For many people the thought of working out each day is a miserable thought...for me it is just part of my everyday routine. I have always been interested in feeling healthy and looking fit and taking action to make it happen for myself. I grew up in a family that was very aware of the foods that were brought into our home. My mom was eating Tofu in the 70's before anyone knew what it was! Also, our family was very active. My parents both had their weekly workout regimens, whether it was walking, Jane Fonda workouts (did that just date me), tennis, skiing or heading to the gym. Growing up in that type of environment is all I knew. It was our way of life.
When I got pregnant with each of my three kids my body seemed to want to grasp on to every calorie I put into my mouth. With my first pregnancy I gained about 72lbs., with my second it was over 60lbs, and with my third It was in the ballpark of the high 50's. I was a site to see! I remember the day before I had my first child, I was wearing an Ohio State basketball t-shirt...it was about the only thing I could get over my belly and my larger than life breasts that popped out of nowhere! The basketball on the t-shirt was positioned perfectly over my round belly. It is so funny to look at pictures of that day...yes we were at a friends house and they could not believe my size so they snapped a picture of me!
When growing up I was always thin. I had such thin legs, like chickens! I could eat anything and I would not gain any weight except my freshman year at The Ohio State University when I gained 25 lbs.! I had a roommate that worked at Graeter's Ice Cream and she would bring back to our room the day old baked goods. I also lived on North campus so when I would go out it would be on South so I had about a mile walk home and in that mile I would have to stop to get a gyro, a Buckeye Donut, and whatever else jumped out at me at 2am!
I think because I am so active the same is true today with my weight. After having my first child one of my favorite gifts that was given to me was a personal trainer! I think everyone thought I would be stuck in this larger body for the rest of my life. Having a trainer was awesome! I had always worked out but the trainer just pushed me to the next level. Needless to say, I lost all my weight I gained during my pregnancy. With my second child birth I was not so lucky to get the trainer as a gift. Everyone knew that my body would plateau back to its' original size. I still
had to workout to feel healthy and get firm.
Why am I telling you all this...because there are many people out there that gain weight when they get pregnant or just gain weight without being pregnant. Even though my body is predisposed to being little I do need to work on it. Many of you reading this only have another 5-10 pounds to shed that you cannot get rid of. You need to tell yourself to take action and do something about it. Change your lifestyle to fit what you want. DO NOT DIET. If diets worked then why are there so many of them? Just change your lifestyle, meaning change your eating habits and get active! Whether it is eating smaller portions, only eating desserts on the weekend, cutting out soda pop, changing over to everything 100% whole wheat, not eating the leftovers off of your kids plates (which is a big one), whatever you can do to cut back on your calorie intake will help.
A big part of a lifestyle change is taking action, meaning get off of the couch. I know many of you are stay at home moms and live in your car. While waiting in the pickup line squeeze your buttocks together about 100 times - trust me you will be feeling it tomorrow! Do that for a month and see if you get results! Another way to motivate yourself is to find a workout buddy or join a gym where you can meet people to encourage you to reach your goals. Sorry to say...unless you have surgery you are going to have to get active and close your mouth more...otherwise you will not get the results you want. If you give yourself a realistic time frame to lose your weight you will be able to achieve your goals. Tell yourself you are going to lose 2-3 pounds per week..which is very achievable. If you tell yourself you are going to lose 10 pounds each week that is being unrealistic. Another thing - do not weigh yourself everyday. Maybe only weigh yourself once a month. Trust me you will know if you are dropping pounds by the way your clothes fit.
Get your kids involved and have fun reaching your goals! A lifestyle change is good for the entire family:)
When I got pregnant with each of my three kids my body seemed to want to grasp on to every calorie I put into my mouth. With my first pregnancy I gained about 72lbs., with my second it was over 60lbs, and with my third It was in the ballpark of the high 50's. I was a site to see! I remember the day before I had my first child, I was wearing an Ohio State basketball t-shirt...it was about the only thing I could get over my belly and my larger than life breasts that popped out of nowhere! The basketball on the t-shirt was positioned perfectly over my round belly. It is so funny to look at pictures of that day...yes we were at a friends house and they could not believe my size so they snapped a picture of me!
When growing up I was always thin. I had such thin legs, like chickens! I could eat anything and I would not gain any weight except my freshman year at The Ohio State University when I gained 25 lbs.! I had a roommate that worked at Graeter's Ice Cream and she would bring back to our room the day old baked goods. I also lived on North campus so when I would go out it would be on South so I had about a mile walk home and in that mile I would have to stop to get a gyro, a Buckeye Donut, and whatever else jumped out at me at 2am!
I think because I am so active the same is true today with my weight. After having my first child one of my favorite gifts that was given to me was a personal trainer! I think everyone thought I would be stuck in this larger body for the rest of my life. Having a trainer was awesome! I had always worked out but the trainer just pushed me to the next level. Needless to say, I lost all my weight I gained during my pregnancy. With my second child birth I was not so lucky to get the trainer as a gift. Everyone knew that my body would plateau back to its' original size. I still
had to workout to feel healthy and get firm.Why am I telling you all this...because there are many people out there that gain weight when they get pregnant or just gain weight without being pregnant. Even though my body is predisposed to being little I do need to work on it. Many of you reading this only have another 5-10 pounds to shed that you cannot get rid of. You need to tell yourself to take action and do something about it. Change your lifestyle to fit what you want. DO NOT DIET. If diets worked then why are there so many of them? Just change your lifestyle, meaning change your eating habits and get active! Whether it is eating smaller portions, only eating desserts on the weekend, cutting out soda pop, changing over to everything 100% whole wheat, not eating the leftovers off of your kids plates (which is a big one), whatever you can do to cut back on your calorie intake will help.
A big part of a lifestyle change is taking action, meaning get off of the couch. I know many of you are stay at home moms and live in your car. While waiting in the pickup line squeeze your buttocks together about 100 times - trust me you will be feeling it tomorrow! Do that for a month and see if you get results! Another way to motivate yourself is to find a workout buddy or join a gym where you can meet people to encourage you to reach your goals. Sorry to say...unless you have surgery you are going to have to get active and close your mouth more...otherwise you will not get the results you want. If you give yourself a realistic time frame to lose your weight you will be able to achieve your goals. Tell yourself you are going to lose 2-3 pounds per week..which is very achievable. If you tell yourself you are going to lose 10 pounds each week that is being unrealistic. Another thing - do not weigh yourself everyday. Maybe only weigh yourself once a month. Trust me you will know if you are dropping pounds by the way your clothes fit.
Get your kids involved and have fun reaching your goals! A lifestyle change is good for the entire family:)
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