Aloha all you Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Bean readers!
I’m Tarole and I blog over at Island Livin’ with One Haole Girl
I’m stoked that Logan is allowing me to guest post today! I absolutely love her blog and I think she is so stinkin’ adorable! Don’t you agree?
Moving on..
Today I’m bringing you a post on health/fitness. I’m such a health nut and am always looking for work out routines and new healthy recipes. I have an entire blog dedicated to leading a healthy lifestyle (plus it acts as GREAT motivation!) You can visit it here.
There are SO many ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. Whether it be in the kitchen, in the gym, or what have you. People think they have to spend tons of money on “healthier” foods or memberships to a big fancy gym. No. Wrong. I don’t have a gym membership, nor do I waste money on those packages claiming to be “fat free” or whatever they say these days.
Want to know the secrets to my success?
Yup.
She’s The Biggest Loser coach for a reason people!
Things I love about the 30 Day Shred video:
- You can work out in the comfort of your own home – not a stinky, sweaty gym with creepy guys staring at you.
- All you need is a set of hand weights, and a mat if you’re on a hard surface.
- It’s only 20 minutes with a 2 minute warm up and a 2 minute cool down.
- There are THREE levels so you can work your way up as you get stronger and more fit.
- She has two friends working with her. One for beginners and one for more advanced. You can make it as hard or as easy as you want.
Personally, I use a set of 5 lbs weights. I have a smaller frame, so to tone and be lean, I use a lighter set of weights, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still working my ass off. I also use a set of 2 lb ankle weights to add a little extra to the work out.
Don’t think I just get by on a 20 minute video work out.
I’m also a huge fan of running. Living in Hawaii I am blessed with beautiful scenery which makes running a heck of a lot easier. But honestly, anyone can do it. And it’s the fastest way to shed that fat that’s covering up all of your defined muscles! 🙂
When it comes to running, people always have misconceptions. “I need to run hills”, “I need to run as fast as I can”, “I need to run every day”.
Whooooaaa pump the brakes there Sally.
No. Wrong.
Some facts about running:
- Running on flat surfaces with slim you down, while running hills will bulk you up.
- Women who regularly JOG live about 5.6 years longer than women who don’t jog.
- Higher mileage isn’t always better – You don’t have to run 8 miles every time you run!
- Running in the rain or cold does NOT mean you will get sick.
- There’s no set speed you have to keep while running. Set YOUR own pace.
I am training for a half marathon, so I actually will run 5 nights out of the week. It’s *ok* to have a rest day or two. Your body needs time to keep up and change the way you want it to.
Of course listening to music can help with the process. I like to listen to the “Workout” station on Pandora while I run. It has upbeat music that helps me to set a good pace and gets my mind off of the actual exercise. I also use the app “Nike+ Running” It works as a GPS, records your time, pace, and distance. It also has an option for “root me on” where people can drop messages to help you keep going! Plus, it still allows me to listen to Pandora!
Moving on to Health/Nutrition
You know that saying, “abs are made in the kitchen”? Well, it’s true.
Often times people think working out on the regular will allow them to eat whatever kind of junk they want.
No. Wrong.
Working out will dramatically increase your fitness, but you have to be in full force if you want that dream body, or to simply live a healthier life style.
“But Tarole, healthier foods are SO expensive”
I bet you there is a farmer’s market at least once a week somewhere close by where you live. These days people are all about locally grown and organic. Farmers markets are a GREAT way to save money while getting those healthy fruits and veggies you need to have a balanced diet.
Pay attention to your problem areas. There are specific foods that are geared more towards specific areas. For example, my problem are is the midsection. I like to store a lot of belly fat for some weird reason. So I like to stick to foods packed with protein, omega -3 fatty acids, and fiber (spinach, fish, and nuts). There are so many foods that can help sky rocket your metabolism. That in itself will shed body fat.
Another app I like to take advantage of is called, “My Fitness Pal“. This is great for those of who who are dieting and exercising to lose weight, but it’s also great for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s basically like a food diary. You record everything you eat (you can even scan barcodes of packages and the nutrition facts are recorded for you) insert the amount of calories burned during your workout, and it tells you if you are good to go, or if you need to eat more or burn more calories. It’s a great tool to have!
I’m sorry this post was so long – but you made it through! I could go on and on about this subject. If you have any questions, concerns, or would simply like a few tips in the health/fitness department, shoot me an email – I’d love to help you out!
Stick to a daily routine of health and fitness and this could be your result!
.PNG)
That’s me!
Living in Hawaii – A bikini is an almost every day attire.
I hope you enjoyed my post and found it semi useful! If you’d like, head on over to my blog for more tips and ideas. I have a whole page dedicated to a healthy lifestyle!
Thanks so much Logan for letting me take over and writing an obnoxiously long post. Isn’t she the greatest!
Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) and Happy Holidays everyone!
Xoxo,
Isn’t she awesome!? And holy cow, I want her body! I know that during the holidays, I need a bit of motivation to stay away from the sweets and get off my tush to work out. I hope this gave y’all the extra push it gave me! Thank you, Tarole!
Be sure to go check out her blog for more tips!
Great post, Tarole! This gave me so much motivation to fix my body and get better so I can work on getting back in shape! 🙂
awesome and motivating! (as I eat a cookie for breakfast.) I am ordering 30 day shred as we speak, lol!
love Tarole!!! and love Jillian Michaels!! seriously her workouts, work.
Wonderful post! I love all the great advise and motivation! Thank you for posting!
I've done the 30 day shred after having a baby, and IT WORKS! Very tough video. Great post!
Dang girl! You use ankle weights during 30 Day Shred? You're a crazy girl! Hehe… keep it up!
Anestazia
http://yourworkistodiscoveryourworld.blogspot.com/
Motivating indeed!! MyFitnessPal is a great tracker app. (as long as you use it… ahahaa)
New follower from the Weekend Blog Walk. 🙂
Falen
Oh my… I threw up my first day after the 30 day shred. HAHA