OMG, this Mum Tum has to GO!

I hope you all had a great Easter holiday! I had a great one, but I found all those Easter eggs adding to this mum tum and it was the final straw for me.

Being a naturally skinny person I now find myself with this flabby, stretch marked tummy and I am not impressed. Yes there is the fact that it is unsightly and of course the irritation that I am constantly congratulated on my apparent pregnancy… but the biggest thing for me is that I don’t feel good. I don’t feel healthy and I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. For me it is not about looking sexy, it is about feeling it! 

Why do I have this Mum Tum?

Well babies will do that for a starter and I had two babies. I also had them in my thirties. I am sure that if I had my children in my early twenties I would have bounced back into shape.

So yes that was the start of the problem.

Then I decided to go and quit smoking… and oh my gosh did that have a huge effect. Until recently I was kinda ok with my Mum Tum, but this thing has grown immensely in the 6 months since I stopped smoking.

Ok so it’s not JUST this Mum Tum

My tummy is part of the problem but not the only issue I have right now with my body. I have love handles at the back which I really don’t like.

I also have what I call chicken arms. When I wave to someone there are wobbly bits under my upper arm that wave too. This feels awful.

Like I mentioned I am a naturally skinny person and I am not used to having any extra bits. These little extra bits on me might not even be noticeable to anyone else. My hubby for example says I look great.

The problem is that I feel terrible. I feel lethargic. I feel uncomfortable. I feel unhealthy.

I can’t imagine how awful it must be for people that have a tendency to put on weight and struggle with their weight.

So Why Exactly Do I Have This Mum Tum?

This is easy to answer. I have narrowed down my problems areas.

Firstly like my husband tells me I should be doing crunches and NOT crunchies. So yes, exercise is the first thing I need to get cracking with. Running after my child or for the phone doesn’t count. I need to really get myself moving here, get my heart rate racing.

Secondly I need to cut down (very drastically) on sugar and caffeine. Since quitting smoking I have literally become addicted to coffee, with loads of sugar. I don’t even use a teaspoon anymore. I just use a tablespoon to load my coffee and sugar in. Sad I know. I drink Coca Cola every day. Let’s not even get started on the sweets and chocolates!

Coming in a close third is bad snacks. Top of the list here is chips and dip. I have always had a weak spot for chips and dip but it was a treat once every few months. Now it is a daily love affair! I’ve also started eating biscuits for the first time and sometimes cakes.

And lastly water. It has become a case of who needs water when we are addicted to Coke? Oh so bad I know!

So those are all the things that I need to change.

Join me on my 6 Week Mum Tum Challenge?

So here’s what I plan to do.

Starting 01 May 2016 I am going to tackle this Mum Tum big time. I am going to put myself through a 6 week Mum Tum Challenge.

My goal is not to lose a certain amount of weight or to lose a set amount of centimetres.

My goal is two-fold.

1. I want to get my body into a state where I feel comfortable again

2. I want to change my lifestyle and it must be sustainable.

The first part of this challenge is simple and easy to understand and perhaps even get to. The second part is what I think is really important here. What is the point in putting in loads of effort, getting myself fit and healthy within 6 weeks and then not being able to maintain that? That is why people yo-yo with their weight and this is not healthy at all.

I want to incorporate regular exercise in my life and I want to change the way I eat. This is not about restricting food or being on a diet as such. It is about making healthy, yummy meals and enjoying my food. It is about being mindful of my body and what I put into it.

The reason I invite you to join me is because this is not an easy thing to achieve and doing things alone can be really tough.

So if you are unhappy with your body and your health I challenge YOU to join me on my mission! Leave a comment on this post and commit to being a better you!

Each week I will share with you what I will be trying to achieve in the coming week and also what I have managed to achieve in the previous week, I invite you to engage and to share what you have also achieved.

Are you in mommy? Let me know!