When Andrea Metcalf invited me to a week of Naked Fitness, I froze in my tracks. My answer, unequivocally NO, I shrieked!  The HORROR!  I don’t look at myself naked, why would I subject anyone else to such a sight, I laughed uncontrollably.

Well Naked Fitness isn’t about taking your clothes off after all. It’s about stripping away the excuses and looking in the mirror (fully clothed I might add) and seeing what is really there!

What an opportunity lie in front of me, a week in Chicago, with renowned fitness expert and author Andrea Metcalf.  AND, I could keep my clothes on!

The week was a whirlwind and I was a sponge. I learned so many amazing things, was introduced to some fabulous products, and challenged myself to try things I never thought I could or would do. Here’s my week in review:

The schedule for the week was jammed packed with no shortage activities or opportunity to learn something new.

The Hotel Arista at  CityGate Centre where it’s “Not just green, it gorgeous.”  It’s always a pleasure to stay in a hotel that is not only cognizant of its guests but the environment as well. It is also home to Olympus Executive Fitness Center which among all the usual workout equipment features Power Plates which stimulate the body’s natural response to vibration, transmitting waves of energy throughout the body, activating muscle contractions between 25 and 50 times per second, enhancing overall performance in sessions as short as 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

I worked up a wicked sweat on the EA SPORTS Active interactive fitness program. It proved to be a challenging workout. EA SPORTS Active tracks your movement on screen, giving real time feedback on your workout.

We visited McDonalds Corporate Headquarters where we had a one on one with their Test Kitchen Chef & Dietitian where we got a sneak peak and tastetested of one of McDonalds newest “health conscious“ breakfast creations not yet rolled out to the public.

Who Knew? At Sears, you’ll find a wide variety of exercise equipment – everything from ellipticals to free weights – to work with any fitness plan. Andrea suggested a great treadmill workout by running forward, backward and sideways. It certainly takes the monotony of out of the traditional treadmill workout, literally keeping you on your toes!

Kenmore ain’t your mama’s appliances anymore!  They are sleek, modern and gorgeous! We saw them at the Kenmore Studios Live in Chicago where they host all kinds of fabulous demonstrations. Not to be missed if you’re in the area.

What you put in your body is something I tend to not think a lot about yet I should. I learned some very fascinating facts during Naked Fitness week:

Beans and garlic among list of foods to prevent cancer.

Cherries are good for inflammation.

Incorporating calcium into your diet is one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis.

Chocolate milk can be better for you than most sports drinks.

Who knew? An Associated Press study found pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics, anticonvulsants, mood stabilizers, sex hormones) have been detected in the drinking water of at least 41 million people in 24 major American metropolitan areas. 3m Clean Water Solutions

Andrea Metcalf offers practical advise that you can incorporate in to your everyday living.  She’s inspired me to look at myself with an honest and pragmatic eye.  Her book, Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Weight Loss Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body is filled with resources, tools and solutions.

Andrea is a regular contributor to MORE, Self and Women’s World among other magazines and is a regular blogger on Oprah.com. She appears regularly on The Today Show, Good Morning America Health, NBC5 in Chicago and the syndicated Better TV.  She is the National Spokesperson for Sketchers Shape-Ups,  Elations, Sears, The American Heart Association and more.