Best Blog Posts of the Week

Here's a short wrap-up (since it's a short week) of the best blog posts and articles I've come across. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Travel safely, don't eat too much and here's to finding the best deals on Black Friday!

16 Ways to Be Grateful

How to Get the Best Deals with All Your Online Shopping

Exercises to Stay Fit While Traveling on Thanksgiving

Top 10 Tips to Getting the Best Bargains on Black Friday

Eat Right Strategies for Thanksgiving

Have some of your own tips that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

Product Review: Whey Crisps

When it comes to diets, many people choose to go with low fat/low carb and high protein. That's where protein supplements come in. A friend of mine introduced me to Whey Crisps and I can't say enough about them.

Imagine Cocoa Crispies that are low cal, low fat and pack 20 grams of protein. Best of all, Whey Crisps come in vanilla or chocolate and you can bake with them. That's right, now you can make high protein "Rice Crispies" or mix Whey Crisps in plain yogurt or cottage cheese. Pour them in a bowl with milk and eat them just like cereal. The possibilities are endless!

As with most protein supplements, Whey Crisps come in a ginormous container (2.23 lbs to be exact) and are a bit pricey.

Here is the nutrional breakdown:

Calories:     105
Fat:              1
Carbs:          3
Protein:       20

You can purchase Whey Crisps at Amazon.com (as shown here), GNC or Bodybuilder.com (great prices and a HUGE selection of items).

Also, check out http://www.wheycrisps.com/ for recipes.

Have you tried Whey Crisps? What do you think?

I'm Back...Just a Bit Under the Weather

Yes, I've been slacking. Sorry! Between my son's birthday party on Saturday night and a host of other weekend to-do's (i.e., daughter's dance class, food shopping, bills, laundry, etc.), I've been blind-sided by a head cold. While I'm glad that my kids and husband are all still healthy, it's thrown me for a loop in terms of my diet and exercise.

With that, I thought I'd share an article I found regarding whether you should or shouldn't work out when you're sick:

Should I Exercise While Sick?

By Chris Freytag, Fitness Expert
Chris Freytag is the author of Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss and Move to Lose.

If you're exercise consistently--and I hope you are--you'll run into this problem from time to time. According to the American Council on Exercise, the average adult has two to three respiratory infections every year.

The rule I like to use is called the "neck check." If your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose or a sore throat, then you're okay to exercise. Of course you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous.

If you're suffering from congestion or low energy, exercise often helps you feel better. A brisk walk can unclog your sinuses better than an afternoon on the couch. And gentle exercise will rev up your circulation, to counteract that sluggish, rundown feeling. But this is definitely a personal decision. You're the best judge of how you feel and what your body can handle when you're sick.

However, if you have any symptoms below the neck, such as body aches, chills, stomach problems or diarrhea, then I advise you to take it easy until you're feeling better. And if you're running a fever, no matter where your symptoms are, put off exercising until your temperature returns to normal.

As we head into the hectic holiday season, remember that maintaining healthy habits may keep you from getting sick in the first place. So wash your hands frequently, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water and get adequate sleep. If you can find some room on your calendar, be sure to schedule a little "me time" to relax.

One more thing: If you exercise in a public setting, like a gym, please consider your fellow exercisers and think about how contagious you might be. If you can't get through a single set on a weight machine without coughing or sneezing, you have my permission to stay home with a box of tissues and some hot tea!

 

Do you work out when you're sick? Any tips you'd like to share?

Get Inspired & Motivated

I'm sitting here watching The Biggest Loser thinking about ways to get inspired. It's amazing watching people dig so deep down and commit to eating right and exercising. So I thought I'd find some great inspirational blog posts to get you through the week. Whether you're looking for motivation to eat right, work out regularly or pursue another goal, hopefully these will help you:

• How to Achieve Your Dreams
• How to Be Fearless in Everything
• Stay Motivated When You Don't Feel Like It
• Offbeat Ways to Exercise More & Eat Right
• 11 Things Children Can Teach You About Weight Loss

What are some other ways you get motivated or inspired?

Ever Hear of Chalean Extreme Workout DVDs?

Sometimes I wonder if it's my shopping addiction or workout addiction that always makes me want to buy new exercise DVDs. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I just ordered two DVDs for The Bar Method. They haven't even arrived yet and I just found another DVD set that's piqued my interest -- Chalean Extreme. Have you ever heard of this set?

Here's one of the reviews of it on Amazon.com:

This workout is great because there is a different workout for each day of the week. The weight training portion is only about 35 minutes long each - done 3 times a week and the two cardio days are a killer - interval training and you know you are burning off alot of calories. I really love the countdown clock - for each exercise, there is a clock that shows how much time is left. I have lost some body fat already - only on week 2 - although I haven't been eating as well as I should - I can only imagine how much more I could be losing if I followed the eating plan as well. Chalene is fun, motivational, and really so comfortable to listen to. And I like the slow and heavy reps - even in the 2nd week, I feel sore after each workout (and I am already in pretty good shape from before as I am a runner).

Right off the bat, I'm pretty excited that some of the DVDs are only 35 minutes long. As you may know, most of the P90X DVDs are an hour or longer. Fit Moms can hardly find 60 minutes lying around!

One small issue is the cost. It seems a bit steep at $120+ for this system. I may have to look on Ebay for a used version. Stay tuned. If I do get it, I'll be doing a review.

If you've used the Chalean Extreme Workout, I'd love to hear how you like it.

NJ Fit Moms: Get Fit for Less

In addition to FitMomsofNJ.com, I also have another blog -- http://www.greenandfrugalliving.com/. I recently included this post there and thought it would also be fitting to include it here. Who couldn't use some frugal ways to stay in shape? As we get older, it gets harder and harder to keep the pounds at bay.

Here are just a few ways:

• Walk or Run -- All you need are a pair of sneakers and you're off. There are no excuses since you don't need a gym membership. No matter where you are or what the weather may bring, walking or running is the simplest and one of the cheapest forms of exercise that you'll fine.

• DVDSs -- If you don't have your own exercise DVDs, stop by the local library to borrow some for free. Other options include Swap.com, eBay or your other favorite site to find cheap exercise DVDs. Again, a cheap way to get a workout since all you need is a TV and DVD player.

• Free gym membership by working at a gym -- From getting certified to teach exercise classes to working at the front desk or child care center, there are lots of ways to score a free or significantly reduced gym membership. 

• Scour garage sales or Craiglist for free or cheap gym equipment -- The free section of Craiglist usually has some kind of exercise equipement. I scored a NordicTrack treadmill that retails for $800 for $300 and full gym set for $200 at a garage sale. Now I'm on the search for a Spin or recumbent bike...

What are your frugal tips for staying in shape?

My Favorite Fit Mom Websites

When it comes to staying fit, I use a number of websites, from tracking my running times and routes to monitoring what I eat.  Here are my top picks:

• http://www.athlinks.com/ -- A great social network site for anyone who likes to particiapte in running, biking, triathlons or just about any other race. It will track your races so you have all of your times in one place. Note: it doesn't pick up every single race, but does include a majority.

• http://www.runningahead.com/ -- I track all of my running workouts here. It will give you a breakdown of how often you run, how far, your pace, etc. You can also input your running routes. They recently added biking, swimming and weight training workouts, but I haven't tried them out yet.

• http://www.sparkpeople.com/ -- This free site is a great weight loss and exercise community that offers lots of information, recipes, exercises and moral support from other members. It's a great way to track your diet since it provides calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat breakdown for thousands of food. I switch back and forth between SparkPeople and Weight Watchers when I'm trying to lose weight.

• http://www.weightwatchers.com/ -- I'm currently a member, but my membership expires at the end of Nov. Weight Watchers online helped me to lose the baby weight with both kids. It's a godsend for dropping weight. It's easy to enter foods and keep close watch of your food intake and exercise. It's fairly cost-effective when it comes to paid online diet plans.

• http://www.bodybuilder.com/ -- Don't let the name fool you. While it does carry hundreds of bodybuilder supplements. This site is a great place to find vitamins, supplements and other exercise-related items. They have very competitive pricing and super-fast shipping.

Do you use any of these sites? Are there any that I may be missing? I'd love to hear about your favorites!