A Fitness Routine

How To Fit It All In: Survive and Thrive Tips for Busy Women

How to Fit It All In: Survive and Thrive Tips for Busy Women

As soon as you have that baby, life gets complicated. I remember in my pre-kids days how I "thought" I was busy... I laugh at even the notion of that now. Honestly, it was a cake walk back then to how life is now. That being said, I wouldn't have it any other way. My babies bring me SO much joy even with the crazy schedules we have.

On top of being a mom to a 3 year old and 3 month old I'm also a wife, and a business owner. My husband travels A LOT for his job and it seems like the "to-do" lists are sometimes never ending. I've been told often that I "look" like I have it all together, but don't be fooled friends. I think that's the thing about social media that is disheartening is that you're only seeing glimpses of my REAL life. While I would say I have a pretty good handle on things I'm sure there's several things you can do way better than I can.

While I stay on top of fitness, babies, business and basic chores I DO NOT claim to have a picture perfect house. Its often a mess and it gets cleaned up on the weekends or in the evenings. During really busy seasons of my life, specifically when my husband was gone for months at a time I have outsourced cleaning because I could just not make it happen. And honestly... just taking a shower most days is a struggle! That brings me to my first tip....

1. DO NOT TRY TO DO IT ALL

Seriously, I think its SO wrong that as women we are expected to have the picture perfect happy family, look like a supermodel, make a delicious healthy meal for our family, have a spotless house, please our husbands and run a highly successful business. Ladies, all things are not possible ALL the time. I've learned that I have had different seasons of my life where some things had to be thrown to the waist-side.

I can tell you what works for me but YOUR life is different than mine. Your priorities may be different than mine. My best advice is to figure out your top 5 priorities and stick with that. For me its my faith, my marriage, my kids, my business, my health - in that order! Everything else that could possibly be on my to-do list gets put in around the rest.

So what does that mean for me? Sometimes the laundry gets done, but not folded. Sometimes the floors don't get swept. I get my basic stuff around the house done, toys get picked up at night, vacuum once a week, laundry on weekends, counters wiped down, dishes done, but honestly beyond that.... its just not my priority anymore and I put it at the very bottom of my list. I've learned that anytime you say YES to something that is not a priority you say NO to something that is more important.

2. Brain Dump and Schedule

Since having a new baby this has gotten harder BUT I still do try my best to make a "loose" schedule for my day. At the beginning of each week (usually on Sunday evenings) I sit down and write out EVERYTHING I have to do in the coming week in every area of my life (what I like to call the brain dump). Each night I sit down and write out a tentative schedule for the next day. Everything gets scheduled - workouts, quiet time, work time, outings, date nights, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, everything! This has helped me SO much just stick with my guns and get things accomplished in a 24 hour period. When you write out your schedule it also helps you to see how much time you're wasting during the day (which is more than you probably think)!

3. Lower your expectations

If you have a new baby this 100% applies to you! Instead of feeling like a failure because I ONLY got a few things done in one day I have started to list out my top 3 priorities for that day. 3 is a simple number that I feel like I can easily check off my list. So my top 3 priorities for Monday might be a good workout, following up with my customers and creating a new meal plan for the week. Each day is different but if I can simplify to just 3 BIG tasks a day I can usually get them checked off and feel more accomplished. And if I happen to have time for more than that I feel like a freaking super woman.

Each day is different but you certainly don't need to set yourself up for failure by giving yourself 1000 tasks to do each day. That can be overwhelming and just make you want to crawl up in a ball and cry and do NOTHING (been there)! When you have toddlers or babies at home with you your life is NOT your own mama. You just can't expect to get as much done as you used to. Its just a season of your life you'll go through and when your kids are a little bigger you'll be back to your old SUPER productive self (this is what I keep telling myself at least)! Be OKAY with the season of life you're in and keep doing your best.

4. Choose your Days

What I mean by this is to choose days where you're going to do specific tasks. For example, I know that every Saturday I do laundry. Sunday's I fold it. Mondays are more work related tasks like blogging and emails, Thursdays are meetings and team calls and Sunday's I meal plan, etc. You can figure out what works best for you but I try not to do everything in one day otherwise I get overwhelmed!

5. Discipline

Scheduling in your workouts, your meal prep, your business, your kids... all the things in your life that are important to you is not going to be easy! Its going to take discipline to make it all happen BUT if you want it bad enough you'll just do it. One thing I've been teaching my team to do is to pick 3 words. 3 words that describe the person you WANT to become. Perfection is not one of them because this journey of #momlife is all about growth and progress. "Disciplined" may be one of your words. Words that come to mind are "intentional", "confident" "productive" "organized" that describe the person I want to become.

Choose your 3 words and repeat them to yourself daily. Set a reminder in your phone 3 times a day that will remind you to be still in the moment and repeat your 3 words to yourself. The more you put energy into becoming more productive, disciplined, intentional (whatever YOUR words are) the more you are going to become that person who "Fits It All In." I know it sounds a little cooky, but from some one who was once the most unorganized person on the planet to now a productivity junkie - IT WORKS!

Learning 3 Reasons You Are Not Losing The Belly Bloat

I discuss various topics that moms ask me regarding health and fitness, and one topic I am frequently asked about is burning belly fat.

New and seasoned moms want to know why they are not burning fat in their belly area and how they can improve on that without sacrificing their milk supply or spending hours in the gym.

I want to share three reasons why you are not burning belly fat so you can correct these habits and start working towards the body you have always wanted.

1) You may be doing the wrong types of workouts

Several women come to me, puzzled, after doing a lot of cardio yet not seeing the results they want. At one point in my life, I thought doing lots of cardio was the solution, too. But I have a better solution, something more cutting edge, to burn the fat faster and more efficiently.

Combining HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training) and low-intensity workouts. As we all know, we cannot spot train the belly, but doing HIIT and low-intensity workouts is the most effective for my clients and me, across the board.

Those short bursts of cardio will not only burn fat but help you build muscle, which will eliminate plateaus and stubborn belly fat. You can read more in depth on this topic HERE.

2) You aren't focusing on what you are eating

Are you eating the right foods? There are so many mixed messages about what we should eat in order to be healthy, but the truth is, it all starts with eating whole foods. Eating whole foods will help you feel more energetic.

I also encourage clients to track what they eat. Tracking macros (carbs, fats, and proteins) for a short period of time can really help you not only stay accountable but also give yourself a baseline to give you a clear picture of what you are putting in your body.

Eating the right amount of macro nutrients will improve your energy levels and keep you from plateauing. Do not fall into the trap of starvation or feeling as though you have to force yourself to eat every hour. My motto is "Eat it if it comes from the ground or has a mother, and it all starts there."

3) You are not getting enough sleep

This is the hardest obstacle to tackle. Your sleep cycle is closely connected to your hormones, so if you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep, it will affect your stress levels, cravings, and metabolism.

This can be difficult to correct if you have a baby or little ones who are not sleeping through the night, but try your very best to make sleep a priority, acquiring 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and you will see a vast improvement in your body.

Tackling those three obstacles will put you on the path to losing belly fat. Also, I have a guide for women trying to lose belly fat "Three secrets to getting flat abs after baby.

If you feel confident in your body, it can take you to so many new heights, not just with your health but in your relationships and your work life, leading you to feel good about life again.

Fit Pregnancy Tips - Wait to Get Started

I know many women who during their 1st trimester completely stop exercising because of the fatigue and nausea associated with this time. Trust me - I have been there. It is the last thing you want to do when you are feeling like you want to vomit or you are so tired that you could just pass out.

I had a handful of days during my 2nd and 1st pregnancy where I felt the same way and working out was just not a priority. But EVERY single gift God gave me of having a day or a moment where I felt better, not even good but just better, I took to do a workout and get my body moving. And what I found was that 99% of the time when I just sucked it up and did it, I felt SO. MUCH. BETTER!

I felt more confident. I felt less sick. I felt more energetic. It all goes hand in hand. Remember, this is not the time of your life you want to just take it easy. You are training for the most athletic event of your life CHILDBIRTH!

That being said, I always recommend checking with your healthcare provider on what is best for you! If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy and you were working out before getting pregnant you can continue to work out as before with some modifications.

You do not have to over-do it to have a healthy and fit pregnancy. Follow modifications on your workouts and really work on your body, do not punish it.

My biggest advice is to listen to your body. If you can not have a conversation during your workout, it is probably too much. And if you feel bored during your workout, you can probably challenge yourself slightly more. And of course, if you are in any kind of pain - JUST STOP! While there are many exercises that are safe while pregnant, please make sure to stay within your boundaries of comfort and fitness level.

But overall I simply encourage you to just STOP PUTTING IT OFF! You can say tomorrow only so many times before you just have to TRY. Remember, we don't workout during pregnancy in vain - we do it to be healthy for our babies and to carry to full term as strong mamas! Always think about WHY you're doing it and that will keep you going.

The Postpartum Workouts Plan for Moms : Postpartum fitness

I wanted to take a minute to flashback to just 7 months ago when I started back on my post partum journey for the 2nd time.

I remember exactly what it felt like - the daunting feeling of starting over, the lack of motivation, yet the desire to change and I hope that in showing you this it inspires just one new mom to get back at it! The hardest part of the whole post partum journey is simply STARTING - that's it!

My first workout at 7 weeks after having Sofia was anything but perfect. I honestly had gotten to the place where I was so content snuggling on the couch with my new baby (not to mention being exhausted after sleepless nights) that I certainly didn't even want to make time to exercise.

My three year old was extra needy at the time because she was coping with only child syndrome to suddenly having this new little nugget that took all of mommy's time so I had to spend a lot of my extra time with her.

However, I had the desire to change. I had the desire to get my hormones back in balance. I had the desire to lose the belly pooch and I had the desire to start fitting in my normal clothes again and feel confident about me!

It took me some time to get up the gumption and get off the couch but when I made the decision to start I just went for it! At about 7 weeks post partum I did my first workout and ...

it was a complete disaster. I took about 17 breaks for changing diapers, nursing the baby, toddler crawling all over me and then just simply taking breaks to BREATHE! You can watch the video below for proof of the craziness haha!

It was anything but easy but each day I just kept going. I tried a little bit and things went a bit smoother each day. I started to just expect interruptions and didn't worry to much about it if I didn't make it through a whole workout but just focused on the small wins each and every day.

I could focus on the fact that exercising has truly helped me through some of my toughest post partum days and helped me gain confidence and self love again. But what is really important to understand is that gaining self love is just as much a journey as the physical side of things.

I'm so proud of the progress I have made so far. I couldn't tell you exactly how much weight I've lost. Somewhere around 20lbs since the first picture was taken but I honestly don't really care. To me health is SO much more than a number on the scale.

Its a feeling, its a confidence, its energy to play with your kids, its being able to deal with stress in a healthy way, wear your jeans with confidence, losing the feeling of sheer exhaustion, balancing hormones, feeling STRONG and loving who you are.

It takes you consistently and consciously exercising your will power to look at yourself with positivity and choose JOY which is not always easy to do. That has been my biggest struggle in the past 9 months but once I found that joy my body progress followed.

Yes, my abs have reappeared, my jeans fit great, I can feel confident rocking a swim suite again BUT I will always focus on the NON physical benefits of exercise because that is TRULY the biggest difference between these photos. The mental and emotional health are in my opinion WAY more important than the physical.

Eating healthy and exercise can help you get there and will help you feel more empowered as a woman. Its hard to feel bad about a body you are taking care of and the feeling of personal growth in your life!

Exercise has helped me through the roughest days of postpartum life. It helped me regain love for myself again when everything else felt like a struggle. Its made me stronger as a mom but the mental journey has been much more a process for me than the physical one and its still ongoing.

There's been so many ups and downs but I am committed to becoming the best version of myself and taking as many women as possible with me! Are you coming?

Doing TOP 5 Tips for Starting Your Fitness Journey

After having each of my babies I've had to completely start over. Its often the most incredibly difficult thing to do when you've been out of the lifestyle for what feels like such a long time.

Maybe you used to have those healthy habits down to a tee but somewhere a long the line you just lost them. It often happens when you're in the midst of big life transitions (having a baby, moving, death in the family, etc) and its totally normal and okay!

Each time I've re-started on my journey I've had to re-think things and how I can get motivated again. Here's a few things that have helped me and my clients...

1. Start at an appropriate level

If you've literally not worked out in a year, don't choose to re-start with an incredibly advanced high impact program. Choose a program that is at the beginner level so that you can re-gain confidence and slowly but surely work your way up! Even if you simply start by walking around the block, keep challenging yourself to do more once you've mastered the 1st mile. Once you complete that program you'll feel more excited to keep the journey moving in an upward direction. I love seeing people challenge themselves but not to the extent that it becomes defeating when you can't even complete the first rep. Start small and work your way up!

2. Lose the All or Nothing Mentality

I think especially when it comes to nutrition and dieting (ugh I hate that word) we have been brainwashed into thinking we're either ON the diet or OFF the diet. Lose the dieters mentality and start simply making healthier day to day choices.

Even things like drinking more water, giving up soda and swapping white pastas for whole wheat is a step in the right direction. You don't have to be ALL or nothing in the first week, first month or even the first year to see progress toward your goals.

3. Count the small wins

We make it a daily practice in my bootcamps to share the small daily wins we have. I believe those wins are what fuel us to keep going. Even on hard days sharing something positive, even as simple as walking past the M&M bowl at work instead of grabbing a handful is a BIG DEAL and a small win that starts forming future habits.

4. Be patient

Trust the process and keep moving forward no matter what! I had a conversation with my mom recently in which she was griping (sorry mom) about how she had been on this new nutrition plan for 1 week and STILL hadn't lost any weight and her sugar levels (she's a diabetic) still hadn't changed. I remember telling her, be patient mom, its been a whole week.

It took WAY longer than a week for you to gain the weight and its going to take WAY longer to lose it too. Well, it took her all of 2 days later to call me back EXCITED that her jeans were loose - 2 days!! Sometimes we are so caught up in what we're doing that we forget to trust the process.

Nothing worth doing is going to happen quickly and nothing worth doing is going to be a quick fix. Trust the process and know that consistent effort over TIME is what equals results! You only FAIL when you give up!

5. Just Start

Motivation is a myth. It honestly just doesn't exist. It can truly only come from within and generally its only going to come once you actually take ACTION toward your goal. The more you simply force yourself into action, the habits start to form, changes start to happen, discipline kicks in and you realize YOU had the power all along!

And most importantly...Believe in yourself friend, I know you can DO THIS!