Ash from FitMom our perfect professional

Q & A With The Perfect Professional – Ash FitMom – Shedding For The Wedding

It’s a saying that we have all heard of and read about – shedding weight for your wedding. We chat to Ash Iovino from FITMOM about sustainable ways to do this that aren’t just crash diets and crazy exercises.

Ash is a certified personal trainer and the creator of FITMOM. What started out as a hobby to share her love of exercise over 5 years ago, has grown in leaps and burpees! She has trained thousands of women (not just moms) as they have powered their way through their unique fitness journeys.

Ash has three kids (although you would never guess that she has carried three children by looking at her) and totally understands how hectic life can be. She believes that health & fitness should always be a priority though, as this will have a positive knock-on effect on every other area of your life.

She is all about balance, hard-work and consistency and has made it her mission to help women around the world make permanent changes to both their mindset and their lifestyle.

Q: Ash, one of the most popular wedding phrases at the moment is “Shedding for the Wedding”. Do you have a lot of clients that come to you with this goal in mind?

I have trained a lot of brides who are keen to shed some weight for their special day. I totally understand that you want to look and feel incredible on your wedding day, and because it is often such a focused period of time, these ladies often reach their goals even sooner than what they ordinarily would. They are prepared to work harder than normal and they listen to every single thing that I advise.

Q: What are some of the key changes brides can do to their exercise regime to get ready for the “Biggest Day Of Their Lives

Generally speaking, most brides want to achieve the following goals for their big day:

Weight loss (looking lean but NOT skinny) and looking nice and toned.

In order to achieve this I would recommend a combination of the following exercises:

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), strength training and cardio.

The cardio and HIIT will allow you to burn maximum calories during (and after) your sessions and the strength training will increase your muscle mass which will ultimately boost your metabolism. By muscle mass, I don’t mean you will look bulky, you will just appear toned and lean.

Q: Tell us about your wedding and did you step up your exercise regime before it?

Gosh, my wedding day feels like a lifetime ago! I have always been a fitness fanatic and big runner, but I definitely upped my training as my wedding day approached. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a personal trainer back then, so I actually didn’t have the knowledge that I have now, but I do remember religiously  waking up for those early morning sessions before work, and I was also very aware of my diet. Which is a good point for all brides to be aware of – if you’re training your bum off but not watching what goes in your mouth, then you aren’t going to see the results you want. I am a firm believer in the 80/20 rule. 80% diet, 20% exercise!

Q: Of course, a healthy lifestyle isn’t just for one day of your life. It’s about feeling good in your skin and being the best version of you. FITMOM really seems to embrace this ethos – can you tell us some more about this?

I am all about a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Life is for living and if you can’t have that glass of wine or enjoy that chocolate croissant, then why are we even here?! But that said, I believe you also need to put in the work, train hard and eat well 80% of the time.

I am firmly against fad diets and quick fixes. There is so much misleading information out there, especially in the health & fitness industry, so I am very aware of something being “too good to be true.”

Overall, I don’t think healthy living is a number on a scale, counting calories, or being obsessive in any area of your life. For me, it is about feeling confident, strong, happy & energised. I want to be able to run after my children (and beat them at it!) and I want them to see me exercising, not because it’s a chore, but because I absolutely love it!

Q: When do you recommend that brides/grooms start an exercise program before their wedding? It’s not healthy to crash diet and exercise like a madman before the wedding, but there is a chance that they may lose motivation if they start too early before the wedding?

I would recommend starting approximately 6 months before the big day, BUT I think a few factors need to be considered here.

Brides:

1. Have you always exercised or are you literally starting now to lose weight? The base that you are coming off is vitally important in order to assess how quickly I can ramp up the programme.
2. What are your goals and how much time do you need to realistically achieve them?
3. I wouldn’t recommend crash dieting as this is not only bad for your body, but it’s also not sustainable. A healthy eating plan from me is the way to go, aiming at losing approx. 0.5-1kg per week.

Q: Weddings can be stressful – family, planning, bridesmaids etc. How can exercise help handle some of these stresses?

Exercise is a massive natural stress reliever. A one hour workout/run each day will create the necessary positive headspace for the bride/groom to have perspective about dealing with this time. The endorphins will create a natural high, and as the weeks tick by and the day draws closer, that feeling of being fitter and more confident, will allow you to enjoy the whole process, as opposed to feeling frazzled and stressed out by it!

MY NEW OFFERINGS:

FITMOM has recently gone digital with the launch of 4 subscription offerings. Ash has something for everyone so don’t forget to check it out: currently fitmomSA.co.za but moving over to fitmom.online VERY SOON!

Instagram: ash_fitmom

Facebook: @fitmomSA

1. FIT4Life: Hardcore HIIT workouts sent to your phone every Sunday, in video format. Train with Ash to become the fittest & happiest version of yourself!
2. FIT4Two: This one’s for the preggie ladies (because Ash has been there 3 times before). Prenatal workouts sent to your phone every week, in video format, so that you can train safely with Ash through the trimesters.
3. FIT4You: The low impact/postpartum subscription to help you reclaim that bod again! Ideal for new moms or beginners. The workouts are also sent straight to your phone, in video format.
4. FIT Healthy Meal Plan: Get weekly meal plans sent directly to your phone, every Friday (shopping list included) so that you can plan for the week ahead. Delicious, simple, healthy recipes which are FIT for the whole family.
5. LIVE Zoom Classes: The FITMOM live classes. You can book for these here: fitmom.howler.co.za

Thank you to Ash from FitMom our perfect professional for sharing her top tips and secrets. Read more about our perfect professionals here.

XOXO