Stories & Info

Kari Olson, 33

Posted: January 6, 2017
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FGF provides me with the support, easy to follow workouts, and a realistic look at food to help me on that path to be the best I can. I notice that I am a better wife, mama, and human being when I feel good and I’m not beating myself up about the small things I didn’t “get right.”

Member Of:

FGF@Home

Occupation:

SAHM, PT Nanny

Tell us about your fitness journey, and how it lead to FGF@Home.

I was always the “skinny” one in the family and never really exercised or played too many sports. Growing up in Iowa, exercising for the heck of it wasn’t a thing, either you were playing a school sport or not. Therefore I thought about exercise in 2 forms: running and complicated aerobic moves (coordination is not my strong suit). It was ok that I wasn’t a fan of either of those because I could eat whatever I wanted and it didn’t matter, I was magical! Then I had kids and everything changed. I am genetically inclined to stress-eating so that paired with adapting to a new way of life and a bout with post-partum depression, threw me way off. People were telling me that my “old” body would just snap back. That did not happen. Then I had another baby. Still didn’t happen. So I just bought clothes that fit my new body. Still didn’t feel good. So I started to (attempt) to run. Oh man was that boring and took way too much time! So I just stopped and started learning about the food I was eating and providing for my family. Once we were Clean Eating and the weight still wasn’t falling off, I got into the world of portion control and tracking and “avoiding temptations.” That worked! But after a while I was going to lose my mind if I measured one. More. Meal or had to pat myself on the back for not eating dessert. So I stopped it all and decided that I could wing it on my own and everything would stay the same. HA!

Apparently I needed more than just myself and knowing looks from my kids for motivation. I was introduced to the world of body-weight moves and weight lifting. It was much more effective and I could do a quick 20-30 minute workout and see results! So I wanted to stick with something that I knew I liked doing, could actually accomplish, and would work.  I have been a social media fan of FGF since its inception and I always liked the idea of a gym designed specifically for women with quick, effective workouts. Since I don’t live close at all to the FGF locations, I couldn’t partake in the fun, oh, and I’m not an athletically-inclined person in the least. I had done a different home program but I started to burn out from doing the same videos EVERY. WEEK! The FGF@Home program came at a great time for me, I got the chance to be a part of this amazing community and another chance at being the best version of myself.

Who/what inspires you to be fit?

My kids mostly because they don’t really understand when I can’t do something that they do so easily, like the monkey bars. And when my daughter asks me “Did you do your Farmgirl today Mama?” I don’t want to have to tell her no.

What has been your greatest fitness/performance accomplishment so far, either with FGF or other?

Just seeing my own physical progress. I’m not talking about weight or my body shape necessarily, but more seeing that things are easier, I can do more reps and it takes longer to get burned out.

What are your next health and fitness goals?

To just be comfortable and happy with the body I have. I don’t have a “goal weight,” I think that idea, and my pre-baby body are more like pipe dreams than a fitness goal. I don’t have the personality to really push myself, but while raising 2 kids in this world I think that being content with who you are and how your body feels, rather than how it looks, is an amazing accomplishment.

Do you have a favorite and/or least favorite exercise from the @Home program?

I am not a fan of the running. True, it’s not a lot at all but I seem to have really good excuses those days to change it up. ;) Also the yoga days are rough—I have wrist problems and am not flexible at all. I tend to get more frustration from yoga than relaxation and relief.

When the Grind is kicking my butt, I’m thinking…

Just one more, then I’m stopping. (I say that a lot).

What has been your favorite aspect of the @Home program?

I love that the whole week’s workouts are emailed to me the weekend before so I can plan my week out and possibly switch days around if needed. As a wife, mother of 2 small children, and nanny to 2 more, I make a lot of decisions through the day; when I can do something without having to think about it, it makes it a whole lot easier to accomplish!

Also, the community/family feel from the coaches and other participants. It’s nothing but helpful tips, encouragement, and the occasional comedic relief to remind us that we are all human and working on our best selves.

What are you most looking forward to with 2.0?

Getting back into a routine and feeling strong again, and seeing if this round will feel easier than the first. Meeting the other participants and building a supportive community over the coming weeks.

How has the rest of your life been influenced/impacted by Farmgirlfit?

I am lazy. I rarely get the inclination to just get up and do something that I don’t “have” to do. FGF has given me the nudge in the right direction to get going with life. Things really are better when I feel physically and mentally better. FGF provides me with the support, easy to follow workouts, and a realistic look at food to help me on that path to be the best I can. I notice that I am a better wife, mama, and human being when I feel good and I’m not beating myself up about the small things I didn’t “get right.”

Do you have a funny Farmgirlfit story, or favorite memory?

I have lived in WA for 13 years and have gotten used to not knowing anyone and definitely not running into people I know. After Christmas I was on a hike with my kids, wearing my FGF headband and someone passed us and commented that she liked it and happened to be a Farmgirl too! I was quite caught off guard as we were in Western WA, she happened to be from over here and is a member in Spokane. It was great to see that this really is a community full of kind, friendly, and supportive women! Hi Erica!

Besides the FGF@Home Progrm, what does the rest of your life look like?

I am married and have 2 kids, ages 7 and 4, and I am a part time nanny to 2 more kids, ages 4 and 1. Most days revolve around school drop-off and pick-ups, gymnastics class, feeding, cleaning, playing, refereeing, and creative problem solving.  All while trying to prepare healthy and nutritious meals and snacks that aren’t cereal.

Weekends are spent as a family and usually spending one day out and about and the other at home watching the Seahawks and mentally preparing for the week to come. We like to get out and visit all our local parks and trails, luckily we live in an area with many fantastic choices to keep everyone happy.

My healthy indulgence:

Greek yogurt with Peanut butter and berries

My happy place is:

In bed reading a book, kids asleep.

As a kid I dreamt I would grow up to be:

A teacher, but realistically I don’t have the patience for it. Give teachers all the money!

You might not know this about me:

Well, not so much about me, buuuuut my husband and son Xavier share a birthday. It also happens to be shared by The Boy Who Lived. Pretty fun!

Any advice for potential members or fellow farmgirls?

Water and exercise really is the answer to the majority of life’s problems. I can remember a time in my adult life that I said “high fructose corn syrup is my favorite food group” and “Yes, I will die. But because of all the preservatives I’m eating, my body will never decompose.”

I am lazy, I like instant gratification, and I am real good at making excuses. None of these pair well with getting started with an exercise routine. Just simply going through the ups and downs of life and staying on track and falling off; I now know that those life lessons that we all roll our eyes at are the ones that will truly change your life.

Water, water, water, vegetables, exercise. FGF lets us all just be humans, but they’re like “Have you tried this?! Sure, you can do it; it’ll be awesome and you’ll feel better.”

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