Awesome August Challenge! Let's Go For It!

Last August I started monthly challenges on the blog and over the course of a year we have had 327 people (!!!) join into healthy challenges for weight loss or fitness or... like me, for both! :)  This month, I'm going back to the original challenge and hope you'll all join in!  I want to ROCK this month of August... I want to end it looking back and by us saying "I really gave this month my all... it truly has been AWESOME!" So who is with me?

Oh! and I'm still working on my Healthy Habit Challenge, too, believe me - - and so far so good - I'm planning my food and exercise and logging which is my goal for a new habit!

How did the summer come and go so quickly? I am determined to make every little second of August count for me - both for summer fun and fitness! When thinking about this earlier tonight I logged onto Twitter and posed the question "If I were to challenge you to an #AwesomeAugust for #fitness, would you join me? Maybe something like committing to exercise 24 of 31 days?" Well, within an hour or so, I had well over two dozen resounding "I'm IN!" replies! I was so shocked and happy! How totally cool are our Twitter friends and I am SURE some of you reading the blog will join in, too.



Sweaty, happy,
HealthyLoser :)

 So here is the idea... let's really commit to ourselves to make August count with our own personal fitness pledge. Of the 31 days of August, commit to yourself and to the #AwesomeAugust group that you will walk or exercise 24 of those days. It is really incredibly hot in some parts of the country so the rest days will be recovery days to use! : ) We can make the last month of the summer our best month of the summer and enter September proud of ourselves for the commitment we made and KEPT to ourselves!! You can post here on the blog or on Twitter when you've exercised or group the days together and post what you did for the week. If you're posting on Twitter, please use the #AwesomeAugust hashtag so we can find one another and support each other during the month!! It'll be fun! :)

If "you're in!" on the Awesome August Challenge and want to use the badge above or over on the right, simply right click on it and save it to your photo directory to add to your webpage or blog!

Happy first day of August, friends, and let's have an Awesome August!!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Easy Summer Dinner: Panko Crusted Chicken & Garden Salad

Every once in awhile I want to change up an old recipe and try out a healthier version.  Sometimes it takes a few attempts to perfect the recipe and sometimes - you nail it on the first try!  The latter was tonight! : )

I cut a skinless 7 oz chicken breast into strips, shaking them in a plastic bag to coat them lightly with whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup).  Taking them out of the bag, I brushed them sparingly with one egg white and 2 Tbsp of water whisked together, removing them to a mixing bowl holding 3/4 cup of seasoned panko crumbs, coating the chicken pieces thoroughly. 

In a medium cast iron skillet, I'd heated 4 Tbsp of rosemary EVOO (which, I'm proud to say, I made myself from my own little herb garden) and placed the chicken pieces together in the skillet for about 3 minutes on the 1st side, 2 minutes on the second, creating a nice brown, crunchy coating on the chicken.

Removing the chicken pieces with tongs, I placed them on a paper towel to remove any excess EVOO (there wasn't much) and cool a bit while I whipped up 1/4 cup each of Dijon mustard and fresh honey, squeezed a lemon over the chicken and about a tsp into the dressing, adding 1 Tbsp of light Hellman's mayo and whisking all together. Perfect honey mustard for dipping the chicken into!

My Lexington Farmers' Market trip had provided me with fresh baby greens and tomatoes and fresh mushrooms so I quickly rinsed all and arranged them in a bowl with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 

Dinner in about 15 minutes total from start to finish and enough left-over chicken to have as part of lunch today! All good and all healthy! : )

Bon appetit!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Thank You HEALTH Magazine! : )

I was delighted to find a package waiting for me last week when I returned home from work one evening!  Inside was the new book The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim for Life from Health Magazine's Editor in Chief, Ellen Kune, and Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, also of Health.  I'd won this a few weeks ago during Health's first Twitter party about healthy swaps which had been a lot of fun and I picked up some good, healthy tips over the course of the evening! : )

Not only did the book arrive, but a copy of this month's Health magazine AND a surprise bronze bag/pocketbook was in the package -- so nice!



Recipe on pg 132 of Carb Lovers Diet

 I haven't read the book yet but I have thumbed through it and it looks great.  It includes a food plan in the book which incorporates "CarbLovers approved" foods I already eat like Kashi bars and Boca burgers with recipes. There is a section with CarbLovers workouts. too, that are easy to follow and have photos to go along with each move (this is always a great thing about Health Magazine, they make it simple to do what they are telling you with clear photos)!  Carb Lovers Diet looks like a great overall plan so I'm willing to give it a read and a shot! : )  I *do* like carbs, I must admit!

Many thanks to Health Magazine for the great book, bag and mag I received! I've been a Health subscriber for years now and always look forward to the new issue arriving in my mailbox. 

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

How do you lose 100 pounds? You eat HEALTHY! :)

Did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? A full month is devoted to those little delicious blue antioxidant berries that I love year round but especially when they're 'in season' in New England.  I just found out about the July designation the other day when Boston Globe's Sunday Magazine featured the Geddes Blueberry Farm in Gilmanton, NH. (The article is definitely worth a read and then maybe a trip to scenic Gilmanton if you, like me, have an interest in supporting local farms and small farmers by buying locally.)

That same interest in supporting small, local farms has led me many times to family owned Verrill Farm in Concord, Mass. On Friday I saw a tweet from John (the Farm's great marketing guy!) @VerrillFarm who posted about their Blueberry Pancake Breakfast scheduled for the following morning.

"Hmm," I thought, "I love blueberries - I'm going!" and tweeted back pretty much just that to John.  My tweet was seen by Kathy of @Bos_Sportswoman and she asked about details of the event and within moments we had plans to meet on Saturday morning at the farm to attend!

Thunderstorms and threatening skies didn't stop us from spending a great July Saturday morning together. The Verrill Farm Blueberry Pancake Breakfast was in full swing when I arrived... tents had been erected to shelter patrons from any lingering raindrops (and then the bright sunshine of later), a Dixie Land Jazz Band played, and oh-so-delicious pancakes loaded with fresh succulent blueberries, fresh farm bacon and sausage, with real maple syrup were enjoyed by all attending!

Not only did I get to catch up with John of Verrill Farm a little bit, but I was able to meet and spend time with "the infamous Annie", Kathy's soon to be 9 year old adorable daughter!  After our pancake stacks, Annie chased butterflies and explored, and took a few pix with her Mom's camera before we all decided to embark upon the offered tractor ride... complete with hay bale seats!

It was fun to see Kathy again after FitBoston and spend the morning with a kindred spirit... she was taking photos and checking Twitter during the morning just like I always do.  It is great to connect locally with someone so upbeat and fun and healthy!!  We talked marketing and blogging and CSAs and healthy eating... I feel like I've known her for years! : )

We wandered through the Farm Stand before heading home and I ended up buying two new veggies to try: Tequila Sweet Peppers and a new variety of beets which I have plans to make Monday evening.

I highly recommend the trip from Boston to Verrill Farm in Concord.  It is an easy quick drive (right off of Route 2) and you'll be happy with all their "farm stand" has to offer, beyond just the vegetables.

Here's to healthy living, eating whole foods and supporting local farms and small farmers... and to new friends to enjoy a great Saturday morning with!

Bloom where you are planted! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal
PS:  I'll be posting all Saturday morning's photos on the HealthyLoserGal Facebook page! :)

Review: Eucerin Everyday Protection Body & Face Lotions = Fab After 50!

Eucerin Everyday Protection

Face Lotion *SPF 30*

Body Lotion *SPF 15*

Talk about your Law of Attraction and something unexpected arriving just when you need it - - look what I received from Eucerin!


The very first week of June I headed oh-solo-mio to Hampton Beach, NH (actually I ended up there, I didn't really head there...) and had the beach nearly to myself so lounged and read and snoozed and walked and spent hours and hours there. In the sun. Without adequate sunscreen. Can we say "ouch!" from sunburn?!

Aloe helped and I slathered on skin moisturizing lotion twice a day, but - sadly - I have found that 50 year old skin does not "bounce back" with the elasticity of 20 year old or even 30 year old skin, so I was still peeling a little bit and kind of scaly... AND I had my 35th high school reunion approaching. I really didn't want to go looking "leathery".
Enter the Boston Health & Fitness Expo. At the Expo I had visited the Eucerin exhibit and tried samples of their new Everyday Protection line and was startled then by how quickly it absorbed into my skin and didn't feel greasy. I've been a Eucerin fan since I began using it maybe 10 years ago to solve my rough elbows and heels problem, so knew their products were good.


Within 36 hours of the Expo and less than 72 hours of leaving on vacation for my informal class reunion, I received an email asking me if I'd like to receive and review Eucerin Everyday Protection lotions for the blog. YES! The products arrived two days later in a cute little gift bag and, to my delight, I began to use both the 30 SPF Everyday Protection Face Lotion and the 15 SPF Everyday Protection Body Lotion.


Here's my review:
I *LOVE* the Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion! I have used one body moisturizer for years and keep going back to it (St. Ives' Oatmeal) because it is so light and absorbs quickly but it wasn't helping out my skin with the damage I did from the sunburn. The Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion showed visible change right away. Additionally - and this is huge for someone like me because I am not good about putting both moisturizer and sun block on before I head out the door to walk or ride bike - now there is one step and I know I'm protected and don't have to 'seek the shade' worried about my shoulders and arms getting burned.  What is more, the damage I did to my skin was dramatically improved by this product!

I used Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion the entire week of vacation when I was very active and did the bare minimum makeup of mascara and lip balm. I have very fair skin and usually have to apply and reapply sun block. Not so with the Eucerin Face Lotion! Busy days in the sun and I was protected throughout. In fact, this may be the first summer in years when my face hasn't burned. I like, too, that this product is very light and I've since learned from experience that it goes on well beneath bronzer or foundation. Oh, it is fragrance free... all good. And it is affordable, too! :)

I'm thankful to Eucerin for reaching out to ask me to review their product but I'm grateful for the excellent product that will continue as part of my daily skincare regimen. Your products are helping me be "Fab After Fifty"! Life is good!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Buy Local at Farmers Market = Supporting Small Farms & Eating Healthy!



Busa Farms beautiful array
of fresh, local produce

I stole away from the office for 45 minutes this afternoon to visit the Lexington Farmers' Market which was an absolute delight!  Not only is this weekly farmers' market in my backyard, I am happy to see it was named Boston Magazine's Best Farmers Market of 2010.  I've gone occasionally over the past three years after embarking on this healthy journey and have come away at different times with bags full of wonderful fresh produce, fresh herbs and flowers, home baked breads, and many other goodies from the 30+ vendors. 

Today was my first visit of the 2011 season and I purchased delicious local raspberries, romaine lettuce, and fresh sweet corn from Busa Farms (Lexington Rd., Concord, MA), picked-this-morning bouquet of thee most fragrant lavender from The Herb Farmacy in Salisbury, and cukes from Rad Urban Farmers (who brought his produce to market on a bike and grows it in his own backyard! Pretty darn cool!).  Oh, and tomatoes - gorgeous ones - from Charlton Orchard (Charlton, MA).

Beautiful flower and lavender bouquets
from The HERB FARMacy

If you're anywhere near the Lexington area, I urge you to check out this wonderful local farmers' market where you're inspired to buy healthy, wholesome foods and at reasonable farm-to-table pricing!  I am a huge proponent of buying local to support farmers having grown up in a very rural, agricultural county in upstate New York.  I know how hard it is to eek a living from the land while being a farmer and feel it is so important to support local farmers whenever I can.  The Lexington Farmers' Market gives me the opportunity to show that support weekly! 

Additionally, I noticed today the Farmers' Market is sponsored in part by Joyce Murphy, a local Lexington Realtor at William Raveis Realty, who is absolutely the ideal real estate agent! I first met Joyce when I moved to Lexington 20 years ago this week! She knows more about the Lexington area than anyone I have since met and I couldn't possibly recommend her more highly! : )


 

Enticing herbs from the HERB FARMacy

The Lexington Farmers' Market is open Tuesdays from May through October from 2-6:30pm and is located on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave to locals *grin*) and Woburn Streets in Lexington Center.

Rad Urban Farmers' stand of backyard grown veggies :)

"The first farmer was the first man. All historic nobility rests on the possession and use of land." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization." Daniel Webster





Fresh, local corn from 'up the road a piece'
at Busa Farms in Concord, Mass.

Lexington Farmers' Market, Tuesdays thru October

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal 

Healthy Habits Challenge: Self-Discipline & No Excuses!

I can't believe that in six weeks we'll be at the end of August - - summer's end!  Only SIX WEEKS!!

Well, I don't know about you - but I plan to make the most of these next six weeks!  Did you know that behaviorists have learned that it takes somewhere between 30 to 66 days to form a habit - - a GOOD one or a BAD one?!

Usually I start a Healthy Loser Gal challenge at the beginning of the month but this challenge is going to be six weeks long and is all about self-discipline and creating great habits that will carry us into a fantastic, fit Fall! (And, too, hopefully then last a lifetime!)

Someday Isle...

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer and have really been enjoying learning self-improvement techniques and quick tips.  One book, "No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline!" by Brian Tracy, is really aimed at self-improvement for sales and business people, but the lessons I've learned have already helped in my daily life.  Brian Tracy talks about home many people live on "Someday Isle"... because they don't have the self-discipline to work toward their dreams now. This was me for soooo many years.  I would say "Well, someday I'll lose the weight..." or "someday I'll start to exercise again..." and "someday I'll stop watching t.v. every night and eating myself into a comatose state...".  Someday Isle... Someday I'll...

Until... one day... I finally left "Someday Isle" and began living in the present, believed in my goals and dreams, and - here's the kicker - got off my backside and developed self-discipline and then habits to work hard and achieve what I truly wanted:  to lose 100 pounds and get my 50 year old self fit again! : )

"If it's to be, it's up to me," Brian Tracy says.  How true!  No one else can walk fitness miles for me, no one else can plan my meals or stop me from overeating, no one else can accept a challenge for me and then see it through.  Those are steps I proudly, confidently take on my own.  Being confident is the key - - and remaining positive!

I want the next six weeks to be AWESOME!  Will you join me? : ) I want us all to ask ourselves this question:  "If my life were ideal, what would it look like?"  Get a really good picture in your mind, write it down and then answer this:
"What is the main discipline I need to achieve that picture?"

Once you've answered that question, you now have your focus for the next six week when - with self-discipline - we can form new behaviors and form HEALTHY HABITS!  (Thank you, Brian Tracy, for inspiring me to answer this question!)

I have many things I need to become more disciplined in but planning is the healthy habit I'm concentrating on for the next six weeks of Healthy Habits Challenge.  In many cross areas of my life, planning will make a tremendous difference.  It is great to be "spontaneous", but too much spontaneity can lead (in my case) to disorganization and chaos.  And chaos = disorder and that is never good!

The healthy habits I plan to gain in these next six weeks are:
1) Planning out my week and daily schedule with some weekend flexibility
2) Planning my weekly food
3) Packing my food every morning prior to leaving for work
4) Planning in my daily fitness
5) and finally, committing time (planning it in advance) to blog regularly and track my progress, find out how friends (that's you!) in the challenge are doing!

My week days are going to start an hour earlier to plan my day out, set my goal list, and do what I call my 'home fitness' which is usually walking, WiiFit or a DVD.  (It is summer and right now my home fitness is walking 95percent of the time!)

I'm starting the Healthy Habit Challenge tomorrow morning - heck! I've really started it today as I've written this.  I'd LOVE for you to join me in these next six weeks so we can share our accomplishments, encourage one another.  There truly is power in numbers and self-discipline is so key to achieving our dreams and goals! If we say we're  going to make a commitment to ourselves, let's DO IT!  No backing away... no excuses. We determine to do it - and darnitall - we do! :)

When we give in to that inner voice that urges us to do something other than what we'd planned to do, we lose a little bit of our conviction.  And then, if we continue to give in, the habit of 'giving in' becomes our reality and wins. Let's not let that happen any longer in our lives. This time, in the next six weeks, WE WIN!

It takes only six weeks to develop a habit - a HEALTHY HABIT - what is yours going to be? : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ Healthy Loser Gal

And the FitBoston bag of goodies goes to...

Roxanne! Congrats to you and please email me your address so I can send off the wonderful products from the great FitBoston day sponsored by MeYouHealth, Modern Pilates, and Healthworks! :)

@BrilliantJen

It has been great fun to chat on Twitter and Facebook with new friends I made last Saturday at FitBoston and to have finally put real life faces to friends I've chatted with for a long time now. 



Elina Holbrook



Elise Fletcher (left) getting her bounce on! :)



Some of these great gals include Elina Holbrook of @ElinaCooks on Twitter as well as her site http://www.russianbites.com/; Laura Baker of Proliphique; Jenn Mitchell of http://www.personalfitcoach.com/; Janel of @DietitianJanel (and lucky winnner of a FitTrampoline!); @BrilliantJen; @KerryCooks; @LenaOnTheBeach; and long-time Twitter pal, @EliseFletcher!  I am leaving out tons of people - heck! even Social Media Guru Chris Brogan popped in for a few minutes!

Alicia Benjamin, Lisa Johnson, Chris Brogan (huh?), Jacqy Carly

Alicia from MeYouHealth posted a few videos from Saturday, including one of me telling what my inspiration to get fit is (see me below sans makeup and oh-so-close-up! lol):

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Losing 100 pounds - - Steering Back on Course!

In a couple of weeks I will be at the one year annivesary mark of having lost 100 pounds.  And while I am so very thankful to have lost the 100 pounds, in reality - at the New Year - I was at 122 lbs. total lost, working out 4-5x weekly, and then gained back seven pounds over the course of a difficult few months AND let up on my exercise.  And those 7 pounds have stayed on me and I'm not too thrilled about it when I truly examine my own conscience.  The reason I'm a little peeved with myself is because I know in my heart I could have kept the 122 lbs. off had I tried a little harder... had I not used the excuse of my life being a little difficult.  And I *felt* better at that weight and still had some to go before I was where I think I will ultimately end up. 

So... that said, the one thing I have never done successfully is plan my food.  I'm an avid food logger / exercise log writer, but I absolutely stink at planning out my food.  As of tonight - as of this blog post - that stops. I believe that is the last hurdle I need to overcome to feel I am where I need to be in my learning curve for a truly satisfied "healthy loser" experience. 

Wish me luck.  Tomorrow morning starts with my typical cup of no fat yogurt, berries, and Kashi GoLean Crunch.  Banana at mid-morning.  Water. Water. Water. : )  Lunch will be a slice of whole wheat bread, 3 oz turkey, slice of swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, dijon mustard and tossed salad with 1/2 hard boiled egg, balsamic dressing and a pint of low fat chocolate milk.  That's my plan thus far.  I'll figure out dinner tomorrow morning when I log the cals/fat grams for the food I already have planned.

Advice is welcomed on what I need more of, i.e. protein, fats, etc. 

I'm strong and stubborn and my decision is made.  I'm doing this!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

FitBoston = Fitness & Blogging & Fun



Alicia Benjamin (MeYouHealth), me, Lisa Johnson (Modern PIlates)

I wish you all could have been at FitBoston in Brookline yesterday with me to experience the fun and absorb the great info and tips!  From the moment I walked in and was met by Lisa Johnson with a hug as she handed out FitStudio (thank you @FitStudio and Sears!) t-shirts to all attending, to the moment I walked out four hours later with an extra goody bag (more on that and how you can score that a little later) and was in disbelief that four hours passed so quickly, it was all a great time!
It was (please note the caps!!) WONDERFUL to meet friends in person that I've tweeted with and emailed with and gotten to know a bit through Twitter and Facebook and through our blogs! 

The day started with Alicia Benjamin (@LexiMaven and the gal often behind the tweets @MeYouHealth) welcoming everyone and letting us know the agenda for the day as well as getting us up and moving to warm up our bodies! Such fun!  I was so happy to finally meet Alicia as I've considered her a friend for some time now and was truly honored to be part of their Blogger Well Being Challenge on the MeYouHealth / Daily Challenge site back in December of 2010! :)

Healthworks co-sponsored FitBoston

The Healthworks facility in Brookline is REALLY, REALLY nice! LOL  Like REALLY nice - I was kind of awe struck when I went into the locker rooms.  I could get used to having a workout experience like that on a regular basis.  And Nina from Healthworks was with us throughout the day and was a great Healthworks ambassador!  And - who'd a thunk it - at the end of the day when the raffle prizes were being awarded, *I* won the month free membership at Healthworks!  Just THRILLED!!

I've admired Lisa Johnson who owns Modern Pilates for a long time. On Twitter with her own name (did you know there are 7000+ Lisa Johnsons in the US? lol) and @ModernPilates, Lisa spoke about being a successful fitness blogger (she sure is!) and shared tips for beginner, intermediate and advanced bloggers. This was one of the high points of the day for me as I took notes like a mad woman and soaked in her advice.  Make no mistake about it, if you want to have your blog be a success, you need to be consistent and put aside the time in your life to 'work it'.

I was able to speak with Lisa a bit more at a break and she was very helpful in answering questions, offering suggestions!  Big huge thanks to her for helpful advice to everyone in attendance and, too, for leading us through pilates moves later in the afternoon!

Kurt Eng is a WordPress platform guru and aficionado and - even though I may have been the only one in the room who doesn't use WordPress to blog - his tips were just as valuable to me as anyone about where and when to spend your hard earned dollars (use free templates vs. purchasing developed art work for your blog) and what add-ons are best.  I was honestly way impressed when @KurtEng tweeted at midnight last night the top 10 apps he'd suggest when he couldn't remember them all off the top of his head when asked at FitBoston.  That was pretty cool of him!  Kurt is a founding organizer of the upcoming WordCamp Boston, too... follow him on Twitter for more info on that or follow @WordCampBoston.




Jacq Carly was the key-note speaker

 Did you know that Fitarella changed her Twitter name to her real name now?  :)  I didn't 'til yesterday so y'all need to check out @JacqCarly if you're looking for her!  Jacque is a force to be reckoned with... this gal has spunk and a great, positive attitude and that is what she keynoted about yesterday.  Live your life in the present, friends.  Yesterday is in the past, the future is what you make it...but don't be looking forward or backward so much that you don't enjoy the NOW.  Her 15 minutes in front of us all at FitBoston were inspiring to listen to and left everyone with an upbeat message of enjoy the now and be happy for who you are now - don't postpone your happiness for the person you're dreaming of becoming.  I've always loved that message and try to live it on a daily basis! 

I want to thank Alicia Benjamin for inviting the college student from Northeastern who volunteers at Girls LEAP.  This young woman (whose name I cannot remember... was it Nina?) stood in front of us all and spoke eloquently and from the heart on why Girls LEAP looks to empower young girls (and really women of all ages) in finding their voice and learning the basics of not just self defense but self offense... not allowing someone to steal your voice from you.  She skillfully showed us very basic moves of self defense and how saying "NO!" strongly and forcefully at the right time can make the difference between avoiding a bad situation and being the victim of one.  Bravo to this young woman and the Girls LEAP program.

Other great workout sessions included Rachel Kobey of Energize Studio demoing the http://www.fitnesstrampoline.com/.  Boy! am I glad I didn't volunteer to be on the tramp session... Rachel is a powerhouse and really put the gal volunteers through the paces.  I think my jaw fell open at least once watching the intensity of how fast Rachel was able to bounce and turn.  (I was watching her and having one of those movie things in my brain at the same time of me bouncing OFF the tramp and into another person... us all crashing to the wooden floor... lol!)

Sarah Rhines is a young entrepreneur who has launched SunCircles which are hula hoops for fitness.  She began her presentation with hoop dancing (I believe that is what she called it) and it was lyrical and so beautiful to watch.  Who knew a hoop could be so artistic?  I didn't but do now! :)  We then were invited to try hooping with different intentions (core, bat wings, etc.) and it was great fun.  I hope she does well in her business... Sarah personally makes each hoop and can ship it off to you. : )

In the breakout sessions we were offered a number of choices and the owner (Dan Fitzgerald) of South End Athletic Company was on hand to talk with the runners in the group and offer running tips.  Other break off groups included TRX Training, table or chair massage, and interval workout advice on maximizing your training.  I opted for the interval training and was fortunate to meet Hannah of Healthworks and learn about high intensity bursts of interval training (we focused on the treadmill and pumping up the incline for 30 seconds at a time) - and finding your own personal measure of 1-10 for "pushing yourself forward" as you advance.  I probably met with Hannah for less than 10 minutes and came away with new techniques to try for my regular routine.  How awesome is that!? She was great!



Finally got to meet Boston Sports Woman!

 Just a shout out here to Kathy McConnell of Boston Sports Woman who is organizing a January event: Be Healthy Boston.  (Kathy is a lot of fun to massage kale and avocado salads with.  I'm just saying...) And she is a powerhouse of Boston women's sports info... do check her out on Twitter @bos_sportswoman and on her blogs as well as the http://www.behealthyboston.com/ site.  It was so fun to finally meet this lady in person after having tweeted back 'n forth with her for a couple of years! :)

I'll have to post more later in the week about the fun bloggers and fitness folks I met on Saturday.  But while I'm working on THAT post, I do have a fun announcement.  @MeYouHealth (Alicia) and @ModernPilates (Lisa Johnson) offered up a bag full of goodies to one of the Healthy Loser Gal readers. 

I'll be sending the bag off to one random winner and it is chuck full of great giveaways from FitBoston including:

FitStudio sportswear shirt

Mix1 all natural vanilla protein shake

Whole Foods Cranberry Trail Mix

Taza Ginger Chocolate (OH MY IS THIS GOOD!)

Delicious Pretzel Crisps and a Reusable Grocery Bag

Bearded Brothers Mighty Maca Chocolate Energy Bar

Luna Peanut Butter Cookie

Attune Foods (Yay!) Probiotic Chocolate Bar AND Free Coupons

And - if you're local to the Boston area - a 7 day pass to Healthworks to use before July ends!

Plus other fun little surprises!

All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is to follow @MeYouHealth, @ModernPilates and me on Twitter or Facebook and then leave a comment here on what inspires you to be fit? : )  So easy!  I'll be picking the winner randomly on Thursday morning and will let you know who won by noontime EST on the 14th! :)

Yesterday was so much fun - congrats to the organizers on pulling off a great event - I think Roni Noone of Fitbloggin would be proud of you! :)  Thank you to all the sponsors for making the great event possible and to all the other participants for making it so worthwhile and fun!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal

So excited for today's FitBoston!

I may have had to miss #Fitbloggin in Baltimore in May, but I'm really psyched to go to today's local Fitbloggin meet-up at HealthWorks in Brookline.  Thanks to Alicia Benjamin of MeYouHealth (love their Daily Challenges!) for organizing what I am sure will prove to be a great, healthy, happy day! : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal