Before having children, I really didn’t give much thought to being healthy.  I was always thin and didn’t have to worry about my weight, so I thought I was healthy.  I could eat what I wanted and didn’t have to worry about the number on the scale.  Once I had children, all that changed.  I had little people who depended on me, who watched my every single move, and once I was hit with the realization that I was about as unhealthy as I could get, I knew I had to change, if not for me, for my children.

While looking at me from the outside, you would have thought I had it all down.  But the truth is that I didn’t exercise and I didn’t eat healthy.  How I didn’t weigh a ton, I don’t know.  I guess I’ll thank my high metabolism.  But with the high obesity rate in children, I didn’t want my children to be another number added to the statistic.

So, we started implementing changes, little by little.  We didn’t want to make all these drastic changes too quickly because we all needed time to adjust.  We needed to make a lifestyle change and that couldn’t be done over night.

Today, we are a much healthier family and I couldn’t be more happy!

While we aren’t perfect and still eat out way too often, I feel we have come a long way.  My children love to exercise and believe it or not, they actually love most vegetables and fruits.  My children love “trees,” which is also known as broccoli, and anytime we have roasted brussel sprouts, I have to eat mine before the children see them or I won’t get any.

I know I can do more and will continue to strive to live a healthy lifestyle for my children.  I will continue to use the internet as a resource for healthy recipes.  I will continue to stay in close contact with our pediatrician to make sure the children are growing well and developing as they should.

Children’s health is at the top of every mother’s mind. What’s your favorite tip for raising a healthy baby? By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a $50 donation in your name to Global Giving.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs November 14 to December 18, 2011. A random winner will be announced by December 20, 2011.

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