This post contains Affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. When I first started working out I worked really hard to turn fitness into a habit. I’ve mentioned it a few times in earlier posts, but health and fitness do not come naturally to me. In fact, I spent two decades very overweight and didn’t become physically fit until I was in my early thirties! Things finally changed for me when I realized the truth about why I wasn’t losing weight. Which I talk about in this post here. Anyway, one of the things I finally realized was that I wasn’t burning enough calories each day. At least for me, healthy eating is a long road. I couldn’t rely on that as my primary way to lose weight. I needed to become more fit and burn more calories each day if I truly wanted to hit my weight loss goals. And I had huge weight loss goals. So, it came down to finding new ways to be active each day. Finding New Ways To Be Active Aside from starting a fitness program, I started trying new things to add more fitness to my day. I had kind […]
This post contains Affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Maybe it’s because I started running in the summer that I enjoy summer running as much as I do. Because despite the heat, I enjoy it much more than running inside on treadmills with the A/C. Summer running can be really enjoyable if you know how to keep yourself comfortable in the heat. I’ve talked about my first few runs and that experience in previous posts. But basically, I went into that first run without a lot of thought. It was a hot day and all I did was put on a pair of random shoes and off I went. I didn’t really think about the heat, the sun, how far I was going, and whether or not I’d get thirsty. Honestly, none of that really entered my head, I had just wanted to try running. I had a good playlist so I felt ready to go. And that would have been fine if I had been running on a treadmill. But a little more consideration needs to go into summer running. Read my tips and enjoy running outside this summer! Wear A Hat It took me […]
Back when I was overweight (read about how I lost 100 pounds here) I would often wonder, what the hell were other people doing differently? What were they doing that they were healthy and fit, and I was obese and stuck? I spent forever following fit women on Instagram and pinning on Pinterest trying to figure out their healthy habits so that I could do the same. For most of my life, I blamed my genetics. I thought I was destined and designed to be overweight. And I know so many other women feel the same way. But it could not be further from the truth! I know now that I am designed to be active and fit. But it took me forever to figure out how to get there. This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Over a couple of years, I finally started to figure out the secret. Which really isn’t a secret at all, to be honest. Long term, large weight loss comes from developing strong healthy habits. And there are certain habits that all fit women do almost every day. It is these fit habits that helped me lose 100 […]
Fitness isn’t something reserved just for the already fit person. It’s for everyone, at any size and weight! If you’re over 200 pounds like I was, and thinking about starting or are already on your health and fitness journey, let nothing stop you. Especially not your weight. At my heaviest, I weighed in at 249 pounds. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that number or size, it simply didn’t reflect who I felt like I was inside. I felt as though the real me was buried under layers that didn’t belong. I felt constrained, not just physically but mentally as well. Deep down, I knew I was so much more than my exterior showed, and I was determined to let that person inside me shine. So, what did I do? It started with changing my life in every single way. First, I adopted a rescue dog named Gigi, which meant I had to go out for walks twice a day—no excuses. I revamped my diet, minimizing junk food and focusing on nourishing, whole foods. I surrounded myself with positivity, distancing myself from anything and anyone who drained my energy. All of this helped me shift my mindset from a can’t-do […]
My “How To Lose Weight For Beginners” YouTube Vid!⬇️ Transforming My Life: 10 Powerful Habits That Helped Me Shed 100 Pounds and Embrace Health A huge weight loss journey is an epic commitment to yourself—especially when it means losing well over 100 pounds. There are a lot of myths out there, but trust me, there are no shortcuts or magic fixes for significant weight loss. Big weight loss takes dedication to yourself, perseverance, deep self-reflection, and a change of lifestyle habits. To be honest, for the longest time, I doubted my own strength and value, and had myself trapped in a belief that a healthy lifestyle and weight loss was out of reach for someone “like me.” But along the way, I learned a lot about myself and slowly but surely started changing my story, leaning into true self-love and seriously stepping up my game. This kind of weight loss journey is about so much more than just dropping pounds—it’s about living a life you might not have thought was possible. One day everything changed… One day it just clicked for me: I deserved to chase and reach my dreams no matter how far away they seemed. I realized that […]
This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Unfortunately, being a woman, I can’t just go for a run outdoors. Or I could but it wouldn’t be very wise. It’s important for women to know how to keep themselves safe when running outside. Because in my opinion, there are 3 common factors to being assaulted while running: running alone, being in a low traffic area, and being female. I run alone fairly often. And when I was training for my half-marathon I ran alone a lot. But for the most part, I did what I was supposed too to keep myself protected. I say “for the most part” because I did have one run last year where I made an error in safety and was lucky I didn’t pay for it. Basically, I found myself isolated in the middle of nowhere and far away from my car. And this had happened because I was distracted by music and wasn’t paying a lot of attention to my surroundings. Once I realized how far away I had gotten, I quickly turned around and made my way back to where there were more people. But I would […]
Are you thinking about stepping into the world of fitness, or perhaps reigniting that spark from your fitter days? Maybe you’ve rallied a group of friends, ready to dive into healthier habits together! Whatever your motivation, embarking on a 30-day workout challenge with friends is a fantastic—and totally manageable—way to ease into a more active lifestyle. When I very first dipped my toes into fitness, it was with a 30-day yoga challenge with two of my friends. At the start, I was very out of shape and had about 100 pounds I wanted to shed. That first challenge wasn’t just about stretching and poses; it was a total eye-opener. Day by day, I discovered that I could stick to a plan, push my limits, and actually see results. By the end of those 30 days, I wasn’t just more flexible— I had totally fallen in love with that awesome sense of accomplishment and the good stuff it was doing for my body. After yoga, we tackled squat challenges, push-up challenges, and even total body workouts. Eventually, we stepped up to more structured home fitness programs. Why 30-Day Challenges? So, why start with 30-day challenges? Thirty days is the perfect amount […]
Post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. If you’ve checked out my previous playlists you know I love an upbeat and fast-paced playlist to get me through my workout. And my current Spotify playlist is no different! A playlist can make or break a workout, let’s be honest. If you think I’m exaggerating think about how devasting it is when you leave your headphones at home. And as I’ve said in the past, a good playlist can take a good workout to an epic workout. And I’m always striving for an epic workout! Music is an important part of my workouts. The right playlist helps keep me motivated and energetic throughout the workout. It doesn’t matter whether I’m doing a home workout, running, or working out at the gym, I need to have music. I know there are many people who are able to workout listening to podcasts or audio books, but I am not one of those people! I need music to help keep me focused on what I’m doing. Are you looking for something new? I got you covered! Personally, I’m always looking for new music and I use Spotify to search […]
Over the course of a year, I started running (again after an eight-year break), ran a 10km race and a half-marathon! Which in hindsight is crazy goals for a new runner and I wouldn’t really recommend it. Firstly, because of how hard the training was on my body. And secondly, I should have given myself more time to train for my half-marathon. When you cram too much into a short time period, you tend to make errors. But at the same time, I learned a lot and that is how I created this list of awesome hacks for beginner runners. Oddly or not, I still consider myself to be a new runner. Because I’ve only been running for a year and a half I still feel like there is so much to learn about running. Who would have ever thought there would be so much to know about something so seemingly simple? When I first started running, I thought I would just slap on some shoes and I would be off! But it turns out a little bit more goes into having a successful run. This post contains affiliate links #ads. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Why […]
80 Day Obsession Review & Results This post contains affiliate links #ads. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. 80 Day Obsession promises to make you obsessed with the process. And I have to admit, I am obsessed! And not just with the process, but with the results as well. The program is created by super-trainer Autumn Calabrese, and it presents just the right workouts in just the right order. This process is guaranteed to target your abs and glutes for great results with minimal equipment. When I first started the program I didn’t think it was possible for me to be in better shape than I was already in. I had just finished training and running a half-marathon and was arguably in the best shape of my life. While I had lost a lot of weight using P90X in the past, I just didn’t believe at the time that home workouts could take my fitness to that next level. But within two weeks of doing the program, I was seeing results and was officially obsessed. Program Review 80 Day Obsession promises to sculpt a lean and strong core with a firm rear. The program focuses on strength and […]