Hello FitFam,
Welcome to another Monday on the blog.
Whoops!! Amazing results are going down in our coaching squads and we are sharing a few of our wins on the blog. Too good to leave at whatsapp alone
Still winning: More RESULTS are in
What PROGRESS looks like at #JesusGirlsFitness
Today though, I am here to share a few highlights from our guest this past weekend in the Squad as she spoke to us about her health. FitFam lifestyle, and how she brings her family along for the ride.
The best part about Ope is that she is NOT a fitness Coach, or Nutritionist, and she didn’t have any health challenge or trauma that forced her to start to eat healthy.
She is just a regular #JesusGirl, wife and mom like you and I, who decided that she would take the narrower, healthier path, as opposed to just going with the herd mentality and popular culture.
She dropped so many gems and I would be lying if I said I could cover all on the blog.
So I decided to pick THREE points, expand on it, and allow you to consume healthily.
Ready?
Legggggooooooo.
- Dear Mom, LEGACY Matters
She talked about how she saw her mom so controlling of what they consumed at home as they grew. She controlled what they ate and there was not just money to throw around buying fancies that not only hurt the pocket but hurt the health.
That etched such a lesson in her because even though she can afford more now, she doesn’t just waste money on junk. In fact, in her own words,
‘I don’t buy it just because I can afford it’
Honestly, this is something we as Moms especially are going to have to learn.
And what this means is that we PAUSE and PONDER before we make a PURCHASE
Don’t just buy it because it is the fad, or popular culture.
That every other mom does it is not enough for us to do too.
Ponder, Question, Deliberate, Pause again before you make that purchase investment.
It saves you MONEY and HEALTH too.
And just to say more on something she said about pregnancy.. A lot of times in pregnancy, we are told to eat well so the baby will be big and healthy, but really, your baby only needs so much food and no more.
Get that baby out of you in the smallest and safest size possible, to avoid all the many complications that come with a macrosomic baby, and when baby is out, feed them
She also mentioned how important it is to observe moms with healthy babies, and not be shy to ask questions. In her situation, she noticed that the local women around her had kids who were healthy and looked well fed, despite not being high on the ‘social ladder’, and she asked and that was how her journey with feeding her kids some local, and healthy dishes began, like pap.
Can you imagine the LEGACY of good health and such beautiful examples she is leaving behind for her kids?
And better still, the kind of beautiful legacy you too can leave behind for your kids?
Not to talk of bypassing them from all the health challenges that comes from a poor, high-in-sugar diet?
Let’s do better, Mom
2. Spend wisely.
Ah, this one ehn, Ope turned things on its head. One of the things I speak to my squaddies about is how unhealthy eating, without control, is expensive. If we practiced more mindful, portion controlled eating, it would amaze us how much money we could save, and allow us opportunities to be generous to those who are less privileged than us.
I love how Ope said that as a new wife or mom, we have to practice WISER investment of our monies.
For example, an average new wife buys a microwave for her kitchen, when she could have invested that money instead in a food processor, or a solid blender that allows her to prepare healthier dishes with some ease for her family.
Now obviously, some of us have a ‘tosh’ load of cash and can afford to buy it all. However, the principle is to do some research and don’t just buy because you can afford it. Buy because it helps your health and family health
An average first time mom, who has limited spending cash spends money buying baby cot, breast pump and all, meanwhile she could have again invested in a food processor, or an air fryer, that could help her eat healthier, and make nice baby foods at home after she is done exclusively breastfeeding, and even nice smoothies, homemade juices, spreads and dips that make feeding exciting without compromising on nutrients and quality.
Your baby doesn’t need a FANCY cot, and first time moms are usually not very wise in their spending, like me too. Your baby needs GOOD FOOD, and so do you so invest wisely.
The principle is, we must be MINDFUL SPENDERS and INVESTORS, and all it takes is a little research, and questions.
3. Mom is BOSS (Reset weekend/strategy)
I think one of the things we lack as moms is the courage to follow through, especially on unpopular decisions for our kids. It is way easier, and marketing doesn’t help, to give our kids cereals daily, because the kids enjoy it, it costs you no time to prep and feeding is faster. Or store bought fries which are super unhealthy, but can be ready in 10mins since you just toss it into the pan and deep fry. Cutting potatoes is hard work, ditto feeding a child real food like yam and beans is harder than cereal.
So we indulge Golden Morn daily. Kids are naturally neo-phobic and like what they like, and can resist the new. I talked about it in this post on Lazy Mom or Picky eater.
It is my responsibility to let my kids know that Golden Morn is once or twice a week, and there are other meals on the menu. Plus, they don’t get to choose, because we don’t run a hotel service here. I serve, they eat. The end.
I love Ope’s strategy for resetting her kids even though I didn’t use it.
Say, she has a child who is underfed and needs to gain some weight, she indulges you with, for example, a lot of cereal, and once we see that weight gain, she plans what she calls a RESET WEEKEND, where she has time to deal with you.
Then, she can serve you amala morning, noon, and night, until you get used to it.
After that weekend, or three, the child realizes that there are other foods beside cereal.
My own strategy is slightly different, but gets the job done.
I set your food before you, and if you make meal time long, or keep stuffing your mouth, I take it back, then when you say you are hungry again, I bring it right back to you. And we keep repeating it until that food is eaten.
We will not be serving you anything else, in the meantime, no matter how hungry you get.
This works like magic for me, and easy for me to do as a full time stay at home mom, who runs her own business from home
The deal is, our kids are wiser than we know, but we cannot let them outsmart us.
Let them know that we are the boss at home, and not their personal chef.
Except they are deathly allergic, every food gets ON THE TABLE and will be eaten by all.
Now as a mom, you do have to do plenty of research and be creative too.
For example, there was a time my kids would pick out all the carrots and veggies in their meals, and it was so frustrating. Then I started to blend and pour in the stew.
Now though, they even request for carrots as snacks, and enjoy my carrot juices with me, cucumbers and other veggies that are not exactly ‘sweet’
The deal is be creative, resourceful, research and don’t give up please.
Let me end where we began with LEGACY.
We moms need to not think of only NOW but the future.
With every meal you feed your kids, you are giving them health or sickness. Let’s choose health, and not just fit into the culture of this world and fall for advertising gimmicks without thinking.
“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”
Romans12:2 AB
I have a few posts that can help any mom looking to do better.
Enjoy
MinimalMom: 13 things I don’t waste money on for my Kids
…Cos if MOMS get it right, the WHOLE FAMILY gets it right!!!
#ChildNutrition: The Dangers Of Store-bought Frozen French Fries.
#ChildNutrition: The dangers of sausages
10 herbs&spices ALREADY in your kitchen to SUPERCHARGE your meals
Remember, if a mom gets it right, she eventually brings her whole family along for the ride, if she stays CONSISTENT!!!
God help us all, and crown our efforts with good success
With all my prayers & right in your corner
Eziaha
#JesusGirlsFitness