Spring Fitness Fashion

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Loose, airy and feminine, like this top from Kohl’s Tek Gear

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I care (probably too much) about my fashion fitness apparel. It is just that when I feel confident, I tend to push myself to that next level. I get excited to wear new fitness clothes and smile as I look forward to the next workout! :)

Lately, I have noticed some fitness trends that I really like and thought I would share them with you:

1) The structured sports bra trend: If you are now looking for a better sports bra, the time is now. It seems like every clothing company is trying to bring us ladies more girl support as we bounce around our aerobics classes. I am seeing better built-in support tanks as well. It makes me hope that I will see fewer women struggling to get comfortable.

2) The loose overshirt trend: Can I just say, THANK YOU! I love wearing a looser shirt over a sports bra. Now we ladies can finally dump that lumpy and unflattering t-shirt. A flowing and fun top is so comfy and still very flattering to a body. Some of these tops are sheer and some are cropped. What I like about these shirts is that they are easy for me to mix and match outfits!

3) The neon trend: Correct me if I am wrong, but it is hard for women of a certain age (over 30, ahem…) to get away with neon colors on a normal day. (In fact, don’t even get me started on that whole high heel over socks trend…) However, I think that any woman can wear bright colors when she works out. I love how clothing companies are mixing black with bright fuchsia or orange neon colors. Incidentally, these clothes are also great if you workout outside at night!

4) Natural Contour shoes: I can’t embrace barefoot shoes. They not only look painful on pavement, but honestly, they look just goofy to me. However, I recently purchased a pair of Realflex from Reebok and I love them! They allow my foot to fall in it’s natural state and yet support my foot as well. Cute and comfy on my runs!

5) Seamless panties: The lines are thinner and less noticeable. My cheeks and eyes all thank you, dear underwear companies.

6) Secret compartments: Places for my keys, iPhone, etc…all in my workout pants! I feel like a secret agent, or…something. In any case, it is a perk!

7) Skorts. I like skirts as workout gear. They work for a run or a round of golf!

8 ) Prints: Paisleys, Flowers, and other feminine patterns are so whimsical and elegant. I love how these patterns add some fun interest to an otherwise monotone day!

Bright, cheerful and practical! I love it!

What workout fashion trends do you love? Hate? Let me know!

-Fit Mommy

Posted in Body Confidence, fashion

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Adding to your diet…a new way to think about healthy living!

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Add nutrient-dense foods, such as a banana, before your next meal to feel full and never feel deprived!

I am often asked by clients how they should eat to lose weight. Since I am not a certified dietitian or nutritionist, I feel it is most important to give them ideas that they can live with (for their whole life!).

I truly believe that food doesn’t have to be so darn complicated. In fact, I apply this belief to my own diet all of the time. I don’t have a pie chart that shows a specific balance of proteins, carbs and fats. I also rarely count calories. Instead, one of the best ways I can describe my food philosophy is that I use the principle of “Adding in Nutrition.”

Instead of depriving myself a cookie from time to time or swearing to myself that I won’t eat carbs ever again (because that is just crazy!), I like to think about adding in nutrient-dense foods at each and every meal.

Here’s how: Look at your diet and see how you can add in fruits, veggies and whole grains. If you add these to your diet, you will naturally crave fewer of the ‘less-than healthy’ stuff over time and make positive changes to your diet.

That’s right, forget about depriving yourself! No one can eat healthy all of the time. However, we can add in more health with every fork-full of food! If you know that you want that cookie, eat an extra banana at dinner first. That way, you won’t end up eating two cookies! When your body feels “nutrient-full,” those cravings will stop faster.

Here are more ways to “add in” nutrition:

1) Make a goal of having a fruit or veggie at every meal before you eat the main entree. Eat a salad before eating a hamburger. Sip on veggie soup before you indulge in a pasta meal. Have some fruit before you eat breakfast. These foods will fill you up so that you won’t eat as much of the calorie-dense foods.

2) Replace a “once in a while” food with a healthy, nutrient-dense alternative you can live with “most of the time.”  For example, I love black bean burgers. I love them so much that I can almost always eat them instead of hamburgers. However, I still like hamburgers too. This means that my “once in a while” food is eaten just a little less often! Now, I probably only eat hamburgers a few times a year.

3) Use fruits as a snack between meals. I love to buy tons of bananas. They are my “go to” snack when I am hungry between meals. They are nutrient dense and fill me up so that I don’t run for a vending machine snack! You can try this same idea with apples or avocados!

4) Add some H2O! No, water doesn’t have nutrients, but it helps to flush all the toxins away that you keep on eating! I love to add in water whenever I can. In fact, I now always have two large water glasses each morning before I eat my breakfast and coffee. This helps me stay hydrated and feel full before I have even eaten!

Try a few new additions to your diet and see if this idea works for you!

-Fit Mommy

 

Posted in nutrition

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So, you messed up…

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Yeah, you messed up because...cheesecake still exists.

You skipped a week of workouts (or three) and ate bad food all the while. The scale practically screams a new number at you, and you may have pulled out those larger pants that you didn’t want to wear again.

Its okay. Take a breath and a walk. Now! Do you know why? Because we can all take a U-Turn. Nothing illegal about it, even if you live in Michigan. Take a U-Turn, and start again. Your body will respond again to hard work. Nobody is perfect, and if you take a perfectionist route to healthiness, you will fail every time.

…Because we all fail. Because cheesecake still exists. Because sometimes we feel like letting our workout clothes collect dust.

Don’t despair, just take a deep breath and put on the running shoes. Do a few stretches and move for 30 minutes.

Last, don’t feel worse because you can’t lift the weights you were lifting before and you have gotten slower. Keep going, your body will catch up with your new state of mind. Just keep going, because even if you are in a U-Turn, you are still moving.

Don’t Stop!

-Fit Mommy

Posted in motivation

Naptime is sweat time!

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

I got strong from taking time out for myself!

My daily ‘stay at home mom’ routine: Get up, make coffee, take kids out for a morning playtime, lunch, nap…then I would work up a sweat!

I didn’t have a fancy gym. I didn’t have fancy equipment. No personal trainer either (though I wish I would have had someone like me come over! :) . So, I would put the kids down and do the following things to get moving and burn calories while the kids were dreaming away:

1. Run around the house: Yes, I would run around the house in a circle. 10 times one direction and ten times in the other. I would treat toys like obstacles and jump around them. The dog would chase me and then get tired and retreat to a corner.

2. Dance to my favorite iTunes: I would make up cardio routines to my favorite songs and dance away in my kitchen. In fact, some of these routines are ones that my clients use today!

3. Videos: Denise Austin on TV was DVR’d. I also had the FitTV channel for yoga and Pilates. If I didn’t want to move around, I would do floor work to the TV.

4. March to TV Shows. If I didn’t want to leave the TV area and I just wanted to watch a show, I would march or get out my step and complete steps as I watched. During commercials, I would do some crunches, squats, and pushups.

5. Stretch: I would try to stretch out and take a quick shower.

After my sweat time, I usually found that I was less stressed and I felt like I had accomplished one small thing on my list. I felt great and usually I would still have plenty of time to relax or snooze on the couch before the kids got out of bed.

For all those moms out there who are looking for something to do, here are some ideas! Take that time out for you, you are worth it!

-Fit Mommy

Posted in Uncategorized

Are trainers “stretching” the truth?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Impressive, but she isn't necessarily healthier than the rest of us!

I picked up the April, 2012 copy of Fitness Magazine and quickly noticed an article entitled “Health Lies Trainers Tell.” I was instantly intrigued as I flipped to page 88 and noticed a lie that read,

“The more limber you are, the better”

I have heard from yoga teachers and fitness professionals over and over how my inflexibility is unhealthy. Even though I worked for years to touch my toes, I was only just recently successful at getting a tad more flexible. Does this stop me from loving yoga and leading classes? Absolutely not. I pride myself in being real. I don’t have a perfect downward dog, nor does having one make anyone a better trainer.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the PRACTICE of flexibility is healthy. It isn’t important how far you can stretch, but that you do stretch after each and every workout. In fact, the magazine article even points out that “Flexibility is certainly important, and you should be flexible enough to do the things you need or want to do without being uncomfortable.” However, it isn’t healthy to push yourself too much or strain yourself. Extreme stretch can cause injury!

There you have it. Stretch those muscles because it feels great! Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to be “more flexible!”

-Fit Mommy

 

Posted in flexibility, healthy living

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Fork Choices

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost

You have come across the two roads, diverging in the yellow wood, such as the famous Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken.” When you take a look at that fork in the road or on your plate, you need to make a decision. Will you take the fork of unhealthiness, or the less traveled healthy road?

It is a decision you make every time you pick up that fork. Will you choose the steamed veggies or the french fries? Will you choose the salad or the steak?

These forks in the road are your life choices and with each choice, you decide your path to old age. The fork of bad health can lead to a rugged terrain with heart disease and diabetes. The fork of health, on the other hand, may make your journey more smooth and scenic.

So, you’ve come to that fork in the road…Can you pick the road less traveled by than most? It isn’t an easy decision, and it can feel lonesome. When most of your friends and family pick up the cake, you can feel lonely when you choose the unsweetened applesauce.

I can only encourage you to keep trying and continue to make a difference in your own life. You may be just the right influence to encourage someone else to walk with you.

-Fit Mommy

Posted in goal setting, healthy living, motivation, nutrition

Post Pregnancy Tips to Lose Weight- From Katie!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Pregnancy is beautiful...but after delivery, that bump isn't so cute...Tips from Katie to slim down!

There’s nothing more joyous than meeting your new baby for the first time. Now that the baby has finally made her appearance in the world, it’s time to get back into the swing of things and get your body back in shape. Easier said than done, right? Any woman who has ever tried to drop the extra pounds she gained while being pregnant knows it’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when there is a new bundle to care for. So after all of the important health decisions have been made for baby concerning vaccinations, feeding and even optional procedures, like cord blood banking, here are some post pregnancy weight loss tips to help mom make important health decisions for herself.

Eat a Nutritious Diet

Besides being unhealthy and not providing the nutrients needed to care for a demanding newborn, a junk-filled diet will keep a woman struggling to pregnancy lose weight. Also, starving to drop those post pregnancy pounds won’t work either. In fact, not getting enough calories to fuel the body will result in a slowed metabolism and an inability to lose weight.

If weight loss is the goal, it’s important to eat a nutritious diet. A wholesome diet should be filled with whole grains, beans, nuts, lean meats, fish, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegetarian diets are also healthy. If this type of eating plan is used to lose weight, be sure to eat a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and legumes to make sure there is enough calcium, iron and protein to meet daily dietary needs.

Get Some Exercise

With the demands of caring for a new baby, finding the time to exercise is hard. However, if losing pregnancy weight is truly at the top of the list, getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week is necessary.

The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative. If squeezing out a large block of time to workout is impossible, doing it in 10-minute increments several times a day will work just fine.

Doing enjoyable things will increase the likelihood of sticking to a workout regimen. If the treadmill is boring, strap the baby in a stroller and take a brisk walk around the block. Some other activities that will get the heart pumping include biking, jumping rope, dancing, kickboxing, skating and playing tennis.

Vary Workout Routines

Not only is doing the same exercises day in and day out boring, it can cause weight loss efforts to stall. Varying workouts will reduce the chances of hitting a plateau and keep those pregnancy pounds melting off.

Breastfeed the Baby

Sure, there are more important reasons to breastfeed your baby than losing weight. However, breastfeeding can burn up to 500 extra calories a day. Of course, this number will vary based on the number of breastfeeding sessions and how much milk the body produces.

Yes, pregnancy is a beautiful thing. However, most women would prefer to do without the extra pounds that come along with it. There’s no need to worry. With a combination nutritious eating and exercise, pregnancy weight will eventually come off.

“This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.”

Posted in Body Confidence, cardio, Guest Blogger, healthy living, mommy, motivation, nutrition, pregnancy

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Food trendy for 2012

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Craft Beers made the list...Cheers to food trends!

One of my favorite parts of the IDEA Fitness Journal this month is the report about trendy foods! Don’t you want to be “in the know” about what foods will be chic and which we are, just “so….over.” In general, the experts forecast that we will be more into foods that represent “purity, freshness, simplicity and ethics.” (57)

Here are some foods that are trending in:

  • Butter
  • Grass-fed meat
  • Sea Salt
  • Healthy Fats
  • The family dinner
  • Stevia
  • Chicken thigh/Dark Meat (YAY!)
  • Local, Seasonal superfruits
  • Whole Eggs, Cage Free
  • Farmstead cheese
  • Fresh Produce
  • Craft Beer
  • Kettle Potato Chips
  • Dark Leafy Greens

My immediate thoughts are that we are moving toward a simpler lifestyle with these choices. It seems that we will focus less emphasis on calories and processing, more emphasis on whole foods that we can recognize. For the most part, this is a pretty healthy trend list, but I also notice that with many of these choices, the amount of saturated fats goes up (See Kettle Chips and butter).

What do you think of these trends for your plate? Delicious or Devilish?

-Fit Mommy

 

Posted in healthy living, nutrition, random thoughts

Fit Mommy’s April Playlist

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

I’m a ‘square’ about music! :)

My last list was a hit (so to speak…) by readers, so I am going to attempt to keep up and write a blog with my latest faves for workouts! Lately, I have been listening to a lot of country, but here are my running/kickboxing/aerobics favorites!

Warm-up: Brand New Day by Sting

1. Who’s That Chick? (featuring Rhianna) David Guetta…makes me wonder if people think that when they see me being a goofball…

2. Part of Me by Katy Perry. I don’t know how she does it, but Katy can make a song that makes me want to work out!

3. Bust a Move (Glee Cast Version). Something about the vision of Mr. Shuester dancing to this makes me smile!

4. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 (featuring Chistina Aguilera). My clients just seem to work harder to this song, and I like to work on my moves too!

5. Turbulence (Radio Edit) by Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke: This is a favorite new kickboxing song-intense!

6. Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. Now that the radio doesn’t play it as often, I love this one again. Since it is over 4 minutes, it is great for a HIIT interval!

7. I saw her standing there by the Beatles (Anthology 1). One of my faves for aerobics. Short and sweet…classic!

8. My life would suck without you by Kelly Clarkson. Because…it would, wouldn’t it? Oh, and running would suck without this song! :)

9. We Are Young by Fun. It’s a hit right now and I love how it pumps up my clients (and me!)

10. Feels so Close (Radio Edit) by Calvin Harris. New song…Oh the Possiblities (sigh!) :)

Cool Down: Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine.

Let me know if you have any of these songs on your running list! Or…let me know what your fave is right now-I love to hear about music and get suggestions!

-Fit Mommy

Posted in cardio, Music, random thoughts

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Years of Dehydration…gone!

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Fit Mommy| Leave a comment

Hydration will make a difference in your life!

A few weeks ago, I decided to actually listen to those experts and try to drink more water…LOTS more. In fact, I decided to drink water constantly. I had been experiencing some skin issues and I just had a feeling that I was very dehydrated.

I was…in fact, now that I have been drinking water I know that I have now lived for years with dehydration. After only a few weeks, I have noticed that my skin has improved a bunch and I feel much better inside. I have lost some weight and I have noticed much less water retention. My body has more energy and I can push myself more during every workout. The only real downer is that I feel like I have to run to the bathroom constantly.

Can I encourage you to take a water challenge? Try to drink water instead of one caffeinated beverage a day. JUST ONE! I started out with this small change and now I make sure to drink 16 ounces in the morning before I even take one sip of coffee. This keeps me alert and I don’t experience caffeine jitters! I also try to drink a tall water before meals so that I am fuller and eat less.

Even I can’t believe that I am writing this. For YEARS I have hated drinking water, but now I can’t say enough about how great I feel…and hydrated.

-Fit Mommy

 

Posted in goal setting, healthy living, motivation, nutrition