30 Day Shred- Not On Your Nelly!!

I can't shred, my knee is killing me! It's so painful and swollen and keeps giving way :(( so instead I will tell you about the best day ever...

It started off at a breakfast buffet, which as always was delicious! And then we went for a 3 mile walk around the local country park. We looked down rabbit holes and we drew chalk pictures. We threw stones into a lake and we laughed and jumped in muddy puddles. Leigh also convinced the boys that it was where Rebecca and Richard rabbit from peppa pig lived so they convinced themselves that they had spotted them on more than 1 occasion.

Then we came home and planted some seeds, we should hopefully have some lovely fresh veg in time for the summer.

Next, we made cakes. Lots of cakes, butterfly cakes, lemon cakes, carrot cakes and good old fairy cakes!

What makes these things so special you may ask? Well it's the time that we all get to be together. Leigh works very long hours and life is hectic with 4 little ones so its been great just to spend the whole day doing things that we enjoy and doing them together. It really has been Good Friday in our house :)

Right I'm off now to snuggle up to my hubby and watch Skyfall, because nothing beats a quiet night in with Leigh...

....well except Daniel Craig obviously ;)

Much love xx

30 Day Shred - Day 10. I've hurt my knee :((

Yes you read right, I have jumped from day 8 to day 10! After I blogged the other night, we found the DVD and we shredded!! At 2240 may I add so that was Day 9. Nothing too amazing about that except the fact that I had been up since 4 am! After the shred I fed Jack, then to bed for a few hours and then another 4am start! I honestly don't know how I'm doing it. Some days I'm so tired I could honestly eat chocolate all day just to keep going' I didn't shred last night as I went to see a clairvoyant. So Day 10 is done and we are 1/3 of the way through. I'm still swearing at the smug trainer on the DvD but scarily I am actually starting to really enjoy it. Doing the "butt kicks" part tonight I really hurt my knee, and am now sat on the sofa with it up and a bag of frozen peas on it :(

Danny said to me tonight "mummy do you know you're looking very beautiful". Well done doodles, double pocket money for you this week!! Right, I've decided to stop blogging every day of the shred as I don't want to bore you! So will tell you how I am getting on every few days!

Oh, if you do like the blog then feel free to subscribe to get email alerts to let you know when there is a new post, there should be a button somewhere over
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Much Love xx

30 Day Shred - On Hold....

So today should be day 9 of the shred, however I'm not doing it again!! Last night I fell asleep at 6pm and now we can't find the DVD!! The Hardy boys have a great knack for just leaving things wherever they like so one of them has removed it from the DVD player to watch Brave and it is now lost :((( . We have searched the house and can't find it anywhere. Sonny has probably put it in the bin, he likes doing that! I will search again tomorrow when the boys are awake and I can look properly in their rooms but if it does not appear then I will have to order another copy!

I have to say, I have found it really hard to stay motivated this week. Last week the Boys had diarrhea and vomiting and now Danny (and maybe Sonny) have chickenpox! I have been up since 4am today and the shred was the last thing I wanted to do. So I will pay the boys double pocket money this week for doing me this huge favour ;)

I have all of the boys home a week before their school holidays start and we have been confined to the house as Danny is still contagious and Sonny is too poorly to go out walking in the cold. As you can imagine, cabin fever has well and truly set in. We have done all sorts of cooking and crafts and I will blog a post for that at the end of the week. If you've followed my shred journey then thank you, it will resume ASAP! And I can't believe the amount of people who are starting the 30 day shred after reading the blog!! Go go go!!!

Right, I'm off now to enjoy 20 minutes of peace before going to bed for it to start all over again tomorrow!!

Much love xx (a very frazzled Theresa)

30 Day Shred - Day 8. I can do 100 sit ups

So, I found out tonight I can do 100 sit ups!! Well that's not strictly true, I've always been able to do 100 sit ups but usually over 100 days.

I don't want to sound conceited (although I am a bit) but I am really proud of us, we have pushed on every evening (i missed 1 but leigh didn't) and found the motivation through poorly boys and long days and we are seeing results. I bought a new top today in a size smaller than my usual and it fits perfectly. We have been changing our ways with food for 7 weeks now as have lost almost a stone each. The 2 bigger boys were still up when we shredded tonight and Taylor kept saying "you're doing so good, keep going you're my heroes". How can you not try your hardest when you have that type of encouragement??. Day 8 done and 22 more to go.

Much love xx

Our yummy tea today...

30 Day Shred - Day 7. I will do this...

Well tonight was hard but not as hard as it has been. I'm shattered as usual, but feel good!! Had a chilling day with the boys whilst Leigh did some work so was actually looking forward to the shred today. (I know, I'm crazy). I can see some differences already and am very excited for the next 23 days.

My fitness Pal says that I have lost 33lbs but that is since having Taylor. I can't wait to post my final "after" photos.

Danny was watching the Hannah Montana film so I asked him if he wouldn't mind watching it in his room so I could put the shred DVD on. How hilarious that half an hour later I was still watching Hannah Montana ;)

This was our "Treat" dinner for doing so well all week...



Much Love xx

30 Day Shred - Day 6. Is it possible to fracture your vagina??

All I have to say is ....

..... OOOOOOOUUUUCCCCCCHHHHH

Competitive Theresa is an idiot, what is my fecking problem?? Week 1 on level 1 i said, so why on earth did I decide tonight "oh, I think I will try level 2"

Let me give you some background, for the last 2 days three of the four Hardy Boys have been poorly, I'm talking vomiting, temperatures and diarrhea!! (Don't be jealous of my glamorous life will you??). I've had 5 hours sleep in 2 nights and I have been washing, cleaning, bathing, nappy changing and generally nursing my poorly babies constantly so I was shattered before I started. Level 2 is HARD!!

Yesterday was an awful day, and the emotional eater in me reared her ugly head. I ate 400 calories more than my target but still 1800 which is under the Recommended daily limit of 2000. Today I've been back on track but feel full which is always nice.

I'm a pain in the ass, I want nice legs and abs and I want them now. I mean the first time I put the DVD on I expected to have a personal trainers body by the end of the 20 minute workout but no, apparently you have to do it more than once! I've literally just finished level 2 and I look like a beetroot. Hopefully my body temperature will return to normal just in time to start all over again tomorrow ;)

Much love xx

30 Day Shred - Day 5

We are now into Day 5 of the shred. It was ok tonight. We tried to get it done earlier as we had been waiting until the boys were in bed, doing the shred, showering then making bottles and not having any time to sit down at all (which is hardly unusual in this house really). We "shredded" as soon as Leigh got in from work but had to stop 15 minutes in as Jack was really unsettled! I did however follow the hardcore girl this evening so feel like I've compensated for the extra 5 minutes.
It's funny because now people know that I'm dieting hard and doing the shred I've noticed people "body checking me" you know that quick look up and down your body but I don't know if they're doing it because they notice a difference or if they don't!!
By the way, why is it when you lose weight you always notice the difference in your bust first? I love my huge "ladies" but they're not so huge anymore. However they are still big enough to give me black eyes when doing star jumps...

Anyone got a recommendation for a good inexpensive sports bra?

See you tomorrow......

30 Day Shred - Day 4. I want cake...

It's Day 4, it's not funny anymore! I'm no longer thinking of every swear word under the sun to call the woman on the DVD. I'm too busy focusing on staying alive by breathing out of my arse!
I'm not joking, it's only day 4 and I am knackered. I can't stop thinking to myself, I've got 26 more days to go and every muscle in my body is burning.

As for eating well, I'm well and truly pissed off with it today, I don't want to eat fish and vegetables! I'm not a cat for fucks sake! I want cake, Easter egg, more cake and then if I can squeeze it in, another Easter egg! However that lairy bitch in my head is taunting me as she always does "giving up already are we loser, it's only day 4" .

I am remaining focused by telling myself that I've worked out solidly for 1 hour and 20 minutes this week and no word of a lie I honestly think that's more than I've done in the last year!!

Lastly if I was going to give up, my lovely 4 year old Taylor said to me today: mum you're not even fat, you're just bigger than everyone else! So needless to say his pocket money has gone in my new (smaller) clothes fund ;)

See you tomorrow for more whinging. Swearing and fabulousness xx

30 day shred-day 3. I want to cry

So today has been really hard, I didn't want to do the shred. I've got a poorly toddler, and he has been up all hours of the night :( I have eaten 2 small chocolate bars today although still eaten under 1400 calories which is my daily target.

I told Leigh I wasn't doing it, he said ok. I took that as a challenge, that Lairy bitch in my head was all like "oh day 3 and you've given up already, hahaha I knew I'd win you big fat fatty" so I gave that bitch a chocolate bar to keep her quiet and I did the shred. I'm shattered now and off to bed to prepare for another unsettled night with the babies. I needed motivation today so I went through some old photo albums. I've lost just over 2 stone since these photos and have 2 more to go!!

30 day shred- day 2... F*ck me I'm going to die!!

Well the title says its all really, I woke up this morning and walked down the stairs looking like I had pooped myself! My legs were stiff, my abdomen was stiff and my shoulders were stiff! Ouch is the only word for it. I've felt the burn all day, lifting Sonny and Jack has been more challenging than usual although only uncomfortable as opposed to painful or impossible. So 7pm, all boys in bed and asleep, so out comes the DVD!!!

I started off well, gave it my all and literally felt so positive I could have run the London marathon... And then the warm up was over. You have to keep telling yourself it's only 20 minutes, you won't die and you will be pleased with the results and that's what I had to do. This time though most of the swearing was in my head, I literally had just about enough breath to live let alone swear at the TV. Leigh on the other hand had plenty of breath, enough so to say to the TV, is that all you've got you skinny bitch hahaha!! (See, we are the perfect couple really)!

The overall workout was harder but I pushed myself more
Day 1- 16 press ups and 30 sit ups
Day 2 - 24 press ups and 40 sit ups

I don't intend to increase it by that much each day but I do have a very annoying competitive voice in my head shouting at me "come on fatty, if you want it you need to push it" oh how I hate that bitch!!

Tonight was harder but seemed to be over quicker thank goodness. 2 days down, 28 more to go!!

30 Day Shred - Day 1 (Contains Excessive Swearing)

So going on from my Big Fat Fatty post, the 30 day shred DVD has arrived. It came this morning and i wanted to get started as soon as the boys were settled for the night. I watched it through this morning to see what i had in store and honestly thought "20 minutes of this, piece of piss"!!

If you search 30 day shred on the Internet you can find out the basics, it's a 20 minute workout from Jillian Michaels (shes a trainer from the programme Biggest Loser US) i have to say that i did go a bit gay when i saw the 3 girls on the workout and also had extreme ab envy.

So for those of you that don't know me personally, I'm very competitive, competitive to the point that the children cant beat me in a race. You know, most decent parents would let them win but i couldn't possibly as that means i would lose. Anyway i digress...

So at the start of the 20 minutes i actually said out loud to the DVD, come on then you fat slag bring it on!!

Then we started and it was hard!! I have realised that i am very unfit, i have no muscles and i am a big fat wimp. Jillian says on the DVD: "there are no breaks, if you want to only work out for 20 minutes then you work out for the whole 20 minutes" i took this as a personal challenge and refused to stop and kept pace with the easy girl (not easy in the sleep around sense, you're told to follow her for the gentler workout) there is also a hardcore girl going full pelt on every exercise.

 My Plan is :

Week 1: Follow the easy girl on stage 1
Week 2 :Follow the hardcore girl on stage 1
Week 3 :Follow the hardcore girl on stage 2
Week 4 :Follow the hardcore girl on stage 3
Week 5: Acquire a modelling contract from an international modelling agency

I swore a bit more, felt a bit wobbly and lightheaded and stretched muscles i honestly had forgotten i had. So now i'm 1 day down and 29 more to go. I plan to tell you all about it every day but maybe with less swearing (or maybe not)...

Big fat, big fat fatty!!

That's me I'm talking about. Not you!!

I have spent the majority of my adult life on a diet and its been bloody miserable. After years of excess (food and alcohol) I am trying to finally take control and get the body that I've always wanted!! Don't get me wrong, I look great and I feel it haha. That's where things have changed for me, since I've "grown up" I've come to realise that there are more important things than body shape and clothes size. Since this realisation, I have become more successful at living a healthier lifestyle. I am very much an emotional eater, there's not a problem that you can throw at me that a Kit Kat chunky or 10 can't solve! Over the last 4 years I have lost 29lbs (that's with 3 pregnancies in the same space of time) and dropped almost 3 dress sizes. I feel better than I ever have and I really like myself (probably slightly more than I should, but oh well).
I'm hoping to lose a further 28lbs and drop 2 more dress sizes but am taking it 1lb at a time. I have been doing Zumba for the wii, have you ever tried it? I'm sure that the whole object of it is to make you trip over your own feet, or is that just me?. So, I've also ordered a DVD called 30 day shred!! Lets see how that goes. I'm so focused this time, that I haven't even finished my 3 weeks early giant Easter egg yet!! (Only the 3 kit Kat chunky's that came with it). If I make it to my final goal weight, I won't become a better person, a better mum or a solver of world peace but I might be healthier and fitter but let's see!!

On a seperate note, if anyone wants to send me a kit Kat chunky in support then feel free :)

What's your favourite treat???

My best friend is a celebrity.....

Not really, but here it is...

Why are celebrities so important to us? Why do we look up to them? Why does it make our birthday so much better if we are wished a 'happy birthday' by one of them?

Since I joined twitter I've made it a bit of a mission to get a celebrity to reply to my tweets, well not just a celebrity but any of them.

Ant and Dec: I stalked them through the medium of social media for the entire series of "I'm a celebrity 2011" until I received the "what is boobest and fanniest anyway?" Tweet from Dec. That one takes a lot of explaining but basically culminated from me tweeting them a picture of me topless!! (Ok it was a bronze, airbrushed to within an inch of their life version of what I should look like but I claimed it was me) .

Boy George: I asked him to send my mum a tweet to wish her a happy 50th birthday as a) he had recently turned 50 and b) my mum is basically in love with him! He replied with a lovely birthday message and made her day and then proceeded to follow her on twitter (but not me, even though I literally danced my socks off at one of his gigs whilst 8 and a half months pregnant)!! Haha

Peter James: Literally the best author. I share a lot of my reading material with the aforementioned mother and she told me she had read a good book by Peter James and that I should give it a go. Well 8 books later I am completely hooked. I have sent Mr James various tweets about my appreciation for his writing style and also that his books had kept me company through the last few weeks of a difficult pregnancy (see previous post RE: stroke). I have had a reply to every single tweet and it makes you feel that he actually values his readers opinions.

Martin Lewis: This man is actually a guru! I subscribed to his Money Saving expert email (and recommend that everybody do the same) and have saved hundreds of pounds following his advice. Cheaper energy bills, reusing leftover food, shopping around etc etc. We live a very comfortable life seeing as there are 6 of us in this house living on my lovely hubby's wage and I honestly believe that it's because we follow the very savvy advice of Martin Lewis. Anyway I digress, I tweeted the man himself to express gratitude and he replied with a thank you!

Kym Lomas (Marsh): one of her children share a birthday with my son, so she tweeted me to wish him a happy birthday. A lovely tweet from a lovely lady, however my son was none the wiser.

Alex Winters: This one gave me celebrity status amongst the Hardy boys for about 3 hours!! I shared a small conversation comparing hangovers (of all things) and the boys thought it was amazing that I was talking to "their Alex from cbeebies"

I recently went to be in the audience for britains got talent, and what did I enjoy the most? The quality time I got to spend with already mentioned twice mother? NO. Seeing the raw talent of some amazing performers? NO. Meeting Simon Cowell and David Walliams was the highlight of my day.

I know that all of this makes me very shallow and there are more important things in life but for some reason I know that I will continue to pursue a reply from a celebrity every so often, and then go on and on and on about it all day to people that couldn't give 2 sh*ts !!

If I could have a conversation with anybody famous I would love it to be Martin Luther King or Winston Churchill. Who would you choose??