Fit and Fabulous Mom Shares Her Path To Success

This is a recent blog post from a long time Baby Boot Camp (formerly StrollerFit) mom, Katie.  She has two beautiful children and has been an instructor for Baby Boot Camp for the last year.  Katie had the courage to post this entry recently to her own blog, and was happy to share it here as well.  What an inspiring story, thanks for sharing!

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I’m gonna do it, show you the mortifying before picture (I'm blushing pretty bad right now). This was me when Della was 4months old. I was ready to admit that I was just going to be fat for the rest of my life. That was it, I had 2 kids, I enjoy food, love wine, and HATED to run. Flash forward 2 years there is more than 40 pounds less of me (with more to go) I have become addicted to my runs and my exercise routines. If I had the opportunity to visit my 20 something self I would run up to her and smack her fat face. All that wasted time, and time I spent quite literally wasted. I wish I had known how little time I was going to have. I had all the time in the world to run, paddle board, golf, I rarely got on a bike and took a ride, what I wouldn’t do to have that kind of spare time again. I have very few regrets how I spent my 20s except how I treated my body. I just wish I didn’t have to work so hard now in my 30s to fix the damage of an extremely indulgent lifestyle. Great food, lots of drinking and very little exercise. I worked hard and played hard, and it showed. Now if I have an hour to spare, I run. I dream of triathlons I won’t have time to train for. Races I don’t have money for. All things I had the means for back then, but took for granted. Now if a few days go by and I haven’t sweat I start to go a little crazy. Fortunately I now live in a place where I can exercise outside most of the year, and don’t have to join a dreaded gym. I’m also very lucky that I’m not working full time right now and have made getting back in shape my “job.” I love that I’m also teaching my kids that staying healthy and active are important . IRunMommies of St.Pete and Baby Boot Camp have been huge springboards for me. I started (then StrollerFit) when Oliver was 8 weeks old. Lots of baby weight in tow and a bad knee I attended class and got a life I almost turned away from. I was new to town and was hating being away from my family and friends,feeling a little depressed and isolated I found StrollerFit and Christie Bruner. I started and stopped a few times before I realized it was the place I needed to be. I’ve met life long friends and I’ve since become a group fitness instructor with Baby Boot Camp (AFAA certification pending in April.) I’m still self conscious about my figure teaching women with MUCH better bodies than mine, but I’m out there almost everyday with the kids (potty training, tantrums and all) and I’m working hard to better myself . It has changed my life! When we started a 5k running program just last summer I would have NEVER guessed that I would love to run, let alone LOVE to race. I had dreams about running but honestly never thought I could. As my first half marathon day quickly approaches I have to remind myself this time last year I couldn’t even run a mile without stopping, remember thinking 8 minutes of straight running without stopping was too much. Excuses of an arthritic knee, side stitches, shin splints faded away when I realized I COULD do it. I have an amazing support system, and constant encouragement from friends and family. ( and smaller pant sizes are pretty motivating too.)I have to say Thank you to Christie, but I also need to take some of the credit for getting this far and want to share with any of you who think you can’t do it (whatever your goal) it's never too late…and you CAN do it…you can do ANYTHING!!!