Salmon is good for the whole family! Credit: gkdavie

Calling all mamas! You didn’t miss any great posts on Fit Bottomed Mamas, did ya? Check out the latest and greatest below!

You just can’t go wrong with a free online workout customized for you.

Yum. Salmon that’s easy to make.

Elbow Moon is the new Blue Ivy.

Erin’s in the third trimester—find out how she’s doing!

Can you really not know that you’re pregnant?

Tips on getting back into the workout groove after having a C-section.

What’s the best pregnancy book that’s out there? Hard to beat this one!

They’ll turn anything into a movie these days! Thankfully, this one has a good cast and looks really funny (magical pregnancy unicorn!).

Happy healthy reading, mamas! —Jenn 

Start healthy habits when kids are young. Credit: hoyasmeg

This post on the topic of talking about weight with kids was part of our first Active Kids Week on Fit Bottomed Mamas. For all of the special content, click here! 

All parents want happy, healthy kids. But with childhood obesity at high levels, odds are that not every kiddo is as healthy as possible. So how can you go about helping your child lose weight if it’s truly necessary? How can you be supportive? And how can you broach this sensitive subject with a kid? Today, nutrition and weight management expert Dr. David Katz shares his top tips for talking about weight with children.

8 Tips for Talking About Weight

1. Put the focus squarely on health and off weight. Whether by default or by design, each family has a health and wellness “culture.” This includes the types of food that are kept in the house, how heavily physical activity is emphasized, what sleep patterns are encouraged, how much health information is available and more. As a parent, you should emphasize each aspect of this health culture, not just your child’s weight. Remember, healthy weight follows good lifestyle behaviors, but good lifestyle behaviors typically don’t follow weight-loss diets.

2. Recognize that you spend too much time focusing on weight. Most people don’t realize how much they use weight as a way to measure their overall quality of life as well as their worth. For example, how many times have you asked about a piece of clothing, “Does this make me look fat?”—with the understanding that if the answer is “yes,” you’ve somehow failed? That’s why, when broaching the subject of weight with your child (and in your own life), it’s important to stop talking about weight—and even, to some extent, appearance—and emphasize other characteristics. For example, talk about how an unhealthy lifestyle influences your child’s self-esteem and thus demeanor, as well as how he expresses himself and the impression he makes on other people.

Want all eight tips? Click here to read more about talking about weight with kids! —Erin

Zumbatomic is Zumba for the kiddos! Credit: USAG-Humphreys

Over the last couple of weeks on Fit Bottomed Mamas, there have been a lot of active mom reads that you definitely don’t want to miss. But just in case you did, we have links!

Before you mamas get to moving, check that belly before you wreck that belly!

To be a good role model, always act like someone is watching.

Five tips for staying motivated past January!

A bit like herding cats, but totally Zumba-rific!

Don’t let cabin fever get the best of you (or your kids). Get active outside with these unique ideas!

When it comes to kids’ nutrition, you have to remember who the boss lady is: you!

Exercise plus math equals fun. Really!

Skip the video games and usual toys, and get the kid in your life one of these active birthday gifts!

Have a great weekend, mamas! —Jenn

If your New Year’s goals have already slipped, here’s a quick workout to ramp you up again! Sara Haley (who previously shared her top belly-blasting moves with us), Global Reebok Master Trainer and creator of the upcoming Daily Sweat Pregnancy Program: Expecting More prenatal fitness DVD, has come up with 12 moves for 2012 that are sure to get you sweating!

If you’ve gotten bored with your old workout favorites like lunges and push-ups, use this guide to spice up your workout. You only need one set of 12-pound free weights (although feel free to bump it down if you’re a beginner, and always be sure to work to your comfort level). Begin with the 2012 Hustle to warm up, and then throw the other exercises into a hat. Pull them out one by one to set the order of your workout for the day. Perform each exercise 20 times, taking breaks as needed. You may have to work up to 20 reps, as well as work up to finishing the program in less than 20 minutes. Use the modifications as needed, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself when you’re ready! Happy sweating!

Continue reading to try these 12 Moves in 20 Minutes for 2012! —Erin

Hands off, ladies. He's all mine.

Alright, my darlings, I have a lesson for you all. Going on a cruise, celebrating a couple of family birthdays, and then coasting straight into the frivolity and excesses of the holiday season isn’t the best way to ensure your pants fit the way you’d like them to come the beginning of the year. And I’m not the only one who thinks so—my husband, who, for the first 30-some years of his life, was able to eat anything he wanted without gaining an ounce, was hit with a bit of cruise/birthday/holiday weight gain as well. And that, on top of the pounds he’s gained over the past couple of years, was enough to make him get serious, for the first time ever, about losing weight.

Now, just to set the record straight, Jared is one fine man. And that’s true regardless of what size pants he’s wearing. He’s naturally tall and lean (and hunky!), and although he’s put on 20 pounds or so over the last three years (due in large part to a job that requires a lot of travel and a fluctuating schedule), nobody would look at him and think, “Gee, that guy needs to cool it on the cheeseburgers.” But, if my man wants to commit to eating a little healthier and dropping a few pounds, you’d better believe I’m going to do whatever I can to help him.

And that’s only partly because, if he’s counting calories, it can only benefit my weight-loss efforts, right?

Now, I kind of thought that since he’s spent more than a decade with a Fit Bottomed Girl, focusing on weight loss would be at least a little familiar. Not so much, it turns out. But, on the flip side, I have to say that it’s totally weird—not bad, just different—helping him. I’m so used to blaming him for days when I overindulge, and now that I have only myself to blame, well, it’s a whole new world.

Anyway, I thought it might help some of you out there who have a significant other trying to drop weight to see what he had to say about coming over to the healthier side of the fence. Because, as Jared said, it was always hard for him to understand my weight-loss challenges because it was always so easy for him. Now, he gets it.

Biggest challenge: “Worrying about going out while counting calories.” We haven’t been going out with friends as much as we sometimes do because, the truth is, if we go, Jared’s going to have a good (read: not light) beer. Or several. And several beers can easily become several hundred calories.

Most surprising: “How little I actually eat, and how quickly the calories add up.” And to my shock (and delight!), he adds, “I’m even sort of enjoying running, too, which is a step.”

Most frustrating: “I hate when my legs hurt after running. And, I’m frustrated that the weight doesn’t melt off like it used to, but I think I’m just going to have to come to terms with that.” Yep. Been there, done that.

Most enjoyable: “I like learning a little more about calories. I know which beers are 250 calories vs 120 calories. It really sucks, don’t get me wrong, but in the long run it’ll help me make better choices, even if those choices are difficult to make.” Knowledge is power!

Jared’s hoping to drop 10 or 15 pounds over the coming weeks and months by following a diet (around 2,000 calories a day) and exercise plan (working out three to four times a week) that he can make a lifelong habit. The goal (other than looking good in nothing but board shorts and sunglasses)? “I just want to find a balance so I can enjoy good beer, and eat wings or steak once in a while without having to worry about it.”

Have you ever helped a significant other lose weight? Did you improve your healthy habits in the process? —Kristen

We’ve dipped our toes into the meditation waters a few times around these parts, so I was excited when Breathe: The Perfect Harmony of Breathing landed in my mailbox. Who doesn’t need to take a moment (or 20) to herself every now and then to just breathe? Turns out, I had to test out the DVD after putting my daughter down for a nap, thus breathing deeply for the DVD while holding my breath that she didn’t wake up too soon.

More of a guided meditation than a workout, Breathe combines elements of yoga with meditation, with the focus placed on breathing (obviously) and moving and stretching with the breath. It’s not billed as a prenatal DVD, so while it wasn’t intense or sweat-inducing—think more cat-cow than warrior poses—I did have to modify some of the positions to accommodate my pregnant belly. There were times when I had to lie on my side instead of lying on my back, and I did child’s pose instead of lying on my stomach, but the gal with normal mobility should be able to follow right along with no worries.

Head on over to Fit Bottomed Mamas for the complete review and to comment to win the DVD!

—Erin

These links are like getting a big hug from Santa! Credit: Bart Fields

It’s Christmas Eve! Whether you’re spending today with family, doing some last-minute holiday shopping or just simply kicking it at home, take some time to check out the latest on Fit Bottomed Mamas!

Take filtered water with you everywhere you go!

Hair loss after childbirth. A good reason to get bangs?

Fans of The Office will love these behind-the-scenes clips!

Why you should never feel bad about firing a doctor—or two.

Should you go high-tech or low-tech with baby gadgets? Erin weighs in.

Intuitive eating works. Even during pregnancy!

A yoga DVD with workouts for every trimester.

Happy holidays and happy reading! —Jenn

Lashinda Demu is back in top running form after having twins!

Mother of twin boys, athlete and one of the best female hurdlers in American track and field, Lashinda Demus knows how to juggle being a mom and an elite athlete. She had her babies in 2007 and missed out on the 2008 Olympics, but she’s since come back strong, with the third-fastest time ever to become the 2011 World Champion Gold medalist. She’s also busy preparing for the 2012 games in London.

Fit Bottomed Mamas caught up to her (not literally, as I’m not a fast runner) to ask her some questions about how twins rocked her running world and how she jumped back onto the race track after her break. Read on for inspiration!

Interview with Lashinda Demus

• FBM: What was your reaction to finding out you were pregnant—with twins—while at the top of your career?
• LD: It definitely wasn’t planned, so I was totally shocked. That soon turned into being depressed because I didn’t think it was any way possible to get back to form. I felt as if all my dreams had been taken away from me, yet one of my dreams was coming true, so I was mad that I couldn’t have both when I wanted them instead of one dream stopping the other.

Click on over to Fit Bottomed Mamas to read about Lashinda’s inspiring return to top running form! —Erin

If it's too cold to get outside, curl up with these links! Credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Been over to Fit Bottomed Mamas lately? Here’s all the good stuff we’ve been covering over there, including a yoga DVD for tween girls, a book that gets real about motherhood and fitness, and figuring out if you’re making excuses or actually have a good reason for missing that workout.

Top three belly blasting moves!

Have a tween in your life? Check out this yoga DVD just for them.

Super comfortable and super cute shoes!

Playing the waiting game when you’re trying to get pregnant can suck.

Two hilarious ways to soothe a crying kiddo.

Time to fess up: Did you miss that workout because of an excuse or a reason?

A book that gets real about motherhood and fitness.

One mom shares goals for her upcoming half-marathon races. First one? Finish!

Enjoy the reads, ladies! And remember to take time out for you this hectic holiday season! —Jenn

Adorable and sporty, Go! Go! Sports Girls Dolls send a great message to girls.

Now that I have a kiddo, I’m always on the lookout for fun, educational toys. So when an email from Go! Go! Sports Girls Dolls landed in my inbox, I got genuinely excited. Unlike some dolls that don’t exactly set the best example for little girls, the Go! Go! Sports Girls are designed to promote self-appreciation and the benefits of daily exercise, healthy eating and sleeping habits, self-esteem, and overall positive life skills for girls. As a mom to a little girl, I’m always trying to make sure I’m setting a good example when it comes to eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and appreciating the body I have, so the Go! Go! philosophy of “appreciate and be true to yourself” is definitely something I can get behind. It’s truly the FBG philosophy in plush!

Designed for kids ages 3 to 12, each of the plush Go! Go! Sports Girls is dressed and ready for her sport, with accessories included. Soccer player Cassie has her soccer ball (left), and golfer Brooke has her club and golf ball. Suzi swimmer wears her sporty swimsuit and goggles. With 11 dolls available, almost every girl is bound to find one she loves. Even activities like dance and gymnastics are represented! Love!

Head on over to Fit Bottomed Mamas for more details on these dolls and to enter to win one of your choice. There are some holidays coming up this month after all… —Erin