Healthy Mummy Kirsty talks weight loss success & dealing with life’s curveballs

Kirsty talks about the daily challenges she faces in life as well as a recent Non Scale Victory as well as the glitches she has faced on her health journey.
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Kirsty Whitehead is a mum of four amazing kids, three of which have special needs. She joined the Healthy Mummy in an effort to get on top of her health goals, to lose some weight but become healthier, physically and mentally.

Here, in her own words, Kirsty talks about the daily challenges she faces in life as well as a recent Non Scale Victory she has been able to accomplish, along with glitches she has faced on her health journey.

“I am a realist. I don’t see the glass half full or half empty. I see it for what it is.”

“I’m sitting here snuggled under a blanket as it’s chilly in Adelaide tonight. A nice autumn evening. My youngest is snuggled in a pea pod, my 5-year-old on his green wobble cushion (if it’s not green it just doesn’t exist), my newly 13-year-old is on his vibrating bed doing nightly meditation and my 16-year-old is in her room also meditating.

Doesn’t that sound absolutely bliss? A house of calm and quiet children…….

It’s lasted for 5 minutes;

I think that’s a record!! I needed those 5 minutes though, and I’ll explain why in just a moment. I think it’s important to take a moment to let you know something important about me. I am a realist. I don’t see the glass half full or half empty. I see it for what it is. Water in a glass is for me to drink. If I want more, I’ll get more. If it was enough, then it was enough. Simples… knowing this will help in what I share next.”

Weight Loss Success and Curveballs along the way

“Sound the trumpets ladies, I can report weight wise I have lost 11 kilos in the last 5 weeks!

Today I probably gained 3 kilos with the amount of chocolate I have eaten. Life has thrown some more curveballs our way. In the last couple of weeks, I have received so much new information about my cherubs.

News of my daughter’s moderate speech disorder and the push by professionals to get her assessed for Autism. One of the biggest moments was when she admitted that year 11 was too much and that she wasn’t coping and that all her learning difficulties are getting in the way. This was important because firstly, Shelby has always denied any need for help and, secondly, it means her masking it, has reached its end. As you can imagine it was a rather emotional thing for both of us to face together. 

My eldest son turned 13 today, and had to spend his day at hospital appointments, thankfully he didn’t mind as we make it all as fun as possible. He had a good chat with his specialised dentist about the dangers of eating Lego (you thought stepping on pieces was bad enough LOL!). Let’s take a moment to digest that (ha ha no pun intended!!!). I learned as I cleaned his room that there was half eaten pieces of Lego all over the place. I also found so many ripped up and destroyed things, oh the joys of sensory needs! 

We then finished the day with a speech appointment where his results were explained to me. It was explained that Jackson has a severe speech disorder that he will need intensive therapy and there is a really big chance that he will end up in supportive accommodation or living with Mum and Dad for the rest of our lives. We went home, he played, and I hid in the room and released the tears. Total, ugly crying!”

“He is none the wiser at all. That has to be one of the biggest positives out of it all! He isn’t aware, he is blissfully living in his own world. He faces his struggles, but at his level.

How does this mummy bear handle the situation you ask?? Let me tell you today, I handled it with CHOCOLATE and LOTS OF IT TOO!! *insert eye roll here*

I often hear these words… ‘be kind to yourself’.

You are right! I do need to be kind to myself, but eating all the chocolate I could, wasn’t actually being kind to myself. Whilst I am not diabetic, my blood sugars would be going crazy, and I also don’t want to become diabetic.

In my last blog entry, I mentioned my goal about becoming healthy, not just skinny, so being kind to myself shouldn’t just be about eating, it needed to be something else. I didn’t feel guilty about indulging, in fact that is a Non-Scale Victory for me, detaching my emotions from my choices on food.

Yes, I ate too much chocolate, I used it as comfort, but I am not going to punish myself for it, because food is food. It is fuel, some is good for our bodies and some is bad for our bodies. So now, my kindness to myself, is stopping the consumption of chocolate today. Not forever just for today. I will instead drink more water and when I have got my four cherubs to bed, I am going to bring up the meditation in The Healthy Mummy App and focus on bringing down my stress levels.

They say stress slows down weight loss and my life is filled with inescapable stress, but there are ways I can bring the chemicals in my body to a healthier level. I can’t undo the amount of chocolate I consumed, but I can stop and learn from it.

Without punishing myself because I am human, and this journey is filled with bumps on the road and lessons to be learned. I guess that’s why The Healthy Mummy focuses on a lifestyle change rather than just a healthy diet. (Yes, I’m totally just pondering on that one as I write… my own little light bulbs moment if you will).”

“So how did my plans go I hear you ask?? I ate cake and more chocolate. I internally struggled with myself. I ended up feeling rather ill, my head pounding from the stress and sugar.

I did however, drink more water and, I did use the meditation from the Healthy Mummy App. When I was finished, I wondered why I didn’t do it sooner??  The urge to eat everything was gone and the want for water increased. As I mentioned I can’t undo the damage from the chocolate, but I am going to learn from it.

I’m not going to wait; next time I will take the time I need to digest, meditate and deal with my emotions and ask for help from my hubby whilst I do so. I am so guilty of focusing on everyone else and trying to be everyone’s rock, that I don’t really take the time I need for myself. I just expect myself to just keep pushing and pushing.”

Avoiding the Burn Out

“If I keep doing that, and we Healthy Mummy’s keep doing that, we will burn out. Part of my NSV is being able to look back and see my imperfections and accept them. To see that the way I chose wasn’t the way that would bring me closer to my goal and also to accept that, it was what it was… I ate emotionally trying to cope. I am a realist and know my journey may go two steps forward and one step back, yet I won’t give up! I will endeavour to move forward and I am giving myself a high-five for that. I’m not using my reality as an excuse; I am simply accepting the challenge.

So basically, getting back to the point, by seeing, accepting and learning I am being kind to myself because I am not emotionally beating myself up. So, the scales may reflect a gain this week, but my NSV though outweighs that number.”

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