Category: Baby & Me


Aug
2017

Pinch, punch, it’s the first of the month!

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

Hello!

It’s the first of the month and it feels like a good time to reflect on my weight loss and my current fitness routine. So here’s what I’m thinking…

I’ve really enjoyed upping my exercise lately and for August I definitely want to continue with that. Running with my buggy is simply brilliant, trying new classes has been fun and being active more regularly throughout the week as made me feel stronger and has been an achievement in itself.

That said you can’t outrun a poor diet, and my food choices have been pretty pants lately. Although i’ve had a few good days (if you follow me on instragram you’ll recognise these days, as I get cocky and post all my healthy eats), I seem to fall off the wagon hard come the weekend – and by weekend I mean Thursday to Monday. A long weekend. So, I’m in need a month being stricter with myself when it comes to my food choices and (for all you Weight Watchers out there) I will be doing the blue dot challenge.*

Wish me luck!
Chloe x

P.S Photo includes my new food diary from Fox and Moon!

*If you follow Weight Watchers and track what you eat using the app, a ‘blue dot’ appears in your weight loss process chart if you’ve stayed within your allowance in a day. The idea of the blue dot challenge is to get as many of those dots as possible, which would mean you’ve stayed within your Weight Watchers allowance regularly. 


Jul
2017

10 things you should know about my weight loss right now

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

So, I thought I’d share a little update about my weight loss journey.

Things you should know…

1. I’m “officially” 3lbs away from goal.
2. I say the above with quotes as I missed my Weight Watchers meeting this week – the scales at home (prior to leaving for the meeting) said I had gained 3lbs. That would make me 6lbs away from goal.
3. The above sent me into a slight rage as I couldn’t understand how that happened, then I got upset with myself. I soon calmed down but missed my meeting as a result.
4. I’m not proud of what happened above but I did stay on track that day; and even went out for a buggy run. So that anger made me quite productive!
5. My daughter likes bringing me the biscuit tin.
6. Today I ate a biscuit and I liked it.
7. Weekends seem to be my downfall these days when it comes to staying on track.
8. I’m hoping to break the above habit this weekend.
9. I really hope I lose some pounds this week coming.
10. Any tips for healthy weight loss are, as always, very welcomed! How do I get to goal?!

Use the comments box below or post on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.


Jun
2017

17 signs you’re seriously obsessed with the scales

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss
  1. You want to weigh yourself after every big poo, just in case it’s a 2 pounder.
  2. The best time to step on the scales is after your morning wee and butt naked.
  3. You want to weight yourself once a week, but reality is several times a day.
  4. What the scales says can completely alter your mood.
  5. You get excited to see a new kind of scales on the market, but fear buying an expensive set will reveal how obsessed you are.
  6. Sometimes you hide your scales to stop yourself jumping on them, but you soon get them out again.
  7. Sometimes you ask someone else to hide the scales for you, then you lose your sh*t when you want them back and they won’t give in.
  8. You could talk about weight and scale fluctuations all day, every day. “One time I put on 10lbs in a day, but the next morning I was a 1lb down! Crazy”.
  9. If the number on the scales goes up your first thought is water retention or a big poo in your system, it’s hard to admit that maybe the curry and booze the night before had anything to do with the increase.
  10. When you’re in the zone you love that feeling of jumping on the scales and seeing the number go down.
  11. But the best feeling is seeing that number go down into a new stone.
  12. You stand up straight and hold your stomach in when you weigh yourself, just in case there’s some air trapped in there that might add a lb or two.
  13. If you’re not happy with the number you see, you weigh yourself again – best out of 3 eh?
  14. When you know you’ve been unhealthy you cross your fingers and pray to the scales god, before stepping on to see the damage – or if you’ve been lucky enough to get away with it.
  15. You take your Fitbit off or anything else that might weigh you down, like a hairband, before accepting the final number.
  16. You pray for the poo fairy to visit you before your ‘official’, weekly weigh in.
  17. You move the scales around the floor to find that sweet spot for success where the number is lowest – take that uneven floors.

 

Images courtesy of giphy.com and pixabay. 


May
2017

Can you walk your way to weight loss?

Categories: Baby & Me, Fitness

In this post I’d like to pay homage to walking – yes, that free and simple thing you do to get from A to B. It’s the first form of exercise I did after having a baby and it definitely helped me build my fitness, lose weight and feel better (especially when I had no idea what I was doing as a new mum).

Plus, there are a lot of other benefits for you and baby…

Walking and weight loss
Like lots of women I really struggled to walk towards the end of my pregnancy. Walking was uncomfortable, awkward and terribly slow. Once my little one arrived I thought things would go back to normal fairly quickly but that wasn’t quite the case.

I had my recommended six week check up with a doctor and was given a thumbs up to start being more active. I thought I’d give running a go (as I used to jog pre-pregancy), but that really wasn’t a good idea. It hurt a lot and definitely didn’t resemble any kind of running style I’ve ever seen before! I had to start from the beginning – step by step – and that’s when I really became obsessed with my Fitbit. Walking was my main form of exercise and even now when my weight goes up a little or stays as the same, it’s often when I haven’t walked as much.

Is 10,000 steps achievable?
The recommended number of steps to walk each day is 10,000, which may sound like a crazy amount, especially if you desk bound with work and so on. That said, I’m often surprise at how many i’ll complete just getting ready to go out and about, or if Ii’ve given the house a clean the house. If you couple that with a ‘scheduled’ walk, it doesn’t take too long to reach that 10,000 step goal.

Walking with a baby
When my daughter was small, walking with the buggy was also a good way to encourage a nap if needed and she slept really well during our walks. She’s now 2-years-old and likes to walk (run) just as much as me. Nowadays we’ll take the buggy with us as she still gets tired after a few sprints, but it’s a great excuse to get out, feel as though I’m exercising and I’m sure it helps her sleep through the night. (Which has taken us a long time to achieve!).

Plus…
Walking often can dramatically decrease how at risk you are from type 2 diabetes, a stroke and even certain types of cancers. So it really is pretty amazing. For a full list of the benefits take a peak at the NHS website.

Can you walk your way to weight loss?
Yes! I strongly believe you can and walking is definitely an underrated form of exercise. With that in mind, let’s go for a walk!


May
2017

The 80/20 weight loss method

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

In recent years I’ve heard the phrase ’80/20’ when it comes to healthy eating habits and weight loss. It’s all about being healthy for 80% of the time and I guess letting yourself off for the other 20%. I’ve struggled to come to terms with it, as surely any amount of time being unhealthy will just sabotage your weight loss efforts, won’t it? Here’s what happened when I followed the 80/20 approach to weight loss.

My weight loss following the 80/20 method
The week before last I vowed to embrace the 80/20 method and let myself indulge a little more at the weekend, but I was to eat well during the week and keep up my exercise. As usual, I got a little carried away once my ‘indulging’ time approached. I felt angry at myself for a moment and thought “why would I ‘waste’ being ‘good’ Monday to Friday, to simply gorge for a few days”. I was certain I’d hate the scales come my next weigh-in but I actually lost 1.5lbs.

Looking back on this week as a whole, my ‘bad’ days were really not that bad and I should probably spend more time reflecting on the bigger picture, to stop myself spiralling out of control*; which is what I feel like most of the time when I eat a little more than what I perceive to be a healthy amount for me (or if I have a treat food).

Less guilt, more food
One pleasant side effect of the 80/20 rule for me was the lack of guilt I felt when I did enjoy some more treats or have bigger serving size than usual. Allowing myself to be ‘off plan’ for 20% of the week felt quite liberating. Without the 80/20 mantra circling my mind, I would of beaten myself up about those extra treats until my next weigh-in. Life is too short to not enjoy the foods you love (ha, is that the piggy in me talking?) or to overly stress about it – strive for good health, everything in moderation and surely the rest will follow.

Skinny people eat chocolate, too
It has also occurred to me that there are plenty of slim people out there who drink wine and eat chocolate. This has been quite a revelation for me! It means one day I too could be slim and still enjoy that stuff, without putting on 7lbs every time someone invites me out to dinner, or if I fancy some Nutella (that stuff is so good!).

So here’s to the 80/20 rule and to being kinder on ourselves as we aim to lose weight and feel good about ourselves. It is ok to have a treat and to not stress about ‘unplanned’ treats either. There’s plenty of time to rectify any situation.

Chloe x

*Another confession
I started this post last week and as I finish it off to publish I’m very aware that I wasn’t able to go to my Weight Watchers meeting this week, and I’m pretty certain I’ve abused the whole 80/20 thing! Spiralling out of control food wise is exactly how I feel at this very moment (alongside being bloated); but this post has been good for me to re-read and I’ll approach being kinder to myself once more and get back on track. 


Apr
2017

7 weight loss confessions after reaching goal

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

Hello! It’s been a little while since I posted about my weight loss journey and I have a lot to fess up to…

1. I’ve been high and out of control on post-baby weight loss
At the end of March I reached my first major weight loss goal – my pre-baby weight. This meant I had finally lost the full 5st I had put on during pregnancy; and what’s more I had lost way more than I had anticipated in that same weigh-in – that meant I was actually under my goal. I was so delighted.

2. I bought a ton of new clothes in a smaller size
A while back I realised that I often celebrate occasions with food, so this time I made a small promise to myself to pick up some new clothes when I got to goal, instead of a piggy feast. Shopping for a smaller size was liberating (and expensive), but in the same week that I made it to goal, I was due to go out for my husband’s birthday. So I used that as an excuse to buy an outfit for the occasion.

3. I was probably at goal for a day
Only thing is, we managed to stretch out my husband’s birthDAY for a good week or so, with lots of booze and takeaways. And then it was my daughter’s second birthday, and although she’s not on the booze yet, we continued to drink and eat very, very merrily. Then it was Easter and well, because I was ‘at goal’ and now apparently invincible to weight gain, I might have got a little carried away (aka. definitely did get carried away) with Easter eggs, hot cross buns and anything edible with a bunny picture on it. I was so full of chocolate come Easter Sunday, that I had to go to bed early accompanied by a stomach ache and headache!

4. I missed my Weight Watchers meetings
While all of this was going on, I had to miss two of my Weight Watchers meetings – which is never, ever a good thing for me. The weekly meet up and weigh-in really does help me to stay on track and it gives me a much needed boost to keep going.

5. I’ve been making a ton of excuses for my piggy eating ways
I basically got to goal and fell off track hard, gorging on all the foods I know I should have just a little of. To start with it was fun, but I soon felt very sick and out of control – oh, and very spotty!

6. I really am a chocoholic
I had a feeling this may again after a month or so at being at goal, but I genuinely didn’t think I would be capable of such indulgent ways the minute I got to goal! It’s made me realised that I might have a little more work to do when it comes to my relationship with food!

7. I’m back on track
Thankfully I was able to my Weight Watchers meeting this week and I’m back to tracking what I eat, planning my meals in advance and moving more. Plus, I have a new, working Fibit after my previous one literally fell apart on me just days after getting to goal. I’m setting myself another challenge to stay at goal for at least 3 months (once I get back to goal that is). The ideal would of course be at my goal weight for the rest of my life, but the what would I blog about? Only joking, but this feels like a manageable, baby step goal to set myself as part of my maintenance journey. I’m currently 2lbs away from that pre-baby weight figure.

Until next time…


Apr
2017

If my blog had an out of office…

Categories: Baby & Me

Sorry I’ve been a little quiet since getting to goal. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and I will update you all properly very soon! Visit my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook page for more updates on my weight loss journey x


Mar
2017

I’ve reached my weight loss goal!

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

On Tuesday I went to my Weight Watchers meeting as usual, however nothing about my weight loss was usual. I had lost 4.5lbs and finally got to my pre-baby weight! I’m so thrilled. I’ve been able to fit into more and more of my before-baby wardrobe and I feel happy and relieved to be slimmer and fitter.

That said, I’m terrified that I won’t stay at goal for long. It’s my husbands birthday this weekend and he’s been extremely busy at work, so the celebration will be booze and cake heavy. I know I can indulge a little and still lose weight, but I’m still learning how to enjoy special occasions without gaining half a stone – which has happened before!

I guess, maintaining my goal weight will be a whole new weight loss adventure. I definitely need a week to get my head around this. Perhaps my next post, if I’m not crying about gaining weight, will be a review of my major learnings when it comes to eating well and exercising, alongside what I think will be important to keep up if I wish to maintain a healthy weight… hmm lots to think about.

As always, tips and advice welcomed!

 

 


Mar
2017

How to lose a pathetic 2lbs in 10 long weeks…

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

2017 started off very well. Over the festive period I managed to maintain my pre-Christmas weight and I was thrilled not to have gained. At this point I was just 4lbs away from my weight-loss goal. Being able to maintain my weight over such a busy and food-dominated time of year, gave me hope that I would reach my goal in no time. 10 weeks later and I’m still not there!

I’ve been feeling so frustrated with that fact lately, and as much as I have lost most of what I set out to lose, those last few pounds would make me so happy!

My 2017 weight loss so far
January should’ve been an easy month in theory, yet I had a bit of a binge flip towards the end of the month which meant I had lost and gained the same amount of weight. I ended Jan the same weight I was after Christmas.

February was going to prove challenging, as it’s my birthday and those closest to me know I like to celebrate the one day over a period of several weeks. It was also the birthday month of some very close friends of mine, and I thought it rude not to drink and eat my body weight in prosecco and cake. Despite all of that I did manage to lose a little bit in Feb, but that brings me to the grand total of 2.5lbs in 10 weeks.

Time to be realistic
I’m very familiar with stats that say a 1-2lb weight loss per week is healthy, so why aren’t I 10lbs pounds down? Ok, so with all the birthday fun and odd binge, it was never going to be 10lbs, but 5lbs would of been cool. Strangely, a lot of people have commented on my changing shape but i’ve not taken much notice. That was until this morning.

Changing shape and losing inches
Although my weight hasn’t changed much, I decided to try on a bridesmaid dress i’m set to wear later this year, that was too small for me in December. To my utter disbelief I could zip it up! I can’t believe it! I guess it goes to show that it’s not always about the number on the scales, dropping dress sizes can feel amazing and I do feel as though my fitness has really improved lately – which is probably due to the fact that I’m pushing a buggy when I go running these days!

So, despite staying the same weight this week and being a frustrating 2lbs aways from my goal, I will remain positive that i’m feeling strong and I have lost a few inches without truly noticing.

This little moment then lead me to raid the heap of pre-baby clothes I have stashed away – turns out I can fit into another three items that didn’t fit me last year. Wooo! (Those items are in the photo!)

Thank you
As always, if you’ve read this post – thanks very much for taking the time to do so and thank you for all the lovely comments and support you show me via my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Pages. You’re keeping my going and giving me lots of inspiration too. Also, shout out to Weight Watchers, Phil & Teds and Strong Vibes, for helping me shed almost 5st of post-baby weight.

Chloe x

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