5 Tips to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions

It's New Year's Eve -- that means many people will be getting their fitness resolutions together. If you're one, check out my tips that will help you stick to it throughout the year.

1. Understand your motivation. Be honest with yourself about why you want to reach your fitness goals. If you want to lose weight to feel sexier and more confident, then realize that those things are important to you. Don't tell yourself false motivations, such as to be healthier -- if that's not your real reason. Just be honest, at least with yourself.

2. Set realistic goals. Instead of starting the year off saying you're going to lose 50 plus pounds, start off with 5 pounds as your goal. Then reset your goal for another 5 pounds, then another 5 and so on. Setting your goals too high puts a lot of pressure on yourself and puts you at risk of falling off altogether.

3. Start small. Many people think that they have to change every bad habit they have overnight. Well, you can try, but I will about guarantee that come March, you'll have completely fallen off. Setting the bar too high can hinder progress. Think about building new habits each month. For example, in January commit to never skipping breakfast. Then in February, commit to a number of workouts each week and so on.

4. Schedule a race. If you plan to do a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon you'll have something to train for. If your goals are to be more active and eat better, having a race to perform in will help you stay on track.

5. Make your goals public. Telling your friends and family about your goals will help you stay commited. Nobody likes to be "all talk" when it comes do accomplishments. Stating your goals out loud will help keep you accountable to yourself.

Happy New Year!

Workout Clothes Subscription: PV Body Review

Don't you hate shopping for new workout gear? Well, for me, it's not my favorite task. And if you're like me, PV Body has got you covered.

Since I'm always in the gym, I will always need clothes to sweat it out in. My problem is that I never have time to shop. And when I do, I usually get overwhelmed by all of the choices -- and not to mention the cost of some items -- to the point that I end up leaving the store empty-handed.

You can probably catch me leaving the store mumbling something under my breath like, "Are you kidding me? A hundred dollars for a pair of black workout pants? Seriously?"

With that said, you can about imagine what my fitness apparel looks like -- a bunch of stuff that I've had forever and free tees that I've cut up into tanks. Here is an example. Geez.

Enter PVbody. For a monthly subscription fee of $49.95 they send you a new outfit consisting of a top and a bottom based on a style quiz profile you take when you sign up. And to sweeten the deal, they don't charge any shipping fees.

Some of the quiz questions ask about which activity you like to do best (yoga, running, etc.), which types of clothing fits you like, colors you prefer -- be it bold or conservative or somewhere in the middle, and of course your size.

My quiz results concluded that I was a Cardio Queen. I love the gym and bold colors.

I signed up at the end of November and my first shipment and billing was scheduled for December 17, as noted on their site when you log in and view your account.

I felt like a kid waiting for their birthday. I couldn't wait to see my new outfit. The best thing that I like about this service is that I don't have to do the selecting. As I stated before, that task is too much sometimes. I like that someone else is picking out the clothes for me. It's kind of like having a stylist -- which feels pretty awesome.

When I signed up, I got in on a deal that locked in my rate at $39.95 instead of the $49.95 that it is now. I also had a discount code that knocked off 20% for my first shipment. And because I signed up through Facebook, I was to get a free tank. Good deals all around!

On December 19, just two days after it shipped, the outfit arrived at my door wrapped in hot pink packaging. I eagerly opened the bag (again, like a kid on their birthday), to find the two pieces wrapped in tissue paper (nice touch). I peeled off the paper to find a bright blue racer tank and grey fitted leggings. Loved them. I was so happy that neither of the items were black -- a color I have plenty of.

The leggings were by American Apparel and the tank was by Electric Yoga. They both fit well.

I was so pleased with my items that I didn't even realize that my free tank was missing until the next day. This unexpected disappointment prompted me to log into my account and check things out -- only to be let down again. The billing wasn't right.

Remember that 20% off code I had? It wasn't reflected. I was charged the rate of $39.95 and not $31.96 that it should have been. Interesting too because the confirmation email that was sent to me had the correct amount with the discount. Sigh.

Yesterday, I finally got around to calling the company's customer service line. Luckily to my surprise (because these interactions are usually unpleasant), the guy on the phone was very helpful. I told him what went wrong and he quickly apologized for the issues. Then he said that he had just put my tee in a bag that would go out the next day and the discount got credited to my account immediately.

Nice.

That was probably one of the fastest and easiest customer service calls I've ever experienced. Overall, I'm really happy with this company and its subscription service. I'll likely continue with it for a while so I can stock up on some gear. You can cancel at any time with a hit of the "cancel subscription" button found on your account profile.

My next package ships out on January 17. I can hardly wait to see what they send me next. For a gal who hates to shop for workout clothes, I'm glad PV Body has got my back.

Holiday Party Eating Tips

Photo by Dano via Flickr

The holiday season is in full swing. Indulging in your favorite treats at holiday parties can be enough to add a few pounds and/or undo much of the weight loss progress you've made in recent months. Don't let that happen to you.

I'm not suggesting that you completely avoid that beloved pumpkin pie, egg nog or cookies. Have some. Just don't overdo it -- and have a plan.

Check out my tips below on how you can have enjoy holiday goodies with minimal damage.

Plan your treats. If you have holiday party scheduled, use that party as your weekly cheat meal.

Eat as clean as possible. In the case that you have multiple holiday parties in a week, make sure all of your other meals are as healthy as you can make them. This will give you an allowance to indulge without hurting your weight too much.

Set a limit. Before attending a party, set a limit as to how much you're going to have. For instance, if you want to have pie, plan to have one slice. Or plan to have a half of a slice of two varieties. Also, plan your alcohol allowance. If you know you'll only have one glass of wine beforehand, you'll be less likely to multiple glasses.

Get in an extra workout. Putting in some additional time at the gym will give some room to have a few extra treats. Either schedule extra days at the gym or increase the duration of your planned workouts. For example, if you typically do 20 minutes of cardio, increase to 30-40 minutes. Or if you typically get in three workouts in a week, get in four.

Don't feel pressure to indulge. If you find yourself at a party and you don't want anything, don't eat it. Instead, grab some water to sip and focus on enjoying the people you are with.

Don't feel guilty about treats. The holidays should be enjoyed and if that means having some pecan pie, you should enjoy it without feeling terrible about it. Just follow the tips above to minimize the effects.

This time period should be focused on maintaining your current weight. It will be very difficult to make any big strides toward reducing bodyfat if you're continuously having treats. But getting through the holidays with minimal damage can absolutely be done.

Happy holidays!