FitViews

If you're not familiar with my Hype or Help experiments: I take a plan, workout, or product and put it to the test. I choose a certain amount of time (often 30 days) and test out their claims. Each week I update my progress and at the end post my final results, thoughts, and review. Each product will be judged hype or help and rated on a 5 star system. Next in this series I am reviewing: Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 .  Jillian promises "4 weeks 4 incredible workouts to get you in insane shape" (from the front of the DVD). I will be following the workout plan and the diet plan online that you can get when you purchase this DVD. In the beginning of the DVD Jillian says to workout 5 or 6 days a week (although elsewhere she says every day), I will be doing the workouts 6 days a week. What results will I see? I'm excited to find out. Beginning Stats Weight 179.5 BF% 32.8  Waist 34.5 Right Thigh 22 Right Calf 14.75 Hips 42.5 Right Arm 12 I may also throw...

Hello all of you “Kat Does Diets” fans! Kerri was kind enough to ask me to do a guest posting on her Blog so today is the day. My name is Margo and my Blog is called “Brooklyn Fit Chick.” You can follow me here: http://brooklynfitchick.typepad.com/brooklyn-fit-chick/ . I am a fitness instructor, personal trainer and avid cyclist. You can find all kinds of fun things on “Brooklyn Fit Chick” and I look forward to hearing your feedback on it soon. Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @BrooklynFitChik (note spelling on Twitter) I am also on Facebook: “Brooklyn FitChick” Today I wanted to talk about the very personal reason that I always, absolutely, and without exception wear a helmet whenever I ride my bike (I call her Trixie!) Hope you enjoy it. I have a love/hate relationship with my bike helmet. While it offers me protection should I ever need it and I promised my mother to absolutely, positively, without exception, never, ever go for a ride without it--I hate the way it look...

There's no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from Plan A. ~Will Smith

Hooooooray! I turn 35 today.  I am celebrating me today. Yep. I am. It feels awesome to be in a place in my life that I can say that...but this post isn't really about me...it's about you!! I want to say thank you to all of you for being so. danged. awesome. My mom took the boys last night, so I slept in this morning. I lazily rolled out of bed at 8 am, hubby got me coffee (I know, right?), and I decided to check my blog/facebook/twitter. Oh. My. Goodness. I was overwhelmed by the love! Thank you all for making my birthday so great!! And, like I said...this post is really about you. Thanking you...all of my readers. Last year I started a little tradition on my blog for my birthday. While I do LOVE getting gifts on my birthday, I also like giving them. So every year on my birthday I hope to do a giveaway here. Not just any old thing, but things I love or that are meaningful to me. Maybe not fancy and expensive, but from me (there's your disclaimer FTC, ...

Next in my series of protein bar reviews is Think Thin Bars : Loved this brand. All the flavors I've tried have been great. Definitely one of my favorites from the millions I tried for this review series. I've already purchased more boxes of these, which is always a good indication of how much I like a protein bar! Since this video I've tried the Chocolate Espresso and am in love with it too. I know, chocolate, coffee, and protein...not surprising I'm smitten. FYI these are gluten free. Have you tried these before? Disclaimer: These were sent to me by the company for review. As always, opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I receive no compensation for this post.

Things mentioned in this video: Workout Supreme 90 Day Foods/Drinks So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray with Olive Oil and Whipped & Creamy Premier Nutrition Titan Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies Coffeemate Natural Bliss in Sweet Cream All Whites Egg Whites Flat Out Bread Light Original BSN Lean Dessert Protein in Whipped Vanilla Cream Vita Coco Coconut Water Running Gear Puma FAAS 500 Running Shoes Polar RS300X Sweatybands Sofsole Coolmax Lite Books/Magazines Running For Women by Kara Goucher After the Before and After by Karen CL Anderson Calorie King Muscle & Fitness Hers Disclaimer: Some of these products were originally sent to me for review. Some I purchased on my own. That makes no difference in considering for my Things I'm Loving Right Now videos. I truly pick what I'm loving. Period. I received no compensation for this post.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hey everyone! I’m Amy, from over at  Fruit Salad Life . I want to cover something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It's so easy to get wrapped up in extremes when you're on a quest to lose weight and get fit (finally!). We've all been there. Starting Monday, you're going to run 4 days a week, do yoga 3 days a week, go to 2 spinning classes, eat zero carbs, drink 10 glasses of water a day, get 8 hours of sleep, and be the happiest, healthiest, and fittest that you've ever been! I can't even begin to count the number of times I've written plans like this down. The plan would be incredibly rigid, and if I slacked off a bit, more often than not I'd completely throw in the towel. The first time I consciously remember doing this was the summer before sophomore year of high school when I would bring measly lunches of Triscuits and hummus to my job as a camp counselor. My quirky plans increased with my income. I fell into a costly Kombucha-a-day ha...

Lately I've been getting more reader emails. Which I love. (Like, love love ;) But I've noticed a theme amongst the questions I'm asked lately. That theme is my recommendations. I'm flattered that people care! I regularly do my Things I'm Loving Right Now videos, but don't always address these specific things.  I will always try to answer every reader email I receive (except the pervs, nope, not gonna happen) but I figured I'd address these specific questions I've received a lot in a post.  I'm no professional and I can only give MY opinion. But again, people are asking me...so, in choosing these I asked myself: what do I love enough I'd recommend it to a friend?  Single Workout DVDs Anything Jackie Warner . I won't list them, because I seriously love them all. Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones . I know people have mixed Jillian opinions, but I like these two workouts. I haven't tried her ...

Happy Monday! Please enjoy this rambling vlog update: Some goals I've set for myself for the summer: Track every day for the rest of the summer.  Become more consistent with my early morning workouts. My entire day just goes better! Run 3 days a week. I hope you can join us on twitter for #oatchat. More info here !

Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it! Boldness has power, magic and genius in it. ~Goethe

Just wanted to share:  PUMA Friends and Family 40% Off   valid through June 13th. (If you click that link it will take you to Puma and give you a code, click 'Shop Now' and when you checkout enter the code.) Have a great weekend everyone!

I don't often write on things like this, but my blog is for me, and I need to write this.  The last week or so I've been dealt a huge dose of perspective. I've been tweeting, facebooking, and emailing with readers and blog friends that are struggling. I'm not talking struggling with the last 20-25 pounds like I am, but really struggling. People who don't just wish they looked better in their jeans, but people who's health and even lives are at risk here. People who have large amounts of weight to lose and just can't seem to do it. They've tried and failed so many times they don't know If they can stand another time of falling down. Some seem to have lost hope. These interactions have been rough.  I hear the pain and desperation in their voices and I remember it so well. I was there. I remember feeling like it was impossible, feeling like giving up on myself, feeling like I had no hope. I remember feeling that food controlled me, that I couldn...

Do your eating habits change in the summertime? Mine definitely do. As the temperature goes up and up I start craving fresh fruit like crazy. I tend to want to eat lighter overall. It's not really a choice, I just naturally tend that way. Smoothies become a huge staple in my diet. In fact, after 10 AM I could LIVE on smoothies. There are days I will have 3 and days I won't have any. Because they are being used as snacks and even meals in the summer I try to cram as much  nutrition as I can into my smoothies. My smoothie recipes get pretty creative.  I always start with a base of 1 cup almond milk and 1 scoop of protein powder. Then I add whatever I'm feeling like. Frozen fruit like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or peaches (I find frozen fruit gives a better shake-like consistency). Or a nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter (I like these with vanilla or chocolate protein powder). Random things like spinach, oats, or bee pollen (hey, I...

I promised to start this review series a while back following some twitter/email conversations I had with people about the overwhelming choices of protein bars. Several of you, just like me, wanted a quick easy protein bar option, but were overwhelmed by all the choices. Since then I've tried many, many and these and  2:1 Protein Bars were among my favorites: I found the best deal on these at bodybuilding.com  and vitacost.com  although they don't have every flavor (I have found both of those have very fast shipping). GNC also carries them, but the price is higher. I also found them at supplementwarehouse.com but I've never shopped there before. Of course you can always get all the flavors at   www.2to1proteinbars.com/ . Disclaimer: After falling in love with this brand I contacted this company and they were gracious enough to send me samples for this post. I received no compensation for this post. As always opinions are 100% honest and my own. None of ...

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... OK, it was a little over three weeks ago on twitter... I co-hosted the first ever #oatchat with Lizzy from Coach's Oats . You can read about it here . We had so much fun that we're doing it again! I hope you can all come to...Return of the #Oatchat: Monday, June 13th at 3PM EST.  Be sure you're following @coachsoats and me @fitviews on twitter. Use the hashtag #oatchat in your tweets to join in the conversation! (You can also sign in to tweetchat.com and enter the hashtag #oatchat. It will automatically track all tweets using that hashtag and add it to tweets you enter from there!) If you have never participated in a twitter chat and have questions, please feel free to ask away in the comments below. I'd be happy to answer any and all. Pssst, if you're not on twitter, what are you waiting for?? There will be lots of oat-tastic giveaways and oat-standing conversation! Will you be there? No RSVP Requi...

Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great? Jimmy Johnson

What better way to celebrate National Running Day than a shoe review? Today I'd like to review and share my experience with the PUMA FAAS 500 running shoe. From puma.com : Get into your groove The Faas 500 lightweight running shoe is an alternative to tradition with its superior flexibility. Constructed with BioRide Technology, an integrated system that gives you a more natural and responsive ride, the shoe works hard through every run. The Faas 500 falls towards the middle of the Faas cushioing scale, making it a perfect everyday trainer. The design is inspired by PUMA's old school running trainer, the RS1. It features a mesh upper with bonded synthetic suede for a soft, sock-like fit. EverRide and EverTrack technology in the outsole add cushioning and durability where it's needed, while the OrthoLite sock liner increases breathability. (Women's Faas) Features: Weight: 8.9 ounces Mesh and synthetic suede upper for breathability and reflective for safe...