Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!

I hope you're all as anxious for the long Memorial Day weekend as I am! 

I know this is totally random, but I'm going to try these two shake recipes this weekend b/c they sounded interesting, so just thought I'd share :)

Apple Pie Delight Shake

1 serving of vanilla protein powder

1 peeled and cored apple, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
5 Ice Cubes
Microwave the apple pieces for 2 minutes on high.
Add all ingredients to blender, puree for 30 seconds.

Banana Bread Shake
1 banana
3/4 cup Kellogg's Bran Flakes
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup Quaker oatmeal
1 bottle of water
Add Truvia or Splenda to taste.


And for the feel good post today, check out this article for 6 Free Weight Loss Resources.  I like the guy's story.  And I've never seen that Mayo Clinic Food & Fitness Planner that creates an actual meal plan for you- very cool! 

And not in this article, but also something I really like, particularly for great recipes and success stories, are the My Fitness Pal forums.  Browse by topic.  Whatever interests you.  And did I mention the recipes are great!?   :)  There are little support groups on there you can try, too.

Share with us all your active and healthy plans for the weekend!

Ooooh, and one more thing I almost forgot, in honor of fantastic Memorial Day BBQs everywhere, how do you all grill your veggies?  I want to grill some this weekend.  Do you HAVE to go out & buy one of those grill woks or baskets to put the veggies in?  Do you drizzle on olive oil & what seasonings?

Here's a recipe I just found.... http://www.readersdigest.ca/food/cms/xcms/grilled-vegetable-salad_875_a.html   ....but it sounds kinda complicated & labor intensive......for me.......

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, girls!
I hope you're enjoying your week so far.
What workouts have you been up to so far this week & what workouts do you have planned for this weekend?

So today's post is going to be a modge podge of Food and Workouts, not just Workouts.
It is so important to fuel your body with wholesome, high-energy, nutrient-rich foods in order to be able to do great workouts and just feel good inside and out.  Yes, Amy C, you're perfectly right, diet soda is not a dieter's friend :)  Even if you got a free 24-pack from the gas station last week for purchasing a car wash....haha...that was me :) 

Amy C. shared this Athleta Chi Blog post about nutrition with me over last weekend and I think it's pretty good. 
http://www.athleta.net/chi/2010/05/14/dinas-food-journal-the-home-stretch/
Here's a good part of this woman's story about nutrition fueling the athletic lifestyle and just how much better you feel when you put good foods in your body instead of junk, no matter how much you're working out: "Despite a lifetime of sports and vigilantly training for sports, I’ve been neglecting a key aspect of wellness: good nutrition. Yes, despite my lapse into a batch of cookie dough today, I am eating better now than I was, say, four years ago (when I’d make several batches of cookie dough a week rather than a batch every several months). But four years ago 1) I didn’t mind working out four to six hours a day to compensate for my poor food choices and 2) (as silly as this may sound) I had no idea how much better (or worse) food could make my body feel."
Also, Kim shared with me last night a big email filled with great crock pot recipes, but I can't get it to post on here while maintaining all the links, so I'll just email it out to you all, so look for that today :)

Planning out a few days at a time for what I'm going ot eat when, and trying to keep it well-balanced, and heavier right after a workout, and filled with lots of lean protein, whole grains, veggies, & fruit has REALLY made a difference for me this week.  Yesterday was great.  It made it so that it wasn't a matter of entering into MFP what I ate and then begrudginly seeing if I could eat anything else that day or if I had to be done.  So it's just an attitude shift.  Planning ahead of time.  I know exactly what I'll have when.  I know it's probably just a short-lived bug, but I'm going to try really hard to maintain it through the weekend to see great results on Monday's weigh-in, then that should motivate me to keep it up again! 

For workouts, last night I did a trial run at my sprint triathlon.  Holy cow, I was spent.  It was nuts.  Actually made me really nervous for the tri because it was so hard (at least there was the American Idol finale on TV that I could watch to keep from watching the odometer :) ).  I swam in the pool at the Y for 40 minutes, then rode the stationary bike for 17 miles, then ran on the treadmill 3.1 miles.  I've got the fitness, and so I'm hoping with the tri obviously being outdoors instead of the mindnumbing indoors, and with some race-day adrenaline, that I'll be able to pull it off.  Nonetheless, I'm going to be doing some training bricks the next week and a half.  I'll do back-to-back rides then runs for the right distances.  Talk about muscle confusion!!!

Also, last Saturday I did a free intro class at LA Boxing.  It was so much fun!!!!! I totally recommend you all check out a gym near you for a free class.  It was the hardest workout I've had in....EVER!  But it was fun.  I got my hands wrapped, wore boxing gloves, did conditioning drills, and punched and kicked the crud out of a big boxing bag w/ the help of my pro MMA fighter coach!  I was keeping up with the big boys and even met a new friend who just moved out here w/ her husband from Michigan- woohoo Midwesterners :)  After doing their free intro class, they gave me a free 7 day pass, too.  So I'm going to do that Saturday through next week to do more boxing and kickboxing classes.  What a riot!  I felt like I was on Biggest Loser :) http://www.laboxing.com/ and click on gym locator.  Sadly there aren't any in WI, UT, IA, or DE, but Tara, Amy F, & Isolde, you're in luck in IL & IN!!!  Check it out.

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, girls!

I hope you're doing well.  Take a look at this link for a list of SUPER FOODS.  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/the-new-superfoods/

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Beer & Wine...hmmmm....haha
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Flaxseeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Salmon
• Trout
• Olive Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Edamame
• Black Beans
• Brown Rice
• Barley

Alright, you creative pantry artists.  What meals or snacks can you toss together with several of these items?  Share how you eat these items.  I like how the article has less expensive alternatives to the traditional super foods. 

Addtionally, here are some yummies that sounded/looked delicious so I'm going to try them this weekend- the almond apple english muffin being top on my list!

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!

Here's something Amy C. wanted to share- awesome!

"One of my friends told me about Girls on the Run, her daughter participated last year.
I'm thinking about becoming a soulmate, I thought you and some of the others on the blog might be interested too. Here's the link to the info on Soulmates, but you can get to the rest of the site from here as well. There are GOTR organizations all over the country.
http://www.girlsontherunsolemates.org/about_solemates.html
Amy"

I read this article about Making over your Motivation  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/spirit/reach-your-goals/make-over-your-motivation/ last night and loved it. I wish I had taken and shared week one during our week one of this challenge, and so on, but still, I think you ladies will all like it.  Take 5 minutes to read through it.  Then pull one idea or tip from there that will help you the most right now and share with us all what it is.

My favorite tip is the third one in week 2: "Exercise eases stress and distracts you from thinking about food," & Another study found that working out may release satiety hormones that keep your appetite in check for a full 24 hours. 

That's a big one for me.  If I work out, I feel proud of myself and I don't want to mess it all up by indulging in something I shouldn't.  If I don't work out, I feel not only more ravenous, but I feel blah.  So here's to the next few weeks of great workouts!  And of course watching the Biggest Loser finale tonight- that motivates me :)

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, beauties! End of week 4! How'd it go???? Let us know
how you're doing, how you're feeling, offer some encouragement to
yourself and all the other ladies on here, and share with us your game
plan for this week!!!

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!!!!!

Check out these fun ideas from Fitness Magazine.  Click on the image and it will get bigger.

I challenge all of you to call up a friend that you need to catch up with, and make a workout/active adventure date!  You don't have to catch up with friends over dinner.  Do it doing something active!  I think that's a great idea.

For all you runners currently training, check out the cool tips on hill running. 

And I love the comment here about how you can do ANYTHING FOR 30 SECONDS! So push it to finish strong :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, ladies!

You are awesome, just getting that out there :)

How many calories do you burn unpacking, lifting, standing, cleaning lightly?  Here's a calculator to tell you!  For me, it's 155 calories an hour.  SAWEET!

Even if you don't have moving boxes to unpack like me, pick a random closet in your home and organize it!  Or some other small organization project.  Whatever floats your boat.  So not only will you burn 155 calories + per hour, you'll enjoy some of these emotional benefits to having just one less clutter spot in your life.  "Increased Zest for Life?"  Hmmm....might be a bit of a stretch, but I'll take it!   And once you've spring cleaned your home and spring cleaned your workout, try these ideas for spring cleaning your life!  I like this, "Pursuing a simple, sustainable, flexible, happier lifestyle means that you have to choose it. And that means choosing to lose some other things. It means getting rid of things that no longer work for you, it means updating the way you do things, it means freeing up some space for new and exciting opportunities and challenges." It's all a choice- choosing to be fit, choosing to exercise, choosing to eat healthfully, and choosing to live a de-cluttered life.


Mini Me, Marianne, Meghan, & Tara (phew, that's a lot of M's): How is the half marathon training going?  Nicki: Did you decide on the marathon?!?!  YoU cAn Do It!!!!!!!  Amy C. & Isolde: How is the sprint triathlon training going?!?!?  Does anyone else have something coming up that I forgot to mention?! 

What workouts have you all been up to this week??!!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, girls!
What's on the menu for this week?

I've shared this before, but I made it this weekend and I absolutely adore it. 

P90X Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4-1/2 medium Red Onion, minced
• 1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Ginger, minced (I use ground ginger)
• 4 cups Broccoli Florets (I use one package of Archer Farms Steam-in-Bag Broccoli Florets)
• 1 box Taste of Thai Plain Flat Rice Noodles (SuperTarget, Woodman's, SuperWalmart all carry it)
• 1 1/2 lb Top Sirloin Steak (I just use one steak)

Directions:

 1) Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil
2) Meanwhile, heat a small amount of soy sauce in a large saute pan, add onions and garlic. Saute until opaque.
3) Add beef and saute, turning often (total 7-10 mins).
4) Mix oil, vinegar and ginger. Add to saute.
5) Prepare noodles according to package directions (6 mins boiling), Drain.  Steam broccoli. Add to saute and keep warm.
6) Mix noodles with beef and broccoli and serve.

Tuesday Motivation

suc·cess   /səkˈsɛs/ [suhk-ses]

–noun

1.the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.

2.the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

3.a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.

4.a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.

 
con·sist·en·cy   /kənˈsɪstənsi/ [kuhn-sis-tuhn-see]

–noun,plural-cies.

1.a degree of density, firmness, viscosity, etc.: The liquid has the consistency of cream.

2.steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.: There is consistency in his pattern of behavior.

3.agreement, harmony, or compatibility, esp. correspondence or uniformity among the parts of a complex thing: consistency of colors throughout the house.

4.the condition of cohering or holding together and retaining form; solidity or firmness.

 

 

Good morning, girls!  Think to when you've been the most successful in your weight loss and fitness goal achievement.  When you were/are IN the GROOVE of things.  When your healthy routine is down pat.  When it's just natural for you.  What was it that helped you?  What got you to that point?  What is your mindset when you're in that groove?  Maggie, the consistency rockstar on here, share how you do it!!!! Everybody share.  I love love love hearing all of your advice, tips, how you lift yourselves out of funks, how you push through any struggle or stress, how you just do what needs to be done, do what you know how to do, and the lbs just come off.  I love it :) 

 

Here's an article about how to build consistency in your healthy lifestyle.  http://www.womenfitness.net/consistency.htm  Keep consistent meal sizes, eat consistently spaced times apart, sleep consistently, exercise consistently.  It also has tips & tricks on getting consistent, like finding a buddy (or a whole couple dozen of buddies on here!) to keep you accountable.

 

Monday Morning Check-In: Halfway Point

Good morning, girls!
I hope you all had a great weekend!
It's our halfway point today, so check in with how much you're up or
down on the scale AND measuring tape!
Great work, everyone!

Feel Good Friday

Good afternoon, Ladies! :P

Check out this story today.  We all have NO EXCUSES that we can't challenge!

http://athleta.m.delivery.net/w/webView?cid=12866811656&mid=1101635052&pid=5064&vid=13689&ee=c2FyYWguYS53ZWlnaHRAaG90bWFpbC5jb20_&si=&mv=H&bv=H&oc=H&sc=&k=11gPti

I hope you ladies all have a phenomenal weekend planned!  Take care!

Feel the Burn Thursday

How are you shrinkin' sistas doin' this mornin'!!!!!!
So do you have any FAT PANTS? Pants that don't fit anymore becasue your body has shrunk? 
Here's a hilarious Fat Pants anihilation app that I LOVED!  And the rest of the Discovery Health site is pretty awesome, too.  Check it out!!! http://health.discovery.com/national-body-challenge/interactives/fat-pants/fat-pants.html 

I just watched the TiVo'd (after this Friday when I leave my friends' house and move into our own brand new place, I'm no longer going to have access to TiVo and I'll have to watch BL Live! The travesty! Ha ha, oh well) episode of Biggest Loser last night that aired Tuesday.  It was all about maintenance.  It was perfect for me!  I loved hearing it.  Past Biggest Loser winners came on and offered the success stories and the not-so-success stories.  I particularly liked the guy who had won the BL grand prize in season 2 and gained a lot of it back, and is in the process of losing it all again for the second time.  He talked about the "free passes" that we give ourselves.  Which I'm 100000000% guilty of.  He said he was at his goal weight, and he'd say, "Eh, this 800 calorie meal is ok, I'll burn it off later, it won't make a difference, it's just this once."  He cautioned everyone against taking free passes because they add up, and before you know it you've slid down the slippery slope and gained weight back.  Do you ladies take free passes?  What would be your tips & tricks for NOT taking free passes?  What do you tell yourself to stay the course?

So, FEEL THE BURN THURSDAY is upon us! What workouts have you been doing since last Thursday?????!!!!!  Share with us the specifics- I love hearing them all.

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, ladies!
First just a little unrelated-to-food discussion. Have you all had a
full annual physical with you doctor in the last year? If not, call
today and schedule! You can talk to your doctor about a healthy BMI
for you and perhaps the most important from my experience, get full
bloodwork done to show if your hormone levels are all ok, your thyroid
levels, your vitamin D, your sugars, other nutrients, etc. If your
thyroid is underproducing, it can make it superhard to lose weight-
you'll work and work and work out, but be plateaued and tired. If any
nutrients are low, your doctor can suggest over the counter vitamins
you should be taking. And you'd better all be taking a multivitamin!
Just a generic Target brand does the trick. Being low on certain
important vitamins can make you sluggish or your body not as strong in
defense as it should be. So let us all know if you take any vitamins
and if you like them, etc.

Ok, on to the yummies!!! What have you been eating lately? What
recipes have you tried? What healthy snacks do you or your kids
enjoy? The weather here has been cold and rainy/sleety/snowy, so it's
got me thinking about warm homemade meals. Like in a crock pot! Here's
a link with lots of healthy slow cooker recipes. http://busycooks.about.com/od/healthycrockpotrecipes/a/healthycrockpot.htm
I am def trying the chicken & apples next week- sounds yummy!!!

Tuesday's Motivation

Good morning, wonderwomen!

A friend of mine posted this as his facebook status and it made me laugh out loud: "Excuses are like armpits- everyone has 2 and they both stink."  Hahaha

On to today's post.  Have you ever belittled yourself to make yourself feel unworthy of attaining your goals?  Have you ever thought, "it's ok that I'm cushy, because it just doesn't matter what my body is like?"  Do you ever feel like getting a toned physique is vane or selfish?  Do you find yourself mentally putting down and criticizing thin people you see day-to-day, mentally rationalizing why they are like that and why you are might have some "extra padding?"  This is really hard for me to put into words.  I hope you can understand the intent behind this blubbering.

Successful and sustained weight loss is not about vanity.  It's not about comparitive greatness.  It's not you vs. others; it's you vs. you to become the BEST you.

YOU are worthy of feeling great.  YOU are important enough to deserve to be happy.  YOU are positively impactful in the lives of others and in making a difference in the world, and to most effectively be able to do so, YOU must be healthy enough to carry on day-to-day with energy and live a long, long life.  YOU teach your kids BIG life lessons through your positivity, your enthusiasm for life, your love of healthy foods and exercise, your love of other people, your CONFIDENCE, your energy, your service, your challenging of your excuses, your drive towards your goals, your positive self-image, and your comfort in your own skin. 

Weight loss success is not for other people in other circumstances, "oh it must be nice to....,"....blah blah blah....the grass is not always greener on the other side....other people don't always have it easier; no one else is at the helm of your life except you.  Sure, you can't control the winds and storms that come, but you decide what direction your life is going to be pointing in.  The other day it was so windy when I was out driving around, that I saw a bird in the air flying with all his might into the wind, and he wasn't going anywhere.  He was stationary in the sky.  At the time I thought it was hilarious and a little bit sad, this lil' guy trying to fly in the wind, but now I'm thinking of it relative to this.  Sometimes the wind's at our backs and sometimes the wind's pummelling our face.  There are always seasons to our lives.  Heck, some of us might think our seasons have Tourettes.  But you can control your determination, your attitude, and your direction.  Hang in there and eventually the wind will change and you'll get to your destination. 

You participate in this challenge because you're BRAVE.  You participate in this challenge because you acknowledge you have excuses, but you're focused on finding a way over or around them.  YOU are worthy of acheiving your goals.  You are worth it.  Your happiness and your confidence and your HEALTH.  How much to they emphasize this in their emotional de-toxing on the Biggest Loser?  It's about your health.  It's about your happines.  YOU are worth it.  You are worth being fit. 

Another way to look at it is that your body is a gift.  To abuse your body is to take that gift for granted.  To use that body like a fine-tuned instrument is to honor that gift.

Check out these stories of people who saved and extended their lives through living fittly and losing weight.  It's not about vanity.  It's about how you feel and it's about what you've done to improve the quality and longevity of your life.  And you are worth it.

• http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/50-pounds-lost/losing-65-pounds-saved-my-life/  Six months after her diagnosis, she was 65 pounds lighter and her doctor took her off insulin injections. "I have so much energy now," she says. "Eating right and exercising isn't just about looking good -- it's about feeling good and being healthy."
• http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/bonnie-matthews/gym-saved-my-life [my disclaimer- mental health issues are serious and need professional help, but healthly lifestyles help (not cure)]. Working out not only changed my cholesterol numbers and my blood pressure to normal levels, it has also kept my mental health in check as well.
• http://www.quickandsimple.com/diet-weight-loss/success-stories/diet-weight-loss-davis Everything was shrinking, including her breasts, and she felt terrific....So the next month, ...she felt a lump in one breast while doing a self-exam.....Yet Michelle saw only blue skies: “If I hadn’t lost all that weight, I might never have been able to feel it and catch it in time,” she points out. “Weight loss saved my life!”
• http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/losing-100-pounds-changed-my-life/ "I think of my body as a gift," she says. "I'm determined to do all I can to take care of it."
• http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/lost-100-pounds/ Though she's thrilled about her new body, her transformation has been much more than just physical. "I feel more energetic, outgoing and confident -- and ready to conquer anything."
• http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/100-pounds-lost/lost-227-pounds/ Within two years she had lost a staggering 227 pounds. "I feel powerful, energetic, and feisty," she says.

See, ladies!?!? It's about how you FEEL!  It's about your HEALTH!  You can DO IT!

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, girls!
Hope you all had an active weekend!
Please share with us how much you're up or down & how you feel. Own
it. What's your game plan for making this week, week three, a
phenomenal week?

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!

Check out this study on laughing: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories/burning_calories/laughing-burns-calories.htm  "The researchers discovered that laughing increased both heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20 per cent – and the longer participants laughed for the greater the effects.  Using the results, the scientists then went on to calculate that just 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter. That’s enough to shift between 1 and 4lb a year."

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY TO HEIDI!!!!!

Chuckle away at all these weight loss cartoons :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, shrinkin' divas!
I hope you're all having a great week!

A friend of mine just got recruited by her church to teach a "Frugal Fitness" lesson to a group of women, varying in age from 18 to 100.  She and I have been brainstorming ideas and I've had a lot of fun helping and learning from her.   One of the things she's going to talk about is lifting weights using water jugs, big cans, etc.  Another is doing workouts on a playground with your kids.  Have any of you ever tried either of these before?  Share your experience and what you did!  If you haven't tried, then share an idea for at-home or no-cost workouts.  At this link, www.ehow.co.uk/articles_2355-p63-exercise.html scroll down to the bottom of the page and there are a TON of playground workout ideas.  And at this link, http://www.ehow.com/video_4953237_water-jug-exercises-plie-squats.html are a lot of water jug workouts w/ videos.

What workouts have you been up to this week?  I hope you all decide to make today an active day :)  It's all about the attitude choices we make.  A 30 second workout is better than none at all. 

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, girls!
I hope you've all been making this a phenomenal week. I really enjoyed all your insight yesterday. 

What have you been eating lately? Any great new recipes or snacks you've tried?  Share with us! Since I've been craving and loving fresh fruit this week, here's a fun recipe I have that's originally from Amy T. in Indiana for Pampered Chef (Isolde & Amy F know her :) ):

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips


CINNAMON CHIPS

4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

SALSA
2 med Granny Smith apples
1 cup strawberries -- sliced
1 kiwi fruit -- peeled and chopped
1 small orange
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp apple jelly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For cinnamon chips, lightly spray tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon in flour/sugar shaker; sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; place in single layer on round baking stone. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

For salsa, peel, core, and slice apples. Cut apples into quarters; chop with food chopper. Slice strawberries and chop kiwi. Place fruit in 1 quart bowl. Zest orange and juice. Add orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar and apple jelly to fruit mixture, mix gently. Serve with cinnamon chips.

Does anyone else have summer BBQ recipes or fresh fruit recipes?  Strawberries are almost in season!

So there were too many to post as a comment on yesterday's post, so here are most of my songs on my marathon playlist.  Don't judge me- if you don't deem them appropriate- then let's just say I have the edited versions- just shake them hips, girls! :)

• Mamma Mia- A* Teens


• Take a Chance on Me- A*Teens

• I Love Rock & Roll- ACDC

• Walk This Way- Aerosmith

• End Transmission- AFI

• Beautiful- Akon

• Right Now- Akon

• Superwoman- Alicia Keys

• Swing, Swing- All-American Rejects

• Nothing on You- B.O.B. featuring Bruno Mars

• Feel Like Makin’ Love- Bad Company

• No Sleep Till Brooklyn- Beastie Boys

• Timebomb- Beck

• Steal My Kisses- Ben Harper

• Get Me Bodied- Beyonce

• Irreplaceable-Beyonce

• Single Ladies- Beyonce

• Ring The Alarm- Beyonce

• Baby Boy- Beyonce

• Crazy in Love- Beyonce

• Don’t Phunk w/ my Heart- Black Eyed Peas

• Meet me Halfway- Black Eyed Peas

• Hey Mama- Black Eyed Peas

• Imma Be- Black Eyed Peas

• Pump It- Black Eyed Peas

• My Humps- Black Eyed Peas

• Boom Boom Pow- Black Eyed Peas

• I Gotta Feeling- Black Eyed Peas

• All the Small Things- Blink 182

• Blue Skies- Blue October (this one’s from Nicki)

• Love Drunk- Boys Like Girls

• Break the Ice- Britney Spears

• Womanizer- Britney Spears

• Short Skirt Long Jacket- Cake

• Evacuate the Dancefloor- Cascada

• I Want You to Want Me- Cheap Trick

• Broken- Daughtry

• Candyman- Christina Aguilera

• Fighter- Christina Aguilera

• Get Up- Ciara

• Viva la Vida- Cold Play

• Higher- Creed

• Fortunate Son- Credence Clearwater Revival

• Born on the Bayou- Credence Clearwater Revival

• Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger- Daft Punk

• Ecstacy- Darude

• Sexy Chick- David Guetta featuring Akon

• Let ‘Er Rip- Dixie Chicks

• Boom Boom Pow Remix- DJ Ammo

• Give me the Beat Boys- The Doobie Brothers

• Best I Ever Had- Drake

• Lose Yourself- Eminem

• Enur MIMS Remix- Calabria featuring Natasja

• Love of My Life- Erykah Badu

• Bring Me to Life- Evanesance

• Tambourine- Eve featuring Swizz Beatz

• Fergalicious- Fergie

• Clumsy- Fergie

• Glamourous- Fergie feat. Ludacris

• Turn It Up

• Barracuda- Fergie (Shrek the 3rd soundtrack)

• London Bridge- Fergie

• Superman- Five for Fighting

• Jump- Flo-Rida feat Nelly Furtado

• In the Ayer- Flo-Rida feat Will.I.Am

• All My Life- Foo Fighters

• Don’t Stop Believing- Glee Cast

• Mercy- Glee Cast

• Somebody to Love- Glee Cast

• 99 Red Balloons- Goldfinger

• Leave- Chemical Brothers (Gone in 60 Seconds soundtrack)

• Slide- Goo Goo Dolls

• When I Come Around- Green Day

• Time of Your Life- Green Day

• 21 Guns- Green Day

• Bananas- Gwen Stefani

• Strength, Courage, & Wisdom- India Arie

• Beautiful- India Arie

• Feedback- Janet Jackson

• In My Head- Jason Derulo

• Young Forever- Jay-Z feat Mr. Hudson

• Spotlight Remix- Jennifer Hudson

• Jumpin- Jeremih

• Leavin’- Jesse McCartney

• Baby- Justin Bieber feat Ludacris

• What Goes Around Comes Back Around- Justin Timberlake

• My Love- Justin Timberlake

• Rock your Body- Justin Timberlake

• Dance Bailalo- Kat DeLuna

• Tik Tok- Ke$ha

• Somewhere Only We Know- Keane

• Say Goodbye to Love- Kenna

• Use Somebody- Kings of Leon

• Live Like We’re Dying- Kris Allen

• Lookin’ For a Good Time- Lady Antebellum

• Poker Face- Lady Gaga

• Everything UR- Lindsay Pagano

• Four Minutes- Madonna feat Justin Timberlake

• Just Stand Up- Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Rihanna

• The Climb- Miley Cyrus

• Lose Control- Missy Elliot

• Pocketful of Sunshine- Natasha Bedingfield

• Saturday Night’s Alright- Nickelback

• Some Kind of Beautiful- Nikka Costa

• Everybody’s Got their Something- Nikka Costa

• Sinnerman- Felix Da Housecat

• Running- No Doubt

• The Way You Move- Outkast

• Fireflies- Owl City

• So What- Pink

• Don’t Stop Me Now- Queen

• You Are the Best Thing- Ray LaMontage

• Snow- Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Distrubia- Rihanna

• Please Don’t Stop the Music- Rihanna

• Umbrella Remix- Rihanna feat Chris Brown

• Fire Burning the Dancefloor- Sean Kingston

• She Wolf- Shakira

• Hips Don’t Lie- Shakira feat Wyclef Jean

• Pedal Pusher- Stereophonics

• All I Want to do- Sugarland

• Eye of the Tiger- Survivor

• Life your Life- T.I. feat Rihanna

• Crank That- Travis Barker & Soulja Boy

• Smile- Uncle Kracker

• Yeah- Usher feat Lil Jon & Ludacris

• Ella Me Llama- Wisin, Yandel Feat Sean Paul

• Way Away- Yellowcard (this one’s from Heidi)

• Esta Amor

• Noches Enteras Sin Dormir

• Jai Ho- Pussycat Dolls Remix (slumdog millionaire soundtrack)

• Dude Looks like a Lady- Aerosmith

• Beautiful- Beyonce feat Shakira

Tuesday's Motivation

I am ever in awe for how upbeat and awesome you guys alll are :)
Good morning, girls!

Meghan, I hope you continue to feel better and great job rockin' the halfie training!  Shanda, I hope your knee heals soon or else that dancefloor is going to be missing you something fierce!  Tara, how's your halfie training going?  Mini Me, I hope your unpacking is going well and I am SOOO majorly impressed and stunned that you are already at the gym in your new town!

Something I've been thinking on lately is that you all are becoming such experts in your own weight loss and fitness journeys.  We know exactly what it is that we need to do to lose the weight.  It's a simple matter of burning calories and staying at that net calorie goal each day.  "Simple," right? When we know what we need to do to hit a goal and we don't do it as a consious decision on our part, then we feel worse or more guilty than we would have had we not known how to lose weight.  Does that rambling make sense?  I am completely guilty of this sometimes.  I know EXACTLY what I need to do to lose weight, just sometimes my bad mood overrules my desire for my goal, and BAM! Welcome to funktown, but there ain't no disco playing here. 

I would love for you all to brainstorm and share how you all overcome that.  I know I'll definitely benefit from it even if the rest of you don't :)  How do you still find success?  How do you overcome chaotic days and wild children?  How do you overcome hubbies being out of town?  How do you overcome bad moods?  How do you overcome stress?  How do you overcome emotional eating?  How do you pump yourselves up?

For me, setting really exciting goals help me to lift up and out of funktown like an arcade game claw grabbing a stuffed animal.  I love finding a new race to train for or finding a new workout to experiment with.  Also, if I want a treat I negotiate with my self (I'm nutso and talk to myself regularly :) ) and tell myself I can have it if I complete a particular workout FIRST.  I've shared this before, but buying a new workout top or something workout-related cheers me up, too (Marshalls is great for that!).  I try to overcome emotional eating by working out.  Knowing how hard I work at working out, I'm less likely to want to "throw that away" by downing junkfood/fastfood.  And a good drive in the car BLASTING high-energy workout music really loudly and singing along- that always pumps me up and makes me laugh and smile :)  I've got a phenomenal workout playlist I adore.  Let me know if you ever want me to share- I can list out some good suggestions on here.  So those are my ideas, what are yours??????

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, girls! How was your weekend? Share with us your results!
How much are you up or down? How do you feel? What's your game plan
for this week?