Hey friends!

It’s Monday and that means I’m ALL about sharing the motivation in another Fit and Healthy Feature.

Today, Lindsey shares her motivational story about how she got BACK into the healthy lifestyle she once knew and loved.  It makes me so happy to see people who find what they are truly passionate about when it comes to health and fitness.  It’s so easy to get caught up in life and kind of “forget” about the fun things that we love doing to keep our bodies and minds healthy…trust me I get it! Lindsey’s story is proof that it’s never to late to go back into the activities that your body loves to do.

Lindsey’s story…

• Tell Treble in the Kitchen readers a little bit about yourself and your background.

Hi there! I’m Lindsey. I’m a 30-year old dancer/cheerleader turned outdoor adventurer. I blog about my experiences with fitness and adventure over at Fit Life Pursuits.  My passion is helping other women get fit and gain the confidence to take risks, try new things, be active, have fun, and be adventurous!

Besides loving to dance, I fell in love with outdoor adventure sports such as rock climbing, skiing, and hiking. I was a member of my schools’ Rock Climbing Club and competed in several climbing competitions (and got pretty decent at it).

Then, after graduating with my Doctorate in Audiology, I moved to South Florida, got a full-time job as an Audiologist, and got married. This put a big damper on my fitness activity. I was no longer climbing, or being active daily. Besides going to the gym occasionally, I was in a major slump. As a result, I gained a significant amount of weight in 3 short years.

After trying unsuccessfully to lose the weight, I finally had an “aha” moment and realized that I needed to change my lifestyle in order to get my life back.

I joined a fitness challenge group with one of my friends who was a Beachbody coach, and I committed 100%. I lost all the weight I had gained and got in better shape than I had ever been.

Now, I enjoy all the outdoor adventure sports I used to and aim to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle because that is when I’m happiest.

I decided that I wanted to give back to other women who were struggling like I did. That was when I became a Beachbody coach myself and Fit Life Pursuits was born.

• What lifestyle changes have you made to become a healthier version of you that you think are here to stay?

The biggest lifestyle change I have made is making my health a priority.

I workout right when I get up in the morning so that I don’t let life get in the way. It’s the first thing on my to-do list.

I eat to nourish my body, instead of being the junk food eater I was before. I still enjoy pizza and cookies every now and then, but I am much more aware of what I am putting into my body.

• What were some of the biggest challenges you encountered along the way?  How did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges I faced was consistency. Once I got out of my active routine after college, I was no longer consistent. I would exercise and eat “healthy” for a week and then quit after not seeing any changes. I also didn’t know how to push myself physically and get over those mental barriers that were holding me back.

What really helped me overcome this was by committing to a home-based fitness and nutrition program and joining an accountability group. It helped give me a feeling of accomplishment and I gained my confidence back.

I also realized that working out at home was the best thing for me to stay consistent. If I had to get dressed and get in my car every day to drive to the gym, I rarely would. Working out at home was a no-brainer for me, and I learned how to get in an awesome workout!

• What differences do you notice in how you feel now verses when you started your journey?

The main difference is how I think about fitness. When all my bad eating habits and lazy lifestyle finally caught up with me, I had the “diet” mentality. I wanted to exercise and diet to lose weight. That was my main motivation, and it wasn’t working. I could never stick with it.

It was when I changed my attitude about WHY I really wanted to get fit, was I able to commit. It led to me falling in love with fitness and doing it because I WANTED to, not because I HAD to. I think your reason for fitness needs to go beyond just “I want to be skinny”.

I’m not training for a marathon, or a bikini competition. I’m training for a life. I find joy in experiencing new things and exploring the outdoors. I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that I can continue to enjoy those things for many many years without having to worry if my body is up for it.

• What are the next steps?!

I want to continue connecting with women through Fit Life Pursuits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I think that accountability in reaching your fitness goals is crucial, so I want to continue to provide that support for other women.

I continue to set fitness and adventure goals for myself. I call them my own personal Fit Life Pursuits.

My husband and I just made a big move from Florida to Oregon because we were not able to have the lifestyle we wanted in Florida. We plan on enjoying all the outdoor adventures that we can while we’re here!

I’ve joined the local rock gym and have enjoyed getting back into climbing!

• What tips do you have for other people who may want to embark on a weight loss journey or just want to add some healthy habits into their life?

My best tip is to really reflect on what your goals are and WHY those are your goals. Write them down. When you lose your motivation in the process, look back on that to give you the push you need.

Find what works for you! You don’t have to follow the fad or do what everyone else is doing. Fitness should be fun and if you do something you enjoy it won’t feel like a workout.

I also recommend getting some accountability. Sometimes we just need some encouragement. Consistency is key and having someone hold you accountable will keep you consistent.

• Anything else you want to share?

If you are looking to start your fitness journey or need some accountability along the way, I hope you will join one of my monthly challenge groups! This is what worked for me and I know it can help you reach your goals too!

Thank you Tara for featuring me! I am really enjoying getting to “meet” others who have they own fitness story to share. There is so much we can learn from each other!

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If you would like to share your story as part of the “Fit and Healthy Feature” series, please send me an e-mail!  You don’t need to have a blog in order to participate in this series.  Thank you so much for your motivating contributions!

Previous Fit and Healthy Feature Posts:

• Marisa
• Sarah
• Melanie