A woman who takes good care of herself is a more powerful mother - at least that is the way I see it.  If we are willing to settle for ‘nothing but the best FROM ourselves’, that will carry over into our parenting. A Mom Matters when she cares enough to be a good example - in word and action to her children.

Take Leah Segedie for example (many of you may know her as Bookieboo!)  What you may not know is Leah’s story.

Three years ago, when Leah gave birth to her first child, a son, she weighed 253 pounds.  While she was pregnant, her father was diagnosed with cancer and given only 6 months to live.  Five days a week, Leah helped her mother to care for her dying father. Watching him suffer was tremendously painful and Leah found solace in food.

Like so many of us, she believed the weight would come off after she had the baby.  But, also like many of us, that wasn’t the case.

When her newborn son was only 3 months old, Leah’s father lost his battle with cancer.  Though she had prayed for an end to his suffering, she was devastated.

But with the devastation came a ‘moment of clarity’, as she calls it.  She didn’t want to be the ‘fat mom’.  She wanted to ‘model healthy behavior’ for her family.  In that moment, Leah decided to make a change.  So, she stood up and started walking.  At first it was once a day and then twice.  She joined Curves and began to practice Taebo. Five pounds at a time, Leah began to see a difference.

Working at a healthy lifestyle the traditional way, with  diet and exercise, Leah lost over 100 pounds.
It is this weight loss journey, and Leah’s desire to motivate those around her that inspired her friend Kelly Loubet to nominate her for Why Moms Matter.

After losing the weight, Leah decided to create a ‘go-to place where moms could share their struggles staying or getting into shape”, and Bookieboo.com (named after her son) was born.  The site has over 40 contributors, many are certified personal trainers, but all are moms.

Knowing how tough it can be to balance being a mom with taking care of yourself, Leah is reaching out - hoping to give a little extra resolve to one mom at a time. Having recently had a second son, Leah is on the ball with getting back into shape one more time - and she has the support of whole bunch of moms on Bookieboo - doing the exact same thing.

Join us on Why Moms Matter on Blog Talk Radio, Friday at 12:30PST/2:30CST to learn how Leah stays motivated to keep up with her healthy lifestyle and how she balances work with family.  You’ll also learn about her new Blog Talk Radio Show - MomActive - launching on June 19th.

Do you know a Mom Who Matters?  An ordinary mom doing extraordinary things?  Nominate her today.

Post by Danielle Smith from ExtraordinaryMommy.com

The Why Moms Matter Project

The WhyMomsMatter Project was created by the founders of MomFaves to celebrate and honor the significance and beauty of motherhood. Moms are nominated by their loved ones to receive the “Why Moms Matter Award” by clicking “Nominate” at the top left of WhyMomsMatter.com. If you would like to nominate someone for the WhyMomsMatter project, we would love to hear from you!

Download the Why Moms Matter E-book - full of stories and pictures of moms nominated by their loved ones for the positive impact they are making in the world.

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