Finding peace in dark times.

Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor.

What can I say, life is crazy. Bad things are happening all around us. It’s easy to let these things get to us and perhaps prevent us from doing anything to help. In the midst of a sad, angry and anxious state of mind we often want to escape it all and ignore it. I don’t have any answers as to why bad things happen to good people, but I do know the best remedy for the sadness you may be feeling about all of the tragedy occurring right now: help someone or something in need.

Helping others and showing we care is the best way to get out of our depression and possibly prevent more bad things from occurring. It’s been proven that when we perform unselfish, philanthropic acts it enhances our ability to heal and energizes us to keep going and do the next right thing. It’s also the best way to help our society by alleviating the ills of those who suffer increasing their ability to be a positive, instead of negative, force in society. Making contact and showing you care is a great way to do this.

These acts can be as simple as making a small donation to a cause you care about or even holding the door for someone. Everything counts. I am so grateful when someone stops to let me perform a left turn! Or another example is when the person in front of me at Starbucks buys my coffee. These are small examples, big ones could be becoming a mentor to a child who needs guidance and love, volunteering at your local boys and girls club, homeless shelter or hospital, going on a mission with your church…

Choose a cause you care about and think of ways you can help. It doesn’t have to be complex, simple gestures make a big difference.

What is a cause you really care about? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by this question, try and narrow it down to one or two that you can dedicate a little time and energy to.

xo,

Hilary

 

 

Combining fashion and fitness.

I’ve been struggling with trying to combine my fashion and fitness expertise into one “brand”. I love both so very much and when I’m in the midst of either am so happy. I love the joy of putting together a killer outfit and the feeling a great workout and eating healthy bring to me. I struggle with how I can share these with the world in a streamlined, sensible way.

Nowadays the two go had in hand. Fashion and fitness are so intertwined for a few reasons. First, the emergence of Athleisure has made it not only fashionable but practical to dress in fitness apparel. That is if you’re doing it right of course! If you follow me on Instagram  (@ugobabyfitness) you’ll know I work as a stylist at Saks Fifth Avenue in Boston, so I get to see all the latest styles come in. From Public School, Opening Ceremony, to even higher end designer brands like Fendi and Vehements, athletic is the latest aesthetic.

If you struggle with how you can sport this style here are some ideas I pulled from some Street Style sites.

Midriff baring tops are back big time. If you are comfortable enough rock the hell out of those sports bras wherever you go. 

This i certainly a more bold look, red heels are a must in anyone’s wardrobe. They go with everything!

 

I love how Gigi pairs her gym outfit with an elegant coat.

This is your most basic athleisure look, I love it though. Simple and so on trend. The motorcycle jacket is everything right now.

I love how these heels pair with the striped pants. 

You can wear sneakers with anything. 

Some of these styles are a bit more bold than others, but they can help inspire you to get more fashionable, funky and even glamorous with your workout clothes. What’s your favorite athleisure look?

xo,

Hilary

Shape that Booty.

On my YouTube channel today I share some of my favorite booty shaping exercises. You can check it our here.

Below are some of the benefits of having a strong, perky behind, other than the obvious aesthetic reasons.

For many trainers the glutes are considered the “powerhouse” of strength and physical fitness. This is because the buttocks is the largest muscle group in your body and helps with most of your physical activity. Here’s more on the subject from Women’s Health Magazine:

The glutes are known in fitness circles as your body’s engine, not only because they’re the largest muscle group in the body, but also because they’re involved in most athletic functions, says Bret Contreras, C.S.C.S., coauthor of Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. The glutes produce four distinct actions: extending the hips, swinging the leg outward, rotating the leg laterally, and tilting the pelvis backward. “Strong glutes increase your force and power during everything from sprinting, jumping, and squatting to climbing, swinging, and cutting from side to side.

xo,

Hil

Why people get fat.

 

I was the perfect example of why people get fat yesterday. I met a friend for coffee and made the mistake of going to the coffee shop starving! Normally I would try to eat something before hand or bring a healthy snack to hold me over. But let’s be honest, in real life sometimes that just doesn’t happen.

So I peruse the shop for something “healthy” to eat and there’s not much. Bagels and baked goods are the main attraction. This is why I try to arm myself from making bad dietary decisions when I’m out by eating something healthy beforehand. Instead I go for the delicious and calorie ridden coffee cake. Now, there’s nothing wrong with calories, we’re all taught in school that calories = energy. However there’s a BIG difference between good calories and what I like to call, negative calories. These foods give you very little energy and then leave you more tired and hungry afterword.

This coffee cake, as delicious and sumptuous as it was, basically held me over through my coffee date and upon getting into my car to go to the gym my stomach was rumbling in hunger. I forced myself onward to the gym, probably didn’t get in the best workout because all I could think about was lunch. I then came home absolutely famished and ready for a nap. So the problem lies here. I ate a calorie filled “snack” to tide me over that just left me even more hungry and willing to eat anything in site later in the day.

Point of this long-winded story is to make healthy choices, by choosing to eat unhealthy you will in turn eat more later to make up from your body being drained of energy trying to digest the negative calories you consumed.

In short: Eating healthy throughout the day will prevent you from eating more than you should.

Here are my go to “on the go” healthy snacks:

1. Nature Valley Protein bars.
2. Kashi trail mix bars.
3. Fage yogurt. I like Chobani as well, but Fage has less sugar and you can control how much fruit you put in.
4. Bananas.
5. Horizons Organic mozzarella cheese sticks. 
6. Almonds and cranberries.

xo,

Hil

 

Practicing gratitude toward yourself.

I read this article yesterday on embracing your body and loving yourself just the way you are. We expect so much from ourselves and others. Often we want others to love us “just the way we are” but have trouble loving everything about ourselves, including our imperfections. We put ourselves down, body and soul. It’s human nature to be hardest on oneself which serves the purpose of helping us to be better people. But, as important as it is to try to be better, it’s equally important to love yourself.

The biggest inspiration for me to love myself and be confident in who I am is my children. I think about what I want for them and how I want them to feel. More than anything, I want them to have the utmost appreciation for who they are, where they come from, what they have to offer the world and most of all, to be confident. In order to teach them to be this way I realize I need to practice these skills myself.

A good way to kick off your day with confidence is to take a few minutes to appreciate YOU, body, mind and soul. Here are some mantras you can say to yourself when you wake up in the morning to kick-start your day with confidence:

1. I am enough.  I do enough,  I have enough.
2. I love myself. I am a beautiful, unique spirit. There is no one else quite like me.
3. I let my happiness be visible to others. My happiness overflows from me. I can use my happiness to bring joy to others.
4. I thank my body for taking such good care of me today. It is perfect and takes such good care of me.
5. My body is a gift and I love and appreciate it just the way it is.

How do you practice appreciating yourself?

xo,

Hil

 

Weight Loss tip: Change your attitude.

I used to get sick of hearing about fitness professionals and fit celebrities thinking of food as fuel. Even though I knew it was the right attitude to have, I thought it was silly and improbable that I could actually make choices based on the idea that I was fueling my body. I love the taste of food and that’s what I based my decisions on most of the time.

Nowadays I’ve completely adopted the attitude that food is meant for nourishing the body, not just for taste. A lot of it has to do with getting older. The effects of what I eat on my mind, body and emotional state are much more obvious than when I was in my twenties.

Mindfulness is another big component of adopting this attitude. I wake up in the morning and instead of not eating (do NOT skip meals!!) or eating an unhealthy breakfast, I realize the importance of starting my day off right. I make conscious decisions like eating whole wheat toast instead of white, or having egg whites instead of the whole egg and including calcium to balance out the meal like a glass of milk or yogurt. And of course adding some sort of fruits and vegetables to all your meals is key. I love avocado for any meal. It’s one of the most nutritious and filling foods you can eat.

Weight loss is not something you can focus on for a few months and then forget about. You need to make eating healthy your lifestyle. This is my mantra that I repeat over and over again to people who ask me how to get fit, stay fit and be healthy. If you struggle with weight loss and keeping it off you probably need to change your attitude about the whole process. Here are a few tips:

1. Be patient. Whenever I hear someone talking about going on a crash diet it makes me cringe. Crash diets do not work in the long-term! Make a point of eating healthier and making better choices all day everyday and you will see the weight come off. Maybe not as quickly as you would like, but it will result in a lasting change that you can maintain.
2. Take every opportunity you have to get some exercise. Every little bit counts! So walk to work, take the stairs and park a little further from the entrance than usual. You’ll be amazed at how much these little changes make a big difference. I used to walk to work everyday when I lived in the city, it was the main form of cardio I got and it worked for me.
3. Get to know your body and what works for you. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. What works for one person may not work for another. Everyone is different so rely on how you feel personally to make healthy decisions regarding diet and weight loss.
4. Love your body throughout the process. This is most important. Love your body for all it does and has done for you. DO NOT beat up on yourself. You are beautiful just the way you are and need to appreciate your beauty and use that confidence to motivate yourself to be better and take better care of yourself.

xo,

Hil

 

 

Today’s HIIT.

I love high intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of exercise can take on many forms. I like the tabata format, this effort ratio torches calories and you only need to do it for 10 minutes to see results.

Here’s how it works: pick an exercise that you can perform at high intensity  for 20 seconds and then walk it out for 10 seconds. Do this for 4 minutes then rest for one minute. Then another 4 minutes and rest. I usually mix in some strength training in between, but for today just focus on doing the HIIT as many times as you can comfortably.

Fo these exercises in the 20/10 format.

1) High Knees.

2) Skaters.

3) Jumping lunge.

4) Burpees.

Comment below and let me know how you did and how many sets you were able to do. Don’t over do it! I don’t want you to hurt yourself and he too sore tomorrow. Do what feels comfortable while still challenging yourself!

xo,

Hilary

Immunity boosting juice recipe.

I gave some tips yesterday about how to boost your immunity and prevent illness. One of them being to juice your own fruits and veggies. Here is a recipe for a great immunity boosting juice to help you stay healthy and strong so you can keep working out with me!

This is from What’s Gabby Cooking, a site packed full of awesome recipes by a fun and funny California girl. As described by Gabby herself, this juice is ” basically like fitting all these glorious fruits and vegetables along with their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into your body and then giving yourself a giant hug. Hands down, you just feel good after drinking this.”

GREEN JUICE

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2 glasses of juice

Serving Size: 1 glass of juice

This green juice is packed full of vitamins and minerals and makes for the perfect meal on the go. This recipe makes enough for 2 large glasses of juice. I typically have 1 large glass a day, and then pop the second glass in the fridge for the following morning. Fast, simple and totally healthy! – WGC

INGREDIENTS

• 3 leaves kale, stem removed, roughly chopped
• 1 handful spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 English cucumber
• 3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 apples, halved and seeds removed
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 Meyer lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place everything into your juicer, small amounts at a time, and juice.
2. Taste and adjust as needed.

 

xo,

Hil

10 Tips for preventing illness.

1. Take your vitamin C, for obvious reasons.
2. Drink black or green tea instead of coffee. The breathing in of steam helps stimulate the cilia in your nostrils to help air out infection. Plus tea is a great detoxifier.
3. Get outside. Getting fresh air and exercise help with circulation and getting better sleep. It’s also been proven to prevent depression in the winter months which can also lead to illness.
4. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Healthy proteins include fish, egg whites and low sugar yogurts.
5. Sanitize. Lavender oil is a wonderful natural sanitizer and great aromatherapy.
6. Drink your juice. Juicers are great way to get nutrients without all the added sugars and preservatives in store-bought juice. Try these fruits and veggies jam-packed with nutrients: kale, broccoli, apples, arugula, parsley, lemon, swiss chard. Add some mint for flavor and a fresh aroma.
7. Drink a lot of water to clear out your system.
8. Exercise. Make sure you are getting enough exercise to promote circulation and to sweat out toxins.
9. Meditate. Clear your head, de-stress and relax with meditation. Studies show that anxiety and stress increase your likelihood of getting sick, so take time out for yourself to just chill.
10. SLEEP! Most important is getting enough rest. When you are over-tired your body is not at its strongest to prevent illness. Set an alarm at night to remind yourself when you should be in bed, I suggest turning off electronic devices and getting in bed a little earlier than normal. This gives you time to decompress and forget about the stresses of the day before falling asleep.

Do you have any tips you can share with us?

xo,

Hil

Social Media and appreciating the journey.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. It provides a wonderful place for positive social activity, especially when you’re a stay at home mom (SAHM) in the dull of winter when it can provide the only social interaction with adults you have during your day, but it seems to me that we’ve gotten overly “social”.

There are too many apps socializing everyday activity. For example, I know”check-ins” can be very helpful to support local businesses, and to get reviews from peers, but we could all use some discretion. I don’t need to know that you went to CVS to pick up tampons this afternoon or that you had a custody hearing at the local courthouse yesterday.

I think Venmo can be inappropriately social. I got this app a few years ago because I had to pay a friend back for concert tickets. I liked the ability to exchange money so easily but making it a “social” activity is bizarre to me. I understand why businesses would like the potential advertising they get from the app but don’t know why anyone would want to share the reason they are paying someone back for the cup of coffee from Starbucks. I see the benefit for Starbucks, but what do we get out of it other then the chance to show off that we got #bottlservice last night with Joe Shmo?

I was recently given three different payments, that totaled over $1,000, by some young ladies I did not know, for #Vegas!. The description for the payment was followed by multiple emojis like champagne bottles, high heels and fireworks to emphasize how they were ballin’ out of control (BOC). My middle-aged self hoped these ladies would recognize within a few days that they had made a mistake and simply reverse the transactions. Unbeknownst to me I had to decline the transactions in order for them to receive their money back. I’m sure if I did a little research I would’ve figured this out easily but it was the holidays, I have 3 kids at home, including a 6 month old, and my family was visiting, so I was hoping these girls could figure it out. It took 2 weeks until I finally got a few messages in my inbox demanding the money back. One girl immediately included threats of legal action! To top it  off, once I returned the money, the same girl made the same mistake and paid me again!

I now use, and would recommend, the Square Cash app by Square. It is just as easy to send and receive cash, but you don’t have to let everyone know the payment was for #diapermoney.

So how does all of this tie back to health, wellness and fitness? We can all disconnect sometimes, be more patient, appreciate privacy, and spend more face-to-face time with our friends and loved ones. The internet and social media have created many conveniences and made life easier in lots of ways, but have also made life seem more rushed. Even as I write this post I have thoughts going through my head of “gotta get this finished and posted by the afternoon so I can optimize viewership!” Who cares!?

Like Ferris said in the analog 80s, “Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it!”

xo,

Hil