Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Chocolate Milkshakes Without Guilt!

Making shakes/smoothies is a great way to nourish your body. They're quick, portable...just generally very easy and convenient! 

B.U.T. - you can turn them into sugar-laden, fat and calorie BOMBS if you're not careful. So....

Here are the recipes to our Top 3 Chocolate Shakes. Each of these is meant to be a meal (and quite often, it's the healthiest thing we'd consume in a given day!) Drink up!



Chocolate Mocha

1 cup cold coffee
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

Add ice (to your preference), blend until smooth

Reese Peanut Butter Protein Cup
1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

1 scoop Isopure Chocolate Whey Protein
1 TBSP all-natural peanut butter
Add ice (to your preference), blend until smooth

Veggies Shouldn't Taste THIS Good Chocolate Berry Shake

1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup berries of your choice
1 cup spinach or kale
1 TBSP honey
Add ice (to your preference), blend until smooth

If you want to know more about Shakeology or need to purchase some, here is the link!

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Monday, December 9, 2013

Find What You Love...No, Seriously. Find it. Then Do It.

When people reach out to us for fitness coaching or advice, they are often surprised that we actually have a lot of questions for them first....

That's because when you are trying to make a permanent lifestyle change in fitness, you have to find something you love.

It's like when you decide to marry someone.....you've tried others in the past and for whatever reason(s), it didn't work, but then you met "The One" and you learned about each other, things clicked, and BAM, you're ready for a life together.

Same concepts apply to making a lifetime commit to health and fitness. For something to theoretically last forever, you have to really love it!!

Dabble around....try the gym, try at home workouts, try group fitness classes, try CrossFit. Even though we are a "fitness duo", we are pretty different in our fitness love lives: he is 99% CrossFit and 1% running/biking, while Lindsay is 99% home workout programs and 1% miscellaneous (usually CrossFit).

Moral of the story is this: when you dabble around and try some or all of the different options related to fitness, chances are, you'll find things you really enjoy and you'll find things that you probably won't ever do again :) That's the point....find what you love, then do it.

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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P.S. - Lindsay needs this shirt for Christmas:

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Simmer Down!

 


Seriously. Everybody just needs to simmer down!!

People almost have a coronary if they see us eat unhealthy foods. Like we are suppose to be some kind of alien life forms who only consumes boiled chicken and broccoli out of Tupperware containers. 



While we use our blog and our presence on social media to promote a healthy lifestyle....our MAIN GOAL is to show people the way to integrating a balanced approach to nutrition and fitness into their lifestyle. Fast food once in a while won't kill you. Cookies or chips once in a while won't derail any weightloss goal you might have. SIMMA DOWN!

Granted....if you are just starting to consider dipping your toe into diet and exercise, it might be a real struggle for you to be able to maintain balance. We were certainly way more strict when we first began our journey. B.U.T. - if you truly want something to last, to be maintainable with ease....you have to find the balance.









In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

If You're Waiting For Perfect Conditions, You'll be Waiting a While


Good morning, y'all. It's just Lindsay, today :)

I saw the above image on Pinterest this morning, and it spoke to me.

I've seen that quote (paraphrased) several times before, but today, it just hit me stronger...

Maybe it's because my social media newsfeeds are FULL of posts and messages about people saying something along the lines of "I'll just wait until after the holidays, then I'll start [insert healthy living objective here]".

Or maybe it's because the quote made me flashback to when Timothy and I kept pushing off trying to conceive because we wanted everything to be just right before we had a baby (little did we know, getting pregnant wouldn't be so easy).

Whatever it was the made this resonate with me today doesn't really matter...
What truly matters is that it is RIGHT. It is TRUE.

We can't keep pushing off what we need to do for these laundry lists of reasons excuses.
We can't keep saying things like: I will do it when things slow down, or I will do it once the busy holiday season is over, or I will do it when the baby starts sleeping better, or I will do it when we have more money.

If you've been telling yourself you'll do it once the conditions are perfect, go to the mirror right now and tell yourself "Self, that's a load of bullshit and what I really mean to say is that I'll never do it." Because that's what is truly going on....if you're waiting for perfect conditions, you'll never do it.

Start today. Start this very minute. Take the plunge. You just might surprise yourself :)

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim
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Monday, December 2, 2013

Healthy Holiday Substitutions

We *love* the sweet stuff, just as much as the next person! There are a couple of things we've found that help us indulge our sweet tooth without totally blowing our progress out the water....

The first is that we always make our own goodies versus buying the packaged/boxed versions. This is like healthy living tip #1....learn it, live it, love it. :) Even if it's higher calorie or higher fat, your body will process real ingredients better than it will anything pre-packaged/fake. End of story.

The second is substitutions. Especially when you're baking some sweet goodies, substitutions are an easy way to make these yummy noms healthier! Here are some of our favorites:

  • White Flour Substitutions 
    • Nut flours
      • Our favorites are almond and coconut flours. 
    • Black beans 
      • This is a great substitution when you're making brownies! 
    • Whole wheat flour 
      • If you aren't quite ready to experiment with the above mentioned, take it slow and just swap your white flour for wheat flour.
  • Sugar Substitutions 
    • Applesauce 
      • Great at keeping the goods nice and moist (yikes, dirty sentence).
    • Vanilla extract
    • Stevia
      • A little goes a long way here, be careful!
  • Butter/Oil Substitutions
    •  Greek Yogurt
      • Adds lots of protein. 
    •  Applesauce
    •  Prunes
      • A good way to get a little cleanse action :)
    •  Avocado
      • Great, healthy fats! 
    •  Banana 

We found this great image on Pinterest that goes into further detail about these substitutions and measuring differences.

Here's to enjoying the holiday sweets while staying on track with your healthy lifestyle!

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim
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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Working Out So You Can Pig Out (?)

We certainly do it....try to make sure we get a good workout in beforehand if we know we'll be having a meal that is out of the ordinary/not exactly healthy.

Our mindset for doing so is this: One, we try to get a good workout in every day, pending cheat meal or no cheat meal. And two, it couldn't hurt to burn some serious calories and deplete your glycogen levels beforehand! Overall, that's a pretty well-supported thought process (here and here, just as examples). But, it can lead to dangerous territory....

Nice try.

That dangerous territory is where every workout becomes solely for the purpose of following it up with a bad diet....you know, working out so you can pig out.

The gist is this: working out before a cheat meal is probably a GOOD idea; HOWEVER, most of your week's meals should be food that is going to fuel your workouts (lean proteins, complex carbs, veggies).

Trust we are guilty of the too many cheat meals too....but when you lead an overall fit lifestyle and have done so for a couple years, your body is a little more forgiving (shouldn't be an excuse to pig out, though...note to selves). So also keep that in mind: if you're in the beginning of your journey, you're going to need to be really strategic about your cheat meals.

Eating is a science and it's easy to get overwhelmed with it. The best thing to do is keep is simple and keep it moving!

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Friday, November 22, 2013

How to Become a Morning Person


 
There's lots of information and research out there that shows people who wake up earlier tend to be more proactive, optimistic, less stressed, and healthier than those who hit the snooze. Umm...hello, that's a whole lotta good stuff! But...if you still struggle to crawl out from beneath the covers, here are some tips on how to become a morning person:

Get good sleep!
  • Avoid food and electronics for at least an hour before bed
  • Get a white noise machine (they're amazing) and a good mattress (equally amazing)
  • Read a book or take a warm shower/bath before bed to trigger those drowsy feelings.
Wake up the right way!
  • One of the biggest tips is to wake up the same time every day (yes, even on weekends...sorry!)
  • Start slow: start getting up 15 minutes earlier than the day before each day until you reach the optimal time
  • Get moving as soon as/very shortly following your alarm going off. It helps get the energy flowing!
Get moving!
  • Morning workouts can make a huge difference in your day (studies show increased chances of burning fat and building muscle by doing this...seriously, how much incentive do you need?!)
  • Pick a workout you like, have an accountability partner, and have it on your schedule
  • Have all your stuff picked out the night before, or sleep in your workout clothes if you have to!
 Now eat!
  • Especially if you're working out, it's essential to re-fuel properly in the morning
  • Keep in line with your dietary preferences, but a good combination of something high in protein, moderate in complex carbohydrates and good fats is always a good way to go

Don't get us wrong, we're not saying you'll wake up every morning spewing rainbows and glitter, BUT, morning people almost always lead a substantially more productive, healthy life...so it's worth a shot!

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

What's in Your Bag?

Stepping away from "Food, Fitness, and Family" for a moment for a little fun :)

Women's bags are magical things, so it's always fun to see what others have in theirs! Got this idea from Jessi at Jessi's Designs and she got it from Chelsea at The Perfect Catch and Ashley at Newlyweds & Nesting.




Bag: Isn't she pretty?! Got to LOVE Target!



Contents:

Ipad, complete with glitter case :)
Wallet (also Target, duh)
Old I-phone that I use as an I-pod
Sunglasses
Eye Drops
Hand Sanitizer
2 Lip products
And a tazer.....yes, a tazer. A pink one at that :)






Hope this was a fun change from the norm!

Lindsay

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Finding Your Workout Confidence

Maybe it's you feeling lost when you go into the gym....you just wander from machine to machine, telling yourself you don't know what you're doing...

Or maybe it's that nervous feeling when you're entering a new group fitness class for the first time ("this is stupid, everyone's going to see me struggle")...

Or maybe it's that hesitation to purchase a workout program because it looks too intense...

All those feelings: lost, nervous, hesitant....they are all related to a lack of confidence. So, how do you find your workout confidence?

#1 Decide you are a confident person. Stop telling yourself you're too shy, too weak, too whatever. Tell yourself "I'm going to be great at this, I'm strong"

#2 Re-wire your brain for confidence. Describe yourself in your own mind the way you wish to be. Read and listen to personal development books/audio programs. And lastly (and most importantly), change or tighten your network of friends; surround yourself with positive, motivated, happy people!

#3 Celebrate your triumphs. When you do something out of your comfort zone or something that scares you, celebrate - it'll make you more inclined to continue to challenge yourself!


In Health,

Tim and Lindsay

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Finding (and Keeping) *That* Mindset

It happens to EVERYONE....us included.

You're going along, kicking ass and taking names at your healthy lifestyle. Eating well. Working out. Total awesomeness.

Then....you get off track. Sometimes, it's because something major happens. Sometimes, it's a slow fall. Either way, your eating becomes less and less clean. You skip one workout, then another, and another. Next thing you know, you're feeling sluggish and frustrated asking yourself "WHAT THE HELL?!?!"

What does it take to keep *that* mindset? The mindset that has you eating clean and exercising effortlessly - just second nature.

We don't think there is an easy, one-size-fits-all answer to that question....but, here are our top 3 tips that can have a huge impact:

#1 - "Just Keep Swimming!" It sounds so basic, but honestly, the more you do it, the more you'll continue to do it. Keep at it, day after day, and eventually  you don't even have to think about it.

#2 - Surround Yourself with the Right People! Whether they are "real life" people or just following/interacting with people through social media, make sure you are getting a large dose of positive, motivated, energetic people who are living this healthy lifestyle.

#3 - Learn to Forgive Yourself, Quickly! When you have a bad day, or even when you start to see the signs that you're falling off the wagon, say to yourself "Okay, I've made a poor choice that isn't going to help me reach my goals, and that's okay." Shaming yourself will only lead to more poor choices which will only get you further off your path. Pick yourself up quickly and get back on track!


In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Where Time and Energy Are....

Wow - our blog post about our birth story was written when Baby E was just a few weeks old! Sorry for being MIA -  he is now 10 weeks old and has SO MUCH PERSONALITY! He loves to smile, stand up, and is a total chatterbox! He started sleeping in his crib at 6 weeks and began sleeping through the night (most nights, lol) shortly there after. He started daycare at 8.5 weeks and contracted his first cold shortly there after :) He eats 4-5 oz every 2 hours (and is just like his mom and gets HANGRY) and weighs 14 pounds (big boy!!). He still is not a fan of the car seat and refuses to sleep on his back. He is spending more time in the Bumbo seat, which we affectionately call "The Poop Chair" because a dirty diaper is sure to follow after 5 minutes or less in the Bumbo, lol! Of course, like all babies, he has his fussy moments, but honest to God, he's a really really good, happy baby!! We are blessed!

He is so strong!!

Working out :)

This is when he discovered his tongue

Loves to smile :)
 Lindsay resumed working out right at 4 weeks postpartum. All the pregnancy weight (30 pounds) was lost, but body shape and texture (?) had definitely changed and were going to require some work :) She started a Body After Baby/Hot Mom 90-day Challenge at 5 weeks postpartum. This is a Fit with Farrar sponsored challenge where 30-some other moms committed to working out and eating healthfully with her, and one frequent comment from the other moms was "Where on Earth do you find the time and the energy?!?!"




So here's the big secret. Lindsay has found the secret location where both time and energy are hidden from busy, stressed out moms.....



 YOUR MIND.



Yep, it's all in your head. While we never want to undermine how difficult it is to be a mom, energy is a decision. If you tell yourself you have energy, your body will react accordingly. If all you do is think about how tired and exhausted you are, your body also acts accordingly. And with time....time is also a decision. Nobody, mom or not, HAS the time to workout...you have to MAKE the time. Everyone has at least 10-15 minutes a day. Don't think you do? Talk to us about your schedule - I guarantee you we'll find you 10-15 minutes.

Here's the schedule we've been able to develop. DISCLAIMER: Sh*t Happens. Some days do not work like this, but most do. And yeah, milestones (like teething) are probably going to throw a wrench into this, but while we are flexible, we are also committed. This is our lifestyle - we choose it, we will make it work!

4am - Mom and Dad wake; if Baby isn't already awake, we wake for a change and feeding

4:30am - Baby goes back down in crib

5am - Mom works out at home while Dad heads to work for a workout before his day begins

6:30am - Mom wakes up Baby (if not already awake) for another change and feeding, then load up in the car!

7:15am - Mom drops Baby off at daycare and heads to work

7:30am - 5pm - Mom and Dad at work (boooo) and Baby at daycare (double booooo).

5:10pm - Mom picks up Baby from daycare and Dad is on his way home.

5:45pm - 7:30pm - playtime and dinner with Baby!! Also pack all the prepped meals and snacks for the next day.

7:30pm - nighttime ritual begins: bath, bottle, & rocking chair. Baby is usually asleep in crib by 8pm. We watch TV/chat in bed for an hour and then go to sleep ourselves. Then we wake up at 4am and do it all over again....

This schedule is what works for us; it might not work for you and your specific situation, but that's not the point. The point is that if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, you have to make the time. It seems like a chore in the beginning, but eventually, it just becomes a part of your everyday life. If you need some help figuring out how to make things work for you, just email us (fitwithfarrar at gmail) or message us on Facebook!

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Hot Mom/Body After Baby Challenge

Hi y'all! It's Lindsay. At the end of June, I put out a feeler on our Facebook page about hosting a "Hot Mom" Challenge, starting in September. This is both accountability for me after having Everett, but also a way to get other moms involved who are self-conscious, having trouble, not feeling how they want to feel, or just wanting to be healthier after having a baby. There was a HUGE response, so I'm definitely moving forward with the challenge!


Below are the details....everything you need to know! You will have until August 31 to sign up to be a part of this.


Hot Mom/Body After Baby CHALLENGE

  • Starts September 9th and runs for 90 days, ending December 7th. 
  • You must commit to the following:
    • Exercise program; both at-home and gym programs will be offered, but you have to commit to an actual program/schedule. 
    • 80/20 Clean Eating (Eating clean 80% of the time, with some wiggle room 20% of the time)
    • Taking before and after measurements and pictures (You don't have to share them, but I want you to have them to track your success!!)
  • In return for your commitment, you will receive:
    • Exercise AND nutrition support, guidance, and coaching
    • Private Facebook group to share your victories, challenges, concerns, whatever with myself and the other challenge members 
    • I will be logging my food on MyFitnessPal (free website/app) and will give access to anyone who wishes to see how and what I eat. I will also gladly monitor and give feedback to anyone else who logs their food.
There is no charge for participating in this challenge. Yep - this is FREE. Only costs will be related to if you need to purchase an exercise program. 

To sign up, please comment below or message us on Facebook your email address. I'll contact you that way and invite you to the private Facebook group. 

We've hosted challenges in the past with great success...challengers always lost weight/inches/sizes, but more importantly, established healthy habits and felt better about themselves!

LET'S DO THIS!!

In Health, 

Lindsay
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Monday, August 19, 2013

Our Birth Story

Disclaimer: Although the title should be enough of a warning, if you aren't into hearing about labor, delivery, babies, or all that is beautiful in general, you should skip this post :)

Sunday, August 4th - 4 days post due date.

      The last week or two of my pregnancy was where I finally started to feel it. I would have days that I was feeling good and could move and go and workout as usual....then I had days where it took all my energy just to go to work and sit at my desk! At my OB visits, my blood pressure was starting to creep up...not pre-eclampisa high, just high for me (I'm usually low, and was especially low in pregnancy). On Sunday, I had spent most of the morning just lying in bed, watching TV. Timothy would check my BP periodically and we were still getting high readings. At the recommendation of our Doula, we called our OB and she recommended we go to the hospital to get evaluated.

     We arrive at the hospital in the early evening, they monitor my blood pressure and take some blood for labs. BP was still kind of high, but what they were most concerned with were my liver enzymes in the blood work. We decided that we would stay overnight at the hospital in the Antepartum Unit and then have our OB break my water in the morning. One of the doctors offered to sweep my membranes, and since I knew my water was going to be broken in the morning, I thought why not!

     It's like when you're a child and it's Christmas Eve - you have trouble sleeping because of the excitement....that's how we were on the Antepartum Unit that night. We even slept in the tiny little hospital bed together to try and soothe the energy. Come 7am - we'd be taken back down to Labor & Delivery and our journey would begin! Obviously, we had some concerns about how my body would respond to having my water broken. We had natural birth preferences, and would've much preferred to go into labor on my own, but that wasn't an option now. I think it's safe to say we were both concerned how it would impact our ability to have a natural birth. Still hopeful and dedicated, but concerned.

Monday, August 5th - the day.

     We made it down to L&D around 7:30am. Shortly after, our Doula arrived! Because of my positive Group B Strep diagnosis (something I carry that doesn't harm me, but can make newborns sick), I was given my first of two rounds of antibiotics while we waited for the OB to come in and break my water. Around 8am, they broke my water. That was strange - I wasn't sure what it would feel like, but it literally is more uncomfortable to have a pap smear, haha! Super quick and easy. Oh, right before the water breaking, our nurse (who was absolutely FABULOUS) offered to sweep my membranes again, and we said sure, it couldn't hurt. After all that was done, Timothy, our Doula, and I hit the stairs. I was 3-4 cm dilated and 75% effaced, and now that my water was broken, we wanted to get in as much activity as possible to encourage the baby getting into position. We did the stairs for about 15 minutes, having to stop during contractions and get on all fours while our Doula or Timothy rubbed my lower back - the people in the stairwell looked at us like we were crazy, which made us all laugh. :) Afterwards, we walked outside very briefly (it was a gorgeous day!) and then I wanted to head back to L&D.

     Contractions steadily increased throughout the morning, both in frequency and in intensity. It was clear I was going to be one of those women with back labor. I felt all the pain of a contraction right in my lower back! We tried multiple positions (standing, on all fours, draped over the yoga ball, head down/butt up, lying on my side, etc.) but what felt the best was sitting backwards on the toilet, holding the grip bar and just rocking back and forth.

     I made it to 8-9 cm dilated and 100% effaced quickly, but was starting to feel stuck. Turns out, Baby E was OP (Occiput Posterior position) with his head turned toward my right hip....that definitely explained the lower back pain! Our nurse, Karen, said that another nurse on the unit, Martha, was excellent at manipulating babies and we could bring her in and see what she could do....we said absolutely! In the mean time, our nurse called the OB to say "Go ahead and see your next appointment, then you should head this way." Martha did about 20 minutes worth of manipulating (and I'll spare you the details, but whoa that is intense!!!) and then she gives a look at our nurse Karen, and Karen calls our OB and says "Umm, you need to get up here now!" With the manipulating, he dropped into position immediately and it was pushing time!!

     45 minutes....pushed 12-15 times, and then they say "Reach down and get your baby!" I reach down and pull out my beautiful baby boy onto my chest. He is wide-eyed and quiet, just looking up at his mom and dad!! August 5, 2013 at 2:50pm, Everett was born weighing 8 lbs, 13 oz and 21 inches long.

So we did it!! Despite having to have my water broken for me, we had our natural birth! No pain medication, no epidurals, no episiotomy/surgical interventions....it was amazing! Less than 7 hours, only having to push a dozen or so times....I don't think we could've asked for better! And the staff were so freaking awesome. Of course, our OB and our Doula were well-familiar with our natural birth preferences, but our nurses that day were totally on point with everything and we never had to ask. Pain medication wasn't offered, warm compresses/stretching techniques done to avoid tearing, letting me move whenever I wanted, keeping the room quiet and dark, etc, etc. Their support, without questioning, was huge for us. Although our Doula was more than capable of advocating if we needed, we didn't because the nursing staff was already game with everything. AWESOME.

Our little man is now 2 weeks old. He is so strong (holding his head up on his own at 2 days old), and a total boys-boy with his grown man farts and burps! :) We are in love with him and found a new love in each other. Labor and delivery was just as awesome an experience as my pregnancy was....I couldn't have asked for better!



In Health,

Lindsay

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Last Baby Farrar Update Before Delivery!

Hi guys - Lindsay here!

While we try to keep the focus of our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages (dang, that's a lot of social media!) on healthy living - we can't help but sneak in pregnancy updates from time to time. Quite simply, it is our life right now, but if you don't like the baby stuff, you can keep it moving :)

For our last blog update, we were at 6 months. Now, we are quickly approaching 9 months - we are currently 33 weeks pregnant! The last couple of months have gone well - nothing really changed too drastically from the last update. Just more OB appointments (aka get weighed, pee in a cup, vitals taken, measure the belly, listen to the heartbeat, see you next time), more growing in the belly/lots and lots of baby movement, more accumulating the necessities (car seats, stroller, glider, etc.).

I passed the gestational diabetes test - which I was overly-worked up about, mostly due to getting some flack from my OB/nurse about my weight gain. It's not outrageous at all, and in their words, they "didn't know where I was putting it" because the belly and baby measure right on target and I look great, but the fact that it was seemingly an issue to them always upset me. I don't know why - I've always been a girl who weighed way more than people would've thought (Yes, you can be a size 2 and weigh 145-150 pounds) - but because they would push the "you don't want to have a big baby" button on me, I would get so emotional. Here lately, since I am so close to the end, I've tried to be more intentional about letting the weight comments roll off me. So long as he continues to measure on track, my blood pressure continues to be perfect (usually 110/70), SO WHAT!!!!

We were able to get a 3D/4D ultrasound done - and that was amazing!! Both the technician and myself thought Baby had Timothy's cheeks, nose, and chin! He was a smilely little thing too - and when he would smile, he'd scrunch up his nose - now that's a trait from me!! :) Oh, and he was very clearly still a boy, lol.

Cute scrunched up nose when smiling!!
We finished our 12-week Bradley Method birth class - and while going to and from Richmond so late on Sunday nights was a pain, we really did learn SO much. I think both of us feel prepared and confident with regard to labor and are dedicated to doing all that we can to bring Baby into this world naturally. Being that we are giving birth in a hospital with an OB, we decided to hire a Doula. While my OB has agreed to all my birth preferences, there is no guarantee that she will be the one in the practice to actually deliver me when it is time, so a Doula will be one consistent figure and advocate in the process, no matter what.

It's funny - once I hit 32 weeks, I finally began to feel pregnant. Took long enough, huh?  :) Don't get me wrong, I am by no means uncomfortable or dying to get this over with, but I am starting to notice certain changes that make me go "Yep, I really am pregnant". For example, it now takes me 1-2 days to recover between workouts. I'll do TurboFire or P90X or a longer Crossfit WOD and feel great, but then I'll need at least 1 day of rest before working out at that intensity again. That being said - yes, I'm still doing intense workouts because it feels good to me. I've tried prenatal Pilates and other more gentle workouts, and they just don't do it for me. What feels good to me and what works for my body is my usual workouts, just modified as needed! (Disclaimer: Always work with your OB to find what's appropriate for you)

Sleeping is still pretty good, eating is always good (lol). Baby is head-down and I have Braxton Hicks contractions daily, lasting about 40 seconds, several times throughout the day. Mine are not painful, rather my belly just tightens up and gets rock hard on all sides. I've had a few folks tell me they don't think I'll go all the way to 40 weeks. Timothy is betting I'll go in early July, and a couple co-workers have bet that I'll go mid-July. My due date is July 31st - what do you think???

Some preggers selfies :)


You'll remember, it took us a long time to get here, so we are just blissfully happy and excited!! The next Baby blog post will be after he's arrived!!! Stay tuned!

In Health,

Lindsay

Friday, May 3, 2013

Pick Up Heavy Stuff, Put It Back Down, Repeat







It's hard to believe, but even in the age of Crossfit obsession and with ALL the research and knowledge out there on the benefits and overall necessity of weightlifting, women STILL avoid lifting, especially lifting heavy.

Based on what we hear, see, and read, it seems like there are a couple of factors at play here. One is that women, more so than men, are obsessed with burning calories. It's all about how high I can get the "Calories Burned" number on the treadmill or elliptical. What they don't realize is that while cardio can give you a high calorie burn, when you build muscle, you burn 24/7 instead of just during your workout. Also, people who do chronic cardio (what we fondly call cardio whores) end up not just burning calories, but burning already limited muscle mass as well. Bad News Bears.

More "reasoning" we get from women is that they don't want to lift too often or too heavy because they don't want to bulk up, they just want the lean, toned look. We debunk your reasoning here with simple genetics. Men have lots of testosterone, thus when they lift heavy things, they get big, beautiful muscles. Women, however, have very little testosterone, thus when they lift heavy things, their figures get leaner, and tighter. Trust that the only way you'll "bulk up" or get huge from weightlifting is from eating too much simultaneously....or taking hormones. Plus, your purse probably weighs at least 10 pounds, and that toddler you're toting around is a good 25 - so please, stop with the 2 to 5 pound weights.

Look - you like to run? No problem. Love Zumba or TurboFire? Fantastic. We aren't saying don't do these things. What we are saying is that cardio should not be your only means of working out, ladies. You have got to weight-train. It keeps your body fat percentage in check, supports a healthy metabolism, helps you fight injury and illness, helps support good bone density, and damn it, you just look better with muscle!!

Still not convinced?? Here's how being intentional with weightlifting and building muscle changed Lindsay's physique:


Too much cardio
After 1 year of regular, heavy lifting





After 2 years of weightlifting!


As always, we'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below, on our Facebook page, tweet us, or message us on YouTube!

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay

Thursday, April 11, 2013

6 Months Pregnant!

It really is the strangest thing - most times, it feels like this pregnancy is flying by way too fast, but when we think about, we've been pregnant since October, which feels like a pretty long time! :) It's probably mostly due to the fact that this pregnancy has been blessedly easy, and it was easy for me to forget I was pregnant up until most recently (i.e., the belly popped and the little guy is very, very active!!).

A little update about what's been going on in the last couple of months:

  • We found out "Nugget" is a BOY!!We had the Anatomy Scan at 20/21 weeks, and he was such an ornery cuss!! He had his back to us, would occasionally look over his shoulder and show his face, but wasn't showing us the goods! After some coaxing and prodding, the tech was able to get a view looking up between his legs and IT'S A BOY!! We are so excited!!! Part of me occasionally frets about what if the tech was wrong and it was really a foot or something (even though the logical part of me is pretty darn certain that's clearly boy parts! lol



  • We moved - 3 minutes up the road, but a move nonetheless! While we enjoyed the tiny, old farm cottage we were renting, it was tiny and old, and generally not a safe environment for a baby to be crawling around in. The current house we are renting is much more baby-friendly and we are settling in nicely!
  • Around 22 weeks or so, the belly POPPED in a big way! This is when I could look at myself and be like "Yep, that doesn't look like I just ate too much anymore, that's clearly a baby in there!!"
Little bump at 20 weeks


POW! 4 weeks later, hello pregnant belly!



  • Still not having any truly negative symptoms of pregnancy!! I pulled an ab muscle around 19 weeks and that was uncomfortable/slightly painful, but after taking it easy (i.e., no workouts) for a week, I was back to normal! Still no sickness.....I can feel my body adjusting and changing, but none of it is uncomfortable. I'm okay with my big belly, but these big ol' boobs are a whole other animal!! They are huge, which makes me self-conscious at times, but I tell myself that it is hopefully a sign that I'll be able to breastfeed and that's an amazing positive! :)
  • Nutrition is pretty normal. I was an eater pre-pregnancy and I'm still an eater now!! :) My food choices haven't really changed much at all. I was fretting over the scale in the early 2nd trimester, but I've stopped weighing myself at home (only gets done at my OB appointments now) and I feel MUCH better.
  • Working out has been fun!! I have been regularly working out 6 days a week and it makes me feel strong and like I'm prepping my body for labor!! Crossfit, jogging, TurboFire, etc. - doing all the things I did pre-pregnancy, just modifying as needed (most of the modifying is just working around the belly now!)
  •  Our birth class began last week! We are taking a 12-week course on the Bradley Method, which is a birthing class focused on natural birth that is very partner-centered. I knew I wanted to attempt a natural birth, and the Bradley class fit best because Timothy and I do everything together, so to have him be such an intricate part of this birthing process was a no-brainer!! When people find out I'm attempting a natural birth, there is sometimes some flack, but I like to remind folks that I know and trust my body, and if plans change and I get an epidural or have to have a c-section, that I am prepared for that as well. I'm not naive, I know enough to know that stuff happens and it's best to be prepared for it all :)
Okay, that covers most of it!! Hope you enjoyed this update. We honestly couldn't be happier and soak up every precious experience with this baby - we are so blessed to finally have this experience we've wanted for so long and we just can't help ourselves in sharing the excitement :)

In Health,

Lindsay (and Timothy in spirit)
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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

More Time!!

We hear it daily, in a variety of settings, referring to a variety of things, but it all has to do with not having enough time.


Limited/no time is the #1 excuse folks use when trying to explain their lack of commitment to their health and  fitness. Truth is, we all have the same 24 hours in a day and you don't find the time, you MAKE the time for things that are important to you. That being said, if you want to make your health and fitness important to you, here are some things that you might find helpful to maximize the use of your precious time!

1. Use the days you have more "unscheduled time" to make it easier on all the other days!!

  • We are specifically referring to meal and workout prep here! Prepping your meals or your meal staples (veggies, fruits, meats) in one day makes it that much easier on all the other days. If you aren't following a specific program, also map out all your workouts. This prep work takes out the guessing and makes it less likely you'll deviate from the plan!
2.  Make your workouts count....get the most bang for your buck!

  • Be smart when it comes to your workout choices - choose programs and/or individual workouts that will give you the greatest outcome in the least amount of time. Some of our favorites are Insanity, TurboFire, Crossfit, and ZWOWs
3. If you must have variety in your foods, map out your meals a week in advance and grocery shop accordingly!
  •  Once the shopping is done, see tip #1 :-)
 
To be completely open and honest, the tips only really work when YOU have DECIDED that this is going to be a priority for you. Once you've had the mindset change, it all falls into place fairly easily...then you get into a routine, and that routine becomes habit, and before you know it, this is just how you live!!






In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Best Tools for Getting Started

Only 6 years ago - we were here. Happy as all-get-out and madly in love, but seriously out of shape.






It was clear a change was needed, and Timothy began his journey with Lindsay following suit shortly after. Years of being consistent, truly making a lifestyle change, have us here. Still happy as all-get-out and madly in love, but in shape and healthy too!


There are some key tools/advice that assisted in our transformations, and that's what we'd like to share with y'all today:


  • Tracking/logging your food
    • Back in the day, SparkPeople was the only online option so that's what we used. It's still a great community (and still free!) but we find MyFitnessPal (also online and free!) to be a better site. Regardless of how you do it, tracking your food is HUGE, especially when you are first starting out on your journey. It is incredibly enlightening to see what serving sizes really are!
  • Having a workout program that has a schedule
    • Whether you will be using a gym, running or biking, joining a Crossfit box, or using workout DVDs at home - choose a program that has a schedule. When you are starting out, if left to your own devices to come up with a workout every day, it is exponentially more likely that you will "fall off the wagon". If you have a schedule and your workouts are planned for you, every day for 90+ days, this helps keep you on track and takes out the guessing-game!

  • Batch-cooking food and kitchen gadgets 
    •  This is probably our biggest tip: batch cook your food!! Once a week (either Saturday or Sunday), to this day, we batch cook our food staples for the week (meat, veggies, etc.). By doing this, all your meals are ready to go, all you have to do is reheat! Also during this time, you can measure out your servings - a food scale and/or Bento-box style lunchboxes are perfect for this! This one tip can take the headache out of eating healthy and keeps you on track with your nutritional goals.
  • Learn as much as possible
    • Follow health & fitness gurus on social media, read more about fitness and nutrition, follow Fit with Farrar's blog and Facebook page :) Surrounding yourself with this information helps you stay motivated and focused, but also helps you to become more educated on these areas....and the more you know, the better!
These four things made a WORLD of difference in our lives and have allowed us to maintain a healthy lifestyle for 5 years now, so we highly recommend them to you!

If you have a good tip, tool, or piece of advice to share, please leave it in a comment below - we'd love to hear from you!

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay
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Monday, February 4, 2013

Fitness & Pregnancy: From a PREGNANT point of view this time :)

You may recall - based on readers' requests, we did a Fit Pregnancy post a few months ago (you can find that post here). That one was based on the research we had done, gathering information from several knowledgeable and reputable sources, BUT - it had no personal experience to go along with it.

Well now that we got a few months of personal experience under our belt, we figured we'd give y'all an updated version :)

Original post: "During the first trimester, staying active is important. It will help alleviate some of the negative side-effects of pregnancy hormones you might be experiencing (nausea, fatigue, etc.). But no one says you have to keep up with your 6-day-a-week workouts seshs.....if you need to bump it down a notch, DO SO! You're growing a baby, for goodness sake! :)"


Now: Um yeah, first trimester did not go as gloriously as that sounds above! Lindsay really (unnecessarily) freaked about exercising because her heart rate gets so high (doesn't take much for her to get in the 180's+) and she was so scared she'd lose the baby. This cut down on the first trimester workouts A LOT. And the need for 10-12 hours of sleep, plus naps, didn't leave much time in the day for workouts, either.


Original post: "Once you get into the second and third trimesters, you might have slowed down (especially if you were super active girl before getting pregnant), but don't stop completely! Remaining active isn't just good for you, it's good for that little critter in your belly too! Avoid high-risk/contact exercise, working out in extreme temperatures, and also avoid exercises that have you on your back (like Pilates), because when lying on your back, your expanding uterus presses against your spinal cord, which in turn limits blood flow."

Now: Once she made it to the second trimester, and had a few doctor's visits under her belt, she felt more comfortable working out regularly. One set of pregnancy DVDs was tried, but Lindsay has veered back to TurboFire, just doing the "low impact modifications". Energy seems to be coming back, which makes working out 4-5 times a week pretty darn doable!

Maintaining fitness is important, and Lindsay hopes to continue strong throughout the rest of the 2nd trimester and into her 3rd. The fear and fatigue that plagued the first trimester are diminishing, so here's hoping!

Today's Lesson: Things don't always go as you have planned!

A little pic - does/did this happen to anyone else while pregnant? Working out (guessing it's all the blood flowing) makes the belly swell like CRAZY?!






In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy

Friday, January 25, 2013

Our Turn

That's right - arriving this summer, Fit with Farrar will go from being a dynamic duo to a powerhouse of 3!!

I (Lindsay) figure since I'm carrying this baby, I'll tell the story :)

It has been a long road to get here, and while we will keep the very personal details between the two of us, we will bring you up to speed on our general experience.

Our TTC (trying to conceive) journey was way more overwhelming than we ever anticipated. We just figured that we were two healthy individuals and it wouldn't take us any time to get pregnant.....WRONG. The whole process involved a lot of tears, a lot of "why us?", a lot of emotionally draining discussions, and a lot of sheer frustration. Everyone around us was getting pregnant and there we were, still not pregnant. We were and had been doing everything we could, but it STILL wasn't happening; it still wasn't "our turn". Every month, without fail, I would convince myself that this would be the one - and every test was negative. We began to talk about what other options we needed to consider to get our family.....

Right after Thanksgiving, I took a pregnancy test....And much to our surprise....

IS THIS REAL LIFE?!?!


Shock. Some amusement (Seriously, just a few hours prior was yet another teary discussion of what other options to have our family were, and now BAM, positive pregnancy test. Universe is cruelly funny like that). But mostly shock.

Shock eventually gave way to sheer excitement. We determined I was 4 weeks and we decided to keep it a secret from everyone until around 9 weeks or so. While we were so excited, we were also fearful of losing the baby, so it was our little secret.

At 9 weeks, 1 day, we had our first appointment and ultrasound. We laughed throughout the entire ultrasound.....laughing from relief of seeing the little heart flickering, laughing from the joy of seeing little nugget dance around like a wiggle worm. What an awesome moment that we will treasure forever.

Around New Years, we planned 3 separate get-togethers will all our parents.....we made a gift certificate for each of them that said "Good for one grandbaby, expires 7/31/2013" and put it in a card. Everyone was so excited and happy for us and that made our joy multiply!

A couple days after that, we informed a handful of other family members (grandparents, aunts/uncles), but still wanted to keep it on the down low for a couple more weeks - well, that doesn't work so well when people have been waiting for this baby for so long :) It lasted about a week then we started fielding whispering-congratulations from random folks, so we just took matters into our own hands and here we are, announcing it to the world!

Pregnancy is going well! In the 2nd trimester, and for those interested in this kind of thing (we see lots of other bloggies do it and we enjoy it), here are some of the details:

Weight gained: 3-4 pounds, although the "bloat" makes it look (and feel!) so much more than that some days. 
Symptoms: I feel just fine! Never got sick; really just some itchy, dry skin and FATIGUE. Slept like a champ prior to pregnancy, but now - things are insane. I shoot for 9-10 hours on weeknights, and 12 hours on weekends, and some naps! :)
Food Aversions: No real aversion so far - but I have lost my taste for coffee. And pepperoni gives me awful indigestion :( 
Food Cravings: initially it was BBQ, now it's mostly salty/crunchy things, clementines and sour cream (not all together, obvi)
Of course - there is still some fear. I don't think that'll completely go away until we are in the 3rd trimester (if ever). We try to keep the fear in check because we really are just radiating excitement and energy about the entire thing - we know that this moment is a blessing and no matter the outcome, we do not take a single aspect of it for granted.

Talk soon,

Lindsay and Timothy

Thursday, January 3, 2013

How to Make Your Resolutions STICK This Time

We are three days into 2013. Most folks are riding the high of a healthier lifestyle right now....

My eating was awesome today!

I totally killed that workout!



But the hard, cold truth is this: by the end of January, most folks' inner dialogue looks like this.....

Meal prep is a pain; I'll just grab some fast food every day!

It's too cold/too early/too late/I'm too tired to workout!

Sound familiar? If so, don't fret. We've all been there - you are definitely not alone. 

So how can you make 2013 different from all the rest? How can you make your resolutions, goals, and objectives for this new year STICK?? Here are some tips:

  • Watch out with the "All or Nothing" approach.
    • You either eat perfectly clean or you completely binge - this is a resolution sabotage! If you've been eating well and then went out to dinner on a Friday night and had dessert, it is not the end of the world and you don't have to blow the rest of the weekend because of it. Start fresh with your next meal :)
  • Ease into it!
    • You don't have to do a complete 180 overnight. Pick a few habits that you can really focus on and put your energy into these smaller, more manageable changes. 
  • Really, truly understand that it is a process.
    • If you can establish the mindset that this is a journey and you are trying to make being healthy a lifestyle, you will be ahead of the game! 
  • Make your goals measurable.
    • Instead of saying "I want to lose weight and get healthy", make your resolutions quantifiable: I want to lose 1 pound per week for the first month, then blah blah, or I want to quit smoking, by decreasing my consumption by 1 cigarette per day until I'm at 0 cigs!
  • Make your goals public knowledge!
    • Don't keep your resolutions a secret. Put them on Facebook, tell your friends, family, and coworkers. Knowing that people are "watching you" is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success! 
  • Surround yourself with people you want to be like.
    • Both in-person and within social media - make sure those that you are seeing/talking to on a daily basis are encouraging individuals who either have the success you want, or are on the same journey. We sponsor year-round challenge groups with this exact purpose and they have been wildly successful!
Here's to an amazing year!

In Health, 

Timothy and Lindsay