Hello my lovelies! Mama Bear Fitness is my way to share my growing knowledge about healthy nutrition & home fitness. Once a workaholic professional in the retail industry, now a Stay-At-Home Oilfield wife with a budding Fitness business! I know from experience that parents of small children lead insane lives full of unpredictability & always tend to put themselves on the backburner, but I am here to provide insight into how even a busy mom can be healthy and fit!
There are so many programs and "gimmicks" out there that tell you you can lose weight, get healthy and be all smiles and cheer while you do it. But how many people do you know, yourself included, who have bought one of these items and gotten so overwhelmed and frustrated after hitting a roadblock or needing help that you just give up? What if you had someone to help you succeed, someone who knew your product inside and out and would always be there to make sure you were doing what you intended to do when you bought your program?
In case you didn't figure it out, I am a Beachbody Coach!! It might not be everything that I am but it sure is a huuuuuuge part of my life for alot of reasons. I help people with health and fitness, i might not know everything but I certainly am not afraid to admit it before i find out the answer.
Want help? Got a question? Just ask! Nothing to be scared of!!
For the month of May/June I am running an online fitness accountability group for people with the desire to try again with their Beachbody Programs. Its so common these days to impulse shop in s many ways. Those potato chips you just HAD to have at the grocery store that never got opened in your cupboard? or how about that shirt you saw at the mall that you just HAD to have but hasn't made it out of your closet since you brought it home? And of course don't forget that Beachbody program you bought because you promised yourself you would get in shape before some big event? Yeah, thats what I thought.
You might be thinking that you can easily just google some healthy recipes and workout exercises and on your own willpower will succeed. And in very VERY few cases you would be right. But the amount of people who unfortunately fail at this approach is incredibly disheartening. Thats what I am for! I, as a free coach, provide the added support and knowledge which can and is usually lacking in the do-it-on-your-own path.
So, if you, or someone you know needs that extra help that my group and my coaching can provide than please send me a message, find me on facebook, and let me help you succeed!
Alright so you might be thinking, what IS Shakeology? I mean, come on, i have an entire page heading dedicated to it, so you KNOW its special to me at least. Obviously I am about to tell you all the awesomeness that I have found in Shakeology over the past year, both from being a dedicated consumer of it as well as the research I have done on it. I of course researched it before i started drinking it everyday but throughout the year I still like to look up the new recipes and ingredients it has in it so i know what it can and is doing for me constantly.
Lets start with what Shakeology is NOT;
-A protein shake - although it does contain protein in it traditional protein shakes provide a single or double source of protein and little to no nutritional value after that
-full of chemical mixtures and concoctions that you cannot pronounce
-containing added sweeteners, preservatives or artificial flavours
-a generic over the counter magic solution
Ok, now, here is what Shakeology IS;
-a superfood nutrient dense shake made up of over 70 different nutrient rich foods that provide your entire days bodily requirement of nutrition in one simple glass a day.
-a meal replacement - although it can easily be drank as a snack it works out great as a daily meal replacement as well without having the after effects of being hungry after drinking one serving!
-fantastic for crushing your cravings into the ground, seriously, i havent wanted to get "chocolate wasted" in over a year. And thats a big deal for me, i have 2 toddlers, they love their junk food!
-perfect for weight loss, and no its not from any special chemical compound gimmick. Simple answer, when you have cravings its your body telling you its either addicted to something or your body needs something that item might have in it. Most cravings are not for the healthier option either, so if you give in you end up eating unhealthy food, thus most likely causing weight gain. Proper nutrition cuts off the cravings which cuts off the binge eating thus decreasing weight gain possibilities.
And if you are anything like me and hate taking pills for anything ranging from medications to vitamins than Shakeology is an answer to a prayer. Even my kids love drinking it! And all parents know its easier to get your kids to drink a smoothie or milkshake over swallowing pills!
Kiley is not only my health and fitness coach but she is also my friend. We have known each other for years and have shared alot of our journeys together. We were both pregnant at the same time with our first daughters and we actually met through a mutual friend of ours. Naturally awesome attracts awesome so we became fast friends. Stay at home mothers with multiple tiny humans running around very rarely get to take time for themselves.
Kiley is the kind of Rockstar who helps show you just how vital it is as a mother to make sure you take care of yourself to the best you can so that you can take care of your family as well. Always around to lend an ear and work through any self-doubt or supercilious issues even at the mothers witching hour of 3am. Plus she is a true role model when it comes to involving your children in your health and fitness and using them as a Reason and not an Excuse to do the most you can for and with them everyday.
So, if you want some extra motivation check her out on facebook at:
Every week i will introduce someone who I personally follow and who i 100% recommend you to follow for various reasons as well. Just like a celebrity shout out!!
Although i can personally guarantee i will NEVER post a Follow Friday on any of the Kardashians or Justin Beiber. The people i will show will be people who are motivating, driven, and incredible in what they do!
Meet Danielle, I work with Danielle in the fitness and health field and have had the pleasure of hanging out with her and her husband at our annual Coaching Summit held in Nashville this last July. Danielle also has a full time job as a speech therapist where she lives in New York. With 3 growing children and a husband at home Danielle is always pushing to be healthier for herself and her family. She constantly helps push you when you need pushing to stay on track and has infinite tips and tricks on everything from workouts to food recipes!
I am currently parked in the corner of my local Starbucks getting some focused Me time in on my studying and planning. By my calculations everything i managed to accomplish at home yesterday over the span of 6 hours i can easily eclipse within the 2 hour time frame my fantastic friend Christina has given me while she watches my youngest. Plus, the last time i just got to sit in a Starbucks for the sheer pleasure of enjoying a latte was probably about 5 years ago... minimum.
The reason my friend graciously kicked me out of my own house this morning was simple. She has been helping me in my endeavor to acquire my A.C.E. Group Fitness Instructor Certification. It was a birthday present back in December which has alot of reading involved. Hard to get done with any depth of focus when my 19 month old wants to cuddle with her sippy cup and watch yo gabba gabba. You mom's know where i am coming from right? right.
So i am supposed to be approaching week 6 of my studying... i am at week 2. I am behind, and its been driving me crazy. I have reread the same 5 pages a dozen times... and i HATE being behind. So i am cracking down on my own excuses. Luckily i have an amazing support team behind me for it.
Friends willing to remind me and encourage me with whatever i choose to do. A husband who tries to help where he can when he is home.
An entire team of people scattered throughout the greater United States and Canada who share the same passion for fitness and a healthier lifestyle.
Now that i have updated you fantastic people, its time to study my face off!!
I am new to this whole blogger thing, it was suggested i give it a try and i have always been intrigued by the notion so here it is!! Fair warning I can tend to ramble a bit. So, here is a little bit about me!!
My name is Erin McCall, and I have 2 beautiful little girls and a very loving husband.
I am 28 and have a great reach of friends who are close enough to be called family. Born and raised in Alberta even though my hubby is an East Coast Catch. We have 2 sister cats - Darwin & Tchaikovsky, a senior Shit-tzu named Kujo, and a rather large Rottweiler-German Shephard Cross who is about the size of a small black bear and has no sense of personal space.
Our oldest daughter just turned 3 years old right before Christmas and our youngest is about 19 months old. A few short weeks ago we had announced we were expecting our 3rd baby to be due in early August but sadly just before new years and a long night of sadness we were confirmed that we would be staying a family of 4 after all. Not the best way to ring in the new year but we promised we would end this new year better than it started.
Don't get me wrong, our year wasn't all bad. We moved from Fort McMurray, Alberta right before the big downturn in Oil happened. Didn't lose our house we own up there and luckily we eventually found renters who weren't dishonest crooks. And we managed to move into a house in Beaumont, Alberta that we had been building for the better part of a year that we built specifically to be nearer to my family who is scattered throughout Edmonton.
With my husband Terry working a 14-14 fly in fly out job in the oilfield we really wanted to raise our family somewhere that was close enough to see relatives as well as give them the best opportunities. I chose to be a stay-at-home mom while my husband is away for half of each month for several reasons;
1. saving money - childcare would of taken up most if not all of any money i would of earned if i had to go out and find a job 2. stubbornness - neither Terry or myself wanted someone else raising our children while we were out working all the time. We wanted to raise our children and spent as much time teaching them as we could 3. i dont have to split my time - i dont have to worry about keeping house and still spending time with my kids before or after i get home from work. I dont have to be a mom or a worker bee, i can and am both. 4. the unpredictability factor is awesome - kids really do say and do the darndest things. My 3 year old told me today she wanted me to start refering to her as Queen Elsa, as she is going through princess phase and is hopelessly addicted to barbie and Frozen at the moment. 5. I have more me time - yeah i know that sounds weird but its true. I have more time to explore my own options of furthering my education at home, or doing whatever it is i want to do (within reason) even if i have my children around while i am doing it.
I have never had weight gain issues but i have always eaten like a teenager. Translation: i ate crap food as much as possible. It wasnt because i didnt like veggies or healthy food i just enjoyed the simplicity of hitting drive-thru's and not having to do anything complicated like i thought meal prep was.
I began drinking Shakeology and coaching with Beachbody for the accountability it gave me with starting to get a healthier "Me". My nutrition was shit, and my children had started emulating me. So much so that my 2 year old would rummage through our recycling to find dregs from the pop cans!! I was ashamed of what i was teaching my kids, so i decided to spend time on changing Me because i knew it would be better than trying to change them!
Now our oldest is 3 and our youngest is a very rambunctious 19 month old. They drink shakeology with me and we rarely if ever have junk food binges like we used to. It hasnt been easy at times but it has been extremely educational. So much so that i have found a huge passion in helping others figure out how to be healthier and happier in their own lives as well. Never saw that one coming!! Haha.
Stay tuned here if i havent bored you to tears yet. I plan on posting as regularly as i can about my journey and sharing what i have learned with you. If you want help more than just reading my entries than message me!! Don't let you hold you back!
