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 Prioritizing Health and Fitness as a Homeschooling Mom: Insights from Jill McAleer

As a homeschooling mom, balancing the demands of educating your children while maintaining your own health and fitness can feel like an insurmountable challenge. In a recent podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jill McAleer, a dedicated homeschool mom and certified holistic health coach, about how she manages to stay on top of her health while juggling homeschooling responsibilities. Here are some key insights and practical tips from our conversation.

Embracing a Holistic Approach to Nutrition

Jill's journey into health and fitness began over 15 years ago when she discovered the powerful impact of nutrition on physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Despite her extensive knowledge as a certified holistic health coach, she found herself struggling with low energy and overall fatigue after having four children in five years. The turning point came when she learned about the importance of macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—and how to balance them effectively.

Understanding Macronutrients:

• Carbohydrates and Fats: These are the primary sources of energy for our bodies.
• Proteins: Crucial for muscle repair, recovery, and maintaining satiety.

Jill emphasized that most people are under-consuming protein, which can lead to feelings of fatigue and low energy. Her advice? Start by increasing your protein intake, aiming for your body weight in grams of protein per day. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 150 grams of protein daily.

Practical Tips for Busy Moms

Balancing health and fitness with homeschooling doesn’t require drastic changes. Jill shared several practical tips that can help moms incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines:

1. Start with Protein:

• Prioritize protein at every meal.
• Double your current protein intake to see improvements in energy and fullness.

2. Incorporate Movement:

• Small, consistent actions can make a big difference. For example, walk around the park while your kids play or pace around the house while tidying up.
• Use a smartwatch or set a timer on your phone to remind you to move every 30 minutes.

3. Meal Prepping Simplified:

• Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated. When cooking dinner, double the recipe to have leftovers for lunch during the week.
• This approach eliminates decision fatigue and ensures you have nutritious meals ready to go.

Modeling Healthy Habits for Your Children

Jill highlighted the importance of modeling healthy habits for our children. When kids see their parents prioritizing health and fitness, it sets a positive example and teaches them the value of self-care. This is especially crucial for homeschooling moms, who spend a significant amount of time with their children.

Balancing Self-Care and Homeschooling:

• Show your kids that taking care of yourself is essential. This could mean locking the door for an hour to exercise or preparing a healthy meal.
• Incorporate discussions about nutrition and fitness into your homeschooling curriculum.

Overcoming Emotional Barriers

One of the biggest hurdles to adopting healthier habits is dealing with the emotional aspects. Many people resist tracking their food intake or exercise because it brings up feelings of guilt or inadequacy. Jill encourages moms to push through these uncomfortable emotions and focus on the long-term benefits.

Tracking for Awareness:

• Start by simply noting what you eat and how it makes you feel.
• Use a meal tracking app or a simple journal to keep track of your intake.

Building Sustainable Habits:

• Focus on one change at a time. Once you’ve established a habit, move on to the next one.
• Remember that consistency is key. Small, incremental changes can lead to significant improvements over time.

Seeking Support and Accountability

Having a coach or accountability partner can make a world of difference. Jill shared how working with a nutrition and fitness coach helped her turn her health around. A good coach will provide personalized guidance, support, and motivation to help you reach your goals.

About our Guest:

Jill is a homeschooling Mom of 4, and a Certified Nutrition Coach who is passionate about helping busy Moms, women and parents learn how to adequately fuel their body and life through balanced nutrition and movement habits.  Her 1:1 coaching service is centered around nutrition education and awareness, developing strategies and applying a methodology to build long term habits and maintain results. She advocates for healing relationships with your body and food and encourages everyone to chase strong and build muscle! Jill loves spending time with her family, serving in her church, cooking, lifting heavy weights and the beach!

Instagram: @jillfitjourney

Website: FIT with Jill Nutrition Coaching

Final Thoughts

Prioritizing your health as a homeschooling mom is not just beneficial for you—it sets a powerful example for your children and can transform your entire family's lifestyle. Start small, be consistent, and don't hesitate to seek support when needed. As Jill McAleer’s journey shows, it's entirely possible to thrive in both homeschooling and personal wellness.

Remember, the best exercise and nutrition plan is the one that you enjoy and can stick with. So find what works for you, make it a habit, and watch as your energy and well-being improve.

For more insights and tips, be sure to listen to the full podcast episode with Jill McAleer. And if you’re ready to take the next step, consider reaching out to Jill for personalized coaching and support. Your health is worth it!