Health and Wellness FAVES!

(Some of theses products were sent to me for review but all opinions are my own and I only share what I love. This post does contain affiliate links.)

Hello everyone! I know, you might be a little confused but you are at Lindsey Decor where I typically share all kinds of crafty goodness. This last year was wild and crazy but it was also a refining year. I’m starting out 2021 more bold, outspoken, and authentically me. There’s more to me than my love of art and I want to start sharing those other parts with all of you in addition to all of the craft supplies and devotional kits I’m working with. I hope you’ll hang with me and maybe be inspired to start a new workout, do a little camping, or read a book outside of your typical genre preference.

I snapped this quick photo on one of our recent family walks and figured it was a good way to introduce this topic of health and wellness. In 2016 I had a couple of small TIAs (strokes) which kicked off a journey towards trying to live out a healthier lifestyle. After two years of non stop testing, specialists, and all kinds of painful procedures, the doctors could find no reason for why I experienced these strokes which left me with a daily headache, facial tingling, and frequent migraines. I can’t guarantee that I won’t have more strokes in the future but I figured I might as well try and make some changes to my health in the areas where I can, to try and prevent or lessen the effects.

(You can find links to everything I mention at the end of this post.)

I never thought I’d be using a nifty little pill organizer in my mid-30s but here I am LOL. I try and limit the amount of prescriptions that I depend on but I’ve found a variety of vitamins and supplements to help some of the lingering effects of the strokes and a recent POTS diagnosis (I’m not a doctor so be sure to check with your MD before taking any vitamins and supplements). I love that this weekly pill organizer has these individual day containers that I can easily toss in my purse when I’m on the go.

This last year I was diagnosed with POTS and I owe some credit to my Charge 3 FitBit (the Charge 4 is the current model) for helping get me to this diagnosis after years of symptoms. I had originally gotten my FitBit to help track my steps and workouts but I now rely on it for regularly keeping track of my heart rate. I can have sudden spikes and drops that can sometimes lead to passing out so I like how quick and easy it is to see what my heart rate is at a glance. I understand not everyone has to worry about that but there are a ton of other helpful features that the FitBit has and it’s much cheaper than the popular Apple watches. You can even sync it with your phone to receive notifications from apps and text messages!

Last year, my sister prompted me to join her in using the “Transform with Chris & Heidi” app to start exercising more regularly and eating better. I had been going to the gym for a couple years but still had some pretty poor eating habits so I wasn’t seeing much change in my body or how I was feeling. I have tried a lot of different diets and programs over the years but nothing has worked for me like the Transform program!

This handy little app does it all and for a lot cheaper than a monthly gym membership (though I’m anxiously awaiting our gyms to open again so I can utilize some of the other workouts in the app). You can track your macros, meal plans, water, body measurements, and even take photos to visually document your transformation. There are a variety of meal plans and workout plans depending on what works best for you and the results you want to achieve. (Don’t forget to take advantage of my discount if you do decide to sign up. Use code LINDSEYDECOR for 10% off at Transform!)

The meal planning is my favorite part! There are a ton of recipes to choose from or you can add in your own foods and recipes. I have loved every recipe that I’ve tried so far and my family even enjoys them.

The app helps guide you based off of the macros that you have set so no need to worry about constantly checking labels and doing math before each meal. The app will even put together a shopping list for you if you utilized the meal planning area so grocery shopping is easier and less wasteful.

Whether you’ve got 100lbs+ to lose and have never been to a gym or you are just looking to tone up or maybe gain some muscle, the “Transform” app has an exercise program for you! There’s even a dance program and they’ve recently released a yoga program as well. Chris and Heidi have included instructional videos right inside the app so you can be sure that you are doing the exercises correctly and they even offer alternative movements if you need to make adjustments.

There are a ton of exercises in the “Transform” app but sometimes I like to change things up and do something a little different. This keeps me from getting bored with my routine and allows me to pick a specific area to target. I’ve recently been enjoying the “Body by Blogilates” app for a variety of Pilates workouts that range from beginner to expert and you can’t pass up all the cute Blogilates work out gear that they have at Target (metallic gold hand weights are a necessity right? LOL)

I used to think that supplements, protein powders, and meal replacement shakes were only for gym bros and girls in bikini competitions but I’ve learned a lot in the last year. One thing I discovered by using the “Transform” app to track my macros was that I wasn’t eating enough. I know, that sounds crazy and many of us have the mindset that less food = less weight but that way of thinking had completely destroyed my metabolism.

I aim to get about 130-150 grams of protein each day and protein powders are extremely helpful for getting me to that goal. Dairy is an inflammatory food for me so I have to stick with plant protein and there are a lot out there to choose from. I’m currently loving the Chocolate Orgain Protein and the Coconut Almond Vega Protein. The “Transform” app has a large selection of shake recipes that you can use with protein powder that makes it feel like you are having dessert rather than fueling your body and they also have their own whey protein powder if dairy isn’t an issue for you.

A BlendJet is perfect for quickly mixing up a small shake or I use a Ninja Professional Blender when I’m mixing in a lot of ingredients or making a bigger batch to share with my boys (they love a chocolate strawberry shake for breakfast). I recently grabbed this glass smoothie tumbler from Target which is the perfect size for taking my shakes on the go.

Hear me when I say, I was a huge skeptic when it came to fitness supplements. I thought it was just a money grabbing scheme meant to entice you with promises of less painful workouts and a sculpted model body but boy was I wrong. Transform has a variety of supplements in some super tasty flavor options and while they did send me these recently, I had tried some already and wouldn’t be sharing them with you if I didn’t like them.

So there’s a look at a few of my favorite things that I’ve come across while on this health and wellness journey. In the last year, I’ve lost 40lbs which is amazing but even more amazing is how much better I feel! Like the apostle Paul’s thorn, I may have to live with some of the effects of the strokes but I’m going to do everything I can to be as healthy as possible for my family and myself.

I’m not an expert or doctor but I’m happy to share what works for me so feel free to ask any questions and I’ll be happy to help or point you in the right direction. Don’t forget to take advantage of my Transform discount…you can use the code LINDSEYDECOR for 10% off of an app subscription and/or any Transform products and that code can even be stacked on top of their sales (affiliate link below).

I hope you enjoyed something a little different here on the blog and if you did, please leave a comment with some suggestions of other content you’d like me to start sharing here.

PRODUCT LIST

Affiliate links are used

BlendJet Shop at: Misc	Blogilates Shop at: Misc	FitBit Charge 4 Shop at: Amazon
Glass Smoothie Tumbler Shop at: Amazon	Ninja Professional Blender Shop at: Amazon	Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein Creamy Chocolate Fudge Shop at: Amazon
Resistance Tube Bands Shop at: Amazon	Transform with Chris and Heidi – Use code LINDSEY10 for 10% off! Shop at: Misc	Vega Protein and Greens Coconut Almond Shop at: Amazon
Weekly Pill Organizer Shop at: Amazon

Until next time!

❤ Lindsey