Hey Gorgeous! Welcome to Tone It Up, a worldwide community of amazing girlfriends who support and encourage each other to live our happiest, healthiest lives. As women, we so often focus on others, but a balanced and beautiful life means prioritizing yourself so you can truly be the version of you. The best way to do that is by combining a nutritious diet, active lifestyle, and most importantly, by spreading positivity and boosting each other up. Whether you’re sharing workouts or wine, female friendship is so important—plus it makes fitness a lot more fun! BALANCED AND BEAUTIFUL is a guide to focusing on the amazing woman that is you , with a 5-day plan to Refresh, Motivate, Inspire, Energize, and last but not least, Relax. Filled with daily fitness routines, delicious recipes, wisdom to transform your mindset, and all the love and advice of the TIU community, Karena and Katrina make it easier than ever to reach your goals and feel great. Each day, you’ll find tips and advice for every aspect of your journey, told through fun and fascinating stories and secrets that will be like having your best girlfriend along for the ride. Throughout these pages, you’ll feel empowered, uplifted, and connected—with the entire TIU community behind you, cheering you on towards your most confident, centered self. Ready to reset? Feeling BALANCED AND BEAUTIFUL is only 5 days away!
I admittedly read Karena & Katrina’s grocery list (I get weekly emails), so I might not be the most objective reviewer here. As someone who has been part of the Tone It Up community for over a year, reading Balanced and Beautiful is like reading all the blog posts on their website in one volume—it’s very familiar and makes sense because I’m already following the general guidelines. Making the time to actually focus on each chapter—refresh, motivate, inspire, energize, relax—was a great reflective exercise to think about how I incorporate these elements into my day or week, who I look to for help in these areas, and to take time to appreciate these factors in my life (not just go through the motions). There are also some great recipes that I know I’ll be going back to over and over again.
That all being said, the book makes a lot of references to the TIU community and the associated fitness app, so it did feel gimmicky at times. There is a heavy emphasis on the roles of fitness, nutrition, and friendship and less on the roles of work and family. So it doesn’t solve all the struggles for balance or beauty, but it’s definitely a positive reminder to make time for yourself and I can definitely use that reminder from time to time.
I really wanted to like this, but it’s basically feels like just a collection of blog postings that have been consolidated into book form. Nothing revolutionary about it, or new if you are aren’t already a nutrition plan member. It reads like the kind of book I would have been obsessed with in 8th grade.
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and I am very familiar with Tone It Up the online community that Karena and Katrina have started. Balanced and Beautiful was really well executed and the girls offered great tips that I'll hopefully take in and improve my lifestyle. This also will be perfect for our "It's Never too Late to Live Happy" display we are creating in the library. Our patrons are sure to enjoy this book which is why we are giving it 5 stars!
A pretty good book for those looking to balance their mind and body self-care in a community-based, self-love manner through nutrition, consistent workouts, meditation (reflection), and interaction with and encouragement from/for other like-minded women. I enjoyed several of the recipes.
Mind-blown! I wasn't that much into spirituality before that this book totally changed my perspectives!!! It inspired me beyond words and I will definitely try to add some of these ideas into my lifestyle and everyday routine! Highly recommended! #BalancedAndBeautiful @toneitup
First thank you to the two authors and their publisher for sharing this book through the Goodreads giveaway program.
I have read through the book but as you know, no fitness/ health book is just a read. You need to incorporate some of the advice into your everyday life. The authors do a great job in revealing it is not just physical effort. Mental attitude is so important when you are trying to get into or maintain fitness levels. Writing down your intentions help to reinforce your outlook.
I will say that the exercise illustrated in this book are not meant for everyone, especially those just starting out in a wellness program. How anyone can be expected to use 12-15 pound weights to test your balance as.illustrated in day one is beyond me. I exercise 5 days per week and I struggled to do this exercise with 5 pound weights
The important thing is you just try, do what feels right for you.
If you’re already a member of the TIU Nutrition Plan/community, you may find this book a bit repetitive. (The recipes are repeats, and some of the information is recycled as well.) That being said, it was a good refresher and it got me motivated to really get back on track with my physical and mental health. I also came away with recommendations that I’m excited about: recommended reading, incense, essential oils, meditation, and establishing a morning intentions routine. If you’re someone who’s considered joining their community, this book will definitely give you a feel for what they’re all about.
Loved this book. It’s a cute reset guide that really helped me shift my perspective and find a bit more balance. I’ve been so burnt out lately; I really needed this 🖤. I’ll admit, I originally purchased the book, because some of the photos were taken by my all-time favorite photographer, her images inspire me as a photographer myself, but I enjoyed reading this book. I took so many notes, because I struggle to slow down and relax Lol. I also love Tone It Up’s workout routines. I’ve been following them for like 10 years now. I just don’t do the meal plans, because my goals have always been strength training not weight loss.
I loved how this book focused on women being there for each other and building each other up. I did find the formatting of the book distracting and wish it had flowed more smoothly. I also found myself wishing they would show a more diverse group of women in all of the pictures. It seemed like everyone had the exact same body type and general appearance. I appreciated that their written message tried to be inclusive and supportive of all women, but this was not the image portrayed in the many pictures throughout the book.
Some helpful tips and good recipes. I couldn’t relate to everything since I’m not in the “TIU Community” but I do have a group of amazing and motivating friends. The biggest thing for me reading this book was the realization that these two women lead a very relaxed life compared to mine in that they don’t have children. They can go for a run or to a yoga class whenever they want but when you have children, your life is much more structured and inflexible.
Las recetas y las rutinas de ejercicio son 1000 puntos. Los comentarios no tanto, pero igual se siente lindo ver las fotos de inspiración y el trabajo visual es exquisito.
Love Karena and Katrina so much and this book has everything. Recipes, workouts, and ways to get motivated and find inner strength. Looking forward to doing this 5 day reset again when I can prep for the week.
There’s a lot of fluff in this book, but the recipes look delicious and the work outs are easily laid out. Lots of tips and tricks in here that are useful. I don’t think this is the best for someone new to the TIU community but it’s a nice addition for those that are familiar with the program.
I had never heard of tone it up before this book. It was mainly lots of pictures so beautiful young women, often on a beach. They talked a lot about having positive vibes. The recipes were heavy on the protein powder, coconut oil, almond milk, and matcha powder. None of this really interests me.
Every woman on the planet should have a copy of this book in their library ! It’s not about the healthy eating only or the workouts, it’s about finding balance inside and out so you can be the best version of yourself !
I really liked it. Yes if you are a member as long as I have been it all is repetitiv BUT all in one book summarized is a great reference. I will definitely come back to it and plan my 5 days of Balanced and Beautiful.
This is a great book if you are new to the TIU community. Being a member for a number of years, I found that most of this info I had been exposed too through the community already.
This was a fun waste of time that I don't regret 😂 even though the info does not contain anything extraordinary. I just liked their cheery style and the feeling of a blog rather than a book.
It's a pretty good book. It's different because I guess it broken up into 5 days of reading and reflecting. I suggest this to anyone needing a little boost. Kind of a quick read