Showing posts with label fitspo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitspo. Show all posts

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Stop buying unhealthy snacks! "Go-To" quick fruit-





Cutie tangerines are seriously my “go-to” quick fruit.

I used to be so used to opening the cabinet and grabbing a bag of Cheetos or a bowl of ice cream from the freezer, but since I stopped buying ice cream and started buying cutie tangerines, now I go for cuties!

They’re a great purse snack too… (as long as you don’t forget to take them out of your purse and eat them… which I learned the hard way.)

*RIP my stinky old orange smelling purse, I miss you.*

Purse snacks are great to take with you to snack on while you’re out. They will stop you from driving through a fast food restaurant.

SO: If you fill your cabinets and fridge/freezer with foods that are good for your body, you won’t even have the option to eat unhealthy foods!

Your body will grow used to eating healthy foods and soon, you will no longer crave the sugar and salt.

Xox Brittany,

The Fitspirational Blonde

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

5 minute (at home) Parfait!

Parfaits are a fabulous way to get some fruit and protein in after a workout!

They’re also good if you’re trying to impress guests, since they look so classy in these high stem glasses.

I used Greek Yogurt which is PACKED with protein and nutrition that your body needs after an intense workout at the gym.

These two parfaits took me less than 5 minutes to make!



What You Need:

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Greek Yogurt (any kind, I used honey and pomegranate) 
  • Granola
  • A classy glass of your choice



These were my very own creative parfait creations that I made at home this morning, but you can layer them however you want!

Great for breakfast :)

This is also a FAST FOOD. No one said that fast food has to be unhealthy!


Xox Brittany


The Fitspirational Blonde

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Grocery Shopping Tip- Full vs Hungry







































Healthy Grocery Shopping Tip-

SHOP AFTER YOU'VE EATEN!

If you shop when you're hungry, your body will want to eat EVERYTHING in sight and you will end up buying twice the foods that you would have bought if you were full.

Save money, save time, save space in your shopping cart :)

Shop Full.

Xox Brittany,

The Fitspirational Blonde.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Starbucks Low-Cal Snack Pack!

Sitting by the window at Starbucks wrapped in my new white scarf from H&M watching the rain drizzle while spending some quality time with my Love- My Health Blog.



I hadn't eaten in a few hours and started to get hungry and was REALLY pleasantly surprised to find that Starbucks had a great and HEALTHY snack option! Although ridiculously over priced (as everything is there) I decided to fork out the $4.95 for this nutritional snack.

These are FABULOUS ideas for snacks to take with you when you go to work, college or to run errands and if you purchase them yourself separately you can save a LOT of money!

The Starbucks snack pack came with:
  • Brie Cheese
  • Gouda Cheese
  • Two-Year Aged Cheddar Cheese (which I need to Google because I don't understand why old cheese should be sparking my interest.)
  • 9 Grain Crackers (WAY better for you that Ritz)
  • Apple Slices
  • Dried Cranberries
  • and ROASTED Almonds!

Usually Starbucks is not the place I'd go to get a healthy snack, but I take my hat off to you this time! 

I'm a blonde with a happy tummy today :)


Xox Brittany,
The Fitspirational Blonde

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Cut your beverage calories-- drinks on the go!




Great way to avoid drinking sodas while you’re out running errands  at college or working- Bring healthy drinks with you!
Home made lemonade is a fabulously refreshing alternative to soda. If you make it yourself, then you know exactly what’s in it and can also avoid a LOT of unnecessary ingredients that would go into store bought drinks!

Health benefits of Lemons: A large lemon contains about 45 mg of Vitamin C, about 75% of the daily requirement! We need Vitamin C to fend off colds and heal cuts and wounds. They are a natural aid for digestion and weight loss, and are a natural internal body cleanser. They have powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer healing properties.

This is how I make my lemonade :)

*Note- NO SUGAR ADDED!*
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
1 cup hot water
7 cups cold water
1 cup raw honey

Stir honey into the hot water over low heat until fully blended.

Let cool and add lemon juice and cold water into a 2-quart pitcher. Stir or shake vigorously.

Slice two of the remaining lemon rind halves into fourths for a total of eight pieces, then add the rinds to the pitcher. Add ice to the top of the pitcher and chill.

Try it out!

And why not put them in cute little to-go packages like this to make them THAT much more fun to drink! I bet you ANYTHING this will be 10X’s funner to drink than a coke, and everyone around you will want a taste :)

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables

You’re now stocked on veggies and fruits but…


In addition to storing your fruits and veggies properly, it’s good to know approximately how long the fresh stuff will last. Plan your trip to the grocery or farmer’s market accordingly so that your foods are at the peak of freshness when you plan to prepare them, and you’re not throwing away food that’s gone bad before you get a chance to use it!

1-2 days:
  • Artichokes
  • Asparagus
  • Bananas
  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Cherries
  • Corn
  • Dill
  • Green beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Strawberries

2-4 days:

  • Arugula
  • Avocados 
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Grapes
  • Lettuce
  • Limes
  • Pineapple
  • Zucchini


4-6 days:
  • Apricots
  • Blueberries
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • Grapefruit
  • Leeks
  • Lemons
  • Oranges
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Peppers
  • Plums
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelon

7+days:

  • Apples
  • Beets
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Hard Squash
  • Onions
  • Potatoes


PRINT THIS OUT AND KEEP IT IN YOUR KITCHEN!!!


Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

Friday, January 4, 2013

The best prescription for the future you.



I went out to dinner last night with one of my uncle's who is a geriatric Doctor.
(geriatric physician provides medical care, counseling, and treatment to elderly and aging adults) He said the better that we can take care of ourselves when we’re young, the healthier we’ll be when we get older. We’ll have LESS need for prescription medication and will be prone to less diseases.

So when you’re eating healthy and exercising now, not only are you doing it to look good and feel good now, you’re also planning for the YOU... 50 years from now!

Your future is in your hands, what will you do with it?
(There better be fruit involved!)
Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

Surround Yourself With Things That Motivate You.


I don’t know what it is about PINK fitness gear and clothes that just makes me want to JUMP up and start running around the block with a smile on my face.
This may explain the fact that:
  • I own 6 PINK sports bras 
  • My running shoes are PINK 
  • My weights are PINK
  • My water bottle is PINK
  • ...and I’m not even going to talk about my underwear collection on here (but it’s Pink too.)


What can I say, I like to surround myself with things that motivate me to do what I love!!

Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

25 ways to get yourself motivated to be healthy


  1. Try a workout video.
  2. Take a fitness class.
  3. Get outdoors.
  4. Do something different.
  5. Do something with a friend.
  6. Reward yourself.
  7. Create some accountability (blog, facebook, or call a friend).
  8. Get a new workout outfit.
  9. Play the “get dressed” trick – tell yourself you just have to get dressed in your workout clothe and shoes. You’ll be more likely to work out once your ready.
  10. Tell yourself you just have to work for ten minutes. By that point you’ll likely keep going.
  11. Picture how you’ll feel when you’re done.
  12. Read motivational blogs (in moderation, not so much that you don’t have time to apply it.)
  13. Search for motivation on Pinterest or any other websites
  14. Set a specific goal.
  15. Sign up for an event.
  16. Create a physical board of quotes that inspire you and put it in a prominent place where you can see it.
  17. Put on some upbeat music .
  18. Play an active game.
  19. Let yourself dial back the exercise intensity for your next session.
  20. Log your exercise so you can visually see progress.
  21. Just do it!
  22. Hire a trainer.
  23. Create a list of the benefits of working out (or losing weight) and review that. There are so many benefits. List the ones that are most pertinent to you.
  24. Use new fitness gadgets. I love fitness gadgets and think they are so motivating! 
  25. Use fitness apps for for your phone. There’s also lots of free fitness apps for your smartphone or ipod touch. 


I refer back to this list whenever I'm feeling unmotivated and need that extra kick to get myself back on track!
It's a BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL YEAR so now is the absolute perfect time to start.



Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

FITSPIRATIONAL PROTEIN PANCAKES!! (Eggless)





I woke up this morning craving pancakes… only to go downstairs and find out we have no eggs! Rather then get in my Mustang and drive ALL the way to the store, I decided to get creative :) 

I came up with a delicious and healthy spin to the average pancake and it contains absolutely no eggs!

Adding the banana, pecans, and protein powder makes it packed with protein and potassium! Plus some chopped up strawberries for a fruity spin (As you can see, Locket LOVES strawberries and cooking with me in the kitchen haha.)
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup of pecans
  • 2 table spoons of protein powder
Combine dry ingredients and mix slightly. Add milk, oil, water, and vanilla. Whisk together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix - it should still be slightly lumpy. Set aside to rest for a few minutes.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. While pan is heating, add butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add melted butter to pancake batter.Return pan to stove and stir butter into batter.When pan is hot, with a measuring cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake.
Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Carefully flip pancakes with turner/spatula and cook until golden brown.
So if you ever want to get creative in your kitchen and put a healthy spin on the boring average pancake, whip these up!


Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

A+ Grocery List


Hi Guys!

This is my very basic grocery list.
This list is infinitely ever-changing, and I add and take away foods depending on the meals that I plan on creating that particular week.
On average, I spend about $100-200/ week on groceries (keep in mind I am feeding a family of 3.) 
The reason that I am sharing my personal list is to HELP YOU CREATE YOUR OWN. 
Get inspired, take action and take the future of your health into your own hands.

Stores I shop at:
  • Trader Joes
  • Whole Foods
  • Sprouts
  • Local farmers market
  • Walmart (if they’re having a special on fruits/veggies.)


Grocery List

Veggies
  • AVOCADO (Yes, I have a passionate affair with a vegetable)
  • Asparagus
  • Red Bell Peppers
  • Artichoke
  • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Spinach
  • Celery
  • Cherry Tomatoes (technically a fruit, but I consider it a vegetable because of the taste)
  • Dark Leafy Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Green Beans
  • Potatoes
  • Spaghetti Squash (on special occasions)
Fruits
  • Mangoes
  • Pineapple
  • Apples (Green, red)
  • Bananas
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Oranges
  • Cuties(If they’re in season, they make a great “on the go” snack)
  • Pomegranate
Nuts
  • Almonds
  • Brazilian Nuts (fabulous “purse snack” instead of chips)
  • Pecans
  • Pine nuts (forfresh pesto)
Beverages
  • Milk (2%)
  • Soy
  • Orange Juice (natural, no preservatives)
  • Cranberry Juice (NOT from concentrate)
Condiments
  • Olive Oil
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Garlic Powder
  • Peanut Butter
Other
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Penne Pasta
  • Oatnut Bread
  • Pita
  • Hummus
I find it REALLY helpful to lay out the foods that I get on a weekly/monthly basis. Keep in mind this is MY personal list of groceries. Yours will differ. 

As a long time health blogger, I highly recommend to you to take the time to sit down and make your own one of these. It will really help to get organized and realize the healthy foods that you need to replenish on a weekly or monthly basis.
Don’t be scared to re-evaluate your list frequently!

Get creative, get healthy.

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

The future of your body




Fill your body with foods that you want to support you when you’re 70.
Imagine how you’ll look and feel if you’ve spent a lifetime filling your body with pringles and jolly ranchers.
Xox Brittany
The Fitspirational Blonde

The BEST vegetarian healthy panini you'll EVER eat!


I finally purchased my very own PINK panini maker, and I have been COMPLETELY obsessed with it since the moment it arrived at my house!

I've made a plethora of delicious panini's already, but this is BY FAR the healthiest most delicious panini I have ever made/tasted in all of my 24 years of life!

SO, I present to you "THE OFFICIAL FITSPIRATIONAL BLONDE PANINI"!

It's easy, vegetarian, healthy, and it guaranteed to impress ANYONE you make it for.

What you need:
  • Avocado
  • Fresh Spinach
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Pesto
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Your favorite Panini bread (I used Sour dough)
  • Pepper Jack and Parmesan Cheese
My fabulous PINK Panini Maker!!!
Her name is Polly, she is pretty hot. (Yes, I name everything)
What you need to do:
Preheat your oven to 325
Place 2 pieces of sourdough on some tinfoil and spread each evenly with pesto. Put your cheese on top of the pesto and put in the oven for 5 minutes. This melts the cheese and lets the pesto be absorbed into it, while making the edges of your bread perfectly crispy.

While you're waiting for that to bake, slice your red bell pepper into relatively thin pieces. Marinate the bell pepper in a cup by mixing olive oil, cayenne pepper and a pinch of black pepper. Make sure the red bell pepper is evenly marinated with the mix of spices.
Take the bread out of the oven, and replace it with the red bell pepper on the tin foil. Let the bell pepper get crispy in the oven for another 5 minutes.



Start to layer your veggies!
  1. Spinach
  2. Avocado
  3. Marinated Red Bell Peppers
  4. For a little extra flavor, grate some fresh parmesan to top it off!

Pop it in your Panini maker until it gets perfectly crispy on both sides

There you have it, a PERFECT healthy and delicious panini.
Try it out, tell me what you think!!
Xox Brittany 
The Fitspirational Blonde

Difference between BUTTER and MARGARINE (Oh my gosh EW!!)


My mom emailed me this, this morning (since she knows I LOVE learning anything/everything about nutrition) and IT WAS SO SCARY AND DISGUSTING I WILL NEVER EAT MARGARIN AGAIN!
My mom saved the day, and yours too!


After you read this, you too will never eat margarin again. I guarantee you!

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!
BUTTER:
  • Butter is created from cream which rises to the top of milk if it sits for a period of time. Through the process of churning the cream, a chemical reaction takes place which makes the cream begin to solidify.
  • Butter is an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. None of these fat-soluble vitamins are found in margarine.
  • The best quality butter is made from certified raw cream. Certified raw butter is made up of healthy fatty acids.
  • Toxic metals or trans-fat is not found in butter.
  • It is a dairy product, but is actually easy to digest to even the most dairy sensitive people. Butter doesn’t contain milk sugar or milk protein which are the main allergens found in dairy products.
  • Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
  • Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added! 


And now, for MARGARINE:
  • Very High in Trans fatty acids.
  • Triples risk of coronary heart disease
  • Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol) 
  • Increases the risk of cancers up to five times
  • Lowers quality of breast milk 
  • Decreases immune response.
  • Decreases insulin response. 
And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING! 

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.
BUT WAIT IT GETS WORSE:

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

  1. No flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
  2. It does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.



Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

I hope this got you thinking about the food you put in your body. Just because you buy something at the store DOESN'T mean that it  has any nutritional value whatsoever! 
The people who create these foods could care less about your health. 
But I do. So I hope you read this and will pass it on so the people who follow YOU will choose butter over Margarine too.
Have a healthy and Fabulous day <3

Xox Brittany 
The Fitspirational Blonde

Friday, December 28, 2012

Fruity Ice Cubes!


THIS IS SUCH A FABULOUSLY CREATIVE IDEA!
I'll definitely be trying this out on Sunday when I stock up my kitchen with fruit for the week! 
What a great way to naturally flavor up all the water that you're drinking everyday.

I make fruit smoothies every morning and use 5-6 pieces of ice in each one and this would give it some extra fruity twists when I drink them :)

Xox Brittany

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Dancing the night away with Carlton (Fresh Prince)




I gave a speech at a Charity Event, and he happened to be sitting in the audience. After I finished giving the speech about my life story, the audience was brought to tears and he came up to my table and asked me to dance!

Speech^



WHO WOULD TURN DOWN

DANCING WITH CARLTON WHEN

HE HAS DANCE MOVES LIKE THIS:




It was a magical night to say the least. I feel so 

blessed to have these absolutely incredible 

opportunities! 



Xox Brittany


The Fitspirational Blonde

Your abs are made IN THE KITCHEN.


My mini trip to the grocery store today!!

I want to make a lesson about this in the nicest way possible...

FIRST take a good look at my section on the checkout stand. See all that green? It's what keeps my body healthy and energized throughout the day.

ABS and toned bodies are made 75% in the kitchen and 25% in the gym.

My mini trip to the grocery store today!!
I want to make a lesson about this in the nicest way possible&#8230;
FIRST take a good look at my section on the checkout stand. See all that green? It&#8217;s what keeps my body healthy and energized throughout the day.
ABS and toned bodies are made 75% in the kitchen and 25% in the gym.
I had a question this morning from one of my followers who said she&#8217;d been working out at the gym excessively and was showing little results. 
So when I asked her about the foods that she was eating, her answer was completely predictable.
She said she brings Sprite to the gym instead of water, has TRIX cereal for breakfast everyday with a Capri sun, skipps lunch completely and then feasts at dinner on whatever she can find in her pantree (ranging from fettucini pasta to greasy frozen chicken nuggets.)
Bam, problem solved. This is a question that I see floating around the health world very often. People think they can just go to the gym and then eat what ever they want and somehow magically the perfect body willjust appear&#8230;
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
If you are having trouble earning that dream body of yours, work a bit harder at perfecting what you put in it.
Sidenote: guys I&#8217;m not telling you to not eat sweets ever again! Eat them in moderation. I bought a bottle of vanilla creamer for my coffee when I drink it, but I only put about a tablespoon in, not fill it 1/2 with sugary creamer. You get the gist. 
So next time you go to the grocery store try this out, only put foods in your shopping cart that you would&#8217;t be embarrassed to put on a health blog!!
Join me, and make your body in the kitchen :)
Xox Brittany
I had a question this morning in my inbox, from one of my followers who said she'd been "working out at the gym excessively and was showing very little results."


So when I asked her about the foods that she was eating, her answer was completely predictable.

She said:
  1. she brings Sprite to the gym instead of water
  2. has sugary TRIX cereal for breakfast everyday with a Capri sun
  3. skips lunch completely and then feasts at dinner on whatever she can find in her pantry(ranging from fettuccine pasta to greasy frozen chicken nuggets.)
Bam, problem solved.
This is a question that I see floating around the health world very often. People think they can just go to the gym and then eat what ever they want and somehow magically the perfect body will just appear...

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

If you are having trouble earning that dream body of yours, work a bit harder at perfecting what you put in it.

Sidenote: guys I'm not telling you to not eat sweets ever again! Eat them in moderation. As you can see I bought a bottle of french vanilla creamer for my coffee when I drink it, but I only put about a tablespoon in, not fill it 1/2 with sugary creamer. You get the gist.

So next time you go to the grocery store try this out, only put foods in your shopping cart that you would't be embarrassed to put on a health blog!!

Join me, and make your body in the kitchen :)

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

My Fitspirational Thursday Lunch!


Today’s fabulously healthy lunch I made!

Freshly sliced Avocado over melted Cheddar cheese on toasted Oat-nut bread!


With a side of DELICIOUS baked garlic asparagus that I made all by myself!

(I’ll post a recipe soon)

And of course a fresh glass of Orange Juice and a cup of water to take my 7 daily vitamins with.

I threw this together in less than 15 minutes and it was FULL of nutrients that my body will use for the rest of the day.

Treat your body right and it will treat you right!

Have a healthy day everyone :)

Xox Brittany

The Fitspirational Blonde

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Early Morning Heat Yoga!

If you've been following me for long enough, you KNOW I'm FAR from a morning person, but I think I've finally found the motivation to get my lazy blonde butt out of bed early!

HEAT YOGA!!



My best friend found a GREAT deal at our local Yoga Studio for one free week of Heat yoga!

I'm really into trying new things lately, and this was definitely an INCREDIBLE new thing to try. If you've never taken or heard of heat yoga before, it's where you literally do yoga in a room that's REALLY hot.

Your body sweats out a lot of its toxins and it's SO good for not only your body, but also your mind because it helps you relax and leave your life at the door for an hour :)

Yesterday at 7:15am was my VERY FIRST heat yoga class with my bff, and of course we accidentally picked the HARDEST class in the whole studio.

About 1/2 way through the class, I felt like I was going to DIE and the whole class looked like we had JUST jumped into a swimming pool together from all the sweat! Gross right? 

Then I remembered this quote by Jillian Michaels... so I kept going anyway!



After it was over though (and after a REALLY long shower) I felt AMAZING! Refreshed didn't even begin to describe how I felt. The hot suffering was worth it and the best part was it was only 8:15am and I had got my morning workout out of the way already!




Getting up early is definitely going to be a new fabulous habit that everyone should try... but don't do it because you HAVE to... Do it because YOU WANT TO!!



Xox Brittany,

A-Fitspirational-Blonde

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

31 Ways To Motivate Yourself to Exercise!


Hey Ladies, we ALL have those days where we just don't feel like getting up and exercising and can't seem to find the motivation to get up off the couch (or off Tumblr haha) to actually exercise!
Here are some fabulous tips I found on Zenhabts.com that I thought would help you guys too :)


There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.
  1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
  2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
  3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
  4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
  5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
  6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
  7. Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.
  8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
  9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
  10. Forums. Do the monthly challenge on the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
  11. Rewards. If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning.
  12. Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!
  13. Being attractive. That’s always a good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct language.
  14. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
  15. Stress relief. Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.
  16. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this post was written in my head as I exercised.
  17. A workout partner. Best thing I’ve done.
  18. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
  19. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.
  20. An exercise log/graph. For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a week and you’ll see what I mean.
  21. Your before picture. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
  22. A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
  23. The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired.
  24. Living long enough to see your grandkids … and play with them.
  25. The scale. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist.
  26. Reaching a goal. Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.
  27. Posting it on your blog. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen.
  28. Motivational quotes. I like to print them out or put them on my computer desktop.
  29. Books. I just bought a strength-training book as a reward. It makes me want to hit the weights!
  30. Others commenting on how good you look. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more.
  31. An upcoming day at the beach, or a reunion. Nuff said.





Hope everyone has an incredible workout today now!

Love you all!

Xox Brittany
A-Fitspirational-Blonde