Healthy Happy and Free

It's been a while since I addressed my workouts but I am still hitting the gym consistently! I've seen strength increases so I'm happy about that! I've been doing strength workouts 4 times a week and cardio 3 times a week purely because I enjoy it! I no longer do a body part split because I've learned that frequency of exercises  utilizing a full body workout is superior to a body part split. It triggers the muscle fibers more often, thereby leading to gains! Think about it, if you do a killer leg workout and then you can't train them for several days, or even a week, you're no longer adapting, simply recovering, which does not equal strength gains. Adaptation is what we're after. If you instead do a leg workout that's not too lengthy or intense, and do that 3-4 times a week, you'll see more muscle adaptation! I squat 3-4 times a week! Here's a few leg exercises I've been putting together during my full body workouts: Hip Thrust...

I thought I would just share some of my staples that I purchase for groceries. I'm on a budget (aren't we all) so I do take that into consideration and shop sales ! I also use coupons when I find ones that are for items I purchase anyway or have been wanting to buy. Oats - I buy quick oats which make for a pretty cheap breakfast and I've had success with store brand on oats as well  Nut butters - Every fit girl needs a pantry well stocked with nut butters! I put it in my oatmeal! Almond/Cashew milk - these go on sale and offer coupons a lot! Greek yogurt - great protein snack, also offer coupons and sales a lot! Chicken breast - pro tip: buy it from the meat counter, it's way cheaper! Truvia/store brand - My sweet tooth is insane, so I buy stevia sweeteners for my oatmeal or to make healthy hot cocoa Popcorn - I'm so in love with popcorn! It's pretty cheap, there's a lot of variety and it's whole grain! Eggs - Eggs are a great well-rounded sou...

Skinless popcorn? What? As a popcorn lover and self-proclaimed aficionado, I love to try all sorts of popcorn! I had never heard of skinless popcorn until now! New Pop has a revolutionary process where they remove the skin and then pop the kernel, so you will never get that kernel "skin" stuck in your teeth! They pop the kernel under high pressure with no butter, oil or salt. They then add raw, organic cane sugar and natural flavors for the different flavors they offer: original, hot and sweet, and sweet cinnamon! They are also certified NON-GMO, vegan, and gluten free. So it seems like a pretty good snack choice! How does it taste? So far, I've only tried the Sweet Cinnamon flavor. The flavor is on point! It's moderately sweet (not too sweet, not too bland) with a dash of cinnamon spice. The really interesting part is the texture. I likened the texture and appearance to packing peanuts (kind of styrofoamy?). That being said, it wasn't displeasing to me. ...

Recipe time! I did "cheat" and use a protein pancake mix as the base of this recipe. I do this often because adding protein to recipes can often lend itself to a gummy texture, so why not play it safe (and easy) but using a protein pancake mix?! Also, I used chia seeds because that's what I had. If you have poppy-seeds and want a more classic combination, go for it! These mini muffins are so easy, cute, macro friendly and perfectly poppable! Ingredients: 1 scoop Slap Jacks Protein Pancake Mix (May use one serving of any brand) 1 packet Devotion Nutrition Lemon Flex Flavor 1 egg 1 tsp chia seeds 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp imitation butter flavor 2 tablespoons water lemon zest as desired Sugar Cookie Gbutter for topping Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or line a mini muffin pan.  Mix the dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour or spoon the batter into the mini muffin tray.  Bake for 8-9 m...

Fit Girl Problems Number 1: Addiction to buying workout clothes. Who's with me? Seriously, though, every time I go shopping, I'm checking the athletic section. Online, I'm always looking for sales on leggings and sports bras. It's a real problem. However, I don't just want an abundance. I want quality!  Photo from Foxyathletics.com I had seen Foxy Athletics workout gear on Instagram and obtained a coupon code so I decided to give it a go. I went with the Carla Tights in Jet Black . They're high waisted and feature a side pocket specifically designed for your phone! They also have flat seams, sweat wicking fabric, four way stretch, and soft fabric.  They basically say these leggings are good for anything and everything! My leggings came in very quickly! You've gotta love fast (and free!) shipping! I tried them on that day! I was very impressed with how comfortable they are. I have other high waisted leggings that I love but are not nearly as...

Supplements are flooding the fitness industry. They're so heavily promoted by serious athletes and casual gym-goers alike. From pre-workout to creatine to beta alanine to branch chain amino acids to whey protein to caesin to glutamine, etc. - the list of supplements are virtually unending! So what do we really need? http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2013/find-a-plan-supplements.png Well, the term supplement literally means to add to, enhance, or complete. If you choose to use supplements, I think they should be supplementary to healthy, well rounded diet. That sounds simple, yet, it's very easy to find yourself having two protein shakes, a protein bar and amino acids all in one day. Can you say bye bye money? lol Some things to consider: Do I need to supplement protein to reach an acceptable protein intake? Sometimes it seems common for people to be consuming 1.5 grams of protein per pound, but maximum benefit can be seen from .7 to 1 gram per pound, which i...