Well, another Friday is here and for this week's Frugal Friday post, I want to share about a site I just discovered. It's called SparkPeople and I've used it a lot in the last week! I first joined this FREE site to get a little inspiration for my daily exercise regimen, in lieu of a personal trainer. Come on, I know I'm not the only one out there who wishes she could afford a personal trainer.
This site has a plethora of resources!!! Not only will it set up a custom-made exercise regimen (incorporating both cardio and strength training), it also allows me to set up a nutrition plan as well. Then there are message boards, blogging and journaling options, a planner (that even sends birthday and anniversary reminders to your e-mail), inspirational and information articles related to almost any question you have in your wellness journey, etc., etc. and etc. It's pretty impressive. And the crazy part is...it's free! Absolutely FREE!
I feel as if I have my own personal trainer now. And I'm finding myself more committed to working out and improving our health since joining this site. Ciaran's even noticed how much more I'm trying to weave vegetables and fruits into my meal planning. Oh, that reminds me, I forgot to share my favorite part of this site. Every time you record something that helps improve your health and wellness, such as eating a serving of fruits and vegetables, logging in exercise time, reading health-related articles, drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, etc., you can earn SparkPoints that accumulate so you can eventually win virtual trophies. It's the craziest thing, but those points really get the little competitor in me motivated. Take yesterday morning, for instance. Ciaran and I were supposed to leave to head to my in-laws yesterday night and so when I woke up, I had a million items on my "to do" list to get done before we left town for five days. Normally, I would have decided to just skip my workout and get up extra early this morning to go for an extra long walk around their neighborhood to make up for it. Nope. Not for this newly born SPARKler! I knew when I woke up yesterday morning, that even though I had a lot to get done, I was only 45 points away from my next trophy, so I changed into my workout clothes as soon as my feet hit the bedroom floor, took a swig of water, scarfed down a handful of frosted mini wheats, and I was out the door!
The same thing has been true with my water intake. I'm supposed to drink an inordinate amount of water to help prevent my kidney stones from forming so often. Even though I know how painful and miserable it is having kidney stones (I've had kidney stones five different times since I was eighteen), I'm still not good about keeping up with my water intake. Now, because I earn points on SparkPeople for drinking my water...I'm guzzling away like a crazy camel!
Having said all this, I need to pause and clarify something. Have I seen a total change in my health and wellness in the past week? Nope, I'm still the girl who gobbles down Whoppers and Big Macs and delights in my Culver's Turtle Sundaes. But what I have seen are those small mental and physical changes that often translate to a commitment to lifelong wellness. And I feel that is definitely worth getting excited about!
I'll try and remember to post a follow-up on this topic to see how long this streak goes, but for now I'm very impressed with this free site. It's definitely a frugal girl's dream come true! Check it out at http://www.sparkpeople.com/.
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