Ok, mommies, how are the fitness goals going so far? Have you set a mini goal for yourself and taken steps to achieve it yet? Are you making your goals attainable and realistic? And most importantly, are you being kind to yourself and celebrating the body you're currently in, while working towards your goals? I think the hardest part about getting and staying fit sometimes is shifting your mindset about the role that fitness plays in your life. In the past, my fitness routines served the purpose of stress relief and body confidence booster. However once I entered the Dirty Thirties, fitness took on a whole new meaning. Something really changed when I turned thirty. Don't laugh, I'm serious! I could no longer eat whatever I wanted (like a whole pizza and half a bottle of wine) and then just easily sweat it out the next day in my aerobics class like, meh no biggie. My weight started to creep up steadily and I wasn't doing anything any differently! Then to top it all off, I didn't have quite the same energy I'd had in my twenties and my flexibility and muscle tone suffered as well. Not to mention, I was now toting around my little sidekick whom was also getting heavier by the day (but in a good way). I needed my strength and flexibility more now than ever now as a mom, but I found it getting harder and harder to maintain. Suffice it to say, the Dirty Thirties were quickly starting to live up to their name. It was time to make a change. Cue Michael Jackson's, I'm Starting with the Man (or woman) in The Mirror. I'm asking him (or her) to change his (her) ways! Since I was already a daily walker and gym class attendee, I didn't want to add on too much more exercise to my plate. I came to terms with the fact that I was going to have to start adjusting my eating habits. I've never been a crash dieter. In fact, never even tried a cleanse or quick weight loss diet plan. I think everybody knows that the answer to a healthy and fit body, is a healthy lifestyle... But, obviously that completely sucks sometimes... like when you really, really, really just need that whole bowl of pasta Alfredo and half a bottle of wine damnit! Stat!!! Where could I go to become more knowledgeable about nutrition and making healthier food choices? My girl, Jessica Simpson kind of inspired me. Plus, I've known many women that have had huge success with Weight Watchers, so I decided to give it a shot. Now, let me be clear, my goals were not only to lose the 11 pounds I'd gained in two years, but mostly to become more knowledgeable about my food choices. I needed to find a healthy balance and I didn't want to feel deprived or as though everything delicious is off limits. Weight Watchers will tell you, they are NOT a diet. It is a lifestyle and a new normal. It is NOT a quick-fix weight loss program. Full disclosure here because I promised you I'd always keep it real... when I joined, I weighed in at... 146.6 lbs. I know, you're thinking, well it could be worse (Or wait... maybe you were thinking- Dang girl! and here I am giving you the benefit of the doubt?!). As for me, 135 is a healthy weight and is my goal weight with Weight Watchers. However, with that being said, I'm not really stuck on a number per se. For example, If I were 150 lbs, but eating well and staying in shape, I'd be happy with that. Unfortunately, my 146 number was a direct result of some of my poor health choices and I knew it. So it was time to face the music and to start focusing on a healthier life style. I weigh in every Saturday morning and it is my "me" time. I check in with my progress and I absolutely LOVE the meetings! Each week there is a new topic like, Proper Portion Sizes (uh, eye opening, like-yikers), Incorporating Exercise into Your Life, and Treating Yourself Well (because if you have self-hate, it's impossible to make good health choices), plus so many more great topics. I was learning a lot and loved the fact that no food was off limits. I can still go to a party and have cake and ice cream and a glass of wine if I want, I just need to balance that choice out with the other choices I've made that week. I'd always heard the points would be so hard to keep up with, but they are actually really easy and they make a lot of sense to me because they are not solely based on calories. The nutrition plays a part in the number of points assigned to an item as well. So for example, even though a handful of marshmallows might contain the same number of calories as a slice of avocado, the avocado would have fewer points because it contains good nutrition for your body whereas the handful of marshmallows is just empty calories. If you are just calorie counting, you're missing out on the whole concept of nutrition. I have an app on my phone that allows me to simply enter foods and it calculates the points for me. It kind of reminds me of looking at my bank statement, when you have it right there in front of you, it can be eye opening. Like, wow I spent how much on those shoes? Totally not worth it. And next time, you do it differently. The same goes with your food choices. So you are probably wondering, how much progress have you made so far? And full disclosure here, I'm down to 138 lbs now. It's been about ten weeks so far, but easy does it. I'm changing my habits a little at a time and it's not a race. I'm being patient with myself and I've had weeks when I've gone up in weight instead of down, but overall, I'm thrilled with my success so far and I plan to stick with it for life. I'm literally creating new habits and I love that! Once you reach your goal weight, the meetings are free and you can weigh in and attend meetings for free any time you choose to keep yourself in check. I'm sharing my experience with you not because I'm promoting Weight Watchers, but because I'm promoting taking care of yourself as a mommy. If you are unhealthy, it will affect everything you do as a mom. After losing just 8 pounds, I can feel an improvement in my energy, my knees feel better, and most of all, my self esteem is improving. I'm taking care of me and making myself a priority. Remember, no one else can do that for you. Plus, cue, Baby, I'm Worth It_! So stay tuned. I'll keep you posted on my journey to better health. I will be sharing some of my snack ideas as well as a few of my favorite fitness moves. It's time ladies. Let's do this! How do you stay fit and healthy? Please share your ideas in the comments, we all need the motivation!
10 Comments
Erin
8/13/2015 03:56:25 am
Terrific article on health and self-love! Here are some useful things I've found really helpful in staying healthy through pregnancy and child-rearing:
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Kristin
8/20/2015 04:25:28 am
Great post! I agree that aging has forced me to look at my health and fitness choices with much more scrutiny. In particular, your comment about portion sizes hit home with me. I had gestational diabetes and when visiting a dietitian found that a "portion" of carbs was much smaller than I expected! Keep up the good work mommies!!!
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