This weeks ponderings, active kids and upcoming WL goals

Weigh in last night, and I had a 1kg loss!!!!!!!!!! The 70's are so close, baby!!!

I worked hard this week. I was under my points over the course of the week by 10 points, even with a minor blow out on Saturday games night. I exercised for 5 hours over the week (not counting 3 hours of window shopping!), and I doubled my already great vegetable intake.

I'm stoked!!! And I didn't throw in the towel and have big blow out last night, which I often would (or just have a bit of a bigger dessert or something). I've got lots of numbers to focus on to keep me motivated now, such as:

- getting into the 70's (200g to go)

- making 30kg gone (3.4kg)

- getting to 75kg (5.1kg)

- 35kg lost (8.4kg)

- top of my range (9.1kg)

- goal (11.1kg)

- my 30th (13.5 weeks)

I might be cutting it fine to get to goal by my 30th, with my average losses at just over 600g a week, but think making 35kg lost is definitely achievable, and would beat my 30 before 30 target by an extra 5kg!

What I think has really made a difference over the past few weeks with my weight loss (and even maintaining last week with a bit of a bigger eating week), has been my afternoon walks with the kids. I remember when DD was 14 months old, DS#2 was a month old, and DS#1 was 33 months old. It felt like I would NEVER get out for a walk or exercise again!

But now they're a bit older, DD and DS#1 are riding their bikes, sometimes DD needs a bit of help on hills, DS#2 is in the pram, and we can walk and ride around our little estate in relatively peace and harmony with very little traffic to worry about. It helps me clock up at least an extra hour of exercise each week too.

But more importantly to me, it's getting the KIDS active. It's one of my biggest concerns that my kids will grow up "big". I want to make activity a way of life for them. Below is a brief article from the mX (I don't read a hell of a lot of news, OK?):

Big Mums, big girls mX 14/7/09

Girls are 10 times more likely to be overweight if their mothers are obese because they copy their behaviour, a study found.

Sons of big fathers are six times more prone to weight gain than those with average fathers, but it does not cross gender.

The youngsters' weight problems bore no relationship to obesity in their opposite-sex parent, the English scientists said, suggesting behavioural rather than genetic factors could be key.

Having said that, my Mum is a tiny little thing (though much shorter), but regardless, I don't want to be passing my "fatness" down to my kids. I've always done my best to provide them with healthy, nutritious, balanced meals and snacks, with the odd treat. But I haven't been a great model when it comes to being active.

For the first 6 months of my Weight Loss journey, I had been more active myself - walking, and getting to the gym after a few months. In terms of getting the kids involved though, this was minimal. We would go for a bike ride together, but that was maybe once a fortnight. Not enough to be classed as regularly active, in my books.

So with these afternoon walks, even if we go just three times a week, that's an extra hour 15 minutes of exercise a week - for me AND the children. If we can go five times that's 2 hours of extra exercise a week, without even trying! They look forward to it. They love it. I enjoy it. I'm having to chase after them! I can see DD's progress - she can now get up a big hill that 3 weeks ago I had to push her 5 times to help her up the hill.

Oh, and our dog enjoys the extra exercise too :) You can imagine the sight, can't you?? An almost 5 year old zooming ahead (without his training wheels, I'm sure he'd want you to know), a 3 year old with streamers flying and a look of glee on her face, a little boy watching the world go by from the comfort of a pram, a dog pulling at the lead - eager to see what's ahead, and me following up the rear. It's a sight, I tell you!

Today's Exercise - gym, 30 minutes, 502 calories (what the?!) 2100kjs. I have to add I walked Monday and Tuesday afternoons with the kids for 25 minutes too, and we'll go out again this morning and add a trip to the park.