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.

FOODIE FRIDAY!!!

Quinoia Pancakes

A great alternative to your typical pancakes or even whole wheat if you are gluten intolerant. These are packed with fiber and good for you grains.

Ingredients

•  3/4 cup cooked Quinoa (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
• pinch of Sea Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 large Eggs

Directions

Heat a large, lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and pour batter onto skillet, forming 4 pancakes. Cook slowly for 3-5 minutes on the first side, until pancakes are set. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup, honey, nut butter and/or fresh fruit.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 1  |  Serving Size: 4 pancakes

Per serving: Calories: 311; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 370mg; Sodium: 400mg; Total Carbohydrate: 30g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars 1g; Protein: 18g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 383mg; Vitamin A: 12%; Vitamin C: 0%; Calcium: 15%; Iron: 20% 

Original recipe published on Hungry Healthy Girl. Check out here blog!!!

Transformation TUESDAY!!!

​Today's feature is a private client and member of  The Elite Heat. How is she a member of the Heat and not competing? She has competed, but decided, for now, not to continue on within the world of fitness competitions. She is, however, a 'lifer' for her body and taking it to the next level does not always mean on a stage. She is now preparing for a trip, yes a trip, in February and wants to look even better than she does now. Read more about Sharilyn and her fitness journey as we introduce her for the Phoenyx

TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY

I moved to Latin America in September 2012,  and was excited at what I believed would be a “new start” post-graduate school. I had put on more than a few pounds since gym and yoga sessions were replaced with late night paper writing and thesis research. 

During my first few weeks in Argentina, I religiously worked out using my Shaun T ‘Insanity’ workout DVD’s. I noticed some changes in my body but I still wasn’t happy, and I definitely wasn’t eating well.  Trying to manage being a vegetarian in a country heralded for its' beef was NOT easy.   Around Halloween, I befriended a boot camp instructor who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and attend a class.   I can distinctly remember that first session because I sincerely wondered if “death by burpee” was an actual thing.   Although I hated that first session, I decided to return a few days later. Two days per week quickly turned into three and before I knew it, I was there every single day.

By the time I got into the swing of it, I relocated to Peru and it was there that the magic happened – I was introduced to weightlifting by way of Cross fit. Power cleans, split jerks and dead lifts were insanely difficult at first but I quickly realized how AMAZING it  felt when I completed a heavy lift with proper form.

I continued to Cross fit when I returned to the US in May 2013 and began to “eat clean” after joining a Paleo challenge with others at my box. It was then that I realized I wanted, no, needed, a change. I didn’t want to simply lose a few pounds and get into shape.  I wanted to push myself further and harder than I’d ever done in the past. It was then that an old friend from college introduced me to The Elite Heat after I came across her fitness competition pictures on Facebook.

Malenna saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Almost every single day I doubted that I could actually compete in a fitness competition but Malenna and my teammates were there every step of the way, providing support even when my family and friends didn’t understand what I was training for or why. In October 2013, I stepped on that stage and it was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I learned that being fit could be sexy and that that could be ME. Throughout this journey, I've gone from 173lbs and 35% body fat to 147lbs and 23% body fat and this is only the beginning. I am proud to be strong, “thick fit” and most importantly, healthy! 

Photo credit Omega Imagery . www.omegaimagery.com

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/

Transformation Tuesday!!!!!

(Wo)Man in the Mirror....

Toyosi has been with Phoenyx Fitness since December of last year. Her story is actually funny, because she joined our class in ERROR. She had signed up for a class that was in our building, but wasn't our class. She showed up for the class and I thought it was strange that she wasn't on our roster, but I was going to ask her about it the next time she was there. When I saw her in class, I asked her for her confirmation and she showed it to me. It was for a different class, but she loved ours! She reached out to the original arrangement and was allowed her money back, and OFFICIALLY signed up with us. :)  There are NO accidents! Read Toyosi's story!

I got really concerned about my weight in November of 2013,  when I saw a video of myself in a gold dress at the Children of Chernobyl gala.  I had interviewed the organizer of the gala (for my school project) but couldn't use it in the final editing because my tummy would have been a distraction to any one watching. As journalism students we've been taught to make sure nothing distracts our viewers from the story. This was my wakeup call.....I weighed about 157 pounds then.

I changed my diet completely and started this bootcamp a few weeks after that. Got a nutritionist as well to make me a meal plan. I figured the more money I spent, the more serious I'd be and ..it worked! :)

I lost 9lbs in 3 weeks.

Right now I weigh 141lbs, and at my lowest I weighed 136lbs.

 I'm not the most disciplined or organized person but losing weight has made me realize that I can accomplish any and everything I set my mind to.

Transformation Tuesday!!!

 One step at a time....

Weight has been a struggle for me throughout my entire life. As I've grown older I have come to understand how important a routine is for my personal success and how important it is to adjust your routine for many reasons. Though I've flip flopped a bit, I am far off from where I was 10 years ago (and about 90 lbs ago). Since starting with the 6 week boot camp in Jan I have lost just over 30 lbs and have found that aspect of my fitness routine to be a staple that keeps me challenged and excited.

Those of you who have seen me at class know that it still kicks my butt and I have to do modifications from time to time, but it's a lot easier +today than it was back in January and I have come to love the challenge of pushing myself rather than be worried about if I can make it through class without stopping. 

People hear routine and they think BORING, but if you mix up the foods you eat and exercise you do, it helps to keep your body and mind engaged and excited on a regular basis. It's also important not to be terrified of straying from that routine. For years and through multiple weight loss attempts I had brief success followed by back sliding. The problem was I was very rigid in my daily routine and was terrified and disappointed when I fell out of it. I felt that even a slight diversion was a total failure which was not sustainable. Over the last year I have tried to focus on a healthy balance of enjoying the process and realizing that, to keep things fun, I have to keep things fresh. I don't count calories but have utilized the fit book to log everything I eat which keeps me conscious of everything I eat but not tied to calories, points or anything like that. 

I've realized that small victories are important to recognize and be proud of. If your goal is to lose 15 lbs, you should be just as excited about each individual 1 lb or .5 lb you lose as you are at the thought of reaching your ultimate goal. Celebrate the moments that get you where you ultimately want to be.

I hope that my "after" pics +today will one day become my "before" pics at some point down the road. I know hard work and focus will be necessary if that is to happen but I try not to let the idea scare me for now and I am focusing on what i am able to control each day.

Transformation Tuesday

Here at Phoenyx Fitness, we are starting daily posts to keep our fans and clients updated on the latest with Phoenyx!!!  Mondays are dedicated to announcements and we are excited for the new addition of TRANSFORMATION TUESDAYS!

You've seen before and after pictures on television and advertisements and I'm sure you wondered if these people were real or what they did to lose the weight. So we are featuring REAL people making REAL changes, while maintaining a REAL and normal life.

Our first feature is Tanisha. She's been with Phoenyx since January and started with us on a New Year's 6 week challenge.  This challenge featured a program designed to trigger maximum fat loss in a short amount of time.  In just 6 short weeks, Tanisha lost over 10 pounds and brought her body fat down from over 5%.  This was done implementing our program and making some changes to her diet, while attending our classes, mostly high intensity, throughout the week.

Tanisha was preparing for a trip to and not only looked better but felt better and confident enough to sport her bikini on the beach as a celebration on a successful 6 weeks. But when she returned, she was high on loss from her first challenge and was ready for the next!

This next challenge was a 10 week BIKINI challenge with a photo shoot opportunity on the line. What would make this challenge more of a struggle hinges on the length of time. A month and a half?....pretty doable. 2 and a half months? Sounds a bit more intimidating, but we were excited to give it a go. Over 20 ladies signed up for this challenge and the week after Valentine's Day, committed to 10 weeks of clean eating, exercise, and a healthier lifestyle.

Tanisha knew she had to take this to the next level and opted in on the 10 day cleanse provided by Advocare, one of our sponsored products.














With her exercise regiment, she left nothing to chance, and joined any class she could be a part of, from the 2 day a week high intensity bootcamp style classes to the strength training classes we provided once a week at one of our private training gyms.

Tanisha began the second part of this journey at 152 pounds and 27.9% body fat. She didn't drop as many pounds this time but brought her body fat down again another 5%.  It's so important to measure your body fat in addition to your weight. Changes in composition can happen in many areas as you can see from Tanisha's pictures.


  This in roughly 4 months time. What's next? She has already signed up for our summer bootcamp, AND is interested in our fitness team. Could we see Tanisha on the fitness competition stage? : ) With these results, ANYTHING is possible! Congratulations Tanisha!!!!

Do you want more information on how to obtain your own success story? We have people on hand to answer questions for you and get you started. Email us at support@phoenyxfitness.com for more info!

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!!!