I’ve known Kellie for several years from when I used to live in Florida almost 10 years ago. Our dogs and our little babies used to play together! Kellie is a stay-at-home mother to two young children Analise, 7, and Ryan, 5. I was thrilled when pretty much out of the blue, and after many, many years, Kellie purchased by book Mom Strong and also contacted me for online coaching.

Kellie’s Before and After Transformation

Mom Strong is a complete program I offer that is:

• A 12-week post-pregnancy weight loss program to help you burn the baby fat and build lean sexy muscle.
• Ideal for post-partum moms, stay at home moms, or any mom short on time.
• A guided, step-by-step program that will help you achieve the same results that Kellie achieved here.

On this program Kellie lost 18 lbs (she went from 162.8 lbs to 144.6 lbs from mid-November of 2014-April 2015). Keep in mind that loss was over the Holiday season (when most people gain weight), that she’s a mother of 2 (she has a schedule, and a busy life), and that even though her progress may be slow by some standards, she consistently made progress.

And forget the scale for just a second- she also lost 4 inches off her thighs, 3 inches off her waistline, and 4.7 inches from her hips. The pictures shown here speak volumes about her impressive transformation and progress.

Sumi: What made you decide to purchase Stay At Home Strong?

Kellie: I have always watched you over the years whether in person when we lived in Florida together, or through social media. You have always been positive and encouraging with your comments with others and with me. I was there when your little Shaila was born, and remember how dedicated you were to health and fitness then. I was proud to see you succeed in opening your own business with Shailafitness, very awesome! Not to mention we are friends! I knew I could trust and rely on you for success.

Sumi: I feel super lucky that you chose me, when the Internet is FULL of online diet and fitness coaches. To what did I owe the honor of helping you shed the post-baby weight after all these years?

Kellie: I didn’t have much trouble keeping healthy until the last year or two. I am going through some counseling and started packing on the pounds. I had never been that much over my ideal weight other than pregnancy, so I knew I needed some help getting back to my normal self. I had lost all drive that I used to have, and wanted to use the knowledge, experience, and support you could offer me. To me it was a no-brainer to pick you! Who else?

Sumi: You managed to achieve a beautiful transformation! Your admirers (including me!) want to know how you did it. Let’s start first with nutrition. What changes did you make there?

Kellie: I first used your suggestion to use myfitnesspal as a way to track what I was eating, and figure out portion sizes. I also learned I was eating way more fat and not enough protein by using this tool, and by what you recommended I should be eating, I was able to start understanding portion sizes and learning how to plan out meals to help benefit my weight loss.

Sumi: If you were to offer some similar nutrition 101 tips to another mother who wanted to shed some of the post-baby weight, what would you tell them?

Kellie: Get a list of low fat protein sources from Sumi and start incorporating them into every meal and snack. Making a meal plan is extremely helpful, even just using myfitnesspal, I can plug in my day’s meal in the morning so that I know what I will be eating for the rest of the day.

If hunger strikes, I know what snacks I have planned for the day, so I can go to them instead of grabbing the nearest food. Eating triple the protein was one of the biggest changes I made. When prepping family meals, you can add or subtract ingredients into your portion easily if you plan well. Get used to using measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a scale. You will need all of these to get used to portion sizes.

Sumi: Even back when we first met you struck me as someone with tremendous discipline and drive. I’m certain that helped as you made changes with your diet and lifestyle. What changes did you make that were particularly transformative?

Kellie: If I have a plan and a goal in mind, and people there who know about it, I feel like if I were to slack off or not do my best, then I would be disappointing not only myself, but them as well.

Also, I realized that I was worth all this work, because my kids are going to want me around for a while, and so do I!

Getting healthy and fit was as much for them as it is for me. I also made the decision to step back from a lot of things that were taking up my time and energy, such as clubs and groups I was a part of, but really had lost the passion for. My usual lazy time to watch TV in the evening became my strength training or bike cardio time. I was going to watch my shows anyway, so might as well grab a cup of coffee and get up and start lifting! Rest is important as well, and taking time to rest helped give me energy to do what needed to be done. I felt more organized and less scrambled.

Sumi: I always tell my clients to reward yourself with the mini milestones achieved. Did you do this, and what did you do?

Kellie: My most recent reward was I bought a new outfit. That felt good! It felt great trying on clothes I hadn’t been able to wear in years. I also have a box of clothes from 8 years ago in the garage I plan to open up when I get to my next goal. The physical changes, and measuring and tracking them also help visualize how much change has occurred, and watching that is a reward in itself to me.

Sumi: When you’re traveling and on the run, how did you manage to keep your nutritional needs together?

Kellie: Well, I have to admit there were days where my planning didn’t happen and I ended up having to eat out. But I didn’t fret about it too much, and would add an extra cardio session to help if I had the time.

Eating out in general came to a halt during this program. I would eat out as a free meal every once in a while, but cooking at home will yield the greatest results. One time on the road I was hungry, so we stopped at a Safeway and got some plain grilled boneless skinless chicken breast from the deli. Picked up some sweet and spicy mustard to dip it in and that tied me over until we got home.

I also know what times of the day I am most hungry and try to plan for that. For instance, I was going to keep doing chores until I had to leave to pick up my daughter from school, but decided to quit 5 minutes sooner so I could make a quick whey shake to drink on the road. That way when I got home, I didn’t zoom for the cupboards out of hunger.

Simple changes, can have huge results.

Sumi: You’re an incredibly smart woman, so I’m honored you chose me to guide you through this Stay At Home Strong transformation. What’s the benefit of hiring an online coach?

Kellie: Well, I am not a gym type of person, nor do I want to spend the money on it, and being able to do this from my home is awesome. My weekly e-mails gave me the motivation to be sure and stay on task. I knew Sumi would be checking in with me, so I didn’t want to let her down.

I also like being creative at home and integrating my lifestyle changes in everything I do, and with my family. As a result, my husband decided to make his own changes and lost 12 pounds! My kids have seen our dedication to healthy living, and have learned a lot just by association. Our nutrition has changed together, and we workout together too or tag team. That has helped tremendously.

Sumi: What’s next for you and your fitness goals?

Kellie: I would like to maintain what I have accomplished and possibly tone my core and lower body more. My weight may reduce more as a result, which is ok with me!

But most importantly, I just want to stay healthy, active, and strong.