Mom: Christina Singleton
Hometown: Wheaton, IL
Family: Husband Jason and daughters Amari, 5, Jayla, 2, and Kiera, 1
On her To-Do-For-Me list:
* Lose weight: "I'd like to look young and up-to-date along the way."
* Get her home in order: "I stress about the mess way too much."
* Feel better about her life: "Since having my third baby, everything's become chaotic -- and I don't laugh as much as I used to."
Sound familiar? Then see how our team of mom experts helped our mom jumpstart a new lifestyle -- and find easy ways to reap the benefits for yourself.
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Energize Your Look
Bye-bye, ponytail!
Hairstylist [TOUT_LINK {1575054} {Nikki An-Levi} {_blank}] gave Singleton fringy bangs and layers to tuck behind her ears or flip out with her fingers. The cut slims her face, too.
Swingy silhouette
Try flowy layers, empire waist, and cool leggings. "Don't save a dress for special events," says fashion stylist [TOUT_LINK {1575054_2} {Billie Causieestko} {_blank}]. "In a soft knit, it's casual and sleek." (Kiyonna empire dress, $116; edressme.com
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Eat Well and Still Lose Weight
Do these healthy-eating challenges sound familiar? Here's how to beat them:
Too much takeout. Singleton's not alone in facing pitfalls to healthy eating every day, like ordering out too often. It's easy, but loaded with calories and sodium.
If this is you: Instead of ordering Chinese or Thai, nutritionist [TOUT_LINK {1575054_5} {Ellie Krieger, R.D.} {_blank}], recommends that Singleton, who loves to cook, make veggie-heavy stir-frys with low-sodium soy sauce. No time? Order steamed dishes (not fried) with sauces on the side.
Eating on the fly. Because Singleton's so busy with her kids, she eats standing up or whenever she has a free minute. This inevitably leads to overeating because she doesn't keep track of how much she's had.
If this is you: Pull out a chair! Even if it's just for one meal, getting out a plate and sitting down with your kids will help you make smarter choices -- and enjoy mealtime more.
Filling up with starch. "Carbs are not bad for you," Krieger says, but eating too many -- and eating only refined flour, which doesn't have the nutrients of whole wheat -- is.
If this is you: Avoid more than two servings of bready food (including pasta and pancakes) per meal or snack, and stick to whole grain. Remember that a serving's smaller than you might think: one slice of bread, for instance, or an ice-cream scoop's worth of pasta.
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Ease Into Fitness
Get moving
Jumpstart a fitness routine with these three steps:
1. Walk, don't run. It's okay for your routine to feel easy at first, says fitness expert [TOUT_LINK {1575054_6} {Sharon Monplaisir} {_blank}]; that makes it more likely you'll just get out and do it. Singleton began by walking just 20 minutes a day, five days a week; in a month or so, she can up the time and intensity.
2. Stretch. Too many of us slack off on the stretching. As Singleton says, "If I'm not sweating, it doesn't feel like I'm doing enough." But it's so important to make stretching a part of your overall workout: The more limber you are, the more effective (and safe) your fitness routine will be. Hold every stretch (without bouncing) for 20 to 30 seconds. The best part: no guilt for not sweating up a storm!
3. Dance! Turn on your favorite music and boogie with your baby or husband (or even sign up for a class), says Monplaisir. If you can keep it up for 15 minutes, you've just gotten a bonus workout.
Why walking shoes? They're designed for the way your feet hit the ground (heel first) when you walk. New Balance has a good size range. (New Balance WW811, $85; newbalance.com
Web Exclusive! Warm up with [TOUT_ARROW_LINK {1575134} {5 simple stretches}]
Tip! Hours you need to walk each week to see big-time health benefits? 2 (that's only a little bit each day!)
Can't get a sitter? The no-excuses solution: Take the kids! A stroller for two like phil&Teds E3 makes power-walking a cinch: While one is at preschool, the other two can go along for the ride. ($470, with Doubles Kit attachment; regallager.com
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Getting Organized
Here's how we helped Singleton wrestle her closet from chaotic to calm.
A closet system does the sorting for you, especially in a shared space. Shelves, hanging rods, and slide-out bins help divvy stuff up, explains organizer [TOUT_LINK {1575054_7} {Janine Sarna-Jones} {_blank}]. The psychological payoff is huge -- Singleton actually cried for joy when she saw this setup! (Elfa Reach-In Closet System in platinum with birch trim. This configuration, about $700; containerstore.com
Find homes for all the stuff you don't need very often -- scarves, dressy shoes, memorabilia -- and designate one color for her, one for him. (Canvas Window Boxes in Cappuccino and Java, $10 to $15; sears.com
A small but smart switch: Invest in one kind of hanger (preferably wooden; it's sturdier). Your closet will look neater, and hangers won't tangle. (Martha Stewart Everyday wooden hangers, three for $4; at Kmart.)
Multiple baskets make laundry sorting easier -- these have liners that lift right out for the trip to the washing machine. (Rattan Laundry Basket, $30 each; sears.com
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Adjust Your Attitude
Stop putting yourself down. You'll start to believe what you say! Put a quarter in a jar every time you say something negative, says life coach [TOUT_LINK {1575054_3} {Natalie Gahrmann} {_blank}].
Give yourself some credit. Focus on what you like about yourself and that's what people will notice and remember.
Respond instead of react. If someone criticizes how you parent, say, "Thanks, but I'm happy with my choice in this" rather than get upset.
Stop "should"ing yourself. Say, "I could..." instead -- then what you do is up to you, not some June Cleaver mom who doesn't exist.
