#momswholift

I was pregnant with my second in the 1st pic. (Don’t worry, doc approved & I didn’t lift more than 30 lbs). I remember these days well which is why I can’t help but walk up to glowing mommas in the gym and praise them for being there when I KNOW how tired they are. Yet, they are doing something healthy and loving for themselves and their growing baby. Once our babies are out of the womb, we continue to lead by example. I appreciate when I take on a new client that’s a mother because I know the healthy choices she makes will also influence her children and family. This post is for the moms, expecting moms, the mommas-to-be, and God mothers. You teach them how to love themselves by what you say to yourself (especially in front of them), by what you feed your body, and by the boundaries you do/don’t set. As a mother, I know how heavy this responsibility can feel. At the same time, thank goodness this power is primarily in the hands of mothers and not society. You show up for your children best when you show up for you. Take care of you momma, so your children know what self-care and self-love looks like.

Book recommendation:

The Conscious Parent, Dr. Shefali

I have been doing exclusively gym workouts since April of this year. I am lifting heavier, I love my routine, and I just feel so good starting my day off like this. Well, as plans then to do, mine for the next two weeks are changing. We found out today that my daughter (2) has covid, therefore, we will be quarantining with her for at least the next week, but probably two to be safe. 

My program I have been following has an at home equivalent, so we are going to give that a try for now! We just spent (too much) money on adjustable dumbbells and are bands to be able to complete these at home. Luckily it’s a good investment with my husband not having much time to get to the gym anyways and the cold winter mornings that will be here soon. 

I’ve had a lot of fitness journeys in my adult life. The first real one was back in 2017 and then on and off a million times until now. We are about 6 months deep this time, and I feel like this is the one I never want to stop. Here are some important insights I learned this time around that would have been helpful years ago!

You don’t have to be constantly motivated to succeed. Being motivated when you start a new fitness journey is awesome! I see it as a helpful tool to get your foot in the door and to start. But, then a month goes by and you really don’t want to go to the gym as often or feel yourself making excuses to not stick with your goals. The secret sauce is knowing that you should go even on days you don’t want to, and to make it a habit that sticks! Make it a nonnegotiable and keep that commitment to yourself.

You can improve your nutrition without a diet or macros. Will you see results quicker if you go on a diet and/or track your macros religiously? Yep. But you don’t have to. The simple thing is that it’s not good for everyone’s mental health to focus on food like this. Fitness and health is not one size fits all and what “doesn’t feel like a diet” to someone else could be agonizing to you. Make changes that feel right to you, like increasing vegetables/protein or adding more water. 

Don’t trust every fitness influencer that pops on your page. I have noticed a fun trend where a lot of influencers feel qualified to write fitness programs because they have lost a ton of weight. That’s not a qualification…Get your information from people that have the right credentials and training styles that reflect your goals.

My alarm goes off at 4:30 AM each morning and I roll around for 30 minutes until I eventually decide to get up. I grumble slightly to myself for not getting out of bed earlier (again) and head quietly to the bathroom to not wake my husband too much.

I start my morning routine in a daze. I get dressed, brush my teeth, put my hair up. I find my shoes and put them on, fill my water, grab a snack and energy drink. I get in the car and drive 15 minutes to the gym to complete workouts that I am now convinced were designed by the devil himself as a form of torture. I quickly head home so either my husband or I can take the kids to school on time. Then, it's time to scroll mindlessly on TikTok until 8 AM when it is time to log into work.

I try to do this everyday, Monday through Friday, and have been for a few months now. The only times my schedule really changes up is if one of the kids is sick or my 30 minutes of rolling around ends up being 90 (luckily this has only happened once!). I took two weeks off from my gym routine a little over a month ago, and those two weeks were rough mentally. I feel like I was just so mean and short tempered, even though I was sleeping in later!

I reflected on this earlier today, and how my routine has really helped me feel stronger mentally and physically. I have a sweatshirt that says "Mental health is just as important as physical health," and while I still absolutely believe this to be true, I used to use it as an excuse to eat my feelings after a bad day and to veg out on the couch.