One Fit Mommy: Carla (aka MizFit)

Meeting other fit moms always inspires me. I love to hear about how others fit in the time and what has (and has not) worked for them. Therefore I am starting a new series called “One Fit Mommy”, where I will introduce you to other fit mommies around the globe.

Today’s “One Fit Mommy” is Carla, which many of us know as MizFit. She is a former personal trainer, now a writer and mommy to one “toddler tornado”. She has an awesome blog that you definitely must visit. Be sure to catch her video posts on Mondays where you can see for yourself why MizFit is “One Fit Mommy”!

Before you read the full interview, I need to focus on one key quote. She says (be):

“Muscular. You want to take up SPACE in the world. Be noticed. To me skinny is weak and I’m not about the weak woman.”

MizFit reminds me yet again why I need to focus more on strength training. Read on to learn more….

Q: Has Mizfit always been so fit? What got you motivated to live the fit lifestyle?

well…NOT SO MUCH
I was always semi-fit in highschool. More average than anything else (read: wholly and utterly uncoordinated–still am—so I played zero sports & begged and pleaded every year for a doctors note to get out of gym class always to no avail.) Then I hit college, discovered beer and quickly gained my freshman 15 and a few other people’s as well.
I still look back and laugh but am also *thankful* for the fact that I really didn’ t care. I promptly began walking around with the top button of my pants/jeans unbuttoned and wore baggy sweatshirts (& kept drinking the beer).

I still can’t figure out why I didn’t feel badly about myself with the extra weight (because it was gained in the name of having fun? who can say) as if I could I’d love to pass that along to my daughter. Flash forward to graduate school (masters in counseling) and I figured it was time to shed a few pounds in an effort to look better in my suits. I discovered weight training and haven’t looked back since.

Q: What is your favorite exercise/workout and why?

I really do LOVE lifting weights. I adore the feeling of being strong. When I was a personal trainer I would *always* try and talk my clients out of wanting to be skinny. “You want to be BIG” I’d admonished them. “Muscular. You want to take up SPACE in the world. Be noticed.” To me skinny is weak and I’m not about the weak woman.

Q: Workout Mommy is very jealous of your arm definition! What type of training do you do and how often?

I do 30 minutes of cardio (slow. easy. reading magazines. but EVERY DAY) and lift when I can. Right now that’s often fifteen minutes when I can get to the gym (I’ll do one body part per time so I can get in and out that quickly)–but I don’t talk and focus the whole time.

The arms? definitely NOT genetics (sorry mom & dad) and for sure a combo of eating clean, cardio and weights. And yes—-you are EMBARRASSING the MizFit but thanks.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who is brand new to exercise and feeling overwhelmed?

teeeny tiny baby steps. when I was a trainer I would tell my new clients (new to working out) that, for example, they were only ALLOWED to do their treadmill for 5 minutes a day. NO MORE.
the next week? sure, they could go up to eight minutes but NO MORE. It’s all about going slowly and setting yourself up for success. None of this: starting tomorrow I’ll do an hour of cardio and then take an aerobic class and eat nothing but boiled chicken.

baby steps and just keep layering new good habit upon new good habit. and readreadread. I’m a reader by nature but read blogs books magazines—anything you can get your hands on. Become an educated exerciser no matter what exercise you choose to do.

Q: What is a typical day in the life of Mizfit?

oh it is quite fraught with glamour!
I wake up (sans alarm clock. my deal is if I’m not up at this time of my own volition I must need more sleep. I’m always up at this time) around 415 and depending on how much work I have to do (I’m a writer) I’ll get up or wait 30 minutes or so.
I love the morning. Not just that it is quiet but I really do adore the promise of the day. The knowing that it’s just starting and *really* anything could happen (cue sappy music, I know).

I typically work (and, if I’m honest, visit a few blogs) until my daughter wakes up. I get her, change her, hang with her until my husband is from the bed untimely ripped and do the stationary bike for 30 minutes while they hang out.

After that it’s anyone’s guess. She and I hang out all day together most days. Dancing, playing, laughing, smearing ourselves with jelly, blowing bubbles and chasing our Bullmastiff around.

She’s a no-napper (so she’s on the up at 530 DOWN and sound asleep by 530 which sounds fab until you realize she’s up at five thirty again the next day :)) so once she’s down I work again until my husband gets home later that night.

hath I debunked the myth o’the exciting life of the MizFit?

Q: I love the healthy recipes that you post on your blog, especially the muffin in a moment. How do you come up with these?

that one was passed on to me by a friend YEARS ago and I just played around with it until I created something I liked. People always tell me I have such WILL POWER but I do not. I love what I eat! If I felt “deprived” I couldn’t do it.

Q: If you were to go on a 12 hour road trip, what would be in the cooler in your car?

almonds, lots and lots of beef jerky, trail mix, met rx packets (you KNOW I’d have a cigarette lighter powered blender!!) laughing cow cheese wedges, turkey slices, rice cakes, oatmeal packets, hi protein cereal, flip top cans of tuna, low carb tortillas, and SOME KIND OF CANDY most likely Hershey’s kisses & jolly rancher lollipops.

and, yes, I realize some of that doesn’t require cooling
oh, wait I just realized I’m only gone for twelve hours….perhaps not ALL of that but perhaps yes 🙂

Q: What type of running shoes do you wear?

I’d say old school Nike ’95 air maxes

Many thanks to MizFit for being featured here on Workout Mommy. She has inspired me to strength train today.

How about you, what activity are you doing today?

If you, (or someone you know), would like to be featured as “One Fit Mommy”, please send me an email and let me know!