Coca-Cola: Balanced Living

I was compensated for my participation in Coca-Cola’s Balanced Living Workshop, but my thoughts and views are my own.

Next week I get to participate in a Balanced Living Workshop, here in Chicago, hosted by Coca-Cola, and the timing couldn’t be better. The holiday season can be wonderful, busy and overwhelming at times. When I am caught up in the details of preparing for our Christmas celebrations with family and friends I don’t always prioritize time to be good to my mind, body and spirit. So when BlogHer and Coca-Cola invited me to participate in and write about my experience with this event, I couldn’t have been happier or more eager to sign on. Coca-Cola’s Balanced Living Workshop will be held on Tuesday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 12th at a local hotel here in Chicago. According to the planning team,

This two-day, invitation-only event is designed specifically for Chicago-area moms like (me), who are looking to find a balanced approach to both personal and family wellness…. This action-packed workshop (will be) filled with fitness and nutrition consultations, cooking demonstrations and more! We are confident you’ll leave feeling invigorated with knowledge and insights to help create a happier, healthier, more balanced you in 2013 and beyond.

Yes, please! As an American Council on Exercise (A.C.E.) certified Group Fitness Instructor, who teaches classes part-time in my neighborhood, the entire event sounds awesome. Though I am primarily a Stay-at-Home Mom, I am always interested in learning how my family and I can eat healthier and incorporate exercise more often in our lives. It is an ongoing conversation with my family and friends, as well as clients where I teach group fitness classes. We are often exchanging tips and ideas on how to eat better, stay in shape and shed weight.

I am still trying to lose the last five to ten pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight and welcome opportunities for inspiration to make that happen. I am especially interested in meeting with a dietitian and attending a culinary demonstration, as I would like to vary the meals that I serve my family and try to introduce healthier options.

I try to teach my nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise. Earlier this year, my son and I trained together to run a 5K in our neighborhood. I wrote about our experience in this post: 3.1 with My Son.

As I have shared here in the past, I am big on making New Year’s resolutions. My family and some close friends even have a tradition of video taping each other at an annual Christmas gathering as we report back on our resolutions from that year and share what we are going to attempt in the New Year.

In 2011 I really dropped the ball when it came to following through consistently on my resolutions. There were some legitimate reasons for this, such as dealing with a chronic medical condition related to my urinary tract. But more so I just didn’t do enough of what I set out to do.

I exercised fairly regularly and watched what I ate, but eleven months later I still weigh about the same as I did this time last year. In 2013, I want to find a way to break through that plateau and reach my goal.

This year I wanted to do a better job caring for and cleaning our home, including making healthier meals and adding variety to our dinners, but more often that not our house was in need of attention and we rotated through the same meals over and over again.

I hope that participating in Coca-Cola’s Balanced Living Workshop will give me the tools and motivation that I want and need to make positive and healthy changes in my life and for my family. The agenda for the two-day event sounds really fun and interesting. I look forward to sharing about my experience and I what I learn later this month!

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Disclaimer: I am being compensated for attending Coca-Cola’s Balanced Living Workshop, as well as sharing about my expectations and experience. However, the opinions expressed here are my own.