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It’s finally time again for another Mom Crush! Our new Mom Crush, Jennifer Petrucci, has an amazing transformation story bound to get you motivated! I was over the moon when Jennifer (who has more than 86,000 Instagram followers!!) agreed to answer our questions. Take a look at what she has to say below!
Jennifer, know as HealthyMomX3 on Instagram, grew up in Toronto, Ontario. She later moved north to a small town named Bradford and settled in with her husband and 3 kids. Aside from full time motivator on Instagram, Jenn is a Certified Personal Trainer and Zumba Instructor.
SFM: According to your Instagram you have lost over 120lbs, at what point in your life did you decided you were going to make a change?
Jenn: Actually now its 130!!! Yay! I decided to make a change after the birth of my middle child in 2005. That’s when I stepped on the scale and saw 267…. I’ll never forget that day, it was the first day of my new journey!
SFM: When you have a bad day/week/month, what motivates you to get back on track?
Jenn: I find a lot of motivation in the Instagram community. I’ve made amazing friendships and created bonds that travel literally across the world. I also routinely look back at my older photos to remind myself of how far I’ve come and how much further I can still go if I choose.
SFM: What’s your fitness of choice?
Jenn: I love Zumba for cardio. Even if I’m not teaching, you can routinely find me taking a class within my gym. Resistance training is a huge part of my training also. I love how it feels to be able to pick up a heavy weight and be able to handle it properly, it’s extremely empowering. H.I.I.T.(High intensity interval training) is also a big part of my training and has been a huge part of helping me lean out.
SFM: What’s your biggest struggle, when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle?
Jenn: Food. Always food. I can train any day, but controlling what I put in my mouth is, and will always be my biggest struggle. I go day by day, sometimes meal by meal just trying to make good choices. Some days are really hard and I fall off, others I can stay on track.
SFM: What type of foods do you and don’t you eat? What works best for you?
Jenn: I’ve found what works best for me is keeping it simple MOST of the time. My breakfast and lunch is generally always the same. I start with oatmeal cooked with liquid egg whites, cinnamon and some fruit. For lunch I prep them a couple of days in advance so there’s no thinking involved and I can just grab it and go. Generally lunch is protein and a bunch of green veggies. Dinner I try and work around what the rest of the family is having.
SFM: What makes balancing health, fitness, and being a mom of young kids WORTH it?
Jenn: Knowing that my kids have watched me lose the weight, they’ve seen me struggle, and they’ve seen me succeed!! My kids know that hard work pays off. Being able to keep up with my kids makes it worth it 🙂
SFM: We love the confidence that you radiate on Instagram and share with other women. Tell us about your #strenghmarks and when you truly learned to accept and love what you can not change.
Jenn: You want to know the absolute truth behind that? I just got SO SICK of hating my body. I thought, this can’t be how I feel about myself for the rest of my life!!! I hated that I had spent so much time working on my body, but still had this dislike for my loose skin and stretch marks. I decided that instead I was going to take a moment each morning to look at my stomach and be thankful that I was able to have 3 amazing children and that I was able to change my life around and get in shape. I decided that these marks were a true sign of my strength.
SFM: What’s your advice for women who want to make a change and who may also have a very long journey ahead of them?
Jenn: Find motivation wherever you can. Instagram or other socail media, goal outfits, ANYTHING. Keep yourself motivated daily and celebrate yourself for making an effort. Always keep in mind that it will take time. There is no magic diet or workout, staying consistent and positive will be the key.
SFM: Anything else that you would like to share with other moms?
Jenn: After having my kids I thought that my “time” was over. I thought I could never have the body I wanted. It’s just not true, I am in the best shape of my life now. Anything is possible!
Jennifer offers an 8 Week online Coaching and Training Program. If you would like to contact Jennifer you can email her at [email protected]
Thank you Jennifer for taking the time to answer our questions! Also thank you for being a great inspiration for moms and women out there who want to make a change like you have.
Stay tuned for our next Mom Crush Monday post! You can read about more ladies who are doing amazing things in health and fitness on our Mom Crush tab.
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What an amazing mom. When you are comfortable in you own skin the confidence you have pours over into every other area of your life. The hardest part is taking the first step.
What an amazing mom. When you are comfortable in you own skin the confidence you have pours over into every other area of your life. The hardest part is taking the first step.