Posts with the label fitness
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2019
FASTer Way To Fat Loss
I received my first round of FASTer Way To Fat Loss complimentary in exchange for a review. All opinions, results and thoughts expressed below are completely my own.
Like most Americans, at the start of 2019 I found myself looking in the mirror and vowing to make a change with my body. My baby was quickly approaching his first birthday and I could no longer use the excuse that I "just had a baby." I've tried to make many changes to my appearance in the past, sometimes I've succeeded and a lot of times I've failed. I was hopeful that this time I would succeed again. So I signed up for FASTer Way to Fat Loss to help me along the way.
What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL)?
FWTFL is a 6 week program (plus 1 week of prep) with three core principles:intermittent fasting
carb cycling
macro tracking (carbs, fats, protein)
I'll break down each of those principles for you below and explain how they worked for me. BUT before I do that, I know you want to know the good stuff first.
The outcome
Before I began FASTer Way to Fat Loss, I told my coach that my main goal was to feel better in my clothes. (YEP! When you sign up for the program, you get your own personal coach who is there to support you every step of the way. I have a terrific coach named Jocelyn; you can click this link to sign up and have her as your coach too!)I had several pieces of clothing that didn't fit like they used to and I frequently would wear black. In fact, I have a good friend who even asked me why my blog was called Pursuit of Pink if all I wore was black. Well the reason I wore all black was because I didn't feel comfortable in my clothes and wanted to do what I could to hide my body. But that is about to change!!!!
After finishing my first round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss, I've lost 5 inches overall and 9 pounds! And I have started to achieve my main goal as so many of my shirts are now fitting me different (read: better) and are not as tight.
This program does not focus on the scale...in fact they want you to weigh yourself at the beginning and then say goodbye to your scale. So I stayed off my scale. But I was so curious to see if I had lost weight since I noticed so many of my clothes were fitting better. So I stepped on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to see that 9 pounds were gone!
Now back to the core principles of the program.
Intermittent fasting
I've had experiences with fasting from a spiritual standpoint, so I wasn't completely nervous about this portion. Basically, you fast for 16 hours during the day (a good portion of the time you are sleeping) and allow yourself an eating window of 8 hours. I break my fast at noon each day and stop eating at 8 p.m. each night.One of my biggest habits to break prior to FWTFL was snacking after the kids went to bed. I would often grab a box of crackers or something sweet and sit down to relax for the night. By training my mind that it was time to stop eating at 8 p.m., I was able to completely kick my nighttime snacking habit.
One of the biggest things I was worried about with the fasting, was having to give up my morning coffee...but I didn't have to! You can still have coffee AND creamer, you just have to keep your creamer around 50 calories. Prior to FWTFL, I was a creamer fanatic and I knew that 50 calories wouldn't cut it for me. So I started to look for other options. I tried skim milk and almond milk and finally found my coffee joy with Nutpods. Nutpods are dairy free, unsweetened creamers made from almonds and coconuts. Unlike almond milk, they are really creamy and super delicious! I would also add in a bit of stevia for some sweetness and I was good to go!
However, one thing I found through FWTFL is that I don't NEED my coffee each morning. In fact, more often than not, I skipped my coffee and just had water. This program definitely gave me more energy and didn't have me relying on my coffee to perk me up each morning.
Carb Cycling
I have never counted carbs or even tried a low carb diet, I knew that was too restrictive and wasn't for me (give me all the carbs!). But the awesome thing about this program is that it is not restrictive at all. I'll let the FASTer Way To Fat Loss experts explain exactly what Carb Cycling is:
Carb Cycling is an alteration of carbohydrate intake to prevent fat loss plateaus and keep your metabolism working effectively. Basically, you cycle between low carb days and regular carb days to ensure that your body burns fat effectively without causing significant hormonal damage or dips in energy.
There are only two low carb days a week and they are back to back, so you get them out of the way. What I really love about low carb days is that FWTFL has you increase your fat intake to make up for the carb calories that you aren't eating. So even though my carb intake was low, I still got to enjoy really yummy food (hello guacamole!!!).
Macro Tracking
I follow a few people on instagram who talk about tracking macros, but I never knew what it was and figured it was only for really fit people. Well let me tell you, macro tracking is my favorite part of this program and I feel like it really changed my mindset!With macro tracking, you focus on eating the right amount of fats, proteins and carbs. My eyes were completely opened to the fact that I was NOT eating enough food. I used to fill my days with tons of processed foods and sugars. I would count calories and make myself go crazy trying to track it all yet stay within my restrictions.
But I found by tracking my macros, that I focused on making sure I was getting enough to eat. And more often than not, I wasn't eating enough carbs (all the praise hands - I get to eat more carbs!!!!). Tracking macros doesn't make you take in more calories, it just helps you take in the right kinds of foods to fill your calories. As I focused on adding in enough protein and carbs, I found myself making so many better choices. In fact, during this program I've really cut down on the amount of processed foods I've eaten.
One great thing about this program is that they encourage you to have treats, each week. That has always been my downfall with other programs: they are too restrictive and I start to focus on what I can't have and fall off the wagon. But with FWTFL, they want you to enjoy your treats if they fit into your macros. And let me tell you, I made sure to fit in my treats with my macros!
This program is not restrictive at all, in fact there were many times where I thought I was eating too much because I was focusing on filling my macros. But my results tell you that I definitely wasn't eating too much!
What I love about FWTFL
I've already told you that tracking macros was my favorite part because it didn't feel restrictive. I will say it again, this program is NOT restrictive at all.Another thing I love is that you don't have to workout for hours at a time to see results. In fact, to be perfectly honest I barely worked out during this first round. You read that right! Just by focusing on my nutrition, I was able to lose inches and pounds!!!!
This program gives you workouts that match your nutrition for each day so you can get maximum results. But another great thing is how flexible it is! You don't have to use their workouts. They are there as a guide, but if you like other workouts you can do those too.
Because of my great results, I'm going to do another round of FWTFL and I plan to workout more in the second round. My coach said she did the same thing and her results from round one to round two were incredible. But I do love that this program is very nutrition focused...that saying about Abs being built in the kitchen is so right!!!
Another aspect of this program that I like is PREP WEEK. Because there is a lot to learn with FWTFL, they give you an entire week to learn everything and to slowly start to implement everything. I love this because they are setting you up for success. During prep week you watch videos and learn all about marco counting, carb cycling and intermittent fasting. You chat with your coach about your goals, you receive tips and tricks to make you successful on the program and you slowly start marco counting and fasting.
Have I piqued your interest?
If you want to join me, click this link to sign up! I'm going to go straight from my round one right into my round two. Prep Week begins on Monday, March 4...so why don't you join me???Click here to sign up under my coach, we can be in the same group!
If you have any questions about what I have shared above, please feel free to reach out. I'd love to talk to you!
And because everyone likes to see photographic evidence of the results...I'll share my before and after photos below.
Please know that this is extremely personal and I feel so vulnerable putting myself out here like this. But I'm hopeful that maybe one of you reading this is just like me and wants to FINALLY make a change.
So I'm including these pictures for you.
I'm here to say that I'm no where near a size 0 model. I'm a busy mom of two who has made excuse after excuse as to why I can't lose weight. But I'm finally tired of not feeling confident. I'm on my journey to better health and WAY MORE self love.
So here you go.....
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Setting Fitness Goals with HomeDNA
Thank you Lipton Publicity for providing the HomeDNA kit. All opinions and thoughts expressed below are completely my own.
Ah the joys of weight loss.
HA - who am I kidding? I don't find too much joy in weight loss at all. Now that I am older, I'm realizing how much harder it is for me to get the scale to move in the direction I want. And of course, the scale did finally start to move over the summer with me losing 7 pounds to only find out a few days later that I was pregnant! So of course my weight loss came to a halt.
With the arrival of our second baby upon us (6 weeks or less!), I am starting to think about weight loss again. I've said on here numerous times that I have struggled with my weight and my body image for a large portion of my life. I certainly do not want my children (especially my daughter) to struggle with a bad body image; I want to teach them that exercise and eating healthy is a normal part of life. It has been important to me to keep my pregnancy weight gain within a healthy/normal range and luckily I'm tracking exactly where I want to be. I'm hopeful that I can lose the baby weight plus some more once I'm cleared to workout again.
Which brings me to this really neat tool I discovered call HomeDNA Healthy Weight Analysis and Report. There is no secret to weight loss; you need to eat well and exercise. That is it! Trust me, I've tried a few fad diets in my time and I know the results don't last. Exercise and proper nutrition are what you need. The HomeDNA Healthy Weight Analysis provides me with tools and information that I need to truly maximize my fitness and nutrition.
Ah the joys of weight loss.
HA - who am I kidding? I don't find too much joy in weight loss at all. Now that I am older, I'm realizing how much harder it is for me to get the scale to move in the direction I want. And of course, the scale did finally start to move over the summer with me losing 7 pounds to only find out a few days later that I was pregnant! So of course my weight loss came to a halt.
With the arrival of our second baby upon us (6 weeks or less!), I am starting to think about weight loss again. I've said on here numerous times that I have struggled with my weight and my body image for a large portion of my life. I certainly do not want my children (especially my daughter) to struggle with a bad body image; I want to teach them that exercise and eating healthy is a normal part of life. It has been important to me to keep my pregnancy weight gain within a healthy/normal range and luckily I'm tracking exactly where I want to be. I'm hopeful that I can lose the baby weight plus some more once I'm cleared to workout again.
Which brings me to this really neat tool I discovered call HomeDNA Healthy Weight Analysis and Report. There is no secret to weight loss; you need to eat well and exercise. That is it! Trust me, I've tried a few fad diets in my time and I know the results don't last. Exercise and proper nutrition are what you need. The HomeDNA Healthy Weight Analysis provides me with tools and information that I need to truly maximize my fitness and nutrition.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
#WorkoutWednesday - workout attire
A new pair of shoes can change a woman's mood, yes? I fully embrace that sentence - often. And lately, what I am realizing is that new workout clothes can energize me and actually make me want to work out. Who am I?
For the longest time, I really disliked the way I looked so I did not see the point in purchasing new workout clothes. I worked out in old t-shirts and boring plain black pants. It just didn't make sense to me to spend money on clothes that I was going to sweat in. However, that thought has since changed now that I have made working out a part of my lifestyle. Working out isn't just something that I do once every month; I do it six days a week. Which made me become tired of seeing the same plain clothes in the mirror.
I bought myself some new workout gear from YogaOutlet.com to reward myself for working out eight weeks in a row. Something strange happened when my package arrived in my mailbox. I was excited to workout and actually, dare I say it, looked forward to my next workout so I could wear my new pants. Seriously, who am I? The bright colors of my sports bra and pants and the quality fit of everything just made me feel better. I actually liked what was staring back at me in the mirror, I added a little bit of style to my workout gear!
YogaOutlet.com is my new go-to place for workout gear because they have a HUGE variety of options. They carry tons of different brand names (I'm in love with the Under Armour sports bra that I have) and their prices are extremely reasonable. If there is anything in particular that you are looking for, I'm sure they have it - so many options! Not to mention, everything ships straight to your door. Squeezing myself into spandex pants in a public dressing room with a curious and vocal two year old in the same small, enclosed space is not my idea of fun. That's where YogaOutlet.com really comes to my rescue! I can try everything on in the comfort of my own home.
Check them out when you are in the market for new workout gear. They have everything: tanks, shirts, jackets, pants, shorts, accessories, wellness products and more!!!
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Workout Wednesday: Squeezing in Exercise Throughout the Day
Happy #WorkoutWednesday to you all!!!
My intention behind this series is to show you how I'm incorporating fitness into my daily life while still living my life as a busy mom. I feel like I'm doing something right because every time my daughter sees me in my workout clothes she either asks if I'm going to workout (and I can actually say YES!) or she asks to workout with me. I was super proud of myself and her the first time she asked to workout with me. So I encourage all of you other busy moms, workout while your children are around so they see it can be fun and easy to fit in to your life.
Sometimes full blown workouts just don't happen. Either your day is too full, you overslept or you just don't feel like it - I've been there. But that doesn't mean your day has to be a total bust. Here are my tips on squeezing some extra exercise into your normal day.
Squeeze in Exercise
- Always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take the stairs two at a time for a little extra burn.
- Park far away from the door so you have farther to walk to get inside.
- Plank for 1 minute each day (we ALL have 1 minute!).
- Do squats, lunges or sit ups while watching tv.
- While cooking dinner, incorporate leg lifts while standing over the stove (I also like to do this when applying my makeup).
- During playtime with your children, hold them and do squats. Your kids will LOVE it and you will love your legs.
- Go for a 10-15 minute walk on your lunch break.
- Talking on the phone? Squats or lunges can easily be achieved while chatting.
- Anytime during the day, tighten your abdominal muscles for 10 seconds and let out. Repeat as much as you can.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Workout Wednesday: HIIT Workout
It's Workout Wednesday!!!
Continuing with my theme from last week, I'm all about offering up exercises that you can do at home. As a busy Mom, it is easiest for me to get in my workouts at home when I have time and the beauty of today's workout is that it can be finished in 15 minutes!
I'm sharing a quick HIIT Workout that you can complete anywhere in your house, no workout equipment needed.
HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. This is a training technique where you workout with 100% effort (full out) for quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by rest and recovery periods. This type of workout gets your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. And that is what I am all about!
Complete each exercise below for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat 3 times for a total of 15 minutes.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Workout Wednesday: The Living Room Workout
I am SO EXCITED to bring you a new series here on Pursuit of Pink - WORKOUT WEDNESDAY!
With the start of a new year, everyone has goals and resolutions to lose weight, am I right? Well, of course I'm one of those people too. And I really hope that this time I stick with it, hence my purpose in starting this series. Working out for me hasn't always been an issue, it's keeping my eating in check that is the toughest for me. After all, abs are made in the kitchen. So with 2016, Tolar and I are committing to eating clean (most of the time) and I'm giving Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guide another try.
(You can read here why I love Bikini Body Guide - BBG - so much.)
Workout Wednesday can be for anyone, but I will say that the majority of what I share is going to be for busy moms - because that's what I am! I plan to share some workouts and tips that help me achieve success along the way and my ultimate goal is to keep US accountable while I share my fitness journey with you.
Today's WORKOUT WEDNESDAY is all about working at in your home. That's where I workout the majority of the time. And now that the temperatures are really starting to dip low, inside my house is where I will find myself.
The Bikini Body Guide has specific strength workouts for me to follow three days of the week and the other three days are for cardio. Here is a great workout that you can do in your home. My two year old daughter even got in on the action (click here to read some hilarious outtakes of a time when my 2 year old worked out with me). The best part, I can complete this all while watching The Today Show! Enjoy!
This workout takes roughly 15 minutes, complete twice for a great sweat!
Let's make this a conversation too! If you have any fitness tips, workouts or suggestions feel free to share them with me. I LOVE connecting with my readers. You can leave a comment below or connect with me via facebook or twitter. I love when my readers share links with me!
And of course, join #thekaylamovement with me on instagram (@lindsaytolar) so we can really encourage each other.
With the start of a new year, everyone has goals and resolutions to lose weight, am I right? Well, of course I'm one of those people too. And I really hope that this time I stick with it, hence my purpose in starting this series. Working out for me hasn't always been an issue, it's keeping my eating in check that is the toughest for me. After all, abs are made in the kitchen. So with 2016, Tolar and I are committing to eating clean (most of the time) and I'm giving Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guide another try.
(You can read here why I love Bikini Body Guide - BBG - so much.)
Workout Wednesday can be for anyone, but I will say that the majority of what I share is going to be for busy moms - because that's what I am! I plan to share some workouts and tips that help me achieve success along the way and my ultimate goal is to keep US accountable while I share my fitness journey with you.
THE LIVING ROOM WORKOUT
Today's WORKOUT WEDNESDAY is all about working at in your home. That's where I workout the majority of the time. And now that the temperatures are really starting to dip low, inside my house is where I will find myself.
The Bikini Body Guide has specific strength workouts for me to follow three days of the week and the other three days are for cardio. Here is a great workout that you can do in your home. My two year old daughter even got in on the action (click here to read some hilarious outtakes of a time when my 2 year old worked out with me). The best part, I can complete this all while watching The Today Show! Enjoy!
This workout takes roughly 15 minutes, complete twice for a great sweat!
Let's make this a conversation too! If you have any fitness tips, workouts or suggestions feel free to share them with me. I LOVE connecting with my readers. You can leave a comment below or connect with me via facebook or twitter. I love when my readers share links with me!
And of course, join #thekaylamovement with me on instagram (@lindsaytolar) so we can really encourage each other.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Trying to Workout With Your Child in the Room
I love working out while K is awake (and even in the room) for multiple reasons. The most important reason is that I want her to grow up knowing that working out is "what you do" to take care of yourself. I also hope that by her seeing me work out, she will be inclined to do so herself (at a later age of course). But another reason I like working out in front of her is for the sheer entertainment value that I receive.
Yesterday, I set K up with some puzzles in her room and told her that if she needed me I would be working out. Well, she saw me swipe her chair to use for my workouts and she got curious - obviously Mom playing with her stuff is way more interesting than playing by herself. So K joined me in my room for the majority of my workout. Here is just a sample of the fun that we had:
-I was serenaded! K sang her versions of "Its Bitty Pider" and "Hot Cross Funs" several times, trying to keep me motivated with her sweet tunes (no spelling mistakes there, that's how she sings them).
-When I did squat jumps or X jumps, K thought both moves looked like fun so she joined me. The best part? Hearing her interpretation of me - heavy breathing!
-She decided that during my workout was the perfect time to "do a magic sell." She grabbed her magic wand and kept saying "pocus, pocus" over and over again. If only her magic "sell" would make me lose weight instantly.
-I received lots of praise! K told me over and over "you can do it Mommy!" and "good job Mommy!" I'm going to keep her around for the constant encouragement. (Thanks for working with her on that, Tolar)
-A sampling of a conversation we had:
K: "What's that on your face?"
Me: "It's sweat, I'm hot from working out."
K: "Are you crying?"
Me: No, sweetie. I'm sweating.
K: "You're a sweater?" (she meant the piece of clothing)
Monday, August 10, 2015
Up In The Gym, Working On My Fitness
We all know that the best way to lose weight and get fit is to work out and watch what you eat. I have personally found that to be what DOES work for me. Although I have struggled to get the body I want ever since I had Baby K. I've had the best of intentions and tried a lot of things and about six weeks ago I realized what would really help me...
...encouragement and accountability.
Six weeks ago I was at my in-laws, squeezing myself into a bathing suit everyday and absolutely hated the way I looked. And then I realized, with the exception of 2008 (when I was basically starving myself, so I was still miserable), I have always hated my appearance. Why on earth am I allowing myself to be "ok" with hating the way I look? I've talked on here before about how I want to teach my daughter to love her body and to teach her a healthy lifestyle and I've tried my hardest to do that. And I think I have finally found something that I really want to stick with.
I discovered Kayla Itsines and her Bikini Body Guides (BBG) on instagram and I am hooked! Basically the guides are designed for women to workout at home and use their own body for weighted exercises. Instead of just doing cardio, BBG focuses on strength training and cardio with a healthy/clean diet. But the guides alone really are not what has done it for me - I've done a lot of these exercises before and didn't see much change and therefore I wouldn't stick with the program. What has really made me enjoy the program and stick with it is the community! I'm now six weeks in (one free week of workouts plus 5 weeks of the guides) and don't see myself stopping.
I encourage you to check out the following hashtags on instagram to find motivation:
#bbg
#bbggirls
#kaylasarmy
#bbgcommunity
#deathbykayla
#bbgprogress
There are a TON of women on instagram who follow the guides and encourage each other daily. I really loved that there were pictures of real women, women who looked like me when they started and then transformed their bodies. The community of BBG is incredible and has kept me motivated, encouraged and even held me accountable. I actually look forward to my workout because I cannot wait for what my after photo will look like. I've started to see some changes and that is definitely keeping me excited about the program.
The one thing I really want you to take away from this post today is to find community in whatever workout you do. I truly believe that has been the biggest difference for me this time around. I've tried other workouts and even talked about them on here, but I never really stuck with them. This community is what changed that for me. So find your community, find the people that you want to surround yourself with and start encouraging each other. That will take your workouts to a whole 'nother level.
(In addition to completing the guides, I'm also starting a plank challenge with some of my friends TODAY. We are all going to hold each other accountable and at the end of 30 days be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes. I'm nervous about that, but excited to try it.)
...encouragement and accountability.
Six weeks ago I was at my in-laws, squeezing myself into a bathing suit everyday and absolutely hated the way I looked. And then I realized, with the exception of 2008 (when I was basically starving myself, so I was still miserable), I have always hated my appearance. Why on earth am I allowing myself to be "ok" with hating the way I look? I've talked on here before about how I want to teach my daughter to love her body and to teach her a healthy lifestyle and I've tried my hardest to do that. And I think I have finally found something that I really want to stick with.
I discovered Kayla Itsines and her Bikini Body Guides (BBG) on instagram and I am hooked! Basically the guides are designed for women to workout at home and use their own body for weighted exercises. Instead of just doing cardio, BBG focuses on strength training and cardio with a healthy/clean diet. But the guides alone really are not what has done it for me - I've done a lot of these exercises before and didn't see much change and therefore I wouldn't stick with the program. What has really made me enjoy the program and stick with it is the community! I'm now six weeks in (one free week of workouts plus 5 weeks of the guides) and don't see myself stopping.
I encourage you to check out the following hashtags on instagram to find motivation:
#bbg
#bbggirls
#kaylasarmy
#bbgcommunity
#deathbykayla
#bbgprogress
There are a TON of women on instagram who follow the guides and encourage each other daily. I really loved that there were pictures of real women, women who looked like me when they started and then transformed their bodies. The community of BBG is incredible and has kept me motivated, encouraged and even held me accountable. I actually look forward to my workout because I cannot wait for what my after photo will look like. I've started to see some changes and that is definitely keeping me excited about the program.
The one thing I really want you to take away from this post today is to find community in whatever workout you do. I truly believe that has been the biggest difference for me this time around. I've tried other workouts and even talked about them on here, but I never really stuck with them. This community is what changed that for me. So find your community, find the people that you want to surround yourself with and start encouraging each other. That will take your workouts to a whole 'nother level.
(In addition to completing the guides, I'm also starting a plank challenge with some of my friends TODAY. We are all going to hold each other accountable and at the end of 30 days be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes. I'm nervous about that, but excited to try it.)
Monday, August 25, 2014
Little Changes Can Equal Healthy Choices
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias
You guys know that I like to keep things real and be honest with you. Well, there is no denying that kicking this butt in gear has been a hard process and losing the baby weight has taken longer than I wanted. As my life continues to stay busy, I'm realizing more and more that if I want to meet my health goals then I need to make small, simple changes to my daily life which can lead to lasting healthy choices. Losing weight isn't rocket science, so I need to remind myself of that. Simple changes to my day can really lead to some big pay offs.
So I finally had a talk with myself and decided that there are a few things I can do NOW to really start to change my body. Number one is I must drink more water. Back when I plumped up in college and then lost 35 pounds, a lot of the credit goes to the fact that I really just drank water. Adding more water to my day isn't that hard to incorporate at all. I decided to start things off right and buy some bottled water to really encourage me to drink LOTS of water each day. I'm going to fill up one of these bottles at least three times a day. I also want to incorporate healthier snacks into my day. Nuts and fruit will fill me up and keep me going much longer than a bag of chips or some cookies will.
I highly recommend that you guys check out Walgreens and their Balance Rewards program. That's where I went to stock up on water and healthy snacks. With the Balance Rewards program you can get a ton of savings on your purchases by signing up and using your Balance Rewards card at check out. Walgreens gives you points on lots of items in the store. You can earn points when you buy featured items each week and when you fill prescriptions, then you can redeem those points for dollars off a future purchase. I am all about savings and love how simple this program is.
And now there is a really cool addition to the Balance Rewards program that inspires me to get healthy. Walgreens rewards you with additional points for making healthy choices. Which leads to me another simple change I can immediately start incorporating into my life; walking more. Besides the natural health benefits to walking, Walgreens sweetens the pot by giving me additional points for tracking my walking (or any kind of physical activity). So I get monetary savings just for working out? Heck yeah!!!! Count me in.
In addition to giving Blanace Rewards points for fitness, you can earn points for other healthy choices you make. Like tracking your weight. People who keep track of their weight and hold themselves accountable are more likely to see the scale move in the direction they want. And Walgreens knows that - that's why they reward you. There are several other healthy choices that you can do to earn points: check your blood pressure, check your blood glucose level, set healthy goals for yourself and even download the Balance Rewards app! Yep, I earned 250 points for simply downloading the app. Woohoo, can't wait to get my savings at the register.
If you are looking for a little motivation to start changing your life for the better, why don't you download the Walgreens Balance Rewards app and get started? For me, its so awesome that I get additional benefits (i.e. money savings) in addition to a healthy life. I think those are two things all people want in life at some point or another; extra money and less weight. :) And you can do that by getting started with the healthy choices program and tracking your progress.
I'm an ordinary woman, with no live-in personal chef or trainer. I'm bound and determined to live a healthier life to set a great example for my daughter. By changing just a few things about my day sets me up for success. And with these changes, I'm setting my daughter up for success as well by creating a habit for her.
So tell me, what small changes do you make to your day to live healthier? I would love to try some new tricks.
You guys know that I like to keep things real and be honest with you. Well, there is no denying that kicking this butt in gear has been a hard process and losing the baby weight has taken longer than I wanted. As my life continues to stay busy, I'm realizing more and more that if I want to meet my health goals then I need to make small, simple changes to my daily life which can lead to lasting healthy choices. Losing weight isn't rocket science, so I need to remind myself of that. Simple changes to my day can really lead to some big pay offs.
So I finally had a talk with myself and decided that there are a few things I can do NOW to really start to change my body. Number one is I must drink more water. Back when I plumped up in college and then lost 35 pounds, a lot of the credit goes to the fact that I really just drank water. Adding more water to my day isn't that hard to incorporate at all. I decided to start things off right and buy some bottled water to really encourage me to drink LOTS of water each day. I'm going to fill up one of these bottles at least three times a day. I also want to incorporate healthier snacks into my day. Nuts and fruit will fill me up and keep me going much longer than a bag of chips or some cookies will.
I highly recommend that you guys check out Walgreens and their Balance Rewards program. That's where I went to stock up on water and healthy snacks. With the Balance Rewards program you can get a ton of savings on your purchases by signing up and using your Balance Rewards card at check out. Walgreens gives you points on lots of items in the store. You can earn points when you buy featured items each week and when you fill prescriptions, then you can redeem those points for dollars off a future purchase. I am all about savings and love how simple this program is.
And now there is a really cool addition to the Balance Rewards program that inspires me to get healthy. Walgreens rewards you with additional points for making healthy choices. Which leads to me another simple change I can immediately start incorporating into my life; walking more. Besides the natural health benefits to walking, Walgreens sweetens the pot by giving me additional points for tracking my walking (or any kind of physical activity). So I get monetary savings just for working out? Heck yeah!!!! Count me in.
In addition to giving Blanace Rewards points for fitness, you can earn points for other healthy choices you make. Like tracking your weight. People who keep track of their weight and hold themselves accountable are more likely to see the scale move in the direction they want. And Walgreens knows that - that's why they reward you. There are several other healthy choices that you can do to earn points: check your blood pressure, check your blood glucose level, set healthy goals for yourself and even download the Balance Rewards app! Yep, I earned 250 points for simply downloading the app. Woohoo, can't wait to get my savings at the register.
If you are looking for a little motivation to start changing your life for the better, why don't you download the Walgreens Balance Rewards app and get started? For me, its so awesome that I get additional benefits (i.e. money savings) in addition to a healthy life. I think those are two things all people want in life at some point or another; extra money and less weight. :) And you can do that by getting started with the healthy choices program and tracking your progress.
I'm an ordinary woman, with no live-in personal chef or trainer. I'm bound and determined to live a healthier life to set a great example for my daughter. By changing just a few things about my day sets me up for success. And with these changes, I'm setting my daughter up for success as well by creating a habit for her.
So tell me, what small changes do you make to your day to live healthier? I would love to try some new tricks.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Get This Butt In Gear Giveaway
Do you guys remember my "Get This Butt In Gear" series that I started last summer to chronicle my post-baby weight loss journey? Yeah, apparently I have forgotten about that too.
But let me introduce you to my friend Shannon, aka Coach Moholland, who has never forgotten about getting her butt in gear. The girl has a killer body and she works hard for it and is committed to helping you work hard for it too. Shannon is a Beach Body coach and wants to help you reach your fitness goals. If you are lucky enough to know Shannon in real life, you know just how positive and uplifting she can be. But this amazing space called Blogland helps you get a chance to interact with Shannon even if you don't live near her. So check her out and get inspired!
To help you kick off your summer workouts in a big way, Shannon is giving away the Insanity Fast & Furious Workout DVD and a Shakeology Sampler (one packet of each flavor - Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla & Greenberry). The DVD gives you an awesome workout in only 20 minutes - ummm hello, sign me up!!!
You can enter using the Rafflecopter below. Get ready to turn this into your best summer yet!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
But let me introduce you to my friend Shannon, aka Coach Moholland, who has never forgotten about getting her butt in gear. The girl has a killer body and she works hard for it and is committed to helping you work hard for it too. Shannon is a Beach Body coach and wants to help you reach your fitness goals. If you are lucky enough to know Shannon in real life, you know just how positive and uplifting she can be. But this amazing space called Blogland helps you get a chance to interact with Shannon even if you don't live near her. So check her out and get inspired!
To help you kick off your summer workouts in a big way, Shannon is giving away the Insanity Fast & Furious Workout DVD and a Shakeology Sampler (one packet of each flavor - Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla & Greenberry). The DVD gives you an awesome workout in only 20 minutes - ummm hello, sign me up!!!
You can enter using the Rafflecopter below. Get ready to turn this into your best summer yet!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Get This Butt In Gear, Update 1
As you learned in this post, I am on a mission to lose my
pregnancy weight (and then some!). Because I need structure and I also need
someone to tell me how much I’m supposed to eat, I joined Weight Watchers with
my Best Friend Erica. I tried Weight Watchers in college and had great success
with it, overtime I just let myself eat what I wanted (and I got pregnant!) and
the weight came back. But I know the program works and I was ready to hop on
the wagon again.
After being on Weight Watchers for 2 weeks, I was so happy
to find out that I had lost 5.6 pounds!!! Woohoo. Progress is happening. I did
lose some weight after Baby K arrived, but to report my total pounds lost I am starting
with my weigh in at WW.
I haven’t drastically changed my lifestyle, I’ve just
adjusted a few things and I really don’t feel all that deprived at all. Here
are steps that I know worked to help me lose those 5.6 pounds:
-Replace soda (either regular or diet) with water. I do
allow myself the occasional soda, but for the most part I drink water.
-Walk. I have taken Baby K on numerous walks and I walk on
the treadmill at the gym. Eventually I will get back to running on the
treadmill, but for now walking is working!
-Eat lots of fruit and veggies. Tolar and I can basically
put away an entire watermelon between the two of us in just two days! We fill
up on that instead of looking for other sweets to satisfy us. Also, it is VERY
common for us to have asparagus and corn on the cob with our dinner. We love
them both so much! And we just add a protein and bam! yummy and filling dinner.
-Eat low calorie snacks in between meals. I snack on fruit,
string cheese, 100 calorie pack cookies and Fiber One bars. All satisfy some
sort of craving and definitely don't leave me feeling like I need something else.
-Cook meals at home. This one is huge! It not only trims
your waistline, it increases your bank account (well, maybe it doesn’t increase
your bank account, but it doesn’t deplete it like going out to eat all the time
will). Tolar and I have cooked almost every dinner at home this month while we
are committed to losing weight and it is amazing how much it helps. We know
everything we put in our meals (no extra butter like they add in restaurants)
and we control the portion sizes. If a restaurant serves up a large portion on
my plate, it’s hard for me to stop eating. At home, I can put the correct
portion on my plate. And I am totally loving the savings we are seeing in our
budget!
Those are the strategies that have worked for me the first
two weeks of my weight loss journey. For other thoughts on getting healthy, check
out this post here.
What strategies do you incorporate into your diet/exercise
lifestyle?
And because I absolutely hate posting something without a picture, I'm including the below gem. Maybe I will find myself with a pink BB gun intimidating enough that I will keep up my progress. :)
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
My Tips Toward A Healthy Lifestyle
As someone who has watched the scale go up and down and
tried lots of fad diets numerous times in their life, I have come across SO
MANY tips for how to lose some weight. I’ve read enough issues of Shape
Magazine to write about five posts full of tips. But instead of giving you a
million tips, I’m going to give you the top five best tips/bits of advice I’ve
heard or received.
And because I absolutely hate to write a blog post without a picture, I'm including this photo to show you where I want to end up. This is when I was really happy with my body and I'm hoping that I can get back to this figure soon. Although, I'm not going to rush it, I'm going to concentrate on living a healthy life to get there.
1.) Drink Water.
Simple as that. Water has so many benefits and one of them is that it helps in
weight loss. Water hydrates you, helps cleanse your body of toxins, gives you
incredible smooth and clear skin and even helps keep you from over snacking. If
you feel the need to keep eating when you know you really shouldn’t, drink a
glass of water and then re-evaluate the situation. Yes, I know, I probably
sound crazy but just give it a try. Plus water has zero calories so you can
have as much as you want!!! I love to add citrus or cucumber slices to my water
to give it an extra little kick.
2.) Track What You
Eat. And Don’t Lie. So many studies show that if you
track what you eat, you are more likely to make better choices. But you must
track everything, if you leave that candy bar off your list, that isn’t going to
help. Track everything that goes in your mouth. There are plenty of iphone apps
available to help you track your food. I am currently using the Weight Watchers
app, but I have used My Fitness Pal in the past. I have friends who swear by My
Fitness Pal as it has helped them lose some poundage.
3.) Reduce Your
Sodium Intake. I never thought about this one until my extremely fit uncle
told me to cut back on sodium. I always thought you had to watch your sodium only
when you had high blood pressure, but if you are trying to lose weight keep an
eye on sodium as well. Sodium makes you retain water, thus making the number on
the scale increase or stay the same. So reduce the amount of sodium you ingest.
4.) Allow Yourself
Some Treats. This one might have a lot of people disagree with me, but I
believe in allowing yourself to have candy or chips or cookies every once in
awhile. If you deny yourself your favorite foods, you are more likely to give
up on your healthy eating because you miss that yummy treat so much. So allow
yourself to indulge every now and then. Have a cookie if you want it, just don’t
have 10 cookies every night.
5.) Get Moving.
Whatever it is, you must exercise and get moving. Exercise burns calories, duh!
Even if you just take a 20 minute walk that is better than sitting on the couch
thinking about food all the time. Get up and do something. Walk, run, skip,
join a gym, take a dance class, do some pushups, move your body!
These five tips are what I am using on my current weight
loss journey. Won’t you join me?
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Get This Butt In Gear
If you follow me on instagram, you already know that I just
recently had my first post-baby workout. Check out this gem here:
Now before all of my friends start calling me, telling me to
take it easy, rest assured I did. I mean, I just had a baby five weeks ago. I walked on the
treadmill and did some triceps exercises for this first workout. Once I get the all clear from my
doctor to return to more rigorous activity I will up the activity level. And I
CANNOT WAIT!
Before I even knew I was pregnant I already hated my body
and wanted to lose weight, the same thoughts I have had my entire life. Then at
the end of November 2012, two lines appeared on a little stick and all of my
weight loss thoughts halted – and I was kind of bummed. Not bummed I was
pregnant, but bummed because my battle with the bulge had to be put on hiatus,
but for an AMAZING and WONDERFUL reason. Now that my amazing and wonderful gift
is here, I am realizing even more how important it is for me to get in shape
and be happy with my body. I read this incredible article about Moms thinking
they are fat and realized that EVERYTHING I do from here on out will be
observed by my sweet daughter. And I do not want her to grow up hating her body
and developing a bad body image. I want to be a great role model for her and
encourage healthy living (seriously read that article, it’s so true!). Wanting to lead a healthy life for Baby K will be my main focus.
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So Tolar and I joined the gym to get our butts in gear!!!
And I am going to use this little blog to hold myself accountable. I plan to
talk about my journey to weight loss here on Pursuit of Pink occasionally. I feel like if I write
down my progress for all of you to see, I will be more inclined to stick with
it. And I want you to hold me to it!
I’m sticking with the tried and true calories in, calories
out method. I’ve binge dieted before in the past and yes it worked for a few
months, but here I am back trying to lose weight again. So this time, I really
want to make weight loss a lifestyle. I have my fabulous uncle to thank for
inspiring me! And also, Beth over at Hang On, Honey. Both of these people are committed to working
out and maintaining a healthy life and I can use their inspiration to propel me
forward.
Now wish me luck! I desperately want to be healthy so I can
enjoy a very full life raising my daughter, right alongside Tolar. And I want to love my body so I can teach Baby K to love hers. If you have
any favorite exercise/workouts, feel free to leave those in the comments
section below.
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- Lindsay @ Pursuit of Pink
- Welcome to Pursuit of Pink. I'm Lindsay and I'm so glad you are here. I believe a positive life is a happy life. Join me as I try to walk that out daily - in life, motherhood, style and more.
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