The Fit Shack

Here are some fit and interesting tid bits from around the blogosphere for your reading pleasure.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, perspiration, or an alternative to diet sodas, I’ve got ya covered - enjoy!

Want Some Inspiration?

Becky over at Finding Flabuless (who is also one of my Twitter pals) has put together a superb video of pictures of her weight loss progress. Here’s a hint - to date she’s already lost 105 pounds!

She shared in one of our Twitter chats that she now has so much more energy (she used to pant in dressing rooms while trying on clothes) and she’s feeling great. She also tweeted that she is getting fit for herself, not for anyone else, and that she is practicing self-love while at the same time taking action to shape up.

Check out her video below and be sure to check out her post where she shares her starting weight and her goal weight - rock on Becky!

Soda Sweetened with Stevia!

Here’s something that sounds promising - a carbonated drink sweetened with Stevia! I cannot give you a review of it because I haven’t tasted it but eventually… (it’s not sold in my area). I learned about this from Heidi at Health Nut Wanna Be Mom when she posted about Zevia - it’s the first I’ve heard of it and it sounds a heck of a lot better than going for a Diet Coke sweetened with Aspartame.

Oh, I wish I could give you my opinion but in the future after I’ve tasted it I will. In the meantime though, I just want to let you know that there is progress in the world of processed food, and we now have the option of a soda that does not contain refined sugar, Splenda, Aspartame, or some other artificial sweetener.

The only reservation I have about it is it does contain a sugar alcohol - Erythritol. If you remember my experiment with banning all refined sugar, this included a ban on sugar alcohols. The reason was because the “sugarless” gum that I’d been chewing contained sugar alcohols and they triggered my sugar addiction.

If you aren’t addicted to sugar like I am though, then I’d say give Zevia a try. You can check out their site and see if it’s available in your area and if it’s not you could order a 6-pack paying only shipping and handling (as of today they offer this option). I’ll also give you my experience with it when I try it. If it doesn’t trigger my sugar addiction that would be awesome.

Bathing Suit Time = Buns Workouts Galore!

Here’s a fit bit from Kimberly who blogs at Living The Fit Life - she has put together a list of 5 videos that she suggests for tightening up your backside. I don’t know how you’re doing in this area but if you’re like me, your glutes are an area that you work out regularly.

I tried each workout except for #5, the walking lunge. You see I’m not really great at lunges and it could be that I’m just not strong enough to do them without hurting myself (afraid of hurting my knees - I need ‘em for skiing). Kimberly though, is a competitive body builder (yeah!) as well as being a personal trainer and I have a feeling these exercises are a piece of cake for her.

Here’s my favorite one - it’s also the one that I “felt” the most.

Be sure to check out Kimberly’s post for links to all 5 videos and if you’re in Northern Virginia, then also check out her boot camp - now that’s a workout!

So what’s a major part of eating clean? Eating your veggies, right?! Yes, it sure is, but you already knew that. So what I’m curious about is whether or not you ever struggle with getting in your daily allotment of clean veggies?

You’ve probably heard all the tips on how to get your veggies in every day including “hiding” them in the meals you cook for your family to ensure everyone is eating a healthy, balanced diet.

For myself it’s easiest to get in my veggies by following the 6-Week Body Makeover way of eating because based on your body type you choose the veggies you like from a list of options. But have you ever heard anyone say that they had a hard time eating clean because of cost?

High Cost?

In my experience I spend double the amount on junk food and processed food when I’ve been eating that stuff as compared to how much I spend when I’m eating clean. But what about growing your own veggies - planting some seeds, giving them some water and love, and watching them grow. I’d say that sure is a cheap way to get them into your daily diet.

I’ve Had A Plan

Several months back I mentioned to you I’d decided that for the first time I would be planting my own vegetables in the spring. Now that spring is here I’ve got to get moving and get planting. I’m really excited about this because it will be fun and there’s that added bonus of some cheap and healthy food. For $.99 to $1.50 I can buy a packet of seeds and potentially produce many dollars worth of food.

Another option is purchasing plants that give you a head start - it could depend on what you’re planting and what time of year you’re starting. I was going to purchase tomato and pepper plants but I decided to just go ahead and plant the seed and see what happens.

No Gardening Tips Today

By no means am I a pro at gardening and I don’t have any specific tips to pass along to you right now, nor will I be turning The Fit Shack into a gardening blog. Instead I wanted to share this with you in case the option of growing your own clean eating veggies might also help you stay on the healthy path. And remember that you don’t have to own a home in order to plant a garden - you can plant in pots and put them out on a balcony if you live in an apartment. Just pick the kinds of veggies that will grow in the amount of sunlight you have available.

Here’s what I’ll be Planting

• Peppers
• Onions
• Squash, Summer and Winter
• Zucchini
• Peas
• Tomatoes
• Green Beans

I’m really excited about this because it’s the first time I’ve tried it on my own. My goal is to get everything in the ground this weekend and I’ll give you an update on how it’s going a month or so from now. Also, I can’t help but be excited about the cost savings that I’ll be reaping just from planting a few seeds and spending the time to tend to the garden and help them grow.

A Bit of Weight Loss Motivation

I threw in a little bit of weight loss motivation for myself because I’m planting peas, which aren’t a part of the losing phase of the 6WBMO. So, I’m shooting for being at my goal weight by the time they are ready to be picked this summer - currently I’m 23.5 pounds away from my goal however if I’m not there by the time the peas are ready for harvest then I can always freeze them.

What About You?

Do you grow your own vegetables? If so do you grow them in pots or in a garden? What kind(s) do you grow? And most importantly, do you find that doing so helps you lead a healthier lifestyle than if you didn’t grow your own veggies?