This fit mommy went from a size 22 to a size 8!

It’s time for another installment of “One Fit Mommy”!

Today’s fit mom is Kerri Olkjer, a paleo-tastic fitness blogger who lives in rural Colorado with her amazing husband, 3 boys, and a yard full of chickens and baby goats. She’s a little wacky about her coffee and clinically obsessed with fitness fashion. In the last 6 years she’s gone from a size 22 to a size 8 and along the way fell in love with fitness, ran a marathon, and found her “I CAN”. She is now passionate about everyone finding their “I CAN” as well.
You can find Kerri on her blog FitViews and twitter.

Please read on for why Kerri is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

Q: Have you always been fit? What inspired you to live a fit lifestyle?

No. I played sports in high school a little. Mostly because I grew up in a very small town and everyone else was. I never saw myself as much of an athlete. After high school I wasn’t very active and that coupled with some pretty bad eating habits resulted in a size 22 unhealthy me.

Originally fitness was a means to an end for me. It was simply something I had to endure to lose weight. Running was the first thing to change that for me. I remember crossing the finish line of my first 5k; it was such an ah-ha moment in my life. I realized that day that I can. I’d never in my life known that of myself. After that there was no stopping it. No stopping me.

Now, I just love the way fit feels. It feels amazing. I love how it makes me feel strong, vibrant, capable, and ready to tackle anything life brings my way. Having gone through most of my adult life NOT feeling that way is a big motivator for keeping at it.

Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?
I hear that! Life can be crazy.
Find your workout love
Trudging along hating your workout is the first thing to make you quit! Try all kinds of different things. Step out of your comfort zone a little; you never know what you’ll fall in love with. Find what you can love doing and you’re leaps and bounds ahead of the game.

Make it important
It has to be a priority. We really do make time for what is important to us. You’re worth it and you deserve it. But also, your family deserves it too. When you make taking care of yourself a priority it makes for a better you to in turn give to everyone else.

Your kids are watching
They are. Show them good things so they can follow. Be active together as a family. Take family walks, play tag, plan your family vacations to be active. But also, take that “you time” to workout. Let them see this. You want them go grow up feeling OK about taking that time to take care of themselves, right?

Q: What is your favorite exercise and why?
Tough one. I’d have to say running. It clears the junk out of my head. Boy, do I need that on a regular basis!

Q: Are you more of a cardio mommy or strength training mommy?
After years of hating it all, now I tend to be pretty balanced here. I love my weights and I love my cardio. Throw in a little yoga and I’m a happy mama.

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?
I play this little game with myself. First I tell myself: just put on your workout clothes, then if you don’t feel like working out, it’s OK. Then I tell myself: just put in a DVD, or get your running gear out, etc… It generally gets me there.

Q: Random question: what’s your favorite brand of workout clothing and why?
Lately I’m pretty smitten with daactive. I love the fabric and the colors. Plus, there’s thumb-holes. I’m a sucker for thumb-holes.

Thank you Kerri for being an inspiration to moms everywhere!

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