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Taking it Easy on myself {Lite n Easy Review} | Health & Weightloss

This post written in collaboration with Lite n' Easy

Next week I turn 34. I'm not really sure how I got here, to be honest. Mid-thirties?! Me?! I remember when I was 20, thinking how old 26 seemed. Now? I'm pretty sure my 20-year-old-self would think I'm positively over the hill! But as they say, age is a state of mind, and I still feel like I'm 29. Most days.

It's no secret that I've struggled with my weight since having the girls. After having Zee in July 2013 I set myself a goal to participate in the 5km Mother's Day Classic in 2014. I started 2014 off pretty well, and after a few weeks on Lite n Easy and starting the Operation Move Learn to Run training course I was finally starting to see some results.



But by mid July everything stalled. I was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis and have been dealing with it ever since. It put an end to my running, something which still disappoints me. I'd finally found an exercise that I enjoyed, and it was a pain in the arse to have to stop to try and heal my poor feet.
Less than a year after having Zee I'd lost 15kgs and was feeling good, with way more energy. Now, the only thing that hasn't changed is the dirty mirror situation!

Then, in 2015, I started studying full time and looking after my health took a back seat to everything else that was going on. I underestimated just how much time and energy studying full-time would take, when combined with my full-time role as Mum to two toddlers. The temptation to eat junk at the Uni cafeteria was strong, and by the time I got home most days the thought of doing any kind of exercise just did not enter my head. All I wanted to do was sit on the lounge and switch off my brain for a couple hours. So on the rare occasions when I wasn't sitting at my computer working on assignments or researching material, that's exactly what I did.

As a result, I put back on all of the weight and then some, that I had worked so hard to lose in 2014. It's left me feeling heavy and lethargic, and my self-esteem has taken a battering. None of my clothes fit anymore, and I don't like the way I feel.

It's now 2016 and I've run out of excuses for not looking after myself. I'm by no means old, but I am getting to the point where if I don't do something now it's just going to get harder and harder.

I read an excellent post the other day by Zoey over at Operation Move and it really resonated with me. Basically she said "don't start over, keep going". So this is me, keeping going. I'm not starting over, just getting myself back on track. Taking small steps and putting one foot in front of the other.

Enter Kids Business and Lite n' Easy.

This year's Blogger's Brunch ended up being quite timely. I met the lovely people who work at Lite n' Easy, and they offered me a two week trial of their new Winter menu. This was exactly the kick up the butt I was needing. Thanks to those lovely Lite n' Easy peeps I've been eating some delicious, and best of all healthy, food for the last two weeks. All without even trying!

I'm no stranger to Lite n' Easy, having done it on and off for most of 2014. I took Lite n' Easy being at the Blogger's Brunch as a sign it was time to get serious about eating better and working towards a healthier me again. I've just put in an order for my next two weeks (paid for by myself) and I've committed to sticking with it for a full 12 weeks.

After only 2 weeks I'm already noticing a change in my energy levels. I'm not feeling hungry all the time, and the urge to snack after dinner is slowly receding. Those who know me know that I'm not a big fan of cooking, so Lite n' Easy works for me because I don't have to cook anything. My chosen meals are delivered to my door every Wednesday and it takes all of the guesswork out of eating well.
Please excuse the crappy phone pictures, by the time I usually get a chance to sit down and eat I'm starving and in no mood to style and shoot my food!

I know the meals I get from Lite n' Easy are nutritious, and best of all for me, I find them quite tasty. There have been new meals added to the Lite n' Easy menu, and I've really enjoyed trying out the new stuff. My favourite lunches so far are the Bacon, Tomato & Quinoa Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette, and also the Butter Chicken wrap with baby cucumber and raitia. Honestly, if you told me at the beginning of the year that I'd not only be eating a Quinoa salad but enjoying it immensely, I would have laughed in your face. But enjoy it I have!

I've been too scared to weigh myself, not really wanting to come to terms with the numbers on the scale, and to be honest, I'm not sure if I will. I don't want to worry about that number, and instead I'm choosing to focus on how I'm feeling. The girls and I have started going for walks most afternoons, and while it's not much of a workout walking with two preschoolers who want to stop every few minutes to look at something, it's a start, and my daily step numbers have been steadily increasing.

I've been doing lots of exercises to help strengthen my foot and get it back to a point where I can attempt to, if not run, at least start power walking and really get my heart rate up (without the girls in tow, of course!). I want to improve my fitness so I'm not left feeling out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs or running after the girls.
Some nicer pictures, nicked from the Lite n' Easy website, of some of my favourite dinners
Clockwise from left: Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Parmigiana, Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks and Butter Chicken

It's time to really start looking after myself again, and Lite n' Easy takes care of that part of the equation. Without having to worry about what to cook and eat I can focus on other aspects of my health. I can spend time with the girls, rather than slaving over a stove, following recipes for tasteless, "healthy" food.

If you're struggling to eat well and want to start looking after yourself a little better, I can highly recommend giving Lite n' Easy a try. It works for me, and anything that keeps my away from the kitchen is a very good thing (just ask my husband!).

 Have you ever tried Lite n' Easy? What do you do to look after yourself and stay fit & healthy?

Disclaimer: Lite n' Easy were kind enough to shout me two weeks of their 1500 calorie Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner plan in exchange for sharing my thoughts on the programme. As always, the opinions are my own, and if you're in doubt as to the genuineness of my thoughts on Lite n' Easy, you can read posts where I mentioned using Lite n' Easy previously (all paid for by myself!) here.



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