Guest Post: Ariana’s Healthy Lifestyle Makeover #TransformationTuesday

Happy Tuesday friends! Today I’m sharing a story from my new Dallas “fit friend,” Ariana!   We met this Summer when she attended my PiYo classes at the W Dallas Hotel. We instantly hit it off given our love for hardcore workouts and bright workout clothes (see pic of us in PiYo class on Instagram). I was inspired by Ariana’s dedication coming to class every Saturday and the fact that she always rallied a group of girls to come along with her – talk about accountability! As we got to know each other better, Ariana shared her healthy lifestyle journey with me. I was instantly energized by her story, so I asked her to share on my blog today!  I hope her story encourages you as much as it encouraged me…  

Ariana’s Healthy Journey: Connecting with a Positive Community

Ariana’s Before & After Photos

My name is Ariana Michelle and my life has always been very adventurous. I love traveling and a good challenge. I’m a packaging engineer in the cosmetic industry and just moved from New Jersey to Dallas to be closer to my fiance! We met 2 years ago in Turks and Caicos!

My before picture was taken in March right after I moved to Dallas. I’ve always struggled with food. My family knew me as the garbage disposal…I was such an athlete that I thought I could burn it all off. After college, that wasn’t the case anymore, and real athletes don’t treat their bodies with diets full of ice cream and bagels! It’s taken a really long time to listen to all the advice I’ve been reading about for years. I have lost 20 lbs since then and countless inches. I was a size SAD, now I’m a size SASSY! Never give up, your journey will take time! I wish I had listened back then and stopped eating all the foods that made me sick. Without the right foods I wouldn’t be such a ray of sunshine!

My biggest motivation was striking out on my own. The move to Texas was really hard! I didn’t know anyone. My fiance still lives 6 hours away, and so I had to learn to cook for myself! I needed a community, a place to call home, and friends who enjoyed the same things I did. I was tired of having acne, not fitting into my clothes, and I knew if I was going to make new friends I first needed to feel confident in my own skin. So, I decided my health would be the #1 priority in my life. I found community in all different fitness groups!

Ariana & the Tone it Up Babes! Being a part of a healthy community increases accountability!

I set out to make some goals for myself! The Tone It Up (TIU) BIKINI SERIES was extremely helpful to set goals. I challenged myself with different cardio workouts like Turbo Fire, and T25, and TIU running routines. Each week, you have to keep yourself accountable, and remember that every small change yields large results! An easy goal to start with, I added something green to each meal. The following week I added more cardio. It’s so important to go slow and have a vision for your journey or you will be overwhelmed and give up. It’s the sum of your choices that makes a radiant person. Goals are the key to loving life!

Did I have set-backs? Yes! It has been a two-year journey to get where I am now. Between a devastating breakup, the loss of a dozen friends who were once my support system, and family struggles, there were times that I wanted to focus on other things, and help everyone else. But the biggest thing you can do for your family is to be a constant example of positivity. It took a long time for me to find a job in Texas, and then I was finally able to get connected to a great group of girls! I dove right in, making sure that I had a new support system if I was feeling helpless or tired. My journey would not have been possible without my #tiusisters and #teamuproar

I’m going to continue to follow the Tone it Up Plan and my new lifestyle for life~ eating the right things at the right times is going to help me keep up with my kids (someday ;)! I always tell my friends that each day adds up, so even if you only have 20 minutes to be active, that makes 140 minutes per week. I take it day by day, and set goals each morning. I never feel guilty for indulging once in a while because what I do 85% of the time keeps me right on track.

Ariana now feeling good, looking great and still staying connected to her fitness community

You can keep in touch with Ariana on Instagram @Fitgirlmechanic or email at [email protected]

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Cyber Monday Sale! GRIT by Brit Home Workout DVD 50% off, only $12.50 and DVD + Tank Top Gift Sets only $30

Hey Yall!  Back by popular demand, I’m running my super steep Cyber Monday discount for all my blog followers for 1 day only!  Starting now, and ending tomorrow night (Monday, Dec. 2nd at midnight) you can enjoy my original workout DVD for only $12.50. 

In order to take advantage of the Cyber Monday Sale, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to my DVD store: https://www.createspace.com/353954
  2. Enter this discount code: EFG4H3UU
  3. Purchase your DVD for 50% off, only $12.50

Here’s quick overview of what my workout video has to offer…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjZR1ClWFbE&w=560&h=315]

As icing on the cake, I’m also extending my Black Friday Sale! You can enjoy a gift set including my DVD + Workout Tank Top of your choice  for only $30.  The gift sets can be purchased at my eStore: gritbybrit-shop.com

grit by brit tank tops

Healthy Holidays and Happy Shopping!  xoxo, Brit

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Buddy Boot Camp! 5 Super Effective Partner Exercises to do with your Fit Friends

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kpxvRHar4c&w=560&h=315]

Hey GRIT Gang! I hope that all is amazing in your world.  Very sorry for my sporadic blog posting – I’ve been doing lots of traveling the past 2 weeks.  On a positive note, last weekend I went to the Bryson City, North Carolina to a enjoy a weekend “ruffing” it with some of my best friends from business school.

In the midst of hiking the Great Smoky Mountains, cooking homemade meals, sitting by the camp fire and reminiscing on the good old days, I designed this “buddy bootcamp” workout.  During our vacation, my friends and I did this super efficient HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) circuit to ensure we got some strength and anaerobic training in .  Not only is the workout effective, it’s also very fun!  So next time you are looking for some fierce, fun exercises to do with your fit friends, keep these 5 exercises in mind…

5 Super Effective Partner Exercises

Before I leave you, I encourage you to not only enjoy the workout itself, but to more importantly enjoy and love the friend that you do the workout with.  And on that note, I leave you with this quote that one of my dearest friends, Lakshmi (staring in the front row of the instructional video above) shared with me:

“A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”  – George Eliott

ENJOY!  Lots of luv, Brit

Enjoing a nice hike in Great Smoky Mountains - Nothing says true friendship like matching beanies
Enjoying a nice hike in Great Smoky Mountains – Nothing says true friendship like matching beanies

Takin' it all in - life is good!
Takin’ it all in – life is good!

A picture is worth a 1000 words #breathtaking
A picture is worth a 1000 words #breathtaking

Grateful for good times and great friends! #blessed
Grateful for good times and great friends! #blessed

I love you and hope you have a great week! -Brit :)
I love you and hope you have a great week! -Brit 🙂

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