April Challenge Week 1

Well, it is April 1st in a few hours, and we are embarking on this April Challenge train. This week, the challenge is to not eat any fried foods. So anything fried in oil is out of reach this week, including eggs fried in oil, stew or sauces fried in oil, chicken and meats fried in oil, etc.

Of course there are substitutes you can use for all these foods. Adura, the health blogger, has posted a great substitute stew (Nigerian tomato sauce) recipe where you use chicken stock as the base for the stew. Check out her recipe here. You can also use coconut oil. 

Why are we doing this? This week's challenge is meant to help us think of healthier subsitutes for some of the foods we eat every day. Let me know your progress on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

March Booty Challenge Over!

You (and your booty) can finally take a breath; the March booty challenge is done! If you have been doing the challenge every day, you'd know that today we got in 310 squats. That's an awesome day for you, and a painful one for your badonkadonk. 

I hope you actually got something out of the challenge this month. Learning to push our bodies in a safe, yet challenging, way is the key to achieving our fitness goals. It may be difficult, and sometimes takes a village, but you can achieve it if you put your mind to it.

Now, am I going to get some booty pictures from you gentlemen and ladies? I'd really like some :)

The April Challenge starts tomorrow!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Get Ready for the April Challenge!

We've been trudging through March getting in those squats day by day. April is around the corner though, and as we continue to make healthy choices, I thought it would be great to focus on nutrition next month. April's challenge is called "Abs are Made in the Kitchen". See the picture above for what the April Challenge looks like. We will be breaking it up week by week. 

These challenges are meant to help us make healthy life choices, and see the way our bodies react to these choices. As we eat cleaner, we bring ourselves several steps closer to meeting our weight loss goals. So get our home ready, buy the food you need to, start looking at restaurant menu items you'd be able to order, etc.

If you tweet or Instagram the challenge next month, don't forget to include the tag "#Aprilchallenge" or "#Absaremadeinthekitchen" so we can follow your progress!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Water: How Much of It Do You Need?

If you are like me and spend time reading all sorts of health “suggestions”, you’d know that there are so many different notions on how much water each person should drink per day. If you are alive, you probably know that water is very important. When the body needs water and we don’t feed it, that could lead to various levels of dehydration. And even a little dehydration doesn’t let our bodies function optimally.

Post-Workout Nutrition

Experts are always arguing about what and when to eat after intense exercise. One thing is clear: your body needs replenishment when you've just expended almost all the energy you have and ridiculously torn down those muscles. The question is what and when.

Ready for Some Upper Body and Core Work?

Your bum is still hurting from the booty challenge, right? Unfortunately, that does not mean you stop working out. You still have to make sure your overall body gets some attention with cardio, and that individual areas stay toned. 

Today, we'll be focusing on the upper body and the core. Try the workout above and let me know how you feel. It seems simple enough - 10 reps of each, then 15, then 20, then back to 15, and back to 10. And make sure you use dumbbells that challenge you! Nothing should be under 5lbs please.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Thought you Couldn’t Eat a Burger, Right?

Burgers always get a bad rep. And there is a reason: they usually contain tons of calories. I mean, there’s the patty, there’s the bun, and then there’s always some high-calorie dressing. And if you want to go really crazy with the calories, there’s bacon, cheese, and all sorts of toppings. But hey, if you are trying to eat healthy, this does not mean you can never have a burger.

Day 17 of the March Booty Challenge!

 

Hello fellow squatters! Okay, that sounded all kinds of weird. But how has the Booty challenge been going? We are at day 17 now, which is 170 squats today. We've gone more than halfway through the month! I'm pretty proud of all those who have been doing the challenge. 

30 Minute Cardio Routine

If you've ever worked out to a Bob Harper DVD or watched "The Biggest Loser", you'd be familiar with some of his quotes. One in particular makes sense to me when I hear it. He says that the heart is the most vital organ, and the only way to work your heart and burn fat is to do CONSISTENT cardio multiple times a week, not here and there; not just 20 squats today and 10 pushups tomorrow. Consistent cardio is absolutely necessary.

So as you are doing your booty challenge this month (160 today - yay!), remember not to abandon your cardio routine. Here is a great 30 minute workout to help you work that heart. It's from the CafeMom series, but don't be fooled by the "mom" in the title. It is not easy. It incorporates high intensity exercises with some low intensity active rest periods. When you are done, get down to your squats :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Fit Chat with Ronnie Carter: "I Make Fitness a Priority"

Some of you know that I appreciate people who work hard at the gym. Mostly because I know it is not easy, but also because it requires a sense of dedication and commitment that not everyone has.  And who doesn’t like the view that comes from all that hard work, huh? So when I find someone with a *ahem* beautiful view that you obviously know required a whole lot of dedication, I love to chat with them and get their perspective.

Today, I’m chatting with a well-cut gentleman from Germany – Ronald Carter (a.k.a. Ronnie) – whom I met on Instagram, about his fitness regimen and how he stays focused. Ladies, stop drooling…

E&W Recipe: Quinoa with Chicken Sausage and Tofu Stir-fry

Okay, so I promised you a recipe this week, and here it is. I have been raving about cooking with quinoa for the past few weeks, but I hadn't found time to go to the store to get some. They only usually sell them in health food stores (Grocery stores, please get on this).

Day 9 of the March Booty Challenge!

How have you been doing? I know it's getting tougher, but stay strong. Beautiful booties come with a lot of work, and so expect to work hard this month. My bum is feeling the pain too :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

British Military Fitness Green Workout

You didn't think all you had to do this month was the March Booty Challenge, did you? You still need your cardio, and you still need to work those arms. So here comes the British Military Fitness Green Challenge. You did the Red and the Blue, and now you have the Green.

Fruit Juice vs. Juice from Concentrate?

Am I the only one who feels like all the juices in stores are advertised as "No Added Sugar" or "Contains 100% daily Vitamin C requirements"? And then when you look at the ingredients, there are actually like a million items, or it says something like "Orange Juice from concentrate"? If it truly is made from 100% fruit, then what does the 'from concentrate' mean? Find out below.

Day 5 of the March Booty Challenge!

Today is March 5th, which means it is day 5 of the March Booty Challenge. I'm pretty excited with how many people are doing this on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you haven't joined the challenge, it is not too late. If you have been doing it every day so far, I hope you're enjoying working towards that booty :)

During the first few days of the challenge, you should be able to do this with weights. As the reps become more and more, it will be very difficult to maintain the weight you were previously using, and so I know your weights will go down and slowly become nonexistent. And that is okay.

Every person is different, and so I want to make sure you are pushing yourself as far as You can go, even if that means using no weights at all. You'd still be working your bum as long as you squeeze in the movement, and you go down as low as you can sitting way back into your bum without pushing your knees forward.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Google+ Hangout with Michelle Obama for 'Let's Move'

On Monday, March 4th at 11:10 a.m. ET, the 'Let's Move' anniversary celebration continues as the First Lady joins her first ever Google+ Hangout. Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled around the country to celebrate the third anniversary of Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential.