Today on her show Oprah will announce that she will never diet again. Many of us who embrace a non-diet approach to healthy living are doing the happy dance. We’ve seen Oprah struggle and have been waiting for the day she would learn to eat more intuitively – and use her platform to get the message out.

The person responsible for Oprah’s “aha” moment is Geneen Roth, the author of the new bestseller, Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything. Roth has gained and lost 1000 pounds in her lifetime bouncing between anorexia and obesity. When I heard of this book I rushed to the store and devoured it.

And, of course, I had to tell you all about it.

The premise
“No matter how developed you are in any other areas of your life, no matter what you say you believe, no matter how sophisticated or enlightened you think you are, how you eat says it all”

This is the crux of Roth’s message. After years of many highs and lows in both her weight and emotional state, she decided to give up the struggle with food and her body. She not only naturally fell to the right weight for her, she found her true self in the process.

Roth is not new to writing books or helping women conquer their issues with food. But for the first time the mainstream might be ready for what she has to say. Having Oprah’s endorsement is a major plus, but it helps that many women are tiring of the endless quest for the perfect weight, body and diet.

The concepts in Women Food and God, like food, take some time to digest and absorb. It’s the kind of book you want to read and then re-read. What one woman takes from it, another will completely miss. But this is what makes it such a wonderful and potentially life-changing read (and the perfect book club pick!).

The why of eating
Roth eloquently explains why there is more to overeating, weight problems and food obsessions than people think. (And if food or weight is not your issue, you can still relate what she says to almost any “obsession,” whether it be shopping, over-working, people pleasing or worrying. Men can enjoy this book too).

Obsessions about weight and food, Roth explains, take us away from our true selves:

“Compulsive eating is a way we distance ourselves from the way things are when they are not how we want them to be. I tell them that ending the obsession with food is all about the capacity to stay in the present moment. To not leave themselves.”

Of course there are differing degrees of eating for non-hunger reasons. One person may eat out of boredom or stress while another eats out of sheer dissatisfaction with life. Roth explains that when we learn to tolerate uncomfortable feelings, instead of trying to flee them, we become more in touch with our true selves. And the weight part takes care of itself:

“When you stop struggling, stop suffering, stop pushing and pulling yourself around food and your body, when you stop manipulating and controlling, when you actually relax and listen to the truth of what is there, something bigger than your fear will catch you.”

This bigger-than-your-fear is what Roth describes as God. She admits that God will mean different things to different people. Roth explains that the lessons learned from suffering, the same things we try desperately to hide from, is the gateway to love and holiness. And she believes our relationship with food can lead us there.

I often write about parents raising kids to have a healthy relationship with food by how they feed. But this book reminds me that teaching kids its okay to feel — and learn from — difficult feelings is also important.

How to eat
Towards the end of the book Roth discusses her “eating guidelines” which are not a set of strict rules but rather a very simplistic way to eat. The key is to eat with awareness and listen to your body (not your mind):

“When I first realized how simple it was to end the compulsion with food — eat what your body wants when you’re hungry, stop when you’ve had enough — I felt as if I had popped out of life as I knew it and suddenly found myself in another galaxy.”

When Roth first started eating whatever she wanted she ran to the very foods she wasn’t allowed to eat on many diets. In her sugar-induced state, she realized it wasn’t food she was looking for:

“I needed to prove to myself that what I wanted most was not forbidden, but what I didn’t understand was that I didn’t want the cookies; I wanted the way being allowed to have them made me feel: welcomed, deserving, adored.”

Roth says that when women stop listening to their minds, and start tuning into their bodies, they find it doesn’t want a bunch of cookies, cake, loaves of bread or salty foods. It wants to be nurtured with wholesome food. It wants to move. It needs sleep and self-care.

Moving away from diets and bodily perfection, ironically, make us healthier, stronger and inherently more beautiful.

I highly recommend this book to all women but realize it may not be for everyone. If you get the chance, tune into to Oprah today or record the show. Listening to Geneen Roth just might change your mind — and your life.

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Thanksgiving is over and the holidays have officially begun.  It’s frenzy time.  And tradition tells us that this is a time when people throw caution to the wind in anticipation of New Years’ resolutions.

When you think about it, it’s really not that long until the holidays are over.  I got out the calendar and counted 35 days in total.  How much harm can someone do in 35 days?

With this in mind, I’m kicking off the season with my top 5 ways to avoid holiday weight gain:

1. Don’t buy into it.  I think the number the holidays do on weight gain is exaggerated.  A few years ago I was pitching a story to a magazine and actually looked up that 7-pound-weight-gain-during-the-holidays rumor.  I was surprised to find the average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s to be just under a pound. 
 
All this talk about over-indulging, and starting the New Year virtuous, makes overeating as contagious as the flu.  In fact, a 2002 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that people who anticipated going on a diet ate more than those who didn’t. 

So don’t buy into it.  Enjoy the traditional food that’s around during the holidays but break the tradition of overeating.

2. Don’t graze, eat meals.  Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, conducts super-interesting research on why people eat more than they think they do.  His research finds that the average person has already eaten 90% of their daily calorie needs before sitting down to their holiday meal.

How is this possible? It’s all the grazing that’s done before the meal.  A little bit of this.  A lot of that.  More picking.  A little more picking. 

So instead of grazing, get a small plate and pick your favorite appetizers, sit down and enjoy every bite.  Remind yourself that you need just enough to hold you over (but not to spoil your appetite) until the main meal is served.

3. Be active. There really is no better time to be active than during the holidays.  The weather is nice (well, most places) and the gyms are free of crowds.  Before kids, I always signed up for a walk/run in late December/early January.  I plan to do it this year and ask some friends to join me.  This way, I can run ahead of time, use exercise as a stress reliever, and spend some much-needed time with friends.

Use exercise to feel good all season long.  Michelle Segar says it perfectly in this article on More.com. 

4. Practice a new way of eating.  I talk a lot on this site about eating intuitively – getting in touch with hunger cues and stopping when comfortably full.  We can learn a lot from our children when it comes to eating just the right the amount of food our bodies need.  And there’s no better time to practice an intuitive eating style than the holidays because most people aren’t dieting or trying to be “good.” 

So experiment with eating your favorite indulgent type foods, enjoy them without judgment and stop when you’re satisfied.  The key is reminding yourself that you can have more later in the day, tomorrow or the following day.  The same way people tend to eat more in anticipation of a diet, they actually eat less when they know they can have more if they want to.

In the book I’m always recommended to moms, Intuitive Eating, the authors say that their clients naturally fall into a diet that’s 90% nutritious and 10% fun foods.  Maybe it’s because they no longer need an excuse (holidays, sick, vacation, stress etc) to over eat foods they enjoy.

For mindblowing research on how dieting affects weight, see Evelyn Tribole’s 411 website.

5. Cut back.  The stress of the holidays makes matter worse.  Families aren’t eating together, food is grabbed in a hurry and many parents stay up late doing more stuff.  Ask yourself if you really need to do everything this year.  Maybe it’s time to cut back, be choosy about how you spend your time and focus more on enjoying the season. 

Any thoughts?  Got additional tips about getting through the season?

Like what you see? Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters

References

Urbszat D, Herman CP, Polivy J. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we diet: effects of anticipated deprivation on food intake in restrained and unrestrained eaters. J Abnormal Psychol. 2002 May; 111(2): 396-401.

Roberts SB, Mayer J. Holiday weight gain: fact or fiction? Nutr Rev. 2000 Dec’58(12):378-9.

As a mom, you don’t have to pay a lot of money for weight management advice. In fact, the best diet coaches just happen to be the same little ones running around your house.

Here are 3 things your kids can teach you about managing your weight:

1. Eat what you need: Young children are masters at regulating their food intake by getting exactly what they need. If kids graze on snacks all afternoon, for example, you can bet that they will barely touch their dinner.

Most adults have completely lost touch with their hunger and satiety cues. If this is you, make a point to tune in to how you feel at mealtime. Ask yourself if food is really what you need when you eat out of stress or boredom. Instead, eat when you are hungry and stop when satisfied. If you keep practicing, you’ll get better and better at it.

2. Enjoy life to the fullest: Young children need to be reminded to eat because they are so enthralled with life. Unfortunately, moms have so many responsibilities that they often forget what makes them feel alive. And when this happens, food can take on greater importance.

So make time for a hobby you love, call a friend to go out or reconnect with your spouse. Get back in touch with what you love about life and watch your desire to eat diminish.

3. Make physical activity fun: If you ever watch toddlers run and giggle you know how much enjoyment little ones get from being active. In fact, they hate to sit around when they could be moving. And they’re not picky about the “where” and “how” of physical activity.

Moms, on the other hand, feel like exercise is just another thing they have to get done. Instead of thinking of exercise in this way, look for pleasurable ways to be active. For example, turn on music at home and dance with your kids, chase them at the park and take time to walk and enjoy the view. See this article for more ideas.

The same things that can irritate you about your kids — picking at their meals, reminding them to eat and being active night and day — are the same things that can help you maintain a healthy weight. Not only can you learn from your kids, but you can remind yourself that you were like this when you were a child. And it might just be time to get some of the old you back.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters for more mom-centered health tips.

I write a lot about how moms need to make taking care of themselves a priority. Not only to be a positive role model for their kids, but to improve the quality of their lives and help them do their job better (day job and mom job). I am one of those so called “older moms” having my last child barely under 40. And now that I have two kids I’m more challenged than ever to fit in taking-care-of-me time.

Michelle Segar, a friend and colleague of mine, will be talking to Kelley Conners on live blog radio today about self care after having a baby (see below). The first time I talked to Michelle we instantly hit it off. We had the exact same ideas on how women can achieve healthier lives – and what gets in their way. The only difference is her expertise is exercise (and psychology) and mine is nutrition.

Michelle works mostly with midlife women but even you’re not quite 40, you can definitely get something from joining the call on Thursday, September 17th at 4:30pm (7:30 EST). As moms we need to find creative ways to take care of ourselves before time slips away and it gets even harder. If anyone can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle and manage your weight, it’s Michelle Segar. Don’t miss it!

Join Kelley Connors, host of Real Women on Health! in a new series, Mid-Life Mammas, which will take place on Thursday evenings at 7:30 EST and PST. Mid-life Mammas is for women over 40 who’ve just had their first or second baby! In this first of three series, Michelle will provide her insights on how coaching works, who is most successful in achieving results and how she helps women manage their weight, sustainably. You won’t be disappointed and there is no hype with this! Michelle Segar is America’s leading expert on exercise motivation for women over 40. She is the founder of the National Center for Women and Wellness and a Psychology Researcher at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan. She has a doctorate in Psychology and master’s degrees in Health Behavior-Health Education and Kinesiology from The University of Michigan. Her coaching service, EssentialSteps®, is sought after by women and companies nationwide.
Call-in Number: (646) 929-2625

A couple of months ago I wrote about getting back into shape after the birth of my second child. I must have struck a cord with moms because this was my most popular post so far!

I guess this shouldn’t surprise me. A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that marriage, having kids and starting work are the most challenging times for women to exercise. We all know that parenting young children is a high-demand job. But no matter how easily it would be to justify, I just can’t give up exercise. Not only does it help me cope, it gives me the strength to do this very tough job. And after counseling clients for years, I know all to well that having babies is a time when excess weight can take root and grow.

As promised, I’m sharing with you my getting-back-into-shape progress. Every few months I review to see what’s working, what isn’t working and then develop a new plan.

But first…
A lot has been made about a Time magazine article claiming that exercise doesn’t help people lose weight. I’ve been familiar with this research for some time now. Basically, studies show that while exercise prevents weight gain, when it’s incorporated without reducing calories, it does little to budge the scale.

Fortunately weight is not the reason I exercise. After years of getting in tune with myself, I know that when I eat a balanced diet, honor my appetite and fullness, and exercise at a level that satisfies me, my weight seems to take care of itself. I also remember from nursing last time that my body likes to hold onto a few extra pounds until I wean.

I have to admit, after I got weighed in at the doctor’s a few months ago I was tempted to get rid of the extra weight fast. But if I did that I would’ve grown frustrated with my progress and ended up trying a more extreme approach. Then the extreme approach would’ve backfired because it would be difficult to sustain. Then I’d be back where I started.

Okay enough rambling…now to my progress.

What’s working
My goal was to build a fitness base and add on from there. The plan was to run when possible, do a postpartum core strengthening video on most days (15 minutes) and use hand weights a few times a week.

I’ve been most consistent doing the 15-minute postpartum video. This easily fits in my day and I really like how it has three levels, each getting a little bit harder. One time saver I discovered is that my 2-year old daughter loves to do the video with me. She yells “exercise” most days to signal her desire for the DVD and she usually wants to do it twice. We giggle a lot and repeat the lines. And it’s perfect to do during my son’s morning nap.

The early morning runs have also been going pretty well. Because my son has had trouble sleeping, there have been weeks where running early didn’t happen often. For me sleep trumps everything else. If I’m not getting sleep, I’m simply not productive.

At first I ran outside my place for about 20 minutes and have gradually worked up to 30-40 minutes. It was smart not to make any commitments to run because my son’s erratic schedule wouldn’t allow for it anyway. Being able to put on my shoes at a moment’s notice and head out the door has been key.

What’s not working
The at-home strength training never really happened. After the 15-minute video my desire to lift weights is nonexistent. So instead I’ve been doing the bare minimum at a gym at my mom’s apartment complex every Saturday.

I’ve come to the realization that exercise just isn’t going to happen after putting the kids to bed. I have tried to put off the video or weights for that time but I’m too resistant. I’d rather spend that time relaxing with my husband, writing for this blog or winding down. The more I try to do after 7pm, the later I seem go to bed – and that’s no good.

The new plan
A lot in my life has changed since that last post. First off, my son is (kind of) on a schedule and sleeps most of the night. My husband took a new job and I’m working two days a week. The best part of this change is I have a regular routine which makes it easier to plan. Based on my new schedule, this is what I’ve come up with to take my exercise up a level:

My husband will go into work late on Friday so I can get up and run. I plan to get up early Saturday and run before taking the kids to my mom’s. Sunday I’m going to do a whole body workout class at the gym (yeah!) down the street. Monday and Tuesdays are tough. I’m in negotiations with my mother-in-law to see if she can come over early one of those days so I can either take a spin class or run. I work Wednesdays and Thursdays. Eventually I might try to do something on my lunch (half-hour) when it cools down but for now I’ll just walk around as much as I can.

I’m going to discontinue the postpartum tape and move onto newer (and harder) Pilates/Yoga videos during my son’s early nap with my daughter on Monday, Tuesday and Fridays. I’ll move it up 5 minutes to a total of 20 minutes.

I want to join a running group but will hold off for now. I think I have enough on my plate!

So have I seen any results? I feel better and have more endurance running. My core feels stronger. And I finally weighed myself last week and found my weight down almost 7 pounds since that day 3 and ½ months ago. I’m not sure if it’s because of the exercise or just my body’s way of getting back to normal after the pregnancy.

Well that’s it for now. What do you do to stay in shape? Share your secrets with other moms. We need all the help and support we can get.

For more on this subject see Michelle Segar’s Habits of Highly Effective Exercisers on More.com

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Tuesday morning I went to the DMV to renew an expired license. While inching my way through the hour-long line it dawned on me that I might have to take a new license picture. The panic set in because I didn’t have a stitch of makeup on. When I made it to the front I was informed of the bad news.

I immediately made a b-line to the bathroom to apply some lipstick and mess with my hair. After my number was called (yes, more waiting) I was second in line to another woman. After her picture was taken the DMV employee looked at the screen and said, “Do you EVER take a bad picture?” When she took my picture she made a point to tell me to smile. After glancing at it she said, “Everyone looks better with a smile.”

I was mad at myself. Not because I’ll have to hide my license from everyone I know but because I’m still doing this stuff – putting off important tasks and basically being disorganized. It got me thinking about something I always come back to: Do I want my kids to follow in my footsteps? When they are adults will they be at the DMV renewing an expired license? Or worse?

What’s your weakness?
Last week I wrote about guilt-free ways to become a more positive food role model. If you struggle with eating well, managing your weight or preparing food you may feel the same way I felt after leaving the DMV. You don’t want your kids to acquire the same struggles but how do you change?

I feel like we spend so much of our lives tripping over our weaknesses, that we delay getting to the juicy part of living. It seems every time I’m almost there something holds me back, like wasting time at the DMV, losing my keys or searching the house for that important document.

Oprah talks about this all the time. It’s about stepping outside of yourself, thinking about what you really want and breaking the cycle.

A different outlook
When I stop beating myself up for a moment I realize that I’ve already made some changes. I sort of have a file system at home and do know where some things are. And compared to 10 years ago, I’m much better (I have a good story about my car getting impounded).

I know that guilting myself into making a temporary change won’t work so I remind myself to change my outlook instead. I acknowledge how more smoothly my daily life is when I’m organized and take the time to do time-consuming tasks. And I believe my family benefits as well.

So instead of “shoulding” yourself to change consider looking at the problem from a different angle. What are the benefits of changing? If you’ve been a chronic dieter how will you feel to finally be free of the constraints? If you don’t know how to cook think how gratifying it will be to prepare and enjoy meals for your family.

Whatever it is you’ve been struggling with find some reasons you want to conquer it – and decide those reasons for yourself and not because it’s something your doctor, spouse or even I want you to do.

How to change
Of course part of the problem with change is wanting for it to happen overnight. The old me would’ve run home from the DMV, gone through the mail, bought fancy organizing equipment and vowed never to do something like this again. But then 2 weeks later the mail would be piled up and I’d be back at square one.

I recently attended a class that reminded me of the most effective way to change. It’s called “continuous improvement” and it’s not about making a dramatic change. Instead, it’s about doing small, everyday things that eventually lead to big results. But the key is to make the changes consistently, not chaotically. The secret is to always be on the lookout for the little things you can do to get to your goal.

So, I’m looking for pockets of time at home to put away stuff and go through the mail. I even bought a (cheap) organizer to write important dates down. And every time I look at my license I’ll be reminded of the consequences of living a disorganized life.

This site will help you make small changes in the area of food, weight management and nutrition. If there’s something you need from me, or would like to see, let me know. From my experience, conquering lifelong problems is extremely liberating. And knowing your kids have escaped from the same struggle is the best reward.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more articles on how to take better care of yourself.

Most parents know that when it comes to healthy eating habits, they act as role models for their children. But the messages targeted to parents are usually doused in guilt – “you had better eat healthy – your kids are watching you!”

The last thing any parent needs is more guilt. And furthermore, guilt does a poor job of motivating, inspiring and changing behavior for the long term. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty useless.

So drop the guilt and consider a different way of looking at – and becoming – a more positive role model for your kids.

Take a walk down memory lane: I’m always surprised when my overweight clients don’t understand the real reasons they overeat. After some digging, I usually find their childhood to be a contributing factor. After all, most food learning occurs the first 5 years of life.

So think about how your relationship with food came about. How and what did your parents feed you? Were they controlling or permissive or something in between? Did they make you clean your plate? Did they make eating vegetables seem like punishment and eating sweets the best reward? Did they overly restrict sweets or fatty foods? And if you were overweight, did they try to encourage to diet and eat less?

These questions are important because the answers give you insight into what has shaped your relationship with food. Even though you’re leading your children down a different path, if you continue to struggle with food or weight, they will catch on.

The best way to conquer your issues is to understand where they came from, let go of them and begin a new way of looking at food.

2. See food through the eyes of a child: While changing your outlook you’ll want to take lessons from young children. Babies are born a clean slate – they don’t have food baggage. They eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. They don’t see food as good or bad unless they are told or shown it is good or bad. If they snack before dinner they won’t eat dinner (what adult does that?). They are masters at regulating food without counting calories or reminding themselves what they “should” eat.

So don’t diet or “should” yourself into eating healthy. Instead, dust off those hunger and satiety signals that you were born with and start listening to them again. Ask yourself if you’re really hungry before eating and when you do eat stop when your body tells you you’re satisfied and comfortably full.

3. Make feeding yourself a priority: When my daughter started solids I put all my energy into what she ate. Then one day, while picking at her tasty spinach and mushroom omelet, I realized what was going on. I was making feeding her a priority over feeding myself (and my husband – I always seem to forget about him). Before she was born, I’d buy the minimum amount of groceries, rotate the same 4 meals and rarely experimented with new foods.

I knew that a new, fierce love was behind my motivation to provide my daughter with tasty and nutritious food. So I used that love as a catalyst to take better care of myself.

So use love, not guilt, as motivation to take care of you. If you feed yourself well, taking the time to prepare plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, then your child will grow up to be someone who makes feeding herself a priority.

4. Don’t try to be perfect: A friend was just telling me how her parents kept sweets and candy out of the house. She said that she and her siblings would take their weekly allowance and go buy sweets and candy. Her parents provided plenty of healthy food but forgot how to teach their kids how to eat the not-so-healthy foods.

Eating is not just about nutrition it’s also about enjoyment. Some foods provide pleasure without much nutrition. So show your children that you can enjoy items like ice cream, sweets and fried foods without guilt trips or overeating. And if you can’t do that quite yet, take some time to work on why you can’t. One of the books I recommend to help you come to peace with food is Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works

This takes away the pressure of eating perfectly for your children. They need a role model for how to eat all types of foods so when they are on their own someday they can eat with confidence.

The gift of health

Instead of scrutinizing yourself for missing the mark, remember that you’ve been given a gift. Your children are here to teach you how to be better – and that includes eating well and being active. By working to prevent them from creating bad habits, you end up saving yourself in the process.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more tips on how to be a better role model for your kids.

I was a little cocky going into my six-week postpartum doctor’s appointment. After gaining the same amount of weight with my second pregnancy as I did with my first, I assumed my weight loss would be the same too. But when I stepped on the scale it revealed I was 10 pounds heavier than I was six weeks after my first child. Ouch!

Since that day seven weeks ago, I’ve been thinking a lot about how busy moms like me can get into shape. My experience tells me it’s more about being creative than finding extra time. To show you what I mean, I’ll share my getting-back-into-shape plan with you.

1. Why exercise in the first place?
Last year I read about a research study that confirmed something I already knew intuitively. Why you exercise can make or break your success.

I interviewed lead researcher, Michelle Segar, PhD, about her 2008 study published in Women’s Health Issues. Her research team asked 156 midlife women their reasons for exercising. The top five reasons included weight loss, health benefits, stress reduction, sense of well being and weight maintenance. Those who said they exercised for weight loss and health benefits, participated in significantly less exercise than those who exercised for stress reduction and a sense of well being

Michelle explained to me that exercising because you “should” is less motivating than doing it for your own reasons including how it makes you feel. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. I would have never kept exercising all these years if weight was my only motivator. So now I constantly remind myself how being active makes me feel both physically and mentally. After a workout I have a more positive outlook, am much more productive and present with my kids. And I have come to love the time to myself.

2. Do what you like
Nothing turns me off to exercise more than doing something I don’t enjoy. It doesn’t matter how many calories I burn or how good it is supposed to be for me, if I don’t like it I won’t continue to do it.

So I’ve decided to make running my priority when it comes to cardiovascular exercise. I used to run much more before having kids and I really miss it. Not only do I love it, but it’s easy to do, which is key for me at this point in my life. All I need are some running shoes, a good jogging bra and I’m good to go.

I also enjoy exercises that strengthen my body. I have always incorporated some weight training in my routine but it seems like forever since I’ve really challenged myself. After having 2 children, I no longer recognize my abdominal muscles which I mistakenly ignored between pregnancies. So I plan to slowly build a stronger body.

3. How to fit it in
There’s a part of me that wants to dive into exercise like the old me would. I could go to the gym 5 times a week, do tough classes and commit to long runs on the weekend. Not only is that not practical, it no longer fits my life. So I mourn the fact that I don’t have that kind of time – and quickly move on.

I have to start with where I am now. I have a nursing 3-month old and a somewhat high maintenance 2.5 year old (almost forgot my husband too). I just started working part-time and I run this wonderful blog. I simply don’t have big chunks of time available.

Since my 3-month old’s schedule is still unpredictable, it doesn’t make sense for me to commit to running with a group or try to catch classes at the gym. So instead I’ll be on the lookout for daily opportunities to run. Sometimes mornings are good when my husband is home. I also bring the kids over to my moms at least once a week making it easy to escape. And every Sunday afternoon we go to my in-laws so I can bring my running stuff and take off at just the right time.

I plan to do a 15-minute postpartum rescue tape most days to help my poor little core and will incorporate hand weights on the days I have more time.

The Plan
So my plan is to run when I can, do my postpartum core strengthening video on most days and use my hand weights a few times a week. After a month or two I’ll check back in with the why, what and how and change what isn’t working and add on to what is. And I’ll be sure to let you know how I’m doing.

I realize the best way for busy moms like me to get into shape is unique to individuals and constantly changing. What worked for me 6 months ago doesn’t work today. And what I’m doing today is sure to be obsolete for my life in 6 months. If, as a mom of growing and changing children, I had one set idea on how exercise “should” be I’d never do it. For me, that’s just not acceptable.

Have you found a way to balance exercise and your busy mom life? Let others know by leaving a comment below.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more health tips for mom.

Inspiring articles by Michelle Segar
Women Who Don’t Workout Aren’t Lazy

Flexing My Mom Muscles

I overcame most of my food issues in my twenties. It happened during a 10-month internship in the city of New Orleans. I was obsessed with eating low-fat even though I still carried extra weight. I constantly complained about how fat seemed to be infused into every food imaginable until a friend called me on it: “Do you even enjoy eating, Maryann?” At that moment I decided to ditch my low-fat-only diet so I could enjoy the culturally-diverse food while I was there.

But this time was different. I didn’t take it as free license to eat like crazy. Instead, I continued to eat a balanced diet and exercise. I soon figured out there was no reason to over-eat because unlike before, I could always have some fatty food the next day. By the end of the 10-months, I actually lost some weight. How could this be? My desire to over-eat was almost nonexistent. It was one of the most liberating feelings of my life.

After I started working as a dietitian, I searched for books on this topic. Eventually I found a book called Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD. These two dietitian-authors write that we are all born with a natural ability to regulate food intake. Unfortunately, modern society teaches the opposite – we should clean our plate, restrict what we eat to lose weight and avoid eating “bad” foods even if we crave them. What I have learned since reading this book is that our children will pick up on our food issues unless we break free of them. This is especially true for mothers and daughters.

Intuitive Eating aims to get you back to the intuitive eater you were born to be – eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are comfortably full (and that means eating any food you want!). There are 10 strategies to guide you through the intuitive eating process. The first eight work to undue the damaging effects of culture’s “dieting mentality” and the last two discuss nutrition and exercise.

Being a good food role model for your kids is not about eating perfectly. In fact, I hope my children don’t become obsessed with eating only healthy foods. I want them to have a healthy relationship with food – one where eating nutritious foods isn’t a chore, where they naturally maintain a healthy weight and they are able to eat indulgent foods without feeling guilty or “bad”.

So I recommend this book to moms everywhere. It will not only make you a better role model, it will change your life.

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