Mom Crush Jamie Gifford

Everyone needs a friend like Jamie in their life.  I’m lucky enough to call her sister-in-law!  Whenever I’m with Jamie I feel like I can (and often do) pour my heart out.  She is THE best listener.  She’s empathetic, non-judgmental, up for anything, and has a heart of gold.  When Krista and I decided to embark on this macro coaching endeavour, Jamie came to mind first.  I texted her and asked if she’d be up for completely changing any and all ideas she had about nutrition to start macros with us.  Her response, “Why not?!”

Not only is Jamie’s kindness radar off the charts, but she’s also ridiculously smart and athletic.  Chris’ family has definitely hit the gene pool jack pot.  Without further adieu meet my sister-in-law, Jamie!

SFM: Tell us about yourself.  How many kids do you have?  Hobbies?

Jamie:  Hi! I have two awesome little boys, ages 3 & 5. I like hanging with my kiddos, going to Legoland and the beach and the library, going on dates with my husband, eating chocolate, playing Legos with the littles (or better yet, without the littles), and reading. I work a bit from home in my free time editing books when manuscripts come my way, and designing a macro counting app (called My Daily Macros).

SFM:  What has fueled your love for health and fitness?

Jamie: I grew up with three older brothers who were so immersed in sports that their athleticism rubbed off on me from a young age. From the time I was in elementary school, I liked PE and recess and running and sports, and I appreciated my body’s agility, strength, and flexibility. I never lost that appreciation, and I think that is part of what fuels my love for health and fitness: I’ve just genuinely always enjoyed it. In middle school and high school I played basketball, so I consistently went back to exercising, even if I spent the off-season lazing around. I learned that I felt a million times better when I exercised regularly. My body felt better, my mood improved, my brain worked better, I became more efficient. By the time I got to college fitness was a part of my lifestyle. And now that I am a mom it is my sanity!

SFM:  How have you made nutrition and hitting the gym a priority with two preschool aged boys?

Jamie:  As a woman (and especially as a wife and a mom) it is SO EASY to consider the needs of everyone around you and forget to consider yourself. But it is SO IMPORTANT to consider yourself, and to prioritize getting your basic needs met, so that you can better attend to the needs of your kids.I need to work out for my sanity, my mood, and to feel good in my body. I know that. For a while I took my kids to the YMCA so I could work out while they played. I would feel great for a while, and then one of the kids would get sick so we would have to take a hiatus, and my energy/mood/patience would plummet. My husband noticed my emotional fluctuations and frustrations with this, and together we decided I would try going to an early morning workout BEFORE the kids woke up. This was the key for me! I love waking up in the morning by myself, and doing something for myself first thing (rather than waking up to demands and more demands and suddenly it’s afternoon and I still haven’t brushed my teeth). I consider my 6 a.m. workouts my spa time, and when I get home it’s amazing how much happier and more loving and patient I am with my kids.

SFM:  You were one of our very first Macro Clients.  Tell us about how macro counting has changed up your diet.  What’s been the most challenging part about counting macros?  What have you enjoyed the most about macro coaching?

Jamie:  My first week of macro counting – or macro magic as I like to call it – I ate 300 more calories a day than I was eating prior to starting. I also ate what seemed like a crazy amount of protein (hitting my protein is the hardest part of macros for me), and I had to stuff myself with mustard and tuna from a can multiple nights trying to hit my protein but not go over on fats. My body felt strange, so full of food. Yet somehow, strangely, magically, in that week I lost three pounds, my belly slimmed a ton, and my abs became WAY more prominent. With how much my body changed in one week, macros were obviously the missing element for me.

I love the macro coaching because of the group support and input. We are our own worst critics, so it is hard to see our own progress. With all of the support from macro coaching I KNOW my body has gotten stronger and more defined, ain’t no little voice in the back of my head gonna tell me otherwise. I also like the accountability – it helps me get back on track after missteps. I just signed on to do another 6 weeks of macro coaching and I am excited to see where it takes me.

Jamie:  In college I tried a couple of yoga classes at 24-Hour Fitness and I just DID NOT get it. It felt awkward, uncomfortable, stilted, boring. I didn’t sweat. What was the point? Then just out of college my now-husband introduced me to the beginners yoga class with Cheryl Slater at Blue Sky Yoga in Las Vegas. The way Cheryl led the class, it flowed, I connected with my breath, I let go, and OH MY. My body warmed up, this time I DID sweat, I melted into the stretches and poses, and by the end I felt blissed out mentally and physically. I felt peaceful and grateful, and my body felt limber and properly aligned. IT WAS LOVE. When I got pregnant with my son, Zoa, I went to yoga with Cheryl twice a week & had my own daily morning practice, and during my home birth it was that yoga training that helped me be strong like a warrior to naturally birth my 9.5 pound baby. I have practiced consistently since then. Yoga strengthens my mind and my body, it helps my muscles stretch and recover from bootcamp, and I feel calm and grateful every time I step on the mat.

I think everyone has those moments of being in “story” about our appearance, of telling ourselves our thighs are too thick or too thin,  our noses are too big or too wide, our bellies are never quite flat enough. We get this messaging constantly from advertising. We have to train ourselves to get out of it. We have to recognize when we fall into story. As soon as I catch myself lamenting how my thighs touch or how my post-baby breasts can no longer muster the energy for something as exhausting as cleavage – I stop myself and I return to gratitude. I am grateful for these thighs that did 100 jump squats yesterday no sweat. I am grateful for every single time I cuddled and nursed my babies.

Most women I know are so lovely, so sweet, so accepting of everyone else. They so easily find the grace and beauty in all women. Except themselves. In high school and college my friends would genuinely find each other beautiful exactly as we were, but then would look in the mirror and the criticism began. We need to learn to give ourselves the grace and appreciation that we instinctively give others. We need to learn to love ourselves and our bodies as unconditionally as we love our children. We need to learn to repeat kindnesses to ourselves instead of criticisms. And it’s a good idea to always do our best to return to gratitude.