2018 Fitness & Finance Challenges

As you may have noticed, our website has started incorporating saving, budgeting, and travel posts. We want to help you reach all of your goals - fitness AND finance! We're introducing a few new fitness challenges for the new year and also encouraging you to participate in one of our money saving challenges at the same time!

First up is our She Sweats Winter Workout Challenge.

Maybe you indulged a little bit more than you wanted or you just need some motivation to get back into an exercise routine...either way, our She Sweats Winter Workout Challenge will give you that motivation to "become the best version of yourself"!  Plus you could win a prize pack valued over $200!

It's simple to enter:

• Purchase your workout plan (you can use the 12-Week Transformation, 12-Week Run Builder, 13.1 Plan, or Marathon Training Plan). You must have your own copy. It is illegal to distribute copies of this workout.
• Before starting, take your "before" pictures with some sort of time stamp (using the time stamp on a camera or a newspaper). Make sure your pictures are clear. You can wear what you prefer but make sure it is something where you can tell your progress throughout the challenge period. Take pictures from the front, side, and back. Stand using good posture.
• Complete the workout plan that you choose.
• Take "after" pictures in the same manner that you did your "before" pictures.
• Email your before and after pictures (together) to thegang@heandsheeatclean.com.

• BEFORE PICTURES MUST BE TAKEN BY JANUARY 31, 2018. AFTER PICTURES ARE DUE BY MAY 31, 2018. Note: This is a longer time frame to account for the 16 week half and full marathon training plans (plus a little time cushion). If you are doing a 12-week plan you can send in your pictures once you are finished - you do not have to wait until May 31.

ARE YOU IN? PURCHASE YOUR WORKOUT PLAN & FILL OUT THE FORM AT THE END OF THIS POST TO LET US KNOW YOU ARE READY! THAT'S IT!

You can choose between the gym or the at-home version or get both for those days when you can't make it to the gym (the plans are interchangeable). The bundles (that include the workout plan and eBooks) also count. You can choose your product from the drop down menu below.

She Sweats 12-Week Transformation {At the Gym} ($30.00)She Sweats 12-Week Transformation {At Home} ($30.00)She Sweats 12-Week Transformation Bundle (Gym and Home) ($50.00)Go Clean Bundle {Gym Version} - Workout & eBooks ($40.00)Go Clean Bundle {Home Version} - Workout & eBooks ($40.00)

She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder {Gym Version} ($30.00)She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder {At-Home Version} ($30.00)She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder Bundle {Gym and Home} ($50.00)Go Clean Bundle {RUN - Gym Version} - Workout & eBooks ($40.00)Go Clean Bundle {RUN - Home Version} - Workout & eBooks ($40.00)

She RUNS This Half Marathon Training Plan ($30.00)She RUNS This Marathon Training Plan ($30.00)

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We also released a new fitness challenge for the month of January (but you can really do this anytime!). Below is the challenge but you can get more details and a printable version here.

Below are our year-long money saving challenges but we also have ones with a shorter time frame. The new year is a great time to get your finances in order! You can view all of our money saving challenges here.

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Please fill out the form below if you plan on taking the She Sweats Winter Workout Challenge.

Life is Short Make it Count. #23

I've always loved the quote above but it really rings true after the horrible act of violence/terrorism in Las Vegas Sunday night.

• Quit saying "yes" to things you don't want to do.
• Spend time with the ones you love.
• Do what makes you happy.
• Quit obsessing over things that do not matter.
• Live your life.

Interested in donating to the Las Vegas Victims' Fund? Click here.

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Well, we are obviously back from Colorado (I'm working on finishing up the trip recap!). Getting back was an adventure itself. When we landed back in Atlanta Saturday night, we walked to the shuttle to ride to Park N Fly (where we always park!). I was looking for the ticket that shows where we parked and we realized we had someone else's bag. This bag is not black and is not your standard looking bag! Scott ran the bag all the way back up to the airport (this isn't that short of a walk). The lady must have grabbed ours but turned around and came back to the airport. After waiting for her and finally getting that sorted out we headed home. We use Waze (the GPS app) and it told us about a terrible accident on 85 that had all lanes closed. I tried to exit where it told me but ended up back on the highway (not used to the area!) in the traffic. However, we also have Peach Pass so we worked our way over to the Peach Pass lane and never even really had to slow down while the other lanes were backed up for miles. I couldn't help but think that if we had our suitcase and left on time, we could have been involved in that accident. You never know, but it could have been a blessing in disguise.

Since we've been back, besides working on the website, I'm back to coaching Playball and volunteering with Girls on the Run. A few weeks before we went out of town I started coaching for Girls on the Run. I'm loving it so far! If you have daughters, check to see if there is a chapter near you! It's an excellent girls empowerment program.

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Workouts

After getting back into the groove of being home, working, etc. we had mountain withdrawals so this past Saturday we headed up to Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, NC. We did two hikes, Art Loeb Trail and also Looking Glass Rock Trail. This wasn't our first time on either trail but both trails were considerably more crowded than we remember. Hiking is a very popular sport now it seems.

Our workout during our trip was hiking (obviously!). The Monday after we got home I started doing the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation. I AM IN LOVE AGAIN. I can't tell you how good it feels to be lifting again. I haven't truly lifted to my fullest potential in months because of stress, our move, hurting my neck, and signing up for a 6-week boot camp. Boot camp is great for some people but it definitely isn't for me. I took Sunday off after we got back and have been on track with the workout plan ever since starting last Monday. Normally when I do this workout plan I'll start on week 5 but I started from week 1 this time since I feel like I've lost so much muscle over the last year. I was so sore last week...my arms, chest, and legs!

I'm having to flip-flop some days because of hiking or other commitments that I have but I'm completing each workout as listed during the week listed!

In case you've missed it, we do have a challenge going on right now for the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation. Learn more about it here. Disclaimer: The plan is a download you receive via email, the picture below is of something that my sister had made for me (the workout plan in book form!).

Nutrition

Like I mentioned, we came back late Saturday night. We took Sunday to grocery shop and prep some food for the week ahead. We made Bison Chili and Grilled Orange Chicken. Our eating out consisted of Zoes Kitchen and Pescados Burritos (after our hikes!).

I've been meaning to share this for months now but I always forget! We always get questions about hiking nutrition. I'll do a more in-depth post on this soon but NOW Foods sent us their BCAA Big 6 to try (DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product for free. All opinions are ours.). We have tried both the grape (which smells like bubble gum!) and watermelon. They both taste excellent. BCAA Big 6 is caffeine-free and aids in recovery from intense exercise. It's perfect after our hikes. We just add water and the powder to a blender bottle and drink it up!

You can read more about and purchase NOW Foods products (including the BCAA Big 6) here on Amazon or browse NOW Foods products here. They have so many products! Things like the maple syrup, sugarless sugar, supplements, and even delicious energy/trail mixes!

Until next week, have a good one! Let us know if you ever have any questions or comments! I've loved hearing from you about the updates! Click here to read all of our updates.

What your fitness journey has in common with MLB players.

If you haven't heard by now, we are huge baseball fans - the Cubs in particular. Scott's dad, who passed away from cancer when he was 16, and grandfather passed along their love of the Cubs to Scott. I (Whitney) grew up a Braves fan but was quickly swayed when I met Scott 15 years ago (I do still root for the Braves when they aren't playing the Cubs!).  We've spent A LOT of time this year watching baseball games on TV (we probably saw around 100 Cubs games from start to finish) and going to baseball games here in Atlanta and Chicago.

Just for fun I'll throw in the text message that Scott sent me before game 7 of the World Series. He was traveling for a work retreat so we couldn't watch the game together but he made sure to let me know his feelings - he wasn't referring to our wedding or some other important life event, rather it was game 7 of the World Series game. ;-)

In fact, it was our trip to Chicago in 2008 that we realized we needed to start living a healthy lifestyle. We weren't overweight when we got married but we quickly gained weight during our first few years of marriage. Below is a few of our pictures from 2008.

We also went back to Chicago this past May. We had airline credits we had to use before they expired and Scott had a Friday off so we went!

See the difference?

This time we went to Chicago with Scott's brother and sister to witness the first World Series game played in Chicago since 1945 (October 28-30, 2016). We actually bought the plane tickets and booked the hotel room at the beginning of October. We saved A TON of money this way. We booked through Southwest so even if they didn't make it we could have changed the tickets for another trip at another time. The hotel room was also able to be cancelled, if necessary. We had rooftop tickets to the game, so we weren't technically in the park, but it was still an AMAZING experience. They lost the game we went to on Friday night and also the game we watched in Chicago on Saturday night (while eating Chicago-style pizza!). However, we, along with millions of other fans, never gave up! We flew back to Atlanta on Sunday during the third game at Wrigley that they won (Scott's brother was actually at that one as well). On the way out to Chicago, the flight attendants led the plane in singing Go Cubs Go before take off and on the way back to Atlanta every person around me was watching the game on their personal devices!

As I watched game 6 and 7 (after the Cubs headed back to Cleveland), a few things hit me that I wanted to share - I realized just how relatable baseball is to life and, more specifically, living a healthy lifestyle. ;-) These concepts could probably be applied to other sports as well but, admittedly, I don't know much about them other than baseball.

What your fitness journey has in common with MLB players

• Baseball players take it one game at a time. More specifically they take it one at-bat at a time.
  • Approach your fitness plan one good workout and one healthy meal at a time...don't get so far ahead of yourself that you fail to recognize the short-term objective and the little milestones that lead to success.
• Just because a batter has two strikes, it doesn't mean they just give in to the pitcher because they know the odds are against them...no - they keep grinding the at-bat and trying to hang in there until either the pitcher makes a mistake or they find a pitch they can manage to hit.  In other words, they focus on controlling the controllable...they can't control whether or not the pitcher hits his spots or makes good pitches, but they can control whether or not they give up on an at-bat after they've fallen behind.
  • Just because you haven't worked out for days or weeks or you've been in a slump with healthy eating it doesn't mean that you should give up and "throw in the towel". Pick yourself up and move forward in a healthy direction...it's about making your overall fitness journey above average!
• Players and teams have long range goals like winning their division and hopefully the World Series, but that doesn't mean they lose sight of their short-term goals. Again, they take it one at-bat a time.
  • Setting goals can be a good idea but make sure that you break down your large goals into smaller goals or milestones. If you want to lose 50 pounds, break down it down by 5-pound increments. Also, make sure your timeframes are achievable.
• Each player gives it their all even when their team is losing a game or a stretch of games. Players have team goals but they also have individual goals like improving their batting average or making a highlight-reel play. Each player will still try to have a good at-bat in order to improve their record by increasing their chances of winning a game.
  • Don't quit just because you don't think you will hit your bigger goal. Each healthy adjustment you make (taking a walk, eating a healthy breakfast, spending time to care for yourself) adds up and gets you closer to your goal. Your body is keeping score.
• Players and teams constantly evaluate their performance and tweak game plans when they are in the middle of a slump; however, what's more important is that they also constantly evaluate performance when things are going well to make note of the things that make them successful.
  • Maybe you've been eating a certain way that isn't making you feel great or, conversely, you're blowing past your goals and hitting all of the milestones you've set for yourself. Take some time to evaluate your plan and make the necessary adjustments or note the source of your success.
• Their goals are made with realistic time frames. 
  • It took the Cubs 108 years to win another World Series but that doesn't mean that they weren't trying to get there. They didn't try to rebuild a new team and win the World Series in one season. It took a vision, long-term planning, analysis, execution, and a lot of ad hoc changes to make it happen. You shouldn't expect your body, life, or mind to change in just one day, week or even year. Living a healthy lifestyle is something that you will be working on for the rest of your life. Deadlines are mental, not physical (your body doesn't have a deadline)...remember to control the controllable!
• Even professional players still need pep talks occasionally.
  • Cubs took an early lead in game 7, but then the Indians tied it up late in the game and forced the game into extra innings (as if our hearts hadn't taken enough beating up to this point!). The game was put on hold for 17 minutes during a rain delay. It later came out that Jason Heyward, who has been in a hitting slump all season long, but is an outstanding ballplayer and leader (who also used to play for the Braves!), led a players meeting in the locker room. From what I've heard and read, he basically reminded the players that they were there for a reason and that they were still the best team in baseball. They were good enough to make it that far, and they were good enough to win it all. Guess what they did after the tarp was removed from the field?! They went out there with confidence and WON THE WORLD SERIES.
• Baseball players (and all professional athletes) rest.
  • Players have rest days and even a few months of rest during the off season. Your body requires rest. You can't constantly run it into the ground with exercise and diet restriction and expect it to be healthy. Treat your body with the proper amount of exercise and nutrients it needs in order to continue living a full and healthy life.

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I shared this on our Facebook page but also wanted to share it here so that it lives forever. ;-) This is what Scott wrote after the Cubs won:

I can undeniably state that being a Cubs fan is an entirely different animal in the realm of sports fandom and today this little letter means a lot more than just a Cubs win to me and so many other lifelong and generational fans, so I've selected a few "W" words to express what today's win means to me and Cubs fans across the world:

1. Wait - there are so many fans that have waited their entire lives for this to happen. Chicago waited 71 years to see a World Series game and 108 to win it all. Life is now complete for all Cubs fans and we can rest in peace! "Wait till next year" takes on an entirely different meaning now.
2. Worthwhile - although it took 108 years, the pain, time (and money) I've invested into the Cubs over the years was a worthwhile investment and has finally paid off.
3. Want - Cubs fans have never wanted anything so bad in our lives.
4. Watchful - this team was able to pull it off under so many watchful eyes - fans of past (my dad and grandfather included) and present plus all of the Cubs legends that we've lost (Ron Santo, Harry Caray, Ernie Banks) and the living legends that had a hand in this victory one way or another (Len & JD, Pat Hughes & Ron Coomer, Ryno, Kerry Wood, Fergie Jenkins, Theo & Jed, the Ricketts family, Joe, the 2016 team, Steve Goodman, Eddie Vedder, Bill Murray and so many others).
5. Worry - this word has been eliminated from the perennial Cubs vernacular. Cross this dreaded word off the Cubs fans' lexicon...we can now view life with high hopes rather than apprehension and replace worry with hope.
6. Witness - my brother, sister, wife and I were able to witness the first World Series game played at Wrigley in 71 years and a piece of history that resulted in the first championship in 108 years!!!
7. Wrigley (Field) - there is no better sports atmosphere anywhere in the world...period! Millions of fans have come and gone to Wrigley without their team pulling off a World Championship.
8. Wine - what I needed to get me through this series, especially game seven.
9. Weather delay - allowed the Cubs to regroup and win it all! I'll never be bothered by rain again...
10. Waterlogged - to describe my eyes after Montgomery and Bryzzo retired the final out to raise the Commissioner's trophy. As much as I wanted to jump for joy and shout "Go Cubs Go", I cried (no, I sobbed) for maybe the second time in my life...the first time was when my dad passed away.
11. World Champs - not much more to say here...we are the World Champs!!!!!
12. What...happens now? What do we talk about as Cubs fans?
13. When...do we win it all again? Will centuries or generations pass before Cubs fans get another championship?

Dad - this win was for you...I can see the smile on your face shining down on me, Mommy (Malinda), Todd and Kristin You taught me so much about life, but of all the lessons you taught me, being a Cubs fan is ALWAYS the one that sticks out the most to me. I remember before the internet was around, I'd come home from school and tune into the Cubs games on WGN and you'd call from work for periodic updates...I vividly remember the Kerry Wood strikeout record game; I called you in the fifth or sixth inning to tell you what was going on and it seemed like you called every ten minutes as he got deeper into the game to see if he was going to set the record for most K's...that is actually one of my fondest memories of you and I'm glad the Cubs provided the glue that strengthened the Carlson family bond. I miss you so much, but now I know you, Ba, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Harry are truly resting in peace!