Real Inspiration #4

I have another wonderful woman who has been kind enough to share her Real Inspiration story with us :)

The lovely Megan is a fellow graphic designer who I have not actually had the pleasure of meeting in real life yet but who I know well via the online world :) You can see her business Facebook page Happy Splat Design here. She is a busy business woman and Mum of four who has taken back control of her life and hasn't looked back since. The pics below show just how 'hot' she has become! Look at that smile :)
(She even has some lovely things to say about me! Thanks hun LOL!)

Over to you Megs....


"Wow... How awesome is Jen! To be honest we have never met in real life, but we know each other through an awesome group of online girls who are all “creatives” (as we all know Jen is!). I love the Vivid blog and I get so much from the articles, they encourage me not to give up and to try and be a better me!

I’ve been one of those girls who once she had babies, just kinda never got back to the normal size. After my 3 boys I was just about where I wanted to be, but then along came baby number 4. At the start of this pregnancy I was diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) and was told to take it very easy. I think I took it a little too easy as I gained far too much weight and I was starting to get very depressed. After Josie was born, I remained quite large for about 2 years and then I decided to do something about it.

A lovely PT named Laura, really helped me to not only conquer my weight, but also helped me to completely change the lifestyle for myself and my family. Through food diaries, workout sessions and bootcamp, I managed to lose nearly 25kg in 12months. It was hard work, I was sore and sometimes felt battered, but the more exercise I did, the more I wanted to do. It not only helped me overcome my weight issue, but it also helped with my state of mind. Exercise combats depression and for me it totally chased it away! I can’t express enough how much, exercise and healthy eating has changed my life and the life of my family!

I have more energy, I can think clearer and I don’t crave as much junk as I used to. I still allow myself treats once or twice a week but I keep everything in moderation and I enjoy those treats so much more when they are “treats” and not a part of my everyday diet. As for exercise..... I love it! It helps me to keep my focus and I see it as me time! Everybody needs some me time – that way you can assess your own emotional needs and fill up where you need to and then you have more to give back to others when you  have to! (and as a Mum of 4 that’s everyday!!)."

Weakness or challenge?

A couple of weeks ago I asked the question on my Vivid Facebook page, what is your biggest weakness when it come to food?

There were many people brave and honest enough to share. I can honestly say, I too, was nodding while reading the list, being able to relate.

Here's what was said:

• CHIPS 
• Boredom..
• not wanting to waste the children's meals.. I usually end up eating their leftovers instead of making a proper meal for myself.
• SWEEEEEETS! Of any sort!! I'd happily eat chocolate instead of dinner.
• thinking I deserve it 
• feeling like I need to eat chocolate after every meal!
• cheese
• sugar. eating while my partner is away as bored at night after kids go to bed.
• thinking its ok to still eat those chips or chocolate or cakes etc because I go to the gym!!!
• i love food! 
• CHOCOLATE
• carb binge (fresh homemade bread just smells so good!!!)
• night time when working up till late. I always feel like something sweet and find it hard not to succumb to lollies or choccy. 

Now that I sit down to write about how we can overcome these hurdles, the word "weaknesses" is not sitting well with me.  It creates the assumption/belief/stigma that if we "give in" the word then transfers to us and we are 'weak'. Nope, not sitting well with me at all. 

So instead we will call these hurdles, challenges. A 'challenge', by it's very nature, isn't something that we  usually find easy to deal with, otherwise it would be downgraded to a 'task'. 

So let's come up with some strategies to take on these challenges!!! Are you game? * jen hears yells of "HELL YEAH!" coming from the crowd* ;)

TASTE. No amount of trying to convince yourself  that you in fact don't LOVE chocolate or chips or whatever it may be, will work. Having said this, I have proved myself that our taste buds and palette can in fact change. The less you have of it, the less you miss it - or at least go hunting for it numerous times a day! To avoid binges of these foods do two things. 
1. Get them out of the house. If they are not there you can't eat them.
2. Control your portions and plan when you are going to have them. They are sometimes foods for a reason. Have the treat, but plan it. Make it a smaller portion and enjoy it instead of gorging and then feeling guilty :)


YOU DESERVE YOUR OWN MEAL. Oh I know this one.... eating the kids scraps instead of a proper meal of my own. Every time I write that or say it out loud it seems ludicrous, yet it happens. So how to combat this? Prepare you own meals, and the kids', in advance so you don't get stuck invariably looking after them first and finishing of their scraps as your own meal. If you have problems with wasting food rethink the kid's portion sizes or use the food scraps for compost.


DON'T WASTE THE WORKOUT. Such a common mindset, thinking that if you went to the gym you can totally eat that mars bar/pack of chips/icecream etc. Well yes, you have worked off some calories whilst working out but unless you know exactly how many calories you have consumed that day and how many you have expended, you could be setting yourself up for weight gain instead of weight loss! These should still be sometimes foods and using them as a daily reward for your workout isn't really doing the best thing for your body. Yes, it's better than eating them and not exercising but find a happy medium. Have a treat once a week after a week's worth of workouts!


GET BUSY. Mindless, bored munching is a way to sky rocket your calorie intake without even realising it! If you are going to the pantry/fridge because you are bored find a replacement activity - in the other direction! Allow time to register whether you are actually hungry or just bored. Find something else to do. Fold some washing, clean out a draw, brush your teeth, call a friend, come and check in at VIVID, check the mail etc etc... distract yourself. If you really are hungry still, you are more likely to make a healthier choice once given this "space". Again, if the unhealthy food isn't there in the first place you can't snack on it ;)


PREPARE. Healthy living does take some organisation. My best tip to help with ALL these challenges is to have only good, whole, nutritious food in your house/workplace. Pre make lunches and snacks. Life is busy but that doesn't mean you have to give in to the pre packaged, processed way of life. Take a few extra minutes a day to air pop some popcorn instead of having chips, cut up some carrots and celery, hard boil some eggs, portion your nuts and dried fruit into seperate serve bags, make your lunch, throw together a stiry fry. 


Remember, with every challenge you concur you become STRONGER :)


Jen
xx