We Can't Want it For You!

As we were making our weekly grocery run this Sunday, we had an in-depth conversation regarding the health of our friends and family.


In December, we moved back to our hometown and since doing so, we've had a renewed energy in helping others with their health and fitness. It's been interesting to see how people are reacting so far, and here are some of the big points of our conversation about this:

• People think because they aren't "as fit as us" that they can't workout with us or do similar workouts - NOT TRUE! Every workout, every move, can be modified! Do YOUR best! And keep in mind, we've been doing this for a few years now....STICK WITH IT, it will get easier!
  
• You can't just workout a couple times a week, or be really on schedule for a week or two, then give up because "it's too hard" or you're "too sore" or you're "not seeing results." BE COMMITTED - decide what you're starting this journey for (whether it's to be a better partner, better parent, to resolve medical issues related to being overweight, or just straight up vanity) and keep that in the forefront of your mind. When it gets tough (and it will), when life gets hectic (and it always is), STAY FOCUSED.
  
• All too often, folks fall into this all-or-nothing mind trap....it will set you up for failure!! Take it slow, with your workouts and your nutrition. Build up your stamina with your workouts....aim to push yourself a little harder each time. With your nutrition, cut back on the bad stuff little by little instead of jumping right into an unsustainable low calorie rabbit food diet. CONSISTENCY is the most important part of the equation!
  
• And the biggest take-away from our conversation was the hardest pill for US to swallow: we can't....we absolutely CANNOT want it for you. As bad as we want you to get healthy, as fearful as we are for your high blood pressure and diabetes risk-factors, our influence will only go so far. Making the change all relies on you. We want to be there every step of the way, giving you whatever support and knowledge you need, but YOU have to decide this is what you want and YOU have to put in the effort day-in and day-out.
   

We want to hear from you - please comment below or email us (fitwithfarrar@gmail.com) with any feedback, questions, or concerns!Also really easy to stay in touch on Facebook, like our page here!

In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy

Honest Review(s) of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology

Hi guys and gals! Spring is officially here - although in our neck of the woods, it has felt like early summer for weeks now! :-)

Our order of Shakeology's newest flavor, Tropical Strawberry, arrived last week! We are huge believers in Shakeology, and have either the Chocolate or Greenberry flavors daily. We have our individual favorite recipes and it is our little "insurance policy" for nutrition (i.e., making sure we meet our fruit/veggie/mineral needs every day!)

Quick overview of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology - it has all the amazingness of the Chocolate and Greenberry flavors (70+ vitamins, minerals, loads of fruits, veggies, antioxidants, probiotics, protein, etc.) and it has the added benefit of being vegan, which means it contains no animal by-products (no whey protein) and is made with a brown rice protein.

Here is the video Lindsay made of her impressions after her first Tropical Strawberry Shakeology. Texture concerns and a bubble-gummy flavor were the weak points.



Our second try (and every subsequent try since then) has been much better! As mentioned in the video, letting it sit for 7-10 minutes after blending seems ideal and certainly makes the texture less gritty. Also, adding in a heaping of frozen fruit cuts the bubble-gummy flavor better. Our favorite recipe so far is: 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks, and Tropical Strawberry Shakeology...blend it, let sit for nearly 10 minutes, re-blend, then drink!

If you are interested in trying Tropical Strawberry (or Chocolate or Greenberry) Shakeology for yourself, just CLICK RIGHT HERE. Also, there are opportunities for some *free* samples for fans of our like page on Facebook - and you can find that by clicking here.

Talk to y'all soon!

In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy

Southerners = We Don't Care About Our Health???

For those of you, much like us, who were born, raised, and still live below the Mason Dixon line, how familiar does this sound:

• Everything revolves around food. Someone gets married - let's eat! Someone is sick - send them food! Someone graduated college - out to dinner we go! Someone dies - bring their family food!
  
• Gyms are scarce and working out at home is rarely done on the regular. A fitness regimen isn't a priority.
  
• In true Paula Deen fashion - we only eat things that are fried, dripping in butter, or covered in sugar (or all of the above). But hold on a minute, we do eat our greens...so long as they are cooked with ham hock or in some kind of creamy casserole.
  
• Taking the time, money, and effort to buy and prepare clean foods and to exercise regularly is just plain selfish. We've got huge families to take care of and we're deeply involved in our small community - there just isn't time for that nonsense!! 

We can say these things because we're from this place. We live in the same small town we grew up in, and while the aforementioned sound like stereotypes.....we hear each of them, a lot....a lot a lot! 

And listen - the two of us are NOT perfect! We are often in attendance at those events that revolve around food - and ask our family and friends, we do not eat perfectly clean 24/7! 

But what we want to point out is that if you are using any of those above statements as excuses - we are here to call you out!

Yeah - there probably isn't a gym very close to where you live....but get off your butt and do workouts at home. Either create your own workouts or invest in a DVD program - there are so many different kinds, for all fitness levels, for all interests, for all abilities! Or just go outside!! Take advantage of that beautiful countryside - run, jump rope, ride a bike! But don't just do this a couple days a week - get a heart-pumping, sweat-inducing workout at least 5 days a week!

Try to make just as many family/friend get-togethers revolve around activity as they do food! Get a group of friends together to go bike riding. Invite your family on a hike. Bring so-and-so over to try a new workout DVD together!

Typical southern cuisine is pretty spectacular...we will admit! And there is nothing wrong with indulging - "(mostly) everything in moderation"! But there is nothing spectacular about what happens to your body when you have fried chicken, mac & cheese, and a slice of pie EVERY DAY, especially if you combine that with not exercising!! Make these things only once-in-a-while....you'll appreciate them even more! 

And lastly, there is absolutely, positively, 100000% nothing wrong with putting in the time, money, and effort to take better care of yourself! Not only is it good for you, not only will you feel better, you're relationships will benefit from it ten-fold. You'll be a better parent, you'll be a better spouse, you'll be a better friend....the list is endless. If someone has the audacity to criticize you for buying healthier foods, investing in a workout program, or taking a few hours each week to prep food and workout.....either ignore them and strongly consider the need for that person in your life, or share with them why you do this and the great side-effects from it....maybe you'll inspire them! 

In summary, southerners ≠ not caring about our health. Do not let any heritage, any geographical location, any anything determine the importance you place on your health! 

Now, we realize we might hit a few nerves with this post....and we welcome any feedback: good, bad, or indifferent! You can comment below or email us at fitwithfarrar@gmail.com. 

In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy

Top 5 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

Since we have maintained a healthy lifestyle and a nearly 100 pound loss between the two of us for about 3 years now, we think people actually forget that we used to be overweight! Yes, we were both pretty svelte when we first started dating in 2006, but the first couple years of our relationship brought on a whole lotta happy weight! Timothy's doctor was threatening to put him on high blood pressure medication and Lindsay just felt large and puffy. 


We say this today because 1. as aforementioned, we think sometimes people forget where we've come from and think we can't possibly understand how hard it is to lose weight, etc. AND 2. (today's blog topic) to address that losing weight, making a healthy lifestyle...all of that is a journey and all too often, people give up way too fast. 

 Here are five tid-bits to address this problem of giving up too fast/too easily and having no commitment:


1. A true change to a healthy lifestyle does not happen overnight. Huge, drastic changes can often set you up for failure. Start off slow!


2. Fall in love with fitness. Find a style of working out or a particular program that you really enjoy; it'll keep you wanting to come back for more!


3. Don't be afraid to reach out for support. Team Beachbody is great about providing an incredibly motivating and supportive community of people on the same journey as you...and the great part is, membership is free (Click here). Getting your partner, friends, and/or family involved is also a great way to go!


4. Plateaus will happen. Period. Don't let them make you want to give up! Change your workouts, play with your diet...sometimes your body just needs a period of shock to help it be rejuvenated to fight fat!


5. Knowledge is power! Educate yourself on nutrition and physical fitness. The more you know, the more empowered you will be! 

When you first start out - the change might be uncomfortable....but we PROMISE, if you stick with it and keep our top five tips in mind, before long it will be second nature. Eventually, you will feel weird or "off your game" when you miss a workout. You won't have such strong cravings for unhealthy foods. Be committed and you just may surprise yourself! 

Here's a visual summary of our journeys thus far:

We'd love to hear about your journey! Also, if you need some extra support or even just some help to get started, please get in touch with us! Leave a comment or email us: fitwithfarrar@gmail.com


In Health,

Timothy & Lindsay

These are a few of our *new* favorite things...

A couple items you might want to keep an eye out for in your next shopping trip!

Disclaimer with this first product: We wouldn't say this is the healthiest or cleanest thing to have, but hey...sometimes, you just want some cinnamon butter! :-)

Land O'Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread....this stuff is the bomb.com!! It goes wonderfully on a slice of gluten-free bread. It's 70 calories per tablespoon (so go easy) and has 4 grams of sugar. For those interested, the ingredients list is pretty good, just cream, sugar, canola oil, water, cinnamon, salt, and citric acid:

Another item new to our kitchen is powered Chia seeds. Chia is all the rage (probably largely due to Dr. Oz's endorsement), but in all honesty, it does have great nutritional value. Chia is full of healthy omega fats, protein, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Chia POWDER is even better for you than the SEEDS. Any seed that has been germinated (made into a powder) is easier for your body to absorb nutrients. This is also true for flax seeds/flax powder.

The serving size for this particular brand is two tablespoons for only 25 calories! We put it in our shakes and cannot taste it! You could add it to your shakes, oatmeal, put it in virtually anything you make and get good support for your intestinal and cardiovascular health!

The last item involves a subject that is very near and dear to our hearts.....peanut butter. GLORIOUS peanut butter. Clearly a gift from the gods, but even the natural kind, is high calorie and high fat (albeit good fat!) Well the good people at Bell Plantation took note of this and created an even more amazing product: PB2!!

It's peanut dust! Powdered peanuts!! You get the taste and texture of peanut butter WITHOUT the high calories and fat. GENIUS! Just mix with water to get actual "peanut butter" - but we mostly use this in our shakes. One tablespoon is enough to turn chocolate Shakeology into a Reese Peanut Butter Cup delight!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or send us an email! fitwithfarrar@gmail.com


We are growing our Facebook page too - check it out and like us!

In Health,

Timothy & Lindsay

Grocery Store Trip - Farrar Style!

It really started while Lindsay was in graduate school, pursuing her Master's. She was working full-time, taking a full-time course load, and doing her counseling internship at night. Timothy was working full-time as a firefighter and pretty much every day he wasn't at the station, he was working a variety of part-time jobs (plumbing, farm hand, etc.). 

We were pretty much passing ships in the night....we were newlyweds, but didn't have much time to spend together!! Early on Saturday or Sunday mornings....we'd go grocery shopping. It was virtually our only chance to get an hour or two together, so those trips were like our dates (complete with PDA in the aisles, lol). 

While our schedules have calmed down since then....we still consider grocery store trips to be like dates! We both enjoy it and doing it together is the best :-)

After doing a little Facebook poll earlier this week....it was determined that our friends were most interested in a blog post about our grocery shopping! Well here you are....pics of our most recent trek to Whole Foods (yep, we travel nearly an hour out of the boonies to the nearest Whole Foods - food quality is important to us!!).

Frozen fruit and berries!! Blueberries, Berry Medley (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries), and Pineapple Chunks. We make a lot of shakes, and these add a big antioxidant punch to them! 

"Breads" = waffles, english muffins, and sandwich bread....all gluten-free!! Also have some plain, sodium-free rice cakes (love to spread PB on these!) and Timothy saw some cinnamon dried apples and picked some of them up. 

MEAT! This is probably our biggest reason for going so out of our way to shop at Whole Foods...clean, quality meat! Kroger, Food Lion.....the meats just don't compare. Of course, we get a ton of chicken breasts. Lindsay gets some ground chicken to cook up with some salt and pepper to quickly eat in the morning. Timothy gets chicken burger patties and some chicken sausages. Bacon is also a big hit in the Farrar household (shout-out to Paleo peeps! Lol). Lindsay got some pepperoni for a couple recipes she found on Pinterest this week. 

Plain Greek yogurt, almond butter, some eggs, dark chocolate, and chia powder. Also got some Egg White Protein samples to try out and picked up a mason jar of honey from a local farmer. 

Pretty self-explanatory here! Fruit! Apples, bananas, grape fruits, oranges, lemons, and some pomegranate kernels. 

Had a lot of frozen veggies stocked up, so just needed some sweet-potatoes, carrots, and baby spinach this trip. Going to try to make some raw shakes instead of more than 1 Shakeology a day (we're running out before the next shipments arrive!) and a lot of recipes call for baby spinach! Will likely have a post in the future about our trying out raw shakes! 

Speaking of Shakeology - beginning of the month brought our next shipment!! Thank goodness!! We get the mixed box: half-Chocolate and half-Greenberry. Can't do without this stuff!!

Ohhh....the mail also bought Lindsay's new cross trainers! She was in desperate need of a new pair, and after doing some research, the Ryka Assist XT2 came highly rated amongst fitness instructors/people who did high impact workouts.

Alrighty folks - that's a fairly typical grocery store trip for us! If you have any questions - please comment below or shoot us a message!

In Health,

Timothy & Lindsay