Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise with Fit Happy Headbands

What an amazing feeling it is, to push through a long hard workout. I never thought in a million years that I would love running as much as I do. I still remember back to a few years ago when I couldn't even run more than a 1/4 of a mile without feeling like my throat was going to close. Now I can easily pound out 5 miles during a workout, and I am pretty proud of how far I have come.

Ashley, over at Fit Happy, recently sent me some of her workout headbands to try out, and I must say,  a headband is now officially a must for me. Usually, while running, no lie, I have to pull my shirt up on the side to wipe the sweat from my forehead, and away from my eyes. I'm sure when I'm running at the track, all the passersby love that!

Let me just tell you, these things are awesome! Not only are they super comfortable and stay put during my runs, they definitely keep the sweat out of my eyes. They are such a perfect fit on my head because most other headbands I either have to constantly adjust them or they shoot off like a rubber band. They are made of a nylon spandex material, which is basically the same or similar material that women's swimsuits are made of. Each one has a thick piece of elastic in the back that keeps the headband in place.

There is a huge variety of solid colors to choose from, as well as a few patterns, including the trendy chevron patterns in an assortment of colors too. Another one of my favorites is this American flag headband. How awesome is that one?

Ashley was super great to work with and really pays attention to detail when it comes to her products.  She sent me one of her most popular styles in 3 different colors. I love how these headbands are crafted. They aren't just strips of fabric that have been sewn to a piece of elastic. Their unique design is what makes them fit so well and stay in place. Be sure to check them out for yourself!

I can hardly believe that in a little over a week I will be running in the Color me Rad 5k with Jason. It's kind of a big deal for me since it will be my first 5k! And, guess what? The run is on the exact one year anniversary of when I officially committed to this new lifestyle and started losing weight last year. This run will be a celebration of the nearly 60 lbs. I have lost in the last year. I will definitely be wearing one of my Fit Happy headbands!

Be sure to follow Fit Happy over at Facebook with Murabelle (the parent company to Fit Happy), to stay up to date on sales, new items, and even giveaways! 

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Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise: My Current Body + An Exciting Announcement

Those of you who follow me, know that I lost over 50 pounds in 2013. It was a major accomplishment for me because I had been struggling to lose the weight I gained, after having Elijah, unsuccessfully for several years. Not until last year did it finally click, and did I start finally losing weight. I realized that it was more than just working out or just eating healthy.You just can't work off a poor diet, and I always assumed that as long as I was working out, I could just eat smaller portions of anything and still lose weight. Not until I actually changed the way I ate and worked out consistently, did I start to see results.

I still have about 10 lbs. to lose before I meet my weight loss goal, but I also want to start toning as well to replace some of those "squishy" areas. Of course, that means that I should stop relying on the scale as much because muscle weighs more than fat. Therefor, I decided to share a photo of what my current body looks like, to use as a comparison as I begin challenging myself more in the upcoming months.

This is the body of a 5 ft. tall mom who birthed 4 children and lost over 50 lbs. It's the reason I am so proud of myself and yet still uncomfortable showing my body, but it's the real me!

I am definitely not putting myself down, but this photo is a great way to visualize how weighing 120 lbs. on the scale, doesn't mean anything. There are women out there that weigh 150 lbs. with more muscle tone than I have. And, although I have a bad habit of checking my weight, I know that as long as I am eating clean and healthy and working out, then that's all that should matter. This photo is a visual, so that I may hopefully see changes in myself even when I am not seeing them on the scale.

Other than having a strong support system of friends and family to help me through the tough times, visually seeing my progress and successes are a great motivator for me. Jason has definitely been a big part of my success, but I actually get great joy out of seeing those calories burned on my heart rate monitor every time I work out!

I currently have another brand, but I have had my eye on the Polar FT4, which is actually a much more affordable brand. I plan to get this one in pink for myself in the near future. I have read many of the reviews and heard nothing but great things about it, so when I had the opportunity to join a lovely group of women and give one away, I was more than excited about it!

I'm giving you a head's up now because not only do I want to get you pumped up and excited about this awesome giveaway, but I also want you to know that if you need someone to help support you, you've got a friend in me! Shoot me an email if you want to, or simply find me on my personal Facebook page or Instagram, where I keep everyone motivated and up to date about my own health and fitness.


Be sure to stop back by Monday for your chance to win a Polar FT4 in the color of your choice. What a great device to help get you on the right track when it comes to working out! 


                    

Fat Butt Friday | October Measurements

These last couple of months, I have continued to lose weight, but definitely at a slower pace. I am currently only 5 lbs. from my goal so I am doing great, but I have been a little slack when it comes to working out. Getting out there for a run has been pretty sporadic since school has started back and Jason was away for 2 months (I didn't have my workout partner! *sad face*)

Not only have I continued to lose weight, I have continued to lose inches too. I am so excited about! Sadly, even though I joke about it though, I have absolutely NO butt now! Yes, I have a Miley Cyrus back there and squats are not my friend! Here are my most recent measurements:

With Fall here and Winter on the horizon, my biggest fear is gaining some of the weight back. I have such a hard time staying committed to working out and eating healthy during the colder months and during the times when all those holiday meals and treats are so tempting!

What is your biggest temptation during the holidays? Mine is red velvet cake covered in crushed candy canes!

And indoor workouts... oh my goodness, I CAN NOT listen to Jillian Michael's through one more video! I don't actually remember the last time I had to go through the holiday season that I wasn't either pregnant or way overweight! This will be the first year in many! Someone hold me, I'm scared! 


                    

fat butt friday | running with dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles

if i can, i pretty much run every single day. even if it's just 1 mile, that 1 mile brings me closer to my health and fitness goals. last summer i fell in love with running. i started out not being able to run more than a quarter of a mile without... well, basically... dying! little by little i build up my strength and i grew to love it so much that i couldn't wait to get up each day to run.

i didn't really run much during the winter because every time i got out there the cold would squeeze my lungs and the wind would make my eyes water so bad i couldn't even see where i was running. it's a whole different ballgame in the winter! but as soon as spring hit this year, i ran out, got a pair of shoes that i absolutely love, a new heart rate monitor, running clothes... all the things!

the running shoes i chose have been the absolutely best shoes i have ever put on my feet, so when i received the dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles, i was a little reluctant about putting them in my shoes. i supposedly have the best insoles already in my shoes and i wasn't sure that removing them was the best idea. so, instead of removing the insoles already in the shoes, i actually put the dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles in my shoes on top of the other ones.

best idea ever!

the only way i can describe how it felt when i run is the way a dodge ball feels... that flexible rubber-like bounce back that they have... like little trampolines in my shoes.

the dr. scholl's messaging gel insoles were extremely easy to put in, and probably even easier if you remove the insole that comes with your shoes. i had no issues with them sliding around because the gel-like material keeps them in place. i honestly haven't considered removing the insoles that came with my shoes to compare because i have been happy with the results i had so far. i have had no problems with my feet hurting during or after my runs and can even go as far as saying that i have not really had any knee problems lately either (i am so prone to issues in my right knee from a fibula break right behind the knee a few years ago). i look forward to improving my running this summer and my goal is to be able to complete a 10 mile run within the next year.

running is not a sport that requires you to invest in a whole lot of equipment, but definitely, the most important thing to have is the proper foot support from your shoes.  be sure to check out dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles and your feet will thank you next time you run!

as a member of bzzagent, i received these products free of charge for an honest review. all opinions are my own and in no way influenced in any way or by anyone. six cherries on top disclaimer/terms of use


♥ joni 

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fat butt friday | push ups & sit ups

one thing i have realized, but kind of already known at the same time, is that just because you are thin or even losing weight, does not mean you are strong. you can be thin as a rail and not be able to run further than your mailbox or even do more than a few push ups. i have been on both ends of the spectrum. last year, i ran 4 miles for the first time ever.  i am not thin, in fact, doctors would consider me overweight. but, the point is, i have never been able to run even one mile since the last time i did in high school.

jason was super fit when he was in the marines, but he got a bit out of shape the 4 years between leaving the marine corp. and joining the national guard. you may or may not know, but as part of the military you must meet physical fitness requirements. recently, jason had a physical fitness test and he didn't do as well as he would have liked so we both decided to work together to improve ourselves.

i personally have NO upper body strength. i can't do a regular push up, nor can i do a regular (hands behind the head) sit up. i have never had any upper body strength. i remember having to do pull ups in high school and not being able to do any... NOT ONE! i remember taking gymnastics and being able to do all the floor exercises, but anything on the bars, you could forget it! i just didn't ever have the strength.

every morning and night jason and i come together and do several sets of sit ups, push ups, and a few other things to improve our upper body and core strength. working together has been such a great thing because it holds us both accountable and i look forward to spending that little bit of time with jason each day. i also look forward to a day when i can do 20 push ups or 50 sit ups with ease. it's all been so motivating.

i know that just doing these few things aren't going to turn me into wonder woman and it takes more than these few moves to build all over body strength and to help me lose weight, but it is important to me. find yourself a partner and get it done!

do you have a partner to workout with? how has that helped you stay accountable for staying fit?


weight loss update: 19 lbs. lost

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥