Why aren’t I losing weight on a 1200 calorie diet?

If I had a dollar for every time a client has told me they’ve gone on a 1200 calorie diet and failed, I could retire! So many women believe that it’s a failure on their part. They think that they’re lazy, unmotivated or too greedy to stick to a low-calorie diet. But there’s more to this situation than you might realise.

1200 calorie diets are by definition, low in nutrients

When you restrict calories, you’re restricting nutrients. You’ll be taking in a lower amount of macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate and fat. Each of these nutrients plays a role in your overall wellbeing. 

Protein is the main building block of the body, and is needed to maintain the body’s tissues. Fat is essential for absorbing specific vitamins, as well as being vital for the production of hormones. Carbohydrate is a source of energy for the body, and often comes hand in hand with fibre, which is essential for gut health and satiety.

But you’ll also have less of an opportunity to include micronutrients. Micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts, but not consuming them can have all sorts of consequences for your health. Your immune system, digestion, metabolism and brain function all rely on micronutrients.

If you’re eating a 1200 calorie diet, it’s almost impossible to get sufficient nutrients to support optimal health. More often than not, it leads to nutrient deficiencies. And what does your body do when it’s getting low on nutrients? It sends out signals telling you to eat more!

1200 calorie diets make your body more efficient at conserving energy

We all dream of eating whatever we want and burning it all off! But 1200 calorie diets do the exact opposite. When you restrict your calories and start to lose even a little bit of weight, your body kicks in to protect you. Your thyroid hormone stops converting to an active form, so your system has to learn how to cope with less energy. 

But then when the diet ends, say you go back to what used to be your maintenance calories – the amount you used to eat that kept your weight steady. Your body takes time to adjust to an increase in calories. So you can put weight on even when you’re eating what used to be maintained for your body! 

If you are eating low calorie and not getting enough protein to maintain your muscle mass, your metabolic rate can drop even further. Put simply, dropping to low calories will teach your body to function at that level – any higher can lead to weight gain.

1200 calorie diets are unsustainable

At the end of the day, the biggest problem is that this kind of diet is just not sustainable. Only the most petite person could eat this little energy for an extended period of time without serious health consequences.

If you want to lose weight, a quick fix is not the way to go. If you aren’t willing to follow a low-calorie diet for the rest of your life, it’s not how you should lose weight! As soon as you increase your calorie intake, your weight will follow.

Instead of restricting your diet, it’s best to look to a long-term solution. You might not shed 10kg in a month. But it took you longer than that to put on the same amount of weight. Look for a way that is sustainable for the rest of your life.

Want to save time, get clarity and clear direction on the best steps for your health journey? The Busy Women’s monthly membership includes all this plus more. The membership moves you through my 5 pillars of health; Exercise Nutrition Sleep Stress Reduction Mindset.

Click here to be notified when doors open again for new members!

How Busy Mums Find Time to Workout

When I was pregnant I naively envisioned long luxurious coffee playdates, plenty of sleeping and good long workout sessions every day. I don’t know why I even thought that was going to be possible, but wow wasn’t reality different! 

I barely had time in the day to have a shower let alone good long workout sessions! I soon became completely overwhelmed as I tried to balance the idea of what a workout session should look like with the reality of what I was actually capable of achieving.

One more child later and I’ve finally found my sweet spot, so today I wanted to share with you 5 tips for fitting in a workout when you have a baby.

Letting Go of Expectations

Firstly, you need to let go of any expectations around what constitutes a workout. For most people, this ‘perfect’ workout is doing a class or going to the gym that last for the traditional 60 minutes. A workout doesn’t necessarily need to last that long, in fact research has shown that a 20 minute HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workout is a really effective cardio and strength training workout and continues to burn fat for hours after the workout. Having said that, sometimes a 20-minute workout in your day isn’t even a possibility. On those days you need to keep in mind that a 5 minute or 10-minute workout is still more than no workout at all.

Chunk Away Your Day

When you have a baby or a young child you often start the day enthusiastically with all the plans and you end the day wondering where the time went. It is much easier to find time in your day when you find small chunks. For example, if you can schedule in 5 minutes at breakfast, 5 minutes before lunch, 5 minutes before you cook dinner and 5 minutes after the baby goes to bed, that’s 20 minutes of exercise you have achieved in your day. In fact, here is a 5-minute workout for you to get you on your way: http://bit.ly/5minworkout_MumMeFitTime

Intentional Incidental exercise

Most people have heard about the term incidental exercise. This is where you are going about your everyday tasks but increasing the opportunities for movement. This could be taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car a bit further away from the shops or even doing the housework. Intentional incidental exercise takes it one step further. This is where you intentionally do some exercise during those incidental moments. For example, the children might be in the bath so you do some squats while you watch them, you might be waiting for the kettle to boil so do some push ups, you might be on hold on the phone so you do some lunges.

Turning play into a workout

When you have a baby or young child, you are guaranteed to have some form of play taking place in your day. Take advantage of these opportunities and get a little creative. Babies love being used as a weight (within reason – don’t go swinging baby like a kettlebell). Love kissing your baby? Do push ups with them underneath you and give them a kiss each time you lower down. As babies grow into toddlers and preschoolers there is even more creative fun to be had. Mum doing a plank makes a great tunnel to crawl under and active songs such as Hokey Pokey or the Macarena can be great fun to do together!

Use What You Have

A workout isn’t all about lifting weights or pushing yourself to a state of breathlessness. Use the resources that you have. For example taking your child for a walk is a fantastic way of increasing your daily movement and pushing a pram up a hill is no easy feat! Similiarly, baby swim lessons can be quite taxing on the arms and provides an excellent resistance workout as you walk/swim your child through the water. If you happen to find a spare 20 minutes in your day, here is a great little stretch video that will not only leave you feeling fantastic but will energise you to! http://bit.ly/MumMeFitTime_Stretch

At the end of the day, it is about finding a way to workout in your day that is going to fit for you. One of my favourite quote’s is “Every step I take brings me one step closer to achieving my goals”. I have no idea who wrote that quote, but I challenge you to consciously keep that in mind when you are aiming to reach your daily exercise goals.

If you would love further workouts that are easy to do at-home without the stress of packing the children in the car or finding babysitters so that you can go to the gym, then check out my Mind & Body Bootcamp. Registrations are now open for the October round.

What Is Really Holding You Back From Your Health Goals?

There are so many factors that can make or break your health goals. But in my experience, there is one main factor that will hold you back from smashing your goals.

Psst – it probably isn’t what you think!

I know what you might be thinking.

“If I could just find the perfect diet, then I’ll reach my dream weight and everything will be fine.”

Or maybe it’s:

“I just need to go to yoga 3 times a week and hit the gym twice a week, and then I’ll feel amazing and energised and make good food choices.”

As a mum, I’m sure you’ve said this one at least 5 times before:

“I’m just so busy. Once the little one is in school/the kids have settled in after the move/my teenager gets her licence, I’ll have the time to work out and cook healthy meals.”

Don’t get me wrong. All of those might help. Finding a way of eating that suits you, a workout schedule that fits your lifestyle and having more free time can make it easier to achieve any health goal you have.

But there is one vital factor missing that could still see you fail, even if you have all of the others in place.

The missing piece – Accountability!

As humans, we are pretty good at setting lofty goals. But if we’re the only ones who know about those goals, it’s easy to let them slip. Eventually, you’ll just forget that goal altogether – it’s like it never existed.

But when you are held accountable after setting a goal, your fantastic excuses for why you can’t do it flop. Instead of looking at what can hold you back, you look for solutions. 

The research agrees. Studies have shown that having a buddy to exercise with encourages regular exercise. There are similar findings when it comes to sticking to healthy eating and achieving weight loss as well.

How to be more accountable

So how can you be more accountable when it comes to your health goals? Here are 3 easy ways to stay on track with your health goals by incorporating accountability.

Team up with a friend 

Nobody likes being a no-show for their friends! If you’re meeting someone for a coffee at 8, you’re not going to slide in at 9.30 or even cancel it on a whim. You’ll show up. 

So why not use the same idea for your workouts? If your friend is at the same gym, make a weekly date for your favourite class. Or if you’re both at home with little ones, set a regular meetup and go for a brisk walk and chat around the local football oval or shopping centre.

Ask someone to keep you accountable

Don’t have any friends who are working on their healthy eating or exercise habits? You can still get a friend involved without them coming along with you. Simply set your goal, share it with your buddy, and ask them if you can check in with them regularly.

Once you’ve done that, make sure you check in, even if you don’t hit every milestone. It’s great to have someone there to celebrate with and impress, but it’s also good to have someone ask ‘why’ when you stumble. Who knows – you might even inspire them to make a change and get on board!

Get a professional on board

Health professionals like personal trainers and nutritionists aren’t just there to tell you what to do. As a PT, keeping you accountable is just as important as the training program, if not more so!

I’m there to give you a pat on the back when you do a good job. But I can also support you and troubleshoot things if you keep missing your sessions or struggling with time and motivation to complete your workouts.

If you know you are the type of person who benefits from having someone there to keep you accountable, challenge you and provide the workouts for you (so you don’t have to think), then contact me to have a chat.

How To Stay Active In School Holidays

Let’s be honest – you probably don’t want to be fit and healthy just for you (although more power to you if you do!) You want to be a great example to your kids, so they can grow up fit and healthy. 

Walking the talk and prioritising nutrition and exercise is an important part of setting the example. But it can also be a good idea to get active WITH your kids to encourage them! So I thought I’d share some of my top tips for living an active lifestyle as a family – and school holidays are a great time to start!

Plan some activities

To make your lifestyle more active, you need to make time for movement! Look for activities that the whole family can join in on. 

You might like to go to the oval and kick around a ball or play some cricket. If everyone is old enough (or you have a bike to accommodate any little ones), go for a family bike ride and take a picnic along. 

Don’t forget that even gentle movement is better than none. If you’re feeling a bit tired, head to a local farmer’s market or walk around the local park. Every step counts!

Look for weather-friendly options

Aussie weather can be unpredictable at the best of times. This can make things difficult if you don’t prepare for every eventuality! Get proactive and come up with some alternatives to your favourite activities if the weather does turn.

To give you some ideas:

• If the weather is too cold – Visit an indoor activity centre such as trampolining, laster tag or even one with a jumping castle, head to a heated swimming pool, or turn your loungeroom into an obstacle course for the kids to complete. Or you could just go for high-intensity outdoor activities, and make sure everyone is sufficiently rugged up!

• If the weather is too hot – You can head to the beach or pool in the morning, or set up some low impact activities on the deck or patio. Alternatively, just do your favourite outdoor activities early in the morning while it’s still reasonably cool, and make sure everyone has a big drink of water afterwards.

• If it’s raining – Have a dance party at home! Pop on one of my videos, and get everyone moving their bodies together. You could also set up some play activities if you have a covered deck or patio. For those of you who don’t mind a bit of ‘Baby Shark’ click here or on the video below for a workout you can try with the kids.

Make it a game

There’s a pretty good chance that your kids love to compete and make everything into a game. So you want to choose movement that lets them embrace this!

Make up some competitions or races that ‘test’ different forms of fitness, and keep track of their results so you can celebrate their progress. If your kids enjoy running, check out your local ParkRun location and take them along for a 5km jog.

Looking for inspiration? Check out your local sports store such as Rebel Sport. Many of them sell kid-friendly products you can use for games and even obstacle and backyard ropes courses!

Stuck in the Mud is always a fun game with the kids!

Take a long-term approach

You want your kids to be healthy and active for many years to come. So you don’t have to go from zero to 100 right off the bat, especially if your kids are couch potatoes or you are only starting your fitness journey yourself. Start small, and build it into a long-term habit.

Want to save time, get clarity and clear direction on the best steps for your health journey? The Busy Women’s monthly membership includes all this plus more. The membership moves you through my 5 pillars of health; Exercise Nutrition Sleep Stress Reduction Mindset.

Click here to be notified when doors open again for new members!

Which Is More Important – Nutrition or Exercise?

One of the most common questions I hear as a personal trainer is whether nutrition or exercise is more important. People often expect that I will champion exercise as the hero, given that it’s my job! But my answer might surprise you.

The short answer: both are important!

There is no ‘better than’ option. Nutrition and physical activity are the pillars of good health. If you have any goal that is related to your:

• Energy levels/fatigue

• Weight

• Body composition

• Mood

• Brain function

• Immunity

• Stress levels

• Overall wellbeing

– Then you need to address both pillars.

When you put good nutrition and exercise together, they work as a team to boost each other up. If you’re not fuelling your body, you won’t be able to move your body as effectively. A workout that is running on coffee and a croissant is probably going to be more of a struggle than one run by a balanced meal of good fats, protein and low GI carbohydrates.

The same goes for post-workout nutrition. If you’re not fuelling your body and rehydrating after a workout, your recovery will be slower. You don’t have to smash a protein shake 30 seconds after your workout like the ‘gym bros’ do. But you do want to have a nourishing high-protein snack or meal within 1-2hrs whenever possible.

But this relationship goes both ways. You might not realise it, but moving your body actually stimulates the muscles in your digestive tract. This supports the proper digestion and absorption of nutrients into your system. If you’re not physically active on a regular basis, it can lead to unpleasant digestive issues such as constipation.

So if you want to feel good and achieve your goals, you want to pay attention to nutrition and exercise. It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect 100% of the time. But you can’t out-exercise a bad diet, and you can’t out-diet a lack of physical activity. 

Sleep and stress management are also essential

The one problem with the question of nutrition vs exercise is that it excludes two other equally important pillars of good health.

You can eat the healthiest diet in the world, and have the perfect exercise regime. But if you’re getting 4hrs of broken sleep each night (sorry mums of young ones!), or you’re overwhelmed with stress, you’re still not going to be at your best.

When I work with clients, we look at all of the pillars of good health and assess where they are at. If I know where you are at, I can tailor your program to suit your state of health as well as your long-term goals. I won’t be prescribing intense exercise for someone if they are burned out or can’t sleep long enough to recover from intense exercise!

Different situations can affect how you prioritise each pillar

It might seem obvious, but your goals do influence which pillars you want to focus on. For example, if your goal is to reduce your stress levels, stress management will be a big focus. But you’d still want to tweak your sleep, exercise and nutrition to support that goal.

It can also depend on what you are capable of working on, based on the time you have free and what is achievable for you. If you only have 30 minutes free at 10.30 pm, I’m not going to tell you to do a HIIT session – it would only disrupt your sleep! I’d prefer you to prepare a healthy lunch and do a 10-minute meditation or stretch before sleeping.

Or maybe you have the flu. Exercise can be put aside while you recover, but you can still sip on chicken and veggie soup and get plenty of sleep.

Want to save time, get clarity and clear direction on the best steps for your health journey?

The Busy Women’s monthly membership includes all this plus more. The membership moves you through my 5 pillars of health; Exercise Nutrition Sleep Stress Reduction Mindset.

Click here to be notified when doors open again for new members!

How To Have Your Chocolate Bunny (And Eat It Too!)

With Easter creeping up, there seems to be chocolate lurking around every corner. If chocolate is the one treat you can’t resist, this can lead to a pile of trouble (and empty chocolate wrappers).

But you can choose to focus on taking a healthy and balanced approach to food. That’s why I’ve asked my good friend Caroline Power, dietitian and nutritional hypnotherapist, to share some tips about navigating through the holiday time. She truly believes that everyone should be able to have their chocolate and eat it too!

Why depriving yourself doesn’t work.

I don’t believe in saying no to all of the foods that you love. It’s simply not sustainable. In fact, I touched on this very subject in a blog I wrote last year about incorporating foods you love into your lifestyle. 

Why is it that saying no to your favourite foods doesn’t work? It all comes down to your unconscious mind – the mind that runs everything underneath your conscious thoughts and decisions. 

The unconscious mind works a bit differently to your conscious mind. It doesn’t understand negatives like ‘I can’t’ or ‘I shouldn’t’. 

So when you think to yourself ‘I shouldn’t eat chocolate, I shouldn’t eat chocolate, I shouldn’t eat chocolate’, what do you think your unconscious mind hears? ‘Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!’

By focusing on not eating it, you’re actually making your brain think even more about chocolate. This can become a vicious cycle of deprivation followed by binge-eating. 

How to enjoy Easter treats without going overboard 

So if depriving yourself doesn’t work, what does? You can allow yourself to enjoy your Easter treats – whether it’s chocolate or something else – without going crazy and eating a kilo in one sitting. These tips will help you to do just that.

Make your food choices consciously 

How many times have you suddenly realised you’re snacking on something – and half the bag is already gone? Many of us eat on autopilot. But you can take your power back from food by making more conscious choices.

This can mean choosing to eat something nourishing before having your chocolate. Or it could be choosing to have a small Easter egg after dinner each night until you’ve finished your chocolate stash. You can apply these same rules to the kids as well, so they’re not eating chocolate 24/7!

Understand your unconscious mind’s drivers

The unconscious mind is quite simple. It is always working towards one of two things: moving you towards pleasure and moving you away from pain. 

Chocolate has compounds in it that give us pleasure. That is why so many of us enjoy it, especially if we’re stressed out! In fact, it’s one of the quickest ways to feel better.

But if you are dying for a block of chocolate all the time, it’s time to look at how much pleasure you’re getting. How many times a day do you do something that makes YOU feel good? You might want to add in small pleasures such as going for a walk in nature or sipping a cup of tea before starting your day.

But chocolate’s comforting properties can also be a way to avoid dealing with pain. This might be emotional pain or stressful experiences. Do you reach for the chocolate after a hard day at work? Or maybe when the kids are driving you batty?

Chocolate is delicious, but it’s not magical. It can’t erase feelings like loneliness and anxiety – it can only cover it up for a few minutes. If anything, it’s likely to heap guilt on top of those emotions and make the situation worse.

Instead, try to pinpoint what it is you’re avoiding, and find a different way to deal with it. If you’re lonely, call a friend or have a cuddle with your pet. If you’re feeling anxious, focus on what you want, rather than on what could go wrong. And if it’s a build-up of stress, write down everything that is stressing you out on a piece of paper.

Enjoy your chocolate 

Finally, it’s important to actually enjoy your treats when you do have them. 

If you focus on your guilt and shame over your favourite holiday dish or that delicious chocolate you were gifted, you get nothing out of it. In fact, you’re more likely to deprive yourself in the future, then swing back to treating yourself, and continuing the cycle of emotional eating. 

But if you take your time and relish it, you’ll release more feel-good brain chemicals and experience more pleasure. You’re less likely to feel guilty, which means less ‘pain’ for the unconscious mind to run from. 

Whether you are religious or not, the holidays are about being kind and loving to people, which includes yourself. So pick your treats and then enjoy every mouthful, guilt-free. 

The best part is that when you take your time, you’re less likely to overeat and more likely to stop when you’re full rather than stuffing yourself!

Make sure to join our free community group for mums moving forward on their health and fitness journey. Support, tips, mini-challenges and motivation designed for busy mums! Join HERE.

How Long Does It Take To Transform Your Body?

A personal trainer spills…

We’ve all seen those before and after photos in the magazines. A woman decides to make a serious change and loses 10, 20 or even 50+ kilos in a short period of time. These transformations are almost addictive to look at because you imagine what could happen if you did the same.

But how long does it really take to transform your body? As a personal trainer, I’ve seen many transformations. So I thought it was time to address the time it takes to make a significant transformation.

The answer you knew was coming but didn’t want to hear

It really depends on the person. It can depend on where you start, where you want to get to, how much time you have to commit, and if you have any other complicating factors. 

A woman with 10kg to lose who can commit to 3 weekly PT sessions and is good at sticking to her nutrition plan might see progress quickly. But a woman with 10kg to lose who has 3 kids, has been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and can only commit to one exercise session per week might be waiting for a couple of months before seeing results.

That being said, I have seen clients who have dropped up to 2kg in 3 weeks with my Blitz program. For longer-term goals, I’ve had clients that have seen significant improvements in tone and definition in a 12-week program. 

What is your end goal?

One thing I always think about with the people that see rapid transformations is ‘have they thought about their end goal?’ Or have they just been focused in on hitting a specific goal, with little thought to the long term?

So whenever someone comes to me with big health and fitness goals, I will ask them what their end goal is. Is it to always be in a calorie deficit and training daily? Or is to have a life you enjoy while maintaining the body you feel comfortable in?

If your end goal is to have a sustainable lifestyle, ice-cream and chocolate aren’t the ends of the world. What you want to do is find the balance between enjoying those foods and not going overboard with them.

Everybody and everybody is different

Weight loss and replacing fat with muscle can vary from person to person. Some clients might only lose 100g a week, and some lose up to 1kg a week. 

But even if you’re only losing 100g a week, that still comes to 5.2kg over the year! A 5kg drop can be one or even two dress sizes for many women.

So how can you transform your body in a short amount of time? Well, you can’t guarantee you will. There are no safe and sustainable quick fixes. 

Instead, it’s about being consistent and showing up every day. It’s about finding the balance with nutrition and exercise vs actually having a life you enjoy. If you struggle to stay motivated, then it’s best to have a trainer on your side. We can keep you moving towards your goal, so you’ll see the results you want to achieve.

Are you looking to transform your body? 

Click here to touch base with me and let’s chat about the best way to make that happen for you.

Did You Gain Weight Overnight? Here’s Why

You’ve been sticking to your exercise and nutrition plan. But you jump on the scales and you’ve gained 1, 2 or even 3kg. But your last weigh-in was only a few days ago! What on earth happened?

The good news is that you can’t just gain 3kg of fat in 3 days. There are plenty of ways that your weight can fluctuate that aren’t to do with your fat mass. Here are a few of the most common causes of sudden weight gain.

Hormones

Ladies! If you’re not tracking your cycle, now is a good time to start. That way, you’ll know to avoid weighing yourself 2-3 days before your period starts.

Why do we gain weight before menstruating? It’s all in the hormone balance. Before your cycle starts, oestrogen and progesterone levels drop rapidly. Because these hormones control regulation of water in the body, the fluctuations cause you to hold onto more water. That’s why you feel puffy around areas like your tummy. 

This retention of water can also cause bloating in your digestive tract. While bloating isn’t actual weight gain, it can make your clothes feel even tighter. 

That being said, PMS cravings can also play a role in weight gain around your cycle. Eating a lot of salt and sugar can make you retain more water. I love to use an app called Hormonology Hormone Horoscope. It even tells me which day I am likely to want to eat all of the food.

Water retention

The balance of water is one of the most important processes in the body, with many factors altering it. If your body notices it doesn’t have enough water to do what it needs to do, it will hold onto it.

Hormones are one of the causes of water retention, but there can be other factors. Even drinking too little water or eating super-salty foods can cause us to retain water. So if you’ve munched on a family bag of chips and neglected your water intake, expect a temporary increase on the scales.

Eating too much

Food babies are a real thing! If you physically consume 1kg of food, you will weigh 1kg more – at least temporarily. This includes liquids, too. So even drinking your 2L per day can lead to a temporary 2kg weight gain. 

The good news is that this weight will vanish within a day or so. But unless you’re eating 1kg of veggies, there’s a good chance that constantly eating large volumes of food will lead to gaining fat.

Digestive issues

Is your tummy less than happy? It could be a cause of sudden weight gain. This can go two ways. If you’re constipated, you hold more waste in your digestive tract for longer, contributing to your weight. Or if you experience loose bowel movements, it can be inflammation that causes you to retain fluid.

Either way, if it’s an ongoing problem, seek help from a qualified health practitioner.

Building muscle

Ok, maybe this one doesn’t happen overnight. But building muscle is fantastic for you in the long term. Not only will strength training boost your metabolism, but it can also protect your joints and bones, support a healthy heart and balance your blood sugar levels. 

If you’ve been training regularly, building muscle can cause slow increases in weight. But because muscle takes up less room, you can still lose centimetres without losing weight! 

As you can see, none of these is about gaining fat. Most of the time, the weight you gained will vanish in a few days. Just stick to your regular exercise, eat well and drink plenty of water.

How To Set Goals You Can Smash

By this time of year, many people have given up on their resolutions. Some will just repeat the same process next year, but you want to make a real difference to your health this year. So how can you set goals that are actually achievable? Here are some tips for realistic goal-setting.

What type of goal setter are you?

There tends to be two types of people when it comes to goals. One will feel really inspired by setting big goals and stretch themselves to achieve them. But others will feel crushed if they fall short of a goal, and are better off setting smaller, more frequent goals.

Say you want to run a 10K race. If you’ve never run before but you want to push yourself, you might sign up for a 10K race in 6 months’ time. But if you’re someone who can’t bear failing at a goal, you might start with a 5K race in 6 months’ time, then work up to the 10K race in another 6 months. 

What type of goal setter are you?

Dive deep into your why

Whenever I’m goal-setting with a personal training client, we talk about why a lot. But it isn’t one simple question. We really need to get to the bottom of why you want to do something.

For example, say you want to work out 3 times per week. That’s your goal.

So I ask you why. You say you want to be healthier.

I ask you why you want to feel healthier. You tell me it’s because you’re always exhausted.

And we keep going until we get to the root of why you feel how you feel. From there, we can look at how to switch that so you feel what you want to. 

Working out 3 times each week will probably get you well on the way to feeling healthier and less exhausted, so that’s a strong reason for sticking to it. Every time you have a bad day or just don’t feel like it, you can remind yourself how exercise is going to support you feeling how you want to feel.

Why did you choose that goal?

Why did you choose that goal?

Put a timeframe on it

Have you always promised yourself that you’ll lose the stubborn weight or start putting your health first – but never done it? Most people trip up because they make these goals, but never put a deadline on it. Or maybe you say ‘I’ll do it in 3 months when things settle down’ – and then they don’t settle, so you throw another 3 months at it.

So when you set a goal, put a date on it. You can even write it down and schedule it in your diary. 

That being said – as a mum, life happens. Kids get sick, partners go away with work, and circumstances change. So you do want a bit of a buffer into your timeframe. If you know you can achieve a goal in 6 months if everything goes to plan, set the date for 9 months away just to be same! 

Break it down

If you want to transform your health, but are feeling overwhelmed, break every goal right down. That way, you can take action from day 1.

Maybe you want to walk at least 10,000 steps each day. That’s around 8km for the average person. If you’re not regularly moving your body, that might sound like a massive goal!

So break it down into goals of 2500. Go for 2500 steps or more every day for one week. Then up it to 5000 for two weeks. Then 7500 for three weeks. Finally, go for the 10,000 step mark.

The same goes for the time it takes. Working out for 3 hours a week might seem impossible with your current schedule – you barely get a toilet break to yourself! So all you do is find chunks of 10 minutes throughout the day. If you find 3 chunks every day for 6 days, you’re hitting your exercise goal!

Nikki

Looking for a program that will keep you on track and accountable with your goals? Contact me and let’s have a chat. We can look at your goals and work out the best way for you to move towards achieving your goals.

Congratulations, when is your baby due? ummm 2 years ago!

This was me last summer, my baby was 1.5yrs old.

Why do we hold more weight in our bellies after we have a baby?

I exercise frequently, in fact in that photo above I was midway through training for a 1/2 marathon, but that weight around my stomach was quite stubborn in leaving my body. Why wasn’t that weight leaving? Turns out there were many reasons why this may be so. 

Firstly, unlike other areas of your body, your tummy actually has two layers of fat (this is likely why your legs and arms appear to slim down and tone faster than your tummy). The top layer is called the subcutaneous fat and this sits on top.Subcutaneous fat stores unused calories around your waistline similiar to how your body stores fat elsewhere in your body. Your body does this in case you ever enter starvation mode and it needs to call on your fat stores to maintain life!  The underlying fat is visceral fat and this surrounds your vital organs. This is the ‘more concerning’ fat as it can cause health implications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. It can play havoc with your insulin resistance levels and can lead to more complicated health issues. It can be one of the harder lots of fat stores to lose. 

6 reasons why you are having trouble shifting excess belly fat:

Inflammation – belly fat can be associated with inflammation from eating to many processed food or foods that don’t agree with your body (think gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance etc). You may also have an unhappy digestive system – excess wind, cramps and bowel trouble can cause inflammation/bloating. 

Hormones – ever find your tummy bloats up right before your period? Hormones are one of the biggest factors in our bodies changes and hormonal disruption (such as peaks and lows of estrogen) can affect fat distribution. In some cases it could also be testosterone levels. Ladies with PCOS sometimes have trouble losing belly weight because their testosterone levels are high. 

Stress – Having too much makes it harder to lose weight, especially around your tummy. This links back to hormones, because stress creates a hormone called Cortisol. Sometimes Cortisol increases the amount of fat your body clings to and enlarges your fat cells. Some studies have found that high levels of cortisol are linked to more visceral fat. Ironically, physical stresses such as overexercising and endurance exercise can also upset cortisol balance. 

Sleep – lack of sleep creates excess stress in your body (see info above). As a mum, this is the hardest bit to hear but could also be why so many mums have difficulty shifting tummy weight when they have young children. 

Exercise – You need to do a combination of weights and cardiovascular training. There used to be an old myth that cardio training (like running) was the bees knees in terms of weight loss. Studies now show that strength training increases muscle mass. Basically muscle burns more calories than fat, and therefore you naturally burn more calories throughout the day by having more muscle. This is why HIIT workouts are really popular – it’s a combination of cardio and strength at a high intensity which creates a perfect storm of fat burning. 

Lastly, and not one we can do much about; 

Genetics – Some people are naturally predisposed to carry more fat in the belly region than others. 

Now there are some things I’ve listed here that we can’t do too much about, genetics and hormones for example. But there are things that we can take action on such as Inflammation, stress and exercise. For me personally, it took a bit of trial and error to work out what my triggers were for gaining excess weight around my belly.

This is me showing a combination of inflammation from to many processed foods, lack of strength and cardio exercise and a myriad of stress.

Also me – 2 months of strength and cardio, eating MUCH better & better stress management.

As you can see from those two photos, it took a bit of trial and error but I found out what my triggers are for retaining excess baby weight. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days (like the week before my period) where I feel all those pregnancy comments are headed my way, but now I have a much better understanding of why.

Ultimately though, I believe it is really important for you to know that you are not alone in your struggles to lose belly weight. Sometimes it may seem like you are the only person not lifting their top to take a washboard abs shot to post on social media, but seriously, you are not alone. And yes, it is embarrassing and awkward when someone comments on your belly (readers note: never assume someone is pregnant!), however I am hoping that armed with the information I have shared, you can now understand why your belly is holding excess weight, which will ultimately help you on your health and fitness journey. 

Yours in health and fitness

Nikki

PS: Want to get on top of your exercise and start to reduce some inflammation through nutritious meal plans?

My 28 Day Body Blitz program will soon be opening for registrations. It consists of workouts everyday (including 16 HIIT workouts) delivered in an ebook and via follow along videos and instructions in an app, meal plans (to help reduce inflammation), shopping lists and importantly; I am there throughout the 28 days to provide support and accountability. If you are keen to jump on board the 28 Day Body Blitz, you can find out more info HERE.

I remember the first time this happened to me. ‘Look at your beautiful baby bump!’ I felt so awkward as I stumbled a ‘oh i’m not pregnant’ reply. I don’t know who was more embarrassed!

I justified it with ‘well, I do have a slight lordosis’ (also known as swayback). For this reason, my belly has always stuck out slightly. But then it happened again a few months later. I was in a room at work with a pregnant colleague and someone walked in and said ‘Oh, I won’t sit down, I don’t want to catch being pregnant too’. Then it happened a third time, my childs swimming teacher offered her ‘congratulations’ as I climbed into the pool. I was at my rawest here, in my swimmers, clearly understanding that there was no oversized shirt or something that she was assuming was covering a bump. It was even more embarrassing as she tried to dig her way out of the awkward situation by saying she had been watching my belly grow over the last few weeks and assumed I was pregnant. No, that was just a mixture of hormones, inflammation, stress and probably the fact that I have to scoff down my breakfast right before swim lessons!

This is me showing a combination of inflammation from to many processed foods, lack of strength and cardio exercise and a myriad of stress.

Also me – 2 months of strength and cardio, eating MUCH better & better stress management.

Move Your Body & Free Your Mind

We all love a facebook memory, don’t we?  I’ve been thinking about what to write for my guest blog, so it was timely this picture taken 2 years ago popped up in my feed. It’s me lifting at the 2016 Eliekio Australian Masters Nationals, Oceania and Pacific Rim tournament

I love this photo.   It means so many things to me.  A culmination of three years training since discovering the barbell.  Testing myself in ways I never had before.  It makes me think of how strong weightlifting has made me – and not the way you’d expect.

During a heatwave in the middle of January, my second child was born.  And boy, did I feel the heat – adjusting from one child to two was really difficult.  My son was only 2, little more than a baby himself, and didn’t have the tools to understand the baby needed me more a lot of the time.

After 6 weeks, I knew I wasn’t ok.  I felt heavy all the time.  I felt trapped in the house.  I was trying to be all things to all people, and of course, I couldn’t.  I remember breaking down and crying one night, feeling like an absolute failure.  I told myself I wasn’t just a bad mum, but a bad person.

The next day I knew I had to make changes. I chose a 2 prong approach:  mind and body.  For my mind, I went to my amazing GP who referred me to an equally amazing psychologist.  For my body, I knew I needed movement.  I found a mum’s functional fitness group and went 3 times a week at first.  It felt good to move my body.  It felt good to sweat and channel all the frustration I was feeling into a healthy outlet.  Did I notice an immediate benefit?  Yes, I can honestly say I did.

Over the next few weeks, the pressure I had placed on myself to be all things to all people disappeared.  Time inside those grimy gym walls was MINE.  As I clapped the chalk on my hands, stood behind and thought just about my cues, my body, what I needed to do to get that lift, that jerk, that snatch, I felt unshackled.  In loading up my body, I freed my mind.

Lifting doesn’t just help me vent my spleen in a healthy way, it makes me feel good.  And I mean, really, REALLY good – I get those endorphins working overtime!! We live so much in our minds, it’s sometimes easy to forget we have these bodies, and they’re made to move. Some may find zen in meditation:  I find it in movement.

As an Olympic Lifter, I see health, strength and fitness come dressed up in so many different shapes, sizes, ages and abilities.  I meet everyday people and see them do extraordinary things.  I have days where the lifts just don’t go as planned, where it feels heavier and harder than normal.  Days when I question my purpose; days when I’m tired and don’t wanna.

In other words, gym-life echoes mum-life!

Working through this in the gym gives me greater capacity to get through the hard days I have as a mum.  As a weightlifter, there are times you need to be tough and just get on with it.  There are also days where you need to pick your battles, be kind to yourself, and do what you can do and finish on something you know you rock at.

I’m not saying you should all do weightlifting – even though you should, because it’s bloody awesome with proven benefits to body and mind.  But when you can, just get out and move.  Go to a space that forces you to see other people, even if it’s a nod hello.  Make yourself sweat, just a little.  Feel the muscles move.  Know how beautiful your perfect body is for all the things it does.  Balance is so important for mindset.  Walk.  Dance.  Talk to Nikki about your options 

Move your body to free your mind.

Jennifer Zeven

Jennifer Zeven is a mother of three, weightlifter and copywriter for Blurb-ology.  She lives in the Adelaide Western Suburbs, loves walking on the beach, and of course, lifting that barbell. 

Let’s Get Pelvic Floor Strong

As mums, there is no doubt that you have been told that it is important to work your pelvic floor. But do you actually do it? Maybe you have in the past but no longer do for whatever reason? Maybe you think you are too far gone and well, bladder leakage is life now right? (wrong by the way). 

What if I was to tell you that there is a secret, pleasurable benefit to strengthening your pelvic floor? If you are a bit intrigued, then read on….

What is your pelvic floor?

I know you want to get to the juicy stuff, but before we go there we need to go back to basics. What is this pelvic floor you hear so much about?

The pelvic floor refers to the sling of muscles that support the pelvic organs (bladder, bowel and uterus) and span the bottom of your pelvis. All women have a pelvic floor (and men to) and as with all muscles, if they are not worked regularly, can weaken with age. Pelvic floor weakness is not just limited to ladies who have had a baby!  The good news is that like other muscles in your body, your pelvic floor muscles can be trained and will become stronger with a regular exercise program. 

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help you with:

• Improved bladder and bowel control – think sneezing, jumping or *ahem* making it to the toilet in time

• Reduce the risk of prolapse. In women this may be felt as a bulge in the vagina or a feeling of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging or dropping

• improve recovery from childbirth and gynaecological surgery

And lastly, here is the juicy bit:

increase sexual sensation and orgasmic potential.

Ok, so now I’ve got your attention and you are reading this while secretly doing some pelvic floor exercises right?

Well, we better make sure you are doing them effectively then!

How to work your pelvic floor muscles

Check out this 5 minute video where I walk you through how to work your pelvic floor and the two basic exercises; quick flicks and long holds.

http://bit.ly/PelvicFloorBasics_MumMeFitTime

Basically you want to squeeze around your anus as if trying to stop wind, squeeze the vagina like you are trying to keep a tampon in and squeeze around the urethra as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine. All.At.The.Same.Time! What you should feel is a tightening and a lift as if you are pulling everything down there upwards.

You can do them anywhere

One of the most awesome things about doing your pelvic floor exercises is that no one can actually see you working out. This means that you can do your long holds or quick flicks wherever you like. Here are some places I sneak in a few exercises:

• While i’m supervising my kids in the bath

• When i’m stopped at a red traffic light

• During TV ad breaks

• Those LONG boring minutes of laying next to your toddler waiting for them to fall asleep

• In the line at the supermarket

• Waiting for the kettle to boil

• Watching the kids play at the park

• In bed before I go to sleep – or as a warm-up before ‘sexy’ time – haha just joking I don’t want my muscles to be too fatigued for that!

Join me for a pelvic floor workout

Now don’t get me wrong – quick flicks and long holds are super effective for working your pelvic floor but, like repeating anything over and over and over, they can get a little boring to do. So, on Thursday 7 June at 8pm (AEST), I will be doing a live video for you that includes a range of whole body exercises that you can do while working your pelvic floor! #Multitasking. Come do the workout with me or catch it on the replay: https://www.facebook.com/MumMe.Fit.Time/

I have a weak pelvic floor, what should I avoid doing?

Finally, I just wanted to draw your attention to ways you can exercise if you have identified that you have a weak pelvic floor. Whipping on a pad to go exercise is not the best way to go about it, as you are potentially doing more damage and may weaken your muscles further.

So, if you do have a weak pelvic floor, keep these tips in mind:

• Avoid high impact exercise such as skipping, running or jumping

• Lighten your weights or resistance so that you aren’t putting pressure on your pelvic floor. If you are lifting weights, aim to lift from your hips and up, rather than lifting from the floor

• Reduce the depth of your squats and lunges

• Keep your legs closer together during exercise

• Choose supported positions such as sitting on a fitball, chair or against a wall

• Avoid holding your breath. Exhale rather than breathe in when performing an exercise

• Maintain good posture

If you are keen to read more about your pelvic floor, check out http://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au or www.continence.org.au.

Until next time, get that pelvic floor strong and enjoy the benefits.

Nikki 

Ok, so now I’ve got your attention and you are reading this while secretly doing some pelvic floor exercises right?

Well, we better make sure you are doing them effectively then!

How to work your pelvic floor muscles

Check out this 5 minute video where I walk you through how to work your pelvic floor and the two basic exercises; quick flicks and long holds.

http://bit.ly/PelvicFloorBasics_MumMeFitTime

Basically you want to squeeze around your anus as if trying to stop wind, squeeze the vagina like you are trying to keep a tampon in and squeeze around the urethra as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine. All.At.The.Same.Time! What you should feel is a tightening and a lift as if you are pulling everything down there upwards.

You can do them anywhere

One of the most awesome things about doing your pelvic floor exercises is that no one can actually see you working out. This means that you can do your long holds or quick flicks wherever you like. Here are some places I sneak in a few exercises:

• While i’m supervising my kids in the bath

• When i’m stopped at a red traffic light

• During TV ad breaks

• Those LONG boring minutes of laying next to your toddler waiting for them to fall asleep

• In the line at the supermarket

• Waiting for the kettle to boil

• Watching the kids play at the park

• In bed before I go to sleep – or as a warm up before ‘sexy’ time – haha just joking I don’t want my muscles to be too fatigued for that!

Join me for a pelvic floor workout

Now don’t get me wrong – quick flicks and long holds are super effective for working your pelvic floor but, like repeating anything over and over and over, they can get a little boring to do. So, on Thursday 7 June at 8pm (AEST), I will be doing a live video for you that includes a range of whole body exercises that you can do while working your pelvic floor! #Multitasking. Come do the workout with me or catch it on the replay: https://www.facebook.com/MumMe.Fit.Time/

I have a weak pelvic floor, what should I avoid doing?

Finally, I just wanted to draw your attention to ways you can exercise if you have identified that you have a weak pelvic floor. Whipping on a pad to go exercise is not the best way to go about it, as you are potentially doing more damage and may weaken your muscles further.

So, if you do have a weak pelvic floor, keep these tips in mind:

• Avoid high impact exercise such as skipping, running or jumping

• Lighten your weights or resistance so that you aren’t putting pressure on your pelvic floor. If you are lifting weights, aim to lift from your hips and up, rather than lifting from the floor

• Reduce the depth of your squats and lunges

• Keep your legs closer together during exercise

• Choose supported positions such as sitting on a fitball, chair or against a wall

• Avoid holding your breath. Exhale rather than breathe in when performing an exercise

• Maintain good posture

If you are keen to read more about your pelvic floor, check out http://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au or www.continence.org.au.

Until next time, get that pelvic floor strong and enjoy the benefits.

Nikki 

P.S. I offer a range of tips, motivation and inspiration on all things fitness, nutrition and mindset within my FREE facebook community group. Come join me and other mums on our health and fitness journey – all mummas welcome!