Inspiration & Motivation

“September Shape Up” Home Stretch: Blake’s Week 3 Progress Update

September 25, 2013 No Comments

Blake’s Week 3 Thoughts / Results:

I am down another 2 pounds on Brit’s September Shape Up Plan (woo hoo). The most important part of this process has been the ability to focus on my diet and exercise (even though the later has been waylaid due to illness). As I mentioned in my week two review, I have a lot of personal things going on: renovating our new house, getting ready to move, and preparing to start a new job (all while finishing up at the old one)! Having this challenge has actually been a blessing since I tend to stress eat! So, here’s how I did last week…

Diet:

I managed to get in three smoothies for dinner and subbed for 2 other meals on other days. I am actually really enjoying having the smoothies and utilizing unique ingredients for them. I think when everything is said and done with this challenge that I might actually keep this practice around. I don’t know about you but usually my Achilles heel when dieting is dinner. I tend to eat pretty well through out the day and then get home and my diet goes quickly down the tubes. Having to record my food and having smoothies has definitely helped with this! I’ve also started experimenting with some new to me foods including coconut water and almond milk. Hooray for new food items!

Hydration:

Being sick has really focused me on making sure I am drinking way more than I usually do. Hooray for checking off this box!

Blake (in the pink pants) and Friends after a sweet 3 mile run!

Exercise:

Monday: Brit’s 10 minute HIIT workout and Skinny Girl Yoga
Tuesday: Flywheel
Wednesday: Three mile run
Thursday: Assisted with tiling at the house – this entailed lifting hundreds of pounds of tile up and down the stairs in my house for about three hours – talk about some power lifting – marble is HEAVY.
Friday: More tiling in the house.
Saturday: Attempted to help with the tiling in the house. Instead I was so sick that I sat on the floor pretty useless.
Sunday: Definitely really sick 🙁

Brit’s Tips for Blake:

Stay strong to the finish! You are doing an amazing job and already seeing great progress – down over 4 pounds! Also, be sure to stay hydrated when you’re sick. However, I believe that it’s still important to stay active when are you aren’t feeling well – physically and mentally exercise can help you get back to feeling normal. If you feel sick, do some resistance training or yoga. If you aren’t able to workout, be very conscious of your calorie intake – lots of low-calorie fluids, water and nutritious smoothies instead of heavy meals. You’ve already done so much hard work, so keep on truckin’ – you’re almost there. GO BLAKE 🙂

For more info about Blake’s weight management journey, be sure to follow her blog: http://www.binanutshell.com/

Inspiration & Motivation

Strong to the Finish Line – Weekly Inspiration

September 16, 2013 1 Comment

Happy Monday! No matter what you are going through, keep your head held high, be strong and keep pushing forward. You never know how close your are to reaching your reward! Wishing you a wonderful week. Lots of luv, Brit

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

– Galatians 6:9

Inspiration & Motivation, Just for Fun

How to Handle Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

September 5, 2013 9 Comments

I hope your answer to this question is, “AWESOME!” While that may be true in the short-term, the day after a tough workout can often be pretty painful – muscle soreness anyone? Sore, achy muscles are a natural part of getting stronger, leaner and fitter. When we life heavy weights or take on a new workout regimen, we get micro tears in our muscles. Now don’t worry, these tears are actually beneficial because they force our muscles to rebuild, which burns a lot of calories and increases lean muscles mass. On the downside, we also feel the aches and pains – not so fun.

The good news is that you can effectively prevent and manage muscles soreness so that you don’t find yourself on the sidelines. Here are some of my “tried and true” tips for keeping the pain at bay:

Keep Moving – Contrary to popular belief, the worse thing you can do is be still. When we stop moving altogether, our muscles build up lactic acid and get stiff. Even though you may feel sore after a booty-kickin’ workout, try to do some light cardio the next day to keep blood flowing and prevent stiffness.
Eat Bananas – Bananas are full of potassium which prevents muscle soreness and cramping. Eating 1 banana post-workout will help prevent aches and pains.
Stretch – When muscles are repairing, they contract. Make sure to stretch and lengthen your muscles often. Fitness experts recommend at least 2 days per week of stretching. Remember to do dynamic stretching (stretching while moving/light stretching) before your workouts and static stretching (stretching while being still/deep stretching) ONLY after your workout. You should NEVER do static/deep stretching before a workout because your muscles are not warmed up and you’re likely over-strain your tendons or pull a muscle.
Stay Hydrated – Sufficient hydration is the magic answer to almost all body issues. Your body needs a lot of water to refuel after a tough workout so make sure your are giving it an adequate supply. Muscle pain is often a result of dehydration.
Ice & Ibuprofen – As a former college basketball player, Ice & Ibuprofen was my ultimate remedy after tough games. If you experience inflammation after working out, place an ice pack the swollen area and take some Ibuprofen. Remember, swelling is often a sign of overexertion or injury, so you may want to take it easier next time or consult with your physician if you experience continuous swelling.

Hope this tips are helpful. Now go get your workout on! Lots of Luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

September Shape Up: Take the Challenge with Blake!

September 3, 2013 6 Comments

September Shape Up

Happy September everyone! Less than 20 days of Summer left (bittersweet). On a positive note, I’m welcoming Fall with a September Shape Up Challenge! My friend, Blake (pictured below) has decided to lead the charge by taking the challenge publicly on GRIT by Brit. Each week, she will share her progress with us, the good days, the bad days and everything in-between. Blake and I went to Cornell together and now live in Dallas, TX. Like me, she’s also has a long weight-management journey. She describes her weight loss history as “one giant yo-yo.” She’s weighed as much at 200 pounds and as little as 135 – currently she’s somewhere in the middle. Hopefully, the September Shape Up Challenge will help her (and you) establish consistent, healthy habits that are sustainable and effective for a maintaining your target weight.

In terms of exercise, Blake usually tries work out at least 3 -5 days a week usually in the form of 2-3 Flywheel classes. Over the next month, she’s hoping to supplement with some weights/cross-training. Of course I’ve got a few resistance/weight training workouts in mind 🙂

Blake after completing a Half Marathon in Dallas last month

Here are the details for the September Shape Up Plan:

Consume no more than 1,400 calories per day. When trying to drop a few pounds, you MUST burn more calories than you consume. Don’t let all of your hard work in the gym go to waste by overeating. I suggest using My Fitness Pal calorie counter app to track your food consumption.
Substitute a smoothie for dinner on days with lower intensity workouts. This will help ensure that you are managing your calorie intake. For smoothie ideas, try one of these LO sugar HI Protein recipes or one of my favorite Dr.OZ Smoothies.
Stay hydrated throughout the challenge. With all of the exercise, you must drink plenty of water. I recommend at least 2 liters per day.
Strength/resistance training must be done at least 2X per week. Here are some strength training routines that you can pick and choose from. Just select 1 on your strength training days – all you need are 2 medium/heavy dumbbells: Super Sweaty Dumbbell Circuit ; 10 Minute HIIT Workout ; Gritty HIIT Circuit ; Amazing Arms ; Bye Bye Jiggly Thighs, Tummy, Thighs & Booty Oh My! ; Fab Arms & Core ; Flex & Pump ; Dumbbell Mash Up ; Farewell Flabby Arms (FYI – there are several other weight routines to choose from under the “Workouts” section of my blog menu)
1 hour cardio 4X per week. Really push yourself during these calorie blasting sweat sessions. I recommend Spinning, Kickboxing, Running/ Jogging or intensity intervals on the Elliptical.
Introduce power yoga in to your fitness regimen. Power yoga is a great way to both stretch and strength train. Since Blake doesn’t usually do yoga, it will also be a good way to “shock” her body and add some muscle confusion. Also, it will help stretch sore muscles after strength training. If you live in Dallas, I recommend Karmany Yoga with Amy or American Power Yoga with Julie or Sage. If you live in NYC, I recommend Yoga to the People Midtown on 38th Street – Hot Vinyasa.

Hopefully Blake’s journey inspires yours. Be sure to check back next week to see her progress update and photos! You can also follow Blake’s journey on her blog www.binanutshell.com or on Twitter @blakesachs. Wish her luck – GO BLAKE!

Inspiration & Motivation

Don’t push deadlines…push your limits!

August 9, 2013 No Comments

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and encouraging you to make the most of your time! Often it’s easy for us to procrastinate and push the deadlines for our goals. BUT this weekend I encourage you to schedule some “YOU” time. Make time to exercise, update your planner, spend time pursuing your goals and most importantly, spend time with the people you love. We can accomplish so many things when we JUST DO THEM. Shock yourself this weekend! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Healthy Habits for Sustained Success

August 1, 2013 14 Comments

I made up this healthy habits list about 2 years ago when I got really serious about taking control of my health, my weight and my life. While these habits may seem a little extreme, they are doable and beneficial! Personally, I have not mastered the list, but each day I try to do a little better. It takes a lot of GRIT to develop healthy habits. But healthy habits are the only way to a sustain a healthy lifestyle. While these habits can take a lifetime to develop, we should strive to perfect them EVERY DAY. Doing so helps us be our BEST SELVES! If we focus on 1 healthy habit at a time, soon enough we’ll be living by the full formula. GOOD LUCK! Luv, Brit 😉

BRIT’S LIST OF HEALTHY HABITS – MY FIERCE FORMULA…

0 – Hours of television

1 – Hour of exercise

2 – Liters of water

3 – Cups of hot green tea

4 – Short mental breaks

5 – Small meals

6 – AM wake up time

7 – Minutes of laughter

8 – Hours of sleep (at least)

9 – PM end of the day and off to bed

10 – Prayers of gratitude (list 10 things you’re thankful for)

Inspiration & Motivation

It doesn’t get easier, you just get better!

July 25, 2013 No Comments

Hey gang – hope your week has exceeded your expectations! Just wanted to spread a little mid-week motivation. I saw this quote and it really hit me. Throughout my life, I’ve always operated under the assumption that some day…when I’m “happily married, super skinny, working at my dream job with 3 adorable kids,” then suddenly my life would be EASY. The reality is that day will probably come, but it won’t be BLISS. It’s going to be freaking HARD. I’m going to have to continue to work my butt off every single day to maintain a healthy and balanced life.

Hardships in life are inevitable, they will never go away. But the good news is that we are constantly changing, growing and adapting. Those hardship will likely feel easier because we get stronger, healthier, more patient and smarter. We are powerful beyond measure and more than capable of handling anything that life throws in our direction. So keep working hard and continuously improve at whatever you love (and at whatever you hate). Life doesn’t get easier, you just get better!

Good, Better, Best, never let it rest until your Good is Better and your Better is BEST! xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Always be Joyful!

July 12, 2013 2 Comments

Happy Friday! I hope you guys are looking forward to an awesome weekend. I certainly am. This is my birthday weekend – HEY! On Sunday, July 14th I will turn 29 years old…the last year of my twenties has come.

To celebrate my b-day I’m having a pool party at my parents’ house. But this isn’t your ordinary pool party. My mom ordered the most AWESOME slip-n-slide in the world (see below)! Talk about being “young at heart” 😉

So, in the spirit of growing older, wiser and more awesome, I wanted to leave you this little nugget of inspiration….

HAVE SOME FUN THIS WEEKEND! Choose to be happy! Reward yourself with some good times and positive energy. We often take ourselves so seriously that we forget to stop and enjoy this one precious life that we have. So, rest assured, I will be living it up (and working out) this weekend and I hope that you will too!

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” –Henri Nouwen

Have a ball! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Clear Your Mind of Can’t

July 4, 2013 4 Comments

Happy Independence Day to my US blog followers! I hope you enjoy some rest, relaxation, quality time with the people you love and (of course) a good workout! For those of you outside of the US, this blog post is also for you 🙂

On this day of freedom, remember that we are free in every capacity: emotionally, physically and spiritually! So, relish in that fact. Clear you mind of can’t. Anything you want in life, anything you desire to experience, all of it, IS YOURS! So, today, let’s accept our freedom. Be grateful for it. And let NOTHING hold us back from pursuing our dreams!

Let Freedom Ring! xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Lean In: My story of pursuing my passions

June 28, 2013 3 Comments

A few months ago I wrote a blog post about an inspiring women’s conferenced I attended at my alma mater, Harvard Business School. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, was the keynote speaker and I become very moved by her advocacy for women to “Lean In.” I could relate to her stories about over coming corporate obstacles, balancing work and life and trying to build and maintain self-confidence. She even talked about the importance of maintaining her health and wellness (she was also a fitness instructor on the side, like me!). This woman has some #GRIT. Anyway, I decided to share my “Lean In” story with the global community, so I today I wanted to repost it for my GRIT by Brit readers. Hope my story inspires you and encourages you to make your dreams come true!

The only person who can hold me back from making my dreams come true, is me! Lots of luv, Brit

And here’s my story…

I drained my savings account to develop and produce an original home workout DVD. I was working crazy hours in management consulting and had recently completed my MBA, but could not ignore my deep desire to share fitness, health and wellness with others. I chose to lean in.

I realized I had unique ability to motivate and encourage others through fitness and wellness. At a very young age I began struggling with my weight. I weighed 106 pounds in the 3rd grade. However, my weight loss journey transformed my way of thinking and revealed my personal strength. My new-found mental grit positively impacted my career, relationships and my faith. I had a duty to share my weight management success story and tools for others to succeed.

First, I auditioned at a major fitness club to start teaching part-time group fitness classes. I was terrified. Completely out of my element, I had to study for fitness certifications, get my body in impeccable shape and learn to lead a class. I would have been much more comfortable in a conference room with PowerPoint slides.

I then started a fitness and wellness lifestyle blog in which I became totally immersed. After long days with my corporate clients, I would stay up late designing workouts and writing motivational messages for my blog followers.

Last, I took the big leap by draining my entire savings account, hiring a producer, and shooting a home workout DVD, staring me! While being in front of the camera was very uncomfortable, it was also amazingly exhilarating. In less than one year, I finalized the video content and packaging. The DVD was picked up by an Amazon distributor and is now for sale online to customers worldwide. In the first three months I sold over 100 copies without any paid marketing or advertising. Also, my blog grew to almost 2,000 followers. In the meanwhile, I received a promotion from Senior Consultant to Manager at my full-time consulting job—wow!

My lean in decision taught me that I’m capable of doing things far beyond my imagination. While I haven’t led a major corporation or raised millions of dollars, I have encouraged the lives of many people by simply sharing my gifts and taking a risk. The only person who can hold me back from making my dreams come true, is me.