A Fit Girl’s Top Fashion Tips

A Fit Girl’s Top Fashion Tips

Two things that I love so much are Fitness & Fashion.  So why not marry the two?  There are so many ways to be fit AND fabulous and ANYONE can do it.  I was never a sporty girl growing up.  I was always playing with barbies, painting my nails, doing something new to my hair, shopping for the latest trends, etc.  So when I discovered my love for fitness, I realized that it was OK for me to sweat (and still look fabulous).  Now, don't get me wrong, there are days when I literally roll out of bed and head straight to the gym with just barely brushing my teeth.  Ha!  But for the most part, I try to look somewhat presentable when going to the gym.  Why?  Because, as a trainer, I am in gym clothes %90 of the time and as a mom, I'm constantly running around and don't have time to put on my favorite outfit when heading to the grocery store.  So, I've found ways to still look fierce while wearing stretchy pants. 

Here are a few of my all time favorite tips and tricks for a fit girl:

1. Add a few accessories to your every day gym wear to make it look like a legit outfit.  So, for those busy mommas on the move all the time, I just added a black blazer and some tall boots with a statement necklace to my regular every day gray Nike yoga pants and black tank.  Wala!  Ready to hit the streets without sacrificing style or comfort.  (and without lugging around a huge gym bag)

2. Find a great pair of leggings that make you feel fabulous!  And don't be afraid of color!  The brighter, the better :)

3.  I love this beauty trick!!  Line the inside of your bottom lids with WHITE eyeliner.  It will make your eyes POP!  If you have squinty eyes like me, this trick will come in handy.

4.  Find a pair of great shoes!!  Fabulous shoes always make me work harder.  Haha!  I'm such a girl :)  I know shoes can be costly, so when picking out the right pair, make sure you are going to love them a few weeks/months from purchasing them.  I love bright colored shoes, but they will only go with so many outfits.  If you can't afford a new pair of shoes every month, try buying a shoe that is more neutral, and then change out the shoe strings for added color. 

5.  Find a pair of fabulous gloves!  I got these from Femme Fitale and not only are they fashionable and make me feel feminine when I'm lifting, but they protect your hand from calluses.

6.  Write down your workouts.  Plan them.  I have all of my workouts written down on this ring of note cards.  That way I walk into the gym having a plan of attack.  I know exactly what I am supposed to be doing.  Also, if there is ever a day when I don't feel creative enough to come up with a different workout, it's great to whip these bad boys out and pick from my stack of note cards. 

7.  When the cold weather hits, it's important to bundle up.  So choose a bright colored vest like this one or jacket and scarf to throw on as you head out the door to the gym.  Vest is from Old Navy, scarf is from Nutrition Snob Clothing.

8.  Find a store that has great quality clothes that will last for a long time.  Gym clothes can be expensive.  But, it's better to find great pieces that will last than constantly replacing your yoga pants.  Athleta is one of my favorite stores (and most dangerous) because they have super cute clothing that are not too terribly expensive, but GREAT quality.  I would encourage you to invest in a couple pair of pants that will last.  When shopping, keep in mind what you have at home to pair with your purchases.  That way, you don't get home and realize you have nothing that goes with your new duds!

9.  Invest in a good spray tan.  For me, this is something I could never live without because I feel so BLAW when I don't have some color on me.  Not only does it give you a fresh look, but is completely %100 safe!  (and won't produce wrinkles later on...HOLLA!)

10.  Last but not least, JUST BE YOU!!!!!  No matter what you look like, what you weigh, what color of hair or eyes you have, where you live, what kind of car you drive....realize that YOU ARE FABULOUS!!!  God made you perfect!  Embrace your whole being and know that you are blessed!

Make sure to follow Kattie for more fashion tips and fitness fun!!

Kattie Fleece Fitness

Gorgeous G-Loves

I like to lift heavy, pull hard, push the limits, and sweat it out during my training.  There is nothing about my workouts that are delicate, gentle, or easy.  Whatever I wear or use for my training has some serious requirements to meet, including my gloves.  Being the girly girl that I am when my passion for intense training and desire for fabulous fabrics meet, I am one happy girl!

My most recent find has been the fabulous and functional G-Loves.

I admit the beautiful colors, designs, prints, and lace had me at HELLO!  Having had a few pairs of workout gloves I know what I want and after reading about the fabric, glove design for grip and breath ability I was all in!



Ive been using this amazing pair for two
weeks now and they have held up
great.  The fabric is so soft I hardly feel
like I am wearing them.  The grip is just enough to help me grab onto the weights or hang from the pull up bars just a little longer.  The best part is because of the fabric Ive noticed they don't stink as much as my last pair from all the sweat.  One of my clients also has these, she has washed them several times and says they come out like new.  Not only do they function as a pair of gloves should but they make me happy, seriously when I pull them out of my gym bag I cant wait to get them on, they are so pretty!!

I have my eye on a few other pairs, there are so many why not have a few sets right? Make sure to visit their website G-Loves and find your perfect match! And pick your print with CAUTION the cheetah does not go without being noticed!!!

As Always,
Love, Sweat, Grit,
Christie FitNix

Wear Your Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere you look!

Fitness tank tops with our favorite motivational quotes, wrist bands, posters, and one of my favorites jewelry!

My favorite place for motivational jewelry is Fashletics. I discovered Flashletics less than a year ago and love their message, Live, Love, Lift!  It is more than a tag line it is certainly a way of life!  Fashletics handmade jewelry is inspired by a passion for fitness with charms to represent us all!  

My first piece was the 45lb plate, the I Choose Strength Charm, and the Lift charm. That about sums me up, lol!!  Just recently after my third baby The Patience charm which reminds you on the back I Know What I Will Become seriously needs to be added to my collection. They have cross fit pieces, kettle bells, and even inspiraton for the runners out there. 

Each morning before my training when I put on my Fashletics I'm reminded of the journey I'm on. Before my baby it was strength, power, endurance, and joy. Now I'm starting over and need the reminder that it comes with time, patience and a hard work. I take that reminder with me to the gym, on my runs, soccer practice with my girls, and at the end of a busy day when I take it off I'm reminded I'm one day closer to where I want to be!!









I wonder what your inspiration charm would say? 
Make sure to head over to Fashletics and find your perfect match!!
As Always,
Love, Sweat, Grit,
Christie FitNIx
 

Overcoming Fear Of The Weight Room

Are you afraid of the weight room? 

Not sure of how to use the equipment, perform that exercise, or feel like everyone is starring?

Here are some helpful hints and my thoughts about all that!

Reason #1- I don't know how to use the equipment

Well if you've never used it of course you don't!  Everyone who knows their way around a weight room was taught at some point how to use free weights and machines.

 

SOLUTION-
Hire a trainer or someone you trust to teach you.  Most gyms or trainers want you to sign a package deal, usually a year commitment, and that's a lot if you just want a tutorial. Be honest with the staff, tell them your intentions and desires, usually they will work with you. Some gyms will have a baseline package, for instance 10 PT sessions at a minimum. Perfect!!  At each of those session you get your butt kicked and go into that workout anxious to learn your way around the gym. Once those sessions are complete and you realize you've forgotten something chances are your trainer or the training staff will be happy to show you one more time.

* and yes training can be expensive! It will be an investment that more than pays for itself.  Either you want to learn at all costs or you don't. 

If you have a general idea what your doing but a question about one particular machine, ask someone!!  Ask a trainer, ask another lady, ASK A DUDE! Seriously MOST people at the gym really are happy people, hello they have endorphins.  I find that if you approach someone with a question and eye contact they will smile and be pleasant just the same.

When all else fails and you leave the gym frustrated you couldn't figure out that machine, YouTube it.  The content may not be legit but you should be able to tell if someone knows what their doing, enough to give you a general idea and try it for yourself. 

REASON #2

I think I look silly, I'm doing it wrong, people are staring

 

SOLUTION- 

At what point do we stop worrying about what others think and train for our self. If you let that fear keep you from trying your missing the whole point. If your afraid your doing it wrong refer to solution #1. Having someone teach and support you would make you feel much more comfortable and set you up to train on your own without feeling silly. 

Here's another golden nugget for you........a lot of people including those guys that intimidate you ARE DOING IT WRONG!  Really they are.  How many times have I seen a "buff dude" with skinny legs because he just trains upper body. What a shame....be better than that and show them how to squat, like a girl! Everyone has seen the guy doing the bicep curls using his entire body to move the weight, that's not right either but hey at least he's trying I guess. 

If people stare, let them stare. Put your headphones in, crank up those pump up tunes, and get to your workout. I rarely even make eye contact (which is why you might think everyone at the gym is rude) with people to know if they are looking or not.
 

REASON #3

I don't know what to do 

SOLUTION 

Make a plan!!  When you grocery shop it is more than likely that you have a list. When I make my list I write the things I need down in the order in which the store is laid out, keeps me from wasting time going back and forth.
Once you've familiarized yourself with the equipment, machines and free weights you can write your training for each day keeping yourself busy in each part of the gym until it's time to move on. For instance if I'm in the squat rack I will do my squats and then maybe a reverse lunge and kettelbell swings in that space.  Once I'm done with my squats I un-rack my weight and move on. 

* if you need a plan Busy Mom Gets Fit has several already made for you with pictures of the equipment and starting and stopping for each movement. 

* I would also suggest a training journal to keep all your workouts in one place. 

REASON #4

The men hog the machines

SOLUTION

Now that you have your plan in your training journal and you see someone (most likely a man) using what you need just get his attention and nicely ask 

Hey can I work in with you or how many sets do you have left?

If anything he will at least be aware that you are waiting your turn  (which we all have to do). Or think about the machine you were going to use and what muscle group that would work  it's likely that there is another machine or movement with free weights that you can do instead of waiting. If you wanted to do straight bar lat Pull downs and you didn't want to wait use the cable machine with two handles and do your Pull downs independently from each other.  

I promise I am not making light of your fears, frustrations, or annoyances of the weight room. We all have them and some will never go away. The biggest thing is for you to understand we all started somewhere. If you never start it will never happen. At some point you have to buck up and dive in.
As Always,
Love, Sweat, Grit,
Christie FitNix

12 WEEKS POSTPARTUM UPDATE

12 Weeks Postpartum Progress

12 weeks already and my baby boy is 2.5 months old, it really does go by fast. Well them growing and reaching all those milestones does at least.

For the moms losing the weight, fitting back into our clothes, and feeling strong again could never come quick enough right?

While that's true I have mostly embraced this journey and have concentrated hard on giving myself the grace (and time) I need to recover from having a baby. 

The last six weeks I was able to start back at the gym and I love it. I will admit deciding what to wear wasn't fun or worrying about others opinions of my post baby body but hitting the heavy weights felt amazing. It was almost (I said almost) like I had never taken a break.

 

These are 3 weeks, 5, weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks postpartum progress pictures. I see changes in my legs, lower abdomen and back area for sure. 

 

Left picture right before baby in July, middle picture was 5 weeks postpartum and last picture is 12 weeks postpartum. 

* my boobs are still ginormo (black bra hides that a little), I usually hold weight there and all over until I stop nursing so that may be a while. 

Progress has been made, in several ways. I definitely feel stronger. My pelvic floor and lower back were very weak after delivery (even after all that pregnancy planking and squatting I did) but I can feel all of that returning to normal (yay no more accidental pee).  

The scale is moving......slowly. I am down another 5 pounds from my last update so I'm losing less than a pound a week. I am eating in a small caloric deficit but nursing and making muscle demand proper calories, so I make sure those calories are eaten wisely.  My polar is constantly telling me to train less in zone 3 and that's while lifting so I'm comfortable with my expenditure each day and not over doing cardio.

I started the Busy Mom Gets Fit 12 week 5 day gym plan 3 weeks ago and really contribute my most recent progress to that type of training. I try to add 15-30 minutes of sprint intervals, jogging or the step mill 3 days a week at least.

Link to the training plan I currently follow and co-authored.
Busy Mom Gets Fit Training Plans
 

So I said the scale is moving and I am happy about that. But here is the thing with the scale, if I let it my entire mood will be effected by what I see. Before my pregnancy gaining weight meant gaining muscle mass which was a desired outcome. Right now I have fat to lose that is just part of pregnancies and my body. A few weeks ago I weighed in and saw no change, I spent the next three miles fighting back tears and feeling frustrated. Then I reminded myself I wouldn't change anything. Not my training, not my eating, and not my goals. I know that I am working hard and giving it all I have, I don't doubt that for one minute.  So I only weigh myself every 3-4 weeks and I step on reminding myself of each workout I did and each piece of sugar I stepped away from (sweets are my enemy). It's more than calories in and calories out for me, if I wanted I could spend hours on cardio machines to beat the scale but that's not my goals so that's not my plan. So I've continued to dig in and stay the course and remember the scale is one tool for the measurement of progress and let that be it. 

In six weeks I will have my first ever professional photo shoot. I would have never believed you if you told me I would be doing such a thing so quickly after a baby.  The shoot isn't because I'm going to look great it's for the Mom Power Team which I am part of and Gorgo Fitness Magazine. That is certainly keeping me motivated but I also know that anything that lasts takes time and building my body back will definitely take more than 4 months.  

I will be back with progress in 6 weeks and let you know how I feel about doing such a thing as a photo shoot with all those fit hot moms. Then again at the end of my 12 week BMGF plan. I took better before pictures for my next update but for this update tried to keep the same pose and stance, etc. 

A lot of you have asked to see what my diet looks like. While I am conscious of my food and macros I am not putting myself on a competitors diet just because I know what that is, not yet. I try to get protein at every meal, keep my cheats to one meal a week, and watch my sugar. 

BREAKFAST

is usually protein coffee and then a nutrimeal shake after I train clients and before I train myself. I add egg whites, a little PB2 ice and water to that shake. Oatmeal or Ezekiel muffins are also something I would have. For more ideas read what the Mom Power Team eats for breakfast.

I should be drinking a post workout shake but haven't been 100% on that. I usually come home and need to nurse and then I'm ready for lunch. 

LUNCH 

has been sliced chicken sandwiches on whole wheat sandwich thins with cocoa roasted almonds. Just recently I'm trying to add protein to that and cut some carbs.  Here is a meal I like to make for lunch if I have no prepped food. There was an original recipe but I have changed it a lot to fit my lifestyle.

Asian Broccoli Slaw

Half a bag of coleslaw

half a red pepper chopped

1/4 a cup of green onion

broccoli florets (about 8 broken apart)

1 package of tuna or cooked chicken (about 4oz)

 

Dressing

1/4 cup Braggs liquid Aminos

1 TBSP light oil

3 TBSP of white wine vinegar

1 TBSP PB2

1 clove minced garlic

stevia (to taste)

mix and poor over salad

TOP WITH CASHEWS YUMM!!!!

 

 

DINNER 

Is usually chicken, fish or beef prepared in some fashion.  I have found ways to clean up some of my family favorites. I usually serve with a side salad, veggies, or brown rice. I will provide some links to a few of my favorite easy make meals. 

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html

I make a homemade taco seasoning for this one. 

One Pot Beef Skillet

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/docs/2012/beef-skillet.pdf

Garlic Parmesean Chicken

http://heidipowell.net/2522/whats-for-dinner-garlic-parmesan-chicken/

I love Heidi Powells website because she is a busy working/stay at home mom, her meals are usually quick and easy.
 

SNACKS

quest bars

Cashews

Almonds

Rice cakes w peanut butter

Apple

Grapes

Protein coffee

I track my calories and macros using myfitnesspal app. Eating clean foods or the right foods is great but too much of one or not enough of the other won't help me reach my goals. So the app keeps me on track and aware of how much I am eating and accountable. Making sure to not eat something I shouldn't. I shoot for 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of my desired goal weight. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies and my fats are from healthy sources such as nuts, oils, and fish. 

My efforts toward diet have improved, it has taken time to adjust to three children, life, and prepping food (and making time to eat).  I pretty much kept the same eating routine while pregnant, only buying foods in our house that I want my kids or myself to eat. That has helped with getting back into a routine.  I cook at least four nights a week and we get by with left overs the rest of the week and drive thru once a week (A grilled chicken salad for me). I did ditch the Nutella, it had to go, and my 5 year old hasn't missed it either. So props to me for winning over the footholds of Nutella :-) 

This progress is far from amazing and far from where I want to be but it's progress. And it's only been made with diligence in the kitchen and intense training for an hour to an hour and a half a day. No pills, excessive cardio, shake gimmicks or wraps. I'm nursing so even my supplements are extremely limited. 

I'm not where I want to be but I'm 12 weeks closer than I was that's for sure. Just goes to show what making a plan and following through will get you. If you need help doing that please let me know how I can help!!  

Love, Sweat, Grit,

Christie FitNix