It's all about them apps!

Do you have a smart phone? Then this post is for you! There are so many different health related apps out there now. It seems like they are always coming up with something new to keep up with technology. 

These are the top 5 reasons I love apps. 

1. Help keep me motivated.

2. Help me connect with other people.

3. Help increase my physical activity. 

4. Help me keep track of my calorie intake.

5. Help give me health related tips.

A few apps I recommend you try if you are wanting to live a healthier lifestyle are MyfitnessPal and Runkeeper. These are two of my favorite apps that I use on a daily basis. 

Myfitnesspal allows you to log in your daily calories, exercise, weight, and allows you to connect with friends. I absolutely love this app! 

Runkeeper is an awesome app that tracks your distance while running. Every time you go on a run it saves it for you in it's records. It also tells you how fast you ran and how many calories you burned. This app is a must for all runners! 

Have you tried these apps out before? Let me know how you liked them! 

Until next time,

Janelle 

Easter Sun Run!

Exercising For a Good Cause. 

Have you ever heard of the Easter Sun Run? I have participated in it the last couple of years and I really enjoy it. The proceeds from the Easter Sun Run go to further Youth Horizons' efforts to break the cycle of fatherlessness through youth programs. 

This year it is on Saturday April 4th which is the day before Easter. The cool thing about it is it's for a good cause. Also, you don't have to be super competitive in order to participate. There is the 2 mile walk, 2 mile fun run, and the 10k!

If anyone is interested here is the link to their website for more information! 

http://eastersunrun.com/

Fast Food Friday!

How to find healthier options in unhealthy environments. 

Every Friday I will research a different restaurants menu and point out the healthier options. Although I am not a nutritionist by any means I will do my best to determine the healthiest foods. I will do this based on common knowledge and a few other variables.  

A lot of time when it comes to fast food it is really all about portion control and calorie intake. One thing I like to say is most everything is okay in moderation. It may surprise you how many fast food restaurants have healthier options on their menus.  

So today I am going to start with McDonald's. 

Did you know that McDonald's has cuties on their menu now? How awesome is that?

Here are a few of my favorites. The calories listed are without any sauces or dressing. Remember to keep in mind one of my previous posts about the Fast Food Friday rules! 

1. Little or no sauce 

2. Grilled not fried 

3. No bun please 

Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap - 280 calories 

Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich - 350 calories 

Premium Bacon Ranch Salad / With Chicken - 150 - 240 calories 

Premium Southwest Salad / With Chicken - 170 - 320 Calories 

Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait - 150 Calories 

McAfee Strawberry Banana Real Fruit Smoothie  (Medium) - 250 Calories

Apple Slices - 15 Calories 

Cutie - 40 Calories 

Saw this picture on google and couldn't help but share it. 

I obtained all of my menu information from McDonald's website. Please see link below for reference. 

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/favoritesunder400.html

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy this gorgeous weather!

Until next time, 

Janelle 

3 Cheat Meals Or 1 Cheat Day...

When beginning my weight loss journey I stuck with this simple rule. I believe that if you are "dieting" one of the worst things you can do is restrict yourself completely from the foods you love. We all need that food every once in awhile! 

On the cheat day. I know this just sounds crazy for most people, but as long as you stay under your calorie intake for the day you can eat whatever you want. The reason behind this rule is so you can sustain this sort of healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. If during that week you don't want a cheat meal then that's great! I have found that I almost always need to indulge in my favorite foods once a week. 

3 cheat meals. Personally, I preferred doing the 3 cheat meals worked best for me. I would use my cheat meals on the weekend to go out to dinner with my friends. This gave me something to look forward to during the week!

I was inspired by a quote I saw on pinterest to write this. "Make it a cheat meal not cheat week. Make it a cheat day not cheat month." 

I hope this is encouraging to everyone reading today. No one is perfect and we all have bad days. It's being able to realize that it's okay and moving on that makes us stronger! 

Until next time,

Janelle 

Running is the best!

I saw this quote the other day on Pinterest. 

Running is my favorite exercise. I never use to like running. In fact growing up, running was probably my least favorite physical activity. Not too long ago a few friends and I decided to start the couch to 5k app. I am not sure what made it so enjoyable. Maybe it was the fact that I was running with people that I enjoyed spending time with.  

The top five reasons I love running!

1. Running burns a lot of calories. 

2. Running reduces stress. 

3. Running does not require a gym.

4. Running increases self esteem. 

5. Running is great for your social life.

Now I will admit running is not for everybody. But you can't knock it until you try it! I recommend if you have been thinking about running to download the couch to 5k app and grab a friend to join you. Who knows maybe running will change your life! 

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my blog. My goal is to inspire people to live healthier lifestyles the way other people have inspired me! 

Until next time,

Janelle 

No More Excuses!

Before I started working out 5 to 6 times a week I made excuses all the time. I was very unhappy with my life the majority of the time. My days consisted of getting up five minutes before I had to be at work, working, taking a nap on my lunch break, eating a bag of chocolate for lunch, binge watching netflix shows while eating another bag of chocolate with a plate of bacon for dinner. Although this may be humorous to some this was a very depressing part of my life. I ran to food for comfort and happiness. I was tired all the time and slept on average 10 hours a night.  

Top 3 excuses I hear. 

1. I'm too busy. 

2. I'm too tired. 

3. I'm too far gone. 

I'm too busy! This ones my favorite. All of us have things we would rather do than go to the gym. But taking time to exercise is worth it! Exercising is so much more than just dragging yourself to the gym every day. It's a lifestyle change. 

I'm too tired. Were you too tired when you stayed up until midnight last night watching your favorite show with a tub of ice-cream? I understand that a lot of people have families and children that get sick and keep them up all night. There are exceptions to being overly tired. But here is my point. If you can find time to watch tv, hang out with friends, go out to dinner, or go to the movie surely you can find the time to work out a few times a week. 

I'm too far gone. Have you made so many excuses for yourself that you don't know where to start? Believe me I have been there. Habits don't change over night. It's the little things that count. Start by walking with a friend a few nights a week. Then slowly add healthier foods into your diet. Before you know it people will be asking you for advice! 

Do any of these excuses sound familiar? After reading my story do you know what excuses I made? 

I hope my story is an encouragement to you. It is definitely a testament that someone can go from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.

Until next time,

Janelle 

The Benefits of Exercise

Besides the obvious benefits of exercise, here are a few that I have found true in my own life. 

1. Will give you energy.

2. Stress reliever.

3. Make you smile. 

Want some extra energy? Whether you are an early bird or a night owl exercising will give you that boost of energy you need. I personally always exercise in the evening. I have found that I look forward to having that time at the end of my day to regather my thoughts. I tried working out in the morning for about a month just hoping I could switch my brain to looking forward to that morning work out but it didn't work. I dreaded going to bed at night because I had to get up extra early to go to the gym. So my recommendation is to try both and find what works best for you! 

Always stressed out? Exercise is one of the best things to do when you are stressed. I know first hand because I experienced this drastic change in my own life. Just think how much better you would feel if half of the stress in your life was taken away. That's how I felt when I began consistently exercising! 

Need to smile more? There is something about exercising that just makes me smile. If I had an awful day, going to the gym for an hour just makes me happy. Now I'm not saying exercise is always fun. There are times I even have to force myself to go but I never regret it. Sometimes you just need an hour to yourself to let out all of the negative energy in your life! 

I hope your monday was more exciting than mine!

Until next time,

Janelle