Overcoming the weight loss plateau

It’s the end of week 6 of my "healthy eating and activity programme". (Yes, I know, unconvincing euphemisms for diet and exercise – they didn’t fool me either).

I’ve hit a slump, big time. I actually put some weight back on this week. Shame!

Why?
I think I got cocky because it seemed to be going so well, and relatively easily. Despite the odd ‘cheat’ (choccie bics, Indian takeout, day(s) off from exercise) I had consistently lost weight. Not so lucky this week.

I'm only half way through the 12 week programme so I can still save this situation and get back on track. In fact, I have a cunning plan.

Most effective exercise for weight loss
A clip I saw on “What’s Good for You” described a ‘key formula’ for weight loss using an exercycle.

Basically I’m going to trial an intense 20 minute ‘Spin Class’ on my exercycle, three plus times a week. I hope it survives the shock!

The magic numbers you need to know are:

• pedal 8 seconds flat out
• followed by 12 seconds recovery
• repeat for 20 minutes (ie 60 times).

Apparently doing this 3 times a week is 3 times better for weight loss than doing 40 mins at moderate intensity 3 times a week. And that's without any dieting.

The story is on line here:
http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/694660/a-weight-loss-revolution

I tried it first yesterday and found it hard work but doable. It sounds simple enough but I struggled to keep track of the seconds and there was no hope of reading or watching TV like I normally do while pedalling.

Online work out timer
This morning I found an online workout timer and used that. Much simpler for a numberphobe like me.

You just set when you want the alarms to go off and then listen for them as you pedal. I had one sound for starting the 8 second sprint and a different one for starting the 12 second slow pedal. There's nice wee feel good audio surprise when you finish your work out too.

You can try it online here:
http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/

In a day or two I’ll try the downloaded version and let you know how that goes.

Successful Weightloss

I lost 4kg in 5 weeks following the Aspire for Life healthy eating programme.

This is an online programme that grew out of studies done by Plant and Food Research and Otago University.

My Story
It's been around 15 years since I've was a healthy size 12. I've been yoyo-ing between sizes 18-22 for the last few years. (These are New Zealand sizes.)

My immediate (12 week goal) is to get down to 100kg before I return to work at the end of April.

My long term goal is to repeat the 12 week process until I get down to a healthy weight - less than 79kg according to the BMI chart.

I've a long way to go before but isn't that a start to be proud of?

How it works

• It's an on line thing. You have access to a dietitian and coach and other support like forums, recipes, progress reviews etc.
• The eating plan is based on a personalised food pyramid so you monitor the number of portions of each food group you eat - no counting of calories or points.
• You cook your own meals - no need to buy anything special. They suggest recipes.
• Portion sizes are easy to remember, eg 'a computer mouse sized potato' and a 'matchbox sized piece of cheese' equal 1 portion of grain and dairy respectively.
• Once you've eaten all the portions of what you should for healthy nutrition, you don't have any room for the junk food.

Find out more
Visit the Aspire for Life website

Free Trial
If you want to give it a go you can sign up for a weeks free trial.

Discount Coupon
If you decide you want to do the 12 week programme let me know - I have a coupon code that will get you a NZ$25 discount. That drops the price down to $154 or a little under $13 per week.

I think this compares well to other more gimmicky programmes out there!

Baby Front Pack

I was sold before I entered the shop. My parenting 'bible' extolled the virtues of a baby carrier - it would free up both my hands and my time.

The box, of the brand my husband chose, depicted all the things I'd soon be able to do - I couldn't wait!

Once home we read the instructions and figured out how to wear it. Good for us!

Over the next few days I put baby in it for a few minutes at a time until she seemed happy and comfortable. Good for her!

Then it was time to get on with the chores. Hmm... Should I do some laundry or get dinner started?

Neither as it turns out.

It is very hard to load/unload a front loading washing machine in a small laundry with a baby strapped to your chest. And I wouldn't recommend hanging out the washing unless your baby enjoys being slapped in the face by a wet towel. As it turned out mine doesn't.

As for cooking, you better get everything out of the fridge before you grab bubs unless she enjoys the blast of chill air when you open the door. And beware the steam facial baby could receive when you take the lid of a pot or open the oven.

Something more sedentary perhaps?

Try typing with a baby where your keyboard normally is. Sure you can move the keyboard but you'd better be a touch typist because you won't be able to see it.

Have a cup of coffee or use the phone? Nope, not a good idea. The top of baby's head is only inches from your mouth and she will be grabbing and/or knocking everything that comes within reach.

Why I'm still glad I have a front pack
I'm glad to say we didn't totally waste our money. A baby carrier (or sling) is great for crowded or busy places like fairs or exhibitions. It's much easier to move about, and annoys fewer people, than a bulky stroller in cramped surroundings.

It is also ideal for public transport especially boarding and disembarking from a plane or taking the bus. I must confess I take baby on the train in her stroller. I just take care to travel outside of peak times and make sure I'm get in a car that has been adapted for wheelchairs so I can flip the seat up and park baby in that space. The train guards are always super helpful - giving a hand to lift the stroller on and off the train.

Flying with baby
Getting back to planes and flying, if you want to know the ins and outs of flying with baby check out what Air New Zealand have to say:

• Air NZ's Infant Policy
• Infant's Baggage Allowance

I found this information as helpful as it was hard to find.

If you are flying as a family self check in together so all your baggage allowances are processed together.

You'll probably have to put the stroller through as oversize luggage (ie in a bag provided by the Air NZ) - this is when a baby carrier comes into its own.

Why new mums shouldn't multitask

Before our first and only child arrived I did a lot of reading to prepare myself.

Almost every article or book assured me that, though I might struggle at first, I'd soon be multitasking my parenting with normal daily life.

Not so.

Baby is now 8 months old and I have never been able to 'change a nappy in [my] sleep' or 'breastfeed baby while reading a book in one hand' as one parenting guide promised.

In fact I think my baby is allergic to multitasking. She knows when she is not getting the attention she deserves and will employ every tool she has to remind me of my priorities.

Trying to multitask just caused me to feel stressed. I was:

• continually frustrated that I wasn't able to get stuck in to a task
• starting to resent baby for interrupting me

Obviously this was not good for either of us.

I think that as mothers we are biologically geared to want to soothe our babies. Resisting the urge to see to baby's needs for another 30 seconds so I could finish an email, eat my sandwich, hang out the laundry etc just resulted in baby becoming grisly and me becoming stressed.

What’s the solution?
See to baby’s needs first - single task.

Save your chores for when she is playing, sleeping or in the care of someone else. And don’t feel the least bit guilty:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow,
for babies grow up, much to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobweb-dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

If you're not familiar with this verse before you can read Song for a Fifth Child on Fluffy Pink Duck's Blogspot here. It was written by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton and published in The Ladies' Home Journal in 1938!

So, the house will get messy. Throw everything in an empty drawer or box and put it out of sight until you (or someone else) have the time to go through it. The friend coming round for coffee can pick up some milk on her way.

Further reading
How NOT to Multitask – Work Simpler and Saner

What is NOT the solution?
Carrying baby in a front pack! I'll explain why this didn't work for me in a later post.

Online Computer Games for Baby

The mere thought of this may horrify you, but our kids see what we do and sooner or later they'll want to copy it.

I have a habit of having baby on my knee while I read my emails and look things up on the net. At about 4 months she was dying to get her hands on the keyboard and rather than fight it I had a hunt for some baby suitable games.

I was looking for games that respond to any keystroke, ie are not mouse driven. Even at 8 months baby's 'technique' is to periodically raise her fists and then lean heavily on the keyboard.

Most games for this age group are of the peek-a-boo variety or simple 'cause and effect' ie they hit a key the screen changes or a noise is made. My daughter prefers the ones that make a noise when she hits (literally!) the keyboard.

These are the best I found:

• Fisher Price - online games and activities
• Kneebouncers - a whole lotta fun for the itty bitty ones

An internet search will bring up a lot of results but once you eliminate the sites requiring registration and the games aimed at older children (or dripping in advertising), there ain't much left.

The Baby Gamer website has a few more listed.

Cautions

• Some of these games load very noisily. Have the volume down low to start with or baby might be startled into tears. Game Over.
• Some games take a while to load or are several clicks deep, so if your little one is impatient have them ready to go before you sit down together.
• For some reason some games get a bad reaction. I have no idea why but my girl becomes immediately tearful at the sounds made by 'Splish splash' at Kneebouncers.
• Most importantly: SAVE YOUR WORK! Baby will inevitably hit a key combination that causes your computer to close files or even shut down. Again, Game Over!
  If you loose the menu at the top of your screen (in IE) F11 will bring it back. If you can't see how to close a screen Alt F4 will close the top most window.

My borrowed philosophy: The Four Agreements

Some years ago I stumbled across The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz. I can't recall if I heard an interview, read a book review or what, but it made a big impression on me and I adopted it as part of my philosophy.

Basically the four agreements (tenets) are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
3. Don't Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best

You can read a short explanation of each agreement on the website Toltec Teachings of don Miguel and don Jose Luis Ruiz and, thanks to Google, that's what I did.

They struck a chord with me so copied them into my notebook and made a wee poster (Poster No 2 is currently stuck to my fridge door, No 1 disintegrated a few years back).

That's as far as I went until I found a cute little Wisdom from the Four Agreements mini book which now lives in my bedside drawer.

Over the years I've been tempted to read the full book but the four statements on their own have a lovely simplicity, don't you think? I'm a little scared that I might find something in the book that jars with me, and that would somehow ruin it for me. Sounds a bit silly but it's happened before when I found something I thought clicked with me.

I see there is now a Fifth Agreement. Check it out on Amazon.

Cupcakes

Several people asked me for the cupcake recipe I used at baby's naming ceremony, so here it is below.

I doubled the recipe to make 24 cupcakes and baked them in two batches because I only had one muffin tray.

Cupcakes
125 g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 ½ cups self
raising flour
1/2 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 180 C.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the vanilla and eggs (one at a time and beating well after each addition).
Stir in the flour and milk and mix until smooth.
Line a muffin tray with cupcake papers and divide the
mixture between the 12 papers.
Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool and then ice with butter icing.

Butter Icing
250g softened butter
3 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk (or water) to mix

Place butter in a bowl and sift in icing sugar.
Cream with a fork.
Add milk a bit at a time to get a spreadable consistency.

I then split the icing into three lots and added flavouring and/or food colouring (just a drop or two) to each:

Strawberry icing: spoonful of strawberry jam (couldn't find any essence in Mum's cupboard)
Lemon icing: lemon essence and yellow food colouring
Vanilla icing: vanilla essence and a drop each of yellow and red colouring

Decoration
You can buy icing flowers and other motifs from specialist bakeries. Don't waste your time with mail order - no matter how conscientious the supplier is, there'll be breakages.

Next time I make them I'll try nice fat piped icing like this: Mrs Kwok's Chocolate Classic Cupcake with Pink Frosting.

Related posts
Naming Day Ceremony
Naming Day Wording (Naming Day Script)
Cupcake Recipe
Memory Box