The best of treats and treadmills﻿

Category: Reviews

08
Dec
2020

The best of treats and treadmills

It’s almost been 5 years since I started this little blog! I really can’t believe it’s been that long already and I’m so thankful to all the people who read my posts regularly and now follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

In celebration of all the content I’ve created since launching Treats and Treadmills (originally called Diet Mum Feed), I’d like to share with you some of my favourite and most memorable blog posts.

I hope you enjoy browsing through the posts I’ve written over the years, and as 2020 comes to a close I would like to say thank you for visiting my blog and for your continued support.

Black in the UK

The 1:1 Diet by the Cambridge Weight Plan Review

10 things you didn’t know about me

The one question I dread as a mixed race mum

Black mum, ‘white’ baby – I’m not the nanny

Coping with morning sickness – or trying to!

What is a healthy diet?

My battle with binge eating

Being body positive

21 practical weight loss tips for beginners

“Girls are pretty not strong”

17 signs you’re seriously obsessed with the scales

7 easy ways to eat your 5-a-day

I’m in the Weight Watchers magazine!

My year as a buggy runner in 7 photos

14
Mar
2018

A PureGym review

Categories: Fitness, Reviews

I’ve been in search of a new place to workout and I have finally ended up at my local PureGym. Here’s how I’ve been getting on at this mega cheap gym chain.

What is PureGym?
PureGym is a chain of gyms that offers super low cost memberships. There are clubs all over the country and many are open 24 hours.

I had heard good things about the gym chain and could never believe how cheap the membership is in comparison to others – subconsciously I perhaps thought the price meant that the gym would be super basic, but I was wrong.

My local PureGym
Equipment wise I would never spot the difference between this gym and another where you may end up paying triple the price; and did you know that PureGym membership includes a ton of fitness classes too? From spinning to kettlebell to dance classes – the range is amazing and I’ve really enjoyed trying as many new ones as possible.

PureGym gym review
I’ve been really impressed with PureGym and absolutely love all the classes – especially spinning. With the cost being low I also don’t feel guilty if for some reason I can’t make it to the gym, but that said I think it’s actually had the opposite effect; I’m going way more than I had intended because I can’t get over how cheap it is and how much you get included.

However, I am absolutely pants in knowing what to do in the weights section, so next job is to get au fait with the dumbbells and get my squat on! Perhaps I need to book some one-on-one sessions with one of the many Personal Trainers at the club, who all seem lovely too!

Cons of PureGym
I wouldn’t usually notice this and I’m really not a picky person but my particular club has an awful carpark – there are no clear spaces and it looks as though the ground itself needs resurfacing urgently. I’m also a bit suspicious of the air con in the Spinning studio – does it actually work? They say it’s on but I think that’s debatable! There’s no pool either, which doesn’t bother me, but just a heads up if swimming if your thing.

Would you recommend PureGym?
I would definitely recommend PureGym to anyone looking for a friendly and well equipped place to work out. Nice one PureGym, keep doing what you’re doing.

22
Jan
2018

Being body positive

Categories: Baby & Me, Mind, Reviews

This year I set myself a couple of New Year’s resolutions. Some I broke quite quickly and others I’m continuing to practice, one of which includes being ‘body positive’. If you’re wondering what, why and how, then read on.

“It’s a sign from a greater power!”
While browsing through my ‘recommendations’ on ASOS, a bright pink book appeared and on the front was a girl with a big smile and amazingly colourful hair. Seeing this picture instantly cheered me up and so I was intrigued to find out what it was exactly.

Body Positive Power by Megan Jayne Crabbe aka @bodyposipanda
When I enlarged the photo I was sucked in by the tagline “How to stop dieting, make peace with your body and live”. Some may say discovering this book was just down to a very clever shopping algorithm, but I say it was a sign from a greater power telling me to snap out of my body shaming ways!

Megan Jayne Crabbe bravely shares her own body image issues which led to anorexia and – during her years of ‘recovery’ – episodes of binge eating and yo yo dieting; until she found body positivity. She tells readers how she’s finally escaped the ‘cult of thin’ and details what the body positive movement means.

I bought the book as an early Christmas present to myself, but have only been reading it since the New Year. A few chapters in and I have felt liberated, a desire to wear the clothes i’ve been telling myself I’ll buy when I drop 3 dress sizes and an urge to dye my hair pink! I’ve not done the last one yet but these pages have been touching, emotional, inspiring and challenging.

If this was a complete book review, i’d say BRILLIANT, 5 STARS!
I’ve not finished reading Megan’s book, so this isn’t a complete book review, but it has made me think very differently towards diet, exercise and my past weight loss experiences. All of which has left me feeling motivated to beat my obsession with being ‘thin’ and the constant guilt I have when eating.

Instead, I’d love to learn/ re-learn (because i’m genuinely interested in it) more about good nutrition and healthy eating. In the meantime, I’ll work on accepting what i’ve got and enjoying everything else around me; because I’ve spent far too many years overthinking and stressing about food and my weight. That said, I’ll still be blogging about it for many years to come!

One step at a time eh!

Thanks for reading,
Chloe x

18
Nov
2017

Treasure Cove Woking review

Categories: Reviews

Woking has a new play centre and today I was able to experience all that Treasure Cove has to offer. You’ll find Treasure Cove where the almighty Blockbusters used to be and wow has it changed.

What to expect
This children’s centre is jammed packed with goodies to keep your littles ones entertained, and it’s surprisingly spacious. There are several themed areas for kids to enjoy, these include a dressing up area; a large ball pit pirate ship; a construction area; a place for toy babies and buggies, a music zone and lots more. To be put simply – everything young children love playing with.

Practical stuff – coffee shop and parking
There’s no on site parking but there are places to park not too far away, or you can park right in town and walk 5/10 minutes to the Treasure Cove. When you enter, you’re asked to leave your shoes and (if you have one with you) buggy just outside the main soft play area – the only thing is once it got busy, this small area (when compared to the rest of Treasure Cove) got a little messy.

The coffee shop was lovely and the cakes looked delicious, I didn’t spot any healthy snacks for the kids though and during busy times it could be a little tricky to bag yourself a seat in the main sit down area.

Overall thoughts…
We had a great time at Treasure Cove and I would definitely visit again. My only criticism would be the buggy park/shoe area and sitting area for grown ups was on the small side and could be a bit problematic during busy times – but isn’t that the case with all kiddy play venues! The toys and different areas for the children are brilliant and my daughter loved exploring it all. The staff were friendly and it’s lovely to see some life in a building that has been empty for so long!

**UPDATE** Since writing this review, you’ll see that the lovely folks at Treasure Cove have replied and it sounds like all the small things that maybe didn’t go as smoothly on my first visit, are being addressed. See the comments for more details and thanks again Treasure Cove for the reply – all the updates sounds great.

15
Nov
2017

The WW Flex Effect – 3 reasons why I love it

Categories: Baby & Me, Reviews, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers have announced some changes to their plan and if you’re already a member like me, you don’t have to look far to find a mixed bag of reactions to the announcement. I’m for one am over the moon to learn about the Weight Watchers Flex programme and here are 3 reasons why I already love the improved Weight Watchers plan and the flex effect!

1. More food, less guilt, healthier choices
The beauty of Weight Watchers is that you can eat anything you like, but with the expertise of Weight Watchers there is a wealth of material at your fingertips to help guide on what foods are best for healthy living and weight loss. The recent changes to the plan include a wider range of foods, mostly protein, that you no longer need to be count as part of your daily allowance. I love this because once again it will steer me towards foods that are healthy, will fill me up properly and (I hope) will stop me from overindulging on chocolate when I’m in one of those moods…

An example;
If I have 2 SmartPoints remaining at the end of the day and I’m hungry, I more often than not opt for a low calorie chocolate bar. I know this won’t fill me up but i’m a sugar addict (i’m working on that) and I think it will at least take the edge off my hunger and give me my sweet fix. Only problem is that one bar often leads to more (if I’m having an off day) and then I get myself in a vicious cycle, as I’m annoyed with myself for having eaten multiple chocolate bars then i’m like “well I’ve done it now so i’ll keep going”! However with more zero foods on the list, and foods that I tend to have around or i’m intrigued to try, I can now fill myself up on good things and i’m hoping this will help me to still enjoy a sweet treat but not go crazy on them as i’ll genuinely be full. I hope that makes some kind of sense!

2. Increase fuel for exercising
As my fitness improves and I’m exercising more, I’ve struggled to satisfy my post-workout hunger. I’ve read a lot about eating protein after working out (and in general) but I couldn’t quite get my numbers right when it came fitting in the extra protein into my Weight Watchers SmartPoints allowance; not that it couldn’t be done, I just needed the professionals (aka Weight Watchers) to spell it out for me!

3. Change can be good to get past a plateau
Completely my own doing, but I have been losing and gaining the same few pounds for last few months. I’m so excited to see if the Weight Watchers Flexible programme will help me get past those same pesky pounds and into the next stone down.

I’ll keep you posted!

03
Nov
2017

An active day out at RHS Garden Wisley

Categories: Baby & Me, Reviews

Half term just gone me, my daughter and our besties headed off to Wisley Gardens in Surrey. Over the years I’ve heard of it but I hadn’t really thought of it as a place for young children, which I’ve come to learn was very foolish. This gorgeous setting is a great place to take kids and if you’re a Fitbit fan like me, you will definitely earn yourself some steps exploring all that the gardens have to offer. If you’ve not been before and you’re interested in heading somewhere new this weekend over the festive period, here’s a bit about our day out at RHS Garden, Wisley.

The Gardens
You can’t help but be impressed with these grounds and this post probably won’t do it any justice. Just believe me when I say that it is simply stunning and extremely varied. For example, there’s a Glasshouse which is home to tropical plants and a waterfall; a whole garden filled with unusual wood carved seats and statues; a large dinosaur that my daughter was fascinated with; and a kids park.

Park and soft play
The park for little ones is huge and surrounded by picnic benches, which is where we enjoyed our lunch. There’s also an indoor soft play and throughout the year you can find plenty of events on just for children.

Special events
This half term there was pumpkin carving, storytelling, a puppet show and lots of other activities for children to get involved with; and I’ve just seen there’s lots on at RHS Wisley over Christmas too – including stories with Santa!

Food and drink
There are several cafes were you can pick up lunch, cakes, coffees and so on. There are also plenty of places dotted around to sit and enjoy your own food if you fancy taking a picnic with you. That does keep costs down and saves on queuing during busy lunch periods. That said, the coffee and cake I had was delicious!

See you soon Wisley!
www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

25
Sep
2017

10k complete!

Categories: Fitness, Phil & Teds Sport Running Buggy, Reviews

This weekend I ran 10k and it’s the best i’ve felt running in a very long time. I completed the hilly route in 59 minutes and 49 seconds! I never thought I would be able to run 10k after having my little one, let alone do it in under an hour; and I still can’t believe I was able to train for it with my toddler thanks to my running buggy. Today, I am very very happy!

Close friends of mine will know that I struggled (like many mums) to jog for quite some time after having my daughter – I needed to regain my strength and it wasn’t always possible to go running due to a childcare. So completing the 10k this weekend is a huge achievement for me.

As you know I trained for the 10k with my running buggy and I honestly can’t recommend running buggies enough, for the sense of freedom and to simply have a reliable buggy that you can do so much with. From strolls, to errands, to 10k runs. I love my phil&teds Sport running buggy and wish I had invested in one from when my daughter was tiny. I’ve had several buggies since being a parent, but there’s no way i’m rehoming this one!

Thank you to everyone who gave me a cheer on the way round the 10k route – it really made all the difference!

Chloe x

23
Mar
2017

A review of Slissie: the anti-snacking stick

Categories: Reviews

I have a new toy – a Slissie. Have you heard of it? You may mistake it for a vapour, but this lil’ gadget claims to curb your desire to snack. I’m not usually one for gadgets like this, but considering how often I binge on chocolate, cakes and crisps it’s promises caught my eye. So, I’ve got my hands on one and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

How does the Slissie work
You hold the Slissie and suck on it like a straw. It’s filled with a natural appetite surpassing liquid that comes in a range of flavours; including mint choc, vanilla and gingerbread. The sweet taste is meant to reduce cravings and help put a stop to overindulging on foods that may lead to weight gain (if your goal is to lose weight).

First impressions of the Slissie
The Slissie is a nice looking piece of kit but, even though it definitely isn’t one, it does look like a vapour. When It arrive, there were more parts than I expected and I thought it would take a while to set up – I later discovered I was wrong and it’s all pretty simple to get going. The Starter Kit essentially includes the Slissie, replacement tanks filled with the natural appetite suppressing liquid and a charger.

Dieting just got Slissier
I love the ethos of this product and I really didn’t expect to read such a lovely introduction to the Slissie. In a nutshell, the inventor explains how she wanted to empower women to take control of how they eat; and what they feel when they eat, without constantly being on a ‘diet’. She encourages you to use the Slissie alongside a healthy eating plan, just to make it a bit easier (or Slissier, as it says on the box) when you’re trying to lose weight. She also talks about still being able to eat sweet treats, without feeling the urge to overindulge on them. It was a relief to read this, as I was worried it would suggest that this miracle liquid would mean I would never want to snack again – which we all know is not realistic.

The Slissie in practice
The Slissie definitely help to curb my cravings for sweet foods on occassions but, as it’s own literature says, it’s definitely not the one and final solution. I have still wanted, and enjoyed, chocolate while using the Slissie – I’ve not binged though like I might have done, so perhaps it is working. I feel like I need to give it more time and feed back again in a few weeks from now, to see if there is major difference with how I snack, and how I feel when I do snack. As much as I’ve found my Slissie experience very interesting, it does feel a little unnatural and I have to keep reminding myself I have it. That isn’t necessarily a crictism of the kit, it’s more that I have an awful memory and I’ve been turning to chocolate for years – so breaking the habit will take quite some time! I guess, if I start turning to the Slissie more than I do chocolate, than that would be ok, do you think? Is that the whole point?

Are you curious to use a Slissie or have you tried one with success? I’d love to hear more your Slissie experiences or if you’re not sure about this device. Use the comments box below, or post your view on my Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page.

slissie.co.uk
Starter Pack RRP £39.99

Since writing this review the lovely people at Slissie have given me a 20% off Slissie Starter Pack voucher code. Just use DIETMUM20 at the checkout xx

09
Mar
2017

The worst prosecco brunch Wowcher voucher ever! Do not go to Roxy Bar & Screen!

Categories: Reviews

I didn’t plan to write about this but as I did promise a few rants from time to time, here goes…

A few weekends ago I had a prosecco brunch booked for myself and 3 of my best mates. It was a treat we had been looking forward to since the start of the New Year and, from what we saw online, the venue looked pretty cool.

The day came for our brunch and first impressions were not good. The place looked run down and as though it was about to go out of business – maybe that’s why they had offered up a service on Wowcher.

At the door we were greeted by a very hostile women who was furious that we were about to walk in. She had apparently hired, and paid for, exclusive use of the venue. We had booked months ago and felt completely miffed as to how this could of happened. As much as this lady was a bit of a douche and I disagree with her shouting at us, we felt her frustrations – I’d be pretty pissed off too if I had hired a venue and 3 gorgeous chicks and their fat friend* rocked up for a brunch.

*That’s me by the way.

We go in and it looked disgusting, plus the tables on show had no chairs around them – they definitely weren’t ready to cater for us. The first guy we spoke to didn’t give us much, just said that the venue had been hired out and we couldn’t have our brunch there. After a bit of back and forth he then said we could go across the road and have our brunch. We couldn’t see what we thought the sister venue would look like and so we asked him to show us.

He takes us across the road to an even more gross pub. He offered us the first table by the door, underneath a TV playing footy – not really the glamourous location we had envisioned for our girls day out. The staff didn’t seem to care at all, or see why we were livid with this half-arsed solution. After a visit back to Roxy Bar & Screen the manager eventually appeared and offered us the table at the front of the original venue. Angry lady who had hired out the venue overheard and was about to kick off again. We politely declined his late offer and asked for a full refund, but because the brunch was booked through Wowcher, we had to go through them. He gave us his word that when he was contacted he would immediately agree to giving us our money back. We left and hoped he was telling the truth.

The next day would be refund request day, but for now we wanted to get some prosecco down us as soon as possible. As we talked about where to go next, we burst out laughing when we saw staff from Roxy taking brunch from the kitchen, across the road to their second venue – the vile pub. Is that sanitary? Surely not. Anyway, we were delighted to get out of there and so glad we didn’t end up eating anything made there.

Once we re-grouped in a lovely place round the corner, with glasses of prosecco, we had a look at the tripadvisor reviews of Roxy Bar & Screen. OMG, we so should of done this first, but lesson learnt. The reviews are hilarious and equally as disappointed with the venue, food and staff. Loads of reviews even included the spotting of mice!

The next day I went to log my complaint, and if you’ve never had to request a refund from Wowcher, I hope that you never have to. It was the most painful process ever, and eventually I had to go via a third party to get in contact with the company and request my money back. Thankfully Wowcher did respond, as did the manager of Roxy who tried to say that we had refused to eat there first – not because they first told us we couldn’t, or that the venue had been hired out for a private function. Sneaky Jay! (That was his name by the way.) Absolutely crazy, but I’m glad to end this review with good news…. we got suitably plastered on prosecco (ordered elsewhere) and Wowcher have given us a full refund.

Three things I’ve learnt
1. Never use Wowcher – I’ve had four awful experiences with them now
2. Always use tripadviser before booking anywhere – it’s so insightful
3. Never set foot anywhere near Roxy Bar & Screen near Long Bridge – awful awful awful place

23
Feb
2017

Phil & Teds Sport buggy review

Categories: Fitness, Phil & Teds Sport Running Buggy, Reviews

I have a new running buddy – my almost 2-year-old daughter and it’s all thanks to the Phil & Teds Sport buggy. I didn’t think I could ever be so excited by a buggy, but it’s honestly been so exhilarating to use, and here’s why.

Before children, getting my arse in gear to exercise was just a case of motivation – these days it takes that, plus coordinating nap times, feed times and my husband’s schedule – because apparently you shouldn’t leave a child at home alone.* However, I feel that could change a little now that I’ve got my hands on a Phil & Teds Sport buggy and I can run during the day with my daughter in tow.

The Phil & Teds Sport Buggy in a nutshell
For such a sturdy buggy, the Sport is really lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. It’s a 3-wheel buggy and the front wheel can be locked for when for want to run – this makes it a lot easier to control when you’re jogging. You can then unlock it with ease for times when you may just be out and about on non-running business, which it is suitable for too. It has a lot of cool features that make jogging with a baby and buggy easy and safe, plus it looks very comfy for little ones.

Key features of the Phil & Teds Sport buggy

Easy to activate emergency stop
My favourite feature is brake functionality. This may sound odd when I’m talking about moving with my daughter, not stopping! Anyway, you’ll love this as any parent running with their child wants to feel safe and able to stop quickly if needed. You have two options here, the first is to hold a slim red handle tight to the main handle (both are parrael to one another) and once the red handle is released, the buggy comes to an immediate stop. The second option is to attach an emergency brake strap to your wrist. As soon as the strap is pulled, i.e. if the buggy came away from you for any reason, the strap would activate the brake and the buggy would come to a halt.

A generous basket
I love the basket of this buggy, as it’s surprisingly large. Friends of mine will know I’ve been through my fair share of buggies and I’m often disappointed with the basket size, as I carry a lot of stuff around and I may pick up a few treats on my travels that I like to stuff into the basket too. The large Sport basket is ideal for carrying baby or jogging bits and pieces, as you definitely wouldn’t want to hang a bag off the frame when you’re being active.

A comfy baby seat with a large canopy, sun shade and pockets
If I was a baby, I reckon I’d be pretty comfy in this sports buggy. My daughter can’t fully talk yet, but there were a lot of smiles when she first climbed into the seat and she’s had several naps in the buggy while I ran too.

It has a lovely padded seat, with various recline options (the strap at the back kind) and a 5-point harness – which makes it easy to clip in and clip out your little one. The large canopy has an extra sun shade that can be pulled down for particularly bright days or low lying sun. The hood also has fitted side pockets that are really handy for storing a phone, keys, headphones and water bottle! I did try attaching the Phil & Teds cup holder, but my running style must have been all too much for it, as it didn’t stay on once I got moving!

It’s bright green
There’s no hiding is this bright green buggy, which actually made me feel safer crossing roads as surely no one could miss me! Side note, I hadn’t noticed that my trainers and running jacket have the exact same green colour in them as the buggy, my neighbours must think I’m a little obsessed with neon.

Would I recommend the Phil & Sports buggy
Yes I would! It was really lovely to be out and about with it, and priceless* to be able to exercise without having to depend on anyone else for child care. That said, I’m quickly learning a few tricks to help make a jog with your baby or toddler a lot easier. Visit my blog again soon for my tips on running with a sports buggy.

P.S
I should also mention that this sports buggy folds down pretty flat too, which in my experience of other running buggies hasn’t been the case.

philandteds.com/uk
Available at johnlewis.com
Read more: 6 super easy buggy running tips for complete beginners

…..

Footnotes
*I’m trying to be funny here, please don’t think I would actually leave my daughter home alone.
*This piece of kit I not priceless, but if you’re keen to keep active with your baby or toddler by your side, then it is definitely worth the investment – especially as it makes for a lovely everyday buggy too and has lots of features ideal for very tiny ones. RRP £449.00