Shrimp Zoodles

I remember when I first tried zoodles to “be healthy” rather than eating pasta (which is actually a ridiculous concept if you think about it because zucchini is NOT and NEVER WILL BE the same as delicious carb filled pasta) and thought to myself “eh, that was okay. But it is definitely not the same as pasta.” The problem was, I wanted pasta but made the “healthier” choice of eating zoodles, which left me unsatisfied.

After that point, I decided to only eat zoodles when I was craving zoodles, because in reality I do love zucchini, but zucchini will never be pasta when I am craving pasta. You can make zoodles with a lot of things, but my personal favorite is shrimp. So here is an easy lemon garlic shrimp zoodle recipe.

Recipe #25 – Shrimp Zoodles

Ingredients:

•  1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
•  2 medium zucchini
•  1 tablespoon olive oil
•  4 tablespoons softened butter, divided
•  4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
•  Pinch of red pepper flakes
•  Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
•  1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock (or white wine)
•  Hot sauce of your choice, to taste (I used Sriracha)
•  Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Wash and trim the ends of the zucchini. Make the zucchini pasta using a spiralizer or julienne peeler and set aside.
2.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook shrimp for one minute without stirring, so the bottom of the shrimp gets slightly browned.
3.  Add the chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and then stir the shrimp for another minute or two to cook shrimp on the other side. Transfer the grilled shrimp to a shallow plate.
4.  In the same pan, add the remaining butter, lemon juice, chicken or vegetable stock (or white wine), and hot sauce in the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
5.  Stir in the zucchini noodles and cook until done, about 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow the sauce to reduce a bit if it’s too watery. Add the grilled shrimp back to the pan and stir for another minute.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chicken Caprese

This was one of the easiest meals I have made, as it requires very few ingredients. It was also very delicious and I will definitely be making it again.

Recipe # 24 – Chicken Caprese

Ingredients:

•  4 chicken breasts
•  8 tablespoons pesto
•  8 slices tomato
•  1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
•  1/2 cup fresh spinach
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
•  Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Cut chicken breasts horizontally but do not cut all the way through. Open them up so you are able to stuff them.
3.  Spread entire open surface of chicken with 2 tablespoons pesto (divided among the 4 chicken breasts).
4.  Add 2 sliced tomatoes to half of the chicken,
5.  Top with 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella (divided) and a few spinach leaves.
6.  Secure chicken breasts with 2 toothpicks (shown above and below)
7.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle on some olive oil.
8.  Heat oven proof skillet over medium high heat (I used an iron cast skillet). Add one tablespoon of olive oil.
9.  When olive oil is sizzling, carefully add chicken.
10.  Sear on each size for 2-3 minutes, using tongs to turn.
11.  Finish baking in oven for about 8 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Creamy Garlic Chicken & Broccoli

This super simple, healthy, yet delicious meal is probably one of my favorite recipes I have made all year.

Recipe #23 – Creamy Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 pound boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 10.5 ounces (1 can) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cups water
• 3 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
2. Heat large pan on medium-high heat. Melt half the butter (2 tablespoons). Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is browned. Remove chicken from pan, cover and keep warm.
3. In same pan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add the garlic and cook until garlic is lightly brown and fragrant. Whisk in the condensed cream of chicken soup and water. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbly, then turn the heat down low.
4. Add chicken and broccoli back into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Squeeze two lemon wedges over the chicken and broccoli once cooked, if desired.

You can serve this dish with rice or pasta, or simply eat it alone. We ate it by itself and it was thoroughly filling.

Vegan Spicy Glazed Popcorn Broccoli

Although I am not vegetarian or vegan, often I do enjoy eating meatless meals. I was craving something veggie based when I came across these popcorn broccoli bites and I had to give them a try. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint & were very easy to make.

Recipe #20 – Vegan Spicy Glazed Popcorn Broccoli

Ingredients:

Popcorn Broccoli

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Spicy Glaze

• 1 tablespoon chili paste
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Vegan buttermilk: Whisk together the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
3. Bread crumbles: In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, panko, corn starch, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Take 2 tablespoons of the vegan buttermilk and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir together, then use your hands to make wet crumbles. Add more buttermilk if needed.
5. Using the remaining vegan buttermilk, dip each broccoli floret into the vegan buttermilk, then put in the bowl with the crumbles and press the crumbles all over the broccoli, coating completely in the breading crumbles.
6. Place the broccoli onto a baking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. Repeat with all the broccoli florets.
7. Spray the tops of the broccoli with more non-stick spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping the broccoli half way through. Bake until brown and crispy.
8. While the broccoli is baking, make the glaze. In a small sauce pan, combine all the glaze ingredients. Whisk and heat on medium low. Bring to a small bubble, whisk, then remove from heat.
9. When the broccoli is done, place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the glaze over the broccoli. Toss the broccoli in the glaze until completely covered. Serve immediately!

Blackened Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Who doesn’t love tacos? Who also doesn’t want to wait until Tuesday to eat them?

Tacos and burritos are some of our go-to dinners because they are easy to make. However, due to this goal I set of making 52 new recipes a year, I decided to look for something a little different than our normal tacos and burritos. I’ll be honest, I was somewhat skeptical of this recipe. Not because of the recipe itself, but because of my lack of cooking skills. I mean, fresh salsa!? But it turned out delicious.

Recipe # 7: Blackened Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

Chicken Tacos

• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 6-inch tortillas

Marinade

•  3/4 teaspoon paprika
•  1 teaspoon chili power
•  1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•  1/2 teaspoon pepper
•  1/4 teaspoon oregano, dried
•  1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  1 teaspoon honey
•  2 tablespoons lime juice
•  2 tablespoons olive oil

Pineapple Salsa

•  1 cup pineapple, diced
•  1 cup tomato, diced
•  1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
•  1 jalapeno, finely diced
•  2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

• Add chicken to a large resealable plastic bag.
• Blend all marinade ingredients together in a bowl, and then pour over chicken in plastic bag.
• Coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Press out as much air as possible and seal.
• Allow to marinate at room temperature for 20 to 60 minutes. If marinating longer than 60 minutes, refrigerate. (I marinated the chicken in the fridge for about 5 hours).
• Stir all salsa ingredients in a blow, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Remove chicken from resealable plastic bag and thinly slice chicken lengthwise into long strips.
• Add chicken to hot pan, cook for 5 minutes without moving.
• Flip the chicken over, lower the heat to medium, and cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink or internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
• Fill tortillas with chicken and salsa.

Makes 4 tacos.

Beachbody: Scam or Success?

As I sit here writing this blog post, I am sipping on my chocolate vegan Shakeology and am browsing through the hundreds of pictures that cover my newsfeed of friends in New Orleans. While I am at home, spending my Saturday with Beck doing work, my Beachbody family is attending the biggest work conference of the year (Summit) in New Orleans. I was unable to attend this year due to timing of internship, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been able to live vicariously through their Facebook and Instagram posts and Snapchat stories. Missing out on Summit has really made me reflect on why I started Beachbody in the first place and what it has done for me, because honestly it has done so much.

My first introduction to Beachbody occurred in 2012 when Spence and I attempted to do P90X. We lasted 60 days and then gave up. In 2014 I was reintroduced through my friend Kelsie (who is now one of my coaches) when she was getting great results with T25. T25 was the first program I successfully completed, although there were definitely struggles along the way and I didn’t even touch the meal plan. Then, in the fall of 2015 after I was recovering from an ankle injury I was seeking out ways to get back in shape after my hiatus, preferably in a manner that would allow Spence and I to do it together. I looked at a number of different companies, at-home workout programs, YouTube Channels, when I finally reached out to Lily, a girl I had been following on Instagram and who I noticed recently became a Beachbody coach. What drew me to Lily was that she was genuine. You could tell she loved the products and was getting real results. Even though I was the one to reach out it literally took me MONTHS to finally agree to buying a program, Shakeology, and my biggest fear – to start coaching. But Lily was always patient with me, so after doing a ton of research and talking to Spence I decided to give it a try.

Saying I was scared was an understatement. I was scared I would fail at this program (Hammer & Chisel) because I had failed at P90X before. I was scared of the meal plan. I was scared that I wouldn’t like Shakeology (and not to mention I was still totally against the thought of drinking my meal). But most of all I was scared what people would think of me. Multilevel marketing companies (MLMs) have a bad reputation. They are seen as pyramid schemes where only the people at the top make money. People who join them are viewed as pushing products (and there are definitely some people out there that do). They are seen as a scam. They are viewed as a way to make quick money, but not something that can be sustainable. How many of us have that Facebook friend (or five) who jumped into an MLM, only posted about the MLM for a month or so, and then suddenly there was no mention of it in site. I didn’t want to be that person, so my solution? Not post about it. By not posting people didn’t have to know that I joined the “shameful” MLM world. People wouldn’t know if I missed a work out, messed up on the meal plan, or if the products didn’t work. People wouldn’t know I was drinking a meal for lunch instead of eating. And therefore, people couldn’t pass judgment, which was probably the thing I feared most.

But then something happened. I was plugged into a community of some of the most supportive individuals I had ever met. I was getting daily encouragement and accountability for people who were complete strangers. I was forming friendships. Spence and I got to spend time together every single day working out together. We completely changed our eating habits and fueled our body with the proper nutrition. That shake I was worried about? I absolutely fell in love with it and noticed a difference in just one week of drinking it. Oh, and that workout I was so convinced I would fail at? Spence and I completed one entire round without skipping a single workout, and then we completed the entire program again. I was no longer the girl full of fear of failing, doubts, and concerns of judgement because I found that I was in love with the products, the community, and the results; so I started to share.

When I started to share, people became interested. People would reach out and ask questions and I got more confident in reaching out to people too. I suddenly I felt like I had a purpose outside of psychology and being a graduate student, which for so long had consumed me to the point that I wasn’t able to focus on any other areas in my life. A fire was lit in me for helping others on their own health journeys, so I did, but the fear of judgment from others due to being part of an MLM still occupied the back of my mind.

If we think about it, multilevel marketing happens all the time. When we like a restaurant we will tell our friends to go to it. When we have a bad experience at a certain place that provides service, we tell people not to go there. Need I mention the Starbucks Unicorn Drink which brought in millions of dollars from free social media advertising – or should I say multilevel marketing? The difference is, Starbucks didn’t pay anyone to share the snapshot of their Unicorn Drink, people shared because they loved the product (or in some cases found it absolutely disgusting). I share my transformation posts, Shakeology recipes, and workout selfies because I love these products and not only do I love these products, I believe in them. Over time, that belief in and love for the products outweighed any fear I had of judgment (and trust me, there has been some), because if I can help even one person through making a social media post, then I am doing something I love.

Since publicly sharing about my health journey, I have helped so many people start their own journeys – both using Beachbody products and through free groups I run on Facebook – and have built my team up to the highest paid rank in the business. My goal was never to become a “business builder” as we like to call it in the Beachbody world. I signed up as a coach to get a discount on the products and if I could make some extra income on the side that would be great, as being a graduate student doesn’t provide a livable income, but that was never my sole intention. I joined to work on me first, and only me, but the funny thing is, when you work on yourself you grow in so many ways and that growth is contagious.

I joined Beachbody almost 19 months ago. In those 19 months I have (almost) completed 7 different programs, some a couple of times. I have learned how to properly fuel my body with nutritious foods and how much of each food I should be eating. I have lost countless inches, a few pounds (although that was never my intention), gained muscle and strength. My confidence has increased, my mental health is better, I am better able to manage my stress. I have made some of my best friends and found a social support system that is often lacking when people go on their health journeys alone. Spence and I have found something we get to do together every single day, which has made our marriage stronger. And yes, I have been able to make an income.

Beachbody changes lives; I fully believe that. People have lost over 100 pounds just using the programs and the portion fix nutrition system. People have gone from rock bottom to making full time incomes. Yes, there are so many different health companies out there, there are so many different supplements, and not everyone wants to work out at home, and I understand that. Not everything will be for everyone but I truly believe that Beachbody works because the company offers the whole package – fitness, nutrition, one-on-one support of a FREE coach, and a support system to keep you on track. This isn’t a quick fix or a get rich quick scheme. It is hard work and dedication, but when you realize that your health is one of the most valuable things you have and that you deserve to take care of yourself mind, body, and spirit, the energy and effort you put into doing so is worth it.

When I signed up I told Lily to give me 6 months and then I would probably quit. I rolled my eyes at people who said this company changed their life and I was SO AGAINST the thought of drinking Shakeology. But here I am, almost 19 months later, the healthiest and happiest I have ever been in my adult life which truly wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t said “yes” in the first place.

21 Day Fix Extreme

Although this post is about 6 weeks late, Spence and I finished our second round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme – a 21 day total body workout program that includes 30 minute exercises and portion control meals. The 21 Day Fix is one of Beachbody’s top selling programs, so we decided we would give the extreme version a shot. I will admit, I do not think either of us had very high expectations given the previous programs we have completed; however, I think both of us realized that these workouts were a lot better than we initially gave them credit for.

Overall Impressions

Jess: I absolutely loved this program! I felt I got in better workouts than 22 Minute Hard Corps, and although I still prefer Hammer & Chisel, I loved how each workout was only 30 minutes.

Spence: I hate Autumn. She was mean and she made me sore every day, but it was a lot better workout than I thought it was going to be.

Favorite Overall Workout

Jess: Pilates Fix Extreme was a nice change of pace and good stretch, so it definitely one of my favorites. I also enjoyed Dirty 30 because it was a challenge.

Spence: Pilates Fix Extreme.

Least Favorite Overall Workout

Jess: Yoga, because I am really bad at it.

Spence: Lower Fix Extreme or Dirty 30.

Favorite Thing About the Program

Jess: That it was only 30 minutes but I could tell I got an amazing workout in.

Spence: I was able to channel my frustration and anger towards Autumn into a good workout.

Least Favorite Thing About the Program

Jess: There were no rest days! Although it is only 21 days and Pilates and yoga were a nice break from the weight lifting, day 22 was definitely my favorite day.

Spence: There were no rest days.

Results (Left: Day 1; Right: After 2 rounds [42 days]) :

Spence Results:

Chest: +/- 0 inch
Right Arm: +/- 0 inch
Left Arm: +/- 0 inch
Waist: +/- o inch
Hips: + 3/4 inch
Right Thigh: – 1/2 inch
Left Thigh: + 1/4 inch
Net Total: + 1/2 inch

Jess Results (Left: Day 1; Right: After 2 rounds [42 days]):

Chest: -1/4 inch
Right Arm: -1/2 inch
Left Arm: -1/2 inch
Waist: -1/4 inch
Hips: -1/2 inch
Right Thigh: -5/8 inch
Left Thigh: +/- 0 inch
Net Total: -2 5/8 inches

22 Minute Hard Corps

Today, after 9 weeks, we completed 22 Minute Hard Corps; a military style workout from Tony Horton, the creator of P90X. All workouts are only 22 minutes + optional 10 minute ab workouts.

Overall Impressions:

Jess: I really enjoyed this program. I absolutely loved that it was only 22 minutes and that we actually got in a good workout in that short amount of time. I was worried since there are only 6 workouts (+ 2 core workouts) that I was going to get bored, but I definitely did not. I do not feel like I was as challenged as I was with Hammer & Chisel, but I loved that there was more cardio and specific ab workouts, both of which were challenging.

Spence: It was great to know that each workout would only take 22 minutes.  The resistance workouts were not as challenging as other programs, but most days we did additional resistance work (either P90X3 or our own routine).  I liked the cardio routines in this program because I normally hate cardio (okay, I still hate cardio), but it was nice to know that I only had to suffer for 22 minutes.  The core workouts were good, but I wish there was more variation instead of just doing more repetitions in one over the other.

Favorite Move/Exercise:

Jess: Punch pulls

Spence: Pumpjumpers

Least Favorite Move/Exercise:

Jess: Mountain Squats…or Gorilla Crawls, both look easy but definitely are not.

Spence: Waterbugs

Favorite Overall Workout:

Jess: Resistance 2!

Spence: Core 1 (it was the shortest and slowest)

Least Favorite Overall Workout:

Jess: Cardio 3. No breaks and spin burpees, really Tony!?

Spence: Cardio 2

Thoughts on Hell Week:

Jess: It definitely deserved its name. 22 minutes a day was relatively easy (although we were challenged); however, doubling that and doing back to back workouts was difficult. I definitely modified every day at least once except for the last day.

Spence: Why? It was very difficult to start each workout with Tony talking about how it was only 22 minutes and knowing that was a lie.  Each workout provided an almost too simple workout by themselves, but more than one back to back…….whew!

Thoughts on the Performance Line:

Jess: Energize (pre-workout) is a life saver for waking up at 4:30 AM. I am so much more alert for my workouts and can tell a huge difference in my performance. It tastes really good too. I also enjoyed the hydrate; I didn’t try the other products.

Spence: Energize was great after I adjusted to the initial tingly sensation.  Hydrate tasted a lot better than plain water, but I didn’t notice significant benefits beyond working out with just water.  The recover and recharge protein blends were both tastier and more effective than other protein powders that I have used in the past.

Where you noticed the most change (physical or otherwise):

Jess: I did not notice as many physical changes with this program, which I honestly not that surprising since I lost many inches with the two rounds of Hammer and Chisel, but I definitely found an increase in my endurance. For example, when first doing gorilla crawls I had to take a break doing 26, but now I am able to do them all at once. I noticed exercises got easier and I did not have to modify as much by the end.

Spence: I noticed that almost all of the exercises became easier by the end of the program, but that was mostly due to knowing the patterns and being able to get ahead while Tony told jokes (and no, I did not want to finish faster to prove anything,  I wanted to get to the 22 second breaks as fast I could).

Spence Results (top – before; bottom – after):

Chest: – 1 1/2 in.
R. Arm: + 3/8 in.
L Arm: +0 in.
Waist: +0 in.
Hips: +0 in.
R. Thigh: +1/4 in.
L Thigh: – 1/4 in.
Net: -1.125 in.

Jess Results (top – before; bottom – after):

Chest: – 1/2 in.
R. Arm: + 0 in.
L Arm: + 1/4 in.
Waist: -1/4 in.
Hips: -1/4 in.
R. Thigh: +3/8 in.
L Thigh: +0 in.
Net: -0.375 in.

Now we are moving on to the 21 Day Fix Extreme, followed by Body Beast. We may not be seeing as many physical changes as we were when we first started, but every day we continue to get stronger and healthier. If you have any more questions about the program or want to try it (it’s on sale this month) ask either one of us and we would be happy to talk with you!

Don’t Look For A Quick Fix, Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle

July 11th marked exactly 6 months since Spence and I officially started our “health overhaul.” January 11th was the first time we pressed play on Hammer & Chisel and really had no idea what we were getting into. 6 months ago we were trying to figure out what it means to meal plan, what these color coded containers we were supposed to use were, what life would be like without eating cookies and ice cream regularly, and how we were possibly going to survive eating carrots and celery as a snack. Fast forward 6 months and although we do still crave sweets on occasion, would love to crack a beer open at dinner, and a frozen pizza is easier to prepare than some of our healthier meals, eating healthy has become a lot easier. It was a slow process at first, but over time we have come to enjoy eating healthy and can feel a significant difference when we don’t. For example, I immediately can tell a difference in my body and cravings when I miss Shakeology during the day. We have also learned to cook numerous healthy meals, are getting better at meal prepping, and have worked out no less than 6 days per week for 6 months.

Specific healthy behaviors aside, we have also noticed physical and mental changes. Weight loss, inches loss, muscle gain, more strength, more energy, and I can only speak for myself, but I have definitely noticed significant improvement in my mental health as well!

January 11, 2016

July 11, 2016

January 11, 2016

July 11, 2016

Today in one of my coaching groups, we were talking about our “why.” Why we started our health and fitness journey, why we decided to share our journey, and why we decided to become coaches to help others. It made me reflect on my reasoning for signing up to do Hammer & Chisel in the first place. I remember recovering from my ankle injury and just wanting to work out, but not being able to (at least to the degree I wanted to). I remember being exhausted and stressed from school and letting my health take a back burner to reading, research, class, etc. I remember my “quality time” with Spence being us in the same room while I was sitting on my laptop doing work. I remember staying up until midnight or 1 AM to finish work, and getting up by 6  to get a head start on my day. So when I think about my “why” I think of these things:

• Wanting to improve both my physical and mental health, and actually focus on my well-being, rather than just school.
• Wanting to spend more quality time with Spence doing something we both enjoy, rather than letting school and work get in the way.
• Wanting to motivate and inspire others to take care of their own physical and mental health, make them realize that their goals are in reach, that you can learn good habits at any point in your life, and that you don’t need to go to the gym and work out hours on end to get results.
• Wanting to adopt good behaviors now, so that Spence and I can pass these behaviors on to our future children.

I am happy to say that in the past 6 months, I believe I have accomplished all these things (well not fully reason 4, but the adopting good behaviors part, yes – nobody get overly excited now) and I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months brings us. We already plan to do the 21 Day Fix Extreme (let me know if anyone wants to join!), followed by Body Beast, get better at meal prepping, and expand the meals we cook, but I am sure we will have more goals along the way.

Reasons to Exercise and Eat Healthy – No Weight Included

Anyone who reads this blog, is friends with me on Facebook, or follows me on Instagram knows that Spence and I have been working out 6 days per week and eating healthy the majority of the time since January. Overall, the response has been very positive from family, friends, and random people on the internet who happen to like my Instagram posts. However, I was talking with a girl today who just joined our Beachbody team about our goals for working out and eating right not being weight loss related and the potential negative feedback that comes with such. Spence and I never started working out and eating healthy to lose weight – neither of us needed to lose weight. Much to Spence’s dismay, he has lost some weight, as have I, but that is what comes with doing an overhaul of your health and fitness. Both of our goals though involved gaining muscle, becoming stronger, and getting healthier as a whole.

Unfortunately, when already thin/skinny/fit – whatever you want to call it – people talk about working out and eating right, no matter how many positive comments they get, there is also potential backlash. “You are already skinny, why do you need to work out?” “You look like you need to eat something.” “Go eat a cookie.” “Why are you so obsessed with health and fitness?” But here’s the thing, working out and eating healthy is not just about weight loss. Healthy is not a specific weight, a specific clothing size, or a specific fat percentage. Being healthy is so much more than a number on a scale or eating clean 100% of the time, and being healthy is not just about physical health.

Reasons to exercise and eat healthy that are non-weight related:

• “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” The famous line from Legally Blonde that everyone who has ever seen the movie can probably quote; however, there is truth behind it. Elle Woods wasn’t just coming up with a rationale for why her sorority sister didn’t kill her husband, she makes a good point. Research has shown that exercising is a “natural antidepressant,” meaning that engaging in exercise can improve mood, even in individuals diagnosed with depression.
• In addition to reducing depressive symptoms, exercise has been associated with other mental health benefits including reduced stress and anxiety, increased self-esteem, increased self-worth, and heightened confidence.
• Increased exercise promotes better sleep quality and adequate sleep is essential for overall health.
• It increases cognitive performance. Exercise and good nutrition are associated with better memory, increased cognition, a better ability to learn new information, and increased brain volume.
• Increased energy! We all want more energy right? Well not only does exercising increase energy levels, eating a healthy, nutritious diet does as well.
• It is good for your heart. Exercise strengthens your heart muscle and eating a healthy diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Exercise reduces risk of metabolic syndrome – increased blood pressure/cholesterol, high blood sugar, and excessive fat around the waist. Additionally, although a specific diet is recommended for metabolic syndrome (e.g. low fat, little red meat, low sugar), engaging in healthy eating habits initially can prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome.
• Exercise and healthy eating is also associated with reduced risk of a number of other diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and obesity.
• For individuals who already have chronic illnesses, working out and healthy eating can help manage symptoms or reverse the effects of the illness.
• People who exercise and eat healthier not only live longer, but also are reported to be happier, more excited, and more enthusiastic compared to individuals who do not.
• Getting into a habit of eating healthier also reduces food cravings. This is something Spence and I have found (but I also researched it to make sure). Once you get into the habit of eating healthier, your cravings for junk food reduce.
• It saves money in the long run. Yes, a gym membership, at home workout program, gym equipment, new shoes, and exercise apparel all cost money up front; however, investing in yourself now, saves you money later. Just think how much medical bills cost compared to buying a workout DVD. Taking preventative measures to better your health now, will save you money in the future when you do not have multiple medical complications due to not investing in yourself earlier. It is actually estimated that for every $1 spent on preventative health, $2.71 is saved in future health costs.
• And so many more…

So if you ever catch yourself thinking “that person doesn’t need to work out he/she is already skinny” remind yourself that exercising and eating right is not just about weight loss. People start eating healthy or engage in an exercise routine for a multitude of different reasons, not just to lose weight. There are so many benefits to working out and eating nutritiously that have nothing to do with weight, fat, or even physical health. Living a healthy lifestyle is so much more than physical health – it affects your whole being: mind, body, and spirit.