Why Isn't It Working?!

How many times have we said that....or at least felt that way?

Losing weight is truly a science. Your body loves stabilization. It likes to be safe. It likes to be the same. So in order for your body to change....you're going to have to really work at it.

Here's are some of the "usual suspects" when it comes to possible reasons why you're not losing weight:

• You're not active enough
• All you do is cardio-based exercising
• You're under too much stress
• You're not getting enough sleep
• You are full of excuses
• You aren't eating as healthfully as you think

So the next time you aren't losing the weight you want to lose, take an inventory. Do you see where the problem might be?

SPECIAL NOTE: We are advocates and promoters of putting becoming healthy(ier) above everything else, but we realize a lot of folks are interested/in need of actually losing poundage, weight. So all you high-horse, drama-causing trolls....before you go ape shit, chill out. :)

In Health,

Lindsay and Tim
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Training with Kettlebells

The popularity of training with kettlebells has really picked up in the last 5 years...

In reality, it has been around since practically the beginning of strength training (16th century Russia to be specific), but the recent resurgence of popularity is GREAT NEWS because it is one of the most effective ways to train.We live in a world where we are pressed for time and need something that is both quick AND effective. Enter kettlebells...

Standard strength training, ESPECIALLY in the traditional gym setting, locks the body in a linear plane and can place stress on joints. Kettlebell exercises are natural to the body's range of motion AND have the capability to serve double-duty as strength training and cardio, simultaneously! This is what we mean by quick and effective!


Kettlebells come in a variety of weight, but unless you are very much a beginner, anything less than 10 pounds is likely too light!

The exercise combinations are virtually endless: you can do more static moves like windmills:

Source

Or you can up the cardio factor with moves like the kettlebell swing:

Source

Kettlebells can be purchased at any sporting goods store, and we've even seen them in places like Target! Craigslist is also a good place to get used equipment that is often a little cheaper.

If you want to play around with kettlebell exercises before you invest in an actual kettlebell, you can try these moves out with a traditional dumbbell!

Question for you: Do you use kettlebells? What's been your experience?

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay
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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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Fear: Use it or Get Abused by it....

We posted a question on our Facebook page (and Twitter too) the other day: "Do you have a dream or goal that's so big it kinda scares you?" We got a pretty big response - seems like there are a lot of you out there that have this big thing, likely something you haven't shared with many people because it is so big....something that you have in the back of your head...and when you think about it, you get flushed with fear.

Fear is a powerful thing - we liken it a lot to adrenaline in that it can definitely be used FOR you instead of against you. That's how we choose to look at fear....all you have to do is harness it properly and RIDE ON!

How do you do that? Take that big dream and break it down into smaller, manageable goals and objectives. Then figure out your targets that will help you accomplish those goals/objectives. There you go - you've taken that fear and now you're letting it drive you into actually putting in the work towards realizing that dream.

Here's an example:
Big, scary dream = compete in a fitness/figure competition
Goals/Objectives = reach x% body fat, lose x pounds, have great stage presence
Targets = train 6 days a week with personal trainer, track food daily, take posing class

Don't think this outlook only applies to health and fitness goals (WRONG!) Apply this way of thinking to all aspects of your life and the results will astonish you. Seriously.

Let's chat: Have you recently overcome a fear or used fear to your advantage? Tell us about it in the comments!

 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

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