2013 Weekly Challenge #39: Go Sugar FREE

I can hardly beleive it is already almost October. Its time for crisp fall apples, winter squash, veggie soup and...Halloween Candy. Ugg.

Even the healthiest eaters sometimes struggle at this time of year. Everywhere you turn, there's another bowl of candy, a baked treat, and a "reason to celebrate." But we all know that stuff just isn't good for you. And once you start eating it, it can be pretty hard to stop.

This week, give yourself a jumpstart on the holidays by eliminating the refined sugar from your diet. No soda, no cookies, no ice cream and don't even think about that candy corn. But you weren't eating that stuff anyway, right?)

Natural sugars, of course, are an important part of a healthy diet, so keep eating your fruits and veggies as usual.

One week, no refined sugar. You CAN do it, and your body will love you for it!

2013 Weekly Challenge #37: The Power of the Push Up

What do you do when your bootcamp coach says "time for pushups?" I'm willing to bet you groan, shoot a dirty look or, at a minimum roll your eyes. Admit it - you know its true!

Pushups aren't the easiest thing in the world to do. But they are worth every bit of effort you put into them. Pushups work SO many muscle groups. Primarily, they work your deltoids (shoulders), triceps (back of the upper arm) and pectorals (chest). As if that weren't great enough, they can also engage your rhomboids (shoulder blade area), Erector spinae(spine), Rotator cuff, Posterior Deltoids (shoulders), Serratus anterior (near your arm pits), Rectus abdominus (abs), Transverse Abdominus (abs), Gluteus maximus (glutes), and Quadriceps (quads).

That's a lot of bang for your exercise buck, so its no surprise they can be challenging!

This week's challenge: Discover the power of the pushup! How many pushups can you do in two minutes? Can you improve on that in one month? Do them whatever way works best for you - on your toes, on your knees or box style.

Challenge yourself to increase your strength and fitness with pushups. Your body will love you for it!

2013 Weekly Challenge #37: The Daily Look

How many times a day do you look in the mirror? Be honest! Maybe not a close look, but at least a glance or reflection in a mirror? Probably a lot, right? And when you do see your reflection, how often do you think (or even say) something negative about yourself?

Negative self-talk is something most of us do without even thinking about it. Somewhere along the line, many of us become our own worst critics, far harder on ourselves than we would ever be of others.

There is an old saying: you teach others how to treat you. But really, when you say negative things to yourself about yourself, aren't you teaching yourself how to treat you? And if you say those things aloud in front of your child who looks like you, are you teaching her how to treat herself?

This week's challenge: The Daily Look. Every day this week, at least once a day, look in the mirror and say one nice thing about yourself. Sounds simple, maybe, but you might be surprised by how challenging this can be!

Remember, in order to love and care for others, you have to work on loving yourself. It all starts with you, and one simple look.

2013 Weekly Challenge #36: Fuel Your Body with the GOOD Stuff

One of the goals of Mama Bootcamp is clean and healthy eating. This isn't about weight, its about HEALTH.

Food is your body's fuel. When you feed your body crap, you feel like crap. If you eat the good stuff, you feel good - great even! Its as simple as that.

This week is all about giving your body the good stuff. Stay away from fast food (you're not eating that anyway, right? RIGHT?!). Pack up your lunch to take to work every day. Get in all your servings of fruit and veggies - make a Grab and Go. Choose whole grains and things with no strange words in the ingredient list. No eating out, and no processed food.

Your weekly challenge: Feed yourself the good stuff, and nothing but the good stuff. Your body will LOVE you for it.