This article shows just how important it is to get moving if you have children. What we do as a Mum has a direct link to how active, and therefore healthy our children are. 

BBC news article - Activity levels in mums and children 'directly linked'.

Going to get off the sofa now...

The past two weeks have been a bit frustrating. My chest infection came back and my laptop expired temporarily. These two 'blockers' have suspended all fitness goals and blogging activity. It's been a bit of enforced downtime but now I'm back and hoping to pick up where I left off. 

When I last wrote I'd planned a week of exercise and hoped to gain a bit of fitness after my rubbish start to 2014. Well, needless to say that didn't happen, instead I got diagnosed with asthma and was prescribed with inhalers and yet more antibiotics. I need to sort my health out, there's no two ways about it. I am more motivated than before about getting fit for the long term. Now I really have to get healthy - asthma is no joke - I think I only have it mildly but I guess it could become life limiting if I don't prioritise my fitness. 

This isn't my most exciting blog, I realise that. It's more of a place holder. I'm back to record how I find the time to be a fit and healthy Mum (my goal). I hope my journey might interest others who, like me, haven't always put their health and fitness first. 

Number 5. 

A really busy weekend has reiterated how hard it can be for Mums to achieve fitness. My boys are becoming more and more demanding, needing to be entertained all the time. They have energy levels that I find unbelievably hard to keep up with. I certainly don’t feel fit enough to be in the toddler zone and today I feel a bit depressed about that. After two months of moderate illness, I feel wheezy and a bit tubby. My legs ache when I walk up the stairs and I don’t really like what I see in the mirror. So, today I have decided I need to take action.

I’ve been focussing on how much I weigh and how cakey my muffin top looks. I think a better approach is to measure how fit I am and how far I can run. My mood is also a good indicator. If I feel lethargic and grumpy, I know that my mind is out of shape, as well as my body. I need to remind myself that fitness is achievable for Mums and getting out of breath climbing the stairs is not acceptable at 34. Before I know it I’ll be another year older and a few pounds heavier. So, I have to quit moaning and stop making excuses. A touch of tiredness can be overcome with a brisk walk and I need to prioritise. It doesn’t matter if the toys aren’t put away, they’ll only get them out again tomorrow.

My action plan for this week looks a bit like this and I think most mothers can achieve this, even with mad toddlers and a full time job to contend with.

Monday

Up at 6am – Lunges, squats, press ups and burpees
Evening 7.30pm - Exercise DVD once the children are in bed and husband is swim training.

Tuesday

Up at 6am – Lunges, crunches, plank, squats.
Lunchtime - 12pm – brisk 3km walk with a colleague.

Wednesday

Evening 7.30pm – Gym – 3 machine circuit to include interval training on the bike, the treadmill and the cross trainer, for 45 minutes.

Thursday

Up at 6am – Lunges, squats, press ups.
Lunchtime – 12pm – Run with colleague, approx. 3 km.

Friday

Take the boys for a long walk.
Evening 7.30pm – Pilates or other fitness DVD.

Saturday

Run – time tbc.

Sunday

Run – time tbc.

Posting this in Body in Bloom affords a certain level of obligation to carry it through. I will post updates every day and, without boring the socks off you lovely people, will post changes in my vital statistics. Maybe it will motivate someone else to aim for fitness, not just a slimmer bod.

Watch this space.

‘Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.’
Jim Ryan

With the WHO advising we cut our sugar intake in half, what are the alternatives?

Cutting out sugar entirely is quite full on but if the likes of Dr. Robert Lustig and David Gillespie are to believed, it is the only way to halt the progress of the obesity epidemic. 



Read on to see what you can and can't eat on a low or no sugar diet.

For sweetening or snacking:

• Stevia – a plant based sweetener, available in supermarkets
• Fruit
• Rice Malt syrup – harder to come by but can be used in baking
• Coconut – healthy, tasty, fills you up due to the MUFA’s (monounsaturated fatty acids, which are healthy fats) it contains.
  

What contains sugar (fructose) and how much can you safely eat?

• Fruit - Fruit contains stacks of fibre, so you can eat it happy in the knowledge that your body can cope with it and won’t turn it straight into fatty deposits. However, if you are trying to lose weight stick to 2-3 portions per day and try to stick to berries and citrus. Bananas, whilst nutrient rich are very sugary. Don’t drink fruit smoothies or fruit juice. The fibre has been removed by the pressing or pulping process so your insulin levels will spike and the sugar will be converted to fat.
• Drinks - Stick to milk, water, teas and coffee. Any flavoured drink will contain sugar or sweetener (which is better but not brilliant for your health)
• Stodge - Avoid all baked goods such as biscuits, cakes pastries, crisps etc or just treat yourself now and again. This depends on your willpower though. Sugar is addictive so once you start on the Hobnob you might not be able to stop at one. Plus, one of the aforementioned tasty treat contains 3.5 grams of sugar.
• Bread – Bread contains added sugar, so either swap to rye bread or look for a bread that doesn’t have added sugar (Allinson and Vogel don’t add sugar to some of their varieties). Again, if you are trying to lose weight cut back on bread altogether or just have it in the mornings. 
• White pasta, rice, cous cous – all refined carbohydrates contain sugar, so cut back on these products. They are the staples of most people’s diet but they can be swapped for healthier alternatives such as quinoa, bulgar wheat, lentils, sweet potatoes, brown or wild rice. It might take a while to get used to it but your health will prosper.
  

Of course this strict approach to eliminating sugar isn’t for everyone. If you would rather just reduce it, then that’s fine too. Just cut out juices, sugary cereals, and sweet snacks and your body will thank you. The occasional treat is also allowed (see my post yesterday regarding scone intake) – don’t forget life is quite short and a life without the odd biscuit is not worth living.

Read more about the recommendations in The Guardian and on the BBC news website.

I had a random day off work today, on my own, child free. I used to feel guilty about leaving the boys in nursery while I had a day off, but now I relish it. I don't feel that I have to justify myself any more. I need me time and this is the only way I can get it! 

So, my plan was to spend some time writing, to go to the gym to do some interval training and do a workout DVD. What did I end up doing for the majority of the day? I went to B&Q and Tesco, I went for a coffee and a scone (eating the scone was a complete accident), I tidied up the house and popped to the doctors surgery to try and make some appointments. These mostly mundane jobs, apart from the very necessary cafe stop, took far too long and all of a sudden my ideal day was out the window. So, to get back on track I braved a run.

This year started pretty dismally as I had laryngitis, followed by a chest infection and a bruised rib. My running plans have been put on hold, just at a time when I needed the runners high the most. Like many people, I find deepest darkest winter depressing and relentlessly crap. I had to stop exercise altogether for some time but have been easing back into things for a few weeks, as you can see from this blog. I do think that running is the perfect way for Mums to achieve their fitness goals, as you can chuck your trainers on wherever and whenever and pound the pavement. For some reason I've been a bit nervous about running again after being ill and going into a state of winter slow-down. I was scared that it might be very hard. 

So, I just did it this afternoon. I knew that I would get a good dose of endorphins and would be motivated to get back into a running programme if I took the first step. It was an easy 20 minute jog but I enjoyed getting out in the early spring sunshine and moving my body. It really wasn't as hard as I'd thought it might be.

I think that being a busy Mum means you need some time out sometimes. My children mean everything to me, I think they're wonderful, but to appreciate all of that you need to spend the occasional day alone and do something that is important to you, whether that's running, swimming, walking, shopping or just eating scones in a cafe.