Admiration

We all love a compliment.  Generally speaking, the best compliments are regarding our intelligence, sense of humor, and appearance... or so I thought.  Today I received a compliment.  I was jogging with my son in his bright yellow BOB stroller. It's something I've done with him almost everyday in his 2 years of life.  We were doing our normal route through our neighborhood when I saw an elderly couple a few houses in front of me.  As I jogged by I said "Good morning!" (because true runners are friendly when en route due to excessive endorphin release) and the man responded with "That looks like a tough workout." I replied with something like "He (referring to Jack) likes it."  He then kindly said "Well, I admire you."  After thanking him, I continued on with my run.  I then got to thinking (because what else is there to do during a 4 mile run?!) about what an awesome compliment that was. This gentleman recognized my hard work and admires me for it.  Talk about a self-esteem booster!

It's always nice to receive a compliment.  To be told you're smart, funny or attractive is always fantastic, but I truly felt content being told I was admired, because it was genuine.  

I wanted to share this encounter with you not only to toot my own horn, but to also motivate you.  This man made me feel good about what I've been doing, so I want to keep doing it!  Don't workout to just fit in your old jeans, or to be your pre-baby weight, because once you get there, what will your motivation be?  Workout for the admiration, it's probably the best motivation to keep you consistent whether you're just starting out or trying to stay strong.  So wherever you are on your fitness journey, go ahead and be admired!

Mommas and Fitness

I saw this video recently and I just love it.  There are times when I feel guilty about working out because it can seem selfish considering it's something I'm doing for myself.  Jack is usually cooperative but there are times that he cries when I do a circuit, so I have to push it out really fast.  I've wondered if it would make me a better mom to just stop the workout right there and do whatever it is he wants, but after watching this video, I now have a whole new perspective:  I'm teaching him dedication. This thought was reconfirmed as I observed Jack watching this video with such excitement!  I'm hoping it's because he was thinking "this is like my mommy!!!!" (even though he probably just liked the little girl doing the voice over...).  With that said, please watch this amazing and inspiring video!

True Life: I'm a Mom of a Toddler

Moms be like...

Mom's Day Post

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

I hope y'all enjoyed it!  We did :)

Swimsuit Edition

"They" say it takes the length of your pregnancy to get your pre-pregnancy body back.  Well,  since Jack is now 11 months I guess that means I've had more than enough time.  It's now the moment of truth.. time to see if "they" are right.  The only bod picture I have from before is a... (DUN DUN DUNNN) swimsuit pic.  I have a picture from our honeymoon that was taken almost two years ago to the day,  which would have been about 4 months prior to getting prego with our little Jack bean.  You've probably seen it before considering I posted it in the midst of my pregnancy blogging because I believe I was missing my pre-pregnancy bod or something.  Anywho, I figure that would be the perfect comparison pic.  

Back story complete so let's get back on topic: the dreaded swimsuit pic (repeat the dun dun dunnnns)!  Fortunately for me, I'm not dreading it one bit.  No, it's not just because I didn't have a hard time losing weight (which is because I didn't gain more than 16 lbs - 8 of which was baby), but because I honestly don't give a s*** if I look better or worse than I did before I was pregnant.  The reasons are two-fold:

1. I feel great!  So even if I'm fatter, softer, rounder, stretchier (ladies, you know what I'm talking about - yes, stretch marks) or uglier (lack of sleep does wonders...), it doesn't matter!

2. I've become super confident, not only because I achieved my goal of being fit throughout my pregnancy and then staying fit and active with a new baby, but because I've done it with Jack by my side (so I'm not taking precious time away from him), and while running a business, and while keeping a clean home, and while getting all the shit I need to get done, DONE. Oh, and we moved which is no easy task either.

With all that said, time to see these damn pics!  Same suit, same girl, unfortunately not the same place nor the same amazing tan - however my shorts and sports bra tan def deserve props:

Can't complain. The swimsuit selfie is great and all, but I think the sporty spice selfie is more my speed:

I don't know why people hate on selfies so much. People take selfies because they like themselves and like what they see in the mirror. Last time I checked that's not a bad thing, in fact liking yourself and being content with your appearance is an important piece to your happiness puzzle.  Here's some food for thought for the selfie haters: taking a selfie is the same thing as having someone else take a picture of you, especially if you ask to see the picture immediately following, and then continue to retake it a million times (which I think to be worse than a selfie considering the level of annoyance felt by the photographer).  People who take selfies are just cutting out the middleman. Selfie takers are efficient, time saving photographers. #selfienation #endtangent

The Secret To Getting Your Pre-Pregnancy Body Back

I'm baaaaaack!  Yes, it's been a while since my last post.  Between being a new Mommy, training my clients, and moving, I haven't had much time to do anything else.  I know, I know, those are just excuses (and good ones if you ask me), but those excuses do make a perfect segue into this post!  So let's get to it... 

Here's what 8 months postpartum looks like on me:

What this pic tells me:  I need to clean the mirror, get a tan, and Jack likes selfies as much as Mommy...

As you can see, there's no evidence of childbearing besides the baby on my hip. So what's my secret?  Unfortunately, I have no awesome secret to tell you, just the truth.  

As a new mom, who tries to also maintain a small business and a household, I'm not left with much "me time."  The only time my hair sees a blow dryer is if we have an event to go to and it's mandatory I look decent.  I've mastered the art of putting on make-up with one hand while holding Jack in the other (hence why "hot mess" is my new go-to look.... but I think I pull it off nicely).  I can't even remember the last time I went to a mall (I said mall, not Target), not even at Christmas time!  Needless to say, I don't have time to hit the gym for hours on end either.  Even if I did have the time, I definitely would not have the energy!  With the lack of sleep and the constant care Jack requires, caffeine has become a close friend of mine, not to mention carbs, sugar, and maybe wine too (shhhhh!  Only sometimes).  I just make sure to keep everything in moderation, plus I try to keep active as much as possible.  I take Jack on walks or jogs, dance around with him, and play with him all the time.  We're constantly moving.  I also put him in his exersaucer while I do a 15-25 minute circuit, which he loves.  He'll mimic jumping jacks and other exercises I do.  I have made a gym appearance here and there, but by no means have I made a routine out of it.  As a mom who works, I don't like to take any extra time away from my baby.  Luckily, I have a flexible schedule with part-time hours so I still get to spend the majority of my day with Jack.  Even though I'm not gone that long, I still don't want to miss any more time with him than I already do.  Every minute counts.  These times are precious and won't last long, so I don't want to miss a thing (I bet that Aerosmith song chorus is running through your head now... sorry). 

With all that being said, I'd like to give some advice rather than a crazy secret:  Don't obsess over your post baby bod,  just do what you can to stay active and make good food choices.  If there was a secret,  I guess it would be to stay in control during your pregnancy.  If you don't over gain, you won't have much to lose.  That's what made my pre-pregnancy body very easy to regain.  After all, preparation is the key to success, or at least according to Alexander Graham Bell, but I agree with him.    

I do have one more secret to share with you... my Jack bean is freakin' awesome!  Oh wait, that's no secret :)

      

I'm blogging, not bullying

Long time no blog!  So it's been 3 months since I gave birth to my bundle of joy and this is my latest bathroom selfie (sorry for the sour face, it's just not as fun taking bare belly photos without the cute baby bump)....

Not bad, right?!  Some people think because I'm a personal trainer I live in a gym, but those people couldn't be more wrong.  First of all, I do in-home training, so I don't even go to a gym to train my clients, I go to their homes - not to mention I personally haven't stepped foot in a gym since a month before the arrival of my baby boy.  I also don't work out with my clients (unless I'm using their session/workout as my workout for the day), there is such a thing as over exercising and I don't care for that. I simply write workouts for my clients, hold them accountable, and make sure they do the exercises correctly.  With all that being said, ANYONE can achieve my pre and post baby gut.  

Here's what my typical day entails:

• taking care of baby
• training clients
• writing workouts and plans for clients
• taking care of dogs
• house chores
• working out myself

For those of you with babies, you know that everyday is different, hence why I just have bullets of what I do everyday and not an actual schedule.  For the purpose and this blog, I will only talk about the workout aspect of my day.  To start off, I never do it when Jack (my baby) is napping, that's just an excuse waiting to happen... "the baby woke up!  I guess that means my workout is over."  However, that's not the main reason I don't workout when Jack naps, I workout while he's awake because he loves it!  He loves watching me do burpees, jumping jacks, lifting dumbbells, you name it.  He kicks his legs and moves his arms like crazy, as if he's imitating me.  I also engage him in each workout.  I count enthusiastically, talk to him in between sets about the exercises and how tired mommy is... he seriously loves workout time!  He also loves when we go walking or jogging outside.  He seems to enjoy looking at the trees and getting fresh air.  As long as he is fed before, he is good to go.  It's a great activity to get babies stimulated, plus I believe you're creating a healthy lifestyle for them by showing the importance of physical activity in your daily routine.

In conclusion, exercising with a baby is completely possible and extremely enjoyable (if you ask me and baby Jack).  That being said, I hope no one takes this entry as me being a "bully."  You know what I'm talking about:

 

When I saw this picture a few weeks ago on facebook I thought "Damn, she looks good, especially after having three kids, plus they're all back to back!"  Then I heard that people were saying she was a bully. Come on!  How is this bullying? She's trying to inspire people because she looks great.  The people that are bashing her for being a fit mom are not only the actual bullies, but haters because they're just jealous that they're too lazy to find the time to workout but seem to have enough time to browse the internet and give their hateful 2 cents about a hot mama... but that's just my take on it.  

Have a nice day and get a workout in!  It will make it even nicer :)