My Transformation One Year On
A year ago today Danny was due....he didn't come for another 8 days, which turned out perfect as we weren't ready for him to turn up with loads of workmen in the house.
So here I am one year on.
This year has been my most challenging yet.
My gorgeous boy coming into my life,
Adapting to being a Mum
Trying to run my business and realising that my time goes so much more quickly now.
It has also been the most incredible year
Having Danny has made me realise more than ever the importance of the free stuff and my health.
It's not just me anymore, I've got this gorgeous little boy that I need to be strong for.
Physically and Mentally.
Prior to Danny coming along I dedicated my lifestyle and career to encouraging everyone to look after themselves and I 100% believe that all of the reading and advising I did of putting yourself first is what has helped me stay sane and fit.
Adapting to change is hard and we all need support and to be able to put things into perspective.
I've said much of what I'm going to say now before, but it's always good to remind ourselves of what's important.
Here are the top things I did to help me get to where I am now with my body change, stress management, health and positive mindset.
This advice is what I would recommend anyone to follow.....not just Mums wanting to get back into shape.
Over the years I’ve told all my clients to invest in themselves and to put yourself first WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY.
FIT YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK FIRST.
#1 GET MOVING CONSISTENTLY
After having Danny, when I felt ready I took responsibility to take some very small steps to moving more. When Danny was 3 ½ weeks old I did my first workout in the house. It was 20 squats and 20 hip extensions.
THAT WAS IT!
It probably took 2 minutes.
But the BIGGEST thing about this – it was a start!
I started my 30 day butt challenge and I took the smallest of steps.
There were days when I went for a walk with my new family (not many mind – the weather was terrible in January).
I did my first HIIT workout when Danny was 6 weeks old – IT WAS SO HARD!
IT was only 20mins but I did it – sensibly.
As the weeks went on I got a little routine of working out no more than 4 times per week (sometimes I’d have a complete week off )
The workouts have only ever been 12-20 mins long.
The MAIN THING is that I was CONSISTENT.
You must keep going and learn that it has to become part of your lifestyle.
I didn’t go hell for leather for a week, burn myself out, stress about not doing enough or give up all together.
I did little bits and …. kept on going.
It’s something we must all do for our health.
Whatever it is that you enjoy....DO IT!
The 12mn HIIT workouts I recommend are fab as they are short on time, but give you brilliant results FAST!
#2 Follow the ‘GOOD EATING PLAN’
The GOOD eating plan is sooooooo much better than striving to
Follow the perfect eating plan.
It means you can have your most favourite things and not feel guilty.
A big thing for me when I was getting back on track was keeping my energy up, especially in the beginning.
I was getting ALL OF THE CARBS in me.
I was having porridge in the morning with my fruit,
Simple meals like soups & stews with plenty of meat & vegetables
And…..chocolate (essential for those happy hormones too).
You can see from all my recipes the types of meals I enjoy.
For example:
Breakfast with eggs, sausages, veggies.
Lunch would be big soups with added chicken for protein and sprinklings of seeds for healthy fats
Dinners would be chilli’s, fajitas, steak etc
What I was NOT doing regularly, was the mindless eating.
Tucking in to biscuits with a coffee each day
Picking on goodies when I was fancying something sweet each day
Drinking calories through alcohol, fizzy drinks etc.
With my food all I’ve done is eat big, healthy meals with a few protein bars in between to help me with my cravings I LURVE THE CHOCOLATE!
When working on your eating plan you should be having a variety of everything....and make it easier on yourself with batch cooking. Just cook too much and there'll always be something in the fridge or freezer you can grab quickly.
Have you got a slow cooker? Do you use it?
Get this doing all the hard work for you. You should try my Chicken Fajita Style Stew we had last night
YUMSTERS!
I stayed mindful with my choices and did what I KNEW was best to help me get to my goals.
Yes – it’s easy to pig out with a take-away or enjoy an afternoon tea and from time-to-time this is absolutely fine.
If you want to reduce your body fat, lose weight and feel happier with your body you have GOT to drop the excuses.
YES – one more will harm >>> if you’re doing it all the time!!
You can still enjoy pizza, have a few drinks on a night out, eat things which are really indulgent but get straight back to healthy eating then next day.
#3 GET SUPPORT
******* This is the most important step*********
You need support in so many ways to help you get to your goals.
For me, my biggest support was my partner (Deaks) and my family.
Sometimes I needed some free time.
To get my hair coloured and cut
To have a bath or a shower which wasn’t a race against time
To have a little snooze
To sit with a coffee and a book
To be able to have my 20mins workout.
From the start me and Deaks agreed – we’re a team.
For our gorgeous boy to be happy & content, for our family to be happy we had to work together.
We chatted about our lifestyle and work commitments and looked for ways to make things work.
We share responsibilities
We have healthy meals together and chat
We do things together as a family (very often visiting the health club and working out, swimming together. It’s not for everyone but it’s what we like)
We know that things also have to change and we have to adapt
We support each other.
This does take work ( and a little bit of me saying...'WE NEED A CHAT) , but this way helped me to feel less stressed (one big thing that gets in the way of fat loss).
I could recharge my batteries so I’d have the physical energy and patience to handle my busy days.
Not once have I felt guilty about escaping the house on my own.
Yes there’s been times that I’ve had to set an alarm for 5:30am so I can get up, enjoy a coffee and my book in peace. Go down to the gym, have a workout, have a nice shower and be home by 9am, but that’s what I had to do.
I wanted to feel like ME.
Do you regularly have a chat with your partner or closest person with you?
It does take some strength to be open and vulnerable and talk about your feelings, but people aren't mind readers and rather than letting things bottle up and assuming people should know what you thinking or needing, talk.
Show Up!
I’m still very much work in progress, but following these simple steps each day will ensure I get there…..then maybe put myself through it all again for a little addition to our family.
Do you feel like you want a bit of help for you to get your body back
and start fitting into those lovely clothes in your wardrobe?
Grab your place in the 6 week plan opening tomorrow!
What would you love to achieve in 6 weeks, 6 months or even a year?
It all starts with taking one step......You've just got to take it NOW!
https://tarahammett.com/6weekbodyplan
