Candy Girl

“I’m only going to have one” Ever thought that? Of course you have! We all say it before we end up consuming the entire bag of Fun Size Halloween candy while watching your favorite Scary Movie. Luckily Halloween only comes once a year. If you do consume Halloween candy here some of the best ways to burn off candy calories.

Snickers (one fun size candy bar) - 72 calories per bar. You have two options here. You can walk for 19 minutes at a nice leisurely pace or run for 8 minutes. It’s your call.

Candy corn (11 pieces...umm I don’t know about you but I sure as heck don’t count candy corn piece by piece as I eat.)- 70 calories per 11 pieces. I can eat candy corn like its going out of style but I know that burning off the candy will take more effort. Like 10 minutes of high intensity Step aerobics.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Skittles or Twix bar (one fun size)- 80 calories per piece. Think 10 minutes of biking per fun size treat.

Tootsie Pop- 60 calories. This one makes me sad. I love lollipops! They seem harmless right? Wrong. They pack a punch in calories. I know they take awhile to chew the yummy tootsie roll center but every pop you consume you have to skip rope for 6 minutes to burn it off.

M&M's (fun size)- 100 calories. This one stinks. If you eat a fun size bag you have to do 100 push ups to pay for your sin. Or you can rake leaves for 20 minutes! Don’t get me started on Peanut M&M’s...everything I said you have to do to undo the damage....double it!

Twizzlers or Sweet Tarts (treat size pack) or 1 Hershey's Nugget- 50 calories. They may be small but they are sure mighty. They still have calories and if you eat them to burn off those empty cals you have to play 5 ½ minute round of tennis with a friend.

Payday, Almond Joy or Mr. Goodbar (fun size) - 90 calories. These puppies aren’t my fav so I don’t even look twice at them but I know not everyone feels the same. If you eat them you must dance around for 20 minutes to your super awesome playlist filled with great songs.

I know, I know some of these things sound terrible! You can relax knowing that sitting on your bum bum watching DTWS or checking Facebook burns 72 calories! YAY!

Go easy on the Halloween candy Sassy!

Happy Halloween!

Sandy, Sandy, Sandy

Due to Hurricane Sandy all public transportation has been shut down in NYC which means I’ll have to work out at home. I want to share my home workout with you. Maybe you will be inspired to try parts or all of my program. Try to mix in moves from my plan into what you are already doing to spice things up.

Quick burst of cardio to warm up
Treadmill (or play a few of your fav songs and dance around) for 7 min
4.2 for 2 min
4.5 for 3 min
5.0 for 2 min
I just want you to warm up so do whatever you can to get your body temp up!

Body Sculpt to shape and tone with heart pumping cardio moves to burn calories.

Quick rest of 30 seconds between sets


Push ups: body weight
1 set 20 reps
open legs wide for a challenge

Lateral raises: 8lbs, 10 lbs
1 sets of 15reps

Stationary Lunge with a Bicep Curl: 8lbs
1 set of 15 reps on each leg

Reverse fly with body weight against a incline bench: 8lbs
1 set of 15 reps

Wide second squat: body weight
1 set of 25 reps

Side to side shuffle:
Light on your feet. Shuffle 3 times to right and gently tap the floor and shuffle 3 times to left and tap. Repeat for 45 seconds

Stationary Lunge with overhead shoulder press: 10lbs
1 set of 15 reps on each leg

Forearm plank: body weight
1 set hold for 30-60 seconds

Triceps dips off a chair: body weight
1 set 20 reps

Overhead Triceps Extension: 1 dumb bell 10-12lbs weight sitting on a stability ball.
1 set 15 reps

Triceps Push up: body weight
1 set 15-20 reps

Jumping Jacks with Shoulder Press: 3lbs
30 seconds at a slow controlled pace

Full Plank: body weight
1 set 45-60 seconds

Dive right into

Forearm plank: body weight
30 seconds

Follow workout with 20 minutes of yoga or pilates

Good Luck Sassy Girl!

Sassy Girl Says It's OK To Take A Sick Day

Its that time of year. The weather is getting cooler and cooler and that means you are susceptible to getting a cold. It's hard to know whether working out could make a minor sore throat or the sniffles worse.
Sometimes working out when you are feeling like you be coming down with something makes you actually feel better. Other times not so much.
Remember these two things when you are questioning whether you should give it a go at the gym.

If your symptoms are from the neck up, ask yourself: 'Do I feel like working out?' If the answer is yes, then put on your fav workout gear and go. But if your symptoms are all below the neck -- it's difficult to breathe, your chest feels tight, or you're wheezing and coughing -- don't exercise. Give yourself a break and rest up.

Need to boost your immune system? Try doing the following things to prevent sickness and to make sure your fitness routine stays on track:

• Get your ZZZs. 7-8 hours a night. Your body needs sleep to ward off unwanted germs.
• Eat yogurt. Why? Some yogurts contain -- Lactobacillus fermentum -- and that means less than half the number of sick days.
• Move and Groove. 45 minutes 5 times a week will limit your chances of catching the sniffles

Ta-Ta's

Since it’s October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month I think it’s only fitting to stress the importance of exercise to help decrease your chances of getting breast cancer. This blog post is dedicated to just that and answering some common fears about exercise.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah exercise is good for you. You’ve heard it a trillion times. If you are like most people then it takes a little more than hearing it from your favorite TV personality that working out does wonders for you. If you read this blog chances are you love sweating as much as I do but chances are there is someone in your life who needs a little push. (Maybe forward this post onto them.)

There are many misconceptions about exercise and I want to answer some of the questions that I hear often.

Can exercise really fend off the biggies . . . like cancer?
I’m sure you are sick of me saying this but YES exercise can reduce your odds of colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Also, breast cancer rates are at least 33% lower in women who exercise regularly.

What foods should I eat to prevent breast cancer?
The truth is no food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer. You are in control here so knowing what kinds of foods that you should be eating to make your body work at its best are key. Keep things simple and stay away from processed foods, trans fat and sugar.
Help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible:

• 5 or more cups of fruits and vegetables per day
• food from other plant sources, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, nuts, seeds, rice, pasta, and beans

When is it too late to start?
Ummm Never. You are never too old to start repeaing the benefits of exercise. The moment you start you benefit. Oh, and if you already workout I applaud you! Keep it up Sassy!Helping to prevent breast cancer is one more of those awesome things exercise can do for you. It’s not too late to embrace the awesome.  


For those of you that know me I always sport my favorite headband from Sparkly Soul.  They are running a promo. Here is the info:

20% off all Ice Pink and Kaleidoscope Pink Headbands in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Use code “PINK” at checkout now until 10/31/12
Ice Pink Links:
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Kaleidoscope Pink Links:
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Here is a pic of me wearing a pink sparkle headband. They seriously rock and if you don't already have one I highly recommend getting one pronto!

3 Simple Steps For A Sassy Life

Sacrifice and deprivation are words we think of when trying to lose weight. It doesn’t have to be that way though. What you should be doing is what you already know. Eat the right kinds of foods, avoid the wrong foods and exercise right.  Instead of making a drastic change in your lifestyle I invite you to pick 3 things from this list to promote weight loss, decrease your risk of disease and will get you looking and feeling sassy!

#1: Eat your greens
Your diet should include a plethora of colorful veggies and fruits, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, their derivative butters, certain oils, and avocados).  Avoid processed carbs (Yes that means the gummy worms you are nibbling on now), trans fats and partially hydrogenated fats.  

#2: Move Frequently
Sitting for hours a day then going to the gym for an hour does not mean you can rule the possibility of weight gain or joint pain. Yes one hour is better than zero hours but I recommend moving around the entire day. No, I don’t mean you need to be doing sprints around the office but get up every hour and walk a bit. Take a walk during your lunch hour or take a yoga class during your lunch break. Basically just move around. Strong bones and connective tissue happens from spending several hours each day moving around at a low level aerobic pace. Doing this will increase your energy level and reduce the effects of aging.

#3: Pick Heavy Things Up
Quick bursts of intense physical effort promotes improvements and adaptations in muscle tone, size and power.

#4: Get Your ZZZZZ’s
Adequate sleep helps the immune system work optimally, and promotes the release of hormones that enhance brain and endocrine function.

#5: Put away your iPhone...I dare you.
Get outdoors and release some mental stress. Put on your sassiest workout gear and throw on a sparkly headband and go outside for a game of flag football, capture the flag or field hockey. You want to engage in some leisurely outdoor play.

To be the best you can be avoid being careless and let yourself become distracted by reading a text message from your BFF or checking your Facebook on the go. Stay away from sugars, sodas, chemically altered fats, processed, packaged, fried and preserved foods. Make sure you are being smart with your food choices and I guarantee you will feel and look better!

Fiber...that is the answer

I have awesome news for you ladies. It makes me so flippin excited that I feel it’s my duty to make sure you know and make the appropriate changes in your diet. Dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of the most common female reproductive cancer. So what do you have to do to get a decent amount of fiber in your diet? Only 5 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. For example if you eat about 2,000 calories a day, you only need to grab a cup of oatmeal for breakfast (4 grams), snack on an ounce of almonds in the afternoon (3.5 grams), and have a medium-sized baked potato with the skin at dinner (5 grams) to put you above the range that will lower your chances of cancer by 20%. If you really want to go for the gold (honestly who doesn’t) try adding half a cup of raspberries (4 grams) to your oatmeal and top your potato with half a cup of black beans (8 grams).
How easy is that? Super Sassy too!

Fat Burn

Two weeks ago I was visiting my family for 7 days.  To keep my sanity I usually go to the local gym for an hour sweat session. I hopped on the step mill and quickly programmed my workout. I have to admit I was tempted to hit the 'FAT BURN' button. It does the work for you and you get to work at a slower pace! Isn't that easy? Most people think "I can put in minimal effort and I'll look like Jillian Michael's the trainer from the Biggest Loser." (FYI I can 100 percent guarantee she isn't lazy when she works out. You don't get all ripped from lackluster workouts.) I didn't hit the FAT BURN button and do you wanna know why?

Slow cardio will not burn more fat! Its true that working at a slower pace a greater percentage of calories burned will be from fat, but the total calories, and total fat calories, will be lower than if you exercise at a more intense pace.

What should you do then? Work out harder? YES, but I don't mean you have to be gasping for breath the entire session or pushing so hard you puke. Try adding intervals. Vary the speed of your favorite cardio by alternating 2 minutes at a moderate pace with 2 minutes at a faster pace. Oh and don't forget resistance training. Weights are your friends! The more lean muscle you have, the more fat your body naturally burns all day long. And that is a beautiful thing!

Try this easy body resistance workout. It’ll take 5 minutes. Add it to your workout format:

• 2 sets of 15-20 push ups
• Full plank on hands and toes 30-60 second and immediately go into forearm plank for 30-60 seconds. Bonus if you go from Full plank to forearm plank without letting your knees hit the floor
• 20 triceps dips

Stand Straight Sassy!

“Watch your form”, “Stand straight”, “No slouching.” You hear these things all the time but turns out they are super important when it comes to exercising properly. Making sure you are working out safely will allow you to workout stronger and faster. So when you only have time for a quick workout you can get the most bang for your buck by focusing on your posture. Here are some things to keep in mind during your next sweat session.

1. Wrinkle Free Face--No need to furrow your brows here. Keep your face relaxed.
2. No Sinking Please-- No I’m not saying you need to stick out your chest like you are standing at attention at boot camp for the Army.  BUT pay attention to lifting your chest and bringing your shoulders back. Your shoulders should go back and down. No rounded shoulders EVER!
3. Length. Lengthen your spine that is. You should be standing so that if I had a string attached to the top of your head your spine would be pulled straight.
4. ABS, ABS, ABS.  Engage your abs at all times. Like someone is about to punch you in the stomach. (Nice visual right! ha! ha!) Strong abs help support your lower back.
5. Don't lock yourself out. Keep knees slightly bent and soft while standing. Your knee joints should be lose and juicy.
6. Don’t forget to Breathe. Exhale on the hard part. When I teach the best thing is I’m forced to breathe because I’m talking and counting. You can do the same by counting your reps out loud...quietly. Don’t be obnoxious and talk so loud that your neighbor can hear you through her headphones.
7. Don’t stop moving. The worst thing you can do is stop moving after each set. No you should not give yourself a rest after each set by lying down on the bench or sitting down on the floor. Walk around a little. Keep yourself moving. If you have been working out for awhile then try during your recovery set (when you are lifting) to throw in a quick cardio burst like Jumping Jacks, Mountain Climbers, Lateral Shuffles, etc.
8. Add just a little more. When you get stronger push yourself a little more. Try to go an extra few minutes when you are doing cardio, add a few more reps or try  SLIGHTLY heavier weight when you strength train.

These are just some things to think about next time you workout. Remember good form should be your #1 concern. Working out safely is not about how fast you are going or how much you sweat. It’s about doing it right every single time. The goal is Stronger,Leaner and Smart Sassy Girl!

Workout Sassy Not Hard

Today at work (as you know my work is at the gym) I saw some crazy weight lifting. Actually what I witnessed is common and what I see on a regular basis encouraged me to write a post. There are a few things that you might be doing that hinder your strength gains. It's good to know that strength training is safe and easy when done properly, but can make you weak and sore if done wrong.

Oopsie #1: Too Many Reps With Not Enough Weight

I swear I hear the following line at least once a day from a female student "I build muscle really fast and I don't want to get huge so I'm just lifting really light." So what she is saying then is "I don't want a tone slender arm that has nice definition. I'd rather have flabby arms." A toned arm is sexy. Please ladies quit doing bicep curls with 3lb weights. It doesn't matter if you do 100 reps all you are doing is wasting time and potentially hurting yourself. I promise you will NOT bulk up. We don't produce enough testosterone for that to happen.  When you do tons of reps you are sending many weak signals to your muscles to contract -vs- sending a few strong impulses. These weak impulses will eventually fatigue the muscle, without adding muscle mass. The goal of strength training is the opposite….a lot of tension without fatigue. This is accomplished best when using heavier weights and less reps. Don’t be afraid of those 10lb weights sassy girl.


Oopsie #2: Stretching Before Your Workout

You are wasting time going through an extended stretch routine before your workout. Chances are you are doing your bod more harm than good. If you hate to stretch or if you think you don’t have time to stretch have no fear. Stretching before your workout doesn’t have any real benefits. When you stretch before your workout it makes you weaker as does stretching in between sets. You should make sure your muscles are ready for exercise though so I encourage you to do a warm up or move through the range of motion you are about to do.
But this does not mean you should quit stretching at the end of your workout. YOU MUST STRETCH! It makes me annoyed when people work their bodies to the max and then instead of giving their muscles some love they just leave the gym.

The next time you pick up a weight I encourage you to make the conscious decision to push yourself. Go to the next level but take a few minutes to warm up to prepare the body for exercise.

Blogger Of The Month!

Thank You Sparkly Soul for making Sassy Girl Fitness the blog of the month for October 2012!

http://sparklysoulinc.wordpress.com/sparkly-spotlight/blogger-of-the-month/october-2012/