Cari Fit

Fitness Advice, Workout Tips, and Inspiration

Reviews

BodyBoss Review

I have been using the BodyBoss Guide at home for the last 6 weeks and wanted to share my thoughts for those of you who have heard of the program and might be interested. First of all, I want to say that I really do like this guide and the workouts. As a mom of 2 small children I don’t have a lot of time to go to the gym or go take classes – so this guide is perfect for me. So, I highly recommend it for anyone (not just moms) who don’t have a lot of time and want to workouts at home. It’s also great if you travel because the workouts can be done pretty much anywhere – even towards the end when it requires a step/box you can find things outside like benches and stairs to use. It might take a little creativity but you can still get it done.

The guide is beginner friendly because it includes a pre-workout for 4 weeks that gets you ready to start the main 12-week program. But, overall I feel that the program is right in the middle…not too hard but not too easy. See my tips below for how to make it harder or easier. I have read a few reviews online who say this guide is too easy or just for beginners and I disagree. I think these people never did week 6 of the program. haha.

Unlike a lot of other popular fitness guides (BBG with Kayla Itsines, FBB with Anna Victoria, TIU, etc) I actually like that it doesn’t have a spokesperson or fitness model as the face of the product. Sometimes it helps for women to not compare themselves to the perfect fitness models that produce these “guides” and instead just trust the team of experts that create the workouts. I know that many women get discouraged and feel bad about themselves if they feel they have to look perfect or lose a ton of weight so they can look like their fitness role model…if she can look like that, then why can’t I? BodyBoss definitely features fit models in their guide pages and there is a ton of inspiration on social media (#bodybossmethod) but no one person is in your face saying that you can (or that you should) look and be just like them if you buy their program.

 

Pros

  • I like having an actual book (the guide) to take with me. I can take it when I travel and it’s right there with me so if I see it I’m more likely to do the workout and check it off in the book.
  • I LOVE that the workouts are broken up into sections. It makes it seem like you only have to do 7 minutes at a time and that’s totally doable. Most of the main workouts are only 21-24 minutes long and are broken up into 3x7min intervals. It makes it seem less intimating than having to go take an hour class.
  • I like that you can do it anywhere. I save time by not driving to the gym and can just do this at home.
  • It doesn’t take much equipment at all. Only towards the end do you need a box for jumps but you can use stairs or something outside like a curb or part of a playground or park.
  • I like that it has a warmup and cool-down for each workout. I always warmup but sometimes don’t save time to cool down. It includes a lot of stretching which at first I kind of rolled my eyes at. But, I really like this part now and feel it has helped my flexibility!
  • You work your entire body. I feel that it’s a good mix of upper body, core and lower body and includes exercises that are targeted for women. They use a lot of the same exercises that I do at my Bombshell Bootcamp – and I know they work and get great results.

Cons

  • I feel that some of the workouts require a little too much balancing on your arms and wrists. So, if you are overweight or have a wrist injury – you may not want to do down dog v-presses, followed by point planks, followed by mountain climbers. So, I would recommend doing some planks on your forearms or just mixing up the order of the exercises to give your wrists a break (see tips below).
  • I feel like some of the exercises should have less reps. Performing 40 plank rotations is a little monotonous but then again doing 40 criss cross squat jumps was just the right amount for me to fee like it was killer.
  • I think overall, they should recommend slightly heavier weights/dumbbell for the upper body. I’m only at week 6 and the most they recommend is 2lbs (but I do see they increase it slightly in the next few weeks). This is probably the right weight to use for 30 reps, but I think women would get better results if they lowered the reps slightly and increased the weight slightly. For instance – instead of doing 30 lateral shoulder raises with 1-2lb weights I used 8-10lb and only do 25 reps.

FAQ

Is it beginner friendly? Yes! They even have a pre-guide that starts before the 12 weeks that you can do to ease into it. I skipped this but recommend it for beginners or new moms.

What if I’m already in shape, will I see results? Yes! I’m already seeing more muscle definition and can tell my strength and endurance has improved by following the guide.

Is it easy to stick with? Yes! Because there is a book you can take with you it’s hard to have excuses to find workouts to do.

How many days do I workout? It’s only 5 days – which I like. I feel like it’s doable to get it in M-F. But, if I have to skip a weekday workout (which has only happened once) I just do it on the weekend so that I get it done. The actual program workouts are on Monday, Wednesday Friday and then they have some cardio and stretching recommendations for you on Tues/Thurs.

Do I need a lot of equipment? No. Most of the workouts are body weight only and you can even do the bench hops and tricep dips (and other things with a bench) on your mat.

 

Modification Tips:

You can make it easer by modifying exercises. You can search online for modifications if you aren’t sure or try this: use less weight (for the dumbbells), omit jumps or make them less steep (ie with box jumps), do pushups and planks with knees on ground.

You can make it harder by doing these: Use heavier weight, do the exercises faster (but still keep good form), Jump higher, add on an extra couple of reps if you think you can handle it. If you feel it’s still too easy for you – do a separate short strength training or cardio workout before as part of your warmup.

Trust the guide and be sure to warmup first. Even if you are short on time – you still need to warmup at least 5 minutes.

 

This post was sponsored by BodyBoss but all opinions are my own.

 

 


 

Fit Family Travel – Walt Disney World

Did you know that “The Happiest Place on Earth” can actually be one of the Fittest places on Earth? Walt Disney World and their resorts actually offer many options for healthy families who want to stay fit and healthy while on vacation. If you make some healthy dining choices and combine that with all the walking you will do – it might be one of the healthiest vacations you take!

Workout clothes are great for the theme parks – and princess dresses for the girls are a must-have ; ) 

This was our second time to go with our son and first time with out daughter who is almost 2. I’m in no way a “Disney Expert” but I think after going with young children twice – I’d share some of my best tips for families with small children. Also, as a fitness blogger – I want to share some tips on how you (and your kids) can eat healthy and squeeze in some workouts so that your trip ends up being a fun AND fit one for the whole family. This is a long post (sorry) so feel free to skip around and be sure to check out Disney’s recipe (they sent it to me!) for a great healthy quinoa salad at the bottom!

What to Pack

I will try to do another post soon on traveling (via air) with young kids. We travel a lot and I do kinda feel like I’m an expert at this now! For Disney – here are what I consider the essentials for Disney:

    • Comfortable clothes, walking/running shoes and layers. It’s usually pretty warm in Florida but you don’t want to end up having to purchase extra bulky layers at the theme parks if you don’t have to. I wore workout clothes a couple of days and comfortable jeans with a workout tank and light jacket on other days. You also need walking shoes – for the whole family. We literally walked 6 miles one day at Magic Kingdom, so you don’t want to be in new shoes or ones that won’t hold up.
    • Snacks. Disney has a lot of dining options (more on that below), but I recommend packing a few healthy things in your suitcase and then also bring some of them along at the theme parks. For me, I like healthy bars like LaraBar, ThinkThin, RX Bar, etc. and for my kids I packed extra food pouches (ones with veggies are good because theme parks are usually lacking in veggies), goldfish and other small snacks. I also brought along some protein powder packets to mix in my water bottle. Most likely your hotel will have milk if your kids drink milk – or I recommend packing (or buying once you land) a package of milk like the ones from Horizon that don’t need to be refrigerated. We always request a room with a refrigerator so we can store milk, snacks, etc and if your hotel doesn’t supply them automatically they sometimes will give them to families with babies at no extra charge. Also, be sure to bring your kids favorite milk cups, sippy cups and bottles.
    • Cleaning supplies/sanitizer. I usually pack an unscented soap and small bottle cleaner (for cups too) so I can wash them regularly at the hotel. Theme parks are loaded with germs – so it’s good to wash your cups and bottles every day! I also bring lots of sanitizer wipes (for planes, busses, etc) and gel. I also bring my own laundry detergent and sometimes wash a few things in our bathtub. If you use the community washer/dryers just make sure to wash your clothes on hot to kill the bacteria from the previous person’s clothes (yuck).
    • Sunscreen. Because of the time of year we went – the UV rays weren’t too bad but I brought mini sunscreens like these with me. I also brought sunglasses and hats for me and the kids. I usually wear spf in my moisturizer -  (I use either Aveeno, Charlotte Tillbury’s Magic Cream with SPF and/or Tarte’s 12 Hour Foundation with SPF.
    • A Good Stroller. Depending on the age of your children – I would highly recommend a good double (or single if you have one child) stroller. I love my double UppaBaby one because it’s lightweight but also the seats recline for naptime – since you probably won’t be back at your hotel for naps.Snacks and a Double Stroller Are Key!

Where To Stay – The Swan and Dolphin

This was our second time to stay here as a family. Surprisingly it’s not an actual “Disney Resort”. There are some perks at staying at a Disney Resort such as using the magic bands to unlock your hotel room, the abundance of shuttle busses to take you to your hotel and also take/store your luggage, etc. BUT, I really loved the Swan and Dolphin. It has the perfect location, the rooms are great, dining is very kid friendly and you still get free shuttle busses to all of the Disney parks. We stayed at the Dolphin but got to use the amenities of the Swan which is directly across (they are connected by a walkway).

 

Newly Remodeled Dolphin Lobby

Rooms: We just had a normal Deluxe room with 2 beds and also a crib. The last time we stayed we had a suite which was nice. They also have “family rooms” but these were sold out when we visited. Their rooms are updated and very nice with modern decor. We had a coffee machine and refrigerator and I liked having the sink outside of the tub/toilet area.

Dining: Dining is expensive when you go to Disney – period. Be prepared to spend more than you would at home or even some other resorts/hotels in the US. But, with that being said – the Dolphin had lots of great options for families. They have a new Fuel market that offers many healthy items for breakfast, lunch and snacks. We went here daily to stock up on fruit, bars, yogurts and usually got coffee and breakfast sandwiches to eat on the bus on the way to the parks in the mornings. They also have a cafeteria style restaurant in the basement that even made me hardboiled eggs one morning. Most of our lunches and dinners were at the Disney theme parks.

Fitness Amenities: The Swan and Dolphin has excellent fitness facilities. The Dolphin’s gym has been newly updated and has a large cardio area, a fitness studio room and another whole room with weight machines and free weights. It’s very large (and clean) for a hotel gym. Every morning I was there I got up early and went for a run. The running path is awesome and they have many routes available for you (there is a map out front of the gym) depending on how far you want to go. I usually just did the 2 or 3 mile loop that took me around the Disney Boardwalk and waterways. I would highly recommend it. Then, on our last day there I went across to the Swan hotel and tried one of their Pelotin bikes. I was so glad they had one because I have been wanting to try a “class”. I thought the workout was great and will do a review on this soon. Their gym was also nice but smaller than the one at the Dolphin. They also have a lap pool there – but the Dolphin has amazing pools (see below). If your hotel doesn’t have a good gym and you don’t want to go outside – you can try these sample workouts to do in your hotel room.

Family Amenities: The Dolphin has daily activities for the family ranging from story times, scavenger hunts and even s’mores out by the pool. Unfortunately, we didn’t participate in many of these because we were at the theme parks most days. The Dolphin has amazing pools! All of them were heated so even though it was still cool outside, we were able to swim. They have a kids pool (with shallow areas), a larger pool with grotto and large slide and also a lap pool with cabanas nearby. The pool food/drink service was great and they allowed me to swap fries for fruit and customize some of our menu options. The hotel also has a great playground between the Swan and Dolphin for kids. There is a nearby “beach” with sand for kids to play in that borders the lake (no swimming is allowed). Bottom line- this hotel is very family friendly and has fun actives for all ages.

Visiting Walt Disney World

During our visit we went to Magic Kingdom twice and Epcot once. My kids are still very young, so I knew they would like Magic Kingdom due to the variety of rides and attractions for those under 5 and then I knew we wanted to do Epcot to try the new Frozen Ever After ride in “Norway”. Here are my tips for staying fit at the theme parks:

Healthy Dining: You have to get a little creative when eating healthy at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Most places serve typical fare such as sandwiches, chicken fingers, burgers, etc. However, I found that many did offer fruit, hardboiled eggs, cheese and snack options that were healthy. Sometimes we just ate a bunch of healthy “snacks” for lunch instead of a big meal that wasn’t the healthiest. However, throughout the Disney properties (even restaurants at The Boardwalk) they offered “Mickey Check” meals for kids. These were healthier options for kids but not every restaurant offered these. Some of them were really good and offered fresh veggies and grilled meats. I even ordered some of them for myself a few times! However, they are mostly offered at “table service” restaurants at Magic Kingdom, which is about 8 restaurants (fyi if you want wine or alcohol you have to dine here).

It was slightly easier to eat healthy at Epcot since there was more variety because they offer authentic foods from all over the world at the various countries represented in the World Showcase. Epcot had more adult-friendly restaurants (and wine!) – but I found that most are geared towards “foodies” and those that want to indulge a little (which is ok after you’ve walked 5+ miles that day! haha). I would highly recommend getting reservations as far out as possible – for all of the theme parks – especially fine dining or table service restaurants. Some people book their meals 6+ months out. You can do this online or via the Disney App.

We dined at the Be Our Guest restaurant (MK) last time we went and I had the quinoa salad which was amazing (See Recipe Below). That restaurant was beautiful and worth it just to go see the Beauty and The Beast theme/decor. This time we had lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table (also at MK) and they offered some nice salads, fruit and other healthy options. Just like regular restaurants – you can customize and ask for no oil, dressing on the side, etc. My kids loved Cinderella’s Royal Table – the kids meal was great and almost all of the Disney Princesses visited our table for photo ops! They also loved the cute “make your own cupcake” mini dessert with pretty Cinderella-blue icing. We tried to limit the amount of sugar our kids had (which is hard at Disney) so we looked for very small treats or treats they could share and limited them to once or twice a day.

Kids Build Your Own Cupcake at Cinderella’s Royal Table

Healthy Quinoa Salad and Kids Meal with Green Beans at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Other Ways to Mix In Fitness: Other than walking…which you will do A LOT of, there are a few other ways you can make fitness a priority. If you want to make your trek around the theme park more of a challenge you could bring a jogging stroller and run some of the way through the property! You can also mix in intervals of fast and slow walking and even find outdoor areas for pushups, tricep dips, etc! You may get some looks – but it might be fun to do your workout at Magic Kingdom! I just got my workouts in at our hotel (see above) each morning. But, once I realized how much walking I was doing, I scaled back my runs a little and focused more on strength training to give my injured knee a break (more on this in another post).

Another great way to make your trip to WDW is to sign up for a race with Run Disney! Disney has many races all year ranging from 5k’s to marathons and many that are family friendly and stroller friendly! Once I get back into running marathons I can’t wait to try the Walt Disney World Marathon! Disney also offers training programs too – check it out!

Keeping Kids Active: This is pretty easy since most of the time they will want to run around and explore. Also, almost all of the rides make you park your stroller in the stroller parking area and you and your family have to walk/stand in line. It can be hard for little kids to just stand around, so you may want to swap with your partner and one of you take your kid(s) out to play or explore while the other waits in line. Also, there are designated places for kids to play such as the play area inside the Dumbo ride (Dumbo’s Tent), the mini playground outside of the Winnie the Pooh ride (Pooh’s Garden) and lots of other areas in the Frontier Land area of Magic Kingdom.

I contacted Disney a couple of years ago when we first went with our son. I was IN LOVE with the Quinoa Salad at the Be Our Guest restaurant, but unfortunately they weren’t able to share the recipe. However, they did send me the recipe for the Quinoa Salad with Hearts of Palm and Shrimp from “Crystal Palace” restaurant in Magic Kingdom. It’s amazing!

Official Disney Recipe: Shrimp, Heart of Palm & Quinoa Salad

The Crystal Palace
Lake Buena Vista, Florida

YIELD: 6 Servings

1 lb steamed & chilled shrimp
2 ½ cups cooked quinoa (can substitute bulgar wheat or cous cous)
1 can hearts of palm
2 cups fresh baby arugula
½ cup diced red peppers
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup mustard dressing

Mustard Dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
½ tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
½ tablespoon celery salt
½ teaspoon Tabasco
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
Cook the quinoa in a large quantity of salted boiling water (4 times the volume of the quinoa – this washes out the slight natural bitterness of the grain) for about 20 minutes.  Strain and cool off.

Steam and cool off the shrimp.

Cut the hearts of palm into ¾ inch coins or half coins depending on size.

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients for the dressing except the oils.  Slowly drizzle in the oil to form the dressing.

Assemble everything together in a mixing bowl.

Enjoy!

 

 

Tips For Dining on Carnival Cruise, Plus My Behind The Scenes Tour Of The Galley

I recently got back from a Carnival cruise with my family and we had a great time. Last time I went, I blogged about how you can stay fit on a cruise – since they have so many options. But, this time around – I wanted to focus a little more on the food. Even if you have never been on a cruise before – you may have wondered how do they feed so many people and also is the food in the dining rooms any good? I have to say that yes, their food (and staff) are on par with the best restaurants on land. On my last cruise I got to have a special tasting and behind the scenes tour which really made me appreciate all of the hard work and creativity that goes into the dining experience on board.

I had the pleasure of getting to know our Maitre d’ on our ship Mr. Csaba Varga Attila and he invited us to have a special tour of the galley (aka kitchen area) during our cruise. Not only did we get a private tour – but they prepared a special tasting of the entire menu for that evening’s dinner, including all options for starters, main courses and desserts. When we first arrived we were greeted by the Chef de Cuisine Mr. Ramesh and Food Manager Mr. Milind along with Mr. Attila. They gave us a little introduction about how many meals they have to prepare each day (2,000 in each of the 2 dining rooms – including breakfast and dinner) and how they go about creating tasteful and innovative menus that will please everyone.  There are so many cruisers (3,000+ on many ships) and they have to make meals appealing to everyone from the health fanatic to the foodie. So, they offer a huge variety meal options including vegetarian, vegan, nut-free and gluten free. I am a pretty healthy eater and loved sampling all the creative vegetarian options like the beet carpaccio. But, my Dad (who was also with us) is a big foodie and loves meat – so he really enjoyed sampling the ox tongue and other more decadent items. Every night they have at least one vegetarian option, but you can also make special requests for allergies and preferences.

Being able to go to the galley, meet the chefs and have a private tasting was a real treat. I want to especially thank Mr. Attila for giving us the tour and making our dining experience wonderful. Also, thanks to the rest of the carnival dining staff and chefs for making my family’s cruise extra special!

Tips For Dining on a Cruise:

  • Introduce yourself to the Maitre d’. He can help arrange your table so you can sit with family and friends and also alert the chef and waitstaff if you are celebrating something or have questions about dining.
  • If you have any special dining requests – ask your waiters. They can have the chef prepare something special for you – even if it’s not on the menu. For my baby, they would bring out special purees of veggies and other baby-friendly options. For me, I asked for plain grilled chicken and steamed veggies some nights when I had too many treats during the day!
  • They are kid and baby friendly – so don’t be afraid to bring your little ones. They have highchairs, kids menus, crayons, etc. Our waiters even tried to entertain our little ones by making animals out of napkins and telling them jokes. Also, some nights they do performances and get dressed up and dance around and it’s a lot of fun.
  • Try the “port of call specials”. Each day you are at a new port – they will have special menu that samples some of the local cuisine and they do a great job creating these specialty foods.
  • It’s still easy to over-eat in the main dining rooms at dinner even though their portion sizes are not super big. You are able to order an appetizer, salad/soup, entree and dessert and can even have more than one of each. Try to follow the 80/20 rule. Order 80% healthy and then the other 20% splurge on a small appetizer or dessert. Also, for dessert – they almost always offer fresh fruit and/or a sugar free option. You could order fruit and then split their famous melting chocolate cake (aka “Micky Mouse” cake).
  • Other more casual options are always available for dinner, but I highly recommend dining in the dining rooms at night – it’s a real treat.