The Thumbs-Up Jacket by 4allbyJoFit is the coolest jacket ever! I am absolutely in love with it. Here is the buzz:

The Thumbs-Up Jacket is a long sleeve jacket that is slightly heavier than the Jo-Wind Shirt. The fabric is different in that the Thumbs-Up Jacket is 87% Polyester and 13% Spandex Heavyweight Jersey. Meanwhile the Jo-Wind shirt is 92% Polyester and 8% Spandex Jo-Dry Jersey. So the Thumbs-Up Jacket provides more weather protection, in my opinion. But that’s not the coolest part. The coolest part is that if you are like me and like to pull your hands into your sleeves, there is a little thumb-hole to keep the sleeves in place.

This thumb-hole is perfect for active women, who want to play sports in cooler weather and don’t want their sleeves to run up their arms. So tennis, golf, running, etc. But it is also for women who have an active lifestyle and like to boat or jet ski. That’s both my mom and my sister – and they have to wear jackets when it gets cool on the water as they speed a long, but the thumbs-up jacket by 4allbyjofit will keep them comfortable out on the sea. And it’s also great for moms who are busy lifting kids in and out of cars, running to and from playdates, busy putting grocery bags in and out of the car, etc. That little thumb-hole will keep the sleeves in place, so you can keep your mind on the task at hand.

The Thumbs-Up Jacket has gone to the beach with my during the summer and I am anxious to get more use out of it once the weather cools down in winter. I think 4allbyjofit was completely forward thinking in this piece, ahead of the curve. And I can’t wait to see what they come out with next!

The Thumbs-Up Jacket is available in black, dark grey, navy, taupe and white. I am usually a small in this line of apparel, but I chose a medium in this case since I like to have extra room with jackets for comfort reasons. The jacket retails for $98 and is simply a must-have! It also makes a great gift idea!

Use “MORE50” at checkout for free ground shipping on orders over $50. Valid thru 8/7/11.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz received samples of the items listed above.

The weather is BEAUTIFUL here in the south. Without a doubt, it’s turned into Bikini Weather already! But, like most moms, my body has been through A LOT after giving birth to two boys. One of the biggest reasons I started this journey of  The Mom Buff was to perk up my butt and decrease belly rolls caused by loose skin. I am STILL not where I want to be – but who ever is 100% happy – right? But I am satisfied enough to pull out my Venus Swimwear in the upcoming months.

Now one of the most common questions I get is “WHAT ARE YOU EATING?” And people also want to know if I eat differently than the rest of my family. Yes and no. And it’s not that I am making hideous meals for myself, it’s really that my boys are picky. So I will make a meal for them that I think they will eat. And I eat more grown-up. But we are working on getting them to eat better meals with lots of colored veggies and meat that is not from a bag. “Damn you chicken fingers!!!!”

Anyways – I also do depend on supplements to get me through my day. So that’s a “decent cheat” to get you through it too. Here is my sample meal from the day before I took these photos.

BREAKFAST: Whey Protein (chocolate) mixed with water

10 am Meal: 1 whole egg, 2 servings egg whites scrambled with green onion and brown rice with some soy sauce.

Noon: 1 small can of tuna mixed with relish, banana peppers, dijon mustard, tomatoes and 1/2 a small potato.

2:30pm Meal: 2 Boiled Eggs

Dinner: Brown rice, broccoli and roasted chicken

8:00 Drink: Whey Protein (chocolate) mixed with water

I ran out of tangerines, otherwise I probably would have eaten like 5 of them. I loooove tangerines.

Now here are my most recent pics. I swear I am not day-glo. LOL. I was playing with settings on my photo editing software. Now there is not too much change, but I do see a sweep in my legs. I would like it to be more pronounced.

Any thoughts or questions – just leave a comment below!

This is a peek in the life of Erin T.

Back in December I buzzed about my fitness inspiration, as part of a submission to become part of Team4all. Team4all is a team of women with different fitness backgrounds, whether they are marathon runners, tennis fanatics, knowledgable about nutrition, or simply want to become more fit. The one thing they have in common is a passion for fitness and they (we!) were chosen to help spread the word about chic women’s fitness apparel! The company we are buzzing about if 4allbyJoFit.

I am now stalking their sites and Twitter – and you can too! Here is the fab team of women:

• Kim from Tennis Fixation – tweet her @TennisFixation
• Morgan from Life After Bagels – tweet her @LifeAfterBagels
• Kirsten from Kirsten’s Awesome Quest – tweet her at @kirsten_lewis
• Mariana from The Domestic Buzz – tweet her @ohmariana
• Sharon & Jane from Mom Generations – tweet them @sharoncouto and @janecouto
• Marcia from Mom.Wife.Fitness.Life – tweet her @MarciaGrajewski
• Krista from KrisTastes – tweet her @KrisTastes
• Tina from Faith Fitness Fun – tweet her @TinaFFF
• Karen from RunKdubRun – tweet her @runkdubrun
• You already know me – ERIN from theMomBuzz – but if you want you can follow me on Twitter @themombuzz
• And you might also want to follow the Women’s Apparel company 4AllByJoFit on Twitter.

V-Neck Top

As part of a welcome kit, I was surprised with some great new fitness duds. After trying them on, I can share my immediate thoughts with you! 4All apparel is designed with women in mind. You can currently shop by Tennis, Golf and Fitness. Although I am not a tennis or golf player, I understand that those clothes have to meet certain styles to play, either according to the rules and/or simply for ease-of-play. For example, the golf shirts are collared and some of the tennis skirts have ball pockets.

I concentrate on strength training and some aerobics, so I am mostly eying the Fitness Apparel. They sent me three pieces to try. One was a Knit Capri, available in 5 shades. Normally I wear a medium (size 6) in fitness apparel, due to the tight, slim fit. But4all is more generously sized for women with hips. So if you are a 6 or smaller, go with the size small. A medium had about an inch too much material, making it fall too low on my hips. If you are an 8 or 10, I can confidently say the medium should be good. Such a shame, because I loved the soft material! It would have been great for Zumba.

The Knit Capri has a 3-inch waistband, on-seam pockets and an invisible zipper to keeping essential items carefully stowed away. The center-fold crease-stitch naturally lengthens the legs and the 4all signature back patch pockets add to the style.

Jo Wind Shirt

I also received the Georgia Classic V-Neck Tank in Peony, which is pinkish. The medium was very flowy on me, which is good on days that I feel less-than-slim. The V-Neck Tank was very comfortable to work out in, even as I bent over to do kickbacks. It didn’t show too much cleavage as I faced the mirror. And the moisture-wicking, breathable fabric was a must-have during my sweat-a-thon during Zumba. The fabric is 92% Polyester and 8% Spandex Jo-Dry Jersey, so if you get a more form-fitting size, it will still easily move with you.

Finally, they sent a Jo-Wind Shirt. This would be great for beach activities, like wave-running which can get you quite chilly as the wind blows and water sprays. I received it in Medium, which is perfect for wearing over my other fitness apparel. I am using it to wear on walks to and from the gym, when I otherwise might get too cold. The zipper lets more air in or less, as needed. And the moisture wicking and quick dry Jo-Dry Jersey material is essential after a hard work-out.

So my first impression is that I am beyond happy to be paired with With 4All by Jo Fit, delivering fitness apparel that will keep you looking fabulous and fit, as you kick-butt in any sport.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. The Mom Buzz is a #team4all blogger. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products!

Surprise!

Okay, so I loving the new gym. The equipment rocks and I started doing cardio again, since I am in love with Zumba. I am still getting a feel for the new equipment, so I feel like I haven’t made some gains as I try to get used to things again. I know, Dumb Bells are Dumb Bells – but they are DIFFERENT dumb bells to me. They just feel different… but I figure that this month I’ll be back to my old pump-sweat-and-ignore-the-crowd self.

I took some photos about two weeks ago and finally got them up for you to see. I am still shocked by how far I’ve come on this journey, but the gains have definitely slowed. I think now it’s about tweaking my diet and routine.

Speaking of diet, if you haven’t read it yet – read my article YOUR STARVING YOURSELF for a quick meal schedule. I think that’s one of the most confusing thing for people wanting to get fit, is they cut their diet too drastically.

Now for photos. I’ve been watching my diet more closely and starting drinking my protein shakes with water instead of milk. Here are the links you can visit to compare these recent ones to the previous set, as well as the beginning set.

JANUARY 17, 2011 PHOTOS

ERIN 2009 – 2010

:drumroll please:

Any questions – just ask!

Surprise!

I was reading a magazine the other day and it stated that most women are starving themselves, thus slowing down their metabolism, causing their bodies to eat away at muscle and store fat. If you eat the proper foods throughout the day (6 times is optimal), your body won’t think its going to starve, will burn fat and build muscle, and you’ll be less likely to binge eat.

Someone once asked me what my trick was to staying in shape. Although I still feel I have a ways to go to get the body I want, I do have the foundation to get there. You won’t get there by diet or exercise alone – you have to combine the two … and add in a good night’s sleep, too! But let’s tackle food first.

I’ve been there, so I know what many of you do. Maybe you skip breakfast and don’t eat until lunch. Or maybe you eat oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, a chicken dinner and still can’t shake off those rolls. Well, your body thinks it’s starving, so it is going to do everything it can to hang on to it’s fat by slowing your metabolism. If you eat every 3 hours, healthy options, your body will realize it’s NOT starving, speeding up your metabolism.

But obviously, that does not mean you can eat chocolate doughnuts every 3 hours – because that is not the food your body needs to thrive. What it wants is a nice balance of protein and healthy carbs. I’ve read so much of how much protein a person needs, and personally decided an easy, good rule of thumb to getting a sleek body is a gram of protein for every pound of weight. Men need a little more, totally sedentary women less. But if you wanted to be sedentary, I imagine you wouldn’t be reading this. I would probably suggest 4 ounce servings of meat per meal (tuna, chicken, turkey) or 1 egg scrambled with 1/3 cup of egg whites.

That said, here is a sample diet of what I eat as a mom throughout the day.

Meal 1 (7 am) – Protein Shake (Chocolate – yum!) either with milk or water
Meal 2 (9:30am) – 1/4 cup of oatmeal and scrambled eggs (1 whole egg, 1/3 egg whites)
Meal 3 (12:00) – 4 ounces of chicken and 2 tangerines
Meal 4 (2:30pm) - 6 ounces of tuna, relish, a tbsp of mayonnaise, broccoli
Meal 5 (5:00pm) – 4 ounces of turkey meatballs, sweet potato (without all the butter – use spices and truvia to sweeten)
Meal 6 (Between 7 and 9) – Protein Shake

On Saturdays (okay and sometimes Friday night) I cheat. I don’t go CRAZY. But Friday night I might have a few cookies. And Saturday morning I get some Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee and Donuts with the family. YUM!  Then I try to eat smart again.

Don’t feel bad if you fall into an unscheduled cheat – just move on and eat well the rest of the time. I find the more I dwell on the cheat, the more I want to keep cheating. But you’ll find once you eat cleaner, the easier it is to keep doing it!

Oh – and here is my secret cheat – Oranges. Whenever I want something sweet and filling at an unscheduled moment, I grab an orange or tangerine. So far, so good! I think oranges, although sweet, are a negative calorie food since they take more calories to digest than they contain.

Any questions – just ask!

Many moms feel they don’t have the time to exercise. But remember, you have to make time for a healthier you! And there are ways you can improve your body at home, so you can forgo the gym membership.

If you haven’t seen it yet, a few months ago I provided you with a list of exercises you can do at home using just your body weight. If you want to check them out, visit here:

Body Weight Exercises

But I left one of my favorites off the list – DIPS, which work the TRICEPS to make really shapely, beautiful arms. I love Dips! They are so FUN!

I do them at the gym with a bench, but you can do them at home on a step or chair. All you have to do is have a secure place to balance your weight. So choose your chair/step. Sit on it and grip the edge (closest to your knees, not behind your butt). You can balance your heels on another chair or on the floor. Lift your weight up onto you arms, elbows slightly bent, and move your butt forward to get it off the chair/step. Then you bend your elbows to 90 degrees lowering yourself. Then raise yourself up again. Try to do this 10 times (10 reps) and do the 10 reps 4 times, taking a break between each set.

Here is an example – just make sure your butt does not touch the floor!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences . And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products!

I love when friends and family give me the “you go girl” comments as I work to get myself in peak condition. Honestly, that really motivates me into continuing my journey. With the New Year I had a HUGE feeling that I would be able to accomplish my goal of competing in a figure competition … but then just the third week in I lost my mojo. It was as is I finally ran out of steam after 18 months of proper eating and exercise.

I can’t exactly say what happened, other than I seemed to hit a wall. I wasn’t increasing muscle density or decreasing fat, so although I knew I looked healthy and fit at 32, I just couldn’t reach my goal at this rate. Even the fancy new 24/7 gym i joined with its sleek leg press, modern rugs and decor, and Zumba classes weren’t shaking me out of this doom and gloom attitude that maybe I just couldn’t do it.

So it turns out my husband gave me what I really needed. A chance to meet, train with and get tips from the 2010 Olympia Figure Champion Erin Stern. First off, she is gorgeous! She is so fit, I would love to achieve that slim waist and toned quads. And second, from everything I read and she is totally personable.

I have this huge fear that I won’t be able to TALK in front of her. But fitness is not about talk – it’s about lifting, jumping and sweating! Already I feel pumped that I CAN do this and I CAN stand in front of an audience, especially with some pro help and the support of my husband.

I am POSITIVE I will learn new things from her and I am hoping some of her IFBB Pro-ness will just rub off on me! I’m meeting with her in February, so I’ll provide some feedback at that point. In the meantime, if you really want to see what a fit women looks like – visit erinstern.com!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. The Mom Buzz was not compensated for this buzz. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products!

Okay, so I quit my old 24/7 gym because it didn’t have a leg press and it was driving me bonkers since my quads have remained my weakest point. I am now a member of a new, snazzy 24/7 gym – that has 2 different leg presses, 2 different leg curl machines and a lot more equipment to play with.

I also met up with one of the trainers, just to give me an idea of what I can do to improve. He decided I was probably an ectomorph, which means it can be a little tricky to put on and maintain muscle. But I find that hard to believe, since I don’t feel scrawny – and that’s how I imagine ectomorphs to be. Although, I’d probably look pretty tiny and unfit compared to Erin Stern or Nicole Lee Wilkins, some of the figure competitors I look up to. Anyways, that said he did a body fat test on me (16%) and weighed me in at 120 pounds. And then he told me some new things to try when I work out.

That said, some of you might be wondering what’s changed since I last did photos in September. Sad to say, not much. I caught a bad stomach bug in December and ended up puking out a good 10 pounds. I gained 6 back – but I am missing 4 pounds of muscle and it’s tough to get it back on my bones! But I’ll get there.

So if you want to see the OLD ME – go here: Compare Erin 2011 with Erin 2010

And here is the current me – I am not looking as defined as I like, which has me cranky. But I did the photos at night, so that might be part of it. Usually I do morning photos.

Now, I do have a few things to say. Last time I commented that my shoulders were sucking, but they are really starting to pop again. Triceps are looking mean, and biceps and back are coming along beautifully. I lost some quad definition from last time, but I think the new gym will help with that. And …. if I take pics in the morning my abs should look decent again. Haha!

Anyways, there are a few topics that I am going to touch on in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled. Some topics will include:

1. EAT MORE, YOU’RE STARVING YOURSELF!

and

2. LOVE YOUR BODY!

I just need to sit down and type them, but they are on the schedule for February!

And of course, I am always taking comments and questions to help y’all on your fitness journey, as well!

Happy Buzzing!

Erin T.

124 Pounds (up 18 pounds since July 2009)

What or who inspired you to start a fitness/sports routine and how are you planning to gain power in the New Year?

I’ve always gone to the gym, usually sticking to the elliptical for my workout. But after watching my husband compete in a bodybuilding contest in 2009, I was incredibly impressed at how the men transformed themselves for the stage. So my husband created a diet and strength training routine for me. From there I read lots of  magazines, Muscle & Fitness HERS being one of my favorites, taking tips from there on how to keep my routine fresh as I trained legs, biceps, triceps, abs, glutes and shoulders.

Since I am training for figure, not bodybuilding, I needed Figure role models like Nicole Lee-Wilkins to look up to. For Figure, women competitors train hard to build muscle, but they also still keep a more feminine form on stage than women bodybuilders.

I plan to gain power for 2011 so that I can finally compete! I wanted to compete September 2010, but my quads weren’t where I wanted to be. But there is a new gym opening near me that should have the leg press I’ve been vying for – to build mass in those stubborn quads! And my husband is going to revamp my diet, which is going to be exciting. So yes, I’ll gain power by continuously changing up my routine, increasing the weights I use and sticking to a diet with balanced protein and carbs!

I always felt that along with diet and exercise, dressing right for the gym is an important part of the routine. My favorite apparel includes compression shorts that are form fitting, to keep anyone from looking up my shorts during leg raises! And a good sports bra to keep everything properly covered when leaning forward to do dumbbell rows and kickbacks. Everything I wear can’t be too tight or too loose, although sometimes I throw on a white or colored tank over my sports bras.

As part of this submission for Team 4all, I did take the time to visit 4allbyjofit.com – although I admit I just enjoyed the topic overall. I thought I’d share my favorite pieces on 4allbyjofit.com, though:

the Classic Knit Capri: I love it in black, which is always slimming – and you won’t be afraid to get on the floor for some crunches in that dark color! The length is comfortable for the gym – you won’t be too cold or too hot, hopefully. And it also a good length to keep your toosh covered during leg raises or any bench exercises. The last thing you want is to be self-conscious at the gym, when you need to give your all to the exercise at hand.

the Classic V-Neck Tank: This would be my top pick for a top. Of the four colors, pink (beetroot) is my fave. I love a nice bright color to keep me energized. Tanks are the best, since you can really work up a sweat with free weights. Tanks also help you check out your muscles as they grow and become more defined.

And visit here to see progress pictures from the beginning to the most current: Strong is the New Skinny

So, it’s been a while since I update The Mom Buff series. I am now 18 pounds … heavier. I am still fighting everything that was instilled in me growing up, that gaining weight as a woman is negative and that the oh-so skinny models in the magazine are what we should strive to look like. If anything, I want girls growing up to look towards fitness models and athletes as having the ideal body – a body that is strong, fit and healthy. In fact, I read somewhere the other day that Strong is the New Skinny – and I’ve decided to adopt that as my mantra.

So here we go. In my last Mom Buff post (Mom Buff in April) I had gained 15 pounds. Now I am around 18 pounds above the weight where I started. My clothes are still loose, muscles are popping up and I am getting compliments from my fellow gym-goers. And to help women realize that gaining weight at the gym is not a BAD THING, here are the pictures to prove it. Keep in mind, muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space on your body. It keeps your body toned instead of flabby.

I started out at 106 pounds last July. 9 months later I was 121 pounds. And now 14 months after I started this journey I am now 124. I remain at a healthy weight for my size. And here you can see the progression from 106 to 121 to 124 pounds as muscle is gained.

Pre-Workout - July 2009 - 106 pounds

Here are the updated pictures of me taken in March 2010, 121 pounds:

March 2010 Photos, 9 months of working out. 121 Pounds.

September 2010. 124 pounds. Thicker Quads - that's good!

Weight continues to go up, but the result is rockin’. I am glad I took these updated pictures, because I realize I need to work on my shoulders more again. But my Triceps are getting thicker for shapely arms and my legs are really starting to pop! Love it!

I skipped doing the contest this month, because I still wasn’t where I wanted to be with muscle mass. I am looking to gain 5 more pounds of muscle and still want more definition in shoulders, biceps and quads.

Questions and comments welcome, as always!