The Restart Button

I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I last added to the blog!!! Since Manel left for Melbourne my life has turned upside down and the steady nice pace at which I was going, with time for all things important, has turned to chaos. During the first 2 weeks I think we were managing ok (can't quite remember as it's all a bit of a blur), and I was still fitting in 3 sessions of exercise by dropping the kids at my parent's or my neighbours' place while I went for a quick run, as well as getting to training in the park with Jen. But in the past week I've gotten sick again, the kids have caught colds & we've been stuck climbing the living room walls with all the rain. Alex is also waking up for a good 3 hour smile &/or cry session in the middle of the night each night so I'm severely sleep deprived. I feel like my position in this household has taken a nose dive and that I'm not getting a single second for myself & my sanity. My original plan to fit in exercise regardless of what was going on around me isn't going to plan at all at the moment!

SO, time to get some control back. Jen came to visit yesterday and helped me get back on track. She's put together cardio & resitance training plans that I can do at home if there is no way for me to leave the house & kids. We went over my original goals, which was great to remind me of what I was trying to achieve and to see that I'm actually almost there. Doing that in itself made me feel happier and that not all was lost! As for where I'm at, I'm now 2kg's under where I was when I got pregnant with Alex, I'm at the same weight I was when I got pregnant with Jack, and 2kg's off my "ideal weight" according to the body composition scan. I have been working hard, and enjoying doing so, but I also know I'm lucky that my body is cooperating and the fat isn't stubbornly hanging around. I feel fit & healthy (despite the aforementioned cold & woeful sleep deprivation), but would still like to get a lot fitter so I can run for a good amount of time and perhaps do the 10km bridge run in September (a new goal I've set for myself). My other main goal was for the family to get back to a fit & healthy lifestyle, eliminating the chips & biscuits snacks and have exercise as a normal & regualr part of our week. This is happening and I even see Jack moving around the house doing an oddly looking lunge walk. When I ask what he's doing, he replies "I'm doing exercise mummy!" Woohoo - an excellent new word in his vocabulary.

We have a big black board wall in our hallway, so Jen wrote down my goals plus a daily checklist to keep me on track: exercise, good regular food, a 5 minute break for myself, more water & a reminder to breathe. These few simple things went out the window for a week and it was amazing to see how in that short amount of time I felt miserable & unable to cope. It's not a huge & unachievable "To Do" list, and so by doing these few things each day, hopefully I'll get through the next 2 months until Manel gets back. I've come to the realisation that it's not worth it for me to constantly wish for "normality" as "normality" won't come back until at least September. With a husband in the film industry, this, right now, is our family's "normality" and I'm much better off accepting that, being flexible and working with it.

The mind frame I've woken up with today is a WHOLE lot happier & more positive than over the past week and I put this down to getting refocused with Jen, and then calling my brother to drop in after work last night so I could get out for a quick gentle run, the first time out in a week. Those 2 things have definitely saved me!!! When I feel myself getting flat or unnecessarily snappy at poor undeserving Jack, it's time for me to hit the restart button by getting out and getting exercise, in some way or form.

Stepping Up

I feel a sense of relief as I have finally completed my goals and have a clearer sense of purpose. It did take a while to refine them so they are no longer vague statements but rather clear goals with measurable outcomes. As with alot of us I want to regain my pre-baby body but I have gone deeper to realise why I want this and how I am going to go about achieving it.

On a personal level I think I have been motivated by my mother who still blames having children for the reason why she is carrying excess weight (35 years later) I just don’t want to be in the same situation as her. I do feel like we are lucky as we potentially have better access to exercise, however at the end of the day exercise in its simplest form for us can be power walking/jogging with baby in the stroller.

It was great meeting Jenny today to discuss these goals with her and get her in valuable input. We also reviewed my food diary to ensure I was eating the right foods. As I mentioned a while ago I have been writing down everything I eat to see where I am going wrong – it is amazing to see how often I have treated myself in a week. (I also write down what I spend but that is another issue for another blog).

So the road ahead is a very positive one as I have finally committed to more exercise as we discussed ideas for how to fit this in and what type of exercise is best. I can already hear my inner voice saying I will start this routine on Monday – but then I realise there is no time like the present so will start it from tomorrow fitting it around my mothers group catch up. The key being to schedule this in advance so it actually happens.

Will I be able to keep up with 6 days of exercise or as in the past will I be a slacker and take up residence on the sofa and do hand weights with my remote control? All I can say is watch this space!

Rain, rain go away.......

I had the best training session the other day with Jenny and the gals. We were finally going indoors as the weather had turned too cold for the babies. I always think a change is as good as a holiday and was excited to move to a new location. The gym was set up perfectly for the children to have a secure spacious area. We utilised the main area of the gym and used the treadmills and cross trainers to get our heart beats up, and then the back of the gym for the other excercies (circuit, pelvic floor, stretches and so on). I haven’t sweated so much before, or so it seemed.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to meet with Jenny last week as my little one was quite tired. This has been rescheduled to next week to discuss my goals and how I am travelling in general with my weight loss/ exercise regime. It is obvious that to loose the weight I want I need to increase my daily exercise, however with an 8 month old I am struggling to work out where to fit this in as my day is already quite busy.

I’d be keen to get your ideas of when and where you exercise that works well with your baby’s schedule too.

Finally on a positive note friends and family who haven’t seen me in a while have commented on my weight loss. This has been great for my spirits but I cant stop now..... 10 kilos still to go.

The juggling act

I am looking forward to meeting Jenny today to see how things are tracking. We are going to go over my diet as I have been keeping a weekly food diary. I am also keen to discuss with her how to best motivate myself with so much else going on around me, is it ok to ‘treat’ myself with bad food once a week or not at all and finally how can I add in additional exercise besides my two weekly training sessions.

Another good way to track how I am going is the body scan and I have booked in another scan for next week which is exactly 8 weeks since my last one. It’s best to have them 6-8 weeks apart and they provide a great snapshot of how things are tracking, and they only take around 10 mins to have done.

As I said to Scott this morning I just feel like I am barely staying afloat and am trying to juggle a lot at the moment. I gather that this is all how we feel as new mums with our first child or perhaps more experienced mothers (still juggling though) with their second or third children.

Sex and the city

Well I had to get your attention somehow didn’t I?

So just back from another session with Jenny, whenever she asks us at the end of the session how we are I always seem to reply with the same expressions – either ‘buggered’ or ‘knackered’ or with no words at as I am still out of breath. What would I do without my exercise, as well as keeping me fit they keep me sane with my 1 hour without my baby (Zara).

Have been tracking along well but I still feel like I have a way to go. It’s obvious that I can commit to the twice weekly training sessions but it’s the issue of diet and additional exercises that bother me. I have incorporated a weekly walk with Scott and Zara to the beach and back but other than that not much more exercise is happening. My post natal pilates is not as regular as I thought was happening and the intention of going to the gym hasn’t happened, mainly as I haven’t scheduled it in. You see after a day with zara the last thing I can think of is going to the gym.

Diet wise I have managed to reduce my intake of sugary foods like cake and biscuits, mainly by not buying them or baking anything. I still do like them and allow myself the odd treat. The key has been writing down what I eat daily so I can tally up just how many times a week my diet has strayed. I encourage you to try it, sounds like a huge task but you get in the hang of it if you leave pen and paper in a handy location.

So the week ahead is trying my best to stay on track, adding in some more exercise – and between it all packing for our move in June.

Life is unpredictable!

Firstly, thanks Jen for the nice comments. You're always so full of encouragement and great tips for continuing along towards reaching the goal. It's MUCH appreciated.

So, as Jen has already mentioned, I had my second body composition scan last week. It was great seeing the results show some decent change in my body, and that all this exercise and healthier eating is making a difference. So the fact that I didn't change weight on the scales for a couple of weeks isn't an issue, nor an accurate indicator of what's going on. The loss of fat (shown in the scan) and the way clothes fit is a much better way to see positive results.

In the past 2 weeks since I last wrote things have changed again. Just as soon as we got Manel back home, now he's heading off again tomorrow, this time to Melbourne for 3 months. Apart from a couple of weeks when I'll take the boys down to visit, we will stay here for the rest of the time to keep up with our own routines of kindy, swimming lessons & my training. As I can't obviously leave the boys at home alone while I go for a ride/run or swim, I've spoken to my mum and brother about getting them to help me once or twice a week so I can get out of the house & do some exercise. I'll be sure to need this for 2 reasons: firstly, to stay fit, energised & endorphin-loaded....important for being a nice, patient & loving mum; and secondly, to keep some time for me.

As well as making plans, my past 2 weeks has been spent shaking off a cold. As it's only been a cold with no fevers or aches I didn't stop exercising altogether, but just took it a little easier by way of walking more (to keep the circulation moving) & doing less intensive exercise (running etc). I still went to training both weeks and I think it helped to shake it all up and speed up the recovery. Apart from the remnant of a cough, I'm doing alright and definitely have enough energy and strength for exercising normally again.

So, tomorrow is D-day. Manel's off and I'm back to single parenting. Let's see what I have to say about my energy & strength in a weeks time!!