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It's All About The FIT: Arm Workout Series

Melissa and the FIT gals are back today to share some tips about the number one body part that brides seem to want to target as they lead up to the big day.

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Whether it’s your favorite athletic tank, skinny jeans, LBD, or your wedding gown [of course!] the FITgals know all about the perfect FIT. With spring almost here and warm weather around the corner, we know you are gearing up for your own nuptials or participating in a friend's big day. Among the FITgals, there are 10 weddings this summer, so we know how important it is to look and feel confident & absolutely gorgeous!

For our first Wedding Workout Series, we are targeting the right FIT for your gown! Whether your dress is princess style, strapless, or mermaid, most styles leave those arms bare. But never fear, your arms will be toned in no time with the help of our arm workout. Repeat these exercises anywhere 3 times a week and you can ensure a memorable pic of tossing (or catching!) the bouquet. Here's mine!

Wedding Workout: Arms & Shoulders

It secretly works your abs, too! Aim for 2-3 sets with 5 lb. weights

1. Hold Plank - Full Extension (60 sec)

2. Down Dog to Plank to Push-up & REPEAT! (15 reps)

3. Hold Plank on forearms and then lift hips up & back to plank (15 reps)

4. Burpee (low squat, jump to plank, back to low squat, and stand)

5. Bicep curls (5lbs/15 reps)

6. Tricep Dips off a chair and keep your legs straight! (20 reps)

7. Side Plank (hold 60 sec each side) - full hands no elbows

8. Mt. Climbers (hold Plank and bring one foot off the floor hovering and switch-- 30 sec)

9. Lateral Raises (20) and Forward Raises (20)

For more info on the FITgals checkout www.fittritiondc.com and Steal our DEAL for March at Washingtonian Bride & Groom!  

Xx,

Melissa & the FITgals

12 Month "Get Fit Guide" From Mrs. Melissa

We're so excited to have Melissa from FitTrition back today with her first post of the year! This is something you won't wanna miss, especially all you newly engaged gals. Welcome, Melissa! 

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The holidays are a special time for food, family, love and most importantly-- engagements!   Even my holidays had a little extra bling this year! On an outing with my family and friends to the National Christmas Tree, one of my friends received a gorgeous early Christmas present! They were both glowing with joy and I couldn't be happier for them. What a special place to pop the question!

Be prepared because after the initial diamond giddiness wears off, you will abruptly be met with the overwhelming “wedding checklist”.  Girls, I get it! It is A LOT to take in and A LOT to do before your big day but in the end it will all be worth it!   When I was planning my wedding, I lived and breathed by The Knot’s wedding checklist. It helped guide me step by step to my dream day in a manageable amount of time.  

My gift to you all is a "the FIT checklist” that will help you get in shape, look and feel great before reciting those exciting "I-do's".   

12-Month Bridal FIT Checklist  

12 months away: Time to make a realistic list of goals and check your diet!

- Do you want to lose weight? If so, how much?  Normal weight-loss is 1-2lbs a week. 

- Do you have a dress in mind?  What style will highlight your favorite asset? 

- What does your diet consist of and what improvements can you easily make?  

Most brides want to look their best on their big day, obviously! So it is important to start working at it NOW!  It is better to make small improvements along the way, than trying to do a crash diet 3 months before the big day.  I recommend taking out all sodas, juices, fast food, and refined sugars from your diet now, so that you’ll easily drop weight and bloat from those excess calories.  Contrary to popular belief, eating more of the right fats can actually help you lose weight, feel full longer and have glowing skin.  Try extra virgin coconut and olive oils, raw nuts, avocados and cold water fish.  

9 months: Change it up!  

Now that you have your diet under control and you are seeing the benefits of more energy and clear skin, I would recommend increasing the amount of time you exercise.  If you work out 3 times a week, step it up to 5 times!  You can easily do this by introducing different types of exercise to your workout.  For starters, add a cycling class for your cardio, try yoga to manage your stress, and maybe even a barre class to sculpt those arms and legs! 

Remember that you need to hit all your major muscles for a total body workout: 
• Bicep • Tricep • Shoulders • Chest • Back • CORE (Abs & Low Back) • Legs!!!! (are your largest muscle group and burn the most calories!!! SO get off that bum!)

The Washingtonian Well + Being just featured an exclusive FIT workout to keep you long and lean!! All you need is either 5 or 8lb weights!   

6 months: Time to step it up a notch.  

Whatever fitness activities you are doing take it to that next level!  If you are running, sign up for a 10K for a new challenge or simply add light weights to your workout! Maybe even try a cleanse.  

At FitTrition, we recommend a seasonal juice cleanse to detox from those sugar toxins and start fresh!  Checkout our FIT Network partner, Hawthorne Homemade, for our signature FIT cleanse.     

3 months: Hire a trainer.    

The last three months are the worst and this is where I find a lot of brides plateau. Whatever you do, don’t give up! Hire a trainer to keep you on track and help push you out of that stubborn plateau. 

This is a perfect time to give yourself little pampering; after all you have been running around planning everything!   This is the ideal time for a few facials. You don't want to do them too close to the day in case your face reacts, but removing those blackheads, three months before the big day will help insure glowing skin.  Facials were my favorite indulgence!!!   

If you are really motivated, try to remove your cheat days for the last 3 months! Easier said than done but it really can make all the difference!  

1 month: MAINTAIN!

At this point you should be pretty close to achieving your goal, assuming you stuck to your plan!  Now it is just time to maintain all the hard work you have done! Checkout our blog, the FIT life, to get our latest tips, workouts, local finds, fare and recipes!   

2 weeks: Stay active and plan ahead!  

Do another 10K or plan a girl’s day yoga class, anything to help ease your mind away from the stress of your checklist and to do lists.   Most importantly, know where you are going to be the week of.  Start planning now to ensure you can eat healthy for the whole week leading up to the wedding.  With destination weddings, this can be hard. Look at the hotel menu. Consult your trainer for advice on pitfalls, etc. You have worked this hard to get here, you don’t want to risk throwing it all away!  

Wedding Week: Try not to over-indulge.  

Talk about how skin reacts to drinking, not good! You should be drinking tons of water and exercising until the bitter end. Might not sound so appetizing now but it will ensure that you look & feel your best when it counts!  

Wedding Eve: SLEEP!  

Grab your bridesmaids, pop in a movie and relax! They probably want their beauty sleep just as much as you do!  

It’s HERE, Your Wedding Day!  

I always recommend going for a run the morning of your big day! It’s the perfect way to clear your head (and your jitters) and feel FIT & FABULOUS for your trip down the aisle! 

So for all you brides-to-be, while you are printing out your “wedding checklist” print out this “FIT Checklist” as well and get started!  Check back here every month for dress specific workouts!!!   

CONGRATULATIONS from the FIT Family! 

xoxo,  

Mrs. Melissa and the FIT gals

Ask Melissa: FIT Holiday Guide

Melissa & the FIT gals are here to help you stress less this season with our ultimate guide to getting through the holiday festivities while staying FIT & FABULOUS! Follow our favorite tips to stay on track while not missing out on any holiday cheer! 

Tip #1: Avoid the BLOAT!  Our solution is to kick-out all artificial sugars, excess sodium from processed & frozen foods, and stop drinking too much water or caffeine WHILE you are eating.  TIP: drink water BETWEEN meals and fill up on high fiber green salads with extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar to avoid bloating. 

Tip #2: Visualize your goals.  Keep a picture of your dress on hand or has the background on your phone as a reminder to pass on that second glass of wine or another bite of holiday cookies! 

Tip #3: Plan time for exercise.  Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and offset increased holiday eating.  If you know you have a holiday party on Friday, get in at least 30 minutes of cardio four to five times that week. Plan a healthy running date with your sweetie or a friend, or use your lunch break to burn off calories. Either way kick it up during the holidays instead of pushing it off until the new year! 

Tip #4: Ditch the Guilt.  Just because there are tons of holiday treats and yummy snacks in the office doesn’t mean you have to indulge.  We get it--- sometimes it’s hard to say “NO!” when you keep thinking “I want it, I want it, I want it.”  For me, it’s dark chocolate, so pick your vice and then move on!  Another TIP: Plan ahead and bring healthy snack options: raw almonds, raw veggies, fruit, or greek yogurt to help curb those sugar cravings! 

Tip #5: Survive the Holiday Dinner Party.  The worst thing is going to a holiday party hungry, because you will most likely indulge in festive cocktails and the cheese platter!  TIP: Eat before you go!  You will be less tempted if you are not hungry.  Don't expect to be served a well balanced meal, because you may be met with fried appetizers and holiday treats.  If you eat a big salad with protein before you go, you won't overdo it and be able to enjoy showing off your slim new party dress! 

Tip #6: Detox, RETOX!  We get it--- sometimes girls just wanna have fun!  If you over indulge on your night out, start fresh the next morning with a juice.  For a nutrient dense anti-inflammatory drink full of vitamins A, C, and K that will give you digestion aid from any late night carbs, try our favorite morning pick me up: Ginger Kale Juice (ginger, cucumber, kale, lemon, and mint)! 

Tip #7: Healthy Hostess.  Offer to throw your own fabulous party!  This allows you to be in control of healthy options.  For starters, try our White Bean Hummus Dip or our festive Kale Margarita! Let yourself have fun and enjoy the party knowing that you can still dress to impress while sipping on your low cal cocktail :) 

Tip #8: The Gift that keeps on Giving.  Who wants to show up to a party empty handed?  You know the wine and desserts are always plentiful,so bring your own healthy dish as an appetizer.  It will be a thoughtful gift and a way to ensure a healthy option for you to eat!  A favorite recipe for a healthy appetizer is a Mushroom and Farro Salad.  Delish! 

For more tips and recipes, be sure to follow us on our blog the FIT life.

Also checkout Melissa's FitTrition Holiday Workout video to get Toned Abs!

Happy Holidays! 

Love,

Melissa and the FIT team

PS: Don't forget about the 20% discount for all Hitched brides on any package until Dec 31st, 2012!

Meet Melissa!

We are super excited to introduce a new gal to the Hitched blog community and hope you'll help us to welcome our new regular guest blogger, Melissa! As a recent bride, new mom, and guru on all things girly [notably fitness, fashion, and nutrition], we're thrilled to have Melissa on board to bring all sorts of insight and tips to our brides. We'll let her take the introduction from here!

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Hello Hitched brides!

As a recent DC bride and new mama, I understand the want and need to look and feel FABULOUS both before and after your big day. My wedding day was everything that I had imagined and much more, but it definitely took a lot of time, TONS of magazines, hard work, tears, and a clear vision to get there. My husband and I were living in NYC at the time, so all my planning was done over the phone or while sitting in my car for 2 hours twice a week during the “no parking” time [anyone who has ever seen Seinfield knows what I’m talking about!]. 

Now I wasn’t the bride-to-be with a binder “ready-to-go,” in fact I had no idea what I wanted. So my planning started with the dress-- it IS all about the dress, right?! It sets the mood, the style, the scene, the decor, and captures the essence of the bride-to-be. So my search was on, and many stores, hours, and coffees later, I found the dress of my dreams. She was exactly what I wanted--- me in the form of a dress [a glamorous vintage trumpet gown wrapped in chantilly lace that was both sweet and sexy, embracing my Portuguese side]. I'm sure that, as Hitched brides, you all know how it feels once you've checked the gown off your to-do list!

The planning was now in high gear, so I was on a mission to put myself through my own bridal bootcamp.  Just to give you a little background, I’m a certified personal trainer, holistic health coach and owner of FitTrition [where we bring personal training and health coaching to you]. I knew I needed to take my own advice, so I committed to my own workout plan consisting of variety: cardio, core, strength, and flexibility. Believe me, I’ve tried it ALL: physique 57, soul cycle, bar bethod, bikram yoga, crossfit, barre3, hot baptiste vinyasa, pilates, pole dancing, gyrotonics, running, swimming, and dancing [my personal fave since I danced with the Joffrey Ballet, Doug Varone Modern Company, and in a few music videos].  But what I learned is that all these styles and trends can lead to a CORE CONFUSION, so I created a workout method that has helped me [twice!! pre- wedding & post-baby], along with my fellow brides and hot mamas, finally achieve those long and lean muscles to look and feel FIT & FABULOUS!

Mrs. Melissa back in her wedding gown just 5 months post-baby!

As a special incentive for Hitched brides, we’re offering 20% off any personal training package at FitTrition from now until the end of the year! We offer an all-encompassing Bridal Bootcamp to help you achieve all of your personal goals before reciting those I do’s. My wonderful team and I have helped brides prep for the big day from NYC to LA and now DC. We bring the "personal" to personal training and nutrition by traveling to our clients, working around their schedules, and helping them with both their diet and exercise needs. Consider it our wedding gift to you!  For all the details on what we have to offer [including upcoming free events!], check out our website.

I can't wait to share these tips and more with all of you, so I hope you'll stay tuned every month for the latest in fitness, healthy eating, fashion, local vendors, and FIT finds for every bride-to-be. And if you have any questions or want to see a particular feature, just ask the Mrs.!

Xoxo,
Melissa & the FIT team

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A huge thanks to Melissa and her team at FitTrition for sharing their insight and expertise with all of us! We can't wait to see what's in store. If you have a question for Melissa or a topic you'd like to see her tackle, just leave a comment below or email us at [email protected] with "Ask Melissa" in the subject line. We can't wait to hear from you!

More Pre-Wedding Nutrition From Fitness Together

For Web Surfing Wednesday this week, we wanted to share some more advice from our friends Stacy and Matt from Fitness Together -- nutrition tips to help you get in awesome shape before the big day [or anytime, really!].

 

Thanks so much to our friends at Fitness Together for sharing such valuable video tips with us! If you have specific fitness or nutrition questions or would like more information on personal training before your wedding [or to otherwise jumpstart your health regimen], check out their website and contact them for more info!

Pre-Wedding Nutrition Guide [Part III]

The folks at Fitness Together are back today for the third and final installment of their series for our readers on how to get to your most healthy, fit, and fabulous self in the months leading up to your wedding day!

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Phase Three: Parties and Pj’s – One Month to Go

With the big day just weeks way, there’s bound to be lots of parties on your calendar. Don’t let the fun nights out spoil your new healthy living habits you’ve worked so hard!

1. Steer clear of the hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.
2. Avoid caffeine and and stay hydrated!
3. Don't forget to sleep!

As delicious as those appetizers are, they’re high in calories and so small that you’ll lose count of how many crab balls you’ve eaten all too quickly. Instead of picking at the buffet all night, make yourself one plate and eat slowly.

Cocktails, even the fruity ones, are extremely high in sugar. Drinking a couple of those will only result in a next day hung-over, tired, and bloated version of yourself. Instead, go for drinks with less sugar, like wine, and limit yourself to 1-2 drinks on your nights out.

All your running around and last minute planning will no doubt have you reaching for a latte. Caffeine, though, is bad for your complexion and dehydrates the body. Instead, keep your energy up with fresh fruit and water.

Hydration isn’t just about drinking water. Keep your sodium intake down and increase your potassium intake. Coconut water, bananas, and avocados all help you stay hydrated.

While you’ll be ohh so tempted to stay up late sorting out party favors and your guest list, you need seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel your best during the day. Sleep keeps your brain active and your skin fresh. You’ll also be much less tempted to break down and reach for fatty, unhealthy snacks when you aren’t sleep deprived.

So there you have it! Your three-month pre-wedding plan to looking fabulous! Stick to it and we guarantee you’ll walk down the aisle looking and feeling amazing!

Congratulations!

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A huge thanks to Matt and his team at Fitness Together for sharing these awesome tips with us over the last few days! We hope you've all enjoyed it and that you'll share the results of your pre-wedding nutrition and fitness plan with us.

[Photo Credits: 1 & 2]