I always wanted to be a mother and have a large family. My father always told me that life’s greatest job was being a mother. He told me I could influence my children for good by teaching them important values and setting a good example. What he didn’t tell me is that being a mother is also life’s most stressful job. When my sixth child was born and my oldest was only eight, I felt overwhelmed with cooking, cleaning, laundry and everything else I had to do.My biggest challenge was managing my weight. With every baby I had gained extra pounds that I couldn’t lose. I was depressed that I couldn’t fit into my clothes and didn’t want to buy new clothes in a bigger size. I decided the only way to lose the unwanted pounds was by exercising, so that summer I signed up for Dorothy’s aerobics class. As I faithfully attended, I made new friends and it became a social outing that I needed very much. I didn’t lose a lot of weight, but I lost over 11 inches the first few months. The best thing however was it gave me an outlet for the stress in my life. That summer changed my life. I was happier being a stay at home mom and had more energy to accomplish my daily chores.
It may have been the upbeat music or the friends in class, but I loved dance aerobics so much that I decided to certify and teach classes in my home. When my class became larger, I moved to Salem Elementary where I taught through the Community Education program. My daughter, Melinda, joined my early morning aerobics class at age 16 and became my best student. I found out she was not a typical teenager. For three months straight at 5:45 AM she never missed a class!
I taught aerobics for almost 16 years. My daughter, Melinda, followed in my footsteps and became a certified fitness instructor, teaching yoga and step aerobics. Now for the past 10 years she has been my teacher. Changing to step aerobics was a challenge at first, but through her example and with her encouragement, I now teach once a week and enjoy being in her class the other two days.
Melinda has inspired me in other ways. After serving a mission, she was diagnosed with diabetes. I remember that day of tears as we received instructions from the dietician. She would have to use insulin and change her eating habits for the rest of her life to control her blood sugar levels. I remember the positive attitude she had as she accepted that challenge. With an associate degree in nutrition, she went on to finish a Dietetic degree at BYU. I was amazed that she accomplished her goal, having her first baby in November and graduating the following May.
My advice to everyone is to choose a form of exercise you really enjoy and make time to workout at least three times a week. Even if it means getting up at 5 AM, the health benefits are worth the sacrifice. Finding a friend that will workout with you will make it easier to follow through with your fitness goal. Maybe you can exercise with a family member and have a fitness friend for life.
Applesauce Pancakes
2 cups white or wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp. oil
Whisk dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine liquid ingredients using 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Stir in dry ingredients and then add more buttermilk if needed to make it the desired consistency. Grease a griddle or spray with a cooking spray. Use 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and brown on both sides. Serve with Apple Syrup: 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 2 cups apple juice and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a saucepan. Add juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
