lifestyle change – newtritionsavvysarah

{Before & After Lifestyle Change}

{What Drives Me to Be Healthy?}

I will say right now, I have not always been healthy. I think when you take on a lifestyle change- if you aren’t surrounded by like minded people, people then they begin to question why you are changing, and where does that leave them? It’s been about 6 years now that I have been vegetarian (not for everyone) and completely cleaned up my eating habits. This has been a progressive transformation of a healthy lifestyle including mind, body, and soul. I didn’t lose weight overnight, nor did I do it without massive hard work and dedication to wanting to be better. I have become self educated on what my expectations are for MY own health, and I refuse to settle for any less. I didn’t always love to work out because that required that I actually got off my ass and did something! Go figure! But little by little, the more movement I did the better I felt and the more weight I lost. If you would have told me I was going to be in a circuit training class (FNS) a year ago I would have told you that you were absolutely nuts! Now, I feel guilty if I miss a day. I guess Newton had it right all along, for every action there is a reaction. I am a firm believer that being healthy is different for everyone. It doesn’t mean weighing 120 lbs, or starving yourself. It means living in moderation and not being too extreme on either side of the spectrum. People always ask, “How did you do it?” It’s simple. I made a change for ME, started eating better and started moving. The keyword is I….Nobody else can do it for you. I will continue this journey while educating others to take the same accountability. I encourage you to take a self examination (instead of blaming others) on what you can do better, and make a change. If I did it, anything is possible.

Some of my favorite snacks…

{Greek Yogurt w/ Fruit and Agave}

*This is so easy and delicious. Sometimes I will eat for breakfast, and other times as a snack mid day. Agave is also a little less sweet than honey on the glycemic index.

{Vega Protien Powder}

*I love, love, love this protien powder. It’s hard to come by protien powder that doesn’t taste like chalk….this is far from! I usually mix some fruit, a little juice, kale, chia seeds and agave for a smoothie after a workout. This product is completely vegan (no animal product). Your muscles need protien! Drink away.

{Raw Nuts are Best}

*It took me a while to get away from overly salted nuts like planters, but now if I even dare to eat that I will need a liter of water to wash it down. My favorite is going to Whole Foods and getting bags of different nuts out of the bulk aisle- and then making my own trail mix (instead of buying premade.) I add cranberries, apricots and banana chips also! Its healthy, light and a great go to snack. I recomend making small snack bags at the beginning of the week so you don’t have any excuses mid week as to why you need that Snickers bar!

{Bruschetta}

*This is such an easy snack. Obviously I am not pounding down bread by the loaves, but I do enjoy it once in a while. Fresh tomato, raw garlic, a little basil and salt and pepper to taste! So easy and fast. You can also add balsamic for a more tart taste.

Whole Foods Brand}

*Jalapeno and Lemon are my favorite flavors. I usually dip with celary, cucumber or carrots. Beans are great protien, and the veggies are great fiber. Pita chips are often the reason hummus can be fatening so pick my calories wisely. Whole Foods brand hummus is delish! If you don’t want to buy, you can always make your own hummus. (It’s really easy.)

Favorite Cheat Snack…

Yes! It’s true…I don’t eat nuts and berries all day. I am human!

{iced grande caramel macchiato}

*This is my version of diet coke.I get it, you just can’t live without it. Although I would never drink that poison if it was the last taste of liquid on the planet, I LOVE iced coffee! This is probably the only way I consume milk (not a big cereal drinker & I never buy it.) I also know that it has calories. Lots of them haha, but I work out hard and treat myself once in a while.

{Coffee is my favorite}

*I am a sucker for ice cream! You name it, I love it. With that said quality is extremely important when choosing dairy products. If there is anything you should eat organic it’s meat and dairy. Knowing that the animals weren’t pumped with steroids and antibiotics makes this ice cream experience a little more enjoyable. Don’t know what I am talking about? Read Omnivores Dillema. It will get you thinking. If you haven’t tried Straus Products, I recommend you do. They are local, sustainable and Organic.

Favorite Recipe…

{Quinoa Mexican Salad}

What you’ll need:

Black Beans
Corn
Cherry Tomato
Jalapeno
Cilantro
Lemons + Olive Oil
Quinoa
Avocado
Red Onion

Fast and Easy! Cook the quinoa. Dice onions, jalapeno and cilantro. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Combine all ingrediants together. Lemon and Olive oil to taste as well as the salt and pepper. You can add chicken if desired, but I think it tastes great vegetarian.

There you have it…This about sums it up!

*I do not claim the rights to these photos.

{Tell us something you love about yourself}

I love that I have found my passion at an early age. I made a lifestyle change about 5 years ago and it has forever made me a better person. Little did I know that simply changing the way that I ate and lived life would make me feel better, lose weight, maintain a better attitude and allow myself to be an example for others. I love making a difference in other people’s lives as well as knowing that each person that enters mine is also teaching me some sort of greater lesson. I love that I can see beyond the platform in front of me and look toward the greater good. A happy and healthy lifestyle is a choice, and I am glad I have made the right one.

{What is your favorite physical feature?}

My favorite physical features are my eyes and smile. I think you can tell so much just by looking in someone’s eyes whether it’s truth, love, compassion, or even disappointment. Nothing spells out happiness better than the light in someone’s eyes and the joy in one’s smile.

{What is something you used to dislike about yourself that you have now come to appreciate?}

I used to hate my body. I never did anything to make it better- I worked out only sometimes, ate like crap, drank too much and didn’t really care. I never understood how I didn’t look like the girls in the magazines (which I don’t want to now) and why I was never satisfied. After a huge transition from college to the “real world” I have noticed a dramatic difference in my body. Like I said before, I made a lifestyle change that has only made me realize we are in full control of the way that we look and view ourselves. I became vegetarian, stopped blaming other people for the way I looked, started making exercise a priority and started forgiving things that have happened in my life and were not going to change the way I viewed my future unless I did. It is an incredible feeling to know that you are in charge of your behavior, and how you react to situations. In 9 years, I have transformed by body to now be completely comfortable who I am – without having to compare myself to others! I am comfortable. I am secure. I am nobody else but Me.

{What is your proudest accomplishment?}

My proudest accomplishment is finishing my Nutrition Education Program. I loved being surrounded by educated people who get it- and won’t settle for anything other than healthy living. I am grateful that this has put me in the direction of my future career. I am also grateful that I work hard and can travel and see other parts of the world.

{Tell us about your style. What type of outfit do you feel the most like yourself in?}

I could live in Lululemon and my Nike Free shoes ALL day every day! (I pretty much do.) What’s wrong with that!? In real life I love to dress comfortable as well as classy. You won’t find me in heels too often because I am 5’8 and feel like I am tall enough! Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be sexy- throw some heels on with a cute dress here and there, but on an average day, it’s flats, skinny’s, cute shirt with some jewels to finish off the outfit. I love getting ready, and feel that you should always try to look your best when you are in public! (This doesn’t count working out!! )

{List your top three favorite things to do?}

My favorite things to do in life are educate people on living a stronger, happier and motivated life without falling into the day to day norm of others, working out in the gym as well as any outdoor activity and I absolutely love to shop. Nordstrom and Whole foods are by far my favorite stores. I think I go to WF 5 days a week! I have a hard time laying low and doing nothing…If you know me, you know that I am always on the go.

{What makes you the happiest?}

My health, family, friends and puppy make me the happiest. My ideal day includes a great workout, Starbucks coffee or Whole Foods smoothie, a little blog searching and cooking of some kind. I love traveling and learning about new favorite places. So far, NYC and Paris are my two favorites! I am trying to get better at relaxing and being able to stay still, but this is definitely a work in progress.

{How do you find your motivation to work out?}

My motivation to workout comes from the way that I feel after I do it, and knowing that I am in total control of the way that I look. Seeing the change in my body in the last couple of months has shown me that I am capable of doing things outside the box, such as knowing that I am strong enough and can finish. I am not competitive, but FNS has allowed me to do things I had no clue I could even do (Such as a pull up, tire exercises, and pushups!) Knowing that the workout never gets easier and we just get better motivates me to continue my journey to great physical health. When you are surrounded by positive, like minded people It only drives you to want to be better. I love working out with friends and being held accountable. SO thankful to have stumbled upon this gem.

{How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle between work, school, family and social life?}

To be honest, sometimes it can be hard to balance work, school, family, social life etc. I find that my social life has taken a turn in a different direction. Of course I still like to go out for a drink with friends, but I would much rather save the date for a morning hike and coffee, or farmers market or even an outdoor activity. I guess I can relate this to priorities. When I go out and drink, I hate the way I feel the next day and most weekends it’s just not worth it. I would rather be productive and challenge my body and enjoy the day than be stuck feeling like crap. This allows me to encourage people to want the same, and save the date with me for a healthy meal or hike. After all, you are the company you keep. Family and friends have never been hard to maintain. I enjoy spending time with both, and am a firm believer that we make time for the things that are important to us! We are all busy, but if we want it we will attain it.

{What is your main goal you are reaching towards in the next 6 months, and year?}

I am currently taking classes to complete my Registered Dietician Degree. This is my main priority above all. I started my blog in April with hopes that people can learn what I am about and know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not about being too extreme but rather having balance and enjoying life. Most importantly, I will show people that living this way is by no means a “have to” but purely a WANT! In the next 6 months I am going to give a small talk/ lecture to family and friends about the importance of taking control of your health. At this point, with our healthcare system and easy accessibility to prescription drugs and profit- I think people need to take responsibility for what they put in their body and how they feel as a result. I will be running my first half marathon in about a month and will continue with FNS. My theme for the year is “Bite the Bullet.” I sometimes think too much before I do something, so I am vowing to myself to just do it.

Thank you for taking the time to read these stories from people who encourage and inspire me on a daily basis. It is much harder to write about yourself than you think. While answering these questions I had to take a second and think of the things that I really value in my life and translate into words what is important to me! I hope this helps you better understand who I am, and what my mission is in life. I encourage you to write these questions down and answer them yourself. We are all an inspiration to someone in our lives, so use it to the best of your ability.

-Sarah