Being a mother, you get used to focusing on others for much of the time. We spend much of our time monitoring the health and well-being of our children, and only paying a small amount of attention to our own health. Taking a long honest look at myself in the full-length mirror recently, I realized that, pregnancy hormones and time-considerations aside, I only had myself to hold responsible. If I didn’t like what I saw (and I didn’t, with good reason) only I could do something about it. Yet what could I do, with only limited amounts of spare time and money and, as a single mom, little opportunity to go regularly to a gym?
I began by doing a lot of research into what other women have done in the same situation, and what worked for them. I subscribed to some websites, bought some eBooks, borrowed books and DVDs from the library, and talked to health and well-being professionals.
In the end, I distilled all that I had learned down to 4 key lifestyle changes, which I began doing immediately. Within two weeks of instituting these changes, I had lost 3cm off my waist and 1cm off the "mommy belly". It’s early days, but I am more than happy with the progress made, and more importantly, happy with the changes I have instituted and how they make me feel.
So, what are these 4 lifestyle changes, and why do they work?
1. Reduce portion size. The best way to begin this is to spend a few days just monitoring what you put on your plate (and in your mouth). You could be very (unpleasantly) surprised how much you actually eat. There are plenty of good nutrition guides that you can pick up, on the Internet or from your local library or bookstore, which can give you an idea as to ideal portion sizes for your gender, age and build.
2. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. These first 2 points together work hand-in-hand. By reducing portion size, yet eating more frequently, you encourage your body to burn calories more frequently and effectively, maintain a consistent blood sugar level, and avoid a feeling of hunger which is usually the prelude to bingeing on poor food choices. I’m now hardly ever really starving, and on the flip side, I’m never over-full either - I’ve even caught myself putting back some of the food I had initially served myself, as my eye becomes used to correctly judging what I’ll need to feel satisfied.
3. Focus on eating a quality protein and lots of fresh produce with every meal. Forget all the big name diets, and forget cutting out any one food group (unless you call junk food a food group). Don’t bother with expensive protein shakes, and meal replacement plans. The ease or difficulty of this step will, I guess, depend on you and your relationship with food. For me, coming from a family well versed in health and well-being, this was more about being a bit more disciplined and thoughtful about my food choices, consciously planning what I ate to ensure that there was a good balance of protein, carbohydrate and fibre with every meal. I can see that this awareness is becoming easier as the weeks go by, and is easy to maintain because I am no longer trying to make up my mind while in the I’m-starving-and-I-need-to-eat-SOMETHING state I used to be in when deciding what to eat. There are plenty of great websites, cookbooks and so on out there, which can guide you to form your own healthy eating program. A little research and planning now is going to make a lifetime of difference, as I can see already.
4. Choose an exercise program which features short-burst resistance training and intervals. The best way to reshape your body is to raise your metabolism, by increasing and maintaining lean muscle. Your body needs to maintain this muscle by burning more calories. Short burst resistance training is perfect for this, and also perfect for time-poor mothers, because you use your own body-weight and a few basic pieces of equipment to complete short complementary sets of exercises, aiming to work all the major muscle groups of the body. Once again, the Internet, the library or your local bookstore can provide you with a suitable program. A good program can be done in as little as 15 minutes a day, and be more effective than laborious hours at the gym. Best of all, it can be done at home in the privacy of your room. (No-one else needs to see your wobbly bits, until they aren’t there anymore!)
As I said, it’s early days but already I can see and feel the changes. I have more energy. I am enjoying the flavor and textures of the foods I eat. Despite the sweat and the strain, I’m enjoying the satisfaction of conquering my own limits during my workouts, and getting creative about new ways and times to fit in a quick "burn". People have commented about my general color and appearance. Waistlines in my clothes are looser, and I’m already contemplating replacing some items.
Most importantly, I can feel how these changes are becoming part of the fabric of my life, becoming new habits of living which will stand me in good stead for the future. Best of all, I think my little boy is proud of me, and I am proud to be showing him how to take responsibility for his own well-being.
