Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Fitness and Food!

Fitness, being fit, working out, and being active is what I am all about. I have found so much success in my life as I have continued to be active and make my health a priority in my life. Many people have looked at what I do (the many marathons, hours training, triathlons, weight lifting, etc) and think I am NUTS! Well, I guess I am, because I love it. Here is my WHY:

I love being active because it gives me energy. What? Working out is supposed to make you tired though? Well, yes and no. When I exercise regularly I have more energy and motivation in my day to accomplish everything on my To Do list, but at the end of the day I am exhausted and I sleep well.

I love being active because I feel good. Not only does it help me feel good physically, have energy and feel strong, but I also feel good about myself. When I exercise I have accomplished something, that goal for the day is done and I can feel a sense of accomplishment. Feeling good about myself helps me to be happy and to be a happier, and better wife.

I love being active because I can involve my family. By running and walking daily I get my time out with Reese and doing what we both love. We get to go to the park and play, I get to chase her and she chase me. Nothing is better than being able to keep up with the little ones. Although I don't have children, Reese is my child I get to play at the park with, chase around, and try to drain her energy so we can cuddle at the end of the day. Being active has brought new activities that Nathan and I can enjoy together. We can go for runs, bike rides, hiking and fishing. We can enjoy each others favorite activities and find new ones to do together.

I love being active because I get to really enjoy life. I have the freedom to eat that cupcake I've been craving and NOT feel guilty. Yes, if I eat the whole box I will, but portioning it right I can enjoy it and not regret it. I can enjoy the simple things of life, the sun rises and sun sets, the beauty all around me and do what I love.

Why do you like to be active? Have you not yet found your why? Are you looking for a new way to find joy in exercise?

I would LOVE to help you find activities you love to do, because nothing can beat the enjoyment of a workout so it doesn't feel like work.

Simple Recipes

I am not the greatest cook. I love to bake, that is where I am more comfortable, however, I can't just eat pastries all the time. Cooking with spices really intimidates me, and I am trying to be better with it. Any tips as to how I can get more comfortable with it?

Using hot sauce, soy sauce and/ or peanut butter is a sure easy way to mix up a stir fry. If you cut up a variety of veggies (peppers, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, squash, peas) and mix up a sauce it's an easy meal you can eat on lettuce or rice.

Lemon and lemon pepper, or blackened seasoning is great on Salmon or Tilapia. Cook the fish in the oven separate from some veggies and roast them with olive oil, garlic and some salt and pepper. Yum!

Ground turkey with a variety of veggies (peppers, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, squash, peas) cooked in olive oil with garlic and blackened seasoning with a little cheese and avocado sprinkled on top. You could also add rice or beans to it too.

Making dinner doesn't have to be difficult, it can be fun and creative and done in one pan. I will try some more recipes soon!

Team BeachBody

I am now an Independent Coach for Team BeachBody. Which means I am sort of starting my own entity of business under Team Beachbody.

What is Beachbody? Well, have you heard of P90X, Insanity or Brazilian Butt Lift? Those work out programs are all apart of Team Beachbody. There are so many work out programs that they have and I am really excited for the potential to coach people to reach their fitness goals using the resources from Beachbody, and from my own experiences. I also hope to help other people who are also interested in becoming a coach find their way to get signed up and started on the fitness path.

Nathan and I did Insanity a few years back and as some may remember reading about Nathan's blog post about his experience. He had amazing results. Seriously amazing!! He lost about 30 lbs in just 60 days and he felt so good. He has been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and is now running more than he ever thought he could handle. We still do the occasional Insanity work out to keep it up, but this summer we decided to also add T25 works outs in there too. They are high intensity work outs for 25 minutes. There is no need to have to spend hours and hours working out. It's important to start small with the time you have and if you enjoy it you can make more time.

I have found that doing these work out programs have helped me to stay on track when I am not training for a race, and to enjoy working out at home, when I can't go out. The T25 work outs are awesome! I felt more like I was dancing around than actually working out, it's fun to do.

This upcoming week I will be getting my PiYo in the mail and I CAN'T wait to get started on those work outs! I like yoga and Pilates but I just don't have time or the patience to go to a studio, so with PiYo I can do it at home and the work outs are a little more up beat yet I'll get the same benefits. I can't wait to track my progress.

I am going to be doing a challenge soon as the Holiday season comes upon us! So stay tuned for details on it :)

Nathan's family has also had so much success with P90X and Insanity. I hope that I can eventually share their success and the success of others on my blog!

If you have ANY questions about the programs, how to get involved or just about anything let me know! I'd love to answer your questions.

If you want to see what BeachBody is all about check out my website for the work out programs as well as shakeology:

www.beachbodycoach.com/LINNSWEENEY


http://www.shakeology.com/linnsweeney



Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Reese

Our little Reese isn't so little anymore, she has grown up and is such a huge part of our family! We absolutely love having her. Nothing is better than getting home from work (especially a bad day) and having her greet me with the love that she does.

Here are a few things about Reese:

She knows her best friends names! If you say Prea or Zoey she will freak out until she can play with them. I usually don't tell her we are going until we are on our way. She also know's Grandma too.

Reese loves Mommy Reese cuddle time in the afternoons. After I get home from work put my stuff down I tell her it's cuddle time and she runs to my room jumps on my bed with her head at my pillow and we cuddle for about 5 minutes while I rub her belly. She is so loving!

She likes to fall asleep with me at night and crawls under our bed when Nathan comes in for bed.

After she gets a bath she runs around like a crazy girl, it's like it gives her a super burst of energy.

She eats when we eat or only after she has had her daily exercise.

She bites her lip a lot, it's my favorite look! So funny. (I'll try and get a picture up).

Reese would rather run than walk, and her favorite thing to do is play fetch.

Reese nearly drown her first time swimming, but with lots of practice and watching other dogs she is now a pro!

Reese isn't just our dog, but she is our family. I absolutely love her and the addition she has brought to our family. She bring peace, love and fun into our home and we love playing with her.

Reese is extra spoiled by daddy. Nathan loves to give her treats, but she has to earn the treats with doing lots of tricks.

She is super smart, and almost too smart for her own good.

She loves to ride in the car! Best road trip buddy!