It is OK to be a HOT MESS!

With the season change coming and all the fall magazines coming to my door with the "what is in and what is out" and the "Glamour Do's and Dont's", I start to think about my own daily style. By noon I have usually worked out myself and had 2 or 3 other workouts. Some days I actually do a 60 second rinse off shower between workouts and put on new Nike shorts, top and a different color Sweaty Band. Notice I said "some" days. Most days I just wash my face, slop on new deodorant and smell like a combination of sweat and bug spray if we have been working out outdoors.

In my mind, I think this is my job and it is how I am supposed to look. But then I hop in the car and go to Krogers, Target, etc... (exciting life!) without thinking twice about changing clothes. Surely the sunglasses I just put on pulled it all together and I look perfectly fine.

So then the kids come home from school and I look no different (probably worse) than when they left! A real shower may not happen until after dinner and then is it really necessary to wash your hair? Don't be saying "ew...gross" right now. I know you all have been there!

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my skinny jeans, great tops, and red high heels as much as anyone but that is not happening most days. My fall style would be described "a hot mess" and believe it or not I am OK with that.

So my state of the union is "It is OK to be a HOT MESS"!

FALL SCHEDULE

Hard to believe, but school starts nect week (woohoo!) and time to start thinking about fall schedules. While we love the lazy days of summer, it also feels good to get back into a routine. Sometimes September is a rude awakening of how the summer treated us or... how we treated the summer.  Was it the summer of gluttony or moderation? Either way, jumping back in is never easy - you just have to take the plunge!

FALL SCHEDULE STARTS AUGUST 24th

OPEN WORKOUTS...

EARLY BIRDS: 
Monday, Wednesday & Friday      6:15-7:15am
Monday @ 1 Lexington Circle
Wed & Fri @ TP Elem Gym
**ALL levels welcome - circuit training to burn calories, tone up, increase lean muscle and boost metabolism!

AFTER COFFEE:

POWER CIRCUITS
Monday, Wednesday & Friday       9:00-10:15am
Tuesday & Thursday                       9:00-10:00am
@ 1 Lexington Circle
**This will be a fast paced workout using all the toys...TRX, Bosu, Stability Ball, medicine Balls, etc...  Get ready to sweat!

CIRCUIT WORKOUT IN "RE-ENTRY MODE"
Tuesday & Thursday                      10:15-11:15am
@ 1 Lexington Circle
**This is a new session! Have you taken some time off from exercising and need to get back into the swing of things? Whether it has been 5 years or just a long summer, RE-ENTRY workouts are the perfect way to jump back in. Circuits will be a little slower paced with a big emphasis on learning proper form and technique with the various peices of equipment we use.  Don't let the name fool you though...you will still work hard, burn calories, sculpt lean muscle and feel great before the kids come home for lunch! :)      One favor - if you are not on a regular schedule, please shoot me an email the night before if you are coming so that I can have everything set up.



GENERATION NEXT
Monday 4:00-5:00  (may change when soccer schedules come out)
@1 Lexington Circle
**This is for the younger set.  Ages 10 & up. We will take a little jog and then work on core strength, flexibility, and get them using proper form and technique for strength work while laughing alot along the way!

PRICES:
$12/workout 
Package of 10 for $110
Package of 20 for $199
1 month unlimited - $120

(Packages must be used in 90 days. If you can't workout 10 times in 3 months, we have issues!!

Please call or email getfit4u@me.com if you would like info on private or semi-private group training. Pick your time, pick your group, pick your location and we will make it work!

PRIVATE TRAINING:
45 min - $25
60 min - $30

PRIVATE GROUPS:
$15/hour 2-4 people
(my location)

WORKOUTS BROUGHT TO YOU:
$50 / hour up to 4 people
$10pp after 4 people

summer traveling is no excuse for missing workouts...

Don't let summer vacations be an excuse for slacking on your workouts.  ONLINE BOOTCAMPS are the perfect way to exercise on the go.  A new workout is emailed to you each week with detailed instructions and animations. Now there really are no excuses!

life is short - so what!

So I am in the kitchen the other day feeding 5 kids and they happen to look at my laptop and start reading the no excuses blog. In the intro, I mention that "life is short". This promptly sends my 10 year old daughter (aka- chicken little) into a tizzy.  The world is ending tomorrow and will she be able to take her cell phone with her because she has only had it for a few weeks.  Yes, life is short meant to her that the sky was falling and we were all gonners.

I tried to explain to the kids what the saying meant and told them that although some days seem very long, years somehow seem to fly by.  While yesterday at Kings Island felt like an eternity, it doesn't seem that long ago when chicken little was 4 and in a Princess Fiona costume 24/7. Was she really 10 now with contacts and a cell phone? Life is short.

The kids understood the saying, but put it in a whole new context. They started a conversation of "what happens next". They all agreed they were going to Heaven and were trying to decide which body they would have.  The 10 year olds wanted to stay 10 (because they were cool), my son just wanted to be bigger and stronger so he could hit triples in baseball, a friend wanted to be a baby because she didn't remember what it was like, and my 6 year old daughter wanted to be herself without tangles in her hair. Aaahhh...the simplicity of children.

Next, the kids went on to talk about all the possibilities of life after Earth: Will they see grandparents again?  Will a neighbor in a wheelchair be able to walk? Can they eat as much candy as they want? Will Justin Bieber be there? Can they say goodbye to school and homework and chores? Of course every question was answered with a resounding YES. Life is short was starting to sound good to them, especially as the beginning of school is getting near.

I am not a "preachy" person by nature but had to post this. My kids and their friends taught me something that day - life is short, but so what? Enjoy every day we are here and start picking out what body we want have for the next life!

goals...

We set goals for ourselves and tell our kids to set goals, but do we really know the characterestics of a true "goal"?   Here they are::

• Goals must be put down in writing
• Goals are specific and measurable
• Goals have a specific timeline
• Goals are realistic

So, "tone up, shape up, lose weight, bulk up" are not really goals.  They are great things to work toward, but you need to think of something more concrete and measurable.  ex:  run the bulldog 5K, Columbus or MEMPHIS 1/2 of full marathon (any takers for Memphis?), do a 2 min TRX planking series, lose 5 pounds,  make it to 3 minutes on a wall sit, etc....

Beyond these four characteristics of goals, it is important to also understand that before you can really get motivated to accomlish a specific goal, you must aspire to accomplish something that is personally meaningful. Without some deeper meaning to your goal, it is unllikely to take shape. 

So what are your goals and, more importantly, what are your "whys"? Remember, there are no right or wrong motivations!

I challenge you to write down 3 fitness & nutrition goals this week.  We will work on a plan of action to acheive those goals and I will do my best to help you stay MOTIVATED!

Like the picture a few posts down says...stop wishing & start doing!

got guns...

this is what hard work, a TRX and a little great big sea will do for your guns - NICE!

but pick on someone your own size...

or have all the kids jump in to help!

generation next...on the run

1.5 mile run girls.  way to go!!!

fyi - the girls each had to collect ribbons of their color that were tied onto street signs along they way.  they made them into colorful hair ties :)

did you overindulge over the 4th?

totally agree. what are you waiting for...start doing.

summer schedule

JULY 6 - School Starts in August. Like a summer margarita, we are mixing and shaking it up. To try and appeal to everyone, there will be some indoor, some outdoor, new venues and traveling around the park. With all these options there are NO EXCUSES to let summer get in the way of your workouts! Hope to see you soon.

Mon - 6:15 - 7:15am - 1 Lex Circle - INDOOR
8:45-10:00am - 1 Lex Circle - OUTDOOR

Tues - 8:45-10:00am - 1 Lex Circle - OUTDOOR

Wed - 6:15-7:15am - TPES - OUTDOOR *Please bring a mat

Thur - 8:45-10:00 - 1 Lex Circle - OUTDOOR
Bring your son/daughter to work out day!! Everyone is welcome with or without a kid!

Fri -6:15-7:15am - TPES - OUTDOOR *Bring a mat
8:45-10:00 - 1 Lex Circle OUTDOOR 8:30-9:15 - 1 Lex Circle - OUTDOOR

*We will be doing circuit workouts so jump in when you can or stay for the whole time!

New pricing option for you die-hards - $120 for a month unlimited!

Now through July 3rd
receive an additional 10% off
at checkout when you use Code: kiwiohio
Please contact your Kiwi Activewear reps if you do not see an item on the website that you were psyched about at a show
Nikki Tritsch getfit4u@me.com OR Leah Osgood leahosgood@yahoo.com

kiwiactivewear.com

ONLINE BOOTCAMPS ARE HERE!!

Is summer getting in the way of your workouts? Don't let it - ONLINE BOOTCAMPS ARE HERE!! Every Sunday, you will get a new workout emailed to you that can be done anywhere with little to no equipment. There are no excuses for getting out of shape this summer. Join Online Bootcamps now!
www.onlinebootcamp.net

NO EXCUSES - generation next

It is never to early to start teaching our kids the many benefits of exercise. Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who are physically fit sleep better and are able to handle physical and emotional challenges - from running to school to studying for a test.

If you have ever watched kids on a playground, you've seen the three elements of fitness in action when they:

1. run away from the kid who is "it" (endurance)



2. cross the monkey bars (strength)



3. bend down to tie their shoes (flexibility)

We need to encourage our kids to do a variety of activities so that they can work on all three elements.

Coming this summer - NO EXCUSES - generation next! Mondays 4:00-5:15

We will start with running a mile. In mid-July, we will add on another mile and keep increasing to be ready for the Bulldog 5K on Labor Day. After our runs, we will work on strength and flexibility with a big emphasis on the core. Workouts will last about 50 minutes and kids will get HOMEWORK! Yes, fun stuff they have to do with you. For the remainder of the time, we will talk about healthy eating (in a fun way) and each week someone will be designated to bring us a healthy treat along with the recipe to share.

Dates - June 13, 20 July 5 (Tuesday), 11, 18, 25 August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Cost - 11 sessions for $110

Max number of girls - 6

Weekly Recap

This was the week of DIRTY LOOKS!

When Kadi even gives me a one-eyer, we know things are bad. Friday was extra hard and I almost had a mutiny on my hands at 11:30! You all worked your asses off this week and deserve a relaxing weekend - enjoy it! We will work off the Memorial Day gluttony of beer and potato chips next week. Yes, I saw the picture and you will pay for it!

Congrats to Hester! Great job on passing the EMT. We are very proud of you and almost gave you baptism by fire this week with too many overhead bar raises. Just keeping you on your toes!

This is the last full week of school. No workouts Monday, but normal times Tues - Friday. Let's crank it up this week.

Saturday is the big jump!! Laura, get psyched! This is a great cause and we can't wait to hear about the thrill of skydiving. Do I hear Angi & Leah are also jumping? Go girls!

THANK YOU!

OK - 3 more days until the Flying Pig. I have way too much nervous energy, pigs are multiplying in my house, and the weather channel is on 24/7. Thanks to all of you for your support & encouragment. I couldn't have made it this far without you all. Who has crazy friends that will actually run 20 miles with you for no reason? I do!!
Hope to see some of you along the way and at the finish line! Main goal - finish in one piece and in the same clothes! :)

Pasta Pancetta and Peas

Pasta Pancetta and Peas

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 C unsalted butter

1 C half and half

1 lb. fresh pasta - I use whole grain

1 C parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper

peas - however many you like

pancetta - however much you like

Fry pancetta in a little olive oil and set aside. I buy a small container of pancetta at Trader Joes that is already chopped up into little pieces.

In a small saucepan melt butter, add half and half and heat gently. Stir in lemon juice and turn off heat.

Cook your pasta adding frozen peas to the boiling water right at the end just to heat through. Drain and put in large bowl.

Combine pasta, peas, pancetta and saucepan of lemon cream sauce. Toss all together and sprinkle in parmesan cheese.

**by Amy Lothman

Chicken Burgers

Chicken Burgers

1 lb. ground white meat chicken (I get mine at Whole Foods)

1/2 C Panko bread crumbs plus more for dredging

1/2 C skim milk

3 T grated onion

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t salt

pepper

olive oil to fry burgers

Combine everything minus oil in bowl until just combined. Form into patties (I get 6 out of this mixture). Form into patties and coat in bread crumbs. I put mine on a cookie sheet and in the fridge for a couple hours to "firm" up. Fry in a little olive oil, about 5 minutes per side.

I like mine with avocado, tomato and onion. Scott and the kids like mayo and ketchup.

**by Amy Lothman

Chocolate & Wine (and a spray tan!)

Join us Friday, Feb. 11 for a little Valentine Happy Hour. Stacey will be making her last appearance before she heads out in an RV with her boyfriend to travel the country. She will be doing facials, waxing and spray tans to give you that Valentine glow.



The theme of the evening is CHOCOLATE & WINE. Bring your favorite chocolate appetizer, dessert or main course and a bottle of wine to pair it with.



Believe it or not, decadent food doesn't necessarily have to kill you. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, is perhaps the most unfairly maligned food on the planet. It has more antioxidants by weight than any other food on the planet (13,120 units per 100 grams - blueberries, by comparison, have 2400 units per 100 grams, and Brussels sprouts 980). Milk chocolate is a close second with 6740 units per 100 grams. Chocolate can also thin your blood and release endorphins. What's not to love?

**from thechocolatetherapist.com



See you Friday, Feb.11! 3:30 - ???

Family Fun Runs – A Great Day Out for the Whole Family

Family Fun Runs – A Great Day Out for the Whole Family

The Flying Pig has kids events on Saturday, April 30th or the " kids marathon" that you can do with them by filling in your Hog Log. Great way to get them off the video games and outside exercising! Check out http://www.flyingpigmarathon.com/

80s WEEK CONTINUES

According to Howard Jones' song of 1985, Things Can Only Get Better. Well, 80s workout week got even better today! And yes, Richard Simmons kept the wig on the whole workout. Nice legs in those short shorts!

80's WEEK!!

To spice up the winter boredom, we decided to make it 80's week at no excuses. In addition to the the excellent 80's workout gear coming out of the closet (you really saved that stuff, Kel??) we worked our butts off while reminiscing over our favorite 80's tunes:

• Video Killed the Radio Star
• Illegal Alien
• Let's Go Crazy
• Thriller
• Come on Eileen
• Welcome to the Jungle (is that the last time the Bengals were actually good?)

3 DAYS LEFT OF 80'S WEEK - WHO CAN TOP THAT OUTFIT?????????

PS - Welcome back, Becca!!