Have you ever wanted to get back into shape or have you "lost" yourself after children, or have a busy lifestyle? That would be me, four children later and a job that requires a massive amount of time in front of the computer. Compounded with eating on the fly, most of my meals would be in the car on the way to pick up the kids from soccer, or in some cases, missing meals altogether. Major no-no, according to health experts.

WonderMoms has been approached by a couple of local fitness centres recently with offers to tour their facilities in hopes of promoting them and perhaps even joining in on all the fun.  Having never really felt comfortable about getting in front of everyone and showing my self off, I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and professionalism of Snap Fitness BurlOak.  They have been amazingly supportive of our journey as well, and when a fitness centre cares about the whole person that is a fabulous connection and a great facility. We turned working out at their gym into a challenge, my partner in crime is @WM_Jenn.  She is super supportive and a little bit competitive, as she has had a step on me the whole way.  The girl has been playing softball for years, and well, I have been donning my Lulu's but not putting them to good use.

We toured Snap Fitness together and both loved the atmosphere, they operate 24/7 and have amazing Fitness Professionals on staff. Monthly fee's very reasonable, you pay $39.99 a month and there is no long term contract. No nightmare getting out of gym membership issues with Snap, you pay month-to-month.  Highly recommended is the Jump-Start Program which offers three 30 minute training sessions to meet your fitness goals.

*The Jump-Start Program includes a physical assessment, gym orientation, three 30 minute training sessions and a fitness program to follow.

My first week working out I felt like a hamster in a wheel, honestly I was a little timid....I needed Jenn by my side to help me on a few machines and just to be there to "hold my hand". I hated the elliptical trainer and could not use it for more than five minutes.  My preferred friend was the treadmill.  Now that was the beginning of August, one month later I love the elliptical trainer and will now do cardio on it for about thirty minutes. Addicted is a word to describe me now, I work out 5 times a week and maybe six. I'm combining a great diet of vega smoothies post workout, flax, coconut water, and high protein foods with new fitness routine. Apparently diet contributes to 80% of your weight loss when working out.

Now one month later I have lost nearly ten-pounds, and feel freaking fantastic, I have been very open about my fitness journey on-line and found everyone around me to be super supportive. My children, my friends and family say they are seeing a wonderful transformation. I encourage you to share your weight loss journey as well, as it keeps you accountable and also helps boost your self-esteem.

I highly recommend Snap Fitness as their facilty is clean, well equipped with the latest exercise machines. The staff are above and beyond fabulous, and very supportive. Once our membership is up with Snap Fitness I am going to continue to work out there. I owe a huge thank you to Snap Fitness as well for challenging us to test out their gym. Really it was a win-win for me, I have never worked so hard but entirely enjoyed the experience.

My tips for a great workout:

*Comfortable running shoes with sport insoles like Sof Sole from Ashworth PR

*Reuseable bottle for water 

*iPod or iPhone with great tunes (make sure your's does not go airborne like mine did)

*Work Out Partner (you can not steal mine)

*Great work-out gear like lululemon or Mark's WorkWear House Yoga Apparel

*Tons of patience

*Protein bars post workout as you are going to be hungry