WW Review & Cranberry Apple Bread

Dec 112012

Hey there people! Happy Tuesdayyyyy I have some fun stuff to share with you guys today including a Weight Watchers review and a healthy holiday recipe so let’s get to it!

So a bunch of you seem to have some questions about Weight Watchers. Today I’m going to take some time to answer as many questions as I can, but I realize I might not be able to get to everything. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have more questions.

Ready…..go!

Q: Why did you choose Weight Watchers?

A: If you’ve read my weight loss story, then you will know this is not my first time on Weight Watchers. The first time I joined was my senior year of college, after my friend Catrina joined and lost 20 pounds in one summer. When she came back to school looking fabulous, I was impressed! I tried it out and was able to lose about 20 pounds myself.

I eventually stopped Weight Watchers for a number of reasons, but the main reason was because I felt like I learned enough to maintain a healthy diet by myself. While this was mostly true (thus sparking me on my journey to become obsessed with a healthy lifestyle) Weight Watchers provides me with more accountability for my actions than I can get on my own. This time around I’m learning a lot less (since I learned so much the first time) and am mostly relying on Weight Watchers to keep my actions in check. In other words, last time I used Weight Watchers to teach me how to eat healthy. I learned about whole wheat, fiber, fat and carbs. Now that I know all of those things, I’m using Weight Watchers as a tool to keep me from eating one too many cookies or that extra slice of pizza. It just holds me accountable.

Q: How does Weight Watchers work?

A: When you sign up for Weight Watchers, you fill out a number of questions including your age, height, weight, activity level, and goal weight. Weight Watchers will assign you a value for how many “points” you should be eating per day in order to achieve your weight goal. Everything you eat is assigned a points value and needs to be tracked. You can also earn extra points by working out.

Yesterday’s forty-minute Insanity DVD gave me 4 extra points!

If you track everything you eat and don’t go over your points, you should start losing weight at a healthy rate of 1-2 pounds per week until you reach your goal.

Q: What do you get when you pay for Weight Watchers?

A: When you sign up for Weight Watchers, you can either sign up to go to meetings or join online. I choose to do it online because I find it to be much easier and more convenient for my schedule. I then get access to all of the Weight Watchers tools and calculators. Some of these tools are online while some are on one of the two apps.

The first app allows you to track your points, use the calculator to determine a food’s points value, find restaurants and meetings, use cheat sheets, review featured recipes, and read success stories. I mostly use it to track what I’ve eaten that day.

Weight Watchers also has a scanner app which allows you to scan a food’s barcode and it will tell you how many points it is. While it doesn’t work for all foods, it does work for many of them and I find it really handy.

Pretty cool, huh?

There are also tons of features available to members on the Weight Watchers website (I mean TONS) but I mostly only use the trackers. Here I can track my weight, my activity, and any foods that I don’t feel like tracking on the app (usually if I have to look up a new food it’s a little easier to do on the main website).

There is also a “Recipe Builder” function where you can type in a recipe, specify the number of servings it will yield, and it will tell you how many points each serving is. I have been loving this feature recently.

One of the main reasons I pay for Weight Watchers though, is because if I am paying for it, then I use it. Unlike free websites like CalorieCount.com or MyFitnessPal.com, I stick to Weight Watchers because I know I am paying for it. I wouldn’t waste my money by not using the tools, so it holds me accountable.

Q: How is Weight Watchers working for me?

A: I am happy to say that last week I was able to lose three pounds!! Although this is really exciting for me, I know that this rate is 1. not very healthy, as Weight Watchers only recommends losing 1 – 2 pounds per week, and 2. not sustainable. I may have lost that weight quickly because my body was surprised by the switch in routine, but from now on I’m sure I will be losing more slowly, as recommended. That’s a-okay with me!

Q: How long do I plan to be on Weight Watchers?

A: Although I originally joined to lose those extra five pounds, I’d like to continue for a while to see if I can get to my ideal goal weight, which I never usually get to. Although I was comfortable with my weight before, it wasn’t perfect and I’d like to see if I can make a bigger improvement. I know what a healthy weight is for my body type and I will obviously make sure not to go below that (I’m pretty far from there though). We will see how it goes, but I still don’t envision this being a long-term commitment. Maybe a few months or so, until I’m 100% happy with my body.

Ok so I hope that answered some questions for you guys and if you have any more feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Now for the recipe!!

Cranberry Apple Bread

I was recently contacted by a representative from Egg Beaters® who wanted to share a healthy holiday recipe with you guys! After taking a look at the recipe I think it looks delicious and I think this could make a great addition to your holiday menu!

Here’s her post:

If you’re at all health-conscious, the holiday season can sometimes be more intimidating than inviting. Watching your weight or calorie intake gets a whole lot more difficult when you’re presented with a tray of Christmas cookies or positioned in front of a fully loaded appetizer table.

It’s always okay to indulge of course, but since the holiday season does indulgence better than any other time of year, it’s easy to go overboard fast. So if you’re cooking this holiday, shoot for recipes that cut corners in terms of fat and calorie content so you don’t overdo it this season. Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, egg substitute for shell eggs, and make sure to use fruit and vegetables in any recipe you can get away with it!

This recipe for Cranberry-Apple Bread is great for anyone looking to stay fit holiday season; it hits the ideal balance between healthy and festive. Apples, cranberries and crunchy walnuts are some of the most popular ingredients during the holidays, and since you’re cooking with egg substitute and nonfat yogurt there’s no need to feel guilty about indulging (each slice is only 125 calories!).

Each loaf makes fourteen servings so you’ll have more than enough to go around if you’re expecting a crowd at your holiday dinner; it’s also simple to double the recipe. Serve this bread toasted with butter for a quick breakfast, alongside turkey and potatoes for a sweet Christmas side dish, or topped with nonfat frozen yogurt for an easy, healthy holiday dessert. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Apple Bread

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 2 ½ hours

Serves: 14

Calories per serving: 125

Total Fat: 2g

Ingredients

PAM® Baking Spray
1-1/2 cups Ultragrain® All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 medium apples, such as Bareburn or Fuji, peeled, chopped (2 med = about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Egg Beaters® Original
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside. Toss apples with oil in a large bowl until they are evenly coated. Stir in sugar. Add Egg Beaters and yogurt; mix well. Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Gently stir in cranberries. Stir in walnuts, if desired.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 14 slices to serve.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post written by Meredith K. on behalf of Egg Beaters®. For more holiday breakfast and dessert ideas, from breakfast casserole recipes to skinny cheesecake recipes, visit www.eggbeaters.com.

Please note I was not paid for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Guest Post from Cat @ Confessions of a Recovering Sugar Addict

Blogging 1 Response »

Aug 312012

Hey there, friends! Since I am away in Italy and am currently increasing my knowledge in ancient Roman things (aka stuffing my face with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, and pasta 24/7) I want to leave you with this wonderful guest post from Cat from Confessions of a Recovering Sugar Addict. Cat is a real sweetheart and wanted to talk about something I think we all face from time to time: staying motivated when you feel like all your hard work isn’t turning out any results. I know I often struggle with this, so you probably do to! So, without further ado, here’s Cat!
Hi everyone! My name is Cat, and I blog over at Confessions of a Recovering Sugar Addict.

My past with food is pretty grim. I struggled with an eating disorder for most of high school and college, and that negative inner monologue never quite goes away. I will always consider myself in recovery from disordered eating, even now that I have gained weight, and am pretty healthy. Lately, I have been trying to tone up and loose a few lbs, a dangerous undertaking for anyone with an ED past.

I started really working on my body about two months ago. I can tell that things are really firming up and inches are starting coming off, but I just don’t really see the difference. I guess the trick is to try not to get frustrated the lack of observable change. Here are some things that I try to remember, and you can too if you ever feel like all your hard work is for nothing.

Just because the scale doesn’t change, doesn’t mean your body isn’t changing. I have noticed that although the scale doesn’t seem to want to budge more than a pound in either direction, my muscles are more noticeable, my body feels tighter over all and I know I am getting stronger. Look for those types of changes in yourself, and celebrate them!

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Focus on the things your body can do. Instead of dwelling in the negative, ie. I can’t run two miles straight without stopping, or I haven’t lost any weight in 3 weeks, focus on what has improved. Maybe you can hold a plank for a minute, and you used to struggle with 30 seconds. Maybe you can do 20 Burpees in a row without stopping. Maybe you are getting better at that new Zumba rountine you thought you’d never get the hang of. Don’t loose sight of those amazing improvements because you are dwelling on only the negative.

Imagine yourself as you want to be. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking. Your mind is your biggest motivator. If you spend your day thinking about all of the things you are not, how do you think you will feel at the end of the day? Tired, rundown, depressed, unmotivated? Now, if you imagined your life and your goals exactly how you want them to be, would you be more motivated to do the work required to get there? Duh! So, hang that picture of the Olympic marathoner off your treadmill, picture yourself holding that college diploma. Whatever your goals may be, they are attainable, as long as you believe they are. The only thing holding you back is yourself.

[source]

Empower yourself. Ask for what you need. If you need support from friends and loved ones, ask for it. If my goal was to loose 50 lbs, and my family was only buying processed food, I would either buy my own food, or ask them to support me, by buying healthier food. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for what you need. In fact, I see it as a sign of strength. No one can do everything themselves. Ask for what you need, you might be surprised at how accommodating and supportive people can be.

Reward yourself. Rewarding yourself for all of your effort and hard work can be as simple as just saying thank you, and taking a second to soak in a compliment, instead of just brushing it off. Giving yourself a manicure or treating yourself to a new pair of running shoes is a great reward for a job well done. Everyone deserves a reward, and not just when you reach a goal. Reward yourself for the steps you are taking towards that goal too. You just might motivate yourself to push a little harder.

I am, by no means, an expert on health and fitness. I am learning more about my health and body everyday and it makes me sad when I see and hear about people focused on the scale, or putting themselves down for not reaching a goal. I used to be one of those people. I used to be a slave to my scale, getting on it everyday, and letting that number determine my self-worth. I, and for that matter you too, are not defined by the number on the scale, or your perceived failures. You are defined by the effort you put into each day, and the experiences you get out of it.

WIAW#18: Catrina’s Weight Watchers Addition!

WIAW No Responses »

Aug 292012

Hey guys! Today I am jet-setting across the Atlantic Ocean to the fabulous city of Rome, Italy! Woohoo! But I couldn’t miss a WIAW, so here is one of my best friends Catrina to share her eats with you all. Take it away, Treen!

Happy Hump Day everyone!! So first off I want to say two things, one I am SO excited to be a guest blogger!! When Chelsea asked me if I would be interested, I was thrilled and had been secretly crossing my fingers hoping that she would ask me..shh! Secondly, I have never written a blog or pretty much anything without being forced to by some teacher, professor or college application.. that being said I am sorry if any of you are asleep half way thru this post or laugh at my horrible grammar (if Word doesn’t catch it I definitely won’t).

So before I jump into What I ate Wednesday (which I always love reading and figured some type of structure would stop me from running on tangents, wait this is a tangent- oh well!) I figure I should tell you a little about myself. As Chelsea mentioned in her Weight Loss Story, the summer before my senior year at college I started doing Weight Watchers with a friend from home. And I know this isn’t for everyone but it worked great for me! I would say the biggest impact it had on my life/diet as a whole was it taught me to look at the fat content (and the always yummy carbs) in food and not only the calories. Just take a stroll down the snack aisle of your grocery store and you will realize that YES, this cookie is only 100 calories! But wait it has 7 grams of fat, not good. So that summer, and into senior year, I coupled weight watchers with working out 4-5 days a week and a personal trainer 1 night a week. The results were excellent and I was happy and confident with my body and lifestyle.

BUT it was senior year so the diet /workout schedule didn’t last very long and it wasn’t until 2012 that I got back on track! Since January I’ve lost about 15+ lbs (was too afraid to weigh myself when I first started so it’s been 15 lbs since I got up the courage) but have managed to enjoy my life/summer as well. Essentially from when I wake up Monday morning to Friday @ 5 pm I am on Weight Watchers. I work out (gym with cardio and weights), have my trainer once a week, and sometimes do insanity (when the gym looks as appealing as eating cooked carrots, and I HATE cooked carrots). If I could give any advice on how to be on Weight Watchers and still live your life, DO NOT touch all those extra points they give you, that will be your beers, shots, and mixed drinks you will inevitably have come happy hour and the weekend.

Okay okay, enough about me… here’s what I ate yesterday (with the WW points in case anyone was interested):

Breakfast: Quaker Instant Oatmeal- Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal (with my own additional Cinnamon) and a Sugar-Free Vanilla Coffee from Starbucks. I know Chelsea doesn’t usually include her drinks but with Weight Watchers every point counts and a latte is way more points than a regular coffee so the type of morning wake up counts. Similar to Chelsea’s turkey with mustard on a sandwich thin, this breakfast (weight control oatmeal) will never get old for me. Every morning I love it and can’t get enough of it, so if you asked me next Wednesday it would be there again (they have a few different flavors that are all delish!)—total pts: 1 (coffee) + 4 (oatmeal) =5 (I give myself one for the coffee but really it’s not even that since I use a drop of milk)

At about 11:45, to keep the rumbles out of my tummy (yes, I am 22 and said tummy), I had a banana that is not pictured, since I am pretty sure you all know what a banana looks like—NO POINTS YAY!

Lunch: An over-stuffed whole wheat wrap with cucumbers and fat free ranch dressing to dip. So my original plan was to make a salad this morning but since Angel (my mother who I am still living with, womp womp) has not gone shopping in a while all the lettuce was brown SO I had to wrap it up! Inside: Trader Joe’s red pepper eggplant spread (this was the first time I was using it and damn it was delish), eggplant strings (also from Trader Joe’s, can you tell I love eggplant?), artichoke hearts, fat free feta cheese, grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes. The salad would have included onions and broccoli but it was over-stuffed enough and I ran out of time. – Total pts: 1(2 tbsp of ranch) +2 (wrap) + 3 (grilled chicken) + 1 (fat free feta) + 0 (a little balsamic dressing drizzle, thank you Maple Grove for making this so healthy)= 7 pts

Afternoon snack: today I had a juicy pink lady apple and a fat free string cheese made by WW. These string cheeses are my absolute fav because there are barely any snacks that are only 1 point AND it’s cheese — Total points: 1

Dinner: so at this point I have eaten 13 pts and have 13 left, TOTALLY do-able for dinner and maybe some dessert. I made one of my classics, Shrimp Stir fry with long grain rice (I usually use brown but Angel really has been slacking), broccoli, onions, and zucchini drizzled with classic sir fry sauce. The shrimp I use is Gordon’s Classic Grilled Shrimp (frozen) and I just pop it in the oven for 10 mins. This shrimp really is a hidden gem; it is seasoned perfectly and is healthy for you! — Total points: 5 (1 cup of rice) + 3 (shrimp, 4 oz or 8 pieces) + 1 (1 tbsp of stir fry sauce) = 9 pts

Post-gym dessert: Yes I am one of those bizarre people who work out after dinner; I don’t know it just works better for me. Anyways, after my workout I always want something cold and refreshing which, let’s be honest, is usually some form of ice cream (WW brand) but there was watermelon in the fridge! What a treat! — Total points: ZERO!

Well that’s my WIAW post, hopefully some of you are still awake It’s been so fun creating this today!

Thanks, Treen! That was such a great WIAW, WW edition! If any of you have any questions for this lovely lady above, send me an email and I will pass it along! ChelseaEatsTreats@gmail.com

Greek-Marinated Chicken

Recipes 4 Responses »

Jun 052012

In case you missed it yesterday, be sure to check out my guest post on a tasty ice cream recipe over at Virginia is for Bloggers!

Hello everyone! I hope your Tuesday is going well. I remember when I was little I used to love Tuesdays because that was usually my day for dance class, gymnastics, or whatever other activity I was enrolled in at the time. Now Tuesdays are a heck of a lot less exciting and just mean Monday is over. Oh well, at least it’s one day closer to the weekend!

Workout

Yesterday I got back into the swing of things by waking up early and going for my one mile run with Jack and completing half of an Insanity DVD before work. Last week I was in a post-Memorial Day slump and just didn’t feel motivated to do Insanity in the morning. This meant my afternoons were a lot crazier because I tried to squeeze in a few extra runs to the dog park, which is fine when I want to run and have plenty of time, but I hate feeling like I have to run because I skipped out on my morning workout. No bueno.

Even after taking one week off from Insanity I started to feel the difference in my muscles and realized the moves were a lot more difficult than they were before I took my little hiatus. I am coming to realize that while breaks from routine might seem nice at the time, I sure do regret it later! I was really happy that I was able to tackle my workout yesterday and I will make sure to stick to my routines from now on. Now more lazy bones!

Recipe

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to today’s recipe! Last night for dinner I had a delicious chicken gyro with tzatziki sauce. It was so flavorful, tasty, and filling! Last time Fabio came home from New York, he brought a huge tub of tzatziki sauce home with him from his favorite Greek place. In case you are unfamiliar with tzatziki, it is a creamy yogurt-based cucumber sauce usually flavored with oregano and lemon juice. This one is always a big hit and I was so happy Fabio brought some home! But then the question arose…what should we do with it? We didn’t have any ground lamb (obviously it’s not something I keep in my fridge) and I wasn’t about to buy a rotisserie, so I decided to marinade some chicken with Greek flavors and use it in a wrap; gyro style! It worked out extremely well and we were both licking our ~~lips~~ fingers during dinner. It was a really simple marinade and would work well with a bunch of different dishes (I’m totally going to make a Greek salad with this chicken next). Here’s how it came together.

First I defrosted two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put them in a large Ziploc bag along with the marinade. The marinade was made up of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

I added everything to the bag with the chicken and mixed it around so the chicken was evenly coated in the marinade. Then I popped the bag into the fridge for about an hour while I took Jack to the dog park and met up with my friends Britt and Jess.

When I got home, I set the oven to broil and waited for it to heat up. Then I took out the marinated chicken and placed it on a rack on top of a foil-lined cookie sheet. This chicken would have been really great cooked on the grill as well, but unfortunately with our little apartment we would have to get our grill out of storage and wait for the charcoal to get hot. I was not about to wait around and do all that on a weeknight! The broiler worked out well anyway Then I placed the chicken in the oven and let it broil for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I cut up some small tomatoes and red onion for the gyros!

When the chicken was done cooking, I let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it into bite-size pieces.

Then it was assembly time! First I warmed up two whole-wheat 100-calorie tortillas in the oven (pita would work better probably but I had to use what I had!) and spread them with a thin layer of tzatziki sauce all the way to the ends. Then I topped them with chicken.

Next came the tomatoes.

Then red onion.

And finally, the lettuce and spinach.

By this time, the wraps were huge and I could barely roll them up. It was worth it though for all that spinach! Yum!

Greek-Marinated Chicken

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats

Prep time: 1 hour 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 2

This Greek-marinated chicken is perfect for a gyro or Greek salad!

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 whole wheat pita or tortilla wraps
3 small tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
Generous handful of lettuce/spinach mixture
2 tbsp. tzatziki sauce (store-bought or home-made)

Instructions

Add chicken to a Ziploc bag with next seven ingredients (through black pepper) and mix around to distribute evenly. Store in refrigerator for at least one hour.
Set oven to broil. Remove chicken from bag and place onto grill rack on top of foil-lined cookie sheet. Broil in the oven for about five minutes or until juices run clear.
When chicken is cooked, allow to cool for a few minutes and then slice into bite-size pieces.
Warm tortilla/pita in the oven for a few minutes and then top each with 1 tbsp. tzatziki sauce, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, and lettuce/spinach mixture.
Roll up wraps and enjoy!

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And, that’s it! Pretty simple right? Plus it was definitely delicious and made good use of that tzatziki sauce.

Anyone else have good recipes for tzatziki sauce? I was thinking of trying out a healthier falafel recipe but I’m not sure how it will work out. Let me know if you think of anything creative!

Guest Post From Stephanie @ My Freckled Life

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May 272012

Hey everyone, while I am frolicking in the sand and the sun, I asked my friend Stephanie over at My Freckled Life to write a guest post for you all. Today she’s going to give you some motivational tips for working out, which will be super helpful as we all get ready for bikini season! Her blog is amazing and very similar to mine, so go check it out and leave her some love And behave while I’m away! Haha.

Hey guys! This is Stephanie, and I blog over at My Freckled Life. I am so excited to be guest posting for Chelsea today, not only because this is my first ever guest post (newb alert!), but because I adore Chelsea! I started reading her blog a few weeks ago, and it immediately became one of my daily reads. Plus she’s a newbie blogger like me!

Anyway, at My Freckled Life I tend to write about my workouts, recipes, healthy living ideas, random
craft projects, my upcoming wedding (eek, 5 months!) and of course, ridiculous pictures of my rabbit-
wannabe dog, Laney!

Since the summer is practically upon us, I thought I’d talk today about how to keep your workout
motivation once the weather gets nice!

I don’t know about you, but as soon as the temperature gets above 80 degrees, my motivation to
workout takes a nosedive. Of course, there is part of me that remembers that summer = bathing suit
season (ew) and that I SHOULD be in the gym, but the other half wants to lay out in the sunshine with a
good book and eat my weight in froyo. Don’t pretend that doesn’t sound amazing to you too!

So here are some tips to help you get motivated to keep with your workout routine now that the
sunshine is out and the beach is calling your name. Whether you need a real kick in the tush to get
going, or are just having one blah day, hopefully one of these tips will get you out of your rut!

1. Find a way to enjoy your workout outdoors!

Now that the weather is nice, there is a whole new world of possibilities for getting your sweat on
outdoors! There are all sorts of strength training and cardio workouts specifically designed to be
completed at a park or on a playground. You can take your kids, your friends, your dog, or even just
yourself and take in some sunshine while you sweat (just make sure you bring some sunscreen – no
lobsters please!)

If plain old workouts don’t strike your fancy – no problem! Find something outside that does. Find
a new trail to hike, or take your bike out for a joy ride around your community. I live in a small
town and summers are FULL of street festivals, farmers markets, and concerts which allow for lots
of walking around and exploring. Get involved in your community and see what kind of fitness
opportunities you can come up with. Summer is also the perfect time to train for races, triathlons, or
other fun events! Find something that appeals to you and get in your Vitamin D!

2. Put some spunk in your old gym routine and change things up!

If your gym routine is feeling old and just is not inspiring you to get into the gym when the
sunshine is calling your name, it’s now a perfect time to change things up. Take a new class at

your gym (or local YMCA/community center/etc.) that you’ve always wanted to try. My favorites
are BodyPump, BodyCombat, BodyFlow, and spinning! Gyms seem to be a little emptier now that New Year’s
resolutions have worn off, so it’s the perfect time to rustle up some courage and try something
you’ve never done before.

3. Two heads are better than one – get yourself a workout buddy!

If you’re not already working out with a friend or significant other, now is the time to start. Workout
buddies are a great way to hold yourself accountable when you’re feeling lackluster, and they can
also push you to work harder. Besides, working out with a friend is just way more fun! You can
gossip while you run, make faces at each other during cardioboxing class, and go out for froyo
afterwards (Hey, it IS summer after all!)

Summer can also be a good time to get your significant other involved in your workouts, if they are
not already. Summer schedules seem to be easier for everyone, and the sun is out for most of the
evening, so sometimes people are more willing to join you in working out than they would be in the
winter. Besides, getting your significant other involved is like bonding in a whole new way. My fiancé
and I love to workout together (even if we’re just at the gym at the same time), because it’s kind of
like a casual date, and you burn calories in the process!

4. Turn to the old world wide web for inspiration!

In today’s day of social media, it is so easy to find inspiration on the internet. If you’re a social
person, turn to places like facebook or twitter. Follow your favorite athletes or trainers, tweet
questions to them, check out their facebook pages for workouts or ideas; there are so many
resources out there! If you’re more of a visual person like me, Pinterest is like
heaven. I love looking through the fitness page when I’m feeling totally unmotivated. I get tons of
ideas for workouts, I love the inspirational quotes, and usually after about 5 minutes I’m revved up
and ready to lace up my shoes!

5. Take a few minutes to remember WHY you are working out.

If you’re really struggling, take a few minutes to reflect on why you started working out in the first
place. Was is to lose weight or feel more comfortable with your body? To feel strong and powerful?
To look better in your summer bikini? To get your health under control? To rehab an injury?
Take whatever it is and hold on to that. Make it your mantra whenever you’re feeling less than
enthusiastic. Remember that fitness is a marathon, not a sprint – so you can’t give up. No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everyone on the couch!

Well thank you for letting me fill in for Chelsea today! I had a great time writing this post, and I hope
that you enjoyed it too!