About The Fitnessista

My name is Gina- I’m so happy you’re here.

On this blog, I like to share some daily happenings, as well as quick, effective workouts and healthy recipes.

About The Fitnessista

MG_8635hires

I started writing The Fitnessista when we were living in Valdosta, Georgia. I was in maintenance mode after losing 40 lbs, but healthy options were pretty scarce. Going to Whole Foods in Orlando was a vacation in itself, and the little things, like being able to harvest my own organic produce made me scary excited. The blog was a little way to share healthy recipes and workouts with some of my personal training clients and since the beginning, a lot has changed:

Caprese salad

-My eating style. I started off the blog eating “diet foods” and eventually transitioned to more whole, unprocessed foods. I also experimented with pescatarianism but went back to eating chicken a couple of years later. Today I like to focus on lean protein, fruits, veggies, grains (I prefer to eat gluten-free), chocolate, wine and all the fun stuff sprinkled in.

-Our location. We travel and move fairly often and are currently stationed in San Diego, CA. Living here is absolutely dreamy, and we’re having fun exploring and living like tourists until our next move in 2016 or early 2017. So far, we’ve lived in Fayetteville, NC, Valdosta, GA, and Tucson, AZ.  It’s been a fun and exciting adventure to see new parts of the world. Oh, and the honeymoon feeling? It never goes away.

Us at airport

We’ll be headed to Tucson for a few months this winter, then BACK to Valdosta Spring 2017.

-Our family. We started off as The Pilot (the love of my life I met at Starbucks), Bella (our maltipoo) and myself. In January 2012, we welcomed our daughter Olivia into our family. After dreaming about her for years, meeting her and having her in our life was even better than we imagined. You can read more about our family adventures, the pregnancy, birth, and musings as a new mom over on the family page.

Bellandbaby1

In October 2015, we welcomed our second daughter, Penelope, into the world. Our family is complete with our two little ladies, and I feel so lucky to be their mama.

004 baby girl p sneak peek {photography by jacquelynn buck}

-My jobs. Since we move so frequently, I’ve changed jobs along with our location. I went from working in retail management to personal training and group fitness instruction, which is my passion. I’ve taught at a world-renowned health resort, private training studio, at brand events, and at local fitness clubs and studios. My #1 job is being a wife and mama, in addition to wrangling puppies and blogging my little heart out.

down-dog-1-of-1

Certifications:

AFAA certified group fitness instructor

NASM certified personal trainer

NASM weight loss specialist

NASM Women’s Fitness Specialist

Precision Nutrition Level One Coach

Barre Body instructor

200-hour RYT yoga instructor

Zumba licensed, Aqua Zumba licensed and ZIN member (2008-2015)

Les Mills BODYPUMP certified instructor

Level 1 Raw Foods Chef (105degrees)

I try my best to respond to every comment and email I receive. If I happen to miss yours, please leave a comment on a recent post, send me a tweet or hit me up on Facebook! I apologize that I’m unable to create personalized workout training plans and provide nutritional consultations at this time. If that’s what you’re looking for, be sure to seek out the help of a local personal trainer and/or Registered Dietitian.

Occasionally I will do sponsored posts or giveaways on the blog if it’s a company/product I truly love. It helps me to support my family and cover the expenses to keep this blog running. If a post is sponsored, I will clearly label it. As always, all opinions are my own. You may see some Amazon affiliate links or ShopStyle links on the blog. These do not affect the purchase price and allow me to earn a very small commission. Thank you so much for supporting this awesome community <3

Interested in sponsoring or banner advertisements? Send me an email at fitnessistasponsor at gmail dot com for a media kit and current rates.

You can “Like” The Fitnessista on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more updates and pictures. Snapchat: fitnessista

Also, check out my eBook here for all of my blog-related tips, + my first health and fitness book, “HIIT It!” (Demos Health 2015), available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. My full postpartum fitness plan is available here. 

Thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or Registered Dietitian. The information presented is purely to share my experience and for entertainment purposes. As always, check with a doctor before making any fitness or nutrition changes. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any activities or ideas from this site. 

#AvantLink

622 Comments

  1. Tracy on May 1, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    Hey Gina,
    My name is Tracy and I am current a public relations student at San Diego State University. Throughout the semester we have had to have our own blog on a topic that interests us, so I have been doing mine around health and fitness. Earlier in the semester, I found your blog and loved it ever since. I have an assignment coming up to interview someone who we think could give us advice or tips on anything in the area. Since I really like what you post, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions on your blog and your success as a blogger. If you have any time at all, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you!

  2. Skye Bella on May 3, 2012 at 3:12 am

    You seem to have soooo much motivation!! Where does it all come from? Thanks for the inspiration, girl!!!

  3. Nichole on May 14, 2012 at 9:59 pm

    Hi!

    I read your blog daily and love it for a couple reasons. My husband was in the Air Force and we were previously based in Tucson. It’s so fun to see some of our favorite spots on your blog! Also, I have a 11 week old baby so I have learned so much from your experiences. I really appreciate your honesty…being a mom is the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done. I have a question for you as it seems that we have similar styles in parenting. It seems like Livi has great sleeping habits. My pediatrician mentioned that I could work on putting my daughter down drowsy instead of rocking her asleep so she can learn to soothe herself to sleep. Every time I’ve done this it just produces an upset, overly tired baby. Did you ever do this with your daughter?? Sometimes I have to rock my baby to sleep a few times before she’ll finally fall asleep for the night. Any tips are welcome! Sorry for the long comment:)

    • Fitnessista on May 14, 2012 at 11:37 pm

      hey girl,
      yes, livi is an awesome sleeper (knock.on.wood) but it took a while for her to get into the swing of a routine. we do eat, play, sleep, and she usually is tired after being awake for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. i try to take her up for naptime at the first yawn, so she isn’t overtired. i used to always rock her to sleep and put her down fast asleep, but for the past month or so, she gets really squirmy while i rock her. so i put her in her crib, on her back, turn on the mobile and tell her “it’s nappy time. have a great nap and i’ll see you when you wake up” and she’ll usually roll over and put herself to sleep
      if she doesn’t fall asleep right away, i walk away and give her 3-5 minutes. if she’s crying or fussy, i’ll pat and rub her back or pick her up (if patting doesn’t work) and rock her a little while before i put her down again, and that usually does the trick. most of the time, she puts herself to sleep without any crying at all since it’s become routine for her
      hope this helps a little!

      • Nichole on May 15, 2012 at 6:32 am

        Thank you for the advice! It’s great to know you didn’t have to “train” her to fall asleep on her own. I’ve always worried I’ve developed a bad habit by rocking her to sleep! Hope she continues to sleep so well for you:)

        • Fitnessista on May 15, 2012 at 12:34 pm

          thank you! nope, not at all! she’ll get the hang of it for you soon <3

  4. Randi on May 18, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    Gina,

    I just wanted to tell you that you are an amazing, inspirational person. Thank you for your blog! It brightens my day, and it is nice to hear about a fellow new mom’s experiences in addition to staying fit.

    • Fitnessista on May 18, 2012 at 5:46 pm

      thank you so much for reading, randi <3
      xoxo

  5. Kaily on May 19, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Gina,

    I can’t tell you how much that I adore your blog! I’m in the Air Force and currently stationed in Japan. Talk about having limited options for shopping healthy foods! I have been trying to workout and eat as clean as possible during the past few months. Your blog actually inspired me to start one of my own. So, thanks for the inspiration!

    • Fitnessista on May 19, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      hi lovely! thank you so much for reading and for your service to our country- you are amazing
      i can’t wait to read your blog!
      xoxo

  6. Madeline on May 22, 2012 at 8:46 am

    I know all about Valdosta! I live in a town 40 minutes away. I like your blog! Super cute.

  7. Katie on May 24, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    Hi Gina!

    First off, your blog is wonderful, I love the recipes and fitness tips, and of course your adorable new addition to your family!!

    I am really curious as to how you got into the field of teaching fitness. I LOVE going to the gym, running, being active etc and have been thinking a lot about changing gears and getting into the fitness world as a career. How did you go about becoming an instructor for classes? If you have any advice as to how to go about it I would love the guidance, I’m not exactly sure where to begin.

  8. Samantha on May 26, 2012 at 3:03 am

    I live in a small town in Georgia now (Kingsland) but it is close to Jacksonville. Talk about frustrating! Not a single yoga class exists after 5 pm. In a one mile radius there is: 2 Waffle Houses, an IHOP, Chic Fil A, an Italian restaurant where the food is not really Italian, Wendy’s Burger King, and a Chinese Buffet. I know I am missing a few though. Oh yeah the 24-7 Dunkin Donuts.

  9. Ashley Smith on May 29, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    I love your blog! The recipes are fantastic… It’s nice to find other foodies who still put a priority on eating healthy and exercising.
    I didn’t realize you were living in Tucson today! I’m a born and raised Tucsonan and I love it here!! 🙂

  10. Kish on June 4, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Hi Gina,

    I was referred to you by a good friend of mine. You have such an excellent blog and I can’t take my eyes off the food pictures 🙂 My husband and I got our very first app approved on itunes a couple days ago, something we’ve been working on for months. It’s very nice to see something useful finally available for everyone to use.

    I am reaching out to you to request a review of the app or maybe introduct it in your fitness blog. Our app is a “one rep max calculator”. It is a tool that is essentially for those who are serious about their fitness / working out in the gym. You can find the app here: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/max-lift-one-rep-max-calculator/id528276108?mt=8

    It’s been a lot of hard work for us, but very rewarding finally to see it up. I would really appreciate to get your feedback on the app, as well as your help in providing an honest review of it for your readership. We know what we have developed is very useful and user friendly. However, we don’t have the means or the knowledge to promote it and get it the exposure it needs. I was hoping that you could assist us in getting the word out. Please let me know if you would be interested and I will be happy to send you a promo code.

    If I can be of any help answering questions for you, please let me know. Again, I really appreciate what you are doing for the community in regards to health and fitness, and I thank you for your time in advance.

    Regards,
    Kish

  11. Marie on June 15, 2012 at 2:19 am

    I really like to read your blog and get the fitness and food tips! I have passion for fitness and I am learning to eat the right kind of food. Your blog has inspired me starting my own blog, I wish one day I could make my living working in fitness, possible as a personal trainer. Thank you!

  12. Cathy Imbler on June 15, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    Gina,
    Hi, I know you work at a resort as a fitness instructor. I went thru’ the website but couldn’t find out which resort you work at. Do you share that info? Also, I love to go to a boot camp/spa kind of resort, and I know there are lots in Arizona and Utah, etc. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks, always love your blog.
    Cathy

  13. jayci on June 18, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I apologize if this is a duplicate. Are you still near Valdosta?

    • Fitnessista on June 18, 2012 at 10:55 am

      no, we lived in valdosta for 4 years though

  14. jayci on June 18, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    Oh so disappointed, I was hoping you were here!! I will continue to follow your wonderful ideas though! Question? Best detoxifying drink? Currently have side effects from a med and trying to speed up the removal of waste. Prepared such as odwalla would be best because right now I am not in a position to make my own. Thanks!

  15. TeamLiporidex on June 18, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    Quite an awesome blog you’ve put together, Fitness and Food is truly such a great combination. It’s great to have young people who appreciate the importance of living well. Bravo to you.

    btw, is that a Hodad’s burger your hubby is eating?

  16. Sophie on June 26, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    This is an amazing BLOG and really personal. Great to see someone who lives like our family. We make our lives work through fitness and staying healthy.

    It is a tough challenge to mainatin both and look amazing at the same time.

  17. Erin on June 27, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Hi Gina! Loving your blog and all the recipes/exercise tips you have! Do you have any favorite band workouts?

  18. Will Addison on June 27, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    Cool blog, Gina! Love the content and design. (And I drove through Valdosta Monday during the storm!)

  19. Columbia on June 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have nominated your blog for the Very Inspirational Blogger Award! All of the information is in my latest post: http://prettygirlfit.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/the-very-inspiring-blogger-award Keep up the good work!

  20. Natalie on July 2, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    I’m interested in getting my group exercise certification and I was just wondering what program you recommend? Thanks!

    • Fitnessista on July 2, 2012 at 11:11 pm

      i have afaa and love it

  21. Bek @ Crave on July 6, 2012 at 5:35 am

    Hi Gina, Is there a way to contact you privately- there’s an issue I’ve come across and I’d prefer not to comment publicly so no one feels attacked or so no drama comes out of it. 🙂

    • Fitnessista on July 6, 2012 at 12:10 pm

      send me an email! fitnessista at gmail dot com
      i’m still trying to get back to emails i received on vacation, so i’ll get back to you as soon as i can

  22. Ashley Benson on July 6, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Gina,
    I am a personal trainer and pilates instructor. First of all, I LOVE YOUR BLOG! Well Done- keep on posting please!
    A few months ago I started a blog and I feel that it’s going well, but I definitely want to continue growing. I am slowly moving away from personal training and want to focus on my blog and a new venture hosting HEALTH & FITNESS VACATIONS! I’m totally pumped about this new direction. I am planning my first trip for this NOV. in
    St. Augustine, FL. I have rented a FABULOUS beach house. We will do pilates on the beach, resistance training with sand & water, etc… I will also walk my crew through a week of cooking, eating, and living in a healthy way!

    I am trying to get help passing along my info. If there is any way you could help, I would so appreciate that!
    Please check out my blog and info on the trip!

    ashleybensonfitness.com

    Thanks! I hope to hear from you !
    Ashley

  23. Tara on July 7, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Hi Gina!!

    I just wanted to send you a message that I nominated your blog as a recipient of the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I wanted to e-mail this to you but couldn’t figure out how!! I love reading about your life, your workouts, and your tasty recipes, and your new baby 🙂 I know that you are super busy with your blog, considering how much it has grown and that is awesome!!! But I still thought that you may have time for this little award as there are some things that you need to do:

    Display the award logo somewhere on the blog.
    Link back to the blog of the person who nominated you.
    State 7 things about yourself.
    Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award and provide links to their blogs.
    Notify those bloggers that they have been nominated and of the award’s requirements.
    So there it is. Keep up the great work with your blog… I love everything about it 🙂 Thanks for being so inspiring, I hope to be as inspiring as you someday!!

    Tara

  24. Machelle on July 8, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    I had seen a Desperate Hogwives tshirt that had an A-10 on it. I thought i seen it on here. Can you tell me if yall have these shirts ot if you know where i can find one.

    Thanks,
    Machelle

  25. kim on July 11, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Hi Gina!

    I’m a big fan of your blog–maybe a little obsessed…I check it a bazillion times a day 🙂 I love your recipes and workout posts! I’m writing because I’m getting married in early October and my future hubby and I will be honeymooning in Phoenix! Our diets seem similar to you and the Pilots (gluten intolerance, various food allergies, i’m not a big meat eater, the list goes on…) and I was wondering if you had any recommendations for restaurants that we can hit up? We are from Ohio, so I’m sad that I don’t get a lot of gluten free places, vegan places, etc. We’re always up for new things and are adventerous! That being said, if you have any suggestions of must-sees, I’m all ears!

    Thank you for your time! I look forward to hearing from you!

    Kim

    • Ashley on July 15, 2012 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Kim. I’m not sure if Gina has any others she’d like to add, but I’ve been living in Phoenix for a few years now (and I think it’s totally rad you’re coming to AZ on your honeymoon!) and have a few suggestions:

      Green (vegetarian and vegan, 2 locations, one in Tempe and one near downtown Phoenix) – http://greenvegetarian.com/

      True Food Kitchen (fresh, some local/organic, dr. andrew weil helped w/ the menu, in Phoenix) –
      http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/

      Nourish (i’ve heard this place is big for people with food allergies, part of the menu is gluten free) -http://nourish123.com/

      La Grande Orange (or LGO as we all call it, pizza is to die for, can be made gluten free and they have lots of vegan options…sooo good) –
      http://www.lagrandeorangepizzeria.com/

      just a few suggestions – but definitely try to make it to LGO while you’re here. afterwards have gelato from the attached gelato shop. you won’t regret it. 🙂 happy honeymooning!

  26. Elyse on July 12, 2012 at 7:31 am

    Hi Gina! I have a question about joint pain while working out. Whenever I work my legs out, I feel a slight strain on my knees. Do you or does anyone have any suggestions as to how to take care of the pain and what I could possibly wear or use to prevent this from getting any worse? I LOVE working out but I don’t want to create any long-term damage to my joints.

    Thanks for any suggestions

    • Fitnessista on July 12, 2012 at 12:35 pm

      do you strength train? you could have weak quad muscles, which could cause your knees to hurt during workouts. if it persists though, i’d definitely see a doc

  27. kim on July 19, 2012 at 8:34 am

    Ashley!

    Thank you so much for the suggestions! Can’t wait to check them out! We’re getting some funny looks when we’re telling people we’re honeymooning in Phoenix, but we know it’s an awesome choice! 🙂

    Thanks so much!

    Kim

  28. Abby F on July 23, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Hey! I’ve been a fan and reader for a couple of years and LOVE your blog. I recently started eating gluten free because of stomach trouble, and I believe you are gluten free too- and was wondering if you could give me any pointers (the food is so expensive) and I’m not really sure how to live like this yet! Any help would be greatly appricated.

  29. Katie Adams on July 24, 2012 at 9:55 am

    Hi I am a new mom of twins and looking to eat healthier but my husband isnt. I was wondering what tricks you use to make dinner for both your husband and you. Also do you have any good books I can read reguarding health and nutrition. I am looking for a healthy way to eat not just a diet! Thanks so much I love your blog!!!

  30. Kelly on July 27, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Hi! I would love your Chicken in a Crockpot recipe. I tried your search engine, but it said sorry not found. =(

  31. Danielle on July 30, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    GREAT BLOG!

    I’ve been following your blog for a while, and it’s great! I love your writing style, fitness/food mindset and post diversity:)

    ANYWAY, I’m interested in starting a blog myself…and i have a few questions that i hope you may be able to answer (or at least, send me in the right direction).

    Here’s where I’m at: I purchased a domain name and host site with namecheap.com AND will be using wordpress as my blog platform.

    QUESTION:
    – i just starting tinkering with wordpress, and while it seems awesome, it also seems like it will take some significant time to get a good understanding of how to use it to it’s fullest capabilities (i am definitely up for the challenge!)
    – ?How did you learn how to use wordpress? Did you just read the online tutorials and tips on wordpress.com? do you have a techie who codes/manages your content?
    – ?How long did it take you to understand how to use it?
    – ?do you have any tips on how to understand wordpress.com’s capabilities for a newbie to the blog world? (I am currently using the “free version” which i know has minimal capabilities, but i want to understand what I’m doing before i start paying for a more customizable version).

    Any tips/tricks on the above would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    -Danielle

  32. Christina on August 11, 2012 at 1:55 am

    Hi Gina, that would be really cool if you updated this About page with your current eats, workouts and precious baby!

  33. jenny on August 20, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Hi Gina! Love your blog. I am considering going gluten free. Do you have a post on how to get started or any plans to do one? 🙂

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2012 at 7:51 pm

      i wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re experiencing negative effects from eating gluten. is it bothering your stomach?

  34. Kate on August 22, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    Hi!

    I noticed you did a Bridal Boot Camp in 2010 and was wondering if you were going to do another one? Or if there was a way I could track the work outs you did before? I’m getting married in November of this year and want to really shape up my arms/shoulders!!

    Thanks!

    • Kate on August 22, 2012 at 12:57 pm

      Duh, I just looked at your fitness page and see all the workouts included. Nevermind, thanks!!

  35. Barb Mc on August 26, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Hi Gina,
    I just discovered your blog and love it. I’m having trouble subscribing, though. Is the RSS feed button working properly? When I click it on nothing happens. Thanks for checking.

  36. Girlnetic on August 29, 2012 at 10:47 am

    We can’t stop by drool over the food photos you post on here. Thanks for the share!

  37. Amber Genise@Pretty Blue Rose on August 31, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    Hi Gina-

    As a mom of a 4 year old, I love to read your blog. it’s a mix of fashion, food, and fun!

    keep up the great work.

    A.G.

    prettybluerose.com

    • Fitnessista on August 31, 2012 at 10:38 pm

      thank you so much, amber!

  38. christy on September 4, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Hi Gina,
    love the new look! And besides I just watched the blooper video of you and the pilot. it is still hilarious till this day!

    Anyhoo, my hubbie and I were just told to do ivf in order to conceive…… then I thought of you and your success story with that homepathic doc? I cant seem to find your post about him, but I’m interested in contacting him to see if he can help us or give us his 2nd opinion. Can you share his contact info with me?

    thanks!
    christy

    • Fitnessista on September 5, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      his name is dr flynn and he’s based out of wisconsin <3
      best of luck to you!

  39. Manasi on September 5, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    Hi Gina,
    Your new website looks great! I have been reading a lot of the fitness workouts you post and watching a lot of the videos as well. I was wondering – could you post some of them with just lists of short 30/45 min total body workouts that I could print and take to the gym with me? That would be really useful!
    Thanks,
    Manasi

  40. mary @ what's cookin with mary on September 7, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    This page is really well done G. I think it was a very accurate description of who you are and what makes you you (and why we all keep reading!). Nicely done :0) -Mary

  41. jessica on September 8, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    hello my name is Jessica and i am trying to find a workout that will fit my needs, i want to have a beach body. i want to firm and tone my arms , butt, legs , abs, and the muscles firm my boobs. is there anything i can do, do i need to buy a dvd for the work out

  42. Emily on September 10, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Hi Gina,
    Last week my 12 month old son was diagnosed with wheat allergies (long with a slew of others). I know nothing about what foods do or don’t have wheat in them. Knowing that you also have a wheat sensitivity, can you point me in the right direction? What foods should we be avoiding and what do you find to be good alternatives? I’m interested in your opinion, thanks so much!
    -Emily

    • Fitnessista on September 10, 2012 at 6:20 pm

      hey girl,
      i’m sorry to hear your little guy has wheat allergies! brown rice is pretty much my go-to substitute for everything wheat. there are so many brown rice options out there, but definitely check bottled sauces to make sure wheat hasn’t found its way in there

  43. Melanie Strout on September 12, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Hi Gina,

    I am really enjoying reading your blog about your workouts and great food. I especially like your abs routine.

    My name is Melanie Strout, and I’m the Community Manager for NOW Energy Bars. My job is to create awareness and engagement with NOW Energy Bars and their social presences. By way of background, this energy bar was created by Phil Keoghan, host of the television show, The Amazing Race. As a result of following you I think our product might be of interest to you as an influencer in the fitness space.

    As an influencer, I would love to offer you a few special opportunities. The first is to try our NOW Energy Bars and give you an exclusive sampling of our new Trail Bars. The Trail Bars are so new they aren’t available to the public yet, if you are willing to share your mailing address, I can send you a sample of each. In addition, I’d love to invite you to participate in an exclusive live chat event with Phil Keoghan later this month.

    Please let me know if you’d be interested in participating. Thank you!

    Melanie Strout

    ps. If you are a fan of Phil Keoghan and The Amazing Race we would also like to share a DVD of his documentary movie The Ride. Just let us know.

    Twitter:
    @melaniestrout
    Facebook:
    melaniestarnerstrout

  44. Concerned Mom on September 16, 2012 at 10:31 am

    Hi,

    I have a daughter who is struggling with anorexia. She is slowly starting to gain some weight, but she is struggling mightily. She reads your blog religiously. Is there any encouragement you can give (or advise) on adding extra calories so needed in recovery.

    Thanks.

    CM

    • SH on December 12, 2012 at 3:40 pm

      Hi,

      Just the fact you recognize and are trying to help her through this is incredible. I have a sister who went through the same thing while we were growing up and my mom tried many things to help but what ended up working was my mom asked my sister to help her cook in the kitchen. Slowly my sister learned about food. That veggies are good for us and filling and low is calories and lean chicken and fish make you feel good not bad. Cooking takes the fear away about food. My mom literally started her off chopping veggies. Nothing with protein and she never made comments about how this will help. Eventually it got to a point my sister started sitting at the table again and then she started eating again. She wanted to know our opinion about what she had cooked, about what she had created. She wanted to see our reactions. Since then she went to CIA or culinary institues of america and is now a certified chef 🙂

      I hope this helps

  45. aWickedRose on September 21, 2012 at 12:59 am

    Hey Gina!

    I’m a Navy wife who used to live in Jax and I fell in love with your blog both because of the military wife aspect and the food aspect. Me and my husband’s palates are quite often at odds and it’s great to see how you and the Pilot make it work.

    I would have emailed this to you but I can’t find your email here on the site. If it works out or works into what you were already planning or you just feel moved to; please speak out against this: http://blessedmommy.hubpages.com/hub/Lose-Up-To-10-Pounds-In-3-Days-On-The-3-Day-Diet

    When I first met my husband, folks tried to suggest stuff like this. Luckily for me, my mom’s a nurse and she taught me well and so I was able to pass on good information to him. Not everyone has that and this diet just seems insane.

    -aWR

  46. Nina Christenson on September 27, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    Hey Gina,

    We are a big fan of your blog and have been following you for a while now. We wanted to reach out to see if we can cross-market ourselves.

    We are an online athletic and yoga boutique (http://www.evolvefitwear.com). Like yourself, we are super passionate about working out (and having quality, flattering clothes to do it in).

    We hand pick the products we sell on our site and carry variety of sportswear brands like OmGirl, Beyond Yoga, Hyde, Onzie, Soybu, Alo, Spiritual Gangster etc.. If you want to see who we are and watch our 2 min video here’s our page: https://evolvefitwear.com/content/about-us

    We would love to send you some workout clothing for you to try out and in return perhaps you could give us a shout out on your blog, facebook or twitter- in return we could of course do the same!

    We could also add you to our “how-to” page (launching soon) with health/ fitness tips and tricks. Let me know if you are interested and we can chat further about building an online relationship.

    If you are interested and we can discuss things further!

    Hope to hear from you soon,

    Nina
    Nina

  47. @HIlaryFleming on September 27, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Gina, I’ve been an avid reader of the “The Fitnessista” for over 2 years now. I know you don’t do giveaways but a few times a year (maybe just around your blogiversary?) I’m starting a business that will launch in November that I think is right in line with your blogging approach and audience and would love to talk to you about potential sponsorships or giveaways. I don’t see an email address on your site where I can reach you. What is the best way to get in touch? You can email me at hilaryzwahlen at gmail dot com.
    Thanks!
    Hilary

    • Fitnessista on September 28, 2012 at 12:05 am

      send me an email: fitnessista at gmail dot com
      giveaways and sponsored posts are pretty rare, but i’d love to hear more about your business

  48. Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats on September 28, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Hi there! I just found your blog through Iowa Girl Eats and I’m so glad I stopped by! I love your positive attitude and outlook on life. I will be sure to add you to my reader from now on! Thanks 🙂

    • Fitnessista on September 28, 2012 at 12:58 pm

      thank you so much chelsea- nice to meet you!

  49. Beth on September 29, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    Hi Gina 🙂
    Just found your blog and LOVE IT! ? I’d really like to subscribe via email, but don’t see it as an option or else I overlooked it. Can you hook me up? ;o)

    Thanks so much Gina!
    Beth

  50. Heather McGraw on September 29, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    I have been researching fitness/wellness blogs and found yours to be really interesting. I am contacting you to let you know about a new site we are launching this week, http://www.thefitit.com/. This will be the first site of its kind – a multi-faceted, centralized forum for fitness enthusiasts and professionals.

    TheFitIt.com provides a better focus to peruse images, websites, blogs, and fitness tools with a ‘Move It’ button, similar to pinning with Pinterest. With thoughtful fitness related categories, you can look through favorite fitness attire without searching a general fitness category. If specialized workouts are what you’re interested in, preview the board and ‘Move It’ on to your own desired Move Board for easy accessibility. If you follow your favorite fitness gurus on Facebook and you want to pin or ‘Move It’ on to your Move Board, TheFitIt.com allows you to do just that. Boards are invaluable for organizing images for inspiration, tracking details, or envisioning what the future can hold for your fitness goals.

    The next phase of our site will be the adjunct of a variety of tools/applications that will facilitate or improve your fitness journey experience – these applications are currently in development, but will eventually add expanded value to the site.

    I’d like you to share the details about The Fit It on your site – in exchange, we will offer you one year of free advertising on our site.

    Please contact me at heather@thefitit.com if you are interested in the advertising opportunity, or have any questions or comments.

    Regards,

    Heather Vollmers McGraw

    952-270-6163

    Please contact me to request a media/advertising kit for TheFitIt.Com.

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