Megan Thompson

What a fun way to end the year!! I ALWAYS love getting these boxes at my front door! It's so much fun to see different items that have been picked for me! If you remember last month the picks weren't so great. When you "check out" with stitch fix you give them your feedback on the things that they sent you. Within hours of filling it out and saying that I was not pleased with the picks I received an email from them apologizing and promising to do better the next time around....and they did! The picks this month were much better! Lots of fun stuff to try on and match up with things in my closet already :). Happy new year to everyone today. I hope it's a safe and fun one!!

A new year is almost upon us!! That means a fresh start, resolutions and a clean slate! I have a new challenge group starting January 5th. It's a fantastic place to be with like minded people who have similar goals and can support you!! We will talk about fitness and clean eating. Lots of great recipes are shared and tips for staying on track :). All you have to do is contact me on facebook at Megan Sweeney Thompson and let me know you're interested in an upcoming challenge group!!

It's here!! and I am SO excited to begin this journey!! I have to admit that for the first time starting a program I am a bit nervous :) I know Shaun T likes to push hard and I do LOVE that about him but this one makes me nervous!! Opening the box up I see that there are 11 dvds which is GREAT! Now I will be the first to admit that most programs I used I never even look at the nutrition guides because honestly most don't seem all that fantastic but this one I LOVE. He gives a ton of information and even has an entire book for what is safe to eat while you are out and about if you must. Everything is spelled out really well and almost a replica of the 21 day fix which I've already done so I'm ready!! Today was day 1...Cardio Challenge. I maxed out today at 7:42 which I was pretty proud of...it was a tough workout. Sweating on the floor tough lol..but I LOVED it. It felt so amazing to know I had challenged myself and I completed it! Did I take a break? Yes! Did I modify some parts? Yes! But I DID IT!! I will update weekly with pics and thoughts on how it's going over the next 60 days!! :)

We all have them right? Especially this time of year when our normally long list of things to do seems unattainable. We are all trying to squeeze in an absurd amount of things every day. Who has time for fitness...for nutrition? YOU DO!! I can't tell you how many times I have been asked "how do you find the time?" or I'm told "I just have no time for that." We ALL have the same 24 hours in a day...we ALL do. Yes we all have different lives and different responsibilities but being healthy is a choice. My alarm goes off at 5:30am so I can get up and workout and take a shower before I begin a hectic day with 3 little ones. It's my choice to get up at that time. To put myself first and make ME a priority. Could I choose to stay in bed until the kids got up? Of course I could but that time is MY time and it's precious to me. I am a better mom, wife, friend and daughter because I take that time for me. So this holiday season give yourself the gift of time. Make YOU a priority and schedule your time into that hectic holiday schedule. You deserve it...your family deserves to have you at your best and healthiest. It's time for change. :)

Put this together tonight!  If you're looking for something quick to do every day between now and Christmas to keep those extra pounds off go through this twice a day! :)

This morning I decided to make myself a little treat.  It's Friday morning after all and a rest day right?! :).   It was pretty simple to make! 

FREE push up or ab challenge!!!! What would you LOVE to start working on in the NEW YEAR?!?

FRIEND REQUEST ME ON FACEBOOK AND LET ME KNOW - Most votes by Monday Dec. 15th wins!

SHARE - with your friends THIS WILL BE FREE challenge anyone can participate in. For every share you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE beachbody product! Have friends mention YOUR NAME when friend requesting me and you will be entered TWICE!

I have been talking with my challenge groups lately about water. Water is a HUGE part of your health and fitness lifestyle. Doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight or bulk up or maintain. You NEED water. The general idea is that you should be drinking half of your body weight in water every day. I know I know that seems like A LOT of water....BUT....it will make you feel amazing! You don't have to make a drastic change...try adding in water a little more each day and build up to it. I did some research and found different ways to "sneak" in that extra water and make it a little easier ;). This is especially helpful now during the holiday season when we all tend to nibble on those cookies or have that extra drink that we normally wouldn't have. :)

1. My first suggestion and my FAVORITE is to set a goal for yourself every day. Whatever that goal is up it a little the next day and then the day. Before you know it you will be drinking half of your weight in water and feeling great!! I use an app called Waterlogged. It's PERFECT for keeping track and for those type A people...like me :)...I LOVE the idea of "crossing" things off a list.

2. Eat foods that naturally have water in them!! This is the easiest thing to do :)

3. Add fruits and veggies to your water!! There are soooo many options here and it definitely changes it up from just boring old water :). There are even some pretty cool water bottles out there that have build in compartments to house said fruit :). Easy peasy :)

4. Create a water wager!! Pull out a container that you can use and set it in your kitchen. Every time you dirnk 8 oz stick a dollar in. Save up for something amazing that you've been keeping your eye on or treat yourself to something nice. I LOVE this idea because it gives you a goal to work towards while you're building up you water "tolerance" :).

5. Finally the easiest NO FUSS way to drink water quickly and painlessly.....use a STRAW!! :) You will drink more than you normally would! :)

It's almost that time of year again...new years resolutions!! We ALL make them...and truthfully most of us give up on them before the months end. I read a statistic yesterday that only 8% of people follow through with their new years resolutions. ONLY 8%!!! I knew the number had to be low but I was shocked it was that low. Why do we not allow ourselves to be a priority? I have come up with a list of ten of the top resolutions people make. What small goals can we set for ourselves to make sure we don't give up on our resolutions? When make make a plan and set smaller goals we are more likely to reach the big ones we make!!

Skinny fat is a relatively new term that has been floating around lately. What does it mean? Skinny fat people are people who look think but whose bodies are unhealthy. Skinny does NOT equal healthy. A skinny fat person lacks muscle tone, doesn't have much shape and is soft. How is this caused? Too much fat and too little muscle. These people may be eating low fat diets and watching their weight but still holding onto fat and not muscle. They appear to be thin but their body is being damaged. How can you change this? Weights!! By creating more muscles your body will become toned and you will burn more fat at a faster pace. Your body will function the way it is supposed to and you will feel healthier, look more toned and feel better about your overall health.

So my third stitch fix arrived!  I'm always so excited to have it arrive in the mail.  This is my third month doing this and I have always found something that I LOVED.   This month I wasn't too thrilled with the choices they sent.   I ended up just keeping the necklace but the rest rest just seemed drab to me and not my style at all.  I guess I was hoping for something a little more festive for the holidays but I'm still excited for next months fix!!

It's that time of year again when we all tend to over induldge :) We take a taste of this and a bite of that. One little bite won't hurt...unless we add up all of those bites over a holiday season....yikes. The scale is never our friend come January and then we panic. I came up with a list of 6 things that may help throughout the holidays to cut down on the shock come January :).

1. Choose Wisely - When you head out to holiday parties and dinner make smart choices. If you know they are going to have a dessert there that you LOVE...choose wisely. Pick a lean chicken or fish for dinner so you know you can have that dessert. The problem begins when we tell ourselves "oh I'll just eat what I want tonight." If we choose something unhealthy for dinner and then have the dessert we end up angry with ourselves the next day. This isn't about telling ourselves NO all of the time. It's about making smart choices so we can still enjoy the things we love.

2. Sign up for a race/event - If you set a goal for yourself during the holiday season you will be more likely to attain it and stay on track. Maybe it's the turkey trot at Thanksgiving, maybe its a Santa Hustle, maybe an indoor triathlon. Pick something that interests you and sign up. Make the commitment.

3. Don't arrive hungry - This is probably one of the most important things you can remember. If you tell yourself that you're just not going to eat all day so you can eat what you want when you go out you are going to eat EVERYTHING. You will go overboard and end up regretting it.

4. Drink water - Drinking water helps to fill you up. If you are at a cocktail party switch on and off. Nobody is saying don't enjoy a drink or two...but alternate with water. You will feel full and end up drinking less of the not so good for you stuff :).

5. Bring healthy options to parties - If you are invited to a party and asked to bring something why not bring something healthy! Chances are you will not be the only person looking out for their health and they will thank you for it. You will also be setting yourself up for success. You will know that you can fall back on tip number 1 - choose something healthy so you can indulge in something you love later :).

6. Exercise - Please make sure you exercise! Three times a week for 30 mins a day minimum. You will feel better about yourself, have more energy and you will WANT to make healthy choices. I have never in my life worked out and then went to eat a cheeseburger...never :). Your body will not want unhealthy food when you are taking such good care of it :).

Last night the kids started their advent calendars once again.  It's so much fun to watch them get excited as they open the little doors.   I remember as a kid looking forward to opening them after dinner each night.  What is it about those tiny little chocolates that hold so much anticipation? :). Whatever it is I love being able to experience it all over again as a parent :).  

Well my 21 days has come and gone! It was a great program that definitely showed results! Now I will say that while doing the 21 day fix I was also using Shakeology every morning for breakfast. 21 day fix comes with a set of DVDs and colored containers that help you with food and the amount of food you will eat. For me I LOVED this!! As many of you know I LOVE to exercise so that hasn't been my issue when I'm trying to make changes in my body. FOOD is always my issue lol. I have a hard time eating only so much and eating healthy. Even with a passion for a healthy lifestyle and nutrition I still struggle at times. SO this program is so great for those of you who need help with eating as well as a great workout!! I have a new challenge group starting next Monday. If you'd like to try this program or another beachbody porgram/Shakeology please contact me at mvsweeney@gmail.com or on facebook at Megan Sweeney Thompson and we will start working on a healthy lifestyle!!