FIT MAMA ALLI

Hello! My name is Alli and I’m really excited to be a part of Carisa’s Fit Mama series. I’m happy to share with you all the pathway I have found for my health and fitness that is blessing my life in so many ways. I am a mother of an 8-month-old boy, Charlie, and am a wife of a medical school student. Health and fitness have always been important to me, but they have also been my biggest struggles in life as well. Some of those struggles have been fitting exercise in and making it a priority, as well as being able to reach my goals and get the results I desire.

I’ve always enjoyed running and I’ve run a lot of 5K races. I was getting faster and reaching goals to shorten my times, but I learned that doing the same type of exercise over and over wasn’t challenging me in getting stronger and I wasn’t strengthening other important muscles and parts of my body that needed help. I also wasn’t working areas that were my problem areas (like my core, hips, and thighs), so discouragement came easily and I found myself falling in and out of motivation to keep exercising. When I don’t see desired results, I get discouraged!

I’ve tried going to gyms and trying to work their weight machines, but I wasn’t sure how many reps I should do or for how long and how often throughout the week I should do the same machine. I just felt lost in there and the time it took me to get to a gym and prepare for a workout seemed overwhelming, especially as a mom who can’t leave my baby with my busy husband for too long. I wanted a trainer, but we couldn’t afford it. So I started looking elsewhere for help.

A friend of mine reached out and told me about Beachbody home workouts. When you buy a workout program, you not only get the program, but you also get a nutrition guide, and you get a free coach to help motivate, answer your questions, and offer support so you don’t quit or get discouraged. The workouts are between 25-60 minutes (depending on what you choose) and they’re filled with a variety of moves and exercises that work all parts of your body. This was exactly what I was looking for. I fell so much in love and was seeing such amazing results, as well as seeing an increase in energy and confidence that I decided to become a coach myself. I am now not only accountable to the coach that I was given for free, but I’m also accountable to all the people I help in reaching their health and fitness goals. Really it’s a team effort and we encourage and help each other reach our goals! And the best part is that it all is done from home!

A few tips that have helped me the most in my health and fitness goals are:

Tip #1. Discover your WHY… When you think about your health and fitness goals, what are they? And WHY do you want to achieve them? When I came to the heart of my WHY for my goals and desires, that’s when I realized I needed to find something new and I won’t let myself give up. There are hard days, but I remember my WHY and why I’m doing what I am. Write down your WHY and place it where you can see it often! It will push you harder, I promise!

Tip #2. Meal plan so that you can eat more nutritiously… 80% of your health and fitness depends on the food you intake. I learned quickly that if you plan out your meals for the week (even if it’s just dinner), you set yourself up for healthier meals (because you plan healthier meals). My mom has told me to look at local ads and see what’s on sale. Then make the meals that contain those items on sale. I save money and no longer stress each night what to make.

Tip #3. Set attainable goals… Don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t set a goal like, “I’m going to look just like this model in this magazine”, because your body may never be able to look just like the one in the magazine and you’re setting yourself up for failure, disappointment, and discouragement. I do better setting small goals like losing 3-4 pounds in a month. I know I can do it, and when I lose more, I feel that much more motivated to keep going!

Tip #4. Try to do a variety of exercises… I know we all have our favorite things to do, but if we only stay where we’re comfortable, we won’t ever change. It’s good to do cardio, but it’s also important to add weights in. Building muscle also increases your metabolism and you actually burn calories for a longer amount of time after you work out. So try finding a good balance of different exercises or activities to do.

I honestly can say I feel so much more energy (even though my baby may keep me up at night), and I’m more confident and happy because of the choices I make to eat healthier and exercise. I can’t say it’s easy, because change is never easy, but I definitely can say it’s worth it.

If you’re struggling with finding an exercise program, need help with nutrition, or want to learn more about how Beachbody may bless your life; I’d love to help you out! Check out my website. Once you’re there you can click “Contact Me” and I’d love to help you reach your goals. I’ll be with you every step of the way until we both can look back and say, “We made it!”

Even Mama’s can reach their fitness goals! No matter how crazy busy life seems. I say that because that’s what I’ve found to be true with myself and with every person that I’ve helped. I know you can do it too!!!

Thanks Alli! I love that you’ve found something that works for you and are sharing it with others!!!

Check out some other Fit Mamas!!

Fit Mama Amanda