Time Stands Still

As I wrapped up my last class before the March break, two of the moms in that class mentioned the dreaded "I'm going back to work" phrase. It'a a bit of a sad phrase to me, because it means I won't get to see their babies every week anymore.

In my job, I have the pleasure of meeting many moms either during their pregnancy or at the beginning of their mat leaves. They remind me of my own time on mat leave - a time I enjoyed immensely and cherish to this day. And now I am in the same position as the trainers I met on my leave, that led Strollercise and encouraged me to do things I would never have done before. I learned about push ups, tricep dips and how to do a proper lunge while walking with a stroller. I learned how to pull my belly button into my spine so that I could engage my core. I learned I could run a half marathon, even though I had never run more than 5 km before. And I learned that with a little hard work, I could get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes and feel good about my post-baby body. The best part though... was that I made many very special friends during that time in my life.

These days, I spend nearly a year with many moms and their babies. I watch their babies grow into little people who can move around, interact with me and most of all, smile or laugh at me. And I watch their mamas shrink back to their pre-preganancy bodies, gaining muscle, strength and stamina along the way.

But after about a year (give or take), most maternity leaves comes to an end. The babies that I've seen growing up before my eyes, go off to daycare and their moms come and workout in the evenings without their wee ones (and I love that I still get to see those moms!).

For me, though, Time Stands Still. Those wonderful babies in my classes are forever etched in my mind as babies. The first babies in my FITMOM and Baby classes (after I took over FITMOM in 2010) are coming close to their fourth birthdays! They will start school this September! And their moms are probably wondering where the time has gone. Time flies, but it also stands still. To me, they will always be the babies that I was lucky enough to hang out with nearly every week for the first year of their life.

Looking at those faces, who wouldn't consider me lucky? Thanks for all of the snuggles over the years:)

Tips for Getting Fit After Baby

Losing weight and getting back into shape after giving birth can often seem like a daunting task. We never really know where to begin and are often overwhelmed with choices that are all touted as being "the best" way to shed those unwanted pounds. The reality is that the gimmicks and tricks to increase weight loss in a short period of time are not sustainable and do not actually get to the root of the problem (inactivity and over-consumption).

So, what's the answer? How are you supposed to get back into those jeans? The hard truth is that a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise are the only way one can achieve healthy weight loss and maintain it over a lifetime.

So, as you begin your journey to becoming a FITMOM, here's the "skinny" to help you ensure success:

3500 calories is equal to 1lb of fat. There are only 2 ways to "kill the fat": reduce the consumption of extra calories OR increase activity levels.

Meeting with a nutritionist or dietician can help you put together a healthy meal plan that will meet your daily dietary needs and assist you with your weight loss goals.

Blast Belly Fat. Sorry, but you just can't target your weight loss to a specific body part or region. Why? Fat cells are found all over the body and unfortunately, you can never know which ones will be broken down to provide you with the energy you need to complete a physical activity.

Leg, Bums and Tums. For most women, these are the top 3 areas we seek to improve. Why does it take so long? There are certain hormones that are produced in our body that actually inhibit the breakdown of fat cells from those specific regions. To help improve these areas, a combination of cardio and strength training will help increase muscle mass, decrease fat, tighten and tone.

Set a goal and make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). For example, To improve my core strength, I will perform The Plank 5 times per day and hold it each time for 45 seconds.

Build exercise into your daily activities. To achieve any weight loss goals you can expect to work out up to 1 hour at least 4 times per week. This may seem like a lot, so start by exercising for 15 minutes every day, then increase your sessions by 5-10 minutes every week until you are up to 1 hour of physical activity. Always increase TIME and then INTENSITY.

You don't have to have had a baby in the last year for these tips to work! I've seen so many FITMOM transformations in the past 4 years. These are women who work hard and see changes slowly, but consistently over time. You can do it, too!