I talk a lot about the “fitness journey” on my blog and how this journey will last your whole life.  You can’t just take care of your body ‘sometimes’ and expect it to lead to good health and fitness.  Even if you reach a goal, you won’t stay there unless you keep moving forward to another goal beyond that.  In the fitness journey, the point is to move forward to either GET fit, BE fit, or STAY fit.

Going forward isn’t as easy as we’d like to think it is.  We can get sidetracked all the time by everyday things like work, family commitments, sickness, injury, etc.  Life takes us in all different directions.  What we want to avoid at all costs is stumbling backwards.  I once saw this great sign that said, “Don’t Stumble Over Something Behind You.”  I think this means stop making the same mistakes over and over or even forgive yourself for those mistakes and move past them.  Stumbling backwards will get you nowhere good and will most certainly move you further away from your goals.

I have many personal training clients that are constantly looking backward.  They comment on how they “used to” be able to do something and can’t believe that they can’t do that particular something currently.  They are ashamed and embarrassed and they beat themselves up over it.  When I catch them doing that to themselves, I tell them to stop looking back and start looking forward at what they want NOW and going forward.  I coach them to look straight ahead at what they are working toward.  Don’t want your former self, want your current or future self- it may even be better!!

The only good that can come out of your past stumbling blocks is what you’ve learned from them.  Have you learned what works and doesn’t work?  What will you do differently?  For example, did you reach your fitness goal when you took aerobics five days per week?  (I doubt it!) If not, then try a different route, like strength training.  Should you run 3 miles on the first day of exercise after being an inactive person?  No! Were you successful in completely overhauling your nutrition plan in the first week of a new program?  (I doubt that too!)  Take it slower and change one habit at a time so it’s not so overwhelming.  Learn from your mistakes, try not to repeat them, and find what works for you.

We’re human.  Give yourself a break and remember that you have your whole life to work on your fitness and health journey.  Move forward, look forward, and if you stumble, get up and try again.

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I live a busy life. I work full time, go to graduate school full time, was in the midst of planning a wedding (we were married on May 4!), oh and I’m always training for another race. Finding time to get those workouts in is tough, and it’s even tougher to find time for long runs on the weekends (my two days of freedom!) Throughout being a crazy busy person, I’ve learned some tips on how to make it all work. It is possible to be busy (even as a parent!) and still find time to get workouts in.

My last tip is don’t get discouraged. I can’t tell you how many times I had to stray away from my training plans because I just don’t have time. It happens. I try to not get discouraged. Being over-committed can be frustrating!  And I just keep thinking of when I won’t school to worry about, and that makes me want to work even harder to get good workouts in now! Life is busy, people are busy, the gym is always there waiting for you.

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“How did you do it?” I hear this question all the time. How did I go from this to this? I tell people that it’s really quite simple: CLEAN EATING and exercise.

I put extra emphasis on clean eating because I truly believe that weight management is 80% diet and 20% physical activity. My journey towards a healthier lifestyle began over a year ago when I looked in the mirror one day and was TIRED of seeing what I saw. I knew I HAD to make permanent changes because I could not accept my ballooning weight and constant crash dieting any longer. I know a lot of you reading this can relate to the frustration and unhappiness. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I took baby steps and slowly cleaned up my diet and made exercise a non-negotiable in my life. You can read my whole story here. As a former poster child for 100-calorie packs and Lean Cuisine meals, I can tell you that there are no secret pills or special diets that will give you real, healthy, and permanent results like simple clean eating and daily physical activity.

At Dani’s Dish, I share my love for cooking simple, easy, and clean meals that anyone can make (yes, even you!). From clean chocolate chip cookies (one of my favorites) to green smoothies and shakes, Dani’s Dish serves up fresh meal ideas for any day of the week. I am a big believer in enjoying your life, so my recipes are never bland or boring. I can show you how to ENJOY clean-versions of your favorite foods without feeling deprived! At Dani’s Dish you can also find fitness-related posts and information on the toxins currently in your home and beauty products. In addition to informing you about the foods you put IN your body, I inform you about the products you’re putting ON your body, which have an equally important impact on your well-being.

Since my lifestyle change, I am 20 pounds lighter and happier than ever before. I want to share my story with everyone so they, too, can reap the wonderful benefits of a healthy lifestyle! I share my story to inspire and inform anyone with an interest in health, wellness, and weight management. I am not a nutritionist or health professional; I am a regular girl on a mission to live the healthiest and happiest life possible and I want the same for you! Join me on this journey and let’s learn, grow, and eat together.

Follow Dani’s Dish on Twitter and Pinterest!

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Hi! My name is Michelle and thanks for taking the time to read. I am a software engineer by trade, but fitness and writing are two of my passions. I have stayed consistently active for over 20 years. I have toed well over a hundred starting lines, teach exercise classes, and am leaner than I was in high school. Getting the eating habits figured out was a much bigger challenge!

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It’s a story that many of us are unfortunately all too familiar with. I used to be overweight. Actually, if you want to be politically correct, I was obese. I felt miserable within my own skin. I had a love/hate relationship with food. I got winded walking from my office to the train. I’m one of those unique individuals who actually gained weight while owning a gym membership. I made excuse after excuse as to why I couldn’t get myself together. But after a while… even I got tired of the excuses.

In the luckiest chance I’ve ever taken- I found a local small business called A Healthy Balance that works with clients on nutrition, fitness and overall wellness. With their guidance- I began to dig myself out of fat I had buried myself in. I was so successful that I was chosen by my trainers to document my weight loss experience for 12 weeks and then I thought… why not keep this going?

And so The Half Ass Bad Ass was created. The Half Ass part of me is where I’ve come from, the chubby girl who cried through a minute of jumping jacks or who couldn’t run a mile. It still shines through from time to time, especially when it comes to new and scary situations. But the Bad Ass part of me is here, evolving, ready to prove herself. She’s strong, she’s healthy, and she’s ready to take on new challenges. She runs 5Ks, is training for a triathlon, and isn’t ruling out the idea of one day running a marathon. She has found confidence, and a true passion for health and fitness. She’s honest, sometimes awkward, and tells it like it is. She won’t tell you that weight loss happens overnight. Interested in reading more of her story? Come on over and catch up on the adventures of the Half Ass Bad Ass!

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I’ve heard it so many times before; Knowledge is Power. It’s applicable in all areas of life including when it comes to your health, fitness, nutrition and well being. If you went to the doctor and (s)he medication to take each day (I hope) you would ask why. Quite often though we follow programs from magazines and Personal Trainers (just like myself) without asking why or understanding how. Why not be empowered with knowledge?

I’m a theorist…I love to learn…and I love to share my knowledge. That’s another  fundamental of Keep it simpElle…sharing. I firmly believe that when you exercise, quality should come before quantity. So do you know how to squat? and why squats are such a good exercise? Wouldn’t a squat be more worthwhile if you knew why and how?! …What about when you have nailed a basic exercise such as Plank…where do you go then? Progress Your Plank, of course! …Be empowered!

With all the empowerment, it’s time to be inspired! Today you don’t fancy a crazy, high intensity cardio workout?! That’s fine! There are a plethora of activities out there that work as good as the next one! I personally am an advocate of Pole Fitness. My Pole Story began quite a few years ago and has contributed to me building upper body strength, core strength, grace and control of my body. You might find inspiration at Keep it simpElle to seek out a Ragga dance class, buy a bicycle or add yoga to your routine.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves though! Before we can be empowered, and before we can be inspired, we need to be motivated. We need good reason to get out of bed and (delete as appropriate) get to the gym / go for a run / hit up that Pilates class. That’s my goal – to motivate you! Motivation is a ‘dry weather’ friend to me…always deserting me when the going gets tough. I want you to know that I’m not invincible…nor is your own Personal Trainer. We all have our strengths and sometimes we need to challenge ourselves and work on our weaknesses for a more rounded fitness experience. I decided to make 2013 the year that I take running seriously. I got a run coach, set a goal and share every kilometer of my journey, both highs and low, with you…to motivate you…

So come meet me and my friends over at Keep it simpElle; read what we have to share from drill packs, recipes to events and share your journey with us!

Be motivated. Be inspired. Be empowered.

Elle ;) x

www.keepitsimpElle.blogspot.co.uk

Elle of Keep it simpElle can also be found on Twitter and Pinterest.

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Hi there! I’m Jen and I’m the blogger behind Twenty Something and Starving: Finding Balance and Bliss One Recipe at a Time. I have to admit that my relationship with food has never been that awful. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I feel genuinely blessed to have never struggled with eating disorders like so many other women I know. Was I a chubby kid? Absolutely. But… I didn’t exercise and I lived off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, buttered spaghetti, and Cool Ranch Doritos.It made sense at the time.

As a teenager I began to educate myself more about the things I ate. My brother was a wrestler and he was always the lowest weight class. I’d watch my parents, who at the time were both considered obese (who have since lost 300 pounds collectively!), tell my 101 pound brother he couldn’t eat dessert on Thanksgiving so that he would make weight. It was then that I really realized how unhealthy everyone around me was and that I knew had to be different. I couldn’t follow their path. I wouldn’t let myself.

I studied nutrition for two years in college before I changed my major to journalism, knowing that I’d love to write about food. I worked at Starbucks through college and, though I tried to stay healthy, munching on samples of cookies and doughnuts all day in conjunction with loads of booze and minimal sleep caught up with me. I maxed out around 140 pounds.

I started Twenty-Something and Starving as a school project my last year of college, back when I thought blogging was silly. Our assignment was to take something we were passionate about and blog about it a few times a week. My title was Twenty-Something and Starving: An American Girls’ Quest for World Cuisine. I spent the semester fiddling with recipes like Coq Au Vin and trying new things like my first falafel. By the final exam, which was avideo/slideshow project I did on African Food, I was hooked on blogging!

As I’ve continued to grow my blog has gone through many phases. What started as a way to explore world cuisine eventually transitioned to a focus on strictly developing my own recipes, like my favorite Chicken Corn Chowderand Brown Butter Banana Oat Bread, and I even competed in a food blog completion (which I got through the first 4 rounds of)!

Today, my blog has become a reflection of my healthy lifestyle. It’s a place for me to share healthy recipes- like Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Quinoa with Pineapple and Garlic Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash - workouts, and the food that I eat. I love being a party of the “healthy living” blogger community and the support everyone provides each other.  I spend every day living my simple philosophy – balance is everything! It’s this philosophy that’s helped me drop down to a healthy 119 pounds since college! That’s what you’ll find at Twenty-Something and Starving: Finding Balance and Bliss One Recipe at a Time!

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Have you ever heard that you are stubborn? I know I sure have! In the past 34 years I have heard it more times than I can count, or maybe it is more than I would like to remember! I don’t consider myself stubborn, I prefer to say I am determined! Stubborn sounds so negative – being determined or having determination sounds more positive. Wouldn’t you agree with me? The definition of determination:

de·ter·mi·na·tion noun \di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən\

firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end <a woman of great courage and determination>

(Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

With all of that being said, Operation Determination comes from my firm intention to be healthy, active, and a positive example to my three boys! I am not perfect and there have been bumps where I have needed extra strength along the way. Keeping it real is all part of the process and teaching my boys that you have to get back up and keep moving forward. It is a way to hold myself accountable and is a journal to document my journey along the way.

Just over three years ago when my youngest was a baby, my husband and I started working out and eventually started running and then participating in races. Around the same time I became an avid blog reader/follower. When I first started on my fitness journey the blogs I followed were a great source of information. Over the past few years they have become a source for motivation and inspiration to keep me moving forward on my journey. Through Operation Determination I want to pay it forward – I want to be an inspiration to my friends and family. I want to share all of what I have learned over the past few years and make them realize that they can do it too. It only takes one person or one comment to make a difference or an impact in someone’s life- either positive or negative. I want to make sure that I am setting a positive example for those around me. I want to show that anything is possible with a little bit of determination!

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

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Appears courtesy of Fit.Fun.Femme.

I recently underwent a 5 day cleanse and it was such a wonderful reset button. During the week I re-discovered so many wonderful foods and spices that have now become staples in my kitchen. With spring in the air, it’s the perfect time to rejuvenate your diet and add these items to your shopping cart now!

1. Ginger – An amazing anti-inflammatory, Ginger helps cure nausea and motion sickness and can also help eliminate congestion in the sinuses. Plus, it has also been linked to better cognitive health. Add some grated ginger to your green smoothie (my favorite!) or to hot water with local honey and lemon for a quick and easy ginger tea.

2. Turmeric – a spice in the ginger family, Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and is delicious in curry and tea.  It has been linked to lowered cancer rates, and has been used as a home remedy for a slew of problems for centuries. Bottom line, this stuff is good!

3. Local Honey – I don’t know about you guys, but the pollen here in Atlanta is out of control. Good news it that local honey can provide relief from seasonal allergies. SCORE! I put local honey in my green smoothie, on top of oatmeal and on fruit for a healthy dessert.

4. Garlic – This is most definitely my favorite item in my shopping cart. Studies on people who consume raw garlic have shown lowered instances of stomach and colon cancers.  Chop up some garlic and add it to your lunch salad, just don’t forget a mint when you’re done :).

5. Lentils – FACT, lentils can lower your cholesterol, stabilize your blood sugar, increase your energy and aid in weight loss. As if that wasn’t enough, lentils are packed with protein! Make lentil soup, add them to veggie burgers or even better yet, make some curry with lentils and turmeric!

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Hi everyone! My name is Becky and I blog over at The Bex Factor where I ramble about my adventures in Crossfit, obstacle racing, my love of music and maintaining a healthy lifestyle while being a new mother. My son was born October, 2012 and is the love of my life, but has challenged me to find new ways to reach my goals.

I’ve been doing Crossfit for nearly two years and I absolutely love it. It’s challenged me in so many ways and continues to do so every time I step into the box. I did Crossfit up until my 9th month of pregnancy and got right back to it as soon as I was given the go ahead from my doc. Some people call me crazy, but I call myself dedicated. So much so that I decided to sign up for the 2013 Crossfit Open just 5 months after giving birth. I knew I wasn’t anywhere near being strong enough to go anywhere, but I was able to push myself and find out what I was really capable of. It was such a cool experience and I learned that I was able to do a lot more than I expected. I also learned where I need to spend some time improving. No matter skill level, I think competing in the Open is something ever Crossfitter should do!

The same goes with obstacle racing. I had registered for two races in the summer of 2012 before I knew I was pregnant. The timing of the events meant I would be racing at 7 and 8 months pregnant. A lot of people were skeptical, thinking I wouldn’t be able to do them but I proved them wrong! I felt such a huge sense of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line for the Mud Hero at 7 months pregnant, it’s hard to put into words. It brought tears to my eyes knowing I did something so many people told me I couldn’t do. A month later I crossed the finish line at the Spartan Sprint and was just thankful I didn’t go into labor on the course!

I’m happy that I was able to document my experiences with Crossfit and obstacle racing while pregnant to show people that pregnancy isn’t really a sickness and that it’s ok to be fit while pregnant. I want to continue to show people that there should be no excuses when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle. Now that my son is here, my world is a much different place. I have limited time and have to work around someone else’s schedule, but I still do my best to eat clean, train hard and have fun along the way.

I hope you will stop by and follow me on my adventure!

You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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