I would like to welcome a recent sponsor of Rockin' it Napptural, Stephanie McGrew (not pictured above) of Infinite Life Fitness who also rocks a lovely natural mane. Stephanie received a B.S. of Exercise Science and B.A. of Biology degree (also a minor in Health Sciences and Business Administration) from Truman State University and blogs about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. As an athlete for over 10 years, her goal is to motivate and encourage others to make beneficial lifestyle changes to help improve their overall health and quality of life.
Infinite Life Fitness is a place you can go to help you make positive healthy lifestyle changes. Yes it is a health and fitness blog but it is also has much more than that! We talk on a wide variety of things to help you in your daily lifestyle. I have given organization tips as well as recipes and understandable fitness routines. You can find so many things to help you start a new healthier lifestyle. Some people want to lose weight but doing that entails so much more. It is a lifestyle change and a journey.
What motivates you to remain active?
What motivates me is the fact that I have lost several members in my family due to them being obese and overweight. Their lives would have been prolonged and their lives would have been more enjoyable only if they would have listened to their doctors and got more active and lived a healthier lifestyle. I don't only do it to make me feel good but I do it so I can sustain the best quality and longevity of my physical life.
Who inspires you?
To be honest the person who inspires me has recently changed. I am inspired by the first lady Michelle Obama. She has AMAZING style (when it comes to clothes and her over all classiness) and I love her platforms and what she fights for. I am a HUGE advocate of trying to help diminish child obesity and so is she. Just seeing her in the news and researching her, she seems to be an amazing woman and I hope that I will be honored to meet with her and just get to talk to her one day.
What's the one thing you can say to someone to get them to be infinitely fit? First get a REALISTIC goal in mind. Most people want to drop 20-30 lbs in a month...not possible. Getting to your optimal weight and size takes time, patients, and dedication. You have to start out slow and build up to your goal. And, it is a huge lifestyle change. you have to alter many aspects of your life to where you evolve to become a overall better healthier person.
What words of wisdom do you live by?
One of my favorite mottos is, "Live...Laugh...Love." I know that I am just as guilty for not taking enough time out of my schedule for "me time" so, I have started taking media time outs (no Internet/computer for an allotted amount of days at least once per month) and I will spend that time with family or friends or just having some me time. Life can get crazy and hectic. You have to learn how to handle everything as well as embrace it and make the best out of any situation you are in.
I know you are passionate about addressing childhood obesity, what do you think of Michelle Obama's message to eradicate obesity? Like I said before, I LOVE the fact that someone with higher power than me sees that it is a HUGE problem and it needs to be addressed. I think she is trying to do some great things in our country to help make options available to kids and their families to help get rid of this problem. You cannot blame the kids 100%. The parents also have to step in and want to make a better HEALTHIER life for not only the child but for the whole family. It is a hard thing to do but in the long run it will be so much more beneficial.
Where do you hope to take Infinite Life Fitness? I hope to take Infinite Life Fitness as far as it can possible go. I want to help educate and help people make the best health and fitness choices. Right now i have no intentions of charging anyone any kind of money to help them. I just want to help them and to allow them the opportunity to improve their quality of life. I work in the medical field and 1/2 of the patients we see would not be seen so frequently if they would get more active, stop smoking, and just adapt an overall healthier lifestyle. My goal is to just be there for people who do need help and to be their motivator and guide to help them reach their health and fitness goals. I want to help change lives and allow people to reach the goals that they have set for themselves.
How can families live an active lifestyle?
There are several different ways to get active. There are a lot of local agencies that offer athletics and seasonal sports to children usually at no cost and if cost is an issue they may have scholarships for the families that need it. The YMCA is a great place to look. I currently coach 1st-6th grade basketball at my local YMCA and I have a variety of kids with different skill levels. So, even if your child has not proven to be the best athlete they can still play and get their exercise and it’s a great way for them to meet and interact with other children their age.
You and your family can set up time during the week to go walk or run or do a family boot camp style of workout (there is a post about that on my blog). You will have to get creative to help keep children's attention and motivation but it is something good to start as soon as possible. It is also very, very, very important to allow you children the chance to eat healthier foods. I understand the family on the go who may have to stop at a fast food place to get food. But I know McDonald's and other chains allow you to get milk and fruit instead of the traditional fries and coke. Making these small changes has a HUGE impact over a long period of time.
What message do you have for someone who wants to live their life's purpose? My message would be to do what you want to do! No it will not be easy at all. But if you work hard enough you can end up where you want to be. The same goes for health/fitness goals. To achieve any goal you have in mind it will take dedication and hard work. And when you reach your goal you will be so appreciative because of all the hard work you had put into it to get there.
I usually sleep in, lol! But, I usually get up around 9 and grab a light snack then do some house work (laundry...straightening up) and then hit the gym for a few hours. I currently work some weekends so on those days I work I try to wake up earlier so I can get more done and try to enjoy some down time. Sunday is also my BIG cooking day.
I usually try to cook a few meals so I can have them in the fridge for me to grab throughout the week for lunch or dinner. I have been traveling a lot and my weekdays are typically pretty busy so if I make a few meals and split up the portion sizes, I usually have enough food to last me until the next weekend when I try out more recipes. I also take time on Sunday to call/check up on family members and friends. I know that I am busy most weekdays so I try to communication with friends and family open by actually calling them (instead of texting or emailing) and have a conversation with them. My dad is one person who looks forward to that call and if I don't call him he is sure to let me know he is upset about it!
Are there any quick tips you can give? Portion control is so, so, so, so, so important. You have to get familiar with what is the right portion size of food and how frequent you should be eating to get the right amount of daily calories. You also have to learn some healthier food options instead of you usual chips or coke you snack on. There are so many tasty, healthy, and non-expensive options for you to consider when it comes to eating healthier.
Fad diets and diet pills are not recommended and could be dangerous to your health especially if your doctor has prescribed you other drugs! So if you do decide to take some form of a diet pill please consult with your doctor first. Other than that if ANYONE has any questions please feel free to take a look around my site. I have tons of information and resources available. Readers are also encouraged to contact me via email with any questions or help they may need.