10 Week Bikini Challenge - RITA

I have seen fitness trends come and go: from Jane Fonda’s “feel the burn” cardio workout in the 80’s to the power yoga and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes of today. At 52 I know what works for me to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program. I like a diverse workout practice and a food diet that is nutritious without much fuss.

So I was quick to sign up for the Summer Bikini challenge. Some of the exercises were like old friends; while others I will have to win over to make my buddies. The pace was intense, but I got stronger as the weeks went by. I know my body would adjust if I kept coming to classes.

                     BEFORE                                 AFTER

                           TOTAL loss to date 15lbs

             Patience and persistence is key. I’ve lost 15 lbs. I went from 190 to 175 lbs. I’ve also gained more flexibility and stamina in my other workouts, outside the program, in yoga and pilates classes.

             Of course working out is not enough. The second component of the bikini challenge has been equally essential: the clean eating food program. I never felt hungry. Food prep is a challenge given my busy schedule, but planning my meals a week in advance and determining which ingredients are interchangeable among my recipes sped up the prep work. Yes, egg whites and oatmeal can be tasty and nutritious without being slathered in oil or weighed down by sugar. Goggle is your friend! There are tons of tips and recipes online that fall well within the confines of the good foods list and that also compliment the meals suggestions.

Everyone has to define what success means to them by completing the bikini challenge. For me it’s incorporating the HIIT workout in my overall exercise regiment and implementing, and building on, the clean foods diet. My goal is to craft a fitness and wellness practice that is doable, attainable and sustainable for the rest of my life. I know that sometimes life gets in the way. But I always find my way back. I’m so glad I found Phoenyx Fitness. Thanks Melenna for helping me attain my goals! Looking forward to the Summer program. Cheers                                                                     

Transformation Tuesday - Trishanna

When this client approached me and I asked her what she wanted to accomplish from her program, she responded ' To be comfortable in my own skin again' .  How many of you have gained so much weight, that you don't even know who you are?  You don't feel like yourself and you don't remember who that previous person was.

Trishanna began with me at a little over 220lbs. Standing at 5'6" and 36.9% bodyfat, she was determined to make a change this time.

Before starting college

Graduating College

" I weighed in at around 260lbs at my heaviest. It was quite depressing for me, as I had never dealt with weight issues growing up. I had an athletic build and participated in sports in high school.  I remember saying to my aunt one day that I can eat whatever I want and I won't gain weight. The freshman 15 proved me wrong."

We got started right away and our first milestone would be getting below 200lbs, which hadn't been a reality for Trishanna in 3 years.  She would diligently send me her updates and was amazed with each passing week as she continued to drop weight.  There were weeks where her updates felt defeated. Juggling a full time job, a child AND school, she had a lot on her plate and getting in the added workouts and sticking to the regiment sometimes proved to be a task. The KEY is not maintaining a perfect regiment. The key is consistency. If you fall off, it's ok. Get back on the horse and back on track. So many people give up right before their breakthrough.




At the check in where she finally broke 200lbs, her first reaction was ' I should have lost more this week..I'll do better next time' LOL. I had to remind her of our original discussions and how ALL victories are VICTORIES. We have reached our first milestone!

What's the ultimate goal?!?!? DECEMBER! Birthday month and JAMAICA. Will she do it? It's been just 2 months and we are down from 217lbs to 196lbs SO FAR. Over 20lbs in 8 weeks and we still have 8 weeks to go. We'll keep you posted. Two weeks from now, we'll post the MORE than comfortable Trishanna hanging out on the beach in Jamaica.

SO proud of you!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Don't become a holiday FAT-istic....

How is this for a statistic....75% of the weight most Americans gain in a year happens during the holidays. There are 12 months in a year, 365 days, 52 weeks where you could ideally fluctuate in weight gain, or loss. Within a SIX WEEK pocket, you gain MOST of the weight you will gain in a year. Think about that....Don't become a statistic. Keep the weight off instead of putting on an ADDITIONAL 10-20 pounds that you decide you will ADD to your resolutions list for 2015.

No time like the present. Email us for details! support@phoenyxfitness.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

WINTER WONDERCamp Detail!  

Less than 3 weeks. Are you signed up? If not you should be! We ARE indoors so we WILL cap the registration. Get registered now! I cannot guarantee space after we fill the room. 

GET IT in!!! 12 classes, 3 weeks right before CHRISTMAS. The only person that should be round and jolly this time of year is St Nick. ;)

SCHEDULE
Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs beginning Dec 1st!!!
TIME
6PM - 7PM
LOCATION 
PEARL Studios - 500 8th Avenue
PRICING - $99

EMAIL us at SUPPORT@phoenyxfitness.com to get on the list

FAQ
- Are we outside?
NOOO!
What if I cannot make all the classes?
Then make what you can. It averages out to $6.25 a class if you go to each and every one. You have more than paid for the sessions if you even make half.
- 6PM is pushing it to get there on time. What if I am a little late?
This is fine. Get there and get in where you fit in. The time is never good for the group. 6 is too early. 7 is too late. 630 starts on the half hour and we cannot always start at that time at the studio. You know my class. If you can get in 45 minutes within my group, you are NOT going to be disappointed.

Here is an interesting post with suggestions to keep down the weight over the holidays. Look at number 7 and SIGN up for WINTERWONDERCAMP!  3 weeks, 12 days, intensive workout RIGHT before Christmas and right AFTER Thanksgiving. 4 days a week. You won't have TIME to gain weight


http://www.moneycrashers.com/avoid-holiday-weight-gain-statistics/

6. Sign Up for a Holiday Fitness Competition
Most gyms offer fitness competitions for members to help encourage healthy habits during the holiday season. Rather than New Year’s-style weight-loss competitions, holiday competitions generally focus on accumulating total activity.

So if you plan to work out on a regular basis and need a little extra motivation to follow through, sign up to participate in your gym’s competition.

7. Sign Up for a Holiday Fitness Event
Check local event listings to find running, walking, or cycling races in your area. If you sign up for an event, chances are you’ll follow through on the necessary training. If you have children, look for events with a family friendly focus and get the entire gang involved.

MONDAY Bulletins!!!!

​THIS WEEK'S BOOTCAMP!!!!

​A

nother fun filled bootcamp day!

We will be out at Chelsea Park. So, NOT the playground we usually go to. I know 

​I​

 reference that as Chelsea Park but it has a different name officially.  Chelsea Park is between 9th and 10th avenues at 28th Street.   There is a park with a field and track. We will meet there on the side closest to 28th street.  

Monday and Wednesday 7pm

Chelsea Park on 28th between 9th and 10th avenues

Meet at the track on the side closest to 28th street

MANIC MONDAY - Your MONDAY Bulletins!

We have had  busy few weeks but nothing short of amazing as get into the summer season!

BOOTCAMP

We are meeting back at Columbus Circle this week just to reset everyone and make things easy. Same spot in front of the circle. Another great day for bootcamp. The weather is perfect! Hope to see you out there!

LOCATION 59th and Columbus Circle
TIME 7PM

SAVE THE DATE Sept 7th!!!

SUSAN G KOMEN RACE

The Susan G Komen registration has opened up for Sept. I know September seems a ways off but we usually get a team together and want to have enough time to register everyone, and get everyone prepared if they would like to train for the race. We always have a good showing for the race and this year will not be any different so mark your calendars!

http://www.komennyc.org/

FOODIE Friday!!!

Paleo Jerk Chicken Recipe

We are dedicating Fridays to one of our favorite pastimes. FOOD!

Paleo. Have you heard of it? We'll blog on what it means and benefits and disadvantages of the paleo diet. In the meantime, we have a paleo based recipe that is delicious. Borrowed from emeals.com, they have their own blog and many recipes you can receive online catered to your needs. Check them out!

Paleo Jerk Chicken Lettuce Wraps


Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4½ cups chopped cooked chicken
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Jerk seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 heads Bibb lettuce
Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until onion is browned.
Stir in chicken, lime juice and Jerk seasoning; cook 3 minutes.
Stir in thyme.
Separate lettuce leaves, and fill leaves evenly with chicken mixture.
Roll up, if desired.

The WORLD of PHOENYX

We have been off the map for a while on our blog and we're back to provide information, tidbits and more through yet another social media site. YAY!

SUMMER is approaching. Although, if you are on the east coast, this is not so evident. BUT it will get here eventually. We are gearing up for our summer programs and at Phoenyx, we are not the exception. We have our outdoor bootcamps starting up on the 5th of MAY, and we have a special going on RIGHT NOW that expires tomorrow.

So, IF you sign up by the 30th of April,  you can sign up for $99 for the entire summer.

The entire summer!!! Let's think about this...TWICE A week, 16 weeks, 32 sessions for the entire summer. You are paying less than $5 a class! Even if you were to miss a month of classes you are STILL not paying more than $5 a class. We have the best bootcamps in the city, hands down. SECURE your summer activity!!! We are capping the registration at this rate. Once we meet our quota the price will go up to $60 a month and $15 a class.

SUMMER SCHEDULE Mondays and Wednesdays 7PM
LOCATION CENTRAL PARK!! We will advise specifics one week out

FIRST day of CAMP is May 5th!

Click on the link below to register or email us at support@phoenyxfitness.com for more details.

Register HERE

 SELECT Warrior workouts and UNLIMITED SUMMER Bootcamp!

And pass this along. This is open to anyone interested in joining our ranks!

IT'S GO TIME PEOPLE!!!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Skinny Hour

One of the main things we are always told to give up in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle is alcohol. But any young adult living in this city knows that’s nearly impossible, especially when the weather gets warmer! So we are here to show you how to have your cocktail and drink it too.

Join us this Saturday, May 18^th from 4-6PM as we celebrate our version of a 'happy hour'. We will have information on different low calorie alcohol options while out, the best snack options when you are at a bar, and we'll have our own 'skinny hour' with cocktails, snacks, and music.

Purchase your tickets now and save!!!

LOCATION: 

Ripley Grier Studios - 520 8th Avenue (between 36th & 37th Street)  

PRICE : 
EARLY BIRD - purchase by WED May 15th - $20 (includes 2 drinks*)
AFTER the 15th - $25 (includes 2 drinks*)
At the Door - $30 (includes 2 drinks*)

*Additional drink tickets may be purchased at the door for $5

Want to know what cocktails to order when you are out at your corporate happy hour, parties with friends, or family functions? Do you know which drinks will add pounds to your waist line? How about low sugar options? Learn all this and more at the Skinny Hour! So get your tickets today and join us this Saturday!!

Save the Date – Heart Your Health Nutrition Workshop

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? So to do our part, we are having another nutrition workshop! A healthy eating lifestyle leads to a healthy heart. So we are going to arm you with all the information you need to help you go beyond just New Year’s resolutions, and American Heart Month, but into a healthy lifestyle where you heart your health year round.

 

When: Saturday, February 23^rd, 1PM – 3PM

Where: Chelsea Studios, 151 W, 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 (Between 6^th and 7^th Avenues)

Keep an eye out for a newsletter later this month with more details on the topics to be discussed, heart healthy giveaways, and how YOU can tell us what you want to know more about.