the nerds have been schooled.

you heard right, kids! TheFitnessNerds hit the books over the last few months & i finally took the plunge! i am now a Certified Personal Trainer, thanks to the National Federation of Profession Trainers & i can't wait to take you all on this journey with me. this is a turning point at TFNHQ. if you know me, you'll know that i had been talking about becoming a certified trainer for a while. i loved giving advice to our followers, but i wanted to make sure i was posting real tips & legit facts instead of just going off of what is put out on the internet. so i took a step back from TFNHQ & lived up to the nerd reputation i've built up my whole life.

after spending months studying anatomy, physiology, fitness nutrition & all the legal information that comes with this position, i have to say that i'm even more excited about the role i've taken to help people like you (and me!) commit to a healthier lifestyle & make their dreams into a living & breathing reality.

no matter how much you talk about something, it doesn't become real until you actually make it happen yourself... much like this blog! it's all talk waiting to be put into action until you actually do it. so what was stopping me? um...nothing! & that's why i just went ahead & signed up, studied my booty off & kicked that exam's toned behind. & now, the same goes for all of you! with this newfound confidence & ever growing knowledge, i'm inviting you all to join me in deriving a plan of action to make those fitness dreams our own realities.

keep studying! & i will too ;)
xx TFNHQ

music monday #2: the medicine modifier.

goooooood afternoon, nerds! how were your weekends? we hope they were just as classy as you! i had a mini trip to salt lake city for the 27^th annual north american cystic fibrosis conference where i went wearing my super trendy microbiology researcher hat & presented my current research project on antimicrobial peptides. (i know… that makes most of you yawn…) so while most of the lectures i attended consisted of discussions about antibiotic resistance, gut/lung microbiome & pig/ferret models, i was actually able to make it to some nutrition seminars & roundtable discussions! while the diet required for a CF patient is much different than what’s recommended for a healthy person, it was crazy informative! your nutrition effects pretty much every aspect of your life, your quality of life & even how long you’ll be able to enjoy life. i met so many amazing people (nutritionists, dieticians & fellow researchers), which made me even more hyped up for TFN & i can’t wait to one day work in a clinical nutritional setting.

ANYWAY! enough of the tangents… you’re here for music, so let’s get cracking! to us, music evokes an emotion. a memory. a feeling. therefore, some songs we suggest may work for us, but not for you. a certain song may have been on repeat during a specific part of our lives, so it holds a much deeper & stronger meaning to us & in return, it pushes us to push ourselves to run that extra mile. today, we’re suggesting a remix of a song that our dance studio (Studio 19 Dance Complex) has used over the past year at competitions across the country. not only is the routine alone simply breathtaking, the song haunts you & the two of them together makes the hair on your arms stand on end (we DEFINITELY suggest you watch the dance here). we love the song alone, but it doesn’t really get your blood pumping to get those legs moving. but luckily, thanks to the chainsmokers, they’ve remixed the song & it’s now at the top of our “run like the wind” playlist. so, let’s take a listen & let it take you away!


keep studying, perky pupils!
xx TFNHQ

music monday, the first.

hello nerds & happy monday!! we know, we know... "happy" & "monday" usually aren't used in the same sentence, but we hope this post changes that at least for today!

we spent a majority of this weekend updating our running playlist & that means good news for you! growing up as dancers, we're pretty much obsessed with music. the fact that your mood can be instantly switched from bad to amazing or from bored to nostalgic by the first notes of a song is pretty powerful. with that being said, we thought it'd be a great idea to start up MusicMonday! every monday we'll post one of our fave songs that will get your booty shaking to help you get through that final mile. not a runner? don't worry...these songs will also work for that killer last rep or final stretch of lunges.

this week's inspiration comes from the amazing sister duo of tegan & sara with a little help from david guetta. with more of a club feel, "every chance we get, we run" will no doubt reach down deep inside you & give you that extra push! & if that doesn't work...just hearing them singing about running should get those legs moving ;)



now we know this song has been out for a while (our bad!) but we hope that doesn't deter you from adding it to your playlist & giving it a shot! we promise to give you a little taste of old, current & classic favorites as we move forward with our recommendations.

now, lace up & get out there!
xx TFNHQ

have a favorite song you love to workout to? feel like sharing? send your suggestions to us at fitnessnerds@gmail.com for the chance to be featured on MusicMonday! we always love discovering new music, so send away!!

2-ingredient pancakes.

french toast. waffles. pancakes. omelets. eggs. bagels. bacon. sausage. home fries. jelly. toast. blintzes.

mmmmmmmmm......

if your tummy just rumbled after reading those words, don't worry. you're not alone! all of these amazing foods are joined together by one word that excites every fiber of our beings & that word is: brekkie.

brekkie
Pronunciation: /ˈbrɛki/
(also brekky)
[noun]
breakfast.

okay, so maybe that was a little overkill, but we like to be thorough in our posts. anyway, the point is that TFN are obsessed with brekkie & absolutely love to start our days off right. we have limited time during the week, so we stick to our oats & fruits, but the weekends are our chances to take our time to splurge a bit & brekkie is our favorite chance to do that! while we love our occasional trips to our favorite pancake houses, we'd much rather be in charge of what goes on our plates. we've been seeing something called "2-ingredient pancakes" for a while now & we've never taken the plunge to try them out...until now. the verdict is in & we're saying...YUMMY! they've definitely lived up to the hype! while normal pancakes contain lots of "empty calories", these 2-ingredient pancakes satisfy your hunger & fill you up with a much smaller quantity! so...here you go!

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2-ingredient pancakes.
Ingredients:
- one ripe banana
- 2 eggs

if that isn't the easiest shopping list, then i don't know what is! all you do is mash up the ripe banana well & then whisk in the 2 eggs. spray a tiny bit of nonstick spray on your pan, throw on the pancakes & voilà! you're done!

but okay. we may have lied to you just a little....like, just the tiniest little bit. we actually use double the number of ingredients....oops! in our usual, old bisquick pancakes, we'd also throw in some cinnamon & vanilla (or almond) extract, so we continued this tradition in our two-ingredient pancakes! it adds a little bit of amazing flavor :) LASTLY...if you're feeling like you really wanna spice things up (like we were this morning),  throw in a little chocolate Shakeology  to make chocolate pancakes! not only does it add a bit of added superfood nutrients, it helps hold together the ingredients a little while you flip. we're thinking of trying vanilla Shakeo next time ;)

we always top our pancakes off with some fresh fruit & a little bit of pure honey. we promise they'll be a special treat & paired with your morning espresso, you're bound to have a good day :)

so...head on over to your local market for those truly free-range eggs, let those bananas go one day longer & happy brunching! let us know how they go or how you switch up the recipe!

keep studying!
xx TFNHQ

the nerds are getting schooled.

do you smell that?

***awkward silence***

anyway....what we're talking about is the scent of newly sharpened pencils & fresh paper. well, actually no one uses wooden pencils anymore, so it might just be our imaginations, but do you know what this means?! it's back-to-school-time, nerds! while the little kiddies are buying new plastic backpacks, picking out their favorite character's lunch boxes & convincing their parents that they just have to buy that 1-Direction glitter pencil case with matching eraser, TheFitnessNerds aren't just sitting back anymore. no no...it's quite the opposite! the nerds are getting schooled :)

it's finally official & while we can't quit our day job (just yet), we've decided to do what we can & take a course to help move our dreams along & in the meantime, it helps out all of our readers! (that's you!) we signed up for a human nutrition course & as we learn more about what we need to sustain a healthful living, we'll be helping you learn too! we know you all have busy lives & can't even imagine taking more time out of your schedules to learn the ins & outs of nutrition, so that's why we're here! we'll bring you some important (tofu) knuggets of knowledge (yes...knuggets) that will help you make more informed decisions about what fills your plates.

but don't worry! this class won't take away our special bonding time. in fact, we're so excited about this course that you can expect more frequent posts. i know...that makes you pretty darn excited ;)

thanks for joining us in our elation & we'll be posting soon! class started yesterday & we can't wait to share some of what we've learned so far! wish us luck :D

keep studying & we will too!
xx TFNHQ

game-time granola.

do you get nervous the day before you’re going to a sporting event because you’re already having nightmares of the calories that are seeping out of those cheese-covered nachos or the french fries topped with buffalo wings (yes. that is a real thing…)? but if that’s what you’re nervous about, fear no more! (unless you're worried about getting hit with a flying ball or puck. sorry. can't help you there...) we recently went to a baseball game (goooo pirates!) & made sure to stock up on healthy, yet filling, snacks to get us through! the big hit was our homemade granola, which can be adjusted so it’s just the way you like it! there’s minimal prep work & it makes enough to last the whole game, even with extra innings!! this recipe came courtesy of the daring gourmet! she gave us all the details & left out any vegetable oils & refined sugars ;) check it out below!

Healthy Homemade Granola
Makes 6 cups

Ingredients

•   4 cups raw oats (not quick or instant)

•   ¾ cup unsweetened dried flaked coconut

•   ⅓ cup chopped or sliced almonds

•   3 tablespoons sunflower seeds (unsalted)

•   1 tablespoon flax seeds

•   1 tablespoon sesame seeds

•   ⅓ cup raw honey

•   3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

•   ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

•   1 cup assorted dried fruit, like apricots, raisins, cranberries, cherries, pineapple, dates, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut flakes, nuts and seeds and stir to combine.

3. Place the honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and remove from heat. Stir in almond extract if using.

4. Pour honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir until coated.

5. Spread the granola out on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.

6. Let the granola cool completely then add the dried fruits and stir to combine.

Store in an airtight container. Keeps for about a week. Serve with milk and fresh berries if desired.

well…that’s it! you can pick whichever dried fruits you want, but if you’re choosing store-bought, be sure to make choices with minimal added/refined sugar!

we hope you enjoy this recipe & we promise you’ll need to keep making more, since it’ll go faster than you can say “raise the jolly roger!!!”

stay tuned for the recipe for our tailgating chickpea salad we made for the pregame! it's a gorgeous dish & again, super easy to make!

keep studying :)
xx TFNHQ

motivate your mornings.

it’s 6:01 in the morning & you’re awoken from your dream-evoking slumber by a noise that you can’t quite place. it rattles your brain & shakes any remaining ocean views from your thoughts. your beach towel turns into a smooth pillow & the sun on your back is replaced by your hello kitty comforter. i mean, your more grownup-styled comforter… :-\ anywho… that sound persists & you still can’t figure out why no one else has stopped it until you roll over & realize it’s your very own alarm blaring in your ear. what day is it? & why did you ever, in your right mind, set that to go off? & so early? you reach over & without thinking, press the snooze button. this happens again & again & before you know it, you’re jumping out of bed & into your clothes in order to make it out the door on time! another day starts exactly the same as every other morning. your “intentions’ to wake up & workout are long forgotten & you’re neck-deep in work troubles at only 10am.

does this sound familiar? we swear this could’ve been our journal entry every morning for the past year! but you know what? one day we decided that this wasn’t good enough for us & wasn’t what we wanted out of life. if we started out the morning already running around & stressed, how would we possibly calm down throughout the rest of the day? but easier said than done, isn’t it? that’s why we were determined to make our mornings motivational!

-- but how can you do this? is this real, or are you just forcing us into another alliteration?

while we are fans of a properly placed alliteration, this is more than just that! if you make your mornings motivational, your day will become exponentially more productive & enjoyable. so what does this mean to us at TFNHQ? for me, i decided to switch my phone’s lock screen to a motivational picture that i'll see every time i go to press that snooze button. if i can read that quote & still go back to sleep, i'll know i'm not serious yet about changing my life. if you’re one of those who wouldn’t even see the screen because you press snooze with closed eyes, then choose a song as your alarm that gets your heart pumping & your mind thinking about all the possibilities you have ahead of you that can only occur if you get your behind out of that bed!! if that STILL doesn’t work for you, then take the most brutal approach & put that bloody phone on the opposite side of the room so you need to get out of bed in order to press snooze! & if you’re already out of bed, why not stay up?

the moral of this post is: get up & get going! from my personal experience, i know i'm 99.9% more likely to get something done (whether it’s a workout, packing, reading or responding to emails) if i set aside some time in the morning to get it done. if i just wake up & say “i'll fit it in later”, i get busy, tired & put it off to the next morning, where it’s likely to get pushed off again for another day! so why have that hanging over your head all day? i'd rather spend the rest of my day thinking back on how i kicked butt in my morning run or how the chapter of the book i read that morning can help me reach my dreams. i feel so much better after actually accomplishing something so early in the day & those post-workout endorphins don’t hurt either ;) so now we’re asking: how can YOU motivate YOUR mornings? will you dance your way to the kitchen to make your breakfast? write yourself a note on the mirror to get you ready to bring on the day? or will you one day be so committed that you wake up on your own to get those tasks done? whichever way you choose, keep it consistent & don’t let yourself get bored with it! mix up those mornings & you’ll be surprised at how much you get done throughout your day :)

keep studying, nerds! we’ve missed you!
xx TFNHQ