Sweating for the Wedding

So I kind of hate when people say they're "sweating for the wedding" because I feel like it implies people creating unhealthy goals for their big day or developing healthy habits that'll be given up once they're no longer a bride.

But I know getting married can be the motivation needed to create healthy habits that will be continued long after the wedding & that's what this post is about!

my furry fitness buddy

My Fitness Background

I played just about every sport growing up and was always playing on some team all the way through High School. I played one year of college field hockey until some health issues made it too difficult. I did yoga for 6 days a week until that also became too difficult. After getting that sorted out, I did BBG for a bit until starting CrossFit. 

I joined CrossFit in January 2017, but didn't start going regularly until April. In the summer, when I had literally nothing better to do (cleaning doesn't count) and Dixie refused to be outside for more than 30 minutes (no words can describe her level of diva - she's like Mariah Carey on steroids), I went to CrossFit 6 or 7 days days a week. I definitely saw a ton of improvement, but only for 6 months. After that, I wasn't getting faster or stronger, I wasn't burning fat, and I wasn't feeling my best. I also was in no way willing to take it seriously enough to adjust my diet or sleep schedule for further improvements. And why should I? If I want to have a cupcake for breakfast, or god forbid, eat breakfast instead of this crazy fasting fad thats going on, I'm going find my favorite Kate Spade plates and eat frickin' cake for breakfast.

Asheville, NC

Okay, also, if I'm being totally honest... I also don't care about being "functionally" fit. I'd rather go for more ‘fashionably’ fit vibe. Less donuts&deadlifts, more shopping-is-my-cardio.

HOWEVER, if you're in a place where your fitness goals seem unattainable and need a serious jumpstart to your fitness, I highly recommend going to CrossFit 4-6 times a week for 6 to 8 weeks. You will be magnificently sore, but after those 6/8 weeks, you will be able to do any workout class & do it well enough to get the maximum benefits from that class. 

I stopped going to CrossFit and paused my membership for two months to reevaluate my fitness goals. After I got engaged, I cancelled my membership for good. I think there are tremendous benefits to lifting weights and I love the olympic lifts, I couldn't justify the cost of a CrossFit membership just to have access to a barbell. Especially when i realized how much veils cost. Like WHAT!?

Mackinac Island, MI

 My Wedding Workouts

 1. Body by MG

To satisfy my Doctors' emphatic insistence that I work with heavy weights, I downloaded Madalin Giorgietta's work out guide - Body by MG. Maddy is a former BBG girl who didn't enjoy the cardio or plyometric movements in BBG, so she created a guide that is entirely lifting. Plus, all the movements can be done or easily modified for my apartment gym. It's a great guide to building muscle where you want it (🍑) and toning where you want to be defined, but not bulky (💪). I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to get in shape while avoiding cardio entirely. 

2. OrangeTheory

One issue that I had with CrossFit was how much standing around there was. If I'm going to spend an hour of my time working out, I want to be working every single minute of that hour. Enter OrangeTheory, conveniently located across the street from my office (and dangerously, next to Monkees). The moment you walk in the door, you are working and your heart rate is up. I also love how much cardio is incorporated! You're time in OT is divided between the floor (for weighted and body weight movements), the rowing machine, and the treadmill. I've never been able to run on the treadmill, but somehow I can at OT. I don't know how they do it. I don't know if the music or upbeat instructors, but its great. Plus, I love being able to check my heart rate and seeing if I need to step it up or take a breath. You gotta get those splat points!

3. Tone It Up

The only downside to OrangeTheory is its popularity. I have to book my classes a week in advance, and some times, I still have to sign up for the waitlist! On days where I know that I'm not getting off the waitlist, I use Tone It Up.

I've been using their recipes and meal planning guides every now and then, but I love their "5 Daily Moves" concept and work out videos. Even on my most exhausted mornings, I can drag my but out of bed for some coffee and 5DMs. Maybe I get a video done, maybe I don't. Either way is okay with me. The 5DMs are certainly enough to get my day started & they're FREE! 

I like to balance all of this with maintaining a healthy lifestyle & spending time outdoors, which is a little less appealing in the winter. I got my fill of winter & am not VERY ready for spring.

What are your go to work outs?

xs and os

Gym Bag Essentials

The last place I lived in didn't have a gym in town. What they did have was a weird yoga studio that didn't really do yoga, a YMCA a few minutes outside of town where you could work out next to a bunch of 70+ year olds, the campus athletic center in town where you could work out next to a bunch of 19 year olds, and a CrossFit box in the next town over if you wanted to spend more time in your car than actually working out. I wasn't thrilled about any of those options.

Once we moved to Durham, (& thanks to a Christmas gift/hint from my momma), I joined a CrossFit gym, bought a class pass for SyncStudio, & have been trying out different yoga studios. 

I definitely forgot how much I love working out, and spending all this time in gyms means my gym bag has basically become my favorite accesory. Yoga, crossfit, and spin are all very different workouts that need very different things. But packing & unpacking my bag before/after a workout guarantees that I'll forget something. Instead, I keep my bag stocked with 10 essentials that I need to kick any workout's ass! 

Check them out below!

01. water bottle

Blender Bottle (starting at $9.99) - S'well (starting at $25) - bkr (starting at $28)

I have a love of water bottles. I have waayyy too many. Blender bottles, Swell, and bkr bottles are currently my favorites. The blender bottles are great for protein shakes and BCAAs. The Swell bottles are great for when I have things to do before hitting the gym or if I'm going straight from CrossFit to spin. I know my Swell will keep my drink cold the entire time. Finally, my bkr is great to just throw in my bag for yoga, where I won't need as much water. Plus, the bkr bottle is way quieter when I inevitably knock it over during yoga. 

02. BCAAs

BPI Sports Best BCAA ($29.49)

branch chain amino acids are great to drink before, during, and after your workout! There's a ton of research available if you really want to get into it- but here are the main points: BCAAs  increase muscle retention and maximize fat loss, they can give you energy before you work out, keep your intensity up during, and help your muscles recover after. Plus, they taste so dang good. Pay attention to the flavor ratings on bodybuilding.com when shopping for BCAAs (or anything, really)  - they won't steer you wrong! My favorite flavor so far is Artic Ice (i.e. blue snow cone syrup... & omg it's amazing).

03. sweat towel

Manduka eQua Hot Hand Yoga Towel ($13 on sale!)

i love this handtowel from manduka. I already use their Pro mat (it's so cushioned!) and yogiToes mat during hot Yoga. This super absorbent towel is great as a handtowel during regular yoga classes and a sweat towel during crossfit & spin. I don't like to work out with a shirt on, and Durham's winter basically ended in February (def not complaining). Plus I got some wonderful heavy sweating genes from my mom and dad. So with the heat, my wonderful genetics, and now shirt to absorb/use to wipe off the sweat, a towel is an absolute must! I've been waiting for the eQua towel to go on sale so I could buy more AND THEY FINALLY ARE! I reccomend buying multiple so you always have a clean towel available!

04. deoderant

Dove Dry Spray ($4.62)

a friend introduced me to dove dry spray and I was immediately obsessed. I've tried to clean beauty swap deodorant, but it doesn't hold up to my uber sweaty genes (again... thanks, mom & dad). Even though I have issues with dove dry sprays commercials for their men vs women's products (ie. grass clippings vs glitter... bc obvi as a woman, by biggest concern in day-to-day life is that glitter will get stuck to my armpit. no. & that needs to be a new fashion trend), but it dries quickly and works really well. So I'll ignore this small misstep in their otherwise lovely adverts. It also smells nice and doesn't leave any weird white residue. 

05.  grips

JAW Pullup Grips ($29.99)

I was reluctant to buy grips since I've only been doing crossfit for a few months. I didn't think I was good or hardcore enough to need them. But then I started to understand kipping. Aaaand then I ripped the shiz out of my hands. It's extremely unpleasant and should be avoided at all costs. I love JAW grips because they are thin enough that they don't affect my ability to grip the bar, but they do a great job protecting my hands! I also love that they are stretchy and move with your hands, unlike typical gymnastic grips. If you don't trust me, these are the grips that Sara Sigmundsdottir uses and she's a badass. 

06. hand balm

Winnies Rip Fix ($10.80) 

and speaking of protecting my hands... when they did rip Winnie's Rip Fix was my hero. It took the sting out of my hands right away and helped them heal SO QUICKLY. I was back to gripping the bar within a few days. Seriously, you will want this in your bag if your hands are in danger of ripping. It's awesome. Now, I apply it whenever my calluses (or knuckles or cuticles or heels) are feeling rough and it helps my hands stay soft. This is probably my best CrossFit related purchase. I actually ripped my pinky yesterday doing about a billion snatches (okay, 75 but still) and I immediately washed my hands and put some Rip Fix on my pinky and it worked just as well as I remembered! I should actually go put more on...

07. snack

Optimum Nutrition Cake Bites ($19.99 for 12 packs)

There are a lot of healthy snacks out there, and I always have one in my bag. Some staples in my snack rotation are bananas, pistachios, big spoon roasters chai peanut butter (so good I could cry), and various protein bars. My current favorite protein bar is Optimum Nutrition's Cake Bites. Yum, YUM, yum. Each "bar" has 3 little cake bites, each with about 7 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of sugar. They're great for satisfying my sweet tooth or quieting my stomach pre/post workout. I'm currently eating the birthday cake flavor, but I think I'll add the red velvet into the mix. They're also a much better pre-workout option than the taco truck that is usually parked by my gym. Tacos and burpees don't mix. The more you know.

08. face wipes

Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes ($5.99)

Sweat makes my skin feel so great. I love sweating it all out, but the last thing I want is all that sweat & toxins to be left sitting on my skin. I got Pacifica underarm wipes in a PopSugar Must Have box (ps. It's a consistently awesome box), and they're great for when I have to rush off somewhere after a workout or, real talk, when I have too much caffeine and my pits won't chill. So when I found these face wipes in the natural beauty section of Target (also available at Whole Foods), I just had to try them out. I love the Purify coconut oil face wipes. They make my skin feel so fresh, have a great scent, and are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. 

09. face sunscreen

Coola Organic Sunscreen Mineral Face SPF 30 Unscented Matte Tint ($36.00)

 Another subscription box discovery! I got a sample of Coola sunscreen in my Birchbox two summers ago, and I can't get enough of it. I use the sports sunscreen before outdoor workouts and use the BB+ cream as everyday makeup.  But I keep this unscented, tinted SPF 30 mineral sunscreen in my gym bag. It's water resistant for up to 80 minutes, making it great during a workout with an outdoor component. I also love to use it after a workout when I don't have time to shower right away. My face is always a little red and blotchy after a tough workout, I love that the tint smooths my complexion while the calming ingredients actively work to reduce redness. Plus it is oh so wonderfully hydrating.

10. protein drink 

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (starting at 14.98) - Nature's Best Zero Carb Isopure powder (starting at $15.96) - Nature's Best Zero Carb Isopure Ready-to-Drink (starting at $3.57)

Almost everyone agrees that protein after a workout is a must. I'll usually just make a shake at home after the gym, but if I'm not going directly home - or won't be home at least 30 minutes after my workout is finished - I'll throw a shake in my bag. I like whey protein powder, and my two current favorites are Optimum Nutrition in Extreme Milk Chocolate and Nature's Best Zero Carb Isopure in Creamy Vanilla. I'll usually blend those with coffee or cashew milk  and fruits/veggies. If I'm looking for just protein without the heavy calories (i.e., I don't want to spoil my appetite for waffles), I'll grab a Nature's Best Zero Carb Isopure Ready-to-Drink in Apple Melon (it tastes like a melted jolly rancher... I plan on trying more flavors). 

Let me know in the comments what you keep your gym bag!

& don't forget to pin for later!

WAKE UP : Chocolate, Almonds, & Chai

I absolutely adored living in Hampden. It celebrates its history with Honfest and the what it's becoming with Hampdenfest. An entire block bursts with Christmas spirit every November and December (okay, and with people and traffic). It's also extremely walkable. My favorite thing to do on weekend mornings was walk to the avenue and grab a breakfast sandwich and peanut butter-banana-chai smoothie from Common Ground.

Lexington actually reminds me a lot of Hampden. The streets of Lexington are a decorated a bit better than 34th street in the 21211. But the streets are lined with locally-owned and operated stores and restaurants. Instead of the Charmery, we have Pronto- and Pronto sells WINE. You may not be able to get kangaroo tartare like at Corner BYOB (seriously so good), but you can get a lamb trio with Mindoro blue polenta and kalamata olives at The Red Hen. 

Eventhough I am quickly developing an obsession with the breakfast and smoothies at Kind Roots, they don't have chai smoothies.  Recently, I tried Arbonne's Chocolate Protein Shake mix and I loved it. It also packs 20 grams of vegan protein, 20 essential vitamins and minerals, and a low glycemic index! 

As good as the mix is plain, I knew it could be better. The addition of chai spice and almond milk make all the difference. It the perfect morning wake-up and keeps me feeling full until my lunch-break. It's also so creamy that you would swear it was mixed in a blender with ice cream. The best part is you don't actually use a blender, which means you don't have to clean a blender!

To make your Chocolate-Almond-Chai shake, put 9 ounces of almond milk in a pot over medium heat.

Add two chai tea bags or 1.5 teaspoons of loose tea to the almond milk. I use a mixture of Samurai Chai Mate and Maharaja Chai Oolong from Teavana. Heat the tea mixture, stiring occasionally, until fragrant.

Remove the teabags (or strain the tea), let cool, and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Once the tea mixture is cool, add the protein mix to your favorite shaker.

Next add the almond-chai tea. You can also add a scoop of almond butter, peanut butter, chia seeds, or any supplements like fiber or calcium. 

Once you've added everything you want, screw on the top and shake it up like Daniel Craig just ordered a martini.

Enjoy your delicious shake and start your day!

If you are interested in purchasing the Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake mix, reach out to your independent consultant.

I buy my products from Stacey Molli and you can too at www.staceymolli.arbonne.com!