True confession time. I am not at my goal weight, I do not eat everything I am supposed to, and I struggle daily with weight issues and food. It’s been like this my entire life. All my family members are the same way. We gain, realize we need to lose, lose the weight, and then put it back on. I have tried everything from Weight Watchers to Nutrisystem to a Personal Trainer. Do they work? Yes they work! They all work. The key though it that they only work when you are mentally ready to work them. There is no magic pill. For me there are a few key elements to losing weight, being healthy, and to continue to maintain a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle. There are no secret ingredients, no tricks, no pills……Just the following:
- Motivation is number one! You have to WANT to do it. And I mean really want to do it and not just talk about wanting to do it. Halfway motivation will only get you so far. You need to be committed to making it work and living healthier. Truly committed. Find that fire inside to live a healthy lifestyle!
- Water…..Drink a TON! What worked best for me the time I lost 30 pounds in a few months was to drink 60 oz. of water a day. When I was hungry for a snack, I would drink water. When I didn’t want to drink anymore water, I would drink water. I had to get the 60 oz. in no matter what!
- Eat smaller portions and healthier foods. Portion sizes in our country are out of control. Super-sizing things was the worst possible thing restaurants could have done for the people here in the US. Our view of a healthy portion size is not reality. Really educate yourself about what a real portion size should look like. I bet you’ll be surprised. And don’t worry, if those sizes still have you feeling hungry you can find healthy low-calorie snacks.
- Be realistic! Don’t cut yourself off completely. I LOVE chocolate. Sweets are what seems to do me in. Every time I get myself to a great weight, I then eventually overdo it in the sweets department. I have learned though that I need to allow myself some of it or I will not be as successful! Even just one Hershey’s Kiss a day!
- Now, here is what I believe it the MOST IMPORTANT……..EXERCISE!!! It’s a MUST! Even if it means to just get up off that couch and move around. February is Heart Healthy Month! Let’s celebrate by getting up and moving! The leading cause of death for women in the United States is heart disease. I thought it was cancer, but no……heart attacks kill more women each year! You need to keep that heart healthy with exercise! Too many people in this country live an inactive lifestyle. My ultimate goal is to exercise daily! I know when I make exercise a priority, not only do I feel better and look better, but I actually crave wanting to exercise and love it!!!
A Little Background for You About My Exercise Habits
I’ve been a little up and down over the years with my exercise habits. I really get into a groove for a while, and then I lose momentum for one reason or another and it’s hard for me to get back into it. I grew up playing soccer, swimming, cheerleading, rowing on the Crew Team, and running track, so I lived a very active and healthy childhood. Once you hit college though, things can change. You are in class, studying, working part-time, etc. and your lifestyle changes. It did for me. My first big weight gain was in college. I was able to have it come off once I worked on it with eating healthier foods and working out, but ever since then it has been a constant battle. This just reinforces to me how much the exercise component plays in weight loss and maintenance. Sometimes it takes me a while to get that little fire lit inside me again to WANT to succeed and to WANT to make exercise a priority. From my earlier posts this month, you know that a New Year’s goal for me is to lose weight and exercise more! I truly want to get into a pattern of daily exercise goals. Whether it be making it to the gym for a full workout that day or just getting away from the computer for an hour to walk around the neighborhood before dinner. I know for my sake and my family I need to look after myself and be a healthy mom and wife!
Igniting the Fire Once Again…..
It’s always nice to have something new to motivate you and get you moving again! One motivation for me was the New Year and goals I set for myself. Another motivation is my kids and living better and longer for them. I want to show them a good example of a healthy mom and get them interested in being active and healthy too! I feel that even when I do let myself slip, I have instilled in them the importance of health, good food, and exercise in their lives. My husband works out at the gym, plays basketball on an adult league, and shows the kids exercise is a way of life. I also go to the gym and take classes as well. My daughter is a competitive gymnast and works out three times a week! And my son is just starting to play lacrosse. We try and work together as a healthy family. I had a few months at the end of last year where I had foot and back issues, which lead to my recent downhill slope with exercise, but with these new motivations I am back! I thought I could also treat myself to a new pair of shoes for the gym to help me stay even more motivated!!! I found a great pair at Finish Line, which is located at Providence Place Mall in Rhode Island. They are super comfortable, stylish, and are helping me to ignite that fire within to exercise and exercise often!
Why Reebok Shoes Rock
I tried on many sneakers while shopping for a new pair. The ones that seemed to fit me the best and feel the best were the Reebok sneakers. While shopping, I received some help from an employee at Finish Line because I have had recent issues with my foot. I needed something very supportive, comfortable, and that would last. He showed my the different options from the Reebok line and how the arches in the inserts are nice and high to offer extra support, as well as the flexible soles for better overall support. Of course I loved all the colors of the shoes, so my decision was tough. I went with the ones that felt best though. They were on sale from $99 to $69 as well, so that was a nice bonus!
Continuing My Health Journey….
As I stated earlier, I’ve already made health and exercise a priority this year, but my new Reebok Zigtech Sharks have me even more motivated than ever to keep Living with Fire!!! I want to continue to show my kids the importance of fitness in our every day lives and inspire them to be the best and healthiest they can be! That desire and fire burning inside to succeed needs to come from within and to be a choice! You need to choose health, choose fitness, and choose to continue to have that fire and passion for a healthy lifestyle every day! Life is about choices!! Which will you make?
What Helps Motivate You to Live with Fire? ……That Burning Desire to be Healthy and to Exercise!!! I would LOVE to hear!!!
A Little Snippet of How We Love to Keep Fit
Make sure to check out Reebok on Facebook and Twitter to see all their wonderful products! Also, you can see my entire shopping trip at Finish Line here on my Google+ Album!
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
Those sneeks look comfy, and the design so high tech looking. Love the bright colors for someone else but I think I would have chosen the same ones you did 🙂
They come in such cute colors!
I am right there with you! I am looking to make changes that put me on the path to a healthier and happier me. Those shoes are so cute! I love the vibrant colors…make wearing them feel like a happy day!
I am a huge reebok fan.. they are good for my ankles and my feet. They rock!
Loved your video! I love how you are promoting a healthy lifestyle with your kids. As an active family, I commend you. I also love Reebok! Great company!
I love it when I find shoes on sale! Tennies are the only shoes I will pay that kind of money for, because they’re worth it! And hey, if you’re gonna buy running shoes they might as well be in fun colors!
I can definitely relate to this entire post!! I am at the “halfway want to” point, too. Those shoes look awesome and super fun!!!
You can do it! Even writing about it is half the battle. Thanks for the motivating tips. And I love supportive shoes!!!!
yo’ure right – it has to be about lifestyle changes, not just a system of the month. I’m working on making my life healthy instead of just surviving from one bag of m&m’s to the next! (btw – love the shoes!)
Cute shoes! I don’t love working out so I need some kind of ridiculous carrot, like signing up for a 5k, obstacle course, half marathon or something like that. After I have something that I have to work towards, then I need fun clothes to inspire me, AND then I can get down to business. 🙂
You and me have a similar story when it comes to weight issues… active and thin until college – then things got dicey! LOL I really need to work on my water consumption, too. Love those new sneakers!!
Kristin, your video was GREAT!! I always wonder about those sneakers. I have wicked shin splints, and I hear those are really supportive and help with that. Would love to check them out.
I tend to ebb and flow in my dedication to staying healthy. Winter seems to kill me when it comes to motivation and eating well. I hope you are off to a good start again!
I love those grey and aqua sneakers! They look so much nicer, and more fun, than the normal athletic shoe you see.
Love the blue pair you were trying on. The colors are fabulous and fun! I am really impressed with the price though. I have to admit that I usually plunk down over $100 for a pair… just because I look at it as an investment in myself. That and if I pay more I will feel guilty if I don’t use the heck out of them.
I promised myself that after the baby is born I am going to splurge on a new pair and probably new workout clothing to get me ready to lose this baby weight (and then some!). Keep up your great goals. Yes, totally doable.
Oh! I love the shoe selection!!! And your right…I totally need to get myself some jazzed up hot pink running shoes worth jumping on a treadmill for! Thanks for the inspiration and good luck to you!
Having really colourful sneakers can really ignite the fitness flame! I really like how you visualized the water goal with all the bottles!
I just bought Reebok shoes to start running. I thought I had good running shoes before and it has been years since I bought Reebok but decided to go for a change and I am so glad I did. I love them, it is like walking on air compared to what I had before.
I love how flexible the shoes you bought are! I am really into shoes that are less bulky and lighter on my feet.
I struggle with the same issues in weight loss! I love my sweets and don’t like to give them up. I also am not a big fan of exercise due to health issues. Seriously let’s face it; who ever feels good right tin the middle of an intense workout when you can’t breathe and the pain is shooting up your leg? Not me.
I know I can do a lot better in that department. And you are right, having the perfect show is a must! It’s about time for a new upgrade in the workout shoe department. I honestly never would have thought about Reebok before. I never would have thought those shoes would be good for support or lasting. They just look different.
But hearing first hand how awesome they are, I’m really excited to give them a try. I really do love the look. It’s just different than a typical workout shoe. And boy do I love the colors!! And the prices are fantastic too!
I need a new pair of sneakers–even my feet lost weighty this round of weight loss!! These Reeboks are really comfy looking!
those shoes look amazing! i must get me a pair!
Wonderful, honest, informative post! I love the Sharks and would love to try them. My motivation comes from keeping up with my adult kids and 9 grandkids, all active! 4 years ago, I decided that I didn’t want to be the Grandma on the sidelines and began running, biking, swimming, yoga, whatever strikes my fancy! I haven’t stopped since. Exercise is all about common sense, WATER, nutrition, motivation and the right equipment. Thanks for the post!
Love the shoes!! Might see if I can grab a pair myself. Quick q: how do you drink all of that water wout having to pee all day?! Sorry to ask – it’s the thing that I struggle with though!!
Unfortunately I do have to pee a lot when I drink this much. I feel like I am peeing the weight out (LOL), so I don’t mind. Drinking this much is more what I do during weight loss more than when maintaining. I try and drink earlier in the day so I am not needing to pee throughout the night! =) Good luck on your journey!
Thank you!
I am at the get up and get moving stage too. Your new sneakers are so cute.
Good luck! You can do eet~
You are so correct on several of your points you make. You do have to be motivated and finding a great product to use as that tool is a great motivator.
I love these. I work in healthcare so having proper footwear is very important. I’m going to check these out this weekend. Thanks for the great visualization!!
I’m not at my ideal weight either…my love of wine isn’t quite helping me!
Light blue, now that’s my kind of shoe!
You described my past 20 years. My doctors said I need to lose weight, but I’m having a very hard time. I really like the bottom and colors of those sneakers.
These shoes are rocking cute! Love them. I am terrible at the water thing something I am forever working on.
I LOVE those bright sneakers! I just need motivation and time. I swear I want to but I never get the time. Making it happen well just aint happening!
I love the hot pink shoes – and the sale price is great. Thanks for inspiring me to get moving before summer hits us.
Love the color selection!! The orange shoes are calling my name. We drink plenty of water, but are seriously lacking on the motivation to exercise.
Ooohhh! I like your shoe choice! Very cute! I LOVE Reebok because they are so supportive! I have recently started to have problems with my feet and Reebok is the ONLY brand that does not just kill me after only a few minutes of wear. Great tips Kristin!
I love all the colorful shoes. Comfortable and stylish shoes and clothes help me get motivated to work out!
You nailed it. Motivitation is key! You have to want it mentally and then set for a plan. LOVE the shoes. What a great collection of color!!
First let me say: OMG PINK!!! I’ve never seen bright pink sneakers before. Those are sooooo cuuuuute! I’ve always hated sneakers because they are usually so ugly. I’ve had to wear the same orthopedic pair for two years due to knee issues and I really don’t like it. I would love to have an adorable hot pink pair like those, that would actually go with my outfits instead of looking out of place!
Second, congratulations on your efforts to live a healthy lifestyle as a family! Having that support goes a long way towards developing and maintaining healthy habits for life, so go you! My fiance and I are doing all our weight loss efforts together, and I definitely think hitting the gym in pairs helps a lot – it’s easy for me to work late and skip the gym on my own, but if my guy is waiting for me to leave that inspires me to shut down the laptop and get out the door. And if he’s feeling worn out but has to go to the gym anyway because I’m going, he feels much better afterwards. So good for you guys for doing this all together!
I love those shoes. I think we could be best friends… your struggles sound just like mine. College did me in because I stopped all my activities… it’s been a battle since! Thanks for sharing!
love this post. you are so right in all that you say– motivation and dedication is #1 for me, and then all the other things combined come right behind it. I went through a rut for the last 5 years, since having Averi, b/c i thought i couldn’t make time for exercise with my crazy schedule. well, this year, i decided just to re-prioritize and now i go to the gym every night at 8 pm. do i always feel like it? no. but i’ve committed to it and once i get there, i’m good to go. of course i panic b/c it cuts into my “work time,” but who the heck cares, in the grand scheme of things????/ the work will never go away, but your health will if you don’t take care of it. i am learning to let things go and do what’s most important to me and my family first. it’s a liberating feeling! we’ve always consciously made an effort to eat really well. with some prep and revised ways of thinking about food, it’s really working and is making a huge difference. the one downfall is that i don’t drink enough water. i’m working on it! it’s a challenge for me. you got this, kristin! oh and i lOVE the sneakers!!! right up my alley w/ the colors!!!!!
You are right about WANTING to lose weight. I never lose weight when I don’t want to. And my big problems are getting enough exercise and drinking enough water. I am lazy on both counts.
Incidentally, my husband got his first pair of Reeboks a few months ago and LOVES them!
Dawn
I agree that motivation is the key! And those shoes you have look HOT!!
I have to remotivate myself as well. I was doing great, then fell off the wagon, but it is time to get back on!
As soon as this baby is born, I’m going to get up and going!!!
Great post!
I love all the bright colors and those look like they could bounce you to the moon! Maybe I’ll reward myself with some new sneaks after this baby comes and I get moving again.
I definitely do not drink enough water! I would like to start with that and then start with what I choose to eat. Thank you for the motivation, I have become such a slug lately.
They look like awesome shoes and I know Reebok is a great company:)
I love those sneakers! You inspired me with the bit about water intake. I always find that hard and is something Inreally want to work on. It was great to heat your first hand experience and what a difference it made with your health goals.
That amount of water… you are my hero. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much water in a day- even on days I ran half marathons! You are inspired me. And those shoes?!?! SO COOL! I always love getting a new pair of workout shoes- they keep me motivated for weeks- even if it’s just to go on a walk. Great post!
Cute shoes!!! Also, wow on the water! I need to drink a lot more water.
Oh I WANT these shoes soo bad! I LOVE the colors! I even pined this post to Products I want!! 🙂
love the shoes and know I should get more water too. thank you for reminding me
Hubby and I both just got new Reeboks this past week and are loving them so far !