A Hot Body For Busy People. It’s Simple…Not Easy

I’d like you all to meet my friend Coral. We’ve known each other since 6th grade. The two of us hadn’t kept in touch much since high school but a few conversations here and there. Social media has shown me just how incredible some of my long-time friends are and I’m so grateful to be brought back together. Coral is one of those people. She has done fitness in a way I’d like to follow. Her approach is so low-stress, the eating/diet makes sense and she doesn’t go all out with fads or gym memberships…AT ALL. Seriously, it seems impossible – at least to me.

I asked Coral if she would share her story. She said yes. We’re so honored and excited to introduce you two in the hopes that you may become close. Please comment at the end of this post and let us know your feelings. –Tawsha

“Getting fit for moms who ain’t got time for that sh*t”  – Coral

I honestly can’t pinpoint one particular occurrence that sparked my interest in fitness. I think what did it was an accumulation of things that brought on a realization of how little control I have in my life as a mom, a wife, a career woman etc.  I was lost and started feeling less and less like I had a grip on my life.  I needed something to focus on that only I could control the outcome of.  I needed a challenge that would yield positive results for myself but also positively affect my family so as to avoid the “mommy guilt”. As far as I could tell, I was the one putting food in my face. Who was it manning the controls to my arms and legs?  Yup, me again.  Game on!

Diet (As much as I hate that word):

I may be a freak but I love logging my food diary everyday.  I use an app called My Fitness Pal (which I’ll explain a bit in a sec). By logging my food, I’ve learned how to tweak things nutrition-wise to get results while actually nourishing my body. I assure you I eat very well. No low calorie diets, expensive meal replacements, wacky supplements or diet products for this chick.  No suffering just good planning, balance & a few simple tricks up my sleeve.  I don’t feel that I need to deny myself constantly either but there is a better option for basically everything.

Exercise:

I’m a busy bitch. I just don’t have time to do extreme workouts & I’m not willing to take any more of my already limited time with my munchkins. I spend around 20 to 40 mins with the occasional hour tops on my at home workouts after the kids are in bed. I own a crap load of Jillian Michaels videos, a yoga mat, resistance bands, some dumb bells and my beloved kettle bells. That’s it. Bare bones with no gym membership.

Accountability:

This is where shit gets real.  Ever tried to make a life changing long term commitment without telling anyone?  How’d that work out for you?  Seriously, why do you think we get married in front of a group of people? It’s all about support and let me tell you, if people supported divorce as much as they support falling mouth first off the fitness wagon we’d all be a bunch of bitter fools attending a speed dating event.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some seriously awesome supporters in my life but usually they are the ones who are joining in the fight along side me. Those relationships I might add have become stronger in the process.  There is nothing more thrilling than seeing those you love succeed. I was also fortunate to have built a great support system with my “cyber pals” on MFP’s social media. Super geek right? But really it helped to have people cheering me on for making awesome changes in my life (they have access to my daily food & exercise diary) as it was their path as well.  Those women have a special place in my heart.  I just had to find my support system and voice my goals.  If it hasn’t been spoken it doesn’t exist.

Avoiding derailment:

I had to try like hell not to get disenchanted early on.  I was beyond excited and frankly most people didn’t give two shits about what I was constantly yammering on about and would much rather I shut up & go out for cocktails instead.  There was no lack of love or a desire to see me fail. They simply weren’t interested or wanted me to enjoy things WITH them and it can be difficult to accept when your loved one turns down what you’re offering. I had to remember that it’s ok to indulge as long as it’s part of the plan.  It’s also ok to decline but good gawd please don’t be the fitness martyr.  I made this colossal freaking mistake initially and I’ve found that it only makes things uncomfortable for everyone & brings on the eye rolls not to mention that it’s wicked disempowering. I made this commitment to be strong not to be the victim of a healthy life.

So I guess this is where I give some super easy tips on what the hell to do first. That’s how this sweet ass lil website works right? I’m no expert by any means but here goes….

Okay then…

Tip #1: I swear by kettlebells. It’s how I kicked off this whole mess and I still use them at least a couple days a week.  I marched my booty on down to Marshall’s and spent a whopping $15 bucks on a 10lb cast iron bell that came with, I shit you not, a Kettlebells for Dummies DVD.  So yes I felt super cool at the register. The big selling point is that it’s cardio and strength training in one so essentially you cut your workout time in half. Get one!

Tip #2: Download the My Fitness Pal (MFP) app on your smart phone for free and even if you don’t want to do it long term, log your food for a couple weeks. It’s not nearly as time consuming as you might think and there is a barcode scanner to make it super simple. If you have a clear visual of your eating habits it’ll make it that much easier to find what you need to eliminate or modify. If you’re still reading and aren’t completely tired of me yet, feel free to send me a request on MFP so you can creep my diary & see how wickedly simple it can be. My user name is “Spunktastik” which perfectly describes my ultimate goal. (Google it) LOL Just send me a little note and mention Organized Chaos.

If you are going to make a change or already have you’re a bad ass and I’m hella proud of you! I’m also right there with you as I change gears from pregnancy fit to finding my postpartum groove. Let’s gooooo!!