Make it count ...

During the week I get to hear my fair share of excuses for why one of my client's diet is off the wagon or they just didn't get that training session in.  I've heard some pretty good excuses and you know what, I've used a fair amount of them myself to justify why I'm being a bit slack!

However, excuses are not going to get you the results you want. 

Life will ALWAYS get in the way .. it's the way you choose to deal with it that will make the difference.

There must be no excuses when it comes to eating a healthy, nutritious diet.  You cannot blame work for making you stressed, nor can you blame your kids ...

It was YOUR CHOICE to have those potato chips or chocolate bar.  Don't blame anyone else.  I can't imagine anyone tying your hands behind your back and forcing that food down your throat.

When you are feeling stressed, those are the times when you need to fuel your body with what it needs, not the stuff that will put it under more stress!
Fuel your body with those foods that will help to repair, replenish and make you feel great!  Plan your meals, organise your day, throw out all the crap ...

Make every meal count!

When it comes to your training, same rule applies ... Make every session count!

If you are sick or injured, these are acceptable excuses, unless of course you are able to participate in light exercise, like a walk or pilates or yoga.

A training session on the treadmill or stationary bike does not include catching up on the goss in the magazines, nor does it include texting your friends for the latest goss .. you gotta get huffy puffy if you want the results!

Make the time to exercise and make it count, you will feel better for it and you will be another step closer to achieving your goal!

If change is really what you want, go for it .. make every meal count, make every training session count!

Fit Mum x

Last weeks update

I was a bit behind last week ... sick, tired and busy and not necessarily in that order ...

I managed to fit a few light sessions in just to keep me going.


Monday            Low Impact class at the gym
                          Like I said .. Low Impact ... which was good to just keep moving but not blast
                          myself away.   Heart rate got up a bit and I did get a bit sweaty .. which really is
                          the idea!

Tuesday           20 min hill walk on the TM
                         10 min sprints .. 30 sec on, 30 sec SR
                         Sprints weren't super fast but I was working!
                          20 minutes yoga
                          Getting sick .. afternoon was terrible

Wednesday     Getting sicker .. a quick visit to the doctor and I'm stocked up to get this over with
                          I am completely exhausted and not sleeping is not helping

Thursday          Resting up again, I am going to shake this and get back on track
                          My afternoons are again spent trying to have a catch up nap on the couch

Friday               Starting to return to normal.  Still tired
                          A quick nap again this afternoon before I head out to do a Body Balance class
                          It was great!

Weekend = trying to catch up as much as possible.

Not much to report this last week really, next week is going to be much better!

Fit Mum x   

         

Monday Motivation ...

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Theodore Roosevelt

Make the most of you, make the most of your day ... Go on, get out there! 

That's achievement and satisfaction ...



Fit Mum x   

Monday Motivation

I am not going to waffle on this morning as I have done previously.
I'm going to leave you with some food for thought for this week ...

"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it.  Establish your priorities and go to work." 

H L Hunt

Fit Mum x   



Sunday afternoon at home ...

Sunday afternoon .. fun, relaxing, quiet glass of wine on the deck .. a few words to describe Sunday afternoon.  Maybe for other people ...

My Sunday afternoon has involved washing, vacuuming, dusting and cleaning ... not really my idea of a Sunday afternoon at home.  However, as all of these chores have been given only a cursory glance over the last few weeks due to other social commitments, I felt that I needed to give a little extra attention to these things ...


                                               

Yes, I'm trying create an image of super, domestic goddess mum ... well, maybe not but I was starting to feel guilty about giving the place only a quick swish and swipe each week.

I will admit there is an upside to donning the rubber gloves and scrubbing ... the place is all sparkly clean and I'm feeling that sense of accomplishment!  

Now, where's that glass of champagne ...

Fit Mum x   

Kids snacks ... Carrot and Sultana Muffins

As a mum to 2 pretty active kids, I quite often hear "Mum, I'm hungry, what can I have to eat?". 

And I know that this is something that just about every other mum out there hears!  So just like every other mum, I'm always on the lookout for snacks for the kids that are not laced with sugar and salt. 

I know, fruit is a fantastic option .. or it would be if my kids ate more than just a banana or an apple .. some watermelon if I really push the issue. 

I'm spending loads of time searching the internet for recipes and ideas for kids snacks.  This recipe is one that I have found that I like .. not too high in sugar and fat but sweet enough for me to be able to get the kids to eat them without too much fuss! 

I have changed it slightly and replaced the walnuts with sultanas as my kids aren't so big on nuts in their muffins.  I'm going to do some more experimenting over the next few batches to see what other changes I can make!   Oh and it's got some vegies too!  Bonus!

Carrot and Sultana Muffins

2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted                                     

1/2 teaspoon BiCarbonate of Soda                                           

1/2 cup brown sugar                                                                         
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                                               
1/2 cup sultanas                                                                       
2 carrots, peeled and grated                                                          
1 cup milk                                                                      
2 eggs, lightly beaten                                                         
2 tablespoons canola oil                                                           

Preheat oven to 200C.  Lightly grease a 12 hole 1/2 cup capacity muffin pan ( I use little cupcake cases ).
Combine flour, bicarb soda, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir in sultanas and carrot.  Make a well in the centre.
Combine milk, egg and oil in a jug then pour into well.  Stir with a metal spoon until just combined.  Spoon batter into muffin cases until 2/3 full. 
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

I sometimes heat them up for the kids and dress them up a bit by putting a swish of cream cheese over the top.

Enjoy!

Fit Mum x   

Training update for the week ..

I'm afraid there's nothing much exciting to report this week .. I've just plodded along and got on with the job.  I'm not aiming to break any records, just keep going. 

Monday          PT .. full body strength training
                        30 minutes
                        I really love my strength training.  I love the feeling of being strong and knowing that I
                        am strong.

Tuesday         I took our dog for a walk ... with us having stopped running training he is not getting
                       out much these days.  Feeling a bit ick though, got a coldsore coming on ..
                       yep, I must be run down .. my body is providing proof.
                       25 minutes
                       Friends and family over, catered for 16 people .. ate too much ...

Wednesday  Busy day today ... baby shower, birthday lunch .. yes, I ate too much ...
                       No exercise

Thursday       Got up early again this morning to take the dog for a walk .. though I ran most of the 
                       way.  Felt OK though I'm realising how much my legs are tightening up when I don't
                       run!

Friday            Relaxing way to start the weekend with 30 minutes of yoga

I hope that everyone has had a great week training.

Enjoy the weekend, if you are training .. make it count ... if you are spending time with family and friends .. make it count!

Stay focused, Stay strong

Fit Mum x   

Weekly Challenge ...

While there are many things that I would like to include in my weekly challenges, I feel that at the moment I am going to keep my focus on the basics .. once I get these down, I'll get a bit more adventurous!

This week my challenge is going to be the same as the one that many other people face ... I've been thinking a bit about it since I wrote my Monday Motivation ... Consistency.  All too often we start out on a new exercise program or diet only to fall off the wagon in the first few days or week.  Something comes up and throws us off track .. it all then seems too hard and we don't get back on the wagon.  I'm not quite at this stage, however, I will say that my consistency has been lacking a bit lately.  Not so much with my training but with my diet ... I know, I seem to be mentioning it a lot!  

All things considered, I really do have a healthy, balanced diet .. where I do get a bit sidetracked are the weekends.  Friends over one day, family the next .. or in the case of this week .. friends over, baby showers, birthday lunches, birthday parties ... looking back I feel like I've been eating for a week!  And you know what .. I'm the one who hasn't kept an eye on it and kept myself under control.  And I'm paying the price!  

After this last week, I really must get back some consistency to my clean eating ... everyday, every meal .. maintain consistency and I will be back on track.  It's all about choice .. my choice!

On the training front ... I maintain my consistency if not the intensity that I normally train at.  Some days it might just mean I take the dog for a walk, but I am keeping up the routine.

I've taken the first step and accepted that I'm to blame for not making the right choices, when the option was there to make them.  Now I'm going to be the one to get myself back to where I want to be.   I'm going to get there by being consistent ... by eating clean and keeping up regular training.

It's all about choice .. my choice .. and I've made it!  I know I call these my weekly challenges .. but they are not weekly .. I am introducing these changes into my life one week at a time .. that way they are going to hang around and continue to be part of my life and my lifestyle!

My life, my body, my choice!
Your life, your body, your choice!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x  

     

Monday's Motivation ...

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential" Liane Cardes

This is quite often the most overlooked ingredient when it comes to achieving your goals and getting the best results.  

I could put it another way ... consistency, consistency, consistency ...

Consistent effort in training will have you well on your way to getting the results you want.

Consistent efforts in keeping your diet clean and nutritious will get you the results you want.

Getting into a routine with your training is going to help with keeping your training consistent.  Build it into your life and your lifestyle.

Plan your diet each week .. or day .. so that you are allowing yourself to be successful. 

If there is one thing that you keep telling yourself ...

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Stay focused, Stay Strong

Fit Mum x   

Training update .. Recovery week

This week has been marginally better than last week.  I am not curled up in a ball, so that's a start!
After last week's exhaustion, stress, muscle soreness, I've decided that this week should be a recovery week.  I've taken it a bit easy this week .. hence, my weekly challenge ... flexibility and relaxing!

This week's training looked like this

Monday          PT Session .. 30 minutes
                        Usual PT strength session .. I'm not giving this one up because it's so important
                        to keep building.  To fit in with my recovery weeks we are going to vary the intensity
                        of my training ... keeping to some garden variety stuff

Tuesday         Walk .. hills .. 45 minutes
                        Instead of our usual run .. recovery dictates that I do something a little less strenuous
                        than running .. we walked .. hills .. so I felt like I actually did some work!

Wednesday   First day of my weekly challenge to incorporate more flexibility, relaxing
                        Yoga .. 15 minutes .. not much I know but this is just the start

Thursday        To be honest I'm not feeling super motivated today .. a bit, well, blah ...

Friday             Yoga .. 20 minutes
                        Again, not feeling super motivated but I promised myself I would do something
                        and you know what, I felt pretty good after I finished!  Blood pumping and all! 

Saturday /       Busy weekend is on the cards in my house .. I think the pace that I'm going to
Sunday            have to do the housework is going to give me a decent workout anyway!
                         Heading down the coast on Sunday, so we might even get a run around on the beach
                         with the kids .. maybe a bit of beach soccer!!

I think this recovery week is just what was needed to keep me going and keep me strong.  I'm going to get into next week with a new training routine knowing that my body is rested and ready to go!

Do you factor in a recovery week on a regular basis?  Sometimes it's hard to practice what you preach but it really is something that we all should do so that we can be the best we can be .. a chance to catch up with ourselves and re-evaluate what's happening.

I hope everyone has had a great week training!

Stay focused, stay strong

Fit Mum x

 

This Week's Challenge ..

This week I'm all about the flexibility and relaxation.  Whilst it's important to spend time working on our bodies to make them as healthy and strong as we can, it's also important to help our bodies to relax to allow it to repair and become stronger.

As I've decided that this week will be a "recovery week" for me, my challenge is to dig out my yoga and pilates DVDs and actually make use of them!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go totally crazy and spend an hour everyday meditating or in yoga poses that I just can't quite manage.  I'm going to focus on the flexibility side of it at the moment as I've been feeling a bit stiff lately with more weight training and less running.  
Whatever other benefits I'll get from spending some quiet time with these exercises is going to be a major bonus!

I'm going to start off with 10 or 20 minutes a few times a week and try to build it into my everyday routine.  I've even recruited Miss 9 who needs to do some more flexibility work for dancing .. Bonus is that this is going to be one of those mummy and daughter times .. just for us!

Do you think that there is room in your routine for a little extra quiet, relaxing exercises for your body?

A quick update on last week's challenge .. I spent a few days reminding myself to start writing in my food diary but not actually doing it ... I am proud to announce now that I have commenced said diary and have also included the stuff I should not name!  I am starting the habit!

Well, I'm outta here to go and start my first yoga stretches!  I think I'm going to do some sun salutations to begin ...

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

   

Monday's Motivation ..

Who inspires you?

Everyone finds inspiration from different sources for different aspects of their lives .. career, home, family, food, fashion .. and your health and fitness too.

Some people get inspired by how others look and strive to emulate that look.  If this is working for you that is great provided you are realistic with your expectations.

Personally, I find my inspiration to keep fit and training from many different people.  From elite athletes who have worked so hard to get where they are ... to the mums coming into the gym who are super consistent with their training and routine.  They work hard and have to balance work, family, training and life .. just like I do! 

This week, think about who inspires you to achieve .. remind yourself of them everyday, at every workout because I bet they are feeling and thinking the same things as you are! 

“ Allow yourself to be inspired.

Allow yourself to succeed.

Dare to excel! ”

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

Last week's workout wrap up ...

OK .. I'm a few days late .. again time seems to have buzzed by on the weekend and I'm sure I missed some of it ...

Last week was a bit hit and miss with training, which I am a bit disappointed about, but as I mentioned in my last post, I listen to my body a lot more these days and this last week it was telling me to STOP!!

I still managed a few training sessions, however they may not have all been quality, which is what disappoints me the most.

Monday          PT Session .. these just don't get any easier, that's all I can say except that
                        I felt this session for the next 3 days ...
                        30 mins
                        Again, I'm out there losing my voice in the cold night training the girls at Netball
                        only 2 more games until the end of the season .. and just when they are starting
                        to pull it all together!

Tuesday         I'm in a world of hurt ... and I'm exhausted ... like I can't keep my eyes open
                        Thank goodness there was time for a half hour nanna nap today
                        Still, sense evades me and I join the girls for a 5km run while Miss 9 is at physie
                        I know .. I felt every step of this run don't worry!  Now what time is bed time?

Wednesday   Supposed to run at lunch time, however my partners had to pull the pin for one
                        reason or another ... I'm still that completely exhausted that I'm taking this as a
                        sign and I'm resting my poor battered mind and body

Thursday        Usually a rest day ... I did plan on running with Baxter, however after a minor
                       concerning "emergency" in our street I decided against it ...
                       Did I mention I wasn't entirely devastated about this occurrence .. still haven't
                       caught up with myself ... 

Friday            One of my running partners came over and we ran the bush trail at lunch time.
                       Apart from the fact that my hamstrings and calves seized at every step and I 
                       am still exhausted, it was great to run the track with someone and our time was
                       around the same as my usual time.

Saturday /     The usual run around with the kids and housecleaning ... I spent heaps of time in
Sunday          the kitchen, which I love!  


It's not quite the training routine that I had in mind for the week but I guess my body had different ideas and I just had to listen.  The coming week is going to be different.  I'm not going to change my training too much and hope that last week was just a catch up week.

Just a quick mention about my challenge to myself last week .. writing everything in my food diary ... I've had mixed success ... I have a notebook ... and I did think about writing in it ...
Besides, after the things I cooked over the weekend for dinner and dessert, my notebook would have run away and hidden ... it's Monday tomorrow and there's still a few days left for me to actually succeed and get into a routine with recording my food. 

I hope that everyone else has had a great week and weekend! See you all next week!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

This week's challenge ...

This week certainly hasn't brought with it huge amounts of motivation .. or energy for that matter so thinking about my training is not getting me super excited.  My body is just not moving the way I'm expecting it to move .. where is that energy I had the last few weeks?  I'm feeling decidedly blah ...

Speaking from experience, I know what it's like to over train and I'm very conscious of now listening to my body and not pushing myself when I'm not feeling that the reserve tank of fuel is full.  Sometimes I may listen a little too closely, and sometimes my body ( or my mind .. ) may over exaggerate how I'm feeling.  

To counter these feelings, this week I'm still going to set myself a mini challenge that will get me headed in the right direction for me to achieve my goal.  Even though I still don't know what my next goal is, I know this is an important part in working towards it.

This week's challenge is to record in a food, mood and exercise diary ... a journal if you like.  You need to record everything .. the good, the bad and the totally ugly. 
I believe this an essential tool in helping to figure out where you are going wrong in your diet and exercise program if you don't already know. 
Even if you know where you are going wrong, it's a great idea because you can see why you may be going wrong .. ie are you a stress eater? Emotional eater? Tired, bored? Or have you changed your training routine?

I know that lots of people do this religiously, I'm not one of those.  I start off with great intentions and it falls off after the first day or two .. so for me this is going to definitely be a challenge!  I know it will become a habit soon!!

Do you write in a food and exercise diary daily?  Do you think that it helps keep you on track and accountable?

Well, I'm off to write a few things in my food, mood and exercise diary ...

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

   

Weekend wandering ...

This past weekend was such an enjoyable one and I got to Sunday night exhausted! I can't believe it's taken me a whole day to catch up and finish writing this!   

After the usual Saturday morning sport run around we reconvened at home to clean up and pack to drive up the coast to visit my Mum for her birthday.  Birthdays only come around once a year so they are a pretty special occasion and we definitely won't miss an opportunity to celebrate one!

Going up to Mum and Dad's house is just like a mini escape holiday .. there is lots of good food and a chance to sit down and relax!  First up were the little cakes that Miss 9 helped to ice for afternoon tea ...

Then there was a roast dinner and sticky date pudding for dessert ... Master 5 must have like dessert as he went back for seconds!

Breakfast was quite the buffet with bacon, eggs, sausages and brioche buns ...

no real need for any more food ... until my sister arrived with a birthday cake!

After all this food, some form of physical activity was required .. a game of cricket was arranged!  On the pitch entertainment was provided by my sister and Miss 9 who showed their prowess with cartwheels ...

Of course I was not to be outdone ...

My attempt at on the pitch cartwheels was met with a surprised yahoo from Miss 9 .. I mean, really, of course I can do a cartwheel!  It's been about 25 years since the last one but one never forgets do they!! It's not very ladylike is it ...

We finally headed home and faced the unpacking ... not my favourite!

Hubby and Miss 9 had decided earlier that they wanted to go for a Sunday afternoon run ...

Master 5 decided that he wanted to go too ...

Hubby then suggested that we go for a family run ... Can you see me waving?! 

We had an excellent afternoon run up Spider Hill!!  What a great way to keep the running all in the family!  I can't wait to do that again!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

Monday's Motivation

Everyone starts the week with the best intentions ... stick to your diet, keep up your training routine, make sure that life is balanced ...

Sometimes it helps to have a little extra motivation .. just to remind you that you have to keep going ...

Each week I am going to share some inspirational / motivational quotes that I have come across that you may .. or may not ... like to use to keep you headed towards your goal.

Quote for this week follows up on the post about deciding on and planning your goals ...

“The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.”  John Wooden

Have a great week and keep working towards your goal! 

Stay focused,  Stay strong  

Fit Mum x