Running the Rock

Way to go StrollerFit Moms!

Congratulations Charisma and Becky!!

A few weeks back I did a post about goal setting. I thought I would take this chance to tell you about my personal experience. Before Reese was born my husband and I both used to frequently run races of all distances. It was a great "healthy" way for us to spend time together. After Reese was born I struggled with getting back into running. Obviously time was a major challenge...all mom's face this one! Aside from that I just found it harder to run, less energy, breastfeeding...and the list of challenges could go on all day.

In June my husband and I decided that we were going to just pick a race and pay the entry fee in order to force ourselves to train. We picked the White Rock Half Marathon here in Dallas. All summer we ran short races and then in September we started really training hard with longer distance runs. We followed a training schedule that we had used many years ago for beginning runners and we found it very easy to stay on track. I did most of my running in the early morning while Reese and my husband were still asleep and then we would do some long runs together on the weekends. Yes it was tough and there were some days I would rather just sleep. The farther I got into the training the more I enjoyed that time each morning. I loved getting up and getting a GREAT workout before everyone else was awake..what a great way to start the day! Other mornings I would come home and find my hubby and Reese cuddled in the bed watching Sesame Street and that warmed my heart too.

The best part of all is race day when we get to actually go and apply all the hard work. We went out and finished the race in a great time. After mile 6 my husband broke away from me in a faster pace and I was left to run the final 7 miles alone. The crowd was awesome at the race and one of the signs I saw said, "Pain is temporary, Pride is Forever!" I constantly reminded myself how great it would feel to say I ran this race and finished strong. What a great feeling!!

I challenge you to set a goal and work towards it. Make it something you can achieve..run a 5K, walk a 10K, do a mini-triathlon. Whatever your passion, set a goal, achieve it and see how awesome it feels!

Written by Featured StrollerFit blogger: Becky Thomas

Run the ROCK?

We have 2 StrollerFit mom's that will be running the rock this Sunday! They have both been training to run the 1/2 marathon.

Please help me in wishing Becky T. and Charisma C. good luck!!

Yummy Food Suggestion

I love the new Flatout Flatbread! It's super yummy and only 100 calories, high in fiber AND it tastes great!

You can make a wrap, make a pizza or use it in your favorite healthy dip like hummus!

There are a bunch of different kinds. My new favorite is Multi-grain with flax.

You can buy them at the grocery store, or get a great deal at Costco!

Am I Hungry or Just Bored?

Do you ever find yourself foraging in the pantry in the afternoon or evening? You’re not really hungry, but think, “I want something to eat,” or “What sounds yummy?” You look and look, finally settling on a not-so-healthy option. Whether it is for weight loss or good health, reaching your goals is about the day-to-day decisions. One step at a time. One decision at a time. So, the next time you find yourself walking to the kitchen, ask yourself these three pivotal questions…

1. “Am I really hungry?” If not, step away from the pantry, refrigerator and snack drawer! If you aren’t sure, grab a glass of water first! Thirst is often confused as hunger (I’ll spare you the neuroscience behind this.). If the water helped or you aren’t truly hungry, find something else to do!! Organize photos, write thank-you notes, phone a friend, just get busy and distracted!

2. If you are hungry, consider the nutrition of the food. Look for healthy choices. Once you’ve chosen something to eat, ask, “What am I going to eat?” And, not the obvious answer of a candy bar, potato chips, ice cream or the like. Read the ingredient list and nutrition facts. High fructose corn syrup? Hydrogenated oils? 10 grams of fat? 300 calories? 30 grams of sugar? How will this choice affect your caloric intake for the day, impact your weight loss goals and affect your level of hunger? Most sugary, fatty foods don’t satisfy our true hunger, so we’re back in the kitchen foraging again just moments later, and our 300 calorie candy bar results in a caloric binge. Look for foods high in fiber, low on the glycemic index (which don’t spike your blood sugar) and low in fat.

3. Finally, ask yourself, “Can I make a better choice?” Go for a piece of fruit. Maybe a small bowl of healthful, fiber-filled cereal. Think of foods that are going to benefit your body, make you feel good and not sabotage your fitness goals.Take the time to make the decision for you! In this season of many temptations, say no to the leftover fudge, cookies, cheese ball and caramel corn. In so doing, you’ll feel better, boost your confidence and reach your goals sooner! And, your health is the greatest gift you can give yourself, your partner and your children this season!

Written by featured StrollerFit blogger: Rachel Dossman

StrollerFit Attendance Challenge Winners!!

Congratulations to all of you that participated in the November StrollerFit

Attendance Challenge!

Here are your Top 3!

1. Niki J. (Stonebriar)
2. Danielle H. (Collin Creek)
3. Erin B. (Frisco Athletic Center)

It’s great to see women from different locations in the Top 3!
Way to go Girls!

Our top Saturday Only Winner is
1. Monique C.

The secret to win these challenges is to plan the days you will work out. We are ALL busy and this IS a busy time of year, BUT YOU and only YOU determine how you are going to spend your time.

Plan StrollerFit into your schedule! Your workout should be an appointment on your calendar. Schedule doctor’s appointments and other events around your workout! Not only will you find yourself in the TOP 3 for the next contest, but you will find you look and FEEL better! Exercise will get you through this hectic time of year. YOU have to plan for it!!
I want to see your name on the top of the scoreboard for DECEMBER!

Now a word about the women who won the contest…Niki decided from the beginning that she was going to attend as many classes as she could and be on-time for each class! I would say 95% of the time she was the first person at StrollerFit each day. This wasn’t by accident. She made it happen and now she gets to reap the rewards of a healthier self, a FREE month of StrollerFit classes and bragging rights as the winner!

Monique our Sat. only winner makes it a priority to be at EVERY Sat. class. I’m sure there are some Sat. mornings when she wakes up and feels like staying in bed instead of attending StrollerFit. “What do feelings have to do with it, right?” She made a commitment and sticks with it week in and week out!

I’m sure these girls are in the HUNT for the next prize! Are you going to let them win or are you going to make it happen?? It’s up to you!

Thankful..

Thanksgiving is behind us and as we look ahead to the upcoming holidays, I’m filled with a love of the season. This IS and for as long as I can remember been my favorite time of year. As the weather gets cooler, the trees change colors and the air outside just smells different, I feel the warmth of the holiday’s approaching. I’m a fan of the traditions, the holiday music (yes, I love it), the cozy feeling of sitting in front of the fire place and the feeling of togetherness with family and friends. For all of these things I’m thankful…

As much as I love the holiday season, I know that for many of us, this is the most dreaded time of year. This year StrollerFit Frisco/Plano has decided to do a toy drive, Gifts of Grace, to benefit children from birth to age 17, in providing them toys/gifts for Christmas. This week, from Mon. Dec. 1st – Sat. Dec. 6th, we will be collecting toys at all of our StrollerFit locations to donate to underprivileged families in East Plano. A special thank you to Joana S. who provided the information to make this service project possible.

I am really excited about the opportunity to make MANY babies, children, and teens smile Christmas morning when they wake up to find Santa stopped at their home!

StrollerFit Attendance Challenge Week #3

Week #3 Results

1. Niki J.

Tied for 2nd place

Danielle H.

Caroline B.

Miranda O.

Erin B.

Overall Scoreboard

1. Niki J.

2. Danielle H.

3. Erin B.

4. Jennifer H.

If YOU don't use it, YOU lose it!!

When it comes to muscular strength, there is great truth to the saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it!” Within just a few days on inactivity, our muscles begin to atrophy. And, with the upcoming holidays, many of us will be traveling out of town and won’t be able to attend our regular StrollerFit and Restore the Core classes. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t keep those mommy muscles strong! Bring your tube, mommymuscle bar and exercise band from your StrollerFit/Restore the Core kit with you! Keep these exercises in mind, and in just a few minutes a day, in the privacy of your hotel room or home, you can keep your muscles strong and toned!

1. Do a plank, but not just one… Do three! One side plank on each side and one center planks. Hold each for 30 seconds. Don’t forget to keep your navel pulled to your spine! Feeling strong and have the time? Complete two in each position for a total of six!

2. Push-up your age.

3. Complete 2-3 sets of 12 bicep curls with your tube or mommymuscle bar. Change them up (hammer curls, super slow, etc.) and add a couple additional sets for added challenge.

4. Ski squat (feet together) your age.

5. Regular squat (feet hip distance) your age. Power moms can add a plyometric jump for added intensity!

6. Tie your band around your ankles and do wide walks. Eight to the left, then to the right, then 4 each direction, then 2 each direction, then tap it wide for 30 seconds. Don’t have room to travel? Just tap it wide for 1 minute instead. Remember to step wide and keep the feet wide, keeping resistance on your band!

7. Climb the rope. Lie on your back and extend your feet in the air with your feet flexed. If you brought your mommymuscle balls, put one between your feet and squeeze. Reach opposite hand to opposite ankle. Twelve on each side for a total of 24.

8. Don’t forget to stretch!

Add a 20 minute walk (or longer) for even greater benefit! It’s a great chance to burn extra calories and catch up with family members and friends. And, just a reminder that if you’re pregnant, have recently had a baby, are nursing or have any other health conditions, make modifications, like those offered in class, to stay safe and prevent injury. All StrollerFit instructors can help you if you have any questions!

Don’t wait until 2009 to get into shape! Let’s start 2009 in great shape!

Written by featured StrollerFit blogger: Rachel Dossman

Friday - Free for All!!

Hopefully everyone had a healthy and successful week in regards to exercise and eating habits. I find myself most often being "good" on my diet in the earlier parts of the week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and sometimes Thursday go by before I start to feel the "let down" of the weekend approaching and slip up. If I have managed to survive Thursday then it is almost guaranteed that by Friday evening I have lost all control! Why is this?

In most households Friday marks the beginning of all the fun things the weekend brings. Daddy's will be home from work for a few days and we can all relax a little. So we should all just eat,drink and celebrate! Right? Not exactly! We have mentioned several times the importance of choosing which events are most important to you and celebrate them. If it's your birthday or other special event don't deprive yourself. A good example of this is a day like Saturday where we have two birthday parties and a baby shower to attend. It would be really easy for me to eat cake and other various junk food items 3 times in one day. I am making my mind up before I go that I will only eat at one party and try to make healthy choices when I do eat. I want to make it through the weekend without totally blowing all my hard work from the week.

My goal is simple...I want to do better then last weekend. I want to start Monday one step closer to my goal rather then starting all over again from scratch. Think about simple ways that you can improve your health habits over the weekends and strive to sneak them in while still having fun.

Written by StrollerFit Featured Blogger: Becky Thomas

Why I love StrollerFit...

My daughter and I have attended StrollerFit since she was 4 months old. It has been beneficial in so many ways for both of us. We have both made so many good friends and get together with them outside of class to play and share new mom stories! It has been an excellent way for me to get my physical endurance back. Plus I love setting an example for my daughter, showing her that fitness must be a part of our existence. She has learned that and so much more from class- she knows the songs we sing in class and has even started counting recently- all which I attribute to the repetition in StrollerFit. We love coming to StrollerFit- it provides a routine which kick starts our day in a positive way!

Guest Blogger: Niki J.

StrollerFit Attendance Challenge Week #2

Way to GO!

Highest Attendance for week #2

1. Niki J.

2. Charisma C. and Danielle H.

Kim B., Kelly S., Erin B., Christy G.

Saturday Highest Attendance

1. Monique C.

2. Cindy D.

OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Niki J.

2. Charisma C

2. Danielle H.

2. Jennifer H.

Monday Monday

How many of you spend the weekend thinking that on Monday I will get back on track with my diet?

If you eat sensible and reasonable every weekend..good for you! However if you are like me you probably don't. It seems that SO many fun food events occur on the weekend. Football, birthdays, date night, parties, etc...there are so many chances to blow all our hard work from the week.

I heard some great advice once (thanks Victoria) that if the celebration was in honor of you then go ahead....eat, drink and be merry! For me this past weekend was my birthday so I had some cake, a few cocktails and a meal that was less then stellar. I celebrated me and now I can start fresh on Monday. Great!! Problem is I find myself starting fresh every Monday and obviously I am not celebrating me every weekend. So this week I am challenging myself and you to stick to your healthy habits not only all week but also throughout the weekend. Can you do it?

Check back on Friday for an update and some motivation to help survive the weekend! Have a great and healthy week!

Written by featured StrollerFit blogger: Becky Thomas

Goals

No Day Like TODAY to Get Started

Hopefully everyone has made the decision NOT to wait until January to get on the "GET HEALTHY" bandwagon. If your still thinking of waiting until the New Year consider how much better you will feel if you maintain some control during the Holidays?

To get started NOW it is a great idea to set some goals for yourself. When you think about your goals start by thinking short term. Ask yourself what can I do in the next week or two to improve my health and feel better about myself? Make sure that whatever you choose is realistic so as not to set yourself up for failure. Some good examples would be challenging yourself to attend at least 4 Strollerfit classes per week or cutting out pop, alcohol, candy or fast food (insert your own vice:)!!

As you move along working towards the goal start to think about a long term goal. Where do you want to be in 6 months or 1 year? Make sure that you choose something that is measurable and keep track of your progress along the way. A very simple way is to monitor how well your pants fit...are they tight? OUCH!!

For many of us these goals are related to losing weight or exercising more, while others just want to be healthier, live longer and feel great. The greatest benefit of Strollerfit is that it offers the opportunity to achieve all of these things. This month the Strollerfit attendance challenge is already underway and similar contests will be going on in the upcoming months. Make the commitment to compete in these challenges, not only will they help you reach your goals but you could win some great prizes as well!

Written by featured StrollerFit blogger: Becky Thomas

StrollerFit Attendance Challenge Scoreboard

The StrollerFit attendance challenge is well underway! Here is what the scoreboard looks like after week one!

SCOREBOARD

#1 Niki J.

#2 Jennifer H.

#3 Erin S.

#4 Becca K.

Susan O, Regina A., Heather B.,Danielle W., Danielle H., Charisma C., Amy J.

Saturday Only Scoreboard

#1 Monique C.

#2 Cindy D.

Can those on the top of the scoreboard maintain their excellent on-time attendance? If your name was not on the list this week, make it your goal to see it on the list for

Week 2!!

See you in CLASS!!

Here come the Holidays!

A woman is like a tea bag...you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water" ~Eleanor Roosevelt

With Halloween behind us we are now headed into the busiest, stressful and most fattening time of year....THE HOLIDAYS! As usual with the new year quickly approaching we start to tell ourselves that in January I will lose weight, exercise more, save money, live healthier..etc. Whatever your goals for the upcoming year I challenge you to START NOW! Ask yourself what can I do NOW to look and feel better. Think about how you feel after attending a Strollerfit class where you not only got a good workout but had the opportunity to catch up with a friend while spending time with your kiddo. Take a good look at which dessert, candy, cocktail or holiday celebration is most important to you and by all means ENJOY IT! All the others make a conscious effort to "celebrate" smart and still feel good about reaching your goals. So as we enter into this busy season, I challenge you to make a choice now for a healthier YOU! Put yourself and your goals first. Strive to make one more class or cut out one less "fattening" event per week.

Stay tuned for smart tips for staying healthy and surviving the holidays.

By featured StrollerFit Blogger: Becky Thomas

StrollerFit Attendance Challenge

How about a little competition??

The StrollerFit attendance challenge started on Saturday, Nov. 1st and will run through Wednesday, Nov. 26th!

Earn 1 point when you attend classes.
Earn 2 points when you are on-time!

So far so good! You guys are doing GREAT!

What does the winner earn? A free month of StrollerFit classes in December! Better than that, your joints and muscles will thank you for getting a great warm-up!! Your body will thank you because with CONSISTENT exercise you will not only feel better, but your body will be more fit and stronger to take you through the craziness of the holiday season!!

Come and check us out at www.strollerfit.com/frisco and www.strollerfit.com/plano!

Member Appreciation at StrollerFit

Congratulations to all current members who have been with

StrollerFit Plano or StrollerFit Frisco

for more than a year and some more than 2 years.

StrollerFit Saturday Moms

For all of you who have ever been a part of StrollerFit, just joined StrollerFit, or have been around since the beginning, thank you so much for choosing this program for you and your child!!!!

2 Years +

Charisma C.

Caroline B.

Bethany B.

Kim B.

Tyne B.

Rachel D.

Daphne B.

Michele R.

Kristi O.

1 Year +

Chelle B.

Priti B.

Monica M.

Chris F.

Jennifer H.

Becca K.

Lindsay K.

Sharon L.

Kari R.

Randie S.

Danielle W.

Jane A.

Jennifer G.

Pamela S.

Joana S.

Wendy C.

Lynn E.

Erin S.

There are MANY more of you who will be celebrating your 1 year anniversary in Oct. and Nov.!!

Hoops in the Square

I'm always looking for fun things to do with the Family. Head on over to the Frisco Square after StrollerFit and enjoy some Family Fun!!

Attention Frisco families and kids!!

Come check out all the fun this Saturday, September 20th at Hoops in the Square charity basketball event. The event is open to all with free admission. The Kids-Area opens at 10am with a giant 18-foot slide, Bounce House, Mini Hoop Shot and Soccer-shot games. Also, officers from the City of Frisco Police will be on hand with safety information.

Kids will also be able to receive mini-basketballs and have fun on mini-hoops. Rumor has it that a few mascots from local professional sports teams will make appearances, so they may want to bring something for autographs!

Speaking of autographs, Derek Harper, former Dallas Maverick star, will make an appearance at 3pm to be the celebrity judge for the Slam-Dunk contest.

The Kid’s Area of www.HoopsintheSquare.com is sponsored by Primrose Schools of Frisco and we hope you can spread the word about this free kids play area this Saturday!

Stick around after the Slam Dunk contest to cheer for the teams in the Men’s Finals. After the final games, we will hold a raffle for great prizes, including the Official Spalding Goals used in the tournament!

StrollerFit's cute shirts...

StrollerDiva in Hot Pink Crystals!!!

My mom's got muscle!!

Step Update...

Here are the steps I've taken...
Sat. 12,000
Sun. 8,000 (not so good)
Mon. 15,000
Tues. 17,800

Goal today is 18,000.

I'm excited...

StrollerFit's National Convention is in early October and I couldn't be more excited!!

It will be a nice getaway, but more than that I look forward to learning, growing and bringing back the best information and classes for you!

Pedometer

One of the greatest and cheapest ways to monitor how much you are moving throughout the day is with a pedometer.

Here are the rules:
You must wear it!
Get a decent one...I like my walk4life pedometer
Set a step goal

Now your saying, "I take plenty of steps each day. I exercise at StrollerFit and chase my child around all day long." This may be true. Yes, you get lots of steps at StrollerFit and that is GREAT; you definitely want to accumulate steps that allow your heart to get pumping and your muscles to get stronger. We all know that planned exercise will get you lots of steps. The questions you need to ask yourself is: What are you doing the rest of the day? You will be shocked at how few steps you actually get. A pedometer is a perfect reminder that you need to move throughout your entire day! I'll tell you, I just put mine back on and here are my results for the last 3 days.

Day 1 Goal: at least 15,000 steps - 17,442
Day 2 Goal: at least 18,000 steps- 22,000 (this is a lot of steps, my feet were sore)
Day 3 Goal: 18,000 steps-- So far...it's 4:45 pm and I've taken less than 5,000.
Why so low today? 1. I didn't teach StrollerFit this morning. 2. I've sat and done a lot of computer work.

Luckily I'm going to attend a StrollerFit class tonight...I'll let you know tomorrow how many steps I get by the end of the day!

I highly recommend a pedometer. You will be finding ways to get more exercise and move more! Run around with your kids, run up and down your stairs, take a family walk after dinner! Get movin!!

Food choices for Kids...

With a child that just entered Kindergarten, I've been making lunches for the past 2 weeks. It's tough to find a balance of things to pack that are healthy AND something that your child will eat. Forget the cafeteria, the food choices are endless with most of them not being as healthy as I would like. I'll save the rant on the cafeteria food for another post.

Anyway I found a great book recently called, Eat this, not that for kids by David Zinczenko. This book is really teriffic. It breaks down typical chain restaurants and tells you what you should and should not feed your kids. It also goes through tons of items at your grocery store (with pictures) of what is good and what you should skip out on...most importantly it tells you why. :) It also breaks down food by type and what are the best picks by type of food (Italian etc) and how to make the best choices at restaurants.

It is a great guide and you feel like they are really telling you the truth because many products made by the same company can be found in both the eat this and don't eat this category!

Go take a peek!

StrollerFit and Discovery Health

The mommymuscle blog has moved to Discovery Health. Check out what franchise owners across the country are saying about StrollerFit, mommymuscle, life and being a mom!

Click on the title and the link will take you directly to the mommymuscle blog.

The Olympics...

I love the Olympics!!

My first question "How many calories does Michael Phelps GET to eat each day?" I looked it up tonight and he eats 12,000 calories a day. WOW! Can you believe that?

Check out this link to see his menu: http//www.nypost.com/seven/08132008/news/nationalnews/phelps_pig_secret__hes_boy_gorge_124248.htm

You go MOM!!

Inspired. Motivated. Role Model. Friends. Strong. Community.

These are all words that come to mind when I look at this picture. Mom’s “exercising” their right to gain and keep their mommymuscle® while pregnant. Mom’s leading the way to show other mom’s that you can exercise while having a healthy pregnancy. Moms not even knowing that they are motivating those pregnant and non-pregnant women around them to say, “if she can do it, then I can do it.” You never know the impact you may have on others.

“You go Mom.”

115 inches and counting...

You give StrollerFit moms a challenge and what do you have 8 weeks later? A group of mom's who lost 115 inches!! Yes, that's right...115 inches!!

They did this by following weekly challenges, attending StrollerFit and/or Restore the Core classes and eating a healthy diet.

Can you push-up your age? Can you hold a 3 minute plank? Can you do 200 continuous squats?

These women are AMAZING!

Dad's Do StrollerFit!!!!!

It's always great to have the whole family at StrollerFit!

Way to go dad for supporting mom, working hard and finding out what StrollerFit is all about.

Way to go mom, for getting dad to StrollerFit, encouraging exercise for the whole family and making dad sweat!


Here are some pictures of our fun!

Waiting to get started!

Warm-up

Cardio

Triceps dips

Surprise at StrollerFit

You guys really got me today at StrollerFit!! I'm supposed to be surprising you, not the other way around!!

After class I turned to my Strollerfriends coordinator Becca and asked if she had any announcements. She gave me a strange look, said yes and then started digging in her stroller. The whole group went quiet, which was unusual since class was over. I thought to myself, "What in the world is she doing? She knows what events we have coming up." It was then that she SURPRISED me with a thank you book filled with all kinds of sweet notes from StrollerFit members. (We had our 2 year StrollerFit anniversary in May and are celebrating this month). I was so touched and overwhelmed by the gift. One of the most thoughtful and just all around sweet gifts I've ever received. The group also got together and presented me with a massage, facial and manicure. Wow!


I took some time after StrollerFit at the Frisco Athletic Center to sit down and read the notes and cards. I had happy tears. :) I'm sure the people walking by me wondered, "what in the world is wrong with that girl?" In my previous post I talked about savoring those special moments and I will say, I took that time today.

If you are a member of one of my StrollerFit or Restore the Core classes please know that I am so grateful that you came to that first class and took a chance. Thank you for putting your trust in me as a fitness instructor and sharing your children with me. It is because of you that I am blessed to see some of my dreams come true.


Thank you!

Life

It's really strange how we take life for granted. Hang with me on this one...
I was headed today with my 2 kids to meet my husband and some friends for lunch. When I came upon a helicopter hovering really low and tons of police and firetrucks. After a detour, I got a better look at what happened and it was awful. People standing around everywhere a car smashed so badly that it was beyond recognition and lots of flashing lights. I knew there had to be fatalities.

Now rewind a couple of hours, I wanted to meet for lunch 30 minutes earlier and I was actually miffed that I was having to meet later. After passing the accident, all my silly anger was silenced immediately. It was at this point that I realized that life is way to short to be so inflexible, that in a blink of an eye; it's gone.

After visiting with some friends this afternoon and replaying the story, one of my friends said, "aren't you glad you didn't meet for lunch 30 minutes earlier?" That hit me like a ton of bricks. Sometimes in life, it's a little nudge and sometimes in life it's an open your eyes kick you in the face kind of message. I heard it loud and clear. So my message to you today is not necessarily about exercise or eating healthy, it's about living a better life, striving to love your kids, family, people you don't know more. It's about living in the moment and savoring those moments. It's about worrying less and not letting the little things get you down.

The crash was bad, a family of 5 leaving church died at that intersection today.

Now that's more like it...

Yes! Back on track and it feels good!

So, I stepped on the scale...held my breath and hoped for the best. YES! I'm down another couple of lbs.

This brings my total lost to 16 lbs and 2 sizes. I've lost a total of 12 inches from head to toe! :) During the past month, my weight loss had really slowed. I knew my clothes were fitting differently, but the scale wouldn't budge. This is why, as I've said before, you need to have many different ways to measure your progress. The scale, measurements, your clothes, body fat, cholesterol etc are all great ways to see where you have been and where you are going. :)

We will be talking muscle on my next post....

Kids...

This is completely off subject, but today as I was leaving a convenience store (with my coffee) I noticed what someone was purchasing. I really don't know why it caught my eye, but it was a big bag of chips, candy and some regular soda. I then looked at these 2 girls who must not have been more than 10 years old. They were overweight. I then looked at the adult with them...overweight. It hit me REALLY hard and I was so overcome with sadness. I couldn't stop thinking about it...I think about my own children, my own feelings about food and how what I say and don't say is observed by them.

We have so many responsibilities as moms AND the one of the most important is to equip our children with the tools to make good decisions. Not the decision over which package of M&M's has the peanuts in it...(a conversation Holden and I had the other day). Certainly children should not be deprived of the yummy things in life... they are to be enjoyed. In fact, there is nothing better than to see a child eat his first ice cream cone and witness the pure pleasure of it! It's when the treats in life are no longer treats, but they become staples of our diet.

A lot of how we look and our health is part of the genes we were given, but we also picked up a lot of good and bad habits from what we observed growing up.

I'm writing this because I care about the future of our children. Childhood obesity is an epidemic and the only way we change it is to start changing ourselves and our habits. It all starts with you! SCARY... I know.

Mental

So much of losing weight and preparing for challenges is in your head. You really do have to mentally prepare and make the decision to get healthy, exercise more, eat right. For those of you involved in StrollerFit, we have a total body challenge beginning on May 5th. What do you want to get out of it? Do you want to float through it, or really make a difference in YOU??

If you answered yes I want to make a difference in my life, then you need to begin mentally preparing for the challenge. What are your goals? What do you want out of the next 6 weeks? What is your commitment level? Do you want to beat your fitness test scores? Do you want to lose inches? Do you want to begin attending classes more regularly? Do you want to tighten up your diet? These are the questions you need to ask yourself.

Think about athletes. They mentally prepare before each run or game. Visualizing how they will be successful. You need to do the same. Visualize your success and take the steps (set goals) to figure out how you will make it a reality.

You are so lucky...

This is what I heard from my daughter at dinner last night. I asked her ,"what do you mean?" She said,"grownups are lucky because they get to drink whatever they want, eat whatever they want and do whatever they want."

The funny part is that she had this revelation while she was biting into her crunchy, yummy filled taco, while I sat and ate my "so called taco" minus the shell. I think that she got the better end of the deal. :)

The reason I tell you this story is to say that I am where I am because of the choices I made. An unhealhy snack here, too much chocolate there, skipping breakfast, overindulging on the weekends, running around like crazy, putting myself last on the list...I could go on. :) I had lots of choices and over the past few months, I made some bad calls.

As adults we are so lucky, just like my daughter said. We have lots of choices. What do you choose to do today? Do you choose to take responsibility for your health? Do you choose to take good care of yourself? Do you choose to be a good role model for you child? Do you choose to exercise? Do you choose to eat food that fuels your body? Do you choose to have fun?

Think about it...

The Importance of Snacks...

Oh my gosh...After taking one StrollerFit class, teaching another and then going to a meeting, I'M STARVING! Did I pack a snack? NO! Did I think about it? YES! I always think I'm going to be OK!

I ate breakfast this morning at 8:00 am and now it's 1:00 pm and I'm about to eat...as soon as I finish this entry. :) I feel weak, hungry and am in a HORRIBLE mood. Why do I do this to myself? I always think I can push my limits and that I won't feel weak, hungry and moody, yet everytime I do this, I feel the same way.

Moral of the story...Take a snack with you...a handful of nuts, cut veggies, string cheese. Something that will keep your blood sugar stable and your happy face on!