Author Archives: Janelle Romano

About Janelle Romano

Janelle Romano lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children. Janelle is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and has also received perinatal training from Healthy Moms. Janelle is owner of Muscular Mommies, LLC and currently teaches fitness classes in the Northern Virginia area. Janelle received her Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University and her Masters of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

Easter Basket Ambush

My mother-in-law was so sweet and sent the kids Easter baskets that arrived today. Who sends a one-year-old candy? It is just staring at me, as if to say, “I dare you.” I usually give up sweets for Lent, but not this year. I don’t have that extra excuse to keep me strong and withstand the urge to eat the goodies. I broke into the sour cherry gummies. Okay, I actually finished them off. What is wrong with me? I usually have more self-control. Maybe it is the rain that has not let up for the past two days. Yes, … Continue reading →

Should You Take a Spring Break from Fitness?

You didn’t really read this thinking I was going to suggest you take a break, did you? When I arrived to teach my fitness class this morning I learned that the facility had not scheduled classes due to Spring Break. That got me thinking, should we take a break? I do think it is important that you keep your routine fresh. Also, it is important to make sure that you don’t overtrain. I always suggest at least one day of rest and staggering days of resistance and cardio training. I don’t advise though, taking an actual break. Once you stop … Continue reading →

A Review of Tracy Anderson’s “Post- Pregnancy Workout ”

Tracy Anderson is a trainer to celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. I read about her success with her star clients and was very eager to try her “Post-Pregnancy Workout.” However, I have tried a lot of videos in my day, and was very skeptical about Anderson’s. Still, I only heard great things about her exercise method and decided to give it a try. Anderson combines dance aerobics (sold separately) with toning exercises (“Post-Pregnancy Workout”). She incorporates small weights (2-3 pounds) in an attempt to sculpt long lean muscles and to avoid the bulky look. I took dance as a … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Late Night Muncher

When do you cave into your food cravings? Do you race for snacks when you walk in the door, when you are bored or stressed? I am a late-night muncher. I remember in college, after a night out, I would always stop for pizza or grab a bag of chips at the store on the way home. Unfortunately, years later, little has changed, except now I have a few kids and fewer cocktails. I could easily consume two thirds of my calories after everyone else is in bed. I wish there was a late night munchers anonymous. We could talk … Continue reading →

Quitting Diet Soda

Would you like to lose five pounds? You may be able to do so by cutting back on your diet soda consumption. Now, I can’t guarantee you will see a huge drop in weight, but I think I probably lost about 5 pounds when I quit. I have read that some diet soda drinkers lose up to 15 pounds upon quitting. In addition to any weight loss that may or may not occur, you will be doing your body an enormous favor. I have had a love/hate relationship with diet soda for as long as I can remember. One of … Continue reading →

Spring Into Shape with Your Little Ones

I love this time of year, but honestly, the idea of bathing suit season quickly approaching is rather frightening. If you are like me and are looking to tone a few problem areas, here are a few fun activities for you: Plan a weekly walk for rainy days. Spring brings with it plenty of rain, so plan one trip a week to a local landmark or mall. We have a new water treatment plant by us. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but it is a huge hit with my 5-year-old son. It is never busy, and it keeps me … Continue reading →

The Great Fructose Debate

I love sugar. In fact, I think I could live on sugar alone. I am particularly fond of artificial sugar found in sweet treats, such as Twizzlers, Jelly Bellys, Sour Patch Kids and Hot Tamales. I am a considerably healthy individual and I know that sugar is not good for me, but I just can’t help myself. I try to rationalize it in my mind. I don’t smoke, or drink or have any other particularly destructive habits, so is sugar really that bad for me? My love of artificial sugar began as a little girl. One of my favorite traditions … Continue reading →

Working Out But Still Not Losing Weight?

Are you putting in extra time at the gym, but still not seeing the results you would like? I faced several questions recently regarding a study that came out about a possible correlation between exercise and weight gain. Clients begin working out and if they don’t lose weight immediately they get frustrated and give up. Here are a few tips which may help: 1. Don’t reward yourself with food. A client recently said, “I felt so much better eating an extra slice of pizza the other night because you worked us so hard in class.” Don’t get me wrong, I … Continue reading →

New Weight Loss Blogger Hopes to Change Her Odds

One in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. That is a scary statistic in and of itself. Now imagine that your mother was diagnosed at 48, and shortly after, died of breast cancer and that both of your grandmothers contracted and died from breast cancer. That’s my reality. As a result, I have become passionate about what is going into my body and maintaining optimal health. While only a limited number of breast cancers are hereditary, I still want to do everything I can to avoid the same fate, and … Continue reading →

Does “Fresh” Really Make a Difference?

Do you know where your food is coming from? Are you concerned? How far are you willing to go to get “fresh” food? These are some questions that my family and I are trying to answer. When I was a child, I remember my father telling me a story about a cow that he became “friends” with on their Indiana farm. He called his “pet” cow, Moses. One evening at dinner when my father was about 6 years old, he asked where Moses was, and my grandpa told him, “you’re looking at him.” Needless to say, things have changed quite … Continue reading →