Jillian Michaels: So hard to take care of yourself when you're a parent

Ooo, have I got a treat for you today! In the latest issue of Fitness Magazine, uber-hardcore Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels admits, "It is hard — so hard — to take care of yourself when you're a parent."

Hallelujah! This is practically my mantra. It is HARD! SO HARD!

“I used to say, ‘If you’re going to exercise, then you do it, and you do it 100 percent,'" the mom of two tells Fitness. “Now if I’ve got to answer emails while I work out on the StairMaster, well, then that’s what it is.”

“I get up at 7 a.m. — after being up all night with the baby — and run around trying to get both kids diaper-changed, dressed and fed," she shares. "Finally I’ll shower, and before I know it, I’ve got 50 emails to answer, and I need to leave for work."

Are you loving this as much as I am?

“At the end of the day, I come home, and I’m like, ‘OK, let me bathe you, change you, feed you, read you books, put you to bed — wait, how am I supposed to do all this? Son of a b—-, this is hard!’”

Sound familiar? Love! Love!

Here's what Jillian does to try to balance it all and some healthy family tips for the rest of us:

Give the kids a treat day:
“Lu knows that Sunday is her treat day, so she can eat ice cream or French fries or something."

Cook healthy the rest of the week, and they'll never know it's not pizza:
"I don't deprive her the rest of the week, I just stick to healthier options like sweet potato fries or graham crackers. I’ll make whole-wheat pizza with mozzarella, onions and butternut squash, and to her that’s pizza. I am a genius.... I am so proud of myself because I have fooled her into eating healthy, and let me tell you, that kid is smart!”

Move it with your kids:
"We run on the beach with the dogs and take her out to ride her tricycle. We just have a healthy lifestyle — we play!"

Choose wisely:
"I want other moms to know that if you pick the antipasto when everyone's ordering in from the sub shop, it matters. If you can do only 20 minutes on your treadmill at home while you check your e-mail at the same time, it matters. I used to rip people apart for that, but you just get it in where you can, and that's all you can do."

Amen!

Ohhh, do I ever relate to what Jillian's saying. I personally wasn't able to balance it all when my kids were wee, like her kids are now. As I've written elsewhere, it wasn't until my youngest turned five that I was finally able to start taking care of myself — it is so important for the whole family, but indeed, so hard! I've lost 30 pounds this year...and I swear it's because I finally have two hands (relatively) free.

For loads more family fitness tips from Jillian, and more about how taxing parenting is for her, check out Fitness Magazine! And for loads more fitness tips, recipes, family fitness and meal plans, join our 30-day HEALTHY FAMILY CHALLENGE TODAY!

LOVE!
xo Haley-O