Sally Gruman, a busy, working mom of three in Saint Paul, MN, was an athlete growing up. She actively participated in gymnastics, track and field, and swimming, so it didn’t come easy when she wasn’t able to exercise during her pregnancies. During two of her three pregnancies, Sally suffered from hyperemesis, extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting that affects an estimate of only 0.5 to 2.0% of pregnant women.
She gained 45 pounds during each of her pregnancies, embraced her once cursed inability to stay still and need to stay on the move, and successfully shed the pounds after each pregnancy. Doing it once would have been hard enough, but staying motivated to do it three times was a feat. “I lost the weight with the help of counting calories on MyFitnessPal and keeping track of my workouts with Pact,” says Sally. “And of course my husband was a huge support, reminding me it would be over soon.”
“I originally joined Pact about 2 years ago to maintain my weight and keep my exercise schedule on the right track. While I couldn’t exercise during my final pregnancy, I kept Pact and MyFitnessPal on the front page of my phone as a reminder that I’d get back into the swing of things after having my son,” says Sally. And she did! After each of her pregnancies, she got right back into her health and fitness groove, lost the extra weight, and maintained it.
Sally made no room for excuses, and instead filled her calendar with healthy, fun activities, including her kids as often as possible. “A favorite is walking with the double stroller while trying to keep up with my oldest on her bike. I know a lot of moms say this, but I really believe keeping up with three kids is one of the toughest forms of exercise. A grocery trip with all three kids could easily be counted!” she says.
Sally also attributes her food logging habit to helping her lose and maintain her weight. “I like the daily routine of logging into MyFitnessPal and I love when I can log in for 200+ days at a time—it really bothers me when I miss a day. The last time I missed a day, it was the day my third baby was born. I gave myself the OK to miss that day,” she says.
Sally’s also clever about fitting it in: “I normally get about 5 minutes at each meal where my kids are eating quietly and that’s when I log my meals for the day.” Making it a priority to log in to MyFitnessPal at each meal, allows her to see how many how many calories she has left for the day.“Logging has really helped me take the guessing game out of how many calories are in things, which is huge for me to maintain my current weight,” says Sally.
“I think my best advice is to give your goals a realistic timeline—it won’t happen overnight,” says Sally. “I’m also a big believer in still living life. If there is a birthday party or special occasion, I will indulge in some cake or some chips and salsa. Everything in moderation,” she adds.
Another great tip: “Have fun with your workouts! If I feel like I’m getting tired of a certain workout I will switch to something new—you have to mix it up a bit to stay motivated.”
Way to go, Sally! Thanks for sharing your story and motivating others to use Pact and MyFitnessPal to reach their health goals!
