As I’ve been sharing bits and pieces on this topic, I keep getting comments and emails saying, “Keep it coming, I need motivation!” So here you go. Summer is about 3 months away and that is plenty of time to make a big difference if you’re wanting to find the motivation to get healthier (see much further down this post how much I changed in just 3 months). Over the past 2 years I’ve made some big changes, and one of the things that has been instrumental is that I’ve learned to love and embrace exercise and fitness. I’m not talking about loving fitness in the way that you annoy everyone you know posting your workouts on Facebook. I’m talking about genuinely loving living an active life and pushing myself physically.
It’s become a hobby, a stress reliever, and for someone who’s life revolves around food- a necessity. I’ve found becoming healthy and strong just as much mentally and emotionally empowering as it is physically empowering. Next week I’m going to share my whole story, about where I’ve been and where I am, and everything that’s influenced me along the way (including the topic of nutrition, which is probably the thing I get the most questions about.) Well next week or the week after. The other post I have in the queue involves cheese-smothered nachos. It’s all about balance. But today I’m going to write about exercise, and all of my best tips on how to make it happen and truly assist you in getting healthier, and specifically- losing weight. Okay, now. I’m about to do something incredibly embarrassing and I’m having heart palpitations just thinking about it. But here we go. I’m posting this picture in hopes of inspiring others so at least ONE flippin’ person out there better tell me they’re inspired or I will go hide under a rock for the rest of my life. This is the difference that exercise and nutrition have made for me:
That before picture was a little less than 2 years ago, and the after was a couple of days ago. I’ve learned so much along the way. For everyone who’s asked for motivation, tips, and advice from my personal experience- here’s my best stuff. I hope this helps someone out there feel motivated enough to set a goal and make it happen. I am such a happier person today than I was 2 years ago almost 50lbs overweight, and trust me: if I, a person who’s life revolves around cooking and eating can make this happen- so can you!
One of the most common challenges people face when trying to start an exercise program is simply a lack of time. Let me tell you- I know a thing or two about lack of time. I know what it’s like to lead a busy life. Mine doesn’t slow down, ever! As my life has become increasingly busy over the years, time has become a precious commodity. Having more and more to do has actually made me be more and more productive and organized. I hate wasting time; I hate being idle. What I’ve learned is that it’s all about prioritizing. You make time for the things that are important to you.
This applies to wanting more time for your family, your hobby, and definitely for exercise. If it’s important to you, you can’t wait for “leftover” time to squeeze it in. You schedule it in. You commit. You make the time. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. I am NOT a morning person, or at least I never have been, but I found that I simply don’t have the time to work out during the day, and I hate it when I lose time with my kids, or for my job, or other things I need to be doing be having to map out out big chunk of time in the middle of the day. So I work out in the wee hours of the morning. My alarm goes off between 5:30-6 every day and over the past 2 years I re-conditioned my body and my mind, and that’s just my schedule now. Even if I don’t set an alarm, my eyes pop open by 6, it’s just what I’m used to now. Even when I want so desperately to sleep, I don’t let myself talk me out of it. It’s non-negotiable, and now it’s habit. Make time for yourself.
People (and by people I mostly mean women) are generally shocked to hear that I still want to have another baby. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard the sentence, “Why are you wasting your time getting fit and losing weight when you’re just going to get pregnant and ruin it all?” Most people have a tendency to look for that perfect time for everything. Fitness is no exception. I myself have often thought, “okay after my vacation next week, I’ll really focus and get started on this.” or “After I get through this stressful work project, I’ll be dedicated to my nutrition.” The perfect time is now. Today. Always. There’s never a negative of making healthy choices and if there’s one thing I can encourage you to do (if you’re reading this and are needing encouragement) it’s to stop wasting time waiting for that “right” time. Just start now! Today! A few months from now you’ll be SO happy you did.
After I lost most of my weight, my little brother moved here to Boise. After the incredibly successful experience I had working with a great trainer, I encouraged my brother to at least meet with him too. I knew my trainer, Jacob, could help my brother change his life if he could just find the motivation to make the decision to do it. My brother met with Jacob at the beginning of December, and after a long talk he knew it was great fit and something he needed, and wanted, to do. On January 1st, of course. Because that’s when you “start” things. My brother just wanted to get through the holidays, enjoy the holidays, and then focus on this giant weight loss goal. Jacob convinced them there was no point in waiting. Why wait and prolong what you’ve already decided to do?? So my brother begrudgingly did it. He started a nutrition and training plan at the beginning of the most caloric month of the year. A month where he says he traditionally gains 5-10 pounds, and instead, he lost 10 pounds. By January 1st, the time he planned to start thinking committing to a goal, he was already well on his way. That was a little over a year ago and to date, my “little” brother has shed over 100 pounds. Start now!
Okay, so let’s assume you’re ready to get fit. Ready to make some changes, train for something specific, or simply be more active. Here’s some practical tips when it comes to the How-To.
Simple thing when you look at the big scheme of things, but as I mentioned in my Fit Gear Faves post, it’s amazing how much more motivated you can be when you feel comfortable and confident and have something fun and new to wear. Don’t let weight be a deterrent; you don’t have to buy anything fancy and expensive. Grab a cute free top from Old Navy, or even Walmart has a great super cheap line. Then when you lose weight, you can reward yourself with one in a smaller size!
While dedication to fitness takes a lot of personal effort, having friends and a support network absolutely helps. This is my friend Tricia. After I had my first baby, moved to Idaho, and tried to get back into exercising, we began working out at the same gym. Tricia had recently lost a significant amount of weight and encouraged me to come to some of the group classes she attended. I was terrified since I was out of shape and had no idea what I was doing, but it wasn’t so scary going with a friend. I quickly fell in love with kickboxing and spinning, and we found we got a great workout, while chit-chatting the entire time. It was like a fun girls-night-out, but we were sweating our rears off. That hour class each night became my kid-free stress relief each week and I loved it. I never would have even tried those things if it wasn’t for the fact that I had a friend by my side those first few times. So find a friend or two with similar goals as you and encourage one another. Or try swapping kids so you can both work out. Form an exercise group yourself. Several years ago a group of my friends and I gathered at 5:30 in the morning and did P90 in my friend’s garage together. Another time we formed a little running group. I HAD to get out of bed when I knew my buddies were waiting out on the corner for me in the wee hours of the morning. Plus, there’s nothing more motivating than a little friendly competition, and when you get girls together to work out you’re bound to have a little of that 😉
There are a lot of ways to work out, including in your own home, but I love going to the gym because it helps me to focus. At home I will find a million and one distractions, but at the gym, the only thing to do there is work out, so I get my stuff done and get out. Now days, joining a gym doesn’t need to be a major financial investment. Sure there are huge, fancy facilities with state of the art equipment. You’ve got classes and swimming, and children’s programs, and more- but those things also come with a price. In most cities there are small gyms with minimal monthly fees that are totally manageable for just about any budget. The gym I go to is small. Like, really small. It’s got kind of a Cheers vibe going on where everyone knows everyone because you work out along-side the same 15 people every day. There are zero bells and whistles, and the equipment isn’t even high-end, but it’s perfect for me. I don’t need wireless internet and tv screens on every treadmill. I go to the gym to lift heavy stuff and sweat, and my little gym gets the job done. It’s open 24 hours, is located about 3 minutes from my house, and I pay less than $10 a month. I probably spend that much on gum each month so a gym is totally in the realm of possibility for anyone. Check around and I bet you can find one in your area in the $10-15 a month range.
That being said, if you don’t have a gym membership, there are SO many great (free!) resources online for home work-outs. Start googling and you’ll find more than you ever imagine existed.
This picture is from last summer when I took Kate to workout with my trainer. This is after our workout and as you can see he’s pointing to both of us, but Kate threatened to hunt me down and cut me in my sleep if I ever posted the photo to the internet. Kate, take note: you have been effectively removed. Still, I might sleep with one eye open tonight.
I used to think that trainers were for one of two types of people. Either the super-elite, training for crazy awesome athletic events (like, I don’t know- the Olympics?) or just the opposite: people who didn’t have a clue how to exercise and needed someone to hold their hand. I dismissed the idea because I didn’t fit into either category, but I was wrong on both accounts. I’ll tell you more about how I ended up with a trainer when I write my post next week with my full story, but I will tell you right now that the key to my success this time around, when I had been unsuccessful so many times before, was undoubtedly an awesome trainer, who is really good at what he does. Investing in training was honestly one of the best decisions I have ever made and I would do it again in a heartbeat. That being said, all trainers are not created equal. In fact, I’d say some would be a complete waste of time and money, and since training can be expensive, you want to make sure you’re investing in something that’s going to be very worthwhile. The absolute best way to find a good trainer is from a personal reference. Ask around; talk to friends who have worked with trainers and get a recommendation.
Maybe it’s just the area that I live in, because this is so, so prevalent in the Utah/Idaho region, but running is a really big thing. I swear every minivan in town has a bumper sticker proudly displaying their mileage (and I’m not talking about the car.)
Girls in particular tend to be obsessive about cardio. Before I started working with my trainer I was running several miles a day. I couldn’t figure out how I could be running so much and not losing weight. The single most effective thing in my personal weight-loss experience was the change from cardio to resistance training. I used to spend the majority of my exercise on cardio (running, elliptical, stair climbing, etc.) and then maybe throw in a few minutes lifting weights. My trainer completely reversed that. Cardio became my cool-down; just 15-20 minutes after an intense hour of resistance. I spend the majority of my workouts in the weight room now. The moment I started doing that the pounds literally melted off. Just to show you- here’s that same horrid before picture (which was taken right after one of my very first training sessions, and explains why I look like death), and the after is just 3 months later (I’m not a crazy person, it was Halloween.) This was simply eating a normal healthy diet, but staying within a reasonable calorie range, and weight training at the direction of my trainer.
When you lift weights, you build lean tissue. You raise your metabolism so you burn more calories doing nothing! Girls, you won’t bulk up; you’ll become lean, and toned. The thing that surprised me the most was that as my weight started coming off and the fat melted, I wasn’t just getting thinner, I was getting strong. I had muscle definition. Cardio is good, running is healthy, but don’t depend completely on it. Try getting into the weight room and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. Read my experience of this past December when I took an entire month off of cardio while at the same time increasing my calories each day: Here.
And so I don’t sound like a hypocrite- I do still run! I do some cardio every day and usually one day a week I take a break from weights to let my muscles rest and do a long run (anywhere from 4-6 miles) to keep up my endurance. In terms of my daily routine, I switch things up often, but generally speaking I work out 5-6 days a week. I warm up with a little cardio to get my blood moving and then do anywhere from 30-60 minutes of resistance training (weights), I alternate between days that focus on legs, shoulders and back, biceps and triceps, and core. Then I usually finish with some higher intensity cardio, like 20 minutes of faster-pace running or stairs. So I do still sweat it out on the cardio machines, I just focus more on resistance now.
Exercising doesn’t have to be about suiting up for the gym or pounding the pavement. The secret to long-term health and fitness is living an active life. Find some activities you enjoy, or start a new one. My husband and I love to be outdoors hiking and exploring so this winter we took up snowshoeing. It’s been an awesome way to be active and good workout while having fun doing something we enjoy together.
If you’re taking baby steps, try just going for a walk every night after dinner. If you’re already pretty fit and just want a new hobby, try a new sport or train for an event you’ve never done before. The best way to burn calories is to do it in a fun way where you forget you’re even exercising.
Once you make a goal and commit to something, don’t let the devil on your shoulder talk you out of it. I used to be a very all or nothing person. I was either totally zoned in and focused on something (like health and fitness) or completely out of it (“Well, since I didn’t work out today, I may as well eat cake for breakfast.) Take vacation for example. That was always clearly “time off” for me. I enjoyed not stressing about anything, eating whatever I wanted, and dealing with the consequences when I got back to real life. I live a life now that’s much more balanced. When I go out of town on business or on vacation with my family, I still enjoy myself, and still indulge in yummy food, but I also make better decisions and fit in exercise. Even for a quick overnight trip, I pack my work out clothes and running shoes. Almost all hotels have fitness facilities now, and if they don’t, I do this at-home workout from my trainer.
Last summer after a solid 6 weeks of traveling (and “time off”) I came back to reality and had gained 10 pounds. Ten! I slipped in one training session before I was leaving the very next morning on a massive road trip ending in Disneyland. After the depressing weigh-in, I promised my trainer that the moment I got home from my big trip, I’d fix the mess I’d made and be right back on track. He said no way. I was starting right then. “But I’m going on a road trip!” “And we’re eating out every single day!” “And I have no gym!” He made me commit to tracking my calories and he texted me this workout to do every day. I did it. 7 days, 40 something hours in the car, no gym, and amusement park food every day, and I came home 2 pounds lighter (and knocked off the rest of it shortly after). No excuses.
Another one of my favorite no-excuses work-outs are intervals, because you can do them anywhere. Search the iTunes store for “interval app” and you’ll find basic timers like this. I set it to 1 minute intervals and it will beep when each one is done. Then just do something different for each minute and don’t stop until the minute is over. Try jumping jacks, squats, push ups, sit-ups, lunges, high-knees, planks, tricep dips, etc. Sometimes I set 30 1 minute intervals and do it while I watch a half-hour tv show, talking some of the intervals as breaks.
I can’t write this post without also including this one last very important section.
Don’t be one of those people. You know who I’m talking about. You desperately want to hide them from your social media feeds, but then you couldn’t silently mock them so you just keep them there.
Deciding to be fit and healthy is awesome, but don’t become obsessed. Don’t let it take over your life. And don’t annoy all of your friends by talking about it ALL THE TIME. I know you all have those friends, and I’m going to stop talking about this before mine realize I’m talking about them. There’s a big difference between being dedicated, and being obsessed and addicted. Make sure you can differentiate. Making time for exercise is important, but if it gets to the point where you’re missing family events, or turning down time with friends because you’re stressed it will interfere with your fitness schedule, you might have a problem.
I sincerely hope that this helps some of you out there find that extra little push you need. Now go get after it!
Questions & Reviews
Hey Sarah- You are the best! Quick question for you… I just found the organic blue agave that you recommended a few posts back as a sugar replacement and was wondering if you had tried baking with it? If you have, are the quantities interchangeable? I was just thinking of replacing the brown sugar in your gluten free peanut butter cookies that you recently posted with the agave nectar. Have you tried that? Thanks!
I don’t often bake with Agave, I use it more it situations where I would use syrup or honey. I definitely wouldn’t make the PB cookies with Agave; since there’s only a few ingredients there, you really need the sugar for structure.
Sara, you look FABULOUS!! Thank you for sharing. I’m very excited for the future posts. You truly are an inspiration!
Thank you for this post!! It was exactly what I needed to hear to get me motivated to get back into shape. I actually started your home workout today! I was so excited… and exhausted, but I did it and I’m looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!
Just curious…are you sleeping more because of this? I work out 4 times/week and sometimes by 3pm I am wishing for a nap. I sleep 8 hours a night usually and take vitamins and try to eat fairly well. Just curious what your experience has been with that. I know working out gives me energy at times as well but it also takes more out of me at other times.
That was me a year ago. Everyone’s body is different but I quit eating grains at lunch and refill with protein (meat or eggs) and veggies instead. Also, just discovered issues with adrenal glands and I am correcting that problem.
My trainer was pregnant when I started with her and she inspired me every day to get stronger. I could hardly bear crawl when I started 2 years ago and now I laugh with joy when we have “animal day” filled with frog jumps, inch worms, bear crawls and more. Thanks for the post and the honest pictures.
Awesome Before and After photos….totally inspiring! I’ve got plenty of weight to lose, so your post was just what I need. Thanks for sharing!
One of the BEST articles I’ve ever read! I love it!
Sara you are a *ROCKSTAR*… I love working with people that are seriously committed to change, you make my job easy. I appreciate the vote of confidence, you did all of the work I just made you do it. Cheers to you kido, looking forward to reaching new goals… BE ELITE!!!
Thank you so much for this great post! This was so helpful and motivating. I am the “one” that needed it. Thank you!
Sara! Thank you so much for this post. You and your brother are both an inspiration to me. I love seeing you at the gym from time to time and it’s been nice doing boot camp with your brother. I LOVE the way you ended this post! I need to work on not talking so much about it and not letting it stop me from hanging with friends. There is a balance in all things and finding it in this area has been difficult. Maybe I have a problem. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your views and your pictures! I laughed and teared up a little while seeing myself in so much of this post. Jacob is amazing and I feel grateful that I too have been able to train with him He is the BEST! You are an inspiration!
You have definitely inspired me go get my butt back in to gear! You look amazing!
Thanks for helping me stay motivated!
Congrats on all your weight loss! That is truly amazing. I have really struggled to get back to exercising since being pregnant with and having my fourth baby. I’m so tired all the time that I just haven’t been motivated, but reading this post has really inspired me to get going again. Even though I lose my baby weight easily (I know most women probably hate me for saying that, I don’t know why it’s that way for me, but it’s just how my body works) and am not overweight, I have never felt so out of shape and weak in my life. I’ve always been a pretty fit/active/strong person, but seriously the last couple of years I’ve felt pretty crappy and I know it’s because I haven’t exercised much at all. My dad has been a coach/PE teacher at Ricks/BYU-Idaho for years and I finally just asked him if he could write up a workout for me. He gave me a bunch of ideas and said exactly what you said–you won’t burn fat/lose much weight unless you include resistance training. He said if all you do is run then you don’t hit the fat burning point until about 60 minutes, so you’d really have to be up there in your mileage. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration! I sent this link to my husband, too.
GREAT POST! I was happy to see Tricia in the photo with you! She was in my stake here in Meridian before she moved to CA and is a great and inspiring person. I am on my weight loss journey and have begun my ‘no excuses’ mantra. So far since January 6th I have lost 17.5 lbs. I agree with you so much about the cardio/weight training thing. It is a testament that you can eat real food and not invest in weird diets and lose the weight and keep it off! Thanks for being so real. I hope to meet you someday. I know you are friends with a few people I know, so maybe! I missed our Stake Women’s Conference last year that you spoke at. 🙂 Love your site, been following you forever. Oh, and I LOVE that skinny chicken salad recipe you posted a week or so ago. It has become a go-to for my lunches each week. I love eating it on those fold-it flatbread things (at Winco, only 90 cal and a ton of fiber and protein in each one) with a cup of spinach too. YUMMY. Thanks again for being so real and an inspiration!!
Very very motivating,! Just last night I did some exercises while watching tv with the hubs becuase of your “just start now” Thanks for posting I am enjoying this A LOT!!!!
Thanks so much for this! I’m finally starting to get on a healthier track and this was encouraging. I would love to hear more details about your resistance training. Not quite at the point of hiring a trainer so I’m sort of guessing at my weight training. I realize it will look for different for everyone, but in general: 1. What equipment do you use (weights/bands/balls?) 2. How do you determine weight and/or reps? (how hard should I be working my body?). Thanks for being brave enough to post the before pic–that was the biggest encouragement of all to me 🙂
I sooo needed to hear this right now. I’m going to start NOW! I have been “waiting for the right time” and you’re right…you just have to make it! Thanks for the post, and you are super-inspiring! You look fabulous!
Completely motivating! Thank you! I began working out at my gym 4 weeks ago. I haven’t quite seen any success yet (although I feel great afterwards), but I’m beginning to love it. I, too, have been doing a lot of weights and not much cardio. I really love it. I hope that the fat starts melting off now! thank you again!
Forgot to say that you look fantastic!
You are *awesome*, and I want to thank you for posting your “before” pic–it really is inspiring to me. Before 40 I had hardly any problems with weight, and since then it’s been awful. I am also an all or nothing person, so I appreciate you mentioning that, because if you can do it with that same mentality, I know I can, too. And I am the same way about time, if I don’t do it in the morning, I just can’t work it in…so I need to just get up. I know that, now I just have to do it. Not sure I can drag myself out of the house, but if I could find a small gym near here, I may need to try that. And for the accountability, I should probably find a trainer. It’s too easy for me to give myself excuses. Again, thanks for posting, you did a really great thing in that 🙂
Perfect timing, girl! I need all the motivation I can get. A cruise in a week was not enough to get me going and I am at my all time highest weight right now–BTW, I have known about the cruise since last year. And now my daughter is getting married in 2 or 3 months or so and I swore when my other daughter got married that I would not be as heavy for the next one (you know, after I saw all the wedding pictures). Crunch time. Looking forward to more posts!
Awesome! Great tips and advice. And good for you. Very neat to read!! I would LOVE to know:
How do you manage healthy eating with indulgences? How often? I love to cook and bake and try new things but wonder if you do a once a week thing or just take a bite? (really, who does that??) Like if you want a smothered nacho or something? 🙂
Wondering what your meal plan looks like for one day.
For you and your body bugg, what number are you going for calories burned?
Thank you! Can’t wait to read the next installment!
love this post! thanks for your vulnerability.
This was very inspiring! We don’t live anywhere near a gym, so this weekend we are going to go buy a little more weights and I’m going to utilize YouTube, lol. I want to workout early as well, but what do you eat before? I’ve tried to work out early without eating first and I have zero energy.
For those who don’t want to pay for a gym membership/trainer, there are a lot of great options online. My very favorite is Melissa Bender Fitness. She has a blog that is totally free and packed with TONS of at-home workouts, using minimal gear. I am one of those annoying running girls, but I LOVE resistance training (it is sooo effective!), and this site helps me get some awesome workouts done after my run each day. Good job on all you’ve done. It really is so much easier when you make it a hobby/passion. The time is always there if you choose for it to be.
Thank you x100 for this. I have committed to moving more but it mostly is cardio and I just am not seeing the scale move like it should. I’m going to start on my own with resistance and then try and see about a trainer. I’m so afraid of the cost of one. You have inspired me for sure! Do not be embarrassed about your before pic – be dang proud girl, you look awesome!
For anyone looking for a great (and free!!) weight training program google “Jamie Eason live fit.” It’s on bodybuilding.com. First of all, it is easy to start and perfect for beginners or anyone who has not been lifting weights consistently. Second, it works!! She also gives a pretty stringent nutrition program but even with a few changes in your normal diet, you do these workouts, you will see results! I’m one that also gets more than annoyed with most social media/blog fitness advice but Jamie’s site was the first time I thought “I can do this.” It makes sense, it works and doesn’t require all the hoopla.
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to write this. What an incredible transformation and testimony!!! I recently began a program as a birthday present to myself. The group I joined began a week later then planned but I did take the attitude of “why NOT begin today?” and was so glad I did. Thank you for re-affirming the resistance training. . .I am still not seeing the results I thought I would a couple of weeks in but your pictures are enough to inspire me to keep on keeping on. Happy Friday!
I want to start adding in resistance training. I’ve got the running/walking down, but feel like I need a little more. I do not belong to a gym, and rather work out at home. Would your travel list of exercises be considered resistance training? Like the jumping jacks and all, and I am unsure if they are more cardio or considered resistance?? I would love other suggestions for strength and resistance training at home where I only have a set of 5 pound and 3 pound weights. Great post!! Thank you.
I have one other question, and you’ll likely cover this in a later post, but what was the main change you made in those first 90 days aside from working out? Portion sizes? Did you focus on a certain food group to get enough of it? Thanks,
I just focused on a basic balanced diet. Obviously I made my best effort to make good choices and avoid junk, but other than that I didn’t exclude any food groups, I simply kept track of everything I ate and stayed at about 1400-1500 calories each day. I do try and eat plenty of protein as well.