Monday, July 30, 2012

Managing the Highs and Lows


 It happens with seemingly everything...

You first fall in love and are so enamored you can't see past their face, but as time goes on, you regain your senses and are able to still be in love (hopefully), but carry about life [relatively] normally.

You first start a new job, and OMG everything is new and exciting and challenging....then time goes on, and you settle into a rhythm with your role...things slow down.

You find out your pregnant (ladies) and the excitement is so amazing, every flutter and kick....then you reach 9 months and you're mindset is: okay baby, it's time to come out....NOW! (At least, that's what we've witnessed with our friends and family).

There are highs and lows with everything, and starting a healthier lifestyle is certainly no different. When you first kick off your new workout program and/or healthy eating routine, you're (usually) excited about it, focused, and determined. Then as time goes on.....it may start to feel like a chore, the extra 45 minutes of sleep sounds better than getting up to workout, you don't feel like prepping all your food and a trip to Mickey D's is just plain easier. It is totally natural to feel this way, but we wanted to share some tips on riding out these highs and lows:

  • Recognize and even expect that you won't feel like workout out or eating healthfully every day. Some days you'll be pumped for this lifestyle, and some days, you'll need to check yourself or give yourself a little pep talk. Do what you have to do to convince yourself to stick to it.
  • If you're stuck in more lows than highs, revisit your goals. Nothing is set in stone. You didn't sign any legal documents. If you want to change what you had originally planned, do so! It might help you feel rejuvenated and focused again.
  • Reach out for support. If you have others joining you in this journey, don't be afraid to raise your hand and ask for help! We are here for anyone at any time or point in their journey - just give us a shout! 

Question for you: Do you have any tips for managing the highs and lows of a healthy lifestyle? Please answer in a comment below (you can do it anonymously!!)

Enjoy the journey,

Lindsay and Timothy
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

What’s Made All the Difference in Our Marriage


     We certainly aren’t marriage or relationship experts, and some would say that after being together only 6 years, we don’t have the longevity to speak on this topic; however, at this point in our life together, here’s what we feel has made all the difference in our marriage:
 
     WE comes before I or OTHERS
o     We don’t necessarily put each other first, rather – we put our marriage first. Our little nuclear family takes priority over all. 

      We tease each other
o     Honestly, we do give each other a really hard time, but it is light-hearted! Teasing is certainly a medium of affection between the two of us.

·       We interview each other
o     Even though we like to think we know each other inside-out, we both ask a lot of questions of each other, and sometimes the answers are surprising/unexpected! Car rides and meals out are when the bulk of the interviewing happens. It’s a way we subconsciously tell each other “I still think you are an incredibly intriguing creature” :-)

·        We push each other
o    This part has more layers than an onion.  From workouts together, to career moves, to personality issues….we challenge each other to be more, to do more.

·         We apologize
o     Maybe not always immediately or when the other really needs it….but it comes, eventually. :-)

·        We celebrate each other
o     Birthdays, successes on the job, life events….we try to make a big deal out of the little things! We strive to be each other’s Cheerleader/#1 Fan!

·        We seek inspiration in other couples
o     As individuals, we try to only surround ourselves with positive and motivated people. As a couple, we like to do the same – find other couples, whose relationships we admire, and steal from what they’re doing. Conversely, we also take note of things we see other couples doing that we don’t want….which usually plays out with one of us saying “If you EVER did that, I would kick your ass!” :-)

·       We laugh
o    You know how Buddy the Elf says smiling is his favorite?? Well laughing is ours! Most of the time it comes from the aforementioned piece about teasing each other, but we look for sources of laughter anywhere and everywhere!

·       We are honest with each other
o     Neither of us are mind-readers, so we don’t expect each other to magically know something. If you want ____ say you want ____! Also, if one of us is being a jerk, the other tells them! Sometimes we tell each other through our dog Bo…you know, talking to the dog with the other in ear-shot: “WOW, Daddy is sure in a bad mood today, huh BoBo?” C’mon – we can’t be the only ones who do that!! :-)


·       We do stuff together
o     It is safe to say we are each other’s favorite person – you know, that person when you always want to hang out with! While we have our own individual interests, we always prefer to “do stuff” together!


We hope to look back on this is several years to see what's changed or what we've added! We'd love to hear what's made the difference in your marriage or relationship!! Feel free to comment below (anonymously if you want!)

Laura Gordon Photography
Laura Gordon Photography
Laura Gordon Photography


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Beat Workout Boredom

Check yourself - do you still have the enthusiasm for working out, just like when you first got on board? If your motivation is wavering and your workouts are started to feel more like a chore you're dreading rather than something you look forward to, here are some tips to get you out of the rut:

1. If you normally workout solo, try working out with a buddy or a group! All that sweat and positive energy is bound to get you re-focused and re-energized :)

2. If you are sick and tired of pounding the pavement/treadmill or swishing away on the elliptical or bike, look to other sources for great cardio! Try a workout DVD like TurboFire or Insanity, or do some hill sprints or go to your local high school and do stadium runs!

3. Weight-training seems too slow or boring? Try some new equipment (switch out dumbbells for kettlebells, for example!) or try a whole new approach, like Crossfit!

4. Music-listeners, when was the last time you added some new tunes to your playlist? Sounds simple, but it could be all the difference for you!

5. Along those same lines - whatcha workin' out in? Baggy sweats and oversized t-shirts? Invest in a couple quality, nice looking pieces....something you're comfortable in, but that shows what your hard work so far has done!

There! Feel better? Refocused and ready to attack your next workout?? YES - we thought so! Now get out there and kick ass!

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy
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Monday, July 16, 2012

No Money, No Problem - Workouts

If you want to get started working out, but you are *really* (and we mean REALLY) strapped for cash...or if you want to "find your workout niche" before investing a lot in equipment or programs, we have some options for you!

Never fear - the Farrars are here! (Not actually us - Timothy's hair isn't nearly that wafty, hehe!)

Option 1: Tear out workouts from fitness magazines!

                                  
There are SO many health and fitness magazines out there and nearly all of them have at least a couple workouts in every issue! Common courtesy, though folks - if they aren't your magazines...write the workouts down rather than tearing them out :)

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Option 2:  God Bless the Internet!

Thanks largely in part to YouTube, wonderful fitness-minded people of the world post workouts online, FOR FREE! Take advantage of this! Here are some of our favorites:

Zuzana Light and her ZWOWs (Zuzana's Workout of the Week)
Body Rock TV
Vivace Fitness with Chelsea
Pinterest has a lot of pins that detail simple, quick, but effective workouts!

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Option 3: The Wild and Wondrous Outdoors!

If you have access to a local track (or just a plain ol' road) - do running intervals. 
Live in a mountainous area? - go hiking.
Have a 5'x5' space anywhere - do some burpees!

You get the idea - use the space and free things around you!


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And there ya go - plenty of options, even when you are strapped for cash! There really are absolutely, positively no excuses guys and gals. Find what you like (or can at least tolerate) and do it! Then do it again! Wash, rinse, repeat! :-)

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay


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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Priorities, Baby!

We don't think it is a huge secret at this point - but for those who may not know....yes, we travel an hour to and an hour back to grocery shop at a certain store, once a week, always. It's really not a big deal to us....we are constantly bee-bopping all over creation anyways....but it never fails to surprise people when they first hear it. Weird, but okay.

On our most recent trek, we ran into some cohorts of Timothy's. Chit-chatting commenced: they perused our shopping cart, asked why we were here annnndddd when we explained we make this trip every week, the jokes about "must be nice to have all that money" started up.

Outside, we looked like this:
Inside, we looked like this:
 
  












We were discussing this afterward and found what we think to be the best way to explain it. We will try our best to utilize this explanation/disclaimer, in whole or parts, in all future encounters:

"WOW, thank you for insinuating that a couple in their mid-twenties with no history of monetary inheritance must be rich because they shop at Whole Foods. It certainly can't be because we work hard and budget accordingly, no, definitely not that. We are just Richy McRicherson"

Okay - maaayybbbee skip that part, unless we are just overwhelmed with sarcasm that day.
 
Maybe it should go more like this:

"Yep - high quality food is really important to us and we can't get that at our local stores. We find that you spend your money, time, and effort on things that you deem priorities. For us, our health is the #1 priority, so we delegate a lot of our time, money, and effort into preserving and improving our health."

Now - in our perfect world, the person(s) would follow up with something like "Jeez, you're right. I want to do this too. How can you help me?"

YES! YES! We can help. Easy challenge: For the next month, track your expenses. Keep note of when you go out to the bar for drinks, grab some fast food, get some snacks from the vending machine, order pizza, etc. We bet that you would be shocked if you add all that up! If you really want to make the change without seeing a huge change in your budget, put all or most of those funds toward grocery shopping. Crap out, goodness in, no change in your funds. 

We really mean no harm, and we are sorry if you find this post preachy. We are not perfect, but we do try to keep our priorities at the forefront of our minds 98.978346% of the time and just want people to know that they too can do the same, if they really want to. 

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In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy

Nutrition 101: Part 4 - Fat!

Welcome all to the fourth and final installment of our Nutrition 101 series! If you've missed any of the pieces so far, please take a moment to review:

Part I - What and How Much
Part II - Protein
Part III - Carbs

Now that you're all up to speed - let's jump right in!

Fats - they are absolutely essential for normal body function, for ALL bodies (big, small, tall, short, ALL!) They are a major source of energy, help your body in absorbing vitamins, and are vital for proper growth, development and keeping you healthy. Fats also provide taste to foods and help you feel fuller longer.

Life would be all peanut butter and chocolate if that's where it stopped, right? Well, life isn't and nothing is ever that easy :-) There are different kinds of fats and not all of them are created equal!

Trans Fat - can be both naturally occurring (small amounts in the fatty parts of meat and dairy) and artificial (foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil). A lot of people just say avoid all trans fat, when in reality, it isn't the small amounts in meat/dairy that get ya - it's the artificial trans fat in processed food products (read: Twinkie). As with virtually everything, avoid and limit processed foods!

Saturated Fat - a lot of conflicting information out there on this little bugger. Saturated fat is often found in high-fat cheeses, high-fat cuts of meat, whole-fat milk and cream, butter, and ice cream. The whole "saturated fat causes heart disease" stands on really shaky ground from a data perspective, but the overall takeaway is: we're not saying gorge yourself on butter, bacon, and cheese, but there is no reason why these things can't be a part of a healthy diet!

Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fat  - most of your fat should come from these sources! Nuts, vegetable oils, and fish fall into these two categories. Great sources of Omega-6 and Omega-3!

Cholesterol - fatty substance that's found in animal-based foods (meats, poultry, egg yolks, and whole milks). Not only do you get cholesterol from the foods you eat, but your body also makes cholesterol to use in normal body functions. Here is where HDL ("good" cholesterol) and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) come into play.

The amount of fat one should have in their diet varies based on a person's current state, their goals, any dietary guidelines they follow (Paleo/Caveman diet, for example, is high fat), etc.

Most important takeaway is this: Make the majority of your fat come from these: fish, avocados, eggs, olive/canola/coconut oils, and nuts/nut butters.

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In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Lindsay's Beachbody Journey (So Far!)

Hello hello! I hope that our American friends had a wonderful fourth of July holiday.

This time of year, particularly July, makes me feel happy and my heart is full! I always reflect on the time, now two years ago, when my life changed!

It was May 2010 and I was overwhelmed with life - I was working full-time in a really challenging job, I was in graduate school full-time, and I was interning as a therapist part-time. I had an hour commute in and an hour commute out, so Monday through Friday, I was working or on the road 15+ hours each day - and boy was my body showing it! I was tired, irritable, constantly anxious. In my 2nd year, my graduate program *thankfully* focused a lot on self-care...basically that as future therapists, we needed to make extra certain we made time for taking care of ourselves, so that we could better help other people. I took that to heart and realized I needed to find something to do FOR ME!

I researched and researched - I knew I wanted to do a fitness program, and it had to be something I could do at home, because with 15+ hour workdays, I wasn't going to throw going to the gym into that crazy mix. I ended up buying ChaLEAN Extreme. Chalene Johnson seemed fun, nice and cute...someone who would motivate me! 

How could this NOT motivate you?!

I received the program and ended up working out at 3:45 am (yes, you read that correctly) every morning. There was an adjustment period, for sure, but when my body started thanking me with more energy and less irritability, EVEN THOUGH I was still working 15+ hour days, I was HOOKED!

I didn't know when I bought ChaLEAN Extreme that I could have a coach (for free!) to help motivate me. My first coach was a dud and never reached out to me, but this wonderful woman named Bridget did and I switched to her immediately! She mentioned Shakeology to me, sent me some samples - and BAM! I was in Results City, USA!! With working out and drinking the shakes, I had lost 10 pounds, 13 inches, and 4 jean sizes!! Better than that - I was feeling good about myself!! I was more efficient at work, my school work and internship didn't bog me down as much....life was wonderful!

I was sharing my experience with all my friends and family - and taking a lot of selfies :)

And apparently wearing a lot of red!



It didn't take long for me to start getting questions about what I was doing - and I gladly told them! Bridget, my Beachbody coach, kindly relayed to me that if I became a coach, not only could I get discounts on the products, but I could make some extra income by doing what I was already doing - sharing my results with other people and helping them jumpstart their journey.

At first - I was skeptical....really skeptical. I wasn't sure this was right for me - I wasn't a salesperson, I didn't want to have to "sell" anybody on anything, that just sounded icky! Plus - I was already working full time, in grad school full-time, and interning...could I handle another thing added to my plate?!? So again, I did my research, listened to some people's stories, and realized you aren't selling - this isn't like Avon, Thirty-One, etc. You are sharing how you changed your life, and if people want to change theirs too, they can join you. That's all! And you put however much time and effort into it as you see fit. 

So in July 2010, I became a Beachbody coach! Initially, I just wanted to make enough to cover my monthly Shakeology order, and anything else was just a bonus. I did that until I finished my Master's and life slowed down a bit, then I realized I could really devote more time to this and try to help more and more people! I focused less on the money and more on the people, and ironically, my little side-income GREW from that change in focus! I continued to do Beachbody programs....after ChaLEAN Extreme, I did TurboFire, then Insanity, P90X, Les Mills Pump, etc. etc.!

Yep, looking back on all this always makes me smile! Being a Beachbody coach has introduced me to so many GOOD people....they are all positive, motivated, passionate people and I love to surround myself with all the good vibes they put off! 

Super Saturday Event!
P90 "X" me :)
Oh yeah! WORKOUT TIME!

 
One of my coaches, Danielle!














The additional income has been and continues to be a blessing, but what I love the most about it, and why I will continue to be a Beachbody coach is because 1. They are the best: I am a product of the product and I think they make some of the best programs ever, 2. I love seeing other people succeed. I love to motivate people, help keep them accountable, and I love to celebrate their successes with them, and 3. IT HOLDS ME ACCOUNTABLE!!! If you want motivation to stay on top of your health/fitness game - become a coach! Nothing will help hold you accountable like putting yourself out there as a health/fitness coach!! :-)

Thanks for taking the time to read this as I reflect on my journey. I have come so far and I am committed to helping people make the changes they want to make!

Talk to y'all soon!

In Health,

Lindsay

Monday, July 2, 2012

Zucchini Fries!

Lindsay made these Saturday night and they were great! A lot of people were curious about the recipe after she posted a Facebook status about them, so here you go:

How to prepare:

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and then each half into 2 pieces width wise. Next slice each zucchini chunk into 4 fries. Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes.

Notes:



You can use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also can be used for thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes!

For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500ºF and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time.

Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan for some extra flavor! 

Thanks to Pinterest for inspiring such a culinary masterpiece.




ENJOY,

Timothy and Lindsay