I woke up this morning sore from the intense leg workout I put myself through yesterday, so I decided to skip my usual am workout. Instead I decided to get creative for breakfast. I found this recipe on a fellow fitness trainers Facebook Fanpage and thought I must give it a try! This Egg Whites Pancake stuffed with Cottage Cheese is easy to make, full of protein, and quick so you can get your day started right! I decided to add half of a grapefruit to as well. Grapefruits are low on the glycemic index, low in calories, good source of dietary fiber, rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and lycopene.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 Egg Whites (1/2 Cup)
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Combine egg whites, almond milk, and wheat germ in a bowl, whisk together. Pour mixture into small pan (Use Pam Spray if needed). Cook on medium heat for 4-6 minutes (like a pancake) then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes or until done. Fill with cottage cheese seasoned with a pinch of pepper. Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL FACTS:
198 Calories
2 grams of Healthy Fats
13 grams of Carbs
32 grams of Protein

For today's "Thankful Thursday", I want to express how Thankful I am to have FOCUS and MOTIVATION! In life we are presented with opportunities and forced to make decisions on a daily basis. At times we cannot control the things that are happening around us, as I always say "Life Happens". It is up to us to stay focused on what motivates us. Having focus will help you reach your fitness, health, personal, and career goals. Remember if you believe it, you can and will achieve it! XO

If you would like to share your own fitness success story for "Thankful Thursdays", please email me at jennifer@getfitsd.com. I would love to feature you! Also, please share what you are THANKFUL for today below.

Get Fit, Get Featured Business in the Spotlight is AIRE Urban Fitness, located in downtown San Diego. AIRE brings a new twist to personalized fitness with their contemporary design, sectioned floor layout, sleek yet bright decor, state of the art equipment and more. AIRE is a gym that offers a complete fitness experience to help reach your goals. AIRE features a 1,650 square foot group exercise room, 1,500 square foot strength and cardio center, Pilates Reformer and Cadillac studios, state of the art CompuTrainers and full-service locker rooms with showers. AIRE offers a wide range a fitness services from Group Classes, Personal Training, Pilates, Yoga, TRX, Spin and much more. AIRE Owner and Personal Trainer, Jen VanderSanden, has assembled a team of professional trainers who bring both an educated and experienced level of knowledge for fitness, health, exercise and physiology. Each team member is dedicated to helping clients achieve their overall fitness and health goals. San Diego Residents get a Week FREE when you sign-up with AIRE. Enjoy the video above of AIRE Personal Trainer Keli Garrett taking me through a 5 minute TRX Blast!

For today's "Thankful Thursdays", I would like to express how incredibly Thankful I am to live in such an amazing city like San Diego! With the near perfect weather, San Diego provides us with a Fitness Wonderland full of outdoor activities for the enthusiasts and hobbyist. This morning I was able to meet a fellow gym owner and personal trainer for a "Walking Meeting" on the boardwalk. Perfect way to mix business and fitness! So go outside and enjoy this beautiful city we call home!

If you would like to share your own fitness success story for "Thankful Thursdays", please email me at jennifer@getfitsd.com. I would love to feature you! Also, please share what you are THANKFUL for today below

Want to have a healthy but yummy breakfast that doesn't take long to make? Try these Egg Whites and Oatmeal Pancakes. Easy to make, full of protein, and quick so you can get your day started right!!

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 Egg Whites
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Organic Vanilla Extract
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (Optional)

DRIECTIONS:
Add ALL ingredients to blender, blend on low for 15 seconds.
Pour mixture into small pan (Use Pam Spray if needed)
Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until bubble form on top and start to pop to form open holes. Flip over, cook another 3 minutes.
Makes 1 Pancake. Top with Organic Agave Nectar. Enjoy!!

___Guest Author: Samantha Hua, Certified Holistic Health Coach at Happy Food

Losing weight is fun!!!  Really!  It has to be--there are no other options.  If you can't sustain something forever, it will never last.  I can sustain having fun forever, but I can't sustain counting calories, measuring my food, starving myself then binging, doing all the things I hate at the gym, pushing my body in a way that bores me, and self-loathing my body in the mirror.  Can you relate to any of these?
    
Weight lose HAS to be fun and pleasurable or you will never succeed in the long run.  What activities did you enjoy as a kid?  Do it!  I am seriously wimpy at the gym (I last 15 minutes), but I can play 5 hours of beach volleyball.  If you love the gym, that's great.  If you don't, what sport, activity, or dance do you enjoy? 
    
Another way to really succeed at weight lose is to be happy....having fun really is THE key.  Not only does it reduce emotional eating, but it's a physiological response.  When happy and relax, we turn on our parasympathetic system and our digestion/metabolism functions much more efficiently.  
 

ABOUT the AUTHOR: Samantha Hua has been involved in fitness and healthy eating since 1992. With a bachelor degree in biology, she spent the first part of her career focusing on research and improving communities by starting community gardens, nutritional education, and supporting those in Africa, Latin America, and the US.  She then became AADP certificated as a Health Coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition through the State University of New York.
For more information or support please visit http://happyfoodhealth.com.
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Get Fit, Get Featured Business in the Spotlight is Core Personal Training Studio, located in heart of Kensington off the 15 Freeway. Core is a bootique training studio catering to women of all ages and fitness levels. Core is a place where you can explore, discover and reach your potential with personal support. The intimate studio setting offers privacy and quality training.  Core Owner and Personal Trainer, Erin Kendall brings together an environment full of trust, safety, support, motivation, high energy with the focus on client relationships and reaching end goals. With her extensive knowledge and educational background from UCSD, Erin has helped women of all ages find what it means to them to live a healthy lifestyle with her tailored programs and persistent coaching. Creating a healthy lifestyle means something different to everyone, and personalizing the experience is very important to Erin.

Core offers an array of fitness services from 1-on-1 Personal Training, Yoga, Bootcamp Classes, Stretch Therapy, and a Walking Club on Sundays. Core's main philosophy is to "Help Clients Transform their Lives". Check Core out on Yelp for Special Pricing Packages. Enjoy!

Sorry I have not added a "THANKFUL THURSDAY" post in the last few weeks! The Holiday Season can be a very busy time in our lives. It is definitely a time to reflect on the joy and love we have in our daily lives. Family and close friends are the best gifts we can ever ask for! So, today I am thankful for my health, a loving family, loyal friends and to own my own business doing what I love! ♥ Life is full of OPPORTUNITY.....live it to the fullest! You DESERVE IT! Just remember that every experience good or bad, happens for a reason, just be THANKFUL!

If you would like to share your own fitness success story for "Thankful Thursdays", please email me at jennifer@getfitsd.com. I would love to feature you! Also, please share what you are THANKFUL for today below

_With our busy lives these days, it is hard to keep up with proper health, fitness and nutrition. Get Fit San Diego is proud to be the Blog Partner for the San Diego Get Fit 30-Day Challenge presented by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Kaiser Permanente! Be sure to sign up for the Challenge at www.sdgetfit.org. The Get Fit Challenge kicked off on Monday Jan 2, 2012, and sign-ups are open until Monday Jan 9, 2012. The Get Fit Challenge is open to anyone who would like to join and is FREE! The event is all about YOU and motivating YOU to live a healthier lifestyle for 30 consecutive days and for the rest of your life. The Get Fit Challenge is also geared towards businesses to help aid them in encouraging employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle and workplace. Sign your business up today! The top business of each size category will be recognized as a “Chamber Healthy Workplace”. All participants who complete the 30-day challenge by tracking all of their daily activities online on the "activity tracker" will be entered to win one of 30 raffle prizes. The Get Fit Challenge offers an easy and fun way to kick off 2012 right by living a more active and healthy lifestyle!

Setting fitness goals for 2012 for you and your company team is important. Maintaining communication with your team or those keeping you accountable is made simpler with FitTogether.com. FitTogether.com is a social networking site dedicated to connecting the fitness community both locally and globally. FitTogetther.com allows members to post blogs, events, and discussions in chat forums, where members can communicate with each other and share ideas on training methods, weight loss tips, dieting advice, favorite mountain bike trails, surf spots and more.

Fitness Social Networking is a great way stay motivated during the Get Fit 30-Day Challenge and will help you reach your fitness goals through the use of fitness partners and the exercise buddy system. FitTogether.com also allows members to create groups, which can be a valuable feature for companies to motivate, inspire and connect with their employees during the Get Fit 30-Day Challenge. Sign up today at http://fittogether.com! FitTogether.com is proud to be the official Social Media Partner for the Get Fit 30-Day Challenge.

Let’s ROCK 2012 with fitness and health in mind! Be sure to follow our blog on Facebook for daily health, nutrition, and fitness tips, as well as informational, motivational and inspiring facts to help you complete each daily activity throughout the Get Fit 30-Day Challenge. You can share your Get Fit 30-Day Challenge success story on our Facebook page or submit it to be featured on the Get Fit San Diego blog by email to jennifer@getfitsd.com! Don’t forget to take the first step and sign up for the Get Fit 30-Day Challenge at www.sdgetfit.org!