For Charity Rossiter, the benefits of the Mommy Makeover program have been much more than just fitness.
Don’t get her wrong. The fitness part is great. She’s lost several pounds and even more inches around her midsection.
“I put on some shorts the other day that I wore last summer that were a little tight, and [now] they aren’t tight,” she said.
But Charity says the Mommy Makeover project has coincided with a whole lot of changes that go far beyond the scale.
“I feel like I’m definitely getting my confidence back, that’s for sure,” she said this week.
At the start of the project, Charity expressed concern about spending time away from her husband and son because she loves getting to watch the two interact. But it turns out Charity’s workout time has been an unexpected bonus for the family, she said.
“With a lot of first-time moms and dads, the baby usually attaches and connects to the mom a lot more than the dad,” she said.
With the nursing and the diaper changing, she said, it happens almost inadvertently.
“Not having me around really forces Jonathan to learn that my dad is also my protector,” she said. “That’s also their time to bond without me being around, and that’s so important.
“It’s helped me because I’m able to see that things do work without me being there. I don’t have to be in control all the time. Things will get taken care of and everyone will survive, but at the same time it’s really helped with my husband having confidence, too.”
In January, Rossiter started a Bible study at Bible Baptist Church called “Thin Within,” which she says has been the perfect pairing with her return to fitness.
“It’s about weight loss but, at the same time, it’s about learning who you are spiritually and learning about how God created you,” she said.
She said she is starting to get to the point where she is understanding more about herself and how her faith plays a part in her fitness.
“Quite honestly, even before I got pregnant and I was quote unquote ‘thin,’ I never really felt the way I feel now,” she said. “Because I lost the weight but I was missing that spiritual piece.”
And with two weeks left in the project, Charity still has high expectations of herself.
Her trainer, Brad Webster, has figured out a way to get Charity to work a little harder, as well. Generally he will come up a workout routine and time Charity as she progresses through it. On the next round, Charity’s mission is to beat her previous time. The two typically make it through at least three rounds, she said.
Her next goal? To make it through five rounds of Juan — a tough cardio and lower body workout of squats, lunges, step-ups and squat jumps — in less than 10 minutes.
The last time she tackled that task, she finished in 11:25, but if there’s anything that Charity is, it’s determined.
Last week, the Rossiter family took their first bike ride of the season — and to Charity’s surprise, she averaged 15.8 mph on the 22-mile ride, a full 2 mph faster than this time last year.
“It’s huge for me,” Charity said.
And her running is showing the same promise. Previously, Charity said she felt comfortable at a 12-minute-mile pace. These days, she runs a mile in 11 or 10:30.
“My legs just feel stronger, everything just feels stronger when I’m out there,” she said. “I just don’t feel as labored as I did before.”
• Erin Shultz is the Kokomo Tribune Life & Style editor. She may be reached at 765-454-8587 or erin.shultz@kokomotribune.com.
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