For moms who don’t have time (share with a friend)

Over our years working in fitness and nutrition I’ve worked with A LOT of moms. Given that moms give to everyone around them, I’ve had to really navigate what holds them back from giving equally to themselves. I’m a parent myself but let’s focus on the moms right now – dads another time.

I’ve talked to hundreds of women about their struggles when it comes to sticking with their fitness.

I know about the fear of failing again, the fear of starting over and the fear of falling off the wagon. I know about the cravings and lack of knowledge of how/what to eat.

I’ve watched them spend endless hours on treadmills, working with trainers and exercising with little to no return on their time and energy investment. And I’ve seen them give up time and time again.

After coaching thousands of clients at our gyms and specifically interviewing many women around their biggest areas of struggle, several things stand out as major issues that cause setbacks or failures, but what the overlying issue boils down to is TIME.

They just don’t have time.

I’ve been able to help these same women who once felt endlessly trapped in a vicious cycle by time transform their bodies using methods they can rely on forever.

Here’s what to do:

• Learn how simple nutrition really is. You don’t need supplements, shakes, pills or anything aside from food. You don’t have to eliminate carbs or eat chicken and lettuce and that’s it. Foods that promote fat loss taste AMAZING and take very little time to prepare. You can also go out to eat frequently and stay fit. It’s just a matter of knowing what to order!

• Exercise for maximum efficiency. You need the most bang for your buck because of the time crunch. You need a coach to guide and support you with an exercise program aligned with your goals.

• Mindset. Everything starts with believing that your goals are possible to achieve and making up your mind that you’re doing this thing NO MATTER WHAT. That you’ll strive to be better by just 1% every day. Accept that there will be setbacks, but there is no giving up. There is no failure this time. This is so much easier when you realize you don’t have to dedicate every waking moment and thought to your weight loss!

• Stop trying to be perfect. I would go CRAZY if I had to be perfect all the time with my fitness and nutrition, even as a pro! I love junk food and have created parameters that are effortless to follow. It’s called the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, I stay on track, 20% of the time I’m flexible with my choices. It takes practice, but it’s quite simple and easy to get the hang of.

If all this sounds great to you, you may still be wondering where in the world to start. Don’t worry!

You don’t have to have a perfect plan to get started. The stars don’t have to align and probably never will.

Just start. Go to the gym one time this week. Go for a walk around the block. Book a free consultation somewhere. Just start.

Jack Wheeler is a personal trainer and the owner of 360 Fitness in Red Deer.