I have had the pleasure of personally working with hundreds of busy moms over the course of my fitness career.
Mother's are without a doubt the most selfless clients I have ever worked with, almost to a fault. Honestly, I wish they would just be a little more selfish sometimes and give their personal, physical and mental health a bit more of a priority.
Many good mothers miss the boat when it comes to their fitness. In general, they tend to think that it's okay to put all of their personal ambitions aside for the good of their friends and family. But in reality, moms are not as effective as they could be when deviating from a healthy lifestyle.
After all, a mom who doesn't workout and doesn't eat the right foods at the right times will not be running on all cylinders.
Here's the number one question I ask busy mom's who are overweight, stressed out and tired who just can't find the time to workout:
Do you want your children to grow up and be just like you?
That usually hits a nerve, and that's my point. Parents, especially moms, are the biggest example for their children. If you don't take care of yourself you're not taking care of your kids.
In retrospect, I have identified the 5 anchors that tend to hold most moms back from getting the better body they so desperately are seeking. Here they are, in no particular order:
Obstacle#1- Too Many Missed Meals- Especially Breakfast!
Many moms are simply on a roller coaster ride from dawn until dusk, dealing with the stresses of parenting and/or challenging careers. Mornings can be very challenging when you're feverishly multi-tasking to get the kids fed and off to school. Not to mention the fact that many busy moms today have to deal with their own demanding, high-stress jobs.
So missing breakfast becomes a reality, often leading to a host of other missed meals and snacks throughout the day. This leads to cataclysmal series of events that deprive your physique of lean, toned body mass while simultaneously priming your body to overeat junk food later in the day and store ugly, unwanted fat. Furthermore, this starvation protocol creates low levels of blood sugar. This zaps your energy and leaves you feeling foggy, irritated, and lethargic all day long.
There's always room for breakfast, you just need to make the time!
Obstacle#2- Failing To Make The Daily Workout Appointment
This one is simple, yet oh so powerful. Think about it. Moms never miss an appointment for their kids. Why? Well yes, it's because they love them, but more importantly, it's because they love their kids enough to religiously schedule their appointments!
If you are a busy Mom who is serious about your fitness, then you absolutely need to take the same approach with your workouts.
In addition, you need to be sure that you schedule in your daily workouts when you are most likely to do them rather than when you prefer to do them. For example, I'd rather workout in the afternoon, but with my schedule it makes more sense for me to get my workout done first thing in the morning. This way the stresses of work never get in the way of my fitness.
In my experience, most Moms work best when doing their workouts either first thing in the morning while the kids are still sleeping, or right after they drop their kids off from school. It seems that too many unexpected obstacles come in the way of an afternoon or evening workout for the typical mother. But, regardless of when the best time may be, just schedule it in and stick to it like it's a family commitment!
Obstacle#3- Eating What the Kids Like
I've heard it a million times,
"My kids are very picky about what they'll eat, and I just don't have time to make them what they want and what should be eating?"
Are you serious lady! Did you hear what you just said?
Mom's, I know you're super-busy and sometimes it's just easier to give the kids what they want, but what are you teaching your kids about nutrition? And, who's in charge here anyway? By the way, how did your kids discover "what they want?" Most likely by you buying quick-fix foods to give them in the first place.
Don't get me wrong. I can see the struggle. I have the utmost respect for moms. I know I couldn't do it.
Moms can really blow their diet following the snacking practices of their children. A couple goldfish here, a couple goldfish there, and before you know it you just killed the whole dam bag!
So, my advice, teach your children healthy alternatives. Children emulate their parents. If they see you eating healthy foods they'll want to eat them as well. And remember, you're the one paying for the groceries.
In the event that you're participating in a day care event, play date or you just need to give your kids some "fun" food be sure to guard your mouth with lock and key.
Ask yourself every time you bring something close to your lips the following question: "Will this help me burn fat and build muscle?"
You might also ask, "Will this help my child be strong and healthy?"
Obstacle#4- Too Much Cardio While Pushing a Stroller
Interval training burns nine times more body fat than long, slow, boring cardio. Aerobic training burns calories but it simply doesn't increase your metabolism like interval training does. The results from interval training comes from the intensity of each work period.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love to see moms being active. It's great to get outside and move with your kids! However, we need to be honest about the fact that it's not really feasible to train with intensity while pushing a stroller. Fast arm movement is the key to getting your wheels moving during sprints, so if you are pushing a stroller you're losing out on some much needed speed to maximize your results.
Furthermore, I don't think it's safe to perform sprints while pushing a stroller (although I was probably the type of baby who would enjoy the ride ). I know that I certainly wouldn't trust my clumsy-self doing intervals with a baby's safety literally in my hands. So, get out and push a stroller, maybe even jog a little, but don't think that you are getting anywhere close to the same kind of benefit that you can get hands-free and in open space with high-intensity intervals.
Obstacle#5- Too Many Glasses Of Wine In The Evening
Nobody wants to hear that a glass or two of wine at night is going to stop your fitness goals in its tracks. But the reality of the matter is that alcohol has the double-edged sword of both paralyzing the fat-burning process while simultaneously creating fat within the body. Plus alcohol tends to lower inhibitions leading to the consumption of other junk food. Not good!
So I say, "zip it" to all of those morons who say: "consuming several glasses of wine a day is healthy because it has anti-oxidants and that keeps you from getting sick." This is just a bunch of babble from drunken doctors who are trying to convince themselves that it's okay to drink regularly and be healthy, but it's not!
Fruit and veggies have more anti-oxidants and tons of other health benefits, so we just need to cut the nonsense that wine is an integral part of a healthy diet.
Now, I want to be sensitive to those busy, hard-working moms who have a glass of wine at the end of the day to unwind and take some of the load off of their shoulders because I get that. But I also know there are other healthier ways to de-stress that don't have such a negative effect on your body composition. Try stretching, foam rolling, taking a bath, reading a book, etc.
So please remember- if you booze, you WON'T lose!
One last thing - any guy who thinks his wife has it easy at home while he's out busting his tail "on the job" is a moron. Do the research and you'll see that the value of a stay-at-home mom is a pretty high price tag, and that price skyrockets for the working mom. So, guys, go kiss your wife, say THANK YOU, and tell her you love her. While you're at it, give your mom a call and tell her the same.
