New Year's Resolutions Update & Thinking Slimmer Slimpod Discount Codes

You probably remember back at the beginning of January, I did three blogposts about the three steps of my mission to finally shift the baby weight, using the Thinking Slimmer SlimPod, the MuTu System and Jenny Craig. Well, you may be wondering how it's all been going so I thought I'd give you a bit of an update.

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod - I came to this as an absolute sceptic back in October, convinced that listening to a 10-minute mp3 once a day, even falling asleep while doing so if you want to, couldn't possibly have the slightest effect on your eating habits or help you lose weight and, if I'm honest, quite looking forward to writing some scathing blogposts saying how it was all a load of old tosh. Then I started going off diet coke and chocolate, getting strange urges to run around in the park with the kids and ... eeek ... actually losing weight ! I lost 5kg in three months before adding in the MuTu System and Jenny Craig so that can only be down to the SlimPod, and I've lost another 3kg since, so a grand total of over a stone. I haven't actually listened to the SlimPod for weeks but I think I might start again, listening to the Keep Losing Weight SlimPod that came in the Lose 2 Jeans Sizes or More mp3 package. I still don't see how it could work but have to face facts and say that it undoubtedly does ! Once you've listened to it for 21 days on the trot, the effects are long-lasting even if you stop listening to it regularly. (Scroll to the bottom for some fab discount codes, if you want to give it a go yourself.)

MuTu System - I did this totally seriously for the first month or so then got a bit overwhelmed with everything going on at home/work and have kind of fallen off the MuTu System wagon at the moment. It's a 12-week programme to help you lose your mummy tummy and sort out the damage that your pregnancies may have caused and, I have to say, I think it was working. My stomach definitely feels tighter (I'm not talking wobbly tums, I'm talking core muscles !) and - even if I say I've dropped out - I'm still doing the basic core movements because you can do them while cooking dinner, standing at the bus stop or queueing at the bank ! I've been following the food and positive outlook advice too so I haven't totally failed. I am determined to get back to this properly when things have calmed down.

Jenny Craig - I'm coming to the end of a month's trial and I'm sure you can't have missed all my blog posts showing you what you actually get to eat. I was impressed with the quality and taste of the food, didn't feel hungry at all (which could also be the SlimPod effect) and was really chuffed to lose 3kg. I am getting bored of eating prepacked food all the time now though and it seems a bit lonely eating different food to everyone else all the time but it gives you great training on correct portion sizes and is ultra convenient. Don't forget that Jenny Craig are currently doing a half price offer on their 2-week package - check out the website at http://www.jennycraig.co.uk

Now, as promised, those SlimPod discount codes. The lovely Sandra from Thinking Slimmer has just revealed the following offers :

"Easter's a tough time for many people because the shops are crammed with Easter eggs and boxes of chocolates.

So I'm offering £5 off The Chocoholic Cure or £5 off Beat That Sweet Tooth, our latest Slimpod for anyone who has cravings for biscuits, sweets and cakes (even sugar in tea and coffee). You can buy both if you wish and save a tenner!

Just go to www.ThinkingSlimmer.com and click the blue Buy A Slimpod button. To save £5 on The Chocoholic Cure use the discount code EASTER5CDS for a CD purchase or EASTER5MP3 for an instant download purchase.

To save £5 on Beat That Sweet Tooth use the discount code SWEETTOOTH - please note this Slimpod is only available as an MP3 download, not on CD.

By the way, my Fitpod for a Fiver promotion is still available for a short while longer. You can buy our Get Back In The Swing Fitpod CD for just £5 (including first class delivery) by using the discount code SWINGSAVER.

Please feel free to tell your friends about our Easter offers, which will also be open to anyone who Likes our Thinking Slimmer Facebook page."

Sounds like the perfect time for saving pounds (money) and losing pounds (weight) !  

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

  

New Year's Resolution Part 1 : The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod 

New Year's Resolution Part 2 : The MuTu System 

New Year's Resolution Part 3 : Jenny Craig

New mums, don't beat yourself up over your Mummy Tummy !

This article from MuTu (that's Mummy Tummy) System creator Wendy Powell made me cheer ! We see so many photos of celeb new mums looking fab and fit while we're more likely to be flab and shi... - err tired ! - so it's great to hear it as it really is.

I've been following the MuTu System (click on the link to see my posts) and - although I've fallen off the wagon a bit for the past couple of weeks, since getting a fluey bug that has totally zapped my energy and spending really long days at work (8am - 9pm) with parent-teacher evenings - by doing the basic movements Wendy suggests and taking a more comprehensive look at lifestyle and food choices, I can still see a slight difference already.

Wendy's morale-boosting article is coming up. Read it and weep ... with joy !

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The Celebrity Baby Weight Loss Stories we Love to Hate - How DO They Do It?
  

The lovely Beyoncé is the latest in a long line of beautiful, famous women recently photographed just weeks (4 to be precise) after giving birth looking amazing, Wendy Powell, founder of The MuTu® System (http://mutusystem.com ) asks 'How'd THAT happen?'

Well apparently, it's a very simple matter of an intensive 2 hour workout with your trainer at 5am, another intensive 2 hour workout at 5pm plus six high protein small meals a day. "She's living on protein shakes, egg-white omelettes, pineapple chunks and lots of ice-cold water," reveals a Beyoncé source according to the Huffington Post.

Right, just like us then? I don't think I got out of bed for the first 4 weeks after my firstborn!

Celebrities have personal trainers, chefs and the financial ability to utilise no end of support systems. I mean no one could accuse Beyoncé of taking the easy route here could they - poor woman must be exhausted but at least she's honest about her extreme regime! The sanctimonious ones are worse: "Oh I just do a little Pilates once a week" or"Really it's just down to a bit of yoga and rushing around all day".

Women's' bodies don't 'just bounce back' after having a baby. You created, grew and gave birth to a human being! So you're not going to erase all signs of the process in a few weeks! Most women take many months to lose the extra weight they gained during pregnancy and to build strength and tone, let alone be seen in a bikini. That's how it's supposed to be.

IF the reports of Beyonce's regime are accurate, then in my opinion, it is too much too soon. Way too intensive with the focus unhealthily on fast weight loss rather than recovery.

All women should wait a minimum of 6 weeks after giving birth (longer for a c-section or where there were complications) before commencing anything intensive or high impact. In those early weeks and months, the focus should be on repairing and restoring your core and pelvic floor, this takes time and it should take time. Our bodies need to be put back together with expertise and care. We need rest and nourishing food to take care of our baby and of ourselves.

We read about celebrity mums and their extreme diet and exercise regimes, their obsession with looks over safe recovery, health and cry 'How shallow!' whilst maybe feeling somewhat envious of the discipline and expensive resources that enable this remarkable change.

Dare I wonder if we could give them a little bit of a break though? I mean, how would we like it if a camera was shoved in our face (or zoomed in on our waistline) every time we left the house? How laid back we would be about the bags under our eyes and the muffin top over our elastic waisted trousers... if we were going to see them on the front page of the tabloids the next day?

Yes celebrities court press attention. It is perfectly possible to have babies without being in the papers; even if you are famous, so maybe they 'ask for it'...

But I do believe women deserve to become mums without pressure and guilt, whoever they are and whatever their background. And we maybe shouldn't judge or criticize those women's' choices, anymore than we should feel remotely inclined to undertake 4 hours of workouts every day and survive on egg whites.

What does a woman really look like just a days and weeks after giving birth? Well, not that different to when she was pregnant actually, just not quite so firm out front.  Jools Oliver and Pink were both papped in their natural new mum glory. Whilst they were lauded as flying the flag for 'real women, I wonder how crazy they really were about those pictures appearing all over the web? Every celebrity didn't necessarily 'sign up' for this kind of intrusive attention on her physical appearance. If a celebrity chooses not to pose in a bikini with a baby on one arm for the cover of a magazine, she should surely be left alone.

When fame is your livelihood, then this kind of pressure comes as part of the package, whether it's invited or not.

New mothers have enough to contend with, what with sleep deprivation and the hormones, demands and emotions that caring for a newborn entails. Whoever she is, whatever she's worth, she had a baby and now she's a mother. That much at least goes for all of us (not even Victoria Beckham can pay someone to have the babies for her).

Many celebrity post baby body stories aren't unhealthy or totally unrealistic. There are those whose workout DVD's or fitness stories really do inspire and motivate many women to fit exercise into their life in a balanced and healthy way. Bring on Davina, Nell McAndrew or Jenni Falconer...

We know these women have access to support we probably can't afford. We know their livelihood is intrinsically linked to their physical appearance, however shallow or wrong that might seem. But if watching a good looking celebrity mum with a toned backside inspires us to jump around in our front room and raise our heart rate, then that's got to be good!

Here's to a little more sisterhood and a healthy balance!

for more information : Click here to visit MuTu System.

Other blogposts you may be interested in : 

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod & MuTu System Week 3 update

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod & MuTu System Week 2 update

MuTu System update : Week 1 

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod & MuTu System Week 3 update

Well, after failing miserably to get sweaty last week, my internet connection was back this week and I seriously tackled MuTu System week 3. This week, as well as the core exercises that you do every day (and that take very little effort, it has to be said), the first of the more intensive workouts is introduced. But however unfit you are, the way that it is broken down into bite (or should that be nibble?)-sized segments makes it all seem accessible and pretty easy, whatever your level. You only have to do each exercise for 45 seconds, interspersing each new move with 15 seconds of jogging on the spot to get your heart rate up, and the whole thing only takes about 15 minutes, stretches (or yoga moves as Wendy calls them, but that sounds a bit too daunting !) included. Be honest - who can't find 15 minutes in the day at some point ? I even did one group session with the kids, Sophie joining in and Juliette yelling out the numbers on the timer when it got to 45 and 00 each time ! I used a few extra stomach muscles in that workout because I was laughing so much !

Still feeling a bit cynical, I thought to myself "OK, I got sweaty, but how effective can quarter of an hour of sport actually really be ?". Well, next day when I got up and my bum/backs of my thighs were aching like mad, I think that gave me my answer ! It may take minimum effort but certainly goes for maximum efficiency. MuTu creator Wendy knows what she's doing, even if you don't !!

Food-wise and weight-wise, I wasn't sure what this week would bring. I'd been challenged to try the Farmhouse Breakfast Week Shake Up Your Wake Up campaign so needed to add breakfast into my meal plans every day this week. As I'm usually a naughty breakfast-skipper, this meant eating more rather than less so I was expecting a bit of a weight-gain this week. Part of the MuTu Food advice is to make sure you eat breakfast though so - in for a penny, in for a pound - I decided to go the whole hog and reassess at the end of the week ! I blogged about the Breakfast Week Challenge here.

Well, I've just weighed myself and the scales said 86.3kg. Last week when I weighed myself I'd got back to my pre-Christmas weight of 87.1kg after putting 1kg back on over the festive period. So despite eating more, I've lost almost a kilo this week - woohoo ! That's almost 5kg total weight loss since I started with the SlimPod at the end of October, which I'm very impressed with.

I told you I'd added in the "Keep Losing Weight" and "Make Sport Fun" parts of the SlimPod but I haven't actually been listening to them much, probably only twice for each, with the odd listen to the original "Lose 2 jeans sizes or more" SlimPod which is on my mp3 player for the bus ride to work. I'm still making healthy choices automatically - fruit for dessert at the canteen, sensible breakfasts, avoiding butter on malt loaf (whereas I'd usully slather it on), buying loads of fruit & veg at the farmers' market ...

A couple of new changes I've noticed this week : I've gone off chocolate - eeeek ! I don't hate it but I don't crave it any more. If I'm offered some, I might have one square but just don't fancy any more after that. And I'm turning into a chocolate snob ! While I will happily eat Galaxy or Belgian truffles, I don't eat the kids' rubbish chocolate any more, thinking it's a waste of calories for chocolate that doesn't taste particularly nice ! Don't get me wrong, I'm not dieting or depriving myself - I've still had the odd handful of jelly beans in the evening and I treated myself to a Magnum ice cream bar earlier in the week, but I just haven't fancied sweet, biscuits, cakes or chocolate in the way I usually would have. I took the kids to the bakers as a special treat on Wednesday and just couldn't see anything in the entire shop that I felt like eating, so I came home and had a satsuma instead ! Freaky, I know !

Another "moment" this week was cooking sausages in the Actifry. I was stunned by how much fat came out of them, as I showed you here. Well, I didn't want to throw the liquid fat down the sink because I know it clogs up the pipes so I put it in the sink to cool. Scooping out three huge handfuls of gooey, greasy, congealed fat to throw in the bin made me think about what this must do to your arteries - yuck ! So I didn't have a second's hesitation when choosing a Seafood Salad in place of a burger when we took the kids to McDonalds on Saturday. SlimPod effect or not ? I honestly don't know any more, and I don't even care ! I'm making healthy choices and losing weight so that's all that matters ! 

Don't forget to click on the "SlimPod" and "MuTu" labels at the bottom of the post to see all my updates right from Day 1 (when I was a total cynic).

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod & MuTu System Week 2 update

Thinking Slimmer Slimpod update : week 11

MuTu System update : Week 1 

Thinking Slimmer SlimPod & MuTu System Week 2 update

This week has been an absolute failure for the MuTu System and it wasn't even my fault. Now before you start smirking and saying "yeah yeah, pull the other one, it's got bells on", it really wasn't my fault. Honestly ! My internet connection has been patchy, to say the least, for the last few weeks (I think it's a problem with the phone line because that keeps crackling too) so when I tried to download this week's video - the one where Wendy warns us that we start getting serious and sweaty - the internet connection kept dropping before I got to the end. I eventually decided to give that up and watch it online instead but that wasn't working either because the connection would drop and the video would stop so I couldn't get past the first minute of the video. Aaaggghhh !

But I've decided to stay positive. You'll notice that the title of this post is week 2. Well, it should have been week 3 but I've just done a fortnight of week 2 instead and I'll start week 3 next week instead. No feeling guilty and beating myself up. No thinking "well, I've blown it now and I might as well give up and eat an entire family size bar of Galaxy and drink a bottle of Baileys" ! And I think that is actually down to the Thinking Slimmer mindset that the SlimPod has given me, because the phrase that kept popping into my head when I couldn't get the video to work was "anything more than nothing is something". I may not have got sweaty but I have been doing the daily core exercises. Yes, they're easy peasy and it won't be enough to make a difference but it's a start. Onwards and upwards !

So, what does week 2 of the MuTu System bring ? Well, it's still nice and gentle with six moves to do each day, a promise to drink more water, cut out the refined/processed foods as much as possible and walk 15-20 minutes per day. No problem !

I've been choosing fruit for dessert and picking salads as starters every day at the school canteen without a second's thought - that's the SlimPod effect again. Weight-wise, no change at all which I'll call a positive as I'm back to my pre-Christmas weight so a total 4kg loss so far. I've upped the ante by adding in the "Keep weightloss going" and "Make fitness fun and easy" SlimPods which I'll make a concerted effort to listen to every night, while still listening to the original "drop a jeans size" SlimPod on my mp3 player on the bus to work in the morning.

I've now successfully downloaded and watched my week 3 video - yay ! - so I'm raring to go next week. Speak to you in a week with the next update !

for more information : http://mutusystem.com/lose-baby-weight-with-mutu-system-and-thinking-slimmer.html

*** STOP PRESS ! Until the end of January, you can use code 2012SAVEIT to get 20% off all SlimPods at www.thinkingslimmer.com *** 

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Thinking Slimmer update and fabulous free Christmas Slimpod offer

MuTu System update : Week 1 

SlimPod - 10 minute daily mp3 for permanent weightloss

MuTu System update : Week 1

I told you last week (here) that one of my New Year's resolutions involves following the MuTu System, a fitness and well-being programme especially designed for mums (however long ago they had kids) to get their Mummy Tummy in shape (which is where the MuTu name comes from).

Well, my email from the lovely Wendy with week 2's video has just popped into my inbox so that means here we are at the end of week 1 already. I survived !! For a 12 week programme, I was expecting this to be something pretty intensive that threw you in at the deep end and left you feeling out of breath and out of your depth before you've even started (like most of the "New Year New You" fitness DVDs to hit the shelves just after they've removed the crackers and wrapping paper).

But it wasn't at all. In fact it all seemed so simple, I had to go back and check midweek that I hadn't missed out a part (the difficult part !). I'm sure it's just the calm before the storm but I'm heading into week 2 feeling upbeat, chilled-out and confident. I'm actually looking forward to discovering week 2's video, to see what's next, feeling positive that it won't be too difficult or impossible to achieve, and actually wanting something to get my teeth into that's a bit trickier than week 1 !

So what happened in week 1 ? Well, I feel like the main muscle I've been using this week is my brain, getting into the right place psychologically before trying to get into the right place physically. It involved a bit of a physical (and therefore emotional) stocktake, noting down measurements and goals, and - eeek ! - taking a full length photo of yourself in a bikini or underwear in the mirror. Wendy says "I know you'll hate me now but you'll be really pleased in about 12 weeks time when you look back". OK, I'll reserve judgement on that one for now then !!

Apart from that, there was a bit of clearing the junk out of the cupboard (well, it's still there for the kids but I've been avoiding the sweets and biscuits ... for the most part !), making a conscious effort to drink lots of water and following the first series of exercises that mainly involve breathing ! See ? I told you it wasn't difficult ! There are three exercises to do and two of them you can do at the bus stop, while cooking dinner or while watching TV so they're easy to fit into the day wherever you are. And the strangest part is, you actually can feel the muscles working, even though it's effortless.

One thing I'm supposed to have done is evaluate how far apart my abdominal muscles got stretched during pregnancy but, even following the instructions on the video, I can't work it out at all ! Oh well, I'll just assume they're at the worst possible stage and take it from there !

Obviously, no huge changes these week so let's see what week 2 brings !

for more information : http://mutusystem.com

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

New Year's Resolution Part 2 : The MuTu System

New Year's Resolution Part 1 : The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod

Top Tips from Wendy Powell of MuTu System to Enjoy Christmas Without Piling On The Pounds!

New Year's Resolution Part 2 : The MuTu System

The fact that the Thinking Slimmer Slimpod has already started showing results despite my huge cynicism led me to another leap of faith when I signed up to try out the MuTu System. This is something else that I've seen an awful lot of bloggers mentioning on twitter and that I kept thinking sounded too good to be true so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and see for myself.

The introductory message on the website is very encouraging because Wendy sounds really down-to-earth and knows exactly what mums want and need. After all, as well as being a personal trainer, she is one ! She explains : "I'm Wendy, pre & postpartum exercise specialist & flatten-er of mummy tummies! Also mum to a gorgeous little boy & to a feisty little girl who might just rule the world one day... I created the MuTu® System to show you how to rediscover your waistline AND your body confidence after having children... however long ago you had them! It's a unique, proven, step by step 12 week program & video series of restorative exercises, highly effective workouts, yoga & motivational techniques that give you everything you need to flatten your mummy tummy!"

You get a pdf file to download which is your guidebook, along with a section to record your measurements, plus a weekly video showing you what you need to do. As a mum of three with a full-time job, I'm always worried about not having the time to fit in sport, but Wendy says she understands this and will work around it.

So far, I've only had a sneaky look at week 1 and watched the introductory video but I already love the no-nonsense straight talking and the fact that you're eased in slowly so you won't give up before you've even started because it's too hard, which is often the case with fitness videos for example.

 

The central message of MuTu (that's Mummy Tummy, if you're wondering!) is as follows, and it certainly sounds good to me : "MuTu isn’t about being Super Woman, it’s about finding the *you* you may have lost a little of whilst you were busy being Mum... Finding *YOU*, as well as your waistline, is a big part of MuTu. I hope you find yours!" Well, after three kids (and four pregnancies), my body certainly isn't a temple, it's more of a hotel (!!) so I say bring it on !

I've set up a MuTu label (here) so that you can follow my progress over the coming weeks. Wish me luck !

For more information : http://mutusystem.com

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

New Year's Resolution Part 1 : The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod

Top Tips from Wendy Powell of MuTu System to Enjoy Christmas Without Piling On The Pounds!