Fit Moms for Life Giveaway!!

Now it's your turn!

With my recent review of Fit Moms for Life: How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay your Kids.  I had the option to share my own copy of the book with you. Sorry.. I'll admit it. I was too selfish to share my copy.

Great News! You now have a chance to win a book of your own!!
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Dustin Maher Fit Moms for Life Review & Giveaway

I recently was given the pleasure to review the book by Dustin Maher Fit Moms for Life: How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay your Kids.  I will be brutally honest, at first I wondered how a book could help me become fit.  Little did I know the enormous amount of support Dustin offers and not just for those that buy his books and DVD's.  The book was just one helpful part of a much greater collective of support.

Dustin has a goal to help 1,000,000 mothers get into the best shape of their lives.   He knows to help a mom become fit you help a family to become fit.   As a mom we often forget to take care of ourselves.  Eating unhealthy foods on the run, not taking the time to exercise or treat ourselves.  Our children watch this and in turn emulate the same behaviors creating a vicious unhealthy cycle.  This is how a family's fitness and health starts with mom.

Cutting through the hype Fit Moms for Life chronicles 31 mothers' personal weight loss and fitness transformations including before and after photos. Dustin guides his readers through the 5 pillars of fitness: Mindset, Nutrition, Strength Training, Burst Training, and Environment.  With the ultimate goal being Staying Fit for Life.  You are armed with solid exercises, tips to lose weight and to keep it off for a lifetime.

With Dustin's encouragement I started making better choices in my diet.  Stopped buying junk foods and instead bought more fruits and vegetables.  I was surprised that my kid's acted like they didn't even notice the change to their snacks.  Maxx at 2 years old now sneaks apples and celery instead of cookies.

The biggest change has been that I now take the time out of my day for me.  Exercising if only for 15-30 minutes a day is better than not at all.  I want to be fit for my family.  I started reading his book "Fit Moms for Life" shortly after having my son.  It't not your average get thin quick plan.  With life stories from real moms, workout moves as well as health tips; this book made me take a hard look at my choices.

As with every exercise program life caught up to me and sent me spinning away from my goal.  I fell into old habits, letting myself get lost in the hustle and bustle of day to day parenting.  Thanks to Dustin's wonderful community of support I didn't stay lost.  With weekly encouraging emails, I was cheered on and excouraged to to take the time for me.  Remind myself that I am important, my healthy example is important to more than me.






Since receiving his book I have lost almost 30lbs.  It has been 6 months, but give me a break we moved only 2 months after I got the book. I'm a mommy blogger not a professional.. I don't get paid for this.  No you don't rub it on your body and get results.  I made the diet changes and added his workouts.  I will admit to chickening out of one of his many challenges, but I'll get there.  This is not a diet, it is a life change.  I have just started on my journey.

Now it's your turn to make a difference, be the change!  At the very least join The Fit Moms for Life community  (It's FREE)  It's the place where Dustin cuts through all the hype giving eating, exercising and health advice in a fast, fun and effective way that can fit into the busy life of any mom.  As a mom of 5 kids, he has really made a difference in my desire to workout.  Before, If I didn't feel like exercising or eating healthy I rationalized that it was just me I was hurting.  Now I know that isn't true.  By working out and eating healthy I am providing my kids with the proper role model into a healthy lifestyle.

His huge community of support is how I know that Dustin in in this to make a healthier future for Mom's and their families. Join Fit Moms for life on Facebook, Twitter, or in his larger community for all things to become healthier mom, I Love Being a Mom.

I was given a book to try in return for my opinion on this program but in no way is my opinion not my own.

You can win your own copy of Fit Moms for Life: How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay your Kids  ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

New Year's Resolutions

I make New Year's resolutions every year.  Some years I am better at following through with them than others.  When I set impossible goals I just set myself up to fail.  I plan to set reasonable goals as my resolutions.

• To get my house more organized.  I'm tired of looking for this one certain item and instead of finding it I am scrambling around looking.  I've already made a good start on most the closets and both kid's rooms.
• To exercise more often every week.  I want to improve my health, but allow myself to go too many days without exercising.  I want to reach a healthy BMI.
• To blog more often.  I have been a bad blogger in the past.  I want to share more with the public about the randomness in my mind and many things I love that make my life easier or are just plain wonderful.
• To say thank you more often.  Speak kinder and have more patience.

What are you New Year's resolutions?  Do you even bother to set them?  How good are you about keeping them?  I love to hear your responses.

Any organization tips for a hopefully reformed slacker?

GOAL!... kinda

Today is my birthday (Happy Birthday to me!!) and the date I gave myself to fit into the jeans I had ordered off EBay in with a big bunch of jeans for my older girls. I tried them on in dismay months ago unable to button them.  No pictures were taken, I was too horrified at the extra "fluff" hanging out making it so I couldn't button my jeans, forget about zipping them fully.

That day I vowed to whip my ass into shape.  Yes, I know round is A Shape but I want to be in a healthy, sexier shape.  After 2 trips through the 30 day shred (not fully completed one of those times)  I have noticed changes.  I definitely feel a change in my ability to keep up with my energetic children.  I will continue to have that evil woman Jillian Michaels kick my ass and keep me motivated to keep kicking back.  I haven't been the only one enjoying the changes in my body.  My husband has noticed the changes in places I couldn't see without a mirror or a silly dance.

With a family history heavy in heart disease and diabetes I didn't want my life to be affected so negatively by my weight.  I started out this weight loss journey at a size 16 (and getting disturbingly tight)  When I woke up this morning I was apprehensive that I would even fit in the jeans.  My thoughts were filled with a replay of my fall off the healthy wagon recently and straight into a big pile of cookies and sweets.  I had stayed and wallowed a while in those sweets and my lack of weight loss results recently shows it.

This morning I just stood there glaring at those jeans for a good five minutes before attempting to plunge in.  I was pleasantly surprised it only required a small wiggle to get them up over my overly ample hips, no full blown hopping or dancing around needed.  ::mini victory dance::   As I buttoned them and slid the zipper up into place I almost began to cry.  They actually fit. I did it, kinda.  Sure I do have a mini muffin top. In all fairness it's more like a corn bread muffin top and no longer a Starbucks mega muffin top.

Pardon the bragging post but I am very proud of myself for achieving my goal (kinda) and during the holiday season no less. (the season of weakness for me)   I wont be stopping here though.  I'll stop wanting to lose weight once my Wii fit stops calling me fat or groaning when I step on it.  That would be around 30 more lbs to lose.  OK so it doesn't straight out call me fat but I don't like the weigh in and watching my Mii plump up to match my plumper proportions.

What is one of your favorite exercise routines to use?  Healthy snack ideas?  My favorite craving buster is any bar of really good dark chocolate.  Dark Chocolate has been proven to be an appetite suppressant.  Even stranger you don't even have to eat it. Smelling the dark chocolate is not enough for me though.  I prefer ingesting my chocolate to just smelling it.  My willpower isn't strong enough to bring chocolate so close to my mouth and not sample even just a small morsel.

30 Day Shred Redux

That's right you read that right, I'm starting over on the 30 day shred. The results I was getting were just too impressive not to fight through it again. I only made it just surpassed the halfway point before I was sabotaged. I didn't even make it to the change-up into difficulty level three which has really bothered me.

As of today I am back on day 3 of the 30 day shred. I started back on level one of the three difficulty levels and I am so glad I did. Let me just say, I am really feeling it today. Yesterday, I caught myself at some time or another walking as if I were decrepit old woman. After going for a walk with my kids to the store my aching muscles felt so much better. They just needed a better cooldown than what it shown in the video, nothing over the top just a nice 15 minute walk.

Julian Michaels is still the same reincarnate of a medieval torturer that I remembered. Even though I've done these workouts before, it really was day 1 all over again. It's not that I lost the muscle tone just the muscle memory of the workouts. Don't get me wrong, I love doing the 30 day Shred. I love that Julian Michaels is not your average cookie cutter, annoyingly perky trainer gazing blankly at you from screen like most other workout videos you've seen in the past. She is one tough cookie. She doesn't try to cheer lead you through the workout, but instead pushes you with her no excuses attitude. At one point in workout level one she says, "I have 400 lb people who can do jumping jacks, so can you!" Just when you start to feel the burn she gets this demented look on her face like she will come through your TV screen if you even think about resting.

On days when I want to get in a little more exercise (which is crazy sounding within the first few days of each level of the 30DS) I do a few repetitions of V-ups with my exercise ball. To me exercise becomes an obsession, once I really get over the first shock to my body and into a good workout schedule. The endorphin rush from a great workout is very addictive.

Here is a video of a good example of V-ups

My belly may have been cute 7 to 8 months ago when it was round with my baby boy. Now that it is round from too many sweets it's not so adorable. So it's outta here!

I will be wearing those goal jeans for my birthday. That means less than three more months to go!

Weight Loss Sabotage

I was doing great on my workouts. Julian Michaels was thoroughly kicking my sorry hide into shape. A shape I was beginning to really enjoy seeing. Then it happened...

Aunt Flo finally reared her ugly head after 6 months of no Postpartum visits. She arrived with all the evil excess baggage of migraines, bloating, cramping, sleeplessness, mood swings and feeling perpetually tired. I really did try to stick with working out, but after the first day I thought I was going to need some sort of hospitalization just to recover.

Then once I finally got Aunt flo and all her extra baggage out, I got sick. Not just a little sick either, no.. I am an overachiever and get a lingering chest cold that made me want to drag myself to the doctors for. Which was understandable since I ended up having my first asthma attack in years, but thankfully we still keep a rescue inhaler for that type of emergency. I hate the doctors though, they always want to poke me with needles and rarely do they only stab me once. All that poking and prodding would be for nothing, because I am breast-feeding and couldn't take most medications to help ease any of the symptoms without affecting my milk supply or flat-out being dangerous for my son. A visit to the doctors would be pointless and just be atrocious on top of me already feeling miserable. Instead I drank my orange juice, stayed hydrated, and tried to take it easy.

Back to the weight-loss saboteur sidekick, my dear sweet loving husband who isn't the most helpful when trying to lose weight. Sure he is a great workout buddy, but when it comes to healthy snacking it's a disaster. During this past month he has brought home ice cream sandwiches for me. (He's Lactose intolerant so none of them are for him.) Sure, they are the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches but that is a slippery sugary slope for me. Then next it was the Twix ice cream bar and more ice cream sandwiches. Which turned into a daily iced coffee instead of it being a weekly treat. Sweets are my weakness. Maybe he's being sneaky and vindictive after I silently giggled at him for never again attempting the 30 day shred after that first workout. Nah, he's not that spiteful and he is enjoying the results of my workouts too.

So, back to the 30 day shred I go. Maybe I'll switch it up a few days with the Zumba workout my mother's group has talked about. Back to the grind! Those goal jeans have been taunting me from the bottom of my dresser. No more self sabotage.

I love you honey, but no more ice cream sandwiches to say you love me, a hug and the real words are better for my waistline.

The First of 30 Days

Yesterday was the first day of my workout routine using the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.

Let me just say.. She kicked my ass. I was left a shaking, aching, panting, sweaty mess. I can confidently say that was the best workout I have done by far. No other workout left me feeling so thoroughly whipped.  Plus the added challenge of my 4 yr old dancing in and out of the room. (as I refer to her while working out... increased difficulty) Or the blow to my ego when my audience containing my 5 month old was laughing at me jumping around and rolling on the floor. Maxx thought it was hilarious.

To add insult to out of shape injury my husband calls me on the phone just as I finish my first level 1 routine. He actually laughed at how out of breath I was and totally whipped I sounded.    So, I challenged him to do the workout.   He confidently agreed. "No way can a female's workout be that tough"
Well, he tried it.. That was the most sweaty I have seen my husband in a long time.  He was a soggy hot mess.  I can honestly say.. she kicked his ass too.  I didn't point and laugh at him struggling thru some of the moves... like I wanted to. (yes, I am a very sore loser.. and sore winner too) I did giggle quietly to myself when he was cursing at the tv towards the end.
When he finished the workout he was just sitting with his muscles shaking.  I let out a very satisfying...

I TOLD YOU SO!!

Even though I felt horrible right after my routine was over. I still look forward to today's routine.  I was left feeling energized after recovering from the total shock of my first real workout in over a year.  Sure my muscles ache, but for dramatic results you need dramatic action.