Praying For Texas and Houston

There are no words to express our feelings about what is happening to us here in Texas. The rains continue to fall in Houston, on top of what is already wide spread devastation. From the cities of Port Aransas, Rockport, Corpus Christi, and Victoria all the way to Houston, our state is experiencing what is the worst natural disaster ever to hit Texas and possibly the United States in history. It is being called a 1,000 year flood. Harvey has devastated our Gulf Coast and rains continue to pour.  

We have so many chicks in these areas, and we just want to let you know we are praying. We are here to support you. We are a sisterhood, and we continue to send our love, thoughts, prayers, and donations to help. We know that so many people will come together in our great state to overcome this tragedy. Many of our trainers have already headed up individual camp efforts to help, so we urge you to get with your local trainer if you'd like to get involved. 

We will keep you updated on their efforts, and as the rains move out, we will be here praying and helping. Please reach out to us directly, if you are one of our chicks, and in need of support. 

Camps Helping for Harvey: 

San Antonio Northwest Texas Fit Chicks

M,T,Th 7pm

T,W,F 5:15am

~Collections taking place this week~

Texas Fit Chicks McKinney

5, 6 and 8:30 am

Chicks are asked to bring toiletries, clothing, blankets, and nonperishable food to class this week. 

Items will be taken to the drop off site at Harley Davidson of Dallas in Allen. 

"I just heard on the radio that first responders are running out of socks and underwear says they are using daily items like that and unable to wash their clothes." -LeighAnne





Richardson Texas Fit Chicks
(MWF 5:30am-6:30am) Texas Fit Chicks Richardson
(MWF 7:00am-8:00am) Richardson Mid-City Texas Fit Chicks
(MTTh 7:00pm-8:00pm) Richardson Evening Texas Fit Chicks
As you know, Texas Fit Chicks has camps throughout the Houston and South Texas area. We love and support this area of Texas and are working to do what we can to help!❤️

👉This week at all Richardson camps, please bring any of the items below. Trainer Teri will be collecting and making a delivery (or more than one if necessary!) to Network of Community Ministries here in Richardson--an organization that is helping with the Hurricane Harvey relief. 

Network is a fantastic, trustworthy organization that does amazing work here in Richardson.

❤️Harvey Help press release from the City of Richardson:
http://www.cor.net/index.aspx?page=73&recordid=2508...

👀See below for most needed Harvey items:
Richardson Network of Community Ministries

👉Cash or in-kind donations
(Suggested $35 donation)
👉New underwear and socks (all sizes)
👉Non-Perishable food
👉Toiletries
👉Feminine hygiene products
👉Baby diapers, wipes and formula
👉Blankets, towels, pillows

If you prefer to make a cash donation directly to Network or any of the agencies helping with relief and recovery, here are several links:

❤️Network of Community Ministries:
https://thenetwork.org/donate-today/

❤️The Red Cross:
Suggested $10 donation
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation

❤️Salvation Army
Suggested $25 donation
https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/.../Donation2...

Thank you for any help you can give!

Haslet Texas Fit Chicks

Haslet Texas Fit Chicks is hosting a Charity Drive for the Hurricane Harvey victims and first responders. Please bring all of your non perishable donations of: food, clothing, socks, underwear, bras, shoes, toiletries, diapers, baby wipes, formula, baby food, sanitary napkins, blankets, towels etc to bootcamp or my home, and I will personally take everything to the donation center in Dallas. I encourage you to collect from neighbors and friends as well. Thank you and God Bless you!
We ask that you only donate new clothing. Especially personal items like underwear and socks and bras. We are told first responders are running out of these essential items as laundry can't be done.
If you want to donate money instead these are vetted charities where the money actually goes to the victims not to a CEO making millions:

-Minuteman Disaster Response: Minuteman Disaster Response is a first-responder support team comprised of highly skilled volunteers that offer life-saving services at disaster scenes. minutemanresponse.org

-Mercy Chefs: Mercy Chefs is a non-profit, faith-based charitable organization committed to providing high-quality, professionally prepared meals to victims, first responders, and volunteers during natural disasters and national emergencies. mercychefs.com

-The Goodness Project: The Goodness Project works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) providing life-sustaining necessities directly to those affected by disaster. teamgoodness.com

Want Flat Abs?

The number one thing you can do to flatten that area is to keep your diet clean. Sorry, there's not a magic exercise (although the routine below will target that area) and there's not a magic pill, but eating well 90% of the time and indulging just 10% of the time will get you results! How bad do you want it? If you are willing to make a few changes throughout the week and build on those, you can quickly change your body - and more importantly - how you feel! Here are a few quick tips on getting on a clean eating track....Eating out is extremely difficult when you're trying to change your habits. You have no idea how they really prepared the food, and very few restaurants offer 'clean' meals. If you can prepare your own food for the first couple of weeks, and eat out as little as possible, that will help tremendously. 

Say no to sugar for a week. Analyze the food labels and if it's got more than 11g per serving, nix it. Avoid cream-based salad dressings. A perfectly healthy salad can quickly become more fattening than a cheeseburger when you top with ranch, croutons, cheese....etc. Eliminate alcohol. That will quickly undo the work you've done if you finish the day with a couple of glasses of wine. Check out the calorie content in the number of oz you are drinking, and relate that to a twinkie. Would you eat a twinkie right before bed? Probably not - but your body doesn't know the difference between drinking your calories and eating them :)

Here is a workout routine that will really target those hard-to-reach lower abs. If you're a beginner, do 1 set of each 10-15 reps. Intermediate will do 2 sets of each movement and up the reps to 20-30. Advanced girls do 3 sets of each with up to 50 reps. 

Toe-to-Sky Hip Raise - Lying on a mat, keep hands out on either side for balance and stability, legs vertical and together. Keeping legs vertical throughout, lift hips off mat slowly, then back down. 

Oblique Crunch w/ Elevated Legs - You can use your couch for this one, place legs on top of couch, keeping quads in a vertical position. As you bring your shoulders off the ground, twist to the right and on the next rep, twist toward the left. 

Knee Tuck - If you have a bench or an ottoman you can use that for this next exercise. Lean back, holding the back of the bench - legs straight out. Bring your bent knees up to your chest and repeat

Reverse Crunch - Lying on the bench, hands behind your head holding on for stability. Start with toes touching the floor. Keep your knees bent throughout the movement - allow your toes to lightly tap the floor on the downward move. 

Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp will teach you more about how to change your body and your life! Our passion is helping women lead healthy lives, and become great examples to our children and families.

What is 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, 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. 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.fitchicktraining.com Are you a certified trainer interested in joining our team? Find out more here: www.fitchicktrainers.com

FREE SATURDAY WONDER WOMAN CAMPS!!!

We are excited that so many of our camps have come together to host FREE SATURDAY WONDER WOMAN CAMPS on Saturday, August 26th!!! 

- Current and new chicks are invited to attend

- Bring a friend and join in because 

Fit Chicks Are Wonder Women!!

- Each Saturday camp will be hosting a 

Fit Chick tank GIVEAWAY

- See the list of participating camps below & 

email the trainer with any questions you have!

Tumeric WATER

Workin' on staying hydrated but also find that your muscles are a bit sore from our calorie-torching workouts?  Try drinking water with turmeric!  This is a go-to when you've got muscle soreness and/or a headache - turmeric has many great health benefits, including being a fantastic anti-inflammatory!  

Give this recipe a try:

Lemon Turmeric Water

Pour a BIG glass of water (18-20 oz)

Squeeze in the juice of half of a lemon

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

Add a dash of cayenne if you want to kick it up a bit

Add ice and enjoy!

Goodbye soreness and hellooooo hydration!

1. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and has been proven to reduce pain symptoms and help chronic pain sufferers with arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Turmeric has long been recognized for it’s healing powers by physicians and healers in the holistic community, however western medical professionals are only just starting to learn about turmerics benefits.

3. If you suffer from acne, turmeric is not only helpful taken internally but you can also use it externally by making a turmeric paste!

4. Turmeric root can be juiced and used as a pain reliever. Only a small amount is needed to do the trick.

5. Even chronic sufferers of arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can experience relief by using turmeric on a frequent basis. Use it raw for best results by sprinkling it on salads and raw dishes as well as mixing it into fresh vegetable juices & coconut water.

6. Clean cuts and wounds with turmeric, it’s a natural anti-septic and anti-bacterial.

7. Turmeric has high amounts of anti-oxidants that fight cancer causing free radicals, keeping your immune system strong. If you have a cold or flu, turmeric is one of the best things you can do to speed up recovery.

8. Even chronic skin conditions like psoriasis can be helped with turmeric. for a healthy skin regimen, make a turmeric cocktail every day for 2 weeks accompanied by fresh raw foods, juices and green smoothies.

9. Using turmeric in your daily or weekly regimen will help you recover from yoga and workouts faster by reducing inflammation and easing sore muscles.

10. Turmeric also contains good amounts of iron and other minerals so use it as a blood builder.

Disclaimer: Don’t use turmeric in excess, less is more. It’s also important to check with your practitioner if you have a liver condition as turmeric can be hard on your liver in some cases.

Only A Few More Days - FOR 2 WEEKS FREE!!!!

You've got a few days left to take advantage of this awesome promotion!! Grab a friend & share the Fit Chick love. We want you to join us at one of our many locations across Texas & Oklahoma. Texas Fit Chicks and Oklahoma Fit Chicks. 

Show this pic to a trainer near you. 

Need help finding a trainer near you? Email us!! Offer ends July 31st.

Fit Chick Transformation: Cross Roads Fit Chicks

"I can remember sitting on the couch with my two year old and newborn and feeling defeated. Not only was I a new mom and a mom to two under two, I was overweight. I was unhealthy, I had no energy, I had no drive to get up and take care of these two precious souls. As I looked at them and longed to give them more, I decided then and there that this was it. I was going to be better, healthier, stronger. They deserved a mom that was full of energy, playful, and most importantly one that was a role model for a healthy lifestyle. 

I began eating healthy and going on daily walks. It wasn't easy at first. I was out of shape and slow. Despite everything in my mind telling me to quit, I didn't. Not this time. In 3 months I had dropped 30 pounds. I was feeling better by the day. I wanted to start incorporating more strenuous exercise, but I wasn't sure how. I had never been to a gym, I didn't know how to use any of the equipment, I didn't feel "fit" like the other people there. One day scrolling through Facebook I saw a post about Fit Chicks. It was a video of a portion of their workout. All women, women of all fitness levels, fun music, an energetic instructor, and modifications for all exercises. I immediately messaged the trainer and asked to try a class. 

After my first trial class with Fit Chicks I joined the same day. The energy, support, and compassion that I felt from this group of ladies was just what I was looking for! 

I'm coming up on my one year anniversary with Fit Chicks and I honestly can't imagine my life without it. While, I have lost a total of 90 pounds since beginning my fitness journey I have gained so much more-- confidence, energy, self-love, and strength. My favorite part of Fit Chicks is the sisterhood. I wake up every morning looking forward to seeing my friends, to sweating together, laughing, and starting my day on the right foot. I know that they are counting on me to show up, so even on the mornings I'd rather stay in bed, I show up and not once have I regretted it! Texas Fit Chicks has not only helped me become the healthiest version of myself, it has also made me a better wife and mother. It really is true what they say, "you can't pour from an empty cup." I'm so glad I found Fit Chicks, it literally saved my life. "

Cross Roads/380 Cooridor Texas Fit Chicks 

5 AM - M/TU/TH

For more information contact: marissa@texasfitchicks.com

7 Steps to lose weight + How to speed up your metabolism

We've put together 7 simple steps to lose weight, plus details on how to speed up your metabolism. 

• When starting a weight loss journey, especially a significant one, clients that set multiple small goals instead of focusing on the main goal are much more successful.  It is much more daunting to think about losing 50 pounds in 6 months than it is to focus on losing 10 pounds in one month. By choosing the smaller goal, in 6 months you will have lost 60 pounds instead of 50.

• Reducing your stress level is essential when on a weight loss or fitness plan. Depression can cause you to eat more, eat unhealthy foods and reduce exercise. When you are stressed out it is hard to find motivation to exercise, so reducing stress can lead to being more active.

• Increasing the taste and zest in your food can help you feel full and make dieting a great deal more pleasurable. By choosing spicy food and other flavor-packed cuisines, you entertain your taste buds and add to the overall level of satisfaction you take in eating. Meals no longer have to be bland, self-denying experiences.

• As soon as you start to see some progress with your weight loss goals, reward yourself with a little shopping trip. You don't have to spend a lot of money. Just buying a new pair of pants or a new shirt will go a long way toward motivating you to continue. Soon you will see even more changes!

• To help achieve more noticeable weight loss, watch the amount of sodium that you eat each day. Eating too much sodium can cause you to retain water which will lead to pounds on the scale. If you do not see your weight go down, you may become discouraged and give up your diet. Knowing that muscle weighs more than fat is important because the scale isn’t always the best indicator of improved fitness. Always go by how my clothes fit versus the number.

• You should always try to find diets and eating plans that emphasize long term lifestyle change. Using methods of weight loss that have you losing weight much too quickly will only lead to you gaining back all of the weight you lost just as fast as you lost it. This becomes a vicious cycle for too many women. Are you one that's tried every diet?

• Weight loss is all about consistency. Don't wake up one morning, think you are going to go to the gym or start boot camp one day, and be skinny the next day. Weight loss is about waking up every morning with the motivation and determination to keep on going, to keep changing your unhealthy habits into healthy habits, until you reach your target weight.

Every one of us has an idea about what we would look like if we were our ideal selves. For many of us losing weight is a vital step toward achieving that vision. By applying the tips from this article you will help ensure that you reach and maintain your ideal self. Weight lifting is a critical piece of any good weight loss program. Research has shown that weightlifting boosts metabolism. For a lot of people trying to speed up their metabolism, the first thing they think is to engage in an aerobic or cardio-exercise program. However, by merely focusing on cardiovascular activities, you may actually miss another piece of the fitness puzzle. Few people realize that when it comes to speeding up metabolism, good old-fashioned weight lifting is one of the effective methods, if not the best way to boost metabolism.

A number of studies have shown that athletes exhibit higher RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) than non-athletes. RMR is the number of calories we burn to maintain our vital body processes in a resting state. It is usually determined by measuring a body’s oxygen utilization (which is closely tied to calorie burning) while one is lying down or sitting quietly in the early morning before breakfast or after a full night’s sleep. RMR typically accounts for about 65 to 75 percent of the total daily calorie expenditure.

When you lift weights, you’re not actually building muscle, you are breaking it down. The physical exertion involved in weightlifting causes the metabolism to speed up. After the muscle is broken down, the body compensates by building more muscle to try and keep the muscle from breaking down again. It takes a large amount of energy from calories to rebuild new and bigger muscles (happens while you sleep), So lifting weights burns calories and speeds up metabolism not only during the weight lifting workout but also while the body builds bigger and stronger muscles.

A weight lifting routine must be done correctly and at regular intervals to get the maximum effect. Going to the gym once a week will not bring the kind of results I am talking about. It will take some time and dedication to build new muscle mass but the end result will be worth it with a better body and a sped up metabolism. Fit Chicks boot camp trainers teach women HOW to lift and at intervals that work. Our program is proven to get results.

For taking the time to read this article, we would love to extend the offer of a free class with Fit Chicks if you've never experienced a FC workout, to see if our program might be right for you. Feel free to visit our website (www.fitchicktraining.com) to see which location works best for you. Reach out to the trainer in your area and let her know you’d like to try a free class!

Healthy Summer Dips & Smoothies!

It's getting hot! Smoothies can be such a refreshing low calorie way to stay hydrated and cool! The possibilities are endless, but we've really been enjoying the two we're sharing with you! Have a favorite smoothie or yummy summer dip? Share it with us in the comments! We'd love to hear from you.

1. Berry Chipotle Dip

Ingredients

1 (5.3oz) greek yogurt - blueberry or raspberry 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tsp. ground chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

Zest of lemon

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. chipotle in adobo

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

Puree all ingredients in a food processor.

Refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors come together.

Serve with veggies or chips.

2. Spicy Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh salsa

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, including stems

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulsate until the black beans and cilantro are nearly blended. Add up to a tablespoon of water to thin the hummus if necessary.

Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut vegetables like bell pepper strips, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, snap peas, or carrots.

3. Blue Cheese Date dip

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk

5 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened $

3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened $

3 tablespoons minced pitted dates (2 to 3 dates)

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind $

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add dates, shallots, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; beat at medium speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.

2. Spoon cheese mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball, using a rubber spatula. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap; chill overnight.

3. Combine parsley and walnuts in a shallow dish. Unwrap cheese ball; gently roll in nut mixture, coating well. Place on a serving plate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. Summer Crush Smoothie

1 cup fresh organic strawberries

1/2 green apple

1/4 lemon

1/2 almond milk

4 ice cubes

Blend for 2 minutes and enjoy!

5. Pineapple Ginger Smoothie

1 cup pineapple 

1/2 cup almond / coconut blend milk

ginger

Ice

Blend for 2 minutes and enjoy!

What is 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 and Oklahoma, 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, 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. 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.

Fit Chicks Raise Awareness for Lupus!!

During the month of May our chicks 

put on purple in honor of Lupus Awareness! Thank you to trainers & chicks who participated in this awareness campaign. Enjoy the pics!! 

MAY: Trainer Spotlight!

Trina Harris  gets the spotlight this month, for her recent Chicks trip to Fredericksburg and Enchanted Rock!

As you know, the benefits your chicks get from Fit Chicks extend well beyond three hours of workouts each week. The community that you build for them, with a culture that is supportive and empowering, means so much to them. Several of our trainers do "Girls nights out" and fun activities outside of camp. But if you are looking for something really different that can be a tremendous experience for both you and them, consider some things like Trina did recently. We realize not all of you will be able to do an out-of-town weekend trip like this, but some aspects of this can be found locally with different types of team-building activities. Here's what Trina shared...

• 11 Chicks went, which was a really good sized group for the first trip
• We had lots of time bonding on the car ride, it was amazing!  Took 4 cars and the girls chose who they wanted to ride with 
• Played some games along the way -- For example, after our lunch stop, everyone "drew" from a plastic egg and there were different assignments to move them to a different car (trade seats with someone wearing a ball cap and so forth)
• Chinese Fire Drill during the last stop, so we could all visit with each other
• Assigned rooms so that they were with people they didn't know.  Had a small gift bag for each person with water, a Cutie, hand sanitizer and cards with fun, but not too deep "get to know you" questions
• Climbed to the top of Enchanted Rock together, which is a pretty good fitness challenge for most because of the elevation and the wind was REALLY blowing, and then on the way down, we hiked some great sandy, cactus-filled trails. Enchanted Rock is a part of the Texas state park system.  It covers approximately 640 acres and rises 425 feet above the surrounding terrain to an elevation of 1,825 feet above sea level. 
• Hit up the ever-famous Luckenbach, Texas on Saturday night before dinner  
• Trips are a great way for us to challenge ourselves, bond together, push each other out of their comfort zones with positive support (like in class) and develop self-confidence. One of the attendees said it "enhanced the growing friendship that begins when you start coming to class. It's more than just a bond -- it encourages a lasting relationship."
• We're already planning a trip for next year