As moms, we often carry around extra weight for years because it’s a whole new ball game trying to get fit, tight and toned with little ones. Up until recently I was hanging onto 10 extra pounds of flub that wouldn’t budge. I knew it was directly related to my lack of mapping out my goals. It wasn’t until I started getting serious about reaching goals, making commitments and being real about getting my fitness in gear that I started to see the numbers shift on the scale.

 For some it’s as easy as deciding to achieve what they’re after. My husband is a great example of that. He doesn’t need to write his goals down or constant reminders. Me, on the other hand?

 I need the pop-up reminders.

 I need to be able to check something off my list.

 I need to physically see on paper (or my laptop) what I’ve accomplished over the course of the day.

So I signed up for Goal Getters several weeks ago to help me reach my fitness, nutrition and live better goals.

 These included:

• Filling up on fruits and vegetables by remembering to make a green smoothie every day (or twice a day) for myself and my children.
• Make ordinary ingredients extraordinary by making tasty and healthy yogurt sauces for dinner and occasionally switching up my oatmeal by adding milk in place of water when I know I need to feel full for longer (or when I need to refuel after an intense workout).
• Predict the future by planning and preparing snacks for myself and the children, grocery shopping once a week rather than every few days and keeping the fridge and pantry organized in order to see what healthy choices are available.
• Make my pet my personal trainer. Our little Chihuahua Sammy is on the “hefty” side and needs regular exercise in order to maintain an ideal weight. This hasn’t been possible with the colder temperatures, but now that spring is right around the corner there will be plenty of early morning walks and rollerblading for Sammy and I after dropping off my oldest at school!

All in all I’ve been reaching my goals but I still need to work on predicting the future. Too many times I leave the house hungry or thirsty and end up snacking on the kids crackers (that I don’t even like!) or grab a muffin in the drive-thru. In order to turn this goal into a lifestyle habit I’m picking up a new set of glass storage containers for snacks and a new set of mason jars for my green smoothies.

There’s only a few months left before we’ll be running around the spray park with our children, so use the motivation of a looming deadline to get back in shape. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in just a month or two if you really commit to making your health a priority by eating healthy and exercising everyday. Our bodies are never going to be the exact same as they once were, but I’m proof that after two children (and a 50 pound weight gain each time) you can get pretty close to your old body if you put in the effort.

Only 1 in 3 Canadians get enough milk products. With Goal Getters, you’ll see how small steps can lead to a healthier lifestyle, which included getting you recommended servings of milk products everyday.

See ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle

This post was brought to you by the Dairy Farmers of Canada via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not indicative of the opinions or positions of Dairy Farmers of Canada.