Shaping up means reducing carb intake a bit. Some people can follow a strict Paleo lifestyle and I think the world of them (like wellness coach and frequent guest author, Susie Rahaim) because it takes dedication and willpower. Instead of total Paleo, I live gluten-free (for about three years now) but still indulge in 1-2 servings of whole, unprocessed grains a day. Usually, my carb of choice is popcorn. Obviously not all popcorn is a smart choice. We hear about…
Comparison is the Thief of Weight Loss
So my favorite quote of all time, “Comparison is the Thief of Joy” comes from Theodore Roosevelt. I have it as one of my Pinterest board covers and I post it on our Count Me Healthy Facebook page at least once every six months. It resonates with me because we as women are ALWAYS comparing ourselves to not only our peers, but women in magazines who have been Photoshopped to the hilt. This steals personal joy and also stalls motivation…
Minutes Passing Slowly During Your Workout? Count Songs
So I’ve mentioned repeatedly the power of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and the importance of incorporating it into our weekly workouts. HIIT helps push past weight-loss plateaus and keeps exercise sessions fresh. But even when doing HIIT, some days the exercise sessions just drag. It’s important to watch your time when doing interval training laced with cardio, but I feel like watching the time just makes the session drag even more! What to do…? Count songs! I put my…
Ditch the Guilt to Drop the Weight
Small, healthy changes repeated over and over again are what will change our bodies in time for summer weather. I thought it was fitting to write about guilt as it is so close to Mother’s Day. I am a mom to 15 month old, Camden. He is the joy of my life and I try to be the best mom I can be for him (I’m sure most days coming up short). I do find that being a mother and…
Pounce and Prep
Happy Memorial Weekend! Seems like everyone I’ve talked to is staying home and grilling out to celebrate the start of summer. We love to entertain at our casa so this weekend has been a barrage of shopping, prepping, grilling and more shopping. I thought this weekend was a great time to introduce my Summer Shape Up Tip #39 Pounce & Prep. This is a term I created for a workout strategically laced throughout your dinner prep. It is high impact,…
Need Motivation Stat? Take a Pre-Workout Photo
Small healthy changes repeated over and over again are what will change our bodies in time for summer weather. Sometimes it is seriously difficult to get motivated to hit the gym. So Tip #28 is a little inspirational mind trick. Whenever I feel like backing out of my workout at the last second, I snap a picture of my exercise room, equipment or running shoes and send it to my sister, Arianne. I write something like, “About to get my…
