Recap: Fitness Magazine Blogger Meet and Tweet 2014 #FitBlogNYC

On October 16th, I attended the annual Fitness Magazine Blogger Meet and Tweet at the Mercedes Club in NYC. Fitness Magazine Editor-in-Chief Betty Wong kicked off the morning welcome to attendees, followed by speaker sessions on The New Formula For Fitness Success with Holly Rilinger, moderated by Fitness Deputy Editor Mary Anderson, CrossFit, Mud Runs, Marathons! How to Stay Healthy in a Hard-Core World with Marci A. Goolsby, MD, moderated by Fitness Senior Editor Lisa Haney, and Eat Healthy in a Healthier, Live Happier: Game Changing Cooking Secrets with Carla Hall, moderated by Fitness Executive Editor Pam O'Brien.

After the speaker sessions attendees enjoyed lunch and met with event sponsors including Eddie Bauer, Hoka One One, Dermalogica, Tria, Tonalin, Balance Bar, Pure Protein, Luna and Oster Versa. 

After lunch and sponsor meet and greets, there was a panel discussion on My Digital Brand is My Business with Lisa Elaine Held, Bianca Jade, Anne Mauney, RD, and Laura Sykora, moderated by Fitness Digital Director Amanda Wolfe. The day ended with a run sponsored by Hoka One One and an amazing gift bag from event sponsors. Thank you Fitness Magazine for hosting another fun and fabulous Blogger Meet and Tweet!

Eddie Bauer introduced their Incendiary long-sleeve crew and 1/4 zip baselayers, shoes and down vests from the current fall collection. The baselayers are perfect for going cold-weather activities from running to hiking.

Hoka One One showcased their running shoes, which was my first introduction to the brand. Their shoes seem lightweight and incredibly cushioned, so I can't wait to test them out.

It's always great to see Dermalogica! They were showcasing their skin hydrating booster, protection 50 sport spf50 and after sun repair. One of their latest products that caught my eye was the redness relief primer spf20.

I've heard so much about Tria but have never actually tried one of their hair removal devices yet. Luckily I won the Tria Laser Precision from tweeting during the event! It's designed specifically for the underarms, bikini line and other small, sensitive areas. 

  

Tonalin CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) softgels are taken twice a day to help promote fat reduction and increase lean muscle mass. This is another product I've never tried, but look forward to seeing how it works out. 

My new favorite energy bar - Balance Bar Sea Salt Caramel Nut!

Balance Bar Cookie Dough and Chocolate Mint Cookie Crunch

Pure Protein Bars - Dark Chocolate Coconut

Pure Protein Vanilla Cream Shake

Luna Bars in Lemon Vanilla

Oster Versa showcased their blenders and served up smoothies during lunch

Pear & Pineapple green smoothies blended by Oster Versa

Lunch was incredibly healthy and delicious, including Arugula salad with butternut squash, pumpkin seeds and pecorino, Quinoa with herbs, pomegranate, pickled red onion, cucumber and pecans, roasted vegetables, and Grilled chicken served with Salmoriglio (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano).

Baked spiced appleswith granola (dried coconut, flax seeds and sunflower seeds) and vanilla bean whipped cream for dessert

- Kim Weling

Fitness Blogger Meet and Tweet 2013 #FitBlogNYC

FITNESS Magazine hosted their second annual blogger Meet and Tweet #FitBlogNYC, on May 16th at The Mercedes Club at 550 West 54th Street, with seminars on Health, Beauty, Wellness and Diet and Nutrition. Bloggers also met with sponsors and previewed the latest products from Athleta, CamelBak, Crystal Light Liquid, Ford and the Fiesta Movement, Marmot, Reebok, Saucony, Smart Balance, Tonalin and Vichy. At the end of the day, bloggers participated in one of three work-out sessions - Athleta's mad cool cardio lead by Jennifer Turner, Saucony's power run or Reebok's yoga with Tara Stiles. I took the mad cool cardio class, with a great mix of pop, funk and R&B.

Meet and Tweet Seminars:

Celebrity makeup artist and Executive Director of Global Artistry, Stila Cosmetics, Sarah Lucero, took us through hottest beauty trends and pro makeup tricks to get us through the summer, like bringing an element of color to your face with a vibrant eye or neon lip, or brushing your brows up with clear brow gel to life your whole face up. 

Jennifer Ashton, M.D., ABC News Senior Medical Contributor, ob-gyn, triathlete and author of Your Body Beautiful: Clockstopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong and Sexy in Your 30s, 40s and Beyond gave advice on a holistic approach to heath. One major takeaway was to Google 'drug interaction' to make sure medication you are taking isn't conflicting with what you're eating. 

Influential bloggers Deb Perelman - Smitten Kitchen, Dana Weiss - Possessionista, Jill Hanner - Ford Fiesta Agent and Erin Whitehead - Fit Bottomed Girls shared their success stories and how they turned their passions into profit. Some advice given was to focus on original content and not worry about SEO, and don't say yes to everything. Manage your opportunities and make sure it is profitable or good for your brand. Also, don't worry about what everyone else is doing - find your own angle. 

Celebrity trainer Brett Hoebel, founder of Hoebel Fitness, featured trainer on The Biggest Loser season 11 and creator of RevAbs discussed how 20-minute workouts get the job done and that people work harder and more often on shorter workouts. 

Rocco DiSpirito, author of Now Eat This! Italian and star of Now Eat This! Italy web series reveals secret  ingredients for speedy, healthy meals and cooking tricks. Healthy ingredients include non-fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, parmigiano reggiano, aged balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. Dining advice included saying no to bread and ordering appetizers split-to-go. 

Here's a look at the Meet and Tweet #FitBlogNYC sponsors: 

Performance apparel from Athleta

Bloggers met with Saucony to get fitted in a pair of Kinvara 4 running shoes. The Kinvara 4 is lightweight and comfortable. I love the pops of color in their designs, especially the citron/black/pink color combination. 

Marmot is a brand of high-performance technical clothing, apparel and equipment. We got to learn more about Lead Now, a global tour inspiring people through rock climbing. 

Combined with a healthy diet and workout routine, Tonalin CLA helps reduce body fat up to 10% while increasing lean muscle mass.

Previewing the latest running shoes from Reebok, including the ZigCarbon and DMX Sky

Vichy showcased their Cellu Destock, which visibly reduces the appearance of cellulite in 4 weeks

Vichy Capital Soleil Lightweight Foaming Lotion Sunscreen, SPF 50

Zero-calorie Crystal Light Liquid. Flavor your water with Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Raspberry or Pomtini

Smart Balance provided protein-packed peanut butter balls to snack on, made with Smart Balance peanut butter. Smart Balance is also known for their butter, milk and popcorn. 

- Kim Weling