Fit Mom in Barrhaven

I’m a 35 year old, stay at home mom, with 2 little girls (3 and 5yrs old). I long for a full nights sleep or heck just my own bed without little visitors, and maybe just maybe once being able to sleep in past 7am.  It takes a lot of energy to take care of your children, to keep up the house, to plan the meals, to shop for those meals, to cook, to burn dinner and then order in.  It seems as though I am forever doing laundry and breaking up fights and answering to the call of Mom.  Oh and I have a puppy, and he likes to steal the kids toys and pees on the floor if I look at him.

It takes a lot of energy, to be MOM.

Just over a year and half ago, I was feeling like I was running on empty.  I was dying for an afternoon nap, and crashing every afternoon around 3pm.  As much as I wanted to curl up in bed and sleep I couldn’t and did the next best thing I reached for my daily afternoon sugar fix.

It was around this time that I also started to feel pain in my feet, like the little bones in my feet were stressed.  My back hurt when I stood in line at the grocery store.   I no longer recognized myself when I looked in the mirror, just who was that tired, bloated looking woman?  Where was the spunky, laugh out loud girl?

After many false starts, I found my click and I joined the gym May 11, 2010.

Me on my first day at the gym, 258 pounds, a size 22

Joining that gym was my “AHA OPRAH MOMENT.”  I had found an hour of time that was just for me, no children to answer to, no one to take care of but myself.  Most of all, I discovered an athlete hiding inside a fat girl’s body!  I fell in love with how exercise made my body and my mind feel.  The endorphins were enough of a natural boost that I even gave up taking prozac, which I had been using since I was in high-school.  That afternoon nap?  Didn’t want one anymore!  And slowly I learned how not to reach for my afternoon sugar fix and to refuel with nutritious food.

and our first half marathon at the Army Run 2011.

In just over a year and half, my life has changed dramatically.  I have lost 105 pounds.  I feel strong and fit and so very capable of anything I put my mind to.  When I look in the mirror I know exactly who is staring back at me.  She is not a stranger any longer.  Together with my family we are striving to live our best lives.  To get outside and play and move and keep up with the kids.  This past summer I hiked through the Gatineau’s with my too tired daughter on my back no sweat!  I played yoga in the park, in the sweet green grass with my kids.  My 5 year old daughter draws pictures of girls with “shoulders” and wants to run a race with me this summer.

Most of all I want to bottle up this feeling of LIFE and STRENGTH and help other women rediscover it within themselves.  I want to help give other women the tools to change their bodies, their lifestyles, to take back that feeling of “I am worthy,” “I am awesome,” and to thrive as mother’s, wife’s, friend’s, as women!  I plan on doing just that, as your personal trainer.