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Gabrielle Reece is an athlete.
She is a model.
She is a writer.
and she is an awesome example of one fit mommy!

As if her life isn’t busy enough, Gabby graciously agreed to be interviewed by Workout Mommy. You can find my full interview below, but here are a few key points from our discussion:

• Eat healthy throughout your pregnancy, it makes losing the weight much easier afterwards. (excellent advice that I did NOT listen to, so if you are pregnant, pay attention to this one!)
• Train harder, not longer.
• Even celebrities don’t feed their kids veggies!
• Two amazing quotes to carry with me everyday:
  1. “if you have time to watch TV or get your nails done then there is time to workout.”
  2. “We are of no use to anyone else if we are not healthy and strong”

In case you are not familiar with Gabby Reece, here is a little background:

“Reece is 37 years old and living proof that a woman can be big and strong and also sexy. She stands 6-3, weighs in at 172 pounds, has six-pack abs and is married to professional surfer Laird Hamilton.

She’s the author of “Big Girl in the Middle,” which deals with her life as a professional volleyball player. A hall-of-fame volleyball player at the University of Florida, she also went on to model professionally, and has appeared on the covers of magazines, including Shape, Outside, and Elle.

In 1989, when she was a sophomore in college, Elle named her one of the five most beautiful women in the world. In 1997, Women Sports & Fitness named her one of the 20 most influential women in sports. This year, she’s coming out of retirement to compete in four-person AVP Beach Volleyball.” (source: MSNBC)

I have to point out that she came out of retirement last summer while she was FIVE months pregnant with her second child!

Gabby Reece is the epitome of a fit mommy. I absolutely love her website GotoGabby.com, so please go and check it out.

Here is my interview:

Q: You looked amazing during your pregnancies, what advice do you have for pregnant moms on how to keep their weight in check?

If the Doctor says it’s OK to exercise then the number one thing that helped me during my pregnancy was to continue to intelligently exercise. I also didn’t use pregnancy as an excuse to go for the buffet table. Try to continue to eat healthy and avoid overdoing it (especially with the sweets and carbs we all crave). I kept telling myself about being rewarded for my discipline after the baby arrived.

Q: How has your training changed since becoming a mom?

I just have to train harder and smarter. I don’t have the kind of time I use to so I have had to learn how to kill myself in a very short period of time. I actually think it’s a better way to train whether you have kids or not.

Q: What are some of your favorite healthy food items? And how about the not-so-healthy choices?

I try to eat a lot of veggies and fruit. Love all of the sprouted breads and brown rice pasta that allow me make “fun” a regular part of my eating life. I swear you get used to them, and actually begin to enjoy them almost as much. Like most women I love chocolate and a great slice of pizza now and again.

Q: My son is not a big fan of vegetables and I have resorted to sneaking them into his food. Have you had better luck with getting your daughter to enjoy veggies and if so, what is your advice for moms like myself?

I have to say I have almost given up on the veggie fight with my 4 year old. I figure I will give her the best diet I can and just be a great example to her. I believe as she gets older she will start to make healthy choices since that’s how her family eats. You can sneak in some whole powdered greens in a yummy berry tasting smoothie if you’re desperate.

Q: What is your favorite workout?

Love all kinds of workouts. Swimming, spinning, Pilates, volleyball, yoga (even though that’s my achilles) circuit training, etc. My favorite workout is the one that makes me sweat, feel relaxed afterwards, and helps me fight gravity.

Q: What pieces of exercise equipment do you recommend for those of us who do not have gym memberships?

Dumbbells, stability ball, bands with handles, and if you have room the Arc Trainer which is a great piece of cardio equipment made by Cybex. Believe me this is all you need to get it done (well that and working hard).

Q: Can you describe your perfect day for us?

My perfect day would start with a workout, lunch with my family, take the kids to swim in the ocean and have wonderful friends over to break bread that I didn’t have to cook. If for some reason there was a window of time to be alone with my husband that would be a bonus.

Q: What advice do you have for the mom that claims they just “don’t have the time?”

We are of no use to anyone else if we are not healthy and strong. Make it a priority, and if you can’t do it for yourself then do it because you are the most important example to your children. If you have time to watch TV or get your nails done then there is time to workout.

******
Many thanks to Gabby for taking the time to answer my questions! I’m sure she has been active today, how about you?

Written on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Filed under interviews.
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