Latest / MIDDLE GROUND - Real Conversations on Faith, Identity & Becoming — Through Brynne's LDS Lens of Curiosity, Love and Doubt / From Punishment to Self-Love: Mindset, Motivation & Postpartum Fitness — Heather Campbell
Transcript
- Brynne Erickson (01:08) Heather Campbell, how are you this evening? Heather Campbell (01:10) good, how are you my friend? Brynne Erickson (01:12) I'm doing great. Thanks for being here with me. It is going to be so fun. I love Heather. Not only is she my friend and a high school buddy, but I've been watching her over the past couple of years, navigating motherhood and health, which with such finesse and making it look easy and doable. And she's been really inspiring to me. Heather Campbell (01:15) Thanks for having me, this is so fun. Brynne Erickson (01:39) And I'm realizing this podcast is a lot about my journey of becoming and hopefully inspiring other people and sharing what has helped me in my journey. So Heather Campbell has been a big part of that. So we're to talk about her journey with health, um, an awesome program she's just put out for everyone and what has helped her in regards to mindset and motivation and all the things. So let's get right into it. So ⁓ how did you even get into health? Heather Campbell (02:16) It's kind of funny because I did not grow up playing sports. I was not an active child. I liked to play outside, but I was not into sports. It really wasn't until I was in college. I had a friend that invited me to a group fitness class and I just was instantly hooked. I felt, I think, the stress relief and the emotional and mental benefits of exercise right off the bat and just Completely fell in love and then like a year or two later. I actually decided to major in exercise in college And I kind of went through all the phases I was a runner for a little while and then I discovered weightlifting and it's just kind of progressed from there But yeah, it really wasn't until I was like a young adult that this passion of mine was found which is kind of interesting Brynne Erickson (03:09) That is really interesting. So like you never felt a need to like go to the gym or work out prior to, well not even a need. Like have you ever felt like a need or a reason to have to do that? Heather Campbell (03:22) I now I do because I just know that it helps me so much mentally. But yeah, when I was younger, I just did not care to do it. It was funny. I had friends who played sports. had, you know, one of my really good friends would go running and work out in high school and I would just like go with her and just sit there and like watch her and like cheer her on when she was running. But like, you know, I wasn't interested in doing it. So yeah, it was so weird. I think everyone in my life was like. wait what you're gonna major in exercise like you've never liked it so it was so random but yeah once i found it i just became passionate about it so quick and here we are Brynne Erickson (04:02) I love that. So did you ever struggle with like body image or anything like that? Heather Campbell (04:07) I totally did in high school, but here again, I just didn't have enough, like, I don't know if you would say motivation or whatever it may be, but yeah, I didn't care to do anything about it really. So, but I definitely struggled and I still struggle with that now and we can go into that more in depth later. But yeah, it's something, yeah, that I struggled with, but I just didn't care enough to exercise or do anything about it. I feel like I didn't have enough. Brynne Erickson (04:26) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (04:38) I didn't really grasp that nutrition, like how much nutrition and exercise really played into not only how I looked, but how I felt. Like I didn't have that direct connection and so yeah, I just didn't really learn that until I was a young adult. Brynne Erickson (04:47) Bye. Okay, so you weren't really ever affected by like the diet culture? Heather Campbell (04:59) So I was but I didn't really ever like play into it myself I definitely had women around me who were always dieting and but I was actually able to not Feel like I have to be dieting if that makes sense. So I was definitely subjected to it. But even though I wasn't like Super thrilled with my own body and physique. I wasn't it wasn't enough of a pole to ever like do extreme dieting, at least as like a teenager, you know. Brynne Erickson (05:31) Yeah, that's so interesting because my story is more the opposite. Like I saw that as a solution. And so I stepped into that in middle school and pretty much yo-yoed for a very long time. Heather Campbell (05:37) Yeah. Yeah, it's so crazy how young it can start and I feel like that story is so common. I mean, I definitely remember going through phases where I would try not to eat and, you know, kind of similar to what you said, but it wasn't ever like, I don't know. I feel like it got almost worse once I became a fitness coach because I felt the need to look a certain way. ⁓ So I've kind of had to work through that. But as a teenager, luckily, Brynne Erickson (06:09) Mm. Heather Campbell (06:14) you know, I dabbled in it here and there, but it wasn't like a huge part of my story. Brynne Erickson (06:18) That is really interesting. ⁓ So what has helped you regarding mindset with health? Heather Campbell (06:27) Yeah, I it's been such an interesting journey and it truly has been like years in the making but I just remember after I had my first baby I was so determined to get back to my pre-baby weight by like the time I went back to work. So like 12 weeks I was like, I have 12 weeks. I have to, you know, I just kind of had set that goal for myself and I'm like a super productive like Brynne Erickson (06:41) Hmm. Heather Campbell (06:53) go-get-em type of person and so that's just kind of my personality. I just like to push myself and I kind of learned the hard way that that wasn't a good route especially freshly postpartum. And so that really taught me a lesson to come to like to pursue fitness through the lens of self-love instead of Brynne Erickson (06:57) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Hmm. Heather Campbell (07:22) Like the way that I was going about it back then literally was like I was punishing myself for you know having baby weight which is so sad and I'm so glad I learned better. ⁓ But yeah the biggest mindset shift that has helped me is to look at it through a lens of self-love versus punishment. ⁓ That's really gotten me the furthest on my journey, the best results and I love teaching other women. Brynne Erickson (07:32) Yep. Heather Campbell (07:51) to come at it that way because I feel like that's why I didn't enjoy fitness when I was younger because to me it was a punishment. It was like, why do I want to go like make myself uncomfortable and be miserable? Like that doesn't sound fun, you know? And so when you can come at it from self-love, okay, well I'm, you know, building my confidence and my mental strength and my emotional stability and my physical strength, there's just so much more to gain when you come at it. Brynne Erickson (07:59) There you go. Sweat. Yeah. Heather Campbell (08:22) looking at it through the lens of self-love and that has been absolutely life-changing for me. Brynne Erickson (08:27) How do you recommend someone who's making, wants to make that shift from seeing self care and exercise and dieting in the sense of nourishing your body as from punishment to love. Heather Campbell (08:32) Yeah. Yes. Yes, it is so hard. Like in the society that we live in and with social media, I think as women, we are just targeted with so just with so much messaging saying that we need to be smaller and we need to look a certain way. And it's so easy to feed into that. so for me, I think what helps so much is just being intentional on what you consume and what you are letting become your own thought patterns. Like, okay, well does that resonate with me? Do I believe that? Do I believe that I need to be a certain size? Is my worth dependent on my size, you know? And actually create your own thought patterns and say, you know what? That's not my vibe. I don't want that type of energy. That's what I've had to do over and over and over. I've had to discard and get rid of the stuff that doesn't resonate with me that, you know, isn't going to get me to where I want to go and I've had to adapt. those more loving self-talk and thought patterns that align with who I am and where I want to go and just my overall energy and vibe. And that has been absolutely life-changing for me. So if someone was struggling with that, I would just say, look, just start getting curious about the thought patterns that keep showing up for you and see what's triggering that. And just get curious. Just ask questions. Say, OK. Brynne Erickson (09:46) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (10:12) Why am I repeating that in my mind all the time? Do I actually think that or did I pick that up from somewhere else? Is that my own thought? Do I actually believe that or how can I replace that? And that, I think just the being intentional and ⁓ just creating new thought patterns, it changes everything. Brynne Erickson (10:33) Mm-hmm. Absolutely. And I know for me, when I started questioning the beliefs that were handed to me, ⁓ I'd almost like talk back to them, like, ⁓ we used to believe that. We don't believe that anymore. Remember, this is what we believe. Like, you have to talk to my brain. Like, it's a toddler almost. Heather Campbell (10:51) Yes. It's literally like reconditioning yourself. You have to pull it all out, say, no, that's not my, that's not how I do it anymore. then, yep, exactly. That doesn't align with me. Yep. Brynne Erickson (11:01) Yeah, that's not helping us anymore. We're evolving. We're moving on. I really can be a size 12 and be just as lovable and beautiful and amazing and strong and healthy. yeah, it is. In some days it's easier to believe. In some days it's hard to believe. Right? Heather Campbell (11:10) Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's everything. Yep. Mm-hmm. ⁓ absolutely. Yep. And I think that's my biggest thing as a fitness coach too, is I love to just be transparent with people and to say, I struggle too. Like this is, it's literally a daily practice for me. Like I said, I think for women especially, we're just so hard on ourselves. We are our own worst critic. And I always, when I get stuck in that low place, I'll just... Brynne Erickson (11:37) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (11:43) say to myself, would you talk to your sister like this? Would you talk to your best friend like this? Like why, why are you thinking and talking to yourself like this? Like that's not, that's not cool. That's not the vibe, so. Brynne Erickson (11:46) Hmm. Yeah. That's so good. So powerful. Yeah. definitely change starts from within first. You can do everything on the outside, but I'm learning that if you were just doing the things on the outside, meaning like just the exercise and the fad diet, it only lasts for so long. ⁓ Heather Campbell (12:03) It does. It absolutely does. It does. Your results are just exponentially better when you do the mindset work along with it and when you shift, you know, coming at it from a positive, loving standpoint rather than, you know, self-loathing and negativity. It makes a huge difference. Brynne Erickson (12:34) Yeah. I think the hardest thing that's been for me, having been one that's always done the quick fix and then reverted back to, just gave way at some point because, you know, I didn't, I wasn't doing the diet anymore. So then I went back to my old ways of eating. And when I had, I was just exhausted of the back and forth and the constantly thinking about it. And I realized there's gotta be a better way. And I think that's when. Heather Campbell (12:41) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yes. Yes. Yes. Brynne Erickson (13:06) I started watching you and you were just walking and you were lifting and you'd show this huge, beautiful meal that you had of protein pancakes and bacon and eggs. And you're like, this was this mini, this is how I ate today. And it was so filling and so great. And I was like, what the heck? And I watched your body slowly change just over months. And I was like, I, I'm right. Like there is a better way of doing this, but it's slower. Heather Campbell (13:15) Thank Yep. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And that's the way it is. Brynne Erickson (13:34) It's slower and it honestly has been kind of painful sometimes. Like I start to get like urgent and panicky. Like I should be changing faster. Like this is going too slow. And then I have to remind myself, no, I'm create, this is a new lifestyle for me. Like I am creating, I am going to be a person that loves to exercise and move my body. And I am a person that loves to nourish my body with fruits and vegetables and protein and fiber. And it is. Heather Campbell (13:38) Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Yes. I love. Yes. Brynne Erickson (14:03) It's so easy to eat those things every day. And I still eat sugar, but I am intentional when I do it. Like just the shift has been with, obviously I'm talking about like all my mindset, right? Like my affirmations and my beliefs that I'm becoming. And it has just been beautiful. And I honestly, I had to put my scale away recently because I was becoming too obsessive and then just getting super sad all the time, right? Heather Campbell (14:04) Yep. You agree? Yes. Yes. you. Yes. Brynne Erickson (14:31) And so I just put it away, like in a cupboard, hard to get to, put stuff on it. And I was like, I'm truly just going to focus on how I feel. I'm going to go 100 % inside and just focus on how I feel and not worry about what the scale says. has, it's obviously there are those things that you always like check on yourself, right? Like mine is always my chin. So I do like the little chin thing and like my hips are just spot on my hips where I put my hands, right? So I do have my like little checks for physicalness, but Heather Campbell (14:34) I love that. Yes. Yep. Yep. Yes. Brynne Erickson (15:00) I just am like, I just want to focus on how I feel and see what a difference that makes. And it has been a complete game changer in my strength, in my energy, in my endurance. And it is fun when you're exercising, you're like, I can lift more today, or I can go longer today, or I'm going to hike on my treadmill for 20 minutes. And that has been so much more, not validating, exciting and worthwhile. Heather Campbell (15:04) and so engaging. Yes. Yes. Yes. Brynne Erickson (15:29) than just checking it off to lose the weight as fast as I can. Heather Campbell (15:34) I think what I love about that, I have so many thoughts swirling from everything you just said. think that's, I love your journey and just everything that you're learning and progressing through that is so cool. Thanks for sharing that with me. ⁓ I love what you said about it being a journey. I always tell people that think of it as a marathon and not as a sprint, but I am the same way. I get stuck in those times where I'm like, Brynne Erickson (15:39) Good, let's hear them. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (16:02) I need to be smaller, need, you know, saying everything that you said and it's like, okay, well, how can I do this the quickest? And I think what most people don't realize is that the more extreme you are, the more likely you are to lose your results when you're finished. You know what I mean? Like if you create more of a lifestyle and build up these small habits that you can sustain over time that feel good. Brynne Erickson (16:04) Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Heather Campbell (16:32) and it will still get you those results just slowly over time, you're gonna be so much better off because if you, know, okay, let's hit it really hard for this many weeks and, you know, eat as little as possible and work out for two hours a day. But then when you're done, if you haven't built that, you know, foundation of those healthy habits, you are more likely to be like, okay, well, I'm finished. Let's go do what I used to do. And that it doesn't work. And so when you do it, I always say the right way, the better way. Brynne Erickson (17:00) Mm. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (17:01) you know, and build your habits up slowly and do it in a way that feels good. It's just so much better. And yes, it is slower, but honestly, sustainable weight loss is slow. It's slow. And that's just how it is. But the fitness industry doesn't want you to know that because they want to sell you the supplements and whatever they want you to buy their products and tell you that it's going to happen faster. But it's just, it's not true. So. Brynne Erickson (17:14) Yep. You Well, and it could happen faster, you're going to go back when you need that fix again for. Heather Campbell (17:34) Exactly. You're to be miserable during and you're likely to lose all your results at the end. it's just you have to make a choice. I just feel like the sustainable way is just it's so much more doable. Brynne Erickson (17:43) Great. Yeah, ironically. It's just you have your, mindset component is so essential because it's such a shift to, from the quick fix to the long game. But the more you just embrace, ⁓ experimenting, there's so much experimenting for me as far as what kind of exercises I actually enjoy and what helps me feel good and doesn't completely deplete my energy. Heather Campbell (17:59) It is. It really is. Yes. exactly. Brynne Erickson (18:21) and balancing how much food I'm eating and making sure I'm eating the right foods. it's been fun paying attention though, because even when I eat like just junk all day, I noticed I've learned this about me. I've been working with a dietician for a while, old habits of me were don't eat anything so that I could eat half a pan of brownies instead. I was a binger in that way. Like I would rather eat my sweets and nothing else. Heather Campbell (18:33) Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Yes, exactly. It's so important to find balance, and I feel like that looks different for every person. And when you can go on that journey and be mindful and intentional and not only, yeah, just focus on how you feel. Like you said, like, okay, well, I love eating sweets, but when I eat half a pound of- Brynne Erickson (18:51) But then I felt like crap all the time. Go figure. Yes. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (19:16) you know, I have a pan of brownies, I don't feel good after. And so you have to learn those lessons sometimes over and over and over and that's okay. But eventually it's such a beautiful experience when you can get to that place and say, okay, I don't have to give up my brownies. I'm gonna have one because I'm still gonna feel good when I go to bed. I'm not gonna have a stomach ache and I'm not gonna feel lethargic and my digestion is gonna be better. And you know, you have to learn the lessons. But then when you can when you find that balance it is Brynne Erickson (19:24) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (19:45) It's so gratifying to do the hard work and just figure out what works best for you. Brynne Erickson (19:50) Right, and now you have like a more, a bigger motivation to actually honor just eating what is satisfying and not going beyond that, like satisfying for your body. Like, okay, I'm full, that was fun. Now I can move on. And because I love my body and I want my body to be energized and have an easier job of doing its job, taking care of me, then I'm going to do this for you body. Heather Campbell (20:01) Exactly. Mm-hmm Yes. Yes. Yes, exactly. I love that mindset so much. It's like, I'm doing this because I want to feel good. I'm choosing. I want to feel my best. I want to feel my best for myself, for my family. And I feel my best when I take care of myself through nutrition and exercise. And honestly, in my opinion, obviously, you know, this is what I'm passionate about. But that is the highest form of self-respect when you Brynne Erickson (20:46) Hmm. Heather Campbell (20:48) do it that way, you know, when you do it out of love and because you want to feel good and it really, I don't know, it just is so gratifying to make those choices in that way, saying, well, I'm doing this because I want to feel good. I can eat, you know, all the junk food, but I'm not going to because I don't, I want to feel good and I know how that's going to make me feel if I eat all the junk food, so. Brynne Erickson (21:05) Yes. Yep, exactly. What have you learned about motivation or willpower? Heather Campbell (21:19) This is such an interesting topic ⁓ Motivation and willpower, in my opinion, comes and goes. It is not something that you can depend on and build your habits around. It's fun to start a new program. You know, you're always motivated when you're starting something new, the beginning of the new year, whatever it may be. Brynne Erickson (21:29) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (21:46) You're always motivated, but I always say the honeymoon phase or the motivation ends about two to three weeks in and it disappears. And that's, and if you're not intentional about it, you know, it's so easy to just drop those habits and just say, well, you know, I tried. So this is where you have to cultivate discipline and where you have to say, okay, I am showing up for myself four times this week. I'm going to exercise four times this week. Brynne Erickson (22:09) Mm. Heather Campbell (22:16) and then you commit. You have to commit and you have to cultivate that discipline and so the way that I find my motivation when it goes is I always I'm really clear on my reason why I do what I do. I call it my why and I will revisit that. I write it down. I have it, in a note on my phone Brynne Erickson (22:36) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (22:41) And, usually I'm able to pull myself out and say, okay, I committed to my four workouts. have to, you know, I'm going to work out today to keep that commitment to myself. And again, I feel like cultivating that discipline and staying committed to yourself, it's so gratifying. And that's where your confidence is built and your mental and emotional stability, because showing up for yourself and committing Brynne Erickson (22:50) I'm going to. Heather Campbell (23:06) to yourself and your health, there's just something so magical about it. And it just brings so many benefits, I mean, just too many benefits to count. And so I don't recommend ⁓ just always riding on willpower and motivation because it comes and goes. It's not consistent. But when you can cultivate discipline, that's how you build consistency. Brynne Erickson (23:13) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I've heard it. I ⁓ did this like body love mini workshop with a coach that I like. Her name is Jody Moore. And she, I love how she said it. She was like, just know you're not going to want to do it and do it anyway. So. Heather Campbell (23:36) Mm-hmm. Yep. It's, it really is as simple as that. You know, it's not always simple to follow that, but that it's true though. Like you're not. that, and that goes for everything. Like I don't want to, you know, clean my house. You know? Yeah. There's, there's your, just have to do it. It's, it's kind of similar. So I love that mindset. ⁓ Brynne Erickson (23:52) Absolutely. Laundry. Dishes. Yeah, it's so good. I love to like, we think we have to do things, but the reality is you don't have to, like, you don't have to do dishes. You could just live off of paper plates. You don't have to do laundry. You could just wear dirty clothes all the time. So then when you get honest with yourself and you're like, well, I really don't want to wear dirty clothes all the time. So I guess I kind of want to do laundry. Like it kind of empowers you that, okay, maybe there is more motivation to do this than I originally thought there was. Heather Campbell (24:14) Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Yes. I always think too along those lines, just from a health and wellness perspective, it's so interesting because science shows that 80 % of disease and conditions come from unhealthy habits. They come from lack of exercise and from poor nutrition. 80%. Brynne Erickson (24:31) So Heather Campbell (24:54) And I just think if more people realize that correlation, it would be easier to, you know, find that discipline and just show up when you don't want to because that's huge. Like, it really affects so much. It affects how you feel. And if you can just commit and show up for yourself in that way, in my opinion, everything else in life becomes easier. just, it's like a ripple effect. Brynne Erickson (25:03) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Heather Campbell (25:24) When you take care of yourself and you have the mental and emotional stability to live day to day and do all the things that you need to do, you build the physical strength that it takes to keep up with your kids and to have the energy to clean your house and work and do all the things that you need to do. It's just the benefit, like the return on your investment is just tenfold. It's just too big to ignore. Brynne Erickson (25:31) Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. Yep, I have a couple of thoughts on that. So I actually did a nutritionist course and I learned, like I don't remember much. It was so much information, but I was just so dumbfounded when I learned that your brain consumes 20 % of your calories. And I was like, I never like thought of your brain like as a muscle, like the rest of my body. But of course it needs fuel. Heather Campbell (26:08) That's crazy. Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense though. Yeah. Yes. Brynne Erickson (26:18) like the rest of my body, but for some reason I'd never really thought of that and that was huge to me. Like, ⁓ my gosh, I'm literally fueling my brain too. And that was nuts. And then my husband was telling me about some research, he's a doctor, and one of the latest things is if people walked in 15 minute increments or more, it like significantly decreases the risk of heart disease. Heather Campbell (26:23) Yeah Yes. That is so insane. Yeah, just talking. Yes. Brynne Erickson (26:46) Like not anything crazy, like just walking, just walking. And then another thing I heard this week that I loved is this woman was promoting a certain product and she was talking about this study that they did on grown men. And when they were in the facility doing this research program that they were a part of and getting fed really, really well. They were more positive and optimistic and less stressed. And then when they went back to their normal lives and ate their regular diets, there was a complete change in their whole outlook and their stress and their, yeah, all of it. It was just completely different. And so this company came up essentially with a product that you can consume and a drink that contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals that they believe are helpful. But I just found that so fascinating. Heather Campbell (27:36) review. Brynne Erickson (27:41) that nourishment affects our everything else, our brain, your outlook, your stress, because it was interesting to hear you say that because I've heard that stress is like the number one killer these days. But how much of stress is actually impacted by how we're taking care of our bodies versus our outside impacts? Like obviously there are things not in your control how people Heather Campbell (27:47) It was. games. Yes. Yes. Yes. Brynne Erickson (28:10) treat you and I'm thinking specifically of like children, but if you were eating well, I wonder if you could be able to handle the external factors better. What do you think? Heather Campbell (28:11) you Yes. Yes, that's what I was gonna say. That's what I was gonna say. feel like it does. It increases your capacity to what you can handle, like through emotional stability, through mental toughness, you know, through physical strength, through endurance. just, and it's funny that you say that. Do you ever have those moments with your kids where they're like in such a crazy mood or bad mood and you're like, hey, can I have a drink of water? Like, do you need something to eat? And it's like, Brynne Erickson (28:29) There you go. Thank you. What did you eat or not eat? Heather Campbell (28:49) I have those days on, you know, when I'm really busy and I'm all flustered and I'm like, why am I so, oh, I didn't eat. Like I need to take care of myself. And I think our society is just so fast paced and go, go, go that I think so many people just fall into these bad habits, like unknowingly, you know what I mean? And then it just is a cycle and you get stuck there and then you just forget, hey, if I just nourished my body and Brynne Erickson (28:57) Right. Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (29:18) put this much effort and was this much more intentional about what I'm eating and how I'm moving, it makes the biggest difference. mean night and day difference and that's why I'm so passionate about it because I think people think they need to go to the extreme. You know, I have to work out two hours a day, go to the gym, know, eat everything organic and it's like it's you don't have to though. You can make such good progress with, you know, tiny habits. Brynne Erickson (29:22) right. Yes. Yeah. Right. Heather Campbell (29:47) And it just, makes such a big difference in how you feel. It really does. Brynne Erickson (29:48) Mm-hmm. Right. And a big thing for me that calorie deficit doesn't mean not eating. The calorie deficit actually means no, you have to eat this to this amount. And that was hard for me actually going as someone who was more of a binge eater and didn't eat maybe a lot, but ate ⁓ not a lot of the bad, not bad things, the unnourishing things. And so now I'm like, Heather Campbell (29:57) Yes. Yes, yes. Yes. Brynne Erickson (30:21) consuming more of nourishing things. And that's kind of been hard to eat that much. But it's been actually really cool to be like, wow, I ate so much food. And I feel amazing. And I still have this many more calories to go because it was a salad with so much lettuce and kale and tomatoes. So it's just teaching. Heather Campbell (30:28) Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Whoa. Brynne Erickson (30:47) yourself about food. In fact, do you have any good resources for someone who wants to learn about like, ⁓ where to start with fruits and vegetables and like how to learn about proteins? Does anything come to mind? Heather Campbell (31:03) I I actually have a nutrition guide ⁓ where I basically just teach you how to build good nutrition habits over time. It's nothing extreme because that's the way I teach things. ⁓ But I go over, you know, how to start, like you said, with fruits and vegetables. I give tips on how to add them into your diet, because I know it's not, it's still not easy for me. Some days I don't want to eat my vegetables either. Brynne Erickson (31:35) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (31:38) I teach you how to count your calories. I know this is like a topic people either absolutely hate it, you know, want to stay away from it or they enjoy it. I teach you how to count calories in macros, but I teach you how to do it in a way that's not like all consuming. I also teach how to eat without counting calories. So just watching portions. ⁓ Brynne Erickson (31:46) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (32:03) It's kind of, yeah, it's like a beginner's guide to nutrition. And I really love it because like you said, think knowledge is power in nutrition, especially. And here again, we have all these ideas of what nutrition should look like if we want to lose weight. But like most people really don't know. Like you said, like you can eat in a calorie deficit. When I'm in a calorie deficit and, you know, in a fat loss phase trying to lose weight, I eat four Brynne Erickson (32:31) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (32:33) good sized meals a day and can still lose weight. And so, and especially for women in our age, our age range, if you are someone who is going to the extreme and eating as little as possible and going in a super steep calorie deficit, your hormones are not going to thank you for it when you're done. Brynne Erickson (32:38) Mm-hmm. I learned that the hard way. Heather Campbell (32:56) And yes, and that's my journey right now too, even as a fitness coach. ⁓ I'm currently in a hormone healing phase. And yeah, you just, you have to learn how to do it the correct way or, you know, you're going to have other things to deal with later. So it's so eye-opening when you can learn that. I, like I said, the calorie counting thing is so interesting to me. I honestly think that everyone should give it a try just to learn. It's so, Brynne Erickson (33:01) Nope. I do too. Heather Campbell (33:27) eye-opening if you if you've never done it and it can be eye-opening either way like okay I eat you know way too much overall or not enough protein or I I can eat way more than I thought you know it's just it's so good to just learn but I don't recommend for people to do it long term and forever because you can learn what you need to know and then you can just do it without the scale and I think that that's you know it's just like anything else it's like a learned skill Brynne Erickson (33:28) It is. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's a tool. And I have done that and had amazing results and learned so much about food. And when I say amazing results, this was also pre-children in my 29 year old body. And I was working out almost two hours a day. Like my body was tight, right? And now here I am, almost 38 and post three babies. My body's completely different. Heather Campbell (33:58) Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, yes. Yeah, and that's okay. Brynne Erickson (34:26) And so when I finished having my third baby and was like, all right, I know what to do. Three weeks into hitting it hard and not eating much, I was literally tapped out for like three weeks. I could not function. I was on the couch most of the time. And I was like, well, that was not good. Heather Campbell (34:47) Yeah, it's not worth it. It's not worth it. I think you, again, that's one of those lessons that you kind of have to learn for yourself. That's what I did after my first baby, too. I literally ran myself into the ground. I would run miles a day. I wouldn't stop until I burned a certain amount of calories on my watch. I would eat as little as possible. And thinking back, it just makes me so sad for my postpartum, already stressed body, for me to be putting on, you know, adding all that extra stress. It just makes me so sad. And it's just so unnecessary, you know, you don't have to do that. And especially as moms, like we're already tapped out from taking care of our little ones. And so for us to treat our bodies like that, it's just, it's not fair, you know, and there's, there's a gentler way and you can still get great results. But yeah, I think we've all been there and learned that lesson. Brynne Erickson (35:35) Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Awesome. Okay. Let's talk about your program. We just talked about your nutrition guide, but you have launched a six-week program, and I have been working on it for the last week, and I absolutely am loving it. So, Heather, tell us about that. Heather Campbell (35:43) Yes. ⁓ you're so sweet. I would love to. I do want to say, I wanted to say this at the very beginning, but I am so grateful to have Brynn as a friend. She is so kind, so supportive, and always just pumps me up and gives me just the kindest words and feedback. So everyone needs a Brynn in their life. So thank you so much for your support. This program is so fun. It's called Elevate. It is a six week program. Brynne Erickson (36:12) you're so sweet. It's been my pleasure. Heather Campbell (36:22) It's in an app, which is kind of fun. I feel like it's really user friendly. I worked on it for so long. It has taken me so long to get here, but I'm so grateful that I can share it with people. I'm just so passionate about providing a way for moms to get fit and taking out the guesswork for them. And so this program comes with a meal plan. Brynne Erickson (36:29) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (36:45) and workouts and the meal plan is all laid out for you. There's a recipe book, there's grocery lists. I tell you what to eat every day and obviously you are also welcome to adjust it to your needs and your likes but I have it all laid out for you and I feel like it's so easy to follow and all of the recipes are like family friendly. My kids eat every single recipe that's in there. That's really huge for me. I don't like cooking different meals. you know, as a mom that's just Brynne Erickson (36:48) Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (37:15) not something I enjoy doing, so that was really important to me to make sure that the recipes were doable and delicious and just simple, exactly. And ⁓ as for the workouts, they are so fun. They're between 30 and 45 minutes. They're dumbbells and bands, like everything you can do at home. They are strength training and Pilates ⁓ based, and they just feel good. They just feel good. Brynne Erickson (37:24) Simple. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (37:44) This is what I love about this method too. So a little backstory on me. I was a weightlifter for a long time. I loved going to the gym and then I got a low back injury where I and then it just got to the point where I couldn't lift heavy anymore because my back just kept getting hurt and it just wasn't worth it anymore. So I had to transition to working out at home with lighter dumbbells and kind of more of a Pilates method and I love it. I'm obsessed. I've been doing it for a couple years now. Brynne Erickson (37:57) Hmm. Heather Campbell (38:14) And you can get such great results still that way. to me, I loved lifting heavy, but this is, for me, this is like fitness that feels good. That's what I always say. Like it pushes you, it challenges you, but after you just still feel good and energized. And I just love this method of working out. I have demo exercises for every ⁓ workout. I have voiceovers. So I'm giving you like, Brynne Erickson (38:27) Yes. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (38:42) verbal tips and form cues and I just am so excited to share it and I that means the world that you're enjoying it. That's literally that's what I keep telling my husband. I'm like if one person uses this and likes it like my life is made. That's all I want to do is help moms feel better and feel like they're their strongest selves through nutrition and exercise and I just want to make it as simple as possible. Brynne Erickson (38:43) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, you've definitely achieved that. It's been so fun. I've really, really loved it. I have so many thoughts. I loved the mix of Pilates in it for strength and flexibility, movement. I love the weights in it and I love that you can go heavier or lighter and you can push yourself. That the equipment is super simple. Just your booty bands, your dumbbells. Heather Campbell (39:16) Thank you. Yes. else. Brynne Erickson (39:37) some sort of bench. I've used a chair when I haven't had my bench. I actually took my bench up today because I was like, I'm really doing this. So we're going to be using your bench. yeah, it's been simple. It's been fun. I've been doing it with my baby, my year and a half year old, just playing around me. And it hasn't been super stressful. And I absolutely love the cues and how you doing the movement. It just continues to play until you're done. Heather Campbell (39:39) Mm-hmm. Nice! I love that! Mm-hmm. Yes. Yeah. Brynne Erickson (40:07) That has been so good. And I love your affirmations that you give and your encouragement. Like it's been such, I've done a lot of, I've tried, tried a lot of different workout programs and I just love your energy and your enthusiasm and passion and the encouragement, like truly just a little affirmation that you give and your crank your playlist. You got this push harder. And hearing that is so. Heather Campbell (40:09) Yes, that's a big part of it. Yes. Yes. Brynne Erickson (40:34) nice, rather than just the, okay, pick up your weights, do 30 sets. That's it. Like it's very, it's almost like you're there, like coaching me and pushing me. And it's funny, obviously you're my friend. I'm like, I'm doing this for Heather and for myself. And it's so great. But I just, it just was a different, it's more personal touch. And I've really, really loved it. And it's a super, I think it's a steal. Heather Campbell (40:39) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes, and that's what I wanted. I love that. That's so awesome. Yes. ⁓ Brynne Erickson (41:03) ⁓ Heather is giving you all of this great stuff for how much? Heather Campbell (41:03) Please. It is, yeah, it's $47 and honestly, I will never raise the price. I was a mom on a budget for so many years and I just, I want it to be affordable for everyone. So I honestly will keep the price on that the same forever because I want it, I just, like I said, my passion, like seriously, I just want to help moms feel good and I want it to be affordable, so. Brynne Erickson (41:34) Yeah. Heather Campbell (41:37) Thank you for all your kind words. I Brynne Erickson (41:37) Absolutely. Yes. Heather Campbell (41:40) was so picky on the app and the tech that I chose. It took me months to find the one that I wanted because I wanted them to hear my voice and to feel like we were working out together because I feel like moms need community and they need encouragement and they need someone to be there for them. And I just, that was so important to me. So I'm glad that you looked at Brynne Erickson (41:43) Hmm. next. you And you have created a community, you have a Facebook community that you encourage us to join and say what we're eating that day and how the workout went. So I really love like those prompts to get engaged in the community, which is so fun. Heather Campbell (42:02) Mm hmm. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I think that that's such a fun aspect of it too. Yeah, I just think women need other women. And I'm hoping to just keep building that and just build a community of women who can encourage each other, you know, because life, life's already hard enough. And if you're already, you know, stressed and you're starting something new, I know Brynne Erickson (42:17) Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (42:31) for a lot of people starting a fitness program can be stressful. It feels like you're adding one more thing to your plate. But that's why I wanted to make it just simple and accessible and take the guesswork out of what you should be doing and just build that community and that support so that it feels doable. Because like I said, once you start feeling those benefits of the mental toughness and the emotional stability, it's so worth Brynne Erickson (42:34) Yeah, overwhelming. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (42:58) putting that time and taking that time out for yourself because the ripple effect is just, it's magic. Brynne Erickson (43:04) Right, and when you go all in on that, then you get creative on how to fit the time in to actually get it done. I've tried late at night, I've tried waking up before my kids, and at nap time, and I'm currently at, right after I get my oldest to school, I'm already in my workout clothes, I get my toddler and my baby breakfast ready, and I strap the baby in the high chair, and then I get started. Heather Campbell (43:11) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I love that. Brynne Erickson (43:32) So he's eating and watching me while I'm working out. And then when he's done, clean him up and then he can toddle around and play. And I finish up my workout and that seems to be working the best. But I've literally been experimenting and figuring out my flow for months and it changes, right? Like, like sleeping habits change and you're nursing in the middle of the night. And I commend anyone that can exercise when they're in that phase. Bless you. Heather Campbell (43:38) Yes. yes. Mm-hmm. Seriously, Brynne Erickson (44:01) You're a rock star. I am not that one. It takes at least a Heather Campbell (44:01) I know. You don't make us. I know. Brynne Erickson (44:05) year postpartum. And I think, do you have anything to say? Like what did you learn in regards to self-care when you were pregnant? Because for me, it was truly just getting sleep, making sure I was eating and drinking water and taking care of my family. And I kind of would feel bad that I wasn't exercising or eating healthier. But I personally learned that Heather Campbell (44:19) Yes. Yeah. Yes. Brynne Erickson (44:31) I needed more grace during that time because my body had just done something really big and really hard. What are your thoughts on that? Heather Campbell (44:32) Yes. ⁓ same. So I am the type of person, it's like my toxic trait. I am so productive. I'm like, it's to the point where I literally have to be like, okay, sit down, sit down. It's okay to sit down. You can just sit and don't do anything like just sit. Because even when I'm sitting, I'm like, okay, what can I do to like, you know, I'm always just like looking for the next thing to do. And so I think Brynne Erickson (44:57) Right, you're going through your to-do list. Heather Campbell (45:02) during pregnancy and postpartum and even motherhood, think it is so important to just let it ebb and flow and just know that, okay, there's gonna be times where I'm pregnant and I can stretch and that's what I'm gonna do today and that's what my body needs and that's what I'm capable of and that's okay. And when I'm postpartum and I'm sleep deprived, I can strap my baby to my chest and go on a 10 minute walk and that's enough. for today and that's great because all your little efforts, it doesn't matter how small, they add up. And even just the mental, again, committing and showing up for yourself and some phases of life that's gonna be five or 10 minutes, it makes such a big difference. It really, really does. And so you have to just allow it to ebb and flow and go through the cycles and say, okay, what I'm doing right now is enough and this phase isn't going to be forever and when I can do more, I'll do more. Brynne Erickson (45:37) I agree. Heather Campbell (46:01) but this is what I can do now and that is so powerful. And same goes even just like for me, my kids are older, they're all in school and so it's like such a different phase of life for me. ⁓ But still even just like as a woman, like with my cycle, there's days where I don't have as much energy and so those days I'm not gonna be pushing myself. I'm going to be stretching and doing yoga and going on a really gentle walk. Brynne Erickson (46:11) Mm-hmm. So true. Heather Campbell (46:28) and that's enough for that day and your energy is going to ebb and flow and what I've learned and what I love is that if you can only give 50 % on any given day and you give that 50%, you gave 100%. You still showed up and you did everything that you could do and you have to let it be different every single day, especially as a mom. I remember Brynne Erickson (46:44) you That's great. Heather Campbell (46:52) so many times just feeling so frustrated when you have to pause your workout and fill up the sippy cup again and take somebody to the bathroom and get the 17th snack and it's like my gosh but it's okay it doesn't matter because you're showing up for yourself you're also showing your kids that it's important to you and eventually they get old enough where they can allow you you know to do it uninterrupted and it's just you have to just be gentle with yourself and let it ebb and flow because no phase is forever Brynne Erickson (46:59) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Heather Campbell (47:22) And what matters is that you're showing up for yourself and it makes, it's just magic. It makes the biggest difference. Brynne Erickson (47:28) Yeah, and I think that advice is true no matter what phase you are in life. Postpartum, hormonal changes, perimenopausal, postmenopausal. You have kids, you don't have kids. Like you work full time in the home or out of the home. Like it doesn't matter your circumstances. That gentle, loving, what can I give today? And I'm gonna show up for me because I love me in some way it compounds. Heather Campbell (47:32) Mm-hmm. Seriously. Yep. Yep. you. Mm-hmm. It does and it changes everything and it's so good for your nervous system. Nervous system regulation is so huge and plays into all your overall health so much too. And so if you're constantly tearing yourself down and beating yourself up for not doing enough, that's just, it takes a toll on your body. It truly does. And so when you come from that aspect of kindness and love and allowing yourself to show up the way that you can, it's everything. It makes the biggest difference. Brynne Erickson (48:02) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep, 100%. so beautiful. Heather, how can people follow you on Instagram and get your loving energy every day? Heather Campbell (48:34) You're so sweet. ⁓ I am at wild moon fitness so follow me on Instagram and you can see my store and it will have ⁓ the program in it and Thank you for having me. This was so fun. And I yeah, I'm just always so grateful to just encourage women to just Show up for themselves and show themselves self-love and just You know go on that journey it every woman just deserves to feel their best. Brynne Erickson (49:06) Absolutely. We're all worthy of it. OK. Thanks, Heather. You're the best. Heather Campbell (49:11) You're the best. Brynn.