Get Your Body Back 2009 Challenge: Final Recap
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Determined. Inspired. Motivated. Changed. Renewed.
Get My Body Back Update From OSG Sis!
Hello fellow OSG fans! For those of you who have been a fan of Angela’s amazing website for some time, you may remember the segments I did on getting my body back after 2 babies! It has been several months since my last update so here I am with my latest news!
[This was us at the gym in the summer of 2009]
When I first started back at the gym in January, I held very high expectations for what I was going to achieve and when I would achieve it. I was determined to get to the gym 6 days a week and to complete intense workouts at every session. I was successful with this for only a short period of time because this is not realistic for me, my friends! On top of being a full-time mom and caregiver for my two boys, I also work about 25 hours a week (at night when my hubby is home). So, my time at the gym is limited. I have found two mornings a week, (when my oldest son is in pre-school and my baby is in a play group) when I hit the gym to sweat it out! My time is limited to about 1.5 hours so I have learned to make the most of this time! I am still loving every minute of my STRONG class! They also have a newer version out, called Urban Strong that incorporates cardio in between weight tracks. This is, by far, the best one hour workout I have ever had! The sweat drips off of me and I leave feeling renewed, refreshed and accomplished!
There have been set backs on my road to health though. In early September, I fractured my foot quite badly. My sweet little boy jumped on my foot in excitement and I knew right then and there that something was very, very wrong. It was about 7 weeks before I felt confident that I could give my workouts 100% again. For those of you who have had an injury, you know how frustrating it can be to watch all your hard work go down the drain. Time heals all wounds though and I am happy to report that I am back to my old self and enjoying my old routine at the gym again!
On another happy note, I was fortunate enough to purchase an elliptical trainer for my home back in July. I decided on the Octane Q37ce. What a beautiful machine! It is so amazing to have the convenience of a good cardio workout in the comfort of my home! This also helps me to fit in a workout 2-3 other times during the week as getting to the gym is harder for me right now. This way, I can workout when the boys are sleeping! For the other mommies out there who are busy and finding it hard to fit in a workout, I strongly encourage you to look into the benefit of having a piece of equipment in your home. This is especially true for those of you who live in colder climates like myself and outdoor cardio may be very difficult for several months out of the year. Although my elliptical was expensive, I see it as an investment piece. Over the years, gym memberships certainly do add up!
Next on my fitness agenda is to re-learn how to ice skate. I use to skate as a child, but over the years and many moves later, I lost my ability to do so! I see skating as a fun way to be with my kids and to get some exercise at the same time! I am also very eager to try Hot Yoga! There is a studio in my area that offers classes with very flexible time slots. One thing at a time though. I try not to expect too much at one time.
Thanks to my beautiful sister, my world has been opened to so many nutritious alternatives that I may never have tried! I start every morning off now with a Green Monster. My 21 month old son also loves them! I also have drastically reduced the amount of meat we eat and I now replace a few meals a week with lentils, veggie stir-fry’s or meatless dishes. I may never be able to give meat up completely, but I am happy with and grateful for the healthy adjustments I have made and I am much more open minded to try new things now! Thanks Ange – I owe it all to you!!!
I am enjoying my journey and learning that we are all made differently. Some of us will be a size 2 when we leave the hospital and some of us may never get there again, but it is okay either way. I often remind myself of a wonderful piece of inspiration I was once told:
For every time you look at someone else with envy at how beautiful they may be or how perfect their life may seem, just remember there is someone else right behind you, thinking the exact same thing about you!
Cheers to all of you! Keep up the great work and for all of you mommies out there, remember to be proud of your body and grateful for the little miracles it helped you create!
Kristi
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Thanks sis! You are very inspiring have come a long way! I hope that your posts were helpful for others out there who are looking to get on their own journey too. :)
Any moms out there? How do YOU stay balanced? Or, do you know a mom who stays fit while juggling a busy lifestyle? What are her strategies?
I love Kristi’s discovery that fitness did not have to mean 6 days a week at the gym. I think it is best to do what you can fit in your own lifestyle and you will be more likely to stick with it!
Aw, great job Kristi!! It is so frustrating when you have an injury and can’t really work out. Ice skating would be so fun! I haven’t done it since I was little. And hot yoga is the best!! :)
It reminded me to get back into figure skating too! I used to be a figure skater and I really miss it…its so much fun! Esp if you can find an outdoor rink :)
Is there anything you haven’t done? ;o) Do you have any pics from when yo used to skate? It would be lovely to see them. ;o)
I used to be a figure skater too and I can’t remember the last time I did it!! I remember loving it though! :)
I skated too!! Fun times. I just took my 3 year old skating for the first time last Sunday.
Thanks so much Angela for having your sister continue her journey! You both are in terrific shape and glow from ear to ear!
I’ve found the keys to “whipping back” in shape is watching portions, and eating more whole foods.
Exercise is a must, signing up for classes at the gym where others are working out, kind of keeps you motivated to go to the classes, you are all kind of working together on getting fit.
Kudos to you Kristi!! I know how busy you are with the boys and you still manage to fit time in to workout when I know you must be very tired! You look amazing and I’m proud of your efforts.
You two are gorgeous and glowing!!! I love that your son is drinking GMs!!!
Wow Kristi, you look AMAZING!! Good job, actually..GREAT JOB!!
You both look fantastic!
Ah, I LOVE that your baby loves GMs!!
Kristi I feel your pain! As a working mom I get up at 5:30 every day so I can go to the gym. I know that if I don’t do it before work I will be way too tired to do it after. The sad thing is that it means I usually collapse in bed at 9:30. Sometimes I feel like I’m 100 years old!
Way to go Kristi! I’ve always thought you looked fabulous and those boys of yours are the cutest. I love that they love all of Auntie Ange’s Glo bars and your GM creations! My nephew is the same way! You are definitely on the right track and I love how you mentioned that getting the elliptical was an investment. I couldn’t agree more! Gym memberships do add up big time! I hope I can be as motivated as you when i’m a Mom someday!
Great job Kristi. As a full-time working Mom of two children (age 3 and 6) I can completely empathize with your challenges and struggles to find the time to work out. This is a fact of my life every single day. Prior to having children I would spend up to two hours at the gym every single day, working out, going for a sauna, having a nice shower, whatever my heart desired…..ahhhh!!!! Now I’m lucky to even have time in my day to shower – period.
I think Kristi hit the nail on the head when she said that for busy Moms of little ones, it’s almost imperative to have a good piece of cardio equipment in your home. That…and a gym that has an amazing child care room. I am fortunate to have both. After the birth of my 2nd child we splurged on a treadmill. This gives me the opportunity to squeeze workouts in when the kids are asleep. Often times I get up at the ungodly hour of 5 am (like this morning) just to do a nice 5 K before everybody is awake and looking for breakfast and help getting ready to get out the door. I usually run in the mornings 2 or 3 days a week and then go to the gym 2 or 3 other days during the week. The kids often come with me on the weekend and they love it. I’m hoping that my going to the gym will teach them a love, respect and understanding of the importance of fitness in our lives.
To find a nice balance and my “happy spot” I had to give up being so regimented with my expectations for workouts– my work schedule and commitment to my family just doesn’t allow for it any more. I also had to learn to stop allowing the feelings of guilt to overpower me when I don’t get a workout in. I’ve also learned that now, being older and not being able to exercise so obsessively – I’ve got to focus a lot more on what I’m putting into my body. I’ve really cleaned up my eating habits and I think I’ve noticed more results from that than I have from many years of being a gym-rat. It’s quite a content feeling to finally know I don’t really have to compromise anything in life to get the best out of it.
Sorry to ramble, but this post really spoke to me. ;)
You two are an adorable pair!
My parents astound me with their activity levels.
My mom does yoga, stairmaster, jogging, etc.
My dad does weights, soccer, running, and cycling, and he ran the Boston Marathon! I think their secret is just finding something that they love and making being active fun!
Kristi-
You look beautiful and vibrant! You also seem to have a terrific outlook on fitness & health. As a fellow mommy of two (a 6yr old & one year old) I know the challenges of fitting fitmess into your life. I am at the gym 5-6 days a week between 5 and 5:30am. I believe I am the only stay at home mom who hits up the 5:30am spin class…lol. This just works for me. I am not taking time away from my family like I would be if I worked out after my hubby got home from work. My early morning workouts always get me reved up for the day and give me more energy to chase after my active baby boy :)
I totally agree with Kristi that investing in a piece of gym equipment is a wonderful idea. I am a Mom of two little boys (a 4 year old and a 20 month old). I have found that by waking up at 5:30 a.m. and going straight downstairs to my treadmill, I can get in a great workout before the boys even wake up. If I don’t do it early, I find that I am constantly reworking my schedule throughout the day to try to find the time. As anyone with kids knows, you have to be flexible when you have kids as schedules can change at any moment. As an extra bonus, waking up before the rest of the family is up ensures that I truly have some uninterrupted “me” time, which I find is just as important for my mental as it is for my physical well-being. Good job Kristi!
My trainer is a mum of three, runs her own private training program, as well as pre and post natal fitness company. Her husband is an ER doctor working crazy shifts. She always has so much energy and yet is always so calm about what’s going on. She was supposed to run NYC this month to raise money for cancer that sadly took her best friend’s life 3 years ago, but due to an injury she had to pull out – but she handled it with so much grace . .. well, I don’t think I would have been as composed or pulled together. She also runs with another two mamas and together they make up the ‘Hot Mama’s” running group – between them they have 10 kids, crazy lives, but still manage to make it all work. She’s one of my fitness inspirations!!
Getting them started on the Green Monster movement early…love it!
Great job Kristi! I love how the kiddos drink GM’s, I hope I can pass that on someday myself :)
I’m a single mom to a 5-year old, and getting workouts into my crazy-busy schedule used to be quite stressful. Getting fit and losing weight was tough: 2 jobs, my son’s school schedule, his activities, my church, volunteering and community involvement. I knew that working out had to take precedence over some of the ‘extra’ things I was doing. I cut back on some of the committees and volunteering and let my son choose 3 activites per week, no more (he was averaging 6-9 per week. Sometimes it’s a challenge to get to the gym 5 times a week. I allow myself one at-home sweat sesh per week, usually a yoga DVD or 30 Day Shred, and my son usually joins in. It’s tough, but committment and flexibility is the key.
The hardest part of being a new mom was the weight gain. I had this pre-conceived picture of giving birth and all of the extra weight would come out wit the baby. Unfortunately, it didn’t work like that. And for me it was true about what they say: took 9 months to gain and it will take 9 months to get off. It was hard at first to go back to the gym after J was born. My husband bought me personal training sessions which helped me jump back into my exercising mind set. My body bounced back a lot quicker than I had imagined which helped me keep going.
It was a lot of work but I am the healthiest I have been right now. And believe me, the weight gain, the stretch marks, the “extra” skin… J was worth every part of it!
Your sister looks great!!
Great job and nice post.
On another note I totally tried to DM you without realizing you don’t follow me on twitter and in an epic DM FAIL, posted it public that I bought my sis some bars (not too specific at least) for the holidays. Yep, she read it. I got a quick message back with Bars? Hopefully she will still be somewhat surprised when they arrive. LOL, gotta love technology. ($10 bucks says she reads your blog and sees this post too!!!)
You guys are gorgeous!
Kristi — I enjoyed the post very much. I have thought that if/when I have a child (soon?), purchasing a piece of cardio equipment would be a good way to go. I appreciate your thoughts on this. And I also really like the top you are wearing! Knock-out at the gym. ;)