We all have to start somewhere
We went to watch the Commonwealth Games weightlifting last week.nWe watched the 48kg women compete.nAnd we were all absolutely blown away! I knew they’d be strong.nBut watching these women lifting twice their body weight above their heads… Well, it was pretty special. And that goes for all of the competitors and elite athletes out there.nWhat they can do with their bodies, and their mental capacity to do it, is amazing.nBut remember, they all had to start somewhere.nJust like you and me.nWhether it’s starting a new job, a new fitness plan, a new relationship – the beginning of anything is exhilarating, but can also feel way out of your comfort zone.nIt can feel scary.nI remember how it felt after I gave birth to my babies.nI was overjoyed with what my body had been able to do (ie grow and bring a little human into the world) but I felt like I didn’t recognize it.nI felt so weak and unfit.nI had been lifting weights for years and years, but what did I have to show for it?nA soft tummy and reduced strength. But I started with some gentle core exercises and eventually worked my way back into the gym when I felt ready, and now I’m back lifting heavier than I ever have before.nThe hardest part of the whole journey so far?nStarting.nMaking that first move, doing that first session.nOnce that was done, everything got easier.nBut I had to start in order for that to happen.nI couldn’t sit at home and wish it into my life. I had to take action.nA quote we love, and one that we had printed on the back of our training shirts here at the studio, is, “You don’t have to be great to start. You have to start to be great.”nSo next time you find yourself wishing you could do or achieve something new, just remember that you’re capable!nNo matter how far away you think it is from happening, you just need to do something to start ❤️
When you feel like you’re invisible
In my previous job, I’d regularly work 16 hour days. I’d work 6-7 days every week. I was busy. And I loved it! #throwback Sure, I enjoyed the work, but I also loved being busy. I actually enjoyed being tired and feeling stressed, because it made me feel important. I wore it like a badge of honour! It seems like if you’re stressed or overwhelmed these days, you must be doing something important. And I definitely bought into that. I felt so significant because of how hard I worked. But my life was out of balance. And eventually, that caught up with me. Overweight. Unfulfilled. Regretful that I missed out on so many other aspects of life, like friends birthdays and family catch ups. So I changed it. Started a new career and the rest is history. But over the last couple of months, I’ve been finding myself feeling overwhelmed again – with motherhood. Stressed out because we have so much on. When someone asks what I’ve been upto, my answer has been “I’m so busy!” And I’ve come to realize that I’ve been using being busy to help me feel more important. As a parent, it’s so easy to feel like all you do is serve other people all day. There’s some days where I’ve felt invisible at times, simply because my time is spent nurturing other people. So by saying how busy I am, I’m making myself feel more important, especially on days where I don’t feel like I’m doing anything productive at all. But it’s not a healthy place to live, is it? So after a much-needed break at the Gold Coast with my beautiful family, I’m feeling a lot more centered. My workload is still the same, but that feeling of overwhelm has disappeared. I’m making the choice to focus on what’s really important. I’m going to be more conscious with my thoughts and words because they effect how we view our world. And most of all, I’m going to start appreciating that those daily, sometimes mundane routines and tasks that we must do as mums, is actually some of the most important work I’ll ever do 💕 The dinner/bath/bed routine that is the same every single night is actually my kids most favourite time of day, because they get some special time with me. Answering the 546000 questions from my 3 year old everyday is shaping her world. Comforting Noah at night helps him to feel safe and secure. Sure, I’ve felt important busting my butt in the corporate world. But for me personally, there’s nothing more fulfilling than the work/joy of raising another human and being their safe haven ❤️ Just need to remind myself of that from time to time!
Mum guilt… You win!
We went to a friends wedding on Friday. It was down at beautiful Byron Bay.nApart from the fact that I love weddings and I love seeing 2 awesome people come together to make the ultimate commitment to each other, I was also pretty excited that the reception was child-free 🙊 As a breast-feeding, full time stay at home Mum, I very rarely have nights out (I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been out at night since Noah was born 16 months ago!) so I was looking forward to uninterrupted adult conversation and dancing with my hubby 💃🏻nBut it wasn’t to be. Little Noah lasted about 40 minutes with the babysitter before he got himself so worked up he started vomiting.nAnd my night out was over.nBut my mum guilt was just beginning.nI felt guilty for leaving him, when I knew he would be so overtired from a big day.nI felt guilty for not having some pain relief on hand to help with his teething (3 x molars at once).nBut mostly, I felt guilty for wanting a night for myself so badly.nCould I actually be that desperate to get away from my kids?nAs I sat in the dark room, comforting my emotional little man, I came to my senses a bit.nOf course I’m not crazy for wanting a night to myself every now and then and I’m not a terrible Mum because Noah missed his nap that day. But good old Mum guilt would have me believe that I’m doing an awful job at this Mum business!nSo while the reception kicked on, I had some time to ponder the whole Mum guilt thing and this is what I came up with:n1. If you do feel Mum guilt from time to time, that’s ok. For me, I take it as a sign that I want to do my best for my kids 👍n2. It seems to be a pretty universal thing, so chat about it/talk it out with your fellow Mum friends. They can help to reassure you that you’re doing a great job, especially on the days where you feel like you’re not.n3. At the end of the day, it’s just a feeling. So acknowledge it, but then don’t sit with it for too long. Don’t live in that place of Mum guilt. Because that will start to affect your whole life!nBack to Friday… Noah calmed down, and eventually the kids went to bed after a very big day! We ended up enjoying the rest of our weekend away as a family and I managed to catch up with the married couple the next day, so all good.nI did my best on Friday, and on most days, actually – that’s all we can ask of ourselves 💕
RECIPE: Immune-Boosting Smoothie
There seems to be a lot of sickness around at the moment. Whether it’s the change in season or constantly going in and out of air conditioning, kids and their parents seem to be in the firing line of colds, flues and even the dreaded gastro! My kids succumbed to a cold over the last couple of weeks, and I tried to get as many nutrients into them as possible in order to help them recover quicker. I made them this smoothie everyday for about a week, and they always went back for seconds! Here’s the recipe: 1 cup spinach 1 x frozen bananan1 cup frozen mangon2 tbsp lemon juice 1-2 cups water (depending on how thick you like it)n1/2 tsp minced gingern1 tsp honey 1 tsp (heaped) Morlife kids greens powder Simply add it all to a blender and serve 👍 If you’re making it for yourself, pump up the ginger and go for gold with greens!
How to ease back into exercise after having your baby
There’s no doubt that your body changes dramatically throughout pregnancy and beyond. Your posture changes, all of your internal organs are moved around the place, your ligaments relax, your pelvis shifts and your skin stretches. And that’s just to name a few! It can be very easy to look at your body after you’ve had your baby and not recognise the person looking back at you in the mirror… Especially if you were active before you fell pregnant. And there’s no doubt that there’s more pressure to bounce back after having a baby. But is rushing back into exercise straight after you give birth a wise move?nDepends on how you do it!nFirst of all, your body has been through such a huge journey, and regardless of your birthing experience, you’ll be recovering for weeks. Your ligaments take time to tighten again, and everything internally will slowly find its way back to its original place!nSecondly, having a newborn is an all-consuming experience, and for a small human who sleeps for much of their day initially, there’s not a lot of time for much else! (Change nappy, feed, burp, sleep, repeat). Little newborn Noah!nBut if you’re still keen to get moving, here’s a simple checklist for how you can ease back into exercise. 1. Before you do anything, get checked by a women’s health nurse/physio. Even if you feel great, a great women’s nurse/physio may be able to identify areas of weakness that you weren’t even aware of. 2. Get walking. Not only is it a gentle form of exercise, it’s a great way to get you and your baby out of the house and into some fresh air. I know in the early days with my first born, it was all too easy to stay indoors for days on end – don’t get stuck there! 3. Work that pelvic floor. Because we can’t see our pelvic floor muscles, they are often forgotten about. But by simply doing a few sets of gentle exercises daily, you’ll feel a massive improvement! 4. Find a trainer who is qualified in pre/post natal training. There’s so many exercises that need to be avoided in the early days after having a baby, and you can do some serious damage by going too hard too soon. Of course, we’d love you to come to our Mums n Bubs classes, but there’s many different forms of exercise you can do. Pilates, for example, is a great way to build your strength up again. Just make sure the trainer/coach you decide to work with has done a course specific to training pregnant women – you don’t want to be injured and caring for a new baby! 5. Go easy on yourself. I told myself that it took 9 months to grow a baby, and it will take at least 9 months to get back to some form of normality with my body. And here I am, 15 months after having my second, and my body is still very different to what it used to be. In fact, it probably won’t EVER be the same. But that’s ok, because I have 2 healthy, happy kids to wake up to (ok, who wake me up!) every single day. Be proud of your body for your pregnancy and birthing journey and exercise because you love to move and be active, not as a punishment for not having the body you once had…
I have a confession to make
Some people think that because I’m into health and fitness, I must have it all worked out. I must be confident and 100{8964c77004c80ceb7a483a88d57a7a9902025e52f9fec2df9408e739e584e0eb} happy with how I look, and never get hung up with my insecurities. But this actually couldn’t be further from the truth! Like anyone, I have areas I desperately want to change (hello hips and thighs!) and I’m definitely no fitness model. In fact, I have a little confession to make…. It was only at Christmas time that I felt game enough to wear some togs on a beach for the first time in years! I’m talking pre-Bella days… And she is 4 in April! I would avoid going to the beach with girlfriends, I would keep covered up when I was there with my hubby and kids, and I was so self-conscious about showing my body. So, what changed?nWhy did I overcome my insecurities this festive season?n1. I was tired. I was tired of missing out. I was tired of giving my body a hard time. I was tired of sitting on the sidelines, watching my family have a great time! I was tired of yearning to get in the ocean, but feeling too embarrassed to do so. I’d reached my “snap point” and I’d had enough. 2. I felt ready.nSince having Noah, I’ve worked hard at my training and nutrition and last year, I saw some exciting changes in my body shape. I’m actually leaner now than I was before having him. When you’re looking after yourself and following through on the promises you make, it feeds your self-esteem and your confidence.nFor too many years, I knew what I needed to do to change my body shape, but I would short-circuit any progress by emotional eating, indulging in treats too often, and not being focused enough. By deliberately ignoring the facts about what I had to do, I was eroding any shred of respect and confidence I had for myself in that area. So the cycle would continue, because you don’t make good choices when you don’t like yourself! 3. Some fake tan definitely helps 😉 I can’t tell you how free I felt to finally get in that water on Christmas Day and not overthink it! I still have a way to go on my weight loss journey, but I know that I’m doing the best I can with what I have.nAnd that’s a great feeling, one that can overcome silly insecurities that hold you back from living the life you really want.
Recipe: Fast and Delicious Kale Slaw
If you’re anything like me, meat and veggies is a staple meal in your household. We have it most lunch and dinner times, and so the need for variety is high! I’m always on the lookout for new salad/veggie combos, and this week, I whipped up this super easy kale slaw. It literally took minutes to prepare! Ingredients: 1/2 bunch kale, choppedn2 x carrots, finely chopped 1/2 red cabbage, choppedn1 tbsp olive oiln1 tbsp lemon juicen1 tbsp Dijon mustardn2 tbsp sesame seedsnSalt and pepper to taste Method:nPlace kale, carrots and cabbage into a bowl.nIn a separate bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.nPour dressing over the veggies and sprinkle with sesame seeds.nSo easy and delicious!
Presents or presence?
Do you remember being a kid at Christmas time? Wasn’t it just the most magical time of year?! Singing Christmas carols, wrapping presents, going to see the Christmas lights, visiting Santa….nI love Christmas, and I’m trying really hard to make it memorable and special for my littlies. But what I’m noticing more and more as an adult, is the amount of stress that we put on ourselves at this time of year. Buying the best presents. Over-committing ourselves to Christmas parties. Trying to get to every event – the lighting of the Christmas tree, the local Christmas carols, the Santa photos. Making commitments to catch up with family we only really see at Christmas time, and trying to fit everyone in on the one day. And exhausting ourselves in the process….nNot to mention forgetting the real reason we are trying to make everything so perfect. We want the best for our kids and we want to give them extra special memories. Well, we can give them everything, and we can do it simply by our presence. No, not our presents; our presence! I’ve had to remind myself of this several times over the past few weeks.nIt’s so easy to get swept up in the festive season, but at the end of it, life goes back to normal and we need to be able to function! There’s absolutely no use overstretching ourselves to the point where we are sick and tired. Plus, when we’re stressed, our cortisol levels are too high, and this short circuits any healthy eating or exercise we may be doing. When we’re stressed, we put unnecessary strain on ourselves, physically, mentally and emotionally. When we’re stressed, our kids feel it. No amount of Christmas songs or wrapped presents will take that away. So, yes, while this is a magical time of year, let’s remember to focus on the magic that happens when we really connect and enjoy our kids (and each other), simply by being together and creating special memories.
Guilt-free cookies!
Bella had a little end of year celebration with her swimming friends last week.nI asked Bella what she’d like to bake for it, and she requested chocolate biscuits. So, I went looking for my favourite chocolate biscuit recipe, but then realised that one of the little girls in the group has allergies to certain foods, and that recipe probably wouldn’t be appropriate. We had to get creative! I found a recipe on www.thehealthychef.com and simply replaced the ingredients that I needed to.nAnd they were a huge hit! So, if you need something to take with you to the next Christmas party, but want to keep it relatively healthy, these biccies are for you! Here’s the recipe…nIngredients:n200g rolled oatsn50g dessicated coconutn60g coconut oil, meltedn60g honeyn1/4 cup of banana, mashedn1 tbsp cocoanMethod: Preheat oven to 150 C. Combine all ingredients together. I needed to add a little bit of water to make them stick together really well. Wet your hands slightly (so that the mixture doesn’t stick to you) and form tbsp sized cookies. Place on a baking tray and pop them into the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes. They will harden a little bit after they are cooked, so don’t worry if they feel a bit soft when you take them out. Enjoy!