REAL MOMS WITH REAL CHALLENGES: Fitness After Pregnancy

Photographs by Linawa Photography | Interview by Stella Matilda

The most challenging aspect of getting back into shape after pregnancy is not lack of motivation, sleep deprivation, or fatigue - it’s time. New moms stay busy almost every moment of everyday. Finding time for fitness activities right now may seem as feasible as climbing Mount Everest. After all, if you barely have time to wash your hair, how can you find time to exercise? To help you get motivated, we are sharing some stories of real moms who are getting in shape and making it work. Exercise has not only improved these women’s health but also helped them to increase their confidence. Being active has reacquainted them with their bodies, given them contact with the natural world, and provided them with a sense of accomplishment.

JO MOSS
Part owner of Changgih Designs
Children: Hailey Jade (15 mo)

Had you always been active before pregnancy?

Before I was pregnant I was an avid rock climber and also frequently worked with a Personal Trainer. So at that point I was working out probably 4 times a week alternating between the two activities as much as I could. I haven’t had the greatest athletic history as I had a spinal problem that held me back from it. Little did i know it was mostly a mental block and once I met my husband (Gym Owner of X45, nutritionist and personal trainer) he gave me confidence in my own abilities and i haven’t looked back since. It is really a personal choice for those with certain limitations to understand they have the opportunity to push these limits. I have, and i haven’t looked back since. Being active both mentally and physically is a lifestyle that i have grown very accustomed to.

WENCY JELSON

Teacher

Children: Caleb Jeremiah Willey (4), Cayden Moses Willey (2) & Clement Eden Willey (4mo)

What type of challenges do you face as a mother of 3 to maintain your fitness routine?

Being a full time working mum of three incredible boys in four amazing years, I have to admit, there are times that I feel so tired and weak. There are many mornings that my alarm goes snoozing. I’m too lazy to get up and I just want to snuggle in my comforter. My teaching job has really worn me out. My first son was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. Having a special needs child is overwhelming. My 2 years old son is very active and he never sits down. My 4 months baby requires plenty of attention too.

CHARLIN DELVO 

Personal Assistant

Children: Finlay Kate (15 mo)

How do you feel about your body before and after pregnancy?
As a person who was never into fitness, before pregnancy my body was not a big issue to me. Being 58kg is not an ideal weight for someone who is a 5’2” of height. But at that time, I wasn’t too bothered about gaining weight because I know I will eventually shred when I started running or going to the gym. When I do, I work out at the gym
for a solid 2 hours, 4 times a week and if I’m careful with my foods, I can simply lose 3-4kg in a month, that easy. And if I don’t lose weight, I know I gained muscle somewhere, somehow. That’s how easy-going I was when it come to my body.

After pregnancy, in the 1st year I was kind of letting go and not worried about getting my body back. It’s like ‘fitness’ was the last topic in my bible of motherhood. I was in a total babymoon phase of my life. BUT, this would sound too good to be true if I said I was totally fine with the transformations of my body. My tummy was flabby and hanging, I had fats around the midsection and sides of my abdomen, I can see my under arms are swinging when I move them.

All these changes were a little strange to me – I wasn’t sure if I should be worried or just be patient because all mothers go through the same stage. As time goes by, I think my body is ready now, I guess it’s time to start somewhere. I know it won’t be easy to get ‘that’ body back but I’m determined to work hard on being a fit & healthy mom for my child.

SHEENA APIN 

Stay at Home Mom

Children: Ava Jipiu (7), Azarias

Jipiu(5) and Tavakas Jipiu (5mo)

What do you think is the most common myth about mothers getting back into fitness?
A common myth will be that you’re gonna eat less when you get back into fitness hence breastmilk would become lesser? I do fitness so that I can eat a lot and at the same time still able to maintain my body and fully breastfeed my baby. The other myth is that you need to workout 1 hour per day and I don’t have time to workout because I am busy. Wrong... 20 to 30 mins of a fully intense workout is equal to the effect of 1 hour of workout. Even a with 10 mins tabata workout you’ll be getting the full benefit of it and your metabolism would stay active the whole day. As a mother you don’t need to stay fit anymore. This is the crucial period when you need to use the most of your energy since we are a multitasking species it is compulsory to be fit!

MELISSA J. PAYNE 
Environmental Consultant
Children: Thalia (3) and Trianna (5mo)




What would you say to mothers who are struggling to get back into fitness?
It all comes from you; it’s your choice to make. If you want to get back into shape and fitness you can always do this from your own home or do it together with your kids. You can start slowly by cooking and eating healthier meals and you can have this with your family. You can take walks with your babies or toddlers when you’re done with work or done with chores. You can do simple workout in your own home while watching over your kids. It’s actually not difficult but the real struggle that most moms have lies within them. Its procrastination and excuses! So the first step to take is to eliminate that feeling and to stop making excuses.

NIRWANA WILLIAMS

Total Enrichment Instructor and Property Manager

Children: Maya Faith Ibraheem David Williams (8) and Tia Starr Ibraheem David Williams (4)

What would you like your children to learn from your healthy lifestyle?

I love this question! I would hope that my kids will learn that keeping a healthy lifestyle is not temporary, that it is a forever ever changing journey, a never ending learning journey. For them to learn that irregardless of whatever comes their way, health will always be one of their biggest priorities in life. To make it an appointment with themselves, an appointment that they will never cancel.

For whatever that is going on nowadays in our tough world some of which is not within our control, I would like my children to always remember that “THIS” they CAN control. And it is a very empowering choice each time they decide to eat vegetable over nuggets, or to go for a run over lazying on their Ipad.

I would also hope that they will learn to not give up and when the going gets tougher... they need to toughen up more. And most importantly for them to know and understand that living a healthy lifestyle is for themselves and not to let others dictate what they believe or do.

You can read the complete interview of this five empowering mothers in Parents Avenue Magazine Issue No.4 July to September 2016. Available throughout Sabah, Labuan and Sarawak. We know you're a busy mom, so call 011-29016966 if you need it to be delivered to you! Happy reading!

Kick-Start Your Postpartum Fat Loss Plan

By Ira Rasmadin | Fitness Mom | www.themanyplanners.com

You were determined to follow a workout and nutrition plan after finding out that you’re baking in the oven. Then 15 months later, your new sport shoes are still in the box, and the price tag on your sportswear is still intact. Worst of all, people are still asking when you are due. Ouch! Then when it’s becoming pretty embarrassing to explain to people that that bump is no longer a baby bump, you started asking around on ways to get rid of it. Popular answer? Eat right and exercise. I do too, but most of the time I really want to shout at the people who have been telling me this as if it’s easy as opening a bottle jar.

It’s not!

It’s not easy for a working mom, its not easy for stay at home mom, it’s not easy with one kid, let alone two or more kids. Time, money and well, time again has always been the issue here. Believe me, whatever excuses you have, despite being told that they’re not, are valid.

However, I’m here to tell you despite having obstacles, it shouldn’t stop you. The only way you can get through it is to embrace these changes. Just like how you used to worry so much about your baby being exposed to germs then three kids later, you just stop giving a damn about those little rascals being covered in dirt.

You adapt to these changes and get better with time. Here are 5 tips to help you kick-start your routine.


#1 Adapting to change is a family business.

It might be tricky to start a new routine when your husband expects you to be in the kitchen by the evening. Or when your kids expect you to read them bedtime stories every night. Quality time with your family is important, but it’s not wrong to make some little changes. You could push dinnertime to an hour later, or maybe do meal preps earlier.

You could make arrangement with your husband about reading bedtime stories. Sure, even a slight change will obviously upset your whole family. However, having your whole family adapt to your change is a basic fundamental of your weight loss plan. You’ll have to reason with your family on why you’re doing this.

Just remember that at the end, you will not only be a happy and healthy mom, but also a positive person. Imagine what that could contribute to your family.


#2 Manage your expectations

We all know that the key to successfully hitting your weight loss goal is to stick to a solid fitness and nutrition plan. It requires great discipline and motivation to get things going. However, these plans, despite being the sole purpose of your goal, are not set in stone. You’re a mom. There will be times when one of your kids will fall sick, leaving you with a completely sleepless night.

You maybe demotivated to work out that day, and one day of missing out can make you feel like you have strsyed from your goal, which further demotivates you. But here’s the thing, it is okay to miss out a whole week of workout plans. Don’t punish yourself for being a tired mom. You’ll find that it’ll be easier for you to jump back on your wagon with this mindset. Remember, positivity is key.


#3 Ditch calorie counting.

Have you ever been in such pressure where the very first rule applied on your weightloss plan is to limit your daily calorie intake? In order to lose a pound in a week, you must cut down 500kcal a day. It’s great if you have calorie counting skill, but if you don’t, why add up the trouble? Despite being a very popularized topic for weight loss, calorie counting is not significant to your weight loss plan.

Instead you should focus on eating quality food and asses your body weekly. Did you gain or lose weight? If it is a gain, then adjust your portion size. Or lose 1 or 2 sugary drinks and see if it makes a difference. Of course, the easiest way to do this is by keeping a food log. You can get one from www.themanyplanners.com.


#4 Carbs are not your enemy, sugar is!

Once before, there was a time where eliminating carbs from your diet was a popular trend, which died off pretty soon afterwards, but you can still hear this advice from time to time.‘Don’t eat carbs’. It is not wise to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet as they are your body’s preferred energy source. Your body needs them to keep its functions at its most optimum level.

What you can do is to eliminate carbs with high Glycemic Index (GI) or in other words, high sugar contents. This type of carbs comes in a form of refined grains such as white rice or white bread. Have brown rice and whole meal bread instead.

#5 Choose the harder option.

You don’t need to enroll a gym membership, or commit to a weekend run. We all get the idea that not all mothers have the luxury of time. However, you can always choose to do the extra work, which could burn hundreds of calories spaced throughout the day.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Wipe the floor with washcloth instead of your fancy mops. Walk to the restaurant instead of having it delivered to your office. Even better, prepare your own meals. Always choose the harder option.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ira is a “fitness advisor” who has been in the industry for five years. She provides personal training, coaching as well as advises on fitness related topics. She also writes fitness articles. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her two young kids while doing her daily chores as a full time mom. You can visit her blog here www.themanyplanners.com

Allen Solomon on spending priceless time with his daughter Alana

MIMMA Mixed Martial Arts Lightweight Champion 2013 Allen Solomon on spending priceless time with his daughter Alana.

Interview by Stella Matilda | Photo by Vosper Photography 


Allen Solomon, 33, Degree in Architecture but followed his passion in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for the past 3 years.

It all started when his dad enrolled him for a Taek Kwan-Do training when he was only 6 years old. Soon he diversified his skills into Karate at 12, then Fencing at 15, and then Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (BJJ) at 23.

His wife, Caroline Anthony whom he met at a martial arts tournament share the same interest as him. She has a black belt in Taek Kwan-Do and blue belt in BJJ. “At home, she is my red belt”, says Allen.

He plans to continue fighting for another 3 yrs, but not sure if he wants Alana to see him fight in cage.  “They say your subconscious is a product of your surroundings, but my earliest memories in life is about 2-3 yrs old. So our job as parents is to build memories for our kids. i take that job seriously”, says Allen 



How does it feel to be a daddy for the first time?

My mindset went from thinking about what I’m going do in the next 5 minutes to what I’m going do in the next 10 years. I had a hair cut (because of Alana). Now, I am now looking for places to buy a shotgun! (giggles)

What is the best thing about being a dad?

I find that I have better focus now, and that time is very very limited. So I learn to maximize everything I do so I can spend more time with those chipmunk cheeks on my daughter. Time spent with her is priceless. She is very sharing. Always giving me a bite of her food. I melt everytime.

What is the hardest?

I think I worry too much for no good reason. I’m devolving into a very traditional dad. I plan to change that and try to be that cool dad that all my friends had growing up.

What is the funniest thing ever happened to you as a dad?

My daughter seems to be a natural at trolling me. Everytime she sees a photo of a monkey, she goes “papa”- its her first words. I think I’m making her spend too much time with me in the dojo.

Do you think your daughter loves MMA or are you trying to get her into MMA?

I’m am definitely NOT letting her do MMA. Her mom seems to have other ideas. I don't wanna get anxiety attacks. I dont know, I love her, she can do whatever she wants. But I’m gonna have the last say :P

Would you like more children?

I’m looking at my wife right now, raising my eyebrows and coyly saying yessssss.

Tell us a little bit about your childhood.

(Laughs out loud) I was born in Scotland, raised in Sabah, and studied in Australia. I’m very confused and lost as a kid.

What are your hopes and dreams for your daughter?

Like every other parent, I wish her to find success and elevate herself higher that what her predecessors have achieved. The next generation will always do better. I plan to compound that effect.


Featured Daddy | Issue No.2 | Page 62

Making No Excuses - Maria Kang

Modern Day SUPERMOM

Interview by Stella Matilda
Photo by Larry Wong

We are grateful to have Maria Kang gracing Parents Avenue Magazine Sabah's front cover for our launch issue. She is the most inspiring and influential mother, wife, author, speaker, business owner, nonprofit founder, fitness philanthropist, and social entrepreneur. She is a widely known as “Fit Mom” whose No Excuse campaign to get people active, has reached millions of people around the world.

Maria Kang is a mother of 3 sons, a wife to a former Marine, a business owner of elderly residential care homes and a nonprofit founder, Fitness without Borders. Despite growing up on McDonalds, sugary cereals and frozen dinners, she developed a passion for fitness and nutrition when she witnessed her mother struggle with health-related diseases. Maria started teaching aerobics classes in high school and became a part-time personal trainer while attending the University of California, Davis, where she received two majors in International Relations and Asian History and a minor in Political Science in 2002.

She has won several beauty and fitness titles including Miss Petite Teen International, Miss San Francisco Chinatown, Miss Philippines USA, Miss Bikini California and placed top five in both the Bikini and Model America National competitions. She has been on the cover of Max Sports and Fitness magazine, Shape Malaysia, Sacramento Parent, SF Weekly and has appeared on Good Morning America, Today Show, Dr. Oz, Inside Edition, Fox and Friends, CNN, Meghan Kelly, Access Hollywood, Geraldo Rivera, Neil Cavuto and Bethenny, to name a few.

In her twenties, Maria battled an eating disorder and began her popular blog in 2005. She gave birth in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and started the first free No Excuse Mom group in Elk Grove. In 2014 she started the No Excuse Mom movement, where she rallied thousands of mothers to begin hundreds of free workout groups in over 25 countries. In March 2015, she launched her first book with Harmony books, titled “The No More Excuses Diet” detailing a realistic meal plan, home workouts and her trademark goal-setting strategy of S.P.E.E.D., S.T.R.I.V.E. and S.C.O.R.E.


The interview with Maria Kang:

Why did you start up No Excuse Mom and what are your future goals for this movement?

No Excuse Mom (NEM) was created because mothers were seeking a positive, healthy and empowering community of women who prioritized health and overcame their challenges/excuses. In January 2014, we expanded our mission to include free workout groups throughout the world. Our goal is to continue inspiring mothers to take action, forfeit excuses and become leaders of their home - after all, if you want to raise a healthy child, you must be a healthy parent.

Being a mom of 3 kids (all boys!), how do you balance your life between your business, family and personal life?

Every morning I set my 3 “Ps” - which are my professional, personal and physical goals. Despite how busy I am, I try to put at least something in each priority bucket. Having a lot of responsbility means I also don’t have a lot of free time. So planning, prepping and prioritizing are all very high on my list. I don’t watch (if any) TV and when I am engaged in an actvity (like spending time with friends or working for example) I am completely focused and ensuring the time is quality.

Do you think being a working mom has made your kids more independent and more successful in life?

I absolutely believe that we must set strong examples for our children. They watch, observe and will eventually emulate us. We demonstrate what is possible. We teach the universal principles found in hard work, persistence, reflection and discipline. My children are with me the majority of the time.

Sometimes I will swim with them in the pool or help build a Lego building, but it’s also equally or more important, for them to see me work: interact with my elderly residents, film a TV segment, or lead my local NEM group. The sooner you teach your children about taking responsibility and accountability for their actions and aiming their short term desires for long term goals, they will become more successful!

What advise would you give to moms who are struggling to balance their work, family and personal life?

I would suggest they make sure they take time for themselves. Do ONE thing that you know is for you. For me, that’s working out. If I have additional time, I will write a journal or read a book. You can’t put yourself last on your list because eventually you will burn out. Here are my concrete tips:

• Maximize your time and focus on your activity. I would even suggest to time how long it takes to get tasks done so you can schedule your day accordingly.
• Set balanced goals (going back to the 3 P’s)
• Get enough sleep - at least 7 hours.
• Eat every few hours and bring a water bottle everywhere you go. Health is Wealth!
• Count your blessings. When you live in a state of gratitude, you feel more abundant rather than drained.

How do you spend your time with your family?

• We wake up together nearly every day. They always sneak themselves in my room around 4/5am. We always snuggle and play in the mornings.
• They workout with me whether it’s at the park or in my home gym - they are there!
• We love going on hikes and the park.
• The boys bake with me often, 80% of the time they bake with me (and I bake often)
• They are with me ALL the time, so we always sing in the car on the way to the next destination

Tell us a little bit about your book The No More Excuses Diet.

It’s a simple, realistic and factual approach about fitness, nutrition and troubleshooting excuses. It focuses on the number 3 and becoming your best self and breaking down your goals into 3 days, 3 weeks a 3 months. 

To purchase The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang, please click HERE.

What was your kids reaction when they first saw your book in store?

They were super excited! But they are so young so they were quickly distracted by the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtle books in the other aisle, lol.

What are your hopes and dreams for your kids when they grow up?

I hope they are healthy. I hope they have courage and convicted in their beliefs. I hope they find a great life partner, find their passion 

To know more about No Excuse Mom Movement, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.