Late Summer/Early Fall Playlist

Technically, it's still summer for a few days...with fall right on its heels. This is the time to think about dressing for cooler workouts, along with indoor exercise on the days the weather does not cooperate.

It's also time to update workout music - as we hang onto the last bit of summer and prepare ourselves for autumn, our playlists will include songs that reflect both seasons.

Here's some of what's on my "Change of Season" playlist:

Brave - Sara Bareilles

Overcomer - Mandisa

Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

So What - Pink

Does Your Mother Know - Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia Soundtrack)

Even The Stars Fall 4 U - Keith Urban

Roar - Katy Perry

Gone, Gone, Gone - Phillip Phillips

Blowin' Smoke - Kacey Musgraves

Southern Girl - Tim McGraw

Point At You - Justin Moore

Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow


I recommend separating "Roar" and Brave", since they have a similar beat/feel to them...but they are such inspiring songs that I wanted to include both on the playlist.  In keeping with my theme of mixing styles to keep it interesting, you'll find Christian, country, pop, Broadway, and more on this list.  (And "Overcomer" is a MUST!!!)

What songs motivate you as we move into fall?  Please share with me here, or on Twitter and Facebook.  Let's head towards the holidays together in our best shape ever!

Holiday Fitness Tips from Biggest Loser's Jennifer Rumple

It's the most fattening time of the year...

Well, it is if you don't use a little bit (or sometimes a LOT) of willpower and self-control.  The period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's can be dangerous for people with food addictions, especially with sugary treats.  You feel like you deserve the treats, especially since most others are indulging around you.  And with so much to do to prepare for Christmas, sometimes workouts can fall by the wayside.

Luckily for us, Jennifer Rumple, the at-home winner of Season 12 of Biggest Loser, was gracious enough to speak with me to give us some help in this department.  In fact, she gave me so many great tips that I had to split it into two articles for Hope for Women Magazine.  Her top 5 tips appear in our Fall/Winter print issue, and the others on our website.

You can access the website tips here.  Within the article is a link to subscribe to the issue so you can get all of Jennifer's helpful information.  Remember, her finale was in the middle of December last year, so she had to navigate the holiday season while working toward the prize...and wanted to be at her best on finale night.  She's defnitely knows what she's talking about!

Please share your thoughts on Jen's tips here or on the article at Hope for Women.  Here's to NOT having extra weight to lose in 2013!

Merry Christmas!!!

Since we will all be spending the next couple of days with our family and friends, I want to take the opportunity now to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. Thank you to everyone for joining me on this journey....I really appreciate you and can't wait to share more of my journey well into 2012 and beyond.

May you and your loved ones be blessed this Christmas! xoxoxo

The My Fitspiration Christmas Challenge - Are You In?

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, but not quite like the ones I used to know...

OK, I just want to wear these fabulous dresses. They also remind me of summer and playing tennis!

Maybe I'm really dreaming of a purple Christmas...

As you might be able to tell by now, Olivia and Hannah, last season's Biggest Loser winner and runner-up, really inspire me. And now they're looking to motivate all of us during the holidays!



A few days ago, the sister act know as the Purple Team posted a Christmas Challenge on their blog at My Fitspiration. The idea is to make sure we don't undo all of the hard work we've done in the last few months over the holidays. All you have to do is post a goal that you will achieve between now and New Year's Day. It doesn't have to be super difficult. The goal can be any type of healthy change that you will make during the Christmas season so that you can start 2012 on a positive note. Olivia and Hannah are all about positive changes, and want to help all of us achieve are goals and dreams.



My goal for the Christmas Challenge is to lose 5 pounds...along with limiting sweets and staying away from the diet soda. These are things that I'm already working on, but at this time of year I've always given in to too many Christmas cookies and desserts. 'Tis the season when I've always made the backslide into drinking diet soda again as well. This challenge will keep me on track and conscious of my choices. I can still enjoy the holidays without falling back into old habits. Since I have my final weigh-in tomorrow for the #BL12Challenge, I will use that as my starting weight for the Christmas Challenge.



So - are you in??? Just go over to My Fitspiration and watch the video under Christmas Challenge. (And watch the bloopers too...they're a hoot!) After watching, post your seasonal goal in the comments. Together we can make this a REALLY Merry Christmas!


Now...off to spin I go!!!

Biggest Loser 12 Challenge: Holiday Success!

Holiday challenges...they're EVERYWHERE.

There's decorating, gift shopping and Christmas cards to take care of. We have Christmas parties and other events to attend. Rich desserts and high calorie foods are at every turn. Plus it's harder to schedule our workout time with so much going on.

Can you not only survive, but THRIVE during the holidays? Absolutely. I managed to lose alomost 2 pounds over Thanksgiving - so anything is possible!

This week I had tree trimming, decorating and shopping to do. I didn't get all of my exercise in, but I made sure that everyday I did something. And I still kept my regular spin, yoga and Pilates appointments. I swear that's what keeps me sane, especially right now.

I also had a Christmas party last night with my Cleveland bloggger friends. It was so nice to finally meet everyone and have a good time. I brought healthy options - shrimp and a fruit tray - and ate carefully. There was a good balance between treats and healthy fare on the table, since many of my friends are also fitness/health bloggers too. (And I HAVE to find out how Crystal makes her cucumber-mint water so fabulous!)

It's always tricky when you have a party the night before a weigh-in, but it all turned out well. I lost one pound for the week amidst all of the fun and madness. That's a big victory at this time of year.

Next week is the Biggest Loser finale, so I will have my final challenge weigh-in and post final numbers. How did you do this week? Please drop me a line here or at #BL12Challenge on Twitter. We can get through the holidays without losing our progress...it takes some effort, but I promise it's worth it!

P.S. That Mariah Carey picture is to motivate me...so that next year I can fit into that cute Santa dress. Even Mariah can fit back into it after having twins, so why not? ;o)

Biggest Loser Season 12 Challenge - Getting Closer!

Can you believe Thanksgiving will be next week? This autumn is flying by, probably because I'm so busy. But busy in a good way!

This week was a little bit better on the scale. I lost 1.2 pounds, which I'm extremely proud of because of the stressful challenges that happened within the last week. If you read my last post, you know about one of them. In the past, a day like Saturday would have had me running to the store for ice cream or chocolate. I'm happy to say I did NOT do that this time. I owe it all to my Gratitude List, which turned my attitude around and calmed me to the point that I didn't feel the need to eat away the stress. I took a walk instead. Attitude really is everything!

Speaking of a great attitude...are you ready for Apolo Ohno on Biggest Loser tonight? No matter what is thrown at him, he keeps it all in perspective - not only surviving, but THRIVING!

So as we move closer to the holiday season, please share your success here or at #BL12Challenge with me. Thank you to those who have already done so; you are all rockin' it. Let's make this a healthier holiday this time around!

Weather Is Frightful...But Fitness Is Delightful!!!

Yes, the snow is falling softly outside of my window as I write today. It looks very pretty now that the wind has died down, and since I'm not in the Snowbelt it's not piling up too high (at least this time!). And the city snow plow has actually been coming by regularly to keep the streets clean!

I got my workouts in every day this past week...some were longer, some were shorter, but I still got my exercise in each and every day. This has always been a challenge during the holiday season for me, which is why I made it one of my December goals. It's my Christmas gift to myself - much better than "treating" myself to unlimited holiday goodies all season. Weigh-in was this morning, and I lost 1.6 pounds. This means I lost what I gained over Thanksgiving plus a little bit more...and it's a great start to my goal of at least 8 pounds lost during the most wonderful time of the year.

Speaking of December fitness, I have a new article published with an overview of the health and fitness magazines that are out this month. Please check it out at http://www.suite101.com/content/health--fitness-magazine-roundup--december-2010-a316015 and see which articles intrigue you the most. Onward toward our December goals...fitness really is the gift that keeps on giving!

Motivational Monday...Bouncing Back

As you know, last week's weigh-in was rough, due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who had the same post-holiday experience, or were too afraid to get on the scale after all of the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I used to be one of those who just wouldn't even bother to weigh myself during the holidays, which usually resulted in seeing a few extra pounds register on the scale come New Year's Day.

This morning, I got on the scale and discovered I lost 2.2 pounds...meaning that the 2 pounds I had gained over Thanksgiving are gone, along with just a bit more! This puts me at 193.8. I definitely attacked my workouts this past week, and ate much better. Back to my Greek yogurt, fruits & veggies, and lots of water. Also...back to discovering that girl inside of me that is just begging to come out!

This week, my motivational people are the entire Season 8 cast of The Biggest Loser...tomorrow night is the finale, so tune in to see what everyone has accomplished, and let them inspire you to go for your dreams and goals!

My advice for this holiday season is...don't avoid the scale. If you weigh yourself and discover a gain, you can do something about it right now. If you wait until January 1st, the gain may have snowballed into something bigger...or you may find on Christmas Day that the dress, skirt, or pants you planned to wear do not fit and you wind up scrambling for something else to wear. Don't let that happen to you...take care of business now!!!

Motivational Monday...Holiday Edition!

This past week was kind of tough on the diet and exercise plan. Lots of baking, writing, and celebrating took its toll. I did better with the food than I usually do for Thanksgiving, but still indulged on the stuffing. It still amazes me that my stepmom makes her stuffing exactly like my mom used to...she's the only one so far that does, and she's always made it that way! I made the pumpkin pies with fat free evaporated milk and extra spices...I've been doing that for years and everyone loves it that way. I know I did not get enough exercise, unless you count running with the deal hunters on Black Friday as a workout!

I gained back the 2 pounds I lost last week...actually not bad considering that way the week went and the fact that Aunt Flo came to visit for Thanksgiving. (Ladies, you know what I mean!) It's OK though, I treated myself for the holiday, and I will not be indulging for the entire month of December...only Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and even then not too much!

If you look at the top right of my blog, you will see that I accomplished my NaNoWriMo goal for November...I completed a 50,000 word novel in a month. As I was telling one of my friends, it's just like exercise; you have to plan for it and be determined to do it. If you want it badly enough, you will find a way! Completing this goal will help me accomplish the other goals in my life, now that I see how perseverance, hard work, and determination have paid off.

My motivational person for this week is Kai Hibbard from Season 3 of Biggest Loser. She had to lose weight all over again after having a baby, and is back to fitting into the dress she wore for her season's finale! Please give her a shout over at http://www.facebook.com/zwierstra#/pages/Kai-Hibbard-of-The-Biggest-Loser-Season-3/114388032436 , she's doing great!

Let's all focus on the real reasons for the holiday season this year, and not on the food. Jesus, family, and friends are what is important! xoxoxo

November Goals

Now that it's the 3rd of November, I need to set my goals for the month. This is not only the most wonderful time of the year...it's the most fattening time of the year! (Well, if you let it be, it is!) I am taking on November first, but then I will also plan for December.

These are my goals for the month of November:

1. Stay far away from my son's Halloween candy

2. Resist the temptation to buy all of those wonderful pumpkin treats and other goodies that are now out in the grocery store

3. Find healthy substitutes for those treats...have already found a couple of good pumpkin recipes

4. Drink a lot of water!

5. Find time to exercise every day...I can do something even on the days I'm most pressed for time

6. Enjoy small portions on Thanksgiving and not get stuffed like the turkey

7. Order a healthy lunch at our annual Black Friday shopping event (I know some of my shopping buddies are reading this, so I want you to hold me to it!)

8. Use music, writing, and other non-caloric ways to de-stress

I may add to this list as I think of more. These are the things that usually set me back in November, so it's time to tackle them head on. I also want to say that I already make my pumpkin pies with fat free condensed milk, and they taste even better than the original. I also plan on staying accountable with my friends who are also on this journey. We can help each other through the holidays...there is strength in numbers. Here's to a healthy November!