NYC Marathon -- I Did It!

This past weekend I ran in the NYC Marathon and what an experience!! My finish time was 4:08:59, which shattered my Philadelphia time of 4:30:16. Needless to say, I was tickled pink!
For nearly five months I trained for the marathon, running during the week and on Sundays (the coveted "long" run). It was a lot of work and dedication, but it was all well worth it.

In addition to running my fastest marathon, I raised more money for Fred's Team (a charity that supports Memorial Sloan-Kettering in memory of Fred Lebow, the NYC Marathon founder) than I ever thought possible. My goal was $3,500 and the last time I checked I was well over $4,100, with more checks coming in.

The NYC Marathon was a bucket list item for me. It was an experience I won't soon forget. In addition to feeling amazing throughout the entire race, I broke all kinds of PRs (personal records). I ran my fastest 5 miles, 10K and 18 miles, which is hard to believe since the NYC course is so hilly. In my opinion, it's the energy of the crowds that enables you keep going. There were areas of the race where the spectators were cheering so loudly, you couldn't even hear! Nearly all of the runners had their names on their shirts. And there's no better feeling in the world than hearing complete strangers cheer you on.

If you think you can't do a marathon, you can. And if you are considering running one, you'll be hard-pressed to find a race more incredible, scenic and awe-inspiring than NYC. I saw blind runners, runners with prosthetics and even one gentleman with a sign that said "heart transplant recipient." The race puts a lot in perspective and makes you ever so grateful that you can run 26.2 miles.

Have you run the NYC Marathon? I'd love to hear your experience!

NYC Marathon -- Training Update

It's hard to believe that the marathon is just 8 weeks away -- yikes!! I've been doing really well with my training. Last weekend I ran 17 miles and I'll do 20 this coming weekend. And that will be my longest run until marathon time (woohoo!!). I'll be doing my annual 18-mile LBI Run, which I highly recommend for anyone who has done a half marathon. It's a great race if you want to eventually do a marathon -- very fast and very flat. Although the weather at that time of year can be tricky. One year it was 90 degrees and one year it was 70 -- go figure!

In regards to fundraising, I'm at 61% of goal pr $2,165. I need to raise $3,500. I think raising the money is way harder than doing the training! If you'd like to make a donation, please visit www.fredsteam.com and enter my name (Allison Jackson) and ING NYC Marathon. I'm running for Fred's Team, which benefits Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The group was founded by Fred Lebow, who founded the NYC Marathon and courageously battled cancer himself.

For those who make a donation, you can send me the name of someone you'd like to honor who has valiantly fought cancer and I will add their name to my race shirt. I'm running for all of those men, women and children who have battled cancer.

Is there a charity that you support through your fitness endeavors? I'd love to hear about it!

NYC Marathon Training & Fundraising Update

Whew, I'm not sure which is harder -- training for a marathon or fundraising for it!! I'm up to 16 miles, which I have to run tomorrow morning. Last week I did 14. It takes some time and motivation, but it feels great to finish. I've been trying to make sure that I'm adequately hydrated and take some energy gels every hour or so.

In regards to fundraising, I'm at just over $1,500 and I need to get to $3,500 by Nov. 1. No small task. I've sent emails, posted Facebook updates, sent press releases, blog posts -- you name it, I've probably done it. I'm so incredibly thankful to my friends and family who have made donations. As I mentioned before, anyone who donates can send me the name of a friend or family member who has battled cancer.

Help Me Make a Difference in the Race Against Cancer
I'm running in the 2011 ING New York City Marathon with Fred's Team to raise funds for crucial cancer research, and I'm asking you to help me by donating to my run.

How You Can Help
Please make a gift to my run today -- any amount helps -- and bring us one step closer to a world without cancer. Your support helps fund new research and new treatments that bring true hope to countless men, women, and children.

If you'd like to make a donation, please visit my personal page.

Review: Valley Boot Camp

I've been dying to try a Valley Boot Camp session and I finally got the opportunity to do it this past week. Now I wasn't thrilled about dragging my butt out of bed at 5am to be on the Ramsey High School track by 5:30am, but I was in good company as there were nearly 20 other ladies who also rolled out of bed. It's also helpful to note that you will be churning out push-ups if you showed up late. No slacking here!!  (As a side note, there are later classes you can choose from. The earliest class just happened to fit my schedule best.)

With our lovely heat wave, it was a steamy 80 degrees by 5:30am, but that didn't stop instructor Chris Doran from giving us an incredible workout. (Although it made me nervous to hear her say she was "going easy on us" due to the heat. If this was easy, I'd hate to see what hard is!)

The workout started with running the bleacher stairs and evolved to walking lunges, planks, push-ups, mountain climbers, and lots of other tough exercises. By the end of this one-hour workout, I was coated in sweat. By the time I got into work, I could already feel the soreness in my legs. By the next day I was really sore.

Not only was Chris very motivating and supportive, but everyone in the session took the workout very seriously and pushed each other. There was no such thing as "I can't" -- mainly because you would be subjected to extra push-ups . LOL!!

All in all, I highly recommed trying a session. You won't be disappointed! Learn more about Valley Boot Camp.

Ever Hear of Arbonne?

A few years ago I was invited to an Arbonne party. Arbonne is essentially a skin care, wellness and health company. They've been in business for more than 30 years and they tout high-quality products that are environmentally friendly.

Fast forward to this past month where I was once again invited to learn about Arbonne by a friend. However, this time I was presented with the Arbonne business opportunity, which is involves network marketing. Basically, it's about marketing peer to peer and leveraging your network of friends and family. Now I used to sell Cutco, so I'm familiar with how this works. While I swore I would never get involved in something like this, here I am, a new Arbonne Independent Consultant (ID: 19348436). Here's the kicker, I've never given much thought to my skin care. But as I approach middle-age (as my husband fondly reminded me the other night), I'm beginning to think more about anti-aging and the appropriate products to use. Enter the Arbonne RE9 Advanced Set, a comprehensive anti-aging skin care regimen for a youthful appearance; the set offers all six products (cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, day/night cream) for face, plus a complimentary travel-size Age-Defying Neck Cream.

After using the kit for a few days, I was hooked. I could feel and see a difference in my complexion. Not only that, when I went on vacation to Europe recently, I really missed the kit. (Note: I didn't want to pack the set for fear that it would be confiscated...which is what happened to my favorite hair gel.)

Not only am I impressed with Arbonne's products, I'm really excited about how they've expanded their line. In addition to beauty care (cleansers, creams, oils, etc.), they offer a line of products for men, teens and babies. Plus, they have dietary supplements, including protein shakes and vitamins. That's not all, Arbonne also has a full line of make-up products.

Why am I telling you all of this? For two reasons.

1) All of Arbonne products are considered green. They're high on quality and low on chemicals. Best of all, they offer products for women, men, teens and children, enabling you to provide safe products for your entire family.

2) The business aspect of Arbonne is a great way to make some extra money on the side, especially if you're a stay-at-home mom or even if you work full-time outside the home. Learn more.

Have you tried Arbonne? What did you think?

If you're interested in learning more, whether it's hosting a party (they offer great host gifts and perks), learning about the products or the business opportunity, just shoot me an email.

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Unplug from the Commotion & Clutter of Modern Life

Ever feel like you're constantly multi-tasking? I can be on the phone, on my computer and watching TV all at the same time! It's exhausting to be constantly overloaded with information. What's a Fit Mom to do? Check out this great guest post from Park Wilson:

Win Back Your Freedom!

Today and every day, you are bombarded with some 5,000 advertising messages. That’s nearly 2 million ads per year, every year of your life – and the volume is accelerating daily.

Not to mention, your neurons are being overloaded and overrun by a growing variety of modern gizmos and gadgets: mobile smart phones, computer tablets, apps, and much more.

Yes, all five of your senses are under siege from a noisy, over-communicated world; a world where there seems to be no method of escape...no way to unplug from the overwhelming, far-reaching grid of modern life.

So how do you break free from life’s commotion and clutter? How do you recharge your soul and relax your senses?

Getting unplugged cannot be achieved simply by “cutting back” on technology. Your modern life is too connected for this strategy to work. And long-lasting relief won’t come by visiting some plastic-coated theme park or run-of-the-mill vacation hotspot that’s overrun with sun-drunk tourists. Not gonna happen.

So what’s the solution? How can you truly break free? 

The solution becomes clear when viewing the work put into the Emerging Terrain’s Boca Chica Island project in Panama. My partner Josh and I had both become disillusioned with the world around us. The mundane and overbearing aspects of life forced change.

I realized that in order to facilitate growth within myself I needed to reach beyond the cookie cutter aspects of modern residential properties, those carbon copy dwellings stretching far and wide inducing a coma of routine.

Our journey took us straight into the heart of Latin America. We visited hundreds of properties, riding horseback along Costa Rica’s lush jungle trails and boating off Panama’s southeast coast near Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park.

The end result was a unique experience that inspired us to relocate our families to the area

— a place free of the hectic schedule of an overly connected world.

Boca Chica Island is one such area, the perfect place to wind down while leaving behind the overbearing daily routine. It is absolutely amazing to see the positive changes in those that own property on Boca Chica; we have come to agree that relaxation in the natural setting is unlike anything else.

There is undeniably a recipe for finding this “peak level of relaxation.” A level of relaxation unlike any other, finally free from the trials of the modern world. However, there become certain steps you must take to fully wind down from the stress of the everyday.

Here are 5 surefire steps to unplug from the commotion and clutter of modern life:

1.) Go naked. No, I’m not suggesting you undress and discard your clothes...I’m simply suggesting that you ditch every tech device you own. At least temporarily.

Think about it. How can you possibly hope to unplug and unwind with a smart phone practically sewn to your ear?  

You can’t. The temptation to check voicemail and respond to email will overcome your sensibility. And it only takes a single, loose stone to burst open the entire dam.

2.) Unplug your alarm clock. If you’re like most modern mortals, the demands of modern life have left you sleep-deprived. No – sleep-starved. And lack of sleep may be affecting your work performance or relationships at home.

Allow yourself to fall asleep and wake to your natural sleep cycle. Doing so will help you fall into a normal rhythm, and you’ll awake feeling refreshed and energized.

3.) Spurn the masses. No roller-coaster rides at Disneyland. No beach-bathing in Cabo San Lucas. No double-decker bus tours in London or Rome. 

As I previously mentioned, it’s impossible to break free when you’re steeped in some sterile, plastic-coated tourist destination that’s overripe with crowded beaches and bars, faux costumes and customs and cheap souvenirs and trinkets. 

4.) Revisit nature and embrace the natural order of things. Allow sounds and skies of nature comfort and cleanse you as you lie in your hammock and sway between two coconut trees. Chop wood with nothing but a sharp ax and your bare hands. Fish and catch “The Big One” from a sandy seashore. Cook dinner over an open campfire.

Return to a simple life, and do things as they were done in ancient times – no matter if it’s only for one or two weeks out of the year.

5.) Push past your boundaries. A daily routine brings focus and clarity to a chaotic life. These reoccurring patterns of activity help you organize and complete tasks with efficiency. Without a routine to add structure and to guide you, very little would get done.

But instability results from too much of one thing – good or bad. And strict adherence to a routine wilts creativity and withers inspiration. Achieving balance requires that you break from your routine, temporarily, in order to recharge your creativity.

So try something new, exciting and different. If you’re not pushing past your boundaries then you’re operating in “robot” mode, and you will be truly unable to break free.

Truth be told, just following one of the aforementioned steps will help you recharge. But hands down your greatest chance of success – the secret sauce of unplugging from life’s commotion and clutter – comes when you adhere to all five steps for a minimum of one week straight, a formula made possible on Boca Chica Island. Only then will you reach a point where you are ready to plug yourself back into the grid of modern life.

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About the Author: Park Wilson, co-founder of Emerging Terrains, has been living and actively investing in the Latin American real estate markets since 2007. His boots-on-the-ground approach to scouting and choosing properties has led to more than $8 million in real estate transactions. Park spearheaded projects on more than 200 real estate transactions in four markets, and has consulted on similar projects in yet another three markets. To reach Park Wilson, please e-mail him at info@emergingterrains.com or learn more by visiting the Emerging Terrains website at http://www.emergingterrains.com.

How Being Fit Can Save Your Life

I had a rough week last week, but not as rough as my Dad's. He had a heart attack while driving and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. There was a large blockage between the juncture of two arteries that required double bypass surgery. Normally, when this type of open-heart surgery is performed, patients need four to seven days to recover. My Dad had his surgery Thursday afternoon and went home Monday at lunchtime. During his surgery, he didn't need to be put on a breathing machine or have his heart stopped.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because my Dad is 63 years old and very active for his age. He's the sole owner/operator of his own landscaping business. That means 8 to 10 hours of yard work every day for seven months out of the year. My Dad was able to bounce back from this major surgery because he is in very good shape...all things considered. (Granted, he also has diabetes, the occasional cigar and bouts of asthma.)

Being a Fit Mom isn't just about looking your best, it's about feeling great and keeping yourself healthy. We all have little ones that depend on us. So whenever you think that working out is selfish or vain, it's not. It's about keeping your heart, bones and organs healthy. That said, it's also important to make sure that you see a doctor regularly. A simple stress test could have prevented my Dad's heart attack. This is especially important if your family has a history of heart disease or problems.

Be sure to take care of yourself!!

2011 NYC Marathon -- How I Got In

As you may know, in order to get into the NYC Marathon, you have to enter a lottery and keep your fingers crossed that you get in. It's such a huge race and so many people want to do it, it's the only fair way to handle all of the entries they receive each year. If you don't get picked for three years in a row, you're automatically in the following year. There are also other ways to gain entry, including running a certain number of road races through the New York Road Runners (NYRR) team or raising money for a charity.

I entered the lottery last year and didn't get in, so I entered again this year...and didn't get in. Dismayed by the whole thought of having to wait two more years for guaranteed entry, I made the decision to raise money for a charity. I selected Fred's Team, which raises money to support Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Their goal is to live in a world free of cancer. With so many friends and family members who have either fought against cancer or know someone who has, I felt drawn to this particular charity. So now comes the fun part, raising money. I need to raise $3,500 by November 6th. I'm excited and petrified all as the same time -- sort of how I feel about running my second marathon.

I'll share my training plan and the trials and tribulations of preparing for a marathon and fundraising. I'd love to get your input, too. Have you completed a marathon? Any tips you'd like to share?

I could use your help. Check out my fundraising page. Thanks in advance for your help!

What is a TRX Suspension Trainer?

I've been wanting to try TRX since it's become all the rage, with dedicated classes and at-home gear. While I haven't been able to get to a class just yet, I found this great article at ThreeFatChicksOnaDiet.com:

The TRX Suspension Trainer is a portable fitness tool that can help users accomplish many different tasks through the versatility of simple resistance bands. This kind of innovative workout gear is getting popular, not only with military professionals like U.S. Navy Seals, but with top athletes and recreational users, too. These days, it seems like everybody is looking for the best ways to drop weight, tone muscles, and get better overall body capacity for living better and doing more. The TRX Suspension Trainer is one way to get yourself closer to your fitness goals without investing in bulky, expensive equipment that might end up just filling up the basement or attic.

Looking at the TRX Suspension Trainer

Weighing just over 21 pounds, the TRX Suspension Trainer attaches to various surfaces to provide nimble resistance for the legs, arms or core. The possibilities for using this free-form item are almost endless. Manufacturers and retailers provide easy illustrated guides to all of the exercise options that the TRX Suspension Trainer offers.

Exercises for the TRX Suspension Trainer

One way to work out with the TRX Suspension Trainer is to stand on the ground with your arms attached to the resistance cords. These kinds of exercises help to build the upper body. Alternately, users can squat on the ground with their ankles attached in order to work the lower body and core. For example, in a take on the classic push up, users can keep their feet connected to the TRX Suspension Trainer, where only the hands are touching the ground, in order to maximize body responses. For upper body exercises, users can strap the resistance gear around their chests in order to work their torso, or target the arms with exercises like the Chest Press Fly or Combo. Exerting pressure down with the straps while standing on the ground can work some of the upper back muscles, such as the “lats” or latissimus dorsi muscles, that don’t usually get a lot of intense training on traditional weightlifting machines.

Apart from the above exercises, the TRX Suspension Trainer offers a good training experience regardless of your favored sports or recreational activities: from golf to martial arts, and from football to gymnastics. Lots of experts are showing up to endorse this product and explain to their clients how to handle the TRX Suspension Trainer for the best overall workouts to reach their fitness goals.

If you are on the hunt for a machine that can quickly take you to a higher level, check out the vast resources available around the TRX Suspension Trainer, on vendor websites and associated pages. At these locations expert coaches and trainers appear in free videos that illustrate how others are using this new fitness product to increase their strength, improve coordination and balance, and yes, burn fat and calories.

Have you tried TRX? What did you think?

The Health Benefits of Yoga

Photo: Real Simple &

Tamara Schlesinger

In the world of public concern over antioxidants, body toxins, and the word "cleansing," hot yoga - yoga performed in rooms with temperatures between 85 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit - is definitely in. While there are many different styles, the basic health benefits revolve around the belief that the body sweats out toxins when exposed to heat, which then boosts metabolism and one's immune system. Here's just a few more benefits people claim from hot yoga:

Muscle flexibility

Except for a handful of synthetic compounds designed specifically not to break under cold temperatures, most things are considerably less flexible in cold environments, muscles included. As a result, in hot yoga, one's muscles are hypothetically more flexible as they're literally warmed up, potentially boosting one's range of motion, aiding injury recovery, and helping to prevent accidental injuries when exercising.

Weight loss

The heat from hot yoga makes the body increase its pulse without heavy joint impact. It also helps to bring down chemicals in the body that help a body retain fat that are related to stress, and may help to boost metabolism through thyroid stimulation. This combination of factors makes it potentially easy for the body to shed pounds faster when doing hot yoga than when not.

Joint lubrication

As one ages, the body becomes less flexible and able to recover from injuries. By doing yoga, one activates groups of muscles and moves bones that might otherwise go ignored, which can help fight and delay the onset of arthritis, muscle, and joint pain brought on by the natural processes of aging and joint impacts brought on by work and life in general.

Immune system performance

By participating in hot yoga one brings up their core temperature beyond what the body normally self-regulates, which then makes the body act as if it's undergoing fever conditions when perfectly healthy. This, then brings up white blood cell counts and stimulates the immune system, which in turn makes it harder for the body to undergo actual illness, which is obviously a good thing and an easy way for hot yoga to extend one's general well-being and life expectancy.

Stress reduction

It's been said for decades that exercise and meditation can help one reduce the amount of stress in one's life; in fact, meditation has often been practiced to help alleviate stress in and of itself. Hot yoga requires that the mind put stress factors out of the way in order to pose successfully, and this in turn helps the body to lose weight (or not gain it, as the chemicals that retain fat move less quickly and at lower levels), sleep better, lower the heart rate and blood pressure, and possibly benefit one's mood. While high stress can occasionally make the body perform better, it often proves much tighter and harder to work well, making lower stress (with all its many, many benefits upon one's mental and physical function) something worth pursuing for just about everyone and a definite reason to consider hot yoga.

Written by Andres Halloway Find his other work on schools for forensic science and online accounting degrees

The Benefits of Seeing A Nutritionist

This post was guest written by Sean Ramily, also known for his work on sites like this site and cosmetologyschool.net."

We all try to eat healthy, but in this day and age the amount of information available to us can be downright overwhelming. The list of must-eat and do-not-touch items can be contradictory, confusing, and misleading. On top of that, if you’re eating a diet high in processed foods, you may actually be undernourished. That is where a nutritionist comes in.

A nutritionist, or nutritional therapist, has a degree in nutrition and nutritional education. This highly qualified individual will be able to determine what exactly your diet needs, what nutrients you might be lacking, and how to improve your eating habits.

One of the biggest benefits in seeing a nutritionist is, obviously, if you’re looking to lose weight. Whether you have a slow metabolism, need calorie adjustments, or need more information on what makes a food “healthy,” a nutritionist is able to help you. Reading labels can be a good step in the right direction, but a nutritionist has expert training that can show you details you may have overlooked.

Hand-in-hand with weight loss come vegetarian diets. Many people choose to cut out unhealthy foods by simply focusing on eating only vegetarians and plant-based proteins. Celebrities tout this style of diet, but what they’re not telling you is that they have a team of nutritionists and chefs keeping their nutritional needs balanced. If you’re looking into becoming a vegetarian, you may want to schedule an appointment with a nutritionist to make sure you aren’t overlooking any important diet supplements or health issues.

A good diet can boost your immune system, cut down on sickness, and even ease PMS symptoms. Nutritionists can do a variety of tests to see what nutrients you need to bring about these changes. Diet changes can bring about a huge change for a variety of maladies, like anemia, heart disease, or digestion problems.

If you are an athlete, trying to become more active, or training for any sort of activity, a nutritionist might be able to give you the energy boost you need to reach your next goal. As you become more active, your dietary needs will change – you’ll need more calories, more protein, and maybe even more fat in your diet. A nutritionist can show you exactly how to keep up with your body’s needs.

Allergies seem like the realm of pollen and cat dander. Over-the-counter remedies abound, so why drag a nutritionist into the mix? You may not be aware that food allergies also exist, and come with symptoms far beyond sniffling and sneezing. A nutritionist will be able to improve your health and daily life simply by pointing out remedies you didn’t even know you needed. If you have any unexplainable symptoms, it might be time to see a nutritionist.

Nutritionists can also point out medicine interactions that you didn’t even know existed. Did you know that hormonal birth control can interfere with caffeine metabolism? That cranberry juice can inhibit certain kinds of infections? If you’re looking for some natural remedies, or worried about the efficacy of your prescriptions, a nutritionist can point you in the right direction for the best health.

Most of all, a nutritionist acts as a coach. They are available to teach you how to make healthy decisions, learn how to cook healthy meals, and discover healthy alternatives to old favorites. Even if you don’t have any special health or diet concerns, a nutritionist is able to provide you with great recipes that might really shake up your family meals. If you are trying to make a change in your life, using a nutritionist – in addition to seeing your doctor and even a personal trainer – can be the boost you need to really see results.

Have you ever consulted with a nutrionist? What was your experience?

Fit Moms: Back to WeightWatchers.com

I have a confession to make. I had a major fall-off-the-wagon couple of weeks. Have you ever gone through something similar? A few parties, a miserable illness that had me down for the count for a good day and a half (you'd think that would've taken off a few pounds), PMS, stressful work projects...I could go on and on. With that, I've completely lost my diet mojo!! Argh!! I had hit a plateau about 2-3 weeks ago, and suddenly I gained 5 lbs. Needless to say, it blows, but I'm not deterred. Whenever I hit a diet roadblock, I always turn to Weight Watchers.

Are you surprised? Here's a little background... I was able to lose 40+ pounds after each of my pregnancies, and I lost that weight in 4-5 months. While I had great success, the one part of WeightWatchers.com that always bothered me was the fact that the Points system didn't account for healthy protein appropriately. For example, if I had an entire chicken breast, I wiped out a good portion of my daily Points. Plus, you could eat cake all day and as long as you were within the Points you were allotted, everything was good. But that's finally changed.

If you've seen the recent Weight Watchers advertising with Jennifer Hudson (from American Idol), you may have noticed a new PointsPlus system. It's my dream come true! Now Points are calculated by accounting for fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. It's not just based on calories, fat and fiber. Woohoo!! Also, the PointsPlus system gives you way more points! I was shocked at the daily and weekly allotment. I just finished my first week and I have 16 points left! (Granted, I worked out a good 17 Points-worth, so I may have been left with less if I was lazier.)

I signed up for the 3-month plan, which should do the trick since I want to lose approx. 12 pounds. With one week under my belt, I've already lost at least 2-3 pounds (my official weigh-in is tomorrow). I'll also be interested to see if my fat percentage goes down. (You know how obsessed I am with bodyfat. LOL!)

Stay tuned and please let me know if you're a current or past Weight Watchers fan and what your experience has been.

What to Look for in Your Fitness Center Child Care

When you're looking for a fitness center to be a member of, there are many things that you want to consider. What kinds of machines does the gym have for you to use? Are they in good working condition? Does the fitness center have a pool or other activities that the entire family would enjoy? And then there's a big part of choosing a gym: the child care that's offered.


If you're a mom (and chances are that if you're reading this blog post, you are), then you certainly want to do your best to find a fitness center that offers child care. But what exactly should you look for? Follow these tips to find the absolute best child care available in a fitness center.


The Staff
The first thing you want to consider is the type of staff that your gym's child care employs. Does the staff include at least one person that has been trained in first aid care and CPR? Is the staff filled with young teenagers whose only experience is some babysitting? Or is the staff filled with people that are highly experienced and qualified to care for your children? Don't be afraid to ask these types of questions when interviewing various child care centers.


Time Limits
One thing that all moms should be sure to ask fitness center child care is if there is a time limit for watching their children. Many gym child care centers have a particular amount of time that they will watch each child while their mothers work out or hit the pool. Be sure to ask this ahead of time so that you are fully aware of how long your workouts will be able to last sans children. Depending on how long you plan on exercising for, this could be a make-it or break-it factor.


Number of Kids Allowed
Wouldn't it be a pain in the you-know-what to bring your children with you to the gym and arrive only to find out that the child center is over capacity? Be sure to ask the gym's child care center if there is a maximum capacity for their center. If the cap-off limit is fairly low, you may want to consider finding a gym child care center that allows more children. Otherwise, you can consider asking the gym's child care employees when they are busiest and when they are slowest, and then you can plan your workouts accordingly.


Finding a child care program can be challenging—particularly if you're looking for one that's in a fitness center. By addressing these three areas, you can help to ensure that you find the gym child care center that's best for you and your needs.

Katrina Robinson is a freelance writer, providing high quality content to Viamedic.com, a US located medication facilitator, selling only FDA approved medications and providing comprehensive research, such as the Skin Resource Center.

(Picture Credit: Fitness21, Almighty Dad)

Product Review: Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein - Chocolate

I'm trying to build muscle while losing fat. What better way to do that than adding some protein shakes? They make a great snack...especially when those late-night cravings kick in.

A friend recently  recommended Beverly International's Ultimate Muscle Protein in chocolate. Normally, I don't particularly care for chocolate-flavored protein powder...plus I'm already up to my eyeballs in vanilla. LOL! So I figured I'd give it a try. Boy, am I glad that I did!

First, it doesn't have that nasty after-taste that many protein powders do. It mixes very easily and it tastes fabulous! Here's the best part of all, if you take some skim milk (1 cup), mix it with 2 scoops of powder and put it in the fridge, you'll be in for a yummy treat. The mixture takes on a mousse consistency and can be eaten with a spoon. It's delicious, filling and helps you get your daily dose of protein. What's better than that?

Do you currently use protein powders? Are there any in particular that you like or dislike? I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Product Review: Omron Fat Loss Monitor

Raise your hand if you're trying to lose weight. Who isn't trying to lose weight these days? I've recently become obsessed with my bodyfat. If I'm going to lose pounds, I want those pounds to be FAT! I don't want to lose muscle or water weight.

In order to figure out how many pounds of fat you want to lose, you first need to know your bodyfat percentage. I have an electronic scale that claims to measure bodyfat through an electrical pulse (how fast the pulse goes through fat vs. muscle and bone is how the fat percentage is determined). However, I just don't think that I'm 33% bodyfat. I have some fat, but not that much!

Since I just rejoined the gym at my office, I decided to have the gym manager test my bodyfat with calipers. He tells me that I have 16.4% bodyfat. While I should be happy, I know that this percentage is way off, too. If I was 16% bodyfat, I should be way more defined than I am.

That's how I finally arrived at the Omron Fat Loss Monitor. It uses a method similar to my scale. But for some reason, it seems much more accurate. It tells me that I'm 22.3% bodyfat. That's more like it!

If you're wondering how to determine how much bodyfat you have in pounds so you can determine what you'd like to lose, here's an example:

• If you weigh 140 pounds and you're 20% bodyfat, that means you have 28 pounds of fat (140 x 20%).
• Let's say your goal is to have 15% bodyfat and weigh 130 pounds (130 x 15%).
• That would leave you with 19.5 pounds of bodyfat.
• Effectively, you would need to lose 10 pounds of fat to reach that goal.

Now with my handy Omron Fat Loss Monitor, I can track whether the pounds I shed are bodyfat or not. Stay tuned!

How do you track your bodyfat?

Congratulations to Our Fit Moms Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in our very giveaway!

I'm pleased to announce that winner is -- Liz!

She will receive a $15 gift certificate to CSN Stores. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need.

Stay tuned for future giveaways!

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in the United States, for both men and women.  It's such a huge problem that a lot of health advice focuses on diet and lifestyles that tend to prevent heart attack.  As you probably already know, a big part of that advice usually has to deal with diet and maintaining a healthy weight.  While that is an important piece of the puzzle, it's still only one piece.  Here are a few tips on how to keep your heart healthy -- in all aspects of your life.

1) Live an active lifestyle.

There are plenty of guidelines telling you how to increase your activity levels for better health.  One suggestion is to try to get about 30 minutes of activity every day.  That doesn't mean that you have to necessarily work out every day for 30 minutes; you can count the time you spend taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog, or whatever else you do that adds activity to your day.

A recent study also found that it's good for your heart if you take frequent breaks from sitting.  Whether you work in an office or spend a lot of time watching TV in the evenings, getting up periodically and walking around or stretching seems to reduce your risk of obesity and heart disease.  In other words, you don't have to be a gym rat; you just don't want to be a couch potato, either!

2) Eat a healthy diet.

Dieting doesn't have to mean you are always trying to lose weight, though it is better for you if you aren't overweight.  Even people with normal weights should watch their diet, though.  Try to avoid foods that are known to cause an increase in the risk of heart disease.  For instance, saturated fats have long been known to contribute to poor heart health.  More recently it's been found that trans fats -- fats caused by hydrogenating or partially hydrogenating unsaturated fats -- are just as bad for you.

The best diet for your heart is one that is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in fats and meat.  This doesn't mean that you have to become a vegetarian, although that's one way to do it.  Although there are some vitamins our bodies need that are typically found in meat, there are other ways to get them, and vegetarian diets have been proven to be very good for the heart.  If you do choose to eat meat, try to limit your fat intake.  Eliminating as many processed foods as possible from your diet is also a good idea.

Finally, as mentioned in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, eating less is also important.  Overeating is the biggest contributor to obesity, which is in turn a huge risk factor for heart disease.

3) Maintain a healthy weight.

Although your weight is not the only factor to consider for a healthy heart, it is a very important one -- and as mentioned above, it is also closely related to diet.  Being overweight puts you at higher risk for heart disease, and being obese makes that risk even higher.

How do you determine if you are overweight or obese?  Measuring your waistline is one way -- women's waistlines should be under 35 inches, men's under 40.  Another method is by determining your body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using your height and weight.  This is designed for normal people, however, not athletes -- if you have a lot of muscle, which is heavier than fat, you can have a high BMI without being overweight at all.

Now, this doesn't mean that if you are overweight, you should try out gimmicks, crash diets, or fad diets -- these types of diets are typically very unhealthy for you.  Instead, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about how to implement a healthy diet, at the same time as you increase your amount of daily exercise.  Remember, a healthy weight-loss diet requires exercise in order to be successful!

The best way to a healthier heart is via healthy lifestyle choices.  Studies show that people who eat a healthy diet, exercise more, and avoid gaining too much weight are the least likely to have heart problems (as well as other diseases that tend to follow the same risk factors).  It all boils down to one rule of thumb: Take care of your body, as it's the only one you've got!

This guest post is by Kitty Vogen who writes about health for the web. She has previously worked in the office of a cardiologist, which is where she learned about heart health.

3 Ways to Sneak in a Workout - At Home!

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults should get a minimum of two and a half hours of exercise a week. That works out to half an hour a day with weekends off. Yet many people still miss that mark because finding half an hour of uninterrupted time to work out isn't always possible. While uninterrupted exercise is a luxury, exercise of some form is a necessity.
The house isn't just a place to relax, it's also a surprisingly effective gym. Sneaking in those thirty minutes is easy when those minutes are split up throughout the day. Here are the top three ways to fit in a workout at home even if you don't have an official home workout routine.

1. Lift "Weights" Around the House

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. That means that building muscle helps keep weight in check. Don't have time or money for a full set of free weights? Household items double nicely as weights. Many common kitchen products like cans, bags of flour, and bottles are already labeled by weight, making them a good place to start for beginning lifters. A gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds and comes equipped with useful handles.

If fitting in a full half hour of weight training is the sticking point, then aim for smaller blocks of time. Lift the laundry detergent as the clothes finish drying or do a full set of reps with that ten-pound sack of potatoes before storing them.

Don't fear bulking up too much from regular lifting; athletes work for their muscular physiques, so lifting around the house will add definition, not big muscles.

2. Walking Counts as Exercise, Too

It's easy to overlook a vigorous walk as a form of exercise, but it is. For a 150-pound person, half an hour of leisurely strolling at 2 miles per hour burns 68 calories; that same walk at a more health-conscious pace of 3.5 miles per hour burns 120 calories.

How to use walking to sneak in a workout at home? Just do more of it at every opportunity. Look for more ways to get off the couch. Even in a small house, those short distances add up. It may seem natural to conserve steps when doing housework, but for better health, start looking for reasons to take more steps. Instead of sorting laundry by room and storing it at one time, deliver it item by item to where it needs to go. Do the same with groceries or toys. If you have neighborhood errands to run, skip driving, walk to where you are going, and save money on car insurance while you are at it (the less miles you drive every year the cheaper your car insurance rates will be).

Even without a treadmill, marching in place can get the heart rate up. Sound too boring? Dancing works even better than walking and is more fun. Never pass up an opportunity to dance; it's good for the mood and the body.

3. The Home Workout in Two-Minute Intervals

Think about things that happen multiple times a day. The list probably contains activities that aren't even considered activities: getting up from a computer chair, bending to pick something up, even visiting the bathroom. Each of these presents an opportunity to sneak in a workout two to five minutes at a time.

Here are some possibilities for adding exercise intervals to frequent tasks around the house:

• When sitting down or standing up from a chair (including the one in the throne room), do a set of ten squats. These squats can easily add up to fifty or sixty a day this way.
• Pick an item off the floor multiple times and it adds up to valuable minutes of exercise.
• Washing up after three meals a day means a nice chunk of time for leg-lifts and calf stretches.
• While waiting for water to boil or dinner to cook, do counter-top push-ups to tone arms and back.

Even the busiest individual can make room for these micro-workouts and start to get in shape, decrease their BMI, and feel better. Feeling too tired to contemplate leg-lifts while rinsing dishes? Start with just a few; exercise will actually boost energy as the body gets used to it. Get started today!


Author Bio
Linda is a freelance writer and mother to 4 kids (and a dog...and at times a husband). She contributes for a number of different websites including an online personal trainer website and a website with hundreds of weight loss tips. When she is not writing or shuttling her kids from one place to another she can be found trying to fit in her own 30 minutes of daily exercise!

Great Workouts You Can Do with Your Kids

Although you would like to embrace Michelle Obama’s mantra of “Let’s Move” to ensure that your kids don’t succumb to the video-game-playing, Facebook-updating, texting-and-tweeting couch-potato trend that seems to define their generation, you don’t exactly think they’ll be on board with the cardio kickboxing and spinning classes you prefer to frequent. In fact, they don’t seem to be interested in sports or outdoor activities at all. So how can you get them to participate in the physical activities they need to stay healthy while still getting in the workout you crave? Although it may be difficult to find a workout that delivers a happy medium for you and your kids, there are plenty of physical pursuits that will let you get the exercise you all need while still allowing your kids to have fun. Here are just a few options you might want to examine.

The first thing you should do is can the electronics (or at least ration them). While most parents seem to think that kids these days NEED a cell phone, you might recall that we all got by just fine without them twenty years ago. There are times when they come in handy, but instead of allowing your children free access, give them a phone to use only when they’re out with friends so that they have a way to contact you in case of emergency (then take them back). And when it comes to computer and television time, limit them to a certain amount of time each day so they can fill the remainder of their time reading or playing outdoors. These days it seems like a novel concept, but it could make a real difference in the level of activity your kids experience.

The next step is to get them moving, and doing it with them is a great way to spend some quality family time together as well as have a little fun. Hiking, biking, swimming, and roller blading are always fun, and even kids who aren’t very coordinated can manage at least a couple of these activities. You can probably find trails all around your area for hiking, and if you bring along a plant guide, you can even work in an education (and probably make the hike more interesting). You could also collect natural elements (leaves, rocks) for artistic purposes. Biking and roller blading will probably require paved surfaces, but why not take several trips a week to a nearby park so the kids can play on the equipment while you jog around the track? As for swimming, you’ll have to find a local pool, but the kids can take lessons while you do laps. And don’t forget about sports. A backyard game of baseball, soccer, or football on the weekends might seem like more fun than work, but that’s what makes it the best kind of exercise.

Another fun family activity is yoga. As an adult, you likely suffer from a lot aches and pains due to a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you work out regularly, you may have trouble with strength and flexibility. You can get your kids on track for a healthy future and work on your own bodily woes by starting to incorporate yoga into your daily routine. The tenets of mind-body focus will serve your children well throughout their lives and a little yoga each day will tone muscle, increase range of motion, and ensure that your body feels great.

Sarah Harris writes for Adiamor diamond engagement rings, where you can find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the one you love.

Diet and Exercise Tips Just for Moms

You’ve probably tried it all, and just the thought of trying to exercise while you are keeping up with your children makes you tired. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you implement just a couple of changes to your routine you will notice improvement.

Likely everyone is filled with great advice on how to get your pre-baby body back. Take the kids on walks, get a gym membership, or exercise with the kids by using an aerobic video of some sort. Maybe these work for some moms, but they just might not be feasible for your situation. You don’t have to have the kids all on the same nap schedule – yeah right – or bother with a sitter for the kids while you go to a pricey gym in order to get some exercise.

The best advice I have ever heard is to play like your child. If your child is like most, s/he does not sit still for long! Even sitting still, they tend to be moving at play or bouncing a bit. You have lots to do, but if you take a few minutes out of every day to really play with your young child, you will get closer and, if you take this advice, skinnier too. When they jump up and run, make it a game to jump up and run too. Roll around on the floor. Tickle. Laugh. It all burns up calories and it all adds up.

The second tip is to take advantage of what moments you have. We all know that moments are all a new mom -- or mom of a toddler -- has. The meals and the laundry and the cleaning don’t take care of themselves. While you are walking to complete these tasks, get in the habit of exercising on the way. Do lunges as you walk to the sink to start the dishes. Complete a simple stretch routine as part of moving the clothes from washer to dryer.

Consistency creates destiny. Any good habit will give you a positive outcome. So while it may seem ludicrous that a few minutes of stretching and active play here and there could really make that much difference, if you keep it up, you’ll see the results. It won’t be overnight, but fitting back into your favorite pre-pregnancy clothes is possible in months. Try it, what have you got to lose?

About the Author
Margo Smith graduated with a B.S. degree from BYU. Her passion is writing, and variety is her watchword. She enjoys authoring posts on subjects as diverse as healthy life decisions, to choosing online schools, to the importance of mom in the home.

Dueling Hormones: When Puberty and Menopause Collide

We're mixing it up a little today with a focus on perimenopause. Today's post is from Ellen Sarver Dolgen:

Now, more than ever, so many households are experiencing puberty and perimenopause and menopause (I call it PM&M for short) at the same time. Why? In 1980, the average age of a first time mother was 23. In 2010 that number jumped to almost 27 (26.8).  This matches up a 14 year old child with a 41 year old mother. So what happens when you mix adolescent hormones and menopausal hormones in the same house?  Hormone combustion!

These days, households with both teens and moms entering perimenopause and menopause (PM&M) can reach an atmosphere of playoff intensity and become a place of hate and not love.  That’s not a beneficial situation for anyone! I’ve heard so many stories that absolutely break my heart. From children going to stay with friends because neither child nor parent knew how to resolve the issues, to separation and divorce.

Sound familiar?  You’re not alone.

The good news is that amidst all this chaos, there is an opportunity to turn this time into one of growth and connection.  We can all get through this together, if we really get down to the business of what’s really going on.  Often the anger or frustration that we send outward is really just an overflow, or misdirection, of that same anger and frustration that we might have towards ourselves. Working on yourself, your own personal growth, knowing your body and being prepared, will help ease the tension you have in your relationships – particular with those closest to you.

It seems as soon as our children begin puberty they stop talking. They begin pushing adult figures away in an attempt to achieve independence.  This process is hard enough on mom, but if she is experiencing perimenopause and menopause (PM&M), it’s a dangerous combination. Often this leads to a lack - or complete loss of - communication between mother and child. When the communication lines are down, everyone suffers.

How do you fix this? Keep talking! Dig it out!  A simple hug instead of a look of disgust is a good place to begin. To do this, both the menopausal mother and the teen need to try to stop personalizing everything each other is saying and doing.  It is nobody’s fault. Everyone is dealing with their own personal challenges. Keeping this fact in mind can be liberating. Your teen may roll their eyes and look at you like you’re an alien from outer space, but just ignore that.  It’s kind of how they look at everything; it’s really not about you. Keep communicating no matter what the response is. 

Be the first to give. If you share your challenges openly, you show that you’re willing to be vulnerable. This can be an incredible example to set for a child who’s going through a tough and confusing time. When you reach out and share your struggles, you’re setting an example through your actions that it’s okay to not be fine, it’s okay to be confused and frustrated, and it’s okay to reach out to your loved ones for support.

Look, teens can be total monsters (weren’t you?), but remember, so can a menopausal woman!  Of course, every situation is different, and it may take some tinkering to customize this loving approach to fit your family structure, but the more we educate our loved ones and ourselves, the happier and more understanding the whole household will be.

 

Check out "E" (Ellen Sarver Dolgen), author of Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness, a light-hearted, informative, easy-to-read book on menopause, and creator of www.Shmirshky.com, a resource treasure trove for women going through perimenopause and menopause (PM&M for short). E stands for everyone because everyone goes through menopause or knows someone who does. Ellen is passionate about promoting health and wellness in America.

Using Mind Control for Portion Control

Today's post is from Tracy Adler, who developed Yum Yum Dishes to help portion control:

2011 is here and like a lot of people you’ve made that one New Year’s resolution where come March, you’ll find yourself picking up a plate at the beginning of an all-you-can-eat buffet and wondering… what the heck happened?

You’ve promised yourself to get in shape and you want to keep that promise, but there are two obstacles you probably have to overcome if you’re making this resolution in the first place — your love of eating and your love of eating too much.

It’s common sense that diet and exercise are important when it comes to shrinking your waistline, but more and more studies are showing that what and how much you eat is most important. Now, that doesn’t mean you can unplug the treadmill or cancel your gym membership; you still need to exercise, but if you focus more on healthy eating habits at the outset, you’ll lose those extra pounds you packed on over the holidays.

You have to transition to healthier foods and control your portions; the latter not quite as easy as it sounds. Portion control gets a lot of press these days, but when it comes to eating less, well, it’s definitely easier said and done. The main problem when it comes to limiting how much you eat is where you’re sticking your fork to get it. If you’re eating 4 ounces of pasta from a bowl the size of your head, you’ll never be able to convince your stomach it’s getting its fill. Plates and bowls these days are pretty standard sizes and take quite a bit of food to make a full load, but here’s a novel idea: What if you load your forks and spoons from smaller plates and bowls?

You’ll be surprised how much control your mind has over stomach. If you see a normal-sized bowl that’s only half full, you’ll definitely feel cheated. But you if see that same amount of food in a healthy-sized bowl, you’ll have an easier time tricking your stomach. You can tell yourself time and time again that 4 ounces of food is enough, but our stomachs are accustomed to enough — they’re used to being full. And what we see before we eat plays a huge part.

A couple years ago — after my second child was born — I realized I was snacking too much. I'd drag a bag of chips off the shelf and head for the couch. Before I knew it, half the bag was gone.

The fact is, I didn't realize how much I was eating. I decided to do something about it.

I started using a small dish for snacking. As long as I didn't re-fill the bowl, I could never over-snack! In a short time, I was back to my original weight. I thought others might like to try out this simple method of portion control. The Yum Yum Dish was born, a 4 ounce dish that's fun and easy to understand.

The Yum Yum Dish is perfect for anyone trying to make his or her New Year’s wish of a smaller waistline come true. Moderation is crucial. And all it takes is a little less food, and a lot of mind control.

Tracy Adler is a former restaurant owner and mother of two. She created Yum Yum Dishes™ to help parents teach their children about correct portion size and is a strong advocate in the fight against childhood obesity. For more information or to place an order visit www.YumYumDish.com.

Launch the New You: Tips to Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

To mix things up, I'm pleased to share a guest post with you from health and fitness expert Danny Russo:

February is here, which means one thing: most of us have already abandoned our new year’s resolutions.  It’s the same old story. We start off strong, but around Martin Luther King Day we fizzle out. During my Launch the New You Tour across America, I’ve had the opportunity to meet women of all ages, shapes and sizes. They all had one common goal: the desire to be thinner, firmer, stronger, and healthier—but most important, the desire to feel better about themselves!

Women deal with a lot of physiological variables that men don’t. Pregnancy, menstrual cycles, water retention, and hormone problems all the way up to, and including, menopause are just a few of the issues that women must address within their fitness program. Each individual woman is unique within herself.

In my 30 years in the weight loss business I have seen almost every type of diet and workout regime known to man (and woman). Most of them are fad diets. So how do you know what works? Listen up, ladies!

Food, Exercise and Water (FEW) are the key to your success. No funny workout tapes. No gimmicks. Just a stripped down plan that actually works. Think of FEW as a system. One can’t work without the other. But when combined, the possibilities are endless. For those of you women out there who have made a resolution to lose weight and keep it off, here are three steps to launch a new you:

1. Food: Start by eliminating three complex carbs from your diet. Pasta, rice and potatoes are good place to start. These foods are difficult for your body to breakdown. Not all women are the same so after 1-month, attempt to reintroduce these foods in your diet and measure the results as opposed to when you were not eating them. This is an excellent way for you to start learning how your body reacts to certain foods.

2. Exercise: Focus on squats, leg press, and leg extensions, all of which can do wonders for the sculpting of a woman’s body. Let’s face it, as a woman you’re concerned with different areas than men. A fitness routine for a male does not help you to achieve your goals. Squats, leg press, and leg extensions aim to flatten your abs, tighten your tush, and firm your thighs without the “bulking up” seen in most workout regimes designed for men. 

3. Water: Drink 20 ounces of water at the same time each day. Drinking by the clock is structure and timing. Your body reacts to that. Drink water before you exercise and a sports drink or chocolate milk after your workout. Keeping hydrated is one of the most important aspects to a fit and happy life.

What you take into your body has to go somewhere. It’s important to watch what you eat and be conscious of calories, acids, and sugars. Your intake is where you must start if you have the desire to be thinner, firmer, stronger, and healthier and to feel better about yourself!

Remember, you are unique and there’s no cookie-cutter plan out there that works for everyone. Find out what works for JUST YOU. Then get out there and launch the new you!

Health and Fitness Expert Danny Russo has been a fighter, Army Ranger, systems analyst, NFL strength trainer, bodybuilding coach and health club owner and manager. After decades training men, he turned his keen mind, bodybuilding expertise and motivational muscle to helping women achieve lifetime health and fitness. Over more than 30 years he developed and perfected FEW (Food, Exercise and Water) Fitness, a strength training, wellness and nutrition regime individualized to the health and fitness needs of each woman. Since 1995 this self-proclaimed "fitness evangelist" has taken his fitness seminars on the road to 1,000 cities across America. Danny teaches enthusiastic crowds of women how to become thinner, firmer, leaner, stronger and healthier while feeling great. Learn more at www.LaunchTheNewYou.com.

Winter Means a Free Workout

Tired of winter yet? Enough with this snow! The Northeast has been slammed with a snowstorm on nearly a weekly basis since the holidays.

Although when you take a look on the bright side, all of this snow makes for a pretty good, free workout. Have you ever stopped to consider the calories burned when you go outside to either remove snow or play in it? Check out these calorie burners (based on a 5'6", 135 woman):

• Sledding burns 350 calories per hour
• Shoveling snow torches 250 calories per hour
• Building a snowman takes care of 285 calories per hour
• Snowball fight burns 320 calories
• Making snow angels torches 215 calories
• Downhill skiing (light effort) burns 230 calories
• Cross country skiing (moderate speed, 4.0-4.9 mph) burns 400 calories per hour
• Snow shoeing takes care of 400 calories per hour

So the next time you go to curse the snow, think about how you can incorporate it into getting a good workout.

What's your favorite way to burn calories outside when there's 2+ feet of snow on the ground?

P.S. We're extending our CSN Stores giveaway to February 15th!!! You've gotta be in it to win it!

Who's Ready for a Fit Mom Giveaway?

I'm pleased to announce our first giveaway on FitMomsofNJ! One luck winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need, whether it's wall art and decor, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware! I hope you'll find some great fitness item to add to your collection.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

1. Become a follower of http://www.fitmomsofnjfollow.com/ as well as FitMomsofNJ on Facebook and Twitter
2. Want two extra entries into the contest? Put a link to this giveaway on your Facebook status and then post something on Twitter about it
3. Add a comment and let me know if you completed #1, #2 or both.

Good luck! I'll pick one luck winner on Feb. 1st.