ARTICLE: THE JOURNEY SO FAR

This blog post has been 4 weeks in the making! Every single time I have sat down to write it something else has taken priority, normally Paolo, and somehow it is 4 weeks later. One of the downfalls of having a baby and being off work is that you have absolutely no concept of time. Where exactly did September go?? So over the last few weeks I have been slowly trying to adjust to my new life whilst trying to regain some normality. Here is how I have been managing so far.

I should first of all say that exercise and eating well are an incredibly important part of my life and are a big part of what makes me feel like myself. If someone called me and wanted to sign up to some training this close to having a baby I would suggest that they take a little longer before they start. There may be physical reasons for that depending on the birth but, more importantly, I wouldn’t want them to put themselves under too much extra pressure at a time when they are already going through so many changes. My training is not about weight loss or even trying to get back to full fitness, at the moment, it is simply about doing something that I enjoy for 10 minutes a day. Something just for me and I do think that is important.

Most new mums I speak to discuss the difficulties of even finishing a hot cup of tea with a newborn so I know that everyone feels the same way, we just do not get a minute to ourselves. This 10 minutes training a day is that time for me (although I wouldn’t say no to a hot cup of tea). I tend to do it in the morning if Paolo has a nap (this is a big IF) or in the evening once he is in bed. The downside to training in the evening is that by this point I am so tired, but it is the most reliable time of day. Either way I normally train in my pyjamas so there is no time wasted in getting changed and I do not work hard enough to require a shower so I do not necessarily need to worry about that if I am then heading to bed. 10 minutes of light exercise every single day, I know does not sound much but actually it really has made a difference.

Of course, I am not going to see any dramatic changes to my weight or shape doing just 10 minutes but I do feel stronger, I can see some muscle definition returning and, most importantly, I enjoy feeling like myself again. That is also the reason I have been so keen to blog again, it is something for me. It has not been without its challenges though. I think the biggest hurdle to overcome is the unpredictability of a newborn. Some days all plans are thrown well and truly out the window. If this happens though, there is no point dwelling on it, I just move on and try to have a better day the next day. That is life!

Going forward, once I feel the pelvic floor is ready, I will get back to full training. This will be a challenge as I will need to find 30 – 45 minutes 4 times a week as well as fitting in work (to any of my clients reading this I will be in touch this week). It is all a juggle and I know every single parent feels exactly the same way, so it is just about trying to find the best solution at any given time and being flexible about it. No solution is going to work long term, so I will take it week by week and see how that goes at first.

So there it is a piece of the journey so far. The exercise is, in fact, the easy part. The hard part has been the nutrition and trying to eat fruit and vegetables when tiredness makes me only want to eat bars of dairy milk! This will be the topic of my next post, hopefully winging its way to you tomorrow (although all deadlines are subject to change) and I will be giving you more details about my specific training and eating plans which I hope will help anyone trying to lose weight or get fit, baby or no baby!

Fit Bird

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Diary of a Fit Bird is written by the founder of The 4321 Method®. To find out more about our products go to:

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