Category: Just for Fun

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February Fitness Favorites

Hello Friends!  Happy Friday!  This is a been a WONDERFUL week for me – I couldn’t have started the month on February on a happier note.  That said, I want to share a few highlights that have kept me smiling and that I hope make you smile too 🙂

Me and my main b*tches – LOVE THEM!

I started the week by enjoying a yummy Sunday brunch with my girlfriends.  Not only are each of these ladies super smart and fun, but they’ve each supported my new business tremendously by taking classes or teaching classes at GRIT Fitness.  Having supportive (and fun) friends is such a blessing.

yes…I’ll have a another 😉

This week I did a better job of staying true to my “No work on Sundays” rule, which means I could enjoy and extra glass (or 2) of champagne at brunch.  Later that day I got great news that my long-time client and friend, Nena, won our “Commit to 30” challenge at BEYOND Pedaling, the cycling studio I teach at. Nena completed 33 cycling classes in 31 days and celebrated her 31st birthday last Sunday.  How cool is that?!  I always love to see my clients set a goal and crush it!  Nena showed some serious GRIT so her commitment was rewarded with a free year of spin classes at BEYOND – yay!

Me and Nena smiling for the camera after she completed my 8am class last Saturday – her 31st ride!

On Monday it was time to RISE and GRIND!  For me this means getting to the studio at 5am to dust mop the floors and get ready for our 6am classes.  Honestly, nobody tells you about the “real work” of owning your own business.  Let’s just say my cleaning and building maintenance skills have increased substantially.  I have never worked so hard in my entire life, but the cool thing is is that I LOVE going work every day.  I’ve also never been happier in my entire life, so the trade off is worth it.

This week 14 new members joined our studio – yay!  I wanna give a special shout out to the these 3 girl BO$$’s from Baylor hospital (across the street) who are the newest members of our fit family.  They WERK IT OUT in our hip hop class after working long days as nurses and OBGYN physicians.  Smart, fit and fabulous – what more can we ask for?  We also discovered that we’re all members of the Junior League of Dallas, so we are planning some “no shower happy hours” to mix and mingle after our workouts.  I love creating a strong fitness community, it makes working out so fun…like “adult recess”

Latoya, Tiffany & Lauren – our baddies from Baylor Hospital

So with the transition to February, I started a new “Love Your Body” challenge for the GRIT Fitness members.  Whoever completes 16 workouts by the end of the month, receives a very special gift from me!

So far, over 20 of members have signed up for the challenge and they are NOT messin’ around about getting those workouts in.  Check out our leader board…some folks have already completed 7 workouts in only 5 days!  #FIERCE

Clients are SO excited about the February challenge – who doesn’t love a gold star?

As you can imagine, our classes have been super packed and energetic.  Our awesome instructors do an amazing job of leading the crew.  Here’s a quick pic from Kemi‘s Body Sculpt class last night…

And a post-workout pic of me, Jenny and Annabel after Annabel‘s SUPER FUN Turbo Kick class…

Next weekend were are hosting a special Valentine’s Day workout!  All members can invite their special someone to workout with them for free.  We already have lots of dudes registered for Dance Dardio – should be entertaining! Maybe I’ll make all the guys freestyle dance in-between burpees 🙂

The lobby at GRIT Fitness – excited for Valentine’s Day!

Well gang that’s all for now.  I hope your February is off to a LOVELY start!  Any fun plans for the weekend?  Post a comment and let me know.  I’ll back on Monday with a new workout, breakfast ideas and fitness fashion favorites.  Lots of luv to you!  xoxo, Brit

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GRIT Fitness Launch Party Recap #1

Happy Monday friends!  OMG what a weekend.  I’m happy to share that we had a VERY successful launch party for my fitness studio, GRIT Fitness, with over 300 members of the Dallas community coming out to show their support and share their positive energy.  I couldn’t  have asked for a better grand opening day and my heart is SO full!  Here are a few pics from the party (I’ll post official photos once the photographer finishes uploading them!) …

On Friday, before the party, I set up the front desk with fresh flowers and an official announcements of our grand opening special offers. Unlimited memberships from only $75/month – a steal!
Then my Pastors (Stephanie & Robert Canady from All Nations Fellowship Church), family and friends came to the studio to pray for me, my team and our business. My mission is to use fitness to help people live life more abundantly and have hope for their future! We prayed that GRIT Fitness will ALWAYS stay committed to its mission.
On Saturday we got the party started – woo hoo! I was so happy that my dear friend Frank, the W Insider from W Dallas Hotel, graced us with his presence and brought some W swag bags for our guests!
I was SO HONORED that Gail Warrior, the CEO of Warrior Construction and Warrior Elements joined the party despite tearing her achilles tendon early that morning. She’s so inspiring and I hope to be as successful of a business woman as she is!
Flowers, cards, gifts and words of encouragement filled the lobby from my dear friends and family. I feel so loved and continue to bask in gratitude for my support system.
My #dreamteam and I snuck out from the party for a few minutes to take 1 official celebratory photo – we are NOW OPEN FOR FITNESS!

Today we will offer our first classes at the studio – I’m excited (and a little nervous).  All but 4 classes are already sold out so we are getting ready to rock a packed house tonight.  There are a still a few spots left in our Thursday & Saturday classes, so if you live in Dallas BOOK NOW!

I’ll post some pics of our fitness fun, but now I have a finish my playlist!  Talk to you tomorrow – I have a fierce core workout in the mix for you.

Lots of luv, Brit

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Nashvegas & New Beginnings

Hola friends!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  I just made it back from Julie’s wedding in Nashville, TN.  This is my 5th and final wedding of 2014!  I’ve had a blast seeing so many of my friends tie the knot this year.  Better yet, each trip had a been a nice little get away to relax from the grind of opening GRIT Fitness, my 1st studio.

I hardly ever have time these days to sit down and enjoy a magazine, so I very much appreciated the hour and a half flight during which I put in my headphones (blasting Ariana Grande) and plowed through my December editions of O and SELF magazine. (Shameless plug: Be sure to check out self.com for some of special blog posts).

In flight pleasure reading – O Mag & SELF are my “go to” magazines
Upon arrival in Nashville, I treated myself to an adult beverage. I love Lychee Martini’s – everything’s good in moderation, right???

This was 2nd time visiting Nashville this Fall as my other childhood friend, Leslie, also got married there in November.  Since this wasn’t my first rodeo, my friends and I immeidately had a cocktail and hit up the Honky Tonks for a fun filled evening.

Strolling by the Honky Tonk’s on our way to the ceremony and reception at the Aerial on Broadway

Julie’s wedding ceremony was right smack in the center of all of the action on a beautiful rooftop.  At the reception, we enjoyed yummy brisket sliders, mac and cheese, pork loin and wedding cake.  But not to worry, we danced enough to burn off the calories 🙂

Julie & Duane after they said “I Do”

As you can see, Julie was was a beautiful bride!  You can click here to see her all of her bridal photos.  It’s crazy that I’m now at an age where I can say I’ve been close friends with someone for over 20 years – cray cray.  Julie, Jamie and I became friends in 6th grade because we went to the same elementary school and played on the same basketball team.  My dad was our coach and my mom made us matching hair bows.  Despite now living in different cities and hardly seeing each other, we still have a special sisterly bond and can talk to each other about anything.  I’m so grateful that we’ve been able to support each other through several life experiences like having a baby, losing a parent, break ups, starting a new job and sports injuries.  Together we’ve experienced several “new beginnings” and our friendship lasts and strengthens with each one.

Jamie, Julie and Me posing at the reception. Over 20 years of friendship!

Now that I’m back in Dallas and back in the swings of work and working out, I’m planning to hit the gym this evening and knock out my Calorie Crusher Pyramid workout.  What are your workout plans for the week?

I’ll back back tomorrow with more news on my fitness studio and a special “Workout Wednesday” blog post. Have a wonderful day! xoxo, Brit

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Getting Ready for the Grand Opening of my New Fitness Studio – Grit Fitness!

Image: Me (center) and half of my team of fabulous fitness instructors! Photo by Sharee Antoinette Photography

Hi friends – Happy Monday!  First and foremost, my apologies for the lack of blog posts last week.  I’m not a believer in excuses, so I won’t give you any.  I’ll just do better 🙂

On a brighter note, I’m back to frequent blogging now that most of the renovation and employee on-boarding activities at my new studio, GRIT Fitness, are complete!  WOO HOO  Being a full-time entrepreneur is WAY more time consuming than working in corporate America, that’s for sure.  Nonetheless, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.  I’m so excited to wake up everyday and get after my long to do list.  But before I get to work today, I’ll take a minute and share all of the great progress that was made last week…

Custom wall art & sound responsive lighting installed!

So one thing I’m learning a lot about is obtaining city permits.  UGH!  We finally secured our “green tag” of approval for all of the renovation work that was done in the studio so now we can “legally” open for business.  Our super cool, sound responsive DJ lights were installed last week.  Also, the custom wall art of motivational sayings were hung.  Last we set up the sound system and started blasting some music.  For the first time, I could feel the vibe I’ve been trying to create for my clients.  I can’t wait until the first class on Jan. 19, 2015!

Entry way photo wall filled will images from my classes over the past 3 years! (still missing one pic in the upper left corner. That one is coming soon)

After getting the studio’s interior set up, I started decorating the entry way.  This is a still a work in progress but here’s a sneak peak at the photo wall I’m putting together.  I got these frames at At Home (formal Garden Ridge) for only $9.99 each!  Then I took photos from my piyo and turbo kick classes over the past three years and had them blown up into black & white poster-size prints.  As time progresses, I’m going to add instagram photos from our clients when they post them with hashtag #nogritnopearl – fun huh?  Yesterday a I bought a hot pink bench and some other decor for front desk.  I’ll post pics of that once I finish 🙂

Me and my sister, Kortani our dance cardio instructor, posing for a selfie after orientation.  Hey Girl Hey!

On Friday and Saturday I hosted orientation for my fierce, fabulous crew of instructors.  Starting off, we will be a team of 10 (including me) to teach over 20 classes per week.  We went over the studio policies, “GRIT Etiquette” and had a fun photo shoot.  I’m so grateful work with such a fun, high-energy fit family.

Well, that’s the run down.  I’ll be back later this afternoon with some healthy holiday cocktail recipes.  Until then, HAPPY MONDAY!  xoxo, Brit

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Black Friday Sale! Save 40% on Dallas Grit Fitness Classes + 50% on Grit by Brit DVD

Gobble Gobble – Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you’re enjoying some well-deserved food and fun with family and friends.  I know I said I was going to check out until Monday, but I have to make sure I share my special Black Friday sale!

As you probably know from all of my “studio renovation” blog posts, I’m so grateful for the upcoming grand opening of my new fitness studio, Dallas Grit Fitness! Starting today I’m offering an exclusive pre-sale 40% discount on class passes.  This offer is good through FRIDAY ONLY (tomorrow)! 

  • CLICK HEREto purchase your discounted 10 Class Pass for $100 (reg. $170)
  • CLICK HEREto purchase your discounted 20 Class Pass for $180 (reg. $300)

Dallas Grit Fitness will open to the public on January 19, 2015.  We offer over 20 classes per week each led by energetic, nationally certified instructors including me!  From PiYo, Turbo Kick, Dance Cardio, Power Yoga and Body Sculpt we have it all, making us Dallas’ ONLY one-stop shop for fun, fierce fitness.  Trust me, you definitely want to be a part of our “gritty” family!

I hope you take advantage of this unique opportunity to prepare for a happier, healthier 2015!

Want to learn more about Dallas Grit Fitness? Here’s a link to the studio website.

BLACK FRIDAY BONUS:  You can also grab a copy of my signature Grit by Brit Ultimate Body Burn home workout DVD for $12.50 (50% discount).  CLICK HERE to access the online store.  Enter discount code: TTTVV5E5 at checkout.  Enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  xoxo, Brit

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Fitness Fashion Friday #12: New Workout Clothes from Warrior Elements

Image: Grinning from ear to ear at the site of new activewear! My favorite 😉

Happy Fitness Fashion Friday my friends!  Yay for the upcoming weekend.  I have been teaching a crazy schedule this week (5 spin classes in 2 days!) So I’m VERY ready to relax and unwind this weekend.  Before I head out, I want to share some photos and thoughts from a recent fitness + fashion event.

Last week I was super excited to receive an invitation to special clothing line debut from a local Dallas designer, Gail Warrior.  Gail is a high-profile, Dallas-based entrepreneur and founder of The Warrior Group, a commercial general contractor, and the Heart of a Warrior Charitable Foundation. She’s also a lifelong fitness and healthy cooking enthusiast, so creating the Warrior Elements clothing line was a natural fusion of her professional experience and her personal passions for health, fitness, fashion and motivating others.

The clothing line debut took place at Equinox Preston Hollow and was super swanky. Not only did I get to check out awesome new activewear from a local Dallas designer but I also enjoyed delicious treats and “mocktails” (i.e. healthy non-alcoholic cocktails) throughout the evening.

Enjoying yummy goodies at the Warrior Elements Debut!

As for the Warrior Elements clothing line, I liked the consistent theme of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water.  Each item in the collection is a associated and color-coordinated with one of the elements.  For instance, the blue workout clothes are a part of the Water collection.  Most importantly, I loved the positive vibe I got from Gail and her team.  There’s nothing more important than good energy – right?

Here are a few more photos from the evening.  If you’re looking for new activewear this holiday season be sure to check out Warrior Elements.  Let me know what you think!  Until then, I’ll catch up with you on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo, Brit

Checking out the Warrior Elements Women’s Activewear – lots of fun styles to choose from
Crystal Pollard (left) and Gail Warrior (right) posing for the camera. Crystal is a fellow group fitness instructor with me at 24 HR fitness – we go way back 😉
Models showing off the Warrior Elements Activewear
Ladies getting their shopping on - wonderful night of a food, fashion & fun!
Ladies getting their shopping on – wonderful night of a food, fashion & fun!
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5 FIERCE Thigh Workouts – Get Trim, Toned Thighs!

Hola friends!  How’s it going?  My Thursday is off to a good start.  I just finished teaching my back-to-back cycling classes at BEYOND Pedaling.  I have to teach one more class this evening, but until then I’m blogging and working at my fitness studio.

In honor of  “Throwback Thursday” I decided to share 5 of my favorite thigh workouts from the blog.  I designed these exercise routines over past 3 years and they each take a different approach to toning and strengthening the thighs.  Some use hand weights, some are body-weight only and others incorporate more endurance training.  Whatever your preference, I’ve got something for you.  But one thing is for sure, each workout is gritty and will give your thighs a good burn!

Each workout has instructions and photos to guide you through the moves.  If you have any questions, just post a comment below or shoot me an email to brit@gritbybrit.com.

Enjoy!  xoxo, Brit

1. Thursday Thigh Burn Circuit

Body weight leg workout with endurance segments.  Feel the burn! (30 minutes)

2. 4 Effective Moves for Firm Thighs

Get ready to step and lunge your way to sexy sculpted thighs. (20 minutes)

3. 10 Minute Legs & Thighs Workout Video

Fun, efficient thigh workout that includes cardio intervals to get you sweating! (10 minutes)

4. Bye Bye Jiggly Thighs

Hardcore thigh workout with lots of reps to build strong, lean quads and hamstrings.  (30 minutes)

5. At Home Leg Tone: Get Killer Legs in Your Living Room

Home workout requiring no weights.  Fire up your legs without leaving your living room! (30-40 minutes)

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Dallas Grit Fitness representing at lucy!

Image: Me and my friend Andria shown’ our grit – GRRRRR!

Hey Friends!  Happy Tuesday.  I hope your week is off to a good start.  Just wanted to share a few photos from my event at lucy Dallas last weekend.  I was there promoting my new fitness studio, Dallas Grit Fitness.  We enjoyed a fun day of photos, goodies and 30% off all merchandise!  lucy Dallas will be one of the proud retail partners of Dallas Grit Fitness.  Stay tuned for more fun events and discounts from lucy in partnership with Dallas Grit Fitness!

I’ll be back tomorrow with your workout of the week – Oh Hey Workout Wednesday 🙂  Luv, Brit

Me and the lucy Dallas store manager – excited about Dallas Grit Fitness grand opening!
More fun representing Dallas Grit Fitness!
Giving away GRIT DVD’s, flyers and KIND bars to lucy shoppers!
And of course we got our shopping on – a girl can never have too much activewear!
Had a blast – can’t wait to see you in your lucy gear at Dallas Grit Fitness!
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Dallas Autumn Ball – So Fancy this Fall

Image: Getting ready! Dress & necklace from BCBG

Hey Friends!  Happy Sunday.   I usually don’t post on Sundays, but I had so much fun this weekend I wanted to share a few photos.  My friends and I attended the Dallas Autumn Ball which is a charity gala for young adults.  Long story short, we had a blast.  We started off the night with a group dinner at Dragonfly in Hotel Zaza.  I’m usually really skeptical of hotel restaurants, but surprising our dinner was super yummy AND we got a complimentary bottle of sparking Rose’ – oh hey!

After poppin’ our bubbly – cheers to the night!
Me and my classmate from Harvard Business School, Ade, gettin’ rachet and ready to party!

After dinner, we made our way to the grand ball room of the party!  There was a lovely step & repeat to pose in front – of course I seized the opportunity.

Posing on the red carpet as we made our entrance – oh so glamorous!

When we got inside, we immediately started bustin’ a move because the Emerald City Band was playing live music all night long.  The open bar was icing on the cake, but I didn’t party too hard.  I had to teach spin at 8am the next morning – priorities!

Wouldn’t be a legit night of fun without a duck lips photo

Altogether we had an wonderful night.  Great food, friends and fun all in formal wear – what more can a girl ask for?  Hope you have a wonderful week ahead.  I’ll catch you in the morning!  xoxo, Brit

Loved my dress and necklace from BCBG. Yay for a for a fun-filled, fancy, fall evening!
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These 7 Foods Hide Massive Amounts of Sugar

Hey gang – happy Tuesday!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  I’ve been working away setting up my new fitness studio, Dallas GRIT Fitness.  It’s truly a dream come true, but boy is it a TON of work.  Yesterday the painters started preparing the walls, we got internet installed and I made a final decision on the flooring – woo hoo!  The work continues today so I’m having my friend and fitness partner in crime, Turner, fill in a guest blog post for me.  I’ll be back in action tomorrow with your workout of the week.  I’ll also post some pics of the progress we are making on my studio.  Talk soon.  Lots of luv, Brit

Guest Post from Turner Cavender, owner of Dallas Fit Body Boot Camp. Follow Turner on Instagram @turnercavender

It’s hard to avoid sugar when many common foods secretly contain loads of it.

You may already know that eating an excess of sugar will derail your fitness progress and quickly lead to an increase in body fat.  To add to this fact, recent studies are proving that sugar is even more dangerous than we once thought.

According to a new study published in JAMA International Medicine, our risk of heart attack doubles when 20 percent or more of our caloric intake come from sugar.  That is no joke!  Knowing this, let’s uncover the 7 common foods that you may not have thought contain high amounts of sugar.

1. Fruit Yogurt
Yogurt is packaged and marketed as a diet food for women, which is outrageous. The pretty little packages may be low in fat, but just one serving contains a whopping 19 grams of sugar.

2. Pasta Sauce
This one may come as a surprise, since pasta sauce is considered to be a savory food, but alas, it has loads of sugar hiding in it. For every half a cup of store bought pasta sauce you’re ingesting 12 grams of sugar.

3. Agave Nectar
Many think of agave nectar as a free pass, since it has been so cleverly marketed as a “health food,” but sadly this sweetener is just as dangerous as white sugar. Agave nectar is 85% fructose.

4. Dried Fruit
Yes, even our fruit isn’t safe anymore. Most companies are adding extra sugar in with their dried fruit, making it as sweet as candy. Just 1/3 of a cup contains 24 grams of sugar.

5. Granola Bars
Granola bars may boast “wholesome, whole grains “on the package, but your it’s hiding a sickly sweet secret. The average packaged granola bar contains 12 grams of sugar.

6. Energy Drinks
When you need an afternoon pick-me-up, think twice before reaching for that energy drink. Mega energy drinks contain up to 83 grams of sugar.

7. BBQ Sauce
There’s a reason that those BBQ chicken wings are finger licking good…all that sugar it’s hiding. A 2 Tablespoon serving will set you back 13 grams of sugar. Start eliminating the sugar-packed foods in your diet today. Your body and your heart will both be in better shape for it.

And let’s not forget the critical role that a challenging, consistent exercise program has in your quest for good health and a fit physique. My programs are specially designed to blast fat and to build muscle in all the right places.  Email me at Turner@dallasfbbc.com to get started on a fat loss program that really works.  Here’s to good health!