I love you, but I love myself more.

Wow, I haven't posted in 11 days. I normally can't shut the fuck up, so here's to getting back into my incessant rambling.

I've been thinking about how it's so important we (as bitches) build ourselves up.  We have to love ourselves, respect ourselves & be confident in ourselves.  We can be out own worst enemy or our biggest fan. 

I've recently had trouble in my relationship with mandog, which made me realize the importance of being independent enough to be a happy, healthy fitbitch either on my own or in a happy, healthy relationship.

Samantha the blonde horndog is my favorite Sex & the City character & she says my favorite line:

I love you, but I love myself more

 Yes, it's true that you should love your partner & give them all you can give, but when you care more for their health & happiness than your own, it's time to move on; ESPECIALLY when they don't return the favor.  A relationship should be reciprocal.  Give & take, bitches.


So this brings me to my fitness part of this post.  I run because it's a boyfriend that won't dump you.  All you need are your legs & feet (& if your rack is that huge, a sports bra).  If you're a bad girlfriend or boyfriend, you'll get dumped.  If you're a financial moron, the bank can take your house.  If you feed your kid lard, child services will take it.  Running can't be taken away.  I love having something that's all mine.


I can just go out & run until I start to pee myself.  It's freeing.  It makes my legs & ass look great & it keeps me mentally fit.  It helps me work on myself.  I build myself up & come back happier after a run than when I left.

Whatever your escape is, take advantage of it.

Take time to take care of yourself.  

Motivation

I ran into an old friend at the gym today & the topic of what motivates you to workout came up. In this situation, my friend is trying to tone up for a beach vacation with her boo & his family to Mexico.  This made me think about the importance of having a goal when you hit the gym.

When I was little, my mom made me do swim team. I thought it was torture & wanted to call social services on her red Irish ass. Getting up at 8am on a Summer morning to swim laps at 11 years old was absolutely fucking foul.  I found it really difficult to paddle my chunky ass around, and after throwing numerous tempter tantrums & several unsuccessful calls to 911, I decided to suck it up.  To get through my 15 minutes of pool time, I would pretend a school of hammerhead sharks were chasing after me trying to bite my vagina.  Thus, I paddled like a crazed lunatic until I was finished with my laps. In a way, I still do this.  I don't pretend gigantic fish with teeth want to chomp on my crotch, but I have a very focused goal when I'm breaking a sweat.

Lately, my focus has been on making my ass not resemble a pancake.  I imagine this horrible, pale, hideous, cruel witch from high school & how much I hated her butt.  It looked like she had been viciously beaten with an oven pan for hours, leaving her cheeks flat as a board.  I also check out pictures of Adriana Lima & Brooke Mora for motivation.  I used to utilize Kim Kardashian's ass as positive motivation to workout, but now I just use my broken heart and sense of betrayal over her failed marriage to that dumbass ape she was screwing.

Anyway, bitches the point of this post is to suggest that you focus in on some sort of goal before you hit the gym or pool to swim away from schools of fucked-up-headed sharks.  Do you want to tone your ass?  Do you need to work off your emotional breakdown over Kim's wedding? Are you running away from a cracked out LaLohan? Are sea animals turned on by your pancake ass? Are you sick of your legs looking like cottage cheese? Whatever it is, embrace it. Stop whining about whatever is bothering you & use it as fuel to get moving.

Love as always,
FitBitch

PS: Thank you mom for making me do swim team.

Rest Days & Cheat Days

I used to run 7 days a week, but after months of pounding the pavement everyday, I had to go to physical therapy. A fervent enthusiasm for exercise is great, but you've got to be careful about overdoing it.  This doesn't mean you can use this as an excuse to avoid workouts throughout the week.

This brings up the question: how many days should you workout? I personally workout four or five times a week. I get at least 30 minutes of cardio in & I really love my squats & lunges. I have a set of FitBitch drills I do to keep my legs & bizarrely shaped ass toned. By the end of my workout, I've been going at it for about an hour and a half from beginning stretches to ending stretches.

On days that you're deciding to rest, be careful about what you eat. Weight loss is 90% due to your diet. Don't feel that your rest day from you workout is your rest day from your diet, too. Be sure to be cognizant of what you're putting in your body. Since you won't be exercising, you won't need that post-workout snack.

On this note, I also don't recommend cheat days or even cheat meals. You aren't just cheating on your diet, you're cheating yourself of your goals. Just because you've worked out & been healthy for a few days doesn't mean you need to stuff your face with a burger, fries & shake. This also doesn't mean to totally avoid indulging. If you really feel that you deserve a treat, eat 1/2 of a burger & choose either the fries or the shake.

I really don't even understand the concept of cheating. I don't condone it, I don't do it & I think it's weird. If I've been a fit, healthy bitch for the week, I'm not dying to eat shit. I feel since I've put in all the hard work that I deserve it even more to feed my body well. I think processed food (which is what a lot of people crave) is fucked up, disgusting & vomit-worthy. If I want to indulge, I portion out a little bit of real, dairy ice cream or eat some extra dark chocolate. I also don't feel deprived on my typical diet. I've come to love turkey burgers, fish, crunchy salads, veggies, sweet fruit & whatever else I eat everyday. When you know how to season your food well for falvor & you have a variety of recipes to choose from, McDonald's seems like a vile death sentence.

Bitches, use your head. Don't eat like a pig, don't slip up on your diet on your rest day, & don't take seven rest days a week.

xoxo
FitBitch

Just How Hard Do You Need To Push It?

I wrote a post earlier this weekend about how it isn't enough (if you really want to change your body) to do little things like taking the stairs, cutting out a few snacks/drinks throughout the day, etc. It's definitely true that it takes commitment, sweat, & mental/physical pain to get through the journey of weight loss, but just how hard do you need to push it in a workout for it to actually be effective?

This is where I want to clear things up: I didn't mean you have to spend an hour and a half running stairs or tying yourself to Kim Kardashian's F150 ass & being dragged down streets to shed weight. The easiest way I can break it down is: spend 30 minutes four times a week doing cardio. You may not have access to a heart rate monitor, so you need to learn to listen to your body. If you're literally about to vomit, stop. If you feel like you could belt out Kim Zolciack's 'Tardy For The Party' without missing a beat, you need to pick it up. Also, take note that I am speaking to people just beginning a workout regimen. If you're a seasoned runner or whatever, you know the drill. For the rest of you getting fit bitches, follow these cardinal moron-proof rules: sweat a little, burn your muscles a little, & feel tired when you're finished.

Gauge how hard you can push it. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

Once you're comfortable exercising for 30 minutes four times a week, add some weight training in. This can be as easy as utilizing the machines at your local gym. If you don't have access to one, you can do squats, lunges, push ups & crunches in your home. If you don't own weights, fill up milk jugs & use those instead.

We've been fooled by advertisements into thinking that we need the newest pair of toning shoes or sports bra or sports drink to get a workout in. I fucking ran around the murder capital of Louisiana in sparkly pixie shoes last night. All you need is your body, the motivation & a little bit of knowledge.

You bitches know what to do, now just do it!

xoxo
FitBitch

Bitches I Love & You Should, Too

Workout In A Crunch For Time

Bitches,

I took the GRE today & had no time/energy to get in the workout I wanted. I was disappointed in myself for having not committed when I had planned on it all week. Instead of beating myself up about it & continuing to claim it was too late to workout, I decided to do what I could in my living room. I also ended up jogging around my block a few times. Here's a breakdown of what I did:

40 jump squats
10 lunges left & right; front & back
30 jump squats
10 lunges left & right; front & back
30 jump squats left & right; front & back
10 push ups
10 crunches
10 seconds on my back with feet 6" above ground
10 pushups
10 crunches
10 seconds on my back with feet 6" above ground
10 pushups
30 squats
10 minute jog
30 FitBitch High Knee Squats ( I'll share these in my next video)

Even when you're crunched for time, get a workout in.

Commitment

A lot of people struggle with committing to a weight loss and healthy eating plan because they expect to see instant results.  My theory is that they're so used to the instant gratification from comfort eating & then an unhealthy body & low body satisfaction in the long run that they can't stay focused long enough for a diet & exercise plan to actually work.

When you're comfort eating, a piece of cake really does fill that emptiness if only for a few minutes, but that feeling won't last long. Avoiding that cake, engaging in exercise & choosing a healthy meal results in a much longer sense of happiness, fulfillment & body satisfaction.

The body you want isn't one run & one healthy meal away. It may take months or even years to finally get to where you want to be.  I remember when I first started running after my Senior year, I felt like I was putting myself through torture for nothing. When I wanted to just say "fuck it" & go back inside, I'd remind myself that even if for some reason I didn't lose any weight, I was still doing something incredible for my body on the inside. I always felt so happy, pure & fulfilled after a run & I knew I was doing my cardiovascular system a favor.  In the end, I actually dropped all the weight I wanted to.

Losing weight & changing your eating habits is a very long term commitment. It's a change in your lifestyle & if you want to really see a difference, it isn't just about taking the stairs instead of the elevator or ordering a small cappuccino instead of a large. These little things absolutely do help make a change, but you have to commit to more. When put in perspective, exercise & eating healthily isn't that big of a deal, but when you're on the front line of the battle with weight loss, it feels like you're having to change the person you actually are. But in the long run, you'll find that underneath that weight you hate is a happier, fuller, brighter person, anyway.

My Body, My Choice

Firstly, I was told this title has the connotation of 'abortion'. Let me make it clear: it's not.

Now that I have that out of the way, I'll tell you what I actually want to discuss.  I was looking at pictures of some different types of female bodies; bikini models with great tone to bitches that look like Arnold Schwarzenegger (minus the latino love child.)  I have been trying to figure out what exactly my body goal is. Where do I fit in on this range of body types? I have always loved the classic female body type of women like Marilyn Monroe. Even though Kim Kardashian is currently driving me fucking batshit, I admire her for embracing her F150 sized ass.

I've been feeling pressure to get more toned than I had originally planned, but when perusing pictures of really muscular women, I thought to myself: "does this look sexy?....would I look feminine? is it attractive to guys?" This is where I stopped myself. Why do I care about what other people would think? Your body is your vessel on this planet. It's how you physically represent yourself to the world and thus it should be your decision.  Whether you want to be super thin, a curvy pin-up bitch or Arnie with a vagina, it's your prerogative. The very reason I founded FitBitch was to make women comfortable in their skin and to accept who they are, but to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Creating the body of your dreams is very personal and although it should be sought after in a healthy way, the shape you want is your own choice.

There are so many expectations of women presented in the media, it's almost a challenge to figure out who and what you actually want to be. It's somewhat of a skill honing in on what your true calling is.  Listen to your head and your heart and go after exactly what you want. Don't let any motherfuckers in the way of your dreams.

Even though I've decided to work towards the body type of a IFBB pro bikini model and not a competitive figure pro, it's my decision.  I think women with muscles are beautiful.  I love when I'm doing push-ups, realizing my arms could throw one hell of a punch. It makes me feel powerful and strong.

Let's celebrate bitches of all sizes. So long as you have harnessed your ability to look however you want and you're doing it in a way that treats your body as the temple it is, then rock on, bitch. I commend you.

Brooke Mora...my idol. Fit, beautiful & toned; where I hope to be soon!!.

This is my curvy ass & wide hips. Things that I love about being a woman.

Stress

Bitches,
I'm inundated with work, (meaning I have procrastinated since August & the bulk of my classes have due dates tomorrow. Woopsies!) which "leaves less time for working out." I will probably be up all night & pull another all-nighter again Wednesday.  I have a hard enough time getting up to hydrate myself when nearing death.... never mind pushing myself to charge my tree trunk legs around the city for a run when I get this busy.

Some of you fit bitches may find yourself with "too much work & stress" to at least get some cardio in, but you need to shut your trout mouth & move your booty anyway. Nobody is saying to run a marathon or to complete an IronWOman.

Firstly, stop biting off more than you can chew (literally & metaphorically). Secondly, stop whining. Thirdly, organize your hot mess of a life so that you can budget your time to fit in work, play, exercise & heavy drinking (JuS pLaYiN'). Working out will relieve stress so that you can better tackle everything you have going on in your life. Commit to just four days a week & you'll start to see a change not only in your physical appearance, but you'll notice a mental change as well. Endorphins make you feel happier, prettier & generally better than everybody around you just like Kim Kardashian after receiving public attention for the release of a "private" sex tape.

If you have time to read a blog, you have time to put down your bowl of spam & pudding & get moving. I'm not fucking around bitch. Let's MOVE.

To get you motivated, here is a pic of what you'll look like if you avoid physical activity :/

See how much better he looks now!?!?!?!

Jesus fucking Christ............

Little Changes

Bitches,

I wanted to discuss in a brief blog how little things you do can make a huge difference in your appearance. I can back this up by seeing the physical impact of minor modifications I made to my day, but I ended up dropping almost 10lbs in a matter of a month.

I'm still in school, so I spend a lot of time walking to/from campus & up/down stairs. I used to get a large soy cappucino everyday & would take the elevator for my classes on any floor above two. Even though I was working out a lot & eating healthily last year, I decided to change my daily coffee from a large to a small & took the stairs to every class. Within two weeks people had noticed a difference. After a month, my boss told me I looked "a lot less fat". (He was comparing me to when I first started working there. And yes, I was a chubbybunny when I first started working for him. This weight loss was highlighted even more once I took these two TINY healthy changes.)

Bitches don't realize how easy it can be to make their day a little more healthy. If you skip that frappucino & that cookie, you'll save hundreds of calories. If you walk to class rather than drive & if you take the stairs to the fifth floor rather than the elevator, you'll burn some calories & tone your gams & ass.
You may sound like a hungry, hungry hippo the first couple of times you hop your lumpy ass up the stairwell, but your body will adapt to the change & you'll eventually be running up those stairs like Lindsay Lohan to a crack den. Free crack! Here comes Lindsay! (Is she a zombie? I'm legitimately concerned. Why are her hands covered in ink? Why are her teeth rotting? Is anybody else concerned? I think we should trap her, bathe her, nurture her with non-crack food & release her back into the wild.)

When you finish reading this blog, climb the stairs a few times. Okay, bitch? It's good for ya.
xoxo
FitBitch

Hurts So Good

Transformation

I just posted 2 pictures on my Twitter of how I looked before at about 17l lbs & at about 160 lbs. It made me realize how much I have truly changed my body. Several years ago I could hardly run 1/4 of a mile. Now I can run for an hour & still have energy. I never thought I could change, but I did.


I really loved on the blog: Fit is the New Skinny how Martha points out how annoying it is when people act like those who diet & exercise are these magical pixies that have all the time & energy in the world. False, bitches. People who diet & exercise are those who have the INTEGRITY to change, the DRIVE to keep on the path of a healthy life, the DESIRE to be the fittest bitch they can be, the WILL POWER to say "no, I'm not interested in eating another fucking slice of pizza" & the MOTIVATION to keep moving when they feel like their legs are going to fall right off. Yes, bitch I would LOVE to drink 8 beers, lay out in the sun & party my toned ass off, however I also like to look better than you when I put on  my Herve Leger knock off. Yes, I would love to stop during this run. My legs are burning, I may shit my pants & I can feel that I'm going to vomit, however your untoned legs gross me out & I have a BURNING DESIRE within me to kick your ass.


People who make changes in their life aren't magical. They just stop making excuses. They cut the shit & they suffer through blood, sweat & tears. As you shove that donut down your gullet & judge me, I'm deciding where I'm going on my hour long run tonight. 


Love Always,
The FITTEST Bitch ;)
XX 

Grocery List

A couple people have asked me what my grocery list consists of, so I wanted to type up a list of what I get. Here it is, bitches.

1. Green leaf lettuce by the bushel

2. Kale by the bushel

3. Dried mangoes (NO SUGAR ADDED)

4. Strawberries

5. Pears

6. Baby Carrots

7. Peanut Butter (NO HYDROGENATED OILS OR HFCS)

9. Lite Silk Soy Milk in Chocolate

10. Eggs

11. Ancient Grain Whole Wheat Bread

12. Swiss Cheese

13. Turkey lunch meat

14. Hummus

15. Lite Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow cheese

16.Coconut Water

17. Mary's Gone Crackers Gluten Free Cracked Pepper Crackers

18. Bananas

19. Turkey Burgers (I recommend buying them in bulk frozen or making them fresh from ground turkey)

20. Almonds

21. Avocados

22. Tomatoes

23. Brown Rice (fresh & frozen bagged rice - look at the Bird's Eye section in the frozen aisle. They have frozen brown rice & veggies, which is really great for making a quick, healthy stir fry. You'll also need a low sodium terriayki sauce)

24. Quinoa

25. Salsa & organic chips

26. Organic milk

27. Frozen fruit (for protein shakes)

28. Sulfate free red wine

29. Asparagus (I'll include a recipe for this later. I took it from my mom's friend from high school. She's a crazy, funny bitch who makes an amazing asparagus dish that makes your urine REAK.)

30. Chicken Breast

31. Sweet Potatoes (all you need to do is cut these up, coat a pan in EVOO & place the medallion cuts of sweet potato on the pan with a little salt & pepper. I eat this take on french fries with a disturbing amount of organic, no HFCS ketchup.)

PS: I'm buying for 2 people, one of them including a 210 lb man/boy who eats like a deranged mountain dog. Sometimes, I take trips back during the week to get fresh fish. I like salmon & tilapia. I cook all of this on the stove top with some olive oil, salt & pepper.

Let's go shopping, FitBitches!

XXXOOO

FitBitch

Drinking & Its Place In The Life of A FitBitch

Happy Sunday, FitBitch!!!

I hope you had a productive, fulfilling, healthy & happy weekend! I definitely had a fun one....I went out last night & may or may not have gotten a bit tipsy (I totally did). I got up this morning & realized I should've probably passed on that last beer. Since I'm not big on drinking, I'm a lightweight & can get tipsy pretty quickly, so I have to be careful about limiting myself to 2 drinks & drinking water in between. 

A lot of people ask me about how you can lose weight or even just stay fit & healthy while also incorporating alcohol into your social life. When I first lost my weight, I was underage & lived in bumfuck middle of nowhere, so I easily avoided alcohol. That definitely made it a lot easier to lose the weight more quickly. However, now that I'm a big grown up bitch, I feel that it's important to address this issue in a new light. Drinking is totally acceptable. In fact, there are a lot of recommendations to have a glass of red wine every night. The key to drinking is the key to everything else: MODERATION!! Going out & getting totally bombed is not a good idea. Alcohol breaks down to formaldehyde in your system, it dehydrates you, it makes your shit smell weird & it makes you do very bizarre stuff. That said, going out & enjoying a drink or two while also keeping hydrated with water or club soda is acceptable, normal & I think it's a must. Everybody has to let loose. If you are constantly only thinking about dieting & exercise, there's a greater chance you'll binge & crush under pressure. Don't go out & down a six pack, eat 15 brownies & end the night with a shot. Keep your goals in mind, have some fun & remind yourself it SUCKS to get a workout in when you're hungover.

Just some fun info to include:

Alcoholic Drink	Size	Calories
Beer	half Liter	184
Lager	half Liter	180
Cider	half Liter	200
Whisky	100ml	220
Gin	100ml	220
Brandy	100ml	220
Rum	100ml	220
Wine red	100ml	70
Wine white dry	100ml	65
Wine white medium	100ml	70
Wine white sweet	100ml	90
Wine white sparkling	100ml	74
Rose	100ml	62
Champagne	100ml	126
Pernod	100ml	140
Tia Maria	100ml	155
Southern Comfort	100ml	184
Drambuie	100ml	184
Sherry dry	100ml	110
Sherry medium	100ml	112
Sherry sweet	100ml	130
Port	100ml	160
Martini	100ml	175
Malibu	100ml	204
Baileys Cream	1 glass	120
Bacardi	1 glass	118

http://www.wastedcalories.com/drinks.html

Keep this in mind when you head out for the game tonight!!

xx,

FitBitch

Pizza Recipe

Fellow FitBitches,

I love me some sloppy ass cheesy pizza. When I was a freshman in college in New Orleans, I used to go out, get bombed on long islands & finish the night with 2 - 3 slices of 1.000 calorie pizza from a crack den called The Boot. I went from sexy freshman meat to chubby library freak. I still loooooooove pizza...like I fantasize about smothering my body in oily, greasy cheese, but I've been making my own for a of couple months. I got the idea from my dad (use that app to create the image of a baby made between Lance Armstrong & the Rock) and it's crazy delicious for you pizza-hungry bitches like me.

First of all, I have no clue how to make the dough. I get it from Whole Foods. Yes, I get pissed off every time I walk in there. I get that you're super hippy & eco-chic. Just use your tattooed freakish hand to give me my groceries. Ask the any food store's bakery for some straight up dough; they usually have it.

Also, pick up a small package of mozzarella. The smallest one you can find...cheese packs on the pounds, so you'll want to just indulge a bit. I also like to use ricotta - a little less calories.

You'll also need:
handful of basil leaves
1 clove of minced garlic (fresh preferably)
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1/2 cup of white onions
1 lb. lean ground turkey
EVOO
pinch of salt & pepper


First off, sautee a clove of minced garlic & 1/2 cup of diced onions in a pan lightly coated with EVOO.
Start the sauce by adding the paste & the whole tomatoes, a splash of EVOO, a pinch of salt & pepper (watch the salt, bitches....it'll bloat you). Add in the garlic & onions. Let it simmer while you start the turkey.

Lightly coat a pan with EVOO & add your turkey. Remember it will cook more when you add it to the sauce.  You'll also want a pinch of salt & pepper (again, watch the salt).

Add the turkey into the sauce & let it simmer for 30 mins. You may have sauce left over, depending on how wide your dough is stretched out & how much sauce you like on your pizza.

Before you put it in the oven @ 350 for 20 minutes, add the basil leaves & cut up mozz on top.

Eat it, but not too much, my fitbitches. Remember: what's briefly at the lips, lingers at the hips. Enjoy your pizza, but don't go overboard. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

currently covered in oily, greasy cheese,
FitBitch
xx

10 Minute Workout

When crunched for time, but you still want to get a workout in, you can do a few, quick moves to get toned up & torch some calories. Do these moves in the order they're listed:

10 pushups
30 squats
100 crunches
30 squats
50 jumping jacks
50 lunges
30 squats

Turkey Chili

I love chili, but when I ate it as a kid, I always loaded it up with cheese, sour cream & crushed fried tortilla chips. I wanted to make something different tonight because I am getting a little sick of chicken, fish & veggie burgers. I made this really easy turkey chili that is delicious for the winter time. We bitches have to stay warm. It curbed my hankering for a chimichanga or a chili dog & I got some protein & veggies, too!

You'll need a pack of ground turkey. I use any brand (preferably organic) that's extra lean.
A can of black beans & a can of pinto beans
8oz can of tomato sauce
Any brand that you like for chili spices...I used 2 Alarm Chili.


Brown the turkey. Then mix it with the tomato sauce. You'll want to fill the tomato sauce can up twice with water & mix it in. Add the beans & the spices. I don't use the salt. Let is simmer for 30 minutes or so.

My boyfriend insists on having some sort of cheese, so you can use shredded cheddar, but I like to just enjoy the veggies & protein.

Eat up, warm up & enjoy!!

xx

Recipes

Okay, so one of the hardest parts about losing weight and staying healthy is figuring out how to transform your food vices from fattening to something you can still incorporate into your diet. When I got to college, I LOVED long island ice teas & hurricanes, but the sugar really packed on the pounds. I live in New Orleans, so I still love to go out & have a cocktail every once in awhile, but find if I make a yummy drink (or 2) before I go out, I'll savor the taste rather than knocking back a six pack of Abita Amber.

My mom always makes the best sangria. I love helping her on holidays because the fresh fruit in this cocktail make me feel like I'm getting some nutrition while also enjoying some booze. There are different ways to make it, but I recommend the recipe I'm posting because it allows you to control your calories. It's refreshing, tasty & worth the indulgence!

Firstly, you'll need some fruit. My favorites are peaches, strawberries, pineapples & mangoes. I like to use more fruit than most people because it gives the drink substance & it's delicious to let them soak in the sangria for a little before popping them in your mouth. You'll want to cut them up into bite-sized pieces.

You'll also need seltzer. I drink this ALL the time because it satisfies my craving for soda without actually drinking the liquid devil. People always think it has calories. You're wrong!! When I was in France with my dad during the Tour, all of the cyclists drank it to stay hydrated. You'll need a 1L bottle of this bubbly magic

Now there's the fruit juices. Make sure you get the real stuff!! FitBitches don't drink juice from concentrate. It's disgusting, it's bad for you & it'll fatten you right up. Get 100% natural juice NOT from concentrate. I really like mango & pineapple for this recipe. 

Of course, there's the booze. I'm a big Pinot Grigio fan (shout out to Ramona). Pour it all into a big punch bowl or whatever you have, chill & serve. (You'll want to let the flavors marry before you start drinking it.)

Enjoy, FitBitches!!!

This is a pancake recipe my dad used to make for us when we were little. I still crave it today & sometimes make it for my boyfriend.

You'll need:
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
3.4 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon Truvia
1.25 cups milk (I use Lite Vanilla Silk Soymilk)
2 egg whites
This is the part where my dad got a little funky with it: add 1/2 cup Grape Nuts
For my own health nut reasons, I sprinkle a little berry flavored flax in the batter.

Mix the dry ingredients first & then add the liquid. You know how to do the rest!!


xx,
FitBitch

Halloween

Dressing up for Halloween reminded me that it's fun, rewarding & totally worth it to take a break every once in awhile. It's so important not to get too wrapped up in your appearance, worrying about how other people perceive you, your diet, your exercise routine and/or whatever else we (particularly young fit bitches) worry about. It was a reminder that I'm human & to enjoy life, we must engage in moderation. Word hard & play hard. I hate that saying. I think it's cliche & stupid, but it rings true.

I wore a tootoo tonight & i'm refusing to take it off. I'm actually going to sleep in it. I went through a period in high school where I was too uncomfortable to change out of my sweats & tee-shirts.  Now when I truly feel pretty & feminine, I don't want to change. On top of really enjoying the tootoo part of my cat costume, I am a crazy cat lady & really enjoyed being an animal for Halloween. I realize it is weird & creepy, but I'm okay with that.

I'm watching my puppy, Kora sleep & think I should join her. I am a very lucky, happy girl & I hope whoever reads this is a very lucky & happy girl (or guy), too & is also confident, secure & in love with the person they are inside & out. Enjoy the fun you had tonight, but treat your body with some love & use your muscles tomorrow!!

xx,
FitBitch

Inspiration

There have been times in the past four years where I've really just wanted to give up. I either felt that my work wasn't physically manifesting itself or I was just so sore & beat up that I didn't think my legs could possibly endure another workout, especially a run.

In high school, I was unhappy with myself & unhappy with everybody around me. I didn't feel like the happy girl I was in previous years.  My disposition became even clearer to me when my family expressed concern about me.  I had an ugliness about me that came from a lack of security & confidence in myself as I hated what I saw in the mirror. I had acne, I was big & I was awkward. I took this out on people around me by lashing out. Life just sucked. I wish I could find a more eloquent word, but it truly just sucked. Everybody around me tried to get me to eat better and workout, but I refused. I have never adhered to advice from others. I am fiercely independent & insist on doing things my way on my terms. It didn't matter how much others told me to change (even though it was for the better), I needed to decide to make a change myself.

One day this inspiration finally hit me. I was trying on clothes in my closet & literally nothing fit. I realized exactly in that moment what I had become: fat, unhappy & a newer, worse version of myself. At that moment I immediately changed into whatever I thought I was appropriate for a workout & pushed myself to make it around the block. It was a short distance physically, but something of a much grander nature in my head. I did it. I did everything all those assholes in high school thought I couldn't do. I finally proved my insanely athletic dad that I could run & I showed my mom that I was better than the girl I had been living my life as. All of their incessant pushing for me to change & help me hadn't worked. It took my decision; my realization that I needed to change for me to do it. I was finally in control & it felt incredible. When I think about it now, I start to cry because I finally took control of my life. No matter what anybody did or said to me, running was something they could never take from me. It was mine.

My weight has fluctuated in the past, but I never lost my love of running. Today I can happily say I'm in a healthy place with a healthy fixation on fitness. I'm in the best shape I've ever been & my goals just keep increasing. Because I feel like I was able to make the change to where I am today and because I see how truly happy it makes me, I felt the need to share that with people. When starting FitBitch I've kept in mind that it really doesn't matter if you really want somebody to change, or if you really feel that you know a "better" way to live; people have to want it themselves. I hope by reaching out to people that I inspire that spark within them. Turning your life around must be your decision & it isn't going to work unless you want it.

I also want anybody who reads this (if anybody even does) that a FitBitch doesn't have one particular body type. A FitBitch is somebody who respects their body. A FitBitch allows herself to be human & indulge every once in awhile, but a FitBitch knows she needs to pay homage to her body by treating it well. A FitBitch uses her muscles & increases her all around health by engaging her mind & body.
I hope if anybody reads this that it inspires something within you. Working out & engaging in a healthy diet isn't about looking like a model or some ridiculous standard we women are expected to reach, but it's about accepting yourself for who YOU are & taking ownership of that.

When I think to myself "I just cannot get out there & run today", I immediately follow that thought up with the realization I don't have to do anything. I think people overwhelm themselves with working out like it's a life or death responsibility. Exercising is something you should love. It's a selfish time where you can just focus on you. It's a time where you can show your body love. Just think about the infinite number of combinations that could've come out of your parents' eggs & sperm. Out of all the little creepy sperm & all your mother's eggs, that one sperm latched onto that one egg and made you. You were meant to be here. When I think about this, I feel lucky to have made it into the world & it makes me want to show appreciation for my body.

Working out doesn't have to be a run. You can dance like a moron to Britney Spears in your room, you can, bike you can play with your kids, you can play hopscotch, you can go to da club & dance your ass off like a freak, you can jump rope, you can do Zumba (which is fun as shit, but you look like an idiot trying to do those moves). Just do something. Love yourself for who you are; inside & out.

Workout Playlist

I know that when I'm not in the mood to workout, I need to get pumped up by some music.  Music has been proven to keep you workin it through your cardio session.  I compiled this playlist to help you get through your workout! Get movin, bitches!

1) Selena Gomez: Love You Like a Love Song
2) Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera: Moves Like Jagger
3) Beyonce: Diva
4) Biggie: Hynotized
5) Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
6) Britney Spears: Criminal
7) Rihanna: S&M
8) Eminem: Lose Yourself
9) Trina: Waist So Skinny
10) Lil' Wayne: You Ain't Got Nothin' On Me

If you'd like to add any others, let me know! Getting some new music is a great way to change up your routine!

FitBitch

Protein Shake Deliciousness

Hey there fellow fitbitches,
I just got home from the gym & made a really yummy shake, so I wanted to share it with you! I used a handful of mixed frozen fruit, which consisted of mangoes, strawberries & peaches. I added a big scoop of EAS chocolate whey protein & a enough soymilk for the fruit almost submerged. I "accidentally" made a little extra, so I feel like a real bad bitch when I drink it. It's sweet & delicious, but you're not indulging like you would with a heaping scoop of Coldstone ice cream.

On another note, I got a question from one of my followers regarding protein intake. I told him how I try to consume 1g/lb of body weight. However, I want to make it clear I am not a fan of numbers. Firstly, I'm handicapped in math. Secondly, counting numbers can get obsessive. When I first got into running, I went from 171lbs to about 135lbs without ever getting on the scale. I ate clean & KICKED MY ASS. This is not to say that you shouldn't be aware of what you are eating. If you are conscious of what is going in your mouth & the amount of calories you are exerting a day, you can lose weight without counting every calorie & lb lost. Note however that I am not a body builder or figure pro, these bitches count it all & their crazy hard work shows!! I like to keep it more simple for the everyday bitch trying to stay fit. Be honest with yourself when you're about to put something in your mouth. Here are some idiot-proof rules that you can follow to shed weight without stepping on the scale every five minutes (which I absolutely have done).

1)Take a quick look at the ingredients. Is there high-fructose corn syrup? Is sugar on the top of the ingredient (or as Teresa Giudice would say: ingrediences) list? Try to purchase food that doesn't have a ton of ingredients.

2) Is there color on your plate? The stuff you should get a lot of, fruits & especially veggies, tend to be colorful. Get sexy with your color palette. Make art out of your food. I like to make my salads bright & sexy. Peppers, carrots, tomatoes, walnuts, bright, crunchy leafy greens (maybe some kale!), avocado, celery, strawberries. Throw a ton of fruit & veggies in there. Your body will show you some love in return!

3) Have you had bread with every meal? Use your head. If you had 3 pancakes at breakfast, you should probably skip the bagel sandwich for lunch. Remove the goods from inside the bread & eat it sans bread.

4) Eat food that hasn't been tampered with. The less processed the better. Again, a regular banana is a lot better than say banana ice cream. This brings the topic of fruits & veggies back into play. Eat real food!!!!

These are just a few. Use your head when you eat. Don't claim ignorance. Figuring out what to eat is pretty easy, the portion control & how often to eat can be challenging. I'll come up with some rules for that & post ASAP.

Love,
FitBitch

Low-Impact Workout

I threw my back out this week, so I need to resort to a low-impact workout.  It's important to switch it up as to not stress the body too much.  When I'm feeling really sore, but still need to get my workout in, this is something I try:

MAKE SURE YOU STRETCH & make sure you target your quads, back, & calves. If your body is particularly sore, check out P90x XStretch.

Get on the eliptical or bike & get your heart rate up. This will be your cardio, so push it for 30 minutes.


**For any of these drills, add weights to increase difficulty
First, do lunges. Make them short (don't step out too far). This burns WAY more and is more effective. You'll want to do 10 left, 10 right. Then 10 left to the back, 10 right to the back. 10 left & right to the front alternating and then 10 left & right to the back.

I've heard this next moved call side lunges or side squats. Stand with feet shoulder length apart & step the left foot out past your shoulder & squat. Repeat 30 left then 30 right.

Move on to abs. Get in the plank position for a minute then move onto your back & raise your feet 6 inches in the air for 30 seconds. Back to plank for a minute. Move to your back for 30 seconds. Finish with plank.

This shouldn't take you too long. Make sure you stretch before & after.

My Back HURTS

Bitches, when training, please don't go overboard.  There is a big difference between kicking your ass & kicking your ass so hard you literally can't get up.  I am now stuck on my couch for the next few days until my muscles in my back relax.  Here are some pointers on how to avoid being a dumb ass in the gym:

There is  a difference between working a muscle & completely straining it. If you can't do at least 8 reps, lessen your weight.

STRETCH. I can't emphasize this enough. Do it before & after your workout.  In addition to preventing injuries, serious stretching can increase your fitness level & allow you to do splits like Coco.

HYDRATE!!! Stop drinking bullshit drinks like Red Bull & soda, especially you bitches who drink Red Bull & vodka....it's HORRIBLE for you. WATER, JUICE & the occasional Gatorade. I have one if I can really feel that I'm dehydrated. I like the low cal versions & I limit myself to one.

A great source for fitness tips, Felicia Romero, also reminded me to observe your potassium intake.  Even if you haven't ended up throwing your back out, if your muscles are really burning after a heavy workout, take control of the lactic acid with a banana.

Bitches, be careful when you exercise. This is NOT an excuse to not get out there and get moving. Be smart when your taking care of your body...everything in moderation.

Xoxo,
FitBitch

PS: I'm going to include a low-impact workout in today's next post.

Today's Workout

Hey there, FitBitches.

I'm going to start posting a daily workout to get us bitches moving. I tried some of these drills (I'm not giving ALL my secrets away.....but if you would like some personal training, email me at fitbetch@gmail.com) on my friend Sara yesterday.

We did a 1 mile fast paced run (about 7minutes) to the park. Once our hearts were pumping, we started with the FitBitch drills:
30 jump sqauts
10 suicides
FitBitch Jumps: which involve jumping forward 3x & back once.....3 sets of 10
30 jump squats
30 Mary Catherines
10 suicides
30 jump squats
Get your legs moving again to keep the heart rate up. Set out for another mile at a slower pace than you started with, but DO NOT SLACK OFF!

Bitches, this is about 80% of our workout. I'll be taping some new stuff this weekend & adding it on my youtube channel.

Get moving & let me know how this works for you. Don't give up. Get through it! Stop Whining, Get Moving & Start Losing.

Xoxo,
FitBitch

Some Motivation

I skipped a workout today due to some major sore leg muscles that needed to repair. Taking a day off always gets me so hyped for my next workout. I've spent a lot of time today working on some new "FitBitch" drills that I cannot wait to upload onto my YouTube channel to get you bitches fit!!

It's my boyfriend's birthday tomorrow & instead of making a sugary, fattening dish for him to celebrate. I'm making our favorite oatmeal bars. My dad, a surgeon specializing in sports medicine (a fitness & health FREAK) gave me this recipe. They are sooo delicious & I love them in the morning with a soy latte.

3 cups steel cut oats
2 egg whites
1/2 cup chocolate soymilk
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
4 tablespoons of Benefiber
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking poweder
1/2 cup of flower

(These are super rough estimates. I'm so used to just eye-balling it when I make it. Generally, I like it to be pretty thick. You want the batter to be easy to mix, but definitely not a liquid-like consistency.)

Bake for approx. 15 minutes. I usually eat it with some yogurt or soymilk.

I can't wait to make these in the morning & then go for a looooong run in the afternoon.

Another FitBitch definition I wanted to share with you:
A FitBitch loves who she is inside & out, but respects her body. If she is unhealthy & unfit, she makes peace with her past decisions regarding her health, but makes the change to commit to a new lifestyle! Loving herself through the whole journey!

Stay fit, bitches. I can't wait to post again!