Thursday 23 February 2017

Failing in the first week.....

Week one of the challenge has kicked off and by Wednesday I was feeling like a failure! I was seeing posts of other people hitting the gym, attending the Challenge class and here I was menstruating, recovering from a cold virus, meeting deadlines (and kicking goals) at work and being an attentive mum by attending school sports day. The thought of getting into Fernwood was stressful as I dragged myself through each day, just trying to keep everything in balance.


On Wednesday night I promised myself an early night, ready for my first PT with the wonderful Emily. My early night didn’t happen. Thankfully, my PT session did. Today I feel great (a little sore….) and ready to step back into my habit of exercise.

I have been able to keep to the food plan this week (modifying it to suit my family and me). I did fall into the trap of comfort eating (an old habit…) but it just didn’t have the same positive effect it would have a couple of months ago. There was no comfort, reaching for a piece of fruit or some nuts helped more than the chocolate!

To beat my feeling of failure I had to have a discussion with myself about taking each new day as just that, a new day. With a new day comes the chance to pick up where you left off and continue the journey. To be reminded to think about the bigger picture, and the end goal to help with motivation. Creating the habit of exercise and good eating and making that part of my everyday life – when my body says slow down I need to listen!


Emily reminded me this morning that a more ‘sustained’ approach to the challenge will be more successful and that made me feel so much better!

Friday 17 February 2017

The Fernwood 12 Week Challenge

I am making my health a priority in 2017 and so on the 20 February I will be starting the Fernwood 12 Week Challenge. I am excited, nervous and a little stressed about how I am going to fit it in, but it is a priority so I am going to make it work for me.

This is my 3rd time as a member of Fernwood. I have not focused at all on my health in the last 6 years - instead focusing on my daughter, business and life. My health has been the missing piece.

With this piece missing I have had little energy - and certainly not the energy to keep up with a busy little girl and a business that I am wanting to upscale this year.

So I committed in December 2016 to re-joining Fernwood and finding my energy again. In January I begun by simply creating the habit of going 3 times a week. Then I decided that if I could create the habit of exercise then I could eat better and aim for weight loss also. SO I started the 28 day breakthrough challenge and decided that I wanted to shed 50kg in total and it would be great to lose 20kg by Christmas this year.

Already I am starting to miss exercise on days I am not doing anything, and on days where I slip a little and can't pre-prepare healthy food then I feel yuck!

My intention this year is to think bigger with all of my goals - so what has started as gaining energy has quickly grown to creating healthy habits around exercise and food and wanting weight loss.

Just when I thought this could not get any bigger or anymore focused I have taken the opportunity to join the 12 week challenge. I have added to my diary all of the appointments and the extra classes, and my PT sessions. I already know that I am not going to get to them all, as family and work are still high priorities. I will make the best effort to re-schedule or do make-up sessions to fit in around my world. Plus I will be sharing my journey along the way.......

I have already said no (or later in the year) to a couple of other opportunities which have come my way, in order to make room for achieving this very big goal of mine - and my why - To have the energy to give to my business and keep up with my daughter.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

Facing Social Media

This article originally appeared on Mouths of Mum: http://www.mouthsofmums.com.au

It is the middle of the night, you are awake again, not because you want to be, it is feeding time.

You are trying to be in the moment with your baby, but you forget how much sleep you have had, maybe a couple of hours. There is always so much to do. Cooking, washing, work. You reach for your phone to get some insight into the real world. Open Facebook.
The pictures pop-up – one mum has cooked cupcakes, another has had a very messy craft session, some have gone to music class or rhyme time or swimming. Pushing their designer pram to play dates in cafes. All the mums looking perfect – with hair and make-up. All the babies are perfect. You find you have once again fallen asleep feeding your baby, boobs hanging out, mouth hanging open, exhaustion, despair that you are not like ‘those’ mums.
The thing with social media is that people choose what they post. They choose the photo they upload. What you see when you see the pictures of all the amazing mums is that moment in time. You are not seeing the mounds of washing or the full kitchen sink or the moment in the middle of the night that is a bit tough. The relationship problems. All you see is that beautiful, happy picture for that moment.
A recent survey by Parents found that 79% of respondents felt that parents overshare on social media. Yet that is the type of society that we live in, that our children are being born into. Where every happy, braggable moment is posted on Facebook, tweeted or pinned for the whole world to see.
This same survey found that 67% think most parents aren’t honest on social media about the realities of parenting. The happy picture which is taken at that moment in time is, in most cases, not telling the real story. Remember this – no person or parent is perfect.
The other Phenomenon about parenting through social media, is that many people are posting looking for likes and beautiful comments – to affirm that they are really doing a great job. We all understand that there is no harder job in this world than being a parent. What happens when you do post a picture of you and baby out and about – or a milestone comment and you don’t get the affirmation that you are searching for or someone makes a comment that you don’t like? Does that also make you feel like a bad parent?
Social media is only new, and the effects it is having on our society – and people – are only just starting to be studied. For many new parents, it becomes a safe place to go to ask questions, post your baby pictures and share the milestones. For some, it becomes a place where they feel judgement, a place where they believe they are not living up to the mythical perfect parent. For children who are born in this era of social media, they already have a social profile. That is something that you, as parents, also need to be aware of.
Share on social media, be cautious not to overshare. Mix up the ‘structured’ perfect shots with the not-so-perfect. Show people you are real. Comment on other people’s photos, be positive and encouraging. If you need help, ask. It is always amazing where you will find your support community. Remember that you are creating your child’s social profile that could potentially stay with them for life.
Remember, it doesn’t matter what others are doing, the only person who matters is you. Know that you are doing the absolute best job you can and for that you are an amazing parent. You don’t need likes and comments on social media to tell you that – tell yourself – everyday!