Being a healthy mom is something I’ve striven towards for years. My oldest is turning 8 this year, which means the “little ones” will be 2 and 1. I don’t have time to sit around and wait for my weight to fall off and for my health to be great. Honestly? I barely have time to write this! But I know that as I work towards my goals, I want to inspire others. I want other moms to know that losing weight is possible, that while it might seem IMpossible in the beginning, small changes can go a long ways.

So at the beginning of 2013, I stepped on to the scale. I made sure that I was naked, that I had used the bathroom, and let out the big breath I was holding. 210.2 flashed up onto the little digital screen. I thought it was broken. So I stepped off, waited for it to turn off, then got back on. Nope, the same numbers again.

Whoa.

I knew right then and there, in that messy bathroom, naked and cold, that I couldn’t live like this. Not with 3 kids. Not if I wanted to see them go to prom, graduate high school, graduate college, get married, have their own babies. I had to change. Not a diet, not a “take a bunch of pills and hopefully lose a little weight”, but a life-changing change.

So I did. Instead of coffee and Pop-Tarts for breakfast (or just skipping it), I started having a protein shake or smoothie.

Gone were the bags of chips (oh, Doritos, while you taste so good, look at what happened to me!), gone were candy bars and ice cream.

Bye-bye pop. I haven’t had pop since the very end of December. The world did not end, it did not stop spinning, I did not die.

I said hello to leafy greens, lean meats, nuts, eggs, cheese, whole grains – the GOOD stuff. The stuff that’s worthy of being included in a Fresh 20 menu!

I also said hello to the very neglected treadmill we own. That thing had at least an inch of dust on it, so after a good cleaning, I powered that baby up and got to work. I didn’t jump into running, I started with walking. 20 minutes a day, 2-2.5mph, at an incline of a 1 or 2. I aimed to walk 5 days a week, during nap time, and rest on the weekends. As a mom, the weekends are not for the weak – they are for cleaning, laundry, hauling, playing, shopping – all of which burn calories and can get the heart rate up.

With these changes, with making smarter choices and getting my butt up and moving, since the beginning of January, I have lost

17.3 lbs

*insert fist pump… and maybe some tears*

I weighed in on February 25, 2013 at 192.9 (down from 210.2)

It really IS possible! Fresh foods, get your body moving, and it can happen!

Have you started a journey towards a better and healthier you? What were the changes you made right away?

Mandi is The Fresh 20’s Community Manager – you see her on Facebook and all throughout customer service. As a busy, work-from-home mom of 3, she divides her time between family, The Fresh 20, rocking it as editor of Momaroo, and other freelance ventures. Any concerns, feedback, or chit-chat can be directed her way!