A blog by Brit Rettig Wold, CEO of GRIT Fitness
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
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!
Hey gang! So a few days ago I completed the Dr. Oz & Joe Cross 3-Day Weekend Juice Cleanse. This is the second cleanse I’ve tried this year, and overall, I had pretty positive experience. I only lost 1 pound, but I do feel clean and lean. Here are my confessions…
For starters, this cleanse was A LOT harder than the than the Dr. Oz DRINK cleanse. During the day, I was quite hungry which kind of sucked. As I mentioned in a previous post, juice has hardly any fiber and lots of sugar which triggers hunger. Controlling my hunger during the day was really hard on the first day but got better on the 2nd day. On a positive note, it made me drink more water and realize that I don’t really need that much food to get through the day. It’s crazy how often I eat just because I’m bored, not because I’m really hungry.
On that note, the cleanse allowed for 1 solid food meal for dinner every day. The meal could only consist of fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, I tended to go to overboard on this meal (yikes). I think it was because I was hungry and eagerly anticipating real food. Needless to say, my portions got a little out of control. I probably would have had better results with the cleanse if I ate a smaller dinner and didn’t stretch out my tummy so much.
Since I was traveling for work and had to buy my juices, I had to be very conscious of choosing “good juices.” Just because a juice is “all natural” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Also, veggie juice is MUCH healthier than fruit juice – it has more fiber and protein and less sugar. If you are interested in doing this juice cleanse, but don’t have the time to go shopping all the time, then it might be a good idea for you to check out something like this Cashcoup site. However, just make sure to double check that the juice will be okay for you and your cleanse. I had to make sure my juice purchases met my 3 criteria:
Believe it or not, it’s REALLY hard to buy juice off-the-shelf meets this criteria. BUT, I did find one that passed the test and also tastes great. It’s “Sweet Greens” by Evolution fresh – I highly recommend it!
All in all, the juice cleanse was an interesting experience. Will I do it again? Probably not. But I may start substituting fresh pressed juice for a meal every now and then, as it can be a good way to slim down quickly for a big event or something. Have you a done a juice cleanse before? What was it like for you? Please do share your words of wisdom 🙂
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
Happy Monday! 4th of July is around the corner! As we American’s celebrate our independence, let’s not go overboard and throw our bikini bodies out of the window. Here are some 4th of July healthy BBQ tips from Darya Rose at summertomato.com. I also designed a custom workout for you to do on Independence Day. It doesn’t take too much time. So just wake up, sweat and head to your BBQ!
1. Use small plates
Research clearly shows that people who choose smaller plates and utensils eat less without even noticing it. The difference can be as substantial as 50% fewer calories consumed, yet everyone reports the same level of fullness and satisfaction. Try borrowing a plate from the kids table or the dessert tray.
2. Eat slowly and mindfully
People who eat more slowly eat fewer calories over the course of a meal. BBQs are a perfect opportunity to pace yourself as you mix and mingle with friends and family. The more you’re chatting, the less you’re eating.
3. Eat healthiest foods first
If you are eating slowly and off small plates, you may as well fill up on the healthiest stuff first. Salads are a great place to start because watery vegetables slow digestion and have very few calories. Try to choose something with oil and protein as well, because these will help you feel full sooner.
4. Skip the chips, crackers and bread
Refined carbohydrates are the worst things you can eat because they offer little satisfaction, loads of calories and dangerous insulin spikes. BBQs are filled with wonderful food, so do yourself a favor and save your calories for the really good stuff.
You don’t have to eat your burger without a bun, but pass on the pointless chips and other snacks that lure you when you’re not thinking. If you’re feeling bored, grab a Frisbee instead.
5. Keep dessert small
The difference between a large slice of cake and a smaller slice of cake can literally be hundreds of calories. And to reiterate, sugar and refined carbohydrates are the most dangerous foods. You don’t have to pass on dessert completely, but keep your portion sizes in check for this course.
6. Think before you drink
There is a place for alcohol in a healthy lifestyle, but making smart choices can be the difference between losing or gaining weight (not to mention your self-control). One sugary margarita can have 600-800 calories. That means 3 margaritas is more food than you should be consuming in an entire day. Is that really worth it? Stick with wine or beer, drink plenty of water and remember to pace yourself.
Happy 4th of July! Lots of luv, Brit
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!
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.
Here’s your workout of the week! This workout is all about Plyometrics (jumping). I love jumping exercises because they really get your heart rate up and strengthen your legs. However, if you have knee problems, be careful as jumping is NOT advised for you. This workout requires no equipment so it’s great to do during commercial breaks – enjoy;)
I have a love/hate relationships with celebrities. I love the aspirational lifestyle, but hate the drama and shallowness. However, there are a few celebrities that truly motivate me to live a healthier lifestyle because they have BOTH a killer body and an awesome work ethic – beautiful on the inside and out, just how we like ’em!
My super star intern, Kendra (follow her on Instagram @socialitedivas), did some research on my favorite celebrities and the workouts that keep their bodies smoking hot. I’m gonna try to incorporate some of these workouts and health tips into my fitness routine. Who knows, I may have Kelly Rowland abs by the end of the Summer – watch out now! 😉
PINKHappy Monday! I had a great day at work and am wrapping up my day with some relaxation and watching The Bachelorette (gotta love it). Here is the workout I designed to do in the morning – just wanted to share with you guys. Try it out and let me know what you think. Lots of luv, Brit
I’m back on the road for work this week which means more Hotel Gym Workouts! There are jump ropes in the fitness center of my hotel, so this morning I made up a new jump rope circuit to “skip” into shape. It was a GREAT way to fight hotel gym boredom and to include some plyometric training in my routine. I felt super athletic while doing the exercises and got a good sweat!
Here are the details…
