Sweat Sesh Playlist #2

Admit it, we all over-indulged this holiday season. Well it's time to lace up those running shoes and hit the pavement (or treadmill)! Here are 10 more songs to add to your playlist that will get you in a "beast mode" state of mind:

• Spectrum - Zedd ft. Matthew Koma

• Jump - Rihanna

• Scream & Shout - will.i.am ft. Britney Spears

• Crazy Bitch - Buckcherry

• Make It Burn Dem - Skrillex & Damian Marley

• You're Gonna Love Again (Extended Mix) - Avicii & NERVO

• Champagne Showers - LMFAO ft. Natalia Kills

• Treasure - Bruno Mars

• Wild One Two - Jack Back ft. David Guetta, Nicky Romero & Sia

• Don't Stop The Party - Pitbull ft. TJR

Holiday Survival Guide

The holiday season is the most wonderful time of year full of big family dinners, work events and lots of parties! From Thanksgiving to New Years Eve, everyone's spirits are high but unfortunately, so are their caloric intakes. The average person gains anywhere from 1-7 pounds during the holidays and never ends up losing it. Of course there is a lot of temptation: rich foods, alcohol, cozy days curled up by the fire, buffets and more but we have some tricks to prevent you from becoming another weight gain statistic!

• "Pregame"
• Holiday parties are a healthy eater's worst nightmare. Waiters passing around fatty appetizers, large dinner buffets and endless amounts of dessert. Just because this food is there does NOT mean you should eat it. If you usually eat healthy, the holidays is not an excuse to be completely undisciplined; we promise you will not be happy about it later. One way to avoid overeating and making poor choices at these events is to "pregame" with healthy food before you go. Never go to a party starving! Eat an apple, a handful of almonds, nonfat greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs or another snack high in protein or fiber to fill you up before you go. You won't be hungry, which will help you make a clear choice about what to eat the rest of the night.

• Make The Right Choice
• Pigs-in-a-blanket may smell delicious, that chocolate cake may be placed in front of you, but you don't have to cave to temptation. The best appetizer choices are shrimp cocktail, veggies with hummus or guacamole, bruschetta, mini cups of soup and tomato mozzarella skewers. At dinner, eat lean meat or fish, lots of veggies and skip the heavy sauces! If you are full by the time dessert comes, well, perfect. Just drink some tea. If not, there's almost always a fruit platter which is a good way to finish off your meal.

• Drink Skinny
• Egg nog, holiday cocktails, gingerbread lattes, peppermint mochas - some of these drinks have more calories than a meal! Just because these festive drinks are seasonal, does not give you an excuse to drink them while available. If you absolutely love these diet-busting drinks, indulge once and then go back to your usual habits. Stick to wine, light beer or clear liquor with club soda at the holiday parties. Creative cocktails are typically not figure friendly!

• Move It!
• The colder the temperature, the lazier we get. Who wants to change into shorts and a tank top to go to the gym in 40 degrees when we can stay in our pajamas by the fireplace? If you want to indulge in rich foods and alcohol though, fight through the urge to stay on the couch. You will feel less guilty about eating what you want if you work out extra hard during the holidays. If your usual cardio is 30 minutes, up it to 45. If you were contemplating trying a new workout class, sign up now. If you are hosting family, start a new tradition of a family walk before or after dinner. You all will feel better and end up eating less later on. This is the time to be the most active in order to keep off any weight gain!

• Be The Life Of The Party
• Don't be the person that has a drink in one hand, plate of food in the other and can't properly mingle! Engage in conversation, shake hands and DANCE! If you aim to be the life of the party, you will wake up the next morning happier and not feeling bloated and regretful about overindulging. Focus on socializing, not on eating.

Have a wonderful holiday from all of us at I Heart Fitness Xo!

Breaking Down Bars

Protein bars, meal replacement bars, snack bars...there are so many options, flavors and functions of this on-the-go food. Some bars claim to be nutritious, but are full of artificial flavoring, chemicals and sugar.  Others claim to taste just like chocolate, but really leave you wondering how what you just ate is considered edible. We are big fans of bars, but it took a lot of trial and error to find the tastiest, healthiest and best options to share with you!

• Best Morning Snack: Fiber One Oats & Chocolate
• This bar tastes just like a Chewy granola bar, except with far less sugar and more fiber, which makes it a perfect mid-morning snack. Since it's only 90 calories, it can be paired with a piece of fruit or a cup of nonfat greek yogurt.

• Best Dessert: Larabar [Peanut Butter Cookie or Apple Pie]
• These all natural bars have just three ingredients and taste delicious. Each one is about 200 calories and is the best option to grab when you are having a major sweet tooth.

• Best Meal Replacement: Think Thin White Chocolate
• Think Thin bars tend to have a chalky taste, but the white chocolate flavor is the only one that does taste good. This bar has 20 grams of protein and 240 calories, which is extremely filling and an easy on-the-go lunch.

• Best Post-Workout Protein: Power Crunch Protein Energy Bar
• This giant wafer cookie tastes amazing and indulgent, but each bar has only 5 grams of sugar and no sugar alcohol! After a great sweat session it's important to repair your muscles and fuel your body with protein, and each one of these packs 14 grams.

• Best Flavor Variety: Kind Bar
• All flavors of this all-natural snack bar are absolutely delicious. Kind Bars are made with all sorts of nuts which are a great source of healthy fat and protein. Some of these make a nice dessert as well, with dark chocolate and yogurt-coated options. Basically, no matter which you choose, you can't go wrong!

• Best Nutritional Value: Greens Plus Chocolate Energy Bar
• Greens Plus are the only cold-processed, alkaline-forming green food bar made with organically grown superfoods, soy protein, herbal extracts and honey. The bar delivers protein, low-glycemic carbs and essential fatty acids that supply a steady stream of energy throughout the day. They are a little bit pricey per bar, but the health benefits cannot be beat. 

• Best Breakfast: Luna Bar [Chocolate Peppermint, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Honey Pretzel]
• Luna Bars come in a wide variety of flavors and we have tried them all, these three are by far the most true-to-taste and yummy! Luna Bars have carbs and fiber so we like to have these with our breakfast, paired with a banana, yogurt or eggs. 

• Best Brownie Substitute: Pure Organic Chocolate Brownie
• A guiltless brownie?! Yup, these Pure bars made of dates, agave nectar, cashew butter, almonds and cocoa manage to satisfy a chocolate craving while still providing nutrition.

• Best Gas Station Option: Special K Protein Bar
• These bars taste good and while not the healthiest on this list, they are definitely the best option at the convenience store. Instead of grabbing chips, candy or other empty calories, this protein meal-replacement bar is your best bet to stay slim. 

Sweat Sesh Playlist

Music is EVERYTHING when exercising. Add these songs to your fitness playlist this week to get your heart rate up and make your workout fun!

• Let Me Love You - Ne-Yo

• Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch

• Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj

• Someone Like You - Adele (EC Twins Remix)

• We Found Love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

• Boomerang - DJ Felli Fel ft. Akon, Pitbull & Jermaine Dupri

• Live Your Life - Erick Morillo ft. Shawnee Taylor

• Seek Bromance - Tim Berg

• Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

• Alright - Pitbull ft. Machel Montano

A Healthy Start

All healthy individuals know there's only one way to start each day and that is with BREAKFAST, the most important of the 3 meals. Yes, your mornings can start with coffee, meditation, a workout, or any other early routine but do not leave the house without having that first meal. Not only does breakfast give you energy for half of the day but it has been linked to improved performance at work and weight control.

If you are thinking: "Great! Breakfast leads to weight loss so now I can grab that blueberry crumb muffin along with my morning Starbucks drink!" You may have the wrong idea of what breakfast should consist of. Here are some low carb and high protein breakfast ideas we are loving right now to help kick start your healthy lifestyle:

• 1 cup of nonfat fat greek yogurt [best options: Fage 0% or Trader Joe's 0% in Strawberry or Blueberry] topped with pomegranate seeds, blueberries and almonds or walnuts + a banana on the side

• 2 hard boiled eggs + 1 banana + 1 handful of raw almonds or walnuts [best breakfast if you are on-the-go]

• 1 packet of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice & Pecan oatmeal + a bowl of sliced melon and berries

• 2 scrambled eggs + 1 packet of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice & Pecan oatmeal [best breakfast before a tough morning workout]

• 1 omelette made with two egg whites, 1 whole egg filled with veggies + side of cottage cheese and sliced tomato (substitute for toast and potatoes) [best choice at the brunch spot]

All of these meal options are nutritious, delicious and filling. Don't start your day with white flour or sugar (or eat at any point of the day!) and the changes in your energy, your mood and your body will be amazing.