Month: September 2014

Good Choices, Planning & A Goal = RESULTS!!

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be proud

Do I proclaim to be the fittest person going around… No I absolutely do not! I am not a 20 something gym junkie, I am a 30 something mother of two who leads a very busy life. What I do proclaim is that I ensure I live a healthy lifestyle, keep active, eat well and be a good role model for my children. After all, we are shaping our children’s lives and they are watching us every single day. I have had many people tell me this is why I am ‘relatable’. I am not trying to be the next figure model but I am determined to be the best version of me I can be and I am learning so much in the process!

My Babies

My Babies

Of course, I like the odd indulgence, who doesn’t? I wouldn’t be being honest if I said I didn’t. I strongly believe that you shouldn’t deny yourself of things, but you should take responsibility and control of what you are consuming and understand the effects it has on your body. I love to socialise and have a good time with friends and family and I lead a ‘normal’ life, but I always realise that everything I do is a choice and sometimes I have to use willpower and discipline when making certain choices. It has actually been amazing for my personal development and growth to see how strong I can be. Since being pregnant with my second daughter, I have loved seeing the strength and determination I have found with my exercise and nutrition. One thing I will stress is that you do have to be in the right frame of mind to make it work. You have to be honest with yourself and be prepared for it to be hard work, but I can promise you it will be so rewarding and you will feel so much happier!

Truth!!

Truth!!

It is a well known fact that it takes 21 days to break old habits and form new ones and you will start seeing awesome results in that short amount of time too! For me, once I made the time for myself to exercise (this does not have to be hours and hours sweating it out at the gym, I will discuss that in a minute) the nutrition part came quite easily because I was feeling so good after exercising that I didn’t want to undo it by eating poorly. It has a roll on effect and BINGO….. that is how you form your new healthy habits.

As I mentioned earlier I am busy like every (super) mum, I also have an Ironman Triathlete hubby who, as well as being extremely dedicated to his family, is also very focused on his own training and reaching his goals so we have to find balance and make that work for us. He has taught me so much about self discipline, training and how much you can do when you are determined. I’ll do a separate story about him another time. Obviously you will also have to find the balance and make it work with your family/work life too, try writing out everyone’s schedules or investing in a family planner/organizer and slot in YOU time. Being busy doesn’t mean you are any less important, or your goals should suffer, it just means you need to work hard on making yourself a priority. I plan my days as much as you can with a 7 year old and a 3 month old. At the moment my preferred form of exercise is running, weights/strength work (at home) and stretching/yoga. I find this easy as I don’t need to go to the gym to get it done.I do quite a bit when my eldest is at school and my littlie is napping or I take her out in the pram. My longer runs I obviously have to wait until hubby is around, something that works for us is he is out on his bike at 6am every Saturday and he gets home around 9ish so I am all ready to go in my running gear and when he gets home I head straight out the door. Sunday he will go for his run first thing and then I go and do a run or a gym class once he is home – Perfect! That way everyone is happy and we are all done and dusted for the day by around 10am.

H.I.I.T (High Intensity Interval Training) is an effective way to exercise especially if you want to work hard but only have limited time. It is a circuit of high intensity exercises performed non stop for 45 seconds with a short 15 sec rest in between, these can vary in length from 10 mins to maximum of 40 minutes. It really gets the heart rate up and is great for fat burning! Later in the week I will post a tough but short H.I.I.T workout that I do so make sure you are following my Facebook page so you don’t miss out https://www.facebook.com/fitm.u.msa

Here’s what you should do next….

Set a personal goal

Write it down

Plan time for yourself

No excuses. Make it happen!

Take note of your progress, be proud of yourself and Enjoy!

set goals demolish them

Find the nutritional balance and see results

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It is easier to make changes to your diet and lifestyle when you are put in a situation where you don’t really have much choice (which turned out to be just the kick in the butt that I needed to get me on back on track). The first reason I was motivated to make dietary changes last year was because I found out I had Gestational Diabetes at 28 weeks into my pregnancy. Once Indie was born, I needed to continue to make changes as we found out fairly early on that she has a Cow’s Milk Protein Intolerance. Seeing as I am extremely committed to breastfeeding for as long as I can, I had no choice but to eliminate dairy entirely from my diet.

Below I will talk about a few simple changes I have successfully made and I am happy to report that they are fairly effortless to incorporate into your lifestyle no matter how busy you are.

Once I cut out dairy I took this opportunity to cut out caffeine too. I had no idea how ‘addicted’ to tea I was. I actually experienced headaches and felt lousy for 3 days after I stopped drinking it. I now drink Green Tea in the morning and Peppermint Tea in the afternoon and evening. Green Tea is amazing and actually aids in weight loss by increasing fat burning and boosting the metabolic rate. I feel so much better and have a lot more energy!

eat well

Dairy Substitutes I have made

Nuttelex instead of butter/margarine

Oat milk or Almond milk instead of regular cows milk

Mountain bread instead of regular bread (I do still eat some bread that does not contain milk products, just read the labels)

Cacao instead of chocolate

Side note: I am missing cheese!!! Don’t come near me with a cheese platter or I may harm you.

Here is a simple snapshot of a typical day since I have made these changes:

Breakfast

– Oats (made with oat milk) and I add chia seeds, honey and dried apricots or cranberries

Occasional weekend breakfast – Spelt Flour Pancakes with Banana (I use oat milk instead of regular milk)

Snacks

I actually snack more throughout the day (I have always been a grazer) but I now just choose healthier options

* 1 Green Apple every day

* Limit added sugars by substituting biscuits and cakes with homemade no sugar slices, bliss balls and fruit & nut ‘chocolate’ (made with cacao).

* I make up snack containers with almonds, cashews, cranberries, goji berries and diced apricots and take them with me in my bag.

* I drink 3L of water a day. This was made easier by purchasing a big 1L water bottle and making sure I always have it with me and sip throughout the day and guzzle after exercise.

Eliminate soft drinks (absolute waste of calories and so bad for you)

Smoothies (I use oat milk or almond milk) are filling and you can add whatever fruits you love. I always make sure I add berries for the antioxidants and chia seeds & flax seed.

One tip I have about smoothies is to remember that you are still consuming quite a few calories (and sugar, albeit natural sugar). It is easy to sip a smoothie and not think of it as food because you’re not chewing. Give your body time to digest it so you realise you are full afterwards and not looking to eat something as soon as you have finished.

Meals

Limit carbs at night. Swap rice and pasta for Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). We eat Quinoa at least 2-3 times per week and it is so versatile and yummy, even our 7 year old loves it.

Homemade soups are great and really filling. One I love lately is Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Carrot.

At least once a week I have a chicken salad (grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, avocado, cucumber, grated carrot, hard boiled eggs (cut in quarters) and cashews (finely chopped) or pine nuts on top….DELISH! I don’t have dressing but you could easily drizzle your favourite dressing.

If I feel like something sweet after dinner, I always have bananas in the freezer and I make a banana ‘ice cream’. Semi defrost 1 Banana and mash in a bowl (or use food processor). I add a drizzle of honey and sometimes top with strawberries. However it is just as delicious on it’s own. Try it on the kids, I bet they love it…. Healthy dessert that you don’t feel guilty giving them at night.

Incidental Exercise

I walk to the local shops when I need something (almost daily) rather than get the car out (it also gets bubs out of the house for a nap too – bonus!). This also means if for some reason my day doesn’t go to plan and I don’t fit in a workout of some description, at least I have been for a walk. This will get much easier now the weather in Sunny Adelaide is getting better.

So, these are some of the changes I have made and I have lost my 10kg baby weight and reached my pre-pregnancy weight by 10 weeks post partum and better still I feel so healthy and energetic. Give them a try and you might be surprised at how easy it is and just how GREAT you feel. Don’t forget to share any changes you make on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/fitm.u.msa. Enjoy!

1L water bottle, berry smoothie, salad in a jar, homemade fruit & nut 'chocolate'

1L water bottle, berry smoothie, salad in a jar, homemade fruit & nut ‘chocolate’

If I can do it, you can do it. But will you?

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An important part of being a good mum & wife is taking care of myself both mentally and physically. It is not selfish, it is important. Along the lines of “happy wife, happy life” I strongly believe “If Mum ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”. As mums we put ourselves last all too often, which is the worst thing we can do. This is why I was so motivated to start exercising again. Everyone wants to feel happy with themselves and their lives and I have never been happier.

After having my second baby (with a 7 year age gap) I had forgotten how that post baby belly looked and felt. I was disheartened leaving hospital 5 days post C-Section with a belly that looked as if my Obstetrician had left one in there. Admittedly, a lot of it was swelling from the surgery and I had probably set my expectations too high, but I was still unhappy and no amount of ‘sucking-it-in’ was hiding that post baby belly!

During the 6 weeks post baby when I couldn’t do much, I started planning my ‘come back’ in my head and this is when I felt my motivation starting to build and I was really looking forward to being able to start exercising again. Having the right mindset is always the best way to start, so I was already at that point. *Tick*.

My recovery was much better second time round and I felt so great I started doing a bit too much too soon and suffered some pain and bleeding. Much to my Obs disgust I was vacuuming upstairs and downstairs, picking up after my 7 year old and hubby and walking with the pram. Oops! Just because I was feeling good doesn’t mean I was ready to be doing all of these things yet. I am naturally a very active, busy person who does not do “sitting down” and “resting” very well. I find it really hard and I don’t enjoy doing nothing. So after a good telling off from my post natal nurse and wanting to be a good patient, I waited my 6 weeks to recover and after getting the nod from my Ob I slowly began my reintroduction to exercise and fitness. It was just like riding a bike (pardon the pun) but I was starting with my training wheels on.

Once I started with the fitness part, I found that my eating and nutrition automatically improved too *bonus*. I’ve always been health conscious but I was beginning to enjoy way too many indulgences (read: creamy hot cocoas and Kit Kats among other naughty temptations). In a way, I was comfort eating, if I couldn’t exercise yet then why not enjoy eating as much as I wanted of all of these yummy foods?! This is a bad mindset to be in and my poor eating had become an extremely bad habit. The more junk food you eat, the more you crave. I couldn’t just have a cup of tea, I had to have 3 biscuits with it…. that kind of thing. But like everything these bad habits can be changed, it’s mind over matter. I needed to find my willpower and get back on track. In my next blog post I will go through a few of the eating/nutrition challenges I faced both during and after my pregnancy. Let’s just say it hasn’t been smooth sailing…..but it has taught me how to be dedicated and strong willed.

As I said in my first blog post, motivation is a very personal thing and comes in many forms, different people are motivated by different things. When you find your purpose and motivation, it makes it a lot easier to succeed. What motivates you? If you need a bit of extra motivation come join me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter (links in my about me).

motivation blog quote

I found ‘My.Ultimate.Motivation’… what’s yours?

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Hi! Thanks for joining me. My name is Kelly, I am new to blogging but I am not new to Health & Fitness so I have finally decided to follow a dream I have had for quite some time now and start FitM.U.M(My.Ultimate.Motivation).

What is My Ultimate Motivation?? For me it is to be a healthy, happy and positive role model and inspiration to my 2 girls and be the best version of myself I can be. Fitness is not an individual thing for me anymore. I want my daughters to grow up knowing that being healthy, fit and active is the way we live our lives so that it is instilled in them and is easy for them to continue…I owe them that much! What is your purpose, your reason, your ‘why’? I strongly urge you to find your Ultimate Motivation. It makes life a lot easier when you do.

This is why I'm doing it! You?

This is why I’m doing it! You?

Why now? Why not? I am currently on Maternity Leave after having my second baby in June 2014. I have been in the Health and Fitness Industry for over 12 years so whilst I am taking a break from my role as Health & Wellness Manager of a very large health club facility in Adelaide, South Australia, I needed somewhere to keep my passion of health and fitness alive and to record my own personal fitness journey post baby and to share how anyone can do it! I have many mummy friends and I obviously come across women of all ages and stages of fitness through my work so if I can inspire or motivate just one other person who is on their own healthy lifestyle journey then that is fantastic. Mission accomplished.

A healthy lifestyle is not a destination, it is a way of life. It is not something that you stop once you have reached a goal, you just reassess your goals, set a new one and keep striving! You can always improve and be a better version of yourself than you were yesterday. All you have to do is start…. after all today is a new day, don’t wait for another one.

Apart from my absolute love of Social Media and having extra time on my hands, for me the decision to blog and make my re-entry back into fitness a public journey was to:

* Keep me accountable and remind me of My.Ultimate.Motivation

* Have somewhere to look back on and be proud of my achievement along the way, and most importantly;

* Step outside my comfort zone and hopefully inspire and help other people along the way!

I would love you to follow me on this crazy ride. I will be posting an honest recap about my own personal adventure (ups and downs included) and I will also include a lot of great information, tips, motivation, ideas on achieving a fit and healthy lifestyle and healthy recipes for YOU to enjoy! In return, I would love you to share your own journey with me and hopefully we can build a supportive and inspiring community together! I’m a dreamer…. and that’s my crazy dream!

Peace!

First post baby run!

First post baby run!

Disclaimer:

I have plenty of experience with healthy eating and exercise, I am not a medical doctor or registered dietitian. I am a Health Club Manager and Qualified Personal Trainer. This is my personal blog. These are my personal opinions only. Articles and information are researched by myself before they are written and I aim to provide the best information possible. Always consult your physician before starting any exercise program.