My Fit Tips!

Most of you know that I try to live a very healthy lifestyle. Because of a few changes that I've made in my everyday life I've been able to lose weight, get fit, and live a healthier, happier life! I'm still working towards my dream body but here are some of the tips that work really well for me!

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Short Bursts of Exercise- If you're like me, you spend too much of your day sitting. Even if you go to the gym for an hour a day, chances are you still spend the majority of the other 23 watching tv, on the computer, or asleep. Although I'm not talented enough to exercise in my sleep (it would probably be a bit dangerous anyway!), I do find way to exercise while watching tv or just sitting around. I keep a pinterest board full of short workouts that I can do while watching tv (like the Jillian Michaels one above). They're super easy and I can still watch my favorite shows while doing a couple sets of crunches!

Movie Workouts

Change the Way You Watch Movies - This site has some awesome workouts that you do along to your favorite movies! I've done the Harry Potter, Hook and How I Met Your Mother ones and they really do leave your muscles fatigued! This is also really great if you're new-ish to exercise and don't really know what you should be doing! 

Shrinking Kitchen 

Shop With A Purpose- Having a meal plan makes life SO much easier, especially when you're trying to eat healthy! There have been so many times that I've gone to the grocery store without a plan and come home with $100 worth of groceries but only the right ingredients for two or three dinner, which results in a last minute sushi run (aka wasted money). Shrinking Kitchen  is great for those who are just beginning to eat healthy because she provides you with a meal plan and the recipes and grocery list to go along with it! I like to make our own meal plans for 10-14 days at a time and shop off of that (I may do a post soon that shows a sample of one of this meal plans, what do you think??). At the very least make a list before you go to the grocery store and stick to it. Even if potato chips ARE 2 for $5, they will still be as unhealthy and fattening as if you paid full price for them.

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Use The Buddy System- It's so much easier to make yourself go to the gym when you're accountable to someone! Corey and I joined the gym together and we really push each other to go and to motivate each other to live the healthiest we can! Even if you just have a friend that you go for a walk with twice a week or make an account on fitocracy (it's like twitter for exercise) that still gives you a healthy dose of motivation and gives a support system.

CCK Cake Batter Bars

You Can Still Eat Dessert!- Living a healthy lifestyle does mean that you can't have a treat once in a while, it just means that you need to make that treat a little healthier! Chocolate Covered Katie has become my new favorite site because it is dedicated to healthy desserts! Every night Corey and I make one of her dessert to eat after dinner and they are amazing! She has skinny versions of all your favorites, from Thin Mints to Chocolate Cake you'll find something for your sweet tooth there.

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Mix It Up- After a week or two, your body becomes accustomed to a exercise routine. This means that it is SO important to constantly be trying new things. I like to try different classes and have recently added some new weights machines to my usual fitness. Don't be afraid to try something new, you never have to do it again if you don't like it!

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Get In Some Cardio- You can do 500 crunches a day but that doesn't mean your tummy will get any smaller! Cardio is the best way to shed some kgs (or lbs) because it burns off some of the calories that you eat which forces your body to tap into it's fat stores for nourishment. Strength training is great but should be done in conjunction with cardio (such as walking, running, swimming, cycling). I usually try to balance these out by doing both a strength and a cardio workout everyday. For example, I may run for a half hour then hit up yoga or pilates.

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Find Your Inspiration!- I love to look on pinterest's fitness section for some inspiring pictures, websites, and stories (this is also where I get most of my recipes and workouts!). I love before and after pictures because the before is usually much more drastic than what I started with, giving me proof that is these women can lose 135 lbs, I can lose 10! Figure out what inspires you to want to get fit (the cute clothes you'll be able to wear, being able to run a 5k, the health benefits, etc.) and make your own inspiration board with pictures and stories that are applicable to you!

Ebay

Use A Decent Set of Scales- As much as I hate to say this, weighing yourself is important if you're trying to lose weight. A new study showed that people who weighed themselves everyday were much less likely to be overweight than people who don't weigh themselves at all. However, I am not telling you to obsess over the number on the scale! It is just meant to be a guideline to show you if what your doing is still effective or if you need to switch it up a little bit. I also suggest investing a a good set of scales that will measure your muscle and hydration levels. We all know that muscle weighs more than fat, a fact that most traditional scales don't take into account. We use The Omron BF508 Body Composition + Body Fat Monitor Bathroom Scale, which is a top of the line device that  measures our body composition and lets us know if we've lost or gained any body fat. These types of scales can be a little pricey, but you can usually find a good set on ebay that aren't too expensive.

MyFitnessPal

Get High Tech- I strongly recommend that you use a nutrition counting app. many of them are free and they make life so much easier! I personally use MyFitnessPal which tracks the calories in the food you eat versus the ones you burn by exercising. It's so simple to use and you can download it onto your smart phone, iPad, or just use the website. It even lets you track your progress with some graphs! Another similar app is SparkPeople which comes with a personalized meal plan which can be handy if you're just starting out! 

Swisse

Find the Right Supplements for You- I mentioned earlier that Corey and I really work together in our healthy lifestyle. However, we each have our own set of goals. I want to get lean and toned, whereas he wants to bulk up. This means that we each need our own set of supplements to support our individual goals. Currently I take a Chewable Multivitamin in the morning (I was using a woman specific formula but the tablets made me sick so I had switch to a chew), Swisse Hair, Skin, and Nails vitamins at dinner, along with two omega-3 capsules. I also use Swisse Slimshake as my post workout protein shake because it is super high in protein but is formulated to boost metabolism and keep you lean, unlike many protein powders which are formulated with body builders in mind. The slimshake also tastes AMAZING. It's like drinking cake batter!


I really hope you guys found these tips helpful! Please email me (mmcgoye378@gmail.com) and let me know if you have any tips that I might like!