FitViews

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
~Winston Churchill

I'm really looking forward to this little Paleo experiment! Today I am happily meal planning and grocery list making.
I generally just plan dinners M-F in my meal planning. Weekends are usually leftovers or something on the grill. Breakfast and lunches the kids and I just wing it. I am trying to be more creative with those meals too. I think that's the main reason I'm so excited for this. Getting creative with our meals again. We've definitely been in a big rut this summer.


Monday Pecan-Crusted Chicken and a green salad. Tuesday Rockin' Moroccan Chicken (without the green olives or raisins it calls for) Wednesday Everyday Meatloaf and green beans. Thursday Hasta La Vista pasta Lasagna Friday "Breaded" Baked Chicken with green salad
Shopping List (This is everything I need for this week, all meals. I already had over half in my cupboards, so I don't have to go out and buy all of this.)
Berries
Apples
Avacadoes
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Various peppers
Green beans
Red and white on…

I was invited to guest post over at the Attune Foods Blog. I'm talking good breakfast choices, won't you join me over there??? Check it out: http://wp.me/p1cIY5-pR

Paleo eating has a huge buzz around it lately. There's a whole community of blogs/social media surrounding it. Many believe it to be the healthiest way to eat. The way we were meant to eat. It's become a movement!

But, how is the paleo diet for weight loss? I tried paleo briefly a while ago, but didn't stick to it. I did feel fabulous on it though, so I'm going to give it another go. I feel better on a diet with lower carbs, so I'm excited to see how I feel after a month of paleo eating. I also really want to see what my weight loss results will be from eating this way. Enter another hype or help experiment!
August will be my paleo month. I am committed to making it the entire month. I've armed myself with some paleo cookbooks (like the ones pictured above) and some good paleo recipe blogs. I am hoping this will help me to avoid the monotony that sunk my efforts the last time I tried this. I've also filled my cupboards and refrigerator with lots of variety o…

I'm a big fan of Jersey Shore...if by big fan you mean I watch it and am more then mildly embarrassed to admit that. So obviously when I heard that 'The Situation' Mike Sorrentino had a workout DVD...well, I just had to review it. 


Before I get into my opinions of it, how about a brief description of what the workout includes? The workout is set up in 5- 15 minute segments: Ripped Upper Body, Juiced Glutes and Legs, Killer Arms, Awesome Abs, and Insane Abs. Each segment goes in the same pattern: 3 different strength moves followed by 30 seconds of a cardio move. Then you do the same pattern with new moves, then you will repeat the entire circuit, and end in a 'situation superset'. For instance in juiced glutes & legs you do: squats with dumbbells, then squats with no dumbbells, then jump squats, then a boxing shuffle for your 'active recovery'. Then forward lunges with dumbbells, forward lunges without weights, jump lunges, and boxing shuffle for active …

As I mentioned in this post I am shooting for a PR on my next 5k race. So, how do I plan to run a faster 5k? Speedwork! I'm no professional, but this is what I do for speed work:



Intervals at the track. There is a high school track very close to my house (lucky me). I generally get up uber early and head down there before it's hot. After a short warm up I do either a full lap (400 meters) or a half lap (200 meters) at a hard pace. Then walk to recover, then go again. I generally try to cut my time a few seconds each lap if I can. Racing against myself makes it more fun for me. I'll start with maybe 8 speed intervals and then add an interval each week. I would generally only do this type of workout once a week.Hill running. Hills are great for increasing speed. My parents have the perfect hill in their driveway. Once I've warmed up, I run top speed up the hill, then slow jog back down to recover. Like track intervals I'll try to beat my time and race myself each uphi…

Join us this Wednesday July 27th at 8 PM Eastern Time for our first Awesome by August Twitter chat! 

Follow along by using the hashtag #awesomebyaugust (we realize that is a long hashtag, but we kind of like long hashtags). If you go to tweetchat.com and enter that hashtag it makes it easier to follow along with the chat. Plus, it will automatically add the hashtag to your tweets.


We'll be chatting about fitness, weight loss, healthy living, and all around awesomeness! Unless a company pipes up before Wednesday there will be no prizes during the chat. Just some awesome conversation with people who understand where you are and what you're going through!! I hope you can come and offer some support and encouragement to your fellow challengers...or if you need some encouragement!


Are you IN?

Hooray! We've made it through week 2. How is everyone doing with reaching their goals?? Things are a little slower going for me than I'd hope, but that's OK. Slow and steady wins the race and all that...


Don't forget to weigh in on the facebook status by midnight tonight to be eligible to win:

A month's supply of Popchips!
I am madly in love with Popchips. Seriously, I would propose marriage to the BBQ...you know, if that wasn't weird ;). Good luck to all the Awesome by August participants! I will use random.org to choose a winner and announce it tomorrow.


FTC Disclaimer: Popchips is supplying this prize. It will ship directly to winner. I receive no compensation for this post.

For quite some time I have had no races on my calendar. None, zip, nada. 
Originally I had planned to do the Denver Rock n Roll Half. BUT...I didn't get registered before the price increase...AND I'm cheap...SO I doubt I'll do that one. Which leaves me with no races planned. Nothing to train for. 


I find that I just do better when I have a race planned. Something to train for, something to focus my training, something to spark that drive. It just makes a difference to me.


WELL, the other day I got a card in the mail that our local 5k will be September 10th. HOORAY! Just what I needed. This race was the first 5k I ever ran. It's right here where I live. It's perfect.


My goal is to set a PR (yes, I love goals). So far my fastest 5k was 32:50. I feel like I've gotten faster. I WANT to get faster. Enter: more speed work into my running routine!


Once a week I will be adding speed work at the track into my running/workout routine. I am also focused on getting a few pounds…

Week 1 DONE! How did you do?? Awesome By August participants don't forget to weigh in by midnight tonight to be eligible to win our week 1 prize package...


Sponsored by Fitbook! Which I'm so excited about, because I LOVE Fitbook. If you don't know what fitbook is: it is an awesome tracking journal to track your eating, fitness, etc. It is one of my favorite tracking tools. This weeks random drawing prize will be:

To be entered you must have weighed in before the deadline for the initial weigh in AND before the deadline for the week 1 weigh in. Tomorrow in the AM I will choose 1 person (excluding myself) via random.org to receive this awesome prize package.


You can find fitbook at getfitbook.com Follow them on twitter: twitter.com/fitbook and like them on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fitbookbyfitlosophy


Seriously, I'm drooling over this prize package. Good luck!


FTC Disclaimer: fitlosophy is sponsoring this giveaway, prizes go directly to winner. I receive no compensati…

Today I'm going to talk about one of my loves in life: Coffee. If you follow me on twitter I'm sure you're well aware of this passion. In fact, when Klout listed Coffee as one of my influential topics I was just plain happy. For my birthday I finally took the leap and bought what I've been drooling over for quite some time now... What I ordered: Keurig Special Edition B60 Coffee People Dark Roast Variety Pack included Wake-Up Call, Black Tiger, Jet Fuel, and Coffee People Organic. These were the teen's fav. Green Mountain Extra Bold Sumatran Reserve Organic Green Mountain Extra Bold Sampler which included Kenyan AA Extra Bold, Double Black Diamond Extra Bold, Dark Magic Extra Bold, Fair Trade Organic Espresso Blend (one of my favs). Emeril's Big Easy Bold (also in my favs) And that....is what I got for my 35th birthday. Spoiled. LOL. Some might think it's weird that I ordered my own birthday present, but it sure takes a load of stress off hubby.
Why I love my K…

After much deliberation I have decided to put my Hype or Help experiment of Jillian's Ripped in 30 on hold for now. 


I am beginning my Awesome by August challenge and want to give it my all. Locked into this program I don't feel I can do that. Having done the program for 2 weeks I feel like I know it well enough to review it however. That review will be coming up soon. I may re-do this experiment in the future, or I may just abandon it altogether. Either way, here are my week 2 results:



Beginning Stats
Weight 179.5
BF% 32.8
Waist 34.5
Right Thigh 22
Right Calf 14.75
Hips 42.5
Right Arm 12 Week 1 Stats Weight 178 BF% 32.5 Waist 34.25 Right Thigh 21.5 Right Calf 14.75 Right Arm 12 Week 2 Stats Weight 176.5 BF% 32.3% Waist 34.25 Right Thigh 21.5 Right Calf 14.75 Right Arm 11.75
As I said, there won't be a week 3 or week 4 update as I'm wanting to give Awesome by August my all. I want to do what I feel I need to as far as workouts and eating choices. Not feel tied to this plan. I also don&…

You can read the original post with all the details here. I hope you'll join us!


If you ARE joining in, please comment below leaving me your blog url if you have one and your twitter and facebook links if you'd like to share them. I will be doing a link-up post listing everyone in the Awesome By August family so we can find each other and offer encouragement and support!


Also, we're still looking for companies to sponsor prizes. Any companies interested can email me at fitviews@gmail.com


Prize sponsors will be reaching a very focused group of peeps interested in health, fitness, and weight loss. Companies will receive a free ad on my blog (which receives 1500+ views a day) for the duration of the challenge as well as multiple mentions on all my social media outlets. 


Whether you're a participant or a company, I'm excited for this next month, lets make it awesome!!!

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

YES, I realize that we're all pretty danged awesome already, but Steve, Brooke, and I are just mighty fond of that word. This year Awesome by August will run from July 11th to August 8th.


What is Awesome by August? Well, if you weren't around for it last year it is a weight loss competition. Our focus is healthy weight loss (no crazy unhealthy antics here) with a healthy dose of support and fun too.


This year thanks to Mr. Fancy Pants we have a facebook page! All the news, prize drawings, and weigh ins will be done there. Wait, prize drawings??? Yes, there will be prize drawings! We've changed things a bit from last year, so here's how it will go:



To join like the Facebook page and post your starting weight under Steve's official first weigh in post by Tuesday 10 PM Eastern Time. It'll be easy to spot. Promise. Just comment that you're in and your starting weight. We aren't doing pictures this year, or the option NOT to publicly give your weight. Be honest…

This week I'll get right to the numbers:
Beginning Stats
Weight 179.5
BF% 32.8
Waist 34.5
Right Thigh 22
Right Calf 14.75
Hips 42.5
Right Arm 12
Week 1 Stats
Weight 178
BF% 32.5
Waist 34.25
Right Thigh 21.5
Right Calf 14.75
Right Arm 12


That's 1.5 pounds lost as well as 1/4 inch off my waist and (I measured twice on this one because I didn't believe it) 1/2 inch off my thigh. 


All in all not a bad first week. I did expect to see a bigger loss on the scale. Not that it's a bad loss, but I feel like I've lost more. It is that time of the month, so possibly that's why.


What I like so far:
The diet plan. No starving and no ditching entire food groups. It's just a balanced 1400ish calorie plan.The shortness of the workouts.The intensity of the workouts.What I don't like so far: Repeating the exact same workout for 6 days. It gets a little old. although not unbearable by any means. I'm definitely ready to move on to the week 2 workout though. That it's 6 days of s…

It is not whether or not you are afraid. We are all afraid. The questions is, How do you deal with the fear? The courageous person is simply one who goes forward in spite of the fear.~Brian Tracy in GOALS!