My pursuit of a perfect body has been more like a journey of unrealistic expectations.

I’ve struggled for as long as I can remember with self-image and my assumptions of how I feel others see me. Growing up, I was bullied over my weight and let’s just be honest…I wasn’t the skinniest kid on the block so I was an easy target for fat jokes and cruel comments. As I grew older, my appearance changed but my mindset didn’t.

We’ve shared some blog posts about how our first year of marriage was no walk in the park. A lot of our issues centered around my insecurities, but thanks to counseling and Jesus, we’ve come a long way. Those consuming thoughts of my weight and appearance shifted yet again after giving birth to Willow. I’d be lying if I said that I never worry about my looks, but my thoughts tend to be less focused on what others think and more on Willow, Ryan and my crazy busy life.

In my quest to achieve this “perfect bod” I realized that I really love to exercise. Sure, sometimes it feels like a chore and sometimes I have to give myself a pep talk just to lace up my tennis shoes, but more often than not, working out has proven to be a great stress reliever and makes me feel good throughout the day.

When I was first pregnant, I knew I wanted to continue working out and chose to hire a personal trainer to help me along the way. The personal trainer held me accountable and developed an exercise routine that helped me stay healthy despite the temptation to eat allllllll the things. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I made during my pregnancy, and I feel it helped me bounce back quickly after the delivery in hopes of getting that pre-baby body back.

But then mom life happened. Exhaustion happened. Ice cream cravings happened and so did the convenience of restaurant-prepared meals. I started having a mindset that I needed to eat a lot because I was breastfeeding and burning so many calories (darn you, Chick-Fil-A strawberry lemonade milkshakes)! I wasn’t eating healthy and I definitely wasn’t spending time rebuilding my body…but then I met Val.

Valerie Smorol is the owner of SmoFitness. She designed and created a program called smoBABY, a program designed with the new mom in mind and has been approved by a myriad of medical professionals, including a women’s specialist, a physical therapist, an OB-GYN, a dietician, and even a lactation specialist. The program combines nutrition with planned workouts and incorporates the important elements of accountability and encouragement as well. 

I was hesitant about it at first, but Val convinced me I was a good fit for the program and I am SO glad she did. This past July, I completed the smoBABY six-week program and since then, have completed two rounds of her FASTer Way to FAT Loss program. I have lost several inches, 13 pounds and I am finally fitting back into pre-pregnancy clothes. The program requires commitment and determination, but it’s realistic and legit! I have pictures to prove it (just ask me!).

This program isn’t just about losing the weight, it’s more about being smart with nutrition and gaining the knowledge you need to get your body where it needs to be. I’m still a work in progress, but feel I have come a long way since having a baby. Val’s accountability is great. She will do everything in her power to encourage you, motivate you and help you reach your goals. She’s realistic and she believes in each of her clients. I am feeling more toned and confident and to me, that’s worth its weight in gold. 

Want to learn more about SmoFitness? Click through to see what smoBABY or FASTer Way to FAT Loss is all about!

[ Photos by my awesome hubs: Ryan Worthen ]