Tips to Boost your Energy

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Do you ever feel like you have absolutely no energy or that you are running on low for some (or most) of the day?  I’m pretty sure that we all have felt like that at one point or another. Everyone has different ways of dealing with their lack of energy. Some reach for the nearest Diet Coke, some just push through to make it through the day, and some go to extremes like taping their eyes open or something crazy…just kidding I hope nobody does the third option;). I am here to tell you that there are natural ways to fill your tank when you are running on empty. Here are a few ways that I have found help boost my energy.

1. Stick to an exercise schedule:

Some people think, “Ah I’m too tired to exercise!” Well guess what? Research has shown that exercise has actually been found to boost energy. People who exercise feel more energized throughout the day if they have had a workout. I have definitely seen this in my life. I notice a HUGE difference on the days that I do not exercise than on the days that I do. I feel a little sluggish when I don’t stick to my workout schedule.

2. Eat a balanced diet:

“You are what you eat”, your mom always said….Moms are so smart! This really is true. Try to eat a nutritious diet. Stick with whole grains, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and low fat dairy. Eating a nutritious diet will keep your blood sugar at a steady level throughout the day, give you the energy you need to perform your daily tasks, and provide your body with the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs to stay energized.

3. Stay hydrated: drink more water:

According to Boston College, two-thirds of Americans do not get enough water. I mean I am no math expert, but that sounds like a whole a lot of thirsty Americans! Haha Water is super important for our bodies and we need lots for our bodies to function properly. The daily recommendation is eight 8 oz glasses (or 64 ounces) of water per day. If you are exercising, you need even more. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water. You are already slightly dehydrated when you get thirsty. My biggest tip for drinking more water is to always carry a water bottle with you and drink it throughout the day. Your body will thank you.

4. Get enough sleep:

We learned from the last post on sleep, how important it is for our body to get enough sleep. If you can, try to get 7-8 hours of shut-eye per night. When we are well rested, we can think more clearly and have the energy to make it through the day.

5. Don’t skip meals and have a power snack if you need to:

When we skip meals, our blood sugar can plummet. When our blood sugar drops, our energy drops. Our bodies need food…weird right?! ;) If we keep fuel in our tanks, our body will be able to go for longer. If you get hungry in between meals, eat a snack! Keep your blood sugar steady. Eat a snack that combines whole grains and fiber to give you a pick-me-up, and protein and a little fat to help your energy last. Try to avoid eating too many sugary snacks. Sugar can cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop quickly, leaving you feeling "wiped out".

Examples of healthy snacks:

-1 serving of whole wheat crackers and 1 TBSP of peanut butter

-Apple slices or banana slices with 1 TBSP of peanut butter or almond butter

-Greek yogurt with fruit or granola

-Whole wheat toast with nut spread

-Veggies dipped in hummus

-Trail mix of nuts and dried fruit

6. Laugh:

Laughter is the best medicine! Watch that funny youtube video that your friend sent you! Laughing not only helps improve your mood, but it also raises your blood pressure and heart rate, giving you that extra boost of energy. And who doesn’t like to get a little laugh in during the day?!

7. Get moving!

Aside from your regular exercise schedule, make sure you are moving throughout the day. If you are feeling sluggish, go for a 10 minute walk or do some stretches. Getting out the door when you are exhausted really can be a difficult task, but I promise you won’t regret it. It’s amazing how much better you feel after you move around, no matter how tired you were before you did.

Do you have any energy boosting tips that have worked for you? If so, please share!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

-McKell

The Importance of Sleep—Quanity and Quality

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Since I am away this weekend, running a NYC 1/2 marathon, I decided to turn my post over to my husband. I hope you all have a great and safe weekend! Enjoy.

-Jaeme

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Why is sleep important?

Most of us know sleep is important. All you have to do is get one bad night of sleep to know firsthand how important it is; you feel fatigued, foggy, and just plain crapy. On the other hand, the feeling of waking up after a great night sleep is pretty awesome; feeling rejuvenated, energetic, sharp minded, and ready to take on the day! So what is going on during our sleep that makes it so important? Unfortunately much of sleep remains a mystery, and there have been many theories over the years as to why sleep is so essential. Most recent research shows that sleep is the most important for our mental capacity. It is extremely important in processing new memories, integrating learned tasks, and other such things like judgment and attention. To illustrate just how important sleep is, here are just a few of the side effects of sleep deprivation:

• Decreased attention and reaction time
• Deficits in memory
• Poor decision making
• Altered mental status (i.e. depression, anxiety, poor mood, irritability)
• Low energy
• Decreased libido
• Increased rate of accidents (workplace, driving, etc…)
• Associated with increased risk of mortality
• Associated with increased co-morbidities:
• High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, obesity, type II diabetes
• Decreased immune function

How much sleep do I need?

It is generally recommended to get around 8 hours of sleep, although this can vary significantly from individual to individual. The best way to find out how much sleep one needs is to pay attention to one’s own internal cues and to monitor for signs of sleep deprivation. However, making sure you aren’t sleep deprived doesn’t simply boil down to a magical number of hours that you need to hit. Another factor that is just as important to consider is the quality of sleep one is getting. It may be that you are getting 8, 9, or even 10 hours of sleep, but if it isn’t good quality sleep it won’t count for much.

How do I improve my sleep?

One way of improving our sleep and reducing sleep deprivation would be to simply increase the amount of time we allow ourselves to sleep; however, for many of us the quantity of our sleep may be difficult, or even impossible, to adjust. For many people it is often easier to try and focus on improving the quality of sleep one is getting. There are many factors that affect the quality of sleep that we are getting and are commonly referred to as our “sleep hygiene” habits.  Here is a list of suggestions for developing good sleep hygiene:

• Sleep just long enough to feel rested and then make sure to get out of bed
• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day
• Have coffee, tea, and other foods that have caffeine only in the morning
• Avoid alcohol in the late afternoon, evening, and bedtime
• Avoid smoking, especially in the evening
• Keep your bedroom dark, cool, quiet, and free of reminders of work or other things that cause you stress
• Solve problems you have before you go to bed
• Exercise several days a week, but not right before bed
• Relaxation therapy, in which you focus on relaxing all the muscles in your body 1 by 1
• Working with a counselor or psychologist to deal with the problems that might be causing poor sleep

While improving the quantity and quality of one’s sleep isn’t always the easiest thing to do, it is incredibly important for both our physical and mental health. Hopefully this article will provide some insight into ways you can try and improve your sleep and overall health! If you have any questions or suggestions for ways you have found to improve your sleep, please let us know.

-Randy

Ways to Help with Weight Loss Plateau

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Are you stuck in a rut with your health/weight loss journey? Are you feeling like you have seen some improvements in weight loss but now its stopped and you feel like all your hard work is not helping? You may be in a plateau, a weight loss plateau that is. They are very common and happen to many people while going along in their journey to achieve their health goals. A plateau is a discouraging time when your weight loss slows down or stops altogether because your body has adapted to the exercise and form of healthy eating you have been doing. There are many reasons this can happen and I'm going to give you a few tips on how to over come your weight loss plateau.  

Re-evaluate your Incoming Calories-

Weight loss happens by consuming fewer calories than your body is expending. Make sure you are not eating to many calories for your body at its new weight. Since you have lost some weight during your journey make sure you have re configured your needed calories and are consuming enough for your current weight and not your starting weight. On the other hand make sure you are not starving yourself and making your body retain fat. If you are not getting enough calories to sustain your bodies needs then your metabolism will drop drastically and your body will store everything you eat as a fat. Our bodies adapt to the changes we place them under and in this case if your getting to few calories then your body will store everything being afraid you wont feed it again soon.

Take Control of Forgotten Calories-

Most the time people will hit a plateau because of those forgotten calories that they ate. I'm talking about little snacks that we munch on in the car or that soda we drank at lunch or even that bigger sized portion of dinner we ate out. Calories that you forget you have eaten that are hurting your weight loss goals. The best way to help get yourself back on track with this is to keep a food journal. This way you can write down everything you ate that day and keep track of those little calories that are sneaking into our diet that we are not even being aware of.

Make a Change with your Workout Routine-

Like I said before our bodies adapt to the lifestyle we are living and the demands we place upon it. Our muscles get familiar to the workouts we perform and this is why you stop seeing results. In order to over come this you have to either increase your intensity, duration, or change the type of exercise you are performing.  If you are used to walking everyday then try increasing the pace or doing intervals to increase your heart rate. Try doing the elliptical or bike instead of walking. If you are doing strength training try increasing your weight and performing new exercises. This will help increase your muscle mass which will in turn make you burn more calories.

Remember Why you Started this Journey-

Reassess your goals and reasons why you started this healthy living lifestyle. Going through a plateau is frustrating and can be difficult but it also gives you the opportunity to reevaluate your goals and desires to live a healthy lifestyle. Re adjust your approach to weight loss and continue to work at it each day and not to give up. Write up your game plan and goals and put them on your mirror so you can see them each morning to help you stay on track and get you through this plateau.

If you are going through a plateau right now remember that they happen to everyone and you can work to get through it. Just remember these tips and try reassessing your healthy living goals. Good luck and let me know if you need any more help or tips.

-Shauna

Weight Management Strategies to Keep You Sane

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We are so excited to have Kelly Pritchett as our guest blogger today! Kelly is an Assistant Professor in Sports Nutrition at the University of Georgia. She has a PhD, is a Registered Dietitian, and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. Kelly has awesome ideas for weight management and also for keeping a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy! 

As moms it can be difficult to manage our weight due to our demanding schedules. If you are like me, you are constantly on the go – from being a mom, working a full time job, dropping kids off at their activities, to changing diapers. So, how do we keep the pounds from creeping up on us?

1. Schedule time for exercise.  Put it on your calendar and you are more likely to stick to the plan. Otherwise, you will end up with every excuse in the book as to why you didn’t exercise.

2. Watch out for portion distortion. Its well known that today’s portions are much larger than they used to be. Try using smaller plates, cups, and bowls when serving yourself at home. When dining out, opt for smaller sizes.

3.  Fill up on fruits and veggies. High in fiber, and water – snack on fruits and veggies. Start with a salad before a meal to prevent over doing it with the main course.

4.  Don’t drink your calories. Beverages tend to be a source of hidden calories. While they don’t always fill us up, they may be filling us out. Watch out for added calories in your favorite caramel, vanilla Latte- opt for a cappuccino and sweeten with cinnamon. Extra calories in your favorite cocktail, wine, or beer can also add up. Try alternating with water in between. Consider adding fruit (citrus, berries) or mint to make water more appealing.

5.  Start each day with breakfast.  Do as your mother told you “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. It gets the metabolism going. Research suggests that breakfast eaters tend to be leaner than those who don’t partake.

6.  Don’t deprive yourself –think small “indulgences”. I’m sure you have experienced this before. You’ve been avoiding cookies like the plague, then one day you cant resist and overdo it. Better to allow yourself to have one piece of chocolate, one cookie, etc. so you don’t over do it the next time you bake cookies.

7.  Stick to 4 or 5 small meals a day. This will help keep you fuller and satisfied throughout the day. You will be less likely to overdo it later on in the day.

8.   Cook smart.  Bake, sautee, and boil your foods as opposed to frying them. Use olive oil and canola oils for healthier options. Bake with bananas to replace sugar.

9.  Food prep on Sundays. Wash and cut your veggies ahead of time. Plan and prepare healthy meals that will get you through the week. You will be less likely to opt for take out or run through a drive through.

10.  Make simple swaps. Try using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey on your salads as opposed to dressings.  Bake with bananas to replace sugar.

11.  Get moving! And I’m not referring to your daily exercise routine. Stand up as opposed to sitting down, it recruits more muscle fibers which will increase the calorie burn. Take the stairs, walk or bike to work versus driving.

-Kelly Pritchett

Thanks Kelly! Hopefully we can all take this advice and apply it to our lives to be happier and healthier! Have a great rest of the day! 

-McKell 

Strength Training is For Everyone

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When most people hear the word strength training they think of lifting weights and bulking up. While that is a form of strength training there is so much more to the equation here at hand. Strength training has many health benefits and is great for anyone at any age.  It can improve...

- Bone Health: After puberty you start to lose about1% of bone and muscle strength each year. Adding strength training helps control and can reverse that process.

- Control your Weight: Muscle burns more calories than Fat, so the more muscle your body has the higher your metabolism will be resulting in a more controlled weight.

- Boost your Endurance: The stronger your muscles get the longer they can handle work without showing signs of fatigue.

- Manage major Chronic Conditions: Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and back pain all can be improved or prevented by strength training.

-Improves your quality of life: The stronger your muscles are the more your body is capable of doing functional things which will improve your outlook and confidence of your self.


Now that we know some of the benefits of strength training lets now see how we can achieve it. There are many choices of strength straining and ways that it can be done. You are recommended to exercise for at least 30 minutes 3-5 days a week.   You can either do...

-Free weights: Lifting dumbbells, barbell, kettle bells or any other form of free weight that will cause your muscles to do increased work. Using free weights forces all of the work on to your muscles causing even supporting muscles to be worked. You have to lift in a 3-dimensiaonal plane using all functional muscles. Lifting using free weights does not allow your body to rely on the machine for support.

-Weight Machines: Machines are great at allowing the desired muscle that you are working to handle more weight than it would by using free weights. With Free weights you can only lift as much as your weakest point in that rang of motion can handle. When using a machine it changes the displacement of the load allowing you to lift a heavier weight providing optimal resistance throughout the entire range of motion. 

- Resistance Tubing: Is a great way to add strength training at home for a cheap and easy storage option. It is a lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched

- Body Weight: Without any equipment at all you can still perform a great strength training workout. With just using your own body weight you can focus on stabilization and control while performing strengthening movements. Examples would be: pushups, squats, crunches, lunges, planks, and many more.

Strength training is such an important part of exercising and you should not overlook it and leave it out of your routines. Remember to switch up your routines often so not to see a plateau and have your muscles get used to the movements it is demanded to perform. Try increasing your weight or using all of these different methods of strength training in your workouts. You can also even try using free weights with your body weight movements to increase the intensity even more.

Let me know how your strength training programs are going and what type of exercises you like to perform.

Have a fabulous Friday and weekend :)
- Shauna

Strengthening Exercises to Prevent and Reduce Back Pain

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Did you know that one-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year? Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is one of the most common reasons for missed work. The back is a very complex structure made up of bones, ligaments, muscles and joints. Back pain can be a result of spraining a ligament, straining a muscle, irritating joints, or doing the simplest of tasks like picking up a box or a fallen object from the floor. 

I loved this picture so I had to share;) 

Soooo, that leads to my next point! Remember that awesome thing that I always talk about? The "miracle drug"? If you guessed exercise, then you are completely right! Exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent and treat chronic or recurring back pain. Exercises that strengthen the muscles that support the spine have the ability to prevent, reduce, and sometimes even completely get rid of lower back pain. Stretches for the back can also do this. 

The core is one of the most important things to focus on for strengthening the back. Weak core muscles are often the root of the problem when it comes to back pain. The core muscles (muscles of the back, the abdomen, hips and buttocks) work together to support the spine. Think of your core as your center of gravity. It helps you sit upright (that good posture your mom always told you to have) and it keeps the spine stable so that we are able to perform our daily tasks. The core helps our spine stay put while we are moving around. If we strengthen our core and back, we will protect our back and have a great quality of life! No back pain = one happy person! :) 

Those of you who have zero back pain may be thinking that I am wasting your time with all of this back pain jibber jabber...think again! EVERYONE can benefit from the following exercises. Prevention is key! Strengthen your back now so you don't have to deal with back pain in the future. 

**If you have had a recent back injury, make sure you talk to your doctor before performing these exercises. 

Choose a few of these exercises and do them at least three days a week:) Shoot for 10-15 reps of each exercise. When just starting out, do 5 reps of each. If you do not feel any post exercise pain, build your way up to 10-15. 

Bird Dog (Opposite Arm and Opposite Leg):
Start on your hands and knees. Keep your core engaged throughout the entire exercise. Extend one arm to the front and extend the opposite leg to the back. Bend arm and leg to center of body and extend again. Repeat and try not to touch the ground until desired reps are performed.

Plank:

Go into a pushup position. You can either hold the position here or get on your elbows/forearms. Keep your core engaged and keep your back straight- don't let your bum stick out! Hold for at least 30 seconds. You can also do a side plank. Same thing, just facing to the side on one arm.

Cobra:

Lie on your stomach with your hands down by your side, palms facing the floor. Engage your core and lift your chest and your hands up off of the floor. As your lift up, turn your thumbs so that they are facing the ceiling (yep it feels kinda awkward!). Keep your feet on the floor. Hold for 2-5 seconds and repeat. 

Bridge: 

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Engage your core and lift your bum and lower back off of the floor. Hold for a few seconds, bring your bum back down and repeat. To make this exercise harder, do it on one foot (hold other foot straight into the air).

Bridge March:
Just the same as the bridge, but instead of bringing your bum back down, you are going to hold the bridge position and march your feet, right then left then right, etc.

Superman:

Lie on your stomach with your arms up by your ears. Engage your core and lift your arms and legs at the same time. You should feel your lower back working!

Alternating Superman: 

Same as the superman exercise, but instead of lifting both arms and legs at once, lift your opposite arm and leg at the same time and repeat on the other side. 

Cat/Cow:
This is more of a back stretch...which is also super important! Start on all fours. Round your back (like a cat does), and then arch your back (Someone explained to me that this was the cow part because your stomach is lower to the ground like a cow's udders...hahaha I was dying! I have never forgotten which part was the cat and which was the cow, so I guess the explanation was effective!)

For more core exercises, click here to check out Jaeme's blog post about her favorite ab exercises (she has pretty rock hard abs, so I would take her advice haha).

Thanks!! Have fun strengthening that back of yours! 

-McKell

Sources:

Statistics taken from the American Chiropractic Association

www.bigbackpain.com 

Food Prep: Eating Healthy and Saving Time

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Happy Sunday Everyone! So one thing I like to do over the weekend besides spending time with my family is Food Prep. I am not a major over the top food prep-er but I do do a few things that help my busy life run smoother and save me lots of time. I know one of the complaints people say about eating healthy and creating meals from scratch is that it takes to much time. People think it is easier to open a box of already-made pasta or some form of processed food then it is to make a healthy meal. Which sometimes it can be but with these helpful tips eating healthy can be a breeze.

At the start of every month I buy 2 big packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts. (The biggest they have at the store). I also buy from Costco their package of lean Ground Turkey. (It comes with 4 individual packages to make one great big one.)









 I first start cooking all the ground turkey in a skillet on my stove top. I add whatever seasoning to it that I would like and let it cook.











While that is cooking I start cutting up all the chicken into bite sized pieces and place them aside to cook next.

Once the ground turkey is all cooked I place it all into a big bowel and set aside. I hurry and clean my skillets and then starting cooking all the chicken. Add whatever seasonings you would like and cook until no longer pink.

 While the chicken is cooking I divide the ground turkey into portions of how much I would use for each meal. I have a Food Savor that vacuum seals the food but you can also just use the big Ziploc bags meant for the freezer to store your turkey in. After the chicken is done cooking I do the same, divide and then seal it up. By the end of this I have 6 bags of ground turkey and 8 bags of chicken. Now throughout the month I can just grab one of these bags out of the freezer and hurry and make a meal from it. It saves me a ton of time.

The next thing I do is buy, wash, and divide all my fresh fruit up into Tupperware and place them into my fridge so we always have fresh fruit on hand ready to go. If it is a type of fruit that you eat the skin (berries, apples, gapes etc.) I wash/let them soak in a vinegar water mixture 4/1 ratio water/vinegar for about 10 min each.

The vinegar helps clean the fruit and also helps preserve them to last longer I have noticed. Once they are washed I let them dry completely, especially the berries so there is no moisture on them when sealed and put into the fridge.

A few other things I do at the start of the month is make my homemade granola, energy balls, (recipes already given in previous blog posts) and pancakes. I use the granola a lot and my husband takes it with him to work as breakfast. Energy balls are great snacks and post workout meals. My daughter loves pancakes and could eat them all the time. I hate making them everyday and don't want to give her store bought preservative filled ones. So I make a huge batch once a month and put the rest in the freezer. Then I can just grab one out and put it in the toaster whenever she wants one.

This all sounds like a lot of work but really it is not. The amount of time I save during the weeks to come because of doing all this is is so worth it. Plus my family always has fresh and yummy food at hand.

What type of food prep do you do to make your life easier? I would love to hear more ideas I can add to my list. :)

-Shauna

Three Healthy Mommas Spotlight: Hayley

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The first Sunday of each month will now be dedicated to spotlighting someone who has made healthy changes in their life. We want to share their story to help each of you realize your potential and help you stay motivated! We are really excited about this and hope that each of you will be also.

If you know of anyone (of if you) would be a good candidate for our monthly spotlight, PLEASE email us at threehealthymommas@gmail.com. It does not have to be a weight loss story, we want all different types of health related changes that have bettered your life.

Thank you!

Today we are turning our blog over to my friend Hayley:

Let me first start out by saying how excited I am to be featured on Three Healthy Mommas! Jaeme is one of my idols, especially when it comes to health. She's a strong, kind, beautiful mother who is wise beyond her years and hilarious. I'm so glad to be able to call her a friend. In order to keep this more reader friendly I'll make this more of a Q&A, but here's my background:

I'm a very tall girl and up until I got married, I was always pretty naturally slender. I never truly watched my diet and exercised regularly, and up until I got married I never really worried about my weight. Something happened when I got married. I could blame it on a lot of things like my husband eats A LOT and so I followed suit, or we spent more time at home and less time being active, or life got busier and my healthy priorities fell by the wayside. But honestly, I find those all to be pretty bad excuses for myself since I am in control of my own decisions and my own body. All I know is that two years after being married, I woke up one day and finally noticed that I was about 50 pounds heavier than before I got married.

It was a miserable few months where I couldn't even look in the mirror. Not because I was "fat," (which I was) or "ugly," but because I was ashamed that I had made so many poor eating and exercise (or lack thereof) choices in a matter of time that led to me feeling like a different person. I had no confidence and felt a sort of depressing, crippling fog roll over me. Just as painful as the mental games this weight put on me was the physical pain as well. My lower back hurt non-stop, as well as my joints, my feet and my head. I wasn't drinking enough--or any-- water, causing severe migraines. My skin felt puffy and bloated. Frankly I was a hot mess and one day I decided to stop complaining and get off my @$$ and do something about it!

So here's where the Q&A starts :)

What healthy changes have you made in your life?

When I  first decided to make positive, healthy changes in my life, it was like a switch went off in my head. All of a sudden I felt empowered and I decided to start with my diet first. I'm not a nutritionist nor a scientist, but I truly believe that diet is 90% of being healthy. I eliminated most processed foods and tried to stick to a balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. I try to eat a lot of veggies and fruit each day. I reduced my calorie intake to a smaller, but still healthy amount. I ate (and still try to) eat about 1200-1500 calories a day. On the exercise front, I was still in college so I signed up for a cycling class and zumba class my last semester of college, which meant I had to exercise for about 90 minutes everyTuesday and Thursday at least, since it was for a grade. After that, the motivation kicked in. I loved cycling and zumba, and so I decided to try other things, like weight training at a gym on Mondays and Wednesdays, and sometimes Saturday. Exercising can be fun, especially when you have a friend to go with. My best friend Ali would come with me to the gym to keep me motivated and on track. All in all, I lost about 45 pounds in about a 6-8 month time period. 

Did you or do you ever reward yourself for hitting specific milestones? If so, what were the rewards?

My goal when I first started was to lose 40 pounds, so when I hit my halfway mark of 20 pounds, I rewarded myself with new sneakers and some cute workout clothes. I think special rewards are really important and I'm all for retail therapy :) I also make sure to never deprive myself. If I want a treat, I'm going to eat it. I try to maybe eat a smaller treat... But still, life is short so I'm going to eat dessert :)

What hardships have you encountered during your journey?

To be honest, the biggest hardships I have encountered have been after I lost the weight. The hardest thing about losing weight is keeping it off. Since I lost the weight, I graduated from college and now work a relatively stressful job with long hours. Work-life balance has been a huge adjustment for me and most nights I leave work and want to go home and put on my sweatpants (especially in the winter). Since starting my job about 6 months ago, I have put on about 10-12 pounds and have fluctuated a little bit. I try to eat healthy and still exercise, though my healthy habits have suffered a little bit since starting my career. However, I try not to get down on myself because the main thing is that I am still trying. Our bodies fluctuate as we go through different phases in our lives and I am determined to never be where I used to be, but to try my best and love my body and be good to it. Something I really struggle with is that I LOVE to bake, and that's a huge temptation for me. I love sugar! Luckily, there are people like the Three Healthy Mommas in the world who can give really good advice for that :)

What are some positive things that have come out of your journey?

I can't begin to tell you how amazing it feels to feel healthy, strong and confident again. Living a healthy lifestyle is not about being skinny or looking like a model. It's not even about how much you weigh or about losing weight. What really matters is loving your body for all its beauty and faults. I feel strong like I can tackle on anything, and I have grown to love being active and eating healthy. I feel a noticeable difference in my body-- my skin, my muscles, my bones-- when I eat healthy and exercise. I have more energy and less headaches, and I can concentrate better at work and I'm nicer to those around me. I feel confident and I can actually look in a mirror again! The biggest thing I've learned is that no matter how much weight I lose or muscle I gain, my body is not perfect and never will be. I have big hips and I wish my boobs were smaller and I could still nitpick. But I've grown to love my body, even though it's imperfect, because I know that I am working to keep it happy and healthy.

What motivates you to stay on track? 

My biggest motivation is honestly my mental state. I am so much happier when I know I am living a healthy lifestyle and when my body and mind feels strong. I also love going to group classes like cycling, total body conditioning and my favorite: vinyasa flow (a type of yoga that rocks-- it's such a good workout!). 

If there's anything I can teach someone (which is hardly anything, since I'm certainly no pro when it comes to all this!), it's to love your body and don't let anything stand in the way of being happy, especially when it comes to your health! If I can do it, anyone can. Trust me! 

Below is a before and after:

Thank you Hayley!

-Jaeme