Getting Ahead?

It surprised me a while back when someone commented about me basically being a stay at home mum and asked me "don't you want to get ahead?"
"Ahead of what?" I asked, "the Jones'?"
'No" they replied, "but you know, pay your mortgage off sooner, update that old car, get some new clothes, maybe even go on a holiday"  I was a little taken aback, but my reply:  I'd love to be mortgage free sooner and to have a newer car and it would be nice to be able to afford more new things, but those things aren't as important to me as being home to send my kids off to school in the morning, being home when they get home, going to their sports (practice and games), going on school trips and camp with them, being home for them during the holidays or when they are sick, being able to be so very involved in their schools and basically just enjoying a more simple lifestyle.

So, I stay at home and do part time work when I can and loads of charity work and yes income is up and down and sometimes we struggle and we have played 'how low can you go' with the food in our pantry/fridge more than once in the past year, but I can tell you (from working in a high paying corporate role for 18 months once Taryn was 11 months old), that money isn't everything.  I missed so many of her 'firsts' it nearly broke my heart.  I know that sometimes families have no other option and we've come close to having to find additional work ourselves and if it came down to me having to get a full time job, then that's what we would do, but whilst we can continue to manage and reap the benefits for our children we will.

I know that pretty soon, they will be off to University, or even off on their OE's and even sooner than that, they might not want to be spending that much time with us - or want me on their school trips and when that time comes, I will not look back with regret on all the time I didn't or couldn't spend with them simply because I wanted to 'get ahead'.  Instead I will savour those memories and be thankful that I made the financial sacrifices to have the lifestyle we enjoy so much right now.

Time for getting ahead will come for us soon enough and if that is currently your main goal in life, then I'm happy you are achieving your goals, but please don't judge me because my goals are different to yours.

Week 2

Another good week.  Happy to report another 1.9kgs are gone, making it 4.5kgs in my first 2 weeks.  This has made my BMI (Body Mass Index) drop by 1.6, which I am super pleased about. Wouldn't it be fantastic if it could be like that all the time, but I am being realistic and know that it will slow down very soon.

Last week saw the introduction of some daily exercises - namely stomach crunches and other abdominal exercises, for a just a few minutes each morning.  I'm sure somewhere deep in there lies muscles, so I am slowly trying to encourage them to work again and perhaps show themselves at some later stage - lol!

Had planned to get out walking, but the weather wasn't playing ball and having just gotten over 6 weeks of being so sick, wasn't gain to risk getting another dose -even if it was in the name of weight loss. This week however, I have added a bit more exercise.  Have started with a 20 minute workout each day (whilst still maintaining the earlier exercises introduced last week) - thanks to a super Trademe purchase 'Get fit with Mel B' for PS3.  RRP $109 - someone selling their unwanted gift copy -brand new in sealed box with resistance band -$29-yay!!!. Have also started parking as far away from the entrance as I can when I go to the shops.  The weather is also finally clearing, so hope to soon add in those walks 2-3 times a week.

Still struggling a bit with the water, but considering I was drinking hardly any at all and loads of coke zero, I am happy with getting through at least 1ltr per day and am down to usually just one Coke Zero each morning (my pick me up seeing as I don't do tea or coffee).

Changes for this week:

• Planning ahead - some of my worst choices (food wise) are made when I am hungry and short on time, or something I have on, means coming home later than usual.  I'm learning to plan ahead more and be prepared, with a quick meal ready to reheat, or a slimmers shake/meal replacement just 2 mins away.
• Checking labels - I've started checking labels and made some product changes to better suit weight loss. Not all products are created equally - especially the 'lite' or 'diet' ones.  I'm finding it pays to know all you can so you can make the best choice possible.

Have also seen a few more people this week who are also losing weight and this gives me even more inspiration.

A simple calculation

Of course I know losing weight is not really just a simple calculation and away you go.  If it was, I wouldn't have struggled with my weight for so many years.  However, at the root of it all is really the simple fact that for the better part, if you eat more than your body can burn in a day, you gain weight.

I used an on-line calculator, where you pop in your gender, age, height, current weight and activity level and it tells you how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight.  I have maintained the same weight for the better part of a year (within 1-2 kgs), so in theory then all I needed to do is eat less calories and I will lose weight, or exercise more and I will lose weight, or (as I am currently doing) a combination of the 2.  That's what I started a little over a week ago and it is certainly working.

I am however a real foodie at heart, so I know there are going to be hurdles along the way and little blips on the journey.  In addition, there are a multitude of little things I am changing in order for me to eat less each day (and remain satisfied) so it's not all easy-peasy, but when I put it into simple terms like the above, I know that with even the smallest of changes in either direction, weight will start to come off.  Keeping it real simple!

One of my best tips so far - my fridge always has Weight Watchers jelly in it.  It's virtually a 'free' food and so when I feel peckish or feel like something sweet, it's a guilt free indulgence.

Week 1

Gotta love week 1 results - they are always the best.  So, weighed in this morning and am down 2.6kgs - yay!  I'm quite pleased with the result, seeing as I am taking this slowly and just making small changes each week.  This week I have eaten a lot more vegetables - mainly in the form of salads.  Had my first real serving of carbs last night in a sandwich and I must admit after not eating many carbs for the week, did feel a little full and heavy last night after dinner, but hey, it's all a learning curve - right.

So, my changes for this week will focus on doing more exercise:

• Aiming to add in 2 x 30 minute walks this week (weather permitting), increasing slowly until I am back up to my previous (a few years back) of 2 x 1.5hr walks per week.
• Going to start some strengthening exercises - 10 of each different exercise daily, increasing by 5 each week until we get to 50!.

Water drinking is still going slowly.  At about 1.5ltrs per day, so also still aiming to increase that this week.  Will check in again next Monday and give you and update.

First Goal

Having started on the road to better eating and more exercise yesterday, I decided to put a goal in place.  I have always believed (based on my many previous attempts at weight loss - some very successful, just not maintained) , that on average 500gms - 1kilo per week is a healthy weight loss for me, usually with a slightly higher loss the first week.  So that in mind, I checked the calendar and saw it was 6.5 weeks till October Scrapbook Retreat and set my goal at losing 7kgs by then.

My first two small changes:

• More water - Aim to reach about 2ltrs per day, currently managing just over 1.
• Removed all the junk type food I would normally go for and stocked up on fruit and veges.  When I was hungry before lunch, I had a small mini salad.  Still felt like a biscuit, but my mindset has shifted and I didn't resent not having one (or 5!).

More small changes next week and I'll be weighing in on Mondays, so I'll post how much I managed to loose in week 1 (hoping for 2kgs).

Enough is enough!

In January of the year I was turning 40, I decided I didn't want to be hugely overweight for my 40th birthday, so I set about to lose some weight.  My birthday is in July and so I had 6 months to try and get a few kilos off.  I actually managed to lose 17-18kgs.  I felt great, even though I still could have lost another 15 kilos to reach my ultimate goal. I had a great 40th party and was enjoying all my new clothes.
 
I don't really know when it all started creeping back on, perhaps slowly at first so that I didn't notice, but eventually it was all back on!  More recently, I have certainly been noticing it.  Whilst I have been my current weight for more than a year now, many of my friends have recently started losing weight and somehow I feel even bigger.

The biggest shock to me, was how hard I went down when I recently got the flu/asthma/sinus & chest infection  and how I am still struggling to shake the dregs of it. I am positive that had I not put the weight back on and perhaps remained a bit fitter, I'd have coped much better.  Despite all of this though and despite wanting to be slimmer, I've just, for whatever reason, not had any motivation to get started.

This past weekend I held a Scrapbook retreat and was reading a magazine about a scrapbooker who was always behind the camera and realised she was capturing her family memories all without being in them - primarily because she didn't like having her photo taken and I thought - that's me too, because I don't like how I look in photos.  Not only that, there are things I don't do because of my weight - swimming at the beach - or anywhere for that matter.  Not only I am missing out on these things, but I am missing out on sharing them with my family!  OK I though - Enough is enough!

So, with some combined inspiration from friends, a magazine story and the desire to get fitter, get smaller and start enjoying life a bit more, I'm starting my healthier lifestyle TODAY!

My plan - to eat better (of course), but also I want to change some of my ways (habits), so every week, I'm going to introduce 1 or 2 small changes and see if I can maintain them long enough for them to be the new (healthier) habits.  I'll keep you posted!

And life goes on..

Been quite a while since I posted.  There has just been so much happening and so many of the events I just couldn't get my head around blogging what I actually wanted to say.  Some of the events I have had difficulty with lately:

• An old work friend passed away. Younger than me.  Finally losing her battle with cancer.  I'd only just got back in touch and been to visit.  I cried all the way home after that visit and never got back up to see her again!
• Wendy moved back to Hamilton.  I was super happy for her and what the new job meant, but super sad she was going.  Although I knew she was just a bit further away, I started to realise how many things would change as a result.  I'm still processing some of those changes.
• Jayden saw a new paediatrician and was diagnosed with some additional syndromes/conditions, which will help us in the long run, but was a bit to take in at first.  He is now under Marinoto and so things are finally progressing in the right direction.
• Damage to the house from the ceiling/walls flooding after a tradesman error - it was all only just finalised and sorted last week, with the repairs now to be undertaken and our excess and no claims bonus from the insurance still to be sorted out.
• Been sick for the better part of 3 weeks, with a sick little boy home for an entire week and still not 100%.  Woke up feeling like round number 2 is on it's way and both kids sounded terrible this morning, so who knows what this week will bring.
• Gypsy is moving to Perth!  Saw her one last time today (until who knows when) and it was so much harder than I thought.  The indefinite move overseas hadn't really sunk in till she got here to say goodbye and as she drove away, I lost it. Tried to speak to Wendy 3 hours later and started losing it again.  

All been floating around in my head with no clarity for getting all the feelings out and so I resisted blogging, but I have made an effort to journal the feelings so they are released and I can get back to blogging.  After all, no matter what we face ...life goes on!