In this article, Heather Bultman, a participant in a program provided by CFLE Lori Eccles, shares her perspective about her experience with the Mothers-in-Motion program.

In 2013, as part of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, one of the Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) team members invited me to join a program called Mothers-in-Motion. That day I made a change in my life without fully realizing the journey it would take me on. I joined a group where I would be learning through various resources, including group chats by phone and information through the media such as DVDs. Every so often I had to come in for support and to get weighed. The DVD always helped us see how little things can influence your eating habits, and we were encouraged by the journeys of others who had gone through the program before we did.

This program taught me the daily tools I use to this day. I never knew how to apply portion control or read food labels. Who knew that those little labels could tell you so much? I learned how to write out a shopping list and the best way to make healthy snacks. Just grabbing some chips, cookies, and soda no longer seemed the best choice. Instead I learned about water and healthier food choices.

We persevered and tried to implement all those tips we learned. In just a few short months, my husband and I lost a combined total of 60 pounds! We learned new ways of healthier cooking. We explored different ways of cooking the same foods to change things up and keep it fun. We learned that some exercise is better than none. Even if it only meant going around the block with the kids it was a better choice than opting to be a couch potato. Increasing how much we exercised was hard, because we both had long days. But we tried to motivate and encourage each other, which made all the difference. We found that the more we exercised, the less it felt like “exercise” and more like fun with the family.

I was a stay-at-home mom of three busy boys and I didn’t get out much. For me it was especially nice to talk with the other moms and to share things. I learned about cooking and increasing my activity level. Whatever we saw on the video for that week, I tried to implement. I can relate to many things the videos discussed. It was so nice to hear what other people had found helpful and how they changed. For me that was a real learning opportunity. As a group, we were all so different, but for the times we shared challenges in our lives, we were so similar. The phone calls connected us strangers, and it was like we were all around a table and had known each other for a long time. That was really helpful.

A few years after taking part in the Mothers-in-Motion group, my son Guylen brought home a flyer about a cooking class at his school that was also run by MSUE. My son and I decided to do this as a mom and son team. This was a special time we could share. We didn’t get that much alone time together because of his younger baby brother. This class got us out of the house and allowed us to have one-on-one time. We thought this was going to be a class about basic cooking, but we ended up with so much more. The staff was welcoming, supportive, and helpful. The first thing they taught us was using kitchen tools safely and how to use a knife correctly. Guylen really related to that, and because he loved doing these tasks in the kitchen, we bought him a kids’ kitchen knife. Now he helps with prepping the food we cook. Learning how to gather all the ingredients was another thing he loved. We would open our cookbook and find a recipe and take it from there. His favorite item to cook was quesadillas. But he also still talks about the recipe he didn’t like, which involved broccoli and peanut butter! Not everybody’s favorite, that one.

We looked forward to and loved every Monday cooking class. We would always talk before class about how excited we were to see what we would be cooking that night and what we would be taking home to make for his dad and brothers. Everyone was kind and friendly and made us feel at home. It was nice watching the kids having fun washing the dishes. They had as much fun with cleaning up at the end of the class as they had cooking. We learned to budget and what it takes to plan a meal.

One thing Guylen still talks about was the cut-up fruit we sampled while waiting for our chicken noodle soup to be done. We tried star fruit; although it was different, we really liked it. There were three families around the table, and we all had our own take on how the fruit tasted; we would share what we liked or didn’t like about the fruit. We loved the games we played to get all of us connected. There was a shy young girl, but as the classes progressed, she was laughing, helping with the games, and participating in the class. We are all still friends and talk often. Some of us parents even started jobs at the school and have become great friends. We see each other often, and our kids play together. Some of the kids are in the same class as well.

The whole experience was amazing, and we would do it again in a heartbeat. I want to thank MSUE for these opportunities. Because of your programs, we changed things in our lives that put us on the track toward healthier eating. We now have greater understanding of what it takes to be committed to family wellness, and as a family, we are more connected. It is amazing how our family found better health and greater happiness in the kitchen!

Heather and her husband Matt have 3 boys. Their favorite food is tacos with pickles! They enjoy walking around the parks and just being outside.