The True Meaning of a Mother

Mother

The true meaning of the word "Mother" is "Sacrifice".

From the moment you conceive, you begin your Sacrifice.

Your body becomes this teeny tiny little person's home.

Your nourishment, your fluids, your blood are no longer just yours.

As your baby grows you sacrifice your figure..

Your comfort..

Your sleep..

Your favorite foods..

Your clothes..

Your activities..

The list goes on and on.

Then you give birth to this amazing little person who has occupied your tummy for months.

You Sacrifice your attention & every single little thing they do amazes you as if it's your first time every seeing it done.

You Sacrifice your sleep just so you can oversee them & make sure they're perfectly comfortable & safe.

You Sacrifice your body so that you can produce nutrients to give them the healthiest nourishment possible.

As they lay next to you, you Sacrifice your comfortability just so they are comfortable & not awakened. 

You will give yourself the most painful cramps just to accommodate them.

You Sacrifice your food because no matter how hungry you are, should they want some, you will never say no.

You Sacrifice your finances giving every last dime you can to make sure they are secure & have what they need even if it means Sacrificing what you need.

As they grow, you Sacrifice more time & energy to make sure they are taught every little thing they will need to know about this world. 

This Sacrifice extends from putting on their pants to driving their first car & even at that point..

..Your Sacrifice does not end.

You Sacrifice your ears, to listen to their rants, their dreams, their desires and their heartbreaks.

But most of all, you Sacrifice your Heart

You love unconditionally

Undeniably

And fully, with every breath that your have.

Without them your Heart could never beat as strongly as it does.

There is no greater Sacrifice than being a Mother

And there is no other Sacrifice worth Sacrificing more.

-Katrina DeLaFonte

Love MomStyle Network

How to Love...

Not every woman is brought up in a happy, healthy or loving home environment. Naturally, you grow and develop from the garden from which you were grown.

Growing up, some of my very best friends grew up having very little affection and encouragement at home and it led to a number of troubling factors. Some had low self-esteem. Some became promiscuous. Some found a way to distract themselves from the reality at home through other ventures. Drinking, drugs, etc.

For some women, they can't even fathom growing up without hugs, kisses and simply knowing someone loves them and cares about every little aspect of their life. But unfortunately, this is a reality for some and it does really affect your interaction with the people who mean the most to you throughout your life.

Some women go through life never truly knowing how to love.
Then one day they become a mother. They are suddenly overflowing with emotion. For most moms, this emotion is nothing other than an abundance of love and excitement, but for some, their emotion becomes anxiety and insecurity. They start to wonder,

"Am I going to be a good mom?"
"What if I fail?"
"What if I can't be everything my baby needs me to be?"
"What if I can't be the "IDEAL" Mom?"

I have news for you: There's no such thing. There's is no ideal mom. Every single mother on this planet goes through something at some point. "But she just makes it look so easy. She just looks like she's got it all together." Here's a dose of reality. The same mom that you admire, that you think you could never be like, is the same mom who broke into tears last week because she needed a break or she learned of yet another brick she had to add to the rest she already had on her back or she just drew her last straw (you know, the one that broke the camel's back?).

This image that celebrities, especially, try to convey to the media, the perfect mom, the together mom, the chic mom, 24/7, is all a show. Believe me! Think about it. A woman who has nannies, a beauty team, maids and every other help you can think to hire compared to a mom who does it all. It's a 100% guarantee that without the help, they would be just as tired, just as overworked and just as in Mommy-mode (hair up, no make up, scrubs on) as the rest of us!

I feel that one of the most important things us women need to know is that No matter how you were raised. No matter what you had or didn't have growing up. No matter what kind of mentality you were influenced to develop. YOU decide how your household will be run. YOU decide how much love and affection is shown in your family's life. YOU can change the course of the direction        your want your future to develop into. 

Remember...
You do not need money to show how much you love someone.
---We can all learn something from our babies. You give a baby a fancy toy, they'll go after the box it came in.
 
There is no limit to how much love and encouragement you can give to your family.
---You are the Queen of Hearts.
 
There are no excuses on why you can't love or show affection to your loved ones how you want to, no matter how you were raised.   
 ---You should be raising your children, therefore, experience and influence should have no factor on how you love your kids or your significant other or your other important people in your life.

Ultimately, YOU choose the type of mother you want to be. No Excuses.

You want to be a more creative mom? Do it! Pick up a book! Learn something! Put some effort into it!
You want to put more effort into your kids? Do it! Yes, you may get a little less sleep and be a little more tired at the end of the day, but it's worth it.
Wish you could be more affectionate to your loved ones? DO IT! There's nothing stopping your besides you!
Be the type of Mother you want to be so that you can be proud of the Mother you've become. Leave a legacy for your children remember.

I don't know about you, but I want my babies to remember Mommy did everything she could for us with every bit of her heart and she couldn't have given us more effort or love if she tried. 

That's the kind of mom I want to be.

What kind of Mom with you be remembered as?

                    

Body After Baby

What's one of the most emotional phases of motherhood? 

Seeing your body for the first time after you have your baby.

Now don't get me wrong, there's a huge difference between your stripes (stretch marks) and the deflated squishy balloon you have after all is said and done. Be proud of those stripes! You earned them and there's no other way in this world that you were meant to get them than carrying that perfect little baby! 


All day long I hear from women who are just in tears or mortified by the aftermath results. Trust me when I say, those feelings are valid and it is perfectly normal for you to feel that way. However, remember that this is only tentative. Of course you're going to have excess skin! You just carried a little human and he or she needed some leg room! 

Continuing life after baby is born is taken one step at a time. We as mommies really do get hit with a double whammy. Why? Because not only do we have to deal with the emotions associated with the post-pregnancy body, but some of us have to deal with postpartum depression. It makes absolutely no sense! You couldn't be more happy, but you're still crying for the silliest reasons! #CrazyPerson LOL 

Classic cases: Your baby smiles at you and you start balling!!! LOL 
                     You take out an outfit to dress them and hold up the little pants.... Start balling!
                     Your baby blows a spit bubble... You know it, lol, you're balling again!

Although we know it's our hormones all being out of whack, it still makes no good sense! The best times are when you start balling in from of someone else and they ask you what's wrong. 
You: "I don't know!"
They say, "Then why are you crying?
Now you're laughing and crying.
"I don't know!" LOL

Ay yi yi, lol, the things we go through as women. Postpartum can really do a number on how you feel about your appearance, but realize again this too is tentative. 

Another really emotional aspect of your post pregnancy body is wondering about your sex life. 1: Now that there's a baby in house and 2: How you're going to feel about your appearance, let's just tell it like it is, when you're naked. Though I know it can be difficult you really have to try to find a happy medium. Once you accept the fact that, "Okay, I may have postpartum and I just had my baby, of course I'm going to look like this." Acceptance is the first step. Well call this : PPA, Post Pregnancy Association. :)  Your objective at this point is to make a goal and when you're ready, move toward it. You have 6 weeks or longer if you've had a c-section to wait until you can do anything with your body. So settle your little bunz down and relax for those few weeks! Once you get clearance from your OB, then it's time to put your goal into action.  

One of the big things I advise you not to do is go online and look at women's bodies who have not had kids and who are ripped up. Of course they're in shape! They have no reason not to be and I'm sure they train every single day and have a clean diet! Sure, you can have someone you strive to look like, but keep realistic expectations in the beginning. Comparing your body initially to someone who has never carried a child can't do much more than discourage you. Admiration is one thing, but obsession and envy are another. Throughout my career in fitness training, I will tell you that the #1 reason for women and men who quit their workouts is they have set their expectations too high initially and they're not seeing the results as quickly as they'd like to so they quit. 

Quiting is never the solution. The same workout doesn't work for everyone. That's why you have to explore a little and see what works for you. As women, we tend to compare ourselves to each other. Why we do this? I have no clue. We do it even when we don't mean to. Competition, I swear, is the greater evil. Don't allow yourself to be consumed by it. Get in shape and get happy for you, not for anyone else. Now I do feel that for the record, this blog entry is a generalization. Of course, there are some women who bounce back quickly and some effortlessly, but for the vast majority of us, this entry pertains to most of us appropriately. :)

Getting in shape should be a positive experience. I didn't say it wouldn't be a painful experience, no pain no gain, but it hurts to be beautiful! All jokes aside, workout out isn't only good for your physique, but it just makes you feel better overall. It's healthy to get some exercise on a regular basis both physically and emotionally. I, personally, tend to be a hermit at times and I will be the first to tell you that when I put exercise in my daily routine, the rest of my day just seems to mesh a little better and I seem to be able to handle more. 

With all that said, Love MomStyle is here to encourage, inspire and motivate you! Make sure to check back frequently for new fitness tips and videos! We're here for you! Let's do this together because you deserve to get back to you and feel beautiful!

 







                         

           <3 Love MomStyle 

Love MomStyle 12 Minute Cardio Challenge

Welcome Ladies, to your summer transformation! We're really excited to have such a large group participating this series. This series was filmed just 6 weeks after my delivery with my second child so you could see my soft & squishy physique. A lot of "fitness trainers or fitness models" don't show what they looked like when they started  ( if they needed to start at all). Only what they look like once they're finished. Here you get up close and personal with a real mommy post-pregnancy. 

We are offering this series Free!! All we ask us you email us at LoveMomStyleLounge@Gmail.com with the following information: 

Name 

Number of Pregnancies if any

Current Weight

DesiredWeight loss 

Current Measurements: 

Chest- Directly below your breasts

Waist- Smallest part of your waist above your hips. 

Hips- Widest part of your hips (Hip Bone)

Thigh- Measure around your thigh. 

Before Photo: Side/Front If you are comfortable sending your photos to us, great! However, it isn't mandatory, but at least take them for your records to show your starting point. 

How this series works: 

This series lasts for 4 weeks. For your best results and if you can handle it, I recommend performing this 12 Minute Workout 6-7 days a week and eventually twice per day. Otherwise, push yourself to train at least once a day for 4-5 days a week.  

Your objective is to get through the entire 12 minute workout without any breaks. Every exercise lasts for 1 minute. Keep in control of your body throughout every exercise. No noodle arms or legs. Keep good posture. 

Useful tools:

STOPWATCH (Most phones have one)

EXERCISE BALL

Your Diet: 

I am a food lover! Therefore, I don't believe in starving yourself. The key to a healthy diet is a balanced diet, utilizing all of the food groups. Most foods can be eaten in appropriate portions. Stay away from the obvious unhealthy foods, sweets, sugars, soda, sugar based drinks, fast food and fried. 

Keeping hydrated is really important throughout your transformation. You should be consuming at least five 8oz glasses of water every single day at minimum. 

If you're a lover of caramel frappachino's with extra caramel and whip, well, say "au revoir" for the next few weeks. Save it for your 4th week reward! 

Prepare your food grilled, baked and boiled for the healthiest results. 

Drive and persistence will get you through this challenge. Don't be discouraged if you are unable to finish initially. It's a process and you will get there! On the other hand, if you are getting through the routine easily, contact us for modifications. LoveMomStyleLounge@gmail.com 

IT'S GO TIME!!! 

Here's the first step towards your new body!!! 

http://youtu.be/odBMg453Vdg

Feel free to join us on our mobile app! Search: Love MomStyle 

Available on Apple and Google Play App Stores!!