Healthy Living

I’ve been getting ready for 2017 and the new resolutions that come with it. Ok, well the same resolution, except this year….Y’all, this is the year that it get’s done! For me personally, it’s not about seeing a certain number on the scale or even about a particular pair of jeans. It’s about making progress, finding the joy that I used to find in working out (something I will be honest, lately, I have been dragging my feet dreading) and being able to say that I live a healthy lifestyle. And, if that number on the scale comes or those special jeans I’ve been saving in the back of my closet end up fitting, then that’s just a bonus.

So. Where to start right?

First, join our free Facebook group. No, it’s not a place to have someone try to sell you a workout or supplements. Instead:

• Healthy challenges (small things you can do each day)
• Monthly fitness challenges (January’s challenge is all about lunges)
• Recipes
• Tips, tricks, advice
• Giveaways just for that group
• Accountability
• Support
• Community
• It’s fun. This is a safe place for people of all starting points – whether you have 100 pounds to lose, you are working on better nutrition, or you have been living a healthy lifestyle for a while now but just want like minded friends. Whatever your reason, welcome!

Now that we are all friends, let’s work on being able to see that progress. Remember, it’s not just about the scale. One other way to track progress is by measuring your body in inches. You can get our free printable tracker here as well as learn the proper way to take measurements.

Another way to track progress is by tracking your workouts. At first, working out is hard. But after a while, you get faster, stronger, more flexible. This is a great way to track that progress!

In the first column, you will write down the exercise you are tracking. In the second column, track where you are today. Then, in the following columns, when you retest yourself in one month, two, etc write down your new results.

Here is one with a few exercises written in that I plan on using. Before you start, decide how you are going to test yourself. For me, for exercises like crunches, burpees, push ups and the stairs, I plan on giving myself 2 minutes and I will record the number that I was able to get done. For the plank, I plan on timing how long I can keep it in proper form.

There are extra spaces – you can fill them with whatever you would like and to reflect whatever goals you have! Maybe you want to track how many laps you can swim at the pool. Or maybe you got a fitness dvd but you can’t quite make it through the whole thing yet. Why not write down how many minutes you were able to accomplish? Do you have a treadmill? Track how fast you can walk/run a mile.

Another way that this form can be useful is for weight training. Print off the blank version and take it to the gym. Write down how many reps or sets you did and at what weight.

The numbers at the top don’t have to reflect months! Maybe you are retesting and tracking weekly.

However it works for you and for your goals is exactly how you should use it!

To print, simply right click to save it to your computer and print!

I hope to see you in our Facebook group! Don’t forget to pin!

Looking for more free printables?

• Healthy Living Challenge
• Body Measurements Progress Tracker
• Lunge Challenge

       

You’ve worked really hard at getting to the gym (or moving in your living room!); you resisted that cupcake at the office party; you avoided fast food even though your stomach is grumbling and eat something healthier when you get home. You are super proud of yourself this week. You checked off all of the boxes on your list. So when you step on the scale waiting for those numbers to reflect a job well done, you are disappointed that they stay the same. Or worse, go up.

It’s ok! It happens. And it’s not necessarily a bad sign. So don’t give up. While the numbers on the scale tell us a lot, when it comes to your weight loss journey there is something that can be a little more motivating than just the number on the scale. Do you know what it is?

The numbers on your measuring tape! You’ve heard that muscle weighs more than fat, so sometimes the scale may not change as much as you would like it to (or in the direction you would like it to), but you are in fact, getting smaller. (Or if you are trying to bulk up, getting bigger!) A measuring tape will show you your measurements in a way that the scale can’t.

If you are working on getting healthy this year or trying to lose a few pounds, this is in my opinion, the best way to track! (PS. Have you joined our free Facebook group? You will get monthly fitness challenges – for all levels, as well as monthly challenges, tips, tricks, accountability, giveaways, contests and a great community to talk about your goals of getting healthy!)

How To Take Your Body Measurements

• When taking measurements, stand tall with your muscles relaxed and your feet together.
• When measuring, apply constant pressure to the tape (so it doesn’t sag) without pinching the skin.
• Use a flexible measuring tape, such as plastic or cloth. This one is my favorite!
• Measure under the same conditions each time, such as wearing the same clothes (or none at all).
• Measure yourself in front of a mirror to make sure the tape is positioned correctly. If possible, have someone else do the measuring for you.
• The place to take some of these measurements will vary slightly from person to person. To ensure accuracy, just remember to take them in the same place on your body each time.
• Track your measurements. Being able to write down your numbers and seeing the change is a huge motivation!

You can save our free printable tracker and print it from home! I like to measure 6 areas when I am tracking my weight loss: the upper arm, chest, waist, stomach, hips and upper thigh. I also do track my weight as well as inches. Some people like to track additional areas such as their neck or calf, but for me, these 6 areas are enough. I always start my sheet with my original starting point, no matter if I am 3 weeks in or 30 weeks. I think being able to see where you started from is important through your journey. At the end of the week, I total up how many inches I have lost. While it’s nice to see, 1/4 of an inch here or 1/2 of an inch there…it’s really nice to total up all of those lost inches at the end!

Here are some tips on how to take your body measurements:

• Upper arm (1) – Measure around the largest part of your arm.
• Chest (2) – Place your measuring tape right under your breasts/pecs and measure around the torso. If you are wanting to measure your bust, then the measuring tape will lay right across your nipples measuring the largest part of your chest. When the measuring tape wraps around your back make sure to keep it parallel to the floor.
• Waist (3) – You measure your waist at it’s narrowest point about half an inch above your belly button. Everyone is different, so just look for where your body naturally narrows. Before you measure, exhale your breath. You will want to measure before you inhale again.
• Stomach (4) – Many traditional trackers don’t have you measure your stomach. But for me, I’m working on losing weight and that includes the area in my stomach, so I track it. The stomach is between your waist and your hips.
• Hips (5) – Place the measuring tip around your widest part of your hips and butt keeping it parallel to the ground.
• Thigh (6) – Measure around the largest part of your upper thigh.

Don’t forget to join us on Facebook!

Looking for more free printables?

• Healthy Living Challenge
• Fitness Tracker
• Lunge Challenge

And don’t forget to pin our Body Measurements Progress Tracker!

 

       

While everyone else is busy hanging their stockings and singing Christmas carols, we are over here working on some really amazing and really BIG changes! We are still going to have our Facebook page (you have liked it right?) but we are breaking things down a little more to create some awesome communities. If you are on this post, then I know that you will absolutely love our It’s a Fabulous Healthy Life Facebook group!

This group is meant to encourage you and help support you on a healthy lifestyle journey. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of my goals (for 2017 and beyond!) I’m not an expert, but I wanted a place where we can all come to a safe place, join together and help support each other’s goals whether that is to lose weight, to eat healthier or just have an overall healthier lifestyle. It will be filled with fun challenges (no pressure to join!), tips, tricks, ideas, giveaways only for our group, a place to ask questions, find support in one another and for accountability if you need it. We would love to have you join! (It’s definitely free! This is not a group to sell you on a program or supplement! 😉 )

If you are in our group, then you’ve seen our January 2017 Healthy Living Challenge calendar! This calendar is full of small things you can do each day to live a healthier life. These are great things to try. I think, for me at least, saying I was going to start living a healthy lifestyle was kind of overwhelming. But really, it’s a lot of small changes that add up. If you follow the calendar, this is a great way to think about what small challenges you can make!

As you can see, Sunday January 1st the first thing on the list is to start the lunge challenge. That’s this! Each month not only will we have a healthy living challenge, but we will also have a fitness challenge.

For January, it’s all about the lunges. This isn’t meant to replace your workouts, but it’s a great way to supplement your workouts. Each day, you will see a number of lunges to do each day (per leg). There are lots of different lunges. I like to mix it up. So I am doing:

• Forward lunges on Sunday
• Side lunges on Monday
• Lunge kicks on Tuesday
• Reverse lunges on Wednesday
• Jumping lunges on Thursday (These are the hardest for me!)
• And lunges of my choice on Friday
• Saturdays are the day off! WOOP WOOP!

If you need to make the lunges more challenging, try adding dumbbells.

If you are having trouble, you can try breaking up the number of lunges. While you should push yourself, keep in mind that you know your body best. Do your best and as many as you can, even if it isn’t the number on the calendar. Progress is progress. And if you are making progress than that is what is all about!!

Not sure how to do lunges? Here is a quick guide and how to videos:

How To Do A Forward Lunge

Stand with feet hip-width apart, engage core, and take a big step backward. Engage glutes as you bend front knee to lower body so back knee lightly taps floor while keeping upper body upright. Drive front heel into floor to return to starting position.

How To Do A Side Lunge

Stand with your feet and knees together. Take a large step with your right foot to the right side and lunge toward the floor. Make sure your right knee does not extend past your toes and keep your left leg relatively straight.

How To Do Lunge Kicks

Stand straight, face front, keep your core tight and your back flat. As you lunge, keep the front knee aligned with the ankle and keep your weight loaded in the front heel. Exhale as you kick, and then return to the starting position or go directly into a new lunge.

(To do a reverse lunge follow the instructions above, but omit the kick!)

How To Do Jumping Lunges

Start standing tall with your feet staggered, your left foot slightly in front of your right. Making sure you’re not too stiff, keep your stance active with your knees bent in a slight but not full lunge. Engage your core and push off the bottom of both feet into a jump, switching the position of your feet in midair, landing in a basic lunge with your right leg in front. Without rest, repeat this movement alternating which leg is in front. To prevent injury, make sure your back leg is bent directly underneath your body and your front leg is bent at 90 degrees at the knee and hip.

Be sure to join us on Facebook!

Looking for more free printables?

• Healthy Living Challenge
• Body Measurements Progress Tracker
• Fitness Level Tracker

Don’t forget to pin!

       

 

 

I’ve been trying REALLY hard to take better care of myself and putting my health first. After all, I’m not getting younger. So I’ve been trying to eat healthy. I’ve been trying to get more active. And I’ve been taking my SmartyPants vitamins. And I’ve been doing research about what I really need to live a healthy life.

Here is what I found. A list of 10 vitamins and minerals that every woman (regardless of their age) should make sure that they are getting enough of. (Just so you know – this list is in no particular order!) 🙂

Magnesium I admit – Magnesium is something that I knew nothing about! Turns out that it is some pretty important stuff!

Magnesium is necessary to help maintain normal muscle and nerve function. It also helps to regulate your blood sugar level, keep a normal blood pressure, regulate heart rhythm and support a healthy immune system. Oh and it helps to boost energy! It may also help prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. A Hardvard University study found that a high magnesium intake cut the risk of diabetes by 33%. It’s also been shown by some studies to ward off depression and migraines. Pretty cool huh?

It’s recommended that you get 320 mg per day. magnesium is connected to other nutrients in the body such as calcium, vitamin K and vitamin D. You can find it naturally in foods such as green vegetables, some beans, nuts, seeds (like pumpkin seeds!), fish, avocado, bananas, and dark chocolate.

 

Vitamin A

It’s recommended that you get 700 IU of Vitamin A. It will help to promote growth and development in your body, in particular your eyes, immune system and your skin. It can actually help to reduce acne! It also may prevent some types of cancer.

You can find vitamin A in lots of foods. Beta-Carotene (think orange, yellow and red fruits and veggies) will be converted to Vitamin A in your body. Sweet potatoes, carrots, red peppers, most fruits, tomatoes and broccoli are all good sources of Vitamin A.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B is an important and there are very many kinds of B vitamins such as B1, B2, B3 etc. The recommended amount varies for each B vitamin. I love SmartyPants Vitamins For Women because they contain good amounts of B12, B6 and B5!

Vitamin B is important to boost energy, support a healthy metabolism, and improve your hair, skin and nails. It’s also a key role in brain function.

You can get vitamin B in a variety of foods like avocado, bananas, oatmeal, almonds, cheese and eggs, just to name some.

 

Folic Acid

Folic Acid is actually a B Vitamin but it’s actually so important that it has it’s own category. 🙂 You should have a daily intake of Folic Acid (also known as Folate) of 400 mcg each day. If you are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, it is recommended that you up that to 800 mcg. (Did you know if you are expecting or planning on expecting SmartyPants Vitamins have prenatal vitamins as well?)

Folic Acid can prevent up to 70% of some birth defects, can help to prevent some kinds of cancer, can help prevent heart disease and strokes, is a natural antidepressant and can improve your hair, skin and nail’s appearance. It also can help to reduce some effects of aging – including memory loss and help to improve brain functions. Folic Acid is really important!

You can find folic acid in avocados, spinach, asparagus, citrus fruits, strawberries, and eggs to name a few.

Omega 3’s

You may have heard about Omega 3’s as fish oil and they have been in the news a lot. Omega 3’s can help to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis. It also helps your brain with memory and performance. Many children’s vitamins are also adding Omega 3’s not only for brain function but because it can help with behavior.

(Tip: SmartyPants Vitamins use eco-friendly Omega 3 DHA & EPA! That’s super important to me!)

Some of the foods that you can get Omega 3’s in include: fish and nut oils. Salmon is what comes to most people’s minds when you talk about Omega 3’s!

Calcium

Did you know that bone loss starts to happen in women in their 20’s? Calcium helps keep teeth and bones strong and healthy. It also fights against bone loss and osteoporosis. Calcium also helps your body absorb iron.

You can get calcium in dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables. You should get at least 1,000 mg of calcium each day – 1,500 if you are over 50.

Iron

You should be getting 8.1 mg of iron each day! Iron helps you to make red blood cells, is essential for proper cell growth and helps to prevent your body from being susceptible to infections.

You can get iron in chicken, lean red meat, turkey, fish, beans and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C

I am one of those people who swears by Vitamin C. I take a Vitamin C supplement the second I feel a cold coming on and boom! It’s gone! Vitamin C is known to boost your immune system. It’s also known to help you be alert (which is another reason OJ is so good in the morning!) and improve concentration. It can also help improve conditions of your skin and hair as well as reduce some physical signs of aging.

You should get 60 mg of Vitamin C everyday. Luckily it is easy to get – it’s in all fruits and vegetables! Or in your morning SmartyPants vitamin!

Vitamin D

Do you wear sunscreen? The answer should be of course! 🙂 Sunshine is what helps our bodies make Vitamin D, but with sunscreen (which is good!!) many people are not making enough Vitamin D. To give yourself a little boost be sure to eat foods like portabella mushrooms, fish, and milk and orange juice that have been fortified with Vitamin D. You may also consider taking a supplement since this is a harder vitamin to easily get through food. An estimated 85% of US adults have a Vitamin D deficiency. Luckily SmartyPants Vitamins gives you 250% of your daily recommended Vitamin D.

Why? Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and can help prevent diseases like diabetes, some cancers, depression and heart disease.

Vitamin E

Vitamin is helps your body form red blood cells and may help to prevent some intestinal disorders. It also will slow down age related changes.

You should get 12 IU each day for the recommended intake of Vitamin E. You can find it in spinach (and leafy greens), hazelnuts, peanut butter and sunflower seeds – just to name a few sources!

It can be hard to get all of your recommended daily vitamins through food alone. That’s why you really need a great vitamin. Obviously SmartyPants vitamins are one that I highly recommend! They are really good. Like crazy good! And these yummy gummy vitamins pack a big punch!

• Vitamin A – 30%
• Vitamin C – 100%
• Vitamin D – 250%
• Vitamin E – 100%
• Vitamin K – 40%
• B1 – 5%
• B3 – 20%
• B6 – 100%
• Folate (Folic Acid) – 100%
• B12 – 1667%
• Biotin – 100%
• Calcium – 100%
• Iodine – 100%

RIGHT?! Plus, there are a few more things I love about them.

While they contain a lot of good stuff, they don’t contain any bad stuff. And that’s something most vitamins can’t say! SmartyPants don’t contain:

• GMO
• Gluten
• Synthetic Colors, Flavors, Preservatives
• Yeast
• Soy allergens (this is a big one with me!)
• Wheat
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Fish allergens
• Shellfish
• Salicylates

They are also third party lab tested (actually they go through tons of testing to make sure they are consistently the best!) and use eco-friendly sources of Omega 3’s.

SmartyPants Vitamins has gummies for the whole family including women, men, children, and prenatal. And they are easily available at many stores and online!

This post has been sponsored by SmartyPants vitamins. All thoughts and opinions and Smarty Love are my own.