Hot Diggity… Fitness Apps.

If there is one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I’m obsessed with fitness apps. I’m always looking for the next useful thing. And boy, do they come by the dozens. 

Need a virtual workout buddy? There’s an app for that.

Meal planning jackpot…Yup. Tons of them.

Want to earn freebies for sticking with your workout plan? So many to choose from.

I adore the variety and availability of the digital fitness industry. It’s quick, easy, and at your fingertips. Maybe that’s why my phones storage is always close to full.  To be honest, I’m deleting apps that go unused on a weekly basis. Although, most of them come close to gold, some apps really aren’t worth the download.

So here is a list of my must have apps, that I simply have come to  rely on:

NOOM COACHING- It is truly everything you need in one solid application. You sign u for a free or pro account, and receive quality day by day virtual coaching. Everything from recipes, to gps tracking, and group support. You get it all! I started with Noom about 3 years ago and it always been in my pocket of gems. I really like the support and motivation you get from the virtual coaching and other members. ….A+

Vida Coaching – Vida has a pretty hefty price tag, but worth every ….single …dime. You dream about live, one on one guidance from a professional trainer/nutritionist, daily tracking, photo capture of meal…(with time stamp, so you can’t deceive), plus did I mention A REAL PERSON TO DO FACECHATS WITH!!! I’m jumping up an down about Vida. This is the holy grail of virtual coaching. Not only does your professional coach keep up with you activity and meals, but they check in with you daily …A++

NIKE RUNNING APP- ITS NIKE!!! Ofcourse it’s got a flawless interface, and user friendly with things kick android and I WATCH compatibility. I enjoy running the freedom of not needing to carry my bulky phone. It also has a hefty display of your pace durin each mile. Run coach provides a tailored training program to get you to that marathon length run. ….B+

BODYSPACE- If your into fitness, you’ve heard of Bodybuiding.com, and they created this app so us gracious fitties can follow the training of some of bodybuilding set Elite competitors and trainers. JAMIE EASON..etc, and a dozen other wonderful high hitters of the  industry have compiled some decent plans to get you ripped, lean, or skinny jean happy ! ….B-

Coach.me- Starting as LIFT, COACH.ME began its roots in the task realm, which sort of propelled it into the motivating and direct coaching experience it has spiraled itself into.  With over 700 coaches to choose from (INCLUDING ME 🙂  COACH.ME has it going on.  Meditation, running, gym routines, habit training, you name it, there is a coach for it. For a small fee, you are able to choose a coach that’s best to enhance your motivation and results. The coach checks in with you daily, leads you in the right direction, and you see changes!   I will be totally honest, some coaches out more into their job than others. Just because one person looks cool by profile, does it mean they will cater to your goals as much as you’d like, but that’s why you can clicks the link to my profile- on the about me page of this blog :wink wink:….B-

FITOCRACY- Where the members are family ad the gins are beast mode. Seriously, FITO IS MY VIRTUAL FIT FAM. With a group for every fitnes interest and Fred. Ok, FRED is the robot mascot for the app. Makes perfect sense, right? If you can’t tell, Fitocracy is full of gratudious selfies, game like scoreboards for participation, great workout templates, and professional weight loss plans. It’s the stuff barbels are made of. I just LOVE this app!….A+

A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS:

NOM NOM PALEO- RECIPE APP

REVIVE- INNOVATIVE TRACKING APP

CRONOMETER- BETTER THAN MYFITNESPAL

KIPLAN- VIRTUAL MOTIVATION COACH AND TRACKER

YOUTUBE – BECAUSE….FREE FULL FITNESS CLASSES ONLINE.

I hope that  by sharing this information, it helps you virtually enhance you fitness journey.  What are some of your favorite apps?

Writers block…but I’M BACK!

I always hear about writers having mental blocks or running out of dialogue. Well friends, it happened to me. Not that I haven’t been immersed   in my fitness journey – because I’ve got sooo much to tell you- but I just lost the the steam to write about it. Until I had something fresh and worthy to chat about. The same old, ” I made progress….I’m struggling this week…stay motivated!” stuff was likely draining you. As a reader, I totally understand that when following a fitness blogger that things can and will get stagnant after a bit. Following a fitness blogger has many benefits, but adventure and mystery is not one of them. Haha.

So after some time away from my keyboard, I’m back with a change of course, some journey strides, and a new outlook. You’re squirming in your seat, right?!?! Ok. Ok. I won’t tease any longer….

Welcome to my Wholeness Journey.

Mostly wellness, and not fitness, because fitness concerns the physical – only the sight and seen part of my journey. During my time away I started looking to new ways to challenge my body and release my brain clutter. I’ve always been keen to meditation and suffer from Bipolar disorder, so channelling my inner self has helped me overcome some dreadful obstacles with my mood disorder. But, I digress. YOU GUYS have been here for it all! Cheering me on and keeping me motivated 🙂  I’ve lost 55 pounds since I started my weightloss journey. You’ve followed me as I have evolved from a house mat to a runner, weightlifter, fitness enthusiast, and life adventurer. This has been an amazing ride.

But it’s totally not OVER.

At this point in my journey I have achieved some amazing stuff. Things I never truly thought I’d come close to actually accomplishing. But, I have!

Earlier, I mentioned my wellness journey, and meditation. The reason these are so closely connected to my previous “fitness journey” is because I’m no longer seeking just physical self standards. I have decided to open my journey into one of wholeness and self empowerment. One that will lead me to happiness, health, and longing.

I sound like a crazy fit hippie, and that’s ok with me. I wish that name wasn’t already taken on facebook,  haha!

In my time away I have been meditating daily, practicing yoga 4-5 times a week, running 3- 4 times a week, and engaging in strength training twice, weekly.

I’ve been busy, my friends! I feel great. Staying active and having things to do that engaged my mind AND body has given me an entirely different outlook on my body. It’s empowering and satisfying.  This is a feeling that seemed so far away, before, and now it’s all mine to explore.

I hope you continue to cheer me on in my journey!!! Fitness, wellness, and weightloss! But, more than that, I hope to encourage you to explore your own WHOLE journey.

Be happy, and challenge yourself, because you never know where you will take yourself in life. 🙂

Happy Surprise

This week started with major drive, then quickly took a nose dive as relocating to a new house took place. I must say making time to exercise was placed on the back burner as I was left lifting boxes, scrubbing floors, packing, bending, unpacking, and trying to mantain my sanity. I was SUPPOSED to start my classes at my new Crossfit gym, this week, but had to sub for at home workouts instead. I got a few in during the first part of the week, then boom! Nada.

So instead of fully giving up, I focused on what I could control- my diet. I choose healthy options even though we were basically dealing with an unprepared kitchen. I planned as much as I could. When I couldn’t eat my already prepped meals, I opted for salads or lean protiens at fast food joints.

All in all, weigh in day is here and I have no choice but to have expected the worst. Gain or little to no progress was my first assumption when I arouse to stand bare on my scale. Shockingly, a good lack of 3 pounds stared back at me during my weigh. I almost gasp! Hell, I’ll be honest, I did gasp! Moving onto measurements- a decrease by 7 inches overall.

“Nutrition is 80%. Exercise is 20%”. This quote has never seemed so real to me. I’ve always believed and known that a good balance of diet and exercise will create great results but sometimes it’s surprising just how true that ratio is.

Obviously I’m elated with the losses made this week. I almost feel like I don’t deserve to be proud of them, because it was truly not my best effort, and I’m ready to jump back into my routine Monday.

Things are shaping up! Literally! I’m looking to gain a certain apparence rather than only losing weight, at this point. BUT my unspoken scale goal, could be to have lost another 30lbs by May 1st. So far, I’m half way there, since January. Yay.

Happy surprise.

Dear Pilates,

Dear Pilates,

I don’t like you. The first time I had to breathe deep, while focusing on my core, I was left laying on my back daydreaming about why I even signed up for this nonesense.

It all started with my annoyance for low intensity. I like getting amped up. I mean sweat dripping, knees high, arms shaking, abs burning, grunting type intensity. It puts me in just the right mind space to pretend I’m unstoppable. Then enter you. Slow, calm, and steady, with 10 second holds that bring me to boredom. I have too much time to think when I’m doing pilates. At least with yoga the stretching relieves the soreness from previous ninja fights…I mean workouts. Ahem.

So, you must be just as shocked as I was when I actually enjoyed the pilates workout from 21 Day Fix Extreme. But then again, my body was trembling from the moves. I’m sure it could be calming and boring for someone just going through the motions, but I went in with full intention to up the ante. I pushed with full intensity, if pilates would allow that. I wasn’t sure, but it delivered. Six hours later, and I’m still thinking about how fun the workout was.

I guess my hatred will be placed on a brief hold, for now. I can’t commit to “loving” pilates because that’d simply be insane. I can, however, say I enjoyed it and was surprised by today’s workout. I’ll definitely look forward to it for next week.

You’re cool.

….for now, pilates.

Three cheers for progress.

Noticing physical changes in the mirror or the slack in a pair of jeans can make you feel spunky. Taking notes on scale losses and inches lost can put a little extra pep in your step, but I never realized how psyched I would feel when I could confidently label myself an “intermediate” fitness enthusiast.

I was on bodyspace, browsing for my next weightlifting program. Over the next few weeks I really want to focus on sculpting and increasing fat loss. To do this I’m going to need to change up my routine a bit, so I look to bodyspace app for program guidance. I came across some nice fat loss programs but they seemed sort of basic, and typical of what I’ve been doing currently. To see changes, I have to amp it up a bit. This is when I realized I was going to have to leave the “beginner” level. 🙂 Once I switched into the intermediate stuff it was a whole new world. I saw so much opportunity. I knew all the lifts, and all the lingo. I was sure I could do the amount of reps required, or likely close to, so I tried it.

I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am that it’s very rewarding to look back and see that I have actually increased my strength and endurance along the way. After sitting down to chart out the new program on paper and in my digital calender, I got to it. Day one was tough. It was just what I needed. My older routines were becoming too typical and not making me push as hard as I should be. I like feeling myself push past a mental barrier and seeing how what my body is capable of! Boy, was I impressed today, but I’ll be sore tomorrow, haha. I AM INTERMEDIATE!

Lifting isn’t the only area where I’ve seen progress. When I started running 3 years ago, my first run was a 20 minute mile. I quit running since then, and started up again in early April of this year. My starting mile was an 18 minute mile in April. Well, this week I ran 4.5 miles in 33 minutes. That’s the most miles I have consecutively run, and in the shortest time. I was so proud that I screamed!

It’s all worth it! Keep pushing yourself! You will finish what you started, and go furthur than you ever thought you could.

**Am I still doing Leangains?
Yes, and no. I’m still doing intermittent fasting with Leangains as the base structure for counting macros, and including strength training. I’m not following the fitness schedule- leangains recommends 3 strength training days a week. I am doing a split week of strength training, focusing on a different body section each day, with cardio mixed in. I’m still following 16:8 protocol. *You can find more info on my intermittent fasting practices and an entire breakdown of my first week’s experience in earlier blog posts.

Better sore, than injured.

Today is my 4th day taking on the Leangains nutrition schedule. I must say that this morning was difficult. I knew it was coming, though. For.the last three days, I have followed an 16 hour fasted state, along with an 8 hour feeding window. This was going pretty alright the first two days, but yesterday I was beginning to feel a little bloated during my feeding, and counting the minutes until the end of my daily fast.

Today I woke up with full intention to continue going about it this way, but around 9am, hunger hit. It hit hard. So hard I felt like I was depriving myself of nurishment.  It’s not like I was craving fries and a latte. I wanted clean, nutritious food. And water.

After debating if changing my course was a cop out or not, I strongly decided to open my feeding window, instead of giving up. I’m going to try a 14 hour fast with a 10 hour feeding window. This is sometimes recommended for Leangains or intermittent fasting females, anyway, so why not try it. I enjoyed a healthy early lunch at 10:15 a.m. and was satisfied until about 2p.m. I continued to follow the rest of the guidelines, and even stick with my recommended dose of additional fiber. Opening the feeding window took some stress off the timeframe, and gave me more time to actually enjoy and eat intuitively. I like 14:10 ALOT MORE.

Things are getting easier to plan, ahead of time. I am even getting better at identifying fats, carbs, protiens, and my micronutrients, to better reach my daily goal. Macros are getting pretty easy. Even if I don’t stick with intermittent fasting for the long haul, and give it up one day, I really want to keep a macro goal style of diet. I’ve heard alot about IIFYM, but hey, one thing at a time!

Today was a scheduled strength training day. My body is sore. I was sore hours after Mondays workout. I was sore alllllll day yesterday. And I’m sore now. I’m not crazy enough to force a workout with a body that just is not ready to give it’s all. Training for weightloss, or anything for that matter, is a very tricky thing. You want to continue with the momentum, but sometimes it’s smart to hold back until you can really provide the right intensity, stamina, or endurance. With my legs feeling like ice picks, there was no way I would have been able to properly deadlift, or power squat. No way! Injuries can happen. Sure, I could have put up and half ass it, but that’s not what I’m here for. It’s all or nothing! That attitude has propelled me into shedding 33 pounds, and finally with a mindset to keep it off.

My arms weren’t nearly as sore as my legs, back, and midsection, but it’s just smart to keep the workout intact, and not chop it up too much.

So I skipped a workout.

Tomorrow will be the day. I’ll bring my A game. I’m actually excited because I truly look forward to strength training days.

Here’s a look at today’s nutrition stats:

I was golden for calorie consumption, fiber, and water intake. I came up short on carbs… which is not a bad thing, especially since I was invited to dinner at Olive Garden tonight with my family. Protein could have been better

Overall, since I altered my feeding window, went out to dinner( during the feeding window), and didn’t work out, I’d say it equals out just fine.

Holy moly, I’m tingling!

Today was day two of the Leangains eating schedule. Despite my curiosity before bed, I woke up refreshed and more than ready to knock out my work out.

Ofcourse, I handled my early morning mom duties as chef, stylist, hygenist, driver, and all together professional, then I was back home to start day two!
Today is my first official fasted strength training workout, with a preworkout supplement. I’ve completed workouts prior to my first meal before, but not with as much thought into as I did this morning – Everything was planned. I created a schedule to keep me on track: a.m. preworkout, a.m. workout, shower, errands, reminder to drink water, water, water! This could seem excessive to some people, but I actually enjoy the structure of creating and maintaining the plan. I know exactly when I’ll need to prepare my meal, when I’ll be eating, when I’ll be working out (which helps me commit, even more, because it’s like an appointment), and it just seems to have a good flow- but I digress. Let’s rewind.

Fasted workout. 20 minutes before my workout, I took my mixture of cellucor c4 preworkout. I was waiting for some magical zip to let me.know that it was time to start- tingles. I got this sharp burst of “let’s do thissss!”, and these nice little tingles all over my body (the company informs you of this in the details due to an ingredient that causes this sensation). I was ready. I seriously think I had more intense lifts than I’ve had in awhile. 50lbs deadlifts were making me warm, and it was giving me the go ahead to amp it up. I really enjoyed taking the c4 supplement. It’s going to be a staple on my weightlifting days.

Moving on to 1pm- the start of my feeding window. I didn’t feel famished like I did yesterday. I felt calm and easy going into my meal because I guess the unknown was over, and I knew breaking my fast was going to be easily enjoyable if I incorporated foods that I truly enjoy. I noshed down my eggs, cucumber & grapes tray, drinking a protein shake to aide in upping my macros. Later, I enjoyed a fresh berry fruit parfait. For dinner, I had another protien shake with salmon, grapes, and green beans. -I also like to log my multivitamin… for the nutrient values- . I had my daily intake of additional fiber, also.

It’s exactly 8:09pm, as I type this, and my feeding window has officially closed for the day. I feel full, but not bloated at all. I’ve had more water than the ocean, today, so I’m quite proud of that! My macros are actually wayyy more on point than yesterday and my calories are quite lovely! A good day, indeed.

For anyone wondering what my workout looks like, here’s a sample:

As for my day 2- leangains nutrition:

Here’s to tomorrow! \* _*/

Little eyes and motivation.

Its hard to find the get up and go for my workouts, five days a week. I’ve made a commitment to myself to stick with it and make time to invest in myself, but life makes it difficult to follow through, at times.

When I’m grasping for time and energy, I really have to dig deep to remind myself why I started this journey. Workout motivation memes, progress pictures, little pre-game mind tricks, and mental mantras make a dent in my excuses and get me on my feet, but nothing puts a fire under my ass like my two year old daughter.

I can’t explain the passion to follow through that I feel when I notice her little eyes watching me train. I feel motivated by her when she pulls out her pretend “barbell” so she can squat with me, during a workout. We do burpees and crunches together. We hit cardio hard! She gets me sweating, because I’ll be damned if I let a two year old show me up, haha! 

More than the fun competition, I enjoy the bout of motivation she sparks in me. When I want to give up or slack on my reps, I see her watching me, and wanting to be like me, and I realize I’m doing this for not only me, but for her. I want to be her hero, her super mom. I find the strength- that surge of beast mode- and I can give my all to finish. I owe it to her.

This journey may be a solo adventure, but the benefits of my commitment effect far more than just me. Those little eyes are the best motivation a girl can ask for!

DailyBREAK/12.29.13

So due to the horrid fatty holidays. Jumping to and from family homes to eat and be jolly. This has left me on a full two week break from working out. BUT I have kept up with my calories and choose healthier options during my eating escapades.  I actually lost lost 1 lbs. 34 lbs down and looking forward to seeing the 10 ‘ s on the scale. I finally had to buy new jeans. My size 13 ‘ s were falling off. Size 6 in bottoms and a medium in shirt (depending on the shirt).

Very happy about this. I truly think my nutrition is playing a way larger part than exercise. Takes awhile to realize that but I do now. Ready to jump start the new workout regiment tomorrow.

Wish me a happy run!