Top 5 Healthy Eats On The Go

June 30, 2015 No Comments

Hey friends! I hope your week is off to a great start. Mine is pretty awesome! Lots of exciting stuff happening at my fitness studio including new instructors coming on board, fun fitness events and the launch of several new class formats. That said, I’ve had minimal time to meal prep and have had to rely 100% on takeout the past couple of weeks. Instead of grabbing fatty fast food, I’ve chosen healthier takeout options that are actually pretty darn tasty.

Below are my top 5 picks for healthy eats on the go. I chose these based on the following criteria: delicious taste, price (under $10), high protein and low sugar, under 400 calories and includes at least 2 servings of fruits/veggies. To me, these factors are most important when considering nutrition, value and convenience. So without further or do…here’s my list!

5th pick – Chik-fil-A – Asian Salad
4th pick – Starbucks – Thai-Style Peanut Chicken Wrap
3rd pick – Smooth King – Angel Food Smoothie (make it “skinny” and add 1 scoop of whey protein)
2nd pick – Snap Kitchen – Siam Lentil Bowl
1st pick – Zoe’s Kitchen – Greek Salad w/Chicken

I must say the greek salad at Zoe’s Kitchen has been come my new lunch “crack” – I could eat it every single day. It’s topped with caramelized onions and served over savory marinated potatoes – what a combo!

What’s your favorite healthy takeout?

Dallas, TX, Just for Fun

#SummerSweatSeries at Westin Galleria Dallas

June 15, 2015 No Comments

Image: GRIT Fitness Flexin Flow class at the Westin Galleria Dallas Summer Sweat Series on June 14, 2015

Hey hey friends! I hope your weekend was good to you! I enjoyed another fun, busy weekend of fitness fun. Our studio, GRIT Fitness, has a new partnership with the Westin Galleria Dallas called the “Summer Sweat Series.” Each month this summer we do a free fitness event at the hotel followed by a pool party – hey! Yesterday was our first event in during which we led a free Flexin’ Flow class. Huge shout out to our GRIT Fitness instructor and my dear friend, Maria Rowe for leading the pack! Follow her blog at www.marlizrowe.com. The turn out was amazing as you can see blow…

Post workout photo – yay for sweat & smiles!

After class we posed for a fun group photo before enjoying free Sangria and passed bites! Also, the Westin and other Galleria retailers raffled off 22 gifts including a free weekend stay at the hotel. Holler!

Me, Maria and Kortani posing by the pool after Maria’s booty-kickin’ Flexin’ Flow class!

After class we kicked it by the pool and celebrated yet another awesome fitness event! I’m so grateful for my energetic team and the corporate partnerships that we’ve developed and strengthened over the past 2 years. This is only beginning of even bigger things to come!

If you live in Dallas, join us for our next event on July 12th. We’ll lead a free Zumba/Dance Club Cardio workout followed by a pool party. CLICK HERE to RSVP and get more details. Hope to see you there. Happy Monday! xoxo, Brit

Lifestyle

5 Healthy Ways to Take a Midday Break

June 1, 2015 No Comments

If you’re like me, you often associate taking a break with “taking an opportunity to throw your healthy habits out of the window.” I’ll be honest, in the midst of a demanding day, my afternoon pick-me-up sometimes comes in the form of a sugar cookie. However, I’m trying to proactively plan for my midday lull and have healthy options on hand to help power through my day. Here are 5 healthy ways to take a midday break and rejuvenate:

1. Write Down A Positive Affirmation – You guys know I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking. When I’m bored or distracted in the afternoon, sometimes I’ll search for a positive quote, write it down and then say it out load. It makes me feel empowered and ready to take on the rest of the day.

2. Enjoy A Healthy Snack – I recently discovered Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt and I’m obsessed. I love that I can enjoy tasty flavors like Almond Coco Loco and Salted Caramel Crunch without compromising nutrition. Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt is a much better afternoon snack than my sugar cookie.

3. Get Active – Go for a 10-minute walk or knock out my super efficient 10-minute Cardio Abs Workout. Physical activity gets endorphins flowing and will instantly boost your mood and energy.

4. Escape With A Novel – Instead of sitting still for hours to enjoy a new book, I keep one in my bag and read it in 10-minute increments. It’s the perfect way to escape from my daily grind and give myself an enjoyable mental break.

5. Enjoy A Glass Of Lemon Water – Lemons are loaded with nutrients and lemon water helps aid in digestion. Also, I find lemon water tastier and more refreshing than regular tap water. Here’s an interesting article sharing 10 benefits of lemon water.

I hope these midday rejuvenation ideas are helpful. Here’s to enjoying healthier options to refresh for an awesome day and an amazing life! “To love this life is to live it naturally.” – Chobani

xoxo, Brit

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Chobani through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt, all opinions are my own.

Detox Plans

1 Day Liquid Detox

May 21, 2015 No Comments

Image: Harvard Business School, Section B, Class of 2010

Hola friends! I’m traveling to Boston next week for my 5 year business school reunion – I’M SO EXCITED! There are tons of fun events on the reunion agenda including professional development classes, parties and most importantly, a black tie gala! My best girl friends/classmates and I rented an awesome house in Brookline and we’re planning to party it up! (Now let’s just hope my 30-year-old body can do the things my 25-year-old body could.)

Obviously, I want to look my absolute best when seeing my classmates. However, my current diet is a bit of a stumbling block. Recently I’ve been enjoying chips and guacamole and sugar cookies for lunch (yeah – just keeping’ it real). I’ve gotten pretty sloppy with my diet in recent weeks as I feel like I’m always stretched for time causing me to grab whatever food is readily available. Teaching 10 -13 classes per week is a blessing and a curse. On the good side, I don’t gain weight despite my poor eating, but on the bad side I don’t feel wonderful and am depriving my body of adequate nutrition. SO in preparation for my 5 year reunion and as a gift to my body, I created a 1 Day Liquid Detox to cleanse my digestive system and kick off my 4 day healthier eating plan. Here are the details of my detox in case you want to join along…

I’ll do this 1 day liquid detox tomorrow and then for the next 4 days I plan to follow these diet principles…

NO sodium (salt makes you look bloated)
NO coffee (caffeine dehydrates you)
NO food after 8pm
Drink 2 Liters of water per day
Eat 2 apples every day (lots of fiber – wink wink)

My diet will mostly consist of a raw/grilled/steam veggies, fruits and grilled or baked chicken and fish. There are so many meal options with these foods, so I don’t expect to feel deprived. I’ll continue to teach my classes as usual to ensure adequate cardio and strength training. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter @gritbybrit as I share my progress. AND I encourage you to join me 🙂

Here’s to kicking off a happy, healthy Summer (and looking HOT at my reunion)! XOXO, Brit

Abs

Perfect 1 Hour Workout Playlist

May 13, 2015 No Comments

Hey Gang! I’m especially proud of the the playlist I made for my spin class tomorrow, so I wanted to share. CLICK HERE to listen on Spotify AND be sure to follow me on Spotify (Brittani Rettig) for tunes to energize your workouts! I post every single playlist from all of my classes!

Also, on an unrelated note, I just set up a Snapchat account so please add me @ gritbybrit!

Last on somewhat related note, I’ve been hard at work on a new barre/pilates inspired class (powerbelle™) I’m launching at GRIT Fitness this summer. I incorporated several moves from this “Love Handle Eliminator” workout from the GRIT by Brit YouTube archives. Check it out!

I truly believe that variety is the spice of life, so I encourage your shake up your weekly fitness routine! I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone too. I’m not a big fan of barre classes, but I definitely appreciated the value of isometric resistance training and small repetitive movements to sculpt long lean muscles. That said, in my new powerbelle™ class, we’ll use gliding discs and resistance bands to intensify traditional barre and pilates exercises. And of course we’ll rock out to a jammin’ playlist because great music is SO critical for an amazing fitness experience 🙂

I hope your week is going well. Chat soon! xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

NIKE Pop-In @Nordstrom Dallas

May 4, 2015 No Comments

Whoa what a weekend! I had my first partnership with NIKE – one of my all time favorite brands. Last week NIKE reached out to me to choreograph a fitness/fashion show for their pop up shop at Nordstrom here in Dallas! This was such an amazing opportunity, because it stretched my abilities…big time! A wise mentor once told me, “if you’re fully prepared for an opportunity, that means the opportunity isn’t that great. It’s the scary opportunities that you aren’t fully prepared for that propel you to the next level.” Well let me tell ya, the NIKE show we pulled off this weekend was DEFINITELY a stretch opportunity! I’m so excited to share that the event was a huge success and exceeded expectations! Here’s a quick recap of how everything went down…

On Friday, a fabulous group of NIKE Trainers from the University of Texas at Austin drove up to Dallas to star in the Pop-In show alongside some of my very own GRIT Fitness instructors. We immediately clicked and I LOVED how psyched they were after me and my sister, Kortani, showed them the routine.After a practicing all Friday afternoon, the girls then had a dress rehearsal Saturday morning at Nordstrom Dallas NorthPark Center (while I was busy teaching my signature Flexin’ Flow class at the W Dallas Hotel) – ahh if only I could be in 2 places at once.

Here’s a quick pic of my class on Saturday morning…

After teaching my Flexin’ Flow class on the W Hotel Wetdeck, I quickly changed clothes (no shower – ewww) and jetted over the NorthPark to do one final run through with the girls before the first show at noon! Here’s a pic of us backstage after running through the routine one final time…

And here’s a pic of the crew on the elevator to the first floor getting ready to go on stage for the first performance!

The show went off without a hitch and was SO much fun! We got lots of cheers from the crowd! Here’s a link to the video of the full 10 minute performance. Afterwards, these sporty sister girls posed for the camera to show off all of their hot NIKE gear and hot bodies 🙂

After the first show, we chilled backstage and watched a video of the first performance..and ate a yummy lunch. Then around 2:40 we got ready for the 2nd show.

The 2nd show also went off without a hitch and I was super excited that some my best friends / GRIT Fitness clients came to support us!

All in all Saturday was a HUGE success. Today I’m feeling accomplished and VERY blessed! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. JUST DO IT! xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun, Total Body

GRIT HIIT – 30 Minute Calorie Blasting Interval Circuit

April 19, 2015 No Comments

Hey hey friends! Last week I launched my newest class at GRIT Fitness, GRIT HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)! Here’s the official class description…

Our signature high intensity interval training (HIIT) class designed to push you to your max! We utilize 6 or 8 pound medicine balls to take you through a tabata-style interval circuit that’s sure to spike your heart rate while building muscular endurance. Enjoy a jamming playlist to energize your workout and leave feeling fit and fierce! Sneakers required 30 minutes

GRIT HIIT was very well-received by our clients so I wanted to share some “home-HIIT” goodness with you.

Photo op after my 1st GRIT HIIT class at GRIT Fitness

To complete this workout, you will need a medicine ball between 6-10 pounds, depending on your strength. Complete 4 rounds of each circuit below for a 30 minute workout. Be sure warm up with a 5 minute brisk walk or jog and stretch for at least 5 minutes after the workout.

GRIT HIIT- 30 Minute Workout

Circuit 1

Jumping Jacks (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Medicine Ball Squat Jumps – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds

Circuit 2

High knee run in place (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Wood chop swings, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds

Circuit 3

Football run, quick feet drill (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Alternating split lunge jumps, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds

Circuit 4

Mountain Climbers (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Medicine Ball Plank Hold (stabilize with both hands on medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds

Circuit 5

Tricep Push Ups (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Seated Russian twists, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds

I hope you enjoy the workout! If you have any questions about the exercises just post a comment below. Wishing you wonderful week ahead. xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

Happiness is…

April 13, 2015 No Comments

Good morning friends! I’m loving this quote that I stumbled upon this morning via Instagram browsing. It’s a great reminder of why I love mornings and why I love Mondays. I encourage you to take this new week as a fresh opportunity to make your dreams come true and to be happy! Remember, YOU hold the power 🙂

Happy Monday! xoxo, Brit

Total Body

25 Women to Know + Body Sculpt Workout

April 8, 2015 No Comments

Photo by Hello Beautiful & Sharea Antoinette Photography

Happy hump day my friends! This week is a bit of a bear – lots going at the studio and in my life! On the bright side, Hello Beautiful, a leading pop culture site for today’s Black Women recently named me as one of their “25 Women to Know” – yay! CLICK HERE to read the full article and my interview.

On an unrelated topic, I’m really proud of the playlist I put together yesterday for my BODY SCULPT™ class, so I want to share it! Here’s a link to it on Spotify. Who would have known that Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child is the perfect song to power through continuous bicep curls? 😉

Also, I created a home-version of my signature BODY SCULPT™ workout that you can do on your own. This class is designed to fatigue each major muscle group and keep your heart rate elevated with a couple of cardio intervals. Here’s the full class description. BODY SCULPT™ is a very popular class format at my studio! Give this home workout a whirl and let me know what you think. You will need two 5-8 pound dumbbells to complete the workout.

Have a wonderful rest of your day! Remember, you hold the power the make it great! xoxo, Brit

Cardio, Dallas, TX, Total Body

Spring Shape Up Circuit: Running & Strength Interval Workout

March 30, 2015 No Comments

Hello friends! Spring has officially sprung here in Dallas, TX. We enjoyed a gorgeous weekend of sunshine and 75 degree weather. Some of my friends even enjoyed time by the pool. I’m so glad that Winter is over and cannot wait to spend more time outside, especially partaking in outdoor workouts. This week I plan to hit up the Katy Trail and knock out this running and strength training circuit. I made the perfect 40 minute playlist to energize my sweat session – you should too!

In addition, my friends from Studio Hop and Lorna Jane NorthPark and I just finished planning the premier fitness event of the season! We are hosting a free outdoor workout at NorthPark center on Saturday, April 11th at 10:30am. If you live in Dallas, you should DEFINITELY join the party! There will be a lot of sweat, a lot of shopping and a lot of smiles! What’s not to like? So grab your yoga mat and a friend and join the party. CLICK HERE to RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Spring into shape! xoxo, Brit