Weekly Food & Fitness Plan

Hello! Happy Mother's Day to all my UK readers! I hope you have had a lovely weekend. We have had a busy one :-)

We went over to my husband's parents house Friday night so that they could babysit the little ones and we could go out with some friends. It was a much needed night out and full of belly laughs. It is a shame that we can't go out with that group more often.

On Saturday, we spent most of the day with my in-laws and had a little walk around which was unfortunately cute short when Dylan did a massive face plant and split his lip. It is so hard when little ones get injured but man when they split a lip the amount of blood is crazy. I thought for sure we'd spend the rest of the day in the hospital...but after a huge hug and a clean up he was back to his usual happy self.

Tiny Super Hero!

Today we ended up late to a friend's birthday party (whoops the clocks jumped ahead here in the UK) and I had a bit of a lie in being that it was Mother's Day and all.

I was also surprised by breakfast in bed and a box of dark chocolates...Yum!

Sorry about the flash my picture taking needs improvement!

We don't have as exciting a week planned this week but you never know some weeks just surprise you.

Food
Sunday- Duck with Risotto and Aparagus
Monday- Sausage Casserole
Tuesday- Salmon with Pasta and Sauce
Wednesday- Take Away (or something easy)
Thursday- Ham with Pineapple and Mashed Potatoes
Friday- Chicken with Veg and Rice in a Wagamama spicy Sauce
Saturday- Lamb Stew with Roasted Parsnips

Fitness
Sunday- Rest Day
Monday- Run 5k
Tuesday- Meet with Personal Trainer
Wednesday- Pilates
Thursday- Spinning & Running Club (7k...Yikes)
Friday- Rest Day
Saturday- Run 5k (or Les Mills New Release Day)

What I'm Looking Forward To- Friday Faves

Good Day! I hope you are all surviving this very cold damp Friday in March. I honestly can not believe that Spring is upon us and all most of us have to show for it is rain, cold and in some cases snow!

With a pretty busy weekend ahead of us I thought I would do my Five Friday Faves post on things that I am looking forward to...

1) Our holiday to Tenerife - We are off on an Easter holiday to Tenerife this year. At first I was a bit daunted by the fact that it is a holiday with my husband's whole family and there are going to be 6 children with us in addition to the 8 adults (can you say Chaos) but now I am definitely looking forward to getting away and getting some sun!

Aaahh!

2) Visiting my family - We are heading back to the States in August to visit my family. I am so looking forward to seeing my Mom, Dad, brother, sister, brother-in-law, auntie, uncle, cousins, etc...the list goes on and on. I also can not wait to get some Dunkin' Donuts Coffee, get on the beach, shop and have a bbq.

Very old photo from my oldest's Christening (with my brother and sister)

3) My consultation with a personal trainer - I have booked myself in to meet with a personal trainer next week to see what I can do to get more in shape, eat healthier and be more motivated. This trainer is a fitness model, certified trainer and has written on nutrition so fingers crossed she'll have some good ideas for me.

4) Buying some organisational house things - I have a list...an Ikea list and as soon as I get some time and a bit of cash set aside I am going to aim to at the very least get the boys room organised. No more 'health hazard' wardrobe. I love spring cleaning and organising but these days have very little time for it.

Ikea

5) Summer - England (in my opinion) is a cold, damp place. There are very few beautifully sunny days and those that happen generally all occur in the summer. Despite wearing the same clothes year round (yes, that includes jumpers/sweaters) I am finally able to wear a few lighter things in the summer. I also feel more like being outside and eating more fruit and veg. Ah to wear a maxi dress and have a salad outside!

What are you looking forward to these days? 

Have a good weekend and see you hopefully late Sunday with a weekly plan.

Off the Wagon

So you probably remember a few weeks back; the boys and I were sick with chest infections, sinus infections and colds. Those illnesses took over our house and our day to day lives and lasted 5 long weeks! It was at that time that I fell off my healthy eating wagon.

It was difficult to put effort into going to the shop and getting fresh ingredients. It was difficult to get up off the couch or out of bed and cook a healthy meal. All my effort went into making sure the boys were well looked after and I spent very little time or effort on my health (besides taking truck loads of paracetamol and my antibiotics). I took consolation in the fact that after we were all well again I would be back to my old ways: shopping for healthy fresh ingredients, cooking lovely meals and working out at the gym.

The working out at the gym happened. Heck, I had a race to train for I couldn't let my friend down and pull out after 1k. So I managed to get myself back out running, spinning and strengthening my core with Pilates. What didn't happen was getting back on the healthy eating wagon. I was a little lost again.

This is what I should be eating. 

I'm not going to mess around. I know what healthy ingredients are. I know how to follow a recipe and cook nice meals. I know how to organise my time. I know how to prioritise. So why the heck haven't I done it? It is a slippery slope for me, my friends. It all starts with some take-aways. Then a slice of birthday cake or two. Before you know it, I'm back to two or three pieces of jammy/buttery toast for breakfast and a large greasy pizza for my evening meal. I think it is probably laziness, but I am still in the process of trying to evaluate the 'real' reason. I am embarrassed.:-/

I won't let this fruit bowl go to waste!

So now after a couple weeks of not even keeping track of my points on Weight Watchers I feel I am at a cross roads. Do I start again? Do I try a different approach (like the Simple Start program with Weight Watchers)? Do I quit Weight Watchers and see if I can bring myself back into the realm of being healthy again using a different method?

www.weightwatchers.co.uk

I definitely am in need of some motivation. I have even approached a personal trainer with nutrition training to possibly help me out.

Have any of you ever been here? What did you do? Any suggestions for getting back on track?

Weekly Plan & Sports Relief Race Recap

Hoping everyone's Monday was good! Sorry once again that I am posting my Weekly Food & Fitness Plan a little late. I really truly thought that I was going to have it up last night but the weekend was so full of things and with my race and a date night on Sunday I was not really in the mood for a post.

This weekend was a pretty full one by our standards. On Saturday we had another 3rd birthday party at a gym with a bouncy castle and picnic lunch. It was a really nice party actually not too over the top and with just the right amount of family and friends that didn't make it overwhelming for the children. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Dylan spent most of the time running away with a little girls baby doll and jumping as high as he could manage on the bouncy castle; Francis climbed and jumped off some giant soft blocks and tried to coerce us into probably more cake than he should have had; while Dad practised his basketball hoop jumping! Ah boys! 

On Sunday morning we headed out to the Sports Relief Race. It was my first official 5k race in awhile, but it was not really what I was expecting (it wasn't even timed)...which was a bummer but it was for charity so I suppose it was pared down a bit to save on cost. The weather was awful: hail, rain, winds and some sun and the route was on a gym track so it was 12 times around for me and my friend. I am not too keen on track running as I find it very boring and sometimes lose count of the times I have been round but I kept count this time! 

I am furtherest runner on right my friend is in the black and blue!

I had my husband time me on his iPhone so my time wasn't totally accurate but I added about 30 seconds to his time and ended up with a PB of 28:30! I think even if I had added a minute it still would have been a PB as I seem to be pretty slow especially in the wind. I was really happy with the run in the end and it was my friend's first ever race so I ran back to help her finish it off. She really rocked it! 

After the run we headed home, got the boys down for a nap and I went to the gym for some Pilates. After that did some food shopping, showered and then my in-laws arrived to babysit while my husband and I went out for some Mexican! I was pretty excited about having Mexican food as they don't really have it over here. It was good but not authentic. The best part was the bartender thought my husband and I were on a first date and still at University! Yes!! Felt pretty good after that. :-)

Food: 

Sunday- Mexican (chicken fajitas, chips with salsa, cheesy jalapenos)

Monday- Soup and Toast

Tuesday- Steak Pie with Mash and Peas

Wednesday- Quiche with Salad

Thursday- Husband's choice

Friday- Take Away

Saturday- Lasagna with Salad

Fitness: 

Sunday-5k Race & Pilates

Monday- Rest

Tuesday- Swim

Wednesday- Pilates

Thursday- Spinning & Running Club (5k+)

Friday- Rest

Saturday- Run 5k

Have a nice and relaxing night! 

Fitness Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have all had a great week. Ours has definitely been a mixture of good and slightly boring due to RAIN!

So on Friday I usually do a post with my Five Faves but today in honour of my upcoming Sports Relief 5k (on Sunday...yikes) I thought I'd do my 5 Fitness Faves instead.

1) Running: At the moment I have been running on my own, with my mum's running club and with Park Run UK (on Sat mornings). I am getting into it again and it feels so good. Mind you, I am still no where near being a professional runner. A 5k is still a challenge for me, but I have seen improvement. I am getting there.

Drying in the sun after last nights running in the rain

2) Spinning: I am only able to get one spin class in a week. Even though it is so early in the morning I feel so energized after hearing that music and sweating my little heart out. <3

3) iPod Shuffle: This is the tool that keeps me going when I really really want to stop. A good playlist is a must but with out this little purple guy I would be on the couch in my pjs, not out running.

4) Pilates: This class has helped me with so many things. My abs are slowly but surely getting back to normal (post babies). I am getting stronger and more flexible. I am able to think and relax. It also helped my confidence so much when Wednesday night the instructor (different from my normal instructor) told me I was 'very fit' and looked like I had been practising pilates for ages! Honestly, I had to look around to make sure she was talking to me, but I needed that. It just goes to show that a compliment can really change a persons' day :-)

5) Wiggle on line shop: Before last year's Aquathalon I got my goggles, wetsuit and swimming cap there. However, they also sell running and biking equipment and often have great sales on. I have my eye on some new running capris!

Nike Epic Run Printed Capri

Well, that's it for this Friday. For anyone participating in Sports Relief this weekend Good Luck and Enjoy!
xx

Early Risers

This morning we were all up at the way too early time of 5 am! This was not due to an alarm being set or a date with the gym,  but because a very cheerful, wide-awake 3 year old was ready to get up and play.

Both my husband and I like a lie in (like most parents I'm sure) and obviously since having the little ones that has changed. Lie ins are rare and in fact not what they used to be (no more midday waking). I don't mind waking for the day at 6:30 am but any earlier is just not good.

A grumpy mummy is not the mummy you want to have around. Not even a full cafetiere is  going to help when you have to wake up at 5.

So what are a tired mummy and a daddy to do?

We have been back and forth on what is socially acceptable, what is actually possible and what is most sane for everyone involved and we have decided on the following solution:

Step 1: prepare two bowls of breakfast type snacks and milk to drink
Step 2: prepare the hallway and boys' room with appropriate toys
Step 3: get the tablet queued up with an age appropriate film or CBeebies

Despite having about an additional half hour or so to sleep after they are busy munching and playing. I still feel horribly guilty about leaving them to their own devices, using 'TV' as a pacifier and not being 'that mummy' who is up just before them dressed and ready to start their day with something productive like painting or a puzzle.

We have tried going to bed earlier to prepare for the early wake up but I feel that 5 am is still too early for toddlers to be up.
We have been advised on the Gro-Clock phenomenon where the clock shows the toddler that when the sun is up and the colour is yellow it is ok to get out of bed. However, our toddler has trouble listening to us never mind a clock. He would without a doubt ignore that clock and be on to his usual 5 am time to wake up mummy.

We have also tried sending them to bed a little later, but alas...

Anyone else struggling with early risers? What have you tried? 

Weekly Fitness Plan

Hello! I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Mine was pretty busy really.

On Saturday morning I woke up early and did another 5k Park Run. It was just as hard as the first time (the hills are killers) except I had some cheerleaders and got a time that was one minute better than last week :-) After the run we headed to the playground to wear out a little boy and spider-man (obviously)! Once home a friend's son came around so I could babysit. It was a full house. I had a total of 5 boys in my house (that includes my husband and the dog). I got a real good idea of what it would be like to have 3 children. However my friend's son is pretty well behaved and so maybe that made it easier than it would be ;-)

Sunday I ran down to my Pilates class and then once home we headed out to my sister-in-laws to visit. A very busy and enjoyable weekend. Hence the late weekly plan post.

I am definitely looking forward to this week because fingers crossed the expert engine mechanic will be able to fix my car and I will be back on the road again. With that said, I am not going to post a Food plan this week. I usually do a couple of shopping trips myself during the week, but since I don't know when I'll have a car again my husband has volunteered to get things as we need them. So to be honest I am not entirely sure what we'll be eating but I imagine pasta will play an important roll (husband's favourite) as will steak (as we currently have some in our freezer).

Fitness:
Sunday- Pilates & Run (to the gym and back) about 3 miles
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Swim (run to the gym and back...but with gym bag might be interesting)
Wednesday- Run 5k and/or possibly try out new pilates class
Thursday-Spin and Running Club (if I have my car back otherwise just a run)
Friday- Run 5k
Saturday- Rest as the following day I have the Sports Relief 5k Race Day!! Wish me luck ;-)

Have a great week!