Today was the most beautiful Fall day here in NC!  The weather was perfect, the leaves were falling, not a cloud in the sky!  And at 7am this morning, by 5K training started, at a very slow pace.

I enjoy running, for the most part, and "train" every year around this time but today was a bit harsh on my feet.  Definitely time for new sneakers, so off to the New Balance website to see what is new this year!  And look what I found??  Love these!  The 768's look awesome, loving the peach color, girlie but not too girlie..."Health Magazine's Best Running Shoe". 

SO, who's off to the mall tomorrow to buy new shoes, ME! 

...we wanted to leave you with a few other fabulous products and generous companies doing their part this month and every October to help fight the cancer that seems to affect us all!  We hope you enjoyed all our "Pink" posts this month, today will be the last day to comment on what you did to support Breast Cancer Awareness for a chance to win an Ann Veronica tote bag filled with goodies!  (Winner will be chosen tomorrow randomly from all our amazing entries this month!)

Having a party?  These pink Party in a Box kits from Foundation Studio are perfect for girls night out parties, breast cancer survivor events, girlie birthday parties, etc.  $10 from every purchase goes towards the ReThink Breast Cancer Foundation.  We have a girls get together every couple months, I may need to stock up on these!

Who doesn't like Hershey's Kisses? 

My kids go crazy over them, I GO CRAZY OVER THEM!  And with Halloween only a day away and as I droll while writing this post, I think I need to go out and buy a bag now!
For the fourth year in a row, Hershey turns pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and during this time, the iconic Hershey®’s Kisses® Brand Milk Chocolates, Hershey®’s Nuggets Chocolates, Hershey®’s Syrup, York® Peppermint Patties and Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures will feature pink packaging to showcase the company’s commitment to educating women.  (Found at retail stores nationwide)

And Finally...
...a limited edition alli Weight loss product with a pink carrying case!  alli is a proud sponsor of Breast Cancer Network of Strength. To show their commitment to supporting women's health, alli has made a donation of $150,000 in support of Network of Strength's efforts to provide emotional relief to people touched by breast cancer through its YourShoes™ 24/7 Support Center, which includes a hotline staffed by survivors, with interpretation in 150 languages.
If you or someone you know would like to speak with a survivor, please contact the Support Center by calling 1-800-221-2141. (alli products are sold in drug stores nationwide)

In preparation for my wedding, I have spent many hours in the gym, but I still hadn't achieved the sculpted arms I was looking for. Then I heard about One Hundred Push Ups.

I was intrigued. One hundred push ups is a LOT of push ups. There was no way I'd ever be able to do it, right?

Wrong.

One Hundred Push Ups is an easy to follow training program that teaches you how to build up to your push up goal.

By following the program, they claim anyone can do 100 push ups in six weeks. So I decided to give it a try.

The program is simple. Start by taking the initial test. How many real push ups can you do? Your results will put you in your training bracket and you're on your way.

Trust me, it's not as daunting as it seems. The program pushes you to your limits, but it feels great.

Yesterday I did 55. Fifty-five push ups! My arms may be sore, but my confidence feels great. Give it a try!

We all know that diet and exercise are an important part of reaching our weight goals, but let's be honest, diet food can get boring. Quick.

Funnymoods has a cure for that. Check out her list of diet-friend and tasty recipes.

The 2-point pizza looks good!

Ingredients:
1 Western Bagel The Alternative Bagel, Roasted Onion
1 wedge The Laughing Cow cheese, Light Garlic & Herb
2 tbsp. canned tomato sauce
salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder; to taste

Directions:
Slice bagel in half, and spread cheese wedge evenly over both halves. Season sauce to taste with salt, pepper and spices. Spread sauce over the cheese. Place bagel halves in the toaster oven and toast for about 5 minutes, until sauce is hot and bagel is crispy. (If you don’t have a toaster oven, you can pop ‘em in the oven at 450 degrees and cook until hot ‘n crispy.) If you like, season the tops as you would a regular slice. Now chew!

MAKES 1 SERVING

With one holiday down, I know I'm already feeling the weight (no pun intended) of extra calories hanging over my head. In order to not have to worry about additional pounds this season, I'm trying to balance my workouts with my consumption.

Women's Fitness had a great article on how to survive a healthy Thanksgiving. The tips are so good, I'm going to use them for the rest of the holidays!

Tips include:

- Drink lots of water

- Eat slowly

and

- Avoid finger foods.

Check out the article for more great tips.

I've mentioned already this month that it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But just because October is almost over, that doesn't mean the fight is.

You can help every day of the year. Visit the Breast Cancer Site to help fund FREE mammograms. All you have to do it click!

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has lots of ways you can help, including giving donations.

Some other great sites include the National Breast Cancer Foundation and BreastCancer.org.

Do your part today!

Loving fashion (especially shoes and bags) the way I do, I almost hate to talk about this topic: When Fashion Hurts. It's true, you know. Wearing high heels and carrying around big, heavy purses is slowly doing a number on our shoes, backs and necks.

That's Fit breaks down the cold hard truth. We're doing harm to our bodies all in the name of beauty.

"High heels, monster-sized purses, suntans...they may make you look like a star and in some cases even make you feel confident and happy, but are they doing your body any good? Most health experts say no. Even one day in high heels can do foot, leg, or back damage, when not done with care, and stuffing that huge designer bag to the gills is a surefire way to bring on neck and back pain. That expensive perfume? It could be full of chemicals like formaldehyde and propylene glycol."

But that doesn't mean you have to toss out your Jimmy Choo's any time soon. Don't wear heels every day, lighten the load in your purse and be aware of what your putting on your body.

For more tips, visit the That's Fit Fit Beauty page.

We're getting close to that time of year when food is all around us. The holidays are quickly approaching and I, like most women, worry about gaining (and subsequently having to lose) some extra pounds. What helps me is a motivational story. And I've got one for you.

Nicole at A Dumbbell in a Home Gym began her weight loss journey three years ago. In that time, she's lost almost 100 pounds and is still on her way to losing more.

Besides being inspirational, she's helpful. She describes the basic equipment she started with at home, letting us know that it doesn't take joining a gym to get healthy. And the best part is the wake up call she tells us loud and clear:

"As far as I'm concerned, exercise has been the most important factor in my weight loss. People don't always like to hear that, but sorry: you really do need to exercise. The good news is that it doesn't have to suck: start slowly, pick activities you like, and before you know it you'll be one of those types who gets twitchy if you *don't* work out."

She even shares her progress in photos!

Summer weather means summer clothes, and summer clothes means showing off your body. So for me, summer inspires me to get in shape. A gym membership helps me get there, but I don't really have the time or the money to spend on a personal trainer.

Which is why I like Real Women's Fitness. The site is regularly updated and offers advice from fitness experts. There's how-tos, articles and a list of top workout songs.

I don't know about you, but my problem area is my arms. If I gain weight, it goes right there. The Beginner Arm Toning Workout is a perfect place to learn the basic skills and once you're well informed, there's a slew of related posts to continue getting buff.

And be sure to check out the article on how to eat healthy at work. It has great reminders to help you through the day.

As a 20-something out of college and spending the majority of my day at a desk, I know how difficult it is to stay healthy and fit. While exercise is sort of a no-brainer for me, (I make myself get on that elliptical five days a week...gah!) eating healthy is more of a challenge.

I'm pretty good at figuring out balanced meals, but what about snacks? I don't want to plow my way through a bag of chips while sitting at my desk, but rice cakes aren't looking too appealing either. What can I eat that falls somewhere in between?

IateApie.net reviews healthy food and takes the guess work out of deciphering between one health food and another. Worried that energy water won't taste good? (Or won't be good for you?) Check I Ate A Pie. Here's what they're all about:

IateApie.net aims to provide reviews of foods commonly eaten by dieters, and that means people who want to lose weight, people with health problems who need to be careful about what they eat such as diabetics, and just about anybody that is aiming to make a lifestyle change and live a healthier life.

The site is run mostly by Tanya Taylor, a Food Science and Nutrition PhD graduate of Auburn University. This woman knows what she's talking about!

I'm loving the section called Diet Trash, where foods marketed as healthy are exposed for what they really are: calorie-filled trash! I was shocked to see something I drink all the time on the list.

And make sure to check out the sister site, intheGym.net. Banter, reviews and even playlists all under one roof! And if you leave a comment or subscribe to the RSS feed, you'll be automatically entered to win an iTunes gift certificate. Good health and good music? I'm sold!