How I Got in the Best Shape of My Life After 4 Kids

I’ve never publicly talked about anything like this before, so please bear with me and be kind. Every woman has a relationship with their body and self image. Mine has generally been a positive one, but I am a woman so I say “generally” loosely.

During the last 8 years I have gained and lost 225 lbs.

225 POUNDS.

In the last 8 years I have had a life-threatening car accident. 5 pregnancies. One miscarriage. I’ve given birth to 4 children. I have breastfed them, rocked them, stayed up at all hours of the night with them, cleaned pee and vomit, wiped noses, kissed boo boos, sacrificed everything for them, including my TV career, health and fitness journey. I know I will look back one day and say these were the best 8 years of my life. I already know these have been the best 8 years of my life.

I’ve never in my life been able to lose weight fast. I’m a firm believer that Rome wasn’t built in one day and neither will a fitness journey. It takes a long time to put weight on (in my case, 9+ months) so it should take equally as long to take weight off, or in my case… a full year.

I am telling you all of that because I want you to know that this is something you can do too! I am writing this to INSPIRE you to feel your best! I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s easy because it’s not. I have 4 children. A job. A husband. This blog. A home to maintain. And I added the extra duty of homeschooling this year.

I am writing this blog for anyone who is on the fence about making their health a priority. I’m writing this blog for the postpartum moms who are scrolling Instagram and seeing other moms with babies the same age as theirs and wearing normal jeans again. I’m writing this blog for the parent who is up at 2:00am rocking a fussy baby. I am writing this blog for the mom who is struggling through breastfeeding and consuming the extra calories because you are so damn hungry. I am writing this blog for the mom who is 2 years postpartum and still hasn’t taken the weight off. I’m writing this blog for the mom who pours an extra glass of wine after bedtime because…. well, just because.

I feel you.

I am you.

So how did I do it? When COVID hit, I ditched the gym like millions of Americans and looked elsewhere. I’ve always enjoyed running as a form of exercise, but with 4 kids and a husband who is always at work… finding the time to run during daylight is a challenge. I despise treadmills and I don’t like running in the dark.

So, my cousin introduced me to a phenomenal personal trainer who was flexible, knowledgable about training women, and most importantly…. VIRTUAL! I started working out with my trainer live via Zoom in June. We started out at 2 days a week, but we felt it wasn’t enough so we ramped it up to 3 days a week. For 4 months, I have worked out with two other moms and our trainer via zoom. We are flexible with each other’s schedules, nap times, schooling etc.

It’s been one of my greatest investments….. and let me tell you, I make No Excuses when it comes to working out. Our workouts are an hour long HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. I do them in my basement with a yoga mat, band and a few free weights. We do the workouts from the comfort of our own homes with our kids running around, napping, screaming, etc.

No excuses.

A couple weeks ago, Jude had his first head cold. Which basically meant he clung to me like a leech for days while battling the sniffles. Wednesday was his worst day, which also happened to be a workout day…. my trainer, Gabe was wonderful with improvising our challenges. I included some of the video from that workout at the end of this post.

No excuses.

I did a full 45 minute HITT workout holding a 25 (ish) lbs. baby. While another baby (Adam) was screaming in the background about going number 2.

No excuses.

Need to do squats? Squat with your baby.

Need to do sit-ups? Sit-up with your baby.

Need to do lunges? Lunge with a band on while holding your baby.

Need to do burpees? Burpee over your baby.

Need to do weightlifting? Lift your baby.

No excuses.

Find the time. Find the hour. Make it a PRIORITY. As a parent, we tend to always put our health and happiness behind others. Especially as a mom. Everyone else in our household comes first, and that’s okay! But your health can’t be overlooked. Your health contributes to everyone else’s health and happiness. Think about that.

Again, this isn’t a quick fix and it won’t happen overnight. We constantly tell our kids, “work hard and never give up.” As a mom of 4, I just really want to inspire you to live your best life even if you have the stretch marks, even if you have the grey hairs, even if you have the varicose veins. Make NOW the best years of your life, physically.

Find something you LIKE. There are thousands of workout options out there. There are Prime videos and YouTube videos and Peloton videos. There are thousands of trainers, like Gabe who are more than willing to do weekly workouts with you live via Zoom! I recommend finding one that will hold you accountable, and find friends to do it with. I really recommend spending extra to do workouts live. When you make the investment, you are more likely to stick with it. Keep in mind though, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a trainer, gym or equipment… you just have to spend the TIME to actually do it.

I know you’re busy. But everyone can find the time to workout. Make it a priority. Make it part of your weekly routine. Make it part of your lifestyle. It’s never too late to start.

I feel better.

I look better.

I sleep better.

I eat better.

No excuses.

You got this.

Message me if you want to know more about the exact workouts we do or my diet. I will work on a diet blog post if there is enough interest. But please know that there is no magic diet or silver bullet workout. There is only the work, but I promise you, that work is worth it.

Until then… I’m going to hit “publish” and try my hardest not to delete this photo later…