Whew! I am right in the middle of the Stroller Strides of Longmont Fit Moms Challenge and the ladies are kicking my butt. In the challenge, teams of 2 moms accumulate points in the areas of Mind, Body and Spirit according to their daily activities. You can get points for attending Stroller Strides classes, exercising on your own, taking time for yourself, spending time meditating/praying, keeping a personal journal, eating fruits and vegetables, and more. The team to collect the most points wins PRIZES!! The prizes are awesome and I am determined to win! (Well everyone actually wins a prize, but higher points mean you get an earlier pick).
Since I run Stroller Strides in Longmont you would think that I am a shoo-in to win. Well, to be fair, I made my SS class time not count for me. And because of it I have to find a way to squeeze a workout in other than Stroller Strides and it is so hard to find the time! Stroller Strides really is a blessing for moms trying to find time to work out without having to get a babysitter, or having to worry if their little one is freaking out in the gym daycare.
Anyway, more about the challenge...
For me the challenge is not about working out until I fall over, it isn't about eating only carrots, it isn't even about getting the most points. For me, the challenge is about awareness. When I sit down nightly and count up my points it gives me time to reflect on how much or how little I cared about my own total body/mind/spirit fitness. Did I make a healthy breakfast for everyone and then run out of the door with butter toast to eat in the car? Did I slow down for 15 minutes to be thankful for my blessings? Did I enrich my mind with a good book instead of watching mindless TV?
The challenge reminds me of what my goals are and whether or not that day I chose to make decisions that got me closer or whether I need to try better tomorrow.
But the last reason I love the challenge is that it is FUN!!!
So thanks ladies for being a part of the challenge and part of a community that supports healthy moms creating happy families!
(and if you are a Fit Mom, let me know what your favorite part of the challenge has been so far!)
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12 comments:
Well put Elaine! I've somehow managed to stay well-rounded as a Mom thanks to sports and Luna Mom's and Longmont Mamas. I made sure to get back into tennis 2 1/2 months after Jordyn was born and found the Mom's groups when she was around 4-5 months old. Now, thanks to the Mom's groups, we did tons of hiking this summer and I'm back playing volleyball for the first time in 7 years!!!
What the Fit Mom's Challenge has done for me though is give me the time to reflect on what each friend, activity, and event means to me and how it/they make me feel. Before I just took a lot of what I was doing for granted. We as Mom's are so lucky to have connected and have each other for support. We are blessed that we have husbands, family, and friends that support our active lifestyles while also being the proverbial SAHM (or part-time working Mom in my case). I've also found that because of these reflections, my day-to-day actions have become more deliberate and value-filled. I'm no longer going through my day to just get through it. (Sad, but true.) I'm making more of it and valuing all of my time whether it's with Jordyn, my Husband, My Mommy Friends, at work, or by Myself.
Now if I could just find a way to get myself to the gym or out running! Guess it wouldn't be called a Challenge if there was nothing challenging about it! :)
~Gina
PS - Elaine, I love the Fit Bingo! That's been a really great tool toward accomplishing my personal goals! LOVE IT!
You both are summing things up nicely, so I'm just going to be short and sweet since I agree with everything you've said. I will say though that I'm a HUGE snacker, especially after dinner. I have always wanted to do a Food Journal but never took the time or had the discipline to follow through with it. Now that I have good motivation, my eyes have been opened just how much I do snack and I have cut it way back (although I do still have my nightly ice cream!ha!). Another positive to the food journal, I without a doubt am getting my fruits and veggies in everyday! Thanks for organizing this challenge Elaine...it's great!
When I started this challenge I had no idea how it would impact my life. I have always had good intentions of eating healthy, drinking enough water, going to church, journaling, spending quality time with my husband, etc., but with the whirlwind of day-to-day life I've never had the accountability to actually do these things on a regular basis. This challenge is exactly what I needed to help myself focus on the things that are important.
As moms we tend to do everything for everyone else and put our own needs last. Now that I have set goals and have accountability I am not only able to make sure the needs of my family are met, but I can also focus on myself and my health.
I feel balanced and energized! I also feel so blessed to have the support of my family and my friends/fellow moms! Thank you for offering such a great support system, Elaine!
This challenge has made me realize that I needed to pay more attention to myself. My schedule and my daily goals always worked around the kids, hubby, housework etc. Now I really try to take out some time for myself as well. It's still hard for me to just sit down and relax and read and just do a "me time". Although it still feels weird, I realized I feel better and more energized after these times.
I wasn't very happy to hear that the challenge included writing a food log since I've never done one and I always thought it was just a waste of time. Well, once I started I realized that I didn't eat enough fruits/veggies eventhough I eat pretty healthy and mostly home made stuff. I always gave plenty of fruit/veggie servings for my kids but not to myself. Now it's changing, whenever I give the kids their fruits I also serve myself.
I totally love the Bingo, I put things on the bingo page that I knew needed improvement and it is definetely working for me. I feel great at the end of the day when I accomplishe one of my goals.
Thank you Elaine for organizing this challenge!!!
My favorite part of this challenge so far as been, seeing what I eat and realizing I should eat MORE calories in general (not everyone can say that but I get too!) AND NOT having to think about loosing weight either!
But really I love realizing that I REALLY DO spend time with my husband. That we date at LEAST once a week and often spend time at home doing things we love together after the kids are in bed...like puzzles. I love that I am accomplishing extra goals like talking to friends in CA I don't make time for often, or being creative in my cooking.
Overall, I also love being a part of a team doing something better for ourselves and our families.
We often ignore our needs and run around crazy, but at the end of the day (EVEN If it's after 10pm) and we finally get to read in bed or do puzzles with your hubby...it's awesome!
I LOVE finally realizing what I need to change and have always wanted to change, but didn't. Now I'm making changes, not in just working out but what I eat and how much. I love the using a food journal will definitely continue to use one when the challenge is over.
Funny thing is that I have my husband helping me out with the "me time" part and getting me more points. Every night he asks how I did after I added them up and thinks of things I can do to earn more. LOL. I think he wants me to win!
I'm just so excited to be apart of this and be more rounded in every aspect of being a mother. Also I've already lost 3 pounds!!
I agree with everybody especially about being aware of what I eat myself! I always thought that I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, no problem there. But since I have a child, I just worry what he eats. I pick the carrots out of my dish and give them to him if he ate all of his. I keep the blueberries for him because he loves them... And suddenly I realized, I'm not eating healthy myself at all. Keeping a food journal helps me being aware of what I eat, especially the little snacks in between.
My favorite part has been exactly what you said. Not garnering the most points, but really realizing where my life must change for ME to be peaceful, happy,and fulfilled while constantly giving so much of my energy to others.
I am finding how low on the priority list I make everything that means anything to me except my children. Somewhere in between having my first child and five years later, I am discovering I have lost myself.
But not to worry! This little Challenge has really reminded me of what I want in my life to make it rich and what I can live without. From healthy dinners, and exercise everyday, to true quality time with my kids, and less activities. (even if it means I won't get points...it also means I won't go crazy!)
So to me, I guess the Fit Challenge is the beginning of a road that is giving me a chance to re-evaluate what I want and who I want to be...call it a midlife crisis that I am actually grateful for! :)
Jen
This fit moms challenge is so great. It is the perfect motivator that I've been needing for a while. Although the point of the challenge for me is to become a healthier,stronger, more wellrounded person and mother, I did do this for weight loss too. I've still got a long way to go and things to improve on, but so far I have surprisingly lost 10 lbs. and 3 inches. I've hit a couple of bumps in the road with moving,and sickness.(Which is surprising,since I've been taking my vitamin every day) I'm ready to get back on track, and am even more motivated by the weight loss. I also love finding and cooking healthy recipes. I actually think I've started cooking more often because of it.I look forward to trying some of the posted recipes on Luna Moms.I LOVE the challenge, and I'm sure I'll need another one after the holidays to get me back in check,although,once I reach my goals, I will not move backward for any reason. I really think this time is going to be the beginning of a total life change for me for the better.THANKS ELAINE you rock!!GOOD LUCK to all you ladies. Chicks for change rule!
I love hearing what other moms feel about this challenge. I am seeing everyday when I get out of be what can I do today for my family, for myself and to spend that much needed time with my husband.
It makes me think everything and everyone and not just my child and where can I take him today.
I think my husband likes it just as much as I do because it makes me cook more and spend more one on one time with time and not just watching tv at night.
I am not good with the food log part but I do think about what I eat and where I eat a lot more. All my biggest thing was trying to workout more which I have got a lot better on.
I like that this challenge is good for everyone and fit for all kind of moms not just the workout mom or the cooking mom but ever kind. Thanks elaine you really are a great person. Chicks for change rock. Keep up the great work moms.
Agreed! My favorite part is the accountability, as you said for taking the time to do the "right" thing, but also for my workouts. I am a procrastinator, so without the challenge I often say, "I'll do it tomorrow." Those tomorrow's really add up! :)
I loved the challenge.It help me prioritize what is important and made me realize where my energy is going, what kind of food I eat and how much I exercise or don't. It helped me create some structure and realize how important me time is. It made me feel calmer and grounded and made me realize that it is important for me to be well in order to help others. I hope we win, but if we don't I am taking away a lot of good things and I practiced my ambition. Lavinia
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