Stuffing, Potatoes and Pie…. OH MY!!!!!!

Crisp November chill giving you rosy red checks, autumn leaves gently crackling under your feet as you walk to the door... immediately greeted with the rich scent of sweet apple pie, mashed potatoes, and the twenty-pound turkey getting prepared for your Thanksgiving feast. The sound of children giggling while playing hide n’ seek, and seeing the great pride on your grandparents faces as they watch the whole family gather around the table.

Take a moment and think how beautiful and comforting it is being surround by people that love you. For me this means more than you can imagine! I have always felt a little like a lost child and now I have a family and love… I wouldn’t give it up for the world! (Awe. Happy tears in my eyes as I write this) that is what Thanksgiving is about… being thankful for your family, friends, and health. Look at what you DO have not at what you don’t have.

 Thanksgiving is NOT about gorging yourself with food, yes take the day and enjoy your FAVORITE dishes (pass on the ones you do not care for) and be done. It’s ONE meal… not the whole day, weekend or week! If you have leftovers of something you know you will indulge in… give it away or to the compost or trash pile… would you rather have it in your body storing fat or in the ground disintegrating?

Right now make the decision that you are not going to sabotage yourself this year during the holidays! It’s not that hard to say “No thank you” when someone asks if you’d like another piece of pie… say “no thank you” and change the subject if they persist. You do not have to explain yourself to anyone. There’s no difference saying “no thank you” to the junk than it is saying “no thank you” when brussel sprouts get passed around the table (ha PLEASE say yes to those!)

Let’s Practice shall we??

"You have yet to try my pie, here have some!"


"No thank you."


"Oh, it's a holiday! C'mon, you can't diet on Thanksgiving!"


"No thank you.”

"What, you're not going to eat your grandmother's homemade pie? You loved it as a child!”

"No thank you.”

"Oh Geez, can't you have any fun anymore?"


"No thank you." (Me thinking..."What?, the only fun you can think of is food… there are several other activities I prefer much more fun than food.”)


"I'll just put a piece on your plate. There, now you'll have to eat it!"


(Placing the pie back on the serving platter) "No thank you"

Speak up for yourself, be calm yet firm. After all you are the one in control of YOU!

(If all else fails pretend you have a tummy ache…. Good to go!)

Make this Thanksgiving about how wonderful life is! No matter where you have been or what you have done you deserve to be healthy and know family, friends and God love you.

So I leave you with this little blurb I picked up from a site about what the true meaning of Thanksgiving is: 

(http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25419)

“The Pilgrims recognized that everything we have is a gift from God – even our sorrows. Their Thanksgiving tradition was established to honor God and thank Him for His blessings and His grace.”

So once in every year we throng

Upon a day apart,

To praise the Lord with feast and song

In thankfulness of heart.

~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

Have a healthy, fit and fabulous Thanksgiving!!

PS I know I will be getting up in the morning to teach a killer boot camp class then do a challenge workout with my husband in the morning… he’s going to kill me I’m sure! Remember when you do resistance training and/or a high intensity workout before you eat a big dinner your body will burn more fat throughout the day! =) 

Is Facebook making you FAT?

This is a question I have been pondering for a couple weeks now…

I hear ALL the time how people say they don’t have time to eat healthy or workout… but yet they can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 hours on Facebook a day!! According to journalist Ben Parr the average U.S. user spent a whopping seven hours and 46 minutes on Facebook in August 2011. That’s a full 15.5 minutes the average American spends on Facebook every single day. Let you keep in mind this is AVERAGE over millions of Americans! Typically it’s between 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 min a day a person spends on Facebook.

Don’t get me wrong… I am NOT against Facebook by any means! I LOVE connecting with old and new friends, posting pictures of my little man and being able to socialize without getting out of my pajamas some nights!

 What gets me is how obsessed people can be and let it take over their health (and family). If you are one who thinks it is too much work to make a healthy breakfast yet checks Facebook first thing when you wake up… really? It takes TWO minutes to make oatmeal (when the oatmeal is cooking I make my eggs in that SAME time).  That’s shorter than one probably spends on Facebook reading peoples statuses about how their cat wouldn’t let them sleep… (if you really want check it AFTER you make your breakfast)!

Lunch hour… perfect time to go for a walk, jog, or do a couple bouts of push-ups and squats. Heck, if you know what you’re doing it’s easy to take 30-60 minute lunch break and get a killer workout in that will get you amazing results over your lunch break (and rejuvenated for work!).

(couldn't find hair tie... ha sorry for the mess! but HEY still getting those squats in!)

Dinner time… if you’re sitting there in front of a screen looking at people updates, eating mac and cheese from the microwave and a bag of chips because you “don’t have time” to cook healthy…. That’s ridiculous! It’s time to rethink your priorities!

To pan grill some chicken (from raw), boil some brown rice and steam or healthy fry veggies it takes a little under 20 minutes for most brands… this is if the chicken is cut & RAW and rice is not instant!  You can buy it cooked and just heat it up! It will take 10 min tops!  (feel free to make extra for lunch or dinner the next day!!)

Before bed….. this one completely kills me!!! I can understand updating a status or writing someone back quick, that’s OK. Yet, so many people stay on their computers or smart phones for hours at night…. The reason this kills me? These are the SAME people who don’t have time to make their meals the next day and are “too busy” to workout… um hello…. You’re on the computer til midnight you have PLENTY of time to work out, make your meals AND go to bed early so you can get up early to work out or make a nutritious breakfast!

I can guarantee that if you want to better your health in anyway… weight loss, muscle gain, tone, or  feel better in general… Use the empty time you spend on Facebook towards making healthy meals and getting in a quick workout… YES even 5 minutes! You will see improvements within a week in the way you look and feel!  

Moral of this post…. Set your priorities and stop wasting your life on what will not matter if you only had a day left on this earth…. I mean seriously who cares that one of your friends is about to get in the shower???

Keep yourself healthy, fit and FABULOUS…(that way when you DO post pictures on Facebook you’ll look damn good!!)

Sorry For the Convenience!!

Watching people from all generations gather around singing and dancing like no one else is in the room is a truly beautiful site. That’s what my husband and I saw last night at the Paul Simon concert. Music so beautiful with every instrument imagined playing in the band. It was wonderful! Yes I am a bit of an old soul, one of the youngest in the room! 

Enjoying little things in life and having good health are what make a person truly happy. Without good health it’s hard to enjoy those little things like getting up and dancing at a concert, rolling around on the floor with your kids or grandkids, running up a flight of stairs because you forgot something and aren’t out of breath, playing catch with you siblings or friends, hauling laundry across the house without hurting the next day (or just being able to do it!), swimming in the pool without being self conscious, so many activities in life many people are unable to enjoy due to lack of physical fitness.

When we walked into the Qwest center last night and went upstairs to our seats it was busy!! People waiting in LINE to get upstairs…. But yet we were the ONLY ones taking the stairs!!! People were waiting in line for the escalator! It boggles my mind to see that!!! It’s actually really sad….

This is the sign someone needs to put up and turn OFF that silly invention!

Unless you are injured or handicapped there is NO reason to take that escalator or an elevator! Yes you might be winded the first time or two but guess what? Your body will adapt and it will become easier and actually help make your heart and leg muscles stronger!! Little changes like this into your daily routine can really help your fitness level and self-confidence! Don’t believe me? I challenge you to take the stairs EVERY chance you get until thanksgiving… you will find not only is it easier by then but you may even start to feel some leg muscles and walk a little taller!  ;)  

Fitness tips to incorporate into daily life:

• take the STAIRS!
• While waiting for food to cook do some push ups from counter top (keep elbows in!)
• Park farther away so you have to walk a little 
• During commercials of your favorite show see how many jumping jack you can do without getting out of breath
• Race your significant other or child to the end of sidewalk.
• Sit up tall when sitting... like right now!! (shoulders back, abs engaged!!)
• LOVE who you are and embrace the fact that you are made to move and use your body... if you need more help ask a fitness professional :) 

This is Brad's favorite song from Paul Simon!

I personally love this one!!! (gives me goose bumps!)

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THE STAIRS!!!