Les Mills Pump and Shred

A quick overview:

• Length: 45 minutes
• Main muscle groups worked: chest, back, hamstrings, quads, shoulders and abs

Les Mills Pump and Shred Review

The Les Mills Pump and Shred workout is my favorite of the Pump workouts up to this point. I feel like I keep saying that. Pump and Shred is the third disc in the Pump workout program and it is a bit more advanced than the first two and the workout itself is a little longer too.

Some are saying that the first phase of Les Mills Pump is way too easy and some have even skipped Phase 1 all together and jumped into Phase 2 immediately. However, I think the first Phase is a must – particularly for first-time ‘Pumpers’, because it prepares you for the more advanced workouts. You’re shown several modified versions of the moves and you’ll begin to get stronger so that you can perform the advanced workouts in their entirety. If you feel it’s too easy, simply ADD WEIGHT. If you’re really advanced, one thing I could see is that people just can’t get enough of the workouts because they are fairly short – especially Les Mills Pump Challenge. In that case, I would suggest to at least go through the first couple of workouts a couple times before advancing on to Phase 2.

Pump and Shred “Likes”

To make this simple, quick and easy to read, here is what I liked best about Les Mills Pump and Shred:

• Fun songs! Some I didn’t know at all and remember how I said I’m not really into fast-tempo stuff? Well it’s really helping that the moves go along with the music because I hardly even notice. In fact, the songs are starting to really grow on me.
• Plenty of time to change weight. I noticed that you change the amount of weight used a number of times and the trainers give you plenty of time to get ready for the next series of moves.
• You’re reminded to check your weight. I love how the trainers tell you to use more weight for large muscle groups and less for smaller groups. They remind you to kind of check and see how much weight you’re using and suggest what to use to challenge and push yourself if you’re ready to do so.
• “Use a bench if you have one”. For those who don’t know, chest presses are done on the floor in this program. This limits your range of motion so the trainers say to use a bench for the chest presses if you have one to increase your range of motion and get results faster. If you don’t have a bench, you can prop up some pillows or something to help increase your range of motion.
• Bodyweight exercises. Push-ups were introduced in this workout so it’s not just about the chest presses using the bar. I liked that a lot. And again, they show modifications for these.
• I really felt challenged. Wobbliness! Is that a word? My legs and arms were shaking during some of the moves and my legs are still feeling like jell-o an hour after completing it. This is because of the “bottom halves” and “pulsing” that are incorporated into many of the moves.

Pump and Shred “Dislikes”

This is gonna be tough.

If I had one gripe, it would be that there aren’t any moves that target biceps and triceps specifically. Sure those muscle groups are used during a few of the moves but I kind of miss doing curls and extensions that actually isolate them more. Simple solution? Add in some arm moves of my own.

Overall…

I’m very pleased with Les Mills Pump and Shred and the Les Mills Pump program overall. I really feel that this is a great strength training program and I love that anybody can do it. I think it’d be especially perfect for those new to weight lifting because the trainers really do focus on form and technique so you can be sure you’re doing the moves correctly. As the workouts go on, they’re getting more advanced. If you ever feel like it’s too easy, it’s time to increase the weight – just as you would at the gym!

My Other Les Mills Pump Reviews:

• Les Mills Pump Complete Overview
• Les Mills Pump Challenge
• Les Mills Pump and Burn 

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To help viewers have a happy (and healthier) Super Bowl Sunday, TODAY.com  has teamed up with Eat This Not That’s Dave Zinczenko for his collection of tips, including:

• Fresh over Fattening: To help keep your diet in line when the party kicks off, Dave recommends benching fattening favorites like onion dip in favor of metabolism-boosting salsa with baked tortilla chips

• Tomato Not Cream: Ditch calorie-heavy New England style clam chowder in favor of tomato-based Manhattan clam chowder to save as many calories as two cups of Cool Whip

• Cut Calories Without Sacrificing Taste: For those people who plan on ordering in, they no longer need to worry about hidden calories. For example, going with Applebee’s Classic BBQ Wings instead of their Honey BBQ version, you can save more than 500 calories without sacrificing flavor

You can find more of Dave’s other ideas at the TODAY Health page. 

Below, Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College in New York City and founder of DietDetective.com demonstrates how much you would need to do to burn off after eating typical “Big Game” snacks.

For instance, you would have to run 49 football fields to burn off just two handfuls of potato chips or do “the wave” 6389 times to burn off 6 loaded potato skins.

 

“Big Game” Calorie Costs ­ in Exercise

Big Game Activities to Burn off Foods You Just Ate
The Annual 2012 DietDetective.com “Big Game” Eating Extravaganza with Exercise Equivalents 

(Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor at CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College)

New York, NY (February 5, 2012) The “Big Game” has become much more than a football game: It’s the second biggest day for food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving. So, to choose the most splurgeworthy foods, here are the exercise equivalents* for some of your favorite football snacks from Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College and editor of DietDetective.com.

THREE FRIED MAC AND CHEESE BALLS = RUNNING 249 FOOTBALL FIELDS

At more than 500 calories per ball, made with peanut oil, egg, cheese, butter, flour, macaroni, milk and more, what do you expect?

Fit Tip: Try baking, adding veggies and using whole-wheat pasta and low-fat cheese.

THREE PIGS IN BLANKETS = PLAYING CATCH WITH A FOOTBALL FOR 68 MINUTES (NONSTOP)

Hot dogs wrapped in a crescent or biscuit dough adds up: Each one you pop in your mouth is 66 calories.

Fit Tip: Low calorie franks (fat free), with low-fat crescent dough.

THREE SLICES OF PIZZA HUT MEAT LOVER’S PIZZA = 1,229 MINUTES OF TEBOWING

That’s more than 20 hours of continuous praying to burn off those calories. Each slice is loaded with high-calorie meats, including pepperoni, ham, beef, bacon and sausage.

Fit Tip: Try cheeseless pizza with plenty of veggies — broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms or even artichoke hearts — on top. Also, avoid personal pan and stuffed-crust pizzas: The thick, oily crust equals added fat and calories.

SIX BOTTLES OF BUDWEISER BEER = DOING “THE WAVE” 4,280 TIMES

Beer and football just go together, but keep in mind, each beer is 145 calories.

Fit Tip: Planning on having a few bottles? Try Beck’s Premier Light at only 64 calories per 12-ounce bottle, or MGD Light, 64 calories, Michelob Ultra or Natural Light at 95, or you can go very low with Budweiser Select for 55. Best bet is to sample a few light beers before the game to see which ones you prefer.

BLIMPE’S SUPER STACKED BLIMPIE BEST = 313 MINUTES OF CHANTING, POINTING AND WAVING A FOAM-HAND NUMBER ONE

This calorically laden sub includes slow-cured ham, salami, cappacola, prosciuttini and provolone.

Fit Tip: Go for low-fat cheese and skip the mayo. If you’re buying at Blimpe try the Deli Trio Sub, a low-cal combination of ham, oven-roasted turkey and roast beef at 330 calories for a 6-inch sub.

ONE DEVILED EGG = 12 MINUTES OF CHEERLEADING

Ever try doing one of those cheerleading routines? I didn’t think so. Deviled eggs are made with mayo, and in case you weren’t sure, mayo is very high in calories.

Fit Tip: Use low-fat mayo, or how about just hard-boiled eggs with hot sauce?

ONE SLICE OF HOOSIER SUGAR CREAM PIE = 58 MINUTES OF CLIMBING THE STADIUM STAIRS

It’s been said that this is the unofficial state pie of Indianapolis (where the Super Bowl is being held this year). The name says it all. “Sugar cream pie” is made with sugar, flour, whipping cream, milk and butter in a pie shell.

Fit Tip: Go to eatingwell.com or cookinglight.com and put healthy cream pie in the search box.

ONE KFC EXTRA CRISPY CHICKEN BREAST AND ONE EXTRA CRISPY DRUMSTICK = 203 TOUCHDOWN DANCES IN THE END ZONE

That’s a lot of dancing!! Deep-fried chicken is very high in calories, especially the extra crispy kind.

Fit Tip: Bake skinless chicken and use whole-grain bread crumbs.

APPLEBEE’S CHILI CHEESE NACHOS = 159 MINUTES OF PLAYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

That’s nonstop time. Just like beer, nachos and the Big Game go hand-in-hand.

Fit Tip: Make your own nachos with low-fat cheese and black beans. Use salsa and make your own whole-wheat pita chips and you’ll be even better off.

TEN LAY’S CLASSIC POTATO CHIPS WITH KRAFT FRENCH ONION DIP = 134 MINUTES DANCING TO MADONNA DURING THE HALFTIME SHOW

Dancing is actually great exercise (if you don’t get nauseous from all the food you’ve eaten already). Each chip is 10.5 calories, and every dip of dip is 60 calories.

Fit Tip: Try Popchips, and make your dip with low-fat mayo or non-fat yogurt.

FIVE TOSTITOS RESTAURANT-STYLE TORTILLA CHIPS WITH 7-LAYER DIP = 110 MINUTES CLEANING THE STADIUM AFTER THE GAME

Each chip has 20 calories (yes 20!!) and 1 tablespoon of the seven-layer dip is approximately 70 calories.

Fit Tip: The answer is salsa — it’s very low in calories. And pick baked, low-calorie chips at about 120 calories per ounce. If you’re eating the chips, have one at a time, and don’t put out huge bowls of them. Make sure you have to get up each time you want more than six chips.

ONE PIZZA HUT CRISPY BONE-IN WING BUFFALO BURNIN HOT WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING = FACE PAINTING 8 WILD FANS

You ever see some of the fans who get their faces painted? Traditional wings are deep fried, not to mention the super high-calorie ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Fit Tip: You can easily make the wings yourself. Remove the skin (it saves lots of calories), soak them in hot sauce or roll them in egg whites, dip them in bread crumbs and bake them in the oven. Skip the blue cheese dressing, which has about 305 calories for 4 tablespoons. Dip them in hot sauce instead.

ONE BACON CHEDDAR JALAPENO POPPER = 60 MINUTES PERFORMING IN A MARCHING BAND

Those poppers are made with cream cheese, bacon and Cheddar cheese — each one will cost you a bit of marching.

Fit Tip: Use turkey bacon, low-fat cream cheese and Cheddar cheese. Bake don’t fry.

JUST ONE PEANUT = COACHING FOOTBALL FOR A LITTLE OVER A MINUTE

One peanut has about 5.5 calories. A handful, or about one ounce (30 peanuts), is 166 calories.

Fit Tip: Nuts are healthy, but they’re very high in calories. Don’t keep a huge bowl in front of you. And try to eat one at a time; don’t shove a handful in your mouth all at once.

‘Say Cheers to Slimmed Down Cocktails’

Along with food…comes beverages. Right? Any a good portion of them are high-calorie drinks containing alcohol. While you don’t have to avoid them all together, Stepfanie Romine has put together a really great article over at Sparkpeople.

Here are just a few of her tips:

Dilute your wine with soda water to make a wine spritzer. You’ll stay hydrated, and a spritzer made with three ounces of wine only has 60 calories.

Choose a lower proof liquor. All liquors with the same “proof” (percentage of alcohol by volume) have roughly the same calories. The lower the proof, the fewer calories a liquor has (and the less potent it will be). For example, 80 proof vodka (and other 80-proof liquors) has 65 calories an ounce; 100 proof liquor has about 80 calories an ounce.

Alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages (like water or juice) to keep yourself hydrated. You’ll drink fewer calories with this technique and allow your body more time to metabolize the alcohol.

Click here to read ‘Say Cheers to Slimmed Down Cocktails’ in it’s entirety.

Looking for more Super Bowl-related articles? Check out my Super Bowl Edition of Fit Links!

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Here’s what we bought during our weekly trip to the grocery store last weekend:

This is easily our “cleanest” grocery store purchase yet.

The one thing I’ve noticed about eating healthier is the fact that I’m hungry ALL. the. time. This is where eating every 2 to 3 hours comes in handy! To help tie myself over from meal to meal, I try to ensure that each meal contains a combo of protein, carbs and healthy fats. Adding that protein in there really helps.

Now that we have all this clean food, I need something to make.

Before going to the grocery store I looked up a few recipes for lunches because that’s where I struggle with eating well. A typical lunch for me used to consist of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, some raw carrots and some almonds. I can do better than that! (No, I will not give up pb&j entirely.)

So what I did decide on was….

Jamie Eason’s Turkey Meatloaf Muffins!

Her recipe (and video!) can be found here and it makes a total of 12 muffins (or 6 servings). This means I have lunch for six days out of the week. (If my husband doesn’t steal any.) Perfect!

I even got Rog to chop the onions for me. (he cried)

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 2 lbs. ground chicken (wanted to try these with chicken first)
• A smidge less than a half cup of Tofu (this replaced the egg whites which I am allergic to and it kept them moist and yummy without changing the taste)
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. dry yellow mustard
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• a lot of pepper flakes (this replaced the chipotle pepper spice and we use them in everything)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 T. garlic powder
• 2 celery stalks
• too much onion! (entirely my fault. Jamie’s recipe calls for one small onion and I’m pretty sure mine was LARGE. Whoops!)

40 minutes later…

I know. I could work on my food presentation. No judging!

The top left muffin looks the way it does because I had to do a taste test immediately. Could’ve snapped the photo first I suppose, but couldn’t wait!

Even after using mucho onion, they really taste incredible. The spices came out just write. However, since I used tofu, which takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with, I think that helped add to the onion flavor.

I’ll be making these again next weekend and trying turkey instead to see how I like ‘em.

I’ll be using less onion.

*****

Have you made Jamie Eason’s Turkey Meatloaf Muffins? Or any other tasty recipes lately?

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Whether you are a walker or jogger, you can’t perform your best if you’re not wearing a good pair of athletic shoes. A pair of well-fitting shoes is essential for the prevention of pain and injury to your feet, legs and hips.

You have many decisions to make when shopping for shoes. You must decide on which brand, style, function and color. Should you buy the shoe you recently read about in a magazine? How about the shoe your friend loves? Or what about the shoes on the best rated list you just saw online?

While there’s a good chance you’ll find a nice pair of shoes using any of these methods, you probably aren’t going to find the best shoes for your feet. It is entirely possible that the shoes your friend raves about will cause your feet to ache with every step.

Understanding the Shoe Types

The key to finding the best pair of shoes for your feet is to select the type of shoe that matches your foot type. There are three different types of shoes that manufacturers make:

• Neutral – a neutral shoe is the most flexible and well-cushioned shoe. This type of shoe is recommended for those with normal to high arches with a normal degree of pronation (the tendency of your foot to roll inward or outward). The neutral shoe provides the flexibility this foot type needs and the cushioning adds extra shock absorbency that many with high arches need.
• Stability – a stability shoe provides more support or pronation control than a neutral shoe and is the type of shoe that most people need to wear. That is because most people tend to overpronate (feet roll excessively inward as they strike the ground) and this type of shoe helps to prevent overpronation by providing more support on the inner edge of the shoe.
• Motion Control – a motion control shoe is best for those with low arches, also known as flat feet. This type of shoe provides support on both the inside and outside edges of the shoe for those who overpronate or underpronate (feet roll outward when they strike the ground).

Which Shoe Type Do You Need?

To determine which shoe type is best for your feet, you need to know what type of arch you have and how much your feet pronate as you walk. Ideally, you should visit a podiatrist or an athletic shoe store that has the technology to analyze your feet to determine your arch-type and degree of pronation.

But there are two easy and quick tests you can take at home to help determine what type of arch your feet have and how much they pronate.

1. To determine your arch-type, simply wet the bottom of your feet and step on a light colored piece of paper. Take a look at the outline of your foot that appears on the paper. If you can see the outline of your feet except the inner middle portion of each foot (the arch area), then you have high arches. If you can see a strong outline of your entire foot, you have flat feet. And, you have normal arches if you can see your toes, ball, heel and an outline of your arch are with just a slight portion of the inner arch missing.

2. To determine how much your feet pronate, take a look at your current pair of exercise shoes. Turn them over and look at where they have been worn down. If the inside of the heel is more worn than the outside, then you have a tendency to overpronate, meaning your feet roll inward as you walk. If the outside of the heel is more worn than the inside, this means you are an underpronator, also known as a supinator and your feet tend to roll outward as you walk. If the heel area is worn evenly, then you are most likely a normal pronator.

Now that you know what type of foot you have, you can pick the perfect pair of shoes to avoid a variety of injuries from blisters to shin splints.

Remember, you should never have to “break in” a pair of shoes. They should feel comfortable from the beginning. I recommend buying your shoes from a store that has a good exchange policy that will let you wear the shoes for a few weeks and exchange them if they don’t feel right.

About the Author: Melissa Ellefsen is passionate about fitness walking and weight loss. Visit her website for more information on how to pick the best walking shoes and find the latest list of the best walking shoes on the market.

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The following is a submission from Peter and I couldn’t turn it away. In fact, it has inspired me to open up a section on this blog dedicated to those who want to share accomplishments made on personal fitness journeys. If you have one to share, please contact me. I’d love to feature your story.

This is Peter’s story.

Serious Life Changes are Hard but They Can be Accomplished.

What is it that finally makes a person change?  I tried off and on for 13 years to lose weight by trying every fad diet and exercise program available.  Most of them provided limited success, but I found I was unable to sustain any of that success. For most of my life I have been fat. Not just chubby, big boned or overweight but as a doctor put it a weight of 440lbs I was what they call “morbidly obese”.  So what finally drives a person to make significant change in their lives? Not just in the realm of weight loss but in any part of life how do you finally reach a tipping point which forces you to make a change.

For me it took losing everything. I was soo depressed and so overweight that I literally retreated away from the people that cared about me, my work and finances suffered as well as my family life. I ended up losing everything that I thought mattered. My wife divorced me, my house was foreclosed on, my car repossessed and at 32 I was bankrupt and alone. I knew that if I wanted to be happy I had to find a way to make a change…And so I did!

There are many steps along the way to making serious change in your life. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to do things that make you uncomfortable. You have to accept that you will make mistakes and be willing to pick yourself back up. Life is about decisions and the goal is to make more of the right ones today or this week than you did yesterday or last week. Change can be an amazing thing and should be embraced even when it is something completely unexpected. In my journey of change I lost everything I thought my life was about but in doing so I found myself.

If you are serious about making change in your life, whether it be losing weight, getting fit, or getting your finances in order you have to ask yourself some questions. Before you can make serious and significant change in your life you have to figure out what it is YOU really want. You have to ask yourself: “What do I want my life to look, feel and taste like?” You have to dig deep and really ask what you want without limitation. Many people are lost and don’t know what it is they even want because for so many years they have been conditioned by the world around them which told them the “right” things to want. If you want to make serious changes in your life the first step is questions. Once you start to ask yourself questions, do not expect the answers to come right away. This is not a process where you push yourself, this is an exercise in patiently asking your heart what it truly wants. You have to look at the things that fulfill you and the natural talents and gifts you have been given. If you can master this process you can begin to truly know what you want and that is the first step of many to finally getting it.

Peter’s Journey:

Thank you again Peter, for sharing your story with me. I’m so happy this was my 500th post here on MFB!

Join the Path to Awesome movement:

www.pathtoawesome.com

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Today is an awesome day, for so many reasons! First, it’s National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day! Do you pop bubble wrap? I think it’s hard not to when you see it. I used to twist a whole bunch of it at one time so I could hear a ton of pops at once. Now when I do that Diesel goes CRAZY! He starts dancing around and jumping on me – which doesn’t always end well because he’s very muscular and weighs at LEAST 75 pounds. The name fits.

Lookit how cute he is:

AND it’s also giveaway time! Here’s what’s up for grabs:

1. The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged: Fast Fat Loss That Lasts Forever by Tosca Reno - $19.95

Tosca Reno has a number of excellent cookbooks and I chose this one for the giveaway because it’s kind of a beginner’s guide to eating clean. It contains several recipes and many reviewers say they aren’t bland and boring and that it makes a great addition to your cookbook collection.

2. CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Bite Valve (.75 liters) – $14.00

This water bottle is getting great reviews and it looks pretty too. It’s also BPA-Free.

3. Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet by Lisa Lillien – $19.99

These recipes are not 100% clean but I admit that I don’t eat 100% clean. I still think it’s a great cookbook to have if you’re looking for some healthy meals that won’t break your calorie budget. Besides, you can never have too many recipes to choose from, right?

All items can be found on Amazon.com.

—> Here’s how to enter:

All you have to do to enter is guess how many berries are in the jar. That’s it! The person who guesses closest without going over will win. If there’s a tie, winner will be whomever left the comment first!

*Berries inside are a mix of frozen blueberries and frozen raspberries.

Giveaway rules:

• Must be a U.S. resident
• 18+
• One guess per person (no cheating or I have the right to forfeit you and your unfairness)

All entries must be in by 11:59 pm CST on Thursday, February 2nd. Winner WILL be announced Friday, February 3rd!

Full disclosure: This not a sponsored giveaway. I purchased these items myself, with my own money to show appreciation to my followers. So thank you!

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The idea for this post comes from DearMe.org.

Dear Me is a collection of just such letters written by 75 of the world’s best-loved personalities to their younger selves and published with photographs of them as teenagers.

You can find letters just like mine all over the internet and it’s really interesting to read them. I enjoyed reading them so much I decided to write my own letter. This idea really resonated with me because being 16 wasn’t easy. I think a lot of people agree that they wouldn’t ever want to be a teenager again but I kind of disagree. Well, no I don’t. I like being wiser. Does that make me sound old? I think so. But getting older isn’t so bad.

First though, let’s take it back to 1989. (Feel free to grab some coffee.)

Young, innocent, not a care in the world. That is, before I realized the world can be an ugly, dirty place. Can my kids please stop growing now before the world messes with them too much? I’m only half-kidding.

Dear My 6-year-old Self,

I’m sorry for showing this picture of you in the bathtub, but I couldn’t help it. It’s one of my favorites I have with Nikki. And besides, you can’t see anything so don’t even worry about it.

Our parents just got divorced but you don’t have to be sad. You have more people in life that love you now than you had before. Everyone deserves to be happy and sometimes that means not being together anymore. People grow apart and new people come along that you wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise.

You’re going to start playing soccer in 3rd grade. Don’t stop playing after your sophomore year. Stick with it no matter how sad you’re feeling. Later you’ll see how much exercise can improve the way you feel on the inside.

Dear My 16-year-old Self,

Stop thinking you know everything. That couldn’t be further from the truth. When you argue or get snotty with your parents just remember that you have four children in your future so you can imagine how life might be for you when they’re 16.

Hold onto your love of writing – it’ll come in handy some day in a way you would never expect. I know you love to write. Remember when you used to make up stories and write them in a notebook? Or copy pages of the dictionary word for word? I still have all of your poems. You’re not fooling anybody you know.

The journal you’re keeping, no matter how ashamed you feel, will end up saving your life. Instead of making mom search for it, I wish you would’ve just told her right away. Or the police. She already knew that you were hurting, she just didn’t know why. She’s your mom. Trust her and believe that she’ll fight for you – not look down on you. You’re doing enough of that yourself these days. It wasn’t your fault. ALWAYS remember that. I’m happy that you wrote everything in that journal though. See? There’s that writing stuff again. The good news? That journal will be turned over to the authorities to help prosecute him. You won’t get it back. What a great “family friend” and neighbor he turned out to be.

Have you been to court yet? You’ll go to a few of the hearings and you’ll be so strong and keep your head up high even when you feel like sinking into the floor. You’ll amaze the judge and the attorney representing you with all of the family and friends who are there supporting you. The sentencing hearing will be your favorite. Don’t pay attention to his wife and sister whispering – the judge has words with them. The sucky part? He definitely didn’t get the punishment he deserved. Sex offenders never do it seems. At least he got something and has to live with the charges forever though.

*This is the cover of a photo album I made when I was 16. The butterfly stickers came from my therapist I was seeing at the time. Butterflies are a huge representation of my life.

The words are lyrics from Mariah Carey’s “Looking In”.

She smiles through a 1,000 tears,

and harbors adolescent fears.

She dreams of all that she can never be,

she wades in insecurity.

And hides herself inside of me.

This past year has been the toughest year of your life. I know you’re feeling like you want to end it all, but get rid of those thoughts. Too many people will miss you. (shut up, it’s true) While it may feel like there’s no place in the world for you right now, what happens TO you does NOT define who you are. I wish you could feel how I feel right now and know in your heart that life is not over. In fact? It’ll get a lot better. You’ll see. You are stronger than you think and you can get through more than you know.

While curled up in the fetal position on your bedroom floor wrapped in blankets, feel free to listen to “Hero” as many times as you want. The words in that song speak to you because you ARE a hero and don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. They don’t know you like I do.

When some of those close to you walk away for seemingly no reason, realize that they probably don’t know how to help you with what you’re dealing with right now. They’re just kids themselves. It’s not a good excuse for them to be leaving you – I know it deepens the hurt you’re already feeling, but just don’t focus on thinking that you’re the problem. Most of them weren’t even real friends at all. In time, you’ll understand what I mean.

Stop chasing boys. #1. You should be focusing on you and loving yourself again first. #2. You’re going to get married in 10 years and none of them will compare to your husband anyway. I promise.

You are not fat. Food is not the enemy. You need it to nourish your body and fuel it for the tough workouts you’ll be starting in …9 years.

Don’t wait 9 more years before you start working out. It’ll save you a lot of time in dealing with those anti-depressants that make you feel like you’re simply numbing the pain and walking in a fog. It feels good to be free from them and working out will help you feel better about yourself. You’ll get stronger inside AND out.

Stop smoking while you’re at it.

Can you believe you’re going to be a certified personal trainer? Make sure you study. A lot. That exam is HARD. You’ll fail the first time you take it but you’ll be better prepared the second time around. Cross your fingers for me.

In four years you’re going to be a mommy of a beautiful baby boy. He’s going to change your whole world and you’ll begin to realize what’s really important in life. It really is all about the small things. More “friends” will leave you during this time because they don’t have the responsibilities you have so let ‘em go if that’s what they choose. You know what’s important now.

Be kind to your step-parents. In 10 years you’ll be one yourself and it’s not as easy as you might think. Instead, just know they want the best for you and that they do love and care for you more than you know. Yes, blended families can be hard on children at times, but it can be hard on all of the parents involved as well. Just keep your head up and spread the love. You’ll do great!

You’ll make your fair share of mistakes, and you’ll learn from them. Keep making them. They help you learn some of the biggest lessons in life. You’re being challenged right now but there’s a reason for it. Yeah, I didn’t think so either when I was your age.

Never lose sight of your dreams and goals. EVER. Some people wake up and wish for success, you’re one of the people that will wake up and work towards it. Who do you think is going to become successful first? Don’t wait for people to believe in you, believe in yourself and do your own thing. You have a great heart. All that really matters is what you think about yourself anyway.

And remember this:

The ones who say “you can’t” and “you won’t” are probably the ones scared that “you will”.

Who you are right now is the young, naive, shy, hopeless, depressed girl who will blossom like a butterfly (after feeling like you got pounded into the pavement, face first) and become a mother, wife and fitness blogger who learns how to enjoy life again and inspire others to start caring about their own health. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves! And guess what? Your blog will be recognized as one of the top fitness blogs by Shape Magazine.

See? I told you you could write!

Love,

Me (your 28-year-old self)

Do you ever wonder how life could be different if just one major event in your life had never existed? Or how about longing for the innocence of childhood? Before anything bad ever happened? Completely unrealistic, I know.

Sometimes I have those feelings but then I realize that I wouldn’t be exactly who I am right now. I guess it’s true when they say that the biggest traumatic events or “losses” in our lives shape us and help us become the people we are meant to be.

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Did you know that Americans will eat an estimated 90 million pounds of chicken wings on game day? Or that Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving as the largest food consumption day? It’s no wonder so many antacids are sold the day after the game.

So to be festive, I’ve decided to do a Super Bowl edition of Fit Links today in order to share some healthy snack, appetizer and meal ideas for the big game!

Make delicious snacks that don’t pack on pounds - (KSAT)

Score a touchdown with these Super Bowl snacks - (YumSugar)

Healthy Super Bowl party appetizers - (Yahoo! Sports)

Super Bowl party snacks you don’t hafta feel guilty about - (SkinnyScoop)

Plant-Strong Super Bowl party guide – (Engine2Diet)

How to eat healthy on Super Bowl Sunday – (MFB)

Ready for something REALLY obnoxious?

Now, the big question is… Giants or Pats?

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So for the sake of “fun-ness”, this post is all about peanut butter. You never know, you might learn somethin’.

Peanut Butter Fun Facts

• “Arachibutyrophobia” (pronounced I-RA-KID-BU-TI-RO-PHO-BI-A) is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
• The world’s largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.
• The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year. <—I think I have this beat, but I will NOT be measuring for fear of being disgusted.
• Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky. Ever tried chunky? It feels like you’re eating rocks. Who loves feeling like something was just jabbed into their gums? 40% of people who like peanut butter, that’s who.
• The amount of peanut butter eaten in a year could wrap the earth in a ribbon of 18-ounce peanut butter jars one and one-third times.
• The peanut growth cycle from planting to harvest is 120 to 160 days or about five months.
• The world’s largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich measured 40 feet long.  It contained 150 pounds of peanut butter and 50 pounds of jelly. It was created November 6, 1993 in Peanut, Pennsylvania.
• It takes almost 850 peanuts to make an 18 oz jar of peanut butter!
• Georgia is the #1 peanut producing state, but did you know that Texas is #2.

Peanut Butter Recipes

Peanut Butter Apple Rings (Jif.com)

These actually look pretty good and I imagine that it tastes good too. If you don’t like raisins, leave ‘em out. If you don’t like granola cereal either, just eat the apple with peanut butter.

Source: Jif.com

Lower Carb Peanut Butter Dessert (Sparkpeople.com)

Reviews of this dish are excellent! 5/5 stars. Some say it’s pretty rich in taste so I’m not sure I’d be able to eat much of it since I don’t really have a big sweet tooth, but it does look tasty. It’s made with cream cheese – which I love. Also, Cool Whip, sugar-free chocolate pudding and a few other things. This Sparkpeople user adjusted the recipe a bit to make it a lower carb version than the original.

Source: "Scolly" at Sparkpeople.com

My personal favorite? Peanut Butter Pancakes!!

Can you sense my excitement? I’ll take peanut butter waffles too. You can make them pretty healthy by adding fruit and using 1/4 cup sugar-free syrup and a glob (or 4) of natural peanut butter. The closest I’ve gotten to using natural peanut butter so far is Natural Jif Creamy (lower in sodium than the original) and I’m okay with that!

Source: Jif.com

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Do you like peanut butter protein bars?

I put together a comparison chart to make it easy to compare nutritional information. You can enlarge it by clicking on it, I know it’s kinda hard to see.

===> P.S. Have you ever heard of a fluffernutter sandwich before? I hadn’t but it’s marshmallow fluff and peanut butter on bread. Can you even open your mouth or chew with all that sticky goo inside? I’m getting a pretty funny visual trying to imagine it.

Also, what’s your favorite way to eat peanut butter?

Sources:

NationalPeanutBoard.org

Pacific.edu

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(Source: Girl Scouts of Colorado)

I know, I know. People don’t think about nutrition facts when it comes to ordering Girl Scout cookies, but hear me out. (I’ll have you know that frozen Thin Mints and frozen Shortbreads are THE best and I’ll never stray.)

I was never a Girl Scout but both of my sisters were when they were younger. I always had these little tasty treats readily available growing up but sadly, that is not the case today. I remember my mom bringing home a trunk-full of big cardboard boxes filled with Thin Mints, Caramel de Lites and Shortbreads that my sisters had sold – ahhhh, memories. Now I must go in search of them myself or just hang around at home and wait for the doorbell to ring. I don’t answer the door for anybody BUT I’ll make an exception for Girl Scouts selling cookies!

I’m not even a big fan of cookies but there’s just something about these. When you think of healthy snacks Girl Scout cookies shouldn’t come to mind, but I’ll bet they’ll be on your mind soon if they aren’t already. Why? Because the Girl Scout cookie-selling season is now underway. Translation: get your cupboards and wallet ready! Another alternative? Hide. And pretend they don’t exist. (good luck with that)

Did you know that when Girl Scouts first started, mothers baked cookies at home with their daughters to raise money for their troop? You can even find one of the Early Girl Scout Cookie recipes here.

The money from Girl Scout cookies goes to a great cause and it breaks down like this:

• Approximately 70% of proceeds stay in the Girl Scout council to help provide some of the resources for supporting the girls.
• A portion of that ~70% does go directly to the group selling the cookies.
• The balance goes to the cookie baker – can’t forget about them and the little miracles they create!

So, as you can see most of the proceeds do help to fund different things in the Girl Scout organization – which I think is great. This is why I will continue to buy them.  I do have a few tips to help you eat fewer of them so they don’t destroy your fitness goals and dreams. That sounds a bit dramatic doesn’t it?

Girl Scout Cookies: Calorie, Sugar & Fat Content

I created the chart below showing the basic nutrition facts for each cookie (as of today, January 21, 2012) including serving size, calorie count and sugar and fat content. You can view the complete nutrition facts labels at GirlScoutCookies.org.

*Pay attention to the serving size because they differ for each cookie.

Source: www.girlscoutcookies.org

So now I gotta ask…will you be buying any Girl Scout cookies? If so, which one is your favorite?

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