We are so excited for today’s interview with our friend Angelike Norrie.  A working mother of an adorable 2-year old an a 4 time (WOW) cover Model, Angelike became an entrepreneur with a passion fro nutrition, fitness, philosophy and business coaching.  She focuses on teaching women the art and power inherent in being a Lady Boss, a lifestyle philosophy for women who want to find balance and regain control over all parts of their lives.  As a world marital arts champion and believer in discipline, Angelike is the author of “Life Lines”, a 4 part- journal series for women that provides weekly inspiration, daily reflection and goal setting.  Find out more and purchase here.   Angelike holds a variety of national fitness titles and enjoys coaching her clients through her online Lady Boss program.

How have your priorities changed since becoming a Mom?  

Life is completely different as a mom. I remember waking up one day and I didn’t recognize my life. I had been a career woman who went to work and worked out. I could come and go as I please and if I wanted to do something or go somewhere, I didn’t think twice about it. Now my priorities shifted to being in tune with a little human being with way more important needs.  She is my entire world. She is first, but I also want to set an example for her: that Mommy has interests too.

How do you balance the demands of motherhood, fitness and your business? 

I have set non-negotiables for myself and all my clients. Its Faith, Family, and Fitness. I refuse to allow a pile of dishes or a load of laundry to steal my power. Things like that can wait, my health is very important and if I want to effectively take care of my family I have to make sure that its not put on the back burner. Once you make the decision that there is no negotiating that, the rest can fall into place

What do you find most challenging?

Time management. There are only 24 hours in a day to do a million things as a wife, mother, and business woman. And 8 of those hours I  am getting adequate sleep. I have to schedule my weeks, and block time out in each day for tasks. If I have a lot to tackle, I make a list, on that list I put down how much time something should take and list them in order of priority. If something that can wait will spill over into a non-negotiable, then I put it off until I can get to it the next day. This is not easy, especially with a 2 year old, who I can often be found chasing down as she peels her diaper off with macaroni in her hair!

How does your faith impact your journeys in motherhood and fitness?

I strive everyday to emulate the Proverbs 31 woman. The image painted of her is very vivid, yet it hardly describes her in the physical sense  except that “she girds her arms with strength, so she is strong for her tasks.” This of course, puts an emphasis on the importance of physical fitness, as we are physical beings and are called to care for our bodies – the one place we have to live. As a mother, she’s an example of a loving, respectful wife, business woman, and serves those in need. This is a very important example to set for children, girls especially.  This world puts so much emphasis on tangible, fleeting, materialistic things. We are competing with each other for bigger homes, better cars, and perkier boobs. Its absolutely absurd and I refuse to adhere to that or set that poor example for my children and generations to follow. We were each given a distinct mission. Its my mission to help women uncover what those unique callings are and allow them to connect with that and rise to the women they were called to be. 

What are your top 3 daily practices to stay focused, perform at a high level and get stuff done?

Pray, pray, pray. I close my eyes all day and say mini prayers to get me through. Sometimes its as simple as “God, help me in this moment to re-center myself and get through _______” I also try to write everyday, whether its to my followers, my journal, or a blog. I need to make sure I am constantly finding and spreading love and inspiration. I also LOVE to read self-development books, but with a little one that one is becoming less of a “daily” practice. And Fitness, I absolutely cannot let this go. This is where I get my endorphin release, my “high.” I know that doing this for myself helps set any example for other women and it feels so amazing to be able to improve myself from the inside out, finding strength even on days when I feel quite defeated. 

What are you doing now to teach your daughter about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle?

Again, no excuse. I refuse to use my daughter as an excuse as to why I didn’t workout. So many people have their values inverted today. Your children should be your reason why you take care of yourself, not an excuse not to. On days when time has slipped away, I go into the garage where I have weight equipment and get a workout in. Ella is with me, mimicking me the entire time. Its certainly not a motivating environment to get a great workout, but that is when I have a little chat with myself, put on some music and make it happen!

 What is your favorite way to relax?

I love a good massage, which I barely get a chance to do. But they definitely help me relax. So do pedicures, facials, and yoga. All of which I need to start doing more of! A glass of wine never seems to hurt either 

 What is your favorite healthy food?

I love my Isagenix. I make sure to get at least two isalean shakes in a day, that is when I feel the magic happens for my body. Its the best nutrition I can get, without having to decide, prepare, or worry about my macronutrients.  Other than that, I love kale salads and experimenting with different lettuce wraps.

What is your favorite indulgent food? 

I love sushi, which can be super healthy or super indulgent. The specialty rolls, with three different fish, avocado, tempura chips, and sauces are the ones I indulge in. I also LOVE Greek food (naturally) but you can make that healthy as well, which is something I am working on now for a project that I will make available to everyone! 

 What is your absolute favorite exercise?  

That always a tough one. Favorite, I do love power cleans and  hang clean and press – there is something about this olympic style of lifting that leaves me feeling empowered. I love being able to hit so many body parts at once while getting my heart rate up.  

 Least favorite?

I try not to have that attitude for an exercise, since I think it mentally sets you up for a crappy workout or you talk yourself out of it all together. But, if I have to give an answer: I guess I would say box jumps. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love them as they are effective, but I hate them because I cannot be aggressive with them or do them often as I have had both ACLs reconstructed and  I just don’t want to ever run the risk of doing something to injure myself again and this is a risky exercise.

As Moms our free time is limited.  What advice would you offer Moms who feel they cannot achieve their exercise and fat loss goals because they don’t have time?

If you fall apart, then who is going to take care of your children, house, job,  etc like you do? YOU are a priority. Make time, even if its in 5-20 min bursts throughout your day. Walk with your kids, go to the play ground and work on pull ups, do walking lunges with them, jump rope. There is always time if you make it a priority. What if you were told tomorrow, that your job location was being moved 30 minutes further away from you? You would have to make it work right? You get up earlier or you don’t have a paycheck. Maybe that doesn’t apply to stay-at-home Moms, but I know that you all find ways to make time for everything else but yourself, so its time to redeem your power and choose your right to be happy and healthy. The dishes/laundry/insert any chore can wait! You’re the Lady Boss! 

For moms who are frequently exhausted and worn-out by the end of the day, how would you advise they manage their schedules/energy/time so that they have the energy/motivation to start on the path towards reaching their goals?  What do you do when you start to feel like your plate is too full?

Write everything down, like I mentioned before.  You need a plan. Fail to plan, you plan to fail. Its as simple as that. That’s also why I created Life Lines. You prioritize the things that fit into those non-negotiables: Faith, Family, Fitness. And by fitness I mean mental too – invest time  in self-development, prayer, seminars, etc. You need to be nourished as well. We (women) spend our lives given ourselves away to others,  serving, caring for, and doing for. Who ever told you that once you have a husband and children that you are no longer important? Your  family needs you to be the best version of you, and the only way to do that is make yourself a top priority. 

What 1 piece of advice would you give to moms who want to take their fitness to the next level?

It depends on their goals, but I will say this. Get off the cardio equipment and pick up some weights. And when I say weights, I mean heavy ones. You WILL NOT get bulky from weight training, poor eating habits however will. Also, make sure you are eating enough! This is so common. Most women come to me with their fitness priority straight but their eating is awful. You can’t train like a boss and eat like a bird – you will only waste away beautiful, hard-earned muscle. The key to fat burning is packing on lean muscle and keeping it with a proper, balanced diet.

Thanks Angelike for your wisdom and advice!  Don’t forget to check out Angelike’s Life Line’s Journals HERE!

Find her website here: http://www.angelikepsoinos.com/

Follow her on Facebook HERE