Categories
The Slinky Project

Wild Flowers

Today I walked for 40mins and burnt  445 kcal. I even picked some wonderful wild flowers that are now making my kitchen sunny. I wanted to share the lovely sunshine that the flowers are giving me. Also I am pleased that I got the flowers for free!

Wild Flowers
Wild flowers that I picked on my walk today.
Flowers looking happy in the kitchen
Flowers looking happy in the kitchen

Have you managed to get something while on a walk and it made your day? Years ago I picked up 2 kids chairs that were sitting on the side of the road for council clean up (this is when the council picks up your rubbish and takes it to the tip rather than you paying for it) this was a good find as I needed 2 chairs and they twins love them and use them all the time. Let us know what you have found? Was it something useful or just a pretty bunch of flowers? Send in your comments.

 

Categories
The Slinky Project

Sun, Exercise and Swimming

Yesterday it was such a lovely day and both girls especially Julia were bugging me to take them swimming.  If I was to drive to the pool mummy would get no exercise, the kids are not ready to just leave on their own so I can do laps, so I need to supervise and I love doing that but wanted to at least have some exercise for me.  What should I do?  I know, put the kids in the pram and walk to the pool!

This sounded like a great idea but then doing it I did have moments of why the hell I did this, what a crazy lady I am! It was the hills and the fact that some areas don’t have a footpath that posed some issues. Also with the kids chanting faster, faster and so on did not help when I ran out of steam at various points, mostly with the hills and making sure I hung on downhill so not to have the pram get away from me. With the fact that the girls are bigger now, there is more weight in the pram, so if you do go down a hill no matter how small it tries to get away from you. Not good, but we managed and I think next time I do this, if I do, I will choose a different way that will hopefully be easier.

After walking for ages, we all arrived at the pool, getting in after a hot walk was wonderful. The girls were kitted out with their backboards and just loved jumping and playing in the pool. They were very independent and I only helped if they needed their goggles on or fixed and of course if they were in danger.

The girls are doing very well with their swimming since we have not been to a paid lesson for a while. Lillian was doing the strokes like freestyle and Julia was on her back and kicking very well and of course Lillian did this as well. They discovered how fun it was jumping into the water at the deep end, it was giggles, laughing and joy was had by all of us.  One lady mentioned that they need a level removed from their backboards as they are doing very well with 4, so they would need to work harder with 3. Soon they will not need it at all, and what a day that will be.

After the pool, we had to walk home, and we faced more hills and no footpaths. Oh why can’t this be easy! My body was tired and over the walk but we had to get home. I kept on thinking I did this to myself and I was crazy at deciding to walk there, I had no one else to blame but me.  All three of us ended up home but I was the only one huffing and sweating from the experience.

Just to give you an idea of what distance I travelled, here is the breakdown:

Home to Pool – 2.8kms

Pool to Post Office – 1.8kms

Post Office to home – 1.7kms

Total kms walked: 6.3kms

Have you decided to do something that sounded like a great idea and then while you were doing it you thought, why am I doing this? Am I crazy for this? I should have driven to the pool. The Slinky Project ™ is one of the reasons that I am motivated to incorporate more exercise into my day. My May deadline will be here soon, so I have to power on until then.

Send in your comments, what have you done that while you were doing it you wish you choose the simple way to get it done? I do know I will be better for it in the long run, but you cannot help think all sorts of things when things get tough and tiring when in the process or the exercise.

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

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The Slinky Project

The Slinky Project

Hi all, I have been trying to lose weight and tone up. I am not that bad but don’t feel comfortable and would feel better if I lost more weight, I suppose most people are in this boat.  It is hard with kids, study, the house to maintain and other things in your life. I know these are all just excuses and other people manage it. The issue I have is that I cannot just take a walk as I have two kids that need to come with me. I do try and put them into the pram but then it limits where you go, at the end of the day if I am walking with kids in the pram it is better than not walking, right?

So my plan is to get fit and wonderful by my birthday. Yes I have a deadline and thought I would expose it so I will get motivated to keep to my timeline, good idea right? I hope so! Now if I fail, I will fail publicly. Maybe it will help me stick to it. My birthday is in May so I have about 7 months to have a good go at it. I have a number of kilos that I would love to lose, pounds or stones depending on where you live. However I would rather just see what the outcome is and if I lose my targeted amount that is just the icing on the cake.

So I have decided to start The Slinky Project™, it is a project to get me fit, toned and by the time of my wonderful birthday next year, looking like a new and improved woman. Some might call me a yummy mummy by this stage, well I can live in hope.

To ensure success this is what I will be doing to for The Slinky Project™:

  • Try and exercise a bit each day, walking, jogging, zumba, swimming, or aqua aerobics (anything that gets me moving)
  • Lower portion size
  • Eat less meat
  • More lean protein
  • Less sugar – no treats or only on special occasions
  • Hardly any alcohol (yes I know I do like a glass of wine sometimes for dinner)
  • Will try and get up early to fit in some stretching – find this hard due to loving my sleep, but will try as need to get motivated
  • Look at more vegetarian meals and recipes, so if you have some send them in!

So this is the start of the new me, or actually a new and improved me. I am still me, just would like to have less of me if you know what I mean.  My issue is finding time to exercise all the time, hubby works late and then he does not get home till late, so I cannot just leave the kids to go off and exercise. Thank goodness for daylight saving, more daylight and hopefully more opportunity to walk in great weather.

What do you do to make sure that you have time for exercise? Does your partner or family help you? Do your kids join in with you when you exercise or do kids helping make exercise redundant?  Has having a deadline for your weight loss goals helped you? Send in your tips and tricks.

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

 

Categories
Feeling Frumpy

War On Weight

Not the answer I expected. Picture by FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Not the answer I expected. Picture by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For last week, I have cut down on portions, not eaten sweets and been upping the exercise. I know I need to do more exercise but have done more than usual recently. I decided to weigh myself on the Wii and it told me I had put on .2 of a kilo. How annoying! I am now getting angry with the weight to hopefully show it that I want it gone. There is a phrase from the film, “Groundhog Day”, that says, “Don’t drive angry“, well I am now “Getting angry with the weight”

Do you have this issue, you do more activity to then finally weigh yourself to find that you have not lost but gained.  Just upsetting to say the least. As I am getting angry about the extra kilos or pounds, I am going to get even harder on it, it’s days are numbered. I am going to go hard core, I will get up earlier and do some jogging or some type of exercise to make it leave for good.

I am getting very sick and tired of not feeling like my old self. Currently I feel dumpy, huge, uncomfortable and more. I know that I don’t look dumpy and it is just how I feel, but I do feel uncomfortable. It is interesting that when you a little overweight you can feel that it does not feel right, well I can. Not sure what others have felt like.

Maybe I need to use shakes for lunch or breakfast and just have a low calorie meal at night? Do you do meal replacements? Do they work? My fear with them is that once you are off them the weight will come back. I don’t want that to happen. I was keen on maybe doing Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers to see if they are any good, but it is the money with the food and the extras that put me off. I know how to make a meal that is fine to eat if you are dieting, however it is hard doing it with a husband that wants dinners cooked and kids to cook for as well.

Before kids I was using Lite n’ Easy, this was brilliant, I lost 10kgs, and had so much more energy. The meals were good, prepared for you and you just had to heat them up. It was great for a busy person and allowed more time for you, as no extra shopping, cooking and more time for exercise and fun. However it is the cost that factors this choice out again and it is a pity.

So now, no excuses, the war has begun. Weight you have your notice. You can leave now or the next month or so is going to be hell for you and a slow painful death – You have been warned weight!

Are you in the same boat? Do you find that you are doing the right things to have more weight pop up on the scale? I am going to plod along and just get meaner to the weight and step up activity. Also will sit down and plan more low fat, yummy meals. Do you have sure fire way to get skinny and slinky? If so send in your comments.

Why not continue the discussion on our facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/Mummy2twinsblog

Categories
3 years and beyond Feeling Frumpy

Easter Eve

As I write this I need to remember to be careful of the bunny paws on the floor, I need to go to the bathroom before I turn in for the night and don’t want to ruin them. The girls are going to be so excited and happy that the Easter Bunny came, I did threaten to call him and explain how naughty they have been. A friend on facebook has reported that the kids went to bed with the threat that she was going to email the Easter Bunny. Oh the power of chocolate treats.

The girls had a visit with their great aunt and her friend today and had a blast. They were given chocolate eggs and I have saved the others till tomorrow. Both girls were so tired after we left them in their room no sound was heard, must have just closed their eyes and fallen fast asleep. Very tired bunnies.

I hope everyone is having a good night and the excitement of tomorrow will soon be here. The Easter Bunny will come to our house for another year, and I am sure we will still have chocolate for months afterwards. It is great that the girls have such a wonderful time at Easter, however it is not good for project slinky to be surrounded by so much temptation.

I would like to be losing weight, however I feel like I am always going back and forth. I have cut down on portion sizes and I eat right, now just a matter of sticking to the exercise and doing it more regularly.

We here at mummy to twins hope that you all have a happy and safe Easter, look after yourselves and take care.

Also try and not eat too much chocolate if you can, and if you can’t see if you can walk for ages to burn it off. 🙂