Mum of The Moment - Meet Belinda

Without our wonderful mums and bubs Body Beyond Baby just would not be.  Each month we like to celebrate your achievements and recognise the hard work that you put into your training and life as a mum.  This month we would like you to meet our Mum of the Moment for April - Belinda.  

Belinda joined Body Beyond Baby for our 2012 Summer Challenge and has made significant progress in her health and fitness.  Belinda has now joined out tough mums training group on Saturday morning.

As a thank you to our Mum of the Moment and a congratulations for all of her hard work, Belinda will receive a $65 gift voucher for Inspired Wellbeing.

Meet Belinda

Tell us a bit about yourself, names of your children, how old they are?

My name is Belinda, mum to 11 month old Josh and step-mum to two older boys.  My husband Alex and I have a very full and enjoyable life raising three very active boys. 

What made you decide to join our Summer Challenge for the first and then second time? 

I had just started with Body Beyond Baby when Jen and Amy were talking about the first summer challenge. Josh was still only young and I wasn't feeling confident about making it to the park that many days a week but I needed to lose a few more kilos so decided to give it a go. I loved to exercise before I had my baby and was really excited that I had found a way to continue post baby. I found that exercise made me happy and set me up for a good day which is what I was needing in those early months.

The first challenge helped me get back into my pre baby skinny jeans. I had enjoyed the positive, inspiring environment so much that when the next one came around it wasn't an option not to sign up. 

Two sessions per week have now turned into 3-4 plus a run on Sundays and I am surprised to find I am the fittest I have ever been. Who ever though that could happen after having a baby?

What has been your Body Beyond Baby highlight so far? 

The highlight so far has been learning how to eat to nourish my body with the energy it needs. I'd always thought all calories were the same but quickly came to learn the role of sugar. The clean eating makes me feel so much better than just the exercise alone. My step children are now very familiar with my view on sugar. They weren't too thrilled as the juice, ice cream and sugar laden snacks disappeared but they are getting used to it. 

What has been your greatest challenge? 

I think I'm about to embark on my greatest challenge yet - the obstacle racing. I'm really not sure if the mud, the wet and the cold are my thing but I'll certainly give it a go. I love to push myself beyond what I think I am capable of in every aspect of my life so I suspect the challenge of the obstacles will appeal to me. Deep down I think I will very quickly become hooked. 

Describe your goal now that you have joined our tough mums training group.

Whilst I've only just started the tough mum training I really enjoy being pushed that bit further. The muscle fatigue the next day is a reminder that I am on my way to getting stronger. I may not be able to do certain exercises yet but I will get there. My goal is to become fitter and stronger and be able to get through an obstacle course.  

What has been your family’s reaction to your new fitness regime?

My husband and I have always been fit and active so I guess it came as no surprise to him that I would continue after having a baby. He enjoyed the healthy dinners I prepared in the weeks of the challenge and as I lost weight, he too lost 10kgs. The boys were not so keen on the lack of sugary treats but as time goes on it becomes less and less of an issue. They don't ask me to buy juice anymore and the oldest enjoys his oats with chia seeds, LSA and banana for  breakfast. 

Mum of The Moment is proudly sponsored by 

 

Guest blog - How do our Feet Change During Pregnancy by Sally McGinnity, Podiatrist

We recently had a chat with our friends at Athlete's Foot in Bondi Junction about the way a mothers feet can change during pregnancy.  I meet many mums who are wearing runners that are years old so we thought it would be a really great topic to bring you more information on - today we hear from podiatrist Sally McGinnity;

Our feet are very complex structures:

•    There are 26 bones in one foot, 

•    In both feet this makes up a quarter of the bones in our body.

•    33 Joints, 

•    Over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments

•    We take on average 10, 000 steps a day- in a lifetime this would walk us around the globe 4 times!

Taking care of our feet is so important yet so often forgotten, until a pain or problem arises.  

 Many pregnant mothers visit a Podiatrist with the following questions: “I think my feet have grown, is that possible?” “Why am I experiencing pain in my feet now?” “Will this swelling ever go down?” “Are my feet now flat?”

During pregnancy a mothers foot can change considerably (some of you may have experienced these changes for yourself) on average a woman’s foot can grow by up to half a size or more during pregnancy- so what’s happening to cause this? 

These changes to the structure of a mother’s foot during pregnancy can occur for the following reasons:

- In part due to the weight gain during pregnancy which can cause increased pressures placed on the feet. 

- Your body retains extra fluid whilst pregnant, this gradual swelling or oedema as it is often referred to, can begin in the 2nd trimester and continue late into the pregnancy. The swelling can be dependent on weather, time of day and time spent on feet.

- The other factor is the hormone Relaxin. Relaxin is released to relax the ligaments around the pelvic area during childbirth. However, it can also create an increased laxity in the ligaments of your feet. All 26 bones are held together by ligaments, so whilst the bones in the foot are not growing, the ligaments are holding these bones together can start to loosen, creating a degree of spread and flattening of the arch of the foot.

Whilst the swelling will subside generally after a month of delivery, the foot spreading due to the change in the ligament structure can be permanent.  Around half the Mum’s out there report a change in foot size by half to a full size after having babies.

For those that experience these changes during and after pregnancy it is important to ensure that your shoes are the right fit to your current size. There is no point trying to squeeze your foot back into your pre-pregnancy shoes as this can lead to ingrown toenails, aggravating bunions, or creating corns and calluses. Correct footwear and being fitted correctly can be biggest factor in avoiding and treating foot complaints during pregnancy. If you have concerns about your feet during pregnancy seeing a Podiatrist can be a good place to start.

Sally McGinnity

Podiatrist

Tough Mums do Tough Mudder

Written by Body Beyond Baby PT and Tough Mum Team member Sally Groves:

April 13th 2013.  Numbers which are unlucky for some… but not the Tough Mums, who survived (mostly unscathed) the epic 20km torture obstacle course known as “Tough Mudder”.

The Tough Mum Team LOVE's their obstacle racing events, but it is fair to say, we were all pretty nervous arriving for this one.  Some dreamed about it the night before, some tried to get lost on their way (yeah, nice story guys) but we all turned up!  These nerves were not eased when our usual teammate Lauren, who wasn’t running but instead was working medical at the event, regaled us with details of the various injuries sustained during the morning…. O. M. G!

Well, we shook off those fears, took our nice bright outfits, and hit the starting area.  An awesome guy psyched us up with hardcore music, chants, and promises to help and look after our fellow competitors.  This challenge is not about the time on the clock, its about teamwork! Helping each other conquer the course, and finishing with our heads held high.

And then, with a sea of fellow mudders  leaping through the orange smoke, we were off! Our team ran together and tackled some amazing obstacles… Dark tunnels, ice baths, leaping over trenches, crawling through mud and under barbed wire, dragging our bodies through the water beneath a cage, and of course our favorite – the electric eel!

As suspected, 20km was no walk in the park.  Its amazing how organisers can get so much uphill into a circular course!...  Or maybe it just seemed that way.  Lets not forget the sneaky hidden tree roots designed to trip us up so spectacularly.  My face certainly hit the dirt once or twice, as did some others who I won’t mention by name (Hi Amy!).  But we picked ourselves up laughing and carried on.  As did the ladies with twisted ankles and blisters.  Poor Charlotte stopped to empty the ‘rocks’ from her shoe to find they were actually giant blisters.  Well a bit of foot taping later and off she continued.  Great effort!

We found our size actually helped us along the way.  Although the vertical challenges were tricky, everything in small confined spaces we found to our advantage.  The Tough Mums also tackled each obstacle strategically.  Electric eel was slow and wriggly to try to avoid getting shocked (moderately successful).  Trainer Jen channelled her inner Catherine Zeta Jones to gracefully progress through the obstacle and avoid the wires, before a big lumbering man nearly crawled straight over the top of her, roaring as he was repeatedly zapped.  

Strategy also came into play when we hit the Mud Mile.  We debated whether to get into the muddy trench before trying to climb the first slippery mud pile, or try to leap onto it like some other competitors… then we watched as one person jumped and slammed their face straight into the wall.  Clinging to the mud, and almost certainly sporting a broken nose, and potential Angelina Jolie lips, she took a moment and continued on. Wow!  Amazing and courageous! 
…but feeling her pain, we quietly slid into the water and took the obstacle in a pain free fashion.

But the Tough Mums also had their own injury.  Celine, always agile and strong, took a fall from the 12 foot Berlin Wall straight onto her shoulder.  We crowded fearfully around her, peering closely to see if there were any bones protruding or strange deformities present… but she didn’t like that much and up she got, dusted herself off, and used her Tough Mum shirt as a sling for the rest of the race.  Hardcore!

Best Tough Mum achievement was seen at ‘Walk the Plank’… we climbed up the ramp like a herd of mindless sheep and found ourselves facing a 15 foot drop into water below.  Well, it doesn’t seem so bad when you are looking from the ground, but at the top it was scary! 
… ‘I think I can see my house from here!’
And this was where we saw Charlotte face her fear.  She was at the top for a while, counting to three a few times but not quite ready to go.  There were even very attractive lifesavers in the water below, as well as climbing up to jump alongside her (nice move Charlotte), but still she wasn’t quite ready.  Then finally, with a yell of determination, and with the entire crowd below chanting her name like a rockstar… she leaped!  Amazing moment.  Best of the day!

We finished the event strong, with some of the best obstacles saved til last… Funky Monkey, Everest, and of course ElectroShock Therapy! We smashed them all, crossed the finish line, and then proudly posed for photos covered in mud and sporting our TM Headbands!

The final challenge of the day:  finding where I parked my car!  But that’s another story…Awesome event, fantastic day, and amazing achievements by the whole team. Well done Tough Mums… Jen, Amy, Della, Danette, Cori, Charlotte, Celine (…and me too)
. We totally earned our post race beers , burgers and  headbands.  Once again we wear our bruises with pride, marveling at their spectacular colours, and tell war stories of our epic day.

Totally ready to do it all again…See you in October Tough Mums!!

Split Pea Dahl

1 cup yellow split peas, soaked overnight
2 tsp coconut oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1cm ginger, finely grated
Pinch of ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala
1 small sweet potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 zucchini finely chopped
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup kale, chopped
½ bunch coriander, chopped

•    Heat coconut oil in saucepan over low hear
•    Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes
•    Add spices and cook for another min
•    Add split peas, sweet potato, carrot, stock and coconut milk
•    Cover and cook for 25min
•    Add zucchini, peas and kale
•    Simmer uncovered for another 15min or until vegetables are very tender
•    Remove from heat and stir through coriander
•    Enjoy

Charlotte's Prize as our Overall Winner of 2012 Sunmer Challenge!

Charlotte enjoyed a wonderful day of pampering on a sunny Wednesday in March as her prize as the overall winner of our 2012 Summer Challenge.  She first met with Sharon from Coach Me Beautiful to talk about her wardrobe and styling tips.  She then had her hair and make-up done at Deligio in Randwick before her photo shoot with Julia Wheeler from The Maternity Photographer.  Please enjoy the wonderful photos of Charlotte and her family.

 

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors who have made this day possible.  Please click on the logo below to head to their websites.