As you all know, I haven’t blogged much over the last year, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t eating heathy(ish), working out or working on new things.
Earlier this year I launched a t-shirt shop!
It features fitness and lifestyle t-shirts, with a snarky/sarcastic edge to them. I wanted something that allowed people to show their sense of humor without having to say a word.
Funny. Fit. Fierce. You.
That’s what I was going for. Something to balance out the world of perfectly filtered, social media highlight reels. A way to embrace progress over perfection….to find the humor in your imperfections, celebrate the little things (like putting on non-gym clothing).
A way for you to be fierce as you pursue your goals and share your sense of humor as you set new PR’s….but most of all, to JUST BE YOU!
There are many other fun designs over in the shop! Please stop by, check them out and let me know what you think!
Like what you see? Use code GETFITWITHNIKKI for 10% OFF your order! SHOP NOW
I also have an Instagram page for the shop @NicoleHynesDesigns – so be sure to follow to see the newest designs, promos and giveaways!
Wow…it’s been a hot minute since I’ve sat down and shared anything here.
In one of my previous posts I mentioned that life threw our family some curveballs last year. My father-in-law, who lived with us, passed away last January and things began to go downhill for me while he was in the hospital. From no time to workout, to stress, to meals from vending machines and people bringing up bagels, sandwiches and others foods I didn’t normally eat, the weight began to creep on. After the funeral, things just felt weird. The bad eating became a habit and that habit left me feeling unmotivated and tired. ALL. THE. TIME. I would say “that’s it, it’s time to get back to basics” and begin a program only to fall off the wagon after a week. Sigh…
Team all of that up with my son’s anxiety hitting an all time high (if you follow me on Instagram you already know a little about this) I had to stop working and begin doing homeschool with him because it was so bad he couldn’t go to school. Talk about stress and the perfect excuse to say “fuck it” right?!
Yeah…I totally called bullshit on myself there. If you know me, you know I don’t sugar coat anything…even when it comes to myself. I believe the only way to be successful at changing your habits is to acknowledge that they are fucked up to begin with. You can’t blame anyone for your problems. Yes, they may create them and sometimes you have no control over what happens in life, but you ALWAYS have control over how you handle and react to them.
Last May I turned 40 and as a gift, my good friend signed us up for the Hershey Half Marathon. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Why does your friend hate you?” but she knew it was something I’ve been wanting to do and she herself had completed her first half marathon a few months before so we thought let’s do it together. Training for it actually helped me to get back on track and I began to enjoy running again…until it got hot out. That’s when I began to hate it and questioned the decisions I make in life. Our race was in October and thanks to my amazing luck, I injured my foot and was not able to run it. I contemplated walking the 13.1 since I’m a fast walker, but we were leaving for Disney the following weekend and I didn’t want to hurt myself any further before the trip. Instead, we still went to Hershey and had a fun friends weekend, which was pretty damn awesome.
Of course I used my injury as an excuse for the next few months. I started my on again off again relationship with workouts and meal prep but thankfully I didn’t gain more weight. This continued until just recently when I started walking and doing some turtle running along with some meal prep and home workouts, but something still didn’t feel right. There was no real motivation and I found myself coming up with reasons why I could put my workout off… or I just wouldn’t put any true effort into them. I was just going through the motions and let’s be honest, theres no point in doing that at all.
About 6 weeks ago I started working again and I made the decision to join the gym. Gasp! I know… I said I joined the gym. I couldn’t even bring myself to go into the gym to join, I did it on-line! Talk about lame, right?! But I’ve been going and I found a gym lover to help me get over my fears and feel comfortable there, which has been awesome! I even made the decision to give Keto a try, so it’s been an interesting week of fasting and learning how to not eat carbs and embrace fat as my main food source.
Soooooo…. I know that was long and if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for actually caring enough to read. I’m hoping to share more of my gym journey here as well as some of the Keto recipes I find try so I won’t be such a blog slacker anymore.
Have you ever fell into a fitness rut? If so, I would love to hear about how you were able to overcome it and find motivation again!
Recently I was asked by my friend Coach Eric, to do a LIVE Google Hangout, Q&A session on 21 Day Fix, for his bootcamp. I immediately said yes because of how much I love this program, but then sheer panic set in.
I. DON’T. LIKE. MAKING. VIDEOS.
If you’re a long time follower of my blog or social media channels, you’ve already figured this out. I don’t know why I have such a phobia of video, but I do and it’s been Eric’s mission since I’ve met him to get me over it and in front of the camera. (He’s such a pal. *eye roll*)
The truth is, I don’t know why I loathe video so much. I share my before & after photos as well as all kinds of glimpses into my life via Instagram, ( <—— see) but video is just weird to me.
Okay…I’m the weird one…FINE!
Today he won, though. He got me live on a Google Hangout and you know what? I didn’t die doing it. As a matter of fact I felt pretty comfortable doing it!
The topic of our webinar was the 21 Day Fix and his bootcamp participants were able to submit questions that they had about the program. I was then able to read all of the questions and select 3 of them to answer live on air. Pretty cool right?!
Some of the topics we covered were: Incorporating 21 Day Fix approved meals with your family (2:40 mark), How to stay on track with the program while on vacation (6:19 mark), How to overcome a plateau and stay motivated on your fitness journey (9:40 mark). There were also some bonus questions and conversation about salsa, my thoughts on beer and how coaching has helped me with my fitness & nutrition (25:00 mark).
So without further delay, here is the video recording of the webinar for your viewing pleasure.
So how did I do?! Do you think I should start doing more videos?
For those of you trying to get your children to eat healthier, a great way to get them involved is to try having them make their own Greek yogurt parfaits instead of ice-cream at night. For more recipes and ideas for getting them involved in the kitchen, check out my new Healthy Kids board on Pinterest.
Need more information about staying on track while on vacation? Be sure to check out this post I did about Staying on Track While on Vacation.
Have another question? Feel free to leave it in the comment section below and I’ll answer it as soon as I can for you!
Why yes, this is another recipe with Mexican flavors. I can’t help it. I’m obsessed.
There is just something so satisfying about healthy Mexican dishes. I don’t know if it is the bold flavors, the balance between those flavors or the bright rainbow of colors that you end up with on your plate. Plus it’s an excuse to eat avocado, right?!
I am a big fan of stuffed peppers, especially since starting The 21 Day Fix. It’s just a great way to get that extra green container in, plus peppers are pretty darn inexpensive, especially as the summer approaches.
The other night, I set out to make a stuffed pepper recipe from The Whole30 book I received for my birthday, but I forgot an ingredient so I decided to hop on Pinterest and see what caught my eye and these Santa Fe Stuffed Peppers were the winner. I used a recipe from For The Love of Dessert as my base and changed things up a little.
[yumprint-recipe id=’19’]
These peppers were packed with flavor and really hit the spot! I topped mine with some shredded mozzarella, but pepper-jack would be a great choice too. You could even skip the cheese and top them with some of the guacamole I shared with you yesterday. {Click here to get the recipe}
If you’d like to speed up the cooking process on these, you could pop the pepper halves into the oven while your filling is cooking, to soften up, then fill, bake and top with cheese 5 minutes before they’re ready.
Looking for a healthier taco seasoning option? Make your own! I love the recipe for Clean Eating Taco Seasoning over on The Gracious Pantry. {Click here to view it.}
I promise my next post will NOT feature food with a Mexican theme. I’ve been dreaming about Memorial Day BBQ food, so I’m pretty sure that will be next!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Being as I am not Mexican, this is really just another excuse for me to eat tacos. I won’t lie, I’m a little bummed that it falls on Taco Tuesday…I was hoping for that extra taco day in my week.
To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would put together a quick post with a Cinco de Mayo: Will Sweat For Tacos workout (because why have guilt over eating tacos?!) as well as a few simple recipes that are perfect for today or any Taco Tuesday.
After a good workout I always like to refuel my body right. If you are a fan of Strawberry Shakeology, why not give this Mojito version a shot?
Tacos and Burrito bowls are always a favorite of mine. Here are links to two recipes I’ve shared in the past that are staples in my home. They are quick, easy and full of flavor!
Slow Cooker Carnitas: These can be made with pork or beef and they’re so yummy! Click here for the recipe.
My photo isn’t nearly as nice as the ones featured on the site where the recipe came from. One day, I’ll put more effort into food photos for these posts.
Black Bean Tacos: These may be vegetarian but they are full of flavor! You could even use this as a dip or as a taco topping…that’s how good this is. Click here for the recipe.
I hope you enjoy this workout as well as the recipes I have shared. I am a total sucker for Mexican food, so if you have a simple and tasty recipe you’d like to share, please feel free to link to it below. I can always use an excuse to use up an avocado!
Today is Star Wars Day and as a fan of the original three movies (I will not go into my thoughts on the newer ones, however I will say I am excited about the new installment due out this Christmas) I thought why not search Pinterest for some fun Star Wars related workouts to celebrate properly.
From workout t-shirts and mini workouts to yoga, Pinterest had it all.
May the fourth be with you check out my favorites from my search.
How cute are those tanks and tees?! Pinterest is full of them and I think I need to a few to my collection!
This Storm Trooper workout is guaranteed to make you sweat…but I can’t guarantee that it will help you find the droids you’re looking for or that you’ll ever hit your target by doing it. Storm Troopers just don’t have very good aim. Pew! Pew!
Do or do not, there is no try. The force needs to be strong with you to complete this one, but don’t worry, there’s a level for everyone. Just don’t give up and go to the Dark Side…nothing good ever comes from that.
If you’re a nerd like me and plan on watching any of the movies today, why not get off your booty and sweat a little with this Star Wars Workout Game? (Curse C3PO and his complaining!)
Have a tough day in Jedi Academy and need to unwind? Try your hand at this 20-minute Star Wars Yoga routine. It’s almost as good as a cold beer in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
No matter how you decide to celebrate Star Wars Day, just make sure you don’t skip your workout, don’t ever let me hear that you like JarJar Binks and May the Force Always Be With You.
I have always had a love hate relationship with yoga but there are two things I can’t deny: When I do yoga I feel less stressed and as a result, I feel more happy. There is also the realization that I lack flexibility and might be a descendant of the Tin Man’s, but that’s another topic.
Here are 10 Ways Yoga Can Reduce Stress and Make You Happy:
1. Increase Your Happiness. Yoga increases the production of serotonin (happy feelings) and decreases cortisol (stress) production. As a result, you get an extra boost of happy feelings and the stressful feelings seem to magically go away. This can help you to be a happier, healthier , more positive person.
2. Decrease Mood Swings. Yoga can help regulate hormones, lowers your blood pressure, and connect you to your emotions with heightened mindfulness. By practicing yoga you can reduce the likelihood of negative emotions sneaking up at you out of nowhere.
3.Decrease Anxiety and Stress. During yoga, you are encouraged to relax, slow your breathing, and focus on the present moment. This shifts you from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) to the parasympathetic system (relaxation response). The result? A slower heart rate, decreased blood pressure, and lowered cortisol. (See how all three of these tie in together?) Focusing on the present moment also reduces all of the “what-if’s” that can bring on stress and anxiety.
4.Get a Better Night’s Sleep. Yoga increases the production of melatonin in the body. Melatonin helps to give you a sense of calm and well-being so when your head hits the pillow, you can drift off to dreamland.
5.Lower Your Blood Pressure. Yoga is a marriage of movement and breath. Research has proven that exercise, meditation, and breath exercises can all help lower blood pressure without medication. With yoga, you’re getting all three for the price of one…Score!
6.Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Yoga is a great way to learn what your body is capable of. If you keep up your practice you will be amazed at what your body can do. I was always afraid of trying “Hot Yoga” but it was an amazing experience…one I need to get back to.
7.Lose Weight. You can drop pounds by practicing yoga and let’s face it, that can bring on feelings of happiness and reduce stress. Yoga regulates hormones, including the stress one called cortisol, which is the culprit behind that stubborn belly fat. It also helps you to release trapped emotions, so you are less likely to emotionally binge on a bag of chips, pint of ice-cream or other processed foods.
8. Create A-ha Moments. Yoga allows you to relax your mind. When we do this, we are able to block out all of the things we think we “need” to do. As a result, the mind quiets so that all the thoughts and creativity that are sitting on the back burners of your mind can float to the surface.
9.Learn Discipline. By starting a consistent practice, you teach yourself the art of discipline. When you map out a specific time of day for your practice, you begin to schedule your life and as a result, a lot of stress disappears because there is less “unknown” throughout your day.
10. Meet New People. Yogis can be some of the most nonjudgmental, relaxed people you can meet. They tend to take responsibility for their bodies, minds, and emotions, so it really cuts back on the drama. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is very important, especially if your goal is to reduce drama and negativity in your life.
These are just a few of the benefits that yoga has to offer and why I plan on incorporating more of it into my routine.
Want to start reducing your stress and bring on the happiness? Check out this 10 Minute Yoga for Stress video by Erin Motz (and check out her other videos on YouTube…she’s got some great ones!)
Do you have a favorite at-home yoga DVD that you use? Is there a yoga class that has changed your life? Please share with me below so I can check them out!
The gym has never been my thing. I’ve always wanted it to be, but I just don’t feel comfortable there.
This “gym fear” of mine, most likely stems back to a bad experience I had back when I was overweight and joined a gym in an attempt to do something about my habits. The classes were filled with fit women who had rhythm and I was the polar opposite, so I never attempted a class. I would go and walk on the treadmill for awhile before going over the machines to try and figure them out.
One day, I was on the treadmill doing my thing and I noticed a few of the ladies looking and me and snickering. I began to feel self conscious and with good reason. I lowered the music playing through my headphones and heard this group of ladies making fun of my weight. I was absolutely mortified and couldn’t wait to get out of there.
You would think the fact that I was at the gym trying to correct my weight would be commended, but that was not the case. Looking back I hate that I let these shallow ladies get to me. I allowed their close mindedness stop me from ever returning to a gym. As a matter of fact, I drove to the grocery store on my way home and bought a container of ice-cream to drown my sorrows in.
However, the silver lining to this story is that I eventually returned to my mission of getting into shape…but this time I did it all at home!
Here are my top 5 reasons why I prefer working out at home:
1. You don’t have to deal with shallow people who will judge you. When you workout at home, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a neon green polka dot sports bra with striped leggings. No one will snicker that your hair looks like a squirrel made a nest in it. Hell, you can wear your pajamas if you want to. All that matters is that you show up and focus on your workout.
2. When you’re done with your workout, you can lie on the floor like someone just shot you and curse all you want. Well…as long as your children aren’t around for that last part. I can’t tell you how many Insanity or leg day workouts I completed and then just collapsed onto the floor and stayed there for awhile. You can’t do that at the gym. You’d be in people’s way, you’d get stepped on and if you cursed like I do during some parts of my workouts, you’d probably get thrown out.
3. You don’t have to clean anyone else’s sweat off of the equipment before you use it. Let’s face it, people are rude and don’t always think about the person who will be using a machine after them. Despite complimentary towels and signs everywhere telling people to use them on the machine and to wipe them down when they’re done, most don’t listen. Working out at home means you only have to deal with your own germs….unless you workout with your spouse, but that’s a totally different circumstance, right?
4. You never have to face the bitter cold early in the morning or get soaked by the rain. I don’t know many people who want to leave their warm bed, get into workout clothes, scrape off their windchill and freeze their ass off in order to go get their sweat on. If you do enjoy that, hats off to you…you’re my new hero. When you workout at home, you can’t use the weather as an excuse. Ever.
5. Class schedules don’t dictate YOUR schedule. This is hands down my main reason for working out at home. When you workout at home, your schedule is just that, YOURS. You don’t have to check with the gym to ensure the class you’ve been wanting to do is still on. You don’t have to wake up extra early to do it because it’s only available at a specific time or worse yet, put your workout off all day because the class you love is only offered at night. Let’s not even get started on gym hours. Why do they close early on weekends?! Bonus reason: If you’re a mom, you can fit your workout in around your child’s nap time and not have to worry about gym childcare and what germs may be lurking in there.
I know that my gym experience isn’t the case for most people and many love going and feel very comfortable. This is just my experience and as bitter as I may sound about it at times, I’m actually really grateful it happened. It allowed me to try something I always felt skeptical about and completely changed my life.
If it wasn’t for my experience at the gym, I may have never tried P90X or any of the other programs I went on to complete. I may have never lost over 100 pounds and decided to become a personal trainer, as well as an on-line accountability coach. My life took a path I never expected it to take and it may be because of that experience. Who knows! All I know is that everyone has a fate or destiny in life and we are introduced to it in many different ways.
Have you ever wanted to try an at-home fitness program but didn’t know where to start? If so, I would love to speak with you more and help you find one that would be a good fit for your goals.
Comment below or shoot me a message on Facebook and I’d be more than happy to help you. I host monthly accountability groups to keep you on track and I’ll also guide you through making a meal plan, too!
This Sunday night, the Walking Dead is back and I couldn’t be more excited!!
For those of you who don’t know I am a HUGE fan of this show. Mike and I binge watched all of the episodes during the mid-season break last year and those Governor episodes were so awesome, weren’t they? He was truly the BEST villain of the show so far.
In honor of its return, I wanted to share this Walking Dead Workout by Tony Horton featuring 6 moves to get you in epic zombie-fighting shape! It’s less than 20 minutes long, so it should be easy to fit into your day.
Now grab your weapon of choice and BRING IT!
I know Tony isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I had to laugh at the water and blood effects that they added to this video.
I hope you’ve been liking the mini-workouts I’ve been sharing. I know everyone gets bored of their routines, needs to shake things up a bit or maybe you just haven’t committed to a full workout program yet. If you like these, please comment below so I can share more of them.
Also, feel free to post your thoughts on tonight episode, I’m always up for a little Walking Dead talk!
While my favorite team is not in it to win this year, I will be watching the game along with millions of other people.
Big Game parties are known for chips, dips, wings, pizza and other fried finger foods. Let’s not forget the beer and the fact that we are all just sitting around while enjoying all of these high calorie goodies.
Today I thought I would share some healthier food options that you could serve or bring for the party, as well as some tips and “The Big Game Workout Challenge” which could be a fun way to burn off some of the treats and get you off the couch!
Game Plan:
1. Don’t arrive for kick-off with an empty stomach. Make sure you eat a light meal with lean protein before game time. This would actually be a good time to drink your Shakeology, specially since you could take it on the go with you. Doing his will help curb junk food cravings because you won’t be starving.
2. Don’t sit within arms reach of the snack table or the buffet set up. When you arrive you’ll want to take a look at what your choices are so you can form a mental plan, but you don’t want to sit where it can tempt you. Doing that could end with you mindlessly reaching out and stuffing chip after chip into your face. No good!
3. Be involved in the game! Make sure you actually watch the game and the commercials! (we all know they tend to the best part when your team isn’t in it). Talk to your friends, cheer, talk smack about the other team…whatever it’ll take in order to move your focus away from the food.
4. As I stated in number 1, there will be beer as well as other drinks. You’ll need to have a plan for how many you’re going to drink before you start. (21 Day Fix people, you can swap a yellow here but it’s not for a 6 pack!) If you plan on having multiple drinks, make sure you drink a bottle of water between each one. It will help to keep you hydrated, reduce your risk of a hangover and it can help to keep you from going over the predetermined number of drinks you’ve set.
5. Participate in “The Big Game Workout Challenge” that I have below! It’ll get people up and moving, which means less time for snacking. It can also be a good way to get people laughing and joking. Parties are about having fun right?!
*This is not meant to be a full workout. It’s just designed to get you moving and burn a few calories while enjoying the game.
Healthy Snack Options:
1. Buffalo Wings: They are a staple item when it come to football. We all love them but they aren’t exactly the healthiest things around. Check out these healthier versions:
2. Dips: This best friend to the chip is typically filled with sour cream, mayo or both mixed together. Not exactly friendly to your waist but oh so easy to go overboard with. Here are some healthier recipes that use greek yogurt as a healthy swap:
Don’t forget homemade salsa, guacamole and hummus are quick and easy to make and allow you to flavor things to your liking. Be sure to offer fresh veggies as a dipping option in addition to chips.
3. Food: Pizza, sandwiches and chili all tend to be popular at Big Game parties. The first two are easy to hold and eat and chili is just warm, comforting and allows the guys to show just much hot sauce they put in their food without crying, right?! I’m a huge fan of chili and if you need a recipe, I highly recommend this one which I posted a few weeks ago – Turkey Chili.
Here are some ideas for making these items a little bit healthier:
Opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain crust pizza. (Many pizzerias offer these now, so if you’re ordering be sure to ask.)
Have some veggie topped pizza options for your guests or a Margherita style pizza, which is usually topped with fresh mozzarella (less greasy) and basil. Not everyone wants greasy pepperoni, sausage or supreme!
Opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain for your hero or hoagies (depending on where you are from) too! Many people think wraps are healthier but that isn’t always the case. Some wraps pack a bigger calorie punch than bread and can have less nutrients. If preparing them yourself, check your labels!
Consider a vegetarian option. Roasted veggie wraps are really delicious. (Just be sure to ask wherever you order from to go easy on the oil.)
When ordering wraps or sandwiches, make sure the condiments are on the side. This will reduce calories and leave things up to your guests.
4. Think outside of the box: Many of you eat healthy on a daily basis. There is no reason why that needs to be tossed out of the window because of a game. Think of the foods you typically opt for and use them:
Instead of potato skins loaded with cheese, use sweet potato and top them with nitrate-free turkey bacon and a dollop of greek yogurt.
Make your own baked tortillas to go with your dips.
Serve fresh fruit with a simple fruit dip: Mix together 1 cup of vanilla greek yogurt, 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter and 1 Tbsp honey. Store in the fridge in an air tight container until ready to serve.
Do you have any healthy swaps or recipes that you plan on serving this weekend? I’d love to hear about them!
Wow…it’s been a hot minute since I’ve sat down and shared anything here.
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