Today I’m interviewing one of my favorite wellness influencers and great friend, Marissa, who is the creator of Well Lived Mag . From health & wellness, to lifestyle, money & career topics that matter to women, Well Lived strives to make a well lived life relatable, realistic and achievable.
A year ago, Marissa inspired me to start my own health and fitness blog. Since she has been such a great resource to me, I wanted to ask her a few questions that I thought would be helpful for those looking for some extra inspiration this New Year.
Marissa has a degree in Wellness and really knows her stuff when it comes to making healthy lifestyle choices. To get inspired like I did, read Marissa’s advice on how to achieve a Well Lived life, how to stay on track this New Year, and more!
FGG: You help to inspire others to live a Well Lived life. What is your message to others on how to achieve this?
Marissa: Living a Well Lived life is an ongoing and proactive process. Wellness is a lifestyle. As much as the industry would like you to believe otherwise, there truly is no “quick fix” to losing weight. The way I define a “Well Lived” life is feeling strong, confident, healthy and energetic. It is about feeling good – really good – in your own skin. It’s about prioritizing your health and doing your best. Once you prioritize your personal wellness, the rest of your life will fall into place.
FGG: What is your best advice to those trying to stick to a new year’s resolution?
Marissa: New Year’s resolutions will always be popular and they can definitely help in motivating people to make better choices, especially when it comes to their health. However, 80% of resolutions are ditched by mid-February, which certainly doesn’t make for lasting change. I encourage people to set objectives and intentions for the year ahead, and to be smart in how they approach goal-setting. Pick something that is measurable and that will really make a difference in your physical, mental or emotional wellbeing. No matter what you’re setting out to achieve, there are three things that will help keep you on track. First, take time to reflect on your “why,” or what is motivating the goal and actively remind yourself of it on days when you want to skip the gym or have seconds on dessert. Second, share your goals with a trusted friend or family member – one you know will keep you accountable and enable healthy decisions. Third, remember consistency is key to lasting change. Not every workout is going to be amazing. Some will be short but powerful, others will be long and slow. But moving every single day will create change in your life, be it on the scale, or in your mind.
FGG: Who are your 3 top wellness influencers?
Marissa: There are too many to count! There are so many amazing women inspiring others to live better lives every single day and Instagram is making it easier for that inspiration to spread. I love Kayla Itsines (@kayla_itsines), founder of the Bikini Body Guide and the #BBG movement (if you ever need some workout inspiration, search for this hashtag!), Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn of Tone It Up (@toneitup) and Kelsey Wells (@kelseywells) who emerged after a heartfelt “screw the scale” post went viral. Each of these women are encouraging other women to be strong and build a fit lifestyle, which I admire. And, if I have the option for a #4, it naturally goes to @FitGreenGal!
FGG: What is your go-to workout?
Marissa: I fell in love with fitness when doing HIIT workouts on the treadmill in my parents’ basement. Eight years later and the love is still strong! They are quick and incredibly effective, and I still use HIIT as the basis for most workouts I do at home and at the gym. I also adore kick-butt cardio kickboxing classes! I share some of my favorite HIIT routines on Well Lived (see them all here!).
FGG: With so much information out there about what is means to be “healthy”, it can be difficult to know what choices are “healthy” ones. What do you think is the most important thing for others to consider when trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle?
Marissa: Being healthy is hard! There is a lot of conflicting information and it can seem like everyday there’s a new measurement for what’s good for you and what isn’t. However, I believe deep down everyone knows what is and is not healthy and you really don’t need gurus whispering in your ear at every turn. I mean really, can anyone make the case for those Flaming Hot Cheetos or Triple Double Oreos? I advocate for eating clean, or eating whole, natural foods most of the time. It fuels your body naturally and gives you the nutrients you need to live. I also encourage a moderate approach to eating with the 80-20 rule. Eat healthy 80% of the time and allow yourself some indulgences the other 20% of your time. It’s easy to keep yourself in check and that grilled salmon salad tastes much better if you know you don’t have to feel guilt about the square of dark chocolate your have set aside for dessert.
Read more about how Marissa infuses wellness into every aspect of her life: www.welllivedmag.com
Stay in the know with Marissa:
Instagram @welllivedmag
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WellLivedMag
How do you infuse Wellness into your everyday life?
Xoxo
Marisa
