When I’m looking for healthy living inspiration or new recipe ideas or workouts to try, women’s health magazines are one of my go-tos. I get a lot of magazines that pile up for awhile, and then one week I’ll get into a magazine reading frenzy.
Recently I read the August issue of Self, which had Ali Sweeney on the cover. It seems like lately she has been on the cover of so many of my health magazines, and I can definitely see why. As someone who has tuned in/DVRed The Biggest Loser for pretty much all of its season, I’ve become a fan of Ali’s. She just seems really personable and down to earth. Her body has gotten more toned over the years, and she has been looking awesome!
I think that she really embodies a normal woman who needs to work to be fit. In the Self issue, Ali shares some of her secrets to being in shape. Here are my favorite tips that she notes:
* Give your body the fuel it needs. I always like to think of the comparison of what you eat to fueling a Porsche. You want to feed it with healthy goodness, just as you’d want to give a Porsche high-quality fuel. Sweeney mentions making sure to eat enough calories depending on your activity level.
* My go-to snack: Greek yogurt with blueberries, agave and cinnamon. Touché!
* Stop counting reps. Instead, try going hard for 45 seconds, breaking for 15 and repeating. It’s not about how many times you do it, it’s about doing it right every time. I love doing HIIT and counting time instead of reps.
* There is no such thing as can’t. If there’s a will, there’s a way!
* Be up for a challenge. Your body can push harder than you think it’s capable of.
* Gear totally matters. Comfortable, supportive sneakers and clothes that fit well and feel good are important!
* Be practical. I don’t need to have a perfect suntanned body. I just want to be able to run around without clutching a towel because I feel self-conscious about how I look. If my body’s good enough for that, it’s good enough for me!
These secrets all rang true to me, and here are a few more of my own tips:
* Every little bit counts. If you only have 20 minutes to exercise, that’s certainly better than no exercise at all, so get to it! And if you splurge on your food and eat too much, just make an effort to do better the next meal or day. It’s not all or nothing when it comes to healthy living.
* Schedule your workouts. I usually figure out when I’m going to fit in exercise the night before or morning of. I treat it like something on my agenda that I need to accomplish. No excuses!
* Start your day right. I love to kick off my day by eating a healthy breakfast, and if I have time, doing some yoga or taking my dog for a long walk. Beginning my day healthily sets the pace for the rest of my day.
Questions: Which tip(s) do you find to be most true for you? What’s one of your stay-fit secrets?
I have the same problem with my magazines. There is currently a pile on the table, waiting to be read.
This was a great idea for a post! I love that she is realistic about the amount of work it takes to stay fit. It’s not easy but it’s worth it in the long run.
I need to remember the part about pushing myself. A lot of the time when I work out and it starts to burn and hurt, I’ll give in and rest. I’m such a wuss!
You’re stronger than you think! 😉 See I’m the opposite – I push myself too hard and then wind up getting injured haha but for the most part it feels great to push my body and stretch my limits!
Love her! My goal is to just try to move my body everyday. Somedays harder than others but as long as I’m active I feel great!
Couldn’t agree more. I think that one of my main healthy living mottos would have to be to just sweat daily!
Great tips. I love to get in a workout first thing in the morning, especially outside in nature.
I’m with you, outside workouts are the best!!
I like Ali Sweeney too. The tip I need to keep in mind is to schedule my workouts in. If I get busy with work or am just too tired, I bail out sometimes. You’re right that there are no excuses!
It’s definitely tempting to skip workouts sometimes, and I think it’s okay to do every now and then. I think maybe reminding yourself how good you feel after a workout might help to motivate you. Or check out some workout quotes to get you going!
Ahhh I do the same thing with magazines! I think Alison Sweeney is great. She is such a motivating person! I totally agree with the scheduling the workouts thing! It’s so true!
Right?! She rocks!