How I Lost Over 60lbs as a Busy Mom

How I Lost Over 60lbs as a Busy Mom

When people find out how much weight I lost – they can’t believe it. Then when they find out I’m a busy mom of 2 that runs a business and had struggled with weight for most of my life they ask – “How did you do it?” I mean, I’m the mom that wore my pregnancy jeans for almost a full 2 years after my son was born (not the cute ones either – the full belly kind). The truth is, of course they know how I did it. I made a choice. Then, I committed.

However, the biggest trick that helped me make that decision was getting rid of my biggest excuses that we can tell ourselves. I don’t have time. It’s going to take forever. I have so much weight to lose. Excuses excuses. Instead, I made my choice to get healthy a non-negotiable for several reasons, but my number 1 - to set the example. To set the example to my kids and teach them to be healthy so that they don’t struggle with weight or self-image issues like I did.
 
I mean look around you at the social media age that we are growing up in. I grew up before selfies and facebook and had huge self-body image issues – so I can’t image what young girls are dealing with today. I dread the day my daughter gets on social media – there is so much pressure on girls to be perfect. Even us moms – nowadays on social media you can see a mom with a perfect body and ZERO stretch marks and we can tend to just compound those body issues.
 
Now that I have lost my weight, I catch other women and moms that may be struggling with weight giving me the side eye. Every cell of my body wants to scream out to them – NO I’M JUST LIKE YOU. If I can do this - YOU CAN TOO! Listen – I am by no means perfect and I’m not at my ideal body. I have stretch marks all over my stomach from carrying 2 huge human beings into the world. But, I accept and love myself for where I am at now and continue pushing forward. Striving to grow and be a little bit better than I was yesterday.
 
I had to start at some point though. I had grown tired of listening to my own excuses that were all fear based. I was scared to start – scared of people looking at me in the gym or how I was going to “have to” give up my favorite foods for what felt like forever. I had to push past that fear and decide to make taking care of myself a non-negotiable. To take care of myself first – I know what you’re thinking. WHAT?! What kind of mom says she puts herself first – ME.
 
Now I don’t put myself first as far as who get fed first at dinner… I’m a mom so I’m always the last person to sit down. I’m talking in terms of self-care like the things that make me happier and healthier for overall life. A big part of that was getting my health in check, but what becomes a huge side effect is that a lot of other things fall into place when that choice is made. It improves not just your physical health and how you look, but your mental health, your outlook, your confidence and how you feel about yourself.
 
I started out just wanting to set the example for my kids that I wasn’t going to give up. I wanted to show my kids how to not give up on themselves by being the guinea pig. I wanted to show them to lead an active and healthy lifestyle so they didn’t struggle with weight issues like I did. However, it has evolved to showing them how to talk to themselves, take care of themselves, treat themselves, and how to love themselves.
 
As moms, we are the warrior of our family. We give so much of ourselves to our family and will sacrifice for our tiny amazing beings. We are the leader to show these small humans how to grow up and they are watching. It can be overwhelming as a mom – you feel like you have zero time to yourself and that perhaps you will make it through one day without having someone else’s bodily fluids on you. But once a choice to value yourself as an amazing, warrior mom and believe that you can do anything you choose is made. You become unstoppable.
 
“Love yourself for where you are now and for where you are going.” – Renea
 
Remember…
Life is What You Choose
XO Renea