What Texas Fit Chicks did for one husband...

Trying to convince your husband to let you join Texas Fit Chicks? 

This post might do the trick :) 

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What Texas Fit Chicks Has Done For Me…From One Inspired Husband

Every day I’m truly thankful to be married such an amazing woman. I’m also very thankful that she found Texas Fit Chicks a couple of years ago. My wife is Danyelle Becker and she’s the trainer for the East Plano Los Rios TFC location. Her journey to get to this point started many years ago. My wife and I met in high school and have been together ever since. We got married several years later and had twin boys over 5 years ago. We’ve been together for nearly 17 years (married 12 of those). Needless to say, we’ve been through a lot together.

Over the years, she started to gain weight and began to slowly lose self-confidence. This naturally put an underlying strain on our relationship. It was something very difficult to discuss, and painful to think about and live with for so long. She tried all sort of things to lose weight, but nothing worked. This pattern went on for over 10 years. Everything changed when Danyelle met Leigh Ann Gilbert and was introduced to Texas Fit Chicks. 

Leigh Ann is an amazing trainer who teaches at the McKinney Crosspoint Texas Fit Chicks location. They met around 3 years ago through our kids school. I am so thankful they did since our lives were forever changed once they connected. For those that don’t know Leigh Ann, she is the epitome of what a great trainer should be…someone who can motivate you, hold you accountable, and really kick your butt into shape! After a few months of subtle convincing Leigh Ann got Danyelle to try out a TFC class. 

She liked the first class and stuck with it. It was slow going for a few months until ‘the moment’ happened. One day in late 2011, Danyelle was talking with Leigh Ann and getting down on herself about not seeing the results she wanted. Leigh Ann says to her ‘What can you do to change? No more excuses.’ For whatever reason, those words really changed something in Danyelle’s head. She suddenly realized that if she wanted to change, she was the only person that could do it. Texas Fit Chicks and Leigh Ann provided the opportunity for change, but it was up to her to work it. To me, this aha moment was like a spark. Every person has this energy inside of them. All that’s needed sometimes is for someone to give you that spark to ignite it. 

I view Leigh Ann and Texas Fit Chicks as the spark that got into Danyelle’s head. After that moment, everything changed for the better. She began to eat better, work out harder, feel better, look better, smile more…you name it. She got so into the TFC program and lifestyle that she became a trainer herself. She took the steps to accomplish her goals and now her business is really starting to grow. It’s amazing to see the number of chicks Danyelle has inspired herself. I know of one boot camper turned trainer Danni (Melissa location) who started Texas Fit Chicks after seeing Danyelle’s before and after photo and reading her success story. During the course of all of this, Danyelle has lost nearly 70 pounds, has become a certified trainer and is building a thriving TFC business. She has also done one other thing…inspire me to become a better person physically, mentally and emotionally. 

I wasn’t blessed with the big guy gene, so I’ve been small and scrawny most of my life. After seeing Danyelle’s transform firsthand, something changed mentally for me as well. I started working out with a lot more intensity on a daily basis. I’ve been going to the gym 6 days a week for months now and have no plans to stop any time soon. I’m in the process of transforming myself and it’s an awesome feeling! I’ve put on 10 pounds of muscle in the past year with the goal of adding 10 more. It will take a lot of time and hard work but I know it can be done. Danyelle proved to me that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. My self-confidence has gone up tremendously and I’m genuinely happier than I have ever been. Danyelle was and still is my inspiration. I have to keep up with her! Without Texas Fit Chicks, none of this would have happened. Odds are, Danyelle and I would still be the same people we were a couple of years ago. The impact Texas Fit Chicks and Leigh Ann have had on our family is immense and cannot be understated. I have never taken a TFC class, but I strongly feel that without Texas Fit Chicks I would not be who I am today.

Healthy swaps for the foods you love

Food Swaps: It's A Lifestyle, Not A Diet

We women are always looking for a way to get rid of a few extra pounds. Unfortunately, many times we get trapped in the fad diet game and lose some weight, which we gain back very fast. Diets are problematic because they are hard to stick with in the long run. This means that sooner or later, once your diet is finished, you will start eating all the foods that you have been craving. And you never learn to eat in a better way.

The solution to this issue is not to change the way you eat for a few weeks, but to change your whole attitude towards food. By learning to make healthier food choices, those pounds will melt away without you even noticing. Let's have a look at some simple food swaps that you can start doing even today, in order to achieve a slim figure and a better health.

Nut milk instead of cow's milk

Be it almond, hazelnut or oat milk, those alternatives have much less calories than cow's milk and they are usually fortified with B12 vitamin and calcium. You can use them in any way you use regular milk: your cereal, hot chocolate, baking and cooking.

Stevia instead of sugar

Stevia is a plant-based sweetener that does not spike your blood sugar and prevents cravings. With regular sugar, you get a sugar rush and after a while you feel even more tired than before. Stevia is a great choice not only for losing weight, but for people with type two diabetes as well.

Brown rice instead of white rice

Brown rice, like all whole grain products, is rich in fiber. This means that it will improve your digestion, keeping you regular. It has also many more vitamins and minerals than white rice, which means that you get a lot more health benefits for less calories.

Turkey slices instead of deli meat

For the times that you crave a nice sandwich, go for turkey slices instead of deli meats. This way you will get much less calories, significantly less fat and sodium. Good for your figure, good for your heart and blood pressure as well!

Olive oil instead of butter

Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and has a great taste. Butter has a great taste as well, but it is loaded in calories. Additionally, it is harder to digest than olive oil and does not protect your cardiovascular system the way olive oil does.

Yogurt instead of cooking cream

Yogurt has much less calories and fat than cooking cream and it gives a great slightly sour taste to pasta sauces and salad dressings. Add in a few chopped herbs and you will be amazed by its potential.

Kale chips instead of potato chips

Super easy, super healthy. Just put bite-sized kale pieces in the oven for 10', spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and you are done. Much less calories than potato chips and you will get tons of calcium and antioxidants as well.

Frozen bananas instead of ice cream

Ice cream is a hard one to substitute, but if you like bananas, just cut a couple of them in pieces, freeze overnight and blend. The most delicious, low calorie ice cream you have ever tasted! You can even add cocoa powder or peanut butter, for a twist.

Happy swapping, happy slimming!

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7 Reasons why you MUST eat slowly

7 reasons why you MUST eat slowly

Everything in our lives is fast - fast cars, fast trains, fast lanes, fast money, fast broadband and of course fast food. There's lunch on the run, dinner in under 30 minutes, 2-minute noodles, take-away to grab and run. Life is rushed and stressful. When we finally grab a moment to eat, we bolt it down as quickly as we can. And multi-tasking whilst eating is the norm - we munch a sandwich at our desk, catch up with the news over dinner or read the paper over coffee and a muffin.

Now there's a new school of thought to re-train yourself to eat slow. Like the Slow Food movement that's supporting a return to traditional cuisine, it's part of the philosophy that food is special and should be enjoyed at leisure to bring out its full satisfaction and flavour. If you eat at a leisurely pace, you'll enjoy your food more, have less problems with your digestion and force yourself to slow down. Your health and attitude to life will lift noticeably!

Eat slowly, eat less, enjoy more

Eating slowly is also one of the most successful techniques to help people lose weight. A recent US study of 30 women showed that eating slowly helped them to reduce food intake by around 275 kilojoules (66 cals) at each meal without any suffering and maximized their food satisfaction scores.

Research shows it takes 15 to 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that it's FULL, so this technique prevents you overeating without realizing it. It's simple. Here's how to practice it (it helps to do it by yourself the first time):

1. Sit down to eat and focus on the food in front of you - your goal is to savour each mouthful aiming to ‘extract' the maximum flavour and satisfaction.

2. Eat with a fork and knife, not your fingers.

3. Put the fork and knife down between each bite. Have a pause halfway through the meal and ask yourself: "How full am I now or do I need to eat more?".

4. Take small bites and chew well. Aim to chew each mouthful at least 5 times before you swallow.

5. While you're retraining yourself, don't eat in front of TV or while you read. It becomes ‘mindless eating' and you don't remember what you've eaten.

6. Don't eat while you walk or shop.

7. If you have to eat at your desk at work, clear aside a small spot and have your food there, keeping a distance from your computer or paperwork.

6 Steps to Lose weight

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Finishing off a whole pack of chips while engrossed in an interesting show is the perfect example of mindless eating. Distracted by watching TV or a movie, we mindlessly fill our mouths, short-circuiting our fullness signals. We keep on eating unaware of the huge amounts we're putting away. In my opinion this is an oft-overlooked cause of obesity.

(It also illustrates the danger of modern-day snacks- they taste soooo delicious and slip down so effortlessly with their perfect bite-sized morsels and tempting flavours. But that's another story.)


The modern food supply encourages a grazing mentality via fast food drive-ins, vending machines full of snacky-junk food and confectionery counters at every retail outlet. What's more it actually encourages us to eat while doing other tasks.


"Multi-tasking" has long been a business buzz word but is often just a euphemism for eating while doing other things. Whether it's popcorn at the cinema, desktop dining while you work, dashboard dining as you drive or dinner in front of the TV, it all leads us to eat more than we need.


Dr Brian Wansink, author of the book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" (Bantam Books 2006), says most of us overeat because we are distracted or are surrounded by junk food served in large portion sizes. We eat as if it's our mission to finish everything!


In one famous experiment, Wansink and his researchers offered a free bucket of popcorn to moviegoers in return for answering a few (dummy) questions about the movie once it was over. Half the moviegoers got a medium-size bucket weighing 120g or 4.2 oz, while the other half were given the large-size, bigger-than-your-head, bucket weighing 235g or 8.4oz.


Weighing the leftovers in the buckets after the movie, the researchers reported that the big-bucket group ate 53 per cent more popcorn (an average of 725 more kilojoules or 175 calories) while mindlessly munching. That's roughly the equivalent of 21 more dips into the bucket.


Wansink repeated the experiment with stale, 14 day-old, popcorn and got similar results. After the movie, the researchers asked the moviegoers to describe the popcorn and they weighed how much popcorn was left in the containers.


Even though they described the popcorn as "stale" and "terrible", moviegoers with the larger containers still ate 34 per cent more than those given the medium-sized containers.


Eating with awareness


To help yourself learn to eat with awareness, try these simple first steps to practice eating mindfully and prevent mindless consumption. Your goal is to be conscious of how you're eating and what your stomach registers. When you're in touch with what is going on inside, you'll know the exact moment you are physically satisfied rather than over full or stuffed. It's the best technique for weight control and works regardless of what sort of diet you're on. I follow these steps every day and highly recommend this way of eating!


1. Sit down to eat, even if it's only for a snack. Turn the TV or laptop off and don't read. Let the food be the sole centre of your attention.


2. Drink a full glass of water before each meal


3. Chew each mouthful thoughtfully paying attention to the flavours and textures - some health food advocates have suggested at least 30 times per mouthful *. Put your knife and fork down between bites.


4. If you know you're a fast eater, make a conscious effort to slow down and be the last one finished. 


5. Switch to a salad plate for your meals. This is an easy way to control portions

6. Eat slowly and make the meal last at least 20 minutes.

Making these changes can lead to weight loss ~ We hope they are helpful!

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Texas Fit Chicks are a team of personal trainers that lead Women Only boot camps. We serve clients in McKinney, Prosper, Anna, Wylie, Plano, Richardson, Dallas, Frisco, College Station, Spring, Braes Heights (Houston), Mesquite, Colleyville, Carrollton, Lancaster, The Colony, and Keller Texas. All levels welcome - start any Monday!