Motivation Monday!

Had the yummiest lunch today!!

Organic Sausage and polenta with fresh parsley and Quinoa!

Fab Friday!

Where in the world is Chenelle???



Check back soon to find out!!

Stay Fit N Fab!
xoxo
Chenelle

Thursday!!!

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you are all having a
VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Stay Fit N Fab!!

Love you!!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Christmas Eve!!

My dog had puppies today!!!
6 healthy miniature Pomeranians!
It's a Christmas Miracle!


Hubs and I also saw The Hobbit!
I hope you are all having a merry Christmas Eve!

Love you!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Holy Fit!

Today was all about family once again!! We were able to visit my cousin and her adorable new twins!!!
*can anyone say... BABY HUNGRY!*

Then we went over to the In-Laws and met up with the fam to walk around temple square downtown and see all the Christmas lights! I LOVE this time of year! We get to spend every day with family and become so much closer!!!

I seriously LOVE my fam!!!

Love ya!
xoxo
Chenelle

Happy Saturday!!

Hey guys!!

With the holidays upon us, it's easy to fall out of your healthy eating habits! I was asked to bring a dessert to a family party to share and I knew there would already be plenty of cakes and pastries to choose from so I decided on some fruit with my favorite dip!

Try this healthy recipe! It's sweet enough to satisfy everyone's cravings, and healthy enough you can go back for seconds and thirds without any guilt!

Holiday Fruit Dip:
16 oz Plain Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Stevia or other natural sweetener
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Mix well and serve with your favorite fruit!!

This protein packed recipe is healthy and tasty enough you can finish the leftovers off with a spoon!!

Happy Holidays!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Fab Friday!

Today is cardio day for me!!
I know I will be eating plenty of Christmas treats over the weekend, so I might as well start burning them off now!!

I started my day with a short 3 mile run!
Then I had plenty of Christmas shopping to finish up!
Then I taught my Friday night Zumba class!

Try and squeeze in your cardio before you get carried away with the hustle and bustle of the weekend!!

Love you!!
xoxo
Chenelle

...don't take after Fat Amy.

Thursday!

Workout of the Day:

50 Burpees
100 Squats
150 Push-ups
200 Lunges
250 Bicep Curls
300 Sit Ups
350 Jumping Jacks
400 M Run

Ready, Set, Go!!!

Love you!
xoxo
Chenelle

Work Hard Wednesday!!

Tuesday!!

This is a topic I have touched on before,
and will absolutely state AGAIN and AGAIN throughout the blog.....

Are you getting enough water?

The Water Rule:

Drink haf your weight in ounces of room temperature water every day.  For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water each day.  This will keep your cells plumped up and ready to perform! It also improves your immune system! 

...Perfect protection this flu season!

Gulp, Gulp, Gulp!

Being properly hydrated improves complexion, digestion, transportation of nutrients, increased circulation, and increased energy!

Check this sweet article for more facts and information on the health benefits of drinking water!

Love you guys!

xoxo 

Chenelle

Motivation Monday!!

This morning with my clients it was ALL Abs!! Try this intense Ab circuit and let's redefine that summer six pack!!

25 Sit Ups
25 Side Ups R
25 Superman Back Ext.
25 Side Ups
25 Ball Crunches
25 Ball V Up Pass

Repeat 4X

WHEW!!!

For lunch I made my world famous pasta salad!! It's so yummy and super healthy!! This recipe is super quick and makes enough for about a weeks worth between my husband and I.

Pasta Salad:
1 Bag Veggie Enhanced Pasta
1 Cucumber
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 Can Medium Pitted Olives
3/4 Bottle Gerard's Old Venice Italian Dressing

Boil pasta until tender, strain, and run under cold water. Dice cucumber and tomatoes. Slice the olives in half lengthwise. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour 3/4 bottle of Italian Dressing and coat evenly! Mix well before serving. Serve chilled and ENJOY!!

*The secret to a GREAT pasta salad is in the dressing! Splurge on a high quality "fancy" Italian dressing. The flavor is much better and it most likely contains less sodium and preservatives! My favorite is the Gerard's Old Venice Italian! This is an EASY, healthy snack to keep on hand around your house and pairs well with any lunch or dinner!!*

Buon Apetito!!

xoxo
Chenelle

Holy Fit!!

It's already time to begin a new work week!! Don't give up on your goals! I hope you are still keeping some kind of fitness journal, or if you're not, it's not too late to start!! You don't have to wait til New Years to make your fitness resolutions!! Do it NOW!!

Check the blog daily this week for new workouts and YUMMY healthy recipes!
EVERYTHING I put on this blog, I have done myself, cooked myself, or believe in whole heartedly! I hope you guys will join me in living the Fit N Fab lifestyle!!

Love you!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Saturday!!

Today was so so busy with my family Christmas party this morning, a SUPER fun Jazz appearance, and the Jazz game!!

I am so blessed to have such an amazing family! My Grandma is such a doll for putting together a yummy traditional breakfast from the countries of our heritage (Denmark, Sweden, England) I think it's so cool that she puts effort into educating us about where we came from and making it a fun experience with FOOD!!! We had Able Stavers, Pasties and Wassil!! Yummmm!!
*Ok, so I might have broken a few diet rules, but that homemade syrup is SO worth it!*

Then it was straight over to Harley Davidson, SLC to take pictures with Santa! This is a PACKED event where people from all over bring their families to get free pictures with Santa and his "elves" ;)
We had so much fun!!

Next, it was off to the Jazz game! Jazz vs. Grizzlies! Not such a hot game, but hey I always love being out on that court! I truly love my job! Win or Lose I will always be a Jazz fan!

Ahhhhhh.... Finally home and able to spend some quality time with my husband and family!
It was a very productive Saturday!

Love you guys!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Fab Friday!

Today's workout was a toughie!!
Complete 100 reps of each move before moving on to the next set:

100 Sit Ups
100 Push Ups
100 Squats
100 Jumping Jacks
100 Lunges
100 Burpees
100 V Ups

Ready, Set, GO!!!

Thankful Thursday!!

Today's post isn't exactly fitness related.
Today I am just thinking about how grateful I am for such amazing friends and family, who support me through thick and thin. REAL friends that don't have hidden agendas and aren't trying to tear me down! I have recently been able to weed out all of the negative influences in my life and people with ill intent, and I have never been happier.

I will never understand the type of people that manipulate their way to the top or use people to get where they want in life. I am SO thankful for an amazing husband that believes in my dreams and pushes me every day to be the best version of myself. He inspires me every day, he goes after what he wants, and he sees right through fake personalities. I truly am surrounded with the very best kind of people, and it helps me every day to live my dreams and accomplish everything I have set out to do!

Moral of the story, never give up! Don't let the haters bring you down! Use them as motivation to be everything that you know you are!!
Thank you everyone for supporting my blog, letting me guide you through your life's challenges and help you change your body and your life! I get to live my dreams every single day, because of YOU!!

Love you!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Work Hard Wednesday!!

Try Something New Tuesday!

Try this intense Ab workout today!!

20 Inchworms
20 Ab Jacks
1 Min Plank
1 Min 6" Leg Hold
20 V Ups

Repeat 6X

Motivation Monday!

Today it was ALL legs!!

Run .5 Mile
20 Squats
20 Lunge Switches
20 Weighted Calf Raises

Repeat 5X

Holy Fit!!

I hope you all had a beautiful Sunday!
I just love Sundays!
They always leave me feeling refreshed and ready for the week ahead.

Going to church and spending quality time with my family help me to stay centered and focused on what's important to me! I hope you were able to do something for yourself today, whether it was going to church, a yoga class, or just being out in nature. Take a minute to meditate and find yourself today. Set some goals for the week and visualize the things you want to accomplish!

Love you guys!
xoxo
Chenelle


Just a thought...

Happy Saturday!!!

My InMotion Dance camp turned out awesome today!! We had a huge turnout and were able to raise lots of money for Toys For Tots!!

Thank you to everyone who came and supported this amazing event! We will definitely be holding another one soon!!!

It was such a blast dancing all day, and made it even better that it was for a great cause!!

Love you guys!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Fab Friday!!!

Once again it's been a crazy day!!
I trained my clients this morning starting at 5am!
Check this sweet Legs and Abs workout we did:

2 min HEAVY climb on recumbent bike
20 Ab Swipers
(substitute V Ups if you aren't familiar with this movement yet!)
20 Squats
20 High Weighted Sit Ups

Repeat 6X

After an early morning like that I took a Looong nap and then it was off to teach Friday night Zumba!!

Now I'm just trying to get everything ready for my Master Class in the morning! If you are in the Salt Lake area you should definitely come check it out!

Love You!
xoxo
Chenelle

Thursday!!

Sorry the blog is up so late tonight guys! I just barely got home from practice!!

I just wanted to share the workout we did tonight! It was ALL ABS! This workout was adapted from our trainer Neil Anderson with GPPFitness.com.

20 Sit Ups
20 Side Ups R
20 Side Ups L
20 Super Man Back Extensions
400m Run

Repeat 4X

Love You!
xoxo
Chenelle

Work Hard Wednesday!

Wednesdays are always my tough days, and today was NO exception!

I taught my regular spin class at noon, and my legs are JELLO!

Now it's off to the Jazz game, and I'm just crossing my fingers

 that these legs will still work for me tonight! haha!

* Don't worry... they did!! ;) *

I wanted to share with you guys one of my FAVORITE healthy snacks!

They are so easy to just grab and go.

I always crave them around this time of year!

PUMPKIN SEEDS!!

MMM... I have been munching on these all day!

Look HERE to see tons of information on the nutrition content of pumpkin seeds.

These little gems are PACKED with minerals and antioxidants.

Remember my last blog post about cravings and what your body is really telling you it needs?

Well check this out:

Nutrient%Daily Value

manganese73.5%

tryptophan53.1%

magnesium47.7%

phosphorus39.7%

copper21.5%

protein19.5%

zinc16.8%

iron15.7%

Calories (180)10%

...this means, pumpkin seeds are a GREAT replacement for many of those unhealthy cravings!

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Add pumpkin seeds to healthy sautéed vegetables.
• Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of mixed green salads.
• Grind pumpkin seeds with fresh garlic, parsley and cilantro leaves. Mix with olive oil and lemon juice for a tasty salad dressing.
• Add chopped pumpkin seeds to your favorite hot or cold cereal.
• Add pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal raisin cookie or granola recipe.
• Next time you make burgers, whether it be from vegetables, turkey or beef, add some ground pumpkin seeds.

Love you guys!!

xoxo

Chenelle

Try Something NEW Tuesday!

I got an EXCELLENT question on my @FitNFabBlog Twitter account today!!

"Vanessa Marquez ‏@vanessafmarquez 

@FitNFabBlog hi! Good day :) any advise how to control cravings, what to do to avoid eating lots of food during pre-menstrual period? Thanks"

I thought this was a great opportunity to educate all of my followers on how to make a few simple swaps in your daily diet that will make a BIG difference!!

Here is a list of foods that most people "crave:"

Chocolate

Sugar/Sweets

Bread/Pasta/Carbs

Oils/Fats

Salty Foods

General Overeating

Craving these types of foods is your body's way of communicating its deficiencies to you! 

Make sure to always listen to your body!

If you can make these simple healthy switches for the unhealthy foods you crave, you will be able to stop yourself from over eating and have longer lasting energy!!

If you are craving CHOCOLATE, your body is deficient in: 

Magnesium, Chromium, or Carbon.

What to eat instead: 

Nuts, Seeds, Legumes, Fresh Fruit, Broccoli, Grapes, 

Cheese, Chicken, DARK Chocolate

If you are craving SUGAR/SWEETS, your body is deficient in:

 Carbon, Phosphorous, Sulphur, or Tryptophan.

What to eat instead:

Fresh Fruit, Chicken, Beef, Fish, Eggs, Dairy, Nuts, Legumes, Grains, Cranberries, Horseradish, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cheese, Lamb, Liver, Raisins, Sweet Potato, Spinach

If you are craving BREAD/PASTA/CARBS, your body is deficient in:

Nitrogen.

What to eat instead:

High Protein Foods, Meat, Fish, Nuts, Beans

If you are craving OILS/FATS, your body is deficient in:

Calcium.

What to eat instead:

Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt,

 Legumes, Broccoli, Green Leafy Vegetables

If you are craving SALTY FOODS, your body is deficient in:

Chloride.

What to eat instead:

Fish, Goats Milk, Beef Jerky, Baked Fruit or Vegetable Chips

If you are OVEREATING in general, your body is deficient in:

Silicon, Tryptophan, or Tyrosine.

What to eat instead:

Nuts, Seeds, (AVOID Unrefined Starches Like White Bread, White Pasta, White Rice) 

Cheese, Liver, Lamb, Raisins, Sweet Potato, Spinach, Orange, 

Green or Red Fruits and Vegetables, Vitamin C Supplement, Cottage Cheese

Over the next few days, I will post examples of what I eat on a daily basis.  I crave all of these yummy foods just like the rest of you!! However, I know that if I can make sure to have access to healthy replacements, I am much more likely to snack on good food throughout the day!! 

Love you guys!!

Hope this helps!!

xoxo

Chenelle

The BEST midnight snack!

Frozen Grapes!!!

Motivation Monday!

I started off the day with some yummy scrambled eggs, a banana, and a TALL glass of OJ! Thank goodness I did, because with all of the working out and running around I did, I need long lasting energy!

Have I told you guys yet how obsessed I am with Campbell's Select Harvest soups? I swear I eat them for lunch EVERY DAY! Today, it was Creamy Gouda Bisque w/ Chicken! MMMM! These soups are super low in sodium, low calorie, and they seriously have a million amazing flavors to choose from!

After lunch it was off to Bikram Yoga!
Ahhh... Seriously guys, just GO!
You won't regret it!

Tonight I teach Ballet at Elite Academy and then it's straight over to Zumba! Whew!
So much fun dancing the night away, now I'm gonna run over to my neighborhood gym and do this quick Chest and Back workout!

Chest & Back:

20 Bent Row's
20 Lat Pull Downs
20 Push Ups
20 Clean and Press
20 Aussie Pull Ups

REPEAT 4X

Merry Fitness!!
xoxo
Chenelle

Holy Fit!

Sunday is always my rest day. It's time to reflect back on the week and plan for the week ahead! We spent lots of time with family and friends today!

Life is good!
Love you!
xoxo
Chenelle

Saturday!!

Today has been such an amazing day around here!!

I started of the morning with some whole wheat toast, scrambled eggs, and strawberry Greek yogurt with a tall glass of OJ! A perfectly balanced low calorie meal packed full of nutrition!! This protein packed meal is perfect for a full day like today!

I got some choreography done for Jazz, watched the Jazz game, had such a fun time at the Festival of Trees, and now I'm snuggled up at home watching Jumanji!

I love the weekend!

Before all of the festivities I decided to do a quick treadmill interval workout!

It was short, and kicked my butt!!
Treadmill workouts are awesome for days like today where I don't wanna spend a lot of time at the gym, but I don't want to miss my workout either!

Treadmill Intervals:

Run one mile at a quick pace.

Then..

30 sec. On 10 sec. Off of:
3 Incline/Speed 8 Repeat 4X
Jog 1 min
30 sec. On 10 sec. Off of:
5 Incline/Speed 9 Repeat 4X
Jog 1 min
30 sec. On 10 sec. Off of:
8 Incline/Speed 8 Repeat 4X
Jog 1 min
30 sec. On 10 sec. Off of:
7 Incline/Speed 9 Repeat 4X

Cool Down with 5 minute jog to walking.

Enjoy your run!!

Happy Holidays!
xoxo
Chenelle