lifestyle

April Fitness Goals

04.09.2013

Let’s talk goals. Do you set long-term or short-term goals for yourself? Goal setting has just come up at work, as we approach a new quarter. Ok, so job related goals aren’t as exciting as fitness or personal for that matter, BUT extremely beneficial. So I usually start off my week with a couple of goals in mind (partially because I am uber organized). Some consist of food prepping on Sunday nights following church, others consist of planning my workout schedule for the week, or as simple as doing my weekly laundry ritual. Sounds a little monotonous but you get the point. What about fitness related goals? I have found that goal setting is another way to set yourself up for success. Actually, I like to think it’s the only way to be successful. So with that said, I like to set my long-term and short-term goals for the month and see how they pan out.

I find that sharing them with you all keeps me accountable, and acts as a journal in sense. Hopefully my personal goals will get you thinking and lead you to jot some down as well.

Short Term Goals:

Drink 1 gallon or more water/day
Bring my lunch and snacks to work each day this week
Continue to build muscle through heavy lifting
Prep for my 10k this coming weekend
Only have 2-3 cheat meals per week
Drink one cup of green tea/day

Long Term:

Run a half marathon this year
Schedule a photo shoot (to get me 110% committed)
Obtain my personal training certification (I have already purchased the classes!!)
Spend more time bloggging, attending expos and exploring other outlets
Help someone else achieve their fitness goals

Above all have fun with it! I wouldn’t be 100% dedicated if I didn’t absolutely love what I am working for. This journey has been so exciting for me and I can only hope to grow in the fitness world, gain as much knowledge as possible and enjoy every minute.

This is a very appropriate time to give a big shout-out to a woman who is the ultimate goal setter and motivating me to get my butt in gear. My lovely Mom decided to set a large goal for herself last year as she has become more and more interested in organized running events. She decided to find at least (1) 5k per month to run in our local area. This month, I was blown away with her commitment to running (3) 5ks and (1) 10k! She has outdone herself and I am so happy for her. Mom, you’re the best! Now would you commit to running an organized race each month?

It’s your turn, get thinking about how to accomplish your goals. Another thing to remember, it’s about the journey as much as the outcome, so enjoy the ride! The dedication, commitment and belief in yourself is the most exciting part. So, believe in yourself a little more and it will be so worth it in the end.

Thanks for reading!!

Healthy Swaps Towards Your Future

04.03.2013

One of the most important things to think about while transitioning to a more healthy lifestyle is the things you can easily swap out to take the place of your current routine. Choosing a healthier alternative is probably one of the easiest and most important steps, in my opinion.

Start at the grocery store. When you are at the market, opt for the better alternative and you will not be tempted at home to go devour the sweets drawer or frozen packaged food in your freezer. Make yourself a grocery list of better options, and try your best to stick to that list.

I have listed a helpful guideline below to get your started, but in order to learn exactly what your body needs you must do the research. This came to me with a lot of mistakes, and experimentation, but with all the research and reading I have done, I have finally found what works best for my body. Now it’s your turn to do the job and make the swaps.

As I have said before, I am a preacher of making the right decisions and the right decision lays in the food you choose. Hours upon hours of exercise and NOT feeding yourself properly will only put you in the same spot with little progress. Diets, pills and shakes will not do the trick. You need to fuel with protein, whole grains, veggies and then some.

Almost every cuisine can be adjusted to fit your healthy lifestyle. There are so many different variations out there, even if you go out to a restaurant. Ask your server to make the swaps and eye the healthier options on the menu. I have found ways around all types of food, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, even pizza and burger joints! They are out there, you just have to do the work and find it on the menu.

Start here. Start today. Try to make as many healthy swaps as you can and see how you progress. Be strong with your choices, think positive, and have fun with it!

Butter < Avocado

Sour Cream < Greek Yogurt

Peanut Butter < Almond Butter

Milk Chocolate < Dark Chocolate

Whole Wheat Bread < Ezekiel Bread

French Fries < Sweet Potato Fries

Hamburger < Turkey Burger

Soda < Water

Juice < Fresh Fruit

Iceberg Lettuce < Kale or Spinach

Salt < Mrs. Dash

Cereal < Oatmeal

Sugar < Cinnamon

Relaxed Run < Interval Training

Hours in the gym < 1 hour of high intensity training

Emotional Eating < Writing down your thoughts

Criticism < Self Love

Perfection < Progress

Fit Gal: Brittany!

01.15.2013

I have been DYING to introduce you to this amazing woman and fitness guru! She has come a long way and I am so impressed with her dedication and committment to fitness. So here she is…

Fit Gal: Brittany!

1. Tell us about yourself and your fitness lifestyle.

Hi! my name is Brittany and I am a 23-year-old student studying Business Administration. I made my lifestyle change almost 3 years ago now. I had a free membership to the gym on campus and decided to take advantage of it. Starting out, I had no idea what I was doing. I would follow my boyfriend around in the gym and watch what he did. I was very self-conscious because I had no clue what to do with any of the equipment – I felt like everyone was staring at me. I started to follow fitness pages on Facebook and read up on some articles online to get the basics. One day I picked up a copy of Oxygen Magazine at the grocery store while I was waiting in line and thought wow, this girl looks amazing! I bought it, read it cover to cover and felt more motivated than ever. Not long after I was giving my boyfriend tips in the gym! It’s been a great journey so far and I’m so proud of myself for making this lifestyle change. I am continuously learning and loving every minute of it!

2) What are your goals and how are you working towards them?

My original goal was to lose some weight and tone up. In the beginning I did lose weight – but I pretty much gained it all back in MUSCLE. This was kind of discouraging at first but looking back at where I was and to now, I definitely look and feel smaller, more toned, fit and have a lot more shape. I think it’s important for women to realize that they shouldn’t be scared of lifting weights because all the muscle you build burns more calories and keeps your metabolism revved!! My goal recently was to compete in a fitness competition. I am excited to say that I will be doing that in April 2013!! I joined a local team that does coaching for athletes and fitness competitors and am so excited and proud at the progress I’ve been making so far.

3) Do you “eat clean”?

Yes! I believe it’s impossible to make progress in the gym if you do not eat clean. I did pretty well at eating clean before I joined my team but obviously still enjoyed treats..I have a terrible sweet tooth 🙂 Now that I have a deadline I’m kicking my butt into gear! Lots of protein – chicken, lean beef, salmon, haddock tuna etc, good nutritious veggies like kale, swiss chard, broccoli and good sources of carbs – sweet potato, oats, quinoa, & brown rice. I still have an occasional treat but keep it small in moderation.

4) In what ways do you stay active?

I am in the gym 3 days on, one day off then repeat. I work all muscle groups twice a week. Right now I am doing little cardio as I’m in the muscle building phase of my prep. I’m also doing some group yoga classes when I can.

5) What inspires you to live this lifestyle?

Those moments when your mind is telling you to stop because it hurts but you keep going and push past that weakness..those are the most important moments because it means growth. Seeing changes in myself no matter how small they may be makes the difference and keeps me inspired to work hard and stay motivated!

Lots of love!
Brittany
“Fit Brit”

Thank you so much Brittany for joining the Fitness and the City fam as a Fit Gal! You are so inspirational and I personally cannot wait to follow your journey to your first fitness competition!! Good luck girl!

Oh and by the way, she has an awesome fitness Facebook page as well, so be sure to go check it out!

—> www.facebook.com/fit.brit08

Not Seeing Results?

01.09.2013

Happy Hump day! Is this week over yet? I am SO looking forward to the weekend! I have gotten a ton of questions lately about what to do if you are not seeing results. If you are working out, eating “healthy” and not seeing results, you are doing something incorrectly. This takes a lot of committment, doesn’t happen over night and is a LIFESTYLE. No dieting or just popping in and out of the gym once or twice a week. Are you committed to take the plunge?

Here are some of my thoughts if you are not seeing the results you are looking for:

1. Push harder! Don’t just go through the motions but really push yourself to go hard. Try interval training on the treadmill, you will burn a ton of extra calories while increasing your endurance. Try supersets with weights, or do as many reps as you possibly can with your last set. Go till you can’t go anymore! Don’t leave the gym until you are spent and sweaty! If you are not sore, then try a different exercise, add more weights or do more reps to be sore the next day. Accomplishment to me is being sore the next day.

2. Change your routine! Try different workouts and find whats best for you. If you are doing the same routine your body will get used to that and not change. You need to constantly switch it up. Try only cardio one day, only weights the next, try a spin class, Pilates, yoga, TRX, there is so much out there! I personally LOVE trying new classes and feeling muscles that I havent felt before with my regular workouts. This also keeps it fresh and exciting! Also, create a schedule to look forward to. I plan my workouts, think about it first thing in the morning and look forward to it all day. (call me crazy I know ;))

3. Really watch what you eat. Document and see what a difference eating clean can really make. MyFitnessPal is an app on the iPhone which can track your calories and what you are putting into your body versus what you are sweating out. Documenting will help, I promise! Plan out each meal. Food prep and bring your pre-made meal to work. I ALWAYS bring my lunch that I make on Sundays, breakfast consists of oatmeal or greek yogurt and I also bring a snack to work. You will not see results if you do not eat clean! Trust me, I have gone through this: working out and eating whatever I wanted. But I stayed the same and saw NO changes. It was when I changed my eating habits that I started seeing change. Oh, and the alcohol is no bueno…sad I know, but I am personally loving and taking full advantage of not drinking!

Most of all, think positive and positive things will happen. You will not see results right away so be patient. There is a lot of dedication that needs to be given here, so commit the time and you will be happily surprised. You will get out what you put in.

I am hosting a giveaway today at messydirtyhair.com!! Visit Kelly’s amazing fashion and lifestyle blog to win a $20 Amex gift card compliments of yours truly. =)

—->www.messydirtyhair.com

xo,Jenna

2013 Goals

01.08.2013

It’s resolution time! Time to start the quest of taking action, rather than simply making resolutions and not sticking to them. I feel as if it helps to write them down and share them, while pushing to make this a great year! Here’s what I have on my mind for 2013:

Become a certified group class instructor
Sweat everyday
Meal prep every Sunday for the upcoming week
Start a morning workout regime (before work…tough!)
Blog more! =)
Travel more and explore different cultures
Stay away from negative people and things that hold me back
Learn from successful people
Set higher goals! (work on seeing those abs of mine, determined!!)

Most of all—->I think it’s so important to strive for excellence rather than perfection.

I have big expectations for myself, but it’s time to set the bar high and keep track of these goals!

What are your new years resolutions?

Today, I am a featured fitness guru on Jessica Read’s website! Go check her out and see what fitness apps we recommended!

—> Six Pack Apps for 2013

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