Exer-Walking my way to a Healthy Lifestyle

I’ve been doing a whole lot of confessing lately.

I showed you evidence of my disastrous housekeeping skills.  However, I refuse to show you evidence of my poor eating and exercising habits.  You would be scarred.

Instead I will tell you what I am doing about it.

I am working with EarthFootwear to ‘test drive’ their newest shoe - the Exer-Walk. The goal is to Change my Body in 30 days. This shoe is designed to make the most out of my every step - to firm my calf muscles and back-side area, tighten my tummy and improve my posture.  Their tag-line, ‘Turbo Charge Your Walk” reminds me that this shoe is ‘upping the anty’ when it come to fitness.

The shoe is light, has a super-soft, specialized arch support system (I said it feels a bit like walking on cotton candy) and includes EarthFootwear’s Kalso Negative Heel Technology.

Here’s what I know after wearing the shoes for the past month - they are comfortable (and great-looking!), they have inspired me to get moving - every step reminds me that these shoes were designed to maximize my fitness and regardless of how much ‘actual exercise’ I put in during a day, I can feel that ‘I’m-your-muscles-hear-me-roar’ sensation that lets you know you are working.

I’ve been told that it takes 21 days to form a habit.  If that is the case, I am well on my way to being the healthy, exercising Mommy I want to be.

30 Days to Kickstart a New Healthier Me

I’ve been in a bit of a rut.

Exercise has simply been a word I think.  As in, “I think I should really find a way to exercise this week.”  Combine that with my incessant desire for comfort food and Halloween candy?  I’m a bit of a fitness disaster. I know I am not ‘fat’.  I also know the scale is creeping higher than I like, and my clothes are a touch tighter than they should be.  I simply know I am not making healthy choices.  I am not at my best.

In need of a kick start, I was thrilled when Earth Footwear chose me to join their “Change your Body in 30 Days” Campaign.  They sent me a fantastic pair of shoes - the Exer-Walk - a new design launching in January.  The idea: 30 days in these shoes will make a positive difference in my fitness regimen, and my overall health.

The shoes have a special feature called the Kalso Negative Heel Technology that allows me to burn 4x the fat of a normal shoe.  This means - as I go about my day- to-day activities - carpools, errands, chasing after the small dude, I will be able to feel a difference.

Here is what I know so far: the Exer-Walk shoes are a fantastic-looking shoe.  They are extremely comfortable.  I imagine it is the negative heel technology, but the shoe cradles my foot and provides extra padding with each step.  It feels a little like walking on cotton candy - or at least how I imagine that would feel.  The portion of the shoe that encircles your ankle  and heel comes up a little higher than shoes I have had in the past. So, I’ll admit I got a blister on my heel the first day, but nothing since then.  I think my heel, my thighs and my glutes are a little too anxious for the potential fitness progress to let a little blister get in the way.

Confession: I did not battle my weight as I was growing up.  I did not exercise regularly.  I did not watch what I was eating.  But now I need to.

Now, I want to.

I am grateful to Earth Footwear for wanting to be a part of that life change for me.  I am grateful to my friend Leah and her Mamavation campaign for encouraging women like me to commit to this type of change and for working with Earth Footwear to get us moving.

Disclosure: Earth Footwear did give me a pair of the Exer-Walks to wear for the purpose of this program.  I am not being paid in any way to participate.  The opinions expressed in this post and future posts are mine and mine alone.  My thoughts and beliefs are not in any way influenced by Earth Footwear.

SnazL Week 5 - Fitness - 3pm EST Labor Day

We are focusing on FITNESS today!!  Join us at 3pm EST to share your favorite fitness videos, pictures and music that gets you motivated.

I’m thrilled that Leah Segedie from Bookieboois co-hosting today - so you can watch here or on her site - she has some great tae-bo moves to share!  AlsoMizFitOnline has some fantastic videos to get you motivated!

Remember to click on the plus sign at the top right corner of the SnazL to add your media!

Move it and Lose it - Why Moms Matter

A woman who takes good care of herself is a more powerful mother - at least that is the way I see it.  If we are willing to settle for ‘nothing but the best FROM ourselves’, that will carry over into our parenting. A Mom Matters when she cares enough to be a good example - in word and action to her children.

Take Leah Segedie for example (many of you may know her as Bookieboo!)  What you may not know is Leah’s story.

Three years ago, when Leah gave birth to her first child, a son, she weighed 253 pounds.  While she was pregnant, her father was diagnosed with cancer and given only 6 months to live.  Five days a week, Leah helped her mother to care for her dying father. Watching him suffer was tremendously painful and Leah found solace in food. 

Like so many of us, she believed the weight would come off after she had the baby.  But, also like many of us, that wasn’t the case.

When her newborn son was only 3 months old, Leah’s father lost his battle with cancer.  Though she had prayed for an end to his suffering, she was devastated.

But with the devastation came a ‘moment of clarity’, as she calls it.  She didn’t want to be the ‘fat mom’.  She wanted to ‘model healthy behavior’ for her family.  In that moment, Leah decided to make a change.  So, she stood up and started walking.  At first it was once a day and then twice.  She joined Curves and began to practice Taebo. Five pounds at a time, Leah began to see a difference.

Working at a healthy lifestyle the traditional way, with  diet and exercise, Leah lost over 100 pounds.

It is this weight loss journey, and Leah’s desire to motivate those around her that inspired her friend Kelly Loubet to nominate her for Why Moms Matter.

After losing the weight, Leah decided to create a ‘go-to place where moms could share their struggles staying or getting into shape”, and Bookieboo.com (named after her son) was born.  The site has over 40 contributors, many are certified personal trainers, but all are moms.

Knowing how tough it can be to balance being a mom with taking care of yourself, Leah is reaching out - hoping to give a little extra resolve to one mom at a time. Having recently had a second son, Leah is on the ball with getting back into shape one more time - and she has the support of whole bunch of moms on Bookieboo - doing the exact same thing.

Join us on Why Moms Matter on Blog Talk Radio, Friday at 12:30PST/2:30CST to learn how Leah stays motivated to keep up with her healthy lifestyle and how she balances work with family.  You’ll also learn about her new Blog Talk Radio Show - MomActive - launching on June 19th.

Do you know a Mom Who Matters?  An ordinary mom doing extraordinary things?  Nominate her today.