Fit Mom Talk: Fit Pregnancy

By Kate Horney 

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, there is no better time to celebrate being a healthy, fit mom.

I recently sat down with my friend Amanda Tress, the founder of Fit Pregnancy and Parenting to talk about all that goes into being a FIT mom, and wanted to share some of Amanda’s great tips with you today….

Amanda is a mommy to a beautiful baby girl, mommy-to-be to a baby boy (June 2013), and a personal trainer who is passionate about health and wellness. She have trained clients in the gym for over 9 years, and truly enjoys helping women lose weight, learn how to exercise properly, gain confidence, and transform their lives (and the lives of their family) for the better.

Check out our #fitmom talk below:

Kate: As a fit (and busy) mom, tell us about your priorities… Family? Training? Both? Other? Etc. How has your focused changed over time?

Amanda: Helping women (and specifically new moms) be the best version of themselves is a huge passion of mine, and that will never change. However, now I have the joy of being a mom, and prioritizing my family in addition to my career, church life, etc. I haven’t changed my priority to help women get healthy, but I have learned how to balance my career with my family life. In fact, I recently resigned from my full-time job to become 100% self-employed as an online personal trainer and consultant so I can spend more time with my family.

Kate: You have obviously made fitness a priority even in your busy schedule. Was there a moment of definition where you consciously decided to go for it or was it more of a passive thing? In other words, did you make a concerted effort or did you just get lucky? 🙂

Amanda: I was not healthy when I was younger. I had extremely high blood pressure and was on blood pressure meds as a teenager (like as in 180/120 … yeah … like I should have had a stroke). I ate horribly, was told to go on diabetes meds, etc. I started having some chest pains and heart palpitations in high school as well, and that was the last straw — I decided to do a complete 180 and take care of my temple in a Christ-honoring way. I am not naturally thin, and I have to really work to stay fit and toned. However, I have decided to make it a lifestyle, and I since I know what it feels like to be unhealthy and on medication, I never want to go back 🙂

Kate: You have had a lot of success in staying fit will being being a busy mom, especially in terms of doing what not many moms have been able to do: create your life so that health and fitness is sustainable and can fit into your limited time schedule. How would you advise the busy mom who wants to leverage their time better? What’s the first step?

Amanda: Schedule out every minute of your day and stick to it. Hire an online trainer, like myself, for accountability.  For the past two years, I have worked 70 hours per week, and still stayed fit. Keep your health as a top priority on your list. A fit mom is a happy mom. Now that my schedule is more flexible (since I quit my full-time job this week) I have determined to set my alarm and still get up early and prioritize my workout every day.

Kate: What about moms who say they cannot achieve their goals because they don’t have time?

Amanda: Make time. Talk to me for 5 minutes and I will be sure to strip your excuses away 🙂

Kate: For moms who are frequently exhausted and worn-out by the end of the day, how would you advise they manage their schedules/energy/time so that they have the energy/motivation to start on the path towards reaching their goals?

Amanda: A big part of having the right amount of energy to fuel a workout is to eat the proper foods. Consider consulting with a personal trainer or licensed nutritionist to see if you are eating the right amount of nutrients to fuel your day. Chances are, if you improve your food intake, you will improve your energy level. Eating right and working out go hand in hand.

Kate: What is ONE THING these moms can start on today that will not overwhelm them?

Amanda: I start most of my clients out with a walking program or with my 35 minute Total Body Workout DVD. Do not try to run a marathon on you first day of working out 🙂

Kate: Take us through a typical day for you. How have you “created your life?”

Amanda: Wow, tough question since I just started my new life as a 100% self-employed work-from-home mom 🙂 Today I woke up early, played with Emma at the park and got ready for the day, headed to the gym for gym clients and web marketing consultations (while my assistant watched Emma and cleaned my house), and tonight I plan to spend all my time playing with Emma and the hubs 🙂

Kate: How do you personally channel your energy and get focused on your goals? In other words, how do you manage “everyday stuff” getting in the way? Any hard & fast rules?

Amanda: I type out my goals about a week before each month begins. I write them out, and am sure to cross off at least one goal/task every day. Some goals/tasks are more family oriented though (ie: lunch date with Emma), while others are very business or church oriented (ie: create a Fit Pregnancy eBook to sell on my site).

Kate: Personally, what is most important to your wellbeing?

Amanda: In no particular order:

• Physical health (consistency in the gym and with eating well),
• Family life (quality time spent with my husband and daughter),
• Christian walk (time in church and with believers),
• Emotional stability (me-time away from the house working on my own goals).

Kate: How do you maintain a positive outlook, or do you? Are there times of doubt, insecurity, fear, etc? How do you deal with them?

Amanda: Honestly, I love starting my day with a workout … I also try to keep positive people in my life. I have had to stop hanging out with some people who are super negative or just complain about their kids and/or job all the time. It’s not good for me to be around people who are super negative because it sucks the energy right out of me 🙂 I also try to stay involved in my church and re-focus and/or stop and pray when I am tempted to be negative. I think it’s natural to have times of doubt, insecurity, but for me there are fairly rare. I have such a great support system and my husband is always 100% confident in me, so that helps a lot!

Kate: What 1 piece of advice would you give to moms who want to take their fitness to the next level?

Amanda: Hire an online trainer! It’s so important to have a support system and accountability — not to mention be sure you are really maximizing your time in the gym. I work with so many women who have been wasting time in the gym or with nutrition despite their best efforts. Even if you just invest in a one-time consult, it’s so important to get on the right track with workouts and nutrition.

Kate: Anything else you would like to add? Anything you would like to promote?

Amanda: I would LOVE to share about my new Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout DVD. It’s a 35 minute workout with two levels. Advanced moves perfect for pre-pregnancy fitness or shedding excess weight after labor and delivery, and a modified level for all three trimesters of pregnancy. All of the ladies who have purchased and tried the DVD (pregnant or not) have come back with similar feedback … that it was a great workout, they were sweating buckets, and now they are SORE 🙂

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, to FIT MOMS everywhere!  🙂