Jo2926 - Stumbling back towards the light

[Jo2926]

Who am I?   - Jo, aged 35, 8 month old baby, in worst shape of my life! 

 

What am I trying to do? - Lose weight and get fit. I have regained all the weight I lost whilst pregnant (yes you read that correctly!) and would like to start moving back down the clothes sizes before I return to work. I also want to set a good example for my daughter. 

 

​What are my goals for this challenge? I'm not quite mentally or physically ready to jump headlong into full clean eating and exercises. I also just do not have time. I'm full time pumping to feed baby (30 mins 8 times a day) and the rest of the time I'm looking after baby and trying to maintain a house. So its baby steps for now. 

 

Quest 1 - Keep Adding the Good Stuff (4 CON 1 WIS)

Building on my success of last challenge I will drink 2l of water each day, and have some fresh fruit or veg. These were goals from last challenge and I want to keep them up. 

 

Quest 2 - Feed the Mummy (And the Freezer) (1 DEX, 2 CON 1STA)

My goal here is to eat more nutritious food, more often. The more good I eat the less opportunity there is for the bad. But time is not on my side and I often get too overwhelmed to eat properly. Poor excuse - but the truth!

 

So, for the duration of the challenge I will aim to:

1) Cook and eat one 'proper' meal per week (i.e. some sort of meat with veg)

2) Make more than I need so at least one portion goes in the freezer for next week

3) Eat one meal out of the freezer each week

4) Have the ingredients in the house for husband to make one proper meal per week. 

 

This should mean I have at least 3 good evening meals a week - a massive improvement! I'm awarding some dexterity points here - fitting it in will mean some nimble footwork around the baby and my feeding schedule which is intense, some constitution - bound to help my health, and some Stamina - because I'll need to push through and cook when I really really really want to snooze!!

 

Quest 3 - Keep on Moving (3 STA 2 STR)

I will do some kind of exercise 3 times a week - it can be anything at all as long as its actual exercise for  20mins or more. I will mainly do the bodyweight workout and walking I think - but may get inspired!!

 

Side Life Quest (1 WIS)

Meditate or fill in my journal everyday

 

Quest 2 seems the least specific - so I may decide to amend this as we get into the challenge, as I'm not really sure how I will lose this weight! I just cannot think of the right goal, which is one I know that I am emotionally and physically ready to commit to. All ideas welcome!!

 

So here goes!! 

 

Edited - to make goal 2 better :-)

[Smyrnian]

Hi Jo!

 

I really like your goals. I don't think #2 isn't specific enough, I always fail to predict how much weight exactly I'm going to lose in a certain period of time, anyway. You can be a bit more specific about #1, though. You say you'll eat fruit, but why? Instead of eating a bar of chocolate, for example? Or you don't like fruit at all and try to build a habit of eating it to get more vitamins?

 

Good luck!

[Jo2926]

Hi Smyrnian

 

I'm trying to eat fruit and veg everyday to get some nutrients - I'm breast feeding and failing to look after myself at all. I focus entirely on baby and then grab rubbish for myself. Its an amalgamation of 2 goals I had last time which worked really well for me, so want to consolidate them. 

 

i totally agree about number 2 - but can't think of anything better at the moment :-(

[Sylvaa]

Good morning (at least where I am)!

 

I don't think that maintaining your weight is a bad goal - but I think your grading scale is too strict for a nursing mother. If you want to keep a weight goal, how about give yourself an A if you maintain or lose and then decrease the letter grade based upon gaining? A C for maintaining as a nursing mom is harsh on yourself!

 

The other thing you could do is separate your first two goals into separate goals. Or have a "mommy-time" goal (related to taking care of yourself).

 

Or just have two goals. This is your challenge about making small steps to your own health - the important thing is to make changes and stick with them, not worrying about having to have three goals.

[Jo2926]

Hi Sylvaa - thanks for your words. I guess I am being harsh on myself, but was just really shocked to see how much I've put on since she was born. It brought home to me how much I'm not eating properly. 

 

I might do as you suggest - but another idea I had today was to cook one "proper" meal every week, and put a portion or 2 in the freezer for the week after. So next week I'll be able to then have two proper meals. And so on. Hopefully with changes to the food then I might stand a chance of losing/maintaing. The thought going through my mind at the moment is - unless I change something how am I ever going to loose?!

 

This week I was contemplating a large cottage pie - with loads of veg and lentils. And maybe swede/carrot mash instead of potatoes. 

[Sylvaa]

Hi Sylvaa - thanks for your words. I guess I am being harsh on myself, but was just really shocked to see how much I've put on since she was born. It brought home to me how much I'm not eating properly. 

 

I might do as you suggest - but another idea I had today was to cook one "proper" meal every week, and put a portion or 2 in the freezer for the week after. So next week I'll be able to then have two proper meals. And so on. Hopefully with changes to the food then I might stand a chance of losing/maintaing. The thought going through my mind at the moment is - unless I change something how am I ever going to loose?!

 

This week I was contemplating a large cottage pie - with loads of veg and lentils. And maybe swede/carrot mash instead of potatoes. 

 

That sounds like a great idea! I do a lot of batch cooking for my family and it really comes in handy. It's cheaper and healthier than eating out when you just don't feel like doing anything.

[Jo2926]

I used to do a lot of batch cooking - a full day once a month, but since baby I just don't have the time. So maybe this gradual step will help :-)

[Jo2926]

And we're off!

 

I'm off to a flying start (GO ME!). 

 

First day - Ate a banana on my porridge for breakfast. Double win in that its the first time in weeks I've eaten something resembling breakfast (rather than random handfuls of rubbish!

 

After lunch we went out for a walk - about half hour to the shops, wandered around, was given a free pumpkin, came home. 

 

Made sausage and mushroom bake thing with brown rice for tea. And got a small portion in the freezer. Should have been a big portion, but it was yummy so both me and hubby had a big portion for our teas :-)

 

Drank water throughout the day and filled in my journal before bed :-)

 

Pretty pleased with that

[Jo2926]

Day 2 - pretty good. 

 

Water and Fruit - TICK (play group with baby, and we have bread and fruit for snack so had lots of different tiny pieces of fruit!)

Evening meal - huge cottage pie with loads of veg, including mashed carrot and swede on top instead of potatoes and a generous portion in the freezer for next week. 

 

Also, meditation and journal on track. 

[Sylvaa]

Happy Sunday Jo!

 

How did your first week go?

[Teros]

Quest 3 - Keep on Moving (3 STA 2 STR)

I will do some kind of exercise 3 times a week - it can be anything at all as long as its actual exercise for  20mins or more. I will mainly do the bodyweight workout and walking I think - but may get inspired!!

Quest 2 seems the least specific - so I may decide to amend this as we get into the challenge, as I'm not really sure how I will lose this weight! I just cannot think of the right goal, which is one I know that I am emotionally and physically ready to commit to. All ideas welcome!!

 

Quest 2: Batch cooking is a life saver.  I make all the food for the week all at once. Less clean up and I don't have to 'think' about food at all.

 

Quest 3: My inspiration-

 

Sledgehammer workouts. (PM me if you have any questions).

 

Good luck and have fun.

[rogaecia]

Who am I?   - Jo, aged 35, 8 month old baby, in worst shape of my life! 

 

What am I trying to do? - Lose weight and get fit. I have regained all the weight I lost whilst pregnant (yes you read that correctly!) and would like to start moving back down the clothes sizes before I return to work. I also want to set a good example for my daughter. 

 

​What are my goals for this challenge? I'm not quite mentally or physically ready to jump headlong into full clean eating and exercises. I also just do not have time. I'm full time pumping to feed baby (30 mins 8 times a day) and the rest of the time I'm looking after baby and trying to maintain a house. So its baby steps for now. 

 

Quest 1 - Keep Adding the Good Stuff (4 CON 1 WIS)

Building on my success of last challenge I will drink 2l of water each day, and have some fresh fruit or veg. These were goals from last challenge and I want to keep them up. 

 

Quest 2 - Feed the Mummy (And the Freezer) (1 DEX, 2 CON 1STA)

My goal here is to eat more nutritious food, more often. The more good I eat the less opportunity there is for the bad. But time is not on my side and I often get too overwhelmed to eat properly. Poor excuse - but the truth!

 

So, for the duration of the challenge I will aim to:

1) Cook and eat one 'proper' meal per week (i.e. some sort of meat with veg)

2) Make more than I need so at least one portion goes in the freezer for next week

3) Eat one meal out of the freezer each week

4) Have the ingredients in the house for husband to make one proper meal per week. 

 

This should mean I have at least 3 good evening meals a week - a massive improvement! I'm awarding some dexterity points here - fitting it in will mean some nimble footwork around the baby and my feeding schedule which is intense, some constitution - bound to help my health, and some Stamina - because I'll need to push through and cook when I really really really want to snooze!!

 

Quest 3 - Keep on Moving (3 STA 2 STR)

I will do some kind of exercise 3 times a week - it can be anything at all as long as its actual exercise for  20mins or more. I will mainly do the bodyweight workout and walking I think - but may get inspired!!

 

Side Life Quest (1 WIS)

Meditate or fill in my journal everyday

 

Quest 2 seems the least specific - so I may decide to amend this as we get into the challenge, as I'm not really sure how I will lose this weight! I just cannot think of the right goal, which is one I know that I am emotionally and physically ready to commit to. All ideas welcome!!

 

So here goes!! 

 

Edited - to make goal 2 better :-)

Hi Jo! I'm a 32 y/o mom to an 11 month old- yay! Good to see you here! How are things going this week? You made great goals and I look forward to your updates. I hope you and your little babe are doing great  

[Sylvaa]

How's everything going? it's been a week. Are you hanging in there?