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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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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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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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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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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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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