Fit Mama of the Week: Lana

We chose our newest Fit Mama of the Week, Lana, initially because we were drawn to her creative lunch ideas on Instagram.  But as we got to know Lana, she has brought up many points that we've always wanted to discuss like working out but not eating clean and how this does not work.  I know that when I was in my 20's, I could eat anything I wanted knowing that if I put time in to workout I'd be ok.  But when I hit my early 30's, I gained some weight but couldn't figure out why despite working out; meanwhile I was eating danishes with a tall mocha almost daily, then big bowls of pasta or white rice later.  So if you're wondering why you haven't seen any changes even though you work out or wondering why you've reached a plateau, definitely re-assess your diet and see if there are changes you can make.  We can't stress the importance of eating clean enough.  Luckily, Lana has a few lunch ideas to share below to help inspire you!

Name/Age/Marital Status/Kids/Ages

My name is Lana and  I am 34 years old and am married.   We have two children; a five year old “big” girl and a two year old boy.

Do you work outside of the home? What do you do?

I’m first and foremost a stay-at-home mom, who teaches fitness classes.   I teach at a few local gym and also run my own boot camp, called 1funfitmama on the weekends.

Have you always been into fitness? If not, why did you start?

I've always loved fitness and working out, but not until my second child was born did I truly understand the true meaning of “fitness” for me.  I now understand what my body is capable of and how important being healthy is. In the past, it was just about maintaining my weight. I never dieted or ate clean.  I ate whatever I wanted and thought “I’ll just work that off later”.    As I've aged and now being over 30 the concept of buy now/pay later wouldn't work anymore.  I also didn't push myself to get stronger, as I was scared of heavy weights or even true weight lifting.  Now, when I think about fitness, I think of the endless opportunities for me to get healthier in my mind and physically in my body. Fitness just isn't about the physical element of working out, it is about eating healthy, which doesn't mean just dieting and feeling good about it, but consuming nutritional foods and treating your body with respect.

What do you do to stay active? What is your favorite way to get exercise? What do you do as a family to get active?

I’m very active throughout the week.  With the kids' crazy schedules, I know you’re thinking they are only five & two, but yes we have LOTS to do, it is sometimes challenging to fit a workout in.  In addition to the four classes I teach throughout the week, I also dedicate at least one day to just me, whether that’s a run, yoga, or simply working out in my basement.  My all-time favorite way to workout is with my kids.  I have recently taken a mommy and baby boot camp with my youngest and it was the best experience.  I started when he was just 13 weeks old.  It was a hard core boot camp, which taught me that I CAN work out with my kids in the room.  That was always a huge excuse for me, but now I learned that my kids love to see me workout and end up doing some of the workouts with me.  It is not only fun, but we are bonding and building lasting healthy habits.  My favorite type of exercise is a mixture of strength & cardio in a boot camp routine.  I've never seen a real difference in my body until I started doing boot camp.  This type of class makes you utilize you’re body weight in way’s I never thought possible, and has increased my strength tremendously.  

perfect plank :)

As a family, we love to be outside! We go on walks, bike rides, or to the pool in the summer all the time. Being at home, I like the kids to get outside at least once a day to burn off the energy, especially during the “witching” hour. You know the time between 4-5:30 pm!  Not sure if it’s just my kids, but something happens & they become crazy!!!

Making a commitment to staying fit is something that is not easy. How do you stay motivated?

It is hard to stay motivated when you have a thousand things on your to-do list. At the end of the day, staying fit and healthy makes me feel better about myself and overall makes me a better person/mom.  I just have to remind myself how great I feel after a workout (sweat and all…actually the more sweat the better).  That feeling after you've done something great for your mind, body, and spirit is such an amazing feeling, and I do silly tricks throughout the day to help me stay motivated. For example, I put workout clothes on first thing, even if I don’t plan on working out till later. It makes me more accountable.  I also lay out my clothes and get my water bottle ready the night before for those early morning workouts.  My main motivator is my kids.  I’m a better mom because I am dedicating a few hours of the week for “me” time, which is hard to do as an active mother, but definitely needed!

How do you balance work and/or family and then to stay fit and the same time?

Balancing life in general is super hard and challenging, some days I feel torn and don’t feel anyone/thing is getting enough attention.  I don’t think I've figured this out completely and think it will be ever changing as the kids get older and more activities occur.  The one thing that does help me is that I know my kids love being active, love to help me cook healthy foods, and enjoy the play time with other kids when they go the gym with me. My husband is also very active and a full supporter of our healthy lifestyle, having him as part of our strong support system is crucial!

Share what you would eat on a typical day or any particular meal.  Do you have any healthy meal ideas that the kids love that you would like to share?  What are some your favorite healthy snacks for yourself and for the kids?

I typically eat 4-6 small meals a day. 

For breakfast, I typically have 1-2 slices of EarthGrains Wheat Berry with Honey bread, topped with Almond Butter, banana, and drizzle of honey.  I also have protein shakes in conjunction with my food a few mornings a week.  This could consist of an actual protein powder meal replacement formula or almond milk and fruit combo shake that I’ve put together for myself and the kids. My kids love shakes!  Our favorite is a chocolate, banana, and berry smoothie.  It is 8 oz. dark chocolate almond milk or chocolate soy milk, a big scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 banana (frozen or ripe), a handful of kale or spinach, 1 cup of frozen berries and a drizzle of honey. My kids love this with their morning breakfast, would be great as a snack too.  We also eat a lot of yogurt with homemade granola for breakfast.

 For lunch, I eat a lot of salads and wraps. My kids love salad too, so I pack salad combos for school.  Some other things I like to pack for lunch are frozen veggies which are a great way to keep food cold but also will defrost in time for lunch, or another is pita bread with spaghetti sauce and cheese so the kids can make their own pizza. 

Some of our favorite snacks are homemade trail mix (raw almonds, cashews, dried berry mix and dark chocolate chips), hummus or laughing cow cheese spread with veggies and pita chips, or a bowl of cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and avocado with a sprinkle of pepper.  My kid’s all-time favorite is frozen mixed berries and a handful of dark chocolate chips. We also can’t do without our almond butter or all natural peanut butter, we will often spread this on a banana for an after workout snack.

Was eating healthier something you always practiced in your household?

Recently, our family made the switch to a clean eating household. It is a slow change for certain beloved items (i.e. pasta) but for the most part I buy items that do not contain preservatives and try to stay close to the 5 ingredient rule.  If I don’t understand what is in the ingredients, I won’t buy it. The biggest change for me was reading ingredients. This is not something I was used to. I bought, what I thought was healthy, but after reading ingredients and finding that majority of foods contains dyes and BHA and other harmful preservatives, I didn't want to put that into my body and certainly not my kids. So for my family, this change has made a significant impact on our digestive system, our moods and has helped my energy level!  A great change for our family.

Do you have any tips for other moms looking into clean eating for themselves and their families?

Find a local farmer’s market and buy fresh! It is usually a bit cheaper than the grocery stores and it is so much healthier (little to no pesticides) and supports our local farmers.  I will plan my weekly menu around what is available at the market. If you buy what is in season, you can save a lot on your grocery bill.  Also, once I get home from market and grocery store, I will cut and wash veggies and wash fruit so it is ready to eat! It makes making a healthy eating choice easier, if the veggies are already cut for me!

What are some of your fitness goals this year?

I would really like to complete a triathlon this year.

Besides your family/kids, what are other things that inspire or motivate you to put on your clothes and get moving?

It is so inspiring to see other moms out there working their tails off and promoting their lifestyle. I love Instagram/Facebook and Blogs that highlight strong women completing goals and being healthy. On Instagram, I participate in many exercise challenges that other’s post. I love to see and try different types of exercise it is a huge motivator for me.

If you have any questions for Lana please comment below or contact her!  She has a schedule of fitness classes/bootcamp classes so definitely message her if you live in the Midwest area!  You can find Lana's Instagram here: http://instagram.com/1funfitmama  She often posts workouts you can do at home that I find so helpful when I don't have time to head out to a gym.  If you're on Facebook, you can find Lana's page here: https://www.facebook.com/1funfitmama