Bec's Wedding Photo!

The photos have arrived and I actually like them!! I'm so happy about it and it sure makes all the sweating and food diaries seem like a small price to pay. So I have posted one on here for anyone who is interested, and for a bit of comparison. I can't beleive what a difference there is and how a bub really did change my shape (or lack thereof), but thankfully it wasn't forever. Thanks Jen!!!!

#9. Turn it off

The TV I mean......and the car.......and the lift.................the golf buggy.............the escalators...........the list could go on. We spend more time in front of televisions and computers using motor cars and machinery to make our lives easier than we ever have done before. Adding a few unnecessary kilos to our frames at the same time.

Do yourself a favor and do it for your children. They have enough examples of sedentary convenience in their lives without you enforcing it also. Turn off the TV and play a game with your kids. Teach them to take the stairs instead of the lift, walk to the shops rather than taking the car and you might just feel better for it yourself.

Simple as that!

Good luck to Bec for your wedding day tomorrow - I am so looking forward to seeing pictures and posting one up here for everyone to see how amazing you look. Well done for all your hard work and commitment, it really goes to show that when you put your mind to something you can achieve your goals. That little extra planning with a baby is worth its weight in gold when you come out the other end feeling and looking like a more healthy, happy and wonderful you.

Three Days Untill Bec's Wedding

OMG it’s three days away. Wow, whoever thought it was a good idea to plan a wedding with a baby (me) was a lunatic! Never the less, all is going ahead relatively smoothly and I’m at the stage where I’ve decided whatever isn’t done must not be that important.

Today was my last day at the Body Beyond Baby training before the wedding and having everyone wish me luck and ask to see pictures was really nice. It’s become like a mothers group with purpose for me, and I realised I’ve made some friends while I’ve been getting fit which is a huge bonus.

As of last Saturday I’d lost six and a bit kilos, over the last nine weeks, and I’m now waiting until after the big day to do a final check-in. I’m really happy with how my dress looks and right now I just want to be happy with that and not be two focused on the number. My aim was to loose eight kilos in the ten weeks so I will report next week and rest assured that I’ll be continuing to work hard to lose whatever is left over, even after the wedding.

Well that’s it for now, I’m off to do about a million wedding things but I just thought I’d say to anyone reading this who is keen to get back to track, be it to loose baby weight, get fitter, or even to be the best most healthy version of yourself, I really recommend getting involved with a group or a trainer. It really helps to motivate you, and the benefits of having a professional guiding your training can’t be underestimated. To help me get ready for the wedding I’ve done both and I’m really glad. I feel great and exercise is now a firmly established part of my life… which is great for me, and sets a great example for my little one as he gets bigger.

# 8. Exercise everyday

Years ago people did manual work for a living, walked to get water, worked in fields and washed clothes by hand. Now we turn on the tap for water, go to the supermarket for food (or get it home delivered) and have machines to wash our clothes. We sit at desks to work and more and more children are driven to school rather than walking. Add to that the growing popularity of computer games, DVD's and home delivery food and no wonder we are a population that is growing in size.

It is important to plan exercise into your daily routine and to make it a normal part of your child's life.

For you:

• Find a gym with a creche and hit the weights or the treadmill a couple of times a week.
• Got a running pram? Head to a park (with a smooth road especially if they are young) and do a few laps - if you live in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney Centennial Park is a favorite location of mine.
• If you don't have a running pram take a brisk walk to the park, find some grass, park the pram and do a few interval runs over a distance of about 50m - if you are with a friend you could take it in turns while one of you stays with your babies.
• Find a friend and do a baby swap - you go for an hour, they go for an hour.
• Come and join our Body Beyond Baby group training sessions - we have nannies that will look after your little one while you train close by. Click here for more information.

For your child:

• Take them to the park - when they are young it is as simple as that, they will love to be outdoors and it will be all you can do to keep up with them for a while!
• As they get older play games with them; a ball game or Frisbee in the park of on the beach - not only will they get some exercise but you will too.
• Walk them to school if its close or drive them a block or two away and get them to walk the rest - use the excuse that its too busy around the school to park closer if you need to.
• Make a family walk part of your weekend.
• Limit TV time and encourage them to get outside where possible.
• Do fun activities like swimming, bike riding and roller skating.

The lists are endless - just make it fun and do it everyday from a very young age.

#7. Reverse your pyramid

Think back to yesterday........ Did you have breakfast?................. Did you have dinner?............... Which was your largest meal? I'd bet out of those of people who ate breakfast and dinner the majority ate the largest meal for dinner, and those who skipped breakfast still ate dinner.

You get up in the morning after having fasted through the night, your body needs food to start the day and kick start your metabolism. You have a whole day ahead of you so you also need the energy to get into your day.

Reversing your food pyramid means eating your biggest meals first thing in the morning and your smallest of an evening. Taper your calories "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper". This way you have much less of a chance of storing the early meal as fat because you have been fasting over night and you have the day ahead to burn it off. Whereas a heavy evening meal is much more likely to be stored as fat because you burn fewer calories at night and your metabolism is naturally much slower.

Start this habit with your children now, enforce the importance of breakfast. Where possible sit down and share breakfast or at least get them to eat it at the table rather than on the run. Try to make breakfast a family time as most of us do dinner. Give them desert at lunch time rather than getting into the habit of eating it every night before bed. Once they are old enough you can explain why it is good to eat in this way, explain that they need energy to run around and play in the day time but at night they are sleeping so the body won't spend the extra energy and it will turn to fat. Children need to understand these things and the sooner the better. Most of all make sure you lead by example.

Bec’s regretting alcohol

Hmmm, like the hang over wasn’t enough to remind me why I don’t drink. Then I come on and read Jen’s post about ‘empty calories’! I consumed more than my share of empty calories on the Saturday as I celebrated my last days as a Miss. If being a Mrs. means I never have to feel that way again, I have even more reason to look forward to the big day.

So as you can imagine the weekend wasn’t a great aid in my final bid to lose the last kilos. The only upside is that I felt so unhealthy I only want to put the healthiest and most pure foods I can find in my body to help it get back to feeling as great as I did a week ago. Feeling hung-over and unhealthy was actually a really good reminder about the real benefits of exercising and eating well. I fully appreciate now that taking care of myself makes me feel better, makes me more energetic, and definitely makes me a better Mum.

In a bid to remove the guilt, and any extra calories from the weekend I’ve been adding an hour walk to each day’s exercise on top of what I usually do. When I think about it I usually take Hugo out for a few short walks a day so all I’ve had to do is get out early and walk a bit longer to make sure I get a steady paced aerobic work out.

I’ll let you know if it helps!