Finding difficulty in getting to the gym?

The hectic-ness of life can easily get in the way of living a healthy lifestyle and getting into a daily exercise routine. Between juggling a family, work, school, a social life, and sleep, exercise can easily start to slide onto the back burner.

This is something I had to deal with when I started a new job that was getting me up at 4am while going to nursing school. My daily workout routine soon vanished and my nights were spent in front of the T.V. It wasn’t until I realized that my pants wouldn’t fit that I realized that my health was being neglected.

So how can exercise and fitness be made a priority while having a busy lifestyle?

Here are some tips that bring exercise off the back burner and to the front:

1.) Wake-Up Early

Many times I have great intentions to get to the gym after work, but there are so many things in life that can get in the way at 7pm… not to mention my energy level is usually at a zero by the time I get home from a 12 hour shift. Once the alarm goes off in the morning I don’t even give yourself time to think about the snooze button. Hit the ground running immediately and you will never regret your workout at the end.

2.) Set a Goal

Whether it be a 60-day exercise plan or training for a half marathon, goals are a great way to force yourself into an exercise routine and keep your eyes focused on the end prize.

3.) Lunch Breaks

Lunch breaks are a perfect time to get in a half hour of exercise. No need to find a gym, get outside and start walking. If you don’t work in a great area for walking, hit up the stairs in your building… nothing raises a heart rate better than running up and down stairs!

Getting a group of co-works together is even better accountability! I remember always seeing a group of women from my alumni college out in the quad walking laps while laughing and talking with each other.

4.) Pack a Gym Bag

Not a morning person? Packing a gym bag in the car that sits in the front seat . . . a great reminder that you need to get to the gym.

5.) Lay out your workout clothes

I prefer to just wear my workout clothes to bed, but for those of you that are PJ people, laying out your workout clothes the night before is another great reminder and preparation for what is planned ahead with the alarm clock goes off.

While these tips can motivate and get one to the gym, sometimes Nike himself reigns over all in that, “Just Do It”

Question:

Are you placing your workout routine on the back burner?

How to do ensure that your workouts are a priority in your life?

Here is the winner for the Chocolite Giveaway!

Congrats Chels!

Here is what Chels had to say about the Chocolites:

“ooh girl! I be likin those cookie n cream ones! Thanks for having this her giveaway! I sure do preciate it! I hope to be winnin so I can get me some of thos!hmm. those things be so good~”

Please email me at shefit.ruth@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can send you your Chocolite Bars!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

I’ve found yet another amazing online store with tons of great items from shoes, bags, and luggage, to fitness equipment, exercise DVDs and dining room sets. CSN is an online website that combines up to 200 stores. A one time shop, you are bound to find something you like and the shipping isn’t too shabby.

With that being said, I am pleased to announce that I will be doing a product review in the next few weeks. To leave you in great anticipation of this great review I leave you with this little hint…

Ok, I’ve left you in enough anticipation… It’s a food dehydrator!

Have you ever owned a food dehydrator? I have never owned one myself but I do love buying dried pineapple, apples, banana chips and veggies from our local sprouts.

What’s your favorite dried fruit?

ps- Check out OneHealthyApple for a chance to win a $40.00 CSN giftcard!

A few months ago a co-worker of mine started talking about the Beachbody Insanity Workout by Shaun T. Every day she would come into work talking about how difficult her workout was the night before.

Here is was going to the gym every day, working my butt of and thinking, “please, your workout can’t be that hard!” The more and more I heard about her workouts, seeing the meals that she was eating, and the results she was getting, the more I started to become intrigued by this workout… 3 weeks later I broke and bought the 10 CD set off amazon.com.

I wanted to see what the hype was all about!

Here I sit in Week 6, day 4 of the Insaniy Workout and my entire body hates me. My arms are burning, my legs yell at me every morning when I swing them off the side of the bed, and my abs cringe when I laugh. But the best part is that people are starting to see how toned I’ve gotten.

I’m not much for weight lifting… I know, I know, muscle burns fat, but I just can’t get myself to lift weights. It’s so boring to me. I’m definitely a cardio girl by heart. The Insanity Workout is a perfect mixture of cardio and muscle building through your own body-weight.

The Insanity Workout is a total of 60 days- 2 months. The first month is only a foundation for what’s to come in month 2. This week marks the first month of month #2 and I love every sore minute of it. I’m drenched in sweat before the stretching hits and by the end of the CD’s I’m lying on the floor attempting to catch my breath and quickly apologize to my muscles while convincing them that they won’t regret it in the end. My body is starting to transform and I love it!

With a total of 10 CDs, this workout is by far the toughest workout video that I have ever attempted. The one thing that I have learned throughout this experience is dedication. It was so much easier to workout when I was just a student, but now I’m balancing being a student, wife, and work. The minute I started having to wake up at 4am for work was the minute my workouts were thrown out the window.

With this 60 day workout plan, I have learned that with dedication, a workout can never be missed. I dedicated the next 60 days to this workout the minute I pressed play to the Insanity Workout. No matter how tired or how sore I am, I continue to press play because of the goal I set for myself.

Even though you might not be doing something like Beachbody’s Insanity Workout, what are you exercise goals? Do you find it easier to get off the couch and head out to the gym when you have set a goal for yourself?

All diets have one thing in common

. . . No candy, chocolate, or desserts.

For a chocolate-holic, losing weight and cutting back on calories can be miserable. Chocolate temptations are everywhere! From the office desk to the vending machine or checkout line of a grocery store, chocolate is available at the drop of a hat.

Why are chocolate bars off limits for those who want to lose weight?

Just check out some of these outrageous nutrition facts on some of America’s leading chocolate bars!

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (2)

Calories: 232

Fats: 14 g

Carbohydrates: 25 g

Sugar: 21 g

Hersey’s Chocolate Bar

Calories: 210

Fats: 13 g

Carbohydrates: 26 g

Sugar: 24 g

Snickers

Calories: 266

Fats: 11 g

Carbohydrates: 37 g

Sugar: 28 g

Butterfinger

Calories: 270

Fats: 11 g

Carbohydrates: 43 g

Sugar: 29 g

Chocolate bars are not only high in calorie but they are loaded with fats, carbohydrates, and sugar! Any Atkins dieter, South Beach Dieter, or Weight Watcher would be running far from these bad boys.

Don’t run too far though because Chocolite Chocolate Bars are here to save the day. I proudly introduce to you HealthSmart Food’s Chocolite sugar-free chocolate that is low fat, low carb, low calorie, high fiber, and high fiber. With more than half the calories and half the amount of weight watcher points of a regular chocolate bar and only 1 carb, these snacks make the perfect ending to a long day.

Chocolite Bars are more like Chocolite Squares. These little squares are only 30 calories with flavors including Crispy Caramel, Peanut Chew, Chocolate Coconut, Almond Fudge, and Pecan Clusters. Just one square is sure to hit the spot for those chocolate cravings.

Chocolite Protein Bars met the ideal chocolate bar image in comparison to the Chocolite “squares.” With 9 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, 3g of fat, 1g sugar, and a messily 95 calories, these chocolate bars beat any protein bar! Chocolite Protein Bar flavors range from Triple Chocolate, Cashew Caramel, Smores, Cookies N’ Cream, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Turtle, and Strawberry.

After tasting all the flavors, I have to say that I have not found one Chocolite Flavor that I have not fully enjoyed. My all time favorite flavor is the Chocolite Crispy Caramel Squares. I’m finally able to fully enjoy a chocolate bar without feeling guilty!

Want a chance to get your hands on a Chocolite Chocolate Bar?

Well here is your chance… SheFit is giving away 7 free Chocolite bars to 1 lucky winner

In order to qualify for the Chocolite Chocolate Bar giveaway you must comment on what flavor you want to try.

For additional Entries:

1.) Tweet this giveaway

2.) Add SheFit to your blogroll

3.) Post this giveaway in your next post with a link back

4.) Subscribe to SheFit

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry as well as your email address!

The Chocolite Chocolate Bar Giveaway ends Friday, August 20 so hurry up and spread the news!