Sharing tips on how to stay consistent with working out, even when life gets in the way. 

Hi friends! How’s the week treating you so far? I hope you’re having a great one. I have two podcast interviews this morning (new episode will be up tomorrow!) and am looking forward to coffee with a friend this afternoon.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a little bit about workout consistency. When I do my annual survey, this is always a common theme. It can be SO hard to stick with a routine, and I wanted to share some tips.

Staying consistent with a workout routine can be challenging, especially when exercise isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Despite the undeniable benefits of regular physical activity, finding the motivation to lace up your sneakers and GO can be a struggle. If you’ve ever grappled with incorporating exercise into your daily routine, you’re not alone. In today’s post, I’m sharing tips and strategies to help you stay motivated and committed to your workout goals.

How To Stay Consistent With Working Out

Start Small and Build Gradually:

Kickstarting a consistent exercise routine doesn’t mean diving into hour-long intense workouts from the get-go. Begin with manageable durations and intensity, gradually building as your fitness level improves. This approach makes the process more sustainable. Start with just 10 minutes and see how you feel.

Set Realistic Goals:

Trim down your fitness goals into smaller, achievable milestones. Setting realistic expectations prevents overwhelm and allows you to celebrate victories along the way, keeping you motivated for the long term. Check out this post for tips on goal setting!

Choose Activities You Enjoy:

Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. Opt for activities you genuinely enjoy, whether it’s dancing, hiking, or a favorite sport. When you look forward to your workout, staying consistent becomes much easier. Don’t feel like you *should* only do a certain type of workout. The best workout is the one that you’ll actually do. This means that it’s something you enjoy and look forward to. There are a million types of exercise out there, which means the perfect one for you absolutely exists.

Track Your Progress:

Keep a workout journal or use fitness apps to track your progress. Seeing improvements, no matter how small, serves as a powerful motivator and helps you stay accountable to your goals.

Recruit a Workout Buddy:

Enlist a friend or family member to join you in your fitness journey. Having a workout buddy not only adds a social aspect to exercise but also provides mutual encouragement and support.

Mix Up Your Routine:

Monotony can lead to boredom and decreased motivation. Spice up your workouts by incorporating variety—try different exercises, classes, o

Sharing the books I read in January and if I’d recommend adding them to your collection!

Hi friends! How was the weekend? I hope you had a great one! We were in Phoenix for an awards ceremony, and hiked at Camelback before heading home.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a recap of the books I read in January. I really wanted to hit the ground running with books, enjoy some fun reads, and I finished five books last month. They were a mix of fiction and nonfiction, and I enjoyed all of them.

Here’s a recap for the month:

January book recap

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

I was hesitant about this one because I love Friends and love Matthew Perry dearly. I’d heard some people say that this made them like him LESS, and I didn’t want that. The good news is that for me, it did the exact opposite and I found myself loving him even more. I think many of us grew up watching Friends, and feel connected to all of the characters. Even though I was in 5th or 6th grade when it started, I watched almost every single episode, starting with the very first one. My wise 11 or 12 year old self recognized that it was something special.

This book is heartbreaking, as can be expected, and gave a true glimpse into the struggles that addicts face. Addiction took over his life, sabotaging his relationships, affecting work, and impacted his mental health. It was also devastating to learn that all he really wanted was a wife and kids. He had *everything* but also at the same time, he felt like he had nothing. I recommend listening to the Audible version so you can hear it in his own voice. 8/10

From Amazon:

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada;

Sharing my top picks for Valentine’s Day gifts for the gals in your life, or ideas for your own personal wish list! Please share any of your ideas in the comments!

Hey hey! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? We went to Phoenix for a fancypants event for the Pilot’s work, went on a family hike, and tried the Original Chop Shop for the first time. I hope you had a fun and relaxing weekend!

For today’s post, I’m sharing some Valentine’s Day gift ideas for her! Whether you’re shopping for someone special, or sharing this list with your partner, there are tons of great ideas here. Please share any gift ideas in the comments below or anything that’s on your personal wish list!

Gifts for the fitness fanatic:

– Our favorite wireless headphones. The Pilot and I both have these and love them! They’re awesome for travel and workouts.

–An Oura ring makes an amazing gift

– My favorite yoga mat and mat towel

– A cute yoga tank

– The best workout leggings

–A Beyond Yoga set

– A sauna blanket! My liiiiiiiiiiiife. I use this magical creation 2-3 times per week and it feels amazing. I sleep so well and it makes my skin glow. Use FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off!

–The red light face mask makes a perfect Valentine’s gift, too. You can use FITNESSISTA15

– The best crosstraining sneakers

– or my fave barefoot sneakers

– TRX suspension training system

– A theragun

-A lululemon belt bag

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. It’s been a bit of a wild one over here. I had to get my first mammogram after a potentially concerning spot showed up on my last ultrasound – it was NOT a picnic, but I’m extremely thankful for good results. Aaaand Liv broke her finger! We’re headed to ortho today but I’m hoping she’ll just have to splint it for a little while.

What do you have going on this weekend? We’re headed to a military event and are going to do a family hike in between the festivities. The weather has been a DREAM this week, so we’re taking advantage of it. I hope you have a fun and lovely weekend ahead, too.

(Played hooky on Monday and went to the gem show with madre!)

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! Here’s where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves 2.2

Random/life:

Second ear piercings! Liv has been wanting to get her second piercing for a while, so we told her she could go for it. We picked up one of her friends to join us (for moral support), and headed to Rowan, the new piercing spot at La Encantada. All of the earrings are hypoallergenic, and all of the piercers are registered nurses. It was very cute and Instgrammable.

Liv asked me if I would go first, so I said yolo and got my second piercings done. (I originally had them done in elementary school but let them close.)

It didn’t hurt at all – I was shocked!!

Our “afters”:

I can’t b

Hey hey! How are you? Now that we’ve finally made it through what felt like an extra-long and slow January, I found myself thinking about to the holidays. Do you miss them already as much as I do?

Time really seems to fly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always find myself wishing I had taken more time to slow down and enjoy the season, although I’m not sure if it even would’ve possible! Which brings me back to this post. Amid all the holiday scrambling, I’m always especially grateful for a quick, easy, and healthy meal… like tasty pecan pie oatmeal that’s practically bursting with pecan pie flavor.

Pecan Pie Protein Oatmeal

The few days leading up to a big holiday, I tend to take it a little easier on the indulgent food. This usually has a lot to do with the fact that I’m too busy scrambling around before the festivities to make anything truly exciting. I try to focus on protein and produce (eat like a PRO!) with more simple eats that I can quickly put together. It’s usually a lot of scrambled eggs, soups, smoothies, oatmeal and salads.

That doesn’t mean that it’s totally boring. A great example: this pecan pie protein oatmeal. It has the flavor and texture of delectable pecan pie baked oatmeal, but comes together much quicker!

I’ve made this a few times over the last few weeks. It’s packed with protein, the texture is amazing (I’ll tell you my secret trick!), and it has the perfect amount of pie-like sweetness on top. Not to mention it makes meal prep a breeze!

So here’s why these oats have been so awesome lately:

a little soaking action overnight.

Regular ol’ rolled oats have been feeling extra grainy/chewy lately, so I started soaking them overnight before cooking. I just cover them in water and let them sit overnight, then rinse and drain before boiling.

It makes the texture super soft, fluffy and creamy. They taste the same way restaurant oats taste, which are usually loaded with milk and butter in the cooking process.

Another bonus from soaking: it makes them easier to digest. I was listening to The Model Health Show (<— fave podcast if you haven’t checked it out!) and one of the speakers was discussing lectins and how they can make certain plant-based foods more inflammatory. Lectins are the plant’s protective response to keep predators or humans from eating it, and can cause inflammation in the body. Soaking, fermenting, and pressure cooking are all effective ways to reduce lectins.

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