Eat healthy, drink in moderation and keep a merry and positive attitude.

Celebrate the beginning of the New Year with a resolution that will be easy to keep. Instead of resolving to lose weight and exercise more, change the language that you speak to yourself and instead make healthy, happy choices that can last a lifetime.

Beginning day one, make the conscious decision to take control over your life and the choices you make. It really is that simple. If you concentrate on taking control over your life, you will find that there really are no excuses. No excuse for overeating, especially foods that contain high calories per serving and no excuse for not exercising, there are plenty of exercises that can be done indoors and outdoors.

Even if you just want to lose a few pounds, changing the way you think about food and dieting can be the secret to a healthy weight for the rest of your life. From savory to sweet, food is the source of life and should be enjoyed with every bite. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods in order to shrink your waistline, just eat smaller amounts.

Losing weight is on the list of many women making New Year’s resolutions, but the truth is that most of those resolutions will fail. The main reason that these resolutions don’t make it is because these ladies choose a short-term solution for a long-term goal. Successful weight loss requires a long-term solution. Successful weight loss cannot be achieved without weight management and weight management cannot be achieved without self-control.

If I make it sound too easy, it may be because deep down, you know that self-control is the foundation for all the decisions that you make. We may not be able to control life, but we have the power to control how we react to all life has to offer. Self-control is a gift that we have all been blessed with and it is ours to nurture and grow. Just like a muscle strengthens with exercise, the more we exercise our self-control, the stronger it becomes.

As the celebrations begin I raise my glass in a toast to you my friend, let’s say good-bye to 2013 and look forward to the coming of 2014, with all the anticipation and promise for a Happy, Healthy New Year.

xoxo Karen

Christmas is my favorite time of year. It is a magical time of love and charity. It’s a time when all things seem possible. Christmas is a time of hope. It is God’s gift to all of us.

Like many mothers, my Christmas wish this year was to have my sons home for the holidays. Well I got my wish and more. All of my boys have invited friends over, too. Every morning I wake up with more people in the house. I never know how many mouths I will be feeding, so I make sure I have plenty of food in the refrigerator and when I say food, I am talking about healthy food. None of them seem to mind and there are never any leftovers, but the laundry—oh my!

Christmas is such a busy time that I have to remind myself that every day is a gift and each life a treasure. Through all the celebrations, please don’t forget to remind yourself of how much you are loved and how valuable your life truly is. My wish is that you stay healthy and safe during this holiday season.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself, either. There are so many delicious alternatives to foods that are high in saturated fat, sodium and sugar, but even when you can’t control the ingredients, you can control the portion. To help curb your appetite, eat a small apple and drink a glass of water before going out.

During all these busy times, try to get the rest and relaxation that your body needs. I know it’s not easy, there are so many things to do, but it has been proven that adequate rest is essential for a healthy body and sleep deprivation interferes with weight loss. Not to mention that it’s hard to be merry when you are too grumpy.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and may the true meaning of Christmas shine bright for you and your loved ones. Give the gift of love to yourself by taking control of your life and truly treating yourself with the love and respect that you deserve. Body, Mind and Spirit…Think it, Believe it…Achieve it.

XOXO
Karen

Renew your commitment to yourself, refresh your workout and revitalize your youth.

It’s the beginning of a brand new year full of exciting opportunities. Time to put away the decorations, throw out the left over food and turn the attention to yourself. Are you as physically fit as you would like to be? With only six short months before official swimsuit season, there’s no better time than now to get serious about your diet and fitness goals.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, begin by acknowledging that this will not be an easy task. Whether you have 5 pounds or 50 pounds to lose, it is important to have a plan in place if you truly want to succeed.

Careful planning is the secret to successful weight loss. An essential component to every goal that we set for ourselves, a plan-of-action gives us the discipline we need to succeed. That’s why I believe so whole-heartedly in keeping a fitness journal. From planning each meal in advance to setting a schedule for your workouts, these small steps will make all the difference in achieving that beach-ready body.

But it’s up to you to persevere. You owe it to yourself to eat healthy and to stay physically fit. It’s time to refresh your workout and revitalize your youth. With as little as 30 minutes a day of exercise, every aspect of your being will benefit. Hair, skin, nails, and even your brain will be invigorated. Achieving that sleek, sexy body is just an added bonus that you truly deserve.

You have complete control to make the changes you need to reach your goals, but you don’t have to go it alone. At www.Fitness4Her.com your personal trainer, Karen Ficarelli—that’s me—is only a click away. Through my library of blogs it is my desire that you will discover many new women’s fitness, health, diet and nutrition tips, as well as plenty of healthy recipes along with the inspiration and motivation to stick to your fitness plan. Sure, you’ll hit plateaus and encounter obstacles that keep you from your workout, everyone does. That’s why I created Fitness4Her, to help women just like you achieve their fitness goals.

Now, I’m asking for your help. You can help me reach my goals for 2013 too. My goal is for Fitness4Her to become your go-to source for women’s diet and fitness tips that will help you stay motivated and inspire you to attain the body that you desire. I believe in women’s fitness because it makes such a positive impact in my own personal life and I want to share that enthusiasm with you.

Make this your year succeed!

~Karen

To show support for women’s fitness and health during National Women’s Health Week, Fitness4Her is kicking off the celebration by asking women to make The Pledge For Health. Joining the initiative with national companies, Fitness4Her has dedicated a section of the website to allow women to make the Pledge for Health.

Health pledges can be anything that will benefit your physical or mental health. Some examples might be to participate in exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. Another suggestion could be to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Other pledges might include ways to reduce stress or to eat more vegetables. If it will improve your health and is something that you would like to change in your life, then it is an excellent pledge and you are encouraged to join in.

Over 157,000 participants have made the Pledge for Health and more women are signing up every day. It’s a good way to identify health aspects in your life that can benefit from positive changes in your behavior and habits.

Why Celebrate Women’s Health Week?
National Women’s Health Week is a weeklong event from May 9 through May 15 with the theme, “It’s Your Time.” NWHW seeks to empower women to make health a top priority by taking simple steps for a longer, healthier and happier life. These include exercise, nutrition, getting regular health check ups, paying attention to mental health and avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking.

To further promote National Women’s Health Week, Fitness4Her is asking members to spread the word and spread the inspiration for women’s health and fitness. It is our mission to reach as many women as possible and help them to understand the importance of health and fitness. Through daily blogs, Tweets and Facebook updates, Fitness4Her will support the cause by encouraging women to make The Pledge For Health.

Women who realize the necessity of a healthier and happier lifestyle can make their pledge for health by following the link to the Fitness4Her website. In a dedicated section of the site members and visitors can read the stories of other women, make their pledge and share their own testimonials of struggles and victories. A section of the website has been devoted solely to NWHW with an interactive map that allows each woman’s pledge to pop up in her respective location.

Free Fitness Tools
In addition, Fitness4Her will offer a free membership to anyone who visits the site. Membership privileges include the Fitness4Her Diet, healthy cooking recipes, exercise routines and an online journal—all sensible and helpful tools to help women improve their health and fitness habits. If all that’s missing is the motivation to get started, be sure to read the Fitness4Her blogs on motivation, inspiration and to keep you going—affirmations. It’s all here at Fitness4Her and membership is free and a great way to keep the promise when you make the pledge for health.

After an unusually long, cold winter, it is with joy and delight that we proclaim that Spring has indeed sprung! The trees are budding, flowers are beginning to bloom and the birds are tweeting as they rehearse their songs for nature’s Easter Cantata.

Easter is a reminder that as long as we live, we have the chance for new beginnings. The chance and the choice to start fresh and new. Like a newborn babe, each one of us can make this day “Day One” of our start at a brand new life, a brand new way of thinking, living and performing.

You can make that choice today…to have a better life for yourself. Whether you are looking to lose weight, gain weight or get your body in better shape, the choices you make today will bring about the changes you desire for life.

What better time than now, to take the first step towards a better and more fulfilling life? One that isn’t held back because of your weight or size. A life celebrated with the confidence that you can succeed by taking control of your health and happiness. It’s possible and it’s easier than you can imagine. But that’s only if you take the first step.

As a member of Fitness4Her, you have all the tools you need to start a healthy diet and exercise plan that will put you on the fast track to a healthier lifestyle!