MEET KATIE

Hi Friends! My name is Katie, and I am a fitness, wellness, lifestyle, foodie, book nerd, rescue dog lover, blogger, and content creator living in beautiful Charleston, SC. I LOVE to write, inspire, and motivate others to live their best lives through healthy movement and healthy food to feel their best from the inside out. It is not about restriction, crazy diets, cleanses, or punishing our bodies to achieve something unattainable or what society pressures us to believe is normal. It is ALL about finding the balance and what works for you, your GOALS, your lifestyle, and what makes you happy! Living a healthy lifestyle should be fun, educating, motivating, and an experience that is not just for one week or one month. It's a lifetime commitment.

FRESH START

I love what I do, and I think one of the best things about the fitness and health industry is that there is something for EVERYONE! With so much technology, health and fitness advocates, and nutritional information at our fingertips, you can truly find something that works best for you. And that is AWESOME! There is no excuse to live your best life!

We are coming to that time of year, though, when things can become a bit “over the top” with the holidays, food, booze, and cooler temperatures. It is that time of the year when people seem to throw in the towel, go overboard with everything, stop caring, and then come to the New Year. It’s detox, workout like a nut job, and try to get back to whatever they were before. I hate this mentality, and I think it is so unhealthy not only mentally but for our gut health, muscles, and overall well-being. We have to stop this cycle.

I promise that there is a healthy and fun way to navigate this time of year! You won’t compromise the fun, the food, and the delicious cocktails. You just need to set yourself up for success mentally and physically and enjoy this time of year rather than dread it. Take control of your health; in the end, YOU will feel so much better, not only through this time of year but ALL year!

MOVE YOUR BODY DAILY

Here are a few of my top tips for being successful not only during this time of year but all year round. These tips are simple because I believe that it is time to go back to the basics. We have overcomplicated everything in our society today, and our minds are scattered, so I’m bringing it back to SIMPLE yet EFFECTIVE health and fitness tips. Let’s GO!

My FAVORITE! I love to move. I love to sweat, I love to challenge myself, and I love to see my body evolve and grow with all the hard work that I put into it. I not only feel healthy, strong, and like a superhero, but I also feel so GOOD mentally and emotionally. Your health is wealth, and when you don't have your health, you can't live life. There is so much at our fingertips regarding fitness in today's world. There is something for EVERYONE, and that is so wonderful to see! The available classes are excellent: yoga, CrossFit, strength training, running, walking, swimming, and biking. There is NO EXCUSE not to move your body!

GET OUTSIDE

Like certain foods, you must find a workout regimen that works best for you, your body, and your lifestyle. Be patient with the process and know that it takes time, maybe a few sore muscles, but once those endorphins kick into gear, the game changes, and gosh darn, it feels good to sweat and move and see your progress.

I also share a plethora of workouts that you can do ANYWHERE, require minimal equipment, and can be done in 30 minutes or less. Follow me HERE to stay in touch and try them out. My workouts are simple and effective, and they are about building strength and working on endurance, balance, and core strength, which help you do ALL THE THINGS in your daily life. So what are you waiting for?

I want to be outside ALL THE TIME! The sun energizes me, and the fresh air clears my mind. The ocean heals my soul. Grounding myself daily in nature is something that EVERYONE is talking about. We spend way too much time sitting inside staring at our phones, computers, and TV’s. It’s sad, and it’s scary, and it’s not healthy. Sometimes I feel like people are walking around like zombies.

It can get cold and nasty in the winter, but bundle up, grab a friend, and go for a quick walk. The fresh air, the human connection, and the movement are suitable for your mind, body, and soul. A brisk walk or a long walk with my dog always helps me reset and refocus. It is my creative time that allows me to put my thoughts together with no distractions. It’s the BEST!

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Just like the seasons are changing, our bodies are constantly changing too! For a while, this was very hard for me to embrace, as I was determined to eat the same meals, stay the same size, and do the same workouts daily. It doesn’t work like that, and you won’t find success following that method.

Once I learned to let GO of all the rules in my head and listened to my body and what it needs nutritionally and physically, the game changed, and my overall health drastically improved. Certain seasons and chapters of our lives require different things, including what we put into our bodies. Educating yourself and listening to your body as to what makes you feel good, what gives you energy, and FOOD is a powerful source of energy, and let’s face it, there is so much garbage being eaten by Americans these days, and we need to go back to the basics.

I could go down a dark rabbit hole with this, but in today’s post, I want to say learn to listen to your body and what it needs: REAL FOODS, protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.

And remember that food can be a beautiful thing! There is no reason to say you can’t have cake, pasta, or a big sandwich, but it is learning to create a healthy balance of enjoying foods rather than binging on them. Just like with fitness, finding a healthy balance with food can take time and work, but your gut, skin, brain, and body will thank you!

DO THINGS THAT BRING YOU JOY

Everything in today’s world seems so fast-paced, rushed, and technology-driven, that we can’t even appreciate the simple things, or we have forgotten how to enjoy them! We need to slow down, and we need to remember what makes us happy. We need to do things that fill us up!

What brings me JOY? It’s the simple things like walking on the beach with my dog, swimming in the ocean early in the morning, curling up on the couch with a good book, making a simple delicious meal at home, coffee, wine, or a delicious meal with a loved one (no looking at phones), practicing yoga with my friends. Things that bring me JOY involve a lot of nature, movement, and connection.

Take time to think about what brings you JOY and then act on it! You may find that doing the more specific things may fill you up more than you know. Try it out, and let me know how it goes!

HEALTH TOOLS

Over the next couple of months, I will talk about some health gadgets by EatSmart, that will help you with your health journey and help you eat smarter and live better. We are going to talk about the following:

Precision Elite Kitchen Scale

440 Precision Digital Bathroom Scale

I want to remind everyone that each of us has different fitness goals, nutritional needs, and body types, so it is essential to REALLY focus on YOU and listen to your body, not what the TV or social media is telling you to do. There is so much information out there that bombards people about fitness and weight loss, and a lot of it is NOT suitable for you. When you decide to make a lifestyle change, please remember that this journey takes time, patience, dedication, and hard work.

These two health gadgets can JUMPSTART your journey and help you stay on track!

Health is wealth, and you deserve to live your best life, so specific gadgets are essential to keep us motivated and successful, so stay tuned! This is going to be FUN!