Don't Forget the Weights!

A Message to all my Goddesses that love Cardio:

I am a self-proclaimed cardio queen. I typically do some form of cardio 6-7 days a week. I even started doing two fitness classes on Saturdays. Cardio makes me feel good, helps me release stress, and I thought it was helping me obtain my fitness goals. However, over the past 6 months I realized the scale had not budged, in fact I have put on a few pounds since my October Wedding. After doing some research and talking to few a friends I realized I was sabotaging myself with all that cardio for three reasons. First, all that cardio made me hungry all the time. Second, my weight training routine was always an afterthought. I would skip weights if I was short on time and I did not really take the time to have an organized weigh training schedule. Lastly, with all that cardio I was not giving my body a chance to recover. My body was constantly being stressed, which likely means the stress hormone cortisol was being released (cortisol is associated with weight gain).

Weight training is a huge component of weight loss and toning. I have committed to making weight training a priority. Remember muscle burns more cals than fat. Plus weights add definition and help you lose inches.

My plan: I am shifting my plan to include a balance of cardio and weight training. 3 of my weekly sessions will include predominately weights and the other short durations of high intensity cardio. Sunday is my recovery day and on that day I will walk 2.5 - 3 miles.

Have you experienced in stalls in your weight loss program? Consider adding more weight training to your program. I am not saying that cardio is bad for you, it just needs to balanced with the amount of weight training.

Want to get started Weight Training? Check out this article at WH Magazine.

Top Five: Fit Food Favorites

We love finding new healthy snacks. We want to share with you our top 5 Fit Food favorites. It's important to have go to snacks for when you are in a rush or want to indulge without packing on the pounds. Just because you are eating clean or cutting back on sweets does not mean you can't eat tasty food. You just have to look carefully for healthy foods. It's important to know how to read nutrition labels so you can pick out the best snacks. If you don't know how to read nutrition labels then check out this link. It's more than about calories. You want to look for food with fiber and/or protein, low sodium, and no artificial ingredients. If you have no time for that then you can count on the Fitness Goddesses to keep you up to date with the healthiest snacks. We recommend hitting up Trader Joes and checking out their healthy snacks.

TOP FIVE FIT FAVORITES.

1. Sweet Potato Chips (By Food Should Taste Good)
This is one of the tastiest brands of sweet potato chips. It's got a good amount of fiber and protein and low sodium. In fact it only has about 5 ingredients. Try these with a little bit of salsa and you will have filling snack.

2. Chobani Greek Yogurt
Try the plain variety of these yogurt and strawberries or blueberries and you will have a filling snack under 150 calories with 15 grams of protein!


3. Larabars
If you are craving something indulgent and satisfying try one of the many larabars varieties. These bars are made with less than 5 ingredients and our sweetened with dates (no added sugar!). One of our favorites is peanut butter it's soooo yummy!


4. SoyCrisps
They sell these at Giant and Whole Foods and other local stores. They have 7g of protein and are great alternative to chips. They are crunchy and lightly salted but the protein helps keep you full so you don't eat the whole bag :-). They are also pretty affordable only 1.99 per bag!


5. Pumpkin Spice Kashi Bars
These bars are sure to satisfy your mid-day sweettooth. They are low fat and pack 5 g of protein and 4 g of fiber so they will hold you over until your next meal. If you are a Kashi fan try getting them at Target they are much cheaper there (usually a dollar or two cheaper than your local grocery store).

Free Weight Loss Resources

Many people don't know about the many free resources provided by the federal government, magazines, and organizations. Gas prices are increasing, so we need to find creative ways to tighten up our budget! So we've done the digging for you and compiled a list of a few resources that we think were made *specifically* for you Goddesses ;)....

Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better

Walking: A Step in the Right Direction

SELF Challenge: Drop 10

Lose 10 lbs in 30 days

Jillian Michael's Calorie-Burning Cardio

Help us grow this list? With a few more additions, we hope to make a "resource" section on our blog!