Final Week!

This is it! The contest officially ends Saturday, but if you could get me your workout count for this week asap so I can get busy writing names on tickets, that would be great. If you plan on working out on Sat., of course it will count, I will just take your word for it.

We will have the raffle at Costa Vida on Saturday at 12:30. Anyone is welcome to come, bring a friend if you want. Let me know if you plan on coming and if you cant make it, no worries. I will post the winners on the blog on Saturday. We will have three cash prizes to give away. I believe we have around $250 in prize money which I will divide by three for each of the winners. The first drawing will be between those that are tied for the most entries. So far that is Jessica Call, Katie Quinn, and Dee Paternoster who did not miss ONE day of exercise since the contest started and got in all the bonus challenges. Way to go!

Remember to get me your counts in asap, I don't want anyone to miss out on increasing their chances of winning! Thanks all, and don't forget to check back on Saturday to see if you won!

Week Five

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I love having kids in the house who still believe in Santa, it makes it so much fun. One of the benefits of having kids 15 years apart is I figure I will always have either a child or a grandchild who still believes. :)

Are you all sleep deprived from all the holiday preparations? I know I am. So I will get right into next weeks bonus challenge: Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Some of you might already be doing this with no problem but for those of you who aren't (like me) here is a pretty good argument as to why you should get enough ZZZ's:

"Your body has to have enough time to rest," says Michael Fleming, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Otherwise, he says you may find yourself feeling cranky and tired.

This may sound like common sense, but according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), more than two-thirds of older adults suffer from sleep problems and many American adults don't get the minimum amount of shuteye needed to stay alert.

Sleep is vital to good health and to mental and emotional well-being. The NSF reports that people who don't get enough slumber are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems and to use health care services. Plus, sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning.

Not enough ZZZs can also be hazardous. More than one-half of adult drivers -- some 100 million people -- say they have driven drowsy in the past year, according to NSF polls. About one out of five of these drivers -- 32 million people -- say they've fallen asleep while driving.

Each year drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes, 1,500 deaths, and tens of thousands of injuries, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NSF recommends taking a 15 to 20 minute nap. Because it takes about 30 minutes for the caffeine to work, taking a nap while you wait for the caffeine to kick in can help restore alertness.

To avoid the pitfalls of insufficient sleep, make sure to get at least seven to 10 hours of slumber each night. Kids need more sleep, depending on their age.

(copied from webmd.com)

I realize that New Years Eve might make this fairly difficult, so let's just say get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night Mon. to Fri. to get one bonus entry.

I messed up my dates on the contest details, the contest will end Saturday at noon, Jan. 1st. We will have the raffle drawing Saturday at noonish. I am debating on doing it at the West Y after Crystals zumba class or to meet somewhere for lunch (Costa Vida?). Leave me your preference in your comments. I realize that obviously not everyone will be able to come to the drawing, especially my non-locals. You need not be present to win the raffle drawing. I will post all winners on the blog and via Facebook. I will also post the total entries for everyone so far as soon as I hear from everyone for this last week (unless you prefer me not to). Everything make sense? Let me know if you have any questions and have a good week, hopefully catching up on some lost sleep!

Week Four!

I'm VERY impressed with everyones motivation to keep up with the exercise. You guys are awesome! I must admit, with the late nights trying to finish up projects, and busy days trying to fit it all in, ( not to mention being 30 weeks pregnant) it gets easier and easier to justify skipping out on the exercise for the day. But if I can just squeeze in at least 30 minutes I feel SO much better. This week, with the kids home, and if you are like me, still trying to finish up shopping and projects before Christmas, this might be the most challenging week yet. Do what you can, don't be too hard on yourself if you just can't squeeze it in.

So how did everyone do with last weeks challenge? Anyone fall in love with a new form of exercise? Let me know if you got the bonus in for last week in addition to your workouts. This week is usually the week when all the sweets and treats start flooding in everywhere around you. No, I wouldn't dare challenge you not to eat any of them. I think you should eat your favorites. But let those be the key words; "your favorites." Don't waste the calories on anything less than what you absolutely love! When friends, neighbors, or co-workers bring by those treats, thank them, of course, but then put them OUT OF SITE! If you leave the goodies on the counter where you will pass by them and see them all the time, they will be calling out to you, "eat me, eat me!" And chances are, you probably will, even if they aren't your favorites. Put them out when family or friends come by to share, but when they are gone, put the sweets back in the pantry, or in a drawer, or anywhere BUT the kitchen counter!

So I thought for this weeks bonus challenge, I would challenge you to get in your five servings of fruits and veggies per day. Make yourself a deal; If you eat your 5 a day, then go ahead and justify eating a few of "your favorites." But make sure you are getting the calories your body needs first! Then hopefully, you will eat less of those empty calories, right? That is the idea anyway. A serving of fruit or vegetables is approximately 1/2 cup or a single piece of fruit like an apple or and orange, or 1 cup of greens like spinach or leafy vegetables. I am going to post a recipe that I tried out a couple weeks ago that I LOVED!: Black Bean-Chicken Taco Salad with Lime Vinaigrette. I thought it would be a refreshing change from all the rich foods this week. Check it out on the recipe tab.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week, spending time with family and loved ones, I am looking forward to it. Merry Christmas.

Week Three!

Everybody still going strong? Whew! It's a busy month! I think my house is messier in December than any other month, sadly. Laundry is piled high, but gotta get that workout in! Ha!

So how did you do with the water challenge? Be sure to let me know how many workouts you got in plus the bonus challenge if you were able to get in all 64 oz. everyday last week. (A week is considered to be Mon.-Sun.) The challenge for this week is going to be to try a different kind of workout. Crosstraining helps prevent injuries and burnout in your workouts. Have you ever thought you were in good shape because you maybe run 4 to 5 times a week, but then go snow skiing for the first time for the season? Yeah, I think you might know what I'm talking about. You work your mucscles in a different way than they are used to, and then they respond differently. Here is an exerpt from an ACE fitness article:

Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. Cross training also allows you the ability to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or even your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training; rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Cross training is also necessary to reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.

So, for a bonus entry this week, I challenge you to try a different type of workout at least once. Maybe a yoga or pilates workout, a water aerobic class, a spin class, a different cardio machine, or an ever popular zumba class. If you are a gym rat, maybe a walk/run outside might be refreshing. Anything that gets you to move in way that your body isn't already used to. If you don't have a gym membership, you can rent exercise videos from the library, go skiing or snowboarding, try snow shoeing, or a hike in the hills. If you need some help on deciding what to do, just let me know, I'd be happy to help. Good luck and I'd love to hear what new workout you tried and how you liked it next week. (PS, it doesn't have to be something you've NEVER done, just maybe something you haven't done in a long time or wouldn't typically do.)

Have a great week and lets hope for some more snow!!!!!

Hi everyone! It's been a very busy weekend for me, so sorry about the late post. Get me your numbers asap. Some of you have said you were not able to leave a comment on the blog for whatever reason. I am not very blog savvy, so any way you want to get me the message is fine with me (facebook, e-mail: fitditts@msn.com, or comment on the blog).

Looks like we got some die hards this year. I love it! You guys are doing great. This week, I thought I would give you all an extra push and an opportunity to get in a bonus entry. So here is a bonus challenge for the week: Drink at least 64oz of water everyday. It is so important to get enough water for several reasons. To name a few: Helps our body absorb and transport nutrients, regulates body temperature, detoxifies your body, helps your metabolism, moisturizes the air in your lungs, and these are just a few reasons. Water is the BEST choice of fliuid, so lets just simplify it and say for this challenge a minimum daily intake of 64 oz of WATER! If you do it everyday, then you will get ONE bonus entry.

Have a great week and enjoy the season!

Week One: How did you do? With all the Thanksgiving feast preparations, cold weather, kids home from school, holiday shopping, football games, and travelling for some, getting in a workout may have been pretty challenging. If there's a will, there's a way, right? You CAN do it! Make it a priority, schedule it into your day, you will feel so much better. Remember you need to report back to me each Sunday your weekly total for days you worked out. Challenge started Monday, Nov. 22nd. You can leave a comment at the end of this post, or send me a message via FB or e-mail (fitditts@msn.com). Also, if you are exercising outside, you might want to read an article I posted on my last entry regarding exercising in the cold. Have a great week!

Brrrrrr......Baby It's Cold Outside!!!!!! With highs in the teens and low 20's this week, makes exercising outside pretty challenging. If you are one who insists on keeping your workouts outdoors, here is an article with some tips for exercising in cold weather.

Exercising in the Cold - Sports & Exercising Outdoors - FitFacts - American Council On Exercise(ACE)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you enjoy your turkey day.

Challenge starts Monday! Remember, if you haven't gotten me your $10 sign-up fee, you can still be a part of the challenge. Just get it to me ASAP so your workouts will count toward winning some cash! FYI, 100% of ALL the entry fees goes toward the winning pot, so the more people participating the bigger the pot! Encourage your friends and family to join the challenge! So far, I have received $10 from:
Laura Stark
Rick Davis
Tami Davis
Tara Cole
Jessica Call
Kim Hill
Jeremy Johnson
Lisa Johnson
Dee Paternoster
Rhonda Coltrin
Becky Nordtvedt
Malia Kesler
Michelle Kent
Aaron Dittman
Tammy Hawkins
Pyper Dittman

Stacie Webster

Crysty Covino

Christine Dilbeck

Erin Brown

Jennifer Fonnesbeck

Jan Dittman

Katie Quinn

Gigi Gabrinetti

Chris Dilbeck

Erin Brown

Stephanie Simpson

Kari Christiansen

Pyper Morgan

If there is anyone I have missed, please let me know ASAP. And I know there are several of you that are still planning doing the contest, just get me your $10 as soon as you can! At the end of the contest, we will have a raffle drawing (location TBA) and any of you are welcome to come and join in on the drawing. I will think of something fun, if you have any ideas, let me know.

One more week until the challenge officially begins! So far we have nearly 40 people who are joining the challenge. Yea! However, I have only received a handful of entry fees, so remember to get me your $10 entry fee by next Sunday and keep spreading the word, get your friends and relatives involved! You can mail your cash or check to: 304 N. Pinedale Way, Eagle, ID 83616. If you are a Y member, feel free to put in my mailbox downstairs. If you are sending a check, I won't be cashing it until probably a week before the raffle drawing. If you would like me to cash it sooner, just let me know.

Also, I posted another yummy recipe on the holiday recipe page: Sour Cream-Raspberry Swirl Loaf. Check it out. It can be frozen up to two months and would make a great friends and neighbors gift.

The holidays are almost here! Ready or not, here comes the baking, decorating, holiday parties, holiday shopping, family traditions, etc, etc. I love this time of year and all the magic it brings. However, it is also a time for many of us when our priority for exercise can unfortunately, get pushed down on the list of things to do. With all of the extra calories consumed during this time, not to mention the stress that goes along with the season, this is the time of year when we need exercise the MOST! So in an attempt to keep you all motivated to stay consistent with your exercise routines, There's Snow Better Time To Exercise is back again, bigger and better than last year.