INTRODUCTION
Hello readers! My name is Ashley and I’m a college student that has decided to turn over a
new leaf and lead a healthy lifestyle. So far it has been going well but I still have a long
way to go!
I decided to start a blog called Fitness for Fools to help other people like myself, because I
personally think it’s easier to do something like this when you have the support of others.
The blog is a collection of ideas, tips, recipes, and more that will help any beginner kick-
start and maintain a health conscious life.
I decided to use some of those blog posts, plus a little bit more, to create an ebook for
people looking to lead a healthy lifestyle. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. 5 Rules of Healthy Living
2. Exercise
3. Diet
4. Motivation
5. Inspirational People!
6. Conclusion
5 Rules of Healthy Living
In my experience, I have found that there are 5 things that are incredibly important in
leading a health lifestyle. If you all follow these rules, I have no doubt that you will start
to look and feel healthier.
1. Healthy Eating: I know you were probably hoping that I’d give you some magical tip
that would allow you to go on eating the same things you always eat and it would
somehow make you healthy. Believe me, I wish I could do that. The good news is
that although eating healthy seems daunting at first, after a little while it becomes
second nature. You will stop craving bad foods and your body will get used to eating
right. In fact, it willprefer it. Just eat clean, non-processed foods, and boom, you’re
on your way!
2. Exercise: Again, we don’t want to do it, but we have to. You can start out with
simple little things like taking a 30 minute walk 5 days a week! Work your way up to
a more vigorous exercise and as your endurance builds it will get a lot easier.
Exercise is so important to living a healthy lifestyle so try to find a work out that you
enjoy.
3. Yoga: If anything on this list is magical, it’s yoga. I personally don’t categorize yoga
as exercise (although it definitely is) because I think you should exercise (cardio,
HIIT training, running, etc.) and do yoga. Yoga does wondrous things for your body. I
did it every day for two weeks and I felt so incredibly good about myself.
4. Green Tea: A cup in the morning and a cup at night. That’s my mantra. Green tea is
one of the best things you could ever put in your body. It detoxes your system, it
lowers your cholesterol, it hydrates you…it basically does everything. It’s a good
thing to work into your routine because the benefits are undeniably positive .
5. A Positive Outlook: You can do all of the other 4 things on this list, but without a
positive outlook you’ll really struggle. Make sure that you’re doing this for yourself
and remember that this takes time. It’s a process but you’ll get there eventually.
So there you have it! Follow those 5 rules and you’ll be as healthy as a horse.
Exercise
I personally hate the gym. I’ll go to the gym, but I don’t like it. It’s just the fact that I’m
around all of these people while I’m trying to do something for myself that gets to me. I
have noticed that a lot of people feel the same way so I’m going to share a list of the 3
best workouts for those of us that don’t like people.
1. Workout DVD’s: These definitely have their pros and cons, but if you have the
motivation to actually do them they’re great. One of my favorite (and gives me the
most results) DVD’s is Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. It will kick your bum into next
month, but it is so worth it.
A yoga mat, Yoga DVD, Jillian DVD, and little weights are what I use!
2. Go for a run: Even though there will be people around, they won’t bother you. Just
put in your iPod and run to the beat of Kanye (or whatever floats your boat, but
let’s be real, Kanye is flawless). Soon enough everything will float away and you will
have a clear head and a healthy heart.
3. Find a workout buddy: If you find someone (that you like) to workout with it can be
exponentially more enjoyable. You’ll have someone to share your pain and complain
to, how awesome is that? When you have a workout buddy you can do either of the
things listed above or even (gasp) go to the gym that person. It’s different when you
have someone to help force you to go, you know?
I hope this list helps all of you that are like me and try to avoid humans at all costs! The
most important thing is to find something that you feel comfortable with. When you find
that (and you will), working out will become a much easier task to get out of your
heavenly bed to do.
How to love to hate running.
Running. What can I say about running? I can actually say a lot of things about running but
I’m going to refrain because I’m focusing on being positive. The bottom line here is that I
have a love/hate relationship with it.
Running is so very good for you and it’s a simple exercise that anyone can do if they put
their mind to it, but it’s the actually getting yourself to do it part that seems to be the
issue for most of us.
Enter 5k’s.
To motivate yourself to run more, you should sign up for a 5k! I know, you’re probably
thinking that I’m trying to kill you, but hear me out.
• Most 5k’s are for good causes! You can improve your health and help others.
• It gives you an end goal that you can try to work towards aka it makes you train.
• You can meet new people you can share tips/fitness stories with!
• It will inspire you to keep going with your healthy lifestyle.
A less hateful form of exercise.
I’ve dabbled in yoga over the years but lately I’ve gotten pretty into it. I try to do it at
least once a day (it’s a good day when I can do it once in the morning and once at night),
and it truly makes me feel so much better about everything. I end up in a better state of
mind about my body (so important!), school, stress, and work.
One of the reasons yoga is awesome is because it’s excellent for any body type. It tones
you, it relaxes you, and it centers you. Anyone can do it, and I pretty much guarantee
anyone who tries it will end up loving it.
Kiley, my lovely model, showing off her awesome tree pose.
If you’re thinking, “Oh no, I can’t do yoga; I have a bad knee/back/hip/anything,” you’re
wrong! There are yoga routines specially put together that are for people with certain
issues. In fact, yoga can help heal your injury a lot of times.
As you can see, there is no downside to yoga. I usually try to be pretty unbiased but in all
honesty, I can’t think of anything negative about it!
Some of my favorite yoga videos are done by Esther Eckhart and you can find them if you
click here. You’ll find yoga for the morning, nighttime, depression, injuries, etc.
So what are you waiting for!? Go try some yoga!
If you want something a little more…heavy,I have a quick and easy workout that you can
do every day! Believe me, you’re going to fall in love with it.
Lift little weights! When I say little, I mean you can start with 2 lbs if you’re really a
beginner. I currently lift 7 lbs after working my way up from 2 lbs and it’s going really
well. There a few quick little exercises that you can do with these weights every day and
can help you lose lbs and tone up your body!
1. My favorite one is where you have a weight in each arm and lift your arms out to
your side like you’re going to embrace someone in a hug. Then start to move your
arms around in small circles. Within a few moments you’ll start to feel the burn!
2. Another one that I love is when you lay on the ground and have your arms out to
your side again. Then lift your arms up to meet each other above your head. Release
back to the ground again and repeat.
3. Don’t worry, you can work your legs too! Squats while holding weights at your sides
is a great way to give the ordinary exercise a boost.
I know it doesn’t sound like it would be very beneficial to being fit and losing weight
because it’s so simple, but it can really make a huge difference! Do these three things
every day and I can guarantee you’ll be toning up in no time.
Back to the hard stuff.
If any of you have successfully completed Jillian’s 30 Day Shred without dying, I raise my
glass to you. For those of you who haven’t tried it, I think you should. I know you’re
probably thinking I’m crazy because I just referenced death in reference to the workout,
but the bottom line is that Jillian kicks your but and it works.
Credit to owner.
I’ve heard a lot of criticism of this workout DVD because it’s so intense, and I agree, but if
you really want a full body workout you need to look no further. Jillian is your answer.
Yes, it’s brutal. Yes, you’re going to be sore after. Yes, you’re going to want to give up.
But yes, you’re going to see results and feel better about yourself if you stick to it.
Although I haven’t even been able to get past Level 1, I recommend this workout to people
because when I do it I feel like I’m actually pushing myself to be stronger and healthier.
I suggest at least giving it a try.
Summary of exercise.
No matter which form of exercise you choose, make sure you like it. It is so important to
get up and get moving. Exercising your heart is one of the most important things you can
do for yourself and I can honestly say I don’t think you’ll ever regret it. Whether you run,
bike, swim, do yoga, follow along with DVDs, or a mixture of both, never give up.
Diet
What is healthy eating really? There are so many different diets out there and no one
knows which is best. Well here I am to tell you which is the best, most effective, and
healthiest for you. The secret is not to do any diets, just make a lifestyle change. Diets
aren’t effective at all because you might lose the weight, but when you go off the diet
you’ll gain it right back! Just try eating healthy. Add in more fruits and veggies and kick
out some saturated fat and high fructose corn syrup. Just choose the healthier option and
you’ll be feeling better in no time.
Vegetarians, and pescetarians, and vegans…oh my!
About three months ago I made the decision to become a vegetarian. My first thought was,
“But what am I going to eat on Thanksgiving?!” I’m here to tell you that after several
months of being a vegetarian, I never want to go back! No, just kidding. I became a
pescetarian. Being a pescetarian is my version of a happy medium and I have no intentions
of becoming a meat eater again.
I feel healthy and I don’t want to give up this feeling.!
A lot of people think that it would be really difficult to make the switch to
vegetarian/pescetarian, but take it from a girl who ate meat almost every day; it’s really
not that bad!
Switching to vegetarianism is also a good push in the right direction (at least it was for
me). I started eating a lot more fruits and veggies than I used to because I had to get the
nutrients that I was missing and that pushed me into being more serious about healthy
eating.
Also, let’s be real; Who can handle eating meat after learning about factory farming?
(Read “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer.)
If you’re curious about vegetarianism at all, I would suggest you give it a try! It’s not as
bad as it seems like it would be and it has quite a few health benefits as well.
(This is not me trying to persuade you to become a vegetarian/pescetarian/vegan, I’m just
trying to give you my experience. Almost every person in my life eats meat and I have
absolutely no problem with it. This is strictly a personal decision.)
Snack time!
One thing a lot of people have problems with when it comes to eating healthy is what to
eat for a snack. It’s a good thing to worry about because snacks are so important to your
daily nutrition intake. I think people tend to struggle with this because it’s so easy to just
grab some chips or candy since it’s so convenient (and delicious), but thankfully, I am here
to save the day.
Here are four of my favorite snacks! These are awesome because they’re super easy to
make, they’re good for you, and there’s chocolate involved.
1. The classic apple with peanut butter: This one never gets old.
2. No bake energy bites: These are SO delicious and easy to make!
3. Strawberries and chocolate: Obviously it wouldn’t be wise to eat these in abundant
amounts all the time, but every once in a while it’s a delicious treat!
4. Fruit Shish Kabob: Pretty self-explanatory. Just cut up different fruits and/or
veggies and put ‘em on a stick! You can make several at one time and then save
them in the refrigerator for when you need to grab one on the go.
The danger of cleanses.
Let’s face it: we’re lazy. We want to lose weight, but we want it to happen relatively
instantly and with very little work. Doesn’t it sound better to spend a weekend drinking a
gross concoction rather than working out every day and easy, gasp, healthy? Well of course
it does, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.
Detox’s and cleanses are very popular amongst celebrities which obviously makes it a
trend amongst us “little people” who want to resemble our favorite actors and artists
(they don’t actually look like that but that’s a topic for another blog post). To be honest,
after research I’ve learned what I already assumed; they are dangerous and extremely
rough on the body. Sometimes they can be helpful, but only when done under the
supervision of a doctor who thinks you would benefit from it.
I personally wouldn’t suggest doing a cleanse because of all of the possible negative side
effects, but here is a list of the three most interesting cleanses I’ve come across.
1. The fruit cleanse: This one is pretty simple and, to me, the healthiest. Basically it’s
exactly what it sounds like. You just eat strictly fruit for a few days.
Credit to owner
2. The Master Cleanse: This one has been used by several celebrities, most popularly by
Beyoncé. It seems a little dangerous/brutal/disgusting to me, but to each their own.
It consists of drinking a mixture of lemon, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water.
If you try it/have tried it before/know someone who has tried it, please let me
know! I would love to hear about someone’s experience with it.
3. Detox smoothie: A fabulously green smoothie comprised of lemon, spinach,
pineapple juice, and ginger. I prefer the smoothies of the chocolate variation but
this one sounds a little healthier.
Overall, these things scare me. It just doesn’t seem natural to put your body through this,
but I think if it’s done correctly and with caution, good things will come.
Moderation is key!
So let’s imagine everything is going super well in terms of your healthy lifestyle. You’re
feeling great and then suddenly….the holidays roll around.
I find that a lot of times when the holidays are approaching people tend to say to
themselves, “I might as well just give up with being healthy until the new year. There’s no
point in trying to maintain this.” To those people (I used to be one of them) I say: You
couldn’t be more wrong.
Credit to owner.
A very common misconception that people have is that when they eat something unhealthy
they have ruined their whole diet. The truth is that you can eat anything you want and still
maintain a healthy lifestyle! The secret to this is moderation. Go ahead and have a cookie,
a slice of pie, or some ice cream. You can eat that stuff as long as you don’t go overboard.
As I’ve said before, deprivation will lead to binging. It’s best to allow yourself to eat the
things you want but in moderation so that you can keep your diet balanced.
Basically what I’m saying here is don’t give up during the holidays! You can maintain being
healthy while still giving yourself a treat every once in a while. It’s going to take some
self-control, but I can guarantee you’ll feel better about yourself when you’re able to do
it.
I wish you the best of luck!
Motivation Three crucial things you need to remember!
1. Do not give up. I know from experience that sometimes it’s easy to just say, “screw
it, I can’t do this,” but that’s not the right attitude! So you made a mistake and had
a bad day or two…just start fresh and clean the next day.
2. Drink green tea. Like I said in a previous post, green tea does everything and it
always makes me feel better about my body. It will clean out your body and be a
good way to start over! Maybe have a cup at night and then wake up and have
another cup with a healthy breakfast!
3. Remember that it’s okay to “cheat” every once in a while. We can’t always be
perfect and eat foods that are good for our bodies. Chocolate chip cookies exist,
remember? Depriving yourself of the foods you love is never ever the answer; just
eat them in moderation.
Follow these three steps and stay calm! A few days of unhealthiness isn’t going to ruin
everything; just start over and try to stay on track while treating yourself every so often
along the way. The more you deprive yourself, the more you’ll think about that food, and
the more you’ll eat of it when you finally get your hands on it.
Where to find motivation when you need it.
One of the most important parts of healthy living is motivation. Where is it?! It never
seems to be there when we want it, right? Well, if today you’re feeling unmotivated, get
ready because I have a list of three online places you can find motivation!
• The most obvious one: This ebook or fitnessforfools.wordpress.com. This is an
ebook/blog for beginners and it’s proof that many other people are trying to do the
same thing as you. You aren’t the only one struggling! Use that as
inspiration/motivation to get up and get working and/or planning.
• Pinterest: Click on that link, and search anything that you need help with. You can
search healthy recipes, workout ideas, workout clothes, tips, etc., etc. Pinterest is one
of the places I find the most motivation because it’s so positive and helpful.
Credit to owner.
• Twitter: Social networking can do wonders for motivation, especially on Twitter. Since
it’s so instant and sweet and to the point, Twitter is perfect for people with very little
time and need to browse through things quickly. Check out this article by The
Huffington Post that is a guide to the 20 best fitness experts on Twitter.
So there you have it. There’s not excuse for not being motivated today! Just click on those
links and I pretty much guarantee you there will be something there for you that will
inspire you to take action.
Make sure you’re rested!
When people want to lose weight they think up these wonderful plans. They’re going to
eat healthy, they’re going to work out, they’re going to drink a lot of water, etc., etc. The
thing is…it’s easier said than done. Finding motivation is usually the hardest part because
once you get started it’s usually easy to continue your routine. Well, I was
thinking/researching and I happened upon something extremely natural and simple that
can get you started.
Credit to owner.
Yes, sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is absolutely essential to your health and it can be
the perfect way to kick start your health routine. I mean, you have to do it, right? There’s
no procrastinating sleep!
What I suggest is trying different techniques that help you get a good night’s sleep
(something barely any of us tend to master with all of the stress and work in our lives) and
then once that is mastered you will have enough energy and motivation to move on to the
next step which is working out.
Then finally, in the words of Nike, just do it. Work your butt off and look good doing it!
Let’s be honest, working out is so much more bearable when we feel good about how we
look. I mean, after all, we are going to workout to be healthy/look good, so why not go
into the situation already feeling positively about our appearance?
Wearing an extremely oversized t-shirt and shorts that bunch up (and have a little hole on
the side that you wear anyway because you don’t think anyone will notice) definitely
serves it’s purpose, but it doesn’t make you feel like you’re walking into the gym to the
instrumental version of Bad to the Bone or Eye of the Tiger.
A lot of people (myself included) shy away from buying good looking workout clothes for
two major reasons.
1. Why waste the money if you’re just going to lose weight and not fit in it as well
anyway?-Don’t even cheat yourself with this excuse. Sadly, weight loss takes time no
matter what you’re wearing. You might as well feel good about how you look while
you’re doing it.
2. Blah, it doesn’t look good on me because I’m not super skinny.-Choose clothes that
fit you correctly and you’ll look bangin’. This article from Fitness Magazine even
gives tips for the best workout clothes for certain body types.
Credit to Lululemon.
Now that those are out of the way, let me give you some suggestions. Lululemon is such a
fun place to shop and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Their clothes are comfortable,
pretty affordable, and every employee I’ve encountered has been so polite and helpful. My
other two favorite places are Target and Marshalls. They’re both cheap (especially
Marshalls) and have a wide variety of sizes and styles. Basically, you’re guaranteed to find
something there.
Now get out there and find some great workout gear! Does anyone have any suggestions
for us about workout clothes and where to get them? Let me know in the comments!
Inspirational People!
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing a lovely girl named Katy about her incredibly
successful fitness blog! Katy’s blog, Fit-Personality, is actually one of the things that
inspired me to get physically fit and start my own blog.
One of my absolute favorite things about Fit-Personality is the fact that it isn’t just about
physical appearances, it’s about the importance of positive personalities.
“I think people in the Fitblr [Fitness Tumblr] community often forget that it should be
more about who you are as a person, more so than how you look,” Katy said. She went on
to explain, “It should be more about the confidence that you gain and the person you
become.”
That kind of positivity is what I think makes her blog so successful. She actually began
blogging because she followed the Fitblr of someone that was “constantly causing drama
and was a very negative person overall” and she wanted to bring positivity to people trying
to get healthy.
Katy also says that her blog “absolutely” keeps her inspired to continue living her healthy
lifestyle.
“Almost every morning I wake up to several messages telling me that I am an inspiration,
or asking me for advice. It’s not just me I’d be letting down at this point if I failed, I’d be
letting down my followers. And that’s something I have to care about,” Katy said.
It is obvious that she is appreciative of her followers and wants the best for them. In fact,
she told me that her followers are her favorite part of running Fit-Personality.
“I care about my blog, and it has helped me realize what I want to do in my life. And I
have my follower’s support to thank for that,” Katy said.
Her followers seem to really enjoy the photos of Katy’s weight loss progress considering
she says those are the post that get the most hits. In addition to her progress, she blogs
about her life and “fitness related things” that she enjoys. She said that she tries to post
about ten times a week, but on top of those posts she answers questions from her
followers and reblogs pictures as well.
“I stick to what I love, because if you don’t, you get sick of it eventually,” Katy said.
In “real life” Katy is a 19-year-old college student majoring in communications with hopes
of someday working at a health magazine as a social media specialist or a blogger. I think
she is well on her way to achieving her dreams!
Another incredibly inspirational person is Towson University student Shannon Speed is the perfect (or as close as you can get to perfect) role model for healthy lifestyles. Despite her extremely busy schedule in which she goes to school full time and works part time, she
still finds time to work out so that she can maintain her health.
Shannon’s typical work out regimen consists of exercising 5-6 times a week for 1-3
hours. She switches up her exercises by incorporating weight training and doing different
types of cardio. She doesn’t do anything extremely special with her diet, she says “I
maintain a normal diet.” She eats fruits, vegetables, meats, and other sources of protein.
Something extra she does is that she takes a multi-vitamin for breakfast.
What does she do about those dreaded sweet cravings, you ask?
“Just like any person I have craving for sweets and I eat them on occasion. It’s not good to
deny your body the foods it craves because then you will have a tendency to ‘pig out’
when you have access to them. A lot of times I substitue fruits when i need something
sweet or just have some dark chocolate or dried fruit,” she said.
To me, it doesn’t seem like it’s that difficult for Shannon to maintain her good fitness
because, lucky for her, she has been exposed to exercise her whole life. She played sports
throughout middle school and high school, and her mom is a fitness instructor which
inspired her to become one herself! Although she went through an adolescent “chubby”
phase, she has never felt physically unfit. She has, however, notice a difference when she
doesn’t work out for a few days.
“I feel restless and often overcome with stress. I have a harder time focusing on my work,”
she said.
Shannon also believes there’s a connection between physical and mental health. She
explains that stay health keeps her sane. She told me that she abides by the following
tenant: Stay healthy in mind, body, and soul. She firmly believes they’re all related and I
couldn’t agree more.
Her success is the ultimate inspiration and motivation, but if that in itself wasn’t enough,
she gave me (and all of you) some advice.
“First, refer to it as a healthy lifestyle. People trying to change themselves often call it
going on a diet and that is the wrong approach. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle choice is
the way to go. Second, start out slow. I did not begin going to the gym for 2 hours at a
time. I began with an hour; some light weight training, a little cardio, and increased the
amount of time spent from there. Third, take advantage of the resources around you.
Students, in particular, have wonderful resources through campus recreation services. We
offer group exercise classes and personal training. Those uncomfortable in the gym can opt
out to participate in the various classes that are offered. It’s also a great way to learn
what types of exercises to incorporate into your workouts in the gym.”
Well, there you have it! If she can do it, so can we. Let me know in the comments what
you think of Shannon’s story and share your own story and/or tips.
Conclusion
Well that’s it, guys. Thank you so much for reading! If you have any questions and/or
comments, feel free to email me at [email protected].
Good luck with your healthy lifestyle!