One mama, who has been one of our biggest supporters from the start, has inspired us with her story so much that we definitely always knew we were going to share it with everyone. A lot of times, I personally feel so unmotivated to work out but I think of Anne Marie and think, if this super busy mama has energy to workout, then I have no excuse. We also felt that a lot of moms out there can identify with Anne Marie. She is a busy mom of five who works a full time job.
Name and Age?
Anne-Marie and I'm 36 years old
What's your ethnicity?
Tongan
Do you work outside of the home? What is your occupation?
I work full time for a private in home caregiver agency; we mainly care for the elderly.
Do you have kids? How old are they?
I have five kids: Lua-17, JJ-15, Angelina-13, Owen-5, and Jacob-3 1/2
Have you always been into fitness? If not, why did you start?
No. I hated working out with a passion. lol. My starting weight was 312.5lbs. I started Weight Watchers and followed their plan to a T. Just by doing this nutrition plan with NO exercise, I was able to lose 50lbs. At that point, I started adding exercise to my daily routine to help me lose more weight and get toned. I started with walking more and sitting less. I wore a pedometer and my goal was to hit 10,000 steps everyday. If I didn't reach my daily goal then I would go to the nearest grocery store and walk up and down the aisles until I hit my goal. I love shopping and find it more therapeutic than walking around the neighborhood.
This is such a great idea and I'm so glad you are sharing all of this with us. We get a lot questions about how to just plain get started. Having a goal of walking 10,000 steps daily is a great way to start. I looked it up and 10,000 steps is equivalent to almost 5 miles! Also, I cannot stress enough to everyone that you HAVE TO DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. If you find walking in your neighborhood really boring then don't do it but find another way to make it happen. You really found a way to make it work!
Yes definitely! And eventually I found enough drive to hit the gym. I started off with the elliptical but that bored me to death. Then I found DPX (Dance Party Extreme/fitness hip hop dance class) and this class changed my attitude about fitness. It made me realize the importance of finding the kind of workouts that make me want to work out.
This is one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to share your story with everyone. I want to point out and highlight that not every workout will be compatible for everyone. But it is SO important to constantly be on the look out for new ways to work out and not just give up because 'it is so boring'.
I also eventually found and fell in love with the Les Mills Bodypump workouts. I now workout 5-6 days a week doing strength training, DPX, and R.I.P.P.E.D. When I get bored, I switch it up with bootcamp, crossfit (using an app at home), Bodypump (ordered a DVD for home workouts) and spinning.
Besides finding workouts that you love to do, how do you continually keep yourself motivated to workout? What are some things you focus on to get you out there to try your hardest?
1. My family. I keep pushing because I have to be healthy and be my best self so that I can be a great wife and mother to my family and fulfill my duties. I want to live longer to enjoy my time with my family and not leave this earth early because of something I could have prevented by simply eating healthy and exercising.
2. I wake up every morning and do my prayer, scripture study and meditation. This helps me start the day on the right foot and with a positive mind/attitude.
3. Journaling my journey. I look though my weight loss and measurements record to remind myself of how far I have come. My journal also helps me when I read past entries as it reminds me of how I dealt with a previous situation and it acts as a reminder of my past successes.
4. I always remind myself of why I started this journey of getting healthy.
5. Attending my weekly Weight Watchers meetings for motivation. Also the meetings give me a chance to share my own story, my ups and downs to somehow inspire others to keep going.
6. Sharing my thoughts on social media/online social network. I find it to be like a diary. I share my posts so that I can be held accountable. My instagram or FB posts seem to inspire people but my posts are created mostly to keep me motivated and accountable. When people comment, or like my posts, it keeps me motivated to keep doing what I'm doing. Kind of like a support group!
7. Self talks. It helps to tell myself why I must never give up. Talking to myself may seem crazy but when I tell myself "I am made of greatness", "I am strong", "I am better than my former self", etc., it blocks out any negative thoughts from entering my mind.
How do you balance work, family and staying fit?
It's all about prioritizing and planning. My family is always my number one priority and then second is my job because that's how I can provide for my family. However, staying fit is also important because it helps me be the best I can be. I schedule my workouts and stick to it. If I have a very busy day, I stay home and do a workout in the living room. It saves me 30 mins (travel time, dropping/picking up the kids, etc.). I've also learned to say no and to decline invitations. I always have to ask myself if that event, favor or invitation is going to jeopardize time I could be investing in my family, work, or fitness; if it does, then I won't do it. I used to say yes to everything but I now see how it can make me feel overwhelmed and leave me cranky/moody which can lead to not being the best I can be for my family, my job or for keeping in line with my fitness goals.
Share with us what you would eat on a typical day.
Everyday I drink a gallon or more of water. I also add one raw serving of fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.
More specifically, this is what I had today:
Morning: green smoothie (I have this daily!), protein waffle layered with fruit
Mid-morning snack: watermelon and almonds
Lunch: black bean burger, baked zucchini fries, tropical smoothie (mango, watermelon, pineapple, hemp milk)
Mid afternoon snack: almond butter + banana sandwich with Ezekiel bread. I have this everyday at this time. I love this snack and I can't seem to give it up or foresee myself ever wanting to give it up. So yummy.
Dinner: hemp protein shake, quinoa and harvest blend spinach salad.
Night snack: almonds, one carrot
What are some of your favorite healthy snacks for yourself and your kids?
Snacks I can make at home: black bean brownies, white bean blondies, raw almond energy balls, homemade helmp protein bars, carrot cake balls, fruit, almonds, hummus
Snacks I sometimes buy: luna bars/lara bars, Late July tortilla chips and crackers
What are your fitness goals for this year?
I want to be able to run my first marathon. But most of all just stick to my workout schedule no matter what.
What or who is your biggest inspiration?
A lot of people inspire me. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of inspirational people. I also found a lot of people who inspire me via social networking with their stories and daily ups and downs that everyone goes through.
However, I have to say that I am my own inspiration. I had to think about this one question a lot. I don't mean to sound cocky nor do I think I'm better than everyone else. At the end of the day, I myself did all that I did and no one else. I have done so much to get myself to where I am now. I have forgiven myself for things I did wrong. I have made peace with myself. I let go of things I can't control. It is a daily struggle but I keep myself positive throughout the day by trying my best to block out negative vibes and energy vampires. Before I go to bed, I am pleased with what I have done. I wake up the next morning and tell myself, 'hey sexy mama, let's do this again'. Hustle, hustle, hustle. You did it yesterday, last week, last month, last year. There is no reason for you to stop today.
At the end of it all, all you have is yourself to rely on for inspiration and motivation. People go home, speeches end, trainers clock out and are off work, friends are busy. Nothing is always there for you 24/7, every second of your life but YOU. Therefore, I am my own inspiration.
At the end of it all, all you have is yourself to rely on for inspiration and motivation. People go home, speeches end, trainers clock out and are off work, friends are busy. Nothing is always there for you 24/7, every second of your life but YOU. Therefore, I am my own inspiration.
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Anne Marie has lost a total of 107lbs. with clean eating, exercise and hard work! Congratulations Anne Marie...you look amazing!!
Follow Anne Marie on her continued journey!
You may also find Anne Marie spreading the word on the importance of healthy eating and exercise to the Polynesian community. She is involved in outreach programs, teaching importance of proper nutrition through non-profit organizations like Taulama for Tongans.
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