So today was my first day in the gym and my first official day on the Herbalife diet, I have been doing it for the past week but not as strictly as I should be doing. I've noticed I'm feeling fuller than usual so haven't been snacking as often but have been quilty of eating quick convenient foods in the evenings, as when I pick Ayden up from the after school club at 5.30pm he has usually already had tea and only wants cereal before bed so I've been grabbing a Rustler Burger or something. This isn't the worst thing in the world as they do show how many calories they contain however its processed food and not full of the good stuff!

Today I have started my morning with a bowl of porridge. I've gone for the sachets with almonds and apricots, this way again, I know how many calories I've consumed and its all good stuff, I added to this a spoon of vanilla Herbalife and mixed it in, so give me that extra boost and to keep me going till lunch as the portions of porridge are quite small.

I didn't eat breakfast until about 10am today so before I went to the gym I just had a snack of carrot sticks and hummous to keep me going, I didn't really feel hungry but thought I should eat a little something.

The gym was a big shock, I got there and had to input a code into the door to get in which opened up a door, I then entered a small tubular compartment and waited for the door to close behind me before the door infront opened to let me, very space age I must say, wasn't sure if I was entering the gym or the weapons department of MI5. When I got there, there was no reception area which again confused me and I found it quite daunting as I seemed to be the only person who didn't know where they should be or what they should be doing. I eventually found a member of staff who explained the way how the gym works which made me feel a little bit more at ease however they seem to have a minimal staff operationwhich I suppose is ok when you know what your doing but not great for new starters, I think if your a regular gym goer, then Pure Gym is for you, if your a complete newbie you might want to look somewhere with a more hands on approach.

After my 10 minute induction, I decided just to get on with it and spent 10 minutes on the tread mill warming up, I then did 10 minutes on the rowing machine. I do want to loose about a stone but I also want to gain muscle definition so I spent sometime working on the weights, focusing on my legs and shoulders. Rather than pushing myself to do high weights, I did low weights that I could do with applying some effort but not a great strain, I did 5 lots of 10 reps on each area. I finished off on the cross trainer doing five minutes high intensity to work on my bum and then another five minutes at a slower pace to cool down.

I'm going to book myself with a personal trainer on a four week programme and aim to go to the gym 3 mornings a week before work. Hopefully they will give me better guidance on how to achieve my desired weight and look and I can share it with you guys.

After the gym I bought a 600g carton of Pea and Ham soup, doesn't sound very nice but was delicious and full of healthy stuff and only 360 calories for the whole carton. I followed this with a some grapes for desert and a spoon of natural yoghurt only 150 calories for the serving.

For tea I will have a Herbalife cookies and Cream Shake and I really don't feel hungry but I know that missing meals is a no no and will make me binge later in the day so better to fill myself up now.

See below my before pictures this was taken today, yes I am completly natural, no make up, no modelling poses making the most of my posture, just me as I am on a day to day basis, keep checking back here because I am going to post pictures over the next 6 weeks and hopefully you will see some improvement. My current weight is 10 stone 4 lbs. My target weight is 9 stone 4lbs, lets see how I get on :)

Have you ever watched a slim woman wolf down a giant bag of Kettle Chips and then wondered where she puts it all?. Well, she doesn’t put it anywhere. More likely she has a Maserati-fast metabolism that incinerates fat before it has had chance to latch on to her thighs.

Of course, to some degree our bodies hum along at a preset speed determined by gender and genetics – but there’s still plenty of wiggle room. In fact, you can rev up your metabolism to burn around an extra 500 calories every day simply by making a few pain-free lifestyle swaps. “You actually have a huge amount of control over your metabolic rate,” says John Berardi, author of The Metabolism Advantage. While peoples’ metabolism typically nose-dives with age, studies show that you can limit that decline to as little as 0.3% per decade – without gruelling daily sweat sessions and extreme diets.

Here we reveal the experts’ metabolism-stoking tips to help you fire up your body’s internal inferno and scorch through fat.

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

Metabolic Rating: 3
Eat a decent breakfast. Every. Single. Day. If you don’t, your metabolism goes into starvation mode (it’s paranoid like that) and slows to a crawl. In fact, research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found testers who ate no less than 22% and up to 55% of their total daily calories at breakfast gained only 1.7lb on average over four years. But those who ate less than 11% of their calories first thing gained nearly 3lb. See the pattern there?
Crank it up: Go for morning munchies that are slow to digest. Try a mix of lean protein with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Berardi recommends an omelette made with one egg and two egg whites, plus a handful of sliced mixed peppers and onions. Follow that with a small bowl of porridge topped with a handful of frozen berries and 3tbsp of omega-3-loaded flaxseed (try Linwoods, £4.94 for 425g, Tesco). Great, now you’re firing on all cylinders.

AT THE OFFICE

Metabolic rating: 2
Rejoice, caffeine addicts. According to a study in the US journal Physiology & Behavior, the metabolic rate of people who regularly drank caffeinated coffee was an average of 16% higher than those who drank decaf. “Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system by increasing your heart rate and breathing,” says Robert Kenefick, a research physiologist at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. We won’t argue with that, Sir.
Crank it up: Follow your morning cup of the black stuff with an ice-cold glass of water. Researchers at the University of Utah found just drinking one glassful can raise your body’s metabolic rate by up to 30 per cent and keep it raised for around 10 minutes. The theory is your body has to burn extra  calories to maintain its core temperature. Get your recommended eight glasses a day and mix it up and feel super refreshed by adding Aloe Concentrate which contains 40% natural Aloe Vera Juie http://herbal-nutrition.net/products/show/id/493/distributor/fayestevenson

AT MEAL TIMES

Metabolic rating: 3
To slim down, pile your plate with protein (for your ultimate protein guide, see page 42). Regular large helpings will help you build and maintain lean muscle. And we all know muscle burns more than fat by now, right? Aim for 30g of protein – that’s 250g of low-fat cottage cheese or 100g of chicken breast – at each meal.
Crank it up: Chase your meal with a cup of green tea. “It’s the closest thing to a metabolism potion,” says Tammy Lakatos Shames, co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism. In tests, people who consumed three to five cups a day for 12 weeks shed an average of 4.6% of their total body weight. Another study found having two to five cups a day torched an extra 50 calories a day. Not bad. Try Termojetics Instant Hetbal Beverage a low calorie refreshing drink infused with green and black tea..http://herbal-nutrition.net/products/show/id/302/distributor/fayestevenson To really go for the burn, down it two hours after eating. Research shows it can increase breakdown of fat by a third. Now go forth and burn.