Passion for Fitness

Sweet Treats

2010-05-31T15:05:00.000-04:00

Did you know that eating sweets can become an addiction. Many may say to eat it on your cheat day or in moderation but for some that's not possible. Sweet treats for many is something they can't fight and they don't have the self control. If you feel like you just can't do it on your own and fight the urges to eat these sweet treats that take over your spirit and sabatoge your efforts these are the top tips to alleviate that possibility:

1- Don't have them in the house at all.

2- Some fruits may be to sugary but definitely add a variety of fruits to your fridge.

3- Sugar free, aspartame free (an unhealthy ingredient) JELLO.

4- Involve your family! Tell them to be hard on you and not to let you near sweet treats.

5- Spray it down! Literally spray it down with a household cleaning product and you will never touch it again.

Strength Training

2010-05-24T15:01:00.000-04:00

Many people love cardio. It is essential to drop lbs but many forget the importance of strength training. Strength training tightens your body and provides you with the stamina to put your best efforts and last longer in your workouts. Strength training comes in all shapes and formats. It can be a combination of plyometrics with weights, a circuit course or your own body weight.

Why is strength training important? It is vital for your body. You need this strength to help your metabolism and give you the energy for your day. A healthy combination of cardio and strength training can make your weight loss process that much easier. If you are failing to add adequate strength training into your schedule then it is definitely time to grab a hold of an expert and get a specialized workout that uses both of these formats to help you look and feel your best.

Goal Setting During The Summer Months

2010-05-17T14:57:00.000-04:00

Goal setting can be hard during the summer months. We are traveling and even working. How can you still reach those goals if you are busy? Its very easy and can be done in no time with these fool proof tips:

1- Have a fitness coach. Many are able to coach you via phone or email and it helps you stay accountable. Plus this is great when you are traveling.

2- Weigh and measure yourself 2x per month this will help keep you focused on your goals.

3- Write it down. I have said it over and over but with technology you can add it to your blackberry or even your iphone. If not grab a mini journal and throw it in your bag. Write what you eat, when you workout and even how you are feeling. You can always look back.

4- Have fun with it and remember set backs happen but if you are focused and get right back on the wagon you are sure to reach your goals. It's mind over matter.

Summer Nutrition

2010-05-10T12:52:00.000-04:00

Summer is the perfect time to go to your local farmers market and be creative with your nutrition. Take the time to experiment with new foods that are local and in season. From adding strawberries to your salad or your chicken. It's about understanding that food fuels your body and the summer months are drenched in heat and there are so many light meals that will keep you fit and healthy as well as inspire you this summer to not over eat. Here are the top 4 tips for enjoying summer foods.

1- GRILL IT! From veggies to meat. It's just plain fun.

2- Add fruit. Mix your meats or veggies by adding apples to your salad or pineapple to your chicken.

3- Make it a day out! Shop locally by going to your local farmers market. It's a great way to spend the day out of your house and even become a little eco-friendly.

4- Make it a girls or boys night. Have everyone bring an ingredient to your home and have everyone join in and be creative with new dishes. Its a great way to spend time with friends.

Summer Fit Tips

2010-05-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Summer is near and many are unsure as to what to do during these summer months to stay fit. The fact is the summer months are a perfect time to gather friends, family or your special someone and take it outside. Even your personal trainer is happy to kick it up a notch by taking your fitness routine outside. Top 7 things you can do to stay fit this summer and bask in the summer weather:

1- Sprinting and running in the early morning. If you live in the big city this is the perfect time to take in your neighborhood sights with a morning sprint or run.

2- Canoe your way to a fitter you. Take a weekend to enjoy the warm weather with water sports.

3- Bike riding is another great way to take time to step outside and take the family with you. You can even ride to work once or twice a week if you are up for it.

4- Swimming! Many places have nearby lakes and parks where you don't have to go to the crowded beach but can take in more of these water sports and nature around you.

5- Park Training Session. Take your trainer outside. He or she will grab the equipment you need and take you for a training session in a nearby park!

6- Soccer, volleyball and more! Grab a ball and get moving.

7- Yoga outside. Check your local listing for a yoga session outside. Or have your trainer take you for a stretch session outside.

It's about hitting the pavement and being creative.

No Calories! No Fat! A Dream Come True!

2010-03-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

Imagine if we could remove all the fat and calories from ice cream, cake, pasta, bread and more. Life would be a dream come true. But the fact is you can't. Clean eating has a lot to do with thinking outside of the box. No one is saying you can't indulge but the fact is that you have to indulge with smart choices. These choices can increase or decrease your energy. These choices will help you make it through the day or fall short with no strength to get you through the day.

If you love chocolate try strawberries dipped in sugar free chocolate (keep the chocolate to a minimum). Its about being creative with your food. You can substitute cauliflower for potatoes. Its also about letting your taste buds experience different healthy foods so that you become accustomed to them, thus you are more apt to use them and make your meals more colorful.

Food is a dream come true. It is needed. Hating food means you have no real knowledge of the greatness is possess and what it can do for you. I recommend you take time to experience a kiwi as a snack, or a new vegetable you might be surprised at what flavor it possess and how much more it can do for your meals.

When your heart moves you to a better life.

2010-03-22T13:26:00.003-04:00

Our emotions are strong. They can move us to do things we don't even know why. I pray each day that your heart moves you to appreciate the food that you eat and see it as nutrition. Value each bite and don't let your emotions motivate your overeating. I also pray that your heart moves you to skip happily throughout your day because you just got rejuvenated with an amazing workout. Let your heart steer you towards a better life. Let your heart be a motivation and your mind the voice of reason. Your life should matter so much more to you because you are that special. Your purpose is so much greater than you realize and a healthy body, mind and spirit can create abundant blessings without you even trying.

Snack Attack!

2010-03-08T13:12:00.003-05:00

Did you know that there are times in your day when all you want to do is eat, eat, and eat. There is such a thing as a Snack Attack. How do you fight back? You don't. If you have drank water all day, exercised, eaten your small meals through out the day, and have waited at least 30 minutes and still find your snack attack cravings fighting for your attention then it is time to give in. But how do you give in without giving up the hard work and waistline? You create snack bags.

What is a snack bag? They are zip locks filled with easy to pick up snacks that you can much on throughout the day when the urge gets you! Snack bags can include:

- Granola
- Carrots
- Celery
- Grapes
- Berries
- Dried Fruits
- Apple Slices
- Orange Slices - Great Vitamin C!

Simply pack several snack bags before you head off on your day and throw them in your bag with your water bottle. This will keep you one step ahead of the munchies! And will eliminate the urge to eat unhealthy snacks.

Good Foods Slow Foods

2010-03-03T08:47:00.003-05:00

An appreciation for good food has been lost with the easy access to fast foods. I call good and healthy food slow food. It is slow food because you are not eating it in a car or walking to work it is good you sit down to savor. You know what is going in your mouth. You know what it feels likes to indulge in every bite. You are more aware that you are full and you are able to eat properly. Fast food is just that. It is too fast for you to pay attention. So take the time out today to enjoy your slow food. Becoming more aware of what we eat and when we eat it will make our fitness journey that much easier.

When the passion dies?

2010-02-24T10:08:00.002-05:00

When the passion dies what do you do? When the passion for life, or for what your body, mind and spirit deserve what do you do? Fact is no one can take away your destiny, your purpose but you. Fitness and wellness is a life and forever changing process. You don't start yesterday, reach your goal today and forget about tomorrow. What can you do to start today and reignite the passion?

1- Set clear goals and write them down
2- Get your nutrition ready by meeting with a nutritionist. How you eat matters just as much as your workouts.
3- Get your workout plan ready and write it down. Meet with a trainer to help you set up what will be most effective for your schedule and your fitness level.
4- Surround yourself with a support team that will never let you steer off course.
5- Love yourself enough to consider this your gift to yourself.

Never let your passion for fitness die!

It is Never Too Late

2010-02-12T08:34:00.003-05:00

Sometimes men and women give up on their fitness goals because they think it is too late. I am here to awaken you to the truth that exists within you. It is never too late. A mistake made today can be learned from and not made tomorrow. If you ate an extra 500 calories today you need to learn why you were still hungry at the end of the day and curb your appetite tomorrow. Your fitness goals can change your life.

Here are my top 5 tips to make sure you realize that it is never too late:

Know that mistakes happen. Learn from them and don't repeat them.
Surround yourself with people that will uplift you and keep you focused. This could be your trainer and your friends and family.
If you missed a few days it's OK make the commitment to get back on track not tomorrow but that same day. Even if it means starting off slow with a short 30min run.
Write it down. Sounds strange doesn't it? Write it down? You are not 12 and this isn't your diary. I mean to write down if you were happy or sad that day, what you ate and what was your workout like and what did it consist of. Writing it down will help you go back and pick out the days that you didn't work out or overate and if your mood affected it. You can learn a lot from writing it down.
Reward yourself. If you got back on track and have been steady for quite sometime it is time for a reward. Not a FOOD reward but do something or get yourself something you love it is the perfect motivation.

Jumpstart your weight loss!!

2008-12-03T13:06:00.004-05:00

What a better way to enjoy the great weather than with an OUTDOOR WORKOUT!!!

Jumpstart your weight loss, enjoy the comaraderie, and most importantly have fun!

Join Alita Brown and Passion For Fitness, LLC as we take it outside for a series of energized group exercise sessions. Alita Brown, Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness Together-Capitol Hill, will lead you in a mix of cardio and strength training techniques to satisfy all fitness levels giving you the opportunity to get fit and have fun. Reap the benefits as you and your fellow comrades battle the bulge, increase your fitness level, and improve your overall health! .

Get Great Results:

Reduce Body Fat

Increase Strength and Stamina

Lose Inches

Have FUN!!!

Passion For Fitness, is very excited to bring to you a fitness program that is convenient, motivating, AFFORDABLE, and is guaranteed to get you in shape. What do you need to know?

Begins Wednesday, July 15th $18 per Class.

Bring: water bottle, towel & exercise matt

Classes are offered 5x a week:

Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 6:00-7:00AM

Monday/Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm

Location: National Mall - 4th Street NW and Madison Street NW
Metro Acessable
Yellow/Green Lines Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Station Page)701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,Washington DC 20004

Parking
There are many free parking spaces on the National Mall along Madison and Jefferson Drives in front of the Smithsonian museums

Please direct questions or request to Passionforfitnessllc@gmail.com

Jumpstart your weight loss, enjoy the comaraderie and most importantly have fun!