The Priority Shift

By Cami Checketts –

As we begin a new year, I always get excited to write a list of goals and envision how I’m going to improve myself and my family’s life throughout the year. But life changed at the Checketts’ home in 2010. I used to feel I was efficient and organized. I used to have a monthly goals and daily to-do lists and if I didn’t work towards each goal every day I would get frustrated with myself.

My fourth baby has recently changed all of that. My number one goal is to hold, love, and savor each moment with this chubby baby. If I don’t make it to the gym, turn on my computer, or fold the laundry, I don’t allow myself to obsess over my lack of ambition.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have goals or write up a list of New Year’s Resolutions because those are extremely important and motivating things. We should always be trying to improve ourselves and the world around us. But sometimes we can go too far, get so wrapped up in the to-do list and forget about what’s most important. Maybe in our goal-setting this New Year we should make sure that some of those goals are focused on improving our spirituality and making it possible for us to slow down and focus more on family and those who matter most.

This is especially true if you and your family are overloaded with activities, going through a hard time at work or school or have health or family issues. Slowing down and focusing on the essentials will make it possible to accomplish the important things—things like scripture study, prayer, family meals, family activities and serving others.

I pray each of you will have a wonderful New Year and be able to accomplish the goals you’re setting for yourself while still focusing on what matters most.

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, exercise scientist, and author. www.camichecketts.com  – http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com.

Enjoy the Season

By Cami Checketts –

Tis the season to enjoy time with loved ones, reflect on the marvelous gift of our Savior’s birth, reach out a helping hand to those in need, and cuddle in front of the tree with hot cocoa and cookies. Christmas is a wonderful time of year filled with joyful moments, but often I find myself overindulging on treats and being lazy; and instead of feeling gleeful, I feel sick.

A few tips to keep us all happy and energized throughout the season:
1. Only eat something if it is truly a Christmas treat. Just because they make Oreos with red and green filling does not mean they’re an exclusive Christmas treat, but Aunt Abbie’s peppermint dessert? That’s worth savoring.
2. Turn on Christmas music and dance. My boys think Mom spinning to the Nutcracker is hilarious.
3. Go ice-skating, sledding, snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing. Try out a new sport. The variety is great for improving physical fitness and the challenge is wonderful for your mind.
4. Go for a walk outside. When the temperature is below 50 you burn more calories. It’s worth it to freeze the tip of your nose but if it’s so cold your eyelashes crystallize you’d better take it to the treadmill!
5. Bake your favorite treats, have a sample, then take them to all the neighbors. The visits will be more fun than the baked goods.
6. Enjoy your family and forget about everything else. Play with your kids. Read Christmas stories and thrive on their childlike joy. Snuggle up with your sweetheart and burn some calories kissing in front of the tree.
7. Focus on the Savior and following his example of love and service, the real reason we celebrate this blessed holiday, and the joy will continue throughout the new year.

Merry Christmas!

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, author, and exercise scientist. Her latest novel, The Sister Pact, is in stores now. www.camichecketts.com

A Wonderful Gift

By Cami Checketts –

Imagine your father came to visit you and handed you the keys to a brand new Mercedes Benz GL450 Sport Utility. How would you treat that gift your father has given you? Would you forget to change the oil, rotate the tires, vacuum the interior, or put good quality gas in it? I’m sure you wouldn’t. You’d take wonderful care of that vehicle and make sure Dad got a big old kiss and so many professions of gratitude you’d probably embarrass the poor guy.

Our physical bodies are a gift from our Heavenly Father. We can and should do amazing things with our physical bodies—move, breathe, have children, hug those beautiful children, run and dance. The list goes on and on. How do we show our Heavenly Father how grateful we are for this gift? We take good care of it!

To have the strength and energy we need to serve and love our brothers and sisters, we have to take care of our physical self. We’re all busy and overwhelmed, but if we neglect the basics of good health, we will find ourselves feeling worse, fighting health problems, and eventually unable to keep up with life.

What are those basics? Sleep, good nutrition and physical activity.

Sleep—With a two-month old baby we’re struggling with this one, but at times I find myself squandering my sleep time. There are usually things I can cut out that aren’t important (who needs to fold the laundry?) so I can get a little more rest.

Good nutrition—The United States Department of Agriculture has a great overview of your basic good nutrition. Try to avoid fad diets that can help you lose weight initially but will ultimately hurt your health and usually result in a large weight gain after you quit the diet.

Physical activity—Being physically active does not mean you have to hit the gym for an hour each day. Find activities you can enjoy with your loved ones, wear a pedometer to try and move more each day, or if you enjoy the gym, set up a schedule so you can get there. The adversary would have us believe that the goal of exercise is to have perfect abs, but that’s not going to happen for most of us. The real goal of exercise is to help us function better in our daily lives and to improve stamina, self-confidence and overall health.

I hope none of us will take for granted this glorious gift our Heavenly Father has given us. Of course, we’ll never be perfect in our sleeping, eating, or exercising, but what counts is that we do our best. Let’s focus on being healthy so we can further the Lord’s work and be there for those we love.

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, exercise scientist and author of The Sister Pact —In Stores Now http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com, www.camichecketts.com,
http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com .

Starting Anew

By Cami Checketts –

I love the fresh autumn air! There’s a feeling of starting again, becoming organized, finishing up those projects it was too hot to do all summer, eating homegrown produce, getting on a schedule, and hopefully fitting an exercise routine into that schedule.

As most of you know, I had a baby last month. Being on a schedule is still a bit out of reach for me, but once I hit that six-week postpartum mark it’s time to at least attempt some semblance of organization, revisit my former life and hopefully someday fit in those old jeans (it is horrid to still be wearing maternity clothes after the baby is born!).

But getting back into an exercise routine is not easy. I’ve been shocked by how painful it is. When you’re in shape and exercise vigorously, it hurts but it’s a productive, feel-good kind of hurt. When you’re out of shape and/or recovering from something, this exercise-induced hurt is a miserable, I-want-to-sit-down-on-the-side-of-the-road-and-call-my-husband-to-come-get-me kind of hurt. I keep promising myself, and I want to promise any of you who are just starting out, that it will get easier. Someday it will feel good to push myself again. But how do you get to that point?

Motivation – First of all we need the motivation. That part seems easy to me. I’m very motivated to lose the pregnancy weight, to fit into my clothes again, to feel good, to be healthy for myself and my children (most especially my baby who gets all his nutrients from Mom right now). There are plenty of reasons or motivators to get into shape and eat healthy, but if you’re like me I’m gung-ho in the morning, but by mid-afternoon I’m justifying why I need some cookies or ice cream. “The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 KJV). So how do we keep that motivation strong in our minds and get through the tough times when exercise hurts or we don’t have time to fit it in… or we really, really need a slice of chocolate pound cake?

Promises – I make promises to myself. If I work out four days a week, I get to sit down on Friday afternoon and read a good book (if I can talk the boys into it). If I hit my water goal every day, I can get specialty lemonade on my Saturday night date. If I eat five fruits and veggies each day, I can have a treat (because if I say, “absolutely no treats,” the entire family suffers).

Deals – Another thing that really helps me is to make deals with other people. Promise your friend that you’ll meet at the gym or go on a walk each morning. If one of you flakes, you have to take your friend to lunch or she has to babysit your toddler for a few hours. Husbands work great for deals. When I hit my “normal” weight, my husband has money set aside for me to go shopping for new clothes. (If I could just figure out where he hid it!)

Help – Turn to the source Who cares about you in all aspects of your life. It’s not wrong to pray for help and strength to be healthy. The Lord wants us to take care of ourselves and feel good; doing so means we can serve and love His other children more.

I hope that you can all enjoy this beautiful time of year and that you will use my suggestions for positive motivation to improve your health in some way.

Cami Checketts is a wife, mother of four boys, exercise scientist, and author. Her latest book, The Sister Pact, is in stores now. www.camichecketts.com

Times in Our Lives

By Cami Checketts –

I am one of those odd people who actually enjoys exercise. I love pushing myself through a hard workout. I love getting sweaty and having a reason to shower. I love knowing that my muscles are strong and I can keep up with my wild boys. But at my current state, I consider vacuuming my living room a form of cardiovascular exercise! Read more

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