Tag: exercise

Diet, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Food, Gym, Healthy Eating

A New Me For Christmas:Week Five

by thejoyoffive6 Comments on A New Me For Christmas:Week Five

  
I had a break from my routine last week as number four started the week with fracturing his foot and number three, four and me all had a horrible sickness bug at the end.

I tried to stay on track but didn’t want to get disheartened so I didn’t recorded my weight and just got back to it this week!

As I’m sure you are all to aware the worst thing to do when you are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan is to open the cupboard and find nothing suitable to eat, or to be out and about and not have a healthy snack to hand and find yourself stopping for a quick fix.

For me I start the week with a shopping list and have meals planned for each day.  That way I know what I’m getting and it also saves money!  

My slow cooker is an absolute saviour and 50% of my evening meals are prepared in here so there is something healthy for the whole family to enjoy. I carry a bag with things for me and the little ones to graze on such as fruit, dried fruit and oatcakes so it puts of the temptation to pick up those naughty treats when your out.

I husband has a karate tournament next week and I want to feel more confident at the after party on my dress so it will be hanging up on my bedroom door as a reminder to me to keep up the good work.

Goals

Cut down on carbs for my evening meal

Add an extra cardio session into my training 
  

Diet, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Food, Gym, Healthy Eating

A New Me For Christmas:Week Three

by thejoyoffive14 Comments on A New Me For Christmas:Week Three

  
Woohoo another 2lb down from last week.  Not really moving as fast as I would like but I know it is better to loss slowly as the weight is then more likely to stay off that way.

I have managed to stick to the healthy eating apart from a couple of little slip ups and have trained four times.

My biggest love is weight training which is a fantastic aid to weight loss.  Many women fear that using weights will leave then big and bulky.  This is not the case, in fact they a great addition to your weight loss program.

Here are some of the benefits:

  • After a weight training session your body continues to burn calories at a higher rate as building muscle increases your metabolism long term.
  • You will tone up without bulking up.  Women simply doing have the ability to gain size like men do.
  • You will create a stronger more functional body that will help you with everyday tasks such as carry the shopping and lifting the children. 
  • Increases your bone density which will help to ward offosteoporosis in years to come.
  • Prevents injuries such a back pain which I know is a big problem with women of childbearing age.
  • Lastly is makes you toned, leaner and fitter which ultimately makes for a healthier and happier you.

So next time you walk past the weight section thinking it is just for men stop and give it a try.

Week Three

Weight 10.2

BMI 23

Body Fat 25

Goals

Lose another 2lb

Try a yoga class to help with my posture

Find a LBD as my incentive to keep trying 
  

  

Diet, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Food, Gym, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized

A New Me For Christmas:Week Two

by thejoyoffive7 Comments on A New Me For Christmas:Week Two

Well I had lots of good intentions when I started my journey this week but didn’t make quite the progress I had planed for my goals this week.

Number four and I were both ill at the beginning of last week so that mixed with a change in crèche times at the gym left me with a limited time to train.

I still managed to fit in three sessions indoors.  One kettlebell session, and two tabata training sessions.


Tabata is a fantastic way to train if you are pushed for time.  You work hard for 20 secs and then rest for 10.  This process is repeated 8 times.  The exercises I chose to perform were jumping lunges, burpee jumps, mountain climbers and squat jumps.

My diet was a lot better than it has been and I only had a couple of small slip ups.  One with a Galaxy bar that was calling my name one evening, and I couldn’t resist a piece of sponge pudding with my Sunday lunch.

A typical day for me has been:

  • Porridge with raisins and a drizzle of honey
  • Bowl of raspberries
  • Chicken, rye bread and salad
  • Handful of grapes
  • Tomato based chicken curry with small portion of basmati rice

Week Two

Weight 10.4

BMI 23

Body Fat 26

Goals

Train four times this week.  Two weight training and two interval sessions.

Keep on track with healthy eating

Cut down on caffeine

Fill in food diary everyday

Diet, Exercise, Fitness, Gym, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized

A New Me For Christmas:Week One

by thejoyoffive16 Comments on A New Me For Christmas:Week One

As a personal trainer by trade it has taken me a while to pluck up the courage and write this post.

Since baby number five I have had a really bad relationship with food and have not yet got back to anywhere near my pre pregnancy weight.  I’m still training as that will always be a passion of mine, but you can never out train a bad diet.

I had issues with food through my teenage years and still cant shake the feast or famine approach I have to eating sometimes.

I wrote a post about holiday weight gain a couple of weeks back and have finally this week got back to the normally of the school run and am going to get myself back into a healthy eating regime and exercise plan.

As I said this is a hard post to write as I’m really unhappy with my body image at the moment and it’s all due to my lack of self discipline that I’m eager to get back.   Hopefully by tracking my weight, body fat and measurements I will get myself back on track and inspire others to do the same.

Each week I will post my goals for the week ahead, a picture so that I can see physical changes and how I have done with my weights and measurements.

By putting it out their for you all to see I hope this will give me the motivation I need and let you see regardless of your occupation we are all human and sometimes we go off track but it’s possible for anyone to go and be the best that possibly can be!

Week One

Weight – 10.6 Stone

BMI – 23

Body Fat – 28.5

Goals

At least 4lbs weight loss

Interval train at least three times

Cut out all refined sugars and wheat.  Both of which have a negative affect on me.

Complete a food diary everyday

Cut down on caffeine
  

Diet, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Food, Healthy Eating

The Overindulgence Of The Summer Holidays 

by thejoyoffive9 Comments on The Overindulgence Of The Summer Holidays 


Every summer I tell myself the same thing.  Get up early to train before the kids are up, keep your healthy eating regime going, keep treats to a minnimum.  Every year this falls by the wayside and I end up losing fitness and gaining more than a few pounds!!


The word ‘holiday’ just sends me into relaxation mode and that would be fine if I had a couple of weeks of indulgence, but seven whole weeks is way to much and I am beginning to suffer from it in many ways!


My clothes are all that bit tighter, my skin has become dull and grey and I’m now lacking that get up and go I have when I’m following my usual routine.

The piles of meat at BBQs, gallons of ice cream and trays of cream teas all washed down with a few glasses of Pimms have had me reaching for help with acid indigestion on more than one occasion.


It is back to the routine of school next week which means I can get things back on track with a bit of help from my personal trainer hubby.


I shall be donning my boxing gloves, crying at the burpee jumps and sinking a whole lot of smothies to get me back into tip top shape.


If you fancy following me on this journey I will be posting a weekly diet and exercise plan and charting my progress as I go.  Keep an eye out for next weeks first post.
  

Art Galleries, Cafes, Cakes, Carshalton, Children, Crafts, Education, Families, Family Life, Food, Holidays, Honeywood Museum, Imagination Play, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Parents, Surrey

Rainy Summer Holiday Trips In Surrey

by thejoyoffive18 Comments on Rainy Summer Holiday Trips In Surrey

I knew that my post on outdoor summer days in Surrey was tempting fate, and I was right!  A few days later we  have horrendous torrential rain.

For me a bit of rain never puts me off getting outside and to be honest all the places such as farms are empty which I love!  Unfortunately though even I have to give in sometimes and settle for indoor activities instead.

I’ve listed a few of my favourites for you here:

Mother Kitty’s

  

If you have under fives, nestled at the top of Rickman Hill in Coulsdon is a wonderful little softplay and vintage tea rooms called Mother Kitty’s perfect to relax and have a cup of tea whilst you watch the little ones play.

   
 

The soft play is only sutiable for under 5’s but I bring my older ones along as they are more than happy to sit and have a drink whist making use of the free wifi!!

  
If the weather holds out then there is a large park and playground that is great to have a run around in too.

Airhop

  

If you want your older ones to let off some steam and get away from their games consoles, Airhop is a fantastic place to visit.

Over 4’s can bounce around to their hearts content on the many trampolines, foam pits and basketball areas.

  
You need to book your hours session online and they do get full very quickly, so make sure you book well before your intended visit.

Little Street

I have only visited this fantastic place once, and it completely blew me away.  

The name says it all and once inside Little Street really is a mini town for your little ones to play to their hearts content.

   
 

They can do their shopping in the supermarket, go to the hairdressers, visit the doctors, pop to the cafe, drive up and down the street, work on the construction site and lots more.

   
   

This is a refreshing change to your run of the mill soft play area which I loved playing in as much as the kids.

   
 

You book your hours slot online as numbers are restricted to ensure your child can play in the best environment.

I couldn’t recommend this place more.  Really is a fantastic trip.

Honeywood Museum

We came across the Honeywood Museum last year after years of visiting Carshalton and were pleasantly surprised.

The entry is free and they simply ask for a donation as you leave.  The house is fasinating to explore and you can pick up question sheets from the front desk that the children can fill in as you walk around.

   
 
They put on regular craft sessions for the children that mine really loved taking part in.

I would suggest checking out their Facebook page to see what events they have going on before taking a visit.

  
Kidspace

Kidspace is a mega softplay area along the Purley Way in Croydon.

With a large age range in children places like this can sometimes be tricky for me, but this cover all ages for me.

There is a smaller area with a sensory play section, mini trampolines, climbing areas and slides that is sutiable for the little ones.

  
  
The main area homes a huge area that they can climb and slide around, a big ball shooting area, go carts and climbing walls.

   
   

It is more expensive than most soft plays, but it is worth the money.  

They have a lovely cafe serving hot and cold food that is a great addition to a great soft play.

The Lightbox

I love art and love to find places that the children can explore the arts in a fun yet educating way.

The Lightbox in Woking, Surrey is a small gallery perfect for children.  They  regularly change their exhibitions and always have something to capture the thoughts of little minds.

   

They have a craft room where they can get hands on and create their own masterpieces with the help of the lovely staff.

   
 

There is a all cafe serving a small selection of snacks and some wonderful homemade cakes.  Theses can be enjoyed in the beautiful garden to the front of the gallery of the weather is good.
I hope you have found something here that your children would love to visit; I would love to hear what you think.

  

  

  

Antenatal Exercise, Exercise, Pregnancy

Exercise In Pregnancy Was A Must For Me

by thejoyoffive28 Comments on Exercise In Pregnancy Was A Must For Me

  
Exercise in pregnancy is a much talked about subject with many pros and cons and lots of contrasting information being thrown around.

During my first pregnancy I had very little information on the benefits of exercise and just followed the age old rule of eating for two and putting your feet up.  I gained quite a lot of weight and had a seventeen hour labour which resulted in a forceps and ventouse delivery.

With my second and third I was much more careful with my diet, swam a few times a week and walked regularly.  These deliveries were a lot shorter and were much more straightforward with little pain relief.

I was convinced that keeping active during pregnancy was a factor in this and from here I grew a passion for the subject and went back to college to retrain as a personal trainer specialising in pre and antenatal exercise.

I found the training fascinating and went on to open my own personal training company geared towards mummy’s and mummy’s to be.

During this time I have had another two children with great pregnancies and good labours.  I even managed to have a water birth with my last which is not normally allowed as there are higher risks with your fifth labour.

Here are few benefits of keeping fit and healthy whist carrying your precious cargo.

Smaller Weight Gain

Let’s face it one of the things we all dread during pregnancy is putting on to much weight.  You should not be training to lose weight during this time but keeping it stable during your pregnancy will make it much easier to get back into shape after the birth.

Keeps Your Enery levels Up

Pregnancy can really take its toll on you and the last thing you probably want to do is get up and start jumping yourself around, but even twenty minutes of raising your heart rate can give you a real burst of energy for the rest of the day.

Less Likely To Need Intervention During Labour

You are 75% less likely to need the use of forceps and 55% less likely to have to have an episiotomy; which lets face it we would all rather avoid.

Give You the Energy To Get Through Labour

I’m sure if you signed yourself up for a marathon you would never think about going into it with no training.  Well labour is called that for a reason.  It’s a long hard slog that takes both mental and physical energy.  You need the strength to get yourself through it.

Keep Those Happy Hormones Flowing

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happy!  What could you need more when you’ve had a hard day and things are taking there toll.

Reduce The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes

Your can reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes by up to 27%.  This is a condition during pregnancy that can cause problems for both mother and baby; so if it can be avoided by getting up and exercising a little everyday it is so worth it.

To me exercise is as important during your pregnancy as your midwife check ups and antenatal classes.  It offers so much that it really shouldn’t be over looked.

If you are already a regular exerciser then it is fine to continue your usual routine and for those of you that are not active it’s never to late.  It’s not advisable to start a new exercise program whilst pregnant but gentle exercise such a walking and swimming are completely fine and if nothing else give you some much needed me time.