I’ve been struggling with my weight since I was a kid, and since I became a mom I’ve struggled even more. I think the sheer amount of business in my life is the main contributor to my weight. I’m always busy taking care of the kids, the house, the husband and the animals. I think I let my own needs fall to the wayside.

Recently though, I’ve taken it upon myself to make my health a priority above almost anything else, and I’ve seen some astonishing results. Although I was hoping for a miracle cure to erase all my excess weight, that’s not what happened. I finally realize there is no magic cure. It really just comes down to these three things: 

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1. Reducing sugar. So, confession time. I have a huge sweet tooth. There’s just something about chocolate rice cereal that makes me happy on the inside. I could honestly have it every day for breakfast, but it’s not healthy and doesn’t aid in my goals. Cutting sugar helps keep insulin levels steady and decreases caloric intake. Less calories means weight loss. As sad as it makes me, chocolate cereal and other sugary foods are off the table. (Yes, that was an intentional pun.)

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2. Reducing carbs. I was raised in the deep south. Fried foods are considered a food group in and unto themselves down in South Cackalacky. Not to mention, my mama cooks the best friend chicken from here to Tuscaloosa. I grew up loving these foods because they were always present during family gatherings. They are associated with happiness for me. But reducing simple carbs and replacing with healthy fats and complex carbs is crucial to weight loss. So, for now, I’m taking a break from fried chicken and okra.

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3. Exercise. I’ve never really had a problem with exercising. We’ve had a farm since I was a child and I continued animal husbandry into adulthood. Just the nature of farming keeps you moving and busy. I always thought it was strange that I work so hard but still held onto weight. I’ve now learned though that exercise, in conjunction with a healthy diet is key to cardiovascular health and maintaining a healthy weight.

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I think the hardest part of losing weight, for me at least, was changing my relationship with food. I’ve had a lot of help from MamaZen lately. One of the sessions, “Stop Carb Addiction,” really helped me understand that I could choose healthy foods. That it wasn’t something being forced on me, but that I have the ability to choose.

The “Motive Yourself to Move” sessions helps me understand that I don’t have to make all my changes at once. Just implementing small changes in my exercise routine over time is more helpful than driving myself crazy trying to do too much.

Lastly, the “Crush Sugar Cravings” sessions helps me feel more motivated to decrease my inflammation and stabilize my sugar levels. I find it particularly helpful to listen to it in the morning, before breakfast. When I listen before breakfast, I feel motivated to start my day right, without the chocolate cereal. This helps me do better the rest of the day as well!

The Healthy Mommy sessions make me feel empowered, and ready to take on my health challenges. I’m finally doing a combination of reducing sugar and carbs, and exercising with the help of MamaZen.  I think the mistake I made before was only doing one of those things at a time. But the combination is what is so powerful in aiding weight loss. I’m excited to see the kind of mom I can be when I reach my goal weight, by doing these three things.