Real Fit Mom Melanie Fields is Kickin’ Body Fat to the Curb! | Skinny Mom | Tips for Moms | Fitness | Food | Fashion

Melanie Fields didn’t start her weight loss journey wanting to showcase it. She had no desire to model, compete or even share her story. She simply decided that she no longer wanted to be one of those women who had to hear, “You look really good… for being a mom.” For any mother who has endured that comment, you know that it’s a half-hearted compliment. Even if it’s meant to be 100% kind, most women translate that comment to mean, “You’re really not in good shape at all, but I guess for squeezing out a few kids you’re not that fat.”

Melanie Fields Before

Melanie’s struggles began during her second pregnancy in late 2006. Her history of pre-term labor called for her to limit her activities and when her son did arrive in 2007, things only got worse for Melanie. “I suffered from major complications that put me back in the hospital when he was only three weeks old,” she says. “The rest of 2007 was filled with trips to the doctor and lots of pain. Finally, in January of 2008 I was ready to accept the fact that I would need a hysterectomy.”

Melanie spent an agonizing seven months recovering from her surgery. In August of 2008, she was finally given clearance to exercise. It had been nearly two years since she had done any physical activity aside from walking and she knew she would have to start off slowly. Melanie opted for home workouts with DVDs over the gym and says that once she got started, she was hooked! “I immediately felt like a new person,” she says. “I continued to go for long walks with my boys along with doing my DVDs, and I couldn’t get enough. I actually WANTED to exercise…I craved it!” Melanie says that in addition to amazing energy, her new found love for exercise came with an added bonus; the weight she’d been afraid she may never lose started falling off and before she knew it, she’d lost all of the pregnancy weight… and then some! She was so delighted with her progress that she decided to create a Facebook group to connect with other friends looking to get serious about fitness and health.

Melanie now hits the gym for heavy weights four times a week; two upper body days and two lower body days. She does cardio three times a week often focusing on Turbo Kick, her newest cardio obsession! She does not follow a specific diet, but says she tries to keep her meals balanced and healthy, usually relying on fish, chicken, eggs and rice as the foundation of her meals.

After her transformation, Melanie decided it was time to pay her success forward. She recently became certified to instruct Turbo Kick, and plans to begin teaching this spring. She is also working on her certification to become a personal trainer and hopes to use her experience to motivate and inspire others. All it takes is one look at Melanie Fields to know that her hard work and determination has definitely paid off. Some might even say that she no longer looks, “good for being a mom,” she just looks damn good… PERIOD!