Focus and motivation

Well the little man arrived on the 17/3. He is absolutely gorgeous and at 2 weeks post partum we are finally starting to settle in a bit. I know things can also go pair shaped at 2 weeks so we will see how we go. 

So my weight going in on the day he was born was 98.7kg. That was 3.7kg over my goal but realistically it wasn't bad. 

I weigh in again tomorrow but as of Monday last week I was 91.7kg! That's 7kg down already. I doubt I have lost anything this week between all 3 boys I haven't had much sleep and find myself looking for empty calories. Doesn't help that because I am always breast feeding I got a heap of snack kinds of foods for the boys eg muffins etc so if it's meal time and I can't get a full meal for them I can give them a snack until I can. Problem is I'm eating it too! Grrr. 

I need to refocus and find my motivation again. Not being able to exercise doesn't help. When I exercise I eat better as it all makes me feel better. No exercising I still feel fat and flabby and in turn just eat crap. Spending an hour working my butt off the last thing I want to do is blow it in empty calories. 

I have been eating well for breakfast having my smoothly and also dinner I have been having the frozen meals I did and they turned out great. 

My smoothly is 

1 banana, 1/4 quick oats, 100ml no fat milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 table spoon natural bran, 2 tablespoons no fat natural greet yogurt, tablespoon honey and col water up to 550ml. 

dinner is 

Steamed chicken 1/4 of a double breast 

Steamed cabage, broccoli, zucchini

1/2 cup cooked brown rice 

Roast pumpkin and sweet potato. 

My lunch is naughty It was my craving while pregnant and I need to kick it. 

2 slices white bread, ham, cheese slice, avocado and lemon pepper. 

I have also been having icecream for dessert. Another pregnancy craving I need to kick. Tomorrow is Monday! The start of a new week and a good day to start new habits! 

I bought stuff to make salads for lunch but it's hard when breast feeding as I can get very hungry very quick and don't always have the time to make a salad. Going to try and make time next week though. Perhaps tomorrow I can do some prep to help make the process easier. Eg cut the chicken into portions so I just have to quickly grill it. 

The next challenge is finding the time to exercise. Little Zach is still establishing a breast feeding regime so it's all over the place. This makes it hard to allocate a certain time every day. 

In the morning from 4-7 and at night from 5-8 he can cluster feed so that creates issues of going for a walk during these times. Through out the day Tyler doesn't nap so how can I go for a walk then? Even on the Treadmil. It's in the garage at the moment so I cannot really go in there and leave him play in the house. 

There is no where in the house to set it up. 

I might have to have a chat to B about what we can do. I need it for my sanity. He has taken on a business but still gets time out. I need it as well. I know it will get easier as Zach gets bigger. Once he is about 6-8weeks I want to review our finances and see if we can afford me to join the gym. That will be about $63 a week including crèche. 

That and I need to feel comfortable leaving Zach for an hour at 6 weeks old. That might be a little hard. It's always good in theory especially while pregnant. Oh yeah I can do it. But once u hold bub ur mummy instincts kick in and u become so protective. At 6 weeks he will still be so young and tiny. 

I have a Treadmil and a spin bike surely I can allocate 1 hour a day for a work out? Even until he is 12weeks or something? I can do my own HIIT sessions in the back yard which might get even easier as winter hits as I can do that while the kids play in the back yard during the day. It's still a bit hot here at the moment so they only go out after 3:30pm and then I am preparing dinner for them. 

Having 3 kids under 2.5 is hard and fitting in gettig fit was always going to he a challenge but that was the whole point of this blog! 

Now that little Zach is here though I plan to blog here regularly in aim to keep my motivation up and my goals fresh in my mind. Also to but out the challenges that think process is undoubtedly going to come across. 

First goal is B's brother is getting married in 4 weeks. I would like to be 85kg by then. Seeing as I still have some birth fluid to lose and with a change in diet I think its possible. Just need to try and do a daily walk. 

Goal 1 - completion date 26/4 

           - lose 6.7kg (85kg)

Goal 2 - 12weeks post partum 

           - completion date 9/6

           - 75-80kg 

Goal 3 - 24weeks post partum 

           - completion date 1/9

           - 65-70kg 

Goal 4 - reach goal weight 60-65kg 

           - completion date 14/11 

           - reach goal weight by 32nd birthday. 

I know the final KGs are the hardest to lose so I am giving myself a little more time to lose those last few kg. :) 

Goal 3 will be the most intense and I might look at doing a 12 week challenge. Perhaps the gym will have one. 

I am very determined to reach my goals it is all going to come down to things I can't plan and those 3 little things can most certainly be the most unpredictable in life. 

I can and I will because I want it! 

Had a break now time to refocus

So I had a bit of a break not intentionally its kinda been forced. 

So I'm 33+4 now so time is slowly ticking away. I was calorie counting and it was going great but then we had an incident with my mum and then I got hit with severe migraines and that was the end of that. Most days I struggle to get off the couch to look after the kids so giving any thought to what I'm eating simply was not happening. 

Whilst I was calorie counting though I was very surprised at how fast the calories can rise. Even when u think u are eating well. My biggest down fall was my snacking but being pregnant i wasn't too concerned over this. I can't lose weight right now so just tracking for knowledge. 

I am lookin forward to getting past this last 6weeks and bub being here. Getting back to healthier eating. I am trying still I have my healthy breakfast but I'm just so starving all the time at the moment. Eating far too much sweet food especially icecream! Naughty naughty. I'm all for eating treats in moderation etc this isn't in moderation. So this had lead to me putting on some extra weight :( just means I have more work ahead me after bub is born. 

I'm looking forward to having the energy again to put the time into healthier fresher cooking. I forgot how exhausting the end of pregnancy is especially with 2 little ones to look after. 

One thing I am really excited about is getting back into exercise. I miss it so much. To go for a run or swim or a weight session. To push myself so hard it hurts. To feel strong again and not a round ball of pregnant blubber. It's going to be a long slow road for me 3 pregnancies in 3 years I have lost a lot of muscle but I'm just looking forward to getting started. 

I have to wait at least 6 weeks post partum to do too much. Might be able to go for light walks or bike rides but not much else. After that 6 weeks though I will slowly build intensity up to the 12week mark when I can really get right back into it. 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to research some fresh healthy foods that help milk supply. I want to start the diet change immediately but don't want to jeopardise my milk supply. Eating healthier will benifit bub too.

At the 6 week mark I will assess my progress and if I can join the gym then or wait until 12weeks. No point joining and wasting money because I can't put enough effort in. I also have to make sure I feel comfortable putting bub into crèche.  The older 2 I am fine with but bub will be so little. I just don't have anyone to watch him for even an hour during the day. 

Either way in 18weeks we should be 100% into this. Bring it on! 

The new year begins

So Christmas and new year have passed and we are beginning  another new year. I am very hopeful about this one I feel its going to be a great year. I am buzzing with excitement and participation on what is to come. 

So I'm 29+5 with bub now so still just trying to learn everything I can about my lifestyle change. I have been reading a lot and making some changes. I haven't had the best diet lately I have been suffering a bout of bad migraines and tiredness which is normal for the end of pregnancy. These last 10 weeks are going to be long but bub will also be here before I know it.

I started calorie tracking just over a week ago. So I am doing the recommended 1800cal a day for the 3rd trimester and I am putting on about 200g a week so that's really good cause that's basically all baby. Most people I see say i look like I have lost weight and I guess my pants are looser it's just my belly that's huge so although I know I have gained as the baby is most definitely not 8kg haha I know I will lose most if it quickly after baby is born.

So anyway 1800cal a day and I am not altering my diet at all at this point as I am tracking to learn. I use my fitness pal which is awesome and they allocate me my portions of carbs/protein/fats and I 

Usually pretty close to these targets I'm not exactly happy with the percent allocation. I would prefer to have more protein but again I'm just tracking so i won't be making any changes yet. 

I have been following www.dailydosefitness.com.au as she is a real inspiration and has a really great outlook on lifestyle weightloss rather than dieting. I do not want to diet. I want this change to be a perminant one. 

I was going to join the gym I wanted to start some swimming etc and also walking in the aircon etc because its been so hot here in qld i can't exercise during the day and I haven't been able to get the kids down before 8pm and when they get up at 4:30-5am there is no way I want to work out till 9pm then it would take me an hour or 2 to wind down. I wouldn't get any sleep and at this end of the pregnancy I'm tried enough as it is and I need all the sleep I can get. 

I started getting painful Braxton hicks on New Year's Day and have been having some bad pains on and off since so I think its better I just take it easy. I can join the gym when bub comes I know me and I love exercise so I have no doubt I will do it. :) 

I have set my sights on the think pink mini triathlons at the end of the year so I will just be building my fitness up for them. I am also looking into HIIT style training. I love my cardio so I'm not going that up but in terms of weight training it's seems very effective. I will continue to nut this out. I won't be able to return to weights for probably 6-12weeks post partum but its a really good thing for me to learn because then I might be able to slow pass it onto other mums one day :) 

One of those fail days

Yep today is one of those write off days. 

Food wise I did well all morning basically until dinner although I did so a lot of picking at food today. No matter what I ate I was still hungry. 

B got called into work at my mums fish and chip shop which is fine the money is needed but means I miss my exercise today. 

Then Blakey woke up with conjunctivitis. He has had a slight cold all week but obviously managed to rub snot into his eyes. Explains the continual screaming the last couple of days. Having him wake in an absolutely horrible state this afternoon meant dinner as fast and easy as possible. Ended up being chicken bacon and mushroom carbonara pasta :( I only had a plate the same as Tyler but still cream and cheese and nothing healthy. 

Its times like this being prepared is the key. Sure I can cook them that pasta because they both loved it and scoffed it down but perhaps having something precut or frozen for me will take that time out to prep a 2nd meal. 

This is the kind of thing I want to learn and get used to doing over the next 3-4months. Can I precook a meal of brown rice, steamed greens and chicken and have it frozen? Will it thaw ok? Is there another way I can prepare? 

I really want this and I know I can do it I just have to take lesions as they come and learn from them and find a way to adapt because I am a mum first and foremost but that doesn't mean I need to neglect myself too. 

Frustration

Patience isn't something I was born with and having these goals I want to achieve but currently having to wait due to being pregnant is very hard. 

Last night I tried to go for my walk/ride but only managed 20mins. I know its better than nothing but still annoying. I was getting painful Braxton hicks so I simply just had to listen to my body and stop. 

The other thing with pregnancy is the yoyo everything. So yesterday I was full of energy ate so well etc, today I'm tired and starving. I have still eaten reasonably well except for a few choc chip buscuits I had for morning tea when I got back from grocery shopping. See the whole don't shop while hungry rule never works in pregnancy especially on days like today when I am always hungry. 

My other big problem at the moment is my love for cheese. Normally when not pregnant not a cheese eater. Right now loving it. 

I just have to take a step back remember that I am pregnant and this is all going to take time. I weighed myself this morning and I have actually lost a kg so that is a good sign. Again I don't actually want to loose weight just maintain but if my healthy eating and exercise means I lose a kg or 2 that's ok. My belly is getting huge so bub is growing perfectly fine :) 

About me and why I decide to embark on this journey

I am currently 31 years old, nearly 26weeks pregnant with my 3rd little boy and I already have a 2year old and a 1 year old. 

Before meeting my husband 7 1/2 years ago I was fit and well what I thought was healthy, I was the lightest I have ever been at 63kg. This being said I look back now and it wasn't healthy. I consumed around 1200cal a day and worked out for 2 hours a day mostly cardio. During the week I was great but the weekend was a whole other story. Lots of binge drinking and eating. 

When I met my husband I had recently finished my uni degree and started full time work so mixing a new relationship with working shift in a pathology lab, reduced exercise and my husbands love of cooking home made pizza and pasta lead to a gradual weight gain and I soon found myself 78kg. When he proposed and we set a wedding date I knew I wanted to get some weight off and i managed to get down to 70kg through boot camp and diet but that diet was 1000cal a day and I lacked energy. Little did I know my method was more a hindrance rather than a help. My 'occasional' take away on the weekend practically wiped it all as my body was in starvation mode.

 After the wedding we fell pregnant and sadly miscarried. Another 2 months and we miscarried again. Through this and having trouble trying for a baby for another 8 months I comfort ate and eventually found myself 85kg. When I fell pregnant I basically stopped all exercise and ate what ever I wanted and by the time my first son was born I was 110kg! 

Within 7days of him being born I dropped down to 100kg. 

Being my first time breast feeding I struggled to find the balance of good nutrition, exercise and weightloss. I hovered around 95kg until I was able to increase my exercise. After 6 months i had dropped down to 85kg but found myself pregnant again. 

When my 2nd son was born I was 104kg and again dropped down to 95kg within a week after birth. Having 2 boys under 2 and a husband running his own business I was 100% kids and running the house. Eventually I fell into a rountine of being able to go for a run on the treadmill when the boys slept but my diet was crap and I are what I could  and eat what the boys do. No good for anyone. 

Again I got down to 85kg and again found myself pregnant. Yes we wanted kids clots together :) I am now 26weeks pregnant and 93kg. I thought I was eating really well but the weight just kept coming on. Up until 18weeks I had only put in 1.5kg. After 18weeks I was putting in 1kg a week. I really couldn't work out why. It's not baby. So over these last few weeks I have been thinking about things, my approach to it all, what I want to achieve, where I want to be and why etc. 

When u think about diet and weightloss you say its a lifestyle change but usually it's not. I have always been focused on losing weight but that's not what it's about. Sure losing weight will be an added bonus but its more than that i have done the fad diets and detoxes etc but none of it was a lifestyle change. I want to be as strong and healthy and fit as I can be. I want to be a role model and inspiration for my kids. Provide them the healthy life for the best start in life. 

There are lots of blogs out there and I have been reading lots and plan to read lots more they are a real inspiration but I do find it hard to find ones who are mums. Having a healthy and fitness focused life is hard as it is but adding kids into the mix is a whole other kettle of fish. As a mum u always put ur kids first, then there is the house and work and family and ur partner etc and then ur last. 

So this blog is going to be about me finding my health and fitness peak whilst having a family. I'm not sure how it's going to work yet, it will be planning for sure but also one day at a time. When kids get sick the world stops and u fit nothing in but its ensuring that u stick to ur new lifestyle because in the long run it benifits everyone. 

I thought maybe I could aim for the physique of a fitness model, having something to aim for can help u achieve ur goals but after doing more and more reading this isn't for me. 

Being pregnant I can't start too much of a fitness routine so I will keep it minimal. I have started using my treadmill and spin bike again. I walk about 3.5km and ride 8km when ever I can. Usually this is when the boys go down to bed. It takes 50mins which Is pretty good.  I will keep my workout at 50mins for the pregnancy and as I get stronger and fitter up the speed of the treadmill but still only walking and ride a bit faster and try to do more km in the same time. 

After the baby is born in march I will slowly increase my exercise here at home until my body feels recovered. Once I feel recovered after the birth perhaps 6-8weeks I am going to join the local gym. I was going to do it now but no point other than to get out of the house. 

This is when I will increase my weights program. I know how important weights are. In saying this though to me this is a lifestyle change so I don't want to cut cardio out. Its so important To heart health. I know weights will help me shape my body into what physique im looking for but the cardio besides enjoying running its for overall health and fitness not just looking fit. So many trainers u see look awesome but can't run a few km without nearly dying. 

I'm not sure how long this process will take. Its all very much a learning one for me. I have some basic knowledge but I am looking forward to expanding on that :) 

I think that's more than enough for a introduction :) I'm looking forward to the challenging yet hopefully rewarding times ahead.