Expert Profile: Erin Weiss-Trainor: One Fit Mama
If you have kids, a spouse, a job and a life –- but still want to be fit and healthy, let me introduce you to Erin Weiss-Trainor, one of PN’s Lean Eating Coaches. She has three kids, a husband, a job and a life. Oh, and by the way, she’s one fit mama.
Erin’s approach to eating and exercising evolved throughout her three pregnancies. With the first, she was carefree with the amount of food consumed and frequency of exercise. In contrast, for the second and third pregnancies, she worked as a personal trainer and taught group exercise into her eighth month. In fact, the day she went into labor with her third child, she took her husband for a two-hour hike with the dogs. I guess the next time I complain that it’s “too cold outside to hike,” I’m officially a fitness degenerate.
When it comes to exercise, Erin says that anyone can overcome family demands by focusing on three things: flexibility, creativity and planning. With young ones at home, she’ll use childcare at the gym, break out the stroller for a power walk, or mix in a session at home using her TRX.
Some other strategies for workouts with kids around:
- Run intervals at the track or do a playground workout while kids play in the field/playground
- Include family fitness activities like hiking, dog walking, bike rides, and/or having the kids ride along in a wagon or stroller as you walk
- Use the kids as resistance: pull kids in a wagon or sled, have them sit on you for pushups/dips, etc.
- Make use of a “jogging stroller” or backpack. Erin has a single jogging stroller, a double for running or biking, and a backpack that can hold a kid up to 50 lbs.
Erin finds food choices quite easy, as most of the family’s meals are eaten separately. For an evening meal they try to go with one meal for everyone. The key is to have options. For example, on “spaghetti night”, they make everyone happy with the following:
Spaghetti night's varied menu
- Erin: spaghetti sauce (homemade with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and turkey meatballs) over sautéed zucchini; if post workout meal, will add whole grain spelt, rice, or sprouted grain noodles
- Erin’s hubby: same as above with small portion of whole wheat spaghetti
- Picky eating kids (oldest/youngest): whole grain spaghetti with parmesan cheese, raw veggies on the side
- Eat everything kid: whole grain spaghetti with sauce and parmesan cheese
While most parents understand that kids need to eat fruits and vegetables, they don’t fully recognize how abundant sugar is in seemingly “healthy foods” like breakfast cereals, granola bars, fruit snacks, juices, etc. Erin knows a mom who lets her kids have Mountain Dew instead of Coke. Why? Because the mom thinks it’s healthier. Yikes.
Son Nolan grabbing broccoli from the fridge
And just like adults, Erin knows that kids thrive when healthy foods are available and ready to eat. If fruits and veggies aren’t in the house, they unlikely to get eaten.
Here are some obstacles parents may encounter, along with Erin’s solutions:
Problem: “My kids are too picky”
Solution: Incorporate the healthiest foods they will eat and make healthier versions of typically unhealthy foods. This can include homemade whole grain pizza vs. take-out, homemade mac and cheese vs. out of box, etc. Continue to give kids the opportunity to try new foods. If they don’t like Greens+, go for a juice made from fruits and veggies.
Problem: “It’s not like I can deny them cookies and candy when all the other kids have them.”
Solution: Moderation and parent controlled options. If you don’t want them to have it, don’t offer/buy it, and provide nutritious foods before treats.
Problem: “Sometimes the most convenient option is fast food take-out or frozen foods.”
Solution: Keep a supply of quick grilling or reheatable foods. For Erin, this includes things like local bison burgers or turkey burgers (Erin makes a point of knowing the farmers and choosing her suppliers carefully). Or cook double meals for leftovers. Aim for the homemade versions of soup, toast, and the typical frozen breakfast foods like pancakes and French toast.
Healthy fruit juice options for the kids
A day in Erin’s life
Breakfast
5:00 am – 2 cups water, 1 scoop Greens + energy, glycine, glutamine; start work on computer
6:00 am – probiotic, digestive enzyme, 1 egg, ½ cup egg whites, salsa, red Swiss chard sautéed with red onion, cup of chai tea with splash of almond milk; continue work on computer
6:30-7:15 am – walk with dogs
7:15-8:15 am – back to computer, glass of water, black coffee
8:15-9:00 am – get my oldest (Neil) ready for school (breakfast, make lunch, pack bag etc); do some laundry; cook for other meals in the week
9:00 – 9:45 – back to computer
9:45: pumpkin protein shake with side of cucumber; while making this, make other 2 kids breakfast and eat with them at the kitchen bar
 Pumpkin protein shake fixings |
 Chowing down at the breakfast bar |
10 am – 1:00 pm: work
1:00 pm: kale, red onion, garlic, chicken, Bragg’s
1-3 pm: work
3:00 pm: workout at home TRX training and intervals, BCAAs/water
4:00 pm: post workout shake – pineapple juice, almond milk, rice protein, cinnamon, glutamine; after school time with kids
4:45 pm: take kids to hockey, bring book for Spezzatino article interview and post workout meal (chicken oregano soup with black beans, carrots, tea)
7:30 pm: dinner with family – cauliflower and turkey burgers, probiotics, dig enzymes
 1 pm greens meal |
 Postworkout soup meal |
 Family dinner |
8:00 pm: wrap up work/emails; time with family
Supplement cabinet
10:00 pm: bed (Greens+ detox, 2 cups water, glycine, glutamine, ZMA, multi-vitamin)
Okay, so Erin is healthy, fit and strong, but do her kids even care? Erin thinks so. She’s noticed that her kids learn well from repeat exposures. When kids are taught the right stuff, then they see the right stuff, and good things will likely happen.
For example, her oldest son, Neil, came home and wanted Erin to call the mom of a kid in his class. Why? He was concerned about the lack of healthy choices in his lunch.
You’re a good man, Neil.
You’re an even better mom, Erin.