exercise – Page 13 – GRIT By Brit

4-week challenge: Lak’s Week 1 Update

September 14, 2012 4 Comments

Hey Gang – Lakshmi has completed her 1st week of the 4-week challenge and is lookin’ mighty fine! Keep up with her progress and send in your notes of encouragement. You can see my comments and words of advice throughout her update. Have a great weekend! – Brit

SEXY IN BLACK

Week 1 of my Grit by Brit 4-week challenge is almost done. Here are some successes, failures (let’s call them, “opportunities for improvement” – I don’t like the word “failures”) and things I’ve learned. I haven’t lost any weight, but I’m feeling sleeker:

Successes:

I rocked the workout schedule. My muscles have been in a constant state of soreness this week (in a good way) – eat a banana to help with soreness
Chugging water like woah. I may have had more than 2L a day
I managed to follow the ‘no simple carbs after 4 pm’ rule (for the most part)
I’ve only been snacking at night. Breakfast and lunch have become my main meals
I’ve been watching my food intake. Just being conscious of the food I’m eating is an improvement

Opportunities for Improvement

Well on Sunday, I went to dinner. The menu didn’t say my meal came with rice (I ordered specifically because no carbs were listed). But it did. And I ate it
I may have gamed the system. Find me around 3:50 pm, you’ll see me downing some carbs in preparation for my 4 pm deadline – this is okay, it’s a start
Perchance all my eating decisions weren’t all perfect before 4 pm. I could have made healthier choices, but the new hires at work were training in the office and there was SO MUCH extra food. Eating for free v. eating right…it’s a toss up. Penny pinching won
I could have eaten more vegetables. I found myself having more almonds than raw vegetables
I’ve hit the 3 drink limit for the week (it was a social week). And I’m going to a wedding this weekend…uh oh

Things I’ve Learned:

Make others accountable for your eating decisions. Everyone at work knows I’m on the Grit by Brit plan. So when I’m teased by some delicious snack in the office kitchen, my co-workers intervened with some humiliating comment like “you can’t eat that.” You lose all your dignity, but hopefully you also lose your weight
If you eat a big lunch, you don’t need a big dinner. I’m not hungry right now. I can’t believe it
Water makes you feel good. I’m finally hydrated!

Questions for Brit

Can I eat quinoa after 4 pm? Yes in moderation
Do you have any good recommendations for what to eat at night? Nothing, drink water, why do you need fuel to sleep??

Lots of love boo – keep up the good work!

Brit 😉

Cardio, Home Workouts, Legs

Grind It Out Workout

September 10, 2012 8 Comments

Happy Monday

Work hard, be blessed and be a blessing to others!

Here’s the workout I made for myself to do this evening. Try it out and let me know what you think. I’ll do it as soon as I get off work today .

Workout Name: Brit’s Grind It Out Workout
Duration: 45 minutes
Calories Burned: 400 – 500
Focus: Lower body toning and overall calorie burn
Equipment needed: Treadmill or outdoor hill, hand weights (optional)

Lifestyle

Gritty and Nautical

September 3, 2012 3 Comments

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope your weekend was joyous and well. Mine certainly was. I went to Boston to celebrate the wedding of one my dearest b-school classmates. Despite living in Boston for 2 years, I experienced a completely new side of Bean town = Southie. Usually, I try to stay away from Southie at all costs (read: Gone Baby Gone & The Town), but I was pleasantly surprised by history, “grittiness” and authenticity of the neighborhood. I enjoyed a nice 5 mile run around the South Harbor and had a killer vegetarian sausage breakfast burrito at Sophia’s.

After the wedding, I hopped a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for a night. The island exhibited a wealth of racial and cultural diversity (I was expecting to only see Sperry’s and blondes). My friends and I kept up the physical activity with paddle boarding at the beach. SO FUN! Took me a while to get my groove. I definitely bit it like 3 times, but it was totally worth it. If you’ve never tried paddle boarding, you must. My core and booty are super sore today 😉

While the food was great and the scenery was unreal, the best part was the company. As I reflect on the weekend, I’m so grateful for my positive and loving friendships – something I TOO OFTEN taken for granted. Thank God for good friends.

So, here’s to Bean Town, Martha’s Vineyard, and all things Gritty and Nautical.

photo(17) — Me and Dave soaking it all in before heading home

Home Workouts, Total Body

Keep it TIGHT TUESDAY

August 28, 2012 2 Comments

Here’s the workout I did this evening. A good mix of cardio and resistance training. Not too intense, but enough to “keep it tight.”

Happy Tuesday – enjoy!

Inspiration & Motivation

4-week challenge ‘Euro Style’ COMPLETE: Sexy, Sexy, Sexy

August 14, 2012 2 Comments

Jenny has officially completed my 4-week challenge and she looks SMOKIN’ HOT! Below you can read her final update and see pics from her challenge completion photo shoot.

Lookin’ FIT 50’s style – way to go Jenny!

Jenny’s biggest lessons of the 4 Week Challenge:

At 28, diet is much more important than it used to be, and all the changes that I used to see so fast take more time.
Also, it is so important for me to keep my workouts fresh, so I don’t burn out or lose motivation.
And finally, slow down a bit – getting sick really sets one back with regard to working out, so it is important to make sure that i’m not pushing myself too hard and wearing myself down.

Regardless, this past four weeks have been great – I look better, feel better and have done some great new workouts that have really re-motivated me! I’m more toned, but I still have my curves as you can see above 🙂

If you missed any of Jenny’s earlier updates, you can catch up here:

Kick Start – Full Plan, Week 1 , Week 2, Week 3

Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

TRAIN Like an Olympian to LOOK Like an Olympian

August 6, 2012 2 Comments

Workout: Olympic Athlete Personal Challenge by Brit
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Calories Burned: 400-600
Brit’s Commentary: I was feeling so inspired by the Olympics this week that I designed a workout to challenge my own “Olympic worthiness.” I’m no where near an “Olympic athlete” but sometimes it’s good to feel my own SPEED, ENDURANCE, STRENGTH and GRIT! This workout was a nice change up to my usual routine and kept me in the Olympic spirit. It also allowed me to capitalize on all of the positive energy that the Olympics brings every 4 years! That said, try the challenge for yourself and go for the GOLD 🙂

*Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes before you start the sprints and stretch for 5-15 minutes after you complete the workout.

Example: Inch Worm Exercise

Inspiration & Motivation

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

August 5, 2012 1 Comment

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.

Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle

Get to STEPPIN’ – Life with my pedometer

July 29, 2012 4 Comments

SO… along with cutting back on the booze, for my 28th b-day I also committed to wearing a pedometer everyday. In case you don’t know, a pedometer is a little device you can attach to your body and it counts the number of steps you take. I got the idea from my friend Megan who consistently wore her pedometer every single day of our vacation in Italy.

Basically I’m on one of these 10,000 step plans. Recent studies show that it takes 10,000 steps (equal to 5 miles) per day to manage your current weight. As many of you know, I’ve lost over 20 pounds in the last 2 years and I REFUSE to gain it back. So the 10,000 step plan is my new method of ensuring I don’t slowly pack back on the pounds.

First off, using the pedometer is cheap and simple. I bought mine at Academy Sports & Outdoors for about $20 and I simply clip it to my belt or bra strap every day. Altogether, I didn’t realize how sedentary I am every day. It’s cray cray! My daily step count was all over the place – literally. On an average day when I do not workout, I only walk about 3,000-4,00 steps. YIKES!

Getting my 10,000 steps in each day is still work in progress, but I’m constantly improving. Overall, I think this is legit so def try it for yourself! Here’s a little photo diary of my pedometer experience:

1st day with the pedometer, sitting at my desk all day and only at 4,693 steps at 8pm – not a good look 🙁

Feeling very eager and determined on day 2 – walked/jogged on the treadmill for 30 min and walked around my office multiple times for over 12,000 steps!

Lazy day working from home. Had to head to the gym to make up for a LOT of steps!

After teaching 1-hour Turbo Kick class +6,000 steps putting me well above 10,000 by 6:15pm – a good look 🙂

Morning run and Psycho Gym workout got me over 8,000 steps by lunch time. YAY!

Sunday church + brunch left me with a major step gap 🙁

Went for a Sunday afternoon stroll around my neighborhood to get my extra steps in. Mission accomplished!

Here are a few ways that I incorporated more steps into my day to make may daily 10,000 step quota:

Park in the parking spot furthest away form the door to my work building
Get up and walk around my office every couple of hours
Walk on the treadmill or around my neighborhood to make up for missed steps
Stand at my desk, and sway side to side instead of sitting (awkward I know, but it works)

How do you get your steps in? Please do share!

Inspiration & Motivation

4-week Challenge: Jenny’s Week 2 Update – “Keep Calm and Carry On”

July 27, 2012 1 Comment

Happy Friday! Jenny has just wrapped up week 2 of her 4-Week Challenge. Try the challenge for yourself and stay motivated by keeping up with Jenny’s progress!

Jenny’s Week 2 Progress Report:

Week Two: Øv! (as we say in Danish – think: “Ugh” in English :)) Do I feel good about this week? Eh. I pushed myself hard – but not as hard as I felt like I could. I was busy and stressed and spent most of the week trying to catch up with everything and everyone. Should I cut myself some slack? Probably so. For me, working out is just as much mental as it is physical; Maybe it is my history in the fitness industry and/or maybe it is my need to push myself in some way (the feeling of progress), but I know that my mood, happiness, overall ability to handle stress and focus, all rely heavily on my ability to workout in one way or another.

At the same time, I also have to realize that I’m not 21 anymore, and cannot push myself to the same limits as I used to – and some days, that is hard for me to accept. My body responds and changes much more slowly than it used to, and this can be hard for someone like me who is so impatient. So even though I feel stronger and ‘tighter’, the way I feel about the week is not as positive as I’d hoped for. I’m trying to remember that results take time, and patience is key. I know that many people might give up when they feel like this, but that isn’t really my style 🙂

On a positive note, I did take Brit’s advice and started adding protein to my breakfast. Usually its egg whites or a whey protein shake (see pics above). I can tell that the protein helps me feel fuller and keeps me from overeating later in the day.

I did Brit’s killer legs workout on Monday and could barely walk on Tuesday. I think maybe its better for me to do legs when I have a day off the next day, because Spinning the next day was hard (and then cardio and Pilates the day after that!), and they probably could have used a recovery day. Seriously, four days later my legs are still sore – and they haven’t been this sore since I can even remember!

Now I’m off to a weekend in Malaga. Do I feel 100% beach ready? Not exactly. But I am going to go have a good time, and keep focused on my goals. This will be an interesting week, as maintaining diet and exercise can be challenging on vacation – and it is important to strike a good balance. I tend to have an “all or nothing” personality, so this should be good personal challenge 🙂

-Jenny

Brit’s Advice for Jenny:

Do your best to stay on the plan during vacation. There are several alternative workouts on Grit by Brit, like my Keepin’ Trim While Travelin’ hotel gym workout. Also hiking, walking and being active in general we keep you in good shape.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Focus on the positive. You are kickin’ butt by doing your workouts and incorporating healthy habits (like protein at breakfast)! Just take things one day at a time try to make each day healthier and more active than the day before.
The half-way point is always the make or break. Don’t be like most people and give up if the numbers on the scale aren’t budging. All things take time, so keep calm and carry on 🙂

If you missed Jenny’s Week 1 Progress Report CLICK HERE to catch up!

Inspiration & Motivation

4-week Challenge Euro Style: Jenny’s Week 1 Update

July 20, 2012 2 Comments

If you missed last week’s 4-week challenge kick off, make sure you check it out to see the full plan. Below is Jenny’s week 1 progress report. She’s doing a great job – KEEP IT UP JENNY!

“Week One: DONE! It’s been great! I did all the workouts this week + added a few Pilates classes #motivationbaby! I have been pretty intense about my workouts, so I really needed my off day. My pants are definitely looser on me. I never usually weigh myself (I think inches are a better indication, rather than kilos), I did this week. According to my scale, I’m down 1.2 kilos (American translation: 2.6 pounds), which is pretty good! SO, I will try to really focus on the diet this week. I have been good about not eating after 9pm, but since I’m going to bed around 10/10:30pm every night (gotta get up early for those workouts!), I think I should try to not eat anything after 7:30/8pm. Brittani has also recommended that I trade my breakfasts of fruit to one of protein, and I have a feeling this will be my ‘game changer’ this week. Let’s see! I have 10 more days until I’m in sunny Malaga, Spain – so I’ve gotta really focus!”

– Jenny