Like It, Love It!

Feel like you've seen less of me lately? 

For the past 6 weeks I've been on a mission. 

Fitness & general wellbeing are topics extremely close to my heart. While I hate (HATE) watching what I eat, my reality is that if I don't I wind up looking like the Michelin Man's marginally better dressed cousin.

Following Will's birth a combination of changing priorities and poor diet meant it took me 2 years to get back to a shape I was comfortable with. Rationally I knew my body would change after children. Your body has just fan-baked another human in 9 short months...most Visa applications take longer than this. Yet I underestimated how much of my self worth was tied up in my appearance. 

When I found out I was pregnant last September I was determined that this time would be different. Not 'I-will-live-off-a-diet-of-mung-beans-and-the-occasional-sprout' different, just a 'junk in - junk out' change in mentality. 

I had crippling morning sickness until about month four. Some mornings all I could do was crawl out of bed, turn on the TV and lie in the foetal position watching CBeebies with Will, praying I wouldn't vomit on the rug, until Scott got home at lunch. On days like these the only thing I found which helped was light exercise. I still remember crying at the thought of leaving the house but up I got, bundling Will into the buggy (with about a gazillion rugs and a hot water bottle) and off we went. When Winter truly set in I turned to an in home program - Tracey Anderson's Pregnancy Project, which I loved and was fortunate enough to keep doing right up until two days before Julia arrived.

Suffice to say that between walking, the DVD's and a little pre-natal yoga (which made me so nauseous I spent most classes on the floor trying not to vomit on the 'peace candle') I was due a rest when Jules arrived in June. 

Fast forward 5 months, we had just arrived in New Zealand and I was ready for a challenge. 

A friend of mine recommended Yummy Mummy Fitness for Mum's. Driven (deliberate choice of words here) by the effervescent and insatiably energetic Simone - I found the challenge and camaraderie I was after. 

Signing up for the 6 week challenge I overcame a few setbacks, notably putting my back out after the first day (dodgy back from horse riding not related to the fitness program) and being on limited duties for the following 3 weeks, but I made it.

Today was our fitness final. 

If you've made it this far, I knew you would that's why we're friends - I'm sure you're wondering what the results looks like. In my case it looks a bit like this: 

• In 1 minute I improved from 25 press-ups to 54
• Increased my squat time by over a minute and a half
• Increased my plank by almost a minute
• And ran 5kms in 27 minutes 38 seconds

Or in pictures...

So in closing - I'm not a medical or healthcare professional - I'm simply sharing my story and what worked for me. Perhaps you'll find this useful. Perhaps you'll roll over on the couch and try not to vomit on your rug. In any case I hope you've enjoyed the story and take something away from it, even if it's just to appreciate how much faster I look in my vizor.

And for those of you Mum's out there thinking this might be a bit of you make like Nike and 'Just Do It' baby. You have no idea what you're capable of. I like looking good in my clothes and I'm sure you do to. Let's look good in clothes together. Wait...that came out wrong. 

...on to the 12 week challenge! 

Jacq

PS - Sorry for the number of times I mentioned vomit in this post...

PPS - No I'm not