MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY – #MOMBOD Co-founder Heather Mast

My Crazy Awesome Family!

Hi there! I am Heather, and I am here to tell you that you are AMAZING! Us moms really have a hard role to fill, whether you work, stay home, have 1 or 5; it is all challenging in its own way. Balancing life with our littles, no matter the situation, is not an easy task. It can be exhausting being home, it can be exhausting working, and both have their pros and cons. It is hard having one child, adjusting to parenthood, and being your child’s main source of entertainment. It is challenging having multiple children and dividing your time, while coordinating everyone’s schedule. My point is, that no matter your situation, you are juggling a demanding yet rewarding position. You should feel accomplished and amazing!

I have not always felt this way. In fact, I have been through periods where I felt like I was failing miserably and felt bad about myself. Fitness and living healthy has brought me to this point! The stronger and healthier I have become, the more amazing and confident I feel 🙂 This has made me a better mother and wife. It is a great feeling to love yourself and feel good about the person you are.

I currently feel AMAZING, but I have not always been at this point. I have gotten here by setting goals and working hard until I reach them. I made a goal in May to work on upper body strength and really wanted to do a pull up. I am up to 6!!!!! SIX PEOPLE!!!! They are with a supine grip, but none-the-less 6 UNASSISTED pull-ups.

Now, you may be thinking… Well, she has probably been an athlete or something. THIS IS NOT TRUE. To be honest, I was anything but an all star anything! Growing up I dabbled in gymnastics, failed miserably at JV volleyball and tried out (but never made) the cheerleading squad. I use to feel embarrassed that I was never good at anything. I was never really associated with being great at anything athletic

In February 2010, I found out I was pregnant the same week I found out that I was accepted to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. I decided to move forward with grad school even with my little one on the way. I got busy with school, and not making the healthiest choices, I gained more than 60 lbs. I delivered an 8 plus pound post-term baby boy in October 2010. I was devastated to come home weighing 3 pounds more than when I went into L&D pregnant. I just assumed the weight would fall off after I delivered, but it did not.

First pregnancy – One of the only photos I allowed anyone to take past 30 weeks, because my swelling in my feet and face was so bad!

Four weeks passed, and I had only dropped 10 pounds even with breastfeeding. The scale was not budging. I felt so lost! I feared that my new normal was 50 pounds heavier. I ate better, but it never crossed my mind to start working out. I carried on through graduate school, working, with a baby… It took 6 months for me to start losing more weight and 18 months before I was close to my pre pregnancy weight.

In May 2012, I decided I wanted to get in shape (especially before another pregnancy). I told my husband I wanted to join a gym, but he wanted to see some sort of commitment before signing up for a membership. So… I started at home with Jillian Michaels ripped in 30. I did the full 30 days and never cheated.

I started at a gym in June and decided I wanted to really challenge myself, so I signed up for a triathlon. Here is the kicker… I could not swim! I enrolled in swim lessons. I jumped in the pool for my first 1-on-1 lesson in July (my race was labor day weekend – only 2 months away). I could not even swim a pool length without stopping So I kept at it. I trained and trained and swam until I could not swim anymore! Race day rolled around, and while thinking I could possibly drown, I completed my swim with the pack and ran on to complete the race with a smile on my face.

I did a 13 mile Tough Mudder the following month with my husband and AWESOME sister-in-law, and a half marathon with my best friend the month after that! I pushed myself and started figuring out that I could accomplish these goals and in good times with a little strategy.

2 Hours & 3 Minutes 🙂

Hear that… STRATEGY! Small obtainable goals that progressed 🙂 Fast-forward a few months. My husband and I found out we were pregnant in January 2013, so I decided electrocuting myself with 50,000 volts and ice water enemas were not the smartest ideas and gave up the Mudders. LOL (Anyone who has participated in the Tough Mudder understands that).

Even with all the twins in the families – this was a HUGE shock!

A few weeks later we were told we were having twins! TWINS!!! My first thought was that I may gain 130 lbs!!! I decided that day that this pregnancy was going to be very different! I ate healthy and worked out religiously. I did not try to push but rather maintain my current fitness level. I weight lifted, ran and swam regularly. I carried those boys till my induction date. I swam 15 laps the afternoon before the twins were born. They were 5lbs 5oz and 6lbs 1oz. I gained my recommended 40 lbs and you could see every nook and cranny in my feet the day I delivered. The difference in my two pregnancies was UNBELIVEABLE.

TWIN BUMP

Just before they broke my water with the twins…

I went back to work for a bit after the twins were born and it was incredibly tough trying to find that balance in life: family, work and fitness. It took a while to fall back into a groove. I had several months where I felt down and exhausted. I just did not feel good about myself. I dreaded the amount of work it was to go to the grocery store with my 3 babies. Even lifting the double BOB in and out of my car felt so annoying.

I really got back into weightlifting at the gym around my twin’s first birthday. Fast-forward a year – they just turned 2, and I feel so strong! I love the fit me! I have so much more energy, nothing seems like too much, and I feel like I can take on the world!

#becomfyinyourskin #heartyourmombod

#MOMSTRONG

August 2015 ~ Punta Cana

If I can set and accomplish these goals, anyone can accomplish their goals. Your goals may be very different than mine, but they can be accomplished. Never tell yourself you cannot do something, because you CAN! If you are a MOM, you can do anything!!!

LOVE

Hook’em

#boymom – and yes my oldest has Frankenstein painted on his face!

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