A few years ago, my life, mentality, and physical health looked a lot different than it does today. After enduring the impacts of an unhealthy second pregnancy, I found myself still gaining weight. I felt isolated and disconnected. After feeling less and less like myself, barely recognizing the woman in the mirror, I decided to stop putting my happiness on hold and step into action toward change.
I knew I had to make a change. I also knew the change, while I wanted it mostly on the outside, had to start on the inside. My self-talk was toxic.
My journey truly began with a new mindset. As I stood there, criticizing every roll, dimple, and stretch mark, I repeated two words to myself in the mirror, “I can.” Once I got my mind on board, I had to figure out the how. That, in and of itself, was one of the biggest struggles. I didn’t know what to do or where to begin, so I took my son on a walk in his stroller. It wasn’t long or pretty, but I wanted to commit to small movements every day. So, I did. I did what my body could handle. Our daily walks progressed from five to fifteen minutes, and then my walk became a jog; before long, I was running, using my stationary bike, and lifting weight.
Was I physically in shape? No.
Did I have to take breaks? You bet your butt I did.
But I never stopped.
Movements as Medicine
Thirty minutes a day brought me more connected to myself and my sons. Movement became my medicine. It made me patient, focused, and happy. I was addicted to how I felt on the inside because I was actively working on myself on the outside as well. These intentional movements resulted in me dropping 70 pounds and transforming my life physically and mentally.
Like most women my age, I turned to social media for accountability. I shared my transformation from my first day to today because the journey is never over. The goal of my social platform is to embrace that everybody is beautiful. You can love and accept your body in every phase, but you can also want to make a change. Set goals to be stronger, more resilient, or a better wife/mom/sister/aunt instead of flat out declaring you want to lose weight.
Mental Health Matters
The work I put in isn’t for vanity. I share my journey because this is my therapy. My mental health matters. Sometimes, when you find something you enjoy, especially as a mom, you forgo expectations of the perfect workout. Kids are messy. Life is messy. Workouts are messy too. At the end of the day, it’s all about how it makes YOU feel and committing to follow through with the promise you made to yourself.
Speaking of the ever-evolving journey, my new one started about eight months ago when I found out I was pregnant (surprise) with my third child. God laughs, right?
Despite my pregnancy, I have remained focused on me and prioritizing my mental and physical health, especially during this pregnancy. It gives me all the more reason to do so during this season of change. I work out daily, and I rest when I need to. I eat foods that fuel the baby and me. Sure, the bump gets in the way sometimes, but not enough to forgo my goals to build resiliency to life’s stressors and create a healthy, strong pregnancy for myself and my future child.
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The best advice to reach your goals:
It starts with your mindset.What you tell yourself is what you believe. Stop the negative self-talk.
Start small. Start somewhere, anywhere. Commit to five minutes a day. The bare minimum action will propel your motivation to push you past the limits you set.
Always listen to your body. Living a healthy lifestyle is not all-or-nothing.
Experiment. Find out what foods bring you down and the ones that fuel you.
This is not an overnight success story. Give yourself grace. Your journey is never truly over; even when you reach your goals, set new ones.
How do you prioritize your mental and physical health with kids at home?
Ali Kay lives in Central Florida and is a small business owner, mom of three (almost), an online fitness coach and the host of a top-rated podcast, “Invest Your Best with Ali Kay.” As an influencer on social media, Ali continues to build a supportive community for other like-minded men and women. Her motto is, “30 minutes a day keeps the insanity away.”
I loved this article. Such practical and doable advice with good reminders for us all. Refreshing.