for the spring season...

Plain T-Shirts

These are an essentials for me for every season as I love them under my hoodies or I can have them under an opened checked shirt or smarter looking shirt which I usually wear for work. The plain t-shirts I buy are from Marks & Spencer's men's department and I love them, they are a bit more expensive than the Primark ones I used to buy however, they are a bit thicker and fit me nicer so that bit extra doesn't matter. I try to always make sure I always have a few black, grey and navy blue t-shirts in my wardrobe so I always have an option

Printed T-Shirts 

I went off printed t-shirts for a while but now I am back to absolutely loving them as they fit my style a whole lot better especially when teamed up with some cargo pants. I don't just stick to short sleeved ones though as I have a fair few long sleeved ones in my wardrobe thanks to Primark & River Island. I don't just buy these for the sake of it now though and I actually consider if the print is going to go with my style or not, that giant Puma logo isn't going to fit my style but the Jordan one will, I have just learnt to make better choices with the prints rather than buying on the cheap. 

Checked Shirts

You will all know by now I absolutely love checked shirts and happily wear them almost all year round and spring is no exception, in fact I probably wear them more in spring than I do in winter. I tend to get the thinner ones from H&M for spring as they are great for wearing open or under a nice jacket in the cooler weather. I also try to go for lighter colours rather than the dark reds and blacks I would opt for in the autumn months. I am not sure how often I will wear them this spring but it is always good to have them as an option. 

Sweatshirts

I used to only ever wear sweatshirt when it was really cold however, I now have a couple of sweatshirts I am very happy to wear all year round so I know that in spring I will be wearing these and also adding a few new ones into my ever growing collection. At the moment it looks like I have a thing for red sweatshirts as that is all I have but I am planning on adding some more soon in a few different colours that will work well with the rest of my wardrobe. I think I might have to look at getting some plain sweatshirts and a few more printed ones. 

Hoodies

We all know by now that hoodies are an all year round thing for me, no matter what the weather I will either have a hoodie on or one by my side just in case I feel like I am getting a bit cold. I like to have a variety of hoodies at all times which vary in thickness and colours as well as either being plain or printed as this just means all choices are covered when it comes to getting ready for the day. I think I definitely know which hoodies will be the most worn during the spring though. 

Denim Jacket

Ah spring the time that the light denim jacket gets dusted off and worn far too often. I actually avoided denim jackets for a fair few years but now I count down to the spring when I can bring my light coloured one out and style it with items of my wardrobe I wouldn't usually reach for daily. The denim jacket is perfect for those warmer days where just need a bit of extra protection against any slight chills. I spent a total of £15 on my denim jacket and it is still going strong 2 days later.

Windbreaker

I stay away from all my thicker coats in the spring as I definitely prefer to layer up rather than just rely on my big coat at least then if I get warm I can just take either the windbreaker or hoodie off and still stay warm rather than being in just a t-shirt. I definitely prefer sporty style windbreakers such as my Nike ones as again they go with a lot of my outfit options and keep the outfit looking good. 

Shorts

Now most people will think I am made for this as it is still pretty cold in spring however, I love lounging around in my jersey shorts even when it is a little colder plus we do sometimes get warmer days especially towards the end of spring and on those days I will usually be in some denim shorts or even jersey ones if I am going for a more relaxed look.

Chinos

I seem to reserve my chinos for spring and summer as I think due to the colours this is when they work the best. I didn't wear them as much as I would have hoped last year which was mainly down to me not going out as much to places where they would have been suitable. I am determined though that this year I am going to make more of an effort to wear my chinos and style them in different ways as I think I could create some great smarter looking outfits with them. 

Cargo Pants

It is no secret that I am absolutely loving cargo pants at the moment, whether they are my green ones or my black ones I am opting to wear them outside of work rather than my jeans. These pants just give my outfits the style I am aiming for and fit me much nicer than most of my jeans do these days. The cuffed bottoms on these pants are one of my favourite parts of them and I am hoping that I can find some more pairs of these when my current ones don't fit me. 

Jeans

When I aren't in my cargo pants I am more than likely to be wearing some form of jeans, previously I would stick to wearing skinny jeans however, these days I tend to be opting for straight leg jeans that just look a little bit baggier as again I think these fit my style a bit better plus I feel a lot more comfortable in these. In spring I tend to move into lighter coloured denim when it comes to jeans as I think it just looks better with the weather changing plus it is just a bit different from the other seasons.

Tracksuit Bottoms 

If I am at home and not in shorts you will find me living in my tracksuit bottoms as comfort is key for me all year round. I have taken to wearing my grey tracksuit bottoms a lot more frequently and I think for more relaxed days in the spring these with a hoodie and a good pair of sneakers could very easily become a common outfit for me as they just make me feel so comfortable. I definitely want to pick up a few more pairs of tracksuit bottoms in time for spring, maybe some black ones and obviously a few more grey pairs. 

Jewellery 

I really need to get back into wearing my jewellery again and to be honest I think spring is going to be when I do so as I find that the jewellery I own goes with my spring outfits a bit better. I am making sure I have plenty of silver jewellery at my disposal this spring to pair up with my outfits and just add a bit more detail. I might even try to add a few new bits too in gold and rose gold just so I have a few more options available. 

Sunglasses

In previous years I have been caught out in spring thanks to the sun and I wont be making that mistake again this year. A new essential for me is sunglasses, I am making sure I have plenty to hand so that my eyes are protected from the sun. I have picked up a few pairs recently in different styles so I will always have an option that looks great with the outfit I am wearing. My go to pair though are my prescription Ray Bans as they look great and doubly protect my eyes. 

Hats

You can't beat a hat no matter what the weather. I tend to stick to beanies especially on the colder days but every now and then I will throw a snap back or trucker hat into the mix. I never used to like wearing snap backs or trucker hats out in public but last year I really started to enjoy it so I think I will be adding a few more to my collection soon. I love my beanies but it is time to mix it up a little bit, my go to hats are a plain beanie, my Nike snap back or my Ralph Lauren hat but I think I am going to add some more Nike / Jordan ones this year. 

Socks

Spring is the time when I start to bring back the trainer socks and no show socks back into rotation as these just work a lot better with my outfits. In the winter I tend to go for higher topped sneakers whereas in spring I go for lower ones so I need it so my socks aren't on show as this can spoil the outfit I have found lately. I also tend to opt for white sport socks in the spring too as they are more comfortable in some of my sneakers and also good with some of the outfits I will be wearing as they kind of fit the style a bit better. 

So there you go those are my essentials for the spring and I will definitely be making sure that I have all these items filling up my wardrobe so that I have everything I need for the full season to create the best outfits I can. I am really looking forward to getting ready on a morning as I really think that these essentials are going to make getting ready a whole lot of fun. Remember the essential sneakers are in their own post as there were a few too many for me to add onto this one. 

Keep an eye on social media to see what outfits I do come up with as I play around with what I have in my wardrobe. 

For as long as I can remember I have been a very fussy eater, some foods I refuse to eat what so ever, some it would take a lot to get me to try and other I used to love but for some reason I will no longer go near them. Compared to other members of my family though I aren't too bad as them and we can go anywhere and I will find a handful of items that I will eat even if some bits need removing from my plate. 

I am not sure where it all stems from but I just tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to food and opt to have what I know I will like rather than trying new foods, it is why most weeks our meals are more or less identical there is not really much variation and my plate looks pretty plain and lacking in colour which I know isn't good for me. 

When it comes to fruit I stick to what I know I will like and very rarely try anything different but even then I tend not to eat a right lot of fruit as I have never been fully keen on any of the items I do have. If I do buy fruit it is apples, grapes, strawberries and blueberries but those are all I go for and as I said I don't necessarily like them. Similarly I aren't a fan of veg either and I will have brocolli, cauliflower and carrots if I really have to but I won't go out of my way to add them to my diet. Now that I am on this weight loss journey though I know I need to start adding a lot more fruit and veg into my diet and it is going to be one of the things I try to change most over the coming months, I want to try more fruit & veg and incorporate it into my meals so maybe if I am having a burger I can add a bit of lettuce etc just to give it a go plus the burger might mask the taste of the the salad bits I am trying... I can hope right? 

As I say if I go out and order anything I will remove any traces of salad especially if it is a burger, just as I know it would go to waste but I want to try push myself more and try new things. It is textures that I really aren't a fan of but if I can push myself and get used to this then maybe menu options would be expanded for me and I can finally try things I have always avoided. I always seem to order the same things when I go out for food too so I want to change that and finally try different items on the menu rather than only ever having hunters chicken, a burger or gammon. I know there is so much I am missing out on and if I could just start trying new foods I could actually switch up what I eat when I go places and would probably end up finding new favourite meals at home. 

Obviously trying different foods whilst eating out could prove to be quite costly especially if I don't think I am going to like the items I am getting so I think the perfect place for me to start experimenting will be at home. This way it is just the cost for ingredients that would be wasted and I can make the recipes as cost effective as possible to stop this occurring. I always leave poor Liam in charge of the cooking but I want to try cook more meals different to our usual at home as it will help me try more new things but maybe me cooking it might make me appreciate it a bit more and also help me be happier to try it. I really do think me being more involved in the kitchen could make a big difference overall and it also means I can take inspiration from the cook books we own and rarely touch. Maybe 2 new meals a week could be a good thing to aim for and might help add new things into my diet. 

It is time for me to get out of the comfort zone and try new things to improve my health and help me along with my weight loss journey. Fingers crossed slow and steady changes are going to help my diet progress and I can finally try some meals I have previously been weary about.

Seriously where has April gone? This year is going by far too fast for my liking and surprisingly what I thought would be a quiet start to the year has turned into a really busy one. Fingers crossed though it is going to be slowing down a bit in May and June though because it is already looking crazy from July on wards. April has been a strange month as I have been constantly busy but haven't got much to show for it. The month was packed with football, birthdays and bank holidays though so I guess that is where all the chaos started, I am just hoping for a few more free nights now though so I can actually get working on some other things. April was a month of new and old favourites so let's have a look at what made the cut...

Fashion

Shorts Season

Lifestyle

Home

Health & fitness

April seems to have just disappeared in the blink of an eye and to be honest I am quite glad as it was a super busy month, too busy in fact but the end of it means life is going to be a bit more relaxed for a few months so I can try get everything in order in terms of setting up a good workout routine and getting my nutrition on track. April wasn't all bad though as I did manage to achieve a fair few things I set out to. So here is how my goals went for the month of April...

Lose 3lb 

As you will see I was just a little bit short on this one but to be honest it was always going to be a hard one to reach with the amount of stuff I had going on. I am still happy with the small amount I lost though as a loss is a loss and I know that I can really push in May to get a bigger loss. 

Increase my daily steps 

With how busy I was I definitely hit this with my steps increasing. My post surgery recovery has gone really well and in April I managed to move a whole lot more and I have seen those steps go up day by day. I ma hitting my goal most days and I know that I can do even better in May thanks to how my recovery has gone and the progress I am making week in week out. 

Use the punch bag or exercise bike daily 

This started off quite well but then life got in the way as it got much busier and I was just struggling to find a spare half hour to do this. I was getting home far too late on an evening and leaving the house too early in a morning so it was a struggle. As you will see though I am aiming to redo this one in May as things quieten down and I think this time I can achieve it. 

Only two takeaways throughout the month

This was always a very unrealistic goal looking back on it now as I was not at home, didn't do food shops for half the month and just struggled to get the chance to stand and cook a meal. We definitely had far too many takeaways in April but that won't be happening again in May. 

Long walk every weekend

Oh look another goal that I set before I realised just how busy April was going to be. I was very hopeful that we would be able to achieve this but then the month came around and there was no chance. We managed a few quick walks before the football on a Sunday but that was it. We really need to block some time out in a routine to make this a non-negotiable as we actually enjoy the walks we go on. 

Go on 4 runs throughout the month

Unfortunately this was another goal we were unable to achieve and again it is just due to the lack of time we actually had in the month. If things were a little bit quieter I think we could have absolutely smashed this one but that lack of time really derailed everything when I look back on the month. I am putting in another running goal for the month of May though so lets hope I can smash this new one.