FIT FRIDAY: Fitness Schedule & Goals {PRINTABLE}

Welcome to FIT FRIDAY! 

This week, I've got a special surprise for you: a FREE fitness calendar and goals printable!

I was inspired to make this when I couldn't find a printable that was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't want to print out multiple sheets so that I could write down both my goals & my exercise for the week. I just wanted one page for everything. 

So, I made one. It's blue and gold, nice and shiny for the new year!

If you like it, please share the love by pinning the image below (just mouse over the image and click the "pin it" button).

Click HERE to download the PDF!*

*The PDF looks blurry when you view it on the computer, but I PROMISE when you print it, it looks really good! For proof, I printed it, and here is what it looks like....

To use it, just write what time and date you plan on working out next to the day of the week. For example, "M" might have "Dec. 16 @ 3pm" written next to it. Then, the strength and cardio lines across from "M" might read "Ran 5 miles" next to "cardio" and "Arms, abs, thighs" next to "strength."

Then you can write goals, like "Run a mile in five minutes" at the bottom!

What do you think?!

Fitness Friday: Overcoming Holiday Weight Gain

Everyone hates the weight gain that the holidays typically bring. It's almost inevitable - there are so many gingerbread men and candy canes, and you just have to try one of every flavor...right?

This year, let's overcome holiday weight gain together. Below are five tips that I think will really help you keep off those extra pounds this holiday season!

1. Plan Your Workouts

....and STICK TO IT. 

I know, it's hard. But you can do it. If you put together your fitness schedule at the beginning of the week, you are more likely to actually get your butt off the couch and into the gym because it's now a part of your schedule. If you just say, "Well, I'll go when I feel like it"....trust me, you will NEVER feel like it. So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. 

2. Bake Vegan

Eating vegan is naturally a lot healthier for you, since that means no eggs or dairy will be in your cookies. That doesn't mean you can still eat five cookies, but it will definitely help keep your weight in check. Plus, if you've never baked vegan before, this gives you a chance to experiment! 

3. Use Alternative Sweeteners

Just make sure you use NATURAL sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Both are zero calories and are much better alternatives to sugar or Splenda! I also like to carry around a little squirt bottle of liquid Stevia in my purse. It's handy, and if you want zero calorie sweetened coffee, it does the trick.

4. Set A Limit

Decide how many cookies or scoops of macaroni and cheese you will allow yourself BEFORE you get to the party. That way, you already know your limit and will be less likely to overload on the crappy {yet delicious} food. Then, load up on the healthier options available - like fruit!

5. Plan Your Meals

Decide what you will eat when you aren't at a Christmas party, and then go grocery shopping so you have your supplies. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will be to stray from your plans. Make sure you plan healthy and light meals (like salads, or seared tuna steaks!) so you aren't already weighed down when you get to the party.

Hopefully those tips will help you fight the urge to overeat this holiday season!

What tips do you have?

What fitness printables would you like me to design?

Fitness Goals {Let's Make Some...Together!}

Making {and keeping} fitness goals can be challenging. 

Personally, I always make goals and then I never keep them. Most of time, these are weight goals. Lose 35 pounds. Weigh 125 pounds. And most of the time, I want these things to happen INSTANTLY. I'm not patient. When they don't happen right away, I get frustrated and I give up. 

And while goals involving your weight are fine and dandy, they definitely should NOT be the only fitness goals you have. What if you don't eve reach your weight goal because you've built a crap ton muscle while lifting weights? The numbers on the scale don't matter - the numbers on the weights do! The heavier the weights you can lift, the stronger you are becoming. 

Are you able to do more push ups this year than last year? Did you run a mile in six minutes? 

These are the numbers that matter!

I've been learning recently how to stick to my goals, and I'm going to share some of my discoveries with you. After that, I'll share some of my own fitness goals with you. I hope they help you stick to goals like they are helping me!

1. Find Your Motivation

If you don't have something that's motivating you - and I'm talking REAL motivation, not how well you will look in that swimsuit - you will never be able to stick to your goals. For me, it's fear. Fear of surgery. Fear of health problems and illnesses. Fear of pain. I don't want to end up having a heart attack and being rushed to the hospital. EVER. My dad recently had an unplanned quadruple bypass surgery, and I never want that to happen me. So I have started working out more often and eating more healthfully. 

Another thing that motivates me is being a role model to children. I have been interviewing for a position with Boosterthon, a company that serves schools by teaching kids about fitness, leadership, and character. The company has really inspired to be a better person and live how I want others to live. If I'm gonna be teaching kids about health and fitness, then I want to be living that lifestyle and being a good influence.

2. Write Them Down

Even though you think you'll remember your goals in your head....you won't. Trust me. Write them down and put them somewhere you can see them every day. That way you will remember them and strive to accomplish them!

3. Make A Gym Schedule

This is important. Don't wait until you wake up to decide when you want to go to the gym, because you will never go. Get out calendar and write down exact times when you will arrive at the gym. This means to can plan your days off, too! And these rest days are IMPORTANT. Without resting from working out, your muscles won't be able to repair and build stronger muscles. So make sure you schedule gym days, but schedule some rest days, too. 

4. Download A Fitness App For Your Phone

I find these to be really helpful. If you're a runner, check out RunKeeper. If you want to track your calorie intake, try MyFitnessPal. If you want to track how long you spend on the elliptical and how many sets of tricep dips you did, download FitList. There are a billion great health and fitness apps you can get for your phone, so search and find the one that works for you!

Those are four things that really help me stick to my fitness goals. Now, here are some goals I set for myself...

{Goals for This Year}
1. Be able to do at least one pull up
2. Be able to do ten complete, non-modified push ups
3. Have toned biceps and triceps
4. Reach my weight goal of 125 pounds (or a lean, healthy equivalent)
5. Run 3 miles without stopping

{Goals for The Future}
1. Participate in a marathon, preferable the Disney marathon
2. Participate in a half marathon
3. Run a 10k without stopping
4. Run a mile in 6 minutes or less
5. Join a CrossFit gym

Next week, I'm going to try to have a homemade GYM & FITNESS printable for you guys that you can download, print, and use to keep yourself on track. Maybe I'll make a fitness goals printable, too. <3

Now...what are YOUR fitness goals? And what other free printables would you like me to make? 

Weight Training {for women} 101

Ladies, let's talk about the elephant in the gym - weight training. 

It always seems so daunting. Especially when you are in the gym. I mean, come on. You're just doing your cardio on the treadmill, and you look over where the scary weight machines and free weights are. You think, well, someday I'll venture over there. But not today. Mostly because the men intimidate you, is my thought. At least, that's how I feel.

However, there is nothing to be scared about. And who cares if some of the beautiful, really buff men are staring at you while you try to figure out how that scary machine works? [HINT: There are directions on the side of the machine. You can read and look at the diagrams to learn how to use the machine. Easy peasy!]

Today I'm gonna give you FIVE (count 'em!) good reasons why you should take the leap and start lifting weights. But let's step back for a second and boost our self-esteem a bit, first. 

You are beautiful. 

You are strong.

You know (or you will teach yourself) exactly what you are doing. Even if you really don't know what you are doing, just act like you do. No one will notice!

You are confident. 

Okay. Now we can move on to those five reasons why you should begin lifting weights! 

Numero uno: Weight training boosts your metabolism. Like crazy.

According to the December 2013 issue of Women's Health magazine, "two months of resistance training twice a week increases resting metabolic rate by 7 percent." 

Well then. 

And that's only with two days of weight training! 

What this means [to me] is that if you weight train, you will naturally burn more calories when you are sitting around doing absolutely nothing. 

And that, my friends, is a wonderful thing. 

Numero dos: Weight training will help burn more calories. 

A pound of muscle burns FIVE TIMES more calories than a pound of fat. 

So if you want to lose weight, pumping iron is a KEY component to your workout!
{Just remember, it's better to do more reps with less weight than to strain yourself doing more weight with fewer reps}

Numero tres: Weight training builds muscle.

I've already stated this, but I think it's worth reiterating. Muscle is better than fat, and it sticks with you. Lose the fat, build the muscle. Plus, building muscle leads me to my fourth point...

Numero quatro: Weight training creates a sculpted body. 

Even though I haven't been lifting weights as often as I should be, I can already tell a difference in my arms from my brief lifting. I love looking in the mirror and flexing my meager arm muscles, watching as a small little "bump" appears where my biceps are located. And touching your muscles makes you feel really proud of what you've accomplished. 

It sounds cheesy, but it does. If you want to see the results of your lifting, all you have to do is look in the mirror and see the toned body you are creating. It feels great!

Numero cinco: Weight training makes you proud. 

This is really a continuation of my fourth point, but once you start to see results, you are immediately proud of what you've accomplished. Who wouldn't be excited about seeing ripped arms and a six pack staring back at you in the mirror?! {OK, maybe not right away, but it's a nice idea!}

Ladies, my point is this: START LIFTING WEIGHTS IN THE GYM. Even if you are intimidated. It's good for you. And if you still don't want to pursue this in the gym, then buy some weights and start working out at home. There are tons of great workout plans you can find online!

Good. Now get out there and kick some booty. 

What's your favorite workout?

Product Review: Lunaling Capris

I was recently asked to review a pair of Lunaling Capris. For those of you who were around when I reviewed Viva Hot Pants, this review is very similar.

Actually, I think these capris are nearly identical to Hot Pants. Theoretically, the idea is great. The website states: 

Lunaling increase energy expenditure during exercise by 6% versus the control garment. Lunaling increase energy expenditure in the hour after exercise by 26%*. In 30 minutes of exercise, weight loss is around 4x greater in Lunaling than in a standard garment. On average, subjects lost 1.13% of body mass in Lunaling compared to 0.27% in the control garment. Lunaling increase the core body temperature by an average of 18% more than the control garment, which leads to an increase in metabolism. Tested on 9 women with an average BMI of 23.3. All test subjects performed 30 minutes of exercise in Lunaling as well as in a standard control garment.

Like I said, great idea. These pants definitely add resistance to your workout, which makes you work harder and thus burn more calories. 

Still, I can't get over the noise factor. 

They are so incredibly swishy that I never actually want to wear them. Also, they run a little snug. I usually wear larges in pants, but the large in these were pretty tight. I would order an XL next time. Also, the capris tend to cut off circulation around my calf. Again, I think this is a sizing issue. I would love to try an XL in the leggings and see if my feelings are any different. 

Do I recommend them? Eh. I think they are a great idea, but the sizing is weird to me and I don't wear them a whole lot. I wish they could tone down the "swishyness" of the pants. I would wear them if they didn't make so much noise. 

Has anyone tried these leggings before? Have you heard of a similar idea with other workout pants? What do you think of this idea? 

Giveaway Winners & Good News!

Time to announce the winners for the last two giveaways! 

Winner of two FREE product coupons for Coconut Bliss Ice Cream: GRETCHEN

Winner of a six pack of Mary Jane's brownies: FITFUNKYLIFE (by the way, I totally agree - pb&j/smores brownies would be delish!)

Congrats! Please email me with your contact info ASAP so I can get your prizes out to you!

I weighed myself on Tuesday, a day over halfway through my 30 days to 130lbs. challenge. The result? I lost 5.2 pounds! I weigh 144.4lbs. now - before weighing 149.6lbs. Pretty good for a week, right? I hope to continue down this path and plan on sticking to my 1,200 calorie diet with daily exercise. I continue to focus on my shoulders and arms when doing weights. I can't wait to weigh myself on Monday and see where I am at! 

The best part of this whole thing? Seeing results. Seeing the cuts in my thighs, the sculpting in my shoulders and biceps, the lines on my abs becoming more visible. I love that I always feel light when I eat lean, clean, and green! Even with 1,200 calories a day, I always feel full at the end of the day. I really don't need any more food than that. 

I also made my vision board! A vision board is basically an inspiration board - something that keeps you working out and eating healthfully when you start to slack off. I framed it and I can't wait to hang it up. I'm going to make another similar one and fill it with different workouts from Pinterest instead, so I can get some quick new workout ideas when I need it. 

I also enjoy reading on my Kindle when at the gym. I finished a book today! It's crazy how much I can read in one workout and how fast time flies by. 

Question: What are your favorite songs to work out to? 

Much love, 

The Dreaded Weigh In

Today was the first of my dreaded weigh ins on my 30 Days to 130lbs. plan I made up. I knew the number wouldn't be good, but I thought it would be a little lower than it was. 

149.6 pounds. The number staring me blatantly in the face. 

Am I happy? No. Obviously not. I don't know if I lost any weight in the past week from working out and trying to eat less, but I'm guessing I didn't lose that much. 

This is a huge wake up call for me. I need to be really serious about this and take the next week to a level of high intensity. I need to start being serious about my health and the foods I am eating. 

The first thing I did was toss almost all of the sweets and chocolates in my food stash. This was really hard. I did keep a couple things for when I go back to school, but I stuffed them in a box underneath my bed to keep them hidden. Out of sight, out of mind - right? 

The next thing I need to do is be strict about my calorie intake. No more than 1200 calories a day. Period. I also need to make sure what I am eating is low in fat and very healthy. 

Working out is also extremely important. I have been doing really well with this the past week, and I need to now kick this up to the next level. It's really hard not having an elliptical at home - I really don't really like driving all the way to Xavier, parking a mile away, and then walking to the school gym every day. Honestly, it's a waste of gas. However, I don't feel like I'm burning enough calories with my Jillian Michael's DVDs at home. What do you guys recommend? Right now, my plan is to continue doing Jillian's Ripped in 30 DVD, Extreme Shed & Shred, and spending an hour on the elliptical at Xavier's gym. Not all at once, of course. At least with elliptical I can monitor how many calories I've burned. 

The summer I lost my most weight I was a member of a gym about five minutes from my house. Now that the gym no longer offers student summer memberships, finding an inexpensive summer gym membership is a challenge. Sigh. 

What suggestions do you guys have for me? 

I'm really feeling upset with myself for letting myself gain 10 pounds. A couple summers ago, I was down to 140. Actually, there was a time when I was 135. It's crazy thinking back to that now. I can't even imagine what that looked like. My end goal is ideally 125 pounds, but I'd be very, very happy with 130 :)

Sorry for that little rant. Quick switch over. Let's talk Chobani. Have you tried their new Chobani Champions?

Talk about scrumptious! Cho sent me a huge box of their Champions line to review, and of course, I Was more than happy to review them! They sent four flavors: Orange Vanilla, Verry Berry, Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, and Honey Nana.

As you can probably tell from the packaging, Chobani Champions are geared towards younger kids. The vibrant packaging and the kid-friendly flavors make that obvious. However, I think these are perfect for grown ups as well! Out of all four flavors, my favorite was the Honey Nana. This surprised me because I don't usually like banana flavored things. However, the banana did not taste artificial at all! It actually tasted sort of like a banana cream pie. A banana cream pie that is only 100 calories, of course. What a great substitute for a sweet tooth!

Surprisingly, my least favorite was the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk - a flavor that I thought would be my favorite. I found the vanilla to be a bit too strong for me. It overpowered my taste buds. Don't get me wrong - I love vanilla. And I think this is a good flavor - kids will probably love it. It is just a little too strong for my taste. As far as the two other flavors go - how can you go wrong with citrus and berries? They were both delicious.

Thanks, Cho, for the chance to review this line - I don't think you've ever let me down. Long live Chobani! :)

The Daisy Scale

4/5 daisies

Thanks again for listening to my little rant - any thoughts you have would be super helpful! Thanks loves and talk to you soon!

Much love, 

Journey to Health

Well, friends - it's about time I stopped eating so much junk food and got my healthy eating habits back in order.

I've been eating so much junk food recently - pasta, burgers, mexican, fries, chocolate, candy - if it's bad for you, I've probably been chowing down on it. Needless to say, it's time to eat more salads and whole foods.

I think I've also gained some unwanted pounds, so I've decided to buckle down and work to get rid of it. I'm starting something I'm calling 30 Days to 130 Lbs. - meaning I'm giving myself 30 days to work hard towards a goal weight of 130lbs. My ultimate goal is to be 125 lbs, but I think that's a bit unrealistic to do in 30 days. I even made myself a nice calendar on my wall to keep myself on track. See?

I'm hoping to workout twice a day while doing this. I want to get the best results that I can.

I'm kickstarting my journey by doing a week long juice cleanse. Today is day 2. I'm striving to drink only fruit and and vegetable juices every day for the next week - except for a small cup of protein powder and coconut milk after I work out (for protein). Ideally, I think I should be drinking a minimum of five times a day to help keep my metabolism up and running. Hopefully this juice cleanse will kickstart my weight loss journey. After this week, I will weigh myself and see where I am (I'm too nervous to weigh myself prior to starting the cleanse). I will take that weight and use it to see how much weight I lose each week following. Wish me luck!

After the juice cleanse is over, I hope to keep eating healthy, lean, clean, and green. Lean protein and lots of veggies and fruits. Lots of salad and foods that are low in fat. I'm tired of being the weight that I am and I know I can do so much better!!

So far, it has been going pretty well. Yesterday I was extremely hungry, so I ate a couple of crackers. Today I'm feeling pretty good - I think that has a lot to do with the protein I drank after doing my new kettlebell workout.

It was pretty good and definitely had me sweating - Bob has a love for squats. My legs are always extremely sore after a Bob Harper workout, and this one was no different. I also bought another Bob Harper kettlebell DVD:

I'll let you know what I think about this DVD later! 

See you guys soon - hopefully with good results from my cleanse!,

Much love, 

Product Review: KLUTCHClub

I was recently sent a lovely box from KLUTCHclub to review. 

What is KLUTCHclub? Well, its a monthly subscription service that provides subscribers with a box each month. That box contains over $50 worth of fitness, health, and wellness products like DVDs, workouts, snacks, makeup, and more. And you only pay $18 a month (or less)! You can subscribe for one month of one year, you choose. This is geared especially towards women. 

I received May's box. Inside was ONE coconut water, a water bottle, some wrinkle reducer cream, thinkthin bars, $50 worth of gift cards to Moving Comfort, and a free yoga workout download. Pretty cool, right? According to Kelly Olexa (one of the founders of FitFluential), this company has only been around since April and they already have over 6,000 subscribers! How crazy is that?

I am a little skeptical about ordering clothes online (you never know how clothes will fit), so I was nervous about ordering from Moving Comfort. However, when me workout clothes came and I tried them on, I was in love!

This is their Mobility 1/2 Zip jacket. Super cute and comfortable! And I love how there is a pocket in the back where you can keep your accessories while working out or running.

These are their Endurance Capris, which I am also in love with. They are super comfortable and also come with a zipper on the waist to store your accessories while running. Overall, I love Moving Comfort. Great company! 

Back to KLUTCHclub. I think this is a great idea, and I really appreciate that it's super affordable AND you can subscribe for only one month at a time. You really get your money's worth and more, that's for sure. I highly recommend checking them out! 

Much love,