Category Archives: Moms

Dressing like a mom

Posted on by
Reply

Beauty has so many forms. The most beautiful thing is confidence and loving yourself 💙

My mother would die if she saw the front of this dress. 😂 She’s so old school traditional and thinks moms should dress like the stereotype of covered up conservative. I think for the most part I’m decently conservative but every once in a while it’s fun to wear something a little “different.” And who am I to argue with a beautiful dress my own husband bought me!

Just because you’re a mom, you shouldn’t be forced to dress a certain way. Be who YOU want to be and dress however you want! You can be a mom and still dress up on occasion in a short dress or low cut top! If you’re confident enough, rock it!

I have a friend who only wears one piece swimsuits because she says it’s “not appropriate for a mother to be too revealing in something like a two piece.” I roll my eyes when she says things like that. Then say “to each their own.” She can dress how she wants and I’ll dress how I want (in my “revealing two piece” 😂). You don’t have to conform to what others do. Be your own person and wear what makes you comfortable and happy. They make different styles of clothes for a reason….so we all don’t have to dress alike! 😉

I’m a mom and I’ll wear what I want! 💃🏼

Leg day exercises

Posted on by
Reply

Leg day! These are 3 of my favorite exercises to do on leg day. Really easy and sure to get your butt and inner thigh sore the next day!

•Side step squats with plate

•Front lunges

•Barbell deadlift

The side squats take a little coordination since you’re squatting then lifting the plate. Sometimes I look funny because I zone out, get off on my squat/lift and get myself all confused. 😂

I typically do 4 sets of 12 for each. But you can adjust to what’s best for you! Happy lifting!

A twist on cheat meals

Posted on by
Reply

I went out to dinner on a cheat meal night and was craving a burger. The restaurant burger and fries totaled to 1273 calories. Mind you, it would have been a little less without the bacon and fried egg but some cheat meals are worth the extra calories!

During the week one day I was craving a burger but it wasn’t a cheat meal day. So I decided to make a healthier version of the cheat meal I love. The burger is topped with a little cheese, cilantro, tomato, onion and a tsp of chipotle catchup. The fries are lightly tossed in olive oil, pink salt, and pepper, then baked. The homemade burger and fries totaled to 599 calories. That’s less than half the calories of the restaurant version! This is a great trade for the restaurant version if wanting a healthier twist on a cheat meal!

When you’re doing a healthy diet, you don’t have to eat boring meals. Granted I wouldn’t recommend eating a homemade burger and fries every day. That’s a little more red meat than you need and there are better options than white potatoes. But this is definitely a great option on occasion. I love to take my favorite restaurant foods and mimic them at home in healthier ways. It beats eating baked chicken, rice and broccoli every day like I used to do! Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. You just have to be cautious of what you are putting into the meal or on the meal.

Happy eating!

Back day workout

Posted on by
Reply

Back day workout! Today is typically a cardio day for me but my legs were still sore from leg day so I decided to do back instead. These are a few exercises from this weeks back workout:

•Close grip lat pulldowns

•Rows

•Straight arm pull downs

•Wide grip lat pulldowns

I typically do 4 sets of 10 for each exercise but you’re free to do whatever works for you! Happy lifting! 💪🏻

The secret to losing weight

Posted on by
Reply

I want to lose weight, how did you do it?” This is a common question I get from my friends and former athletes (I’m a cheer coach). There isn’t this huge secret of how to do it. I’m not wasting money on products that claim to make you lose weight. I just watch what I eat and I make sure to workout. That’s literally it!

If you aren’t losing weight and you have been trying, these are some reasons that may be affecting you!…..

1. You aren’t being patient. Losing weight won’t happen over night. It would be awesome if it did, but that’s unfortunately not how the body works. For some it takes weeks, others months. Everyone’s body is different.

2. You are comparing yourself to others rather than comparing yourself to where YOU started.

3. Too many cheat meals. Are you eating good during the week then eating everything in sight on the weekend? Or are you adding in too many cheat meals during the week? Cheat meals are great! They’re a good shock for your body. They’re also a great reward for yourself. However doing too many that are too high in fat and calorie will set you back.

4. Water retention. I’ve explained it before in a past post. When you lose weight your body depletes itself of fat cells. However the fat pockets that held the fat cells take a while to diminish so your body fills them with water till it can get rid of them.

5. Eating the wrong things. Some foods are deceiving. We claim them as healthy but in too big of amounts they can actually have reverse effects

6. You’re only doing cardio and not building muscle to burn fat. Cardio burns both fat and muscle. Cardio is fantastic for building endurance but it’s not the only thing you should be doing in your workout routine. Weight training builds lean muscle mass, which elevates your metabolism and burns more fat, even when you’re not exercising!

7. Calorie Deficit. By definition this is reducing the amount of calories consumed relative to the amount of calories required for maintenance of body weight. Multiple your body weight by 10-12 (depending on your activity level. I do 12 since I lift and do cardio weekly) Recalculate every 2-4 weeks as you lose weight.

If you’re struggling to lose weight, don’t give in and go buy diet pills or the teas that claim you’ll lose a ton of weight fast. Work with your body. You’ll be amazed what it can do on its own when you fuel it properly and workout!

Mustard vinaigrette chicken

Posted on by
Reply

Ingredients:

•1/2 oz apple cider vinegar

•8 oz asparagus

•2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

•1/2 oz feta cheese

•1 tbsp grainy mustard

•1/2 oz light brown sugar

•2 zucchini

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400. Trim ends off asparagus and dice zucchini. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

Combine vinegar, mustard, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl.

Grill chicken on grill (I used stovetop cast iron) for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to baking sheet and baste with 1/2 vinegar mixture. Place in oven for 15 minutes.

While chicken cooks, place asparagus on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook asparagus for 10 minutes.

Toss chopped zucchini in a bowl with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place zucchini pieces on stove top grill. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Once food is cooked, plate food and top chicken with remaining vinaigrette and top asparagus with feta. Enjoy!

The grocery store diet

Posted on by
Reply

I love telling people I’m on a diet. They always ask “which one?” I respond with “the grocery store diet.”😂 I typically get a confused or blank stare. Then I explain it’s where I go to the grocery store, buy food and that’s what I eat.

People often confuse the meaning of the word diet. A diet is what you eat! If you eat only fast food you have an “unhealthy diet!” If you follow something like Atkins, it’s called a “fad diet.” If you eat a balance of fruit, veggies, etc you have a “healthy diet.”

When I go to the grocery store I get 90% of my food from the walls of the grocery store. Next time you go to the grocery store, look at how it’s laid out. If you follow along the wall you’ll see veggies, fruit, meat, dairy, etc. In the middle of the store, where the aisles are, is all your processed foods. I try to avoid those aisles unless I’m getting something like crackers or tuna. Plus, if I roam the aisles I’m sure to get something not on my list that I really don’t need!

Next time you go to the grocery store try the “grocery store diet” and stay along the walls when getting food. Happy shopping!!

Note: Some produce departments are spread out in one area and they have just the veggies along the wall. The fruit will be on islands. I still consider this “the wall” because it’s not in an isle. 😉

Shoulder day exercises

Posted on by
Reply

Shoulder day! Here are a few exercises from my shoulder workout this week!

I wish I was one of those people that looked cute when working out. 😂 I make weird faces and pull my neck so I have a double chin sometimes. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Oh well. Whatever gets the job done!

•Front raises 4 x 10 w/ 25lb plate

•Lateral raise 4 x 10 w/ 10lb DB

•Shoulder press 4 x 10 w/ 15lb DB

•Front cable raise 4 x 10 w/ 10lb weight stack

Obviously you can adjust the weight and reps to cater better to your own body. These are just what I am doing for the week! Happy lifting!

Small changes

Posted on by
Reply

Some people expect to see huge changes and major progress milestones when they start on a new diet and workout. For some this may happen. For others it’s a slow progression. I think you should celebrate even the smallest milestone.

These two pictures were taken three months apart. I started back on my daily apple cider vinegar and made a few small changes in my diet. The skin on my stomach (where my pregnant belly was) has tightened a bit and I’ve lost an inch around my hips/waist. An inch may not seem like a lot to most people but for me it is. I’m not exactly a big human. I’m 5’3 128lbs and have a BMI under 22. I’m what you’d consider average size for a fit person. I don’t want to lose a ton of weight. Sure, I have a little I could shave off. But mainly my goal is to build a little more muscle and maintain my size. I try not to focus too much on the scale. Weight can be irrelevant to some of us. On a “normal” health-line chart, I am considered overweight for someone my height. HOWEVER the general average doesn’t factor in muscle. So my weight may seem heavy on this scale but it’s due to the muscle I have “weighing me down.” Not a bad problem to have!

I always tell friends, be careful when weighing yourself. Your scale isn’t telling you your muscle to fat ratio (unless you have one of those fancy scales 😂). If you’re working out and eating well, and see the numbers go up, do not freak out!! When your body starts to burn fat, those fat pockets deplete themselves of fat cells and fill up with water till the body shrinks them and they all together disappear (for some). Not to mention you’re probably putting on some muscle which will add to that extra weight. Base your size off your clothing! Are your pants starting to fit a little looser? Maybe they actually fit better now! It all depends on where you started. Everyone is different. Try not to compare yourself to others too much (I know easier said than done). Your body type is different than everyone else’s. No two people are the same. What works for some might not work for all.

Measure yourself, monitor your clothing changes, do whatever helps you to see those small but big changes. Celebrate even the littlest milestone. You deserve it!

Leg day exercises

Posted on by
Reply

Leg day! My favorite day! Here are a few exercises from my leg day workout! I know there are “real” names for some of these exercise moves but back when I was a gymnast, this is what we called them and it’s just stuck. Call it whatever you need in order to remember the exercise! 😉

These will get your butt and thighs burning. You should feel it in your butt, thighs, back and arms the next day!

•Squat raises (version 1) 4 x 12 w/ 25lb plate

•Cross lunges 4 x 12 w/ 40lb bar

•Teeter Toters (this is what we called them when I was a gymnast) 4 x 10 w/ 20lb KB

•Squat raises (version 2) 4 x 12 w/ 25lb plate