海角大神

Jersey Shore reality star Snooki loses 42 pounds post-baby through a dedicated program at a $29.99 a month keep-it-real type Jersey gym, and this week she鈥檚 celebrated for her new body-image as a bikini-clad cover girl. What she should really be praised for on the covers of publications is choosing to heed her new parenting instincts by transforming herself from party girl to mommy-worthy example of healthy choices and hard work.

This week Snooki is on the cover of US Magazine, and explained her remarkable transformation by telling the Today Show, "When you have a baby, everything changes." It turns out this would be the first, but not the last time this week I find myself agreeing with someone nicknamed for what I always knew as a type of Floridian fish: snook.

I鈥檓 going to admit that as a former Jersey Shore girl myself, growing up just outside Asbury Park and later living on Long Beach Island, I was not a fan of the MTV鈥檚 old, pre-baby Jersey Shore reality series Nicole 鈥淪nooki鈥� Pollizi and her endless summer, raunchy party style.

However, the new, improved fit, lower-drama mama Snooki got me to reevaluate my own lifestyle and how weight gain, poor eating habits, and lack of a fitness routine in my life is sending the wrong message to my kids.

I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 admitting this 鈥� I think I want to be more like Snooki, but without the tanning and hair color change. Her glossy, dark, straight hair was the thing I actually liked about the old Snooki.

According to John Cabiedes, manager of New Jersey鈥檚 Florham Park Fitness, where Snooki trains with personal coach Anthony Michael of Express Fitness service, 鈥淪he鈥檚 changed completely and it was in only about two months after she started here.鈥�

Cabiedes, who is also a new parent added, 鈥淚 know where Snooki鈥檚 coming from with the lifestyle change too because I have a 4-month-old and I鈥檝e never been so tired in my life! Also, I was a guy who thought nothing in life mattered and now, with a baby, you know everything matters. I see she knows that too.鈥�

Snookie told the Today Show: "I mean I definitely partied for like three people my entire life. I feel like now, you know, I have a family, I have a baby now, and this is just like a new chapter in my life and I love it. I'm just so excited."聽

I hope the reality star鈥檚 change continues to hold through the upcoming 鈥渃hapters鈥� in her life. When it comes to fitness, I鈥檝e found that with the first and even second baby, moms seem able to 鈥済et their body back.鈥� Somehow, after four it seems much easier to get derailed, put you own body last, and set a bad example for your children.

Less than a year ago I was setting the right example, running, doing jiu-jitsu, and working out, until I got struck across both shins by a surfboard that got away from my husband as we were teaching our youngest the joys of wave riding. The board bruised the bones, causing complications that swept me off my feet and sank me deep into the couch potato and comfort food lifestyle.

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Then the photos of Snooki and reports of how she鈥檚 taken the 鈥淕TL鈥� philosophy, 鈥淕ym, Tan, Laundry,鈥� to a new level, forcing me to reevaluate the level of effort I鈥檓 making to get my own reality show on the road. 鈥淕TL鈥� was coined by Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's Jersey Shore. An example sentence, via the Urban Dictionary: 鈥淵ou gotta GTL every day to make sure you're looking your best bro. If your shirt looks bad it makes the whole product look bad."

While nothing on this earth is ever going to make me want to be like Mike, I do feel motivated by Polizzi鈥檚 new situation. Today, thanks to a Snooki reality check, I am getting myself unplugged, going for my first run since June 2012, and I鈥檓 taking the kids with me.