Fit Friday- 3 healthy breakfasts that take less than 5 minutes

3 Quick and Easy Breakfasts

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day; I don’t know how people skip it!  These three breakfast ideas are so quick and tasty.  Make them up in five minutes or less and enjoy!

Avocado Toast

1 piece whole wheat bread toasted

½ avocado

1 egg over medium

Instructions: Cook egg over medium, toast bread and smash avocado on toast.  Place egg on top of avocado once done, add fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.

Yogurt Parfait

Low-fat plain Greek Yogurt

½ cup fresh or frozen berries

Stevia or honey to sweeten

Chia Seeds

Instructions:  Measure out one serving of Greek Yogurt, add sweetener of choice and chia seeds and mix.  Top with berries.

Breakfast Burrito

1 whole wheat tortilla

1 egg & 1 egg white scrambled

¼ avocado sliced

Salsa

Reduced fat cheese

Instructions: Scramble 1 egg & 1 egg white, place in warmed tortilla.  Top with cheese, avocado and salsa and roll it up.

Also... We're coming for you Seattle! Can't wait to meet you! 

Fit Pregnancy Workout

I'll be honest, yesterday I was not feeling so good about myself.  After a day of consuming mounds of sugar I had no energy and was regretting the food choices I made throughout the day.  During my moment of shame I found what may or may not be a stretch mark on my stomach.  I text Ashley, complained to my husband and almost cried. 

I woke up this morning with a better attitude.  I reevaluated the situation.  Yes, eating dessert as much as I did yesterday was not a good idea but, it was only one day and I swam laps...so at least I exercised.  Yes, I might have a stretch mark (still uncertain), but guess what?  I have had them on my hips my whole life.  Literally, I can't remember not having them.  At least this time I will be getting the sweetest reward in the world, a little baby!  I woke up this morning and thought that today is going to be different than yesterday.  I had an awesome gym workout this morning and have made food choices that are nutritious for both me and my baby.  The point is, you can't live in the past.  If you are trying to improve your diet and health and fitness you can't worry about "good" and "bad" choices all the time.  You have to create a lifestyle that is balanced.  Eliminating food groups or treats from your diet can only lead to binge eating or guilt if you "mess up".  Look at the bigger picture and what you are doing as a whole.

Pregnancy has taught me to be so much more patient with myself.  My body has changed, as it should, but I am doing my best to continue to live a healthy lifestyle by exercising the best that I can when I'm tired, feeding myself and my baby with nutritious food MOST of the time, and not being so hard on myself.

Shine on, Brooke

Fit Friday: Pregnancy Fitness

Workout clothes c/o Lorna Jane

We've been lacking in our fit Friday department and we're sooo sorry! Brooke is pregnant and we've been so busy and just haven't been good at it. We are trying to make more time for it, and I've made some personal goals to a better healthy life, so expect more fitness posts coming your way. I always struggle finding workout clothes that I like, and have become obsessed with Lorna Jane. They're based in Australia and are huge over there,  and are now taking the states by storm. Be sure to check them out for workout clothes that are actually comfortable to work out in.

A couple of weeks ago we did a Walk for Water with Aveda Institute in Phoenix, and it was so much fun. Working out for a cause makes you actually want to do it :) Brooke was talking to me about how good walks like that are for everyone, and for women who are pregnant. Here's Brooke to take it away to talk about how to stay fit while pregnant...! 

Hi guys. remember me?  Ya, it's been awhile since my last Fit Friday post.  I'm going to blame that on the fact that I don't wear gym clothes to work everyday now that I'm pregnant.  You would think they would be the most comfortable thing to wear when pregnant. WRONG.

Everyone has a different opinion and different guidelines for exercising while pregnant.  I have learned to listen to my body and not get frustrated with myself.  I love to run and it has been the hardest form of exercise for me to do while pregnant.  I had plans of running my second marathon this past February, when I found out I was pregnant I decided to take a step back and do the half marathon.  A month before the race I decided I should only do the 5k.  Did I even run the entire race?  No.  While other runners continue running long distances, I could not keep up.  I lose my breath within minutes, my hips hurt and I almost pee my pants. So, I realized early on that I needed to focus on other forms of exercise throughout my pregnancy to keep myself sane.

1.  Walking, hiking and short distance low intensity running intervals:  I have never been into walking for exercise.  It's boring to me, but during pregnancy it has been so enjoyable, relaxing, and energizing to go on long and short walks.  I have always loved hiking and while I have been pregnant I have found any excuse to skip the gym and go outside for a hike.  When I feel like pushing myself a little harder I will do running intervals on the treadmill.  Usually they consist of 1-5 minutes of running followed by 1-5 minutes walking, repeated several times.

2.  Low-Moderate intensity resistance training: I am a weight lifting junkie.  Although my high intensity resistance training workouts have drastically been scaled down, I find myself in the gym several days a week lifting weights!

I couldn't imagine not exercising during my pregnancy, it is a part of my life.  Some pregnant women can't imagine working out during pregnancy and some are unable to due to complications.  Listen to your body, talk to your Doctor and create a plan that is right for you!

Fit Friday- Bosu Ball Workout

Happy Friday! Ashley and I were a little too excited for our workout at the YMCA this week. It's such a comfortable and relaxed environment to workout in. They're having a $75 off deal on their memberships... check it out here.

Have you ever seen those blue half size stability balls around your gym or in the group exercise room? Those things are a called a Bosu (pronounced: bow-sue) and they provide for some great workouts!  Sometimes it's intimidating to walk into a crowded room full of tons of equipment and machines. This workout only requires one piece of equipment. You can grab a Bosu and find your own little space in the gym to zone out and do your thing. The workout below is for intermediate-advanced fitness levels, so make sure you work your way up to this workout. For now practice standing on the Bosu on both the ball and flat base side. You can use a wall to help with balance.

1. Bosu squats (25 repetitions)
2. Bosu push-ups (12 repetitions- modify if needed)
3. Bosu mountain climbers (30 sec.)
4. Bosu split squat (12 repetitions each side)
5. Bosu tricep dips (12 repetitions)
6. Bosu side steps (30 sec.)

Complete 2-3 sets.

**It's Ashley.... I did this workout with Brooke and it was so, soo good. She's been helping me get back into my workout routine. It's been hard this week, but I know I will feel SO much better once it becomes a habit again. Feeling healthy just feels BETTER! We can do this!

This post was sponsored by the YMCA. Thank you for supporting our sponsors!
 If you don't feel comfortable doing Bosu on your own and want a little help, the YMCA has personal trainers that can help you and are currently doing a promotion:

Four 1-hour Personal Training Sessions for $99

- Only $99 for Members ($200 value)

- Only $119 for Guests ($240 value)

All Out Ab Workout!

Again, this is a workout that you can do in less than 10 minutes. We're getting rid of all excuses, remember? Brooke is sick and still teaching you all how to do it! Let us know in the comments how last week's thigh workout went for you! Any fitness questions for her? Ask below. Click here for last weeks butt and thigh workout.

Shine on.

Video Workout: Summer Thighs!

I'm sooo excited to have Brooke here today for a little workout video. She's a trainer in Las Vegas, and she preaches the fact that working out doesn't have to take forever! Doing anything is better than nothing,

and she will be giving us short workout videos that can be done in the office, while your kids are napping, right when you wake up in the morning, etc. So, there's really no excuse anymore not to work out when it's only for 10 minutes and the video can be played in your home! The beginning of the video got cut off a little from YouTube, but Brooke wants you all to know how happy she is to be your new fitness contributor!

*make sure you consult with a physician before changing workout activity to prevent injury

Leave any questions you have about working out your legs, or comments of any specific body parts you want a workout for below. We also want to hear how this video worked out for you! Brooke said this video is for beginners to advanced. If you are more advanced, just repeat it a couple of times.

Alright crew, get at it. We're going to have the best bathing suit butts around. Leave fitness questions below that you want Brooke to answer in her weekly post here.

Shine on.

Hold Me Accountable

{Dress-Macy's, Shirt-Forever 21, Necklace-F21, Belt-Thrifted}

It's almost the weekend, ohhhhh ya shaaaalala.

Your challenge this week was to set fitness goals to feel better about yourself! Since you put yourself out there, so will I.

Here's my goals, and you better hold me accountable!

1. Be able to run a mile by the end of July- I know what you're thinking. I just ran a half marathon four months ago. I've been in physical therapy for my knee the past 3 months, and have not been able to do ANYTHING. I can NOT WAIT to be able to run again. And I am going to work my booty off to be ready for the pavement the end of July!

2. Strengthen my arms. I need to do weight training on my arms, and legs actually. I want those nice sculpted arms please. My goal this month is to work them out four times a week.

3. Abs. Ya, my knee sucks, but my abs don't have to suffer! I'm motivated to get back into my routine.

Hope you all have a delicious weekend full of fun and happy father's. {Gah I still need to get mine a present}. My weekend is full of wonderful friends from blogland. Naturally, you can count on pictures. If you haven't entered the Gussy Sews giveaway, it ends at midnight! Click HERE!

Link up your fitness posts below!!!