Posts Tagged "diet"

New Year New Body Bebe

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 4, 2011 in Gluten Free Mama, New Year New Body | 6 comments

"Cheese Little Miss" says Mummy

It’s a New Year so it well and truly is time for a New Body for Bebe! I’m participating in an online support group with quite a few gorgeous bloggers which was kicked off by the lovely Liz at Living with Kids. It’s called New Year New Body and we’re doing weekly weigh-ins (without the pressure to reveal unhappy numbers) and supporting each other through emails and Twitter. We’re managing our weight through lifestyle modifications (no diets here folks) and increasing the energy output.

The picture above was taken by Little Miss on Sunday 2 January, 2010. I’ve given her my old Nikon CoolPix to take her own pictures and she’s actually taken a few good ones. She managed to capture me when I was getting ready for the day. When I looked at this picture I was a bit shocked. I’ve never seen me with such a ROUND face! I’ve put on weight everywhere and my newly VERY short hair makes my rather round face even more noticeable. This is my BEFORE picture for you. I hope that the image in the future looks dramatically different.

As many of you know, I’ve been recently diagnosed with Coeliac Disease which means, in order for me to feel well and healthy I have to eliminate gluten from my diet. I’ve been quite sad about the prospect of a life without baguettes and pasta carbonara in their traditional forms but I’m starting to come to terms with my new diet. I’m trying to embrace it, learn about it, experiment with it and try not to think of it as deprivation but an opportunity to feel healthy and at some point look better.

I’ve been on a gluten-free diet for 3 weeks now and I think I’m finally starting to kick my wheat addiction and look forward to eating differently. I weighed myself the other day (and on Monday 3 January) and in the last 3 weeks I have managed to lose 3 pounds! Wa-hey! This is the first weight loss for me in a LONG time. In addition to the weight loss I am starting to feel better and understand just what gluten does do to me which is not good. I have a LONG way to go, however. I ultimately want to lose about 30 more pounds which would put me in very good fighting shape.

Through New Year New Body we’ll be setting goals for 6 weeks at a time. Here are my goals for these first six weeks:

• Continue educating myself about gluten-free diet and learn how to make new dishes.
• Eliminate the endless snacking that has become a Stay-at-Home-Mum crutch for me.
• Start exercising- initially, getting out and walking at least 3 days during the week for weeks 2 & 3; 4 days per week for week 4; 5 days per week for week 5 & 6.
• Dust off the Wii Balance board and Personal Trainer programme to start strength training in a motivational way.
• Look into Race For Life dates to set a goal to WALK one of the 10k events near me
• Continue to lose 1-2lbs per week = 10lb weight loss by February 14 weigh-in
• Communicate with and support the other members of New Year New Body

I’ve drawn myself a little thermometer with 1lb increments leading down to 30lbs in total. I’ll colour in the thermometer as I lose! I like visual things. These are my goals and with a little help from my gluten-free diet, a bit more flexibility in my schedule with Little Miss going to nursery 2 mornings a week later in January and a new commitment to being the best me I can be I’m hoping to succeed. I’ll let you know how it’s going along the way! Happy New Year New Body!

New Year New Body Bebe

Mummy Tummy Begone

Posted by cafebebemama on Mar 8, 2010 in Featured Posts, Mummy Tummy Begone | 33 comments

Mummy Tummy Queen

Too many pancakes?

Finding unflattering pictures of yourself isn’t the most exhilerating thing in the entire world.  However, in my quest to make my Mummy Tummy Begone, I had to find something to start with.  The first picture is from Little Miss’ first birthday week (taken on June 5, 2009) and the second picture is from 14 January, 2010 at the Lyle’s Syrup Pancake Day event in London.  It was at said event that something happened that I had been waiting for.  Someone asked me “And when’s your next one due?”  I replied, “Uh…oh, no, I’m not pregnant, I’m just fat!” and laughed a bit to make the person feel better.  I’m good at that…making people feel better.  I didn’t feel very happy, however.

I shall back-track a bit for those of you who don’t know me or my tummy very well.  When I was pregnant with Little Miss, I put on a good 3-4 stone on a frame that was already overweight.  Fish and chips had taken their toll long before Little Miss was implanted and I took full advantage of every craving, every extra muffin and every indulgence possible while she was growing.  Rude people Co-Workers asked if I was sure there weren’t twins in there and “WHEN are you due?”  So helpful and kind.

Little Miss was born by emergency c-section on 3 June, 2008 and thus began my struggle with my maladjusted mid-section.  I was amazed at how, every day after delivery, my middle shrank bit by bit…sort of like a balloon gradually deflating.  However, not long after coming home, the deflating stopped.  And that’s just about where I have stayed ever since.  Approaching 2 years is a long time to be carrying about far too much weight and having no shape.  I’ve had a bit working against me though.  My expanding middle couldn’t quite expand enough and I ended up with an umbilical hernia as well as, in my humble opinion, VERY distended abdominal muscles (diastis recti anyone?).  In my concern over my now-permanent “outie” belly button, I was referred to a consultant to see about a possible hernia operation.  I was told by said consultant, that I could have the hernia operation but it wouldn’t do anything for my abdominal muscles, if I was considering having another child there was no point in having the op and that I should lose weight.  Helpful, that consultant!  Of course, he was right I guess.  I also was referred to a physiotherapist to learn exercises to “knit” back together my abdominal muscles.  (That sounds icky doesn’t it??)

Now, here’s where the problem lies.  I was told to lose weight and do specific exercises.  Did I do it?  No.  Well, I did do the exercises for a while but then I stopped.  Did I lose weight?  Well, maybe a pound or two but then there was Christmas and then New Year’s and then Valentine’s Day and then St. David’s Day (any excuse…) and here I am.  Hopelessly out of shape, wrecked abdominals, pain, a stomach (the internal organ) that sloshes about (will it actually fall out?  I wonder!) and thoroughly deflated opinion of myself.  I must do SOMETHING.  We don’t have money for a gym or a piece of exercise equipment and time is a factor as I’m home alone with Little Miss from 8am-7pm most nights of the week so I will share with you my plan.  It’s not ideal but it will have to do.  If I share it with my blogging community, I am therefore forced to follow through on it.  Unless I delete this all! (HA)

I have approximately 12 weeks until Little Miss’ second birthday.  I have to make a dent in the me I that I am today.

• Stop eating RUBBISH!  I have a pretty carbohydate-centered diet.  Toast, Rice Krispies for breakfast, Rich Tea bisquit for snack, pasta/chips/sandwich for lunch (not all of them, either/or), Rich Tea bisquit for snack, finishing Little Miss’ dinner for her (waste not…), Dinner with hubby at 9pm or later consisting of: jacket potatoes, beans, pasta, quiche…very little veg/protein.
• Stop clearing Little Miss’ plate!
• Eat MY dinner with Little Miss and aim for a lean protein, low-GI carb & veg
• Alternate the following for exercise:  get up in the morning (6am) and go for a walk/run BEFORE the day begins and while hubby is at home for Little Miss or when hubby comes home at night go for a walk/run at the END of the day while hubby is at home for Little Miss
• Walk/RUN!  I have been inspired by Rachael at Marathon Mummy to start a bit of running.  Rachael is not a runner but she very well may be now after just completing her personal Half-Marathon training over the weekend.  I am going to start with a very simple walk 1 min/run 1 min and see what I can work myself up to in the next 12 weeks.  I have to state for the record that I HATE RUNNING and really wouldn’t consider it unless CHASED but, my tummy is about to start chasing me and I don’t want to see that!  Also, according to many who’ve done it, it’s a great fat burner and perhaps the kick in the pants that I need.  I guarantee you will not find me running any marathons or even a half-marathon any time in the near or distant future but we all need to start somewhere, don’t we?
• Find time during Little Miss’ naps to peel my ass away from the computer and do the EA Sports Active Personal Trainer programme and/or abdominal exercises.  My ass is taking on a decidedly flat appearance so I must do this.
• Get thee to a FEMALE doctor who may be able to help with my midsection and tell me, point blank, if it’s just my laziness and excess weight that is causing my abdominal pain and discomfort or something that can possibly be fixed with medical intervention in addition to proper eating, exercise and weight loss.

If I could manage to lose a pound a week over the next twelve weeks, I could make a good dent in my mummy tummy and feel a bit better about the way I look.  Then maybe, just maybe, Claire at The Good, The Bad & The Ugly could give me some fashion tips to help disguise what’s left.  I will be blogging about my progress in this category (Mummy Tummy Begone) and will keep you posted.  I’d love to feel confident enough to share my weight with you BUT I don’t know that I’m ready to share those numbers with the world.  They’re embarassing!  However, suffice it to say that if I lose 1 pound a week for the next 12 weeks, I will lose nearly a stone which will be a massive accomplishment.  A very sensible time line, for sure.

I would appreciate any tips and/or encouragement that you might want to offer as this will be an uphill battle for me.  I used to be fit and healthy and worked out all the time…of course, I worked in a fitness centre so that makes a bit of a difference!  If you’d like to join me, I’ll be making a badge to use…you can do it too!  I’d love to have a little bit of support if you’re willing.