Today, we are featuring StongFitBeautiful. I currently follow her blog posts and love reading. She is definitely and inspiration and i hope you guys enjoy reading about her!!!
What is Strongfitbeautiful all about?
Strong-Fit-Beautiful is a few things. It’s about health and fitness primarily, with how-tos, motivation, my weekly Spinning playlists and general thoughts on health, fitness, and working out as the main focus.
How did you get into working out?
I danced when I was younger, so I was always pretty active, but I would have never considered myself athletic until I got into my 20s. As a junior in college, a friend talked me into running with her one night, and it changed my life. After I made it two (very slow) miles without dying, I started running regularly, and eventually got up the nerve to go the the gym. I started lifting and taking Pilates, and I guess you could say the rest of my workout love story began then.
What motivates you?
What motivates me more than anything is knowing how much I hated getting started, and how hard it is in the beginning. It may get harder to stay motivated over time, but nothing is as hard as having to go back to square one. And it helps that I love exercise. It really is the best part of my day.
What is your diet like?
It’s really pretty simple – I have the same breakfast (Greek yogurt, fruit and a little bit of Kashi cereal) and lunch (green salad with chicken and tomatoes) almost every day, a banana before I head to the gym in the evening, and a sensible dinner. I have a HUGE sweet tooth, so I always make a little bit of room in my diet for some chocolate at the end of the day.
What nutrition advice do you have for people starting their fitness journey?
Do your homework, and pay attention to how your body responds to certain foods. Food is fuel first and foremost. Read labels and watch your portions. The less ingredients, the better – and remember that low fat/low carb/gluten free doesn’t mean healthier. A cookie is still a cookie, regardless of what you swap in/out of it.
How often do you workout and What is your workout routine like?
I am in the gym six days a week. get bored kind of easily, so I tend to mix things up throughout the week. I try to run at least 10-15 miles a week, lift three days a week, and I teach Piloxing and Pilates twice a week, and Cycle once a week.
What are your top three exercises if you had to pick?
I love lifting (especially shoulders), cycling and running.
How do you set fitness goals and how do you measure your success?
It’s all about the mirror for me. If it looks good, I’m happy! I don’t really have any specific goals – it’s more just about trying to be the best version of myself, and constantly improve. I love when I can lift an extra 5 lbs. or cut a couple seconds off of my mile time. I’ve come a long way throughout the years, but I still get excited about the little successes.
Advice to people trying to get into fitness?
The biggest one is start small, and don’t give up. Joining a gym does not mean you’ll be a bodybuilder in two weeks. Starting to run doesn’t mean you’re ready for a marathon. You want to challenge yourself, but doing too much, too soon can lead to injuries. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and hire a trainer. They may be expensive, but if you find a good one, they can change your life. I still credit the trainer I worked with about five years ago for showing me the importance of good form and eating to fuel your workouts.
How can we get more information about you?
Check out strongfitbeautiful.net! You can click on “Who Am I?” for my backstory. I’m also on Twitter @StrongFitSarah and Facebook at facebook.com/strongfitbeautiful.
