With everything else going on around me, it’s been a little hard trying to get everything done daily. I’m trying though, and that is a lot more then I could have said, before Mamavation.

This past week, the scale did not cooperate as well as I would have liked. But dammit, overall I have lost over 9lbs since applying to be a Mamavation Mom, woohoo!

Even more exciting then that, is FEELING better. More energy, which means more spending time together as a family.

Here’s a little more of what I had to say about this week…

Hanan from Lilac City Momma

Thank You to our sponsors for this campaign:
New Balance, Omron Fitness, and Earth Footwear.
Each one is playing a huge roll in our goal to get active and healthy.

Also a Huge Thank you to all the Coaches:
Leah @BookieBoo, Alysa @InspiredRD, Pete  @PeteCohen_, and Mark @MrBookieboo.

I’m a little scared. Somebody hold me!

All I have heard about it  “Weeks 2 & 3 stink, and  don’t worry, you’ll get through it”.

The reason why that scared me is that  the past week has been pretty terrific,so what happens next week?

In fact,  I HAVE LOST 12.2 POUNDS SINCE APPLYING TO BE A MAMAVATION MOM!I haven’t seen this side of 240′s for over a year. Maybe two. SO HOORAY FOR ME!

The video was shot on Mother’s Day which was an example of how our lives have changed. Instead of  lazing around and eating– we were out walking and hiking!

I DID have one total freak out day in which my personal life was just holding me back. I was overwhelmed and  frustrated and instead of turning to  food  or something unhealthy, I sent a shout out to all my mentors- Lolo, Laura,and Andrea- and Bless them, they walked me off the ledge.  This kind of support is KEY to the Mamavation campaign. And  I get so much support from all the Sistas.  That is why I LOVE Mamavation- there is always someone here to  lend an ear, give a kind word or  a kick in the butt when needed.

I had a chance to got to Fitness Magazine’s FitBlogNYC- an awesome event where I got to meet a few sista’s! I got to spend some time with Ghada, Sherry, and Shelly.

I am totally cross-eyed  with lack of sleep, but thrilled to meet them all!

LOVE the baby, too!

Shelley took another shot of her trying to wake me up at the “butt crack of dawn” but it’s not really appropriate for this post. Let’s just say I’m not a super early morning person, and Shelley is WAY chipper in the mornings. WAY chipper. ugh.

AND- guess what I got this week from New Balance?

Aren’t they PURTY?   Even better, they are SO comfortable and  I immediately went for a nice 6 mile walk. Let me tell you that are so comfortable and they fit perfectly. I’ve been experimenting with shoes lately, and I do have to say, honestly, that these are the most comfortable ones I’ve worn.  I am so happy and thankful that New Balance sent them to me!

I also received some awesome stuff from Omron Fitness,but  it’s so cool I an gonna tell you ALL about it next week when I have more time to play with it!

I’m so thankful to all our wonderful sponsors: New Balance, Omron Fitness, InsiredRD, Weight Loss Guru, Earth Shoes  and of course, my Mamavation community  Plus my awesome Mentors Lolo, Laura, and Andrea, not to mention my partner in crime,and Mamavation Mom cohort, Hanan.

]]> http://www.mamavation.com/2012/05/keeping-motivated-and-excited.html/feed 4 http://www.mamavation.com/2012/05/camping.html http://www.mamavation.com/2012/05/camping.html#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 05:19:22 +0000 Elenka29 http://www.mamavation.com/?p=7710 It doesn’t take much to start geting results when it comes to wait loss – small changes will take you a long way. However, when it comes to Mamavation Mom bootcamp, things move very fast – ladies make drastic changes to their every day lives. Moreover the lives of their entire families get an extreme 7 week makeover. Just check out what our Mamavation Moms’ recent posts:

Hanan (@LilacCityMomma)has noticed that her oldest is asking questions like “Are we going to the gym today?” and the girls just love to exercise with her. “It’s just a great feeling knowing I’m having an impact on them already”.

Wendy’s (@WeightsOver) son asks her to wait until he gets home, so they can do workouts together. He does warmup along with first circuit and cheers Wendy for the rest of workout. Ally (Wendy’s daughter) goes on walks with her and participates in family nutritional discussions.

The camping season is about to begin here on Midwest, and I can’t wait to spend some time outdoors with the kids. However, that’s where it gets complicated – how do I go about camping with a toddler? How do I keep my kids safe and make sure we all have good time?

Our Mamavation TV guest this week is a nature enthusiast and wants to share that love with her audience and how they have their young families interact with the world.  I am thrilled to hear what words of wisdom Cragmama will be sharing with our audience on Monday.  Small tips can really help your family get ready to play outside and enjoy yourselves.

Special Guest: Erica Lineberry (@Cragmama)

Erica is a believer that we only get one shot on this journey called life, and need to make the most of it. One of her favorite passions is getting out and exploring this playground called Earth, that she believes God created for us to enjoy. During her pregnancy and her son’s first weeks she and her husband realized that they were at a life stage where many folks give up on adventure and play, and get locked into a rut of everyday living. But they wanted to do more than just “get by.”

Enjoy!

Now it’s you turn! Please link up your healthy recipes below:

Alysa Bajenaru, RD is the official dietitian of Mamavation. You can find her blogging, tweeting, or chasing after one of her kids.

When I saw this picture today, it was through the eyes of a group of bloggers in Los Angeles that personally knew the 26 year old mom in this photo, Jamie Lynne. I’ve personally never met or interacted with Jamie. I do think she is drop dead gorgeous and the picture definitely plays up all her “assets.”

These were my first honest impressions.

–Wait, that’s a 3 year old? He looks closer to six to me.

–Is he breastfeeding? Oh, he is. Why aren’t they more comfortable in a chair or something? That’s kinda weird.

–I have a feeling this is going to piss off moms at the grocery store when they have to explain this to their kids. Our culture isn’t like Europe. I hope she has her comment moderation on her blog.

–WTF was Time Magazine thinking? This is kinda disrespectful to extended breastfeeders. I’m wondering if she had the ability to approve this one?

–Holy Moly, I hope that kid has a good sense of humor when he gets older. I see loads of teasing in his future.

–Oh, boy. This is going to cause a shit storm. That’s FO SHO.

As you can see, I wasn’t offended by how old he was and still breastfeeding. I’m supportive of extended breastfeeders. I am however very concerned with how this picture is portraying that crowd. When I picture a woman breastfeeding a child that is older than two years old, I’m not picturing Jamie. Seeing Jamie standing there looking very sexy threw me off a bit. And that is just being honest.

From what I’ve heard, Time Magazine has been losing subscriptions and newsstand sales for years now. The most recent report I could find was with the New York Times stating that newsstand sales were down 34.9% in 2010, which is a better indicator than subscriptions because it’s more timely and relevant. That’s pretty understandable because people go online for their news now. At least everyone I know does. So to me we have a really good example of Time Magazine fighting for relevance in a crowded space. The internet is now king.

I think this issue is surrounded with LOADS of additional important issues such as our economy, how the magazine industry is changing because of the rise of the internet, how breastfeeding is becoming the norm and the backlash against formula companies, how “moms” online are getting a reputation for fighting and now magazines are trying to capitalize on that, how images like this can incite an emotional response that everyone must recognize as relevant, etc. I mean things like this are like a car wreck…you HAVE to look. Even if you don’t want to share your opinion, you will have one.

Time Magazine is going for newsstand sales. We all know it. It’s obvious, but we all have to talk about it and write about it. Everyone has a take about this. One thing I’d like to say is….

Can we all just get along?

It’s Mother’s Day weekend YO!

#thatisall

Fitcation 11 in Austin, Texas

Mamavation is a special community of moms who are working hard to make their families lives healthier. We take on unique challenges everyday. Most of us are not surrounded by people who understand social media or really “get” what we do online, so the friendships we create online are very unique. In fact, the friendships we create with each other are so strong that sometimes we wish we lived next door to each other so we could just hangout and encourage each other 24/7. So every year, a handful of the most active community leaders from Mamavation get together for team building and fun. This year, we’ve expanded the number we are allowing to attend because our sponsor has been so generous in offering us free lodging.

Fitcation Mamavation Non-Conference

brought to you by

#Fitcation12

August 16-18th , 2012

Westlake Village, CA (Just north of Los Angeles)

This year we are traveling to Los Angeles to meet up and spend time together. And Dole is graciously sponsoring our event by providing us with lodging at the Four Seasons Hotel and breakfast on Saturday. Thank you!!

Tickets to Fitcation can be purchased by members of Mamavation ONLY and are $200. All rooms will have two doubles and each member will share a room with another community member. (Yes, you can choose your roommate, but selections must be in before the event.) When you purchase your ticket to Fitcation it includes the following:

• Lodging at the Four Seasons from August 16-18th
• All meals except for lunch on Saturday
• Transportation to events
• Brand events
• Workouts
• Swag bags

We will be staying at the Four Seasons in Westlake, which is a five star hotel just outside Los Angeles, and this is what your room will look like:

This is what your bathroom will look like:

Itinerary for the Event*

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Thursday

August 16th

Check in between 2pm and 5pm at the Four Seasons Hotel. Afterwards, go up to Bookieboo’s room to check into the event.

5pm: Get settled in, unpack and hang with your roommate.
7pm: Pajama Party & Catered Dinner in Bookieboo’s Suite. Dinner from a local Greek Restaurant. Wine served with dinner from Organic Paso Robles vineyards. (Yes, you all can have a glass of wine….I won’t look.)

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Friday

August 17th

7am to 8am:  Up bright and early for your morning ass kicking. We will have a fitness class. Fitness instructor to be determined.

9am-12:30pm: Walk across the street to Dole Headquarters and meet in the lobby. Don’t be late. They will take us down to their super healthy cafeteria and host breakfast there. Dole will then show us their product demonstration room and give us a glimpse of what they are working on. New products, etc.

1pm: Meet in Dole lobby and walk about 3 blocks to Subway. Subway will be hosting our lunch.

3pm to 5pm: Open time slot.

6pm: Meet in lobby and take a ride to Bookieboo’s house. Ya’ll are gonna help me cook dinner, hang out by the fire pit, drink wine, tease me about my cluttered office, etc.

10pm: Back to the Four Seasons

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Saturday

August 18th

7am to 8am: Fitness class bright and early ya’ll.

9am: Meet in lobby. Hop on a bus and breakfast on the go.

9am to 5pm: Sight Seeing Tour. We are going to hit some popular Los Angeles sights so that you can all see what this great city is all about.

12pm: Lunch will be on you. I have no idea where we will be stopping.

5pm-7pm: Finale Dinner at Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant, http://marrakeshdining.com. Private dining room. Belly Dancers.
House wine, tea, or water.
Appetizers: Harira Vegetable Soup with Lentils, tomatos, & garbanzo beans
Three Traditional Moroccan Salads: Marinated eggplant, tomatoes & cucumbers, spiced carrots
More traditional Moroccan assorted vegetables with hummus
Main course: Lamb and Vegetables, cracked wheat, Couscous, vegetables, & raisins
Dessert: Fresh Mint Tea & Homemade Baklava

7pm: Back to the Four Seasons

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 Sunday

August 19th

7am: Wake up bright and early for our last fitness class.

8:30am: Meet in lobby and walk to Subway for our last breakfast. *sniff sniff*

9:30am: Walk back, get your things together and homeward bound.

In order to purchase a ticket to this event you must first apply. We need to check and make sure that you are able to participate physically in the events and that you are a member in good standing with the community. We ask that you join the Mamavation forums at http://mamavation.com/forums/  in order to follow along on everything we have planned!

So what are you waiting for? Only FOUR Tickets left.

APPLY TO THIS EVENT

Requirements:

• Must be current Mamavation community member in good standing, i.e. kept up with your Mamavation Monday posting
• Must be willing to thank all the sponsors via your website after event conclusion
• This is a no spouse and no child event, unless you are a breastfeeding mom. Yes, @MrBookieboo will be there but technically he’s working ya’ll.

Please note:

• Tickets are non-refundable

Are you a brand wanting to get involved?

Are you a sponsor or business that wants to get its brand in front of our community leaders? Feel free to contact Leah Segedie to discuss, bookieboo78@gmail.com.

So as part of my “Mamavation’s Favorite Things” series, I’ve decided to do a special list dedicated to personal trainers on Twitter. Here are some of the people you should follow if you want to get fit or stay healthy.

Thanks to all of you creating inspiration everyday in the name of fitness and health. It’s people like you that are truly on the forefront of changing our world to a healthier and happier one.

Congratulations to all the Personal Trainers who made it to Mamavation’s Favorite Things. If you would like to grab a banner in pride, you are welcome to do so.

<div align=”center”><a href=”http://www.mamavation.com/2012/03/top-trainers-in-social-media.html” title=”Mamavation” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.mamavation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/favthings2.jpg” alt=”Mamavation” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

<div align=”center”><a href=”http://www.mamavation.com/2012/03/top-trainers-in-social-media.html” title=”Mamavation” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.mamavation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/favthings1.jpg” alt=”Mamavation” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

If you think there is someone I have missed, you can go to our Mamavation Forums and make a recommendation here. I’d love to hear your thoughts. But if you are commenting here please don’t give me a laundry list of why this list was not up to your standards would just be kinda rude. (And I may delete your comment because it’s my blog and therefore my rules.)

So much happened this past week.

After traveling, coming home, and finally getting back into the swing of things, I’m feeling much better now.

I can hardly believe it myself, but I lost even more pounds this past week. Putting me at a 11.6 lb weight loss since I applied to be a Mamavation Mom. That jump, right at the beginning was really a perfect way to start this campaign.

Over the past week, I have been working my butt off with the daily circuits. Which I’m not going to lie, is tough.

Alysa, from Inspired Results, sent me my nutrition plan which fits perfect with the foods I like, keeping my calories up for nursing, and over all just being really easy to use this week. Don’t worry, I will tell you more about those meal plans in the following weeks, as I get better with them and get my exchange book.

A few times this past week I have forgotten to eat my afternoon snack. Being a mom to three, I do often forget to stop and eat. Also, I have it embedded in my head to drink more water. I know I need extra water, with the exercising and nursing. Of course, I am struggling to remember that too.

If you haven’t joined the Mamavation Forums yet, you should. Everyone is so helpful. If you have a question, there is always someone to help or suggest. It’s been really helpful to log my food and exercise, get that support and advice from others.

A BIG HUG to my Mamavation Mentors Lolo, Andrea, and Lauren who all have been just plain awesome at helping us. They email, text, tweet me everyday and I couldn’t have asked for better mentors. Also, I would really like to thank Megan and Shannon for all our talks and your help this week. The whole sistahood is just awesome!

I have noticed that my oldest is asking questions like “Are we going to the gym today?” and the girls just love to exercise with me. It’s just a great feeling knowing I’m having an impact on them already.

Here’s a little more of what I have to say…

Hanan from Lilac City Momma

Thank You to our sponsors for this campaign:
New Balance, Omron Fitness, and Earth Footwear.
Each one is playing a huge roll in our goal to get active and healthy.

Also a Huge Thank you to all the Coaches:
Leah @BookieBoo, Alysa @InspiredRD, Pete  @PeteCohen_, and Mark @MrBookieboo.

Guess what??  I’ve lost 8.8 pounds since applying to be a Mamavation Mom!   WHOO-HOO!

Wanna SEE how my week went?

I’ve started watching Pete Cohen’s program. I’ve not been able to give it the attention that it deserves , so  am going to make it more of a priority when I get back from NYC and Fitblog!   I am meeting Shelley, Ghada, Sherry and maybe a few other sistas at a Fitness Magazine Blogging event.   I am super excited about it, and as Leah said, I know I’ll stay on track because it’s all about health and fitness!

I’m sending a SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT  to the  wonderful sponsor that we have: Omron Fitness, New Balance,  Earth Shoes,  Weight Loss Guru, InspiredRd and of course, Mamavation, and the INCREDIBLE  mentors that Hanan and I have- Lolo, Laura, and Andrea.   I’m so thankful for you guys!

Hanan (pronounced huh-non) (@LilacCityMomma) is the mother to three beautiful girls all 5 and under, happily married to her husband of almost 3 years (together for 6). Hanan’s family has lived in eastern WA for almost 6 years and she became a SAHM a little over two years ago (after the birth of her middle child).

“My days consist of cooking, cleaning, blogging, and taking care of my family. You can find me over at lilaccitymomma.com, where I talk about our life here in Spokane, raising three girls, and a little of everything else about me. I love photography, writing, cooking, crafts, and when I can find time for it, curling up on the couch watching a movie or reading a good book. I’m so happy to be a part of Mamavation, and getting my butt kicked for these next 6 weeks. It’s one of the best opportunities I’ve had to help change my life for the better.” 

Wendy (@Weightisover) is a full time Wife and Mom (married to Dave, her high school sweetheart), and Mom to 2 kids – Ally, 13 3/4 (that 3/4 MATTERS to a teen!) and Aedan, 10. They live in Connecticut where Wendy spends a lot of time involved with school, animals shelter, and involved with local politics. She loves home decorating and especially reworking and refurbishing things for home. But more than that, Wendy is committed to getting healthy and fit. As a two time gynecological cancer survivor, she knows that losing weight and becoming fit is the best way to stay healthy. One of her goals is to be around to attend her grandbabies weddings and she is determined to keep this promise!

“Being a Mamavation Mom means so much to me – I’m really looking forward to the whole experience and learning the Mamavation Way of getting fit! Having the support of so many Sistas makes it so much easier. Knowing that there is always somebody out there on Twitter and Facebook who will support and cheer me on makes my journey that much smoother!”

This week on Mamavation TV we will be talking about plateaus. Almost everyone reaches a weight loss plateau at some point in their fitness journey. The reason is that the human body works hard to keep energy intake and output in balance. In other words, a body does not like to lose weight (not a revelation, huh?). After the initial weight loss, your progress will slow down and eventually stop even though your exercise and food intake is consistent. The bottom line is that the very efforts you make to burn more calories may eventually slow it down.

What do we do when we face a challenge here at Mamavation? We call an expert!

Special Guest:  Corinne Dobbas, MS, RD, (@RDCorinne) a leading nutrition counselor, writer, and speaker and trusted nutrition source for the media. She believes that optimal health starts with the activity that you do every day—eat. Corinne is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with a Masters in Nutrition who adores helping people find health through nutrition. You can find Corinne in the San Francisco Bay Area counseling, speaking, and writing about nutrition. She specializes in weight management and sports nutrition.

“You have the power to create the best, healthiest, and happiest you there is. It’s my job to help you find that “best” you.”

MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV.

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Dole.

One blogging carnival participant will receive a Dole Fruit Bites blogger sample pack.