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. 

Social Media Roundup: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube

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.

We are all over the Social Media Circuit - please, check us out!

Facebook: "Like" us HERE
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Pinterest
YouTube

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay

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

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:

	You will need:
	Olive oil cooking spray 1 tsp of Italian seasoning 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	3/4 tsp table salt
	3/4 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs, panko-variety suggested
	2 medium uncooked zucchini
	2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy

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

Got Questions?

We'd like to open up this space to anyone and everyone who wants to ask us a question. Fitness, nutrition, lifestyle...whatever - post a comment below, feel free to do it anonymously, and we will answer all the questions in another post!

Looking forward to seeing what you guys are curious about! Have at it! 

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay

Beachbody Challenge Pack!

Hi guys and gals - it's Lindsay! Most of you know, my fitness transformation/journey began with and continues to revolve around at-home workout programs. Although I have done and will likely continue to do a variety of programs, 99% of them come from Beachbody. I also am a die-hard Shakeology fan and thoroughly enjoy my shake every day :) Using their programs and shakes has done this body good:

When I talk with people and based on their individual goals, needs, personality, etc. and try to recommend a workout, if it is a Beachbody program, I'm often hit with the money excuses. WELL - no more (at least until July 31, 2012!!)

Beachbody is now offering 30-Day Trial Challenge Packs for only $14.95 until July 31st, 2012! You can choose either P90X, TurboFire, or Brazil Butt Lift AND choose your flavor of Shakeology, PLUS get a club membership to Team Beachbody....all for less than $15!! If you decide you don't want to continue, just send everything back within the first 30 days. If you are seeing results and rocking it and want to continue on, then you will be billed the full amount of the Challenge Pack after 30 days.

I'd love to speak to you one-on-one about this, to answer your specific questions and guide you to the right program for you, so please message below or send me an email: fitwithfarrar@gmail.com. If you know what you want/need and want to order right now, here you go:

1. Go to: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/lindsayfarrar

2. Click on "Shop" (a new window will open)

3. Click on the "Trial Offers" button on the left-hand side

4. Choose a Challenge Pack

5. Check out and get ready to rock out!! :)

IMPORTANT: I am not a sales person. I have not, nor will I ever try to hound anyone into investing in a Beachbody program or Shakeology. I am a thoroughly satisfied, repeat customer of Beachbody - I love what their products do for me and simply enjoy sharing that with other people. And for $15 to try it for 30 days, you have no excuse not to at least try :)

In Health,

Lindsay

Nutrition 101: Part 3 - Carbohydrates

RARW - Evil pancake!

On one hand, we kinda-sorta get the whole “evil carbs” thing….but on the other, more logically-sound hand, we think it is bonkers.

In case you were wondering, carbohydrates are one of the main types of nutrients and one of the most important sources of energy for our body. When we eat carbs, our digestive system changes them into glucose (sugar) which our body then uses for energy for our cells, tissues, and organs.

Yeah Science!

Carbs are either simple or complex, based on their chemical structure. Simple carbs are those sugars found naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, etc. They also include sugars added during food processing and refining (refined = BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!) Complex carbs include whole grain breads, starchy vegetables, etc., and are often a great source of fiber (GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD!)

Best time to eat carbs: early in the day! This way,  your body has all day long to utilize the energy from the gluclose, and it doesn’t just sit in your body unused (aka stored as fat).

Amount of carbs: We really feel this is individualistic. For example, Timothy doesn’t require a lot of carbs and can still maintain appropriate levels of energy and performance. Lindsay, on the other hand, can be noticeably sluggish without appropriate amounts of complex carbs. Take the time to play with this a little bit....be aware of your body, note how you feel when you up or lower carb intake, and find what works for you!

To K.I.S.S. it: limit/avoid the refined simple carbs (pretty much anything that comes in a box) and enjoy (in moderation) complex carbs, trying to consume mostly earlier in your day!


Please go "like" our Facebook Page for more tips, motivation, etc. HERE
Workout reviews/workout snippets on YouTube HERE
And as always, feel free to leave a message below or email us at fitwithfarrar@gmail.com

In Health, 


Timothy and Lindsay