How Do I Get the Most Out of My Workout?

Pre and Post-Workout

Want to hear something pretty cool? This past week, I had a fitness brand out of North Caroline hit me up to write a post about what I do before and after my workout to get the most out of it. As this was something I wanted to cover anyway, I was like, "well, why the hell not?" 

Disclaimer: If you know nothing about me, let's get acquainted. I am not a fitness expert. I am just a girl with anxiety that does a bit of research and really doesn't want to have to resort to medications. Nice to meet you. (:

Let's get back to the topic at hand. The brand? ETB Fit. As I said, they're based out of North Carolina, where they have a store full of high-quality fitness goodies. I've done a bit of perusing on the site, and, from what I'm seeing, they are all about not adding random things to your supplements. They state that all of their ingredients are listed on the packaging. No additives, no fillers, no junk. 

What you eat is important.

I have a very sedentary job, and all I hear all day is crunching. Chips, crackers, candy, etc. It's scary, guys, and it's a huge motivator. I don't want that. In fact, I hate sitting all day. So, to keep from munching all day, I have my meals and snacks on a schedule. Same time every day.

Now, keep in mind I get up at 4:30am throughout the week. Almost every morning for breakfast, I have a whole wheat tortilla with a small amount of cheese and an egg. It's my simple, go-to breakfast.  Breakfast is around 5:20-30am. I'll also either make an iced coffee or pick one up at Starbucks on my way to work. Sue me, it's the only not clean thing I can't give up. Around 8:30-9am, I'm getting hungry. So, I'll either have a banana or I pack a greek yogurt cup or some veggies and hummus; just something light. 10:30 is my lunch time. 

Now, I typically go to the gym straight from work. By 3pm, I'm changed and on my way to an elliptical. The problem is, I can't workout if I've just eaten, and I can't workout if I'm starving. I'm typically too preoccupied by my full/hungry belly. So, around 1-1:30, I'll have a protein bar. I've been in love with the Promax protein bars lately. No joke, check out my drawer:

They're soooo good. Clearly, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite. 7g fat, 37g carbs, and 20g protein. I could probably pick out a better one, but it's so good, ok?

You'll only get out of your workout what you put in.

If you're dreading your workout, chances are, it's not going to be a great workout. Same goes for if you're just tired. Which is where I am on a normal day by 2:30pm. I'm ready to lay in bed. Some days, I'll get lucky, and I'll be really motivated to get to the gym. Those are good days. On not so good days, I help myself out with some pre workout. Now, I'm currently using a "generic" (I guess) brand, because I was worried about how the pre workout would interact with my anxiety. Of course, the first time I used it, I was so worried about my heart rate getting too high that I triggered my own anxiety. However, with a few more uses, I realized I was fine. And it helps so much. Now that I know I won't stroke out after using it, I'm definitely into trying some new kinds. EBT's Uncaged 2.5 might be that next one, because it's fruit punch flavored. Yum. And again, no fillers, artificial colors, or dyes.

It's also a good idea to have some music going that keeps you motivated throughout your workout. I personally prefer hardcore music. Favorites? August Burns Red, blessthefall, We Came as Romans, Underoath. Anything with a pretty fast drum and some cymbal-crashes. It seriously helps when I'm running, and I think I might die. Or fall.
If that's not your jam, load your phone with your favorite dance, hip hop, pop, whatever music. Anything that keeps you going!

Change up that routine.

Basically, your body is going to get used to doing the same routines week after week, and you'll stop seeing results. My week typically goes: arm day, leg day, arm day, leg day. I have different workouts for each of those days to work on different muscle groups. After about a month of doing those routines, it starts to feel easier. That's when I know it's time to change it up.

Look around the gym. Join a group fitness class. Find a new machine you've never tried. Or, for me, one I've been wishing my gym had. If I had taken the time to glance around, I'd have known they did. Now, I can't wait for leg day so I can use it! Either way, changing up your routine keeps you from getting bored in your workouts. 

Set small goals during your workout. I have a polar watch that tracks my calories I'm burning. Every workout is a competition with the last. I want to either do better or get pretty close to that last number.

If all other forms of motivation fail, make an inspiration board. Cut out photos that inspire you, whether it's quotes, pictures, or your ideal body.

How do you guys stay motivated?

Current Routine

Health / Fitness

Health

So, you guys know I've been a vegetarian for like, 4-5 years now. I do my best to stick to that, there are times when I have my moments, and honestly, if I lived near the ocean, I'd probably be a pescatarian. Don't prosecute me! I much prefer the vegetarian life over meat. It just a generally lighter feeling. I don't feel over stuffed or gross after I eat. Recently, I've been doing clean-eating (or ya know, mostly). 

If you don't know what clean eating is, it's simply eating non-processed foods. My grocery cart is typically at least 50% fresh fruits and vegetables. No white bread or white rice. Typically, if you don't know what the ingredients in something are, it's not clean. It's really not that hard. But I love my sweets, let's be honest. So, through the week, I eat as clean as possible, and on the weekends, I'll allow small treats here and there. Not too bad. But let's be real here. I'm not giving up my morning grande caramel soy iced coffee. Nope, I can't do it. 

If you're interested in getting started in clean eating, check out Fit Girl's Guide. I found them while perusing through fitness things on Instagram, and guys. There is no body shaming in this community. Every single person in that community is just ridiculously motivating and positive. It's really great. (:

Fitness

In the last three to four weeks, I've changed up my workout routine. I was following a 12-week guide from Fit Affinity, and while I really liked all the weight-lifting, I wanted to start seeing slimming results faster. I'm impatient, ok? So, now, I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 days a week, as well as 45-ish minutes of abs and arms/legs. This has been really working for me. Within these 3 weeks, I've already noticed my work pants fitting more loosely, which is just so motivating. So, I'm going to keep that motivation and momentum up. Keep in mind that everyone's body is different and finding what works for you is what's important.

Here's a sample of my typical leg day:

• Cardio. I  typically do 30 minutes on the elliptical with the setting on interval hill. During the lower resistance time, I keep my speed around 6-7mph. During the higher resistance time, I speed up to stay in the 10-11mph range. Seriously gets your heart rate up, and the intervals kick up the amount of calories you're burning.
• Stretch. I do a few minutes of stretching my legs and arms out after cardio.
• Abs. I alternate daily between abs and obliques (sides). On the days when I do abs, I'll typically do weighted sit ups (with a 10 lb. plate), leg lifts, and reverse crunches.
• Legs. If you guys don't know, I love leg day. It's just my favorite thing to work on. Lately, I've been doing pyramid reps of squats. So, 10 times at one weight, add some weight and do 8, add more and do 6, add more and do 4, then back to 6, 8, and 10.  I'll also do hip abductors/adductors, and weighted lunges.

Typically, my workouts last 1-1.25 hours, and I don't find this to be unreasonable.  Each week, I'll typically workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 2 days of arms and 2 days of legs. Abs and cardio happen on every day. Which, can I just say, I loathe abs. I don't even want them, but I do want a smaller waist, so...

I'm surely not claiming to be a health expert (I'm definitely not). These are just the things that seem to be working for me lately!

Tea Tree Oil

Apothecary Extracts 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil

What is tea tree oil?

Guys. I love tea tree oil. It's an essential oil that serves as an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, fungicide, insecticide, and stimulant. Among many other things. It's an oil that is extracted from the stems and leaves of the tea tree that is native to Australia. They've been using it forever, and now it's spread to the rest of the world!

Basically, as an antibacterial, tea tree oil is absolutely wonderful as part of your skin care regimen. It's also wonderful for your hair! If you massage it into your scalp, in diluted amounts, it helps keep your hair moisturized, reduces that amount of dandruff, and reduces the chance of premature hair loss. Who can beat that from an all natural product? If you do a simple google search, you will see the massive amounts of benefits you can get from this product.

So what's better about this one versus the plethora of others on the market? For me personally, the label. I just love the label. It's cute. But on a serious note, this bottle makes it really easy to add just the right amount of drops into the recipe of your choosing. Speaking of recipes, it comes with an ebook that features 50+ recipes for the use of tea tree oil in various situations. Hair, skin, household cleaning. Everything. As for me, I love putting this in a toner, and they have a great recipe for that! The product is high quality, and that's what you need with something you're going to be putting on your face and hair. 

Interested now?

Check it out on Amazon!
Or hit up their website:

http://www.apothecaryextracts.com/

Have you tried tea tree oil?! What's your favorite use of this essential oil!?

This post is sponsored by Brandbacker, but I wouldn't give false good reviews to my lovely readers. 

Pure Raspberry Ketones Review

Raspberry Ketones!

What are Raspberry Ketones?

Raspberry ketones are a natural compound found in raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, and others. Basically, it's what gives them their scent. I read once (not that I can find it again) that a capsule is equal to eating a large number of pounds of raspberries. I want to say it said 90 pounds, but that seems excessive. Recently, they've been hugely promoted as a weight loss supplement. 

What I want you all to know, is that it has never been tested on humans. But, what do we actually test on humans? Almost nothing. In mice, it has been shown to reduce weight gain in the liver and belly area. In another study in mice, showed that it increased the breakdown of lipids (fat molecules). These studies were published in magazines like Life Sciences.

The certain ketones I received were wonderful. The claim on the bottle was that it helped with appetite suppressing. Now, it may have been a placebo effect, since I was expecting that to happen, but it seemed to work. Have I noticed weight loss? No. But I haven't been to the gym recently, and we all know that's the most effective weight burner. (;

If you're interested in trying these out, I would definitely recommend these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUTIELM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Have you guys tried these? What was your experience?!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Motivation Monday

Matcha!

I have officially transitioned to my 5 am workouts. It definitely helps when you work in an office setting. If I don't work out in the morning, it's just sit, sit, sit. Sit and put my makeup on, sit and drive to work, sit in front of a computer for 8 hours. Guess what? That means I'm ridiculously tired throughout the day. Like, nodding off tired. While coffee is grand and I love it, remember I'm trying to stay away from the sugary-ness of it.
While working at Starbucks, I fell in love with green tea lattes. So much goodness, but still a ton of sugar! Plus, it's pricey. So why not make your own at home!? It's pretty simple.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk of choice
1 tsp. matcha powder
Honey, agave, or other sweetener to taste.

How to:
Combine ingredients in a cup and whisk! Add ice if desired. If you're on the go, you can also put the ingredients in a bottle and just shake it up. So easy, and so much better for you than Starbucks!

I'm using this matcha powder. It's so, so good. It's got a strong smell, but that's only due to how fresh the product is. I'm able to drink this with the tiniest bit of honey. It's got an amazing flavor, and since you only need 1/2-1 tsp, it'll last you a good while! Kiss Me Organics has done a great job with this product and I strongly recommend it! :)

So, what is matcha?

Matcha powder is pulverized green tea leaves. So, ya know how everyone raves about how good green tea is for you? Since you're taking in the whole tea leaf, matcha is even better for you. Up to 10 times better, according to my research.

Some of the benefits include:
Tons of antioxidants
Boosts metabolism & burns calories
Great for a detox
Calms & relaxes
Enhances mood
Provides calcium, selenium, zinc, and magnesium
Helps fight viruses and bacteria
Rich in fiber
Lowers cholesterol

With all that, what's to lose? I've been drinking this after a good workout! It can also be used for baking! Yuuum, matcha macarons.
What's your favorite way to use matcha powder? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Motivation Monday

Sweets!

I have an awful sweet tooth. Awful!! And how fun can life be if you just chop all the fun things out? Yeah, the answer is none. I'm not even willing to try. There is, however, a way to make sweets that are a liiiiiittle better for you!

I got these on Amazon! They're wonderfully versatile. I can use them to make yummy healthy sweets, or I can use them for portion control in my lunch for work! Both are things I need. These nifty little things have lids that seal really well, so you don't need to worry about them opening on your way to work. But yesterday, I used them to make a healthy treat. 

 Look how messy my little kitchen is! :O

Berry Matcha Popsicles

Ingredients:

2 tsp. match powder (I'm using this)

1 1/2 c. milk of choice (I'm using coconut almond milk)

1 tsp. honey

2 handfuls of assorted frozen berries

Pop Molds!

How To:

In a bowl, whisk 1 cup milk, matcha powder, and honey. You should taste it at this point. If it isn't sweet enough for you, add a bit more honey! Using something with a lip to avoid spilling everywhere like I did, fill your molds halfway with the matcha mixture. As you can see above, to keep my molds upright, I used a cooling rack! Sometimes I'm a little clever. 

Anyway, in a blender, toss in the berries and the remainder of the milk. Blend until you have a nice frozen puree. Fill the remainder of the molds with this mixture. At that point, I put the lids on them and gave them a good shake. Not a drop was spilled. Now toss those in the freezer for a couple of hours, and enjoy!!

What is your favorite healthy sweet!? I'd love to hear!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Motivation Monday

A bit more about how weight loss affects your body...

I try really hard not to focus on the body image I want to achieve, and more on how I'm benefitting my body. Of course, as any girl, I would love to be fit and little, but it isn't my main goal. I just want my body to run as it should and be healthy!

I'll be starting the week off right at the gym tonight!

Motivation Monday

Weight Training

I love weight training. It's a great way to get out my frustrations... with life. Somehow, only my right arm is sore from my workout on Friday. So, that's cool. I hate the myth that weight training bulks women up. In reality, when I added weights to my workout routine, I saw way more change than when I was just doing cardio.

C'mon, ladies! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just sitting on your ass during the day. 👍 Who doesn't like that?

Motivation Monday

Aaaagh!

I just want everyone to know that after last week, I never want to do another ab workout again. Ever. 

Like, never. 

Did you know you could pull your ab muscles? I sure didn't. But I found out when I couldn't use my torso to do anything. Get off the couch, sit up straight, lift my legs... nothing. I don't recommend doing that. So, for 3 days I was like that. I suppose I'll be nicer to my abs this week.

My current motivation: I have 4 months till my best friend's wedding. FOUR MONTHS.

Today is arm day, so here's a snazzy little guide.

Unfortunately, I do more than 4 moves while I'm at the gym.

Motivation Monday

I made it!

Last week, I made it back into the gym for 3 days! Wooooooo! This week, I'm aiming for 4, as that's my goal every week. Tonight, though, I'm doing yoga at home.

As a psychology lady, I love knowing that I can fix my own problems with a balance lifestyle. I've done tons of research on exercise, food, and how it relates to your mind. I have self-diagnosed myself with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (I don't need a doctor to tell me what an anxiety attack is.) I loved the Health Psychology class I took in college, and I think that sparked my interest in the mind and health. I started exercising after my first couple of anxiety attacks, and it did wonders for my daily stress/anxiety levels. Once I got out of a dorm, I began eating a healthier vegetarian lifestyle, and I realized this also made me feel a whole world of difference. I was able to better control my stress and anxiety (although, it's still prevalent, especially with the job I hold now).

I always contemplate going to the doctor, telling them I know I have anxiety and that it's a huge issue sometimes, but I don't want to be on medication. Not when I can control this.

Working out and a well-balanced diet can manage a TON of common mental issues, including anxiety and depression. It can also help to manage symptoms of more severe mental disorders and developmental disabilities, such as autism. While in my Health Psychology course, we watched a video of a woman that had extremely advanced MS that changed her diet to the hunter gatherer diet and completely reversed all of her symptoms. It was amazing.

Here's a little something I found on Pinterest about the effects exercise has on your systems and mind!

This was my empty gym last week. It was marvelous! (:

Motivation Monday

What day is it?

Still can't sleep, and I have to get up in 6 hours. Quite honestly, I know I won't have any motivation tomorrow. I'll be exhausted, jet lagged, and 3 hours behind mentally. It's awful. But I'm keeping my goals in mind and restarting my fitness journey full force... soon. I just need a minute to catch up. (;

I'm not sure who this woman is, but she is absolutely stunning. Currently, this is my own personal piece of motivation. I don't have any desire to be stick thin. I just want to be healthy.