Browsing Category

Challenges

Challenges, Fitness, Uncategorized

The 4×4 Strength Training, Cardio and Vegetable Eating Fitness Challenge

January 3, 2018
https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/the-4x4-strength-training-cardio-and-vegetable-fitness-challenge/

It’s the top of the year meaning the perfect time for us to tackle a new fitness challenge or, as we like to call it here at Jackie Unfiltered, host a #SweatyParty. In the past, we have done the 2015 #Sweatyin30 (30 workouts in 30 days), the 2016 #5in5 (5 workouts per week for 5 weeks) and the 2017 #NoFallFat (20 workouts in August).  Starting Monday January 8, 2018, we are diving into the #4x4FitnessChallenge where we will commit to completing at least 4 workouts per week (2 strength & 2 cardio workouts) for the next 4 weeks and eating at least 4 servings of vegetables per day (a serving is 1 cup).

Studies show that the combination of strength training and cardio helps people shed pounds faster, build lean muscle mass and increases cardiovascular endurance. For the first time ever, we are adding a dietary component to our fitness challenge by committing to eating more vegetables per day. Everybody knows that “abs are made in the kitchen.” You can work out till the cows come home but if you continue to eat high fat, high sodium and empty calorie processed foods then you won’t see results.

STRENGTH TRAINING

  • Yoga
  • Barre/Ballet Workouts
  • Weight Lifting
  • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
  • Boxing
  • Martial Arts
  • Body Weight Exercises (push-ups, squats, Wall-sits, lunges, planks)

CARDIO WORKOUTS 

  • Elliptical machine
  • Biking
  • Rowing Machine
  • Running/Jogging
  • Jumping Rope
  • Speed Walking
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Swimming
  • Zumba or other aerobic type class

https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/?p=3373&preview=trueVEGETABLES

Now, let’s tackle the FOOD you are eating.  Managing a healthy diet is often the hardest part of health & wellness.  However, what you put in your body is arguably more important than fitness.  If you follow our tips below, you will find that eating at least four servings of vegetables a day (1 cup equals 1 serving) is quite manageable.  You just need to plan correctly (buy or order the correct foods) and get in the right mindset:

  1. BREAKFAST: Try adding spinach, kale or other vegetables in a breakfast smoothie, throwing vegetables in your eggs or layering kale leaves on your avocado toast
  2. LUNCH: Include a salad with every lunch or just eat a big colorful salad for lunch
  3. DINNER: ALWAYS start dinner with a salad and ALWAYS include at least one vegetable side dish with your dinner meal (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, eggplant, sautéed mushrooms, peppers, sweet potato, carrots, celery or squash to name a few)

Pack your refrigerator with prepped fruits and vegetables in clear plastic containers. You want the vegetables to jump out at you when you open the door. You will “eat” what you see.

FRUIT & VEGETABLE SMOOTHIES

Below are a few easy smoothie and vegetable recipes on Jackie Unfiltered for your veggie eating pleasure.  We are kind of “famous” for our delicious smoothies. 

https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/?p=3140&preview=trueOur Non-Dairy Mean Green Fighting Machine Smoothie has a whopping 2 cups of spinach.  After I originally posted this image on Instagram, my girl Desiree said that my insides must be “clean and as a whistle drinking this on the daily.”  My response, “Why yes they are!”

Martha’s Vineyard Green Machine ReBooster Smoothie Recipe - https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/?p=2992&preview=trueThe Martha’s Vineyard Green Machine ReBooster Smoothie is so refreshing that it instantly transports me back to our annual summer family vacation on the Cap Cod island of Martha’s Vineyard.  The spinach combined with the sweet peaches (buy frozen peaches during the winter), creamy avocado and tart Greek yoghurt remind me of lazy summer days spent on breezy beaches.

Avocado Spinach Vanilla Milkshake | https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/?p=2737&preview=trueOur Avocado Strawberry Vanilla Milkshake Smoothie is so frothy and yummy that your brain and tastebuds might actually think that you are indulging in a high fat and calorie laden drink served up at your favorite diner, fast food joint or ice cream parlor.  Your waistline will know better.

VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES & ENTREES 

You would have to be living under a rock to not know that kale is a superfood.  At Jackie Unfiltered, we L.O.V.E kale.  Like really love it.  It’s delicious in smoothies like our Kale, Lemon Energizer Smoothie Recipe, thrown in stiry frys or soups like our Lentil Soup Recipe and simply sauteed with red onions, garlic, a little salt & pepper and then finished with a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Consider how you can “sneak” vegetables into ordinary dishes such as tacos, soups or even breakfast egg sandwiches.  In the fish tacos above, the greenery you see is actually chopped spinach.  The tacos are bursting with flavor from the fresh salsa, spicy guacamole, fragrant herbs and sliced red onions.  Trust me, nobody is thinking about that spinach but you and me!


https://www.jackieunfiltered.com/?p=3190&preview=trueAnother great way to introduce vegetables into dinner is to swap starchy ingredients like pasta or rice for “noodle like” vegetables such as the roasted spaghetti squash above or vegetable noodles made from zucchini or sweet potatoes.   Toss these “zoodles” with the same sauces as you would regular noodles: marinara, lemon garlic and red pepper sauce or simple olive oil, salt and pepper.

Let’s get #sweaty and start chomping on our veggies!!!

Okaaaayy, you should now have everything you need for the #4x4FitnessChallenge – strength training ideas, cardio workouts and tips on how to incorporate more vegetables into your daily diet. We want you to opt into this challenge by leaving a comment below saying “I’m In!” The accountability is key.  Make the commitment to us and yourself.

As always, thank you for stopping by Jackie Unfiltered. We wish you a very Happy New Year filled with healthy choices, lots of sweat and tons of joy. Leggggoooo!

Xoxo,
Jackie

Challenges, Fitness

Using the Holiday Fitness Challenge Calendar

November 29, 2016

Using the #HolidayFitnessChallenge Calendar is EASY!!!

Are you ready to be your own fitness motivational story? Have you made the commitment to get stronger, improve health stats like blood pressure, cholesterol and resting heart rate or maybe even lose a few inches or pounds?  People start and then quickly quit fitness programs becuase they don’t see fast results.   If you have committed to the #HolidayFitnessChallenge ??? and track your 20 workouts for the rest of the year, you will wake up January 1 looking back on December 2016 and feel like a #BADASS rockstar!  Results come in many forms.  In health and fitness, sometimes you win just by showing up.  Use this calendar to record how many times you showed up for YOUR health and wellness.  I promise you, there is ZERO failure here!

 2 ways to use this calendar:

1. Old Fashioned Method: Tap the calendar BELOW and SAVE to either your hard drive on your computer or images in your phone. Once saved, you can print the image/document and hand write your progress.

OR

2. New School Method: Tap the calendar BELOW and either screen shot or save to images to your phone or computer.  Next, open your PHOTOS icon, choose the calendar and then EDIT as you would any other photo. For example, if you completed a Cardio Workout on Day 1, choose “MARK UP” feature on the editing function and then use the TEXT feature to add 1 CARDIO like i did below on my calendar.   Always remember to press save when you are done.

img_3878

 

I’m psyched to see your calendars progress over the next few weeks with all the cool workouts you choose and even more excited to see what they look like on January 1!  #LetsWork

Thanks for stopping by JackieUnfiltered and have a great day!

xoxo,

Jackie

 

Challenges, Fitness

Holiday Fitness Challenge

November 26, 2016

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, the New York Times reports that people gain between 1 – 5 pounds depending on their current fitness and health level.   For most adults, this is weight we never lose.   I don’t know about you but the thought of gaining a couple pounds every December really dampens my Holiday cheer! ???

No worries!  Jackie Unfiltered has a plan to beat the merriment bulge: the “Holiday Fitness Challenge.”   We have 35 days from the Monday after Thanksgiving, November 28th, until the end of the year.  The Challenge is to workout at least 20 of these 35 days.  You choose the activity and duration depending on your personal fitness level, preferences and lifestyle.  You can ride the stationary ? bike for 30 minutes.   Swim ?? laps for an hour.  ?? Lift weights with your significant other or take a group fitness class with a group of friends.  The choice is yours.  The point here is to get off our butts and #MOVE!!!   Don’t wait until January 1 to focus on fitness and health.  New Year’s resolutions never happen so let’s start NOW!

img_3878

If you have never participated in one of our fitness challenges, you are missing out on the most supportive virtual #SweatyParty in the ?.   We make fitness easy and fun! In Spring 2016, we completed #SweatyIn30 ???? .  Folks worked out for 30 straight days for at least 30 minutes a day.  Many #SweatyIn30 participants started long-term fitness programs as a result of the challenge.  One participant says she is #StillSweaty!  Cracks me Up ?.

Day 11 Image

To kick off Fall, we completed the  #5in5 Fitness Challenge.  Over 100 participants in Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, New York, London, Chicago, Dallas, New Jersey, Houston, Washington D.C. and Atlanta worked out for 5 consecutive weeks.  Each week, they completed 5 workouts (2 Cardio, 2 Strength & 1 workout of choice ).   The commitment, solidarity and positive energy over those 5 weeks brought me to tears daily.  It was humanity in its best form.    In fact, at the beginning of Week 5, my father got seriously sick with pneumonia for 3 weeks.   The group lifted me up and carried me over the finish line with their support and ❤️!

img_3806.jpg

One of my dad’s doctors at the Univerisity of Chicago Medical Center recently shared with me that studies show people with similar habits hang together.  Golfers ⛳️ spend time, on and off the course, with other golfers.  Smokers are friends with smokers.    Car ? enthusiasts hang with those who love cars.   This same logic applies to healthy living.   People committed to working out, eating healthy and living their best life hang with those who share these common goals.  So c’mon, join our #SweatyParty and make some new friends.

I am looking forward to working out with you and getting to know you, your family and friends during the #HolidayFitnessChallenge.   You can follow our progress on Instagram or Facebook.  See the buttons above ☝? & below ??.  Thanks for stopping by JackieUnfiltered and have a great day!

xoxo,

Jackie

jackie-25

Challenges, Fitness

 #5in5 Fitness Challenge

October 1, 2016

I challenged people to workout 5 days per week for 5 consecutive weeks.  I asked them to complete 2 strength, 2 cardio and 1 workout of their choice each week.  80 people around this country accepted the challenge. The goal was for people to feel healthier, stronger and make healthy living part of their daily plan. It worked!

People who have never worked out before found themselves craving the endorphin high of a good sweat session.  Participants did everything from Pilates, spinning and running to swimming, boxing and weight lifting.

jackie-24

As participants checked in on social media with their daily workouts, I was so inspired by their courage, fearlessness and team work. This challenge demonstrates that we all can lead healthier lives if we just prioritize it into our schedules. I call it a #SweatyParty.

img_3659 img_3660 img_3661 img_3662 img_3666 img_3668 img_3670 img_3675img_7295

The #5in5 Fitness Challenge ended weeks ago but people are still getting #sweaty.   Just last night in NYC, someone whispered in my ear at a makeup counter, “Girl, I got my 5 workouts in last week.”  After 21 days, we instinctively create new habits.  Instead of hitting the snooze button or watching another hour of television, participants are thinking about how they can squeeze movement into their hectic day.

If you would like to create a fitness challenge in your  neighborhood, spiritual community or group of friends, please reach out to us below and we will help you organize your team!  You know what they say, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Let’s get healthy!

As always, thank you for visiting Jackie Unfiltered

Xoxo,

Jackie

Challenges, Fitness

Fitness Challenges can Jumpstart Health & Wellness: #sweatyin30

April 8, 2016

SWEAT. 30 MINUTES. DAILY. REPEAT

On March 19, 2016, I launched the #sweatyin30 fitness challenge on Instagram.   I challenged people from Milan, Italy to Los Angeles, California to break a sweat 30 consecutive days for at least 30 minutes a day.   Participants choose whatever activity they wanted—weightlifting, cardio, boot camp, yoga, intense yard work, barre classes, power walking or even playing football in the park with the kids—so long as they exerted enough energy to break a sweat.   Everyday I encouraged people to check-in on Instagram describing what activity they did that day.

In creating #sweatyin30, my purpose was quite simple: encourage movement on a daily basis.  For 30 straight days, I urged people to think about how they moved their bodies with the same intensity they think about other daily habits.   I asked participants to commit to themselves and each other.  As a result, two patterns emerged: (1) Many participants surprised themselves that they could fit working out into their busy lives if they planned better and just made it a priority; and (2) Those who tell themselves and others they work out regularly, but never actually do, had to face the hard truths.

Why do this type of challenge?  Well the largest reason is that in recent years, as technology has invaded every aspect of our lives, our culture has cruised into a more sedentary lifestyle. I did a little research and found the following facts: kids spend approximately 7.5 hours and adults spend over 10 hours per day on screens (television, mobile devices and computers).  And before you even start, I am not suggesting you give up your television.  Heck, I love Being Mary Jane, Scandal and Madam Secretary as much as the next one.  I am suggesting that we make movement a priority.  A sedentary life is one contributing factor to obesity, which puts you at early risk for preventable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension.  While modern medicine can control them with pills to a certain extent, any doctor worth his/her salt will tell you to work really hard to get off the medicine and control these issues with diet and exercise.

Studies show it takes 21 days to create a new habit.  #sweatyin30 gives you that 21 and then 9 more just to reinforce what you learned!  The Jackie Unfiltered lifestyle encourages others to make staying active, wellness and health a priority.  Please contact us if you are interested in starting a #sweatyin30 challenge in your community, e.g. church groups, co-workers, block associations, parent groups, books clubs, etc.  Don’t think you can do this challenge alone.  The accountability element of completing the challenge with a group is a major component.  To give you a sense of what you are signing up for with #sweatyin30, check out the gallery below chronicling our challenge.  As our #sweatycommunity says on the gram, #letsgo. ???

??? #sweatyin30 is a CERTIFIED member of Jacqslist!???

[huge_it_portfolio id=”2″]

As always, thank you for stopping by Jackie Unfiltered.  We wish you a wonderful day with a side of “sweat!”

xoxo,
Jackie

SHARE THIS!