DALLAS/FT WORTH CHICKS! We are pleased to announce our FIRST EVER Texas Fit Chicks family night out!!
Come join your fellow DFW area trainers & chicks and their families for some good ole family fun! Thursday, April 7th at Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche. Get your TFC DISCOUNTED tickets (only $15 a regularly $35!!) at www.dallasstars.com/TexasFitChicks and use promo code FITCHICKS to pick up tickets for you, friends, and family!
(Be sure to secure sections 301 or 333 as that is where we will all be sitting.)
Come join in on the fun with your fellow TFC friends and let's pink out (or black our for the boys) the stadium while cheering on our Dallas team on their final push to the playoffs!
1. Oatmeal
Great source of soluble fiber and slow-digesting carbohydratesthat will keep blood sugar and insulin in check so fat burning can stay high.
2. Eggs
A form of well-absorbed protein, healthy fats and Vitamin D (found in the egg yolk). Eggs also contain lecithin, which promotes healthy liver function, thereby helping the body to burn fat.
3. Salmon
High in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon reduces inflammation in the body and lowers LDL and triglyceride levels while raising good HDL levels. Salmon also has a beneficial effect on leptin (hunger hormone) levels in the body, which means it helps to suppress your appetite.
4. Nuts
Another source of fiber and rich in omega-3s, these fats help to regulate blood sugar and protect the heart and the immune system.
5. Grapefruit & Berries
These fruits contain slow-digesting carbs and are rich in fat-fighting fiber. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries all are loaded with soluble fiber and antioxidants that protect blood vessels and promote healthy blood flow.
6. Avocado
It’s got fat, yes, but the good kind! The monounsaturated fats found in avocado are burned readily for fuel during exercise and actually encourage fat burning. Good source of fiber and antioxidants.
7. Leafy Greens
Broccoli, specifically, is a fibrous carb that can make you feel full quickly—one reason why it’s a great food for getting lean. Broccoli also contains phytochemicals that can help enhance fat loss.
8. Cinnamon
Helps to reduce blood sugar levels, which in turn prevents the body from storing sugar as fat. Add it to your oatmeal and yogurt to enhance flavor without adding calories.
9. Green Tea
Drink this! Not only is green tea packed with antioxidants, it also contains catechins, a phytochemical that helps speed up metabolism and burn more fat.
10. Beans & Legumes
Great sources of protein and they normalize insulin levels and help keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day. Black beans, Garbanzo beans, red beans and lentils are all great to incorporate into your diet.
"Last week on Thursday, March 10, 2016, Belle was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disease called Niemann-Pick Type C-1 Disease (NPC1). Only 500 children have NPC1 in the world and there only 100-150 diagnosed cases in the United States. The average life-span of children who go untreated is between 12 and 20 years of age. Most children with NPC1 will die in their mid-teens. As you can imagine, when we were told that she had inherited this horrific genetic disease we were heart broken and quite frankly, our worst nightmare was realized. We want to save our daughter and we need your help to do so."
TFC will be supporting this family by hosting "Bootcamps For Belle". We will be hosting a number of camps at various locations! We'd love to have as many of you participate as possible. You will be able to make a donation at one of bootcamps for Belle. Let's come together to help this family give their daughter a chance to live! Please continue to check back here for a list of participating camp locations!
The mind is such a powerful thing, it can help you get through tough times, or it can cause you to break! The strong learn how to handle and control their mind when it starts to rant, rave and tell them to stop what they’re doing. It's possible to develop a few strategies to help break through the barriers and achieve your goals! Here are a few ideas:
Do it one more time!
So you're at bootcamp having a great workout, when that voice inside your head starts screaming at you to “stop” or “give up,” you fight back by completing whatever exercise your doing and then add one more. Completing just one more exercise, when everything inside of you is telling you to stop is a sure way to grow your mental muscles, and the next time you might do two more. Over time, this builds and you begin to control that voice.
Set Small Goals.
When you're in the middle of a workout, always have small goals in your head. Small goals add up to big goals. For example, if my workout calls for 15 burpees, my first goal might just be to get to 5. When I get to 5 and still feel good, I start thinking, “good, I’ll do 5 more without rest,” and when I get to 10 and start to feel fatigued I might just talk myself into “two more.” But at 12, I might use the “do it one more time rule,” and then do it again. After a few more you'll be knocking out every set!
Break through the wall.
A trainer is supposed to push you! Pushing you helps to break through the wall so many people develop when working out. A person needs to be pushed to reach their physical and mental best. Breaking through a wall = strength. Sometimes you're barely able to stand after an intense workout, but you never want to lose the mental battle, so fight to the end. After doing this over and over, you're WILL wins and you break through the wall. It's amazing! One of Texas Fit Chicks Trainers, Jodi, says "suck it up on soreness. if you're sore, your body is changing and thats what we're all in this for!" So push it chicks!!
Take You're Mind Off.
During a tough workout, take you're mind off the challenge. Talk about something random, etc. Discuss progress outside of scale/measuring like "hey, I lifted the baby carrier with no struggle this week. I'm obviously stronger."
Celebrate Non-Scale Victories.
It's a lifestyle change and non scale victories can make all the difference! Making healthy food choices when out to eat, drinking all of your water, not eating sugary foods, working out on off boot camp days, dropping a size in clothing...these are all victories to celebrate. Celebrating these victories will help you break through barriers. Other non scale victories that can be celebrated are being a good role model to your kids, friends, and family. Love yourself enough to be healthy for YOURSELF because you deserve it!
Trainer Motivation
Your trainer might help you get past the point of breaking by telling you a funny story or nonsense story! Especially if you are doing a minute or timed challenge it always helps to push you through, so if you're trainer is talking listen up and before you know it the challenge will be over! Beth, one of our TFC Trainers in Austin says, "I also will do some of the harder exercises with my chicks and ask them what is burning. .... for example if we are doing a plank hold- I ask "who is shaking? because I am! I also help by giving quotes of "no pain no gain" "Sweat, Who cares, it is dark out and nobody can tell" "You got this, and just think this is ONLY 60 minutes and you have the rest of the 23 hours to make it matter!" Motivation is key to breaking barriers!
Grocery stores can make or break your fitness goals. Your success depends on what goes into the cart and makes it into your home. One of my favorite quotes is "you can't out-train a bad diet." This is SO true. If you consume more calories than you burn off you gain weight. No matter how hard you train, one trip to the grocery store can undo all that you've done at boot camp or the gym.
Getting in and out of the grocery store with exactly what you planned to buy is tricky. How many times have you gone in for bread and left with $50 worth of stuff in your basket? There are lots of ways the stores keep you wandering down the aisles, and if you go with a plan, you are more likely to stay on track. Here are ways to shop smart and stay on track!
Stop by the cooler in the front...and get the largest bottle of water they sell - pop it open and drink the entire time you're shopping. If you happen to be a little hungry, it will satisfy you. It will remind you of your goals to make this a healthy shopping trip, and it will help get you to your 64 oz minimum water intake for the day! Plan your lunches and dinners on Sunday ~ Spend an hour making your list and your plan. Think through the entire day, including snacks. Once you've purchased it, bring it home and do the chopping and sorting. It will take a few more minutes out of your day, but it will also make grabbing a healthy snack easier - which makes it more likely you will eat it and not junk. If you know that you don't have time to chop everything ~ buy it already done for you. Try to only hit the grocery store once a week.
Plan 1 cheat meal per week BUT.....Don't buy the chocolate you are going to indulge in, until the day you're going to eat it. Too tempting to have it in the house for most people. If it's not in the house, it's not going to be as much of a problem in a weak moment.
Never, Ever go to the store hungry - I'm sure you've heard this, but it's worth mentioning again. This will blow your strategy. Especially if they're handing out samples. You're much more likely to make impulse purchases if you're hungry and at the grocery store.
Linger in the Produce section and shop the perimeter - Shopping the perimeter means that you are spending most of your $$ on produce, lean meats, and dairy. The processed, packaged, preservative laden food is all in the middle of the store. Linger in the produce and make your basket look like a rainbow of colors from all of the veggies and fruits you buy. Get fresh lemon to flavor your water during the week. Apples for healthy snacks....
Choose fresh or frozen veggies - canned veggies just don't cut it. Fresh is best. Steam them, bake, or boil. Don't smother with butter or cover with cheese :) If you can't do fresh, frozen is next best. Don't overcook the veggies or they lose their nutritional value.
Go without the kids - If you have kids (that are old enough to talk) chances are they are going to be asking for junk. The cereal aisle will become a battleground. If all you have in the house is cereal that you pick out based on it's nutritional value, there's no discussion on whether or not they will eat it. The people that package Trix and Lucky Charms know how to get their attention...so if possible, go alone.
Eating clean IS a little more work. It is NOT as convenient as the drive-thru at Wendys. But, for a little extra work, you get a huge payoff. Your training during the week will not be trashed by the trip to Market Street. Here's a list of the foods that are in my basket each wk:
Chicken breast (skinless, boneless) eggs Apples Clementines Asparagus Whole wheat breads Ezekiel muffins Almond butter Skim milk bananas Sweet potatoes Lettuce/Spinich almonds (raw, unsalted) steel cut oatmeal What's in yours?
Texas Fit Chicks is supporting National Eating Disorder Week by asking our chicks to wear crazy socks as a way of expressing the need to "Sock It To ED," for National Awareness. Please join us the week of February 21-27th by wearing crazy socks to camp!
Join Texas Fit Chicks in support of and in helping to raise awareness for this serious issue. Share pictures on fb, IG, or twitter & use the hashtag #SockItToEdWithTFC so we can share a few of your pictures here on our blog and on our facebook page!
A LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR CHICKS:
"My daughter is recovering from an eating disorder. I must admit this has been a complete shock for all of us. As much of a hold I felt I had on my girls with talks, quality time, etc. the truth is we all missed it. I still struggled with accepting it even after she admitted it until her doctors showed me the lab results. Due to excessive binging and purging her potassium levels reached dangerous levels which eventually lead to organ failure. This has been extremely scary and all I keep asking myself is, "How did I miss it?, How as a mom could I not see the pain andlonelinessshe was enduring not to mention the self hate.?" I swear, we spent every night together talking, watching television, going on walks together, playing with the dog, grocery shopping, etc. I just do not know what happened or how I missed it. I really thought I was in tune to my kids and their needs; clearly I was wrong. It just goes to show that eating disorders do not discriminate against age, race, or gender. There is a huge gap in understanding and recognizing what an eating disorder patient looks like.
I am reaching out to you because National Eating Disorder Awareness week is February 21- 27.There is such a misconception of this illness and Dallas is very new in treating this disorder. Doctors and emergency room staff members have so much to learn. When visiting the National Eating Disorder http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/site I learned that there are events held throughout the country but for whatever reason, Dallas acknowledges nothing that week or any other time of year for that matter. My goal is to create something that helps families and the people that are suffering from it so that we can make others aware and prevent unnecessary deaths. I literally could have woken up one morning to a dead child, how terrifying do you think that is?"
UPDATED March 1st!! We did it! Here are a few pics we wanted to share!!
What is Texas Fit Chicks? We create a fun environment for women to lose weight and get FIT! With over 125 camp times and locations across the state of Texas, we are the leader in womens' fitness. Our trainers are all (female) nationally certified and have a true passion for helping other women GET fit or STAY fit! Designed to be modified for all ages and levels of fitness, Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp will change the way you look at fitness and yourself! We think every woman should have access to a trainer, at an affordable price. We believe that there is no need to yell, scream or intimidate women into working out and pushing themselves. Our trainers encourage you to push to the next level in a safe and effective way. You won't ever get bored or do the same workout twice! We have many clients that have been with us since we started, in 2009. Our program is designed to dramatically change the way you look and feel in as little as 4 weeks. Our workouts and female fitness experts can help you reach your goals, in a healthy, sustainable way. Texas Fit Chicks includes a full body composition from your trainer before and after your session, and a free meal plan from a nutritionist to maximize your boot camp results. This plan includes family friendly recipes and printable grocery lists to make healthy eating simple.
For a full list of our locations, please visit our website www.texasfitchicks.com Are you a certified trainer interested in joining our team? Find out more here: www.fitchicktrainers.com
We are coming to together to support a chick in need. Mindy has been a part of Texas Fit Chicks for a long time. Please offer your support and prayers for her family.
"Chances's celebration of life information is below. You can also click the link to read his obituary. Thank you again for your outpouring of love. I thought I was ready, but I am absolutely not. My heart is completely broken into a million pieces. I just want him back in any shape or form to be here with me.
A funeral service for Chance Fulmer will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, February 11, 2016, at Midway Church in Pilot Point, Texas. Interment will follow at Pilot Point Cemetery in Pilot Point. The family will receive friends during a visitation from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to an education fund set up for Caise from Chance as a living legacy. In you would like, you can make a contribution at any Chase Bank location to the bank account “Caise Fulmer under the TUTMA”. You can also mail a check payable to “Caise Fulmer under the TUTMA” to 1225 Stone Lane, Celina, Texas, 75009, Attn. Jessica English. You can also make a contribution via PayPal, www.paypal.com using the email address mfulmer@littleelmisd.net." - Mindy
We love protein shakes! Check out some of these yummy vanilla protein shake recipes brought to you by your amazing Texas Fit Chicks trainers. These aren't just your normal ol' vanilla shakes either... enjoy & "LIVE THE FIT LIFE".
SAM
"My latest obsession is vanilla protein with cooled coffee, frozen banana, almonds, and cinnamon! I'm obsessed, I tell ya! You get your protein, fruit, caffeine, and the cinnamon to balance blood sugar... All in one delicious frozen drink!"
What is Texas Fit Chicks? We create a fun environment for women to lose weight and get FIT! With over 125 camp times and locations across the state of Texas, we are the leader in womens' fitness. Our trainers are all (female) nationally certified and have a true passion for helping other women GET fit or STAY fit! Designed to be modified for all ages and levels of fitness, Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp will change the way you look at fitness and yourself! We think every woman should have access to a trainer, at an affordable price. We believe that there is no need to yell, scream or intimidate women into working out and pushing themselves. Our trainers encourage you to push to the next level in a safe and effective way. You won't ever get bored or do the same workout twice! We have many clients that have been with us since we started, in 2009. Our program is designed to dramatically change the way you look and feel in as little as 4 weeks. Our workouts and female fitness experts can help you reach your goals, in a healthy, sustainable way. Texas Fit Chicks includes a full body composition from your trainer before and after your session, and a free meal plan from a nutritionist to maximize your boot camp results. This plan includes family friendly recipes and printable grocery lists to make healthy eating simple.
For a full list of our locations, please visit our website www.texasfitchicks.com Are you a certified trainer interested in joining our team? Find out more here: www.fitchicktrainers.com
Spend time each week looking for recipes. This may feel like an indulgence, but just let yourself do it. Browse blogs and websites for recipes that look delicious. Hang out on Pinterest. Pile up some cookbooks and reach fo the sticky notes. Get inspired!
Create a place to save recipes, and keep it SIMPLE. Do whatever works for you. Don't get caught up in a system, just use whatever works best and most easily. Personally, I like Pinterest because it's easy to visually browse what I've saved
Ask your family, and roommates what they like to eat. This might sound obvious, but it's easy to get caught up in our weeks and forget to ask our households what they would like to eat. I get extra inspired, too, when I feel like I'm cooking a meal as a gift — trying to please and delight the palate of someone I love.
Check the weather. Right now in Texas, the weather is changing all the time! Look at the weather forecast, and try to predict if you're going to be in the mood for soup (or grilled shrimp salad!) on Friday.
Keep a meal journal. One of my best inspirations is my own record of things I've cooked in the past. Take a look at what you were cooking a year ago, two years ago. It's a good way to remember things you used to cook, and still love. It happens you cook something your family loves...one time because you forget what it was. Record it! I've made a family binder of favorite recipes I just add new ones to.
Getting Organized
Start a calendar. Now that you're getting inspired in what to eat, start a calendar of what you'd like to cook over the next few days or few weeks. It can be as organized as a Google Calendar, with notes on each day for that day's menu. Or you can just jot notes to yourself in the corner of your laptop screen. The important thing is to write it down.
Go with theme nights (soup night, pasta night, taco night, pasta, beans) Some find it really helpful to have a theme night each week. Monday is pasta, Tuesday is fish, Wednesday is tacos. This doesn't work for everyone, but it may be especially helpful for those of us with kids. See if they want to get involved with planning their favorite tacos one week, or suggesting soups for the next month. Keeping the focus narrow will help you and your household make quick recipe decisions.
Choose a shopping day and make a shopping list. Those who have success in meal planning shopped very purposefully. They looked at their recipes and made a shopping list. Some of the meal planning and recipe-saving services let you do this easily, extracting ingredients from the recipes you have saved.
Check what's on sale. Some folks really like to organize their meals around sales. Is organic chicken a dollar off this week? Or canned chickpeas? Check out your grocery store circular and adjust your meal plan or shopping list a bit.
Plan for leftovers. Most of us have at least some tolerance for leftovers. I regularly cook one or two big healthy casseroles at the beginning of the week and eat off them all week long for lunch. Some people can only eat leftovers for a single night. Either way, try to make your cooking always do double duty. Make a little extra of everything, and if you don't want it right away, freeze it.
Getting It Done
Prep food as soon as you get back from the store. Wash and dry lettuce. Chop onions. Roast vegetables. Brown sausage for pizza. Shred zucchini for quick stir-fries. Stack up glass containers of prepped ingredients in the refrigerator and bask in your own awesome preparedness. If you have to pack a lunch for work I highly recommend preparing those meals in advance so they are ready to go! A chicken breast & a side all neatly packed in a special to-go box. Pop them in the fridge and you are set! You may even be able to do this with dinners, especially if you are following a special meal plan for a certain amount of time. It's also very smart to prepare ready to go snacks in advance. This can save your healthy eating regimen. We all need snacks, have them ready to go!
Cook components of your meals. Going beyond prep, cook components of the meals. For instance, start a batch of tomato sauce while you wash greens and prep squash. The sauce can go on pizza one night, and in lasagna the next. Or roast a chicken right then that you can eat that night and use for sandwiches and pasta the rest of the week.
Be strategic about freezing. The freezer is your friend. Actually, it's the friend of future you. Make a double batch of that sauce mentioned above and freeze half for later. Make a double batch of soup, stew, chicken cacciatore, cooked beans — throw it in the freezer. Let a month go by, and those leftovers will look fresh and tasty!
Don't overstuff the refrigerator. It's easy to get overwhelmed when your fridge is over-full. Also, things get hidden in the back, lost behind the mustard. Don't let things go bad. Keep your fridge airy and light, with a sensible, realistic amount of food in it. Keep a list nearby of everything in the fridge, especially leftovers, as a visual reminder of what remains to be eaten.
Keep a well-stocked pantry. Meals are easier and quicker to prepare if you keep your pantry well-stocked. Don't run out of olive oil at inconvenient moments. Have spices ready to dress up chicken and beans quickly. Keep a lemon and fresh herbs in the fridge at all times.
All right! What did we miss? What keeps you motivated, inspired, and on track with cooking for yourself during the week? Leave us a comment below!
What’s in store for you in 2016? Are you a list maker who jots down resolutions or are you one who chooses to enter the year with a positive attitude while taking each day as they come? What about healthy living and making some efforts to improve your life style? Is that a goal of yours?
I don’t know about you, but I like to come up with short term and long term goals. Week by week goals along with quarterly goals that will lead to my ultimate goal. Doing this will keep us from failing. I find ways to hold myself accountable (workout buddies are great for this) and write goals that will be achievable. Healthy living is always on the top of my list.
How can we make 2016 more healthy? Can we commit to 3 hours a week of exercise? Can we commit to eating healthier and drinking more water? Can we work on getting the appropriate amount of sleep? Sure we can!
First, find a fitness program that makes you feel empowered. One that makes you excited to put your workout pants on. One that helps you see that your personal goals are reachable. A program that you can embrace and one that feels as if it’s a perfect fit for you.
Then commit to trying it 3 hours a week for a month. If you don’t enjoy it, try something new, stay at it and stick to your fitness! Your body and mind will thank you. It’ll keep you feeling stronger and more energetic! You’ll see results in endurance and you’ll find a new confidence that hasn’t shined in a while.
Now that we have our fitness going on, we have to come to terms with the fact that exercise alone won’t complete the total healthy living goal. So our second item is to make smart food choices. Eating better is key to over all health. The saying “we are what we eat” is somewhat true. If we eat bad we will feel bad. So, cut the sugar and alcohol out slowly.
Every day start with a high protein breakfast paired with a complex carb like plain oats, sweet potatoes, whole wheat toast or a fruit like berries or an apple. Include healthy fats like raw nuts and avocado. You can have your coffee…don’t worry I won’t take that away. Just drink it without the sugar and sweet syrups. They are added calories we don’t need, cut them out little by little. I like to add cinnamon to my coffee.
Work on eating 5-6 small meals per day. It helps better with planning if we prep our meals/snacks ahead of time and schedule what times we plan to eat. I set alarms in my phone and if I’m hungry before hand I drink a glass of water. Sometimes hunger is triggered by dehydration or boredom.
Take your lunches with you to work or while running errands and eat in more than you eat out. You’ll find more success sticking to a healthy eating plan if you have less temptation, so rid your pantry of all the junk food treats.
Third, get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for recovery. We use our brains non-stop and we are working hard now. Our body needs sleep to become stronger. We need to grow muscles, restore and repair tissue and allow the release of growth hormone. Without the proper amount of sleep we don’t function to our highest ability and our whole system becomes troubled.
Fourth, drink more water. It’s essential to our system. It helps us fight disease, rids our body of toxins, keeps our skin healthier, prevents constipation, reduces joint inflammation and keeps us hydrated!
This all may sound overwhelming. Remember being more fit and healthy is a life style. To stick to these goals it’s easiest to start small while aiming big. Whether your ultimate goal is to shed 20 pounds or gain 20 pounds, or to run a marathon or a 5K you need to take small steps to get there. Think of yourself as an athlete training for a big game. You can’t just walk on to the court or field with zero practice and win the game. You have to train and work hard to get there.
So go week by week and add something new each week. Your new healthy living plan the first week could just be to add breakfast into your routine and replace 2 drinks (sodas, juices, alcohol, etc.) a day with a glass of water. Go walk outdoors or join a fitness program that you can do 3 hours per week (schedule it in your calendar). Your second week add on cutting out desserts 6 days a week. Save your treat for one day each week. Replace your daily treats with 1/3 cup of fresh fruit and some raw nuts and continue with your fitness program while adding in even more water. Remember good sleep is always important so aim to add an extra 30 min a night each week. Work towards getting 7-8 hours as often as possible.
If you start now, a year from today you’ll have accomplished so much and you’ll love your new healthy lifestyle. “A new year means nothing if you stay in your comfort zone.”
LeighAnne Maloy
You’ve got this! Happy New Year!
LeighAnne Maloy of McKinney is a Boot Camp instructor with Texas Fit Chicks, a one-on-one personal trainer, and a certified sports nutritionist.
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