Meet Aleece.

One of the entrepreneurs behind Fresh Inc., Aleece pushes herself to be fit every day.  Check out her response to our fitness feature interview:

First – tell us a little about yourself and your family.

-          I have a wonderful family. I’ve been married to my husband Jeff for 12 years and we have two awesome little boys, Maclean who is 8 and Calum who is 5. We love living in Kamloops because there are so many opportunities for being active – whether it’s training at a gym, swimming at a pool, hiking, biking, skiing, etc… it’s a great place to be active. I co-own an advertising agency called Fresh Inc. which has been in business for almost 8 years plus, am on the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Executive and try to volunteer a lot with organizations that my kids are involved with.

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

- Fit in my world is a lifestyle I live daily. I’m not one for trying to lose a ton of weight, rather, being fit is a lifestyle choice I’ve made. It’s a part of everything I do. I ensure that I get time at the gym or on the soccer field because it reduces stress and I think helps me to think clearer, helping me to be a better Mom to my kids, wife to my husband and all around nicer person. Plus, when I work out, I’m more apt to eat healthier (with little cheats here and there) because after a hard training session, the last thing I want to do is ruin all that hard work with poor food choices.

- I actually schedule it in. With a soccer team (or any team sport) you have other people counting on you to show up, so there is the built in accountability. Plus, each week I schedule in when I’m going to work out and pack my gym gear. That way, I know when my rest days are and I know when I need to work hard when I’m training… no excuses. My kids see that both Jeff and I are dedicated to fitness, and as a result, they are both very fitness minded participating in sports, wanting to go for runs and staying active.

- In the summer, I play soccer twice a week and go to the gym from 3 – 4 times a week. In winter, I play soccer once a week and train at least 3 times a week, plus do outdoor activities with the kids. I competed in FemSport last year so my training schedule over a 12 week period was pretty intense with 5 to 6 cardio|strength training work outs and 3 Pilates work outs each week – but I did this with a trainer so as to not hurt myself, and I was pleased with the results.

- I think my biggest challenge is being so tall and having a realist expectation for my weight and body. I am 6’ 2”, so I’m not 120lbs (far from it actually) and as a tall woman, you’re somewhat different from “normal” society in terms of height. I’ve learned to really accept my height and to love how strong I am. By no means do I want to have huge muscles and look enormous, but I love looking strong and lean and being happy with how tall God decided I should be. But come on… it’s not like I have an option to be shorter, though I have a ton of friends who have gladly said they’d take some of my height for me if I ever dish it out.

- The biggest one would be winning first in the Novice division for individuals in FemSport 2011 and also winning first in the Novice division with my team . I’ve never trained in my life for a fitness competition, so all of that effort was so worth it. And as a 36 year old Mom of two boys, I am in the best shape of my life which is such a great example to my kids, friends and family.

- We’re all busy, so don’t make excuses. If you can’t find the time to work out, do the dreaded 6am work outs with a friend, in a boot camp or with a trainer. And keep with it. So many people work hard for 4 weeks and expect miracles. Make it a part of your lifestyle and you’ll be thrilled with how much energy you have and how you’re a nicer, less stressed person. Don’t work out, rather, train. So many people waste so much time ‘working out’ at a gym where you do 20 minutes of cardio, throw around a few weights and you’re done. I go to a trainer at a fitness facility where I’m pushed to intensely train for a good 50 – 60 minutes and I’ve seen such great increases in my fitness levels. Lastly, focus on the good of your body. Most bodies don’t look like they do in swim suit magazines or fashion magazines (and even those people are photo shopped to look like that). Our bodies are meant to get us around and to move things and to be active. So, instead of focusing on my tummy area, which is by far the area that I’d like to improve the most, I focus on my arms and how great they look when I wear a short sleeved T-shirt or a dress with cute little straps.

Fitness is for life, and since I intend to live well into my 90’s, I intend to be as fit as I can be so my quality of life is amazing throughout.

About your Author | Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a Kamloops lifer. Born at RIH, she is happy to be raising her family here. Married with three wonderful children with another due in June 2013, Elizabeth is also teacher and enjoys working with parents as she learns more about this "Mommy gig". Elizabeth is passionate about parenting and enjoys networking with other parents. She has been running KamloopsParents.Com since March 2010.