During all the years I spent carrying my 5 children during their younger years in the sling, I managed to return to my pre pregnancy weight.I was always on the go. Maybe that was it.
I put it down to our lifestyle, all that healthy eating, out & aboutness, pounding the pavement seeking new clients, running from not so willing prospective clients, chasing the parking- pick up the kids-get to uni deadline and the markets.
All with a baby in the sling, a suitcase and filled to the brim mother's bag.
All that accessory weight I was carrying around.
Other mums were going to the gym.
But I was never far from my size 8 jeans.
Shape? well maybe not so much... the boobs got bigger!
Almost 20 consecutive years of breastfeeding probably added to their size, but really, I have my mother's & grandmother's genetics to thank for that....Good on ya Mum!
When I inherited the nickname of Dolly Parton, I cut off my long blonde hair and dyed the last little bit red.
The strangest thing happened - my husband didn't notice that 12 inches of hair was missing, or that it was a completely different colour, but he did ask, "Are you wearing a new bra honey?"
He never did live that one down.
As much as no one, least of all my appreciative hubby, complains about the size of my voluptuous set of kahoonas, except for me, I'm proud of them & my tiger stripes (stretch marks) of courage too.
They've done some awesome work, truly awesome work.
Just as the kids are growing older, my body parts are sagging south too.
Whilst I've discovered the strangulating joys of shapewear, my size 8 jeans have been packed away.
For some time.
Its been a few years since I carried any of the kids around in the sling for hours on end daily.
Kids have this rather annoyingly bad habit of growing up.
Though I walk every morning, getting back before the family wakes up, which gives me my daily pep boost, so that I can jiggy jig the Harlem Shake to an audience of none when making the families lunches in the kitchen.
But it hasn't stopped the weight from sneaking on like an uninvited party quest; no one likes those.
I know that going to the gym is like Brussels Sprouts; both are good for me
I don't like either, but I was doing both.
Until I had an accident that damaged my shoulder.
The type of accident you have when you stand on your husband's desk to install a new curtain rail.
An Ikea desk that hubby put together with a 'Mweh I don't need to connect the stabliser bar, it'll be right' after thought.
.
My life flashed before my eyes as the 2 computer monitors, printers, hard drives & all his other shiz coming crashing down on top of me at a furiously fast speed.
One chipped tooth, more bruises than Muhammed Ali after a few rounds and a left arm dangling uselessly later, I still managed to right hand text him 'You didn't put on the f%$King stabliser bar!"
My hubby had an idea once to make T-shirts that read "I can do anything, I survived Ikea instructions"
I'll add to that "I didn't survive my husband's Ikea project"
There went the daily gym visits, and much to my family's relief so did the awful Brussels Sprout pie.
I had plenty of time to fill with extra bread, a Choc Top or few, a lot of sitting around and not much moving.
Summer hit and my size 12 shorts wouldn't do up.
I used up 2 boxes of tissues that morning.
My husband paled at every sob.
After 4 weeks of dieting, some weight started to shift, but not a lot.
I needed to do a type of exercise that my still recovering shoulder could handle.
Enter a personal trainer trainee from down the road who was dying to get in some experience & the hospital physiotherapist, they have me sorted.
But the weight wasn't showing much interest in budging, until I told the PT about my skinny years with the babes in the sling.
Her eyes struck open so wide I thought they'd pop.
"Of course, of course! the oldest weight loss trick in the book! carry the extra weight. The body works harder, burns more calories without the extra stress"
Since the beginning of February, PT has had me carrying a 10 kilo bag of potatoes in one of our discarded demo slings on my daily morning walks.
There's not a morning that goes past that I fear that one of the other regular walkers will want to stop to look at my 'baby'.
Its an odd thought I know, but there you have it.
But I did lose 7 kilos during February by using this technique, more than triple what I was losing before. My size 10 skinny jeans are little lose this morning, so I'm dancing the happy dance.
Actually I'm pirouetting between paragraphs.
Having spoken to PT further about this & our local Weight Watcher's team leader. By carrying around extra weight such as a baby/toddler in a sling or strapping on exercise weights and walking for at least 40- 45 minutes daily, will help you lose weight.
As long as your diet is a healthy eating one of course.
So get out & about, like our couple in the photo, or use the sling at home for the daily things that you do!
I'm off to find the trunk that holds my old favourite size 8 jeans.
I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be in the attic, and I haven't been in the attic since I watched The Grudge.......
Then again, there's always retail therapy to help with that!
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