The Healthy Me Challenge – Week One

A busy mum's guide and journey to losing weight. Recipes, exercise tips, time management strategies and motivation…why not start your own journey today

As I sit here writing this blog New Year's Eve is upon us and 2014 is soon to be over. Although I feel I achieved a lot this year there is one thing that just keeps weighing me down (pun intended)…instead of losing weight through dieting and exercising as I promised myself to do, I actually put it on!

This has happened many times over the years and I think it's time to break that cycle. I recently posted about my weight woes on my facebook page and so many of my fabulous followers reminded me that I'm so much more than my physical appearance and that I'm not alone in this struggle, especially after we have children and pretty rapidly push ourselves down the priority list.

So this year I have decided to try something a little radical. I'm not going to try and stick to a diet. Yes you heard me, the ‘D' word will not be uttered in this house in 2015.

I'm embarking on a ‘Healthy Me Challenge' (see, I have a name and everything so I must be serious right?) and I'm not aiming for a number on the scales or to reach my ‘perfect weight'. What I do want is to be a better role model for my girls, to again feel in control of my body and what it can achieve, to lower my risk of developing weight related health conditions, to gain energy, buy a dress off the rack and not have it look like Great Aunty Tilda's and most of all to find some love and appreciation for my self and the person I have become. I want to respect myself again, if I don't how do I expect others to?

I don't want to aim for some magical ‘perfect number' on the scales nor do I want to set a timeframe. I just want to change my life a little at a time and feel like the me I used to know.

Are you feeling the same as we head into a new year? Why not join me each week as I share my progress, a favourite healthy recipe, easy exercises to fit in while looking after children and my emotional ups and downs (I'm sure there will be many!)

I'm ready to take the Healthy Me Challenge – are you coming?

I'm going to take your silence as a yes so first let's set some realistic small goals to get us going…none of that ‘I'm going to be a size 12 by this time next year' crap. Doesn't work and I've realised finally that's because the goal seems so big, so unattainable that I usually give up before I even get close.

I have over 50kgs to lose but I can't focus on that, it tends to make me quit before I even get started (apparently) . So this time I am starting with some small, achievable goals and working from there.

My Healthy Me Goals for 2015

Make time to exercise at least 3 times a week – it might be for 15 minutes or it might be an hour but it needs to be something.
Do one thing each week to nurture my mind or body – make this a routine
Keep healthy bases for quick to prepare family meals in the freezer to cut the risk of ordering takeaway
Don't just focus on the scales each week, take measurements and photos of progress too
Blog progress each week to maintain accountability

My Healthy Me Goals for Week One

Make enough dinner one night to freeze half for later in the week when my resolve to not to get takeaway because I am tired is lower!
Do 3 circuits of a cardio/toning exercise routine when playing outside with the children – using the equipment around me
Take measurements and photos – keep in a Healthy Me Challenge Diary (Notepad or folder)
Shave my legs past the knee (yes I am serious – the real goal is that I can allow myself time in the shower for longer than 40 secs because someone ‘needs' me)
Make a ‘snack shelf' in the fridge and add bags or containers of pre cut fruit and veg, healthy dips and other portion controlled snacks – ditch the processed or ‘lite' versions. Trust me you are just wasting your money and doing your body no favours.

So now I have my goals organised, why not have a try writing a few done for yourself ? Make sure your weekly goals are achievable and to the point though, we are only talking about one week!

Each week I will be sharing my progress, tips and tragedies under the following headings…

Goals for the Week

My Child friendly Exercise Circuit

(able to be completed with children and get them moving too)

Favourite Healthy Snack or Meal of the Week

(including photo and recipe)

Mantra for the Week Ahead

(To keep me and hopefully you motivated for the week – will include a printable for your fridge )

This Week's Biggest Challenge

(Did I overcome it? How? What would I do differently next time?)

Helpful Websites and Facebook pages

Weight Lost or Gained

Centrimetres Lost

What do you think? I'm hoping this will challenge will support and motivate not just me but you as well! I really feel support and some form of accountability is what I need on this weight loss journey. And that seems to be the key for me -I need to be challenged, to be motivated and to want this within myself and for myself, not because I think I should or others tell me to.

Being overweight can be incredibly soul destroying and isolating if you let it and to know there are others out there struggling and succeeding along with you can make a huge difference so let's support each other as we take those first brave steps into 2015.

Finding Your Support and Motivation

There are many weight loss support groups out there and you might already be following a specific program – this challenge is about what works for you, giving yourself permission to proceed at your own pace and incorporating tips, food and exercise that works around busy days as Parents and/or educators.

No matter if you have joined up to Lite n easy, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or any of the other many many programs out there (of which I have done pretty much all if I am to be honest) I hope you can still receive some support and motivation from these weekly blogs and our very supportive facebook community. After all…sometimes it needs to just be about us and not the kids…and to say that is perfectly ok..I hope!

Personally I have just joined up for the 28 day challenge with a site I came across called Lose Baby Weight. Yes I know my ‘babies' are now nearly 5 but I really love their ethos of not focusing on hard core calorie counting, eating family friendly meals and wholefoods and the option of a fruit or vegetable smoothie if you are just to busy with the demands of work and children to prepare a meal and eat (I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes for the quick unhealthy option due to time). I love that they have a very supportive facebook group to hep motivate me and I also like the fact that they encourage not focusing on the scales but rather on measurements and how clothes are fitting.

No this isn't a paid ad and I truly have no idea whether this will work but what I do know is that for the first time in ages I am really excited about some of the changes I have been making the past few days and can't wait for the challenge to start on Monday the 5th January.

Exercising Epiphany

Exploring the lose baby weight program over the last few days has also helped me to realise that I haven't really gotten back into exercising since the twins were born because I thought I needed to find the time to do 1 hour tough workouts like I used to a few years ago.

Now I know time and children no longer need to be excuses. I can do 15 minutes on those really tough days and still be achieving something. I can up my incidental exercise while playing with the children each day and most importantly I can use the resources I already have to not only exercise a little each day but to also include my children and the daycare children into the fun of an outdoor exercise circuit. I know they will love it and I am excited thinking about ways to do it (which I will share with you each week with photos!).

I'm hoping once I start with a little exercise again here and there each day I will reignite that confidence and enjoyment that I used to get from exercising pre twins. The important thing for now is that I make some time to move more each day but not stress myself out with set time frames and ‘must do's'.

Let's get Started

I'm using this weekend to get rid of the crap from our pantry and fridge that seems to have been sneaking back in and calls to me when blogging late at night.
I'm going to bag up some snacks and store them in a basket in the fridge -especially cutting up some fruit and vegie sticks as that always seems like to much work when the kids are demanding my attention and I am hungry and wanting to snack!
I'm going to write down my measurements and stick photos in my ‘challenge book' – I've taken the photos standing before the mirror in my daggy briefs and bra and trust me that was the most confronting thing I have done in a long time but it has spurred me on so don't be afraid to go there yourself. No one else is looking!
I'm going to think about and write down the exercise circuits I will incorporate into my daycare program next week with the children.

What are you going to do this weekend? Are you ready to take my hand and jump in together?

Let's do this – The Healthy Me Challenge for 2015 has started – I can and will do this and so can you!