Thursday, October 2, 2014

For or Against: The Case of Fitspo

We're working under the assumption that you know what "fitspo" (short for "fitspiration") is - but if not, in short, fitspo is images of active, strong, and fit women that promote proper exercise and diet; it may also include images healthy foods or motivational words. Sounds pretty good, right? Sounds like awesome visual motivation, yeah? Wellllll....a quick Google search would lead you to think it's the exact opposite; that it is sent from the depths of hell to ruin us all. Go ahead and look, we'll wait...





In researching for this post, it was honestly virtually impossible to find anything of good substance that made a case FOR fitspo....which lead to some second-guessing of our own thoughts/feelings on the subject. You see,we both operate under the assumption that there is some good fitspo out there and that as originally created, it was made with good intention. Are we naive? Maybe so....but people could (and probably do) consider our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages fitspo.

Could we get into a huge, lofty, philosophical argument on the dark side of fitspo? Sure. And we completely recognize that we sometime see things labeled as fitspo on social media, Pinterest, etc. and cringe. Things most could consider demeaning to women, memes insulting one fitness activity in favor of another (you know the "Zumba? Bitch, I Crossfit" one...), etc.

But, how about making a case for fitspo?

How about acknowledging that a lot of folks are visually motivated?

Can't there be all forms of fitspo? Not every person finds the same body type a goal, attainable, etc.



P.S. - they are all showing skin because they're all gorgeous and wanted to,
but fitspo doesn't have to be in revealing clothes. And we used all women
as example since most fitspo is geared to that sex.


And can one be one's own fitspo, i.e., getting back to when one felt the best/most healthy?

All in all, we think when used for good, fitspo can be a good, healthy thing! And as with most things....when used for evil, it has the potential to be seriously detrimental.

We are REALLY curious about your thoughts - please comment below!

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Accepting Your Body Type

The "thigh gap" and the subsequent "anti-thigh gap" movements have brought to light some important information: one's thigh gap (or lack thereof) is mostly related 3 things: the structure of your pelvis, the width of your hips, and the size of your adductor (inner thigh) muscles. Seeing this in the blogosphere and social media helped me personally come to some realizations of my own regarding body type and realistic goals.

Let me explain: I (Lindsay) am of average height and athletic frame. Ever since the days of middle/high school sports physicals, if you just looked at my weight, you would assume I was overweight, but in reality, I carry a lot of muscle on my frame = density = weight! Fast-forward to adult life and I'm the girl who's BMI says I'm considerably overweight, borderline OBESE, but I'm a size 4-6. That's my body type! That is structurally how I'm built.

Current me. No filters!
So, much like the thigh gap debate - me trying to look like these tiny, petite "fitness" models on Pinterest is setting myself up for a losing battle. I'm built more like a Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet or an Erin Stern. SO - instead of fighting my genetics, I'm rolling with them!




We are all shaped differently (and that's a beautiful thing). And we can all ALWAYS make ourselves better - and we'll be most successful when we work with what we've got!

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim
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P.S. - we know some trolls are bound to make comments about comparisons - I find the women I mentioned above to be beautiful role models for health and fitness and I am inspired by them. If you are not, that's fine - troll somewhere else :)

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

To Try or Not to Try

As personal trainers/lifestyle fitness coaches, we're constantly learning. Yes, some of it is staying abreast of the latest "going-ons" in the world of nutrition and exercise, but we're learning that our clients are serving as the greatest continuing education opportunities. One lesson they're teaching us that we want to share with y'all today: those that try vs those that don't, and what it means in their journey.

We can certainly relate: trying something new is SCARY! But when you've committed to a process, you push past the scariness and you come out on the other side better for it! However, some people never push forward, the commitment then waivers, and no progress is made.

The folks that work with us who are "game for anything," they'll try anything we put in front of them, even if they're scared, don't think they'll like it, etc.....those folks are the ones we see the greatest progress in. Yep, some of the things we have them do they don't like, and that's okay, because they tried! It's those that never try because of fear, because of whatever is holding them back, that fall into this place of stagnation where they stop seeing growth, start to get discouraged, and begin to waiver/fall off.

Moral of the story: at least try it once....you might find something you really like! And if you try it and afterwards are like "Nope, I don't like it..." FINE! You tried! Just move on and keep trying :)

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Monday, August 11, 2014

Building Confidence

It all started when Tim took a promotion from FF/Paramedic to Instructor for the Fire Division. It was nice in that it meant he was home every weekend, BUT it also meant commuting 1.5 hours, twice a day, five days a week....that part, not so nice.

BUT - due to these long commutes, he found the world of podcasts and audiobooks, and introduced them to me! One segment I've listened to over and over has been Chalene Johnson's CarSmart talks. Volume 1 of said program is all about developing confidence. It is definitely worth the $9.99 on Itunes - it's full of great, insightful tips and information. I was most intrigued by the concepts that confidence is a habit and a discipline....and I would have to agree. I would also add that confidence is a journey...what I thought was self-confidence when I was 20 is WAY different than what my self-confidence is now....and it took time to get from one point to the other.

I can recognize that some people have a more natural, innate habit of confidence, but for a lot of us, confidence is something that has to be worked toward and built upon. Positive affirmations, keeping an optimistic outlook, exercising, stopping comparisons - all proven ways to build confidence. For me, the biggest confidence builder has been doing scary stuff. It never fails, when I try something I've never done before or I do something that isn't my strong suit and/or scares me, I come out on the other side 10x more confident!




What about you? What gives you confidence?

In Health,

Lindsay of Fit with Farrar
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Monday, July 28, 2014

Fit Life with a Toddler

We were inspired to do this post by Lyndsie and Josh - check out their blog at The Adventures of BB!

The last time we did a "Here's what our routine/fit life looks like with a kid" was when Everett was 10 WEEKS OLD! Yikes! We'd thought it'd be fun to see what's changed and what's stayed the same. You can go back here to see the old routine. The current schedule goes a little something like this:

4am - Alarms go off...time to wake up (that hasn't changed, unfortunately!)

4:30 - 5:30am - Workout time for Mommy, and during the Academy, breakfast and hittin' the road for Daddy.

*After working out, I quickly put together the baby's daycare bag and my meals for the day*

5:50 - 6:15am - Shower, get ready for the day.

6:15 - 6:45am - If Everett's not already awake, get him up and dressed, quick breakfast, then out the door!

6:45 - 7:25am - Commute to daycare, drop off E, and go to work.

7:30am - 5pm - At work....

5 - 5:20pm - Rush to daycare and snatch up our sweet baby boy where we are always greeted with a huge smile and a shriek in excitement!

5:45 - 6:30pm - Enjoy some time playing with E and the dog before personal training clients start to arrive.

6:30 - 9pm - Personal training clients and/or group fitness classes. Whichever of us isn't training/teaching is playing with Everett and going through his nightly routine and putting him down by 8/8:30.

9:30/10pm - Adults in bed, fingers crossed the baby sleeps well so we can get up and do it all again.

When you compare this post with the post from Everett being 10 weeks old, not too much has changed! There's no need for a 4am dream feed/change, which is helpful...and our evenings are much busier now that our business has grown! Additionally, about 80% of the time, Everett wakes up sometime between 4 and 6:30am....mid-workout, mid-shower, mid-whatever :) Those are the fun mornings where everything is accomplished one-handed!

All in all - leading a fit life with a toddler isn't too different than a fit life with an infant! The biggest difference we've noticed is the greater difficulty continuing a workout when he wakes up during it...now that he is crawling and walking, there is no sitting in a playpen....BUT, we still get it done, just have to watch where we step, and take a lot of breaks for hugs and kisses (or to pull him off the steps) :)

As always, we'd love to hear from you about how you juggle it all!! Feel free to comment below or contact us via any of our social media networks!

In Health,
Lindsay and Tim

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Friday, July 25, 2014

For Shame!

Hey guys! It's just Lindsay today - flying solo....so buckle up! :)

One of the many things I love about social media is the ability for friends to share information and thoughts. One of my friends shared this article this week and it kick started a friendly discussion between us, and a topic that I wanted to put out here today:

Shaming!


I didn't like the article (and honestly couldn't finish reading it) because I felt it was fit-shaming! Yes, you read that right: fIt-shaming...with an I, not an "A" between the F and T. It reminded me to the backlash Maria Kang experienced and what a fiasco that was....it felt wrong, it felt icky, it felt shameful! Tim and I experience fit-shaming pretty regularly, but it's funny, because it's so often in a passive aggressive kind of way. I have gotten it even more since having Everett....Lord, the social media horror stories I could tell :)

I think fit-shaming is just as horrible, detrimental, and inexcusable as fat-shaming. Shame is shame, and as I said to my Facebook friend as we were bantering: "Support for ALL always wins."

Do you have any experience with shaming (fit, fat, or any other kind)? What's your opinion on it? Comment below or reach out to us via any of our social media networks! We really value your thoughts and opinions and hope to hear from you!

In Health,

Lindsay of Fit with Farrar
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Shaun T vs. Chalene: 30 Day Challenge!



Who doesn't love a good competition? :)

We'll start Monday, August 4th. There will be two groups: one of folks who choose a Shaun T workout program and the other of those who pick Chalene. Whoever has the greatest transformation of the two groups at the end of 30 days wins a prize!!

Rules are simple:
#1 You must follow the program schedule for 30 days of any Shaun T or Chalene program. Don't own a program by either trainer? No worries, we got you! Just go to http://www.beachbodycoach.com/lindsayfarrar and click on the Shop tab (a new window will open) and you can search programs by trainers: choose any program by EITHER Shaun T OR Chalene Johnson!

#2 You must take before and after photos and measurements. You don't have to share these with anyone other than us, should you wish, but they're a must - it's how we'll determine who wins!
If you want in, let us know by messaging us on social media or emailing us! If you need to order a program, do so NOW so you'll have it in time to start August 4th! Not sure which program to get/do, just ask us and we'll guide you to the one that's right for you! :) Let's do this!! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Email: fitwithfarrar@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

I got 99 problems and my spouse is one...

Being that Fit with Farrar is a duo....yeah, we're married (in case you missed that memo)....we often field the question of "How do I get my spouse motivated to do this with me?" or we hear "I'm trying, but my spouse isn't supportive and sabotages my progress!"
Having a spouse, partner, or significant other who isn't on-board (or worse, is completely against) with your attempt at leading a healthier lifestyle can be extremely tough. It can make it harder on you to maintain your changes and it can add stress and resentful feelings between you both.

Now, no one is saying you have to be like this...




You certainly could if you wanted, but we just want to give you a few quick tips on how to get your spouse on the healthy habits wagon with you.

  • Avoid "shoulds" - we all know when someone tells you should or need, you automatically resist.
     
  • Focus on their positives. Instead of criticizing when they're exhibiting unhealthy habits, put your focus into recognizing and pointing out when they exhibit a healthy habit. (Helpful side-note: this also works for children and managing behaviors!)
  • Show them how great it can be. Let them see you work out and have that smile/endorphin rush. Talk about how delicious your healthy meal is!
  • Focus on the benefits outside of the scale. Point out how good you feel, how much better you sleep,etc.
  • Be consistent. For your sake and for theirs. 

It's not likely to happen overnight. I (Tim) was several months into my lifestyle change before Lindsay got on board too. Also, don't feel like you can't do anything without them. You can make a lifestyle change without your spouse....yes, it helps a million times over if they're on-board too, but it's not impossible to do without them! Just stay focused, be consistent, and use some of the tips above....we'd be willing to bet money they'll come around.

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Old Mind - Meet New Body



 That precious little creature turned 7 months today...

I've noticed time moving faster for the last 5 or so years....but nobody told me that it would move at absolute warp-speed when you have a baby. WOW.

Honestly, having a child is full of a lot of things that you weren't prepared for (and there really isn't a way to prepare!) One of which, I want to address today....

I went bikini shopping yesterday.
I didn't plan to - I had a doctor's appointment in the big city that morning, so I decided to make a "Mommy Day" of it. I got my nails done and went shopping. First stop was, of course, the shimmering pot of gold that is Target.

In case you haven't been in a Target lately, the bathing suits are out. FRONT AND CENTER, as soon as you walk through the doors.

"Well, I'll just see if anything strikes my fancy."

And something did - a super cute red bikini, and the bottom had navy polka dots! Cute, sassy, love it.

I was realistic. I snatched up a XL top for my bosoms and hesitated with the M, so went for a L for the bottom. Off to the dressing room I went!

My thoughts as I put the suit on:

"Ugh, I need some color. Everything looks better with a little sun."


"Lemme do the ol' lift and tuck on these puppies (boobs). There. Hmm, can I wear this now that I'm a mom? Too much cleave?"

"Ok, there we go."

When I was all strapped in and faced the mirror front-on, that's where things got squirrelly.

"Why does my upper body have to be so damn fluffy?"
"I wish my boobs were a little smaller; they make me look big."
"Ugh, my f**king waist is SO WIDE. When did it become so wide?!?"
"Stand bo-legged, thigh gap!"
"My stretchmarks on my inner thighs are getting darker. What the actual f**k?"
"I really need to do leg day twice a week; my entire lower body is FOR SH*T!"


I bought the bikini. Checking out I calculated how long I had until Memorial Day weekend. Obviously, I workout 6-7 days a week and I try to eat healthfully 80% of the time, and while I really try hard not to fat shame myself or anyone else, that's essentially what I had just done.

Healthy living fail.

Being the self-aware trained therapist I am, driving home, I tried to do some damage control. I focused on the fact that it was only 7 months since I gave birth..

"Getting your body back takes time, Lindsay."
"Even Jamie Eason looked considerably different 7 months postpartum in her Instagram pics"

That helped, but here's what made it click for me...old mind, meet new body:

This lower body helped me to carry a baby to 40 weeks, 5 days and continue working out up until the day I gave birth. Hell, I was doing laps on the stairs with Tim and my doula after my water broke.

This waist and its widened-self is a reminder of what my sweet baby boy once called his home. It's where I kept him safe for 10 months while he grew.


The fluffiness is that layer of fat I have over strong muscles. These muscles are what gave me the strength to naturally deliver Everett. I'll never forget how it felt to reach down and use those "fluffy arms" to pull that boy onto my "big boobs".

My entire life has permanently changed since the moment I became a mother, and maybe parts of my body have too. And that's okay.

Will I still continue leading a healthy lifestyle? Yes.
Will I continue to make goals for myself and my body? Yes.
Will I do a better job of practicing self-love and recognizing my body's achievements? Yes.

In Health,

Lindsay


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

6 Months!

Talk about the fastest 6 months of our lives....

We have gone from this:

4 Days Old



.....to this:



6 months

Ever since he was just a plus sign on a very early pregnancy test, Baby E has been our greatest blessing. Seeing the changes in him every day is mind-blowing! It seems with every passing day, he's gotten bigger, more active, developed more personality, etc. etc.!!

Baby E continues to be what we call a "ham and cheese sammich" :) This boy is constantly cheezin' and hammin' it up!! He is rarely without a smile and he has the greatest belly laugh! He's great at sitting up unassisted, rolling all over the place, crawling backwards and in circles (still working on forwards!) and does some killer planks and downward dogs too. He "talks", blows raspberries, and coos constantly. We supplement his bottle feeds with purees once or twice a day now, and he likes everything so far (apple, strawberries, bananas, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans) except for peas. He continues to sleep fairly well....between 3 and 5 months, he got in a habit where he was getting up at least once in an 8-hour stretch, but in the last couple weeks, he seems to have transitioned back to typically making it 8p to 4a, dreamfeed/change at 4a, then going back down for about 2 more hours. He powernaps during the day (15-30 minutes, two or three times) and still has unbridled rage for the carseat :( Baby E loves bathtime, books, and picking any and everything up within his reach (and it usually goes straight into the mouth).

We have a pretty decent flow/schedule and keep things very regimented Monday through Friday (it's what works best for the three of us). Weekends are spent trying to soak up every second we can together...there are no words for how hard it is to leave your child at daycare 50 hours a week. S.U.C.K.S.

We had a scary time right after Christmas when Baby E had two seizures but we're hopeful that they were febrile and never happen again. He was "off" (not himself, diarrhea, etc.) for 2 weeks afterward, but then came back around. It was terrifying but both Timothy and myself kept cool heads throughout the whole thing *proud of us*

Speaking of us - we've settled into parenthood quite nicely! We jokingly refer to ourselves as "rookies" and sometimes we make new-parent mistakes, BUT....Baby E doesn't seem to mind (or loves us anyways). We've gone out for a few hours a couple times just the two of us, which is good and healthy, despite the fact we end up talking about the baby and how much we miss him the entire time :) Most of the time, if we want to do something, we take him with us! He does great in the Ergo, although lately he's big and strong enough to just sit in a stroller or cart! Haven't been comfortable enough to leave him overnight yet, but we'll get there.

Since we are health/fitness coaches and this is technically a healthy living blog, I suppose I should give a "Body After Baby" update! :) I've tried to be intentional about giving my body the time it needs to "bounce back" from pregnancy. I know certain parts of me have permanently changed at the bone-structure level (i.e., HIPS!) but I lost the 30 pounds I gained during pregnancy within the first couple weeks, and my focus since then has been rebuilding lost muscle! I continue to be so so SO proud of my body (and mind!) for giving birth naturally....definitely more incentive to treat it right and take good care of it. :) I workout 6-7 days a week....but could certainly be more strict on my nutrition.






In summary, Baby E is just as perfect as he was on Day 1, if not more so! The love for your child is something that cannot be appropriately described or matched, ever. Being his parents is a complete honor and privilege and we strive to do the best we can by him, for him, always!

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy
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Friday, January 24, 2014

FitBit Flex Review

Notice: FitBit did not send me a free Flex to review and I am not getting paid for this review; however, should FitBit or any company want to send me any products for free in exchange for my opinions, I would gladly accept :)

My dear husband and business partner, Tim, gave me a FitBit Flex for my birthday. I had been eye-balling FitBit for some time, but didn't want to wait for the Force (which is still 1-2 weeks back-ordered at the time of this post), so the Flex seemed perfect!

Here's how FitBit describes the Flex: "This slim, stylish device is with you all the time. During the day, it tracks steps, distance, and calories burned. At night, it tracks your sleep quality and wakes you silently in the morning. Just check out the lights to see how you stack up against your personal goal. It’s the motivation you need to get out and be more active."

The reason I wanted it was to have a better check on my general activity level throughout the day (and I was admittedly curious about seeing the sleep quality thing too). I workout 6-7 days a week, BUT I spend 5 of those days practically chained to a desk between 7:30am and 5pm. Yeah...it sucks.

So I've had the FitBit Flex for a week now....here are my thoughts:

1. Simple as pie to set-up. Took all of 5 seconds on the computer (we're Mac users, so no problems there) and I downloaded the free app onto my phone as well.

2. It's slimmer than a watch and thus very easy to wear. It's suggested to wear it on your non-dominant hand, so you can't really wear a watch when you wear the FitBit (unless you wanted to be a hipster and double-up!) but that didn't bother me....that's what cellphones are for! :)



Source
3. It holds charge like a champ! I let it charge on a Sunday afternoon, and after wearing 24/7 for 5 days, it still has half the battery life left!

4. The website says it's sweat and water resistant (not proof!), so I do take it off when I shower, but that's it....and so far, so good!

5. It certainly does what I got it for, track activity and sleep! I still use my heart-rate monitor during my workouts, since that's the only true way to know exactly how much I burned, but this has been great to see my activity during all other parts of the day! I didn't realize how hard it is to get 10,000 steps, even though I consider myself an active person! DAMN DESK JOB!

And the sleep tracker is interesting too....I love to see the difference in nights when the baby sleeps through the night:

Looks like I barely moved

 ...And when he doesn't sleep through the night:

Yeah, 2am munchies! :)

All in all, in my opinion, the FitBit Flex is certainly worth the money. If you want a device to help ensure you are more intentional about your activity, this is perfect. I check the app on my phone throughout the day, see how many steps I'm at....if I'm low, I know it's time to sneak away and get some walking in! If it's buzzed 4-5 times in a little rhythm...I know I've hit the 10,000 mark and I do a little happy dance :) 

Questions? Comment below or contact us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube...we're everywhere!

In Health,

Lindsay

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Why Isn't It Working?!


How many times have we said that....or at least felt that way?

Losing weight is truly a science. Your body loves stabilization. It likes to be safe. It likes to be the same. So in order for your body to change....you're going to have to really work at it.

Here's are some of the "usual suspects" when it comes to possible reasons why you're not losing weight:
    • You're not active enough
    • All you do is cardio-based exercising
    • You're under too much stress
    • You're not getting enough sleep
    • You are full of excuses
    • You aren't eating as healthfully as you think
So the next time you aren't losing the weight you want to lose, take an inventory. Do you see where the problem might be?

SPECIAL NOTE: We are advocates and promoters of putting becoming healthy(ier) above everything else, but we realize a lot of folks are interested/in need of actually losing poundage, weight. So all you high-horse, drama-causing trolls....before you go ape shit, chill out. :)

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim
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