New Cert Alert!: Oh Baby! Fitness

Disclaimer: I received access to the Oh Baby! Fitness Certification in exchange for promoting their program and classes on social media. All opinions are my own.

Excited to announce I have chosen my first Certification of the new year, Oh Baby! Fitness. The majority of my clients are women. Some of my clients took a break from training when they got pregnant, most were unsure what was safe pre/post natal. Now many of our friends are having kids, and as the resident fitness geek they come to me for tips. I knew a little and I knew where to find the info when and if I needed too, but I never felt fully confident in my ability. So now I have decided to expand my knowledge on the topic, and Oh Baby!Fitness was the perfect opportunity.

Why I Chose Oh Baby!Fitness(OBF):
They are local and they offer a hands on training. Those were 2 huge selling points for me. Their curriculum is all online so I can go at my own pace and can access the info whenever I need it. They are also local with locations in Georgia and Texas. So I can drop in on a class and see the format in person if I need to. They host periodic live trainings so I can also get my hands on experience as well, That is really important to me. I retain more information and learn faster when all of my senses are engaged.

Classes Offered:

OBF offers classes during pregnancy and post pregnancy as mommy and me classes:
- Pilates
- Prenatal Combo Classes
- Toning
- Water Aerobics
- Yoga
- Pushing
So there are so many opportunities to teach at all levels. What a great opportunities for fit mamas to find community and support.

The Process:

I have received my access code and I have started navigating my online modules. On site they estimate the entire course could take around 16 hours. My goal is to test for my exam at the end of March, before the live training in April.

Wish me luck!

Are any of you teaching  pre/post natal specialty classes?
Tell me about it in the comment section below.

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

My Atlanta SoulCycle Target Experience

SoulCycle and Target teamed up to offer FREE classes around the US!

An opportunity to try 1 of the biggest fitness trends for FREE? You know I was in!

About a week before the class a registration link is activated for your city. You set up an account and choose a date and time. I was on right at 3PM! I chose 3 times just to be sure I would get in. Then I impatiently waited to find out if I got in.

Then on Monday I got my reservation. I was in!

The SoulCycle Experience!

Arrive early is the advice I got from friends who had already attended. So I got there 30 minutes early, perfect timing. I was able to choose a bike in the front row, bike 8! I strapped on my shoes, sipped on some water, and waited for the show to begin.

Then the curtain opened. One by one they led us in to dimly lit room. It was all about the ambiance. I don't usually clip in when I ride so I had one of the SoulCycle assistants set me up on a bike. Shortly after our instructor Selena Watkins came in and introduced herself to those of us who were already set up. Then a few minutes later the ride began!

The instructor was motivating and so was the music! Loved. loved, loved the music. The beat was easy to follow and the cues were clear. The workout included sprints, hills, rhythm work, and some upper body conditioning. I loved that I could feel the changes in the music and the transitions to next phase of the workout.

At 1 point during the workout we used 3 pound weights for some upper body movements while still cycling. We weren't maintaining a fast enough speed to really get a cardio benefit, so I'm not sure why we stayed on the bike for this part. A 3 pound weight is not enough stimulus to get the sort of results I would want from weight training, anything heavier would be unsafe while trying to maintain balance on a bike. I'll just get in my weight training on my own.

The finale for the ride was great. We moved into a hill that included really powerful lyrics, followed by a down hill sprint, and finished with 1 more rhythm ride. The perfect end to our workout.

SoulCycle and Target did a great job creating a fitness "experience". They even had goodie bags waiting for us on our way out. A cute SoulCycle tote, KIND bar, and Suja Juice. I was so glad to have that KIND bar, I managed to leave my protein bar on the counter at home, so I was in desperate need of post workout fuel.

Overall, I enjoyed my first SoulCycle experience. I am not a cycling junkie I am more of a weight training girl these days. So I like my weights heavy and my cardio has to be fun. If you prefer a pure road ride this is probably not the class for you. Appropriate for beginners, not sure, during this sample class there weren't any options or modifications offered. But, if you are healthy/injury free and enjoy dancing along to the music while cycling, you might give SoulCycle a try. I would try it again, I was completely unfamiliar with the SoulCycle brand prior to this and I would be interested in trying some of their other instructors styles.

Have you tried SoulCycle? What was your experience like? Comment below

Til Next time,

Health and Happiness,

L

Accountability Calendar for January 2016

Helping my 2015 clients get ready for 2016. Created a monthly calendar for 1 of my clients, now she can check off her goals daily. She loved it and I loved it so I made 1 for myself. Do you need a January calendar to help you hold yourself accountable?

The calendar includes check boxes for cardio, flexibility, water, and resistance training. Don't forget to pick at least 1 day for rest and recovery.

In the borders you can find a spot to write in your total cardio, your resistance goals, and any other notes.

Get you FREE printable January calendar HERE

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

Resolution Solutions 2016

Join me this Monday and get ready for a fit and healthy New Year! 

I am hosting a FREE 5 day web series to help you set your 2016 health and fitness goals. This FREE series includes 5 different topics and science based strategies to help you shape a resolution that is strategic, attainable, and personalized to you! 

1. Setting SMARTer Goals in 2016
2. How to figure out your nutrition needs and macros
3. Selecting the best cardio program to meet your goals
4. Selecting the best weight training program to meet your goals
5. How to maintain your progress throughout the year

Register now and receive messages via our private Facebook group or choose to get tips sent directly to your inbox.

Register Here: 

I Want to Get Fit and Healthy in 2016!

I look forward to helping you make 2016 your healthiest year!

Health and Happiness

L

Thousands of Lights and Thousands of Steps at Garden Lights

All the steps!

Last year we were rained out on the last night of Garden Lights at The Atlanta Botanical Gardens. This year it was a beautiful night to explore the lights! I was excited about the lights but I have to admit I was even more excited to see how many steps I could complete.

Parking

We paid waaaay too much for parking. If you time it correctly you can get $10 parking onsite. Parking clears out in waves, when we drove by it was full, by the time we walked back the lot was open again. You can try and find street parking but this event draws a pretty big crowd, street parking is scarce. But, I'm not too mad, the walk from the lot started our night out with +2K bonus steps.

Walking the Garden 

The light displays were gorgeous, my 2 favorites were the "Ice Goddess" and the "Orchestral Orbs".  The "Orchestral Orbs" were synchronized to all of my favorite holiday songs. I could have sat and watched the Orbs all night long.

Orchestral Orbs and Skyline Photos

The garden seems huge. Every turn we take I want to double back and make sure I haven't missed anything. There are trains, a smore's station, music, and moving lights. So much to take in.

The Ice Goddess, Festive Drinks, and Group Photo

Mom and Anthony sipped on hot chocolate, I went a lil more festive with the "Rudolph": champagne with a splash of cranberry and fresh cranberry garnish. That kept me warm the rest of the night. 

+2K steps to Garden, +3K steps through Garden, +2K steps to the car

Fitgeek Features

• Beautiful lights
• 90 minutes of leisure activity
• Fun with family
• More than 7K total steps

We saw thousands of beautiful lights and we logged thousands of steps in the process. A great way to combine family time, the holidays, and some physical activity. 

What is your favorite way to mix fitness and the holidays?

Health and Happiness,

L

Halloween with the Browns 2015

Halloween is my favorite holiday! Scary movies, treats, and time with the fam!

The night before Halloween I gathered the candy and lined up my favorite DVDs for viewing throughout the day.

What is your favorite movie to watch around Halloween? I always watch "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". This year I added "Hocus Pocus" to the line up!

My moms neighborhood doesn't get trick or treaters and my lil sis was hitting a party in the evening, so I started a new tradition! Halloween Brunch!

I made my 1st attempt at a frittata and it was sooooo good. 

I made a turkey sausage and mixed greens frittata. I substituted egg whites for 2 of the whole eggs and I used whole fat Greek yogurt instead of milk. This reduced a bit of the fat and added a lil more protein. And it's brunch so we sipped on spiked apple cider while we ate.

After our meal, pumpkin carving and "Hocus Pocus". 

Mom went home, Then we watched the painful UGA vs FL game.

Then it was time for a costume change.

Alicia handed out candy while I prepped dinner. Every year we bet on the most popular costume. I chose "the minions", Alicia chose "witch", and Anthony chose "Elsa"(my pick last year). Alicia won! There were 6 witches before she left. She gets bragging rights until next year.

A new recipe for the night, pumpkin, sausage, and sage sauce over pasta.

After dinner and handing out the last bit of candy we had part 2 of our night. Treats and eats with the neighbors. Then an uber trip to our friends place for scary movies and treats.

A fun night was had by all!

I hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Health and Happiness,

L

Cooking with Pumpkin: Pumpkin, Sausage, and Sage Sauce

Wrapping up harvest season with this easy sauce recipe. I only had to make a special grocery run for the sage. Everything else was in the fridge or pantry. I like to make a themed recipe for Halloween. This year I decided to try pasta with pumpkin sauce. 

Ingredients:

- puréed pumpkin

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 c red onions

- 1/2 c full fat Greek yogurt 

- 1 large clove of garlic, minced

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 sprig sage (4-7 leaves)

- 1 c water

- additional salt and pepper to taste

- 3 links fully cooked ground turkey sausages

Instructions:

Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and onions sauté until tender. Add 1 can pumpkin purée. Stir in 1/2c full fat Greek yogurt. Slowly add in water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency. Add sage and salt. Heat til warmed, about 5 minutes. Add cooked sausage. 

Mmm, this dish was loaded with flavor and fairly easy to prep. I used whole wheat pasta, but I would love to try it with spaghetti squash. A simple savory sauce with high protein turkey sausage and a fiber boost with whole grain pasta.

I also tried to use all of my pumpkin this year:

Carved a Jack O Lantern

Roasted and puréed the shavings

Toasted and seasoned the seeds

What is your favorite way to use pumpkin?

I am thinking I'll thin out the sauce and serve it as a hearty soup for Thanksgiving.

Health and Happiness,

L