Fitness Takes NO holiday Food Tips!

So I have been doing some research on food to help myself and the StrollerFit Moms make it thru the Holiday's without gaining the Holiday Weight. Coming to class and exercising is a must, but what about the food.


We all know a calorie is a calorie, right? And we also know that to lose weight you must burn those calories (coming to StrollerFit, Restore the Core, Mommymusclsculpt and Mom n' Tot Yoga will help with that). But Did you know that all calories are not created equal?

For example - lets look at a 200 calorie piece of cake verses a 200 calorie piece of chicken. They both have 200 calories, but your body does not look at them the same way. The cake is loaded with simple carbs. and sugars, which ultimately make your blood sugar sky rocket, you get a quick burst of energy and then your insulin goes up and the bad begins to happen....

Insulin promotes fat storage and the energy kick does not last long. It goes up and them plummets so you begin to get tired and crave more sugary foods (I have felt that way after eating a low fat snack pack and bet so have all of you, not know why you are now tired.)

But the chicken does not do that to your body....lean protein has a total different affect on your body. Protein takes the most energy of all nutrients to to break down, so you feel fuller longer. There is also no affect on your insulin!! This helps you lose weight. For those of you working out, the protein helps your muscles repair and build (remember muscle burns fat and the cake won't do that!)

You can not eat just protein. Fat and carbs are important too, but they must be the right fat and protein. you need to eat the best foods that will give you the best results, help you lose body fat, tighten & tone, and feel energized throughout the day.

I am referring to eating natural foods, unprocessed without chemicals and preservatives, not the 100 calorie snack packs. These foods work with the body and will boost metabolism, boost energy and boost fat burning. Especially when paired with a great workout like StrollerFit!!

So for the holidays, try these 10 food to help lose body fat and keep the holiday pounds off.

1. Lean, boneless chicken breast (seasoned well), protein is good!
2. all natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter, no matter what your age, everyone loves PB&J (on Whole Wheat bread, see #3)! Plus Peanut Butter is a great source of Omega 3's, protein and complex carbs.
3. Whole Wheat Bread - (rye and pumpernickel are good too), just make sure is says "Whole Wheat"
4. Turkey Burger's are a great substitute for ground beef (make sure it is lean turkey - white meat, if not, you might as well eat beef). Extra lean 93% ground beef is good too.
5. Spinach-high in vitamins and a great source of fiber and protein too (Bet you did not know spinach has protein)
6. Garlic is a "Super" Food - a great way to flavor foods and it is filled with immunity boosting powers, something we all need during cold and flu season.
7. Apples are high in Fiber and and when used with a little peanut butter you have the perfect pre-workout snack.
8. Oatmeal...Start the day with a great complex carb. for energy and it contains protein. You can add anything to make it your own. I like apples and cinnamon or honey and blueberries.
9. Eggs...They always get a bad wrap for cholesterol but research shows they are a great way to start the morning. People who eat eggs in the morning are fuller longer and less likely to get mid morning sugar cravings. (I like 3 egg whites with spinach and mushrooms on a Arnold whole wheat sandwich thin. Sometimes I add shredded cheddar for added flavor or a tbs of bacon bits, or both)
10. Quinoa..if you have never tried Quinoa, you should. It is a powerful grain from South Africa. It is a complex carb. that contains essential amino acids (the only grain to have this). I have a great recipe for a side made with Quinoa and a breakfast dish. I will post both on the food blog, later at http://funfitrecipesfromsf.blogspot.com/

(During holiday meals, remember eat what you enjoy, just don't over eat and make the holiday a one day event, do not eat the leftovers and make it an event that keeps repeating)

Also, remember to drink lots of water and stay hydrated and do not go to holiday meals or parties on an empty stomach or you will overeat.

Hope to see you all at the Fitness Takes No holiday workouts from November 3 thru the end of December. Anyone that emails me a healthy tip before November 3rd will get a point for the challenge.

Fitness Takes NO Holiday!

We ALL have places to go and people to see...

We ALL have excuses for not fitting exercise into our holiday routine.. NO MORE!


This year make time for yourself and enter the New Year feeling and looking great…

"Fitness Takes No Holiday" begins November 2nd and lasts through December! Each time you come to class (StrollerFit, Mommymuscle, Mom n Tot Yoga or Restore the Core), you can receive points. She with the highest attendance percentage* wins! Prizes TBD, but we all know the real reward is the changes you will see in your body.

Exercise is essential for keeping us healthy during the holidays, so make yourself a priority!

There will be FIVE class days that will receive double points...which ones are they? Well, that's a secret...Follow the blog to find out!

I also will be blogging about challenges, the person(s) who meets them at the next class gets an extra point for that day, and the first person to class also gets a point, so lets start racking up the points!

Twitter

So ladies I have been convinced that following tweets and tweeting myself would be great for StrollerFit and a great way to get the name out. Check out my Tweets at bVStrollerFit

I will be tweeting from home and can not wait to see what you all Tweet about. Remember to Tweet about things for the moms and kids, especially the StrollerFit classes.

Hot Mamas Challenge

We are already into week 4 of the 8 week Strollerfit "Hot Mamas Challenge" and I am adding new moves daily to the workouts and the homework.

I hope the moms are keeping up with only 4 weeks left, who will win. If you read this blog and come to class on Friday wearing a StrollerFit Shirt you will win a prize. If you can do 5 push ups more than you did 4 weeks ago and 10 more sit ups, you will win another prize, lets see what we can do.

Friday we will be jump roping so plan your attire accordingly. See you at class

What a crazy week

Monday-Ran the Tufts 10K

Tuesday - took Papa to the airport, he went home, Joey and Julianna are sad, but grandma stayed, YEAH!!

Wednesday - went to Joey's sports class, taught Mom n Tot Yoga, Mommymusclesculpt, took the kids to swimming, taught my own swim classes, swim 1500 yards with Eric in 40 minutes, he pushed me hard (training once again for the big Boston Harbor Swim Across America Cancer swim, I took 2 years off due to pregnancy and lack of post pregnancy training, but not this year, Eric and I already committed and I think Jeff is in too!)

Thursday - taught Strollerfit, with lots of new moves, hope the moms are feeling the burn as I was, then Thursday night Joey and I had a 2 1/2 hour sleep battle which leads me to Friday morning.

Friday - woke up to SNOW!!! IT was light but that does not matter, it is too early. Joey let Raven the dog out and I could not find her, she came home 3 hours later, as we were loading the car and taking off to NY with my mom. The drive was nice, the kids slept and then we ran around and saw some friends. We are staying with Aunt Maryanne who cooked so much food, you would have thought 50 people were coming to dinner.

Tomorrow we are seeing lots of friends (maybe I should say later today as it is 4 am sat and I can not sleep) and hoping for warm weather Sunday so we can go to Making Strides, the Breast Cancer Walk that mom and I volunteer for every year with our friends from NY. If it is cold and rainy we are not going, which will make mom sad, but thus is life.

Then we drive home Sunday to prepare for next week. Mom leaves Tue and we will miss her. Wish she was closer, but the cold is hard on her so I do not think she will be moving back east anytime soon, Vegas is the best weather for her, so we will continue to travel.

Ladies watch out, here comes new moves and a new Restore the Core session!!!!

Restore the Core Halloween Special

Restore the Core Halloween Special

Classes held Saturday's at 8 AM at RBI's in Whitinsville

October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 5, 12, 19

(2 free classes November 28 & December 26)

8 weeks for $70 (a $10 savings if you pay by October 22)

StrollerFit clients and RBI's moms save an additional $10.

$80 one time joining fee ($20 savings if you pay by October 22)

this is a great pre and post natal workout.

Come join us and get in shape for the holidays!!!!

Running the Tufts 10k and my thoughts

All day today, I had a thought or two on what I would say in my blog, but I don't remember them exactly. Let me start by thanking the moms that helped me train and trained with me for the
Tufts 10 K race for Women (since Julianna was 6 weeks old, we did a few 5K's on the way).

I did it faster than I did in years past and Congrats to Robyn for finishing her first race!!! Her husband is probably made at me, I decided it was too cold to take the kids and convinced her of the same, so we told Paul and the kids to stay home. It was a great day for a race, but too cold to sit around for a few hours (especially since the girls were sick only a few days ago). I am sorry Paul, for changing the plans, Robyn would have loved you all to be at the finish line, next time, I promise.

This leads me to an apology I owe a friend. Last spring, I was upset because a few of us ran together with the kids in the Strollers while we trained for the 5K's and 10K's and at one of the races, one of my friends decided to run without the kids. I felt blind sided by this and was upset and know I may have said some hurt full things to her. I did not mean them to be hurtful, I was hurt and lashed out in the wrong way. I said over and over my comments were all in fun, but they were my way of saying I was hurt without coming out and saying it. Since then the relationship seems strained and Joey and Julianna have suffered by not seeing the friends that they saw 5 days a week all spring and I lost a friend, or at least I feel like I have lost her. She and I talked daily and now we barely email. I do not care that she has decided not to come to class anymore, but I do miss her and I am sorry.

I am not a runner, but a swimmer and a biker. I have run for triathlons and did 5K's and the Tuft's 10K as training runs, but that was all before Joey and Julianna. Since Joey was born, all running has been done with the kids in the Stroller and I am use to running that way, but running without the kids today was like taking off the drag suit from practice in swimming. It was easier on my body and I ran a better pace which made me faster. This helped me to realize that my friend was not trying to hurt me last spring, but to make her run more enjoyable. Her children together and Stroller weigh more than mine. I now see the light and hope she will forgive me and m y stupid mouth.

As for today, the race was great and then I went for a long walk with my dad, Joey, Julianna and Raven our dog. My legs are killing me, but it was an amazing day and one I am glad I shared with Robyn and my Dad.

Hopefully my legs will feel better and I will be able to use the new moves I learned at the StrollerFit convention in class on Tuesday. We did a kettle ball workout and I used my mommymuscle bar to do the moves. Between that and the workout with Marybeth on Sunday, I have a lot of great new stuff for Mommymusclesculpt on Wed. Ladies, I hope you are ready.

StrollerFit Convention

Yesterday I was at the StrollerFit Convention and I learned some new moves to do with the Mommymusclebar in both Mommymusclesculpt and StrollerFit classes and am hoping to learns a few more this morning before flying home. I am also hoping Julianna will sleep a bit more, she is exhausted and her teething must really be hurting her, let the teeth come soon, PLEASE!!!!!!

Last night I won an award for being a Chatty Cathy online, not be, just because I blogged a few hours after Julianna was born, OK so I usually have a lot to share and this is a great way to share with a lot of people.

I have been sharing a room with Wendi from Akron (miss Katie from Akron, she is not here and we miss her!!!) and she has been a trooper helping me with Julianna's teething. We have had some great conversations and I will miss her when today is over, until next year.....

Ladies, the biggest news is to look for the Mommymuscle Challenge in January!! I learned all about it yesterday and it will be done by StrollerFit moms across the country all at the same time, which I think will be an amazing experience. Stay tuned for details and many other exciting things to come in the next few months, I have pages of moves, marketing ideas ad games to play in StrollerFit class including one with band aids....

See you all on Tue and pray for no rain tomorrow for the Tufts 10K, because I got a new tire for my Stroller and am ready to go, as long as my legs stop burning from my workout yesterday, I need a massage, maybe Scott will give me one when I get home, probably not! Wendi from Akron is a massage therapist, maybe she will give me one, before we leave?????? Probably not, no time and she want so to get home to her joey, who is a 4 hour drive away and I do not blame her.

Fit as a Family and new Moves

Fit as a Family is a new Program from StrollerFit. I took part in the certification yesterday at the StrollerFit convention and I am really excited about the program. I think the families with kids 3 and up will love it too!!!!!

The moves we learned were great and many can be done in Strollerfit classes and the moms can partner up to do them, which means moms, get ready for a lot of new moves next week. Theses moves will make us laugh and help us burn calories and make the "Hot Mamas Challenge even better!!!" I am so energized and excited. I can not wait to see what we learn today about the Mommymuscle 8 week challenge.

So bring your balls, mommymuscle bars, mats and bands to class because we are going to get rockin on tue. Yes I have new Restore the core moves too and will learn even more tomorrow, stay tuned...

And please pray for no rain for Monday's Tufts 10K!!

Ohio and the StrollerFit Conference

Grandma and Papa are in Massachusetts, hanging with Joey and Daddy. So far they have been to sports class, lunch with Uncle Brian (who was in Cambridge as a Harvard Guest Lecturer, what an honor), swimming class and free swim at BU, out to breakfast and preparing for a road trip for 2 days to NY and CT. They are very busy, I can not wait to hear the road trip details.

Julianna and I are in Ohio. We flew in Tue to spend time with our cousins, Hope, Alan, Ruth and Aaron. It was a short visit, but a nice one. Julianna got a pink and green bug car from her Aaron, that he picked out just for her and Ruth gave her one of her baby dolls "Baby Hollandaise." Doll got its name because it came from Holland. Joey and Julianna will be receiving a box of toys that Aaron and Ruth wanted to pass on. Last year I brought back clothing, this year books and toys are being shipped, where I am going to put more toys, I do not know, but I do not Joey and Julianna will love it all.

Now Julianna and I are at the StrollerFit Conference where we are going to learn to teach Fit as a family, details to follow after today's training and the Mommymuscle 8 week challenge, details to follow after tomorrows training.

I am so excited to see the StrollerFit owners from around the country and get new ideas. I already got an idea for a once a week StrollerFit/Mommymuscle Staions class with cardio and lots of crazy strength training for MAC. Look out ladies, I got great things coming for you when I get back,

Missing friends

It is amazing what our kids remember. The other day, as we drove by mt girlfriend Cheri's house, Joey says "Look its Cheri's."

Then we drove past the old Kidzkoop where Joey had taken classes and I use to hold StrollerFit, Joey says "Mommy run hill with KayKay, Ella and Jayce." I laughed as I replied "We already ran the new hill at StrollerFit" and he said "no run hill with KayKay and Jayce."

This amazed me since we ran that hill, this time last year and unfortunately since Jayce's mom Drea had to go back to work, we only see her once every few weeks and KayKay and Ella no longer make it to class.

I know Joey has a great memory and a misses his friends that he does not see often anymore. When we drive by Mason's House he says "April and Mason and dogs house" and when he sees a light blue minivan that looks like Charlotte's van he says "Nate Nate" and gets all excited until I have to tell him its not Nate Nate.

It is amazing what things he puts together, especially since they seem to be the friends we see less often, but also the ones he spent a lot of the first 2 years of his life with. I know we will see Charlotte and Nate as Olivia gets on a schedule and Nate begins to sleep at night again, but I hope we see the other friends, including Cheri so Joey will be happy.

Quote for the week

To my StrollerFit Moms:

I received an email from a friend with a quote at the end and I think it says it all:

"Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth."

This got me thinking about the friends that have come and gone in my life and those that I have had for what feels like forever. I truly believe people come into your life for a reason. Some stay for a long time others stay for a short period, but no matter how long you are friends with them, they leave a mark on your life.

I love StrollerFit and the friendships I have made for myself, but even more so, I love the friendships my children are creating and watching other children create.

Joey met Mason and Nate when I started Strollerfit and they are his partners in crime. Emily is shy and reserved as is Elizabeth, but when they are together in class, the giggles heard from them is infectious. Evan is a lover of all, but lately he follows Emily and wants whatever she has. Last week he got a new water bottle by saying to his moms "Mommy can we get this cars bottle, it is just like Emily's?" He is so excited to be attending Emmy's 4th birthday.

Christopher loves to copy Addie and Joey. Speaking of that, Nate, thanks for teaching joey to climb the stairs before he turned one and Addie thanks for teaching Christopher how to go outside at RBI's so we have to keep the doors closed, no fresh air for the moms!!!

At the Open House at Midtown Fitness Julianna was sitting on the floor and Elizabeth went and played with her, she was so excited to have a girl to play with, forget those boys.

One of my favorite StrollerFit moments between the kids is when Ariella use to see my car and yell Joey. Now at 2 1/2 she stills asks me and asks for Joey. I saw her yesterday in the pouring rain at OctoberFest in Douglas and the first thing she says is "Where is Joey?"

I love that Strollerfit is helping my children and the other children learn to share, play nicely together and make friends. I have friends that I have had most of my life that I do not always see or talk to, but when I do it is like I saw them yesterday, these are life long friends, something I wish for my children to have and experience and something I hope they will have from the friends they made at StrollerFit.

Another amazing week

I have had the start if this blog in my head all week, but have not had time to sit and put it into words.

Let me start by saying I am sad, but the season of classes at the zoo is coming to an end. This coming Monday will be the last one til next spring, boo hoo hoo. But we are going to have a big adventure this Monday after class with the animals and I am excited to end on such a big note!

We started our "Hot Mamas" Challenge Tuesday with 5 participants and an Drea an honorary member who had to go back to work this summer but is going to try to do the weekly challenges from home. This weeks challenge was to add a vegetable to lunch and dinner. This was tougher for me than I thought with all the running I did this week, I had soup twice at lunch and had to add a salad and then only had lettuce, what a boring salad because I finished all the other salad fixings the say before. The other challenge at home was to do sit ups and push ups nightly, adding 5 to the count every day. Some of the moms complained, but that is why it is a challenge, to challenge to mind and body. Next week should be interesting..

I had a moms night out Thursday at Healthy Habits Kitchen with the Waltham SF moms. Pam, Annette and her friend went from here. It was fun and I brought home a lot of great foods. Pam and I drove together which was nice, we have not spent time together in a while with our busy schedules.

Friday, I did an open house for the 3 programs (Restore the Core, Mom n Tot Yoga and Mommymusclesculpt with Baby weight) I am going to be holding at Midtown Fitness in Milford and it had a small turnout, but I received lots of emails from people wanted to come to the classes, so hopefully they will register. Thank you Molly and Jesy for all of your help.

Then I went home for a nap, Julianna is teething at night so my sleep has been worse then normal. Usually I am asleep early and up early, and she sleep through the night. Not the last few nights, she nurses and goes down by 9, sleeps 4 hours, nurses, sleeps with me or cries and wakes up every 1-2 hours to nurse for 15 minutes, I thin k it is soothing her. I can feel the teeth but they have not broken through, for my sanity I need to teeth to come through.

Today, it is rainy and cold and I am suppose to be a vendor at Douglas's October Fest with Emily - Advertising StrollerFit and the 3 other classes and my new addiction heritage Makers (I made a big sale last Tuesday, yeah, hope more come in.). They are saying Thunder and Lightning, if that is the case, I may break the rules and come home. I can not afford to be sick with my trip to Ohio on Wednesday and my mom and dad coming to stay with Joey. With my moms tumor marker up again and new treatment she can not afford to get a cold from me.

I am excited about Ohio, seeing my cousins and the StrollerFit conference. It should be a good time and I can not wait to see the new programs and the other Sf owners.