#sweatnsew

If you follow me on Instagram (I am sarcasticquilter there, too), you've seen me use the hashtag #sweatnsew and encourage others to do so as well. I do it to help motivate myself and to help support other sewists/quilters to stay motivated to remember their own health in their daily lives.

What do I mean? Well, I've been up and down in weight like many people. I've been motivated to make healthy choices and be active then there are many times I don't care, lack motivation, don't make the effort.  I needed to change that. Seeing others do something to be healthier helps ME stay on track and likewise, I want to give that back to someone else.  It's always a little better when we don't feel all alone in our efforts, I think.

To that end, #sweatnsew was created.

So what is it?

#sweatnsew is a place where we can all celebrate & encourage one another to be healthier & fitter. Whether it is by making better food choices (weed out soda or processed foods, for example) &/or getting up & moving again (a daily walk, taking stairs instead of elevators, an exercise program).

It's about taking those steps, sharing them so you can be proud & accountable, and FEELING healthier & stronger. Feeling better! (And hey, if the clothes start to fit better and we start looking better, that's just a bonus.)

To help us stay motivated, there is a sewing-related prize up for grabs each month. I track who's participating and then use the Random Number Generator to draw the winner.

How do you know I've seen your entry? Well, I will like your photo so you know it's entered. Sometimes I catch the posts the same day and sometimes I catch up on weekends.  A note, if you have a private IG account, I need to be following you or I cannot see your posts. So let me know you want to post and I'll click the follow button.

There will be 1 entry per day unless a bonus entries are announced.  Aside from this post, all communications regarding challenges will be made through my Instagram account.

As for what you should post to get an entry, you can post any photo (it doesn't have to be an exercise one). Just tag #sweatnsew (n, not and) & tell me what you did that day.   Some examples... you don't have to post sweaty pics, though, I just like to keep it real for me. I love seeing comparison pics. It helps me see progress when the mirror doesn't.

Remember, if you can get active (a walk down the block, taking stairs, etc.) let this be motivation to make those choices but if you are in a place where activity is simply not an option (injury, health, whatever) you can still participate. Posting healthy meal choices, changes in diet (swapping out water for sweet tea or eating grilled chicken instead of fried) counts to!

     


Everyone should focus on both food and activity but these are healthy habits we are trying to make so too much at once might lead  to frustration. Take time to get to know yourself, make small goals and work toward them. Those small goals are what build up to the big one.

This is open to any and all but the prizes will remain sew/quilt related. The prizes are donated by me or other quilters and sewists in our IG community.

Back in January, I was interviewed by CBS about #sweatnsew which aired in connection with the piece regarding sewing your own clothes, in particular, the Purl Soho City Gym Shorts.  Take a look a the video, I still find it surreal but I'll admit that it still feels pretty cool.

"When Sewing Meets Sweating"

I was also interviewed by Tisha at Quilty Therapy who wrote a blog post. She was doing a series on health and sewing which was pretty neat. The post is, "Healthy Sewist - Becky with Sarcastic Quilter"

So, now that you know more about it, will you join in?  Tag friends, let's encourage each other even more!   I hope I see you on IG but for now, tell me your goals below.

My goals are to get healthier and strong enough to succeed in completing every obstacle in the Obstacle Course Races (like the Spartan Race or Savage Race) that I sign up to run and to get back to eating clean 85-90% of the time.

Cheers!
Beck