Fitness for Moms
Written by Jill // January 4, 2011 // Parenting // 53 Comments
Mommyfit is back! And this year it’s Canada-wide! Last year’s contest resulted in weight loss, personal growth and a great bunch of sponsors (not to mention a great wrap-up party). To enter for 2011, please tell us your best excuse for not working out. 15 Mommy finalists from across Canada will be announced later in January and you’ll be able to follow our 5 semi-finalists when the contest commences February 1st.
The semi-finalists will be given Total Body Revolution DVD packages, an 8 week program that will revitalize the soul and burn the fat. They will receive weekly phone support, and we’ll also be throwing in makeovers, spa services and lots more.
“Before the MommyFit contest I was struggling to find the energy to keep up to the sleep schedule of a newborn and constant needs of a toddler. I couldn’t shake the baby weight or the emotions that kept me eating dump trucks of chocolate. MommyFit provided me with the motivation and the tools to lose weight and gain confidence in myself again. This contest was more than a short-lived new year’s resolution, this process changed the way I approached everyday ac
tivities with an improved attitude and confidence in my capabilities. It wasn’t about how much weight I lost (a healthy 15 lbs of fat) or how much swag I received (spa treatments and runners were just a perk, right?) this process renewed me as a mother but more importantly got me out of my fat jeans and ill fitting underwear.”
~Stephanie Raposo, Winner of MommyFit 2010
See our contest page for full rules and regulations.
Jill Amery is a mom of 2 monkeys/stormtroopers and Editor and Publisher at UrbanMommies Media. Though she's based in Canada, her palette is mostly French and her fashion sense is decidedly Italian. When taking a break from her busy travel schedule, she can be found hosting complicated dinner parties or surfing ebay for obscure vintage gowns.
53 Comments on "Fitness for Moms"
There is not enough time in the day to work out!!!
Baby takes up all my time during the day there’s no Mom & baby classes in my area.
Well, my REASON is that I’m too lazy. My best EXCUSE is that I can get away with not working out…what I mean by that is that by nature I’m quite a small person and even though I’m constantly yoyo’ing within about 5-10 lbs, it’s not that obvious to an outsider. While obviously this is a good thing, it also means I don’t always have the external motivation to exercise. While weight loss isn’t my *primary* goal, it would be nice…but mainly I would like to healthier, more fit, lower my blood pressure (family history…mine is high at 34 yrs old) and have more energy!
Honestly, I find other things to do when I have a few minutes of ‘me’ time away from my three children. Going to the gym is sooooo time consuming (at least that is what I tell myself) and I’d rather sit and do nothing. I need some sort of *push* outside of my family life to do so..
My ‘workout’ clothes are hideous! My pants are so worn out I’d be afraid to wear them in the gym for fear of showing a little more ‘crack’ than is necessary! It is difficult to find decent workout clothing when you are tall and fat :P
My excuse is “not having enough hours in the day!” With 2 young kids, ages 3 and a half and 9 months old, I am lucky if I can find a moment in the day to myself. I would love to get back to feeling healthy and strong so I can have the energy to play and chase after my kids.
I have too much to do — cook dinner when I get home from work, driving three kids around for extra curricular activities, homework help, etc… When I get all this done it’s too late, I feel tired and just want to relax – that’s my excuse!!!
Finding time seems to be the main excuse – I always find a billion other things to do when I have a moment and most do not seem to be for me..
When I found out that I was expecting my third child, I really thought I would be that “fit pregnant chick” on the stairmaster days before giving birth. Well, that didn’t happen, I stopped going to the gym a week into my pregnancy!! That was two years ago and my best excuse is that my son will probably cry if I take him to the gym daycare. Pathetic, I know. I need MommyFit!
With two small boys, a 2 hour commute each way, long work hours and the inability to be Martha Stewart (thus leaving me struggling to keep house liveable never mind company ready) I could say those are each excuses. But really, it’s more me being overwhelmed by all that life throws our way and not taking the time to sift out the timewasters. I have what my friend calls Time Displacement Disorder! It’s legit.. really. Or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it :-)
After I had my daughter I gave myself one year to get back to my pre-pregnancy size. Well I went to weight watchers and did it by the time she turned 10 months old. Then I went back to work, with all the goodies in the staff room and less time for walks with my daughter…well let’s just say I need to have more time off work or maybe I need more “me” time. My biggest excuse is that I already feel like a part time mom and want to spend as much time with my daughter after work as I can!
I wish I could come up with a valid reason but sometimes, a valid reason is not good enough. I am a mother of a 13 month old and just got back to work recently. I have yo yo’d with my weight my whole life and I have yet to find an exercise that I really enjoy so I usually give up quickly. My self-esteem is not very strong and I give up on myself very very quickly. My goal this year is to try to start small and get out there and exercise when I can (even if it is only one day a week) This contest could give me a start….
I don’t excercise because i have tried everything from diets etc and i can’t seem to find anything thay works. i have 3 young kids now and i honeslty don’t take the time to even try anymore and focus on myself at all. I put everything i have on them. I know i should put aside me time and honestly i probably would be a better wife and mother if i did because i would have more self esteem, feel better health wise and be more relaxed on a daily basis.
misselj@ymail.com
My excuse for not working out? I am a full-time ‘working outside the home’ mom of triplet 5-1/2yr old hockey players. ‘Me’ time to exercise (or do anything just for me) is a completely foreign concept.
With two girls aged 2 and 4, my mainstay of exercise used to be walking with them (one carried, one in the stroller). But they mostly want to walk now which makes for a snail’s pace and not much exercise happening. When I’m not with them (childcare or sleeping kids), I am working running my business. And really, it’s been so long since I’ve “worked out” that it feels a tad intimidating to just hit the gym. For the girls, I need to start showing them that exercise is a part of life. I’m just not doing that right now. Thanks for the contest. I’ve heard great things from past ones!
with 2 kids under 5 time is hard to come by, also knowing what exercises specififally for my body type and goals to spend the little time i have to use my exercise time most effectively for me
My best excuse, you name it I’ve got it. I’m too tired after chasing after my 2 & 4 year olds, I have too much work to do, the couch is too inviting, it’s too cold outside..
As a full-time working single mom of two active boys aged 3 & 9, my best excuse really should be the lack of time and energy. However, if I were to be truthful with myself and Urban Mommies, my real excuse is my fear of failure. I had been thin for 32 years – until I had my second child and started medication that slowed down my metabolism. By not exercising or taking care of myself properly, I have a reason for my extra weight – a reason I can rationalize to myself,(I only have it as I am not trying to lose it…) If I truly tried to exercise and eat properly and stayed the same size and fitness level, what would I tell myself then?
How do my excuses stack up: Too tired; check, busy at work; check, motherly duties; check, wifely duties; check, endless loads of laundry and sinks full of dishes; check. Do you mean to tell me that I am supposed to have time to exercise, paint my toe nails and maybe even maintain a relationship with someone or something other than the snack cupboard? All I know is that I am desperate. For what? At 30 years old I am heading down a dangerous road. I want to be able to enjoy my life. I want to hike with my husband and fit on the rides at the amusement park with my daughter. Most importantly I know that my journey as a mother is not yet complete and I have been informed by my doctor that my weight will affect my ability to have another healthy pregnancy and delivery. Ultimately I don’t believe in excuses but I do believe that when we are empowered we possess a limitless capacity to change. That is what I am hoping for.
I feel like my “excuses” are the same as most working moms. I have two children – ages 5 & 2, plus work 2 jobs. What time and energy I have I devote to them with the little left over to my husband, home, and family. I think I’ve forgotten how important it is to look after me. A recent physical scare with high blood pressure has got me thinking that if I don’t start taking the time to care for my body and mind now, I might not get the chance to care for and love my family for as long as I want to. Thank you for this opportunity and for putting it out there for all moms to think about!
Not being able to find a good supportive sports bra for the boob cafe is my excuse. Without this, it is too difficult to run on the treadmill with floopy and floopier bouncing about. Plus, none of my other workout clothes fit. My maternity work out clothes are now too big, and my pre pregnancy clothes are too tight. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Well, I don’t really have a ‘best’ excuse not to work out; I’m tired, but so are most parents, and I only have two kids, neither of whom is a baby any longer…I am up way too late having some me/me and my spouse/ time after the girls are in bed, and then I don’t want to ‘lose’ that time to working out. Ironically, part of my motivation to look good is to impress/please my man, but he loves me how I am, so I often struggle to find the internal motivation to work out when snuggling with him is much more fun and relaxing. However, on the days I don’t work out, and maybe this is my best motivation to try and do so regularly, I am a total crab and not fun to be around!
I’m a mom of two boys who are almost two and four, but I’m also an artist. Every day I wake up tired before I want to because the kids don’t sleep in. Every day I struggle to stay on the “treadmill” of our household and family, and feel like I’m barely hanging on! When I get one of those infrequent, sacred moments or an amazing, entire hour to myself, it gives me peace to do something creative like writing. Or, um, eating cheesecake…
(…on a serious note, I am so ready to let the cheesecake go, along with about 30 lbs. I am working out hard when I can and watching my diet. A contest like this would be amazing for me and give me the final push to succeed. Help this mama out and you will know you picked the right one!)
I am a new stay at home Mom to two beautiful kids (I worked in an intense corporate environment before). I now eat, sleep and breathe my family and things that must be done for them and around the house (as I always feel there is something that has to be done instead of exercising!). My husband is a 24 hour shift worker which makes any routine planning hard. I have chosen to do this for my family, but now the excuses are over and I realize that I need to do this for me.
My excuse is that I just had a baby…and enough said!…well, that was 12 months ago…I guess I can’t use that excuse anymore…my new reality is that I have a 1 year old that is attached to my right leg…she won’t let me workout!
I am a snacker and love my chips. I will never be able to work off what I am consuming (to break even)! Depressing!
A recipe for in-action:
1 part pre-eclampsia
1 part emergency C-Section
1 distractingly cute baby
200 lattes
60 boxes of cookies
100 pieces almond butter toast
Mix the first 3 ingredients and then slowly add the remaining ingredients over six months with very little sleep. Add a talent for baking and you’ll have made a fat new mom too embarrassed to get back in her yoga clothes.
My excuses are similar to other moms. There is never enough time…I try to do situps with my 1 and 4 year old but they end up jumping all over me and there goes the workout! I used to take my youngest to Stroller Strides with me but she does not want to sit for an hour anymore while I get fit! My only option are weekends at 6am without kids but who wants to get out of bed in the dark and go out in the cold to exercise while everyone else is sleeping??!!:((
Ok, so my excuse is a bit different than everyone here. I’m a full time working mother of a 5 year old. I do have the time – or know I can MAKE the time, that’s not really my issue. I get bored with routine. Would rather poke my eyes out than go to the gym. I cannot take the boredom. I’ve done multiple activities before and I just fade off when I start losing interest. Is it just boredom or something else that I’m doing to sabotage my success and ulitmately my health? This would be a perfect opportunity to find out!
…3 kids, training for a half-marathon and I go to the gym 3x’s/week for cross-training (minus a personal fitness trainer)! On-top of kid’s ballet, skating lessons, swimming, homework, toilet-training, part-time business, domestic duties, and the list goes on and…on! So I DO work-out as I believe investing in myself pays itself back…But I must admit, I like the offer of a spa-day and maybe some fashion sense as that does get missed at this point. But heck, to even spend some time thinking of WHY I should be honored such an event? I am just too spent to even think of one…
Losing weight after my first child (I was 22 yrs old) was easy, the weight just fell off. Losing weight after my second child (now I’m 35) is an entirely different story! Help.
My main excuse for not working out is, Im a stay at home mom I just wear sweatpants and sweatshirts all day. If I do need to go out where I’m required to look some what presentable I just throw on a pair of SPANX they tight and tone without me even having to step into a gym :)
I had serious postpartum depression, I kept taking care of my baby the best I could and I know I did an amazing job, thanks to my wonderful husband and all the support I had around me. While I was on medication, baked goods (carbs) became my best friends, I got hooked. While I use to exercise a lot, I fell out of it so fast and now I just want to get back into it, my excuse, I don’t know, I’m working on so many things and exercise is on my list but I keep pushing it down, I need a boost real bad.
If I leave all 3 children (husband included) at home by themselves while I go to work out, the house will implode. . . Then I’ll have so much to clean and tidy up that I’ll be too exhausted to ever go back to the gym!!
For each of my three pregnancies (my kids are now 7, 5 and 2) I gained at least 80lbs – genetics at their worse! Unfortunately, I did not loose all the weight after each pregnancy and am left with about 40lbs to go. To further complicate matters, I had some some post-partum issues and other metabolic stuff that impacted my ability to loose the weight despite attempts at many diets. On top of this, both me and my husband have full time jobs with travel so there are 10 days a month where we are single parenting. Help!!!
I will not beable to ski this winter, the wolves and coyottes are packing up. These animals are even in town limits, not to mention the ski trails!
I can’t workout today because it’s “Lint Trap Emptying” day.
I can’t find my contacts and I can’t work out in glasses becuase when I start to sweat they slide down my face and that just bugs me and there is no point in getting exercise if you are not going to sweat.
Two young crazy boys aged 3 and 4 keep me on my toes on the best of days. In a desperate attempt to get some workout during the day I downloaded Yoga apps on my iphone. I was doing yoga to the soothing sounds of Toy Story 3 in the background, or it was mostly foreground. I am in desperate need of motivation and a proper work out! HELP!!
I am almost 40 and have 8 month old TWINS – isn’t that working out???!!!
Finding time to exercise is a challenge at the best of times. A year ago I broke my kneecap, and now I find working exercise (that I can do with my children)into my schedule even harder. I don’t fully trust my knee on uneven or steep terrain and I’d hate to fall with my daughter on my back or lose control of the stroller!
Well, it takes at least two hours in the morning to get my 4-year old up and fed and to the daycare. Then off to work. And when I come home in the evening, I need to cook dinner and spend another two hours trying to put said 4-year old to bed. Who wants to work out at 10 o’clock in the evening??
My best excuse is really not much of an excuse, it’s because I have problems with my back and try not to do too much that makes it hurt so that I can get through the things I need to get done each day for my daughter and the home. That excuse is lame because the wider I get from not working out, the more my back hurts and the less I want to do.
I fell out of the routine of taking care of myself, after 2 unexpected c-sections my body isn’t making it any easier to get back into it – I just feel big, sore, and tired!
I was dignosed with RA last year and before that it was back pain from past car accidents, tired from working full time all day waking up at 4:15am everyday and being a single mom the biggest excuse is child care.
I can’t work out because the orange cheeto crumbs don’t match my gym clothes.
I have a 4 year old and a 18 month old and work fulltime. I spend 2.5 hours commuting. Weekends are busy with laundry, cleaning, and cooking!! And no personal time for me. Boo Hoo!!
Please help me get back in shape!!!!
I used to regularly go to the gym but since having children I have become a slug. I walk but do no weight training or cardio. Every night I tell myself that tomorrow will be ‘the day’ when I start, but with no one to hold me accountable it doesn’t happen. My maternity leave ends in 5 months – I hope I can get myself in gear so that I can fit into my work clothes. More importantly, I want to get into a manageable healthy lifestyle routine so that I am an example to my children.
Owning my own business is a 60 hour work week in itself….then add an almost 2 yr old. I have absolutely NO time to work out! I am 15 lbs overweight and just cannot find time to get rid of the extra weight! Our condo doesn’t have a gym and at the end of the day I am exhausted!!! Help me!!!
I see an awful lot of posts using time as an excuse…so my question is: if they don’t have the time now, how will they find the time if they win ;0) i do have the time. I have a very supportive husband who would gladly look after our 11 week old son while I did some exerxise. My excuse is norhing other than pure laziness lol It is also easier to grab a bag of chips or unwrap a chocolate bar than make a salad! I also would not even know where to start for exercise!
I’m just so tired from sleep deprivation. We have a 20 month old and a 5 month old that keep me going all the time. It would be nice for some me time to exercise and collect myself.
The elastic on my underwear is shot and my underwear will wiggle down if I do cardio. Lame or what?
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