From baby number 5 to 5km

Julie Rey with baby number 5

As a busy Mum it's often hard to motivate yourself to keep striving towards a health and fitness goal during winter. The daylight hours are shorter and colder so it's easier to tell yourself 'you'll get out later...' But don't make the mistake of relying on motivation alone to drop a dress size, or run 2km without stopping. Whatever it is that you want to do, you've just got to DO IT, over and over again, until it just becomes a part of what you do and who you are. No excuses.

Yes, it's harder if you have a family, but if you're committed to something you'll always find a way. Take Mum-of-five, Julie Rey. She works as a full-time teacher, is studying for her Masters, AND has FIVE children ranging in age from 10 months to 8 years. She finds the time to re-build her fitness, and if she can, what's stopping you? Here's Julie's story...

It’s 5.00am as I roll over and haul myself out of bed. Which child is demanding my attention you may ask, as surely with five it must be one up too early? Actually the answer is none. While it may be 5.00am I am up to my own alarm. I have set it deliberately to get myself up. This is my time of day.

Yes, as insane as it sounds I miss my own fitness and if I want it back then I have to take it seriously.

With my ‘Couch to 5km’ program in hand (thanks to Coach Michelle), I am up to attack the task of being able to run distances again.

What I find amazing is how effortless it seems once you make the commitment to yourself. Is it having so many children that gives you dedication, I don’t know that this is so. Whatever it is, every time I get out the door and onto my running route, I feel fantastic. It doesn’t matter to me how fast I go but it does give me a huge sense of achievement that I met my set goal for that day.

The six weeks of my program seemed to have flown by and to celebrate my first week at running 5km I headed down to my local club for a timed run – celebrating a 5km time of 32.06 (followed by 30.44 just three weeks later).

So what words of wisdom are there to pass on?

1. Take time to take yourself seriously – it doesn’t matter how big your family gets, you are worth the effort
2. Set a goal and find out how to get yourself there (every little step towards it will make you feel fantastic!)
3. Find your time – it doesn’t have to be 5am, but find a time that works for you and stick to it

5 tips to stay on track

Are you the kind of person that tends to 'hibernate' during the winter months AND tuck into fatty 'comfort' food? Do you find it hard to keep the mental demons at bay? Stay on track to achieve your health and fitness goals with these five tips.

#1 Change your outlook. Instead of thinking 'I've got to go on a diet', decide to make a permanent change to the way you live your life. If you do, chance are you'll eat differently, exercise more, and have a healthier outlook on being healthy and happy. Change doesn't happen overnight though, so give yourself time to adjust. Some research suggests it takes at least 21 days to create a new habit! It's better to avoid going cold turkey and give up all your favourite treats at once. Your body will adapt better if you do this gradually.


# 2 Eat breakfast. Your Mum was right, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Even if it's only a quick slice of toast and a glass of juice in-between feeding your baby or your toddler before you rush out the door to childcare - or a bowl of cereal once you're at your desk at work. Kick-starting your metabolism first thing in the morning is essential in the quest for fat loss. If toast or cereal doesn't work for you - try a fruit smoothie instead.

# 3 Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the number one health and fitness goal that you want to achieve. Doing this is a bit like RSVP-ing for a party in person - you're far more likely to stick to your plan if you do it face-to-face. And you're more likely to stay on track when you know that you have others to answer to!

# 4 Check your portion distortion. Serve your meals on entree or salad plates. Put your leftovers away in the fridge BEFORE you sit down to eat. And eat slowly - it can take at least 10 minutes for your brain to get signals from your stomach that you're full.

# 5 Plan ahead and be organised. No one can deny that fitting exercise into the everyday chaos of working and running around after your family is going to be easy. But it IS possible to maximise your time without overcrowding your diary. Take a walk or run at lunchtime while you're at work, for example. Or do a series of resistance exercises using your body weight - instead of flopping in front of the TV - when the kids are in bed.

I've had a baby...where do I begin?

The post baby body can be a scary thing for the unsuspecting. During pregnancy you've had time to adjust to the expanding waistline. After the baby is born, all of a sudden the tummy's empty and your breasts swell to the size of watermelons. Then over the next few months your body changes shape again. There's fat sticking where you'd rather it wouldn't, veins popping, hair falling out, skin wrinkling and maybe breast shrinking, and some of your bones don't seem to be where they were previously.

BUT - don't panic and definately don't give up on achieving your health and fitness goals.

Did you know:

• Skin relies on elastic properties to regain shape, so gaining, and losing weight more slowly during and after pregnancy helps prevent damage and helps you to return to shape.
  
• Skin is also more likely to sag if you lose your weight quickly without exercise. If you lose fat under the skin without maintaining or increasing muscle tissue, the skin can wrinkle or sag with nothing to fill it out.
  
• Exercise increases your circulation, and so increases the blood flow and hydration to the skin.

So look to no one but yourself in setting goals. Don't compare your body with your sister's, your friend's, or a celebrity 'Yummy Mummy'. Although all Mums essentially have a similar experience in pregnancy, we all have our own stories, we're all effected differently, and there's a huge range of normal.

After all, you don't see the complete effects of motherhood on other women's bodies - only on your own.

Five fat loss behaviours to keep weight off for good

As a trainer and a distance runner, I often have ladies ask: “Michelle, what's THE most important thing for me to do to lose weight and keep it off.” 

There's so much MISinformation out there in 'weight loss land' so it's no wonder that it leaves women so confused. “Should I cut out all carbs?”  “Or do I just avoid eating carbs at night?” “Should I exercise everyday?” "Should I fast to 'cleanse' out my system?” “Or should I snack regularly rather than eat three main meals a day?”

But losing weight and keeping it off for the long term is really about practising healthy behaviours that you can do easily, and every day so it just becomes a part of what you do and who you are. Cutting out carbs or cleansing is not a long-term solution.

So here are five things that women living the fat loss lifestyle do every day to maintain their results in the long run. They don’t compromise when it comes to these actions. They know that if they do nothing else, these behaviours done daily will help them to stay healthy, fit and lean. Don’t over think this stuff. This is basic. If you want to take it to the next level, you can begin to think about the nuances, but for those who want to live a fit, healthy life, these are the non-negotiables.

1. Protein, protein, and more protein. Each meal should revolve around what the protein will be. Why? Protein is the basic component of tissue, organs and muscle and is needed in the repair and replacement of cells in your body. Protein also keeps you feeling fuller for longer, so it can help it terms of reducing your overall kilojoule intake. Choose from fish, chicken, turkey, eggs/whites, quinoa, beans, lentils, and other legumes, etc.
2. If it didn't grow, walk, or swim – don't eat it. In other words, eat mostly real food, and plenty of fruit and veg. Don’t stress about which veggies are starchy and which fruits are higher GI. These are nuances that can be worked out later. The bottom line is that if you are eating fruit and veg, you're not likely to eat junk food or a lot of packaged and processed foods. The more real food you eat, the more energised you'll feel, and you'll take in more vitamins and minerals.
3. Drink water. Lean people drink water more than they drink any other beverage. I know some women who hydrate with diet coke or a coke zero – but this is what women do when they go on on a 'diet'.You're not on a diet – your mission is to lose and maintain fat loss.
4. Move, move and then move some more. There's no way around it, if you want to live the fat loss lifestyle - movement has to become a part of your life FOREVER. Walk, take the stairs, play soccer or climb equipment in the playground with the kids, anything. And you'll find that the more active you become, the more you will want to push yourself to do more – whether it's lifting your own bodyweight, or climbing up a hill that you've always wanted to take on, or tackling your first 5km run. The main thing is you just stay active, and do something everyday – either on your own or with your family.
5. Sleep. This is the tricky one – especially for new Mums. But research shows a strong link between obesity and lack of sleep. The fact is that sleep is the metabolic reset button that readies us for the next day, so that we have the physical capacity to workout hard and run around after our children, and the mental capacity to make the right food choices and control stress.

More power to the core!

No doubt about it, your once pregnant body has transformed and spent the last nine months pushing and squeezing those vital organs out of the way - all to make room for a growing baby. And if you're like most new (and not-so-new) Mums, your abdominals may have also taken a hammering during pregnancy and childbirth....and beyond. And what was once a 'six-pack' (or at least that's how you remembered it?) has now been scattered to the four corners of the far flung universe - or at least split right down the middle. So what does abdominal separation mean, and what on earth can you do about it???

Weak abdominal muscles increase the risk of injury and pain in the lower back - and can leave you looking pregnant long after you have a baby. An abdominal separation (diastasis) is common after pregnancy. As your doctor or midwife might have told you, diastasis occurs when the more superficial abdominal muscle (those 'six-pack' abs) - have separated down the middle to accommodate the growing belly.

Your midwife or GP may have checked your abdominals shortly after birth, but if you're not sure  if you still have any abdominal separation, click here for more info on how to check your abs.

And what if you still have a gap after six weeks? Sometimes those pesky abs take a while to draw themselves back in together. It's important to give your body time to heal and help it by strengthening the deeper abdominal (core) muscles. So forget the crunches for now, and stick to the core.

The transverse abdominis (or the transverse abdominal) is a deep core muscle which provides postural support. It wraps horizontally around the body like a thick belt worn by competitive weightlifters and it support the spine. It's connected to the more superficial rectus abdominis at the front, so you can pull in your whole tummy by contracting the transverse muscle, which is the best way to encourage a separation to heal.

Much lower back pain is associated with a weak transverse abdominal, particularly after pregnancy. Strengthening this muscle not only saves your back, but also gives you a waistline again, rather than an apple-shaped torso which can persist. So more power to the core I say!

And if you're looking ways to strengthen those far-flung abs, here's what you can do to reconnect with your core (and your pelvic floor).

Top tips for time poor New Mums

As a Mum myself, I'm well acquainted with sleep deprivation. It has been an unwelcome guest in my house since I had my two children - and likes to visit all too frequently.

When you're pregnant with your first baby, you tend to hang on to that dream that if you nap enough in those last few weeks in the lead up to having bub then surely you'll have some credit up in the sleep bank you can use later on?  Right?!

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, and sleep deprivation can create a host of problems - including fatigue, lack of motivation and an increased susceptibility to illness and injury - to name a few. As hard as it may seem, the only way around it is to make time for yourself. That's right, as busy as you are with your newborn, try to schedule at least 30 minutes a day when you turn off your phone, put aside the dirty laundry, and hand the baby over to their Dad, a babysitter, or grandparent. Make your workouts non-negotiable. You wouldn't quit breathing just because you were too busy - right? Exercise my friends, is just as important.

Check out my top 4 tips for time-poor Mums (road tested and proven to provide relief from the effects of sleep deprivation by many of us out there!).

1. Take the short view. Babies are only babies for such a short time so go easy on yourself when getting back into exercise. You goal may simply be to leave the house that day - but do it! Even walking around the block with bub in the pram will make you feel better. 
2. Stick with easy-to-make meals. Prepare big batches of freezable casseroles and soups while you're pregnant and reap the benefits after you've had the baby. If not, there's always easy spaghetti bolognaise, chicken with rice and veg and tuna salads. You don't have to be a gourmet cook!
3. Schedule some down time. Even if it's just 10 minutes! To soothe sore muscles, take a bath or better yet, book in for a massage.  Or just put your feet up and read a few pages of a book.
4. Power nap when and where you can. When bub sleeps, join them! Even if you just set the alarm for 20 minutes, get comfortable and close your eyes. You'll get a second wind that will carry you through the rest of the day.

Have you got some great tips that have helped you? Please share them with us...