Changes

Its amazing how things change when a little baby comes into your life.

For one thing, I never realised how precious “spare” time could be, until I had another little human being to look after, who depends on me for EVERYTHING, and how easy it is to waste time when she’s asleep, when I should be doing important things!

One really big change in my life since having Skye is my body shape. I’ve always been prone to being a “pear” shape, always storing the majority of my bodyfat on my hips and thighs. I’m still storing it there, but I’m noticing a lot more rolls around the middle – the dreaded muffin top!

At first I made excuses for myself. Hubby keeps saying to me “But you’ve just had a baby!!”… and I’m like “ummm… that was over 6 months ago!” (Bless him for loving me just the way I am, I’m very lucky to have him…)

Anyway, I've been looking at myself critically in the mirror lately, and realised that its time to get a bit more serious about my health again. The realization has been slowly creeping up on me for weeks… and now that Skye has settled down from the reflux and colic, I feel that I finally have the energy (without resorting to sugar!) to get back on track.

I’m ready to feel fit and healthy again. I’m taking it one day at a time, and being reasonable with my expectations. I'm 3kgs over my pre-pregnancy weight, however I've lost a lot of muscle so I'm not really using kilos as a goal. I need to build a bit of muscle and lose some bodyfat, so I'll be monitoring skinfolds and measurements as my main guide.

Back when I was heavily pregnant, I only suspended my gym membership until July, because I didn’t really know what the future was going to be like, so I wanted to give myself the option of going back.

I went to the gym last week and cancelled my membership. I really loved my gym – I was a constant gym-goer, almost every weekday for the last 5 years, I would be there at 5.30am ready and raring to go – it was a huge part of my life. I much prefer to train in public, because I usually push myself harder when there are other people around!

So yes I was a bit sad to cancel it, but the facts are this: we have a complete weights station at home, dumbbells, barbells, squat rack, leg extension etc, plus a cross trainer, and the benefit of living in a quiet, hilly area, perfect for outside cardio with baby + dog. We’re on one income now too, so it just makes more sense for us. I'll just have to make sure I push myself hard now that I'm training in private.

I've taken my starting measurements and drawn up a plan, –I need to be flexible, and reasonable – babies seem to have a way of throwing a spanner in the works! – but I’m feeling the fire in the belly again. I wasted no time on the weekend and did a "proper" weights session - supersets and everything, and boy am I feeling it now!

I also bought a new training diary from Ada Street Supplements in Brissie a few weeks ago (and a big plug for them – I ordered it online around lunchtime, and they delivered it to me by courier at around 5pm – THE SAME DAY!! Now that’s what I call service! They've always been good like that) - so I'm raring to go!