Day 14 of 100....

What an awesome day I had!

Smashed my food choices, making the best choices I could and kicked arse at Zumba tonight burning 600 calories!!!

Who would have thought that I'd be 23+ weeks pregnant and still exercising?! I am so proud of myself for sticking to it. I am so determined not to let this pregnancy become another excuse to not exercise and be fit and healthy. There is so much to benefit from sticking to it, not only for mself but for my family xxx This makes it even more important to me as my family mean the world to me <3 <3 <3

I just need to keep telling myself, every healthy nutritional thing I eat and every step I take, helps my bubba have the best start that s/he can have. Not only physically with his/her development as s/he grows inside of me, but also mentally.

There is some research out there linking to a mums stress levels whilst pregnant can result in an unsettle baby and 'may' increase the risk of many early childhood diseases and health problems.

So in a way, my determination to be a healthier and fitter person not allow decreases my stress levels and boosts my positive endorphins and that awesome feeling you get when you smash it out at the gym or when you find yourself feeling proud of your self for making smart healthy choices; it is also benefiting my unborn child. This just makes me feel even more proud or my self.

And to top it off, the changes I am making for a better me are benefiting my gorgeous children and even my husband. I love the fact that I am being a positive role model for my daughter and son :D For them to see me trying my hardest to be a happy positive person in all elements of my life xxx

And my husband loves seeing a new me. A me that loves ME for whom I am. I have always been able to find the positive side to life and loved my life, but I have never really loved myself. But now as I make changes in my life for me and am beginning to love myself and the best thing about it all, is that it doesn't only make my life happier but those whom I love around me, as well xxx

There are so many benefits to staying fit and sticking to it while pregnant. Why did I give up so easily with my last 2?

Cheers Mel x

Day 13 of 100...

ARRRRRR so much for writing a romantic happy ending story....

Today, as always started well, went a little pear shaped in the middle but I was able to pull myself back together at dinner time.

But it is now the dreaded 7pm snack attack......The kids are in bed and well, this is the worst time of the day for me.

In the past it was my time to indulge in all the things I didn't want the kids to eat. Ice-cream, chocolate, biscuits, and so on. I have come along way since doing Michelle Bridges and in general, I can now control what I eat and make healthy choices but I let myself go and eat to much of it! I never thought there was such a thing as a healthy sabotagor, but that is what I am.

I have changed my way in thinking of what to eat and what is best for my body, most of the time, and that is a huge thing to achieve. I celebrate that. But I still need to curb my portions. This was something I was doing awesome at and as a result I was able to loss my weight. But at this stage of my healthy lifestyle journey I am struggling. Maybe it has something to do with being pregnant and my body wanting more calories to help my bubba to grow or maybe its my mind playing tricks on me? In the past, as I've mentioned many times, I used my pregnancies as an excuse to eat whatever. So I am wondering, am I really hungry and does my body/baby need the extra calories or am I just hungry out of boredom, the thought of food or the whole see food diet - see food and eat it??

I am really struggling with knowing the difference. I don't want to jeopardise my baby in anyway and I want to make sure I am providing all the nutrients s/he needs to develop. But at the same time I don't want to jeopardise my success in my journey and put all my weight back on. I am being realistic and understand that the baby is growing and putting weight on, so it is expected that I'd put weight on. But I really want to make sure that I don't put excessive weight on.

I just did some research on what Michelle thinks about in regards to weight loss and pregnancy (https://www.12wbt.com/pregnancy-weight-loss/normal-weight-gain-during-pregnancy/).

Actually to her stats and those of others, I should only gain between 5-9kgs. This would mean I have actually maintained my weight and the extra weight would be mostly baby, increased blood flow, placenta etc. So far I am on track, which is awesome and actually a little be exciting :D

At my next doctors appointment I will speak to my doctor and see what her thoughts are in regards to weight gain/loss during pregnancy. But from other online research I have done, if you have weight to loss it is ok, as long as bub is still growing and developing as recommended and so far bub is exactly where s/he needs to be, so another positive thing to focus on.

I will finish tonight with a quote I found from Michelle, which I think is something to really focus on :D

"Think of every bite you take as a building block for your baby’s development – with whole foods being far superior to processed ones. With that in mind, opt for an apple over apple crumble whenever you can" Michelle Bridges

Cheers Mel x

Days 10, 11 and 12

Opps....I seemed to have missed a few days and surprise, surprise, I also let myself go a little. However, It was my birthday yesterday so I choose yesterday to be a treat day and enjoyed every moment of it. 

As for Friday and today, I have no excuse expect, I just didn't make myself accountable and overate, and ate crap. The is no other reason or excuse. I just did it. There is no bullshit story here, it's just how it is, however as of now I am going write more of a romantic happy ending story for all of you to read and for me to live xx

Tomorrow is a new day, and I have already started it off better than the last 3 days, as I sat down, planned my week, went did the shopping, and cooked up a few meals for the week.

This week will be better than the last. I promise myself this :D

Here is to a better day tomorrow,
Cheers Mel x

Day 9 of 100...

Day 9 has ended with me being on a massive fitness high!

Ok, I have been doing Zumba for a while now, but have always been in the back few rows and just do my best in my own little way, never thinking that the instructor really noticed me. Don't get me wrong, she is great and very friendly, always making me and the other ladies feel welcome, but I never thought she actually watching how I Zumba.

Well tonight she asked me to get up on the stage with her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LITTLE OLD ME!!!!!! At first I was like, "no, it's ok" but she insisted and said, "Come on, I see what you can do, get up here!"
So I said to myself, "What the Hell! Do it Mel"

I jumped up onto that stage and have never felt so nervous, but as I got into it my confidence grew. I have never felt so confident and proud of myself, in relation to my fitness, and to do while I'm 22weeks pregnant makes it even more AWESOME!

I would have never thought that I would be asked to get up on stage, but to actually have the confidence to bite the bullet and do it, is just amazing. I totally stuffed up the moves while I was on the stage, but I had fun and was on such a high afterwards :D

YAY ME!

This 100 days of  being accountable has been awesome! I know I am only just at the beginning, but my confidence in my ability to have a healthy and fit pregnancy is growing each and everyday that I reflect on my daily actions and thinking.

Loving life :D

Day 8 of 100...

Catching up with friends is always great, but also always involves food. In the past, I would just never think about it and eat everything that I shouldn't. Then I went through a stage where I would avoid catching up over food but that is harder than you think. So much of our social life is surround by food in one way or another. So I started taking the courage to meet up with food again, but I would analyse everything and become so focused on the food that I would not overly enjoy the experience, if that makes sense.

But today was different.  

Today my daughter and I travelled with another friend and her 2 boys to Wagga (2hrs away) to catch up with a dear friend and her daughters, who had recently moved to Tumut.

It was a great day of laughter and fun. We took the kids to the local botanical gardens where we walked around the mini zoo (mainly native, farm animals and a variety birds), and then took them to the indoor play centre, as it was looking like rain.

Today was different because, in the past we would just sit and drink coffee, eat cake and let the kids run wild. We still drunk coffee, but I was able to avoid the cakes/scones/slices, actually I didn't even want or consider having them, even though they were on offer and displayed for all to see. Instead I ordered a healthy turkey, cranberry and avocado focaccia without the chips! Ok, so I did eat some of the kids chips (chips really are a weakness of mine), but I also ordered water, 2 bottles actually.

When I think about it, I probably still ate to much, and I should have ordered the focaccia without the cheese, but the best thing is I was able to make healthier choices, without even having to over think food, and just enjoy myself and the great company around me.

Changers are happening and my actions are starting to become more automatic. I still have a LONG way to go and I need to work on my food analysation to ensure I am making the best choices for me at all times, but the fact that I can see changes happening in my thinking towards food is fantastic! Slow and steady, but progress is being made :D

     

Night all,
Cheers Mel x

Day 7 of 100

So I have been sitting here for the past 30mins thinking about what I am going to blog about tonight.

The more I think about my day and look at what I have done, nutritional and fitness wise, the more I realise that I've had a good day that I am actually proud of myself!

This is huge! I haven't felt proud of myself in relation to my weight loss journey since I fell off the wagon and lost all my motivation to be a better me.

You see, as many of you already know, it's hard to see yourself in positive light all the time. I was doing great with my weight loss and I was achieving great things. But then I things slowed down and my motivation slowly disappeared.

I maintained my weight, which is something to be proud of itself, but I begun doubting my abilities as I still had so far to go. That saying, "Don't focus on how far you have to go, but rather how far you have come" really are wise words. It is important to take pride in all that you have achieved to get to where you are now.

Even though my husband and I wanted more children, we weren't actively trying to conceive. We were previously (another reason for my healthy lifestyle change), but it just wasn't happening so I put 100% of my focus onto my weight loss. I was extremely focused and achieving fantastic results. Then BAM! We're pregnant!

We are super excited to be pregnant, but when we discovered I was pregnant, my situation changed and I needed to refocus and create new goals. But I struggled to do this. I didn't know where to go or how I was going to do it. I actually freaked out, as I allowed my weight to pile on during my last 2 pregnancies and I didn't exercise. I didn't take any responsibility for it all.

So after I got over the excitement of being pregnant again and the future that we are creating, my mind starting reliving all the negative results of being pregnant and I just assumed that all my weight was all going to pile back on. I used this way thinking to bring me down and completely destroy any motivation that I had left. But after a week of this, I told myself "Snap out of this Melyssa, this is not your way of thinking!!!"

Obviously my goals have now changed and weight loss is not actually my priority at this stage of my journey, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is. Doing this 100 day blog, has allowed me to realise that I used my pregnancies as an excuse and that's the only reason my weight got out of control. I have now been able to focus on where I have come from and I can now see where I need to go. I have been able to clarify my goals for now and that I really need to hone in on building a bank of healthy habits.

Anyway, back on track. Today I am proud of myself!

Something for all of us to remember x

Cheers Mel x

Day 6 of 100

Today was about surprises :D

 

Today we had a trip to my in laws. It was last minute and I had not planned for my day out at all. Usually if we are going out for the day, I would have pre-cooked dinner so I don't have to think about it when we get home, and on top of that Monday's are usually my cook up day based on what I have planned out on Saturday night (Plan on Saturday; Shop on Sunday; Cook up/prep on Monday). So I had no plan in action at all.

My hubby's family are Lebanese and they LOVE their food. It's not terrible food, but they love lots of it and my mother in law loves to feed us up. She is consistently offering us more food, even if we have just had eaten. She is also consistently, shoving more food down my kids throat, despite if it is healthy or not. Her philosophy is basically, "as long as they are eating". I guess it is her way of showing that she cares and wants to show her love through food. It's her thing.

But lucky for me, today was a surprise visit and Isabelle hadn't had time to prepare a huge lunch. Even though she started pulling out pots and pans and was prepared to go and do a big cook up so we could have a late lunch, I was able to convince her not to worry and that we could just have leftovers. The kids usually only have sandwiches or wraps for lunch anyway.

I looked at what she had on offer and was able to make myself a 2 roast pork and cheese sandwich. Isabelle did try and convince me to eat more, "You are eating for 2 you know Mel"  (Roll the eyes) but I stood strong and replied that I had enough, but at the same time I was thinking I had overeaten, having 2 sandwiches. Lucky for me, I had only had 2 boiled eggs and a coffee for breakfast.

I did also finish lunch with a Cadbury mini Easter egg. I felt bad about this at first, especially because I felt I had overeaten already, but then told myself, it's only 1 egg, enjoy it.

As the day proceeded, I drank cups of tea and had cheese and biscuits for afternoon tea, but I limited myself on how much I ate and enjoyed what I did eat, ensuring that I was satisfied.

Then we left later then expected, so on the way home we pulled through, dare I say it, Maccas! This is another challenge I will take on soon, not to allow the Family to eat fast food! Anyway, I didn't order anything for myself. Instead, I had a selection of fruit. However, I did eat 5 Mcbites and a handful of chips. Even though this wasn't the best choice, it is still an achievement for me, as I was able to limit myself.

Anyway, once I put the kids to bed, I sat down and added up all my calories (I use my fitness pal) and to my surprise, I was under my daily intake by 150 calories!!!!!!

Oh and to top it off, the whole reason we went to the in laws was to pick up a pallet of bricks that we had there left over from when we built our house. The hubby is backyard blitzing atm and needed the extra bricks to brick up our garden beds. So I was standing there watching him load the first 4 bricks up, when all of a sudden I thought to myself,

"Why are you standing her watching? Get in there and help out! You won't have time to get to the gym tonight, so use this as your chance to burn some calories!!!!!"

What the hell was that? I actively thought about how I could burn calories!!!!!!

I got in there and 2 bricks at a time loaded the ute up! At a guess I would have burnt between 200-250 calories! I was stocked with myself, as at that stage I was a little down on myself for over eating at lunch time. I am loving the small changes that are occurring in my way of thinking!

So even though there where some choices that weren't the best, I did the best with what was on offer, and thought of ways I could counteract these choices and I was able to surprise myself!

Feeling rather empowered at the moment :D

Actually,
I hope that somewhere in the next WEEK,
you surprise yourself!

Cheers Mel x