The Evolution of Our Healthy Lifestyle

People throw the phrase around a lot...

"It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change."

But for us, it is now 3-4 years later, so it clearly was a lifestyle change.

Typically, it is a healthy thing to look back once in a while, to see how far you've come and/or to see how things have changed and evolved. Our commitment to fitness and nutrition has certainly changed a lot over the last several years:

• We are much more in tune with our bodies
•  We know when to take a break before it gets to the point of an injury or exhaustion
•  Along that same line, we can see the true value of rest days
•  We are gaining a better understanding of what works bests for us nutritionally
  
• Less focus on calorie counting, more on actual nutrition
•  Initially, it was all calories in versus calories out. NO LONGER! Now, the focus is on nutritional value. Your body processes 100 calories of vegetables completely differently than a 100 calorie Chips Ahoy pack. (Sorry for the mini-rant, that's a whole other post topic!)
  
• We aren't stuck in a box and afraid to experiment
•  At first, anything that didn't involve a workout DVD (Lindsay) or a gym (Timothy), we wouldn't touch. Since then, we are constantly experimenting with all different kinds of training and can definitely say that cross-training (working out in a variety of ways) is the most effective.

Things have evolved in others ways too:

• Our inner circle of friends has changed dramatically
• This was a hard pill to swallow at first and we certainly felt lonely. But time has allowed us to let those people go and focus on connecting with those that we better relate to now that we've made this lifestyle change. BUT we are always hoping to have a positive impact on people, including those from our past, and help them become healthy with us. 
  
• Our outlook on our future has a different focus 
• At first, a lot of our healthy eating and working out was wrapped up in numbers, sizes, and looks. As our knowledge of nutrition and fitness improves, and with moving into different phases of our lives, the focus is less on sizes and looks and more on doing this to live longer and avoid chronic illnesses. Mid/Late 20's is not "old" but it is a time to be concerned about your future.  
  
• We cut ourselves way more slack
• Everything was so strict in the beginning: missing a workout was unfathomable and eating had to be on point at all times. Now, if life interferes and we miss a workout, it's okay. If our eating isn't clean or we have a food that is fried or has HFCS in it, it's okay. We know it doesn't happen often and we know we can fall right back in line immediately. *This isn't for people who are just starting. This came with time!* 

Overall, we are pretty darn pleased with the evolution of our healthy lifestyle thus far. We look forward to seeing how future life events will impact everything, particularly having a child. We'll keep you posted ;-)


In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy
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Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Healthy Lifestyle

I think the two of us can sometimes get caught up in how normal and routine our healthy and fit lifestyle is. We’ve been doing this consistently for years now, so it truly is just a part of who we are! However, as we try to reach out and help others, we’re realizing just how daunting the task of revamping your lifestyle is for some people!

So – in hopes of making things seem less daunting (and to appeal to those of you who prefer lists, LINDSAY) here are the very basic steps you need to do to get started on a healthy lifestyle…..not a “diet”, not a “health kick”…..a LIFESTYLE, so that eventually, you don’t even think about it….clean eating and working out just becomes a part of you and your life. 

1. A good starting place would be to get a full physical from your doctor….weight, blood pressure, body mass index, body fat percentage, complete bloodwork…..get the works!  If you haven’t had this done in a while….you might look at your numbers with this face….

Fear not! You can make a change!

2.  Once you know where you stand with your current physical condition (and have informed your doc that change is a’comin), time to tackle your diet. We DO NOT mean diet like you probably think….we mean diet as in the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group. Starting out, aim to change at least one unhealthy habit every 1-2 weeks. First week, you replace 1 soda a day with water until you aren’t drinking soda anymore. Or you could replace a fried chicken sandwich with a grilled one. Or change the focus away from “taking” and put it toward “adding” (for example, add 1 serving of vegetable to your lunch and dinner, and even breakfast for you over-achievers!!) Remember, SLOW AND STEADY wins this race. PERIOD. 

******Special note – if you’re fighting a drug use/dependency (smoking, alcohol, etc.), the same concept can apply.  Cut back to ½ pack a day or 1 alcoholic beverage every other day….keep using less and less until you eventually aren’t using at all! YOU CAN DO IT!

3. Once your body starts ridding itself of the bad and taking in more good, you’ll have this spunk and energy like never before – so put it to good use! Get your workout on! If you didn’t work out at all prior to this lifestyle change, feel free to ease into it, working out 3-4 times per week. If/When you’re feeling good, shoot for 6 days a week. We have a holistic view of exercise/fitness – don’t get stuck doing one thing or one type of work. You need to do a mixture of cardio, strength training, stretching, etc.

******Special notes – your cardio should be heart-pounding, sweat pouring, and lasting at least 30-45 minutes. Nerp, sorry – that leisurely stroll after dinner is not gonna count. And unless you have a particular need (disability, injury, etc.), you should not be doing bicep curls with a 5-pound weight LADIES. Your purse weighs more than that, jeezus. 

Nutrition and exercise are clearly two big chunks of this puzzle called a healthy lifestyle – but they aren’t the only crayons in the box! Here are some other important areas:

·         Sleep – as an adult, 7-8 hours is a MUST. If you chronically/regularly get less than this, your healthy eating and exercising may not be completely in vain, but you are doing a great disservice to your body. So turn off Jay Leno and GO TO BED!

·         Support – doing this alone can really be difficult. Having a strong and grounded support system can mean the difference between success and failure. If you can’t enlist the right people, or people are too slack-ass to hold you accountable and keep you going, we’d be happy to provide those services. Muahhahahaha :-)

It will get difficult. You will be pressed for time. Life will get complicated. Those are the unavoidable facts. Now – what is completely avoidable is you using them as excuses. So what’s it gonna be, huh? Are you gonna commit and succeed or are you gonna bitch and moan about how it’s toooo harrrddd and you’re tooooo busssyyy. We know where we stand and we want you on our side! Our side has tight, toned, strong bodies, yummy food, energy, motivation, great sex lives, happiness, all the good stuff! JOIN US!


As always, we are here to answer any questions or help you in whatever way possible! Facebook us or send us an email: fitwithfarrar@gmail.com

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy

We Can't Want it For You!

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


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

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

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

In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy

Top 5 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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


In Health,

Timothy & Lindsay