Healthy Is A Habit: My Top Five Sites for Healthy Living Motivation

This weekend while shopping at Trader Joe’s, I started chatting with a woman about her current healthy living goals. She had seen me pick up a carton of coconut milk, and I was checking out the coconut oil spray in her cart. She was going paleo, while I explained to her my “healthy is a habit” living plan.

“Where do you go online to find recipes and motivation?” she asked me. This is a question I have been getting more and more as of late. So, I decided to share my top five go-to sites that I've been frequenting for the past year that are great sources of information and inspiration.

These are listed in no particular order:

1. A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss (www.blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com)
I'm not sure when I first started following blogger Erika Nicole Kendall on her weight loss journey, but it was very apparent from my first visit to the site that she knew what to do! She has lost 170 pounds and is now a certified trainer and nutritionist. The site features recipes, articles and advice on clean eating and commentary on nutrition and health. She has also recently added a Youtube channel where she answers questions from her viewers. A great starting point for girls of every race, creed & color.

Posts to search for:
Clean Eating 101 and Clean Eating Bootcamp 2013


2. SparkPeople (www.sparkpeople.com)
My mom was the one who introduced me to SparkPeople several years ago, even before I started on my own journey. While she uses the site for their recipes, the site has been a great tool for me in terms of tracking my food & caloric intake as well as my workouts and calories burned. Be sure to sign up for their daily news letter, The Daily Spark, for articles and tips on living a healthy and active lifestyle. As an added bonus, they also have a smartphone app that you can connect to your online account, so you can track your progress while you are on the go!

Must Try:
Food Tracker and Workout Tracker


3. Black Women Losing Weight (www.blackwomenlosingweight.com)
With monthly challenges and a strong and supportive network of women striving for the same goal, Black Women Losing Weight is great resource. Be sure to Like their Facebook page for daily "Before & Current" pics and stories!


4. The Eat Clean Diet (www.eatcleandiet.com)
When I was looking for more information on what clean eating was all about, this site helped me so much! I had heard about eating lean proteins, and complex carbs, but had no idea what was what. This site's Nutrition Guide helped me figure all of that out.

Must Check Out:
Nutrition Rules (downloadable worksheet)


5. Real Women Have Curves (www.facebook.com/RealWomenHaveCurvesFan)
Okay, so you might be saying, Aja, this isn't a weight loss website. No, it's not. But it *is* a self-empowerment page. Throughout my process, the most important thing I have learned is self-love. I love who I am today. I couldn't say that completely in April 2012. RWHC is a daily reminder to love myself today and every day. Founded by poet Khari, and moderated by some of my favorite ladies including Lynx Garcia, Steffany Bready-Edwards, and Diane Williams, they bring a mix of self-empowerment, self-love, and self-esteem for women of all sizes, but especially my plus size ladies!



What did you think of my list? Do you visit any of these sites? What are some of the sites you visit for inspiration and information? Share in the comments below!