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
