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:

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. 

Get Your Best Butt

Want more fitness and nutrition tips? Visit Facebook or @FitFadFan

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. 

Barely There Footwear

For more diet & nutrition tips, visit Facebook or Twitter @FitFadFan

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. 

Benefits to Monitoring Your Heart Rate

Visit me on Facebook or Twitter @FitFadFan

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. 

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:

Eat This Not That Diet

Dieting is difficult, especially if you love to eat as much as I do. Often, when we think of dieting, we think we need to give up everything we love to eat, but that's not entirely true. When we completely give up all the things we love in order to shed a few pounds, we get bored or we let temptation get the best of us and indulge...in the worst way! Instead of cutting things off, make modifications.

For example, if you love tacos you can make a lot of modifications to make this meal healthy:

Where Should You Get Your Protein?

Did you know that aside from water, protein is the most abundant component of the body? Protein helps shed unwanted pounds, build muscle, and is great for overall health and wellbeing. Eating the right high protein diet typically results in a low carb diet as well. Our daily diets usually consists of 10-15% of calories comes from protein. However, when you increase your protein, this percentage increases to 25-35%.

If you opt to get your source of protein from food alone, be careful what you eat. Some foods high in protein are also high in fat. So be sure to select lean meats like chicken and fish. Shy away from too much red meat. Here are some more healthy options that have more benefits than just protein:

Weightlifting vs. Bodybuilding: Is there a Difference?

Many women believe that lifting weights will make them look like a bodybuilder and less feminine. Well guess what? You couldn't be any more wrong! Lifting weights, power lifting and bodybuilding are all different categories of weight lifting and should not be lumped together as a whole. I used to fall into the cardio only category thinking that was how I would lose weight and burn fat the best. 

HotPants, Literally

I received a Groupon Goods email and the Zaggora HotPants were the item. Now, I'm very familiar with this concept of producing heat to burn fat as I was an avid user of the belly bands, slimmer belts, or whatever you'd like to call them. But, the HotPants really caught my eye as my bottom and thighs are my problem spot. The waist slimmer works great, so I gave the HotPants a try and bought them. Zaggora is a UK based company. Quite honestly, I was surprised the pants concept came so many years after the belly band! Why didn't I think of it?!? (Side note: I bought my belly band about 10 years ago)