Gretchen's fit life

Desire to Inspire

2011-12-02T13:54:00.001-05:00

How does your protein shake compare?

2011-11-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

5 Tips for healthy travel this winter

2011-11-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

Air travel is harsh on your body. You have tight seating arrangements, the cabin air is very dry, and the food is questionable. Extended periods of air travel can lead to blood clots in the legs - deep vein thrombosis, muscle stiffness, and increase the likelihood of developing an illness- common cold/flu.

• Pack your own healthy snacks and meals. Be sure to double check that the contents of your meals are approved by the airline and the FAA before to head to the airport.

•Carry an empty water bottle to fill after you’ve cleared security. While flying, drink 8 0z of water for ever hour you fly to avoid dehydration.

•Walk the concourses while you’re waiting for your flight.

•Request an aisle seat so you can get up to walk around. Spend some time standing, doing toe raises and stretching. This can be more difficult to accomplish with heightened security these days. Just do what you can.

•When seated, point and flex your feet, stretch your shoulders and neck, and clench and unclench your thighs, abs and glutes.

•Make a point of getting some exercise as soon as you arrive at your destination

3 Tips to achieve your weightless and health goals

2011-10-28T17:58:00.003-04:00

Keep an exercise and food journal

Write down everything you eat/drink, including that tablespoon of sugar you add to your morning coffee. Keeping track of the kinds of foods you eat along with the quantity will keep you focused on your goal. Writing down what you eat keeps you accountable and you will be less likely to sneak that cookie or a candy bar.

Exercise is important. Keep track of the kinds of exercises you perform and how long you perform them. Note:
• Resting heart rate
• Heart rate during warm up,
• Where did your heart rate peak?
• How long it took for your heart rate to slow down during your cool down

Stay Positive

Writing down everything can sometimes lead to guilty feelings about the kinds of foods you ate or the quantity. Don’t berate yourself. Heath is a lifestyle and should be a life long mission. There are always small changes you can make throughout your life that will help you achieve your goals. You are suppose to enjoy life and apart of enjoying life is enjoying food!

Find Inspiration

Inspiration is a powerful motivator. Find a story or a person that inspirers you to live a healthier lifestyle. Try and connect with the person who inspired you. Relationships add a deeper level of commitment and perseverance to help you achieve your goals.

What tips do you have to help people achieve their weightless and health goals?

WBFF Fit & Firm Magazine - Issue XIV - July/August 2011

2011-10-17T16:15:00.000-04:00

Click Here if you have trouble viewing this page.

Click Here to read the online edition of Fit and Firm Magazine!!
For more information on products CLICK HERE More information of ViSalus Sciences® and the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge CLICK HERE CLICK HERE
Interested in promoting the challenge to earn extra income?

Healthy Snack Options and Recipes

2011-09-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

Healthy trade-outs and Easy snacks:

1. Trade out cheese for Hummus
2. If you must have cheese, Light Laughing Cow cheese is a great snack option.
3. Use coconut oil or olive oil in place of butter and other spreads –Spread coconut oil on a whole wheat English muffin.
4. Substitute Almond milk, which is full of Omega 3s, for soy milk or regular milk
5. Make healthy snacks readily available by doing the prep work ahead of time.
6. Make the switch to 0% fat Greek Yogurt instead of using sour cream.
7. Reach for a hard boiled egg or a pickle spear when hunger strikes

Snack recipes

Rice Cake

Spread with peanut butter and sugar free jelly with sliced banana.

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Hummus

Spread hummus on whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pita, or use pretzels. (Be sure to pay attention to the serving size)
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French Onion Dip Recipe

1 pkg. McCormick® French Onion Dip Seasoning Mix
1 cup of 0% fat Greek Yogurt (FAGE is my favorite)

STIR Greek Yogurt and Seasoning Mix in small bowl until well blended. Cover.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Stir before serving. Serve with sweet potato chips, whole wheat crackers or fresh vegetables.

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Trail Mix

1 cup raw or toasted walnuts
1 cup raw or toasted almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup of dried oats
2 oz unsweetened coconut (optional)
½ cup dried fruit of your choice (loosely-packed with no added sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degree F
Spread walnut, almonds, and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 - 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, add dried oats, coconut and dried fruit in a mixing bowl. Add toasted mixture and stir to combine.

This should make about 16 servings of ¼ cup each.

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Purchase products CLICK HERE

ViSalus Sciences® and the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge CLICK HERE

Interested in promoting the challenge to earn extra income? CLICK HERE

Welcome to my Community!

2011-09-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

Eat healthy, Have Fun and Save Money!

2011-08-21T09:55:00.000-04:00

All you need to know about eating a healthy balance diet without emptying your wallet.

Facts:

•People who eat lower-calorie nutrient dense diet, and meet the new dietary guidelines, spend about $13,256.80 annually per person on groceries.

•In order to meet the new requirements for potassium alone would add $380 per year to the average consumer's food costs.

•Only 25% of us eat the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables each day.

•You CAN reduce your annual grocery bill, anywhere from 20% to 69%

•You CAN get all the nutrition you need to live a healthier lifestyle.

Almost 15 percent of households in America say they don't have enough money to eat the way they want to eat. Recent estimates show 49 million Americans make food decisions based on cost.

According to Adam Drewnowski, a University of Washington epidemiology professor who studies obesity and social class, a diet high in calories cost $3.52 a day compared with $36.32 a day for a lower calorie healthier diet!

The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines released in January, increase the recommended amounts of nutrients (potassium, fiber, calcium and vitamin D) in our daily diets. Drewnowski’s study shows that meeting the new requirements for potassium alone would add $380 per year to the average consumer's food costs.

People who eat a lower-calorie nutrient dense diet, and meet the new dietary guidelines, spend about $13,256.80 per person per year on groceries. That is $53,027.20 annually for a family of four! Are you alarmed by this, because you should be?

Eating right is a financial challenge for most people. This is why 49% of our food dollars are spent on fast food, and only 25% of us eat the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables each day.

Good nutrition is the basis for good health and the folks at ViSalus Sciences® understand that proper nutrition is vital, but it also needs to be affordable. Their top tier scientists have created innovative science-based nutraceuticals backed by rigorous research to ensure the greatest nutritional health and wellness benefits at an affordable price.

ViSalus Sciences® is a part of Blyth, Inc., a publicly traded company and is led by three dynamic Founders who have inspired millions of people to begin their journey to a healthier lifestyle.

In order to keep you motivated and keep food costs down, ViSalus Sciences® created the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge. The challenge is designed to be fun, simple, and save you money, while promoting good health.

So what does this mean for your grocery bill? It means you save money while eating a nutrient dense balanced diet! Body by Vi™ offers four great options to fit every budget.

If you want to save even more money on your grocery bill, Body by Vi™ offers a program called Refer 3, Get Your Next Month Free! Refer three others, to the same or greater Challenge Kit as you every month, and they'll ship your next kit for free.

Studies have shown that the odds of achieving your health goals go up dramatically when you take this Challenge with others, and if it can help, you get your products for free. You could refer a sibling, a parent, a friend, or even a co-worker.

Transformation Kit:
This kit is packed with the ultimate in shaping and nutritional ingredients and contains a 30-day supply of everything needed to help transform your body for a healthier, happier you. This kit supplies two nutritional meals a day plus an assortment of healthy extras.

Average annual cost of your new grocery bill with this kit is $7,053.60 per year.
If you refer three people, the average annual cost drops to $4,065.60

The Core Kit
This kit supports an active/fitness lifestyle with a patented anti-aging and energy formula, balanced nutrition, and hydration and energy without the jitters. This program is founded on keeping your nutrition in balance with one shake per day, to help your body fuel itself with lean protein, and much more.

Average annual cost of your new grocery bill with this kit is $10,519.20 per year.
If you refer three people, the average annual cost drops to $8,131.20

The Shape Kit
This kit helps you to see results and start shaping your body. This kit contains 2 meals per day of a great-tasting shake packed with powerful nutrition. The kit includes an assortment of our Health Flavors, to add flavor variety, and added health benefits to your shake.

Average annual cost of your new grocery bill with this kit is $5,253.60 per year.
If you refer three people, the average annual cost drops to $4,065.60

The Balance Kit
This Kit is designed to help you begin your journey by giving your body good nutritional balance. This kit contains 30 servings of balanced nutrition with our Vi-Shape™ Nutritional Shake Mix for once-a-day balanced nutrition. The kit includes an assortment of our Health Flavors, to add flavor variety, and added health benefits to your shake.

Average annual cost of your new grocery bill with this kit is $8,719.20 per year.
If you refer three people, the average annual cost drops to is $8.131.20

You can eat a healthy nutrient dense diet at an affordable price. With the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge, you can reduce your annual grocery bill, anywhere from 20% to 69% and get all the nutrition you need to live a healthier lifestyle. Now that sounds like a good reason to get healthy!

For more information on the products mentioned CLICK HERE

More information of ViSalus Sciences® and the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge CLICK HERE

Interested in promoting the challenge to earn extra income? CLICK HERE

Fast Food Picks in a Pinch

2011-05-06T13:32:00.000-04:00

As mothers we are all stretched a little to thin at times. Meeting the demands of keeping up a home, school, and all of the activities that go along with raising children is often difficult to do. We all find ourselves in the car when the little ones need to eat. Fast food is a tricky situation because most of the foods served are pure junk, but the fast food restaurants have cleaned up their act in the past few years. Most places offer a few “healthier” options. When I need to grab food fast I have a few go-to’s that help keep us all from getting grumpy!

Subway is always a good option. J.T. loves subway because he gets to pick out all of the toppings. I am always amazed by all the veggies he puts on his Sandwich. Some good choices here are a 4-inch turkey, roast beef, or roasted chicken cut into strips with no cheese, on wheat bread, a yogurt, and 100% apple juice.

At Burger King have the Mac and Cheese, apple “fries” with caramel dipping sauce, and chocolate milk. When there is a Wendy’s nearby choose the junior hamburger, mandarin oranges, and low-fat milk. If your children like chicken drumsticks you can get one grilled at KFC with corn on the cob, string cheese and water.

Keep in mind where there is a will there is a way. When healthy options are important, you can always find something healthier than a Happy Meal!

Have a healthy week!

XOXO

Gretchen

90-Day Challenge

2010-12-02T01:54:00.000-05:00

Everyone has been asking about my recent posts regarding the 90-day challenge. Let me start by saying it is legit and it does work. I personally have seen people get results. I came across the company in my search for a product to sell on my website. As a competitor, and nutritionist I have people ask me for weight loss advice all the time. And over and over what I find is they can workout with the best of them but they cannot get organized enough to plan and prep 5 meals a day. No matter how much you try to explain that the diet is the key they cannot grasp it. Having up to two shakes a day, as a meal replacement is a great way to make food prep and planning more attainable for everyone. I mean really, how much time does it take to pour the mix in a shaker cup and drink it. And it goes anywhere you do! NO COOLER REQUIRED!

I got excited when I found the Body by Vi Challenge because it gives people and easier more cost effective way to diet. First of all the products are phenomenal. They taste great and are packed with nutrients to help you build lean muscle, speed up your metabolism, and help burn fat. When used properly they work to help your body become more efficient. They keep you feeling full, increase your energy, expedite digestion and provide your body with more nutrients that you could get in a day from eating. The other plus you get from drinking the Vi Shape Shakes is that it satisfies your sweet tooth because it taste like cake mix! Second you have the 90-day Challenge, which gives you something to be accountable too. You will upload before and after photos and track your progress on a user friendly website that also gives you access to training programs and additional nutrition information to expedite your progress. The part of this that I love most is that there is a forum of other people on the challenge who you can share success and struggles with. Studies have shown that your rate of success on any diet program is higher if you get others to join in on your quest. Visalus understands this concept so much that if you find three friends to join the challenge with you, Visalus will give you your product for free! Is that an amazing concept or what? Lastly it is cost effective and budget friendly because it is a meal replacement. Basically you are taking money you are already spending on food and reallocating it. At less than $2 a meal, you will more than likely spend less than you currently do. And remember that is only if you have to pay for it. To be sure you have 3 friends who think they need to lose weight.

I hope I have answered all of your questions but if not please email me. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Xoxo

Gretchen

Getting Your Children To Love Healthy Eating

2010-08-25T16:41:00.000-04:00

How many of feel like your parents taught you everything you need to know about nutrition? I certainly don’t think mine did. I can remember my mother giving me Coke and Pepsi out of a bottle. Granted these were the days when everyone smoked and ate whatever they wanted. My mother didn’t have the skills, or the knowledge of proper nutrition to be able to teach me. Growing up in poverty didn’t help either. There were a lot of days when the only meal I had was a free school lunch, and don’t even get me started on nutrition in schools, that is a whole other blog. This set me up for an adult life riddled with terrible habits like drinking a 6 pack of Coke every day and McDonalds being my restaurant of choice. I would go weeks at a time eating Kraft Mac and Cheese almost every meal. Do any of these things sound familiar to you? Who out there wants to give their children a better, healthier palette than you had? How many of you want to educate them to make healthy food choices so that their lunch in high school doesn’t consist of a bag of chips and a soft drink from the vending machines on campus?

When I began my competition prep I did not realize that one of the benefits of my prep was going to be an education on nutrition that my entire family would use. On a daily basis, I was learning about the benefits of foods nutritional contents, how to combine foods for peak energy and mental clarity, and when your body needs to be feed. I wanted to fuel my children’s growing bodies with foods to keep them ready for any adventure that came their way. I figured out early on that if I was going to be able to maintain my goal weight and compete year after year I was going to have to get my family eating the same way. It was very time consuming to prepare 2 meals every night. When I made the change in my house my children were 5 and 2. I’m not going to say it was the easiest thing to do but if you are persistent you can educated your children and get healthy foods into them at the same time. Here are some of the things I used to get my children started.

Clean out your pantry

I like to call this one “Shock and Awe”. The easiest way for you as a parent to get your children on a healthy track is to get everything out of your house that you don’t want them to eat. This will limit the tantrums and arguments over foods they want to eat that may not be the healthiest choices. You will be surprised how this will also keep your cravings at bay too. Replace these food choices with healthy picks like Organic Peanut butter, Part skim milk cheese sticks, whole grain cereals, yogurt, hummus, salt free pretzels, rice cakes, raisins, whole grain waffles, rice works chips, carrots and other veggies they can dip, and a variety of fruits set out within there reach. Prepare healthy baked goods like banana bread and zucchini muffins.

Lead by example

How can you expect your children to eat healthy if you don’t? Let them see you eat and enjoy healthy food. Discuss the foods on your plate and how they make you healthier and stronger. Put it into terms they can relate to. My boys like it when I relate, “Super foods” to “Super Heroes”. Hey, whatever works! I remember the first Christmas after I made the change, my family came to visit and I served a platter of meats and cheeses and my 5 year old asked “Mommy, What are the healthy foods on this plate”? My family couldn’t believe a child so young was concerned about what healthy foods were! The more they see you eating these foods the more apt they will be to try them.

Put it on their plate

It takes 7 to 10 times for a child to have a food on his plate before he will try it. Don’t get discourage, encourage them to try the foods without making a big deal about it.

Get them when they are hungry

I don’t know about your but when I pick my children up from school they act like they haven’t had a thing to eat all day. I find this is the best time to get them to try something new. My oldest son’s school is 25 minutes from our house so I will take a healthy snack and bottle of water with me when I pick him up. This gets him by until we get home. When I get them home I make a healthy snack with at least on thing I want them to try.

Provide a disciplined eating structure

Children typically don’t like changes so expect them to express their dislike to the new changes. Now I cook one meal for dinner and remind my children that our kitchen is not an eat-on-demand cafeteria! If they refuse to eat what I am serving for dinner, I simply cover it and save it for when they are hungry. If they don’t eat it later that night, I don’t have any problem sending them to bed without dinner. No child ever starved by missing dinner. When they get really hungry they will eat what you serve and they will soon realize you are not playing around.

Get your children involved

Take them to the grocery or better yet the farmers market with you. This is a great place to educate them on healthy vs. not so healthy foods. There are always samples for them to try, and you will be shocked at what they will eat if it is a sample! I also enjoy cooking with my children. We have a great children’s cookbook that was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa. It has pictures of all the foods and even pictures for the directions. I let them go through it and pick out things they want to make. They feel in control and so grown up, and love to eat the foods they helped make. I’ve gotten them to try so many foods they would never have eaten had it not been in that cookbook. There are some great websites where you could download kid friendly recipes. Try these for starters!

www.parenting.com/recipes

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_eating_kids

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/for-kids/index.html

Camp Savage Toronto

2010-08-11T12:39:00.000-04:00

I just returned from Camp Savage Toronto and what an amazing camp it was. Cathy and her team go all out to make the weekend a memorable, even life changing weekend for all the women who attend. She is known for promoting a team atmosphere even sisterhood of women who train together and compete together. Cathy had representative's from Oxygen magazine, Paul and Allsion Dillett owners of the WBFF, and Berns Bedard from Passion Fruit Designs on hand to answer campers questions. We were all entertained by by the fitness routines of Andi Martin, Amber Ameredes, and Fitness Universe Champion Annete Perry.

For any woman who has not had the opportunity to attend Camp Savage, let me give you the breakdown. This 3 day camp covers all aspects of competition prep like, nutrition, posing, outfit selection, a breakdown of all the federations, glam factor, tanning, a model prep seminar, competition suit design, photo shoot how to's, and training, including 4 workouts lead by Lil P, Lindsay Messina, and the fabulous Andi Martin.(Ouch) Every camper also had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with one of the industry's best photographers and fellow Savage Girl Liana Saadi Louzon! Best of all, each camper got a personal assessment from the one and only Cathy Savage, this is something you won't get at any other fitness camp in the county.

I met women from all different backgrounds and countries who wanted to make a change in there life, weather to compete or just to get healthy and look like a fitness model. I was able to see woman after woman find out more about herself and define her goals this weekend. Talk about female empowerment! I can't wait to do it again in January.

My Fitness Journey

2010-06-06T14:03:00.001-04:00

This was featured on CathySavageFitness.com. I thought I would share it hear.

My Fitness Journey

When I stood onstage last week as the overall Bikini Champion at the North Carolina State Bikini Competition, I doubt anyone imagined that just 3 1/2 years ago I gave birth to twins. In fact, I am a 35-year-old wife, mother of three (I have a six-year-old son in addition to the twins), and real estate professional. Not surprisingly, my very busy life has often left me feeling overextended, struggling to take care of everyone else’s needs and finding little time at all for myself.

I had a perfect pregnancy with my first child, but after a textbook 25-pound weight gain I still struggled to lose the weight. I kept telling myself that I was just going to get pregnant again soon, so the extra pounds really did not bother me too much. As often happens, things did not go entirely according to plan, and after two years of trying to conceive, including a year of fertility treatments, I gave birth to the twins. I soon found myself completely overwhelmed. The first year was so difficult I cried every day. I felt my life was in shambles; I wasn’t sleeping, I was barely eating, and most of what I did eat was fast food or pure junk. I was exhausted and suffering from stress and anxiety. Taking care of my family was so overwhelming that I remember very little of that first year except that I thought I was going to die, everyday. When the twins turned one I knew something had to change or I was going to go crazy.

I had become interested in fitness training in my early twenties when a friend handed me a copy of Oxygen Magazine on a flight to NYC. I read it cover to cover! I admired women who really took care of their bodies, and a physique that was feminine and had some muscle always got my attention. I dreamed of competing in fitness for many years before I actually got the nerve to do it, and when I finally decided to try it, it seemed there was always an obstacle that I could not get past. Working too much, being single, relocating for work, getting married -- all of these things led to inconsistent training. After I had children I thought my chance to compete was gone. As I struggled with the demands of family obligations and professional responsibilities, I realized that it was time to make some fundamental changes in the way I was taking care of myself. I could not be a good wife and mother and professional without first being a strong and healthy woman.

I still dreamed of competing in fitness shows and I set the goal to finally do it. I have always been independent and driven to succeed, and when I set my mind to something, I do my best to achieve it. When I realized that my early training was somewhat disorganized, I began to search for the right trainer to help me achieve my goals. It was important to me to find someone who could help me be successful in a healthy, sustainable, natural way. During my search for a trainer, one name kept coming up: Cathy Savage. I joined Cathy’s online program in March 2008 but soon realized I wanted a more intensive experience. In January 2009 I attended Cathy’s weekend fitness camp in Boston, and that weekend changed my life in more ways than I can tell you. I was surrounded by amazing women who had fought through their own personal challenges and had found peace and accomplishment through fitness. These women were of all ages, backgrounds, and education levels. They were strong, confident, and willing to share their struggles. I found coaches who truly loved and cared about the health and wellbeing of the women in those beautifully fit bodies, and I learned to value my own health and wellbeing in a completely new way. I found a place where I fit in and felt understood and where I was surrounded by women who shared many of my goals and values and priorities. From that point forward I was committed! I trained consistently and passionately, always striving to improve my fitness from one month to the next. I thought about everything I put into my mouth, carrying my cooler packed with nutritious foods on beach trips and family vacations. I put my faith in my coaches to guide me. In the past fifteen months my coaches and teammates at Cathy Savage Fitness have become some of the best friends I could ever imagine, and they have surrounded me with support and encouragement. I have gained the confidence to set higher goals for myself in fitness and in life in general, and I am accomplishing things I never thought I would. In addition to fitness competitions and modeling, I am now studying to become a certified nutritionist. My passion for health and fitness has opened new doors for me, and my sense of achievement in exceeding my goals has given me a new appreciation of my strengths as a woman, wife, and mother. This journey has transformed my body, mind, and spirit. What began as a way to look good and feel better has become my path to feeling great. I’ve committed myself to living a healthy lifestyle so that I can take care of my family, work a very demanding job, and actually manage to enjoy it all. Winning bikini competitions after giving birth to three children is a side effect of choosing to work hard for health, and what a good one it is!

The awakening!

2010-06-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

Most people have an awakening at some point in their lives. Sometimes it involves a relationship, or work and such. Some people have many awakenings darning there life, I like to think I am one of these people! My fitness awakening came in December of 2008. I was in my kitchen cleaning up after feeding my family take out for the 15th time that month. As I scrapped the plates I felt a knot in my stomach. I knew what I was feeding myself and my family was absolute junk with little to no nutritional value. Yet I allowed myself to do it over and over because “I didn’t have time to cook”. Mind you at this time I was going to the gym and telling everyone I was going to do a fitness competition, I just kept moving the date! I wanted to do better than this and I knew I owed it to my children to help them establish better eating habits than I did when I was their age. But did I really have the dedication, strength, and resolve to be the EXAMPLE. The mere thought of this make me tremble with fear right there in front of the garbage can!

So I did what I normally do when I am faced with having to take the tough path, I tried to ignore it and hoped it went away! ; ) But it did not go away, in fact the feeling got worse. Every time I fed my children something processed or loaded with sugar, I would have visions of their life as teenagers or young adults struggling just to be healthy, be competitive in sports, or for my daughter, fighting the body image battle that most women face and constant dieting to change habits I helped create! It was all to much for me! Then came “The Awakening”! I realized I did not have a choice. I had to change, if not for my health, for the health of my family.

On Jan 1, 2009 I changed. I resolved to give my body the nutrition it deserved and the consistent exercise it so desperately needed. I resolved to commit to a competition date, and if I did not look the way I wanted I was going to force myself to do it anyway. With the support of my husband and a very dedicated workout partner who drove me to the gym at 4:30am, I did my first competition in May and my second in June. Living a fit and healthy lifestyle is now ingrained in me. I’m a believer, as my husband says, “I drank the Juice”. Now I’m hooked and living a fit life.