Always in Beta Lifestyle with New Balance

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Consideration was provided by New Balance  

I’ve always been inspired by women with stories of challenge and triumph. One of my first and favorite books I ever read was called, “Don’t You Dare Give Up,” a book about a gymnast who was paralyzed doing the sport she loved, but out of her tragedy she reinvented herself, and continued to inspire and work in other ways. I am a student of personal development. I am constantly looking to improve my lifestyle in so many ways, and always looking for something that can make just that 1% change. I am “always in beta.”

“Always in Beta. Beta is a state of relentless improvement. Where there is no finish line to what’s possible. We dream. We wake up. And improve upon yesterday.”

I am teaming up with New Balance to promote women who also live the “Always in Beta” Lifestyle. The new Fall Catalog is packed with awesome new gear, but also lots of women’s stories that will inspire you, push you, and motivate you!

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If you download the Blippar App, you can Blipp the page to see awesome content, videos and get to know the NB Women and their stories in a really cool way!   I was obsessed with this new collection, especially the colors and feel of the NB Ice Collection!   The contrast of the blues and bright yellows makes me feel unstoppable!!

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The Capris have an awesome, wide and flattering waistband and feel amazing on my skin.  

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Let’s talk bras. Let’s get real here, sports bras are my best friend, but I don’t always like how they can smash everything and make me look like I wasted $4000 on a boob job (hahaha) The “Tenderly Obsessive” bra is seriously genius. I need one for every day of the week.

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First, it’s cute and matches my hot shorts. (Bonus) There is a soft, shaped, cup on each side, with a nice bit of padding for smoothness (but not those awful removable pads that bunch up and you can never fit back in!!) It’s comfortable, stylish and gives great support and lift. #winner Speaking of shorts. I’ve never been a shorts kind of girl. Mostly because I was too worried about things being squeezed and creating more bulges and bumps than necessary. The Premium Performance Hot Shorts are so flattering, with the wide waistband, great coverage, and they stay put when running or stretching.

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Last, it’s fall, and I LOVE the weather and cozy, soft sweaters, jackets and windbreakers. New Balance nailed it with the Heat En Route Jacket; it’s gorgeous, comfy, has the fun thumbholes that I love and feels so soft!

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I’m so excited for fall hiking, long walks, trail running and pumpkin lattes and of course, Always Living in Beta. What are you excited for this fall and what pushes you to always live the Beta Lifestyle?     WE THE WOMEN of New Balance have created this collection of fitness apparel and footwear inspired by our shared LOVE OF SPORT, drive to discover what’s next, and passion for WHAT’S POSSIBLE. Welcome to NB WOMEN where every tight fits right, every layer works hard, and every shoes lets you moved with perfect freedom. Take a look and find WHAT YOU LOVE. www.newbalance.com  

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Why I joined an MLM

BeYouJan

The one thing I said I’d NEVER do.
Not “one of those“.

I recall, growing up, my aunt and uncle having my parents go to presentations for different businesses they wanted to get involved in.

I remember my parents snide remarks in the car on the way home, how those never work for “people like us”.

(they never did join any of them or even try, even though I do remember being impressed by many of the presentations)

When I was 18 I was approached by an Herbalife Distributor.

For the first time I was very intrigued and interested.

When I mentioned it to my family they warned me that it was “one of those things your Uncle’s did”.
That was enough for me to understand, that I wasn’t supposed to get involved.

As I have become more and more successful with my personal training business and my online presence, I started to get approached pretty regularly by distributors or brand partners for various companies: Visalus, Beach Body, Vemma, Monavie, Isagenix, Juice Plus, just to name some of the most popular ones. There are dozens more.

I admittedly thought that I was “too good” for that, and I even felt offended that people would see my fans and just want to make money off of me and not provide them with a real service or something of value!

Long story short, I was approached last March by a company that seemed to really offer something I was looking for.

It was a product that contained the herbs and formulas that I used to heal my metabolic damage from extreme dieting. A protein powder that I actually thought had some real substance and was different!

I was very excited about it and I started to see why Network Marketing was such a great model; I was able to see how I could build an excited and supportive team that helped others and also created an income for people.

Wow! This was cool!!
I had just paid off all my student-loan debt, was riding on the high of being DEBT FREE and now I had a vehicle to share with others to do the same thing as me…. but…..

that business, ultimately was in the pre-launch stages and didn’t really take off.
I had put my WORD and my FAITH in the company and product on the line and it failed.

I had joined.
I had failed.

I was struggling with wondering if I made a mistake and if I should just give up on the idea of this business for good.

“That was a sign Danny-J! See? You shouldn’t get involved in those kinds of things. They don’t work for people like us”

I started listening to a few of my mentors, like Dani Johnson, Guy Kawasaki, and other financial experts.
I was fighting with the thought that I should try again, but remembering that I already failed. I was worried about what people would think of me and especially the people on my team that may have felt that I dragged them into a failing company. I was pretty torn.

I had many companies wanting me to join them, and while a fitness product (shakes, bars, vitamins) seem like the obvious choice, none of them just “felt right” to me. Besides, I don’t even use shakes that often these days and I’ve already posted a ton of blogs on what I think about protein shakes.

Along came Nerium.

OK Actually, Nerium had been there all along.

My beautiful sister-in-law started it over a year ago, but I stubbornly refused to even look at the product, which I was SURE was a gimmick.
But… in my search… I started talking to her more.

I saw her pictures.

I saw her results.

I went to her events and the company impressed the hell out of me!
So much so, that my husband and I decided to become Bigs with Big Brothers Big Sisters when Nerium partnered  with them as a sponsor.

Me and my "Little" Kelly

Me and my “Little” Kelly

I did my research, I used the product.
I LOVED it.
It’s natural.
It makes me look better, which makes me feel better.
It is aligned with how I love to help people with their bodies.
The company’s motto is to “LOOK BETTER and LIVE BETTER”
and also to create a RIPPLE that affects everyone.

AND.. my sister was successful!!
“People like us CAN do this!! She has 5 kids!! If she can be successful with 5 kids, then I can be successful with just me to handle!”

I LOVED it.
I joined.

The thing I said I’d NEVER do.

So today I’m excited to announce that Nerium International; not only has been tweeted by Jenny McCarthy, was shown on CBS, The View and on The Doctors last week… but now is on newsstands in the Beautiful You magazine at your Barnes & Nobles and Books-A-Million Bookstores!

Here is ME at Barnes & Nobles with the latest magazine! Yay! Congratulations Nerium!!

BeYouJan

If you’re interested in the product or becoming a brand partner, please email me at [email protected] or click here.

They ALWAYS give a 30-Day Money Back guarantee, because we want you to LOVE our product.

What is something you always said you’d NEVER do and you ended up doing it?

earned an ipad my first month

earned an ipad my first month

 

 

Routine Refresh Indoor Edition

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I’m in New York City all week at the weather has been pretty amazing, however, I packed ready for the worst! I totally planned on freezing my tush off outside and trying a few indoor classes for a workout.

Indoor cycling or SPIN are one of my favorite indoor workouts. I love classes in New York like Soul Cycle and Fly Wheel Sports that make spin classes a little more fun and competitive.

My friend Rebekah (Bexlife) and I took a Flywheel class put on by the Biggest Loser Trainer, Brett Hoebel.

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Then I headed to Boston for a Blogilates meet up! Blogilates is a company owned by my good friend Cassey Ho.

She had over 450 raging fans waiting to take her POP pilates class. It was intense and FUN. I sweated and I also met a fellow ex-gymnast and we finished off with some handstands 😉 Always a great shoulder exercise!

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I also have a friend, Erin Stutland, who happens to be on of my AMZING, beautiful guests at Inspiration and Perspiration this year and she teaches a class called Shrink Session.

Shrink Session is something you just have to experience!

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I can tell you the basis is that it is a cardio dance class with affirmations, but that makes it sound kind of weird, and it is super amazing and you leave feeling like you’re on top of the world!

 

So what are your favorite indoor activities? What can you do to refresh your routine for the season? I’d love to see your comments!!

adidas Women designs innovative performance products to help women commit to their best self and conquer their fitness goals. We inspire women to look and feel their best – be pretty, be tough & be confident.

Adidas-Logo

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by adidas via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are all mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of adidas

Back-to-School September Challenge

Back-to-School Challenge

Remember back in the day (maybe 4th grade-ish) the Presidential Fitness Tests? (or similar fitness testing?)

Well… its Back-to-School Time —time to do it again! Lets establish a baseline!

Here’s the Challenge: 

 

Only 3 tests:

1. Walk/jog/run 1 mile for time: You can do this on a track or treadmill. Just do your best!
2. Sit-ups for 1 minute: Lock your feet down (or have a partner hold them) then cross your arms over your chest and go!! (elbows must touch your knees to count)
3. Push-ups to Failure: Do as many push-ups as you can (with good form) you may do them on your knees. As soon as you “come down” thats it!

The main goal is to TRY! Do your best! Then for the next 4 weeks, lets work on that fitness level and we’ll test again! Can’t wait to see the results!! READY… SET… GO!!

RULES:

1. RECORD YOUR SCORES THIS WEEK 

2. POST YOUR SCORES IN THE COMMENTS

3. Work your ass off for a month— (incorporate the exercises during the week!)

—— Mondays: Do 3 sets of 30 sit-ups at the end of your workout

——-Wednesdays: Walk/Jog 1.5 miles as warm-up for cardio

——-Fridays: Do 3 sets of 15-25 push-ups

4. Record Scores Again October 26-30th

5. POST YOUR PROGRESS!!

Routine Refresh: Outdoor Edition

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If you are on my email list, you know that I just sent an email last week about how I cancelled my gym membership.
This doesn’t mean that I have completely given up training or thrown in the towel, but I need to get a little more creative. I realized that in Texas, the weather is the fall is PERFECT for some new outdoor activities, so I was inspired by adidas Women to write a post about a Routine REFRESH: Taking it outside!! Nothing like a few new pieces of workout gear to get your wanting to move it again!IMG_20130901_103311

Texas doesn’t have a whole lot of mountains, but I did find a hiking trail which was pretty flat but had some beautiful scenery. A nice trail run and a snake.. OMG!! I think I’ll continue the trail runs, but I’m going to carry a stick with me, in case I need a spear next time!

Besides jogging, which to me, gets a little tedious, I’ve been toying with other ideas for cardio. Tennis is a sport I have NEVER played, but my husband and I thought it would be fun to play FIVE YEARS AGO when we bought rackets for Christmas. Needless to say, they sat in the closet… until now!!
We live in a new place with a tennis court and its been too hot this summer to play. The weather has finally gotten cooler so we took ourselves outside and had a blast.IMG_20130902_203024

Who knew tennis was so great for your abs?? (From laughing so hard!!)

I have also found, that living in apartment has more than just the tennis court perks. We have a lovely swimming pool that I have been doing laps in about 3 days a week. I’m a terrible swimmer, but just being out in the sun makes me feel pretty alive! Especially working from home these days, I think this is JUST what I needed.

Then.. when all else fails, I have me, my shoes, and some stairs. I am starting with 50 laps and my goal will be to do 100 laps by the end of the month!!IMG_20130903_120030

So what are your favorite outdoor activities? What can you do to refresh your routine and maybe take it outside? I’d love to see your comments!!

adidas Women designs innovative performance products to help women commit to their best self and conquer their fitness goals. We inspire women to look and feel their best – be pretty, be tough & be confident.

Adidas-Logo

 

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by adidas via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are all mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of adidas

Ambassador Spotlight: Brooklyn Fit Chick

Me on Fear

My next ambassador spotlight is Margo, the writer and brains behind Brooklyn Fit Chick!! I will be honest,  often I just want to call her “Brooklyn” and I’m sure she gets that a lot! A really cool thing about Margo, is that I actually WENT to New York City in June and she totally helped me find my way around Brooklyn and the city and I was so intrigued with her city life! Margo has some cute kitties, lives in a cool New York neighborhood and is one of the sweetest, coolest people you’ll ever meet… and she has lots of stories of celebs she has worked with over the years!

Me on Fear

My name is Margo and this here is my very own Blog (www.brooklynfitchick.com) I like to write about fitness, health, Paleo living, music and pop culture. Brooklyn is where I both live and work with my certifications in Group Fitness and Personal Training from NASM, AFAA, ACE and TRX. I am an ambassador for Fit Approach/Sweat Pink, Fit Mapped and Sweaty Betties. You can also find me was a writer for Fit Bottomed Girls www.fitbottomedgirl.com)

I got into fitness a little over 11 years ago when I quit smoking for good. (I was a two-pack a day smoker for a while there. Gross!) It’s not easy to give a bad habit for a good one (bad habits can feel more fun sometimes) but I know I am adding years to my life and will be around a little longer with those who love me.

When I am not working, cycling, reading, listening to music, shopping, cooking or attempting a power chord on my dusty guitar–you can find me catching up on my favorite shows on my DVR.  I am a big fan of furry creatures with two kitty cats (Sarah & Tennessee.)

In my “day job” I work as a PR/Marketing consultant and have worked with everyone from Queen Latifah to Elmo (before we knew about Elmo…)

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Follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/BrooklynFitChik

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooklyn.fitchick

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brooklynfitchick

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brooklynfitchik/boards/

I earned my degree in Speech-Communications from San Jose State University.

Best Things in Life Workout

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BestThingsInLife

 

Here is a great workout sure to make you sweat– and remember– tag @SweatyBetties on Instagram or on Facebook with #SBSweatYourself and you’ll get free stickers!! yay!
Then make sure to SHARE and PIN the workouts!

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Steve’s PaleoGoods GIVEAWAY!

Steves Sampler Pack

First off, watch my video and see what I’m really like…. yeah.

Now that you know I’m so thug, guess what?! You have a chance to win the awesome PaleoKits AND a skype session with me, which can be personal training or business coaching… bam!! $200 value! HOLLA!!
Make sure to tweet the giveaway for daily chances to win!!

PS Coupon code: sweatybettiespaleo at checkout will give you 10% off of your order!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whole to Healthy: Ambassador Spotlight

Christy

CHRISTYWhole to Healthy is the name of Christy’s blog, business and page. I fell in love with Christy’s story because she has struggled with something that MANY, many, many women deal with– thyroid issues. Not feeling well, doctors not finding anything wrong, getting prescribed medication for depression, yet knowing there was something else. She is almost done with her Master Nutrition Therapy Degree and will be offering raw vegan and paleo 30-day programs soon.

CHECK OUT HER STORY HERE

Christy

Christy Beauchot Smith, a Certified Nutrition Therapist, didn’t always have the passion for nutrition that she has today.  Her younger years were spent eating large amounts of cookies and candy with no care, or side effects, until she developed Hashimotos Thyroiditis at the age of 25.  What she ate, and how she felt, quickly became a concern for her. Her once thin frame began carrying more and more weight that seemed impossible to lose.  After being introduced to the all natural, whole foods way of eating through a wellness program that she eventually worked for, not only did she lose the weight, but she found her true calling.  Now, a busy mother of two young boys, and the owner of two businesses Whole to Healthy Nutrition, and DipSticks Gourmet Pretzels, she is currently enrolled in the Nutrition Therapy Institute and will earn her Master Nutrition Therapy degree by fall of 2013.  Her love of cooking and helping others, combined with this nutrition degree will give her the tools she needs to help people take back their kitchens, and begin their own healthy paths, without feeling like slaves to the diet world. Christy was also featured in an article about juicing for Shape magazine online and was asked to create 5 heart-healthy juice recipes for Omega Juicers. Beyond the kitchen, Christy loves hiking, box jumps, listening to all kinds of music, hanging with her family and her lovable golden retriever and rescued yellow tabby cat, watching The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey, playing piano, and obsessing over all things monkey-related.

Sexy Summer Shoulders

SexySummerShoulders


This is a great shoulder sculpting routine that combines weights and resistance with a little bit of metabolic calorie burning-

Start with 3 types of Raises (3-5lb. Dumbbells suggested)

10 Front Raises

10 Lateral Raises (Thumbs up)

10 Lateral Raises (Thumbs down)

Then….

8 Front Raises

8 Lateral Raises (Thumbs up)

8 Lateral Raises (Thumbs down)

Then repeat for 6, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2

NEXT

Sumo Squat to Upright Row— 20 times

LAST

10 Push-ups

10 Shoulder Taps

8 Push-ups

8 Shoulder Taps

6, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2

and done!