What was your biggest success this week?
We had a great family vacation in Disneyland. What fun! I had lots of energy to play with the kids, be silly, get everyone fed and off to bed, then do it all again the next day. We enjoyed being together and have a pile of great memories. I wish I had a pedometer with me, I would have logged several miles of walking.

Me and Minnie!

Biggest challenge?
Eating on vacation was nightmarish. I tried to pick simple veggie filled dishes but they came loaded with butter and salt. We tried to have light meals or snacks during the day and a just have larger lunch to offset all the heavy food.

Best advice from my trainer?
Have fun! Morgan had encouraged me to enjoy the time together, which we did!

How do I feel?
Sluggish is the word that comes to mind. We are exhausted from all the sounds, lights, walking, excitement, and less than ideal nutrition. I feel bloated and slow moving. I am looking forward to enjoying some fresh squash and spinach that is ready in the garden and some great workouts to get back on track!

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Planning your own trip to Disneyland? Check out these MOM stories.

What was your biggest success this week?
I had a great week with daily workouts. Swimming was great out in the sun! I enjoyed a tough strength training session with Morgan and a challenging Power Yoga class. We had an active outdoor life this week with several family bike rides and park time! My sweet mother in law surprised me with a hair- cut and pedicure that were a wonderful way to relax!

Me and hair stylist Amy on my pampering afternoon.

Biggest challenge?
My normal gym workout partner was out of town. I missed the social part of going to the gym. I did ok with drinking water, but had one day when I was so busy at work that by the end of the day I had consumed less than half my goal. I really felt tired and dried out.

Best advice from my trainer?
"Give yourself a break." Morgan encouraged me to continue to work out most days but to take days off to recover as well. We planned for my vacation week and decided to not try to get in formal workouts, but to relax, make good food choices, and enjoy our family time.

A pedicure - what a great way to relax!

How do I feel?
This has been a productive week. I enjoyed the variety of exercise choices I had this week, biking, swimming, strength training, and yoga! I am ready for a week at Disneyland with our family and my goal is to maintain my current weight while having a blast!

Message to moms needing motivation?
Seeking balance is key. Morgan reminded me that being fit is great and so is enjoying family time! I would encourage any Mom to look at the way her day is spent and see if there is a way to add more balance. Maybe a draw a pie chart to see if there is a heavy side that is unbalancing the rest. In the past I was so heavily balanced to the care of my children over my own needs that I was very heavy indeed.

My new 'do. What do you think?

Other thoughts or feedback from your friends?
I had a friend recently start to exercise regularly and she told me I was inspiring to her. This seemed crazy! She is a successful Mother of two who cooks the most beautiful and tasty meals, even invites others over to enjoy her cooking, she cans her own fruits and veggies, gardens and raises chickens, has play dates complete with educational activities and take home crafts, is always sending thoughtful emails… the list goes on. I have always wished I could keep up with a couple of those things. She is inspiring to me. It is cool that we can encourage and share with each other to be happier, healthier Moms!

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Sunny day in Winchester Bay, Oregon Coast

What was your biggest success this week?
This week I was able to finish boot camp and feel really strong.  We tackled some new "suspension" exercises that are great for core strength!  I have the new problem of packing for our summer vacation and many of last summer's clothes are too big…

Biggest challenge?
My knees are sore and remind me throughout the day. I was keeping a daily food journal but was not able to keep it up the way I had planned, it is also easy to forget to record the extra little morsels that find their way into my mouth throughout the day. The days I did journal I was able to locate more problematic times of day for overeating - especially while I am making dinner.

Best advice from my trainer?
"Drink water." Simple, but proved to be effective for weight loss this week. I bought a refillable water bottle and have doubled my intake by carrying it around.

Playing in sand with Ellie, age 3

How do I feel?
This was a great week. I have a high level of confidence that I can keep on track and continue to achieve my small goals. Losing another pound or two by next week's vacation is highly motivating as well.

Favorite go-to food?
I found a good treat for hot summer days to replace my old ice cream habit: Whole Fruit Organic Juice popsicles. 60 calories and yummy flavors. My kids like them too!

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What was your biggest success this week?
This week has been focused on strengthening with daily "Bootcamp" workouts.  A variety of trainers lead the group each evening.  The group is fun to work out with and there is lots of variety.  We groan and laugh together while enjoying high intensity workouts.  I have been very aware of food choices as a result of keeping a daily food journal.  We had a great family weekend camping at the lake and were active in the clean fresh air!

Ellie and mom enjoying a vacation treat!

Biggest challenge?
Going camping really derailed my good eating patterns.  Ice cream and smores - enough said.

Best advice from my trainer?
"You can work out really hard and not change your body if you don't give it the right fuel."  - Morgan. He's suggesting more fresh whole foods and reiterating the avoidance of processed foods from boxes.

How do I feel?
Stronger overall.  I look forward to week 2 of Bootcamp next week.

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What was your biggest success this week?
still no sugar, few grains, no alcohol and I only feel tired if I don't eat enough greens. I'm losing some weight.

Biggest challenge?
More sick kids, so I've only been to Nia once in the past week.

Best advice from my trainer?
Do your best.

How do I feel?
Pretty good. I just started some new supplements. I'm ready to take it to the next level. More fresh raw food and more exercise.

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What was your biggest success this week?
Still no sugar and even fewer processed grains, no alcohol and I don't feel nearly as tired.

Biggest challenge?
Still working out childcare logistics, so I've only been to Nia about 2 times a week lately.

Best advice from my trainer?
Do your best.

How do I feel?
It has gotten a lot easier to pass up all the things my kids/family are eating like bread, crackers, cookies, a glass of beer so that is a big relief. I enjoy Nia so much! It feels great to move to incredible music in the ways my body really needs. I am both pushed to get my heart rate up and encouraged to do the moves according to my own expression. It is as much an outlet for my personal creativity as a form of exercise. I have very tight shoulders from 8 plus years of holding kids and during Nia I stretch and strengthen them a lot. It feels great. Plus, the other women are super cool. I hope some day to be able to dance free of the tension and stiffness in my body. I haven't given up coffee. I am pretty attached to my couple of cups a day, but I am working on drinking green tea instead once I've had my first cup in the morning.

Favorite go-to food?
I haven't given up coffee. I am pretty attached to my couple of cups a day, but I am working on drinking green tea instead once I've had my first cup in the morning.

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What was your biggest success this week?
My biggest success this week was overcoming my self-consciousness and trying Zumba! Man, can they move… and sweat! I will definitely try it again! I am also happy that I was able to resist a piece of chocolate cake at a big picnic. This may seem like a simple thing, but it meant my internal dedication is translating into daily behavior choices. I also dusted off the bike and rode to work every day!

My husband Jeff and I with our son Dylan at preschool graduation.

Biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was finding time to work out and stay motivated with a big change in routine and lots of special end of the school year activities. I am glad next week will be back to a regular schedule. I have a big work-related test coming up and am trying to avoid stress eating.

Best advice from my trainer?
Don't overdo it when you are full of endorphins. You need to stop and stretch after a good workout so as not to be too sore or tired the next day to sustain a good daily pace.

How do I feel?
Good. I have more motivation for this next week. I am gearing up for a training group "Boot camp" for 10 days that starts this week. I can't wait for the results!

Favorite go-to food?
I have a small jar of raw almonds on the counter so I can have a few while I am cooking to avoid my old habit of over- sampling before the meal. Almonds take a while to chew and are filling. Morgan suggested no more than 20 almonds per day, it is easy to overdo!

Thoughts for the week:
I love meeting a friend I haven't seen for a few weeks and having her say, "Wow, you have really slimmed down!" How fun!

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What was your biggest success this week?
Biggest success? Ah ladies. This was a rough week for me. I sold my business, had a house fire and my chickens died. Yes, I said chickens. Oh, and my feet broke out in a rash so it was hard to put on shoes. Size 10, if you were wondering. As if having size 10 isn't bad enough, now I have a rash on top of that.  Lovely. Success was (simply) making it to bootcamp! For me, when the sky starts to fall, just getting a workout in IS a success, right? And I spent time on the water, paddle boarding, which worked out well. I took third place in a The Bend Paddle Board Challenge. The top two women are pro-athletes, so I feel pretty good about the week.

Biggest challenge?
See above.

Best advice from my trainer?
My trainer says 'do what you can and don't make excuses' and I agree. Ladies, you are a priority. Your health is a priority. And if you are not a priority to yourself, then make yourself one. A lot of women seem to back burner themselves, putting family, job, housework, etc. first. Those aforementioned are all important, yes. But, if you take care of EVERYONE else except you? Then there goes the foundation for all the other people and things that are important in your life. You ARE important, too, so make yourself TOP priority. Come on, Momma, you owe it to you.

How do I feel?
I feel pretty good this week.  I  made time for me and I didn't have to stretch my jeans for 10 minutes after the dryer!  It was more like 30 seconds! Which (as you some of you might know) was a Big Success in itself.  By the end of this Challenge, I am hoping NOT to have to Dryer Stretch the jeans at all. I might have better odds winning The Lottery, but it's worth a shot.

Message for MOM Readers
Have a great week everyone and be kind to yourself!

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What was your biggest success this week?
No sugar all week and I made sprouted raw hummus that is actually quite yummy!

Biggest challenge?
I felt unusually tired this week and due to sick kids couldn't go to Nia Tuesday and Thursday.

Best advice from my trainer?
"Just do what you can do"

How do I feel?
I'm losing weight, so I feel good about that. I had a lot of blood sugar issues this week, though. I started out the day strong, but then at some point I'd be super hungry and veggie sticks just were not doing the trick. I'd end up just eating something to get me through and then crashing. Even though I wasn't eating sugar, I seemed to ride a sort of low blood sugar roller coaster and felt exhausted at the end of the day. Friday I didn't have the cravings I had the other days, but Friday was a mellow day. I am guessing that it is harder to avoid unnecessary carbs on days when my stress level is high.

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What was your biggest success this week?
My biggest success was feeling energetic enough to do all of my daily workouts and tackle the yard and the garage to boot! I have discovered that after a great workout, I have more energy to do things I have wanted to get done. I also realize I have been too busy and active this week to watch any evening TV.

Biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge this week was going to the gym and giving it my all in spite of a bad cold. I woke up Monday morning with a sore throat and body aches. I thought about calling the trainers and rescheduling but once I got there I felt better and was able to complete the workouts. I was also at a large family gathering with a multi-course meal that definitely over-stretched my calories for that day. It is hard for me to say "no thank you" when someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make a big meal.

Best advice from my trainer?
I was lucky to work with two fun trainers this week. Travis focused on functional fitness. He was great describing a weight lift sequence as "picking up your child, then tossing them into the air" to help illustrate the muscles used and why we were bothering to work on them. Morgan always reminds me "every exercise is an ab exercise, keep them tight." He was very encouraging and challenged me to double my goal expectation… yikes… but if he thinks I can do it, then I can.

How do I feel?
I feel great. I am starting to see myself as a much healthier person. My clothes are fitting well and I have had several people give me positive feedback about my slimmer look.

Favorite go-to food?
Odwalla Superfood Smoothie. Yumm. It has lots of good nutrients, 190 calories, and is a better choice than an iced coffee drink.

Message for MOM Readers
Just start something. I waited so long thinking about how, what, where, when. I finally decided there is no perfect way or time to start. It means a change in your schedule, shopping, and meals, but it is worth the effort!

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