Tuesday 27 September 2011

The most important meal of the day!

What a hectic weekend!  Had a huge weekend of catching up with lots of family which has led to a very tired, cranky and demanding 2 year old, hence the lateness for this weeks post.  Not a good weigh in on Sunday - up 500g :(  I had a week off counting calories and was getting into the housewifey role a little bit too much and enjoyed some baking and socialising.  So I wasn't at all surprised to see I had put on weight.  It's kind of ironic I was more disappointed with my 500g weight loss last week than I was to see I had put on this week. 
I'm back using my calorie tracker this week and so far have had a great couple of days of training with Bodypump, Bodycombat, outside walk and treadmill intervals already.  My big focus this week is eating clean and trying to get a little bit more protein as I will be teaching Bodypump 3 days in a row later in the week :S  And I'm still trying to fight off a cold so I've got my fridge stocked with lots of fruit.  Loving the price of strawberries at the moment!!
Over the next few weeks I want to share with you some of my favourite meals and snacks, starting with the most important meal of the day - Breakfast.  We all know we shouldn't skip breakfast and I think it's extremely important as a new mother to start the day off with a healthy, nutritious meal.  I try to aim for a good mix of carbs and proteins to give me energy and keep me feeling full (so I can't hear the biccy tin calling to me).  I also think it's important to lead by example for my children and get them used to eating healthy, regular meals. 

Some of my all time favourite breakfasts are:
*  Omelette - I always use 1 full egg, 2 egg whites, a bit of low fat soy milk, a sprinkling of low fat cheddar cheese and then whatever vegies I have available (capsicum, onion, corn kernals, spinach etc)
*  Scrambled eggs with 1 slice Soy and Linseed bread
*  Oats with a tablespoon of LSA mix (linseed, sunflower seeds and almond) and a Protein drink
*  Protein drink and 1 slice of Soy and Linseed bread with either almond and cashew spread or cottage cheese
*  Weight watchers bacon, egg and 1 slice Soy and Linseed bread
I always start my day with a cup of green tea also and enjoy it even more if I can drag myself out of bed before everyone else and spend 10 minutes each morning with my green tea and online shopping checking my emails. 
So if you don't have breakfast every day set yourself the challenge to have it every day for the next 2 weeks.  I know as a new mum it can be hard to find the time (especially if you have other children, school, work etc) but as the sun is starting to rise earlier it makes it a bit easier to get up 10mins earlier to include a simple meal, such as toast. 
If breakfast is already the most important meal of your day I would love to hear what is your favourite breaky :)

Monday 19 September 2011

Tabata Training

I'm a bit late with my blog this week, we have a household of coughing and runny noses :(  I was very slack on Sunday and didn't do any of the planning for the week.  I did weigh in though and I've lost 500g which is what I'm aiming for each week to reach my goal by Chrissy time. 
I spent 5 minutes this morning at breakfast planning our meals for the week and my training plan so I'm back on track.  Although I am fighting off a cold so I'll be taking it a bit easier this week.  We've been loading up on strawberries.  At around $2 a punnet, 70 calories and more vitamin C than oranges, they are a definate winner!

One of the training sessions I did last week is called 'Tabata Training'.  This is something I have used with my clients ALOT.  It's a high intensity workout with minimal recovery time.  Basically you work for 20secs and recover for 10secs and continue this for 4 mins.  I will either choose one exercise ie squats and do for 8 rounds (4 mins) or choose 2 exercises ie dips and leg extensions and alternate each round.  I met up with a few of my clients for a mini training session on the riverbank on Saturday morning and we did a bodyweight Tabata session, no equipment required.  The workout we did was:
Set 1 - Squats
Set 2 - Burpees
Set 3 - Crunches
Set 4 - Lunges
Set 5 - Pushups
Set 6 - Dips and Leg Extensions (Abs)
Set 7 - Mountain Climbers and Hovers
Each set was 4 mins and we had a minute recovery between sets.  The training with Tabata is endless.  Any exercise you can think of, you can train this way.  Including cardio machines, weight machines and free weights.  The above workout is great if you don't have a gym membership as it can all be done in your lounge room.  And if you have little kiddies, get them involved.  My 2 year old LOVES exercising with me.  She does squats, burpees, pushups, crunches - pretty much whatever I am doing she'll attempt it too.  I have a Tabata time application on my iPhone which sets off an alarm for the start and end of each 20 second round so you don't have to watch the clock.  If you search 'Tabata Timer' there will be a huge list and the free ones are just as good as the paid applications. 
Give this workout a go this week and let me know if you include Tabata in your regular training schedule.  Have a great week everyone and train hard ;)

Thursday 15 September 2011

Back on the stage.

Well it's mid week wrap up time.  Had a great start to the week with the highlight so far taking part in the Bodypump launch Tuesday night at the gym I work at. 

I stopped teaching pump before I fell pregnant as I wanted to spend more time on my personal training business but I continued to attend pump classes and it was always a top priority once I fell pregnant to try and do one class a week.  During my pregnancy I loved doing weight/resistance workouts as I felt like I was getting a really good workout without raising my heartrate too high.  And now I'm not pregnant and trying to lose this stubborn baby weight I am trying to do at least 2 pump classes a week.  When I first started teaching Bodypump I couldn't believe how much it changed my shape!!  The numbers on the scales didn't change but people were asking if I had lost weight.  I really, really, really do believe it is one of THE best workouts to help get you in shape, obviously along with clean eating. 
But if you don't have a gym membership, or your gym doesn't have Bodypump classes you can still achieve some great results by doing your own resistance workouts.  I think it's important to include 2 resistance sessions to your weekly workouts and the best thing about it is you don't need expensive equipment and gym memberships to do them.  Your body is the best piece of training equipment you can learn to use - squats, pushups, lunges, hovers, dips, crunches - just to name a few of the many exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home.  There are many different ways you can train ie working for a set time, set number of reps and sets and one of my favourites is Tabata training.  I will go into more detail on this next week ;)
Unfortunately yesterday and today I am fighting off the cold that my 2 year old is kindly sharing throughout our household :(  I only did a low intensity session yesterday and today I had an unplanned rest day.  I did struggle with my decision to not train this afternoon (Bodypump class was on the plan) but as I am breastfeeding I can't take any medications and limited vitamins to help me fight off a cold and I really don't want to get any worse if I can help it.  So a day off training was the best choice and I'm going to get stuck into lots of water and fruit over the next few days. 
My other big achievement this week was finishing off my spring clean of my workout clothes ie Lorna Jane, and everything is sorted and organised again now. 

But I must admit I really didn't get rid of that much gear.  A girl can never have too much LJ right?  Although my husband might not agree with that.
Have a great rest of the week everyone and before the week is out see if you can get in 1 resistance training session :)

Sunday 11 September 2011

And we have a loss (phew)

Well weigh in this morning and pleased to see a 600g loss.  Was on track for a better loss but I did have a hens night last night which involved dinner out and some drinks.  I knew well in advance that I was going to be heading out Saturday night so that was my 'cheat' meal for the week.  And when we hit the dance floor I stayed on for some of those dodgy pub songs to burn just a few extra calories (who am I kidding, I stayed cause I haven't been out dancing with the girls in forever!).
My goals for September are:
* lose 2kg bodyfat
* Bodypump twice/week
* Train 5 days/week
* Increase Pump weights in Squats, Back and Triceps
* Run 3km
I have been keeping my training plan for the week and managed to train 5 days, 2 of those days were Bodypump classes.  I have also been doing the Couch to 5km iPhone application and have just currently completed week 4.  I also increased my squat weight this week and definately felt it the next day.  So I have had a great week in regards to working towards each goal. 
I can't stress how useful I find having a training schedule.  On a Sunday night I take 5mins to sit down and work out what I will be doing for the week.  As I go the gym a couple of times a week for classes I always put those workouts in first and then work the rest of the week around that.  On Saturday I slept in and wasn't really feeling like training but when I looked at my schedule and saw I already had my workout planned I just thought "suck it up and do it" and of course I felt a million times better afterwards.
So all up I'm fairly happy with the week.  Had a few hurdles to overcome with the hens night, Brett going away for work for the day and Bella getting sick (resulting in 4 of us sleeping in the bed at one stage).  My actual training for last week was:
Monday - Bodypump (gym)
Tuesday - AM Bodycombat (home)
                PM Treadmill C25K
Wednesday - Rest Day
Thursday - Bodypump (gym)
Friday - Combat challenge and weights
             Treadmill C25K
Saturday - Treadmill C25K and 2 rounds of 75 squats and 30 pushups
My aim this week is to start walking my dog a few mornings a week and making the most of this perfect weather.  Please share with me how your week was (weigh in and training). 
I'll leave you all with a photo of my main 'chore' this week.  As I said in my last entry I was off to spring clean the workout gear aka Lorna Jane clothes, and have only got halfway through the tops at this stage (and I think I've only managed to throw out 2).  This is the before shot and hopefully by the time I do my next post I will have a well organised after shot:

Wednesday 7 September 2011

So far, so good!

Well things are looking heaps better this week so far.  Ok I admit I have given in and sneakily jumped on the scales and was glad to see a loss (I'm not telling how much, you'll have to wait a few more days for that).  Just have to keep on track until Sunday but hoping for a good week.  I've managed to keep my calories pretty much in line every day so far.  Was over by about 80cals yesterday but I did wake up starving and with a headache so by listening to my body I knew I needed to up them just a little bit. 
I don't recommend counting calories all the time as it can become very time consuming but I think it is great to do it for a week or two to get back on track and just remind yourself of how quickly those little calories add up.  I have often used http://www.calorieking.com.au/ to track calories as I find being an Australian site it is always accurate and quite easy to search for foods.  However I don't get to my laptop as much as I used to and when I feed Brandon I am usually using that time on my iPhone to check the all important things, like facebook and emails (note to self - MUST hide the credit card bill from Brett, online shopping emails are bad!! Good, but bad!!).  I have found it much easier and convenient to track my calories on my iPhone.  I have trialed a few calorie couting apps before and found them to be not as convenient as they are usually American but I downloaded a few new ones I hadn't seen before to try and am loving 'Calorie Counter by Fatsecret'.  It has all the Aussie foods (including alot of Coles and Woolworths brands) and you can even scan/key in barcodes to save time searching for the right product. 
I had a great day of training Monday and Tuesday.  Even managed to get 2 workouts in on Tuesday (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).  Loving the treadmill we purchased just before Brandon was born as it makes it really easy to get on there when I can keep the kids distracted.  I managed 30mins of intervals by pulling out the play dough for Bella to play with and putting Brandon in his bouncer beside me while he was sleeping.  Luckily from day 1 that boy has been able to sleep through any noise as I need to run with the music pumping!  I had an unplanned rest day yesterday as Brett flew to Brissy for the day so I had no alone time from 6am-9pm and I was out all day also.  Unfortunately on some days I know that the children do have to be a priority and training may just get missed - occasionally. 
Each week I am aiming to do 1 new workout, 1 mini workout (usually before or after doing treadmill intervals) and also cook 1 new meal.  I will share these with you so feel free to include them in your workouts and meal plans.  My new meal was Chicken and Corn pie (didn't think to take a photo, still getting used to this blogging business) and was quite yummy and filling at around 300cals/slice.  My mini workout this week which I have planned to do on the weekend is 75 squats and 30 pushups - 2 rounds. 
Well I'm off now to spring clean through my Lorna Jane clothes.  Hhmmm I wonder if I will throw anything out....

Sunday 4 September 2011

Prepped, pumped and ready to go!

What a week!  So I know I said Monday was going to be weigh in day but I was a bit sneaky this morning and jumped on the scales and EEEKKK exactly the same, no loss, nil, nada, zip :(  Let me just say there were a few choice words said and I think I sulked for about a good hour (Brett may say it was a few more hours).  Then I snapped out of it, had a reality check and pulled out my trusty little notebook and laptop. 
When it comes to training I always like to have plans in place and have purchased numerous notebooks throughout the last 15 years or so to help me do this.  And since becoming a personal trainer I have found planning to be even more important in helping clients to achieve their goals.  I had planned my workouts for last week and let me tell you I had a FANTASTIC training week!  6 hours of exercise in total, 2 days of burning 800+ calories and I trained 5 days for the week.  So if it wasn't my training that let me down it was only one other thing - NUTRITION.  I had been tracking my calories for MOST of the week and sticking to around 2000 calories/day (I'm allowing myself an extra 500 calories as I'm breastfeeding).  I will admit I did stop tracking come Friday and Saturday and of course that's when I started to slip.  So there's nothing I can do about it now and there's no point in dwelling on the negatives.  So once I finished sulking I pulled out the tape measure, the scales (again) and the camera.  Weight, bodyfat, BMI, measurements and photos are done, my training schedule has been planned, goals have been set and I'm in the process of completing my 'Inspiration Board'. 
My morning of prep work

My goals - Long term and short term


My Training Schedule for this week

I have decided to change my weigh in day to Sunday for numerous reasons.  The first is it's easier for me to find the time Sunday to update my blog with my latest weigh and entry as Monday is daycare day for my 2 year old so I'm usually busy shopping for shoes groceries and spending quality time with my friends son.  The other is for years and years during my "try every possible fad diet" stage the diet would always start on a Monday (and yes my male flatmate would roll around on the floor laughing hysterically when my best friend and I would be consuming copious amounts of chocolate and ice cream on a Sunday night saying "the diet starts tomorrow", EVERY SUNDAY).  Just for the record this was years before I became a personal trainer and realised that DIET is a dirty word.  So Monday is always such a cliche day to weigh in and put so much emphasis on staying on track.  Weekends tend to be the time when I can slip up too so by weighing in right in the middle of the weekend I know I'll stay on track.  I live by the mantra of not dieting, but eating clean and try to follow the 80/20 rule of being good 80% of the time.  I will admit sometimes it may be 70/30. 
So needless to say the calories have been religiously tracked today (this week aiming for 1750/day) and at 8pm I'm sitting on 1540 calories and am about to have a protein shake on water to finish the day.  I do have to be mindful of not dropping too low as it will affect my milk supply so it's going to take me a week or 2 to find out my magic number of how many calories I can consume to maintain a weekly weightloss of 500g.  So week 1 not the exact result I was hoping for but better than a gain.  I did find after having Bella I struggled to lose the weight at the start.  I hate the saying that breastfeeding helps you lose weight.  Yes you're body does burn more calories with the effort made to supply milk but it puts the thought in my head of being able to eat whatever and whenever I want.  But I know some mum's say the weight just dropped off them while breastfeeding.  I would love to hear how some of you have found the breastfeeding/losing weight situation.