Today’s fit mommy is Mandi, who blogs over at Trainer Momma.  She is a full time mommy of three who works part time as a personal trainer.  Prior to becoming a trainer though, she struggled with her weight.   A quote on her blog really stood out for me–she says:   “I just wanted to sit and eat. I was miserable, often sick, and unable to sleep well.”

So what changed for Mandi? Please read on for the details and how she is definitely now “One Fit Mommy”!

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

No way!
After I got married, I started to teach kindergarten and quickly my overwhelming job consumed my days. I had no balance in my life, never exercised and tried to give myself the energy my job demanded by filling my body with sugar. I was well over 180 pounds, hated my job and hated myself.

My inspiration for a fit lifestyle was my mother’s weight loss. She had hired a trainer and lost 40 pounds, and I started wearing her hand-me-down “fat clothes”. That was just not right. I had to do something.

I hired a trainer and he turned my life around. That was over 11 years ago and I haven’t looked back (and I’ve burned my mom’s fat clothes).

Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

I tell mothers I work with to substitute the phrase “I don’t have time…” to “It’s not important to me…” When you interchange those phrases, it puts a whole new twist on exercise. When we don’t MAKE the time, essentially we are saying that we are not important enough to make the time. When it is phrased that way, most of us will turn off the phone, leave the dishes in the sink, walk away from piles of laundry and get exercising.

Q: What is your favorite exercise and why?

Oooo. Hard one. My favorite exercise is change. I definitely cannot do one form of exercise day after day or even week after week. Some of my favs are: weight lifting, jumping rope, running stairs, swimming, cycling, running, treadmill, spin class, basketball, stair master, elliptical trainer, plyometrics, track work… See? I knew I couldn’t answer this question.

Q: Are you more of a cardio mommy or strength training mommy?

Even stevens. I am absolutely both. I firmly believe that women need to be sweating their brains out doing cardio, but also building lean muscle by strength training. I am a certified personal trainer and encourage women every day to challenge their muscles with new and different ways to lift weights. Then, I shoo them off to spend at least 30 minutes on the cardio equipment for the ole’ ticker. We’ve got to do both, ladies. There’s no way around it.

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?

When the alarm rudely blares at me at 5:30 A.M., I am not hopping out of bed thrilled to work out. I think of how nice it would be to get some more shut eye to face the demands of yet another day. But then I think of THE FEELING. Hhhmm. How do I describe this FEELING? Not in one word, but pieces of many:

Exhilarating. Validating. Peaceful. Hopeful. Cheerful. Strong. Whole. Joyful. Happy. Power. Control. Patient. Alive. Energy. Full. Complete.
I’m sure it’s the endorphins flooding my body and brain. Whatever chemical or hormone it is, I’ll take it. And often. When, I start a workout I’m tired, stressed and wonder if maybe I should pass for the day. This thought crosses my mind nearly with every workout. You’d think I’d be over that by now. Nope.

But then I realize the only other option is to NOT feel the FEELING, and quite simply: that is not acceptable to me.

Q: Random question: What is your favorite breakfast food?

I definitely go through phases. Right now I’m in a Power Oatmeal kind of mood:

1/2 cup rolled oats,
dash of cinnamon
dash of vanilla
1 scoop protein powder
water — enough to barely cover the oats

Zap that in the microwave for 3 minutes. Top with 1/4 cup of skim milk and sweeten with fresh berries. Y.U.M.

Thank you Mandi for sharing your secrets and being a fit mommy inspiration!

Never underestimate the power of a workout gang!

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Trainer Momma is definitely “One Fit Mommy”

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Today’s fit mommy is Jill, a busy mom of three who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes just over three years ago. Since then, she has lost over 100 pounds and competed in the Mrs. Idaho competition, where she placed 6th!

She blogs over at Get Up and Get Moving and is definitely an inspiration and “One Fit Mommy!”. Please read on for more about Jill:

Q: Have you always been fit?

When I was younger I was a professional dancer and model. I did that into my 20’s. I got married at at age 27 had 2 miscarriages before my first child. Then the weight battle begun!  I lost myself being a wife and mom. Total of 4 miscarriages and 3 kiddo’s sure did not help with my weight problem.

Q: What inspired you to live a fit lifestyle?

Since it was my career, dancing and modeling helped keep me in check. I also loved to dance so it was a fun outlet for me. Thirteen years later it was unfortunately hearing the words you have type 2 diabetes that really made me start to change my lifestyle. I wanted to be around for my husband and 3 kids ages, ages 11,9 and 4. I knew it was now or never.

Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

Make the time! If you gain and don’t lose it all the first time it makes it so hard the other times. You will find it may never come off and then when all is said and done you have a long way to go to get it off.

Q: Are you more of a cardio mommy or strength training mommy?

I am both. I love Cardio. When I was competing in the Mrs. Idaho Pageant this year a trainer Rebecca Carington sponsored me. As a sponsor she got me in my best shape ever. At age 42, after losing 100 pounds, I was proud to place in the top 6 out of 16 amazing woman. It was through having a personal trainer that I learned how important it is to weight train.

Q: What are some of the lifestyle changes you made after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes?

I learned to cut out the refined sugars. Cookies, candy pretty much all junk food. I eat 6 small meals a day. That helps speed up the metabolism and with that the pounds started dropping off.  Don’t starve whatever you do. You will not lose weight by doing that.

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?
I just go. I get dressed and go. I don’t think about it to long or I may talk myself out of it. Once I am there, I am so happy I did it.

Q: How do you reward yourself after a workout?
With a feeling of job well done. Not a tangible reward. Not a food reward, just a pat on the back to know I did what I need to do to reach and keep my goals!  I also run a website so I will post on my site something to help others. Since reaching my goal of losing 100 pounds my goal is to spread my message. Visit my site to learn more about my journey at http://getupandgetmoving.net

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This fit mommy lost 100 pounds to place 6th in the Mrs. Idaho competition!

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and as a reward for your effort, each person who takes the survey will be entered to win a $10 Target gift card! Please leave me a comment below letting me know that you took the survey. Winner will be chosen on Sunday, October 25th at 9pm EST.

If you are reading this via reader, please click through to visit the survey and get your chance to win.
Thanks and have an active weekend gang!

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Opinions needed! Rewards given!

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Today’s fit mommy is Caitlin, who blogs over at Running Through Life and has also launched a fantastic site called Mommy Athletes. She a busy mom of two who credits her own mother to inspiring her to fitness.

Caitlin is running the Steamtown Marathon this Sunday, so please be sure to leave her a comment wishing her luck! Please read on for more about Caitlin and why she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

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

Yes – I have always been fit, even during my college years when beer was the main dish on my menu. My mother was a avid runner when I was kid and would run about 25 miles a week at a quick paced speed.  She was in phenomenal shape and very dedicated to her sport.

I played volleyball for nearly 10 years competitively in high school, college and beyond.  I still dabble in sand pit volleyball a bit recently during the summer months but not nearly as much as I would like to.  In college I was very dedicated to a routine workout at least 5 days a week, which was when I began running.  I would run a few 5K’s throughout my junior and senior years but mostly to gauge my fitness level and not to compete.  Back in the 90’s timing races was so different.  Timing chips for measly 5K’s weren’t really around then but instead it was done with one person standing at the finish with some sort of hand held calculator looking thing.  I’m not sure how it worked but it all seemed pretty accurate.  My time was always between 25 and 26 minutes back then.

It wasn’t until more recently, within the past 3 years, that I started to run competitively and to finish with respectable standings within the top three for gender and\or age.  See www.mommyathletes.com for my whole story. My mother is my role model when it comes to strength and passion.  She was a ballet dancer for decades and a fantastic speed runner in her 30’s and 40’s.  I grew up having a “hot mom” who was is the best shape a middle aged woman could be. She too was a busy mom with a job outside of the home and managed to find time to run, dance, maintain an impeccably clean home and support her children in extra curricular activities. More recently my mother won her toughest race yet, against breast cancer.  She isn’t nearly as active as she was in her 40’s but she is 63 now and still living an active lifestyle. I usually print a small breast cancer ribbon on my arm or leg with marker for the duration of a grueling race to remind myself of the battle she endured for a year.  It makes me think that if she can get through something that tough, I can get through my race.

Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

Time is a relative thing.  We can all make the time whether it means waking up an hour early or going to bed an hour later or skipping out on watching your fave show.  My training tends to be a bit more strenuous than most and can take anywhere from one to three hours.  I wake up way before my kids are up and either hit the ground running by 6am or hit the gym by 5:45am.  I save my longer workouts for the weekends when my husband is around to share the parental duties.  And if I weren’t a morning person, I would do my workouts at night, after the kids were fed and in their PJ’s.  I personally love having the dawn hours to myself.  By the time the kids are up and ready to start their day, my workout is over and done with and there is nothing more rewarding than that feeling alone.

Q: How many days per week do you run and do you follow a specific training schedule?

I take one day completely off, Tuesdays! When I am training for triathlons or marathons, it’s important to balance my daily routines with proper mileage (either on the bike, in the water or in my sneakers),solid core workouts, some light weight lifting and stretching.  I can fit all of those components into my week within 6 days.  I am, however looking forward to a bit of a break between November and January.  I plan to keep my mileage at a low until January 2010 when I will begin to train for my third, yet most important, marathon…. BOSTON!!!!

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?

I would like to say that listening to my Ipod is a great mental trick but only for short distance running.  After  about 12 miles of running with headphones on, I get annoyed as the headphones become more of a bother than help.  When I’m running, I try to imagine that my core is like a solid board as my arms and legs are the one parts moving.  Every time I feel like I’m losing good form or getting fatigued, I concentrate on that and just try to pull myself through the motions.  I also calculate my average speed in my head for each mile during a long run.  It keeps my brain occupied at every mile marker…..so if at mile 1, I’m at 7:10 and at 14:35 by mile two, I do the math in my head to realize I have average a 7:17 Minute mile.  I do this for every mile as it becomes my mental game throughout an entire race. If I don’t play this game, I easily concentrate on the measly annoyances like a shoe tied tighter than the other or that my hair is tied too tight or not tight enough etc….

Q: What is your favorite brand of running shoes/clothes?

I have a ton of favorites.  I love Nike sneakers mostly because they make the lightest ones although for full marathons, I find it hard to part with my clunky ol’ New Balance sneakers which weigh about 8.8 oz.  You kinda have to choose brands accordingly and by that I mean a downhill course would require a sneaker much different than a flat or uphill course.
For other attire, I am addicted to Nike running shorts.  They are the cheapest (usually $28) and most comfortable.  I also love the Nike racer tank for training and race day which are ultra light and very comfy.  I also love New Balance sports bras which are super supportive and comfortable as well.  I tend to stay away from running shirts that have built in bras because of lack of support and comfort. I also love my Asic ultra light, ankle running socks.  They are a bit pricely for one pair of socks ($15) but excellent and well worth it.  For the fall time, Asics also make these really cool arm warmers that are 50 to 55 degrees and\or rainy. For the winter I absolutely LOVE my Brooks fitted running hoodie which is very form fitted and warm. I also just bought an Under Armour form fitted hoodie which has a hole in the hood for a ponytail.  I have yet to try it but am very excited to!

Q: How do you reward yourself after a tough race/workout?

I reward myself with SLEEP and not moving after a difficult race! My husband knows that after I over exert myself with either a fast paced race or a long distance 20 miler, I will lay in bed for a good hour before I get up (and of course, after stretching).  I also like to indugle in massages and wonderful pedicures that offer a solid 20 minutes of a foot massage.

When it comes to a dietary reward, my weakness is ice cream although I would eat it regardless of my active lifestyle.  I used to have a bowl of ice cream every night but when I started having some stomach issues the morning after and during a run, I had to limit it ;-(
I also LOOOOVEEE – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! I can also indulge in a full jar of peanut butter.  In my opinion, peanut butter is WAY better than any cake or cookie out there.  I usually grab the jar, a spoon and a huge glass of milk and enjoy!

You can see more interviews with other fit moms (and dads too!) over here.

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Caitlin from Mommy Athletes is one fit mommy!

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The following is a non-fitness related post. If you are looking for a daily fitness fix,  do 25 jumping jacks and 15 squats right now.
Now, it’s time for push ups.  At least 15.  Go on now, get them done before you continue reading.
Ok, you ready and sweating now?  Good, let’s read on!

I was very excited when I was picked by  MomSelect to review the new Fisher Price TRIO Building Set with Storage. My little guys love to build (and destroy) and this seemed like the perfect toy for them.

It is targeted for kids ages 3-5 with the easy-click bricks, sticks, and panels, plus a play figure.  It makes building a “snap” for kids.

Please click on over to my review page read more about the Trio Building Set.

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Win it! Trio Building Set

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Today’s fit mommy is Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media. She is also the Host of Mom Talk Radio, Author, Founder of BlueSuitMom.com, National TV Talk Show Host on Lifetime, WE-Women’s Entertainment Network and Co-Founder of Newbaby.com. She has been featured in numerous magazines and profiled in publications across the globe.  Maria is basically the guru of mom marketing and social media.

I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at the Blogher 5k and was thrilled to hear that she considers health and fitness a priority in her life.  To say Maria is a busy working mom is an understatement.  Maria knows busy, but she doesn’t let herself make any excuses when it comes to working out.

She just makes the time.

If this busy mom can make & find the time for exercise,  you can too!

Please read on for more about Maria and why she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

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

I have always been active and thought fitness was important. My mother was bulimic and anorexic so I watched her struggle with weight my whole life. I decided to do thing the right way and live in a very healthy way in order to be trim and maintain a high level of energy.
Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

We all have the same number of minutes in our day.  The only difference is how we choose to use them.  I had three babies under twenty months and even with that hectic schedule I choose to spend some part of my day exercising. It means you have to give up other things to find the time. I did a time audit on myself when I had three babies and found that I was spending almost an hour each day doing things I could give up like refolding towels in the closet or watching television.  Once I took control and made the choice as to what I was going to do with my time, I found the time to exercise.  When times got really hectic, I would involve my children in my workouts.

Q: What is your favorite exercise and why?

I run almost every day so I have to say running.  But my core exercises are sit ups, planks, push ups, lunges, tricep dips and squats.  All of these a mom can do in her own living room while the kids are playing.

Q: Are you more of a cardio mom or strength training mom?

Definitely cardio but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how important it is to work on strength. As your body produces less Estrogen, lifting weights becomes mandatory.

Q: How do you get your kids involved in your fit lifestyle?

When they were younger, we would race short distances at the playground or do sit up together.  Now that I have teens we challenge each other to each others customized workouts. My daughter plays water polo and no one can keep up with her water polo workouts.

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?

Don’t we all?  I tell myself that I’ll only run for fifteen minutes and if I don’t feel like it after that, I give myself permission to go home.  I never do.

Q: What was your favorite marathon and why?

I’ve run 19 marathons.  My favorite probably was New York. It was emotional to look out on to the city and think I was going to run all the way to central park. My favorite for the spectators is definitely Twin City Marathon. They have 19 spectators for each runner and they cheer you all the way. I love the Fort Lauderdale Marathon because it takes place on my training route so its very familiar. There’s only one that I’ve done twice and that’s the Marine Corp because I ran with my husband after I’d done it on my own two years earlier.

Thank you Maria for taking the time to answer my questions and for being an inspiration to all of us!

You can see more interviews with other fit moms (and dads too!) over here.

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Maria Bailey is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

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Please check out the video below and thanks also to  Julie, Frema, Shannon, Sahar, and Jill for letting me harass interview you!:

Now let’s pretend I’m interviewing YOU today.
What is your favorite exercise?

and can you demonstrate it for me right now?

Of course you can! Get up and get moving gang! NO excuses!

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Bloggers Weigh In On Attending BlogHer

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Please meet Mary, a very cool blogger from A Merry Life.  She is young, fun, and did not mind hanging out with an old lady like myself. She also was a great sport who showed us her push-up skills in the middle of the conference room. Thanks Mary!

So let’s all be like Mary today. Drop down and do 20 push-ups right now just because you CAN!
Never underestimate the power of a workout gang!

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Drop and give me twenty!

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“I’m all for fighting the good fight, but I don’t care how much you work out or how much cream you put on—things change.”

She favors coloring her hair over plastic surgery, as she believes that is the secret to making women look younger.
Cindy says she takes care of herself but does not obsess about it:

“if Star magazine or whatever wants to print a picture of me on the beach from the back, at the worst possible angle, and say that I have cellulite, I’m like, Guess what? I do, and I never said I didn’t. I’ve had two kids, and I’m 43, so leave me alone”

Good for her!

Cindy Crawford seems like one of those rare celebrities who is not obsessed with being stick thin. (She even has a baby belly!)

I wish I had as few imperfections as Cindy does, but I think the point is to not sweat the small stuff here.  So what if you have some cellulite on the back of your legs or stretch marks across your belly.  Ignore it all and just be happy you can be active.  Some people do not have that option.

So get up and get moving, even if you’ve got a little extra to move.  Never underestimate the power of a workout!
photo source: Allure

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Cindy Crawford accepts her changing body

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Today’s mommy is Capt. Rosanna Vasquez Brown, who is currently deployed to Iraq for the second time in three years.   She is a perfect example of how everyone can stay fit, no matter what their circumstances.

Captain Vasquez Brown has discovered the joy of running and has plans for several races this year, including the Army Ten Miler and Disney 1/2 marathon.

Please read on for more about Captain Vasquez Brown and why she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

Have you always been fit?

I started off as a single 27-year old and fitness always came rather easy for me. But after I became a mom, it was difficult for me to lose those pregnancy pounds. I no longer could run 7-minute miles and physical training was tough. I then went to PA school, focused more on academics and never lost the extra weight. I could still pass my PT test, but not with the scores I had before. I had two rods in my closet – the one that held the clothes I could fit into now vs. the clothes I will fit into “once I lose 15 pounds”. And so it went year after year.

What inspired you to get fit?

I was pushing almost 180 pounds by the time I boarded the plane to Iraq for the second time in March 2008. I didn’t really make it a goal to lose weight, but with the remote conditions and the lack of fast food and a rather decent gym, the weight slowly came off. Soon Soldiers started going on their 2-wk leave and I remember a Soldier remarking that it appeared that I had lost weight after he returned. I didn’t mean to, but I realized that hearing that statement made me feel good and now I had a little positive reinforcement. So I slowly made it a mission. I ran about 20 minutes daily on a treadmill, but sometimes the power went out, so then I started running laps around our remote compound. With the help of some of my fellow Soldiers, I started learning basic weightlifting forms and was soon doing squats with weights and trying out new machines I had never really used before. The guys would incorporate me into their sets and just drop some of the weight off.

How do you keep up your fitness routine and stay motivated?

I have since moved back to a bigger base with a gym that is open 24/7 and has all the amenities I can think of. I put my iPod on, listen mostly to upbeat Latin music, cover up the console with my towel, and focus more on the music rather than just gazing at the console. Next thing I know, I have ran about 5 miles and feel pretty good. I picked up a copy of Runner’s Magazine from the PX the other day and saw the ad for the 1/2 marathon at Disney and that is now my goal. The next day there was a sign up for a 10k on the base and I ran it last Sunday. I finished it in 1 hr, 1 min, a little slow compared to my treadmill running, but realized it is such a mind game. The feeling I had after finishing was absolutely fantastic.

What are your future fitness goals?

I am now planning on doing a few more 10k, the Army Ten-Miler in October, and just continuing to train for the 1/2 marathon. I told Elisa last night that I would be running and she is just psyched – don’t know if it’s about the distance or the fact that I’m doing it at Disney. I advertised it on my Facebook page and now have two friends that are running it with me. That alone will motivate me to keep it up.

What’s the best part about getting fit?

The best thing about this was going through my closet during my own two-week leave. I had to switch everything from one closet rod to the other. Elisa says we now have to go shopping when I get home. I am down to 155 pounds. Yes, it’s much easier to run without the extra 25 pounds. The challenge will be keeping up the daily routine once I get back home.

Thank you Captain Vasquez Brown for allowing me to feature you here on Workout Mommy. I appreciate your commitment to our country and would love to meet you when you are in town for the Army Ten Miler!

OK gang, have you been active today?
Get up and get moving!

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Military mommy

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