I can honestly say that Sabrina is one of the coolest girls I know. I love her enthusiasm for fitness and healthy living, and the encouraging posts over at her blog Fit.Laugh.Love. (Also, the childhood photo of Sabrina showing off her guns wearing TMNT shorts, t-shirt, backback, and My Little Pony sweatbands is pretty much the most epic thing I've seen in a while) And yeah, we have definitely bonded over our love of Doctor Who. She agreed to answer a few of my fitness related questions, and its my hope that some of the answers will inspire you!
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| Source: Sabrina! |
"Hi! I’m Sabrina! I blog over at fitlaughlove.com with a focus on informative content to help inspire people to get off their adorable behinds and get their fitness on. I firmly believe that living healthy doesn’t have to be miserable; being healthy is fun! I’m a fan of fashion and fitness because I love looking and feeling good but I also love board games and Doctor Who. Yes – you can look hot and be nerdy! It’s true! Also, my favorite color is teal and my birthday is in July so you’ve been given fair time to get me something really good this year."
1.) I've heard from many people that they feel overwhelmed in regard to fitness and health. what advice would you give someone who doesn't know where to (or how to) begin when it comes to working out and eating healthy?
1. Acknowledge that it is overwhelming. I am a part of the fitness industry and I still find it all overwhelming at times. Eat this; not that. Do this; not that. Try this; not that. There’s so much information out there that it can be really daunting. Do your research to find what works for you.
2. Take baby steps. 99% of people can’t handle a whole sweeping life change so try to make small changes over time instead of doing it all at once. Start incorporating exercise one week, add more fruits and veggies the next, lessen your intake of processed foods the next. Taking the time to incorporate each part of a healthy life one at a time will make it easier for you to stick with.
3. Big goals are great but they can be discouraging too. Set a big goal and set various small goals leading up to it. Say you have 100 pounds to lose: if you don’t celebrate the smaller goals (like every 10 pounds lost which is still awesome!) you can feel like you’re not getting there fast enough. Smaller goals give you the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishments.
4.Ultimately remember that you didn’t wake up one morning 20 pounds overweight and out of shape. It happened over time. Creating a healthy life and seeing progress will take time too. Don’t get discouraged.
2.) Stereotypically, nerds are portrayed as being surrounded by their weight in chips and mountain dew. What are your healthy snack and drink suggestions for people during those marathon gaming sessions?
If possible, get a couple of your engineering friends over and build this : Treadmills used to play WoW
Not possible? Okay fine. For the marathon sesh it’s important that the snacks don’t need to be refrigerated or can sit out for a while without getting nasty. Here’s my top picks:
Drink:
water – add fruit if you’re so inclined or get carbonated water if you’re really craving soda
tea
Food:
All natural air-popped popcorn (not microwave)
mixed nuts (look for a mix that is less than 50% peanuts)
rice cakes
apples
edamame
sunflower seeds
chia seeds
raw, fresh veggies3.) What are your thoughts on the recent "exer-gaming" trend? (e.g. Wii-Fit games and the Microsoft Kinect) Do you think it can be an effective form of exercise?
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| Source: Buzzle.com |
"Love it! With each new console comes a new, more involved way to get physical while working out. It’s a great way to incorporate movement into an otherwise sedentary hobby.
I think these absolutely can provide effective exercise. I’ve done workouts using both the Wii and Kinect and have got my sweat on during both. I would definitely recommend the Kinect over the Wii because it allows freedom from the controller and the ability to truly move but they both offer games that will get you up and sweating.
The more activity the better so if you can get up and moving outside of video gaming (whether it’s an active game or not) is fantastic; but something is better than nothing so if that is all you can fit in then it’s a great place to start (next step, getting outside).
Whatever you’re doing, work hard. If you choose to work out using a video game or a treadmill, remember to always keep the intensity up to get the most out of your workouts. If you finish a workout and think “Wow, that was easy” then you need a newer and/or more challenging workout. Step it up and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. You might surprise yourself. "
