Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #1:
Choose a workout that will give you fast results
This is so important! There really are some types of exercises out there that will give you weight-loss results FAST. These are the best ways to lose weight. This is great because you will feel so encouranged as your body starts to change. This only adds to the forward momentum you will need to keep up your regular workout. In my blog I am currently sharing what some of those types of exercises are.

Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #2:
Establish a regular workout time and place
This is important to get into your head now: We only have time to do what we prioritize. Start small. If you decide to implement a 30 minute workout a day (whether it be walking, going to a gym like Curves, following a workout video) choose a time and stick to it, even if there are dirty dishes in the sink, laundry to get done and people to call back. Your health and fitness level affects everything else, investing in your health through daily exercise is proven to improve the overall quality of your life as well as help you meet your weight loss/fitness goals.

Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #3:
Training your small children to respect your workout time.
I have heard parenting experts say that it is important for our children to see us taking good care of ourselves. They learn through modeling how to take care of themselves. If they see us running around always meeting everyone else's needs but our own, they will likely grow up to do the same thing.
Once I established with my small children (after several workouts) that my workout time was for me, they stopped vying for my attention and gave me the space I needed to complete my short workout.

Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #4:
Honestly assess where you are at and where you want to go.
Buy a good scale that not only tells you your weight but also your body fat, BMI. Measure yourself.

Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #5:
Get a haircut, a new bra and a new outfit THAT FITS!
I realize this may appear to have nothing to do with establishing an exercise routine, but trust me, it does. You are going to stick to your new exercise routine at all costs, but in the meantime, it is important to allow yourself a few indulgences that will add to your sense of beauty and self-respect as well as train you mentally to take better care of yourself.

A haircut – a simple inexpensive way to update your look and pick up your confidence.

A new bra – our boidies and our.... assets... are always changing. Your undergarments can make or break your overall look. A good bra can actually make you look 10 pounds thinner. Women can underestimate how important it is to wear the right bra for them, in the right size. Take a little time to try some different bras on. Places like Victoria’s Secret acutally train some of their sales associates to help women find the right bra for them.
My personal favorite that I feel gives me a really nice shape is the IPEX by Victoria's Secret. And, believe me, after having my three sons, I need all the help I can get ! No woman should have to suffer from boob disaster brought on by the wrong bra, get a bra that flatters your shape and feels great to wear.

One new outfit that fits – perhaps you have a whole closet of clothing that is your "pre-pregnancy" size. Perhaps you have drawers full of clothes in sizes that were purchased during an afternoon of wishful thinking. Or maybe you have clothes that are both too small and too big, or they just don't fit in the places that they used to. Whatever the case, you need to clean out your closet! You may not have the heart to throw stuff out or donate it.... but for goodness sake, if you’re not wearing it, at least get it out of your sight and put it in a box. After a while so many clothes that don’t fit just add to physical and mental clutter. Treat yourself to one outfit that fits you well, no matter what the size on the tag says. Pick out something that you feel great in - bring a friend with you when you shop who will give you honest feedback about the clothes you try on. And, buy something that fits you now - not when you lose 10 or more pounds. Remember, as my dad always said, "The most expensive thing in your closet is the thing you never wear."

If I haven't convinced you to find at least one outfit that is right for your body as it is today, take the advice of an expert - fashion advisor Clinton Kelly. I'm a big fan of a show on TLC, What Not to Wear. In one episode of What Not to Wear, the woman that Clinton Kelly and Stacy London are helping provides the following excuse for her unflattering fashion choices, "I'm waiting to be the size I want to be before I really start to give myself a style." Boy can I relate to that! But Clinton Kelly responds to this woman with a word of wisdom, "When you dress your body to its best advantage you feel better about your body and when you feel better about your body you're more likely to take the steps necessary to make it the best body it can possibly be." There you go!

If you think you might need some help finding clothing that is flattering on your body shape, try MyShape.com. MyShape is free to use. MyShape evaluates the body measurements you enter into your profile and categorizes you as one of seven body types and offers tips and various outfit suggestions to help you shop accordingly.