Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Skinny Taco Dip + 4 more Recipes to die for





Skinny Taco Dip

Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1/24th of dip • Old Points: 1.5 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 59.2 • Fat: 3.6 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Carb: 4.7 g • Fiber: 0.6 g

8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
16 oz jar mild salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded

2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
2.25 oz black olives,


In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning and mix well with an electric mixer. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and black olives. Serve with baked tortilla chips
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Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Servings: 3 • Serving Size: salad with 2 chicken tenders • Points: 8 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 397.6 • Fat: 11.0 g • Protein: 26.8 g • Carb: 32.5 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Sugar: 10


6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
6 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs
1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites
pinch salt
olive oil spray
6 cups mixed baby greens
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white vinegar (balsamic would work too)
2 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl.


Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.


Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each


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Garlic Cheddar Biscuits


Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1 biscuit • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 97.3 • Fat: 3.9 g • Protein: 3.7 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 0.0 g

2 tbsp butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
3.5 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Cabot 50% reduced fat)
2/3 cup fat free milk

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.


Melt butter in a small frying pan, add half the garlic and saute on low heat about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add parsley.


In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, and remaining garlic. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls (1.5 oz each) onto prepared cookie sheet.


Bake for 10 minutes. Brush or drizzle biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.


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Creamy Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes


Servings: 12 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 108.6 • Fat: 4.7 g • Carb: 12.6 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 3.6 g • Sugar: 7.1
Sodium: 107.9

Ingredients:
12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp all purpose flour
24 blackberries

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.


Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.


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Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken


Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g
24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste


Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

Texas Fit Chicks is the fastest growing womens fitness program in Texas! Our Fitness Experts are all professional women that are passionate about helping other women get FIT. With over 50 class times to choose from - there's likely one near you!
Visit our website HERE to learn more



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.

Texas Fit Chicks Healthy Greek Salad Recipe



Delicious Greek Salad


2-3 cups baby spinich (pre-washed in the bag) - you could also use green leaf or romaine if you prefer
1 cucumber (chopped and seeds removed)
1 tomatoe on the vine
Red onion to taste (I use about 1/2 of a sm onion - but I love onion
1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 T olive oil (be sure to measure it - this is where calories can add up)
Lemon juice to taste

Combine olive oil and lemon juice seperately and then drizzle over salad....this is super healthy and delicious!

Ready for the summer and swimsuit season? If not - grab this GROUPON DEAL and train with the best fitness experts in Texas! Texas Fit Chicks has over 50 class times available. Deal this week only! 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Beat your cravings...5 ways to stop cravings before they start!




Food...Food...Food. It might be easy to choose the right things to eat all the time if we only had to do it once a day...but we don't! It's everywhere and necessary for our bodies to function. The part of the country I live in isn't known for it's great outdoor hiking, skiing, surfing or mountain climbing. Pretty much it's shopping or eating out. That's what we do in Dallas. Ok - I know some of you will say that you know of great trails to get out and get busy on...but for the most part, it's all about On the Border or Target lol. Most people I see will troll the parking lot to get a spot close so that they don't have to take more than about 10 steps to get inside the Super Target too!

We all have those unhealthy cravings to contend with ~ like the Cinnabon stand at the mall. (By the way - the classic come with 813 calories for 1 of those suckers)...but wouldn't it be great to know how to beat those cravings before they begin? We've come up with 5 ways to help you beat cravings...before they start. 

1. Manage Stress. Sounds like a no-brainer, but make an effort to see if you happen to be an emotional eater. Many times, people with high-stress turn to food as a coping mechanism. 

2. Stay Fueled. Keeping your blood sugar levels steady is critical to not over-eating later. Having 5-6 small meals (250-350 cals) per day will keep it in check. Yes. Even if you're not "hungry" eat...even if it's just an apple. It really does work to keep yourself from binging the next time you see food.
3. Eat Good Carbs. Get rid of everything in your kitchen that's white. Sugar. Bread. Pasta. Rice. Those are a recipe for spiking blood sugar followed by the dreaded carb crash that will make you craving MORE! Choose whole grain wheat instead.

4. Retrain Your Brain. Experts say it takes 21 days to create a habit...so decide today that you are going to not eat dessert after dinner every night, or give up those diet sodas (that leech calcium from your bones), or not skip breakfast anymore...etc you get the picture. Create a good habit and stick with it for 21 days. Challenge yourself!
5. Spot YOUR triggers. For me, it's when the kids get home from school, and I start to get into the pantry to feed them their snacks. While I don't buy much "junk" for the house, I do get a little 'kid food' every now and then, and 3pm seems to be my weak time during the day. My response? I found the best protein bar that tastes just like a candy bar (yes, I'm serious) and I eat that along with having a cup of hot green tea. Quest Bars work like a charm...and keeps me full till' dinner.

Our female trainers at Texas Fit Chicks boot camp (formerly McKinney Bootcamps) are all REAL women with real lives and real experience. Nope - we aren't fitness models, but we love working out and guiding other women on how to get fit! We've got 52 camp times to choose from in Dallas, Houston and College Station. Training with us will help you lose weight and get healthy. Now you can train with TFC for an incredible price. 

Check out our GROUPON Deal of the day HERE!

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Want a great dose of Antioxidants? Top 10 Fruits to eat



Top 10 Fruits for Antioxidents



There are so many diets out there, and books on how to lose weight. While some might take the weight off for a time, others will have you just losing water weight and are a very quick fix that won't last long term. Before I was a trainer, I was on and off the diet wagon based on which book was a best seller at the time. Thanks to the South Beach diet, eating a strawberry threw me into a tailspin. Many years ago, I was in search of the perfect diet that would help me shed all the baby weight I gained while prego with baby #2. In Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, fruit is off limits completely. I did ok for the first day or two, but on day 3, had a strawberry and quickly fell into the thinking everyone has while on these things..."now I've blown it for the day - might as well eat what I want since I already screwed up". I had never cared much about the bakery at the grocery store either, until I started South Beach! 

While it is true that you will lose weight with this diet, it put my mind into that "Diet" mode that is not healthy and seems restrictive. I was probably off and on phase 1 of South Beach for 2-3 years. It wasn't until I stopped trying these types of "diets" and learned how to eat healthy foods, that I was able to start losing the weight.

Fruits are something that shouldn't be restricted in a meal plan (in my opinion). Yes, grapes and ripe bananas are higher on the sugar scale than others, and while I would probably limit the consumption of them if trying to lose weight, I wouldn't make them totally off limits. These are 10 fruits the USDA ranked for the disease-fighting antioxidants...
  1. Blueberries
  2. Cranberries
  3. Blackberries
  4. Raspberries
  5. Strawberries
  6. Apples
  7. Cherries
  8. Black Plums
  9. Avocados
  10. Pears
Fruit is natures dessert ~ enjoy!

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Houston Fitness for Women - Texas Fit Chicks boot Camp


Houston Fitness For Women
Join the fastest growing womens' only bootcamp in the state of Texas! Texas Fit Chicks will get you to your goals.

Grab a GROUPON deal of the day and get 4 weeks of training for just $49!
Click on the image below to get to the deal:



What you get with this awesome deal:

  • 4 Weeks of Boot Camp with your nationally certified female personal trainer - affordable accountability!
  • 30 Day Meal Plan with printable grocery lists and recipes the family will love
  • 12 Full body workouts that incorporate strength and cardio each time we meet
  • Every fitness level welcome! Don't think you have to 'get in shape' before you start...we always show the exercises 3 ways, beginner, intermediate and advanced. All chicks are working at their own level
Deal available this week only - we have 2 locations in Houston to serve you ~ Spring and Braes Heights

For more information contact us:
Support@texasfitchicks.com





Saturday, March 2, 2013

Texas Fit Chick Boot Camp Locations

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Addison Morning 5-6am MWF - Desiree@texasfitchicks.com

West Allen Morning 5-6am or 6-7am MWF – Elizabeth@texasfitchicks.com



East Allen Morning 5-6am MWF – Debbie@texasfitchicks.com

Anna 5-6am or 6-7am Tu,Th,Fri  - Trina@texasfitchicks.com

Anna Evening 7-8pm M,Tu,Th - Trina@texasfitchicks.com

Carrollton Morning 5-6am MWF – Wendy@texasfitchicks.com

Celina Morning 5:15-6:15am or 9-10am M,Tu,Th – Nicole@texasfitchicks.com

Celina Evening 6-7pm Tu/Th 8am Sat – Nicole@texasfitchicks.com

College Station Morning 6-7am MWF – Melody@texasfitchicks.com

Dallas Morning 5-6am or 6-7am MWF – Ginger@texasfitchicks.com

Frisco Morning 5:30-6:30am or 9am MWF - Michelle@texasfitchicks.com

NW Frisco Morning 5-6am or 6-7am MWF - Aimee@texasfitchicks.com


Houston (Braes Heights) Morning 5-6am MWF – Karen@texasfitchicks.com

Keller Morning 5-6am MWF  - Vivian@texasfitchicks.com

Lancaster Morning 5:30-6:30am MWF - Joye@texasfitchicks.com

Lancaster Evening 6-7pm Tu/Th 8am Sat - Joye@texasfitchicks.com

McKinney Morning 5-6am/6am-7am/9:30am MWF - Leighanne@texasfitchicks.com

McKinney Evening 7-8pm or 8-9pm M,Tu,Th - Meridith@texasfitchicks.com

Mesquite Morning 5-6am or 6-7am MWF - Lindsey@texasfitchicks.com

Plano Morning 5-6am MWF - Titia@texasfitchicks.com 

Plano Evening 7-8pm M,Tu,T - Tia@texasfitchicks.com

East Plano Morning 5-6am MWF - Danyelle@texasfitchicks.com

East Plano Morning 8:30-9:30am  MWF - Kristina@texasfitchicks.com

East Plano Evening 7-8pm M,Tu,Th - Kristina@texasfitchicks.com

Princeton Morning 9-10am MWF - Penny@texasfitchicks.com

Prosper Morning 5am-6am MWF - Jeannie@texasfitchicks.com

Prosper Mid-Morning 8:30-9:30am M,Tu,Th - Shonnery@texasfitchicks.com

Richardson Morning 5:30-6:30am or 9:30-10:30am MWF  - Keali@texasfitchicks.com

Rockwall Morning 5-6am MWF - Sharon@texasfitchicks.com

Rockwall Mid-Morning 9:30-10:30 MWF - Sandy@texasfitchicks.com

Spring Tx Morning 6-7am M,Tu,Th - Meghan@texasfitchicks.com

The Colony Morning 5-6am MWF - Tabitha@texasfitchicks.com

Van Alstyne Morning 5-6am MWF - Paula@texasfitchicks.com

Wylie Morning 5-6am or 6-7am MWF - Sandy@texasfitchicks.com


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Top 7 Reasons Cardio is a key component of your fitness program




I hate treadmills. There is nothing worse than running and going nowhere...in my opinion :) For years, I would go to the gym and ignore the boring cardio machines, opting to only lift weights. I was missing out on so many benefits of doing cardio, but I didn’t want to be bored!! High Intensity Interval Training was the answer for me. The treadmill wasn’t so horrible if I was sprinting as fast as I could for 30 seconds then taking a break for a bit. Challenging myself like that was the only way I could stomach the treadmill. After a while though, that too became mundane. Boot Camp training was the answer for me. Doing a variety of cardio drills alleviates boredom completely and not only will your heart benefit, you might have to shop for new clothes in a smaller size!

If you are one that doesn’t have time for long drawn out bouts of cardio I have good news! You can get the same results from short bursts of activity…if done correctly!

Here are some of the top benefits of high intensity cardio exercise;

Cardio exercise improves blood circulation

Cardiovascular activity like running helps to increase the density of your capillary network. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that cover your entire body delivering oxygenated blood and nutrients to where they are needed and taking away toxins and other waste products from cells. By increasing the density of your capillary network you create an environment where greater oxygen delivery is possible and waste disposal is made more efficient.

Cardio exercise lowers blood pressure

Cardiovascular conditioning like running can help lower blood pressure. While the scientific reasons for this are unclear, it has been observed as a common by-product of those who exercise regularly, particularly if blood pressure was high to begin with. In fact many doctors will recommend patients commit to a period of cardiovascular activity if they discover they have high blood pressure! One of our fit chicks Dee recently got a great dr. report and was able to discontinue her blood pressure meds due to her fitness training at Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp!

Cardio exercise enhances blood flow

Greater blood flow means you can circulate greater levels of oxygen around the body and produce energy more efficiently. Enhanced blood flow will also help remove waste products and toxins more effectively.

Cardio exercise increases stroke volume

Stroke Volume refers to the volume of blood the heart pumps per beat. Cardio exercise can cause a substantial increase in stroke volume both at rest and when exercising.

Increased stroke volume is likely caused by;


  • A decreased heart rate allowing for more blood to enter the ventricles between beats
  • A greater volume of blood in circulation leading to more blood returning to the heart
  • An increase in the size of the left ventricle chamber
  • An increase in the strength of the hearts contractions due to thicker ventricle walls

Cardio exercise lowers resting heart rate

Many people experience a substantial lowering of resting heart rate after improving their conditioning through cardio exercise. This is likely to be caused by an increase in stroke volume and improved oxygen delivery. The result is the heart has to beat fewer times per minute to deliver the same amount of oxygen. A resting heart of 70bpm or lower is excellent.

Cardio exercise increases energy expenditure

Cardio exercise is fantastic means of increasing your weekly energy expenditure. For those of you fit chicks looking to burn fat this is good news. Increasing your energy expenditure makes it more likely that you will create the required energy deficit for fat loss to occur. Remember if your body has an energy surplus then there is no need for the body to dig into its own energy reserves (fat) to make up the short fall.

High intensity cardio like our bootcamp hill sprints will also help trigger the release of potent fat burning hormones such as HGH thereby helping to accelerate fat loss results. Low intensity cardio will not

Cardio exercise can help improve sports performance

For those of you that play sports, enhancing your conditioning will only help your performance. More often than not it is the player or team who is able to maintain their intensity for longer that will come out on top in an athletic setting.

At Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, we incorporate Tabata training during our workout. This high intensity training protocal will give you greater benefits than steady state training. Our bodies also never have the opportunity to plateau when you participate in our boot camps, since every single workout is different.Our clients see the benefits of working out in as little as 4 weeks with us. Join us and start this Monday to make sure your workout will get you the results you want to see. We take the guesswork out of losing weight and getting healthy! 

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We offer our womens' only fitness program in: Mesquite, McKinney, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Anna, Prosper, Keller, Wylie, Richardson, Dallas, The Colony, Lancaster, Celina, Rockwall, Carrollton, College Station & Houston

Monday, February 25, 2013

Tips for staying on track when eating out







Let's face it...eating out is really hard when you are trying to lose weight. There is a reason that calorie content and fat grams aren't printed alongside the fettucine alfredo or bowl of queso...because nobody would eat it! A dinner portion of Fettuccine Alfredo at a popular italian restaurant along with 2 of their breadsticks contain 1520 calories and 52g of saturated fat!!! (That's calories for an entire day and double the amount of sat. fat recommended for the DAY!) 

The workouts that we do at Texas Fit Chicks BootCamp will burn anywhere from 400-600 calories in one hour. Add up how many hours you'd have to workout to burn that off, then ask yourself is it really worth it??? Most of the time that answer should be a loud NO. The 90/10 rule should apply to your eating habits when you are trying to lose weight. 90% of the time be eating clean, good foods. Then you can indulge 10% of the time. This can mean that 6 days a week you are eating well and you take 1 day "off" to indulge. For faster weight loss, make that 1 meal rather than 1 day. When you realize how quickly you can derail your hard workouts - it makes the eating bad not seem so good!

If it's not time for your free meal and you have to go out to eat, here are a few tips on how to eat smart when eating out:

  • Start out with a small salad. This will help to fill you up before the main dish comes, and might prevent you from overeating the higher calorie food. Order it without croutons, cheese or cream-based dressing. Oil and Vinegar is best.
  • Order Veggies instead of rice
  • Stick to chicken or fish as an entree - order it grilled, baked or blackened - Avoid Crusted, stuffed or fried of course 
  • Ask for salsa as a side sauce instead of sour cream, butter, cheese or bacon.
  • Ask for a to-go box before you start eating and divide your meal in half right away. The portion sizes are out of control in our society - and you won't feel compelled to eat more than you need if it's not in front of you
  • Don't drink your calories - stick with water w/ lemon, unsweetened tea, etc.
  • Order off the kids menu - many times these sized portions are "normal" and half the calories of the full sized entree
So many restaurants have their nutrition info online - so if you know ahead of time where you are going, educate yourself before you get there. You will be shocked to see the amounts of sodium, fat and calories that are in some healthy sounding entrees. The restaurants want people to come back over and over - and to make the food taste the way they make it, they load it up with butter, sugar and it's easy to get your full days worth of calories in one sitting!

When trying to lose weight, ignorance is not bliss. Once you realize how much work goes into burning calories, then you learn how many calories are in restaurant food, you will most likely decide that it's just not worth it. Our society is so food-driven these days, and if you look at what a portion size was 50 yrs ago, and what it is today, it's no wonder we have the obesity crisis that we do in America. Health experts predict that by the year 2020, 1/2 of American adults will have Diabetes. This is a shocking statistic, but true.

The best way to stay on track is to prepare as many meals at home as you can, but if you need to go out, make a plan before you go...and think this thought: "Is what I'm about to eat going to get me closer to my goal?" Might make you re-think that Alfredo :)

- Melody Chandler, CPT
Owner, Texas Fit Chicks 


Fitness Boot Camp Program for Women Only. Re-Shape your Future
Locations in Dallas.Houston.College Station


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Want a Flat Belly? Top 3 Tips plus at-home Texas Fit Chicks Belly Blast Workout




If you visit Colorado in the Summertime, you see the rocky mountains with all of their jagged edges clearly. Go again in the winter, and you no longer see the rocky edges...but you know they're still there. They are just covered with snow. We've got the muscles under there, but have to get rid of the snow to see them :)In order to get rid of our "snow" means upping cardio and adding lean muscle mass which will burn calories faster than fat. At Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp we do high intensity interval training plus strength training. When coupled with solid nutrition, results are incredible, and you can get those defined abs you want. Here are 3 tips when training to get a flat belly to remember:
  • Change it up. Like anything else we do, your body adapts very quickly. Mix it up with reverse crunches, bicycle crunches, weighted crunches, etc. You've got to continue challenging your abs with different exercises
  • Include a Stability Ball for added difficulty. The stability ball is a great tool in core work, and challenges you much more than being on a mat. We always include stability ball day once a week at Texas Fit Chicks...clients love it!
  • EAT WELL....you've heard the saying...a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips...if you don't practice "Clean Eating" 90% of the time, you will never see definition in your abs. This is the most critical piece when it comes to a flat stomach. Avoid temptation, and visualize yourself at your goal. It's a powerful tool that works.
Try this at-home workout to strengthen and tone your core...Ready...Set...GO!



3 Minutes of Cardio - High Knee Run/Jumping Jacks/Run the Stairs/Run around the block..just get your heart rate up for 3 minutes

Up & Open Abs- Lie face up on the floor, legs extended straight six inches off the floor, hands by your sides, palms facing down. This is the starting position. Keeping your core engaged, bend your knees into your chest, return to start, then raise your legs straight towards the ceiling so they’re perpendicular to the floor, then return to start; slowly open your legs so they form a wide V, keeping them six inches off the ground. Return to start - do 20 reps
In & Out crunch - Lie face up on the floor, legs extended straight six inches off the floor and hands behind your head, elbows out. Bracing your core, simultaneously lift your shoulder blades off the floor as you tuck your knees toward your chest Reverse the movement to return to start, keeping your feet off the ground. That’s one rep. Do 20 reps
Double Banana Crunch - Lie faceup on the floor, with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees, fingertips behind your ears, elbows out. Brace your core and lift your shoulders off the ground. In one motion, extend your legs about a foot off the floor and reach your arms directly overhead, elbows near your ears. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Do 20
4 Minutes of Cardio - 1 Minute each of the following moves:
1 Minute Booty Kickers
1 Minute Mountain Climbers
1 Minute Jumping Jacks
1 Minute Burpees
RECOVER - 60 seconds
Cross Legged Lift - On mat, hands out to sides, Legs straight up. Cross left ankle over rt knee. Keeping rt leg straight, use abs to lift hips off mat. Lower then take legs down to 45 degrees off mat. Repeat - 15 on ea side. Press belly button into mat as you lower legs.
Compound Crunch - Fingertips behind ears. Lift head and shoulder blades as you pull knees toward chest. Lower head and shoulder blades and slowly extend legs 45 degrees off mat keeping abs tight. Repeat for 15
One Legged Bridge - Rt knee bent, foot on mat - left leg extended straight up. Arms out to each side, palms on mat. Push through rt heel as you lift hips till body is aligned from shoulders to rt knee. Lower hips till they almost touch mat, then lift again. 15 reps on ea side.
Reverse Crunches - Both legs straight up in the air, feet together. Lift hips off mat, then return to start. Slowly do 20 reps
Horizontal Scissors - fingertips behind ears, chin lifted off chest - raise legs up a few inches off mat - then scissor in and out, with one leg going over the other then alternating. 30 seconds
Alternating Heel Touch - Knees bent heels on mat - lifting head off mat arms down to sides - reach with rt arm down to touch heel - working obliques then do other side. 20 reps each side
Lying Leg Raise - legs straight out and down on mat. Lift both legs up in the air at same time, then release back down keeping control and cue to not let lower back arch off mat...so only bring legs down as far as you can w/out that occurring. 15 reps
Finish it off with 5 Minutes of Cardio - Repeat the series of exercises above and add in 1 minute of Bunny Hops
Repeat series 2-3 times for an awesome calorie burn!




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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Texas Fit Chicks Tank Now Available!



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Do you heart TFC? Show it with our new fun TFC Tank ~ Comfortable fitting tank (think t-shirt sizing) for just $18 (+tax/shipping). 
Available only until March 5. 


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Sizes from small-2X available






Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Nutrition Tips from Texas Fit Chicks Bootcamp


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Here are some commonly asked questions from our chicks ~ we thought we'd share with you!

What would be best to focus on first, nutrition or exercise?
The Answer: BOTH! You can eat your way out of any great workout so it's extremely important that if you are trying to lose weight and create more health and wellness to your life you have to make nutrition a priority. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind. Remember, by small changes you will create big results:

     *Don't drink your calories! Check out our fb page HERE for some great links to articles that will shed more light into this.  I encourage you to drink as much water throughout the day as you can and avoid any all soda.  That may seem unrealistic, but when it comes to your health and your body don't you want to give it your best?

    *Make your calories count! Look for nutrient dense foods. It's recommended to shop the periphery of the grocery store, especially the produce section. Start reading the labels--if you can't pronounce it, you probably don't want to eat it! I love Dr. Andrew Weil's statement, "A dish can only be good as its worst ingredient." With that in mind strive to consume food that is minimally or not processed at all. When food is taken from it's natural state, stripped down and processed and then given a few man-made vitamins to make it consumable it's harder for our body to even recognize it as food. It takes longer for our bodies to digest it and it places a lot of stress on our bodily systems to break it down and absorb the small amount of usable nutrition that it holds.  Keep that in mind the next time you are making your grocery lists. Find places that you can start making some healthier changes--a little at a time.

Maybe you're not worried about counting calories, and that's just fine. Just remember that your body isn't a trash can, so don't put garbage in it.  If you are counting calories consider this: you want aim for 100-250 calories for a snack and approximately 300-450 calories for a meal. These amounts will differ from one person to the next. It will depend on your needs and the amount of exercise you do during the week.

   *Stock your Pantry for success. Fill it your with whole grains, beans, nuts and other nutrient rich foods. I'm not suggesting you just throw out what you have all at once and start fresh. It will be easier on your budget to just start with one or two items each time you shop. Some suggestions of items to start using if you don't already: brown rice, old fashioned/steel oats, quinoa, whole wheat breads/pastas/flours, lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, all natural-low sodium broths, I could go on and on. This is just a place to start. Let me know if you want more detail on this.

   *Don't forget to eat breakfast! Feed your family  something that will give them the fuel they need for the day-not fill them with empty calories and send their blood sugar spiking. On that note if you have any artificially flavored maple syrup once it's gone do not use it anymore. It does nothing good for your body, filling it with empty calories and sending your blood sugar spiking that will cause you to be hungry sooner, and crave more sweets and calories later in the day. My suggestions for pancake toppings: All natural maple syrup, Agave Syrup, nut butters, or my favorite: plain, nonfat greek yogurt and organic strawberry jam.

    *Make sure you include some protein in your meals and snacks. How much protein? Here's how to Calculate your protein needs:

       1. Calculate your weight in kg: body weight in lb. x .45 = body weight in kg.
       2. Multiply weight in kg by 0.8. The result is the grams of protein you should consume    per day.
                For example: body weight 160lb
                 1. 160lb x .45 = 72 kg body weight
                  2. 72kg x 0.8 = 57.6 grams of protein per day

 *Make Portions a Priority! The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides these visual examples to help us better understand what a serving really looks like.

One Serving                                                Looks Like
1 cup cereal flakes                                      fist
1 pancake                                                  compact disk
1/2 cup cooked rice/pasta                            1/2 baseball
1/4 cup raisins                                            large egg
1 baked potato                                           fist
1 cup salad greens                                     baseball
1/2 cup fresh fruit                                        1/2 baseball
1 1/2 ounces cheese                                   4 stacked dice
1 teaspoon margarine/butter                         1 dice
3 ounces meat, fish, poultry                         deck of cards
3 ounces cooked fish                                  checkbook
2 tablespoons peanut butter                         ping pong ball

Here's an easy tip, if you're trying to eat smaller portions use a smaller dish!  And when eating out have half of the meal boxed up when it is served to you to eat later. Restaurants typically serve larger portions than one person really needs.

We'd love for you to share this information with your friends if you found it helpful!
Committed to Your Success
Melody Chandler



Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Fun at home workout while you get ready for the day!


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Ok - seriously...who has room for an elliptical machine in the bathroom?? Our Plano Texas Fit Chick Trainer Tia came up with this fun workout you can squeeze in while you're getting ready for the day...no elliptical required! :) Check it out - and burn some calories while you finish off your mascara for the day....

So, I wanted to share with you a "Bathroom Workout" that I've created for myself! With all of us having such busy schedules...work, family, spouses, etc., we have to get creative and get a calorie burn and muscle build whenever we can.

So, this one is a workout that I do in the bathroom (because that is sometimes the ONLY place that I get 10 minutes to myself. Ha!). I think you will like it!

25 TUB STEP UPS (with weight to your side, step up with right leg first and follow with left leg. Step back down and now lead with stepping up with the left leg first, followed by the right leg. BE CARE NOT TO FALL IN THE TUB. Perform this exercise on the widest part of your tub. MAKE SURE THERE IS NO WATER IN THE TUB! Otherwise, you have now just turned this workout into Water Aerobics! LOL!)

25 TUB DIPS (using the side of the tub, perform deep dips similar to the tricep dips that we perform on the curb at boot camp. These dips will be more intense because the side of the tub is higher than the curb at boot camp. THIS IS A GOOD THING:) Keep your elbows back, hips close to the tub, and dip down as far as you can. Keep your arms close to your side as possible).

25 BATHROOM COUNTER WIDE INCLINE PUSHUPS (Position your arms on the bathroom counter wider than shoulder width apart. Bring your legs far out behind you, forming a 45 degree slope with your body. Note: the farther back your legs are, the more challenging the incline pushup). Perform the pushup aiming your chin towards the counter.

60 Sec SHOWER WALL SIT (I am sure that you are familiar with wall sits. Use your shower door for support)
60 Sec WALKING TUB PLANK (Position your arms in an extended plank position on the side of the tub. Walk your arms and legs out from left to right. Peform this exercise for 60 seconds)

100 MASCARA CALF RAISES (While applying your mascara, brushing your teeth or brushing your hair...perform 100 fast calf raises by lifting up on your toes repeatedly:)

Repeat this 4 times or as many times as you can before someone comes knocking on the bathroom door! The great thing about this, it you can get a good sweat and the shower is only a step away:) Enjoy:)

Tia trains our Plano Evening Texas Fit Chicks from 7-8pm M/Tu/Th
Click HERE for more information or to contact Tia