Get honest...

We are lured by the sexiness of the magical supplement, exercise equipment, or 'fix'. These things are guaranteed to work. They will turn you into the hottest, fittest, leanest version of yourself.  But there is always a caveat. You must adhere to a workout routine...or eat a sensible diet. 

I am going to put it out there: if you are doing all that you can (exercising regularly and eating clean) there is no need for 'magic'. 

Time to get honest with yourself. Are you putting in the time? Or are you hopeful that there is a shortcut? Are you truly giving your body the best fuel, or do you have 'cheat' meals, days, weeks...?

Are you hitting the weights as well as cardio and meditation? Are you drinking enough water and getting enough sleep? Or are you cutting a workout short, skipping the water cooler and staying up to catch up on your favourite tv show? 

It takes work, mega work, to do it perfectly right all of the time. It is more than ok to enjoy a deep dish pizza with a pitcher of beer. It is completely fine to put your feet up and binge watch Netflix...but you need to recognize that only hard work will bring you lasting results. At times it will feel as though the hard work is not paying off. It is a slow process and that is why the promises of 'easy' are so damn attractive. But it isn't easy. Read the small print. You will find you still need to put in the work...or if there is no work required it may affect your health negatively (read: warnings, side effects, precautions...). 

The good news, it is worth it. You are worth it. And after you put in all that time and effort, reaching your goal will be more rewarding than you can imagine. Stay focused. And if you lose focus, that's ok..., try again. Three steps forward, two steps back, is still going forward. Remember it is slow. It is hard. It is worth it. 

Stay happy and healthy

www.jomoma.ca

Wrinkles and yoga pants

Facebook...Twitter...Instagram....Television...Magazines...Billboards... There is always something somewhere reminding you that you are not quite good enough. 

Wrinkles? You need a moisturizer with age resistance serum. 

Want a runway model's body? Click on the following link that will detail the diet that is loaded with zero calories and have you ready for that little black dress. 

Cellulite! Act now! Book an appointment with skilled freeze agents that are cryogenic masters...limited spots still available. 

Let us not forget about the urgency to stop wearing track and yoga pants...since that will ruin your marriage or lure men to lust after you. 

Look, I totally get sucked into believing some advertisements as much as the next gal, but it is time to share what I know to be TRUE:

1) When you spend more time laughing than not, you get 'laugh lines'. Having had opportunities to smile, should be enough reason to wear them proudly on your face. Stop calling them crows feet....

2) Models clothing is made for them. It is sewn to fit their body specifically for that one fashion show in a single moment of time. One size fits ONE. Besides...do you actually see what they are wearing? (I wouldn't want to be dressed like a deck of cards or a metallic crayon anyway.)

3) You really don't know how good you look naked. Seriously. I would hazard a guess most of us look down our noses (literally) at our bodies. OR we look at ourselves in the mirror, which is very one dimensional and usually cuts off a body part or two. Don't believe me? What happens when you get naked in front of your special someone? Do they run for the hills? Shield their eyes? I am going to guess...NO. 

4) Cellulite? Yep. Most of us have it. Ever been kicked out of bed for it? See 3. 

5)  Track pants ruin marriages!? Baaahaaaa.  Umm, you know how fast track pants can come on and off? See 3. 

6) Yoga pants make men silly in the pants? Ummm, ok... so pants that double as pjs and passable errand attire are hot? Fantastic! I could use something to distract from my hair, which I likely haven't brushed....in a week.  

Basically it comes down to ignoring the manufactured nonsense, the filtered pictures, and the bazillion dollar industry that is focussed on making you feel less perfect....and embracing the sexy goddess that you are in stretchy pants. 

Stay happy & healthy

www.jomoma.ca

My path.

Why I do what I do....

I have lofty aspirations to change the world. To be fair, I identified that it was 'lofty' so I should be given some leeway no? 

I chose post secondary education that I thought would have an impact. 1st it was journalism.  I wanted to report on world events and be the 'truth' lacking in 'news'. But my lack of keeping abreast with international/national/dorm room activities made that career path seem less...doable. 

I then thought I could be a sports caster, blazing the trail for women in a male dominated arena (no pun intended), but I discovered I could not give play by plays or valid colour commentary because I was too busy cheering for a team or player (this was university, so hormones were at a high...). 

Next stop, Nursing. Let me cut to the chase. I do not have fantastic bedside manner. I do not do well with whining, complaining, ...and that was just the doctors! I discovered I needed more.  If I was going to be in 'medicine' I wanted to be the Chief of the hospital. 

Soooo, next stop, Insurance. 

Ok, not really....but it was an insurance company. I started my 1st grown up career in Human Resources as a benefit administrator...and moved into a role of staff short term disability adjudicator. I gathered information, evidence, and even investigated staff for disability claims. This made me a very popular individual...not. I worked in a silo...which suited me just fine because I was still reeling at the discovery that 'grown-ups' were not any more mature than school kids. The petty office jealousies, the water cooler gossip, the brown nosers... It was not my scene. I felt I had been duped into adulthood, there must be something better.... 

On to law enforcement. I was a mother of two by then and had a sincere interest in making the world a better place for kids to grow up in. What better way than to wrangle up bad guys and protect people right!? Wrong. Again I found myself in a Neanderthal world. Old men and dinosaurs ruled the service. If I could play the game I could be successful (I don't like games...not even pictionary...), and after 10 years of shift work fighting bullies (both in the public and in my work place) I left. 

Present day, entrepreneur. I still want to impact the world positively. I want to create a sisterhood, where women lift each other up. I feel that my best avenue to do this is through health and fitness. Fit minds, bodies and self esteems are healthy....and I want to give women the tools, tips, motivation and support they need to reach fitness goals. Because I am not without faults: body image hang ups, discipline, organization, ... I can relate to many. I frequently declare a new diet, or a removal of a 'bad habit' and replace it with another... Like I said, I am not without faults. But, heck, I do have a plethora of 'experience'. And experience is what you get when you don't get what you want (if nothing else I am here to save you time....I know what does/doesn't work.)

Stay happy & healthy

www.jomoma.ca

My inflated ego

It is nice to get an ego boost every once in awhile. An unsolicited compliment. Some sort of external nod of approval for how you look. If you have children (or beasts similar to mine), a boat load of fawning will not fix the vocalized observations they share:

"Daddy has bigger boobies than you" (yes, this may actually be just as awful for said 'Daddy', sorry hon, but misery loves company)

"Push-ups are harder for you because you weigh extra more right"? (I had been blaming old volleyball injuries...)

"You didn't do up your coat because you have a nice layer of fat..." (At least it's nice...but it was mostly because we were LATE)

"There was colour in your olden days wasn't there?" (On the plus side, the entire hockey team and parents got to hear that one) 

"You have crinkles near your eyes Mom...good for you!" (Yep...yay me!)

"It's funny how your bum jiggles...do it again Mom!...shake it!" (I aim to please)

"You played competitive sports!?...Weren't there any athletes?" (I was able to stop myself from sayin 'F#<k you'...win for parenting)

On my way out the door, scrambling to shove my mass of messy hair into a ball cap: "You don't need to look good, Dad loves you anyways"... (Word.)

I really should be thankful for my children ensuring my ego doesn't inflate to grotesque proportions...what with media, marketing and advertising always telling me how gorgeous and perfect I am.... Oh wait... 

Stay happy and healthy

www.jomoma.ca 

Who am I?

If you follow, you know I am a 40 year old mom of 4. I am married to my best friend. I own a dog that has eaten 3 couches. I walked away from a job that made decent money and had the perks of benefits and pension......I like coffee...and wine....and coffee...and wine...

I am a lot of things. No two people, including my children, know the same 'Sara'. Sounds pretty flaky. However, the way I see it, no two people bring out the same 'Sara', and for this I am thankful. 

I have those who use me as a safe for their secrets. Those who bounce ideas off of me. Some who require a confidence boost. Others that talk me off of the ledge. I have partners in crime, drinking buddies, friends who talk sh!t and others who wouldn't say sh!t even if their mouth was full of it. I have people who see me as a role model and others that see me as insecure and weak. I have friends, family, competitors, ego boosters, and deflators,...and for each of these there are predecessors and likely successors. Each and every one of these people see me in their own way. I serve a purpose/role for them and they do the same for me. 

I am forever connected to them, but for different reasons. They were my 1st. They were my last. They were a teacher.  They were a student. Some are my past, some my present and some will be my future. The amount of time spent in my life may be a forgotten moment, while others are in it until the end. 

In each person I attract or repel, I know it is because of something similar shared...and to me that has a significance I once never considered. The good, the bad, the ugly...all have an impact on who I am. 

I am more than the obvious role of friend, family, lover,.... I am the 4am ride from the airport. I am the stolen wallet from my dorm room. I am the borrowed $, the wet socks, the benched athlete, and the black eye. 

As I get older, I grow. I become more. Who I am, is defined by my experiences which I share with both those I know intimately and those I will never know their name. 

Who am I? Why, I am Sara of course. 

Stay happy & healthy

www.jomoma.ca