For mum of three Joanne Ramsden, 2010 has already been a year of major milestones. This year, she’ll send her three-year-old son, Charlie, to school and she’ll also celebrate a very significant birthday – her 40th.
Charlie’s first day at school is another seven months away but the celebrations for Joanne’s big 4-0 have been and gone.
In last month’s issue of I Love Me, Joanne expressed a desire to embark on a life-changing healthy eating regime with Charlie.
She wanted to prepare him for school dinners – ensuring he knew which healthy options to choose independently – and for her to embrace her 40th birthday with enthusiasm rather than dread.
In January, she told us: “I want to learn how to make family meals on a budget.
“But I want them to be balanced, so my kids get the right amount of protein and carbohydrates on their plates and I don’t pile on the pounds.
“We all eat as a family so, while I realise the importance of providing enough slow energy- releasing carbohydrates for children, I don’t want to bulk up into the bargain!”
Joanne and Charlie enrolled on an eight-week healthy eating programme at their local Healthy Happy Toddler Club (HHTC) in Bolton.
Run by Lizzie Ashworth, a nutritionist with Bolton PCT, the club helps mums support their toddlers by eating well and keeping active.
So has it helped Joanne and Charlie? “Absolutely,” beams Joanne. “We’ve both benefited hugely.
“Admittedly, Charlie wasn’t an overly fussy eater but it was the portion sizes I felt I was getting wrong. I think I was giving him portions that were too big and he became over-faced, leaving a large amount of his meal.
“Lizzie advised that I put Charlie’s food on a smaller plate. This has worked because he eats everything now.
“I don’t measure stuff out but I do refer to a ‘plate chart’ that highlights how much protein, dairy and carbs should be included in each meal. I find that a really helpful, quick-reference tool.”
Joanne has also given up her ‘beloved’ daily elevenses of milky coffee and a biscuit, opting instead for a coffee with a splash of milk and an apple.
“It was tricky at first,” she admits, “because I always felt it was my treat, but now I actually don’t miss it at all. And Charlie has an apple with his drink, too.”
Healthy Happy Toddler Club leader Lizzie encouraged Joanne and Charlie to keep a food diary together and Joanne says this has helped her keep track of what they both eat on a daily basis.
“We’ve learned to make some great, healthy snacks at the toddler club,” she says, “and we make them at home too.
“In fact, the other children and my husband all love them, especially the vegetable sticks with home-made avocado dip.”
While Joanne is obviously delighted with the progress she’s making, she is also happy with other aspects of the programme.
“Because it’s based on healthy eating and nutrition, I’ve learned how eating the right things can encourage better dental hygiene and help prevent gum cancer,” she says.
“The whole programme is enlightening and I find myself looking forward to the next week’s session.
“Both Charlie and I have bags more energy and not only does my skin look healthier, I’ve lost almost half a stone in two months.”
As part of the I Love Me family of the month, Joanne was given Co-op vouchers worth £100 and she says she has enjoyed spending them on healthy ingredients for her new recipes. And to celebrate Joanne’s new, healthy lifestyle, I Love Me treated her to a day of pampering and a makeover.
Joanne had her hair cut and styled at Trevor Sorbie and her make-up done by Emmalene Smith for No7 at Boots using the brand’s Lift And Luminate range of creams and foundations and the new Natural Radiance eyeshadows, powder and lipstick.
Joanne says she normally chooses ‘safe’ colours like blacks and browns, but Manchester Arndale personal shopper Debs Hatfield was determined to put her in some colour.
The experience, says Joanne, has changed the way she’ll shop for clothes. “I’ve got red in my wardrobe, but it’s prety much browns in the day and blacks at night,” laughs Joanne.
“I have one group of friends who say they’ve never seen me in anything but black. And I’m the same with make-up; whatever goes on my cheeks I shove on my eyes.
“But I’m going to be brave now and I’m definitely going to invest in a pair of jeggings.”
Factfile
- Main mage: Dress from Monsoon, £130; bag, £30, and accessories, £6, from Accessorize; shoes from Aldo, £95
- Second image: Top from Warehouse, £45; jeggings from Next, £20; bag from Warehouse, £25; shoes from Dune, £95
- Third image: Jacket, £65, top, £35, and bag, £37, from Wallis; jeggings, £25, and shoes, £38, from Next; jewellery from Wallis, £10
- Fourth image: Joanne before the makeover
- Hair: Joanne’s hair was treated with a long-lasting semi-permanent colour by Craig and cut into a layered bob by Mai, both at Trevor Sorbie, Spring Gardens. Colours from £25, same-day haircuts from £35 (trevorsorbie.com).
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