Well, it’s certainly been a while since I last posted at the end of the 12wbt challenge.  I would definitely have to say it was a success too!  At the end of it all I was healthier, fitter and lighter.  My husband was also healthier, fitter and lighter!  In another challenge we had, his cholesterol had been a little high and his doctor wanted it under control – being on the 12wbt plan and sticking to the eating guidelines has managed to get his cholesterol into a much better place in only 3 months – that’s a definite win right there for us.

Waiting for bath time ~ Emily, 11 months

My final challenge/reward took place the first weekend of March.  We had signed up for an urban rogaine – basically orienteering around the suburbs finding waypoints.  It was all through the hills of Mosman, an area we know quite well, and we arrived on the day and plotted our course with alternatives depending on how I coped with it all.  I was more than a little disappointed in my performance, in the 3 hours I only managed to do 16km.  From the start I was puffing and struggling and my heart rate was fairly high for the effort I was putting in.  This was the first inkling I had that something more might be going on here!  It was still satisfying to have done this and get back within the three hour time limit, and I was definitely sore for a couple of days, but I had to wait a few more days to check out my hunch about what was going on.  Sure enough, by the end of the week the pregnancy test came back positive!  Amazing!  I truly believe that a huge part of this is due to my being healthier and fitter due to the 12wbt – there are a few things I had going against me, not least of which is my age at 39.

So where to from here?  I cut back on my exercise straight away as my body was obviously finding it a bit too much of a challenge to keep going with.  I increased how much I was eating, but still continued to slowly lose weight over the next couple of months.  Luckily now, at 5 months pregnant, I am back to what I was at the end of the 12wbt in February and have even started gaining a little more – my belly is certainly showing I am pregnant anyway!  Other than being more tired than normal, this pregnancy has been pretty much as straight forward an unproblematic as the last which has been wonderful.  Running around after an under one year old at the same time would have been a LOT harder if I had more to deal with on the health front as well!

I’ve continued walking most days and this has been a big help physically and mentally to get some “time out”.  We try and make it a bit of a family time and my husband joins me when he can and Emily gets pushed along in the pram.

Getting around ~ Emily, 9 months

So where does this blog go now?  I seem to be hitting a bit of a nesting / home improvement patch   So along with sharing my photos, I will be following my plans to “kid-friendly” our home, fix up the garden a bit and seeing what chaos having a second child can bring to our family!  I hope you join me for the adventure.