Strong as a Mother Welcome Video & Explanation
Yay! Welcome to Strong as a Mother! I am SO glad you are here! There is a TON of information on this page so go through slowly and be sure to download the workbook, movement tool and promise tracker! Remember this is YOUR challenge so you pick what habits you are going to do for the next 30 days!
Mindset is your most POWERFUL tool you have. What you think about, you bring about. If you constantly tell yourself that things are hard or that you are so fat, you are going to keep experiencing hard things and your body is going to stay “fat.” Without getting too technical, our thoughts create an energy or vibration within our body. Those vibrations attract like vibrations which is why it is so important to create awareness around your thoughts because if you don’t like them you have have the power to change them!
Below is the Love Your Body Affirmation and Gratitude Journal. Be sure to print this out and I recommend adding it as one of your daily habits so you are putting positive and loving thoughts into your head every day!
Mindset Trainig Video
Body Love & Acceptance Training Video
Love Your Body Masterclass (BONUS)
Movement is one of the most powerful activities we can do for our minds, bodies and souls. Movement helps regulate our nervous system, work through Stuck energy and process. In the movement tool, I have supplied sample calendars and examples of how to strength train. If you haven’t strength trained before, I recommend starting slow and building in a little more each week. Know that when you train a muscle group, we want to give it at least 24 hours rest before training it again. So you would avoid strength training Lower body two days in a row. If you don’t like strength training, do a movement activity that speaks to you! Again, this is YOUR challenge!
Below I have given you examples of what my movement schedule looks like. If this overwhelms you, don’t let it…this is just an example. If you only have 10 minutes one day, pick one thing. If you can only commit 30 minutes, try only doing 3 sets of a movement instead of 4! The KEY is to make it a non-negotiable and figure out a way to fit it in because it is a way you take care and love yourself rather than thinking its a burden to do. Movement is medicine.
Movement Training Video
Typical Movement Routine:
10 min warm up (stretching, walking, running, cycling, stairs, elliptical)
Strength Training Movement (usually 40-60 minutes)
Stretching/Cool down/Meditate/Gratitude for Body (2-5 minutes)
Typical Movement Plan:
Monday: Lower body
Tuesday: Upper body
Wednesday: Yoga
Thursday: Rest/Cardio
Friday: Full Body
Saturday: Lower body
Sunday: Upper body
For Movement plan, tracking tools and supports click button below
Watch the video below for demo on a few movements as well as how to circuit train.
Movement & Menstrual Cycle (Bonus)
Moving for your menstrual cycle is a very powerful tool to understand and utilize. The video below explains how to move for your cycle and body’s energy.
How I move for my cycle:
Menstrual phase: yoga, walking, stretching
Follicular phase: Strength Training
Ovulation phase: Strength Training
Luteal phase: Strength Training (with moderation as my body gets more tired closer to my period.)
Other Movement Notes & Recommendations
If you currently have use a fitness app like Peloton or Lifetime, I would pick a class and repeat it for four straight weeks focusing on lifting heavier each week.
If you are motivated by seeing progress/change, I strongly recommend documenting before/after using a picture, your weight, and measuring your body!
I started my movement journey at home and it is still done 50% at home. I have put together a list of my favorite things I use in the Movement Tools Button
Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are new to focusing on nutrition I would either start tracking protein intake to see how much you are consuming, add fresh fruits and veggies to each meal or focus on water intake (aiming for 1/2 your body weight in ounces- example: 160lb woman would aim for 80 ounces a day)
Counting and tracking my macros has been a game changer for me in my health journey. It has allowed me to add muscle mass while releasing stored fat within my body. It has also has been instrumental for my gut health and regulating my system- a huge win for me since I have struggled with constipation my entire life. I have also eliminated a lot of processed foods from my daily diet because I don’t like the way I feel. The key with nutrition is to start with ONE thing and build from there. I did not do all of this in one month but rather a year of exploring and experimenting with what works well for my body and wellbeing.
Complete honesty, I was very nervous to track macros/calories and thought it would feel really restricting. What I found is that I feel EMPOWERED in how I eat because I know I am eating foods that are going to help me build muscle mass and I understand when a serving size says 28g I can weigh it out and eat exactly that rather than guessing. Our food system is complicated and something we think is a great protein source could actually have more fat than protein and is therefore causing us to miss getting adequate protein. To me this knowledge has been so powerful!
I am not a macro coach or certified but since I have had so many benefits, I wanted to offer macro support for an additional investment! After purchase, you will receive a questionnaire to fill out with information to get an accurate account of your current place and I will email you a recommendation of macros to aim for during the challenge.
You can find and friend me on My Fitness Pal at “meggiemmartin” for ideas on meals, snacks and favorite foods I eat daily! Below I linked my favorite supplements to support muscle growth! Whey protein and Pea protein are hard on my stomach so I do Beef Protein Isolate. I linked two of my favorite brands- both taste good but need to be blended in a blender to mix correctly! I also believe that supplements are KEY in supporting your body’s wellbeing!