Happy New Year's Resolution Planning!

Another year is about to come to a close and most people are probably thinking about their New Year's Resolutions. The #1 goal most people make for a new year is a new you, or weight loss. And to fit into this statistic, that is part of mine. I have let my self control get out of hand lately and it's my goal to work on it. In turn, this will help my nutrition and weight loss goals. 

Merry Christmas!!

I would like to wish you and your loves ones a very Merry Christmas! Although I'm a health conscious person, I allow myself to splurge on holidays. I cannot wait for honey glazed ham, mandarin orange salad, green bean casserole, baked sweet potatoes, stuffing, wine, pie and coffee. I absolutely love waking up on Christmas morning and hearing the holiday music while cooking a full breakfast. Then we sit down to open gifts and I anticipate seeing everyone's excitement when unwrapping their gifts. 

So whatever you love most about the holidays, enjoy it to the fullest this year! 

What was your favorite gift you gave or received? 

Holiday Gift Giving Guide for Fitness Lovers

We are down to the wire with less than two day until Christmas. If you haven't finished your shopping, you better get on it! And, even if you have finished, shop some more...for yourself! I assume if you are reading my blog that you are a fitness and nutrition enthusiast. And, with Christmas and gift giving I thought it would be perfect to touch on some great fitness lover gift options. With so many gadgets and trackers and workout enhancers, the gifts ideas are endless. 

Lit'l Smokies Wreath Recipe

Ok readers, I have one final Christmas themed recipe for you and this one was a huge hit that after 30 minutes, there weren't any left! The Christmas Wiener Wreath. So, the name may not sound appropriate... Let's call it the Lit'l Smokies Wreath :) Now this recipe isn't super healthy, but this can be your little indulgence appetizer. And, opting for the Turkey Lit'l Smokies makes this the healthier option. So steer clear of the beef for cheddar smokies and you'll save yourself 70 calories!

Healthy Holiday Treat

Before we know it, Christmas will once again have come and gone in a blink of an eye. Before it's over, be festive and make Christmas themed party snacks. And you won't have to sacrifice your diet to make tasty treats. This recipe is for Santa Grinch Fruit Sticks and couldn't be any easier to make. This was my first time preparing this and my Santas came out great! Serve this as an appetizer at your Christmas meal or if you have any holiday parties left to attend, bring this and it will surely be a hit with the guests. Check out the recipe.

Snowman Cheese Ball

The holiday season is in full swing and it will be gone before you know it. It's the time all your friends and co-workers are inviting you to Christmas parties or you're having one of your own. This past weekend I had my annual White Elephant Christmas Party. The apparel theme was Christmas colors with a Santa beard, and yes, this did include the ladies wearing a beard :) I love the holidays and I love going all out, entertaining, and ensuing my parties are a success.

After searching Google, Pinterest, Etsy, and so many more sites, I had my game plan for my house decor, beards, and appetizers. I woke up bright and early at 7am that Saturday and began cooking and prepping for the party. One of the tastiest treats I made was the Snowman Cheese Ball. Not only did he look awesome, but he tasted amazing!! So, if you want to WOW your guests or one-up the host of your Christmas party, this snowman recipe is a must try!

HIIT Cardio to Blast Fat

I'm back!!! Even though I should not be so excited about it to add three exclamation marks... My vacation was amazing and relaxing. BUT... I gained 5.5lbs from extremely overeating. I mean I ate myself into a food coma about five times a day! I told you all I was really a fat girl at heart and unfortunately, I gain weight super easy. A huge part of me felt like taking the rest of the year off from my dieting and fitness plan. But I knew that would only make it worse come January 1st to start back up again. 

Checking Out for Thanksgiving and a Much-Needed Vacation

Hi Readers of FitFadFan! I hope you enjoy reading my blog. I try to provide a variety of content from workouts, to recipes, to neat gadgets. I am writing today to let you know I will be heading out on vacation this Saturday for five days with no international cell service. And while I could auto schedule posts to keep bring you content, I've just been so busy with family in town, planning my Thanksgiving Holiday, and trying to get everything in order for this vacation. 

So with that being said, I want to say that I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends, loved ones or however you enjoy spending it! I'm so thankful for this blog, my passion for writing and fitness, and above all, you, my readers! I can't thank you enough. Without you, I'd have no blog. 

I hope you can bear with me for a week with no blog post. But I promise to come back and write something great :) I have not had a real vacation in years and I'm so lucky I get to go on a Carnival Cruise to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel. I've never been to either. So if you have any cruise tips or have been to any of these places, let me know what's good! 

All I know is that I will be doing lots of walking at each port. And I heard my cruise boat has an outdoor track on the top of the boat. Imagine the views for that run! I can't wait to relax and truly tune out from the world for a little while. Be back soon!! 

Where's your favorite place to vacation? 

Mommy and Baby Workout Routine

So I had the joy of watching my 2 month old nephew the other day. And let me start by saying, man, that was some hard work! I don't think I could do it on a daily basis. My entire schedule was off. And anyone who knows me knows I live by a schedule. Although I don't feel like I did much over the course of the day, I do feel like I got a pretty decent workout in. lol My little nugget would get bored if I kept him in one position for too long, so I had to keep switching arm positions and bounce him around throughout the day. He's already nearing 12lbs and it doesn't seem like much until you have to hold him for hours on end. 

I always thought if I ever decided to have kids that it would throw a wrench in my workout routine. But I realized the other day that there are quite a few exercises you can do with a baby that will benefit both of you! So whether you have a newborn or might be babysitting a new born, try out these exercises:

Sugar Leads to Weight Gain

I found some shocking staples to my diet had large amounts of sugar. I'm allotted a total of 30g of sugar each day and you'd be surprised how quickly those 30g come and go... I eat an apple almost every day and just one gala apple has 16g of sugar! I drink Vanilla Chai Tea Protein shake and it has 26g of sugar! FAGE 0% Total Greek Yogurt has 9g of sugar! And my cranberry and nut trail mix has 14g of sugar! If I ate all these every day, it adds up to 65g of sugar...well over my allowed amount. While I won't be cutting out apples or Greek Yogurt from my diet, I'll probably cut back on eating them daily. And I sure won't be drinking that protein shake anymore!

Eat Your Stress Away the Healthy Way

Everyone has stress in their lives at some point or another. But it's how you deal with it is what matters most. Improper coping or handling of stress often leads to other health issues. Did you know that 43% of adults suffer adverse health effects from stress? Stress can lead to headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, anxiety, and the list can go on...

Fat Burning Recipe: Chicken & Chickpea Salad

Work full-time and not in the mood to slave over dinner when you get home in the evenings? But still want to eat a healthy meal? Don't sweat it! There are lots of options for a quick and easy meal that healthy and nutritious too. My Chicken & Chickpea Salad Recipe packs a big punch in flavor while incorporating ingredients that can help burn fat. 

The End of Another Decade, Now Onto 30...

Well today I say goodbye to a decade that treated me VERY well. I'm 30... I know most females dread turning 30 and feel it's that marker that once you pass, everything is downhill. And not that relieving feeling when running downhill where your run gets easier. It's the downhill sense that your health will get worse, your brain slower, and your looks will fade. If you asked me 10 years ago, this was exactly my feeling towards turning 30. I said I would do whatever I could (including a nip and tuck lol) if it meant I'd look and feel young forever. 

So, was I ready to turn 30 this year? Now that the day has arrived, I feel at peace with 30 and I'm actually embracing it. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that so much happened in my 20s. There were quite a few ups and downs; so much I'm surprised I didn't vomit from the whiplash! But, it's all made me who I am today. I'm happy where I am in life. I have a great job, I live a healthy lifestyle, have an amazing boyfriend and friends, own a beautiful home, and am in a very comfortable place in my life. 

Here's a quick Top 20 Milestones from My 20's list, the good, and the not-so-good times:

1. Came of legal age to drink
2. Gained more than my Freshman 15...
3. Got into a car accident and totaled my car
4. Graduated college
5. Moved to Florida all by my lonesome
6. Started a "real" job 
7. Got fired from said job
8. Went broke for a little bit
9. Started a new job
10. Began truly living healthy, and lost 35 lbs
11. Sister got married
12. Removed some excess baggage from my life
13. Bought a house
14. Began a new relationship
15. Became an aunt
16. Was laid off
17. Started a great job that allowed me to save a lot of money
18. Hit goal of 18% body fat (yeah this is a big deal to me to make my list!)
19. Completed a long bathroom demo and remodel project
20. Became an aunt for a second time

There's a little more to the list, but I don't want to get too personal with it. I think you get the idea.  

Therefore, I'm excited to see what happens in my 30s and can only hope I will embrace the next decade so well! 

Manning is Returning to Indy

Well he's not returning to Indy the way I would love for him to... to be a Colt again. Nearly two years ago I felt like I had my heart broken when news broke that Indy and Manning were parting ways. It was like a horrible breakup that you never saw coming. Manning was coming back from his injury and we all were anticipating a great season with him. But just like that, dreams were shattered. It was an emotional release felt by all Colts fans. As awesome as I think Andrew Luck is, I still feel sad when I watch Manning throwing passes for the Broncos. I can't help but root for him every week. I miss him.

Fall Flavors: Healthy Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

It's the time of year when everywhere you look and everything you hear is pumpkin related...Dunkin Donuts' Pumpkin Coffee, Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie, Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, and the list goes on. We all want to indulge in the delicious flavor of pumpkin, but not at the added cost of increasing our waistline! So how can you enjoy this seasonal flavor without all the syrups, sugars and calories? 

The Importance of Amino Acids

Do you know how important amino acids are to your body and muscle building? They are the building blocks of protein and muscle tissue. Sounds pretty important huh? Of the 23 amino acids, nine are considered essential, meaning our body can't produce them and we must obtain them from nutrition or supplementation. Aminos are also important in metabolic process, which means they may play a role in improving certain diseases such as diabetes, obesity, insomnia and arthritis.

The Olympia Weekend Has Come and Gone

I just returned from the Olympia weekend in Vegas. And let me say, WOW! What an exhausting, but great time. If you're into health and fitness this is a great show. There's so much to see and do, aside from the fact that it's in Vegas of all places. 

The Olympia Expo is over 500,000 square feet of floor space with more than 30,000 bodybuilding and fitness fans from all over the world who come out to see, sample and purchase the newest products from over 750 booths of supplement, apparel and fitness companies while having a chance to meet athletes, celebrities and industry icons.

Zombie Rush Obstacle Course Race

It's been a while since I've done an obstacle course race. The last one I did was the Beach Beast back in April and it ultimately led to me hurting my knee... :( Note to self, do not run on the beach anymore. And what made it worse was that the Beach Beast was actually a really bad OCR, I definitely do NOT recommend wasting your money on this one. But I am happy to say that today I registered for the Zombie Rush in October. In the spirit of Halloween, I'll be chased by Zombies while running through Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah, FL on the 19th. 

How I Went from Fat to Fit

Ok, so after all this time, I realized I've never really told my full story of how I came to write a blog about fitness and nutrition. My entire life I've been active and part of most every sport you can play...softball, swimming, track, basketball, tennis, horseback riding, volleyball, etc. I played sports year-round in both indoor arena leagues, summer travel leagues, and in my own back yard. So you read this and probably think, well she's been in shape her entire life. Not quite.

Should You Invest in Weightlifting Gloves?

Every time I go into the gym at work and one of my female coworkers is in there lifting, she's wearing weight lifting gloves. In my entire life of conditioning for sports over the years and even now that I'm lifting recreationally  I've never worn gloves. Well, I shouldn't say never...I wear weighted gloves for kickboxing class but that's a completely different subject. Ok, back on subject. It got me thinking that maybe I should look into it.

Gearing Up For Olympia Weekend

Mr. Olympia 2013 weekend is only 3.5 weeks away!! Now don't be fooled, I'm not competing or anything. But I am trying to drop a little weight and tone up for it. I mean who wouldn't?? This is only THE biggest event in the fitness and nutrition industry. So I want to fit the part of it all. 

Coming Back from Vacation...

I've decided to change up the blog a little and make some personal posts mixed in with the informational posts. 

Coming back from vacation (ok, not really a vacation but a long weekend) is always hard. The entire weekend, I didn’t really want to exercise. I wanted to pig out, relax and catch some rays. 

WOW Your Guests this Labor Day with Healthy Recipes

Heading to BBQ or pot luck to celebrate Labor Day? Don't be the person with the boring food dish and don't take the easy way out with purchasing chips and salsa or soda. Spice it up and be the talk of the party! To gear up for all the hard work you've put in this year, here are some super simple and extremely tasty recipes.

What to Eat After a Workout

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, when most people think they just grab a greasy burger after an all-out, intense workout, they better think again!! This is a big no-no. When you workout, your body is burning fuel from your pre-workout meal. Glycogen stored in muscles begins to breakdown and an hour after your workout, your muscles begin to break down. Right after a workout, your body is the most receptive to absorbing carbohydrates and protein.

Strengthen Your Knees to Prevent Injury

Did you that women are up to eight times more likely to suffer a severe knee injury than men?? Researchers believe a woman's wider hips place the thighbone at a more extreme angle where it meets the knee, putting strain on the ACL. Female hormones that keep connective tissue flexible may also weaken the knee.

Plank Vs. Crunch: Which Should you be Doing?

 

Let me first start this post off by saying...if you do only ab workouts, you will NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT, have that flat tummy you see in the magazines. Like all other areas of the body, if you want to blast fat, you need to add some cardio to your life and watch those pesky things called calories. Now, what an ab workout will do it help tone those muscles that you may end up seeing if you add all three components together (ab routine, cardio, and nutrition). Otherwise, you're only building muscle on top of existing fat. 

Don't Let Snacking Get the Best of You!

Ok, so I've been in a little bit of rough patch lately. I'm human too! This is a common issue for dieters, which makes dieting so damn difficult. I thought I was doing well with my exercises and my meals. So I decided to go the old-school way and write down everything I was eating. I wasn't doing too well tracking in my app and looking back on past calories consumed. 

Fitness Friday Recipe: Healthy Snacks

#TGIF #FitFam! Just because the weekend is almost here, don't forget all of your hard work this week to accomplish your fitness goals! While the weekends typically mean more going out, more snacking, and overall more calories, don't let it get the best of you. Here are a couple really easy, really quick, and really cheap snack ideas to help you stay on track the next couple of days. These are personally my favorite #CleanEating snacks. 

Love ice cream but don't indulge because the calories and fat just aren't worth it? Here's a healthy alternative... Frozen Nutty Banana Nibblers. This delicious-tasting treat is just over 160 calories per serving and offers 4.1 grams of fiber and 3.7 grams of protein, so you can feel good reaching for an extra nibbler or two. For an added bonus, they are a cinch to whip up, and since you can store them in the freezer, you'll have a go-to healthy dessert whenever your sweet cravings kick into high gear. 

Ingredients:

5 medium ripe bananas

1 tbsp. all natural creamy peanut butter

2 oz. nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

1) Peel one banana and mash it with the peanut butter and yogurt.

2) Peel the other four bananas. Slice into half-inch thick slices.

3) Smear the banana, peanut butter, and yogurt mixture on half the banana slices and top with the other halves, making banana sandwiches.

4) Place on a wooden cutting board or a plate and freeze for at least two hours.

These Apple Sandwiches may look like a kid's treat, but trust me, adults will love it too! Especially if you are dieting and want to eat items that are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and good fats. Now don't get me wrong, if your kids love this snack then that's great too! Much better alternative to those french fries at McDonald's!

Ingredients:

1 apple-sliced into thin rounds

1-2 tbsp all natural peanut butter or almond butter

Handful of raisins

Drizzle of honey

Chopped walnuts or almonds

Cinnamon

1) Thinly slice the apple into 8 rounds.

2) Top 4 apple rounds with peanut butter, raisins, nuts and drizzle with a little honey.

3) Top each round with the other 4 apple slices and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Fitness Humor on Hump Day

Well it's HUMP DAY! For those working professionals that means your half way through your work week, but yet the weekend seems so far away! I thought I make a quick blog post to bring you some fitness humor to brighten your week. And, since the work day is winding down and about to come to a close, this means you are probably only a few hours away from hitting the gym and getting your much needed stress reliever on, your workout! You can find more humorous health and fitness posts and images at Facebook.com/FitFadFan and @FitFadFan. So please, take a moment to laugh and read these: 

Get Your Best Butt

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It's Monday and the beginning of the week is never easy. Some of us are going back to our regular routine while others are starting their routine over again. Whichever best describes you and your fitness motivation today, I'm here to help get you through it! So if you're looking for an easier routine to get you started this week, then this is the post for you. 

Just How Healthy Are Sweet Potatoes

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I look around my office filled with competitors, bodybuilders, weekend warriors, and your plain ol' average joes and I notice at lunch time, about 90% of the people are eating sweet potatoes. When you work in a health conscious environment, you start noticing the gym routines, the eating habits, and the little tips and tricks others use to live healthier. And then you find yourself adapting these new habits. 

Tip of the Day for Healthy Living

TIP OF THE DAY: Every day counts! Many people struggle over the weekend to stay on track. And I've noticed on my blog stats that my page views drastically decrease over the weekends. This just proves my thoughts, many of us find it a greater challenge to make time for workouts and stay on top of our meals on the weekends. You may be unpleasantly surprised as to how much hard work you can reverse in just 2-3 days. If your mindset is that you work hard during the week, so you can slack on the weekends, it may be time for a different approach! It's a constant battle and you have to work hard at it each and every day in order to achieve true success. And I'm not going to lie, it's not easy. But nothing in life is easy. That's why life is a constant battle as some so. But I like to look at life as a constant challenge. And I always love a good challenge :) 

DAILY MOTIVATION:

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Green Coffee Bean for Weight Loss

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We live in a world where thin is in and every wants to lose weight and look great. And to help you shed those unwanted pounds, there are weight loss supplements that can aid in your success. But when you go to the store and find the right one for you, the shelves are packed with CLA, Raspberry Ketone, White Kidney Bean Extract, Garcinia, Yerba Mate, and now Green Coffee Bean. So how do you know what to choose? 

Barely There Footwear

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I remember when the barely there footwear started catching on and I thought it was weird! I didn't understand how someone could run on pavement with a shoe that looked like a sock. It funny how trends work...something starts off large or clunky and then gradually gets smaller and then it gets larger again. Think about cell phones. They started huge and then turned super tiny and now they are getting larger. Well I think that's how shoes go as well. 

Healthy Snacks for Dieters

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So you started a diet and you constantly feel hungry. Think you shouldn't snack? Think again! If you are hungry, you should eat. But, you have to be mindful of what you eat and how much of it you eat. If you opt for the right kind of snacks, they can be your lifesaver to get you through the day without killing someone! LOL (I hope) When trying to decide what to stock up on for snacks, try items that are low in sugar, sodium, fat, or calories. Definitely grab ones that have added benefits like fiber, antioxidants, vitamin D, calcium, etc... 

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocado

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If you love avocados then you are going to absolutely love the recipe in this post! Often thought of as a vegetable, avocados are a nifty little fruit that provide healthy fats the body needs along with providing other great health benefits. They support cardiovascular health, contain antioxidants, may help aid in weight loss, enhance the body's absorption of nutrients, and more!

There are many ways to eat or add avocado to your diet. You can eat fresh slices like I do, or add to your salads, add to your morning eggs, or cook it in with your chicken and salmon orzo salad for dinner. The possibilities are endless. But this is definitely a fruit that packs a huge benefit in the health and fitness arena.

Easiest Weekly Workout Plan

Compliments of Back on Pointe, I came across this Daily Workout Plan that I really wanted to share. You can perform these in under 10 minutes and they are great strengthening exercises. And, the more build up your strength the more sets you can do. To start out, you can reduce the reps to something you're comfortable with. But as you continue to exercise, you can begin increasing the sets. 

Water or Sports Drinks?

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Gatorade has been around since the 60's, but the sports drink industry didn't get much buzz until the 90's when Michael Jordan endorsed it. Then everyone wanted to drink it! And now? Well now there's a ton of talk on whether to consume sports drinks or water. And then there are those people who try claiming sports drinks are unhealthy, loaded with sugar, calories, etc. So, are you confused? Are you unsure what you should be drinking? 

Happy 4th of July... Diet??

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We all know that with holidays comes lots of eating. The 4th of July is all too often celebrated with backyard BBQ's, pot luck get-togethers, or all day food festivals. Don't let the Independence Day celebration sabotage your weight loss goals! There are ways to still enjoy the holiday festivities while keeping your calorie intake down. 

Small Changes Lead to Weight Loss

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You don't need to diet to lose weight. Making simple changes, adjustments, or improvements can do wonders to your body. So don't starve yourself and don't believe the Atkin's Diet or HCG or whatever the newest fad diet plan is. Just be mindful of some minor things and you can have weight loss success. 

The Power of Music for Workouts

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Because music can affect your mood, it also affects the way you workout. Just the same as slow, mellow music can put you to sleep, the fast, upbeat music can get you moving. When you think back to the last time you played music while you cleaned the house, did you listen to Jack Johnson or did you have Beyonce playing? Chances are you had something loud and bumping to keep you motivated to clean. 

Yawning During Workouts

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So I realized I've been yawing a lot during my workouts. And I mean a lot! So much that I felt I needed to do some research on this and find out why. I knew it wasn't from being tired because I would be fine all day with a yawn or two here and there. But as soon as I get into my workout, I would be yawning every 2 minutes it seemed. Have you had this happen to you? Well, here's what I found and I'd like to share it with you because I had no idea this was somewhat normal.

Plyo for Power

Ever heard of plyometrics? If you haven't, then you definitely want to acquaint yourself with it. Plyometrics, plyo for short, is a great workout for both men and women. It just so happens to be one of my favorites. Check out the p90x Plyometrics CD for an awesome workout! 

Originally developed for Olympic competitors, plyo is a training technique designed to increase muscle power and explosiveness. These moves help improve the function of muscle, tendons, and nerves to allow you to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder.

Benefits to Monitoring Your Heart Rate

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It's difficult to get an accurate calorie counter and it's not fun or easy when you need to strap things on you, wrap yourself up, or pinning other bizarre items to your body to get a calorie read. And, tracking the calories you burn plays a key role in successful weight loss plans. Did you know that you lose approximately 1 lb for every 3,500 calories burned in excess of the number of calories required to maintain your current weight. 

Are Raspberry Ketones Really a Miracle Fat Burner?

 

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While Dr. Oz has touted Raspberry Ketones as a "miracle fat burner in a bottle" in February 2012, there have been no human studies that show raspberry ketones burn fat or benefit your weight loss to date. However now, there are interesting studies performed on rats. One study gave male rats raspberry ketones, which resulted in an increased secretion of adiponectin, a protein used by the body to regulate metabolism. As a result, the rat had less fat. Another study fed rats a high-fat diet with varying amounts of raspberry ketones. The rodents that received more raspberry ketones burned more body fat and gained less fat tissue. A third study found that the raspberry ketones stimulated the breakdown of the fat cells after fat cells were exposed to raspberry ketones in a test tube. 

Get Rid of the Arm Jiggle!

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If you're like most women, me included, then you probably struggle with that annoying back arm flab that seems so stubborn to leave your body! Luckily for men, this typically is not a problem area for them. But, there are ways to fight the tidal wave that takes over your arms when you try clapping! 

Cardio...always include cardio in your weekly routine, at least 3 days for 45 minutes. Then, if you're serious about getting rid of the flab and getting some sexy, toned arms, then grab the free weights, a mat, and a chair and let's get to work! Make it a point to train your upper body 3 times per week for best results. 

Which Veggies Pack the Biggest Punch in Nutritional Value

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If you don't like the taste of veggies, then you better learn how to love them because they are healthy little things, full of vitamins and nutrients to help you be successful in whatever your fitness goals may be. However, there are some veggies that pack a bigger and stronger punch than others. That's why knowing which vegetables are more nutritious than others can lead to even greater success! 

It's suggested that you eat 5-9 servings of vegetables on a daily basis. I'm just so thankful that I've always loved veggies and every single one, except carrots, eww! 

Don't Have TIME to Eat Healthy? That's BS!

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Whether it's working full time, shuffling the kids around, making time for the gym, running errands, and the list could go on, we all live busy lives. Managing our ever growing to-do lists can often lead to failed diets from eating out or eating pre-made junk food just to save some time from not cooking. But, you can find healthy alternatives when your time is limited! So, no more excuses! Gone are the days you say you don't have time to cook healthy. I'm here to share some secrets on quick meals that are also healthy. The key is planning your meals ahead and stick to a strict shopping list. 

Why Probiotics are Important to Overall Health

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Most people associate probiotics with colon and digestive health. But what you don't know is that probiotic intake is beneficial for overall physical and mental health. Probiotics come in a variety of forms, powders, capsules, and foods such as yogurt, dairy drinks, infant formulas, cheese, and even snack bars that are supplemented with specific probiotic organisms. Whichever one you pick may be beneficial for a wide range of health concerns. 

Diet Tips for Ultimate Weight Loss

While physical activity plays a big role in weight loss and overall health, your diet plays an even bigger role. I've heard that weight loss is a result of 80% diet and 20% exercise. Perfect example is my mom, she joined Weight Watchers and in a year, she lost over 115 pounds! The only physical activity she performed was moderate walking while out shopping for the day... Although, I am still a firm believer in exercise to build a healthy heart, strong bones and muscle tone. But, if perform physical activity and eat junk food, your results will not pan out how you'd like them too. 

Sticking to a healthy diet is a lifestyle change. And, self control is a top reason most diets fail. So here are some diet tips to help you when you're struggling to reach your weight loss goals:

Put a Kick in Your Step with Kickboxing

The number one reason most people throw in the towel on their weight loss journey is because they get bored. Doing the same thing, every day, can get old real fast. So, to avoid getting burnt out or bored, vary your routine from day to day. Your muscles and your body will thank you, too. 

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All too often, when we hear cardio workout, we think the only option is the treadmill or elliptical machine. There are so many options to get your daily cardio in. One of my favorites is the Cardio Kickboxing class at +LA Fitness. The fact that you're jumping up and down consistently for 60 minutes, is like jumping rope, but a lot more fun!