Fitting Fitness into Motherhood

The struggle is REAL!

I'm just gonna be real here and say - fitting fitness into motherhood can be a real pain in the a**. Sometimes (more like most of the time) it seems damn near impossible. Legit.

A few months ago I decided it was time. I had allowed myself to fall apart. I was about 50lbs overweight (over MY goal weight), my muscles had withered, I was weak & tired & felt like crap All. The. Time. I couldn't even carry my big girl anymore without dying off & when my bff and I horsed around I would ALWAYS pull a damn muscle!

So I got a gym membership. I stopped making excuses and started forcing myself to care about myself. Which is totally great. I thought, "My tot is a good sleeper, this should be easy enough." WRONG. When baby is fussy & not sleeping well (which seems to be the new norm) & you've got the tits... Well it's damn hard to make it to the gym & to even want to. The first month or so I was on top of my game and enjoying them gains. But now? Now I can barely find the time and motivation.

So I've started trying out some new things, and I thought I'd share.

First, I have started leaning on my partner. He doesn't like being left with a fussy baby, but I don't like feeling like crap so I basically told him tough titties, and now I just find the most opportune time and I go.

Second, I minimized my workout routine. I decided my back squats are more important than my curls. This saves time and fights while still getting in a good workout.

A few other things I am doing are : I am doing squats at home with baby or household items. I am trying to take more walks, go swimming more, ect. Upping my every day physical activity. I am looking into taking up yoga (something I can do at home!). And I am reaching out for support to help motivate myself. I am also focusing on eating better, eating more often (I have a bad habit of not eating til dinner time), drinking more water, and actually making sure I get enough sleep. Taking care of yourself is key to being able to handle all life as a mother will throw at you.

If you, too, are having a hard time prioritizing and keeping up with your fitness, here are my tips -

1) Take care of yourself. Physically, mentally, spiritually. You need to fill your bucket before you can pour into anyone else's. And if you aren't fully charged, it's gonna be a whole lot harder to fit anything but the bare minimums into your daily life.

2) When times are rough, minimize your workout routine & do what you can at home. Choose the workouts that are going to benefit you the most and do only them.

3) Ask for (or demand if you must) help so that you can find the time to do what you need to do for you. Don't just give up because your partner doesn't prefer this or that, or you are too prideful to ask for help. YOU matter enough to fight to get your needs met!

4) Think outside of the box. Include the kiddos. Workout at the park. Find things around the house to rig up. Scour youtube for ideas. Where there is a will, there is a way. You can do it mama!

I hope my struggle & my advice helps at least one mama out there. Keep it up ladies, you rock!