Hi!!!! If you have been following this blog, just wanted you to know that I've moved it to
www.thistledewfit.wordpress.com.  Thank you:)

     So, here's a scenario for you... someone approaches you and seems very endearing and kind and you think to yourself, "Wow...what a great person!  They seem so real and genuinely interested in me as a person.  This is someone I could really make space for in my life."  So you get all excited and think about things you could do together or maybe suggest to them because you hit it off so well to begin with.  They may even invite you to a jewelry or skincare party.  You go because you really genuinely like the person and may even buy some products from them.  You say that you'll meet for coffee or lunch soon.  Then a couple days/weeks/months pass and you see them and they don't even seem to know you or know anything about you.  Has this happened to you or someone you know??  Does this make you feel really sad, angry, betrayed??
     Well, it has happened to me and you'd think I'd learn my lesson about people like this, but I don't.  I'm a trusting, caring person so I think that everyone, in turn, is the same way.  They are not.  I have to repeat this mantra to myself A LOT....don't place your expectations and beliefs upon others.  That is not to say that there aren't wonderful, loving, caring people out there, because there are!!!  I am the type of person to want to form a trusting bond with people who I have a connection with...those connections are not dispoable because someone has not done anything for me lately.  Those connections matter & the people involved matter too.
     I have wanted to break into the fitness/nutrition business because I want to share things that I have learned as a regular, every day "I need to get fit and eat better" person.  I have researched and tried many products and suggestions so I have knowledge about many different topics.  I am not an expert, but if I don't know it , I'll try to find out the answer.  I want to be able to support, motivate and help others who are in the same boat as I am.  I don't want to pressure people into doing things that they don't want to do.  I want them to be happy with what they are doing, happy with their results and happy to try harder each day.  No shame, no judgment.  I don't want to be that person who friends others because I know they can help me financially with my business.  If they decide to sign up, GREAT!!!!  I'm all for it.  If they don't have the money right now,  that's fine too....I'll support you any way I can.  If you need a sample, let me know...I'd be more than happy to share.
     I hope that I find others out there looking for what I have to offer.  If this sounds good to you or someone you know, check out my website www.thistledewfit.com.  If you just have questions or want suggestions, I will be happy to help.  I want to be the resource that I look for in others.  Thanks for taking time to read my blog:)

     I saw the saying below this morning & it really made me stop and think. In my journey to be healthier, does what I want right now get me to what I want most?

      Let's break this down....I am out to dinner and I order a salad. I'm on vacation and my body is craving vegetables because I had something not particularly good for me the day before. My son orders french fries, which are actually not very appealing to me right now. At the end of my meal, there are still french fries left over. Do I grab them and eat them because they are there and I don't want them to go to waste? Do I want them NOW because they are looking good? Will eating them get me to what I want most....a fitter, healthier me? No, no and no. Wow...I felt really good about my choice and I hope that I can continue to make the same choice if this scenario comes up again because if I keep making that healthy choice over and over, it will become a habit.

     Next, there is a marathon of my favorite show on TV.  I LOVE this show and missed some episodes so this would be a great time to catch up on a rainy day.  I'll get sucked in and all of the sudden 4 hours will have passed in zoned out glory.  Do I watch this marathon because it looks good now or do I go do a workout and DVR the show for another time so I can get to what I want the most...a fitter, healthier me? DVR and workout...another good choice. 

     That's not to say that we are ALWAYS going to make the perfect choice.  We're human and sometimes we give in...that's okay. Everything in moderation...even moderation as the saying goes. However, if we really stay present in our choices and think them through, this behavior will become habit and there we are on the road to being fitter and healthier. Go forth today and make the best choices for yourself!  You are so worth it.

     So my planned vacation landed right smack in the middle of starting a new eating/fitness program, figures, right??  I made a lot of gains last week and I don't want to lose them all.  Well, I don't have to lose the gains.  Vacation doesn't mean an all-out food blitz, but you don't have to deprive yourself either.  Try some of the following tips:
    *Buy fruit, eggs, yogurt, eggs to keep at your rental property.  If they are there for you, you won't want to waste them and they are cheaper and better for you than going out for every meal.  Also, if you feel like snacking the fruit will be a much healthier option.
     *When you do go out for meals, opt for a salad or fresh vegetable side instead of fries.  Even a baked potato, minus sour cream and extras, is better than fries.
     *Walk, walk, and walk.  Opt to walk wherever you can...the beach is perfect place to do lots of walking.
     *Plan some exercise-centered activities, such as hikes, kayaking, paddle boarding, bike riding.
     *Do some mini workouts that take a small amount of space, see below.  A mini workout is better than no workout at all.  If you have space, a DVD player and more time, you can bring workout DVDs.
     *If there is something that you are really, really craving, have it and just cut back somewhere else AND walk even more that day.
     *Your body will tell you when you've had ENOUGH.  I know that if I eat badly for several meals, I feel icky and my body CRAVES healthy food.  Also, I have found that drinking water really helps clear out those blah feelings until you can readjust and eat better.
     I know that these are all simple, common sense ideas, but sometimes we don't think about them when we are in the middle of a glorious, relaxing vacation.  Hopefully, at least one of them will help you.  Enjoy your well-earned vacation!!!

     So you may be wondering...Thistle Dew Fit...interesting name...what is up with it??  Well....MANY years ago, I was on vacation in Vermont and I saw a flower shop called Thistle Dew.  I thought it was the best name and always had it in the back of my mind if I ever opened a business.  It is a play on words to this will do or this'll do as in "yeah, this will be just fine...it'll do".
     I'm not saying I am settling by saying...eh...this is fine...this'll do.  I am saying "YES...I'VE DONE MY BEST and this WILL do.  It is not trying to be average, it is trying to be the best I can be and accepting that my best is the best that I can do.  Your best might be different and THAT'S OKAY.  Also, sometimes things come up in life that you don't agree with or you have to accept for what they are.  Those are also times when you can say "this'll do", I can deal with it and move on.
     The other thing I observe about actual thistle dew is that the thistle is very sharp and pointy, yet very beautiful.  The dew can lay on the top of it and the little dew bubbles don't pop...they stay strong in their dew-ness.  That's how I feel I need to be sometimes...even in the face of sharp critics, I must stay strong like the dew on a thistle.  Wow...that sounds deep and motivational, doesn't it??  LOL
     Just some thoughts on the name of my title...hope you enjoyed the explanation.  Off to be as strong as the dew on a thistle!!!!

When I started ‪#‎21DayFix‬, I had been working out already and was working with an online nutrition specialist to lose weight. I was doing well with my own program and losing weight steadily so I really didn't need a new program. I found my coach on Instagram and then started following her on Facebook. I have wanted to get more involved in the fitness and nutrition field for a while so when she asked if others wanted to be a coach, I said, "Sure...why not? This is my opportunity to get into something that I have a passion for." I started the program and I have to say that I really love it. It was a great addition to things that I was already doing and to have such a supportive community around me has REALLY helped. I've already lost almost a pound in 5 days and I am not hungry and I feel better already. Can't wait to see where this journey continues to bring me...thank you to my coach for believing in me and supporting me.

     A little about my story....I have always loved researching ways to make myself a better person.  Who doesn't want to be a better person, right??  I joined a gym on New Year's Day 2013 because I wanted to try spinning.  I tried and still LOVE spinning.  I also signed up with a personal trainer and LOVED it.  This made me want to learn more about fitness and nutrition even more.  I have read many books, articles, visited websites...lots of information.  I even looked into becoming a registered dietician (my profession is teaching).  I thought, I know soooo much about children; I'll be a pediatric nutritionist.  I also felt that I love to help and motivate others and I shouldn't limit myself to only children.
     Fast forward, the gym I joined closed:(  I started taking barre and boxing classes.  I still take the barre classes which I do LOVE.  My boxing class suspended for the summer and I wanted something else to add to my fitness routine.  I found a wonderful Beachbody coach who is wonderful, uplifting, and kind.  I started that program last week and I've also become a Beachbody coach myself.  I feel that it will only add to my fitness and nutrition knowledge.  Thanks for joining me in my journey.
     I've lost 12 lbs since the end of April and want to continue to get stronger and fitter.  I hope that I can inspire others to do the same.  I'm no spring chicken, but age is just a number so let's get our sweat on and our healthy eating on and LET'S DO THIS!!!!

    Nothing will motivate you to workout more than a new outfit.  I highly recommend buying a few, new workout outfits before you start because you will want to wear them and they may get you to work out.  As you reach different goals, you can buy yourself a new tank or leggings as a reward.  Much better than a food reward.  I have never been and will never be a size 2 so I have a very strong opinion of workout clothes companies.

     My favorite, hands down, is Athlete.  Great selection, big size range, great quality, pretty reasonably priced, cute/fun clothes.  They are owned by the same company as Old Navy and Gap.  I have an Old Navy card and can earn rewards for shopping at any of those companies plus Banana Republic and Sierra Trading Post online.  You can earn $5 and $10 rewards that can also be used at any of those companies.  They also often have additional %s off, sales, clearance...online store is great.  Free shipping (I think) when you spend $50.

     I also like TJ Maxx/Marshalls.  Inexpensive, cute workout clothes.  Not as big of a size range and quality is not as good.  They also have workout accessories:  yoga mats, weights, water bottles, headbands, etc.  If you have a TJX card, you can also earn rewards.

     As I've said before, I am NOT paid by any of these companies.  They are just my personal favorites.  I hope this was helpful to you.  Have a fashionable day!!

     Boy...its it hot today!!!  I am not a heat person...I think it's easy to get warmer than to cool off.  Just my personal opinion.  Make sure that you are hydrating when it is hot.  By the time you feel thirsty, you are already on your way to being dehydrated.  I have read that a good rule of thumb for how much water you should drink is take your weight, divide it in half and then drink that many ounces of water.  Just a quick tip and easy to remember.
     Often when it is hot, the last thing you want to do is work out.  You gotta do it!!!  No excuses.  I have my workout room in our basement, which is always cooler than the upper floors.  I also have a large fan in the room (no central A/C).  Of course, gyms are usually air conditioned so that should actually be a motivator.  Again....REMEMBER TO KEEP HYDRATED!!!  You will feel better after the workout and can go on with your day.  Not a good idea to run in the heat and if you have to, go early in the morning or after the sun goes down.  Common sense ideas.
     Salads are a great meal for a hot day.  Make all your protein that you'll be putting in the salad at once and store in the fridge.  When you want a salad, your protein will be ready to go.  You can also cut up the additional vegetables will the protein is cooking so that all you have to do is toss everything together and eat.  The hot idea lately is to put all the ingredients for your salad in a Mason jar and then just add the dressing and shake.  Pour into a bowl and there you go...instant meal.
     Hopefully, you are staying cool wherever you live.  Take it easy, stay safe and enjoy your summer!  It goes by way too fast.

Made it to the weekend...yessssss!!!!  I have been trying a new workout program called the 21 Day Fix and it is no joke.  I have done 3 of the workouts:  total body cardio, lower body and my favorite so far, the dirty 30.  They are all 30 minutes long and they WORK YOU OUT.  I did legs 3 days ago and my legs are still sore....a good sore!!!  I also LOVE going to Barre classes, which I have been doing for 7-1/2 months.  Those classes have definitely made me stronger and it is a great workout.  I wanted something else to do the days I don't go there.  These videos are awesome.  I have been doing spin, TRX, boxing and barre for 2+ years now and the 21 Day Fix workouts still kick my butt.  I can't wait to see what the other workouts are like.  I also like it because every day is different and you work different muscle groups.  Stay tuned for my new and improved fitness journey!!!!  Thank you for checking in and enjoy the rest of your weekend:)

Sorry to be posting later than usual.... I know that you are all on the edge of your seats waiting to see what I post next.  All two of you...LOL.  Thanks for reading my blog and PLEASE let others know about it.  Today I am going to write about the Fitbit Charge HR...again, I'm not getting paid to write this, it is just an item that I LOVE.  I had the tiny Fitbit clip-on pedometer before and it died and they sent me one without any questions asked.  Love this company.  So I graduated to the Fitbit Charge HR for several reasons.  The clip on one was so tiny, I almost lost it many times.  Also, this one measures heart rate, which gives you a much more accurate calorie burn count.  It also tells you how many flights of stairs you did and mileage.  If you wear it to bed, it measures your sleep patterns which you can view on their app or online.  I also have the Aria scale, which connects wirelessly to the app and website so it records your weight whenever you hop on.  LOVE IT!!!  Hopefully, this is helpful to you.  If you have questions, let me know.  Thanks again and have a great weekend!!

We're on a roll…loving this blogging stuff.  I tried something I saw on the show Hack My Life (yes…there is a show with that name) and it worked GREAT.  You take an old athletic sock and cut the toe off of it.  You put it on your arm above your elbow.  Fold the sock up so the bottom meets the top.  Slip your phone into the fold.  Voila….workout phone holder.  It does not slip or move AND the sock absorbs the sweat.  Easy, peasy, lemony squeeze.  I did a 21day fix workout yesterday and the phone DID NOT MOVE.  There is a motion tracker on the PACT app that I wrote about the other day.  I usually slipped the phone inside my sports bra, but then it shifted around, got all sweaty and didn't measure motion that well.  This works so much better, especially if you need it for walking.  Hope this post is helpful.  Have a great day.  Peace out.

     So…what's the buzz for today??  Well, I'm very excited that I have gotten 60+ hits on my website in 2 days.  Everybody has to start somewhere and I'm thrilled that people are visiting!!  Just like our wellness journey has to start somewhere, my sharing journey had to start somewhere and I am over the moon about it.
     I started using an app just last week called BurnThis.  Again, I am not getting paid to promote this app, I just love it.  They market it as Pinterest for fitness.  It is just that.  People post workouts, nutrition, motivational sayings, etc and you can like the posts and leave comments.  People in turn like your posts and leave comments.  It is great motivation and is a great resource for anyone trying to get healthier.  They have challenges where you post pictures with specific themes and hashtags AND you can win prizes.  They may ask you to become a BurnThis ambassador, which I have done.  It's a cool little item that you can put in your profile.  I have seen people post workouts, shout outs for workout partners, recipes…all great motivators and supporters.  If you like Pinterest and your are into fitness, you will love it.  Peace out and have a great day!!

   

     Wow, I survived the first day…LOL.  I have so many ideas and resources to share and ITuesday, July 14, 2015:  Wow, I survived the first day…LOL.  I have so many ideas and resources to share and I don't know where to begin.  I joined a gym on New Year's Day 2013.  I just wanted to try spin to see if I liked it and to use the treadmill occasionally.  Boy were my expectations wrong.  I ended up LOVING spin, couldn't get enough AND I signed up with a personal trainer.  Little did I know that that was going to be the beginning of my love of getting fit and healthy.
     Fast forward 2-1/2 years…some things have changed.  The two trainers that I worked with both left the gym and then the gym closed:(  You would have thought that was it for me.  NOOOOOOO!!!  I started going to Pure Barre and taking a boxing class.  LOVE both of them.  I signed up for an online nutrition program and lost 11 pounds…yes!!!!!!!  I wanted to share the things that have worked for me so I started this blog and website.  By no means has it been easy, but every little step in the right direction is a victory.  It doesn't matter how small the step is, as long as it is in the direction of getting healthy:)
     So my first resource that I want to share is the PACT app.  IT IS AWESOME.  You sign up for a weekly goal that can include workouts, food logging and/or fruits/veggies.  You can pick as little as one workout, food log, and/or fruit/veggie all the way up to 7 workouts, 7 food logs and 20+ fruits/veggies.  Each week that you hit your goal, YOU GET PAID.  That's right…you get paid for what you are already doing…how great is that.  If you miss any of your goals, you pay for each one that you miss and you decide how much you will pay for missing the workout, food log or fruit/veggie.  The more you would pay for each missed item AND the more items you add to your goal, the more you get paid.  I have been doing it for over 15 months and I HAVE NOT PAID ONE PENNY.  I have made over $100, which may not seem like much, but if you are doing all these things any way, you might as well get paid.  It's easy and definitely motivates you to keep to your intended goal.  Try it out…I am not getting paid to promote this app in any way.  It has helped me and I wanted to share how great it is with others.  Hope you try it out.  Have an awesome day!!!
 don't know where to begin.  I joined a gym on New Year's Day 2013.  I just wanted to try spin to see if I liked it and to use the treadmill occasionally.  Boy were my expectations wrong.  I ended up LOVING spin, couldn't get enough AND I signed up with a personal trainer.  Little did I know that that was going to be the beginning of my love of getting fit and healthy.
     Fast forward 2-1/2 years…some things have changed.  The two trainers that I worked with both left the gym and then the gym closed:(  You would have thought that was it for me.  NOOOOOOO!!!  I started going to Pure Barre and taking a boxing class.  LOVE both of them.  I signed up for an online nutrition program and lost 11 pounds…yes!!!!!!!  I wanted to share the things that have worked for me so I started this blog and website.  By no means has it been easy, but every little step in the right direction is a victory.  It doesn't matter how small the step is, as long as it is in the direction of getting healthy:)
     So my first resource that I want to share is the PACT app.  IT IS AWESOME.  You sign up for a weekly goal that can include workouts, food logging and/or fruits/veggies.  You can pick as little as one workout, food log, and/or fruit/veggie all the way up to 7 workouts, 7 food logs and 20+ fruits/veggies.  Each week that you hit your goal, YOU GET PAID.  That's right…you get paid for what you are already doing…how great is that.  If you miss any of your goals, you pay for each one that you miss and you decide how much you will pay for missing the workout, food log or fruit/veggie.  The more you would pay for each missed item AND the more items you add to your goal, the more you get paid.  I have been doing it for over 15 months and I HAVE NOT PAID ONE PENNY.  I have made over $100, which may not seem like much, but if you are doing all these things any way, you might as well get paid.  It's easy and definitely motivates you to keep to your intended goal.  Try it out…I am not getting paid to promote this app in any way.  It has helped me and I wanted to share how great it is with others.  Hope you try it out.  Have an awesome day!!!

 Okay…here I go…my first post!  Will they like it???  Will they think it is stupid???  Will I like it??  Ahhhhhhhh!!!  But seriously…I was always the tall, bigger girl since I can remember.  People ALWAYS thought I was older than I was because I was tall for my age and therefore expected more from me.  I was the good kid growing up, never in trouble, good student…definitely an introvert.  Anyway…fast forward many year..and I mean MANY years and here I am.  Starting a website about being the best you that you can be.  That, of course, is different for everyone.  If the best you is going to a drive thru 2x a day instead of 3 or 4…so be it.  If the best you is drinking one less soda a day…bravo!! It the best you is walking around the block instead of sitting on the coach, well alright!!!  That's okay…total acceptance…we all start somewhere.  Be proud of your accomplishments and keep going.  Work hard and play hard!!  Hopefully, I can be hear to help:)

     Just wanted everyone to know that I have a sense of humor and I'm not always super serious.  Being the best you is serious business, but you have to be able to laugh too.

Also, as you can see, I am not opposed to tattoos…that is not a tattoo that

I currently have, but it is one that I want to get some time soon.  I love that saying and hopefully you do too.