Part of why I love club FYM is meeting other moms. Some are struggling where I am, some are just beginning and some like Stephanie, have achieved what I hope to achieve! She gives me hope and her story is Amazing! I’ll let her tell it in her own words:
The before pictures on this blog post are of Stephanie 9 months postpartum and 6 months into her FYM lifestyle. Her true before pictures were a little too skimpy to post here–but now we are even more impressed–right?!!!
I am a working married mom of 4 kids, 3 girls one boy, ages ranging from almost 11 to almost 3. I have been married to my high school sweet heart for nearly 15 years and a middle school teacher for 16. With work, my kids and my personal life, life is very busy and chaotic. I often struggle to find quiet time for me and and to find joy in parenting four wildly energetic kids with such a varying degree of distinct personalities. Here is where I turn to God and to Fit Yummy Mummy.
I found Fit Yummy Mummy in the middle of the night during a moment of desperation. I was 8 weeks postpartum(?) with my 4th and final child and had been given clearance to resume normal activity. I was surfing the net while nursing and came across what seemed like a “too good to be true” add for the Deluxe Pack Busy Mom Workouts. It was late. I was tired. I didn’t want to be in the shape I was any longer. I was ready to make some changes and get back to the “me” I was not so long ago. My pregnancies all had pre-term issues causing me weeks of bed rest, no physical activity, and lots of hormone injections and medications that made me gain weight and bloat.
As a former dancer and water aerobics instructor, I was horrified by my state. So I quickly ordered and logged out before I could change my mind. The DVDs arrived and I jump in with out preparation. Big mistake. I was not ready for such work outs and I stupidly believed I was still at the fitness level I was 8 years ago. I hurt myself causing me another month of rest. Lost, confused and quite upset, I emailed Holly Rigsby Fit Yummy Mummy’s creator who actually CALLED me at home and walked me through the material I had downloaded and suggested I start with the Ebook. She also advised me to READ all the material first and start slowly like making goals, planning and preparing. I was so touched I just knew Fit Yummy Mummy was the program for me!
This time I progressed slowly and I read the materials…however, I only followed the exercise guidelines, not the nutrition as I had always been able to eat what ever I wanted with little repercussions. So, why would this phase of my life be any different? I did loose weight and thought I had it under control until I compared the pictures I took with the start of the Ebook to those at the start of the challenge of my first challenge using the Transformation kit. Certainly different, but not the results I had “thought” I achieved. I was a smaller version of me but not the version I wanted to be. Truly eye opening, humbling and motivating! With the challenge I did it right. It was time to make more changes and commit to being a better version of me living a lifestyle that would transform me physically and mentally.
Clean eating, Prograde supplements and intense FYM workouts in the Transformation Kit made all the difference. I purged all the cabinets of tempting food and stocked the pantry and fridge with healthy supportive options. I became active in Club FYM and found accountability buddies that cheered me on and offered valued advice and support. I won that challenge. As a result, the passion and drive had been forever fueled. There was no turning back. The results were so overwhelming and motivating I only wanted to continue.
I worked so hard that I rewarded myself with purchasing equipment such as larger dumb bells, kettle bells, bands and a pull up bar. Equipment I was not yet ready for but that would give me something to work towards. I also gave myself the opportunity to attend the FYM summit that summer and had the opportunity to connect with the women I had met online in clubFYM and my mentor, Holly Rigsby. Worth every penny!
FYM has taught me “attitude is altitude” and truly everything I need to transform my body, my mind and my life is within me. I just needed the right mindset, the guided support of like minded women, a forum to post to and quick, efficient and effective workouts with simple nutrition guidelines that fit my busy lifestyle as a working mom of four. FYM is all that and more. Holly Rigsby and FYM have guided me through mental challenges as well as physical ones, leading me to discover a passion about being the best version of ME. I am proud of what I have accomplished and I am satisfied with what is now a lifestyle and a body that rocks. My goals now are different than when I started with the ebook or moved on to the Transformation kit. I have shed the fat and I am going for the muscle. I am lifting bigger and I am stronger than ever! My muscles are really showing, even at rest thanks to the Kettle Bell For Busy Moms and the Trouble Spot Solution series. I love how I look in my clothes. I love how I feel in my own skin. My work outs now run my day instead of letting my day run me. Nothing is going to crush the feeling of using a 35 lbs. kettle bell or completing an intense 15 minute interval and knowing I just out did myself yet again! It helps too to have Holly congratulate you at the end of every work out and kindred accountability buddies send you virtual fist bumps.
Stephanie’s Menu Planning System
FYM for me is no longer about changing my STATS but about CHALLENGING my body in new and exciting ways as every workout each month is a whole new set of challenges. Each month FYM offers me a new workout. I can then push my body to accomplish things it just couldn’t do “x” number of weeks ago. And nothing tastes as good as “fit” feels! Yet, my body keeps transforming….FYM continues to offer me more and more at the level I am at. I am never at a stand still. No longer do I look at myself as being unable to train like an athlete, or look like one even if I am not truly one. I don’t run marathons or do Spartan races, but I train hard BECAUSE I WANT TO and because I CAN! FYM is not just a work out program but a mindset complete with empowerment, self exploration and reward. I have earned my body and I am proud to call myself a “Fit Yummy Mummy.”
My advice to anyone is to just take the “plunge” with one step at a time. Start slowly and work to getting where you want to be. Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither will the best version of you! Fit Yummy Mummy offers workouts for all levels and abilities and can easily be adapted to meet someone’s fitness needs and goals. Be sure to read everything and take the time to set goals. Track them. Reward yourself when you meet them and not with food! Rely on ClubFYM, the forums, your progress journal and accountability buddies to keep you motivated and on track. Post publicly what you are doing. When you put it “out there” it forces you to follow through and live up to what you said you would do. Ditch the scale! It should not be your only tool for measuring progress. Use photos, clothing and how you feel to really indicate your progress! Tackling mental workouts are just as important. Focus on eating produce and protein, not tracking calories! Eat the rainbow and enjoy it. Make a game of it. How many colors can I eat today? Try new foods and make it an adventure for yourself and your family. Include them in meal planning and recipe searches. It truly is a “head game” too. Surround yourself with motivational quotes, images and positive thoughts. LOVE YOURSELF INTO SHAPE! Be forgiving and allow set backs and mistakes become lessons. Focus on what you have done and what you have accomplished. It will not be an over night transformation but one day you will wake up and look at yourself in the mirror and see you are on your way to becoming an amazing version of you!
As a big family, we struggle with the financial aspect of choosing a clean lifestyle and making everyone happy. This is where I turn to Angela Coffman and her wisdom. We have learned to shop differently, plan by using what is on sale, and being creative and how to “stretch” what we have. We still have a lot to learn in this area and have only begun to discover how to make it all work. We use our crockpot a lot. Lately I have been scouring the internet and clean eating sites and blogs for inspiration but for the most part we stick to a lot of tried and true meals, making extra to help create future meals and to give me already made meals and snacks. NO EXCUSES, right?
Here are some of my favorite fit meals:
Green Smoothies with banana, frozen berries, chocolate protein powder and lots of spinach. I use a coffee base but my kids will use yogurt and a little juice.
We always have in the pantry meals that feed our family of 6!
Green Bean Chilli: 1 pound of ground turkey cooked in garlic and onion. Add in 2 TSP of taco seasoning, 3/4 can of tomato paste, 2 cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes (the ones with the added green chilies) and cook. Finally mix in two cans of French styled Green beans drained.
Easy Italian Chicken:
1 lbs chicken cubed and cooked in garlic and 1 TBS olive oil. Add in two cans of stewed tomatoes, 1 can mushrooms and Italian seasonings to taste. For a thicker sauce add in cornstarch and water mixed. Serve over fresh steamed or frozen cooked broccoli.
Minestrone stew:
1 lbs lean hamburg scrambled in garlic, drain grease. Add in 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 can kidney beans, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1-2 beef bouillon cube (depends on desired taste)n and Italian seasonings. Bring to a slight boil. Serve over spaghetti squash, zucchini spears or just as is!
Almond chicken:
Chicken cut in strips, dipped in cornstarch, beaten eggs and finally chopped almonds. Cook in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Serve with tons of side dishes of veggies!
Favorite side dish of veggies:
Sweet and Spicy Roasted veggies
In a large bowl whisk 1/2 tsp each of cumin, coriander, ginger, salt, 1/4 tsp each of cayenne and cinnamon, 1 TBS honey, 2 TBS olive oil. Chop: 2 small onions, 2 red peppers, 2 lbs of butternut squashed (peeled and seeded), 2-3 cups of baby carrots (leave whole or halve) mix the veggies in a large bowl with the spices. Pour onto a greased baking sheet or roasting pan, sprinkle with thyme flakes. Roast at 400° for 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently.
Favorite treats:
A supportive no bake cookie!
1 TBS all natural PB
1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1/4 c oats
splash almond milk
1/2 c cottage cheese or Greek Yogurt
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder or cocoa baking powder to taste
splash of vanilla or toffee liquid stevia
and Fresh raspberries or strawberries
In the summer we grill a lot and love our vegetables grilled and our meat marinated!
