Now onto explaining the plan! The refresh is VERY low calorie, around 900 calories a day. Which is why as a nursing mom I definitely had to add more to keep both me and my little man happy :) The refresh is considered a natural cleanse that uses supplements along with fresh fruits, veggies, healthy fats and LOTS of water to help you make a clean break from bad habits. Numerous benefits like weight loss, increased energy, decreased cravings, improved mood, etc. have been associated with detoxing your body and using programs like the refresh to do it. So what exactly does the plan look like? It’s four supplement drinks a day: 1 Shakeology, 1 Fiber Sweep and 2 Vanilla Fresh protein drinks. Plus, 2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of healthy fats and a dinner option {recipes are provided and feature veggies along with more fats.} Drinking unsweetened tea up to three times a day is also allowed which only helps the detox process! So what did I do differently to make it more nursing mom friendly? I added in extra fruits, veggies and fats for more calories along with nursing support tea! Below I’ve listed exactly what my days looked like. Day 1 Breakfast: Vegan chocolate Shakeology with 1 whole banana, 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter. {Technically I was only supposed to have a half of a banana because a whole one is considered two servings so there was some extra calories along with the ground flax and peanut butter which normally isn’t “allowed.”} Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Late Morning: Fiber sweep supplement, just mix with 8 ounces of water and chug! As a nurse I have mixed up some nasty fiber drinks before so I was pleasantly surprised that this one wasn’t too bad. Thick like Metamucil if you’ve ever tried that with a hint of lemon/citrus but definitely drinkable in the small quantity. Plus, it didn’t send me running to the bathroom like some fiber drinks can, too much info? #sorrynotsorry Lunch: Vanilla Fresh protein drink, ½ cup grapes, 4 celery stalks and 1 ½ teaspoons of peanut butter. Afternoon: I didn’t realize I was supposed to have a snack here until day two, whoops! So on day one I just had my nursing support tea. Dinner: Vanilla Fresh protein drink and the spinach salad dinner recipe. The recipe included 2 cups baby spinach, ½ of a medium cucumber, ¼ cup broccili, ½ of a medium tomato, ½ tsp olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tsp slivered almonds. *I was still hungry that night and knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep so I added in an extra cup of strawberries with my nighttime tea. Day 2 *When I woke up to nurse at 2 am I was starving to the point where I couldn’t fall back asleep so I ate ½ cup of grapes! Breakfast: Same as day one, vegan chocolate ShakeO with a whole banana, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter and I added a half of an avocado. Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Late Morning: Fiber Sweep Lunch: Vanilla Fresh blended with a little caramel extract, 1 cup strawberries, 3 big carrots and 2 tablespoons of hummus. {A serving of carrots per the plan is ½ a large so I had a total of 6 servings while running errands which covered both lunch and afternoon snack.} Dinner: Vanilla Fresh and the coconut steamed veggie recipe which is to DIE for! Click here for the recipe and to try it out yourself. *I was still hungry after dinner so I had two celery stalks with just a tiny bit of peanut butter. Day 3 Breakfast: Same as day two except this time instead of a whole banana I only used half because I had a ½ cup of grapes as well. Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Lunch: I was hungrier than the other two mornings so I opted for an earlier lunch and held off on my Fiber Sweep until later. I decided to switch up the Vanilla Fresh and blended it with a whole frozen banana and dash of cinnamon - SO good, wish I would have done that sooner! Not that the flavor is bad on it’s own but the texture of frozen banana and that little extra sweetness was a treat especially on day 3 of no sugar or carbs. I also had 2 stalks of celery with 1 ½ teaspoons of peanut butter. Early Afternoon: Fiber Sweep Later Afternoon: 3 large carrots and nursing support tea Dinner: Vanilla fresh blended with a dash of cinnamon and roasted green beans with an olive oil, sea salt and slivered almonds drizzle. I also drank AT LEAST 75 ounces of water a day + all the water included in my supplements, yes I was peeing up a storm! So that’s it! Sounds easy right? WRONG! I cannot lie to you guys while the plan is simple and a very gentle, refreshing cleanse compared to most on the market it’s still tough to cut calories and get most of them from supplements. I was so ready to eat my fruits and veggies whenever I got the chance because well I love REAL food! Plus, it takes some mental strength to say no to your toddler trying to feed you an ice cream cone and your husband antagonizing you with the thought of a late night cookie and coffee date. ![]() So how did I feel throughout the refresh? I’ll be honest at times my head was pounding which was likely related to detoxing off sugar and is the same thing that happens every time I start a strict round of the 21 Day Fix meal plan. There were other times when I was STARVING and swore my stomach was going to eat itself but clearly I lived because let’s face it it’s only 3 days, YOU can do ANYTHING for 3 days! Lastly, there were times when I was STUFFED full too especially after my big dinner meal of veggies and the Vanill Fresh protein drink. Now the moment you’ve been waiting for...my results :) Let me start off by saying I did not do this to lose weight but to feel better and FOCUS on breaking the bad eating habits I was struggling with. Which I can say that YES after just 3 days I’m not craving junk or sugar but meat, eggs, oatmeal, fruit and all my other clean, whole foods. Physically, I feel less bloated and my clothes are fitting better. Mentally and emotionally I feel proud that I stuck to the plan even when there were times I would have rather quit. I officially lost 2 pounds and finally broke the 127 weight plateau I have been sitting at for the past month, YAY! I also lost 1 1/2 inches off my waist. I wish I would have measured my hips too because I was able to finally wear a pair of shorts that were too tight last week, non-scale victories like this are the BEST and my favorite judge of progress! Now to answer a couple questions I’ve been getting!
Did you workout? Mild to moderate exercise is recommended during the refresh. You need to keep it light so your body has enough energy to flush your system and function during everyday life. Personally, I chose to skip workouts all together and just made sure I was doing “extra” life workouts as I like to call them. Day one was dancing with my boys, day two was loading and sorting two cows worth of fresh cut meat and day three was mowing the lawn plus a family bike ride! Just enough to get my body moving and muscles working without overexerting myself. Did you have gas or have to run to the bathroom? Most of the time when people hear the word “cleanse” they think enema or constant bathroom trips, for me this was not the case on the refresh. I didn’t experience any gas, bloating or huge changes in bowel movements. My body is already used to eating a lot of high fiber foods because of my daily Shakeology, fruits and veggies so it wasn’t shocked by the new ingredients. Now if someone who never eats fiber does the refresh they may have some of those uncomfortable side effects but I didn't. Did you notice any changes to your milk supply? Thankfully no! Lately we’ve been doing a combination of nursing sessions and then giving bottles/pumping because he’s biting like crazy - OUCH. He didn’t seem unsatisfied when nursing and whenever I pumped I got my normal, average amount. Every woman's body is different but between adding in those extra calories {mainly healthy fats} and making sure I was drinking some form of nursing support tea my supply held up just fine! Plus, now my little man will have even BETTER mommy milk because I’m back on track with my nutrition and clean eating goals! What do you do AFTER the cleanse is over? Keep drinking Shakeology for sure! The refresh challenge pack comes with a 30 day supply so that you can keep fueling your body with good for you superfoods. Not to mention it helps fight off cravings, increases energy and is a sweet treat too! My plan is also to get back into the routine of using my 21 Day Fix portion control containers while still enjoying my treats just in WAY more moderation. I’m really trying to focus in on cutting sugar intake for my whole family and I feel like this was a great jump start to that along with helping me break the bad habits, get back to my good ones and feel refreshed! I think that covers it all :) If you have more questions, want to try out the 3 Day Refresh or take the 21 Day Fix challenge make sure to contact me here because I’d love to help YOU get started towards a happier, healthier lifestyle!
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I did it! That’s right, I completed my first 60 day Beachbody program like a boss! I've tried other programs in the past like Insanity and PiYO but gave up before the 60 day mark because I wanted to switch things up with my workouts. Luckily, Hammer and Chisel was a completely different story and is now being added to my list of favorites, check out why and my results below! The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is the first home fitness program Beachbody has ever released featuring two trainers, Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev. Personally, I think this was the key to me not needing to switch things up because I was getting a different trainer every day. Autumn who is the creator of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme is my all time favorite because of her simple yet highly effective workouts and always motivating demeanor. Sagi also known as, “The Beast” from Body Beast was a new trainer for me but I quickly fell in love with him too, especially all his “jokes.” I don’t know if my abs hurt more from working hard or giggling at him but either way he’s awesome! So where did the nicknames Hammer and Chisel come from? Well, Sagi {The Hammer} helps you focus on lifting heavy and Autumn, {The Chisel} gets you shredded by incorporating cardio with strength training. This is the perfect combination no matter if your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle or simple just tone up! As I mentioned above the workouts are a combo of heavy lifting, cardio and strength training. My favorite part though? They are only 30-40 minutes each which includes the warm up and cool down which means you work hard and are DONE for the day! There are 15 workouts total but the way the schedule is set up I didn’t feel like I was doing the same workouts all the time. In fact a lot of the time my husband and I would look at each and say, “have we even done this one before?” Most of the workouts are circuit style which in my opinion makes them go by quickly because you’re doing a new move every minute or after just 8 reps. The workouts do require a little more equipment compared to other home fitness programs but to me it’s simply an investment in my health. Not to mention fitness equipment can last a lifetime if you take care of it. A variety of weights, resistance bands, a chin up bar or over the door resistance band and a bench or stability ball are what’s recommended. Personally, I used my free weights ranging from 8-20 pounds, resistance bands with the door attachment {click here to see the ones I use} and a stability ball. I do think you could get by without the stability ball but you may need to get creative for some of the moves and use your couch or a chair to get the full effect! In addition to the workouts, Hammer and Chisel also focuses on nutrition using the portion control and containers from the Fix system. The containers are color coded for each food group for example red is protein, green is veggies, yellow is carbs, etc. You calculate how many containers are needed on a daily basis using your current weight, gender and health goals. Your nutrition is based on whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain weight or gain muscle. My goal was to continue losing the baby weight while maintaining breastmilk supply as my son is only 4 months old. If this is a concern for you as well no fear because the plan even accounts for breastfeeding too! Now I’ll be honest I didn’t follow the meal plan perfectly, not because I can’t or it’s too hard but because I simply didn’t want to. I strictly followed the Fix meal plan in the past {which you can read all about here} and it taught me A LOT about proper nutritional balance and portion control. In fact it completely changed my lifestyle to what is commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, meaning I eat 80% clean and 20% treats! I love this lifestyle because it’s realistic for a girl like me who still wants to enjoy a cheeseburger or cupcake every once in a while without feeling like she wrecked her “diet”. I live life having a diet, not being on one! One other thing that helps keep me on track with my nutrition is Shakeology. The blend of over 70 superfoods packs health benefits like increased energy and improved digestion, protein, vitamins and minerals which makes it my healthiest and easiest meal of the day. Plus, it’s a sweet treat that’s actually good for me with recipes like salted caramel or birthday cake! Now before we get to my results I have to share one last favorite thing about the program and that’s the fact it’s suitable for everyone! For example my goal was to lose weight, while my husband's was to maintain weight and build strength. We were both able to achieve those goals with Hammer and Chisel and it was actually quite fun working out together everyday, not to mention we kept each other motivated too! Okay onto the moment you’ve been waiting for… My results! In 60 days I lost 11 inches and majorly toned my stomach back up after baby, just look at those abs popping through! We don’t own a scale so I’m not sure if I actually lost weight or not but who cares? Being able to fit into another pair of pre-pregnancy jeans, losing 11 inches, lifting heavier weights than ever before and seeing these pictures is proof enough that I’m making progress! The Master’s Hammer and Chisel definitely works if you do! So what’s next? I’m taking a little break from the program to complete a round of 21 Day Fix Extreme before our Caribbean cruise that I earned from Beachbody. But once we get back I’ll definitely be adding Hammer and Chisel into my regular routine and may even consider another full 60 days! If you want to join me during my next challenge group or learn more about any of the Beachbody home fitness programs and Shakeology please {click here} and fill out the form because I’d love to help you start reaching your health and fitness goals TODAY!
**Beachbody does not claim any level of success with either their fitness programs or the coaching opportunity. Results and success is achieved through effort, hard work and consistency by the individual.** After the birth of my first son I really struggled with losing the baby weight because I made excuses, didn’t workout, ate poorly and slept whenever I could. Looking back now I will admit I was also probably struggling with a little bit of postpartum depression which didn’t make accepting my new mom body any easier. It took 6 whole months before I finally left my excuses in the dust and started living a healthier lifestyle thanks to the 21 Day Fix. When I got pregnant again I was determined that I would continue working out and eating clean not just for a healthy pregnancy and baby but so that bouncing back would be much easier the second go round! Live and learn right?
So I gave myself a full month of letting my body just naturally do it’s thing and then at five weeks post baby I started my CIZE journey. My initial goal was to follow both the meal plan and workouts - the first week went great! But then the tiredness of having two children under two set in and my meal plan started to slip which caused me to be super hard on myself because I knew I wasn’t going to reach my goal. Luckily, I have an amazing support system between my husband, mom and fellow coaches who reminded me “you just had a baby a month ago!” Reality check! Instead of using this as an excuse or giving up I revised my goal halfway through the program. My new goal was to simply complete all the dance routines and eat like I normally do which is healthy but also includes plenty of treats here and there! This new goal was a complete game changer! I was excited to do my workouts, I wasn’t as hard on myself for not being “perfect” and most importantly I was making way healthier choices compared to after my first pregnancy. 30 days later and at exactly two months post baby my results are in...5 pounds and 3 inches lost! Could my results have been better? Most likely yes, I could have been stricter with my meal plan but that was not my goal. My goal was to eat clean, workout 6 days a week, drink my Shakeology every day, maintain my milk supply and be HEALTHY which includes my mental and emotional health too! I can proudly say mission accomplished :) So what exactly is CIZE? It's one of Beachbody's newest workout programs by Shaun T and it's completely centered around dance and having fun while exercising. Don't worry though you don't have to be a dancer to do it! CIZE truly is for everyone and anyone - even your grandma! For real though if you're needing a fun way to start a healthier lifestyle or just want a new workout routine to throw in the mix CIZE will not disappoint! If you're ready to dance your way to a happy, healthier you then please the button below and let me know! It's time to bring an end to that dreaded word exercise and CIZE it UP! Stitch Fix: Frequently Asked Questions, Insider Tips and My First "After Baby" Fix Review! 12/15/2015 ![]() I’ve been wanting to do a review on Stitch Fix for a while because if you follow along with my Facebook page then you know I absolutely love the service they provide! In short Stitch Fix is an online service where a fashion stylist hand picks clothing and accessories based on your style profile then ships them right to your door. Once they arrive you have a few days to try them on in the comfort of your own home, decide what you like and then checkout online. If you keep all the items that's perfect, you don’t have to do anything else except rock those fabulous outfits! If you decide to only keep some of the items then you ship the rest back in the prepaid envelope that comes with your Fix from the get go. So simple, easy and fun! I have been receiving fixes for a year now and have been asked a lot of the same questions on how the service works so I just want to answer some of those and provide some tips in case you're curious too! How much does it cost? Everyone pays a $20 styling fee in order to have the fix shipped and then that same $20 is applied as a credit to whichever items you choose to keep. I always keep at least one thing to get my money's worth! The price of your individual items depends on your profile settings and what your stylist sends. Personally, I have mine set in the lowest price bracket and my items range from $20-$90 which for high quality, boutique style items isn’t bad! Also, if you decide to keep all 5 items you get a 25% discount so sometimes it’s worth it just to keep all 5 because you’ll pay less then if you only keep 1 or 2. Insider Tip: There are Fix groups all over Facebook where women will put up their items to see if anyone is interested in them so that everyone can benefit from the 25% discount if the original receiver of the fix isn’t planning on keeping everything. I did that with one of my fixes where I wanted 3 of the 5 items but it was cheaper to keep all 5, so I sold the other 2 online right away! How does the referral service work? By referring friends, family and followers to try out Stitch Fix you earn credit towards your own fixes. For every person that orders a fix with you as their referral you’ll earn $25. Free money towards clothes just for telling people about how much I love Stitch Fix? Yes please! To use my referral link and create your own style profile CLICK HERE. How often do you get a Stitch Fix? Personally, I just schedule them randomly and it’s about every 2-3 months. You can however get put on a schedule to receive them more often, even twice a month if you want! Do you like what you get? As a whole yes, most of the pieces I’ve gotten I love! There have been a few misses and pieces I just didn’t need so I didn't keep them because for me Stitch Fix isn't about building a huge wardrobe it’s about having fun and getting a couple new things here and there because let’s be honest this mom of two doesn't have time to shop in store! Insider Tip: When making your style profile make it as specific as possible. If you know you hate animal prints then make sure you select that because otherwise how else is the stylist going to know? Also, make a Pinterest board with styles of outfits you like and link it to your style profile so they can get a feel for YOUR style. Lastly, if you are wanting something specific or have a special event coming up let your stylist know! With this Fix I’m about to show you I had attached this message for my stylist and she definitely came through… “I just had a baby 8 weeks ago so I’m looking for pieces that I’m able to breastfeed in and are a little forgiving while I lose the baby weight. So please no jeans at this time but I would be interested in some olive colored leggings or jeggings. Lastly, I have been in LOVE with the vest look and pinned a couple to my Pinterest board for you to check out!” So now the moment you’ve been waiting for my most recent Stitch Fix! Let me start off by saying I love how my stylist always attaches a personalized note like the one below. It just makes me feel special and like she actually listened to my needs instead of just picking out random things like sometimes sales associates do. I about died when I opened up the box to see the PERFECT vest! Gray which is one of my favorite colors to wear and herringbone. Huge thank you to my stylist for this one, us Minnesota girls just get each other! I also loved the olive colored, herringbone jeggings by Liverpool. They are super comfy right now as I’m getting back to my normal jean size after having baby number two. Stripes already fill my closet but I couldn’t pass this one up because the fit is perfect for being able to nurse in and is also very forgiving. The scarf was HUGE and although I do love plaid I wasn’t all about the neon orange. I wanted to keep it so bad because it would be great for a nursing cover, poncho style top or scarf but I just knew I wouldn’t grab for it so I ended up selling it on one of the Facebook swap sites I mentioned above. I got what I paid for it so I was happy and I’m hoping the new owner loves it! Lastly, the floral printed top is both functional for breastfeeding and forgiving but I’m still not sold on it because it fits a little snug through my chest. I kept it because it was cheaper to keep all 5 of my items then just 3 but I’m going to keep the tags on it just in case I decide to sell if it still doesn’t fit right after I lose the rest of my baby weight. All and all this fix was a huge hit! I knew going into it that it was going to be a little more difficult because my body is still getting back to normal and breastfeeding really does impact the style of clothing you can wear but my stylist did an awesome job at accommodating those needs. I’ve already been rocking some of my new pieces and cannot wait until I schedule my next Stitch Fix!
Let me know what you think of my pieces in the comments below and don’t hesitate to ask any questions about Stitch Fix that I didn’t answer. Lastly, I highly encourage you to just go out and make a style profile for fun! You don’t have to do a fix right away or ever but it’s still kind of cool to have it as an option when looking for new clothes or trying to find something for your next special event. If you decide to create a style profile, I would love to be your referral just CLICK HERE to get started! Thanks in advance and Happy Styling!
I love being a For Two Fitness ambassador and this aMAYzing post-Mother's Day giveaway is just one of the many reasons why! At 20 weeks pregnant with Baby Boy #2 their maternity workout gear has kept me comfortable when "sweating for two" despite my growing baby bump! This giveaway is perfect for all new moms or moms-to-be who want to stay on track with their healthy lifestyle. Check out all the details on how YOU can get entered to win below!
This year, we are celebrating Mother’s Day all week! We are so thankful to YOU — our community, customers, friends, moms and moms-to-be. To express our thanks, we are hosting a huge giveaway this week in partnership with some amazing brands and our ambassadors. The Grand Prize is valued at more than $1000. We have phenomenal prizes, from Joovy, Garmin, Feetures, Sara Haley and us, For Two Fitness all facets of your fit mom lifestyle are in this prize pack!
Prizes are brought to you by our wonderful brand partners, sponsoring ambassadors and of course, us here at For Two Fitness. Here are more details about the grand prize - everything you see below:
Grand Prize Giveaway items:
● Joovy Zoom 360 Jogging Stroller ● Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS with Heart Rate Monitor (link) ● Feetures Graduated Compression Socks ● Sara Haley’s Expecting More and Sweat UNLIMITED workout DVDs ● For Two Fitness maternity fitness outfit (top and bottom of winner’s choice)
This contest runs from Monday, May 11th through midnight on Friday, May 15th. Please follow all of our contest co-hosts on Instagram:
● Jessica from 30 Something Mother Runner ● Gina from Fitnessista ● Kelly from Cupcake Kelly’s ● Meg from Skinny Meg ● Katie from Healthy Diva Eats
Visit For Two Fitness’ Blog to enter!
Thanks for celebrating Mother’s Week with us! Good Luck!!
I have been getting a lot of questions about my current fitness routine and how the first trimester has gone so I want to share a little bit about my pregnancy journey so far. Most of you know during my first pregnancy I gained 50 pounds, granted a lot of it was swelling and my son was over 9 pounds at birth - already praying for a smaller baby this go round! But still 50 pounds is a lot of weight on my petite, 5 foot 3 inch frame. I will admit that I didn’t work out religiously when I was pregnant with him, mainly out of fear that I would cause something to go wrong and because fitness just wasn't a part of my everyday life like it is now. Add in busy nurse shifts and not focusing in on clean eating and I’m just thankful I didn't gain more than 50!
So here we are at pregnancy number two and the first thing I told my husband was I cannot gain that much weight again! I began researching working out while pregnant, proper prenatal nutrition and if I could continue drinking Shakeology. There is a plethora of information on these subjects so after research, talking with my doctor and listening to my body, this is what has been working for me throughout the first trimester. Workouts: I have continued to follow the 21 Day Fix workouts including cardio, weight training and Pilates. I even dared to take it up a notch with the new 21 Day Fix Extreme! I definitely had to do modifications and pace myself during those workouts but I’m glad I tried them out while I still could. I would not recommend the extreme program to most pregnant women because they are definitely much more difficult and take a strong baseline in fitness. Plus, for me personally the extreme program just doesn’t line up with my new goals. I am no longer working out to maintain weight, tone up or get stronger but simply to remain healthy and strong throughout my entire pregnancy. My plan is to continue the combination of weight training and cardio along with jogging and walking now that the weather is nicer. I’m hoping to still be able to run my first 5k this summer even if it is with a baby bump! Nutrition: I have continued to eat a clean, well balanced diet with a few more treats than usual. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve been a carb monster and the sight of spinach makes me want to lose my lunch. But, I’m trying to use self-control and remember that even though those Girl Scout cookies look amazing, a shake with spinach mixed in is a much healthier option for not only me, but my growing baby. As far as Shakeology goes, between my own research and my doctor’s approval I have continued to drink it daily. It is easily my healthiest meal of the day and I love it after my workouts because it gives me a huge energy boost! Because of the high vitamin and mineral content in Shakeology I don’t take a prenatal vitamin but I do take a folic acid supplement. I would be happy to share more about this and answer any questions but I always recommend you talk to your doctor as well and follow their advice for a healthy pregnancy. The first trimester flew by and for the most part I felt pretty great. I have been more tired than usual, okay exhausted would be the better word! But it’s okay because it reminds me to slow down and not try to conquer everything. Rome wasn’t built in a day and this baby won’t be either! I’ve had some food aversions, mainly vegetables but no morning sickness which I’m thankful for. Workouts were tougher at the beginning, I literally could not catch my breath which is actually why suspected I might be pregnant in the first place. Both the shortness of breath while working out and exhaustion seem to have gone away though so I’m praying that what they say about the second trimester energy boost is true! All and all, I have learned the importance of listening to my body which is something I recommend everyone does. If you’re tired take a power nap, your body probably needs it. If you’re hungry grab a healthy snack instead of that bag of chips. Workout everyday even if it’s only a 30 minute walk. Living a healthy lifestyle is actually pretty simple. It’s a series of good choices and when you pile all them together, I can guarantee you’ll come out not only healthier, but happier on the other side!
Ps - My For Two Fitness apparel arrived! I will be doing a full review on it later but I can tell you this much...I’m hooked! Here is my Sweating For Two tank and yoga pants along with a 15 week baby bump :)
For Two Fitness Brand Statement: For Two Fitness is the premier maternity fitness apparel brand, proudly made in the USA and available worldwide. We are committed to celebrate and support moms who are dedicate to healthy, fit, pregnancies. We believe your apparel should flatter your bump, enhance your confidence, and inspire your joy. Our clothes easily cross over for daily wear and lounging comfort. Discover for yourself why celebrities, professional athletes, and moms everywhere love For Two Fitness performance apparel! Yesterday I listened to Chalene Johnson’s podcast on healthy body image for your family. Some of the stories and statistics of how damaging both the media and family can be on a child’s body image, broke my heart. What disturbed me even more is that I’m often guilty of what she spoke of. “I’m fat,” “My diet starts Monday,” and “I wish my thighs were smaller” are all things that have rolled off my tongue. Luckily, I have already come to the realization that I need to STOP putting myself down like this before my son is old enough to understand. More importantly, I realized for myself that I am certainly not fat. I will never have a thigh gap and clean eating and working out is not a diet. It’s a healthy lifestyle that nourishes the PERFECT body God created just for me, in His image. There is a flip side to this as well, and it’s even harder for me to write. You might not be the person saying you’re fat or on a diet. In fact, you might be overweight and okay with it. The problem is that this is equally as damaging to your family, especially your children. They are being modeled unhealthy habits as well just to a different extreme. You might think it doesn't matter because it’s your body but, trust me it does because children hear and see everything! It's been proven that children learn their eating habits from their parents. I don't think I'm far off on saying they also learn how to be active from their parents too. So what’s a person to do? For starters, remove the words fat and diet from your vocabulary! Replace them with unhealthy and healthy. Next, model healthy behaviors to your family through eating clean and regular physical activity. Teach them the importance of taking care of their bodies, not for looks, but for health. Does this mean you can never have a piece of birthday cake or swing through the drive thru when you’re in a hurry on your way home? No, what it means is those things are an occasional treat and not a regular occurrence. Another aspect of modeling healthy behavior is treating food as fuel and not something to fix your emotions or reward your child because they had a good day at school. Lastly, love your family unconditionally! If someone is struggling with either extreme, remind them of how much you love them and that you are willing to help them through it. Remember, we are all made perfect in God’s image which is why we need to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This picture my husband snapped is a perfect example of modeling health to a child in everyday life. Last night, all my son wanted to do was feed me animal crackers and he was persistent! As much as I didn’t want to eat one because I’m focusing in on clean eating, I did. You know why? Because it made him happy that he was sharing and mommy was playing along. Had he been older, I would have said, “Mommy’s tummy is full, but thank you.” Think how much more of a healthy image that creates versus, “Mom’s on a diet and can’t eat animal crackers.” |
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