Friday Fit Favorites for Summer

This morning I thought I would share some of my favorite workout essentials that I have been using this summer. I love seeing what other people use and enjoy, so be sure to comment below with any staples you have right now.

1. Apple's Ear Phones: I love that these slip in your ear and have no trouble staying in. They are super comfortable, to the point that I forget I have them in. 
2. TONYMOLY's Floria Nutra-Energy Toner & Emulsion: I have shared my love for this stuff over on my FB page. My SIL sent this product to me from Korea, and I love it! Even if I don't have time for a shower, I always wash my face after a workout. It's got witch hazel in it which leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed.
3. Scunci No-Slip Headwraps: I go with cheap here, because they get the job done for me. My hair stays out of my face while I am getting sweaty, and that's all I care about.
4. Camelbak Insulated Water Bottle: I bought this bottle for a couple reasons. First, I love that it is insulated so that my water stays cool in the summer heat. I also love that this water bottle doesn't sweat. Second, the lid has a hook on there so that I am able to easily clip it on to my bike or the stroller when we head outdoors. And, finally, the lifetime guarantee sold me completely.
5. Degree Deodorant: I have tried many different deodorant brands and I always come back to Degree. It lasts all day long and I love the smell.
6. Balega Socks: I first tried these socks four years ago when I started running. When I bought them I felt guilty paying that price for one pair of socks, but they live up to the price! They are so comfortable! They have this extra little padding to cushion your achilles and to prevent your socks from slipping down into your shoes.
7. Energy & Endurance: I workout first thing in the morning, so I am extremely grateful I found this product. I drink this 30 minutes before I start working out and it gives me the kick I need to have the energy to wake up and have a great workout. I love how it doesn't leave me all jittery like some of those other pre-workout drinks I have tried. Another bonus is that it's all natural.

QUESTION: 
What have been some of your favorite fitness additions this summer?

Clean Eating Principles

Have you ever heard someone mention that they are "eating clean" and thought to yourself, what the heck is that?

Well you aren't alone, because when I started this journey two years ago I heard that phrase and had no clue what it meant.

The trick is figuring out what those healthy foods are and how much of them to eat, because if I have learned one thing over the past two years it is that I can exercise all I want, but if I am not eating right, I am not going to get very far. If I eat garbage, my body will show that. And if I eat clean, my body will show me that too, giving me a healthy glow and more energy.

Here are some basics that I have found very important:

• Eat 5-6 small meals per day.
• Eat every 2-3 hours.
• Have a lean protein and complex carb at every meal.
• Drink your body weight, divided by two, in ounces every day.
  
• Never skip a meal, especially breakfast!
  
• Have clean-eating foods with you at all times; carry a thermal tote filled with healthy snack options.
  
• Avoid over-processed, refined foods, especially white flour and sugar.
• Avoid all saturated and trans fat.
• Avoid sugar-filled pops and juices.
• Consume healthy fats each day.
• Avoid alcohol, which is another form of sugar.
• Avoid all calorie dense foods containing no nutritional value.
• Depend on fresh fruits and veggies to get you your fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
  
• Measure! Stick to appropriate portion sizes.

What I Ate Wednesday // #5

Happy Wednesday! It has been awhile since I have shared a "What I Ate Wednesday" post. So I thought I would link up with Jenn from over at Peas and Crayons to share what I ate yesterday.

It was a late start for me. I love getting up early and starting my day, but I was up later than normal Monday night so early didn't happen for my Tuesday morning. It kind of threw my whole day off but that's okay. It's nice to sleep in once in awhile, especially while I am trying to soak up every last bit of summer break.

Breakfast - Butter Toffee K-Cup with 1 Tbsp vanilla creamer

4 egg whites

1 whole Roma tomato

6 almonds

Snack - Gala apple

2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter

Lunch - 3 slices of homemade banana/chocolate chip bread with natural peanut spread on top {Not what I planned for lunch, but it happened. ;) }

Supper - Venison meatloaf muffins and peas

Transformation Tuesday: Michelle & PiYo

Yesterday I updated you all on how PiYo was going for me. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

This morning I want to share with all of you some success that one of my challengers just posted. She looks fantastic, and if this isn't proof that PiYo works than I don't know that anything will convince you of PiYo. ;)

Here is what Michelle is saying:

"1/2 way done with my first round of PiYo! Ecstatic with my results so far but mostly with how I am feeling physically... Less foot pain, back pain, and feeling leaner and more flexible than ever! I even was able to do a back flip on the trampoline again!"

She went on to say: 

"These groups are fabulous for encouragement, motivation and accountability!! Which is just what I need!!" 

Great job, Michelle! I am beyond proud of your hard work! It truly does pay to work hard and chase after your goals!

If you are interested in joining a support group like Michelle is in, please feel free to contact me in the comments section or by email.

PiYo Update // Weeks 2 & 3

Sorry I am late on getting updates up on how PiYo is going. I have completed weeks two and three and will be starting week 4 today.

So the question you may all be wanting me to answer... what do I think of PiYo so far?

I will be honest with you and admit that I have had a hard time slowing down to do these workouts. I am so used to pushing myself with cardio and lifting weights that this has been a challenge in the sense that I have to clear my mind and really be present in these workouts. However, I do feel my core getting more defined, which has been really encouraging!

Week 2 Workouts: 

Monday - Sweat

Tuesday - Define: Lower Body

Wednesday - Core

Thursday - Define: Upper Body

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Sweat 

Sunday - Core

At this point my two favorite workouts from week two are Core and Sweat. When I do the core workout, I can feel it working *every* angle, and I love that because my stomach is not my strongest area after having three kiddos via three c-sections. 

I have found that Define: Upper Body and Define: Lower Body are quite short so I have been adding in a cardio, usually one of my 21 Day Fix workouts, on those days as well. What can I say, I love getting my sweat on. ;)

It's summertime, so sticking to my meal plan each week has honestly been a challenge for me. I have no problem getting each workout in; that is the easy part. I try to stick to what I have planned for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and then when it comes to dinner and we are out and about for gatherings, I make the best choices I can. All three of my kids have summer birthdays, two of them were last week, and I did have cake and a few other treats.

The thing about PiYo is that you don't burn a ton of calories so you have to be diligent about staying within your calorie range if you want to see results. Making sure I eat less carbs and more protein is what I have found I need to do, and that is a challenge because this girl *loves* her carbs! 

Portion sizes are a bit different than what they are for the 21 Day Fix program. For example, with the 21 Day Fix I could have 12 almonds whereas with PiYo it calls for 6. No more reaching in my almond container and mindlessly snacking!

I have my week three meal plan to share, but I will warn you that I am a creature of habit and tend to eat the same things over and over so it's not super exciting. I pick foods that are nutritious and that I love to eat, and then I incorporate those into my plan.

Week 3 Workouts: 

Monday - Define: Upper Body

Tuesday - Buns

Wednesday - Core

Thursday - Define: Lower Body

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Sweat

Sunday - Strength Intervals

For week three, two new workouts were added, Buns and Strength Intervals. I would say these two were my favorite this week. Buns in no joke! I could feel the work it did on me the next day as I was walking up and down our stairs. 

Strength Intervals is a great workout too. It is a 25 minute calorie burning, body sculpting, no weights  workout. 

I am off to start week four now and am super excited! While the first three weeks have been enjoyable, I felt like I was trying to learn the moves and form, as well as build up my strength. I have noticed that I am starting to sweat more during my workouts now that I am getting more familiar with the program. 

A question I have been getting asked so often is, "Is this workout going to give me results?" My answer to this is that you have to give the program time and try your absolute hardest. You have to trust the program and Chalene Johnson! The workouts do get harder as you move along and you will be pushed more and more as you move through the PiYo program. Just because you aren't sweating buckets by the time you are done with your workout does not mean it's not working. You are building strength, burning calories and getting rid of fat... maybe in a different way than you are used to. Another way I look at this program is by thinking of yoga masters. Do they look overweight or unhealthy to you? Heck no! They look amazing! They are lean and flexible! There is more than one way to get results and PiYo is one of those ways.

Count Those Calories

I am SOOOO behind on posting my PiYo updates. I'm sorry for anyone that has been waiting for those. Hopefully I can get one up this week. 

I wanted to pop over really quick today and share a fit tip that I have found really helps me, counting calories.

Counting calories is a great motivator because it gives you something to work towards each day. It’s also one of the most effective ways to lose weight which, when combined with your workouts, will speed you towards your fitness goals.

Download an app to have right on your phone so you can easily track all your calories and workouts. "MyFitnessPal" is my favorite! Would love for you to follow along with me! (brirun23)

QUESTIONS:

• Do you count calories? If so, how do you keep track or what app do you use?
• Do you find you do better when you have the accountability of an app or others?

PicMonkey Tutorial: How to Add Words & Graphics

Lately I have had quite a few people asking me how I have been adding words and graphics to my photos, so I thought it would be a great blog post to share with all of you.

I am probably one of the least computer savvy people you will meet. This is especially true when it comes to editing photos. I have admired many people's photos and have wished that I were as talented and skilled, but I have accepted the fact that I am not, nor have the time to become so at this point in my life. Maybe some day. :-)

For now though, I am extremely happy that I found out about PicMonkey, a *free* photo-editing website! You can create some pretty beautiful images on this site. I am still learning what all the site can do, but overtime, hopefully I will just continue to improve.

That's what I am going to encourage you to do. Pull up the website and start having fun! Don't worry about "messing up".

I will share a tutorial on what I did for a photo I posted yesterday on my Facebook page.

1. Hover your mouse over the "Design" icon, and select the canvas you want. I chose the 4 x 6 this time.

2. Click on "Open" and select where you are retrieving your photo from. Mine was on "My computer."

3. Once it is uploaded, you can start having fun! :-)

4. To add text, click on the "Tt" icon on the left hand side of the page. There are a few font selections, but you are limited. In order to have access to all the options you have to pay a fee, which honestly I have never looked into so I am not sure on that cost. I am cheap and just stick to what's free. ;) 

5. Adjust the size of your words and change the font color using the box on the right. With this photo, I wanted my words to match the pink on my camera strap. To match an exact color, all you have to do is click on the rectangle that has "0%" below it and an eyedropper will appear. Move that eyedropper over onto your photo and click your mouse on the color you want.

6. To add overlays, click on the "Butterfly" icon over on the left sidebar. You can add your own by simply selecting, "Your Own" or you can choose from the general options they provide for you, which is what I did for this photo. 

7. After you have selected which design you want, it will appear on your photo. I chose from "Stars."

You can then move the image, enlarge or minimize, and change the color.

You can add more and overlap them. I added two smaller ones to put over the big star.

8. Click and save to your computer when you are finished.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If anything, maybe it will inspire you to try out your own masterpieces. The possibilities are endless!