EmpowerMoms

Some of you know that I became a No Excuse Mom local group leader back in May and I have been having such a fun time meeting other moms in my area and working out with them!

*WHY* did I decide to become a NO EXCUSE MOM local group leader?
I have been following Maria Kang on social media for a couple of years and I have been impressed with her determination, courage, and example of what kind of mom she is to her family. I have also been impressed with her health and fitness posts and jumped at the chance to review her book on my blog when it came out a couple of months ago.

My review of her book is here:
http://empowermoms.net/2015/04/the-no-more-excuses-diet-by-maria-kang-book-review.html

For the past several years, I have personally made health and fitness a priority in my life and I am very passionate about encouraging and educating others-especially moms and kids. I hope to become a personal trainer in the next couple of years; but for right now I stay busy with working full time, spending time with my 2 boys, and blogging.

When I read that Maria Kang encouraged and helped coordinate free local NoExcuseMom fitness groups, I contacted them for more information. I love how organized and “hands on” they are with their local groups. I am a member of a private Facebook group for my specific geographical region with a regional group leader; as well as a private Facebook group for all NEM group leaders. As a group leader I get monthly support with regional conference calls, weekly newsletters, and daily contact on the Facebook groups.

I have a local NEM Facebook group that has over 170 local moms now since May. I am the Admin for that group and I coordinate weekly fitness meet ups, as well as fun fitness challenges and get togethers. We mostly meet at local parks in the area for 60 minutes, which includes a full body workout and play time with the kids. I use online resources and books to help me plan out weekly fitness routines for myself and for the moms/kids.

I love that I can help promote different ways to exercise and ways to be healthy without taking time away from my kids or by being gone alot during the week. I have enjoyed meeting new people in my area and my son has enjoyed making new friends and playing at the park weekly. I absolutely love leading my group and can’t wait to see how the group progresses this year.

*WHAT* is a NO EXCUSE MOM?
She’s a mom who makes no excuses for making her health a priority.

She’s someone who prioritizes her health, her family’s health and understands the ripple effect their role plays in the health of their community.

These moms chose to transform their lives by consciously deciding every day that their health was worth it. When they were tired they trained. When they were lost for time to exercise, they found the time. When they were busy, they purposefully planned and prepared their daily goals and meals to coincide with what they wanted out of life.

Some work outside the home, some have multiple children, some dealt with depression and some are raising a family on their own. They are true examples of real every day women – whose fitness manifests in different sizes, shapes and ages. These women made No Excuses for not prioritizing the body that brought their babies into this world.

No Excuse Mom is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit program through Fitness without Borders. No Excuse Mom offers thousands of members online support and encouragement and boasts over 350 free workout groups in over 25 countries worldwide.

You can find a local NEM group here.

What diet and fitness plan do we follow?
We follow many of the guidelines that are based off the founder, Maria Kang’s “No More Excuses Diet” book.

Suggestions include:
*Eat Breakfast every morning.
*Write down everything you eat
*Workout 3-4 times a week (or more)
*Drink ONLY water (or straight black coffee/tea)
*Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime
*Eat small meals throughout the day (calories are dependent on current weight)
*Each meal must have a protein and carbohydrate. Include healthy fats as needed.
*Measure your progress weekly via measurements and strength/endurance tests. Weigh yourself once a month.
*Plan your splurge meals, which you can have once a week.

Disclaimer: You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program as well as making any nutritional changes in order to determine if it is right for your needs.

Want to win a copy of your own No More Excuse Book?
I have an extra copy that I want to mail to one of you! I hope you will enjoy reading this book and use it as a reference in your own daily life, like I do.

Enter below-USA mailing address only. Winner will be picked Monday July 20th. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Don’t let excuses stop you from having a body and a life that you love!

We all know that we should exercise and eat right, so why is it so hard to follow through? We make excuses for why we aren’t taking better care of ourselves, saying things like, “I’m too tired,” “I don’t have time,” or “I’m just not built to look that way.” But Maria Kang, the mother of three behind the viral “What’s Your Excuse?” mom photos, is here to say that the excuses stop now.

The No More Excuses Diet combines short term goals with healthy habit-forming behaviors to create permanent lifestyle changes. Using a specially designed transformation calendar, readers set clear, personal goals and make an easy-to-follow plan for each day. The program uses a balanced diet of 30% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats, and includes a 10% flexible portion that can be customized depending on your goals— whether it’s extra protein for building muscles, or a sugary treat at the end of the day. The No More Excuses Diet also provides a completely customizable workout guide, with over 50 illustrated exercises designed to build strength, flexibility, endurance, and to shed fat. The program also includes 7 weeks of worth of exercise programs that can be done at home with no extra equipment. Packed with meal plans, grocery lists, lots of encouragement and a clear plan of action, The No More Excuses Diet is a must-read book for anyone who is ready to bust through the excuses the hold them back and take their health and fitness to the next level.

You can buy the book here on Amazon:

Go here to visit the NO EXCUSE MOM website and to find a free group near you!
http://www.noexcusemom.com/

“Love Arrives in Pieces” by Betsy St. Amant

The main character Stella is hired for a local job to decorate a renovated theater and finds out she has to work with an old friend who didn’t leave on good terms. They must figure out how to work together for the sake of the community and try to heal past wounds and misunderstandings.

I couldn’t really relate to the main character and how “broken” Stella felt after her divorce. I liked that she used painting as her way to express herself and her emotions, but I didn’t understand why it was such a big deal to keep it secret. I felt like Stella was very dramatic and immature at times with how she dealt with Chase and some situations around her.

During the book it kept eluding to Stella, Stella’s sister, and Chase being involved in a personal scandal that left them all brokenhearted, but it kept leaving me confused because it never shared what happened so it was hard to understand the emotions involved.

Overall, it was a nice story, but not one that I would remember in the future or read again. I read another book by this author which I liked better than this one.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book:
For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.

A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.

About the Author:
Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana with her young daughter and has a heart for sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. A freelance journalist, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing. Visit her website at www.betsystamant.com Facebook: BetsySt.Amant Twitter: @betsystamant

You can buy it from Amazon here:

Get ready.. the Jessica Smith Summer of Strength plan begins on Monday July 6th 2015!

This plan includes 28 workouts to be completed in 28 days (including active rest day workouts) with an emphasis on building strength in four specific ways — muscular strength, endurance, power and function.

She’s put together a periodized rotation (to help you train just like athletes do) using her FREE Youtube workout videos to help you maximize your results, energy and motivation during the month of July.

To sign up for this free July Challenge, go to the link below and sign up for her email list! She will be sending out all the details on Saturday, July 4th so don’t delay.

http://www.jessicasmithtv.com/join-our-summer-of-strength-challenge/

Also, if you are a new email subscriber, you will get her free 15 day workout program, in addition to this challenge and all future challenge details.

The #1millionminutes with #sweatpink challenge began on June 21 (in honor of their 4th birthday!) and will end two months later, on August 21.

You can go here for all the details and to record your exercising minute:
http://fitapproach.com/1millionminutes/

My goal was to do 300-360 minutes last week.
My blog post from last week is here:
http://empowermoms.net/2015/06/1millionminutes-challenge-with-sweatpink.html

I logged 379 minutes from Sunday June 21-Saturday June 27-working out 6/7 days of the week. WHOOHOO!!

Sunday: (46) mins Leslie Sansone DVD at home, (24) mins Evolution20 pilates DVD at home.

Monday: (62) min Jessica Smith DVD at home, (45) mins at the gym with personal trainer.

Tuesday: (15) mins AM Yoga DVD at home.

Wednesday: REST DAY

Thursday: (67) mins at the gym.

Friday: (90) mins at the gym doing Body Pump, then cardio machines.

Saturday: (30) mins NoExcuseMom park workout with my kids.

I post my daily pictures and polar HRM watch pictures on Instagram (@EmpowerMoms) if you’re interested.

How many minutes of exercise did you get this week?

Charlotte is a headmistress of a school for exceptional youth. After being told they are shutting down midterm, she must do everything she can to protect 3 specific children left in her care. Dodging trackers, bullets, and seedy men-Charlotte bravely fights to keep her “kids” in her care until she meets tracker Stone Hammond who is determined to take Lily away from her. Will faith, love and the truth get her through?

This story was set in Texas in the early 1890’s. I loved Charlotte’s personality-brave, loving, determined, loyal. I loved reading her determination from day 1 of protecting her school kids regardless the costs.

The descriptions of Texas and events going on were very vivid that I felt I was there along side Charlotte and Stone.

I loved the character Stone and how he fought to see justice through, all the while protecting Charlotte and the kids, whom he barely knew.

I really enjoyed all the action, drama, and romance in this clean, christian book! I would highly recommend it!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan’s Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily’s mother she’d keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily’s legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he’s been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he’s ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte’s heart.

About the Author
Winner of the HOLT Medallion and the Carol Award, and a finalist for the RITA and Christy Award, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance because she believes in giving the world more happily-ever-afters. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at www.karenwitemeyer.com.

You can buy it from Amazon here