Our son runs all day long… like literally if he’s awake he’s running. The other day I was keeping track of how many times he actually walked and it was zero! He ran every single time he needed to travel: from the living room to the pantry, from the playroom to the potty… the boy runs nonstop! Each morning my husband sarcastically asks, “Did that boy wake up with all that energy?” (Insert several Charity eyerolls), to which I respond, “Yes, honey yes! All-day long!”, ha!

 

Sometimes it feels that it’s impossible to keep up with our little guy; we just don’t have his level of stamina.  I know that if I were in better shape, I’d have much more energy to give him.

PRE-BABY

Pre-baby, the hub and I were the fittest we had ever been in our lives. I’m talking working out together every other day, eating well, and only having 2 cheat meals a month. Yes, you read that correctly, we were happy and satisfied with just TWO cheat meals a month (hard to believe now with the pizza delivery guy on speed dial!). I didn’t have the same cravings I have today.  Working out and finding new healthy foods to eat was fun! Honey, I was FIT and loved every inch of my body!

EARLY POST-BABY

 

After we had our son it became more difficult to exercise every other day, so I cut it back to 3 days a week. I went back to work full-time and thankfully the government allows its GS employees 3 hours a week of paid physical training time.  Essentially, I was getting paid, to work out on the clock; it was absolutely perfect.  Although I wasn’t in the gym as frequently as I was in the past, I was still fit and still eating well. I’d say at this point I was a ‘Fit-ish” mom.

 

 

2 YEARS POST-BABY: STAY-AT-HOME-MOM LIFE

 

When our son was 2, I made the decision to quit my job and become a stay-at-home mom (SAHM).  I love this job and wouldn’t trade it for a thing!  I’m blessed to pour into our little guy and lay the foundation of morals, values, and faith.  As a SAHM I’ve also been provided with the flexibility to complete the requirements for my Masters of Social Work.  SAHM life has been great for the attainment of my educational and parenting goals, but not so great for my fitness journey.

To put it plainly: Honey, I’m tired!  I’ve been a SAHM for a year and I love my job and our son, but they don’t give lunch breaks here, ha!  If my son is asleep, I’m sleeping, and it has been difficult adjusting to a routine that incorporates exercise.  Our day consists of playdates, cleaning, cooking, kissing all of the boo-boos, and managing all of the temper tantrums.  I’ve poured all of my energy into our little guy and have neglected to pour some into my physical fitness and health.

 

On top of not working out, my eating habits have become horrid since becoming a SAHM. When my son snacks, I snack. He can afford to eat goldfish, and mac n’ cheese, but this mommy tummy can’t do it any longer!

 

TODAY:

So here I am today, 3 years post-baby, and I haven’t worked out on a consistent schedule since December 2019.  This month I’ve decided to take the Mommination #FitMommiChallenge and I am on the #SoonToBeFitMommi/#FitMommiesLoading team!  The energy and motivation that I’ve received from my teammates as well as our coach has been so encouraging!  I’ve been pushing myself and moving much more than I have in the last few months.

TIPS TO KEEP MOVING:

 

It hasn’t come easy, but I’ve been inspired to be intentional about incorporating fitness into my week.  I know that if I challenge myself to continue with this momentum, then I can keep this up.

 

Here are a few things that have kept me going and that I recommend for you as well:

 

  • WRITE YOUR GOALS: What I love about the Fit Mommi Challenge is that from day one, we wrote down our goals. This has provided me with a visual reminder of what I’m striving for.  For me, the goals weren’t very detailed; I’m striving to workout 3 days a week and to eat less fried foods and drink less sweet tea.  It’s important to set realistic goals that you can realistically reach to keep yourself motivated.  Start with small attainable goals, then add on as you achieve these.
  • GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER: Having someone there pushing you along is so inspiring!  With the Fit Mommi Challenge, we each have teams and team captains.  The support has been amazing.  If you can’t find a girlfriend to push you along, there are so many groups on social media.  Having someone in the fight with you gives the extra kick needed to keep it moving.
  • EXTEND YOURSELF GRACE: You absolutely have to extend yourself grace! There may be days or weeks where you had just a little too many cheat meals or were too tired to work out.  You’re not perfect, no one is.  A healthy lifestyle is a journey; remember to be kind to yourself.

 

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE:

 

If you follow my platform, Anew Mommyism, then you know that each week I provide a challenge and an applicable bible verse.  This week’s challenge is to write down one fitness goal.  Write this goal down in multiple places to serve as reminders as you go throughout your day.  Start small: drink 8 glasses of water, workout twice a week, etc.  The purpose is to develop a fitness/health habit that is realistic for your lifestyle.  For me, working out 5 days a week isn’t doable, but I can do 3 days.  Let’s start with goals, and move towards a more healthy lifestyle today!

 

APPLICABLE BIBLE VERSE:

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 & 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

As moms, our personal health and fitness can take a back seat to our constant daily demands.  We often put the needs of our partners and our little ones before ours; today let’s add our health to the priority list.  Today I choose my health, not just for myself, but for my little guy so that I can give him the energy that he deserves.  We all have the ability to be “the Fit mom”.  I’m determined to find her again, I miss her.

 

Thank you for joining me today for a sharing of REAL LIFE, FROM ONE MOM TO ANOTHER!

 

Do you have any additional tips for continued motivation? Comment below to give us more tips and also join me in the Mommination #FitMommiChallenge!

 

Chat Soon,

Charity Crawford, MSW