Fit Mom

Pin It I just heard from one of my fellow Glambassadors regarding running as a mom. And how hard it is when we are already struggling to balance full time careers with family life.

I picked up running later in life (when I met my now husband, the elite runner) in my very early twenties. So running was not a part of my everyday routine. It was a struggle for me to get it into my routine and then when I was at my best fitness level...I became pregnant with my first child. I continued to run/walk up until I gave birth and even started up again after giving birth (not to a high level, but running to get the weight off). And it worked. I even ran a few races to keep things interesting.

Then, we moved. I took on a new career that involves more hours, more running around, less lunch breaks, more lunch meetings, long days, and tired nights. I cut back on my running drastically. Then....I became pregnant with my second child. I did not do as well with my fitness during this pregnancy. Because of that, the post baby weight did not just melt off quickly.

If you think you're busy with one child, two is a whole new ball game! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade what I have with my little girls for anything in the world. They are the most precious gift that anyone could have! But...busy we are!

About the weight... My mom decided it was time for her to try something in order to shed some pounds. My sister has had a lot of success with Weight Watchers so that was the route my mom wanted to go too. It just so happened that she was going to be at my house the day after her first meeting (at which time she signed up for Weight Watchers). I thought it would be helpful for her if I counted points all weekend with her to keep her accountable. I was weighing in at a whopping --here goes--139 pounds as of that morning and knew I needed to try something anyway. The program is not so much of a "diet" as it is an awareness of what you're eating and how much. I didn't realize how badly I was eating until I counted my points that weekend.

I continued to count them for a full month and miraculously lost 13 pounds. That was in March. I'm still doing really well with my new, healthier eating and have managed to maintain that weight loss, even with all the lunches out.

Now I'm adding the running and working out back in. I'm on a streak now with 3 days in a row of short two mile runs (and plans to go again tonight). The difference this time is that we're making it a family affair. On Tuesday, the whole family went to the track at the nearby school and ran intervals (my husband would push the running stroller while I ran a lap hard, then we'd switch). It was really fun and I didn't miss out on any time with my family.
Until next time,
Meg