Is Your Body Image Affecting Your Children?

Do you engage in negative self-talk in front of your children? As a child, I clearly remember my mother thinking she was overweight. And although she wasn't, I'm wondering how this affected me? I'm currently preparing for my WBFF Pro Fitness Model Debut, and I have to catch myself from making statements about the way I look in front of my daughter. Competing is extreme, and I want to make sure my conversation does not include negative descriptive words, or have a tone of dissatisfaction with myself. It’s very important to me that she grows up with a healthy self-image. After all, what we look like is only a small part of who we are.

Did your mother have a healthy self-image? Do you think the way she felt about herself affected you? And, how do you balance your fitness goals without communicating obsessive or unhealthy behavior?
　

Are You Over-Budgeting Your Time?

Are you trying to cram 2 days worth of projects into a 24-hour day? And, then feeling a sense of failure because you’re unable to do it? The use of budgets for money are a common practice, but have you ever considered applying it to your time? Moms usually make a “to do” list and then spend their day frantically trying to cram it all in. Being guilty of this, it occurred to me that no one could do everything on my list. And certainly not with a child that gets sick and needs your attention at your side all day!

Start with how much time you have in a day and divide it amongst what must get done. This is the necessity list not the extra list. Don’t forget to allow for margin. This means you have planned for extra time like traffic, getting gas and well stopping to get yourself a coffee. Yes, you deserve it! Running around chasing your to do list will leave you exhausted, defeated, and frustrated.

Are you trying to do more than what’s possible in a 24-hour day? Have you ever considered that you have over-budgeted yourself? And, that no one could do everything on your to do list?

Relationships, Good or Bad on Fitness Goals?

Is your relationship affecting your fitness goals? There’s an argument for single vs. committed. If your single, some might say you have time to focus on your goals and want to be in shape for dating. If you’re in a relationship, is it easier to grow comfortable and let your fitness goals go? Or, does the stability of a relationship allow us to focus on the gym?


Does your significant other support your fitness goals? And does this support or lack of it, make a difference? Which side of the argument are you on?


In spirit of this topic, I thought I'd share a picture of me and my husband Billy.

You are Someone's Inspiration

Here’s something you might have never guessed? I bet in your gym and community, you are someone’s inspiration. I’m sure you’re thinking, who me? Yes, you! Running errands and picking up your children in fitness gear spreads a message of health and fitness. You’re probably so busy, you don’t even realize how many moms are wondering how you do it all. Being a fit mom is the way we live our lives, and it makes a statement. Have you ever considered that helping someone else is a tremendous motivator? Be that someone that takes the time to listen and to share your experiences. I believe we can all help each other.

My sister started a weigh in Friday at her children’s school with all the teachers. She’s helping so many people by taking the initiative to make health a focus. It’s this kind of thinking that makes our goals, well, our goals. Here are some practical ways to apply this to our lives:

• Organize a weigh in at the office, gym, or your circle of friends.
• If you are a personal trainer or dietician, offer to speak at your children’s school.
• Help someone get started by sharing what you do in the gym.
• Invite someone from work or a friend to your favorite fitness class.
• At office parties and school functions bring healthy snacks.
• If you’re a new mom, get other moms together with your strollers to go for walks, and follow mommy boot camp workouts together.

Don't you think leading by example makes you accountable?
So wouldn’t you agree that helping someone else reach their fitness goals, will push you to work even harder?

Time for Mom

Do you find it easier to take care of your family, than yourself? I think that moms have so much pressure on them, that neglecting themselves can be rationalized as love for their families. Have you ever felt this way? There’s an endless struggle to keep it all balanced, which should include time for us. How do you make time for yourself and avoid this thinking?
　
Time for Mom, little things that make a big difference.

• Grab lunch or coffee with a girlfriend.
• Read a great book, outside in the fresh air.
• Take a bath, light candles, put on a face mask, and make it a big deal.
• Make a photo album of the best moments of your life. Remind yourself of who you are, and not as a mom and a wife, but perhaps an athlete or whatever it is that you love.
• Treat yourself to a massage .
• If you take your children to a class at the Y, sign yourself up for one too.
• Join a hiking, running, or walking club.
  　
  　

Happy Valentine’s Day, Moms!

With Love,

Kim

Gold Medal Mom, Dara Torres

Talk about inspiration! Immediately after I posted my last blog, I noticed Dara Torres on the March Cover of Oxygen. She’s 43, a mom, and her Olympic career spans 24 years! She perfectly represents the phrase, yummy mummy! Her two books, Age is Just a Number and Gold Medal Fitness, are books I look to for motivation.

Dara holds 12 Olympic medals and is someone I truly admire, who inspires you?

Make sure to pick the March edition of Oxygen. Here's a sneak peak of the interactive preview.

http://www.oxygenmag.com/

Don't Give up on Yourself

You know that feeling you get when you watch a great movie? It has a way of drawing you in and making you think. That’s how I felt this weekend after I watched Secretariat. I couldn't help but identify with the themes of not giving up, and believing in something that no one else believes is possible.

Have you ever believed something to be true without any proof? That's how fitness has always been for me. I don't know if you know this, but I decided to compete in fitness in my 30's and return to fitness competitions after having my daughter in my 40's. When I started, I wasn't in shape and didn't have any dance background. I remember people telling me, learning gymnastics in your 30's is impossible. There’s something to be said for pushing what people think or say aside, and believing in what you know you're capable of doing.
I know someone will read this, and they’ll feel that tug in their heart. Having a baby does not mean your fit body days are over, and age is just a number like the scale. Fitness is for everyone, at any stage.

You see accomplishing my fitness goals has made me feel alive, capable, and for the first time in my life I feel like I can do anything.…even walk across a stage in a swimsuit. After I watched the movie, I wrote this quote in my journal-
" You've already won when you made the decision not to quit."

Have you given up? Do you have a goal you know you can achieve?

These pictures are of me at 30 in green and 41 in purple. I can’t imagine what I would feel and look like, if I decided to quit on myself!

HIIT, A Moms Answer to Getting Results in Less Time.

"I don't have time."
If I had a dollar for every time I said that, I would be rich! Wouldn’t you agree, very few things actually give you time back? High intensity interval training, known as HIIT has done this for me. With my daughter and business I can't spend hours at the gym every day, so HIIT has been my answer to staying in shape.
This link will give you an idea of what HIIT is, and how to incorporate it into your training. Whatever your level, adding this to your workouts will give you results in less time. And, as a busy mom I know you could use more of that.

Have you done HIIT? Do you think HIIT works or is it the latest fad?
If you haven't tried it, are you willing to?

http://www.oxygenmag.com/print.php?id=540