Tag Archives: FitFluential

Apr6

Inspire.

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Happy Friday!!  This week seemed to fly by and was filled with some pretty fun things.  Massages, Fro Yo dates with friends, date night with Michael and a few really good runs left me feeling pretty happy this week.  Tonight some of my girlfriends from Team in Training and I are getting together to put our names on our singlets for marathon day, kick off carb loading and watch The Spirit of the Marathon.  Sounds like a pretty fun night to me!  Tomorrow morning is my last Saturday long run with Team in Training.  It’s hard to believe that in just two weeks I’ll be waking up to a Saturday where I won’t have to run or be anywhere.  It’s definitely bittersweet for this experience to be coming to an end.  Saturday afternoon Michael and I plan to get out and about in Boston, we’ll likely end up at one of the museums and enjoy a low-key dinner together.  Sunday is of course Easter and we’ll be spending the day with Michael’s family.  I’m actually really looking forward to the weekend!

Today’s post really centers around the word INSPIRE.   I have two topics to chat about today.  The first is that you may have seen a lot of tweets from FitFluential Ambassadors containing photos, or documentation of their workouts.  They are likely using the hashtag #PROOF and #fitfluential.  The idea of this is that every time you workout, sweat, run a race or exercise you tweet about it with the hashtag #PROOF.  This way we can all encourage and congratulate each other on staying healthy and active.  And additionally it gives each of us a way to be held accountable for our goals.  This whole idea can be pretty inspiring.  Think about it, it’s Friday afternoon and your tired and the idea of skipping your run or workout to relax and have a glass of wine sounds pretty good.  But your on Twitter and you see someone tweet about that amazing and stress relieving run they had or the muscle burning circuit they did and now you are inspired to get your workout in too!  Sounds pretty good right?!

#PROOF

So inspire me, and your followers on Twitter and start tweeting proof of your workouts!  Maybe you take a photo of your running shoes on your feet or capture the summary off your Garmin or a photo of those weights you used at the gym…get creative and tweet it! Use the hashtags #PROOF and #fitfluential!

#PROOF

The second topic is also about being inspired.  As a blogger I read other bloggers blogs and try to interact with them through comments and Twitter.  I love doing this and honestly love following a few blogs and am always intrigued about what they have to say because I honestly connect with their words and their writing.  They inspire me.  But lately my blog roll hasn’t been inspiring me.  In fact, since I’m being openly honest here, it is frustrating me.  It’s annoying me.   And sometimes it makes me mad.  So I decided earlier this week to do a blog purge.  I deleted all the blogs that frustrate, annoy and sometimes anger me.  Why did I delete them?  I deleted many of them because I didn’t feel they were authentic any more.  Some had become “garage sales”, always posting reviews and giveaways for what seems to me is just about anything that comes their way.  I’m all about giveaways and product reviews…it’s great that companies take interest in bloggers and want to use them as marketing tools.  Heck, I even do product reviews and giveaways.  What angers me is when those product reviews and giveaways don’t fit with a blogs message or branding.  I’m very particular about what products I accept and review here on LiveRunLoveYoga.  For example, recently I’ve been approached by companies to review supplements and protein powders and while I am completely flattered that they took interest in me I have politely declined the product.  Why? I just don’t believe in protein powders and supplements.  It’s just not for me or who I am.  I take a multivitamin in the morning and I eat as many whole foods as I can to get all of the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins my body needs.  I think it’s great that people like these products and have success with them, it’s just not for me.  And with that, I’m not going to promote a product or try to convince you all how great it is if behind the scenes I don’t use it almost every day and don’t think it’s the greatest thing on earth.  So if a blog had become inundated with product reviews and giveaways had me wondering how or why they were working with that company, deleted they were.

I also deleted blogs where I didn’t feel that I was getting information that inspired, or educated me in the two or so  minutes I spent reading their posts.  Time is valuable people as we all don’t have enough of it.  And with that content is important to me.   I love blogs where people share their experiences and lessons.  I love when someone writes about how they had a horrible or completely awesome run and here’s what they learned and got out of it.  I love when someone shares how they fell off the workout and healthy eating train and are struggling but determined to get back on it.  That inspires me!  I love reading Dorothy Beals blog Mile Posts.  I love reading about how she is finding her strong, and getting the opportunity of a life time to work with Saucony.  I love reading about how she pushes her 44lb. daughter for a 20 mile run and loved every minute of it.  Sometimes that brings tears to my eyes because it makes me realize that you can be an amazing mom and an incredible runner all at the same time! And I love Jess Sutera’s blog EatDrinkBreatheSweat because she talks about facing down 26.2 miles and shares her fears, because yes 26.2 miles is scary! And how she tries to keep a balanced life.  Those women inspire me.  And again, since I’m being honest here,  life caster blogs just don’t do it for me.  I love seeing that people eat healthy  but I’m good with seeing a collaboration of eats once a week  or with the What I Ate Wednesday bloggers.  Knowing that you had banana oatmeal on Tuesday and eggs on Wednesday just doesn’t inspire me.  Every blog has their audience which is what makes blogging so amazing but I just don’t fit into that audience.   I love a blogger who shares their lessons and life experiences and keeps their message consistent.

And since I took the time and thoughts to purge I’m ready to be opened up and exposed to some new inspiring, amazing bloggers.  I think all bloggers love to hear that they inspire, motivate and encourage others with their words so let’s have a little blog love fest!  Leave a comment or tweet me (@LiveRunLoveYoga) your favorite blogs or maybe your own blog! Tell me briefly why it inspires you and leave a link.  Let’s fill up everyone’s Google Reader with someone new and inspiring bloggers! I’ll do a round-up next week with all the comments, links and blog love to help promote all those inspiring bloggers! 

What bloggers inspire you?  Who do you think I should follow?  Do you ever need to purge your Google Reader? Do you Tweet your #PROOF?

Jan26

A Published Writer: A Hope, A Dream and Why it Should Be a Reality!

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Hi All!  As you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador. FitFluential is partnering with a variety of magazines so FitFluential Ambassadors will be featured as writers and vloggers. I’ve always loved writing but my passion for it has really exploded since I’ve started blogging.  You could even say that I’m constantly “writing” to my readers all day everyday since  I can hear my thoughts reading as a potential blog post. Writing for a women’s health magazine would be incredible.  And the ultimate achievement as a healthy living blogger!

As a former Division 1 and Division 3 athlete and now a yogini and marathoner I bring a diverse background to the table.  While my athletic background starts when I was just a child, I really blossomed in my high school years.  I swam competitively and skied competitively.  My senior year of high school I went to the Junior Olympics for cross-country skiing and to New York State Championships.  While I chose to attend a Division 3 college I was able to ski Division 1.  I made that decision in order to have an inspiring and talented coach and to attend a college that would give me a degree in Chemistry that was well-respected.  I worked hard throughout my college career both academically and athletically.  I was All-American every year of college and was consistently achieving Dean’s List with my academics.  My senior year I peaked athletically.  I was USCSA Nordic Ski Champion! I was asked to join the New England Nordic Ski Association Development Team that year as well.

Cross Country Skiing USCSA National Champion!

By the following winter I had graduated college and was working full-time at General Electric Global Research.  I craved a “normal” life and was struggling to find a balance between training and working.  I ultimately decided not to compete that winter and took time to travel, have fun and make new friends.  Of course, I was always working out.  I did not know any different.  In the spring of 2009 I was laid off from my job.  In the midst of a job search and looking for a new direction I entered the lottery for the New York City Marathon.  I wanted to have a goal and something to look forward to and train for.  Not long after I was accepted in to the marathon I moved to Boston, MA to start a new job and life.  While in Boston I found a passion for yoga.  I spent the summer exploring yoga and training for my first marathon.  In November 2009 I ran my first marathon! I finished in a time of 4:03:51.

Mile 8

2009 New York City Marathon

I suffered from a severe case of Illotial Band Syndrome while training for the marathon.  Yoga helped to heal my body in the months after the marathon and restore balance to my body.  Since then I have run a variety of races from 5ks to half-marathons.  I set my half- marathon personal best of 1:41:38. I continued to practice yoga and learn everything I could.  In 2011 I ran my second marathon, the Chicago Marathon and finished in a time of 3:51:21.  Currently I am training for my 3rd marathon the Boston Marathon which I will be running with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  In August I will start my yoga teacher training at South Boston Yoga and am currently studying for my NASM personal trainer certification.

Yoga!

I started blogging to share my experiences and love of running and yoga.  LiveRunLoveYoga is not a personal diary of my food and workouts but rather a source of information for runners and yogis.  My intent is for readers to learn something new with each blog post I share.  My readers like running tips.  They enjoy my tips for dressing properly in various weather conditions, my advice for fueling and carbohydrate loading to name a few.  My thoughtful and detailed race recaps make my readers feel as if they were right there beside me for the entire race or marathon.  My yoga followers come to read my detailed posts about specific aspects of yoga, like the meaning of Om and the positive benefits of yoga.  They seek out posts like my summary about the different styles of yoga and my reviews on new styles of yoga like Broga.  My thoughtful and well-researched responses to yoga in the news spark conversations between myself and my readers on both my comments and Twitter.  My followers who love both running and yoga have a place on the internet where they can find information about both and can share my passions.  I have readers who seek information on living a healthy lifestyle.  They like my What I Ate Wednesday posts and find motivation in my weeknight meals of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables balanced by more decadent and indulgent meals on the weekend.  They learn that balance is the key to staying healthy.  All of my readers benefit from my use of monthly goals and mid-month updates to see that staying healthy does require goals and hard work to accomplish them.  Each week more and more people find LiveRunLoveYoga and follow to learn more and stay inspired to remain active and healthy!

I should be selected to write for your women’s health magazine because I have been reading a variety of them for years! I’m familiar with the reader because they are just like the reader’s here on LiveRunLoveYoga.  With my diverse background and experience in skiing, training, yoga and running I have something to offer everyone.  My diversity will only continue to grow as I become a certified yoga instructor and personal trainer.  I have a “can-do” attitude and have a record of excellence so you can expect my best work every time and a variety to keep my writing fun and interesting!  And really, who doesn’t love some running and yoga?

Why do you think I should be given the opportunity to write for a health magazine? What about LiveRunLoveYoga do you love and keeps you coming back?  What would you like to see from LiveRunLoveYoga published for a health magazine?

Jan10

Finding the Yoga Style for You!

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Happy Tuesday! I am having a great week so far, it is much better than last week.  Work is going well and is encouraging and with my big fundraiser behind me I am a little more relaxed.  As you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador and a few weeks ago they were looking for a few bloggers to write for the FitFluential blog.  I was chosen to write a post and am SO excited about it.  It was posted on the FitFluential website yesterday but since I loved the post so much I am excited to share it here too!

Yoga is all the rage these days.  Everyone, myself included, is talking, blogging and vlogging about the benefits of yoga.  Yoga has been shown to decrease blood pressure, improve digestion, relieve low back pain, help with depression and anxiety and build strength and flexibility.  It also helps to calm the mind and body.  Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit term “yuj” which itself means, “to yoke” or bring together the mind, spirit and body.

Kneeling Twist

With all these benefits some people still are not jumping on board.  People who have tried yoga have claimed it does not give them enough of a workout or they like to sweat and they don’t get that from yoga, or it just moves to slow for them.  Yoga comes in a variety of styles and it may take some time to find the one that suits you best.  With so many styles people do not often know where to start in choosing a class.  So let’s break the styles down to help guide you to the practice for you!

Wheel Pose

Antigravity.

This practice is done with the support of a hammock that acts as a soft trapeze for you.  Poses are deepened by the use of gravity while your body is cradled.  The compression-free inversions allow your body to be stretched from head to toe.  The result is a feeling of freeness and a sensation of floating.

Anusara.

Derived from Hatha Yoga, the philosophy of Tantric yoga and intrinsic goodness is front and center.  The focus is on proper alignment and classes are usually fun, playful and light-hearted.

Ashtanga.

Most yoga practices in the west are derived from this.  It is a very athletic and challenging class with six series of poses. You can expect to flow, sweat and be challenged in this class.  The more advanced yoga may memorize the entire sequence, which takes about 90 minutes to complete.

Bikram.

Completed in a room at a temperature of about 105 degrees and will definitely heat your body and have you sweating like you never thought possible.  The class is 90 minutes long and flows through 26 poses with breathe two times.

Hatha.

This is a good class for beginners.  It combines poses (asanas) and breath (pranayama).  The philosophy is to purify the body and deepen the meditation and yoga practice.  Many styles of yoga use Hatha as the foundation.

Hot.

This varies from Bikram in that the room is usually 85-90 degrees.  Ashtanga, Hatha and Vinyasa styles are usually practiced in a hot class.  Benefits include increased cardiovascular effort, increased range of motion of muscles and can help people lose weight.  If you enjoy a Vinyasa or Ashtanga class but are looking to up the intensity or challenge yourself this may be a class for you to try.

Iyengar.

Props like straps, blocks and bolsters are used within this practice.  It is designed to heal the mind and body through supported poses.  This class is appropriate for those who have injuries, or health issues or enjoy a technical class without lots of variety within a pose.

Kripalu.

A strong focus on coordinating breath and movement and alignment, you work within your body’s limits of strength and flexibility.   Combined of three stages, stage 1 focuses on learning the postures.  Stage 2 focuses on holding the postures for extended periods of time and exploring consciousness and awareness.  Stage 3 is a state of mediation where your body moves to poses to pose spontaneously and seamlessly.

Kundalini.

One of the most advanced practices this class combines poses (asanas), breath (pranayama) and meditation in both active and passive form to target the whole body system (chakras).  The idea is to deepen awareness and consciousness, open heart-center and develop strength and character to uphold human values.

Power.

This is a western style of yoga derived from ashtanga.  Often done in a heated room this focuses on breath to fuel the practice. Poses are more advanced and are made more challenging by adding yoga push-ups, and abs.  This class would be challenging for beginners.

Vinyasa Flow.

Often listed as Slow Flow or Vinyasa on schedules this class focuses on connecting your movement with breath.  It follows a rhythmical flow and flows will often vary from class to class.  Instructors usually accompany the class with music. Classes often start on the mat; flow through standing poses, balancing poses and then returns to the mat for seated poses before shavasana (corpse pose).  This class is more challenging than Hatha.

Antigravity Yoga

You will likely need to try a few styles before you find the styles you like and are best for your body.  Remember to listen to your body, some days you may need a Hot Vinyasa class while other days a more restorative Iyengar yoga would be best!

What are your favorite styles of yoga? What are you looking to try?  What style is right for you?

And just a quick reminder that the Sparkly Soul sale goes through January 16th! Use the promo code WHITNEY and you will receive a discount of 15% off! The best part is 25% will go back to my fundraising for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! 

I am also running a raffle here to win great prizes from Holabird Sports, Go Sport ID and other great donors! For more details visit, Prizes for a Cause!

Dec13

5 Tips to Stay FitFluential This Holiday!

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5 Tips to Stay FitFluential This Holiday!

Oh Tuesday! This is the hardest day of the week if you ask me.  But the good news is, this is my last full week of work until the new year! And tonight is our department Christmas party.  I’m ready to get in the holiday spirit! It has been pretty warm here in Boston and there hasn’t been any snow yet so it feels more like November and less like December if you ask me.  Hopefully that feeling will change!

I want to share with you some tips for staying FitFluential through the holiday season.  It is a very busy time of year filled with very tempting food and sweets all over the place! It is no excuse for giving up on working out and throwing all those good eating habits out the window.  This is just a great time of year to challenge yourself and your resolve to remain healthy and active.  So here’s 5 tips to help you out!

Find a Holiday Race.

We would all much rather be out drinking egg nog and swapping gifts than at the gym this time of year.  So to help get you in the holiday spirit and to keep you active sign up for a Jingle-Bell or other holiday themed race! Make this a tradition with your friends and plan a lunch or brunch after.  You’ll be so happy you went for a run and got into the holiday spirit!

Run a Holiday Road Race!

Find Your Inner Cook.

With so many parties to attend and lots of good food around it’s going to be hard to stick to a diet.  Find holiday recipes online that are healthy and delicious.  Offer to bring a dish to your next party and plan to make that.  At the party you then have one dish you know is healthy! Pair it with salad and other healthy options on the table for your meal.  The same goes for dessert! Find recipes that use greek yogurt instead of butter and only eat one or two.  You’ll leave the party feeling so much better!

Find Healthy Recipes!

Set a Drink Limit.

It is a fun time of year and people tend to get carried away with alcohol.  This can add a lot of unnecessary calories to your diet and leave you feeling hung over the next morning.  Set a limit for yourself.  Maybe one or two classes of wine. Or if your someone who likes martini’s have your drink and then switch to water.  You will thank yourself the next morning!

Limit Your Holiday Drinks!

Keep Your Schedule.

Do you always go to the gym on Tuesday nights for a class?  Do your absolute best to keep going.  Don’t let your to-do list keep you from getting to the gym.  In fact the gym should be on your to do list! Working out regularly will keep you from gaining those dreaded holiday 5 pounds! If you can’t make your usual class, rearrange your schedule.  Could you go in the morning before work? Or on your lunch break? Or switch your rest days.  Find a way to get to the gym.

Schedule Your Workouts!

Rest and Relax.

I don’t know about you but I’m looking forward to some vacation time around the holidays! I do so much in a given week and am so excited to have some down time.  Get your workouts in but make sure you let yourself rest, relax and enjoy the holiday season.  Sleep in on Christmas morning and spend sometime curled up by the fire reading.  As important as it is to stay active, it’s important to rest too.  If your feeling run down and exhausted you need to listen to your body and relax, or take a nap or sleep in.  It’s all about balance!

I hope these tips will keep you all healthy and active during the holiday season.  It’s a challenging time of year but it’s so important to find balance!  Happy Holidays!

How do you keep the balance during the holidays? What is your favorite healthy holiday food?  Do you do a Jingle Bell run?  What is your advice to keeping balanced this holiday season?

Dec6

What is a FitFluential? 7 Tips To Get Started Now!

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Good Morning!  So as many of you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador.  I’m really excited about this opportunity and blessed to be working with a great team over there.   Most of the ambassadors this month will be vlogging and blogging about what makes them FitFluential, and who was their first FitFluence and what inspired them to get going on their fitness journey.  We’ll each be sharing 7 tips so you can you start now on your own fitness journey! I think this is great to be sharing this in December.  With the new year looming many people set fitness goals, weight loss goals and healthy living goals.  You can use all of our tips to get started NOW!  Hang in there…this one is a long one.  But I promise it’s worth it!

FitFluencers.

I grew up in a family where sitting still wasn’t really an option.  My parents loved to hike and as toddlers they’d pull us in a sled through the snow for winter hikes and carry us in packs for summer hikes.  We spent our summers at our summer-house water skiing, kayaking, swimming and running around.  My mom took me to Mommy and Me swim classes when I was 2.  When I could walk I learned how to downhill ski.  As a kid I played soccer and took ballet.  In junior high I joined the track team and then in high school I joined the swim team, nordic ski team and track teams.  I was never sitting still and loved all of the sports I played.  I’m forever grateful to my parents for running me all over town and managing to pay for all those activities.  It really helped to shape who I am today.

My Mom never really allowed junk food.  When I was a kid we would get McDonald’s maybe once a year.  Both my parents loved to cook and enjoyed good food.  As a result my whole life has been filled with home cooked meals, fresh vegetables, fruit and wholesome ingredients.  My mom packed my lunch everyday for me, until my last day of high school.  She’d hide our Halloween candy, and on Easter we got a new toy instead of candy and on Christmas she’d always watch how many cookies we ate.  Eating healthy was a way of life and we never knew anything different.  It’s still the same at my parent’s house to this day.

My Birthday Dinner with my Family!

In high-school I started to ski competitively.  I had some amazing coaches, a husband and wife team who taught me how to hydrate during a 3 hour ski, and how to train in the summer months so I’d be fast on the snow and how to improve my technique so I’d exert less energy to be fast.  I spent a lot of time with them and I learned a LOT.  In college, I was lucky enough to have another amazing coach who continued to teach me and work with me to understand my body and be the best athlete I could be.

My FitFluencers were my parents and coaches.  They made it possible for me to be an active, athletic kid and gave me the healthy foods to keep me going.  I was lucky enough to have some amazing coaches to keep all of that going.  They continued to shape me and encourage me to be athletic, be a competitor and do it the healthiest way possible.

Fitness Journey.

My fitness journey started when I was a kid.  I honestly can say I never have had a point in my life where I told myself I needed to change and needed to get into a fitness routine.  It’s always been part of my life.   From athletics as a kid, to varsity sports in High School and then on to college athletics it’s always been there.  I skied Division I in college and was Division III USCSA National Nordic Ski Champion in 2008.  I was incredibly dedicated to my sport in college.  I trained in the summers, and ran cross-country in the fall so I’d be fast on the snow in the winter.  I took to road biking to build endurance in the off-season.  I skipped the college parties, and never joined a sorority and never went on spring break.  I missed out on a lot of typical college experiences but I never regret it.  I learned to be fierce, and confident and strong when I felt weak.  I learned how to prove everyone wrong not with my words but my actions.  I learned how to turn within myself to accomplish my goals.  I learned how to manage my time and balance two equal priorities.  I learned to be humble and I learned how to be a gracious winner.  I don’t think any college party would have taught me those things.  Those races, losses and wins all have a story and are some of the best memories of my life.  And you should know, I got do it with my mom and dad and amazing coaches by my side.  Talk about dedicate FitFluencers.  

Skiing

After college I was asked to ski on the New England Nordic Ski Association Development Team.  It was a big deal and I was excited to sign on.  I then went to Europe back packing with my best friend and had the trip of my life.  I started my first job and got my first apartment.  I decided after a lot of soul-searching that I wanted to resign my position on the team.  I was exhausted, and wanted to have a “normal” life.  I wanted to go out with friends, take vacations, do fun things on the weekends and not feel guilty for taking a rest day.  I still went to the gym, took Pilates classes and ran but enjoyed a normal life.  A few months later I lost my job.  I was lost and confused.  I went to yoga and Pilates every morning before starting my job search.  I went for runs to clear my head in the afternoon. I entered the lottery for the NYC marathon.  I needed a goal.  A month later I got into the New York City marathon and got a job offer in Boston.  I packed up my life, moved to the city and got training.  It was a long journey training for that marathon.  As much as I knew about running and fitness, I knew nothing about this.  But I learned.  I ran that marathon with my biggest fans cheering me on, my parents.  It was awesome.

Mile 8

NYC Marathon!

I continued to practice yoga multiple times a week throughout all of this and fell in love.  It gave me a place to escape.  I had the chance to just be one with my body and relax and stretch and build strength.  After the marathon I practiced yoga for the entire winter, I hardly ran.

Yoga!

In the spring I did a Team Relay and then in the fall I did the Boston Athletic Association Half- Marathon.

The Cape Relay!

By then I had met Michael and we decided to do the Chicago Marathon.  Right when we started training for Chicago I decided to start this blog.  Most of you know I finished the marathon with Michael and it was amazing.  The recap is here if your interested.

Our Green Screen Photo from the Expo!

Today I’m lucky enough to be growing this blog, working with FitFluential and sharing my lessons and experiences.  Personally my fitness journey is taking a turn I never really expected.  I’m studying for my NASM Personal Training Certification and will be starting my Yoga 200 hour teacher training in August.  In April, I’ll be running my 3rd marathon, the Boston Marathon with Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I’m really excited to be making healthy living my life’s work and really have no idea where this journey will take me but it feels great to be FitFluential!!

I guess my past inspires me to keep going in my future.  It’s really hard to ignore that feeling of success and pure bliss when you cross a finish line, accomplish a goal or get into some crazy advanced yoga pose.  It’s addicting.

So Here’s My 7 Tips for Those Looking to Get Started Now!

1.  Find a Passion.

Mine was Nordic Skiing, today it’s running and yoga.  Maybe for you it’s a boot camp class, or a group weight loss challenge or a Pilates Reformer class.  Whatever it may be, find what gets your juices flowing! Find what you can’t get enough of and go do it!

2.  Schedule.

I’m busy, your busy we are all busy.  I always have about 10 other things I could be doing aside from a run, or yoga class or a workout at the gym.  You know what?  It will all be there when I get done except, I’ll feel better and be more motivated to tackle it all! Schedule time for the gym, put it on your to do list or in your calendar.  Fit it in where it fits.

3.  Shop Well.

I’m a healthy eater, but I lack self-control.  Put 10 cookies in front of me and I’ll likely eat them all.  I know this about myself, so I only buy healthy options.  I buy foods I can eat a lot of and not feel guilty.  I buy foods that are convenient.  Breakfast on the go? Yep, I have options.  A light dinner after the gym?  Yep, I have ingredients  A hot fudge sundae for dessert? Nope, I don’t have any of those ingredients!

4.  Drink Water.

I pretty much only drink water.  Drinking soda, coffee, iced teas, etc. don’t make me feel great.  I’d rather have water with lemon than a diet coke.  It’s better for your body and you skip a ton of calories!

5.  Variety.

This goes for food and workouts.  Mix it up! Our bodies actually like this! Switch up what you eat so you’re not eating the same things all the time.  And try a different workout to kick-start some calorie burn and muscle tone.  Keeping food and workouts new and fun will make healthy living a lot easier.  Don’t get stuck in a rut and when you do be sure to change it up!

6.  Set a Goal.

I love goals.  They keep you focused on what you want to accomplish and keep you from being side tracked by all the side roads life offers.  Set monthly goals to keep you focused on what you want to accomplish that month.  Set long-term goals to help guide your monthly goals and keep you looking to the future.  Healthy living isn’t easy but dedicate yourself to it and keep at it!

7.  Life Happens.

Yes, life happens.  Be flexible with healthy living.  Your going to have a bad day and want to go home and eat pizza.  It’s OK!  Eat a slice and a side salad and enjoy it.  Don’t eat half the pie.  If you miss your gym workout, reschedule it! Maybe you can’t make a kick boxing class but could walk for an hour at lunch.  It’s not as intense but it’s exercise.  Up the intensity of tomorrows workout instead.  Roll with life’s punches and make healthy choices!

Who are your FitFluencers? What is your fitness inspiration?  What are your tips for people to get started now?