By: Shallin Squire
Less than one year ago, Jennifer Lee of Vernal was a self-proclaimed "miserable person." Jen's dissatisfaction with herself affected every aspect of her life and damaged her relationships to the point that even her marriage was in jeopardy. One day in November of 2010, Jen sat at her computer, feeling sorry for herself, secretly hoping to find something to pull her up out of her slump. She had immersed herself in one of her favorite inspirational blogs for women when she spotted something new: a link calling for 15 females to participate in a brand new program called Mom Fitness Makeover, a product of www.howdoesshedoitmom.com.
"It really was a fluke," Jen said. "I stumbled across the link and signed up."
The first requirement of the Mom Fitness Makeover was to submit "before" photos. Jen said, "When I saw the photos, I almost quit before I had started. The person in the photos seemed like a stranger. I had been ignoring certain aspects of my body when I looked in the mirror, but it was impossible to overlook those things in the photos. I took a truthful look at myself, and it was intimidating, even scary."
However, Jen concluded that her seemingly legitimate excuses for not loving her body--such as being over 40, having thyroid disease, and having borne children in her late 30s--weren't going to cut it anymore. "I threw away all my excuses and started," Jen stated. "I told myself I could and would finish the 8-week challenge."
Although Jen had crossed some difficult hurdles already, she continued to struggle for several weeks. She said, "I am an emotional eater. Food is my go to for everything. When I didn't have my comfort foods, I had to deal with my emotions on a whole different level. I literally cried through the first 3 weeks!"
Jen persisted through the challenge and discovered her inner strength. "I saw my body change as a result of my choices, and that carried over into the rest of my life. I felt a sense of power, and everything became possible."
It didn't take long for Jen to realize that Mom Fitness Makeover, at least for her, was not about losing weight or looking a certain way but rather keeping commitments to herself. When the 8 weeks had passed, Jen modified the program to better fit her personally and simultaneously renewed her resolve to improve her health and happiness. "I realized I was not striving for an end result," she said. "I learned to enjoy the struggle every day. I have immersed myself in whatever comes my way, good or bad, and I've learned so much about myself."
As Jen became acquainted with her true self, she discovered new strengths and talents. Journaling became the tool she used to replace overeating when she experienced strong emotions. As she told her story as a guest blogger www.howdoesshedoitmom.com, Jen realized her struggles and successes could benefit a lot of other women. She began brainstorming and worked for many months to put together her own, newly-launched blog: www.justyouraveragejane.com.
Jen developed a knack for creating healthy dishes and will soon publish her own cookbook. "It will have some original recipes and some that I've modified, but they'll all involve whole foods, good fat, veggies, and protein. Every recipe is budget-, time- , kid- and husband-friendly!"
Finally comfortable in her own skin, Jen visited Montreal in May to take part in a Mom Fitness Makeover Weekend of Inspiration; meet her mentor and friend Carrie Campbell, creator of Mom Fitness Makeover; and participate in a photo shoot. She graciously agreed to share two of those photos with The Edge.
By sharing her story, Jen hopes to spread the message that a person doesn't need to have a lot of time or money to be healthy. She elaborated on that concept in one of her recent blog posts: "One of the biggest excuses I hear from people when they're not eating healthy is that… whole food takes too much time to prepare and is too expensive and there are never any coupons for 'that kind of stuff.'…Well it's a definite fact that processed foods are quick, easy and cheap. I don't know about you, but that's not something I would like to be called; it's certainly no compliment!"
Jen has also challenged, and wants other women to challenge, the thinking that putting herself last is what makes a woman a good wife, mother, and/or friend. For example, Jen acknowledges that the time she spends working out at the gym isn't spent with her family, but she also knows it builds her confidence, energy and enthusiasm and helps her to be a better wife and mother when she is at home. She said, "It's okay to take time for yourself. In fact, it's good for you! It helps you create the kind of environment where you and those you love can grow. You have to remove the guilt and find balance in your life."
You can learn more from Jen by visiting her blog at www.justyouraveragejane.com. To give you a taste (pun intended!) of what her blog is like, we've included one of her recipes below. Make sure you check out Jen's book and discover her inspiring recipes!
Zucchini Protein Bread
¨ 1 egg + 4 egg whites
¨ 1/2 cup Splenda or Xylitol
¨ 3 TB Ground Flaxseed
¨ 1 ripe mashed banana
¨ 2 cups grated zucchini
¨ 2 cups oat flour or ground oats
¨ 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
¨ 3 tsp. cinnamon
¨ 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
¨ 1/2 tsp. cloves
¨ 1 tsp. baking soda
¨ 1/4 tsp. baking powder
¨ 2 tsp. vanilla
Blend all the ingredients together in a bowl and then bake for approximately 40-45 min at 350 degrees.
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