10 Minute HIIT Workout

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Hey gang!  Hope your week is off to an EXCELLENT start.   Here’s a 10 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout video that I shot in Central Park NYC.  The workout is intense and efficient!   You need to 2 medium/heavy dumbbells (at least 8 pounds for women and 15 pounds for men).  To get the most out of the workout, do NOT take breaks unless I say so! 🙂

HIIT works because it forces us to push to our highest level of perceived exertion for short periods of time.  This increases our anaerobic threshold, which burns a TON of calories during and AFTER the workout.  Try  the workout for yourself and let me know what you think.  It’s  a great way to get sexy for summer!  #heygurlhey #heyboyhey

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUs5sGt87RY]

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3-Day Detox Cleanse by Dr.OZ

Dr Oz 3 Day Detox Official

So, some of my best friends have been ranting and raving about the great results they’ve had with the Dr. Oz Juice Cleanse.  Have any of you tried the cleanse before?  Were you successful?  Obviously, I have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) and have to try it for myself.  I already went shopping and bought all of my ingredients (see pic below).

dr oz juice cleanse

I’m especially excited about bathing in Epsom Salt every night! Growing up, my mother (a true country woman) would ALWAYS make me bathe in Epsom Salt to help soothe mosquito bites, achy muscles or open scrapes from playground accidents.   No matter the issue, an Epsom Salt bath was her go-to cure.

What’s really interesting about this “cleanse” is that the drinks actually include A LOT of food.  I spent $90 at Central Market today buying all of the ingredients.  If you look closely at each of the drinks, they each include almost 4 full servings of fruits and veggies – that’s AMAZING!  I have a feeling that the drinks are going to be very filling 😉

Also, I’m infatuated with Coconut Oil right now.  I like to use it on my skin and in my hair for deep conditioning, but never have I ingested it.   This will be a first.  Last, the almond butter, almond milk and flax seeds are nice additions to help ensure I get sufficient protein   Altogether, this cleanse is HEALTHY, BALANCED and LEGIT according to GRIT by Brit!

Follow me on Twitter @GRITbyBrit for my pictures and progress updates over the next 3 days.  Also, please share your cleanse stories if you’ve decided to try it too!

Hope you had a great weekend – CHOOSE to have a great week ahead!

GRIT by Brit stay strong

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Best ABS Ever!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIO6IGNcPqM]

Sick of crunches?  Search no more.  Here’s a fun, fierce ab workout that I designed and filmed for you guys.  You need to 2 medium dumbbells to complete the workout.  It takes about 10 minutes and you can expect to burn 100 calories.  Do the workout 3-4 times per week along with some cardio to get your Six pack by Summer!

I think you’re FABULOUS!  xoxo, Brit

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Total Body Trifecta – 3 days, 3 killer custom workouts!

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My coffee table covered in fitness magazines & my hot green tea! 🙂

In January I love to revamp my workouts by pouring over fitness magazines and checking out all kinds of new exercises.  This past weekend I spent a lazy rainy Saturday afternoon putting together a hodgepodge of my personal favorite exercises to create a Total Body Trifecta (3 complete 50 minute workouts).  I plan to do 1 work out each day for the next 3 days.  I love these workouts because…

  • They each burn 500-600 calories
  • I can finish them in under 1 hour
  • They engage all of my major muscle groups
  • Each one has lots of core work to tone my tummy!

Try my ‘fitness trifecta’ and let me know how it goes.  You will see and feel results!  Enjoy 🙂

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3 day trifecta

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Cyber Monday Sale! 50% off GRIT by Brit Ultimate Body Burn DVD

Special offer just for my Facebook friends, Twitter and GRITbyBrit blog followers – on CYBER MONDAY (Nov.26th) you can purchase my newly released total body workout DVD for 50% off!  To take advantage of the offer, follow these 3 steps:

  1. Go to my eStore: https://www.createspace.com/353954
  2. Enter discount code: EFG4H3UU
  3. Purchase your DVD!

Enjoy and thanks for supporting.  Lots of love!   -Brit 🙂

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjZR1ClWFbE]

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Where Da Ballers At?

  • Workout Name: Basketball Court Workout  by Brit
  • Duration: 45 min – 1 hour
  • Calories burned: 400 – 700
  • Commentary: The fact of the matter is pro basketball players have HOT bodies.  Whether you’re a “pro hooper”, “ex-hooper” or “wanna be hooper,” the basketball court is ALWAYS a great place to get a super effective workout.  The workout I’ve put together incorporates many of the drills I did back in my day plus some basics to burn calories and build endurance.  No matter your skill level, you should be able to get through this workout and increase your fitness level in the process.  Change up your routine and try it out.  Let me know how it goes!

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7 Day Detox Formula


Last weekend I went to Miami on my annual family vacation. I was feeling good at the start of the trip (pictured above w/ my lil bro & sis). But by the end of the trip, I wasn’t feeling so hot. Fortunately, I kept up with my workouts because my family likes to workout together.

However, during this limited uninterrupted family time, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to indulge in delicious FREE meals (courtesy of my dad). That said, my body was definitely in need of detox from the weekend. So, this week I’ve stuck with my tried and true 7 day detox formula. It’s simple and consists of 3 basic diet eliminations:

  • Meat. Meat is a great source of protein but takes FOREVER to digest and is high in calories. This week I’m getting my protein some from vegetarian options recommended by my registered dietitian. This really helps cleanse my digestive tract. Also upped the veggie intake – can’t forget that 🙂
  • Sweets. Long story short, sugar packs on the pounds and make us hungry, so I’ve pretty much cut out the sweets all week. Interestingly enough, the less I eat sweets, the less I crave them – it’s true I promise!
  • Alcohol. As mentioned in my 28th B-Day post, “Cutting Back on the Booze,” alcohol slows down our metabolism and adds lots of empty calories. Going cold turkey for 7 days really does the body good!

Try my 7 day detox and let me know how it goes.

What do you have to lose?

It’s EFFECTIVE, FREE AND HEALTHY!

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4-week Challenge: Jenny’s Week 3 Update – Maintaining in Malaga, Spain

Despite vacations, minor set-backs and work commitments, Jenny has done an excellent job staying on track with her 4-week challenge!  If you are trying the challenge for yourself, stay motivated by keeping up with her progress.  Here’s her week 3 update:

“My girl’s weekend in Malaga was really great! I found a nice balance between relaxing, getting in some workouts, eating healthy, and eating whatever I wanted! 🙂 I took the first day off from any kind of activity except for walking around, eating tapas, and drinking wine. But the next two days my friend and I got two solid workouts in at a local gym, and ate mostly salads. We also did a ton of walking around! It wasn’t so hard for me to eat healthy, since I’m actually not a huge fan of Spanish cuisine. But that said, my friend and I didn’t hold back on the Sangria or wine  (Hey, you gotta live a little!). I found that it is much easier to keep up with diet and exercise when on vacation when you are with someone who is also health conscious and likes a good workout!

And now that I am back at home, I feel great – I don’t think I lost any weight, but I don’t think I gained any either. I’ve just gotten back, and I’ve already hit the weights and a spinning session! I love that way I feel after a rest day – super strong and energetic! Now I’m pushing hard for the next three days (spinning every day to get all three classes in + Pilates + Brit’s workouts!) – And then going to a Wedding over the weekend (and plan on looking fabulous in a new dress I bought in Spain!).

So here it goes with the last week of the four-week challenge – wish me luck!”

– Jenny

Brit’s advice for Jenny:

  • Keep your eye on the Prize –   I want Jenny to be extra disciplined this week.  She should revisit the goals she set at the start of the challenge and have FULL CONFIDENCE that she can achieve them!
  • Focus on Food – After a vacation, it’s common to want to hit the gym hard, which is a good thing.  However, Jenny should be extra mindful of what goes into her mouth.  She must be careful not to wipe out all of her hard work in the gym by consuming too many calories.
  • Stretch, Stretch, Stretch – Since Jenny has been away for a few days, it may take a her body a little time to adjust to the hardcore workout regimen.  T0 prevent soreness and injury (and ultimately missed workouts), I want her to stretch for at least 15 minutes per day.

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Reshaping Nutrition Norms (and your BODY)!

Norm: “Something that is usual, typical, or standard. A standard or pattern, esp. of social behavior, that is typical or expected of a group.”

As a nutritionist and fitness enthusiast, I am always striving to embrace a healthy lifestyle and make nutritious choices (bring on the Brussels sprouts baby, woohoo!). But through my work with clients, general observations, and from my own personal experiences, I have come to appreciate the fact that putting a “healthy lifestyle” into everyday practice is no easy task. It is a true daily challenge (albeit, an ultimately rewarding one).

I believe a big reason why eating well and exercising regularly is such a struggle for many has to do with what I call unhealthy norms. Healthy lifestyle practices are often at odds with typical or “normal” behavior in American society.

For example, as you are reading this right now, think about how long you have been sitting. An hour? 2 hours? 4 hours? Maybe 8 hours? It is far from uncommon for modern day office workers to sit at their desks for long intervals. Yet, recent research suggests that repeatedly sitting for extended periods can actually cut years off your life!

Below I discuss 3 of what I believe are the unhealthiest prevailing norms, followed by a few alternative strategies to help your overcome them. I hope at the very least, this article inspires you to become more aware of how the norms of American society may be antithetical to your health, so that you can take measures to live a healthy lifestyle on your own terms!

1. Sitting Pretty

Sitting for 6+ hours per day is pretty typical for a modern day office worker. But as I mentioned above, sitting for extended periods has seriously negative long-term consequences. Our bodies were just not made to sit for long periods of time.

Alternatives: Try and sneak in movement and/or standing whenever you can. If you work in an office and email is the traditional mode of communication, walk to a colleague’s desk and deliver your message in person instead. Organize lunchtime walks with one or a few colleagues. Hit up the gym on your lunch break. Walk to do your errands after work instead of driving. Stand on the subway/train instead of sitting. Set an alarm to stand and move every hour. Finally, try using a pedometer to track your steps and help keep you motivated — like BRIT!

2. Must.Eat.Meat

What do you think of when you think “traditional American meal?” Probably something along the lines of a big hunk of meat, maybe with a small salad, side of potatoes and a starch. Research shows that the amount of meat Americans eat is actually quite excessive compared to the amount we actually need, and over-consumption of meat has been linked to obesity and cancer. It is also financially and environmentally more costly than vegetarian protein sources.

Alternatives: Meat can be a great source of complete protein, heme iron, and vitamin B12, and I am not knocking it by any means. What I am suggesting, is re-framing the concept of the traditional portion size by thinking of meat as a condiment, rather than the main attraction of the meal. You may also want to try experimenting with other sources of protein too: beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, low-fat dairy products, whole grains. I personally think they are just as tasty!

3. Office Temptations

Sweets are often included at meetings, and/or used as a symbol of celebration — between colleagues’ birthdays, holidays, an accomplishment in the department, etc. There is always an occasion to indulge in the workplace. But research suggests that the more occasions we have to eat, the more prone we are to taking in calories in excess of our needs.

Alternatives: Be reasonable. While you don’t necessarily want to be “that person” or skip an office celebration, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your health by putting junk into your body at every opportunity. Be secure in your choices (or refusals), and try and learn to become comfortable with saying “no, thank you.” Or, if you feel it would be impolite to refuse what is being offered, take the cupcake, and say you are going to save it for later because you are not hungry now. If you don’t want it later, chuck it. This is not wasteful in my mind – the junk is better off going into the garbage can than wreaking havoc in your body!

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