Let's Clarify Some Things, Shall We?

Hello there! The Lindsay-half of Fit with Farrar today :)

The two of us are almost always moving at a bazillion miles an hour.

Guilty.

For the past couple of years, we've grown our knowledge, focus, and interest in health and fitness, and it has and continues to spread out over various mediums.

We take for granted that most people are paying attention and can keep up with our goings-ons, when in reality, that's not always the case.

Thus - this blog post to help clarify!! YAY bullet points!

 1. Fit with Farrar is OUR brand. The term was coined in 2010, initially developed to solely be Lindsay's project and focus on her Beachbody journey. Admittedly, it fell to the way-side for a while, but in March 2012, we decided to take a new direction with it and turn it into what you see today!

 2. Speaking of Beachbody - yes, I (Lindsay) am and will continue to be an Independent Team Beachbody Coach. Beachbody programs CHANGED MY LIFE and I continue to use several of them on a regularly basis (not to mention drink Shakeology every day). The company is absolutely top-notch, the products are like nothing else in the at-home workout market, and I love being a part of their mission to end the trend of obesity. Annnddd, let's be real - the extra income is a bonus ;-) If you're ever interested in the income part, don't hesitate to contact me!

 3. We are not (yet) licensed or certified in nutrition or personal training. We do have a considerable amount of knowledge about both, but we never want anyone to have the wrong impression. We've found that most people don't give a rat's ass that we aren't certified and still want to work with us, BUT - this post is for clarification. So there you go. Note: We both will be getting certified in the near future, and at that point, we will likely start charging for our services (take-home point: get us for free while you can! kidding, kinda)

 4. Our mindset has been and continues to be this: not one type of working out is going to work for everyone and not one type of eating is going to work for everyone. We are focused on individuals and finding what works for them and their individual needs. While we love Beachbody programs and Crossfit, that doesn't mean that's all we can help you with. Our knowledge is pretty vast (and always growing), so please don't think we will pigeon-hold you or that we can't help you because you don't like the stuff we like.

So to summarize (because I love a good summary): Fit with Farrar is a passion we share that we are growing into a business. We think of ourselves as coaches/mentors and will soon have the certifications to back it up. We can help you with virtually anything and everything related to health, fitness, and nutrition: from recommending a workout program, to having you locals come to our house and workout with us, to helping you find a nutrition/meal plan that will help you make the life change. We're here. We want to help.

Love you guys! Thank you for all the support!

In Health,

Lindsay (and Timothy is spirit!)
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Managing the Highs and Lows

 It happens with seemingly everything...

You first fall in love and are so enamored you can't see past their face, but as time goes on, you regain your senses and are able to still be in love (hopefully), but carry about life [relatively] normally.

You first start a new job, and OMG everything is new and exciting and challenging....then time goes on, and you settle into a rhythm with your role...things slow down.

You find out your pregnant (ladies) and the excitement is so amazing, every flutter and kick....then you reach 9 months and you're mindset is: okay baby, it's time to come out....NOW! (At least, that's what we've witnessed with our friends and family).

There are highs and lows with everything, and starting a healthier lifestyle is certainly no different. When you first kick off your new workout program and/or healthy eating routine, you're (usually) excited about it, focused, and determined. Then as time goes on.....it may start to feel like a chore, the extra 45 minutes of sleep sounds better than getting up to workout, you don't feel like prepping all your food and a trip to Mickey D's is just plain easier. It is totally natural to feel this way, but we wanted to share some tips on riding out these highs and lows:

• Recognize and even expect that you won't feel like workout out or eating healthfully every day. Some days you'll be pumped for this lifestyle, and some days, you'll need to check yourself or give yourself a little pep talk. Do what you have to do to convince yourself to stick to it.
• If you're stuck in more lows than highs, revisit your goals. Nothing is set in stone. You didn't sign any legal documents. If you want to change what you had originally planned, do so! It might help you feel rejuvenated and focused again.
• Reach out for support. If you have others joining you in this journey, don't be afraid to raise your hand and ask for help! We are here for anyone at any time or point in their journey - just give us a shout! 

Question for you: Do you have any tips for managing the highs and lows of a healthy lifestyle? Please answer in a comment below (you can do it anonymously!!)

Enjoy the journey,

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

Motivation

Hey guys, it's Tim.....

It is very interesting that I am writing about motivation, considering I have been talking about writing this for two weeks. So, enough with the stalling already.

Motivation. What is it exactly? In my opinion,  it is that driving force that gets us moving and pushes us to be our best day in and day out. Your source of motivation may be internal or it may be external, or a combination of both. No matter where it comes from, everyone has something that can serve as their motivation. 

I'd like to share a story about where I get my motivation from. About four and a half years ago, I went to the doctor, in Lynchburg, for a check-up. I hadn't been feeling the best and seemed to always be tired. I was working swing shifts as a dispatcher and I had credited my not feeling well with my job, but wanted to get a physical just in case. By this time, I had applied for the fire department and wanted to make sure my health ducks were in a row. So, at age 20, I strolled into the doctor's office for my physical. The nurse checks my vitals, and my blood pressure was through the roof. The doctor came in a little while later and had the nurse check it again....guess what, still high!! The doctor hands me a small notepad and tells me to check my blood pressure for two weeks at home. If my blood pressure stayed high, he wanted me to come back and put me on blood pressure medicine. Yeah...thanks, but no thanks doc. 

This trip to the doctor scared the living crap out of me. Here I was, at 20 years old, wanting to be a professional firefighter for the rest of my life, and I couldn't even keep my blood pressure in check. It was a serious reality check. I started working out at the local gym after work and started seeing some improvement. Then, I got the call for the interview for Henrico Fire. So, I started pushing myself a little harder in the gym to get ready for the recruit school. I wanted to be as ready as I could when I showed up. My blood pressure was a little better at the job physical for the county but still high. So, I lost some weight during the recruit school and was feeling a little bit better. Well, unfortunately I showed up at the fire station and put on my freshman fifteen. For those of you that don't know, fire stations's get a TON of goodies from our citizens. I was starting to feel and look like I use to.... so, I started to work out with a fellow firefighter and got really competitive trying to keep up with him. I got into working out with more intensity and started enjoying it and feeling better. One morning I got off work after a night of no sleep and went for a run. Six miles later, I was back home and feeling great. I had found something that really clicked for me. I coupled this with an incredibly clean diet and the blood pressure and weight went down.

So....I tell you that background story to explain that my health is my biggest motivator. I don't

ever want to go back to where I was. Another motivator is my vanity. I enjoy when I see people that haven't seen me in awhile, telling me how good I look. Not being boastful, just being honest. It would make anyone feel good to hear that, especially if you never heard it before your transformation. Yet another motivator is my career. I feel like when I signed up to be a professional firefighter that my fitness standards needed to change. On any given day, I could be tasked with entering a burning building to save someone's life. I want to be in the best possible condition to make that happen, so that I don't become the one who needs to be saved. My wife is also a source of motivation for me. I want to be able to spend as much time with her as I can. Without a healthy lifestyle, that time spent with her could be greatly shortened.

So, now that you know my motivators, find something that motivates you. Your motivators don't have to be the same as mine, but make sure you have that motivation. Print out representations of what motivates you and put them in places where you will see them everyday. If you still find yourself struggling, please reach out to myself and/or Lindsay, we are here for you! Since my transformation, I have this burning passion to help others achieve their healthy lifestyle goals. I am never going to tell you it is easy and anybody that does is flat out lying to you....but if you work at it, you will see a huge difference. Just look at our pictures on our Facebook page!

This summer I will be attending an American Council of Exercise Peer Fitness Trainer class that will give me the basis for my personal training certification. Fitness and clean eating are two of my biggest passions and I hope to help as many people as possible achieve their fitness goals.

In Health,

Tim

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