weight loss

Yes You Can Lose Your Pregnancy Weight!

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Yes you can lose your pregnancy weight cover

With each of my five full term pregnancies I gained 25-30 kgs! (55-66 lbs).

With my last pregnancy with Willow I gained just as much even though I was eating reasonably healthy foods. I didn’t gain much in the first and second trimesters but by the third trimester I really stacked on the kilos. I was really hungry and I let myself eat and eat without giving it much thought. I usually lost 5 kilograms by the time I came home for hospital (baby, placenta, fluid) and then a long road was before me as I slowly lost the weight I had gained.

But over the years I have learned some things about weight loss. Sometimes it was really hard. Sometimes I had great successes. Sometimes I couldn’t be bothered and was tired and emotional and gained a few kilos back. Sometimes I just ate too much because…well, I love food!

As I had these experiences I learned what worked. I observed other people who had too, been successful with weight loss. I took note and wrote a lot of information down.

I discovered dessert in a whole new way! I have now learned how to make all my old favorites in a nourishing way using whole food ingredients. As I lost weight I ate pancakes, carrot cake, choc chip cookies and brownies! Making desserts into healthier creations has helped keep me be happy, healthy and satisfied while the kilos came off.

Last year all I had learned about weight loss got written down…

…and became a book!!

And…I am very very excited. The moment I have been waiting for over a year for is here!

My brand new e-book is now online and available for you to download!!!

It is a step by step guide for your own postpartum weight loss journey! And anyone would benefit from this book, not just mothers.

If you are wanting to lose weight but you need a bit of cheering on. I will be your weight loss coach as you read the pages of this book you will be cheered and encouraged along the way!

I share the secrets of people who are successful with losing weight and keeping it off.

I share how to overcome problems people face and how not to regain weight.

Yes You Can Lose Your Pregnancy Weight is not a diet plan but a book to give mothers some encouragement to get healthy and kick out some bad habits.

I also have included 10 of my own recipes which helped me have success in my postpartum weight loss. As well as a full weekly meal plan to help kick start your weight loss.

Click HERE to get my new e-book Yes You Can Lose Your Pregnancy Weight

 

Yes you can lose your pregnancy weight cover

One Week Of What I Ate For Lunch Trim Healthy Mama Style.

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Lunch for me most days is salad of some sort or leftovers. It’s summer here right now, but in the winter I eat soup, soup and more soup! I eat wheat free because of a food intolerance so these meals reflect that. I also try to avoid refined sugar as much as I can, but I don’t eat perfect all the time at all! These meals are all trim healthy mama friendly, though, I’m not following THM strictly anymore because I’m at a healthy weight and I don’t really keep track of whether my meals are E, S or XO anymore. I just eat what I feel like on the day and what I have on hand in the house. If we go out for the day I usually bring a packed salad with hard boiled eggs. Or a tin of salmon and beans or tuna and beans.

1st picture is of leftover brown rice with leftover roast chicken. I had a large salad of baby cucumbers, capsicum, avocado, sprouts, baby spinach and sprinkled with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I usually top all my salads with extra virgin olive oil and sometimes lemon juice too. Sometimes I have mayo. I put sea salt and pepper on everything…well not everything. 

2nd pic of a quinoa, chickpea and pumpkin salad with some basil and baby spinach leaves. Also some I was trying out my mums pickled beetroot recipe and had a little of that.

3rd pic is of leftover lemon herb drummies (from the THM cookbook) with a salad and some leftover pumpkin and chick pea salad. Looks like I had a few slices of metwurst too.

4th pic is my fav, paleo bread ( this was from one of Lola Berry’s cookbooks) with cabbage, carrot, parsley, red onions and hard boiled eggs. This was my birthday lunch shared with my parents who came to visit that day.

5th pic is zucchini noodles with leftover bolognese sauce. I grated a little goat cheese over the top. I eat completely dairy free apart from a little goat cheese occasionally.

6th pic is a salad with some chickpeas and seeds for protein.

7th pic is pumpkin and chickpea salad with tin salmon and beetroot, red onion and greens.

If I’m still hungry after lunch or feel like something sweet I’ll have a few squares of dark chocolate or some coconut yoghurt and fruit. Sometimes a medjool date or two if I have some.

That’s it! One week view of my lunches. These meals keep me feeling healthy and give me a huge energy burst and are great for digestion. They don’t take me long to prepare either. If you have any questions about any of the lunches or the way I eat leave me a comment.

Blessings, Peta

You may also like to read: One Week Of What I Ate For Breakfast Trim Healthy Mama Style.

 

 

 

Vlog – Day In The Life Of Us and What I Eat In A Day To Maintain My Weight Loss.

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In this video:

What I eat in a day to maintain my postpartum weight loss.

Come with me for my bike ride and see a day in the life of us including seeing the aftermath of baby Willow eating her tea. Also see a little of our family devotion time and family worship.

Blessings, Peta 

One Week Of What I Ate For Breakfast Trim Healthy Mama Style.

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Should I lose another 2 or so kilograms? I’ve reached the point in my postpartum weight loss where I’m happy with my weight. I’m at a healthy weight. I’m fitting into all my size 10 jeans with room to move. But 4 years ago I was even lighter than I am now by around 4kgs. It was after I had removed gluten and dairy from my diet because of a whole heap of digestive issues I was having. My body responded to the diet change with a rapid weight loss. I could even pull on size 8 jeans quite easily which is thinner than I was in high school! My hubby thinks I look great the way I am! Yet sometimes I wish I could just lose a few more kilos and put those size eights back on!

I’m back doing Trim Healthy Mama again for the next month or so to see what happens. If my weight wont budge then I will officially continue maintaining my weight and continue being happy. But if I lose a kilo or two I will also be happy!

Here is what I ate for breakfast over the past week in no particular order:

breakfast 1breakfast 2breaky 3breaky 4breaky 5breaky 6breaky 7First image is of an omelette with spinach and a little goat cheese.

Second image is of a smoothie with collagen, banana, coconut oil, almond milk and frozen strawberries.

Third image is of muesli (store bought and not on plan but I hadn’t been shopping yet and was out of most ingredients) Bonus points for making my own almond milk. And a green tea. I have a green tea with breakfast every morning. I’m not a coffee drinker and green tea is great for metabolism and waking me up.

Fourth image is of scrambled eggs with some walnuts and goat cheese.

Fifth image is of pancakes from the Trim Healthy Mama cook book with some nectarine jam and a few slices of rock melon.

Sixth image is of leftover THM pancakes with maple syrup. (Maple syrup is not on plan but sometimes I just have to live a little!! I would have had some banana on top too but was all out)

Last image is two gluten and sugar free boysenberry muffins balancing on my knees in the car on the way to church! And my green tea.

My favorite healthy breakfast is definitely pancakes. Eating pancakes while losing weight and being healthy is my cup if tea!

I created my own nourishing pancakes recipe which will be included in my new ebook ‘Yes You Can Lose Your Pregnancy Weight’ which is being released early next year. Stay tuned for it and keep checking back on the blog for the release date announcement.

What is your favourite healthy breakfast at the moment?

Blessings, Peta 

 

Holiday vlog – farm stay – Colin Buchanan concert – boots full of water – puppies eating my shoes!

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I kept the camera handy in the past week and filmed snippets of our school holidays. Follow us in person to see Colin Buchanan live in concert, what I packed for a day out in the city, how we buy all our children an ice cream each at the mall large family on a budget style, see our holiday cottage on my parents farm, picking asparagus, hiking up a hill, catching tadpoles, my sisters puppies eating my shoes, and a running commentary from me of all that’s going on.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO WATCH THE VLOG!

 

farm

Blessings, Peta

 

My top 5 ways to motivate yourself to finish losing weight

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Have you lost some weight but still have a bit to go? Did you begin your weight loss program with enthusiasm but now you just ‘can’t be bothered’? Do you find yourself finding 100 excuses why you can’t keep going and lose the rest of the weight?

I’ve done this. Here’s my top ways for keeping myself motivated to reach my final weight loss goal.

  1. You need to do it for yourself. You can have many reasons for wanting to lose weight but what motivates me the most is the fact that I wanted it. I really wanted it. You have to want to be slim so much that you are willing to pay the price it takes to get there.

2. Get some inspiration. Read a pretty weight loss book. Buy a fitness magazine. Read a weight loss blog. Find something that triggers your motivation to keep going. Other people’s weight loss success can be inspiring.

3. Get out some clothes that don’t fit you yet that you hope to fit into once you  lose weight. If you just keep going these clothes will fit you again.

4. Get some air. Do some exercise outdoors. Go for a walk, run or bike ride. While you are out think about why you really want to lose the rest of your weight and imagine yourself as the new slimmer you.

5. Change your program. If you can’t be bothered to keep going with your weight loss program but you were enthusiastic at the beginning, chances are that if you begin a different program you will get excited and motivated again.

All the best with your weight loss!

Blessings, Peta

I lost all my pregnancy weight for the 5th time!!

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Announcement…

 

I have finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight!

Yay!

It has taken me the longest this time – about 14 months. But I stuck at it and here I am 16kg lighter and at the same weight I was before I became pregnant with Willow.

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I’m also feeling the fittest I’ve felt in a long time. I’ve been running and cycling outdoors 3-4 times a week and walking on the other days. The exercise has benefited me in more ways than one. I was prescribed exercise as part of my treatment for the anxiety attacks that I had been having and it has helped a lot. Not only does exercise release serotonin, the ‘happy’ hormone. It also gets rid of stored up adrenaline in the body that contributes to anxiety. I always exercise outdoors which gives me a boost of fresh air and sunshine, which are both great mood enhancers and give me an energy burst.

This may be a good time to make another announcement…

I have been writing a book on postpartum weight loss.

The content is 3 quarters of the way finished. Then I am getting some photography and graphic design done to bring it all together.

The release date of this book – which doesn’t have an official name yet- is mid 2018.

I will give you more information as the time of release gets closer.

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So what did I do exactly to lose all the weight again? I mainly followed the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating. Sometimes strictly and at times pretty loosely. That may explain why it took me so long this time. Over time as I began to learn more about nutrition and what foods help me lose weight I began to write my own detailed weekly eating plans. The plans include a weeks worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, drinks – everything. I am including these plans for you to see in my new book.

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It feels great to be able to pull out some clothes that have been packed away for so long in my ‘too small’ clothes bag. Trying on new clothes is exciting again because I am enjoying the size I am. It hasn’t been a smooth weight loss journey either. For the first three months postpartum I lost nothing. I wasn’t really being very strict with my eating at first though. In the past I would lose weight initially without even trying much then later on I would have to work harder to lose the last 10kg. This time was different. I had to be strict with what I ate if I wanted to lose any weight at all. I had to say no to comfort eating. I also reached a plateau when I only had 1kg to go and I stayed that weight for several weeks.

I almost gave up and decided that I feel okay at leaving my weight where it was. It was a healthy weight for me and that would have been fine. But I took a look at some of the pre pregnancy weight clothes that still didn’t quite fit and thought – I’m not going to give up!

I revved up my exercise sessions to 45 minutes each instead of 20-30 and I followed the eating plans I designed for myself more strictly and was extra careful about what I ate after tea.

And…I did it!

Now it’s time to enjoy and maintain and set some new goals.

Blessings, Peta xo

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The Metabolic Clock – book review

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The Metabolic Clock: Speed Up Your Metabolism and Lose Weight Easily by [Rennie, Julie]

I first stumbled upon the book ‘The Metabolic Clock by Julie Rennie’ on my mum’s bookshelf. While I was over at her house, I couldn’t stop reading it and when I left I took it home. I stole borrowed it. Since then I have read this book over and over again. After we moved mum just gave it to me!

It has helped me set some good habits – like not going to bed past 10pm. And it has inspired me to be the healthiest version of myself I can.

I love this book!

What it’s about:

It teaches you how to speed up you metabolism to help you lose weight based on the metabolic clock. It shows you how to change lifelong patterns that have been preventing you from living life to the full.

What I love:

The gluten free flourless chocolate cake recipe in the back of the book is yum! I use coconut oil instead of butter to make it dairy free too and it turns out great. It has the consistency of a mud cake and it makes a great treat. I’ve made the spicy bean stew many times too and it makes for a hearty filling vegetarian meal. Sometimes I don’t like to eat too much meat and it’s good to have a few vegetarian recipes up my sleeve.

The pictures in this book are beautiful – I love inspiring photography and nourishing food photography.

It teaches you how to think positively and how a negative view of yourself can impact your health and weight loss.

The 21 day lifestyle challenge has helped to go to bed before 10pm. I have struggled in the past with disciplining myself to get to bed at a decent hour. And with babies still waking me in the middle of the night – an early bedtime is essential to my well being and ability to function and think clearly throughout the day.

A few things I don’t agree with:

The book briefly mentions yoga and meditation. I choose not to do these things as they are associated with eastern evil religious practices. As a Christian I don’t want any part in stirring up the wrong spirits.

All in all – it’s a great read and the best thing is that it inspires me to keep up with my health regime. I’ve been riding my bike weekly and going for at least 3 power walks a week. Plus I’m always looking for ways to improve my diet.

Blessings, Peta

*I thought I’d do a review of a few of my favourite books. There’s no affiliate links.

 

 

 

 

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook review

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Image result for trim healthy mama cookbook

I’ve been following Trim Healthy Mama on and off for around 4 years just after the first book was released. Initially I followed it strictly and I lost the last of the weight I gained from my third pregnancy quite quickly.

Since then I seem follow THM passionately for a while, then I go off it for a time and go with Sarah Wilson’s JERF philosophy (Just Eat Real Food).

Right now I am losing weight from my fifth full term pregnancy. Once again I’ve been using THM, a bit loosely mind you. I have the original THM book but I also purchased the new cookbook.

In a nutshell here’s my review:

I didn’t like it at first – but now I do.

I opened the book when it first arrived and was horrified to see that the THM ladies had made their own sweeteners and baking blend. I’m not a fan of ‘fancy’ ingredients and I didn’t want to order their expensive products. I just wanted to make healthy recipes out of easy ingredients I could buy locally. I tried a couple of recipes that didn’t use the special ingredients and wasn’t that impressed. We got busy moving to a new house and location and I was pregnant with my fifth baby. I tossed it on the bookshelf for a year.

I tried again.

The summer school holidays just passed I pulled out my book and decided to give it another go. I even ordered the baking blend and some THM sweeteners. The recipes I tried this time – I really enjoyed.

The drinks ‘Shrinker’ and ‘Singing Canary’ – wow!

And I love the wicked white chilli, the lemon herb drummies and the pancakes. I love to eat, so eating pancakes while losing weight is a winner for me.

I won’t be ordering their baking blend again because, lets face it, it’s expensive. Instead I will make up my own baking blend based on almond meal. I’ll keep using stevia though. It’s a natural sweetener that’s very low calories and keeps your blood sugar low. Sounds good to me.

I think it is possible to follow THM without ordering the expensive products or using specialty ingredients. But if you want to buy the products then go ahead – they are top quality.

So what’s the verdict? Is it worth buying the cook book? I’ll say yes.

Blessings, Peta.

 

 

 

Postpartum weight loss update

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Our first zucchini and tomato in our new little veggie patch!

I am now 8 and a half months postpartum after the birth of Willow our 5th precious bundle. I have been slowly losing weight. At first, when I was still breastfeeding her, I lost nothing, then just a little here and there. Now that Willow is fully weaned and drinking from a bottle my weight loss has sped up. I have trouble feeding my babies past six months old (except for my first who fed for 13 months). My milk supply, no matter how hard I try, just isn’t enough for my hungry babies when they get older. But that’s another story.

I’m here to happily say that I’m almost there – 5.5kg away from my pre pregnancy weight. I have lost 10.5kg since coming home from hospital and have gone down a few dress sizes. The weight is coming off slower than previous postpartum times but I’m getting there. Progress, no matter how small, keeps me motivated. I gained a little weight over Christmas – whoops! But thankfully lost it again within a few weeks of being extra careful with what I ate.

How am I doing it? Trim Healthy Mama. This program is my go-to whenever I have weight to lose. I’ve used it after my last 3 babies to lose weight and it has been effective every time. I am learning to practice mindful eating and not just shoving food into my mouth whenever I feel like. I try to think before I eat.

As for exercise, I have a half hour slot in my schedule that I allow for exercise. I am loving taking my bike out for a ride. I find it really calming and it clears my head. I walk too, and sometimes run for a few minutes during my walk. My aim is to exercise 5 times a week – but usually I get in 3 half hour sessions.

I’m really thankful to have been successful so far in losing my postpartum weight. But I know that many of you haven’t been so successful. Yet.

I want to give you a big hug. Your body is beautiful, it has bore a precious child. Don’t be hard on yourself, your body changes SO much after you have a baby. Give yourself some time and you too can lose weight if you want to. Feel free to have a chat in the comments if you have any postpartum weight loss related questions. I’m happy to help or have a chat.

Blessings, Peta