Shed 5 Fast Contest

My name is Kelly. I am the proud mother of three very busy boys (Joshua is 5, Jaden is 3, and Judah will be one on April 24th of this year). We lovingly refer to our home as “The Testosterone Palace” as I am surrounded by little men I am writing to share my experience with Shed 5 Fast. When I decided to participate in the Shed 5 Fast contest, I had no idea what an incredible impact the contest would have on my health, fitness, and confidence. It has truly been an amazing journey for me.

Like most moms, my days are very full. I spend most of my time loving on my kiddos, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and couponing, but I also work from home as a freelance writer (usually very early in the morning before the kids are up and late at night after they have gone to sleep). Most of my projects involve writing grant proposals for federally and state-funded community health centers, ensuring individuals with low income and/or no insurance have access to quality preventive and primary medical care. Between working, caring for my children, spending a few short moments with my hubby (who works full-time and is also enrolled as a full-time student for his Master’s Degree), and keeping the household running smoothly, there isn’t much time for anything else.

I turned thirty last September, and I remember having this moment where I just broke down in tears because I was out of shape, dissatisfied with my appearance, sleep-deprived, and frustrated with the busyness of my days. Looking back, it was really comical. I had spent the better part of the evening ransacking my closet trying to figure out what to wear for my birthday dinner date with my husband. My youngest son was 4 months old at the time, and while I no longer looked “mildly pregnant,” nothing fit. My nursing boobs were gigantic and constantly leaking. My abs were a squishy remnant of their once-toned selves. My thighs and tush were a dimpled mess. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back came in the form of my discovery of three gray hairs on the top of my head - - the first I had ever noticed. I melted into a puddle on the floor and sobbed about feeling old and fat and leaky. My poor husband tried to calm me down and tell me I was beautiful, and I just didn’t have ears to hear it. I think most moms have had moments like this - - we don’t feel like we look good, and more importantly, we don’t FEEL good.,/

The truth is, I was within 8lbs. of my pre-pregnancy weight, but, my body was just so stretched out! More importantly, my appearance was a metaphor for how I was feeling inside. I felt like my life had been taken over by caring for others and meeting the expectations of others, leaving no time whatsoever for me. Then, on top of that, I felt conflicted and selfish for wanting time for myself. I was tired and out of shape and out of routine, and I just really wanted to feel confident and fit and energetic.

Thankfully, this crying jag led to some wonderful realizations. I realized that I needed to begin exercising again. Even if I could only find one morning a week, I needed to make the choice to do something good for myself. Exercise would lift my mood, improve my health, help me regain my shape, and provide some “me” time. I also realized that I needed to be patient with my body. It took 9 months for my body to change during pregnancy, and I needed to give it time to change back. Nothing was going to happen by itself overnight - - it was going to take sustained work and effort to see results.

I began exercising at home with DVDs one morning per week. By December, I was finding up to three mornings a week to work out, but consistency was a real struggle. It seemed like there was always a writing project that needed attention or a child that was sick or something on my to-do list that was more pressing than my exercise time. I decided that buying a new exercise DVD might give me the motivation to amp up my routine. Luckily for me, a mama bargain web site that I frequent had 2 of Lindsay’s DVDs for sale: Shed 5 Fast and Dance Jam. I bought the DVDs and followed the link to learn more about the Shed 5 Fast Contest.

Now, if there is anything I know to be true about myself, it is that I know how to meet a deadline. My grant writing work is filled with deadlines, and they aren’t flexible. Submit a proposal just 1 minute late, and it will be rejected. No excuses. Before I start a writing project, I have a plan in place to meet the deadline. I use the plan to budget my time, guide my writing priorities, and ultimately write a successful proposal to submit on time.

The Shed 5 Fast Contest finally made me make a plan for my own health and fitness. I pulled out my motivation: the teeny-weeny, polka dot bikini from my honeymoon nearly 8 years ago, took some (dreaded) “before” shots, and made a plan. Finally I had a deadline for myself! This freed me up to make exercise a priority, amp up my routine, and see results.

My Plan:

• Exercise 5 to 6 days per week - - Interval/Toning on days 1, 3, and 5 (Shed 5 Fast, Boot Camp 2, Core Metabolic Jumpstart, or Hot Mamas Postnatal Boot Camp with Teddi Bryant); Cardio on days 2, 4, and 6 (Dance Jam, cardio-only segments from Boot Camp 2, or Turbo Jam)
• Watch my nutrition

During the 6-week Shed 5 Fast Contest period, I faced challenges to my plan. My husband traveled out of town for two separate weeks to attend a class for his Master’s program, and I was on my own with my kids for that time. Over another 2-week span of time, all three of my kiddos and my husband dealt with a really nasty stomach virus. There were days where the house needed to be cleaned, the laundry needed to be folded, and writing projects needed attention. But, I stuck to my plan. And you know what? The house still got cleaned, the laundry still got folded, and the writing projects were completed on time. And, I am a much healthier mama for it.

I learned a lot over the past 6 weeks. Here are a few highlights:

• I always thought that as long as I was nursing a baby, I wouldn’t be able to lose weight or firm up, so it wasn’t worth the effort. Wow! What a faulty assumption! To all the nursing mamas out there - - you CAN be fit and nurse a baby! I am nursing my littlest one, and I still saw amazing results. And you know what? I think my commitment to fitness now is going to make it even easier to slim down completely after weaning the baby.
• I need to make exercise a priority, and for me, this means writing it down in my calendar as a scheduled appointment. That time is for exercise alone. Nothing else. No excuses.
• Exercise really does pay dividends elsewhere! When I was consistently working out 5 days a week, my energy level was higher, I felt better on less sleep, and I found my cravings for less-than-nutritious food diminish. The strength and endurance developed in my workouts translated into my time with my kids; they love having a strong mom. Being strong makes me feel confident! Gaining confidence is even better than losing weight.
• My kids benefited from seeing me make exercise a priority. They are learning that it is okay to make their own health a priority.
• Good nutrition doesn’t have to be rocket science. We eat nutritious food in our house - - lots of fruit, veggies, whole grain, and lean protein - - and eating nutritious meals isn’t a struggle for me. However, two areas were: snacking on sweets after the kids went to bed and eating my kids’ leftover bits of food throughout the day. Lindsay’s advice to cut out “BLTs – bites, licks, and tastes” was huge for me. I had no idea how much I was really eating mindlessly that way. I also decided to cut out the snacking after my kids went to bed. Instead of an endless supply of cookies or sweets, I eat one 100-calorie biscotti or 20 chocolate chips. I satisfy my sweet tooth without adding a ton of calories to my diet. Once a week, I’ll splurge and have a decadent dessert with my hubby after the kids are asleep.
• You CAN get a great workout in 30 minutes. The key is using that time wisely. Lindsay’s DVDs don’t waste my time.

Thanks so much for offering a contest that challenged me to put my health and fitness first. I can’t wait to see how my body continues to change and respond to my newfound consistency. At this rate, I really will have my best body ever after I wean this little one! I might even wear my polka-dotted bikini out in public .