Happy New Year!
It’s a brand new year and we are back with new and exciting content in HELP For Mums – A platform for us to share our struggles and successes on this journey to achieving a Healthy Lifestyle Balance. Whether you’re a stay at home mum, a working mum, a mum to be, or a mum at heart this platform is for you!

As every New Year starts there is always an increase in the number of people at the gym, the number of fitness plans being sold and the number of people starting a new diet. But then 2, 3, 4 weeks into the year, about 80% of people have completely abandoned the resolution that they started off so enthusiastic about. If health and wellness is such an important aspect of our lives (we all want to look and feel good after all) then why is it that so many of us find it hard to stay committed to our fitness goals? Is it that we do not value our health enough? Or is it that we are not motivated enough?  This was a perplexing question that I asked myself for many years as I struggled with keeping up with my fitness resolutions/goals. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I realized what the problem was…my MINDSET!

I entered many years unhappy with how I looked. Every year I “resolved” to do something about it but I was not successful because my mindset was flawed. I was taking MY HEALTH to be something that needed a “New Year” to start, something that needed to yield certain results within a certain timeframe, something that needed to be done in a certain way that had worked for this person, or that person– and once I wasn’t able to keep up, I gave up.

It wasn’t until I made a decision to change my mindset that I started to see results. It was a transformation that I had to make, that we all have to make, from the inside-out. It did not happen at the beginning of a year, it happened in a moment. And once that mindset change took place I started to achieve results.

If like me you are tired of not seeing results, if you are ready to become the women, wife, the mother, the sister that God created you to be – you need to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR MINDSET. The right mindset empowers you, energizes you, and inspires you.

• The first thing you have to do is ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE. Your true identity as a person – because that person won’t change no matter what she looks like. That takes strength. You have to see yourself as beautiful and embrace who you are. Don’t see your stretch marks are not defects; see them as beautiful markings that tell a story. Don’t see your natural beauty as something unattractive that needs to be covered up, see yourself the way God see’s you “a beautiful masterpiece” created in His image.
• The next thing you need to do is VISUALIZE YOUR JOURNEY – not your destination – because we all know that life is a never ending journey. Visualize – see it as you want it in your mind. Where do you want to be 1 month from now, 6 months from now, a year from now? That takes focus. It takes focus not to get sidetracked and start looking at what other people are doing. Celebrate your own victories no matter how small. Visualize what YOU want, for yourself and proceed with that picture engraved vividly in your mind.
• The third and most important step – PERSEVERE. You have to psych yourself up each day to keep working towards your goal. Say to yourself “I can” not “I can’t”. Push through the pain and discomfort like an athlete running a race – keeping your eyes on the prize. That takes discipline. It takes discipline to keep going even when you can’t see results, – yet. It take’s discipline to give up that last 30 minutes of sleep every morning to make it to the gym before work. It takes discipline not to abandon the lifestyle changes that you know are necessary to achieve your goals.

These are the 3 steps that I took in order to change my mindset- and I believe that they will work for you too! I have been able to take control of and stay on track in my wellness and fitness journey and I no longer have to make a yearly resolution because it has become a part of me.

It’s not just another New Year’s Resolution; it is a Lifetime Resolution, a Transformation Resolution.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Blessings
BFM

Guest Blog post by Tracey Sokoya

Happy Labor Day and welcome to another edition of HELP for Mums!

I hope you had a wonderful long weekend with your loved ones even as you prepare for the month ahead.
September is one of my favorite months of the year for a number of reasons;

1. Its the beginning of Fall -the most beautiful season!
2. The start of a new school year – which I always loved as student, but love even more as parent
3. My Wedding Anniversary Month – which we always get to celebrate over labor day weekend!

I guess I just love the fact that September is a month of new beginnings for me and my family and is such a beautiful month. I always feel so motivated and inspired in September. Therefore its only fitting that this month I will be featuring some wonderful Mums who motivate and inspire me.
[If you are new here, check out the Inspire Series I did back in March which featured some pretty amazing women!]

We start off this month’s series with Tracey Sokoya of  Traycees.
Tracey (pseudo name Traycees) is a Yummy Mum of 2, a Food entrepreneur, a Food Writer & a Food blogger. Traycess provides simple, tasty, tried and tested recipes for the family.
Today Tracey shares some great Family Food Planning Tips.

Ok so, the world is talking healthy lifestyle, from food to exercise and the list could go on. Healthy eating has now become a part of everyday living in many homes including yours and mine:D. As a busy mum who is managing the family’s needs including food and everything else which competes for your time, it is important to develop some techniques to help ensure that your family continues to eat different foods to;
Increase varieties
Increase nutrient intake because you are varying the family meals… and very importantly
Reduce boredom in the kitchen (as you are not cooking the same thing all the time)

Developing healthier eating habits requires some dedication in order to build a healthier, happier home… Taking bite-size steps can help even the busiest of mums!
As a busy mum of two young ones, food planning is essential to ensure that my family takes in a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables within my food budget. Below are a few of my family food planning tips to ensure my family gets a variety of healthier options.
• Each week, I have a habit of spending at least 30mins/1 hour planning out what we (as a family) will eat for that week. This is especially important if I know I will have a busy week ahead attending to work and business.
• I allocate a certain amount from my food budget for fruits and vegetables for the week. Sometimes, I buy fruits and vegetables from farmers markets because they are organic, sometimes cheaper and taste even better than shop bought fruits and vegetables
• I try to balance the food for the family to ensure that we are having a variety of different foods i.e. decent amount of carbs, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and vary dishes from Western to African foods, curries, stews, sauces. We also love our little desserts for afters- mostly during the weekend
• I use healthier oils in my cooking for example rapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil as they contain saturated fats which are resistant to heat and less likely to react with the oxygen in our bodies , producing free radicals that are harmful. I always look for offers in supermarkets on healthier cooking oils because they are generally more expensive!
• Using herbs, spices and seasoning in my cooking reduces my chances of using prepacked seasonings which contain chemical additives and in some cases, refined salt. Some of my favorite everyday herbs include parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, coriander. Chop away and get those exotic natural flavors in your everyday cooking!
• “Themed fruits” for the week keeps a balance on the fruit intake especially if you find yourself throwing away a lot of fruits because no one is eating them.
• Using ginger and garlic in your cooking has health benefits – for example increasing digestion and absorption of food.
N.B. Did you know that garlic is also great for fighting cold and flu like symptoms? Add in lukewarm water, with some cut ginger , teaspoon of honey and squeeze of fresh lemon for that homemade remedy to fight the cold *wink*

Planning ahead like in all things – saves you time, money, adds value and creativity!
Eat well, live well, feel good…
Blessings

If you would like to get in touch with Traycees here’s how you can do so.
Twitter – @trayceesinfo
Instagram – Trayceesfoodfashion
Facebook – yummymummies food club
Email – traycees@mail.com
Website – www.traycees.com

Hello!
This is the final post on the #MyMarchMaddness Inspire Series.  I really do hope that you have enjoyed the features and are as inspired by all these AMAZING ladies as I am!

As that popular poem goes “People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”
The lady I’m featuring today definitely fits into all three of these categories for me!
Although we have never “met”, Didi has been a major source of inspiration, encouragement and support to me on my fitness journey, and I have learned so many valuable life and fitness lessons from her.
Didi pioneered the #3to30 Fitness Movement which took various women from different walks of life and united them in a cause for healthy and active living. I am so fortunate to have been a part of this initiative out of which a sisterhood was formed and so many dreams were born.
I could go on and on about this lady, but I’ll let you hear all about her inspiring fitness journey from Coach Rexie herself!
For THE BEST workout videos, fitness advice and coaching visit #3to30fitness.

Didi Amajor aka Coach Rexie

Q:What does FITNESS mean to you?
A: Hmm. What does FITNESS mean to me? Fitness means waking up at 5am and spending approximately 86 seconds wondering if hitting the gym for an interval run is really necessary. Fitness means cursing myself for climbing stairs and for eating that extra serving of rice. Fitness means forming, strengthening and developing meaningful relationships. Fitness means getting excited when a friend tells you he or she needs some help with a workout. Fitness means creating a safe haven/platform (#3to30, my fitness group) for over 30 women to share their goals, struggles and success as relates to not just fitness but other aspects of life. Fitness means taking time out of your grueling schedule to record a video or research the benefits of including green foods in one’s diet, knowing that it may impact someone’s life at the right time. Fitness means getting on a rollercoaster and knowing you’ll love and hate it…at the same darn time!

Q: When did you begin living a healthier lifestyle and what inspired you to do so?
A: In April of 2009, after many failed diets/tries (one of them being the infamous Beyoncé diet of cayenne pepper, maple syrup and, was it lemon? I forget), my cousin suggested we lose some weight in preparation for an upcoming girls trip in May. I accepted the challenge, and got straight to work – and this time I knew I would not survive if I tried one of the quick-fix methods or shortcuts. I was 12lbs lighter by the girls trip, and I haven’t looked back since then.

Q:What is your biggest struggle/constraint (if any) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
A: I’d say time, and my proclivity for eating/overeating (lol). With regards to time, I’m not referring to the general “I don’t have time” excuse (which I do not subscribe to, bleh). I simply mean that often times, I wish I could spend more time working on things I need to improve fitness/health-wise. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in one day (although many have said my days have 28 hours), hence the constraint. As far as overeating goes, I’m a GENUINE food lover (this isn’t about gluttony but actually appreciating the many interesting and creative meals one can concoct using just a few ingredients). Or maybe this is about me being a little (or a lot) greedy? Who knows man, who knows?

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?
A: That’s a tough call – I like so many! However, at this point in my fit-life, I’m loving body weight exercises like push-ups and pull ups. I also LOVE weighted squats and deadlifts. And jumping. Yes, jumping for sure – jumping jacks, jump lunges, jump squats, burpees etc. What I’m trying to say is, I generally like any exercise that feels like death.

Q: One piece of advice you’d offer to someone that’s feeling discouraged on their fitness journey.
A: You’re going to stumble and it’s going to suck sometimes. You may even cry, throw tantrums or give up on your 20^th “Day 3”. It is OKAY. You are more than your failures or your scale number. What matters is, you learn from the mistakes or slip ups, and you wake up every day with one thing in mind – make the right choices and be the best version of yourself possible. It won’t ALWAYS go as planned but hey, if you shoot for the moon, and fail, at least you’d still be among the stars, right? Lastly, (and I know you said ONE piece of advice but I’m a little loquacious) surround yourself with people who not only inspire, motivate and push you in the right direction, but hold you accountable.

Q: What body part (if any) would you change?
A: Is this a trick question? It kind of feels like my response should be, “Nothing! My body is perfect!” Okay well, since we are talking TRUTH here, I’d say my lower back needs to house juuuuust a little less fat, and my upper mid-section need not protrude as much. Oh, there’s also another area which for PG reasons, I will not mention. Let’s just say, I was unduly robbed by the fat loss gods and Mother Nature but I still do believe that I was wonderfully made by my Maker!

I am VERY PASSIONATE about prenatal /postpartum fitness!  It’s one thing to get active in order to lose the weight after having a baby, it’s quite another (admirable) thing to stay active throughout the pregnancy!
I stumbled upon Lola’s Instagram page (@christsoildergirlfitness) a few months back and was so intrigued by her preggo exercise videos. I admired that she stuck with it right through to the end because that is something that I have never been able to do while pregnant. I have also enjoyed watching her get right back into it after having her baby.
If you need some prenatal/postpartum fitness advice, inspiration and coaching check out the CHRISTSOLDIERGIRLFITNESS webpage.

Here is Lola’s #MyMarchMaddness interview…
Lola Akingbade aka christsoildergirlfitness

Q: What does FITNESS mean to you?
A: Fitness is a lifestyle that involves the body, soul and mind. It involves much more than being physically strong or fit. Being fit impacts every area of our lives in ways that we may not think about. It changes how we think about life by teaching us to push the limits. While in the gym, you try something and think it’s impossible to do, but with practice, before long, you are doing much more than you expect. It basically helps maximize potentials in every area.

Q: When did you begin living a healthier lifestyle and what inspired you to do so?
A: I started working out when I gained my share of freshman 15. I worked out for hours, ran, tried so many diets till I eventually lost the weight. However, I only focused on the number on the scale and thus it was not a lifestyle but just a way to avoid gaining weight. It really became a lifestyle about 3 years ago when I started to include weight lifting and running in my workouts. I fell in love with working out realized it didn’t have to be about the number on the scale. I also learned that the scale may not show the inches coming off or the benefits this lifestyle is making both physically and emotionally. I started to focus more on how I look and feel.

Q: What is your biggest struggle/constraint (if any) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
A: My biggest struggle right now is finding time to workout with my 6 weeks old baby. I have had to become more flexible in working out by making use of any free time she is sleeping or even include her in my workouts by using her as my weights. Some days I am unable to workout, but I try to stay active throughout the day.

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?
A: I love lifting weights most especially doing squats and deadlifts. They target the entire body and work more muscles than most workouts do. Weight training improves muscle tone, burns more calories and also increases strength and endurance.

Q: One piece of advice you’d offer to someone that is feeling discouraged on their fitness journey.
A: The main advice I will give is to never compete with anyone else but yourself. Competing with others will only get you frustrated. Our bodies are different and so results will always vary even if you do the exact routines. Also commit it to God and trust him. Stay dedicated to your goal on this journey and get back up after every stumbling block. It’s easy to fall off the wagon when you don’t see the results you expect.

Q: What body part (if any) would you change?
A: I actually really love my body and so i don’t really have a body part I would change, however I would love to have tighter glutes and thus I try to focus a lot of time on training them.

Ms. Wunmi Idowu

No we are not blood related, but Wunmi has always been like a big sister to me. When I was in university dancing with Wunmi was one of things that kept me relatively active during those years when I wasn’t very health conscious.

What I admire most about this lovely lady is that she has ALWAYS taken her health and fitness seriouly- before and after children. As the Founder and Director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Wunmi is using what she loves most – dancing – as a platform to empower and encourage other women to a healthier lifestyle.

For #MyMarchMaddness, I asked Wunmi a few questions about her fitness journey and here’s what she had to say…

Q: What does Fitness mean to you?
A: To me, fitness is more than just eating less and sweating more. It’s more than just exercising; it’s finding the willpower and the endurance to get up and elevate your heart rate on a daily basis. Fitness is focusing on what you can control, not what you can’t. It is ultimately about how we go about maximizing our potential as human beings by maintaining a healthy weight for our age, gender and body type. What we do with our bodies, how we feed ourselves, and how we process stress in our lives are all things we can control. 

Q: When did you begin living a healthier lifestyle and what inspired you to do so?
A: I was a 100 Meter and 4×100 Meter relay sprinter during junior/high school and competed in several track and field meets including the Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) provincial championships. At the same time, I was an African dancer and choreographer which was a unique and fun way to burn thousands of calories per day. It was after having my first child that I noticed huge changes in my body which prompted me to return to my passion for African dancing. I founded Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre in 2006 to perpetuate the purity of the cultural values and principles of African dance and teach dance classes to improve body tone, flexibility, fitness and vascular health. African dancing has helped me strengthened my bones and muscles, and improve my posture and balance. The movements from African dancing embraces strong and vital techniques with dynamic resistance to the rhythm of the music.

Q: What is your biggest struggle/constraint (if any) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
A: I had days when I over ate, but I didn’t give up. I just admitted my faults and improved on what challenged me. I try not to make any room for excuses and creatively handle my cravings. I used portion control and stuck to clean foods. It was very important for me to adapt to a nutrition plan that could help me create a lifestyle change. Meal prep is my saving grace! It’s kept me on track! It is a mindset that you have to overcome. You can do all things through Christ, who gives you strength! Surround yourself with people who want the same goals and can give you positive feedback. Consistency is the key.

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?
A: Everything! I workout 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day that is including my weekly African dance dynamics class. I also engage in cardio, strength training, and stretching! All my workouts are done from home. I also love taking power walks and using the stairs where ever possible to help raise my fitness and energy levels.

Q: One piece of advice you’d offer to someone that’s feeling discouraged on their fitness journey?
A: My advice to anyone wanting to lose weight is to start somewhere and do what you can, even if it isn’t much. Stay focused on the end goal. You don’t have to see the entire staircase before you take a step. Journal both your food and workout routine on the My Fitness Pal app. This is how you will begin to understand how your body responds to eating clean and exercising.
Take before and after pictures every 30 days. Whenever your get discouraged, look back at the photos and they will motivate you with a progress report to keep going. Also, never compare yourself to others. You want this to be a lifestyle change. I got tired of not being able to wear the cloths that I wanted. You want to feel better and look better. If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it and succeeding at it! You have to fight and say “Enough is enough.”
Remember that this is a very personal journey, there are no one size fits all programs. Set realistic goals and plan ahead. Also, stay encouraged because sustainable weight loss is not a sprint, it’s more like a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race.

Q: What body part (if any) would you change?
A: I wouldn’t change any body part because my worth is not dependent on my appearance. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;.

The Bethel Fitness/ Bethel Fit Mum platform was born out of my desire to inspire and motivate other women to a healthier lifestyle after going through my own weight loss journey. But it would be unjust of me to say that I did is ALL on my own. Yes I put in the work and made the changes, but there were people that I was able to look to for the inspiration and motivation that I needed along the way!

For the next few days I will be doing features on some of the wonderful ladies that have inspired and motivated me in my fitness and healthy lifestyle journey.

Ms. Ronke Edoho aka 9jafoodie

If you love Nigerian food and you don’t already know about 9jafoodie then your dishes are probably not achieving their Full Yumminess Potential (FYP)!
I stumbled upon this lovely lady’s blog early in my weight loss journey. Being more health conscious, I wanted to ensure that my entire family was eating better, and her recipes were just what I needed to accomplish this! Before I discovered 9jafoodie I HATED cooking Nigerian food because I felt that the process was always too long and tedious, but her recipes make cooking fun and save me lots of time!

She recently released the Lose It Nigerian (LIN) e-book which has become a permanent fixture on my kitchen counter :). With over 50 recipes to choose from, there is something (very yummy!) for everyone. I am a proud member of the LIN family and always will be!

Ronke is an inspiration to me because even though she is an internationally known food blogger and working mother she has managed to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. I love the fact that she has been able to turn her love for food into something that can help others achieve a healthy lifestyle balance – which just goes to show what a genuinely caring person she is!

For #MyMarchMaddness, I asked Ronke a few questions about her fitness journey and here’s what she had to say…

Q: What does FITNESS mean to you?
A: Fitness for me is about confidence. When you eat well and exercise, you are just more confident about yourself no matter what size that might be.

Q: When did you begin living a healthier lifestyle and what inspired you to do so?
A: My quest for a healthier life started in my early 20s. I was overweight and depressed about my size. I wanted to be a better version of myself and that meant working hard and making conscious healthy eating decisions.

Q: What is your biggest struggle/constraint (if any) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
A: For me, it’s being a food blogger. I cook a lot of things for the blog and it’s often difficult to not overindulge in the calorie dense dishes.

Q : What is your favourite type of exercise?
A: I love strength training.

Q: One piece of advice you’d offer to someone that’s feeling discouraged on their fitness journey?
A: DO NOT rely solely on the scale. You might be losing fat and gaining muscle at the same rate so the scale might not change. Take measurements as well as weekly pictures, these are better indicators of success.

Q: What body part (if any) would you change?
A: My waist. I will love love love to have a 26 inch waist. This is not something I think I can ever achieve but a girl can dream. Lol.