This Fit Mom's No Muscle

Pin It Now! Wanna know what this Fit Mom has been up to lately? A lot. A full schedule and a lot of saying no. Just ask Annett :) I said no to her "Better Me Challenge." Because right now being a better me required me using my no muscle. It was a great challenge with a lot of great ideas and wonderful encouragement. But it was one of at least 15 Opportunities/requests I had gotten over the last few months - I started counting because I was preparing to teach a workshop at a conference about saying no. All the requests were good things - from blogging requests, to school volunteering and fundraising requests, to speaking requests, to two different fitness challenges . . . NO!

In January and February when all these other requests/opportunities rolled in, I was already leading and team teaching Bible Study at my church on Wednesday mornings (and sometimes Wednesday nights) and hosting a weekly college/young adult life group at my house. And then there is always the everyday life stuff like THREE CHILDREN, a sweet husband, cooking, cleaning, exercising, nurturing my relationship with God, and squirrel watching. Being overscheduled and overcommitted leads to mama meltdowns which benefits no one so I had to say no to a lot of good things.

And despite all my no muscle usage, I still had one solid MBD (mental breakdown day) in there with all the stuff I had previously said yes to. I am a work in process.

So I am here to encourage you overcommitters of the world to feel free to say no. No one will hate you unless he/she is a jerk in which case, who cares? The world will continue to spin and life will go on even if you say no!

After you have evaluated your schedule and made sure your priorities are in line and you have room in your schedule then . . .

Here are five questions that can help you to decide if you should say yes to that opportunity . . .

You'll have to head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to read the rest of this post (which is my last Fit Moms Fit Kids Club post) and find out those five questions!

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Fit Marriage, Fit Mom

Pin It Now!

Once again I'm doing a post about marriage because

I think having a healthy marriage where two people actually like each other is important. Good for the Totally Desperate Mom. Good for the kids. Just all around good.* And yet, it's can be pretty hard to make the marriage a priority when you have little ones running around finger painting with their own poop.

Excerpt from Totally Desperate Mom:

When you said “I do” to your husband there was no motherhood escape clause. You didn’t say, “I do until we have kids,” or, “I do until things get tough.” I don’t know what your specific vows were, but I suspect they included a lifetime commitment to love and support your husband. Many moms neglect that commitment and instead direct all of their energy, love, and support to their children. This is not healthy for the marriage or the children. And yet, it is pretty easy to do. As busy, sometimes exhausted moms, what can we do to continually make our marriage a priority? I talked with some of my fellow TDMs about this and we came up with the following tips. Offering one tip over on Fit Moms Fit Kids Club. So you gotta go there to get it . . .

*If you are a single mom - feel my hug come through the screen and come back for my non-marriage post on Fit Moms Fit Kids Club next month. Or take note for that future marriage . . .

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Anyone Else Addicted to Sugar?

Pin It Now!

Confession: I have a major sweet tooth. I love home-baked goodies. I love hot chocolate. I wish I could be as strong at Fit Mom Lori who has no refined sugar in her house. But what about cake pops? And dark chocolate? And cream cheese chocolate chip cookies?

There's nothing like a homemade treat made with real butter and real (processed and refined) sugar. But refined sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever. In fact, it is really bad for you.

That being said, I am personally okay with most things moderation. Even treats. But what does that mean? Once a week? Once a day? Once every five minutes?

Lately I have been getting away from moderation and into obsession. At least one treat almost every day. Or maybe two. Or like the other night when I had four chocolate chip cookies. (They were so good.) And because I am consuming more sugar, I crave it more. I am still working out hard so it is not really affecting my body visibly, but I know it is not good for me.

So I am giving up sugar until Thanksgiving. Except for a treat every 2 weeks.

Whaaaat? Head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to read how this happened. Oh and anyone else need to be cleansed from their sugary ways? Wanna join me?

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

At Least You're Not a Fat Cow

Pin It Now!

Head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to read my post about body types.

I Samuel 16:7

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Marriage Encouragement

Pin It Now!

When I am in fight or a funk with my husband, I don't feel very fit. I feel like a fat cow. Kidding, kidding, but I don't feel emotionally well. It puts me in a funk. Makes me feel down, depressed, frustrated . . . not emotionally healthy. For me, having a healthy marriage plays a big part in my emotional health. And the health of my children. Because you know, they pick up on everything.

I know this is a vast subject and I have no idea of where you are at in your marriage . . . I know some of you may be really struggling. Some of you are single moms, in the midst of divorce or separated and the thought of me writing about marriage makes you want to vomit. Go ahead and scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to see how you can win a copy of Totally Desperate Mom (there's only one chapter on marriage) and avoid vomiting. Or read this little challenge and take something away for when you do find that special someone.

For those of you who are married, I want to encourage and challenge you this month in your relationship with your husband. In just one small area . . . comparisons.

But you'll have to head on over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to for the marital encouragement . . . and you can win a copy of Totally Desperate Mom over there too.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Crabby. Sad. Impatient.

Pin It Now!

(This post was written a few months ago.)

The last few days I have been in a bad mood. Crabby. Sad. Impatient. Annoyed with my kids. Not sure exactly why, but I think I am overwhelmed by my “to do” list.

I’ve been working out almost every day, which I need. It’s healthy. Makes me feel better (not while I’m doing it, but afterwards). I don’t get discouraged by the 20-year-old non post-partum bodies I see on the Insanity DVD, but I do think man, they must have a lot of time to work out. . .

Read the rest of this post over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club so you can see how I figured out how NOT to have my head fall off.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Help Me in the Boxing Ring!

Pin It Now!
Please friends. I need your help. Your advice. Your support. Your encouragement.
Head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to read my post and then offer some input!

This is not a joke. This is not a test of the emergency broadcast system. Go to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club now and help a mother out.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

How to Train your Husband for Mother's Day

Pin It Now! ***Stop procrastinating and go enter my "Bless Your Mom" Giveaway. Deadline to enter is tomorrow at 11pm PST. It can be your gift to your mom for Mother's Day. Give her the gift of words - way better than an e-card with a dancing fairy and words that you didn't write.

-------

I am still training my husband about how Mother's Day is supposed to go. He is still clinging to the "Your not my mom" mentality that attempts to rob me of my Mother's Day joy. I have had to explain to him that until the kids are old enough to properly support me on Mother's Day (like when they're 30) he will have to take the reins. Well, actually I just have to tell him exactly how I want the day to go down.

Head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to find the irony behind my ideal Mother's Day and come tell me what your perfect Mother's Day looks like!

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

My Son's Future Meal Plan

Pin It Now! For those of you newbies to my blog (i.e. you were lured in by my $100 Amazon gift card giveaway), I blog once a month over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club. It is a blog that seeks to inspire moms to make fitness and good health a way of life for themselves and their families. And don't think that means I always eat healthy and I don't have a sweet tooth.

My friend from UCLA Annette Davis is the mama behind the Fit Moms Fit Kids Club madness. She is a pro-beach volleyball player, Olympian, and was an All-American at UCLA . . . and she hates to exercise so you'd like her. And she claims that she too has the old man face post-baby wrinklies around her belly button, but I think that may be a lie.

She is also a homeschooling, pastor's wife.

In the picture below, Annett is about to bash the ball over onto Kerri Walsh's side of the court.

And yes, I did teach Annett everything she knows and I gave her all of my height. That's why I'm only 5'1" and she's 5'11".

Here's Annett giving me her special sign that says "Hey Wendy. Thanks so much for all you've taught me."
This month I wrote a post at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club about how I hope my kids make healthy choices when they grow up. We try and have balance here - we still eat some junk, sugar, processed foods, mac 'n cheese, but overall we try and eat pretty healthy. Unless dad takes them camping or on an adventure.

Check out this month's post that my son came up with about the "In-N-Out Once-a- Month Meal Plan" over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Eat More Fruits and Veggies. But How?

Pin It Now!

Wanna know how to make your fruit and vegetable life a little easier for you and your children?

I'm not gonna tell you cuz I'm mean like that.

You gotta head over to my post at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club. Cuz you're nice like that.

And when you're there, please leave a comment and let me know how you feel about fruits and veggies.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

How to Make Dr.Oz-Approved Poop

Pin It Now!
Twenty to thirty pounds.That’s what they say. Three hundred extra calories per day. That’s what they say. The weight will just melt off, especially if you are breastfeeding. That’s what they say. When I find them, I will show them forty pounds and a stash of bean burritos. Seven-hundred-and-forty calories and twenty-grams of fat each. And that’s just my pregnant lady midnight snack. I’ve tried lighting my “muffin top” (that special roll of fat that hangs over your non-mom jeans, creating that muffin-like appearance around what’s left of your waist) on fire while nursing, and even then the weight does not melt off.

Okay, this chapter is not about weight gain or weight loss, but . . . popping out a kid sure does a number on mom’s bod. Mothering little ones is physically exhausting. The sleep deprivation, the eating what you can when you can (usually while standing), the hip holding while house cleaning, the stroller pushing and folding, the back breaking baby Bjorn/slings, and the car seat carrying.

------

That was an excerpt from my book Totally Desperate Mom: Keepin' it Real in the Motherhood. Here's a little more from Chapter 11: Taking Care of Mom Physically.

------

The importance of good nutrition is nothing new. Back in 400 BC Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” But I imagine that in 400 BC food wasn’t so processed and artificial and there were no drive-thrus. That being said, not all modern-day food should be your medicine. This topic is vast and most of us probably know what we should be putting into our bodies. Eating healthy takes time and money; most people don’t have an abundance of either one. Do the best you can with what you have. I am an expert on nothing, but here are ten simple ways you can improve your eating habits—in mom-sized bites:

1. Eat breakfast. It gets your metabolism started and refuels your body from that long night of sleep. If you are in a hurry, grab some fruit and a handful of almonds or walnuts.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Even if it is a small amount, try and eat a veggie at lunch and dinner. “Green smoothies” are a great and easy way to increase your fruit and veggie intake. You can make a regular fruit smoothie and add a green, leafy vegetable to it (spinach, kale, chard).


Here is a sample recipe of a smoothie I like to make . . .

Don't hate me for teasing you, but you're gonna have head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to get that smoothie recipe. You know, the one that will make Dr. Oz-Approved Poop.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

New Year's Resolutions - Aim Low

Pin It Now!

It's a new year. Have you made your resolutions? Good. Me neither. Nothing wrong with them. I just don't do them. When I worked as a step instructor at the gym there was always a surge of new people at the gym in January. For about a month or two. Then it was back to business as usual.

I don't want to be a statistic. (I just had to write that cuz it sounds so important and dramatic.)

Head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to read the rest of this post . . .

(This is what happens when I exercise at home. I have darling built-in coaches and weight bearing attachments.)

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Toilet Reading

Pin It Now! Don't forget to head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids to find out why you are not receiving a Christmas card in the mail from me. Even if you're my mom. Then leave an insightful comment or one that reads dlkfjadsofasg on that Fit Moms Fit Kids post for a chance to win a copy of Totally Desperate Mom: Keepin' it Real in the Motherhood. Last I checked there were only 3 entries so get after that action - for yourself, baby shower gift, Christmas gift, or toilet reading for your husband. (I've heard it causes husbands to better appreciate what the desperate mamas go through and they really like my advice in the "Taking Care of Mom's Marriage Chapter.")

Jordis wants to know what you are still doing here? Go to Fit Moms Fit Kids! Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Christmas + Stress = Yuck

Pin It Now!

One of my very favorite activities of the holiday season is decorating the Christmas tree with my kids!

Actually, the kids do most of the decorating and I just watch, take pictures, smile, and enjoy watching them squeal with excitement as they hang all the ornaments in a clump.

I LOVE THE ORNAMENT CLUMP! And I leave it as is.

One of my least favorite activities of the holiday season is . . .

head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to finish that sentence and to find out what I do, or actually what I don't do that almost everyone does, to reduce my stress in the holiday season. And you can win a copy of my book over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club .

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

How to Keep Strawberries Fresh

Pin It Now! Usually offer you nothing very useful on this blog. Today that is all about to change . . .

(photo by Stacy Kennedy)

Do you like strawberries? How about moldy, rotten ones? The answer is no. No, you don’t like rotten, moldy ones. Don’t you get bummed when you buy strawberries only to have them go rotten shortly after you buy them? And as a totally desperate mom you don’t want to make a trip back to the store/farmer’s market to get unrotten ones. And if you do save them to bring back to the store/farmer’s market chances are that you will forget your receipt or the strawberries or your purse or your kid or something. Just facts people, just facts.

Wanna know a trick on how to store your strawberries so they don’t rot quickly?

Sorry for the teaser but you're gonna have to head over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to find your answer.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Halloween Candy

Pin It Now!

What do you do with all the Halloween candy your kids collect on Halloween?

Here is what we do at the Totally Desperate Mom house: After we trick-or-treat we dump out all the candy into one big pile. We set the timer for 30 minutes. Then we all eat as much candy as we can in that sitting. Then we throw the rest away. (I’m totally going to get kicked off the Fit Moms Fit Kids Club blogging team for that. Please sign the petition to keep me here.) Head on over to Fit Moms Fit Kids Club to see what we really do . . .

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Exercise Tips for Moms

Pin It Now! My monthly post is up at Fit Moms Fit Kids. Here is a teaser . . .

Totally Desperate Mom is back at you once again with some simple exercise tips. And please remember that exercise is about more than loosing weight, or not getting fat, or trying to get a certain body. Exercise is about health. Health everywhere: heart, bones, circulation, lungs, mental health, eyeballs. Okay, maybe eyeballs are a stretch, but I am sure there is a study somewhere that proves the eyeballs-and-exercise correlation.

If exercise is about health, then that means it is even for the skinny desperate mamas.

And mamas, just because you may be in a stage where you cannot exercise 3-5 times weekly, do at least 30 minutes of cardio, and all those other “you musts to make it worth it” . . . do something! Something is better than nothing. Get moving.

Here are some tips taken from my book Totally Desperate Mom: Keepin' it Real in the Motherhood:

*Take a dance class. If you don’t have coordination, then maybe you can just salsa dance for your husband. I bet he’d like that.
Read more over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club and go take the pledge!

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Totally Desperate Mom Exercise

Pin It Now! Check out my post over at Fit Moms Fit Kids Club. It's about how desperate moms can work a little exercise into their lives. Make sure you click on the link to the video there because if you've ever wondered if your kids watch and learn from you . . . (But I take no credit for their ability to smile for pictures)
Pin It Now!

Be a Fan