Keep the Faith!

Posted on July 18, 2013 by natalietrew

This time last year our life took a massive turn for the worst…my husband was without a permanent job! It was a position in the 10 years we’d lived together that we had never faced before! In fact it was a position that either of us had ever faced in our lives! It left us feeling shattered, insecure and wondering if we were able to keep up paying all of our bills! Thankfully Kane has wonderful mates who threw him casual work as much as they could! Beggers can’t be choses in a time like this and I appreciate everyday how hard my husband worked to keep us afloat!

I as the budget guru of our house, managed to keep our head above water. It’s times like this I appreciate my love of saving, because it sure came in handy! I never looked at this situation as poor us, because I knew there were so many more people worse off than us. Thankfully we have a very supportive family who could help us if we needed it and if things came to things I would have had to go back to work more than my two days. But it didn’t get that bad! From Kane’s pure determination and dedication to finding a permanent job, something eventually fell into his lap! It was a ‘not what you know but who you know situation’, but without his skills for the position he wouldn’t have been able to for fill the role!

I’m so happy to say that after going though such instability for months and months last year, we are finally back on track like our lives have always been!!! It’s taken a while, but we’re good, we’re comfortable and most importantly we’re happy and still married lol! Kane is loving the role at his job and November marks one year already! We just bought a new car – a seven seater sports wagon and we are just about to give our house a freshen up with new blinds and carpet and book a two week holiday at Christmas time!!!!!

For the period that Kane was working casually, we had to watch every single cent we spent. I learnt so much from it and in actual fact it brought the realisation to the fore that we really did waste money! I guess when you’re faced with the situation we were and we still had two mortgages to pay off, plus bills and feed five of us, we had no choice but to prioritise. We gave up things like going out to dinner and takeaway and picked and chose places that were inexpensive and we always took plenty of food when we went on outings! The best thing I’ve learnt in all of this is the art of grocery shopping for 5 people a week for $200!!

In all of this, I haven’t felt like we’ve missed out on anything. Sure we didn’t do everything we normally would have done in that period of time, but never did our children complain or even realise what we were going through! I always live by the belief that as long as we have each other, then we’ll always make it through anything! And that is what I believe got us to the comfortable point we are today! We kept our faith and we never stopped believing. Everyday I would say to myself “it will happen, things will turn our way!”….that belief is finally paying off!

My Budgeting Tips….
1. Save for a rainy day! For us we put as much as we can into our home loan which helps reduce the interest but keeps the redraw increasing and is there when needed!

2. Grocery shop wisely! I have a budget of $200 for groceries per week and this covers 5 well prepared meals (which I have planned before I shop), a scraps night (eggs on toast or leftovers) and one night a week takeaway! I prepare lunches for everyone all week and the kids get tuckshop once a week! I have found myself a really good fruit and veggie shop where I spend $20-$25 a week and get 4 bags full of stuff!

3. Have specific savings accounts! I have a few accounts that I put money into for specific things….Christmas, holidays and the kids have an account each as well. It certainly comes in handy for when the times swing around and the money is needed!

4. Spend within your means! We have a credit card for obvious reasons, but we don’t use it unless we can pay it back! I really dislike owing money and if I have to pay for something on my credit card, I transfer the money straight onto it! We only purchase things that we can afford to without it ‘breaking the bank’…my husband is very lucky that I am the bargain shopper of bargain shoppers!!

5. Have a plan! Most importantly have a budget/plan for your money! Now that we are settled and it’s a new financial year, we have just started our new budget that allows us to pay our mortgage and more, save, pay bills and provide ourselves with some comforts in life!

I cannot stress enough that none of us know what’s around the corner and it’s so important to expect the unexpected or at least be prepared as much as you can be financially! When we were faced with this situation last year, it was a shock! But we’ve picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and have learnt so much from a not ideal situation! We are also now insured for loss of income and death…sounds morbid but I’d rather be prepared then lose everything that we’ve worked so hard to provide for our party of 5!

Don’t Lose Sight!

Posted on April 24, 2013 by natalietrew

Life can be hard. It can be complicated. When you think you have it figured out and it seems as though things are sailing along nicely, that’s when you can almost guarantee that something will be layed out as a hurdle in your path to happiness. But that’s just life isn’t it!

In the 33 years that I’ve lived, my family and I have been through many ups and downs. The cycle usually consists of everyone going about their business – living, loving, laughing while working hard and then usually it only takes the ring of a phone to create a new sequence of events. We’ve been there for each other through deaths, injuries, illnesses and loss but as much as we feel upset, disheartened, heart-broken or depressed at the time, we find the strength to pick ourselves up and move forward in the direction we were heading when that phone call was made!

This year has seen so many things happen already. It’s been one thing after another and just as you feel as though you are standing upright from the last knock, you are facing the ground again! Our recent mishap for our family happened on Sunday. While our very talented nephew, who has a very promising rugby league future ahead of him, was playing footy, ran 100m towards his try line and instead of scoring he was tackled around his ankles, which ended with his lower leg being broken in three places. How things can change in a split second and from one simple action.

We were guttered for him. His season that just started, the week commencing which involved Broncos training, rep training and the start of his high school football has been put on hold until further notice! He is our champion, to us he was invincible. But no one is invincible, at anytime anything can happen to anyone of us. And I guess that’s the joys of rugby league. It’s been a massive few days. Watching my first-born nephew who is like a son to me take the pain not only from his leg and having it surgically fixed where a plate was inserted, but the pain of having to put his love of life on hold, all in his stride. He’s been so brave through it all, as has my sister and brother-in-law. I’m just so proud to call them my family.

Which brings me to why I wrote this blog. Plenty of people everyday are faced with ill-health, broken bones and situations that seem unbearable, but it’s a bump in the road that I believe has been put their to test our passion and strength. Situations like these can make or break a person, but life is too short to let it take us down! Life is precious and it’s there to be lived and enjoyed. It needs to be nurtured. Since finding out about my heart condition (although I’d rather not have it), it has been the best thing that could have happened. I’m now the fittest I’ve ever been (mentally and physically), the healthiest I’ve ever been and when we are faced with situations that aren’t pleasant, I feel as though I’m a much stronger person when dealing with whatever it is! My heart condition has not allowed me to lose sight of living a great life, it’s given me the determination to live life to its fullest!

My nephew’s broken leg is terrible, it’s disappointing, but it’s just a bump in his road. Him and I had a good talk last night about not letting it disheartened him enough to lose sight of the bigger picture. This situation I believe will show us just how passionate he is about his rugby league career and when he has made a full recovery and returns to the game, he will be bigger, better and stronger than we’ve already seen.

I believe things happen for a reason. Sometimes we figure these reasons out and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes that answer comes to us straightaway and other times it can take days, months and even years. But in all of life’s mishaps it’s so important not to lose sight. Life is about being challenged and it takes guts, strength and determination for these challenges to not knock us down. As humans we are allowed to feel upset when things are going wrong, we are allowed to shed tears or scream to the sky above. But we should never feel as though we are defeated!

Fist Pump Moment!

Posted on January 2, 2013 by natalietrew

pExactly one year ago I started a running diary which consisted of distances and times that I ran. It has allowed me to keep track of my improvement over time. When I started running I did it for two reasons, to help me lose my last lot of baby weight and to help me build my fitness to a point that it use to be. These two factors that I have been able to not only achieve but maintain for almost a year now, also gives my heart condition the best chance of not getting any worse!

On January 2nd 2012 I measured my first run of 4km and set a goal for myself to run it within half an hour. That day I achieved my goal and ran it in 28.53mins. From then on I chipped away at that time. Bit by bit, step by step, I improved. 4km was a safe distance for me. I knew I was capable of always finishing and never stopping until that 4th kilometer was complete. Anything longer than that freaked me out so I didn’t push myself any further.

As the months went by, before I knew it I was running 4km in 25 mins! The challenge against myself was becoming addictive! I became more confident with each run and now I am able to run any distance up to 10km! Growing up I always played competitive netball, so that competitive instinct comes roaring back out each time I run! Eventually 25 minutes was a thing of the past and I was slowly getting closer and closer to 20 minutes! My main goal was to eventually run five or so minutes per kilometer and by the end of last year I was consistently doing that not only for 4km but for every kilometer up to 8km!!!

Running PBs
1km 4.35
2km 9.35
3km 14.23
4km 18.47
5km 24.30
6km 30.02
7km 35.40
8km 40.57
9km 48.00
10km 52.21

The day I ran my first 4km in under 20 minutes I was so pumped! I couldn’t believe it! From a netballer and sprinter to a long distance runner….who would have ever thought! But once a goal is achieved you set your sights on other goals then and although I never thought in a million years I would ever run 4km in under 19 minutes I’m happy to say I did and only two days ago!

My pb was 19.30 so my goal was to get under the .30! Running isn’t easy and running a fast pace over a large distance is ever harder! I’d pretty much resigned myself to being at my peak for my 4km and I was happy with that! I did have in the back of mind that it would be nice to take 10 minutes off my original pb I started with a year ago, but I silently kept that to myself!

We are currently on holidays at the coast and as a runner, there is nothing better than running at the beach! It was my first run of our holiday. I’d had two bad night sleeps, a sore knee and was getting over a kinked neck! But I was determined to get out and have a run. I walked to the point where I wanted to start my run, it was about 1.5kms in total! So many people were out and about – running, walking, bike riding! I created a new playlist on my iPhone so I was all set. The minute I took off I felt fast! I actually thought I probably should slow down or I’ll die in the arse lol!

As I reached my 1st km I was 4.35mins into my run, then my second 9.35mins! I was stoked with these times but had run them several times before. It was at my 3rd km and a pb of 14.23 that I thought I may have been in with a chance! I was still feeling fantastic and had the end in sight! Where I normally sprint the last 100m by the last 500m I was starting to feel the tank was getting low. But I held on and pushed the last bit and when I reached my 4km mark at 18.47 mins I fist pumped the air lol!

People were probably thinking what is that freak doing, but I didn’t care….I’d just taken 10 minutes off my original pb from when I started running 4km a year ago!!! Straightaway I had to tell someone so I text a bestie of mine who runs and would understand what that meant to me!!! What a great feeling:)

Anyone can do what I’ve done. I’m no Olympic champion and never will be, but I am my own champion and my children’s champion and that’s all that matters to me! I do this for myself and in the hope that I inspire my children to always want to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Well now it’s a new year, new chapter, new goals, but one thing that will always be the same will be my will power, strength, determination and consistency….this is what brought me here to the point I am at today:)!

The Power of the Mind!

Posted on June 3, 2012 by natalietrew

I often refer to the saying “it’s mind over matter” as I believe this statement is so true! The mind is such a powerful thing that works over time, day in and day out. It has the capability to work even while we are sleeping. It thinks all day long about anything and everything, yet if we aren’t really on the same page as what our minds think, then things we really want to happen won’t be achieved!

It’s so easy to think I want this and I want that, but it takes strength, determination and dedication of our minds to accomplish what we want. I’m up to the 8th month of obtaining the old me, through healthy eating and exercising, but without my mind being in the place it is right now, I would have achieved very little. Prior to having my 3 beautiful children, I was always so fit and healthy and my mind was in that fit and healthy space for most of my life! Then somewhere along the way while having 3 children in 5 years, my mind was busy focussing on other things and lost its way on that path, but I never stopped thinking about the past and how I use to be!

My mind set after having kids has always been once I’ve had all my children then I’ll work on getting myself back to the old me! My last baby Mia, was 8 months old before the penny dropped and my mind set suddenly changed and it changed for the better! I now crave healthy food and the time to go for my run! I crave challenging myself and improving on my PBs for each distance that I run. There are days where I could eat everything in sight and there are days when I don’t feel like dragging myself out of bed to go for a run, but then my state of mind kicks in and takes over! It hasn’t been easy and I’ve had to work really hard at training my mind back to the way it use to be, but I feel it’s back to where it was and even better!

Now my mind is in a good place, I feel like I have the strength to take on anything. When I go for a run I may not always feel fantastic but I keep thinking as long as I keep going and not stop until I’m finished, I’m happy with that! When I wake up in the morning and it’s less than 10 degrees, I dress in more layers than normal and push past the coldness and go for my run. When I’m running and know I’m close to beating a PB, I push that little bit harder to achieve that! When I wake up and not feel flash I go for a walk instead of a run as walking is still being active! When I feel like eating a loaf of bread or a tub of ice-cream, I think about all the new clothes I’ve been able to buy and fit into and I gladly cut up my tossed salad and fruit! And when I do want to treat myself with a milkshake or muffin I do, because I know my mind has the strength to go back to its healthy ways after the treat!

A healthy mind set not only helps with my healthy eating and exercising but everyday stuff too. I’m only human and I’m not here to say I’m now perfect in every way, I’m the first to admit I make mistakes. Compared to where my mind set was 8 months ago to now, things around the house and the ability to be able to cope with the demands of being a mum to 3 kids under 6, seems so much easier! I now bounce out of bed instead of falling out and then struggle to get to my feet. When I have those moments of not feeling like doing the groceries, housework or cleaning out the linen cupboard that I said I was going to do for five years, I now just do it! And even though I still have many sleepless nights, I have the strength to get through the day without feeling like I’m drowning!

A classic example of the mind being powerful happened yesterday morning…..
I had 8 hours uninterrupted sleep (that hardly ever happens) and then stayed in bed chilling for over an hour. The weather looked a bit dodgy outside but hadn’t started raining yet. I run every Saturday morning and due to having more time up my sleeve I usually run at least 5km, but because of the weather I thought I’d only run 4km. Before I left I felt different, awesome different and I had it in my head that I was going to run a PB. From the second I started running, I knew I had it in me to achieve my 4km in 20 mins that I’d already come so close to a couple of times in the past month. I got to the first kilometer 4.33 (PB) then the second, 9.57 (PB) and when I was 15.25 mins (PB) at the 3rd kilometer my 4km in 20 minute goal was well in sight! I ended up reaching my 4km destination in 19.55 mins even better than I hoped! There were a couple of times where I thought “mmmm maybe not today” but I kept telling myself I can do this and that I did! And the prize at the end….self satisfaction! It’s also nice to get home to my very own fan club who greet me with cuddles and “did you have a good run mum!”:)

No one has the ability to change someone’s mind for them, encourage yes, but it’s up to the individual to control how one’s mind thinks and it takes time for this to happen. The first step is recognising what you want and then from there steps are put in place to achieve that. Those steps can be two forward and three back at first, but in time those steps become easier and easier to the point of it being a natural part of day to day life…..and this is where I’m at now and I couldn’t be happier!

The Battle of the Bulging Belly!

Posted on May 12, 2012 by natalietrew

If you could change one part of your body what would it be?

Mine would be my belly!

I’ve always been smaller up top than the bottom and if I put on weight it always goes straight to my thighs and butt. Throughout my pre baby days I had a flat stomach and never had any troubles with putting on weight in that area and then I had one baby, two babies and before I knew it 5 years had past and I was cradling my 3rd baby!

When I first fell pregnant with my son almost 7 years ago, I never once worried about what it would do to my body. I was so thrilled that I was growing a little life inside my belly. I am one of those people that start showing early on in my pregnancies, so by 20 weeks I always had a decent size belly, that would just seem to grow and grow by the second! I first gave birth at 38 weeks to my beautiful baby boy Bailey Kane Trew, who was 9 pound 5 – ouch much! Again even though I still looked like there was a baby left inside of me two days after he was born, I was happy and content with our new bundle of joy and our new little family that we created!

Days before giving birth to my 10 pound baby girl!

Because I was less than 60kgs when I fell pregnant and ended up carrying close to a baby elephant at the end, I ended up with a 4cm stomach muscle separation….but trust me I can push them out lol! After seeing a physio weeks after giving birth and taking good care of myself and following the physio’s exercise plan, my muscle separation went back to normal and by the time Bailey was one my belly returned to its normal flat state:)

Then a whole new world began for me when I fell pregnant with my second baby! Where I craved not much other than slurpees with my first pregnancy, I craved anything fatty, juicy and sugary the second time round! And milk, I couldn’t get enough of the stuff….frappes by the dozen!! When I think about it, I really ate myself stupid! Which is why I put on over 20kgs and alas gave birth to a 10 pound 2 precious baby girl Sienna Lynette Trew! She came out running and looked 3 months old compared to most other babies lol!

At this point the state my belly was in didn’t even cross my mind. I’d just given Bailey a little sister and we now had a bigger family to enjoy, but i was sore!!! Sienna was so big that she left my insides hurting for a long time! My stomach, ribs, kidneys, it felt like I’d been in a boxing ring.This time round I ended up with a 5cm stomach muscle separation, but that didn’t phase me as I was confident things would go back to normal just like it did after having Bailey….not so easy!

6 months after Sienna was born, belly still ‘pregnant’ looking!

I went to the physio again, who like last time gave me the same exercises to do, but having a 2 and a half year old in toe this time round, life was far more challenging and of course things like myself got pushed to the side. Things were different this time too. I had to wear a support compression belt for 6 weeks after having Sienna and when this time was completed, I had to wear those belly support undies. After 6 months my belly had gone down considerably, but I was left with a bulge that had so much loose skin hanging from it, as my skin was stretched beyond repair!

I didn’t get even a hint of stretch marks with Bailey, but with Sienna I did! I mean I really should be grateful to only get what I did….she was 4.6 kgs born!!!! I remember approaching Sienna’s 1st birthday and my belly was no where near back to its flat state that it was pre baby and post Bailey! But I came to accept that this is how it would be now and if that was the result of being able to conceive, carry and give birth to two beautiful precious gifts, then I was ok with that!

At the races for my 30th birthday, nearly 2 years since Sienna was born and still sporting a belly!

The kids loved my belly. It was like a big bowl of jelly that they could mush their little hands around in. I still remember Bailey coming into our bed in the mornings and lifting my pj top to play with my belly. I wasn’t phased by it at all! They would always ask me “why is your belly like that mummy?” and I’d reply with telling them how they grew inside my belly and everytime they grew my skin would keep stretching and stretching and eventually it stretched so far that it didn’t go back anymore! They loved that story!

My support undies became an essential to my wardrobe and I never would go out without them on. I know it sounds stupid but I lacked confidence without them. Things I use to wear nicely, didn’t look as nice anymore and I always had an overhang whenever I bent over or sat down! I was often asked if I was pregnant or not, but all I kept thinking of were my two precious babies and how blessed I was to have them! Then I did fall pregnant with Mia. By now my thoughts were more focused on crap 3 kids how am I going to manage this as apose to how will my belly look now!

Hours before giving birth to my third and final baby….my belly had reached its peak and will never be like this again!

Mia’s pregnancy was a cross between my first two so I didn’t put as much weight on as I did when pregnant with Sienna, but more than I did with Bailey and I finally got my wish for a baby in the 8 pounds lol! At 38 weeks, weighing 8 pound 13, Mia Natalie Trew was born and completed our beautiful family! Mia’s birth was very bittersweet as I was diagnosed with a heart condition a week prior so the last thing I was thinking about was my belly, I was happy that I got through it without any complications to Mia or myself!

It’s amazing how different your body feels after giving birth to an 8 pound baby as apose to a 10 pound baby! But third big baby in 5 years, it was always going to take its toll and this time I ended up with an 8cm stomach muscle separation:( Between my heart and my belly, I wasn’t able to do any heavy lifting for the first few months, bit hard with 3 kids under 5! I saw a really awesome physio this time and within 4 months of having Mia, my muscle separation was back to 2 and a half cms, which meant it didn’t need to be surgically fixed….I was stoked!

Bailey and Sienna meeting their baby sister for the first time….my belly is like a shelf in this photo!

Again the excess skin and bulge was as bad as ever and the kids thought it felt as squishy as ever too. As much as I was beginning to miss my lean flat belly, the belly I had now was a beautiful reminder of the three precious babies I carried and nurtured while they were growing inside of me. But something was changing, I was starting to feel a strong urge to reclaim my original body shape that I’d given up hope on, while I was getting use to being a mum of 1, then 2 and finally 3 children. Knowing Mia was our last, the time had come for me to put myself first and do something about my bulging belly!

It’s been 7 months now since I started my weight loss journey and I can happily report that it is possible to win the battle of the bulging belly! It takes time, but with patience, determination and perseverance, the battle can be won! I haven’t spent hundreds of hours at the gym, nor do I spend hundreds of hours exercising each week! I simply walk or run for half an hour each day and follow a healthy eating plan. It took a long time for me to finally put those running shoes back on to reclaim the person I once was, but the timing was right and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

15months after giving birth and 7 months of exercise and healthy eating, my belly is close as it will get to pre baby:)

I feel like I have a new lease on life now. I’m so much happier, fitter and healthier, which reflects on every aspect of my life! The kids love me exercising and join in with me whenever possible. I have thrown all my belly undies away and feel as confident as ever! When I tell people I have 3 children, they look at me and say “you!” and I think “why not me!” People stereotype mums and what we should or shouldn’t look like or wear. At the end of the day we are humans and should be allowed to do things for ourselves that make us happy! Losing weight hasn’t affected my mothering duties, I think I’m an even better mum now. My belly will never be back to its original state prior to having children, but it’s as close as it will ever be and I’m so satisfied with that!

Good Riddens 10kgs!!!

Posted on March 28, 2012 by natalietrew

On this day at exactly 6.ooam, I weighed in at my goal weight…..10kgs less than what I was 6 months ago!

Last year was one of the most challenging and emotional years of my life! The year started with the most precious gift born into our lives….Mia Natalie Trew! Her birth was so bittersweet. I was induced at 38 weeks as I had just been diagnosed with a heart condition and no one knew what was going to happen to me during child birth! Thankfully all went well, but mentally I wasn’t in the place I had been after having Bailey and Sienna! I felt robbed of giving birth the way I knew how to. Instead of being free to birth how I had in the past, I was hooked up to machines, checked every 10-15 minutes and had every obstetrician who was on duty that day come and ask me the same questions over and over again…..all I kept thinking was “enough already, I just want to meet my little girl!” Knowing Mia is my last baby I was really disappointed with how my birthing days had ended:( This played on my mind for a long time, along with not knowing how my heart was going to handle recovering from giving birth!

The above photo is of me at Mia’s Christening July last year!

To add to all of this, Mia was my worst newborn out of all 3! She took at least a month or so to settle at night into the one feed routine and her days were never as settled as her brother and sister! She was always the baby who never had two days the same…..thankfully being my third, this didn’t stress me out too much! But between being emotionally drained and sleep deprived all the time, I turned to food for comfort! I didn’t put a gross amount of weight on when I was pregnant with Mia (not like Sienna….we won’t go there…lol) it was months after that my state of mind was in such a bad place I stopped caring! I would eat anything and everything! Sonny (our dog) would never get leftovers because I would polish them off! Kane use to make fun of me and say things like “you’re right I didn’t want any!” Obviously I was starting to make a pig of myself and this is not normally the person I am!

My journey to lose the weight I emotionally put on started back in October last year! Mia was 8 months old and still such a difficult baby! She had so many issues that we took a trip to a pediatrician who diagnosed her with reflux, but apart of finding out what was wrong with her, I had to go on a crazy rabbit food diet for 2 weeks to eliminate some things as I breastfeed her. I literally detox during the course of the 2 weeks. I had withdrawals so bad I wanted to cry all day and night! I had to keep busy to distract myself from eating…..it was SOOOOO hard! But by the end of the two weeks I felt so much better! I had lost a couple of kilos, my stomach had started to go down and I was feeling less tired already! This was a huge turning point for me, from that day on I knew I had it in me to lose the 10kgs that would get me back to the weight that I always was before becoming a mum!

The above photo is me 5kg down on Christmas Day….my first goal achieved!

I initially was only going to concentrate on the diet side of things. Because I’m breastfeeding, I didn’t want to chance losing my milk so I was going to wait and start exercising when I stopped breastfeeding. I also had an 8cm stomach muscle separation after carrying Mia so I wanted to take a full 12 months for that to heal. It’s funny how things change quickly! One afternoon Kane came home from work and I said “see ya, the kids have been feral and I’m going for a walk!” He looked at me and said “seriously!” That day I walked and did a lot of thinking and from that day on I have maintained exercising 5-6 times a week!

Thank you to my wonderful husband who always supports me with whatever I do!

It’s not easy, in fact it can be very challenging at times! Preparing meals that are lean and healthy, not snacking, exercising. But the end result is so worth it! My first goal was to lose 5kgs by christmas and that I did. The next goal was to lose the second 5kgs by my birthday which is next week! There are still days where I want to eat anything in sight but my mental strength over takes and yells out NO! I haven’t reached that point with the exercising, that I am absolutely loving! It’s also not easy fitting in the exercise! I’m lucky I have a husband that is very supportive and doesn’t leave for work until 6.30. I get up BF my daughter and then I eitheFIFO for a 4km run or half hour walk. I make sure each week I do a total of 3 hours worth of exercise. A doctor on the Today show reported that a human exercising 3-5 hours a week is very beneficial to their body! When I’m having a moment of weakness I think about the clothes I can fit into now…..especially my new size 8 skinny jeans – I’ve never worn size 8 skinny jeans!!! Most importantly I think about how all the good I’ve done is helping my heart not get any worse. When I’m running and feeling like I can’t run another step (this was more in the early days of exercising) I think of the kids and how I birthed them with no epidural and they were massive 10 pounders!!!

I am very proud of myself for what I have accomplished in the past 6 months, cause not only have I reached my goal weight and am now as fit as ever, I am as mentally fit as I have ever been. I feel like I could do anything….sounds corny I know, but that is just how I’m feeling:) But I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the love and support of my wonderful husband and children! Being a wife and a mum of 3 little children is awesome but exhausting and for too long now I used this as an excuse to not get fit and healthy! Now I feel I am a better wife and mum as I have more energy and am in a really good place with myself!

This is me now 10kgs gone for good!

WEEKLY EXERCISE PLAN

Monday – day off, Tuesday – Run 4km, Wednesday – half hour walk, Thursday – Run 4km, Friday – half hour walk, Saturday – 5km run, Sunday – 4km run.

DAILY EATING PLAN

Breakfast – large bowl of cereal with rice milk, Lunch – ham/chicken and salad sandwich, Dinner – Meat and salad/veggies.

During the day if I am hungry I’ll have fruit or rice cakes. Meals at night may also have rice or pasta with them. I also drink at least 2 litres of water a day and take a multivitamin (Natures Way – Rest and Restore).

Saturday is usually my one day I will treat myself!

Thought of the day…..Everything takes time, you put the effort in and you will see results!

Everything I do, I do it for you!

My Party of 5

Tag Archives: determination

Keep the Faith!

Don’t Lose Sight!

Fist Pump Moment!

The Power of the Mind!

The Battle of the Bulging Belly!

Good Riddens 10kgs!!!

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