Tips on knowing when to buy new shoes

Good shoes are crucial to a good workout. As a runner I knew how long it took before I had to get new shoes. You also need to know that you get what you paid for. Good quality shoes will last you longer. It is well worth it to get good shoes that fit your needs. 

So when do you need to buy new shoes.
"According to research published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the average running shoe loses 50 percent of its compression capability in 300 to 500 miles of use. Researchers concluded that most shoes should be replaced within that mileage window or every six months, whichever comes first. But how do you calculate that when your workout doesn’t center around running?" (taken from Beachbody blog)

If you are not a runner or if your workout includes more than running, it can get a little bit more tricky! Here are a couple of ways you can find out.

• Visual test: look at your shoes and make an assessment of how they look. There are areas that quickly show wear and tear. Look at the outside and the inside! Excessive horizontal creasing is a sure sign that your shoes need a replacement.

• Press test: press on the outsole (bottom of your shoes). If it gives a little that means that the material is highly compressed and provides you with NO support. Time to go shopping! 

I hope this helps. Feel free to share any other tips you may have.
Stay fit and stay healthy!

Fixate

Your Healthy Family Meal Planning Just Got Easier!

21 Day Fix® creator Autumn Calabrese takes her simple color-coded container system for measuring perfect portions and applies it to 101 of her favorite family recipes to give you Fixate, a delicious approach to healthy weight loss. So you’re not just eating tasty, healthy foods-you’re eating just the right amount. Each Fixate recipe lists color-coded container equivalents and nutrition facts, so you can use Autumn’s system for measuring portions and make sure your nutrition is on track when you begin 21 Day Fix, 21 Fix EXTREME®, or any other fitness program.

Plus, Fixate includes Paleo, gluten-free,vegan, and vegetarian recipes along with Autumn’s personal tips for preparing meals quickly upgrading leftovers, and stocking your kitchen with absolute must-haves. Everything to help you get started in the kitchen, so you can finish strong during your workout.

Want to preview some of the recipes? Autumn has been very generous to provide us with 5 Recipes from FIXATE!

Click here to a direct access to the PDF

Beachbody On Demand

Who wants to be tied down to DVD player when they want to workout!  With the popularity of Netflix, Pay-per-View, etc, some people don’t even have DVDs anymore. Right?

If you love your Beachbody workouts, and want to be able to do them ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, Beachbody on Demand is just what you have been looking for! For only $38.87 per quarter, you will have access to all of your favorite Beachbody trainers and 100’s of workouts – including workouts thata have been created exclusively for Beachbody on Demand.

Check out this video for all the cool features that come with your BOD membership. And if you’re ready to get started with your FREE 30 Day Trial, just click here!

To access your FREE 30 Day Trial to Beachbody on Demand, just click here!

Inspiration Tuesday

Traveling and staying on track

I just got back from visiting my family in France. It was a wonderful trip and my son and I had a blast. We stayed in Paris for a couple of days so that I could show hime the sights. We were blessed mostly with good weather.

There are many challenges when traveling and trying to stay on track with proper nutrition.

1. planes and airports: food on the plane is never the best. Not much you can do about it, when the plane ride is 8+ hours long. Airports usually have more options unless they are small. We had a layover in Dublin and surprisingly enough very small. 
2. eating out: there are always healthy options but truth be told, when in France it is hard to always pass the bread, the cheese or the wine. Not even talking about the croissants.....
3. staying at someone else's house: this leaves you at the mercy of what they will eat and prepare.

I know that my eating was not on track but here are a couple of things that I could do to help balance. I had prepared a few oatmeal package before I left. I mixed oats with cinnamon and dried cranberries or raisins. Mix with water, microwave and mix with yoghurt. This made for an easy healthy breakfast.
Shakeology: this was my lifesaver. I used the single serving packs and brought enough with me for the trip. Add water, shake and voila! The most nutritious meal of the day!







I know that I did not put on weight BUT I could feel my energy level dropping and I was craving my regular eating habit. I also felt it during my exercise routine. I always said that fitness is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. I can confirm that this is very true!

Before starting on a new program, I decided to do a 3 day refresh. It works like a cleansing and will get my body back on track. I am on day 2 and feeling great!

I can't wait to get started on my next program: Hammer and Chisel!

The challenge of traveling and staying on track

This month will be a crazy month for me.  I have 2 trips planned, which means that I need to be extra careful in my meal planning.
The bottomline is that there are NO excuses. Eating clean while traveling is possible. You just need to be smart about it.
Here are a few ideas.

Before leaving the house I made a list of foods that travel well:

• Oatmeal
• Shakeology
• Almonds
• Quest Protein Bars
• Apples
• Squeezable applesauce (read the labels. Be sure that no sugar and other artificial ingredients are included)
• Water

1.  Oatmeal:  Oatmeal is super easy to pre pack and put in your suitcase.  You can portion out 1/2 cup oatmeal into baggies with 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tbsp flaxseed and wheat germ.  Every hotel has hot water or a continental breakfast that you can get hot water from.  Just pour the hot water on top of the oatmeal, cover and wait. Easy Peasy!  If the hotel does not have continental breakfast, just add some nuts or find a store that has pre cooked hardboiled eggs.

2.  Nuts:  Spend some time measuring out a small handful of nuts into bags such as unsalted almonds, cashews and peanuts.  Pack apples and oranges too because they travel well!   

3.  Refillable water bottle:  this is a must!! Not only is it good for the environment but it is the best way to track your water intake. If you are traveling by car, simply refill it during pit stop and if you are traveling by plane, refill it after you have gone through security.

4.  Granola:  Homemade granola are not only super easy to make but they are also healthier since the commercial kind has processed junk in it. Here is a simple recipe. If your hotel has continental breakfast, grab a couple of plain yoghurt then add the granola for a healthy snack. Otherwise find a store close by and get some yoghurt.

5.  Exercising:  If you are the type of person who travels frequently but still need to get some exercise then I recommend taking your laptop with you.   When you are committed to a program you must make do with what you have!  No EXCUSES!  With the technology these days there is no reason why you can't workout! Beachbody On Demand makes it SUPER easy to take your workouts with you! You can even download the app on your phone!

My June Challenge group will cover more tips such as

• how to handle week ends
• how to handle summer drinks
• how to handle traveling
• going out to eat
• etc...

Fill out the form below if you are interested!

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New Month - New Challenge

We have 24 ladies and gentlemen in our May challenge group! They are all ready and pumped to get fit and healthy and become summer strong!
It is not too late to join the challenge. Today is a good day to start!

Here is my meal plan for the week. Do you guys prep too? If I don't, I fall off the wagon! I share about this here. 

Meal planning can be overwhelming at first. Stick with it! The more you do it, the better you get at it. I share some of my tips and ideas here.

Fill out my online form.

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