Fit Friday- "30 day shred!"

Welcome to another Fit Friday! My sweet friend Rachel left me a comment on a previous Fit Friday post and this is what she had to say:

"You wanna know the most AMAZING workout video EVER? Jillian Michael's 30 day SHRED! It will change your life and I never say that!!!!!! GET IT! :)"

Well, I was on the list at the library for this DVD and I finally received it and let me tell you.... Rachel, you were RIGHT!!!! This video is amazing! One twenty minute workout left both my sister and me sweating like crazy and so incredibly sore the next day. So far I've done it three times in the past few days and I am still feeling super sore, and I'm only on level one! Whew! Jillian is right- this is the way to your best body yet! (That is, if you can suffer through the torture hehe.) I am a huge fan of the Biggest Loser and now have a taste for what those contestants do every day at the ranch. Let's give them the credit they deserve!!! Thank you so much for recommending the DVD, Rachel!! I am off to buy it today since it is THAT good! Hope you all have a fantastic & fit weekend! :)

And on a sidenote...
Andrew graduates to his next belt level (orange!) tomorrow morning and we are so proud of him! He has taken to karate SO well and just loves it!! :) YAY! xo!

Fit Friday - "you can still have fudge?!"

Have you heard of Hungry Girl??? If not visit here right this minute! Lisa Lillien has created this amazing website and has written two great books, all with recipes that are no-guilt and oh so yummy! I just recently purchased her newest book, 200 Under 200, which is full of recipes that are all under 200 calories. And best of all, for those on Weight Watchers like me, she has all the point values listed on her website. You can sign up for daily emails as well, which are great because she sends out reviews of new products, great recipes, and more!

I have been dying to make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge recipe which looks SO SO SOOOO good. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I love making things that aren't too bad for you that still taste delish. :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies Mix (the 18.3-oz. Family Size box)
2 tbsp. Better ‘n Peanut Butter, room temperature

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin with the brownie mix in a large bowl; stir until smooth (do not add anything else). Spray a small baking pan (8" X 8" work best - no larger!) with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Spoon 2 tbsp. of Better ‘n Peanut Butter (room temperature) on top and use a knife to swirl peanut butter around. Cook for approximately 35 minutes. The batter will remain very thick and fudgy, and it should look undercooked. Remove from oven. Cover with aluminum foil and let cool in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut into 36 squares and serve.

Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1.3 oz.)
Calories: 63
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 56mg
Carbs: 13.5g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 1g
* 1 Point!

Do you have any great, low-cal recipes or tricks you want to share with us for Fit Friday?! And by the way, anyone here in San Diego going to the Hungry Girl book signing on June 3rd?! You know I will be there, yay!!! Have a great weekend everyone, xo!

Fit Friday - "fat secret!"

Happy Friday to you all! I am choosing to share a quick Fit Friday secret today since I am bogged down with birthday preparations for tomorrow!! Lots on my "to-do" list today, so the blog is taking a backseat until after the weekend. But I do want to share a fabulous website that I found a few months ago that is GREAT. It is called FatSecret and is a free way to track weight loss, join challenges, find recipes, and motivate you! See if it works for you- I love it along with tracking weight loss on the Weight Watchers website.

Does anyone have any fit tips for the day?! Have a happy weekend, my friends! xo!

Fit Friday- "couch to 5k!"

Welcome to Fit Friday, once again!!

After watching Biggest Loser this week, which is one of my favorite shows, I have to say I am feeling extra inspired to continue on my path to super-fab fitness. The contestants have almost reached the finale, but before doing so, they were challenged to run a full marathon. Can you believe it?! These people have endured 17 weeks on the ranch and are in good enough shape to run a marathon. So it got me thinking, I should set a small goal for myself to do something similar. No, I don't want to run out and complete a marathon tomorrow. But it is a goal I can attain if I break it up into baby steps. And so, I revert back to a plan I started long ago and never got to the second week of... Couch to 5K!! I think a 5K run is a small and reasonable enough goal for myself and I feel like I am in a place to do something like this. So I want to share the info with all of you in case you would like to join me!! :)

"Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.
You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles (or 5K) on a regular basis in just two months."
from CoolRunning

HERE is the running plan. It starts off slowly and is super realistic for a beginning runner. I mean, straight off the couch. :) Take a peek and see what you think... maybe we will all be running marathons before we know it!!!
And anyone have any tips for a beginning runner??
Have a super healthy and fun weekend, my friends- xo!!

Fit Friday - "drink up!"

Welcome to another Fit Friday! This week, I did the unthinkable.

I. gave. up. diet. coke. omg.

I haven't had a sip of soda for a week now! This is a huge step for me, since I am literally a Diet Coke addict!! But after being on Weight Watchers for over two months now, I am feeling the need to kick things into high gear once again. So in an effort to boost my weight loss, no soda this week! Water has become my new best friend, and I also found a great new product that I want to share with you today... Skinny Water!!

This water tastes delicious, has ZERO calories, zero sugar and is amazing! They come in different types: there is one for crave control, one for energy, one to wake up, one with super vitamins, etc. Essentially, they are similar to Vitamin Water, only without the calories. I am in love with them!! :)

Straight from the Skinny Water website:

"...Skinny Water, a great tasting, multi-functional, one-of-a-kind beverage. Skinny Water proudly contains zero calories, zero sugar, zero sodium and zero preservatives. Packed with vitamins, electrolytes, and anti-oxidants, Skinny Water is the perfect addition to an on-the-go healthy lifestyle.
Why Skinny Water?
In order for our bodies and minds to function optimally, we need to get sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals each day. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and others confirm that millions of Americans have diets that are lacking in many key nutrients. Skinny Water can help achieve these nutritional goals as part of a balanced diet and exercise. By providing people with a convenient, accessible and flexible way to get the water and nutrients they need each day, Skinny Water helps encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. When people experience how much better they feel when they are getting more of the nutrients and hydration they need, they will naturally seek out additional sources of good nutrition and better health practices."

Grab yourself a skinny water and have a super healthy weekend... without the soda!!! :) xo!

Fit Friday- "gadgets & gear!"

Welcome to my second Fit Friday!! I had so much fun doing this last week and am looking forward to continuing on my quest to a healthy and fit lifestyle! This week, we need to gear up! And by "gear"... of course I mean we need to do a little shopping! :) For Mother's Day, all I am asking for is exercise clothes. Lately, that's all I've been wearing, so a little variety would be nice. I found these adorable items at Old Navy.... cheap and SO cute!

What a flattering top- it's 16 bucks and it even has a built in shelf bra! Hooray! :) Find it here!

I love love loveeeeee foldover yoga pants to exercise in. They are flattering and so comfy-cozy. I love these capris for spring and summer, but Old Navy's got a whole bunch of different ones to suit your style. Anyone have any clothing must-haves for exercising???

Now onto a gadget for you....

A must have to track how much exercise your body is getting on a daily basis: a pedometer will measure your total steps for the day. The recommended goal to living a healthy and active lifestyle is about 10,000 steps a day. I have used pedometers in the past and they really are a great motivational tool- you want to get to that 10,000 mark everyday if it kills you!! :) Weight Watchers offers one that also tracks how many activity points you earn in a day, but I bought a cheap-y one from WalMart a few days ago. I used it and am not super wild about it, but since it was only a few bucks I will give it the benefit of the doubt. The pedometer above got great reviews on Amazon and looks a bit ore promising... and it isn't a ton of money. I might look into getting that one. I like the pedometers that not only tell you how many steps you have gone, but a mileage as well. That is helpful on neighborhood walks when you aren't positive about the distance you are covering.

Anyone have any recommended brands they use and enjoy??

Here is a bit of info about getting in the 10,000 steps a day from The Walking Site:

"Maybe you have heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles. A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits.

A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.

Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps each day. Start by wearing the pedometer every day for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you get in each day.

There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list:

• Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
• Walk the dog
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park farther from the store
• Better yet, walk to the store
• Get up to change the channel
• Window shop
• Plan a walking meeting
• Walk over to visit a neighbor
• Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding

Continue to track your daily steps and/or mileage; and keep notes on how you feel, how your body is improving, or other changes you are making to improve your health."

So go ahead and treat yourself to a new exercise outfit that will make you feel slammin' & clip on those pedometers!! Here is to a healthy and fit week, my friends!! :) And PS. Remember to leave me a comment with any fit tips! I will be compiling everyone's tips into an upcoming Fit Friday blog so we can all share our secrets! xo!