Trying NuShape

March 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this year I started taking NuShape to help with my fitness goals.

At first, I was nervous that NuShape would make me jittery due to the caffeine. The great thing is, NuShape does not have any caffeine in it. I don’t drink caffeine (except in tea) so this made the product way more appealing to me. In terms of results, after 30 days I lost 3 pounds. I do believe that with a solid plan and commitment to exercise 15 minutes a day it’s possible to lose more. I got sick in the middle of my 30 days. Which caused a slight setback. I didn’t want to eat or move for several days. On top of that, I took a trip to Minnesota where it was -11 degrees outside. I worked out there, but my body was literally in shock from that cold. A few tips in regards to NuShape:

1. Make a complete 30 day plan. Where you are going and what you will be eating. It will help tremendously to plan before you go. I did not have any fried foods and started drinking 80 oz + of water per day. However, I could have tightened up my eating by having a specific and detailed plan. I’m not going to lie, I’m still working on meal planning and budgeting. I know that it can only help me financially and physically to get that together.

2. Do the 15 minutes of exercise. I would make myself get 15 minutes in before bed if I happened to miss a workout during the day. That’s not a long amount of time to commit to being healthy. At all.

3. Be careful about traveling with the bottle. I took mine to Minnesota and kept it in the car. Everything held up fine, however, moving the bottle around so much caused some of the pills to crush in the bottom. So be careful.

4. Don’t try to change too many behaviors at once. I tried to take NuShape and also introduce food journaling at the same time. Inevitably, I was not successful with two new things at once. Food journaling can help with weight maintenance, but trying two new things like that simultaneously led to failure for me!

5. Try it with a friend. It’s nice to compare notes with someone else going through the same experience. My mom wants to try NuShape now, and I’m open to committing to another month to test it out with her.

Have you ever tried anything like NuShape? This is my second go with a product like this. I’m open to trying it again because the product is all natural.

Disclosure: I received a free 30 day trial of NuShape to test. Thoughts and opinions of the product are my own. 

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To Share or Not To Share?

March 8, 2013 By 2 Comments

Occasionally, I struggle with how much I want to share on my blog and social media sites. I used to put content up on social media sites for fun. Social media is still fun, but things have changed. Crazy to think that I got involved in only 2008. In five years, lots of doors have opened for me due to my involvement on social sites. Now, when I’m out with friends, with family or on interviews my social media activity comes up. In a good way, of course. I’m fully aware that someone  is always watching. So things are very different than in 2008. Back then no one was paying that much attention they didn’t see employees or contractors with a social media following as a threat. Social media was supposed to be a fade. Now things are different. A good different, but different none the less. I have to accept that. How do you determine what to share or what’s too much to put out there?

About 2 weeks ago, I went to the doctor. There I complained of how tired I have been lately of how I just don’t feel like myself. I’m usually an early riser and morning person. I usually don’t feel like myself if I’m not working out 3 or more days a week. Where is that person? I asked my doctor. I can’t hep but relate that feeling to the fact that for about18 months my career took a totally different course. I joined two different start-ups and my schedule changed drastically. While the work was thrilling and exciting, this change in schedule caused me to start staying up late and sleeping in, throwing everything off. Over those 18 months I gained 14 pounds. That’s why I felt so miserable! So, now I have to focus on:

- Boosting my energy levels

- Getting enough sleep

- Getting back to 3-4 solid workouts a week

 

During the same week of my visit, Verizon sent all of the Ambassadors the FitBit. Good timing right?

I appreciate how the FitBit:

1. Is small and doesn’t get in the way when I wear it. It easily clips on a bra (sports bra, or regular) and goes seemingly unnoticed. I usually forget it’s even there.

2. It is simple. You wear it, it works like a pedometer and also tracks calorie burn

3. The platform has many tools to help track your fitness journey: sleep journal, food journal

4. Email encouragement when you meet milestones. I reached a 50 mile milestone the other day. And, you get badges. Who doesn’t like a badge? The email made my day :)

 

For those that have never tried to lead a fit lifestyle, a journal really helps. I used to journal from middle school-college. It’s a great way to track the progress of your goals. I highly recommend it. I’ve never tried the sleep journal before, but I understand how that can help. Over the last few weeks I have learned that I need a plan for the entire week in order to make it through. I will be sharing more of this on my blog so that I remain accountable.

Next week, I will be sharing more about additional tools that I am using to help me get back on track.

If you are interested in learning more about FitBit or purchasing your own, all of my readers get $5 off! Here’s a link with more details: http://vz.to/YhhPI3

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2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon

February 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This past weekend, I ran my 3rd half marathon at the happiest place on earth: Walt Disney World!

Just before mile 2!

I went with two of my cousins and we stayed at the Pop Century Resort. Inspired by so many wonderful tweets and blog posts from years past, I decided months ago that I would run my first Disney Princess Half-Marathon. The race was so more fun than I could have imagined. This is one of those races that you run for the experience, not for a personal record or to be competitive. There were over 25,000 runners total out there. Some had elaborate princess and villain costumes. I even spotted a dalmatian (from 101 Dalmations) and R2-D2. I didn’t get too dressed up this year, but, I did put on a Tiana crown. I am glad it stayed on for the entire race and I didn’t have a headache from the bobby pins.

I used Urban Decay lip stain under my lip gloss for photos. I think it helped make the photos look more fab (in the beginning of the race at least).

Most of the lines to take photos were really long. So before the race I promised myself that I would stop for a photo with Tiana, but beyond that I didn’t have my heart set on any other princess photos. In fact, some of the photo lines were so long it was ridiculous! I ended up getting photos with Tiana, Mulan and Princess Atta from A Bug’s Life. (I definitely had to look up Princess Atta, I don’t really remember all the details about A Bug’s Life by any means..) I was disappointed that there wasn’t a Pocahontas on the route :( however, there were so many princesses, villains, princes and other supporting characters it was cool.

Prince Naveen, Louis, and I with Princess Tiana

 

with Mushu and Mulan

I love how they played Girl on Fire at the halfway mark. The words to that song really kept me moving!

Just a thought: How do some people end races looking so cool, calm and collected? Obviously, that’s not my mission in life. After dinner, my cousin and I went over to Disney’s Polynesian Resort for dinner. It was well worth the trip! I enjoyed salmon with black rice and Swiss chard. It was beyond good.

 

Definitely one of the best meals that I had during the visit. I was not a fan of the food at Pop Century Resort or the food that we had at Magic Kingdom. We did have a wonderful pre-race meal at House of Blues in Downtown Disney.

I hope that I get to do the Disney Princess again next year. I thought the race was well organized and fun. Yes, it was very crowded but I felt like the employees and volunteers worked hard to keep things running smoothly. We had lots of great cheerleaders along the race route. My favorite was the gospel choir right at the end of the race to help motivate us around the last corner. I want to make it a larger trip for family/friends if I go in the future! I also want to try a different resort and get really dressed up like a princess. I have been wearing my FitBit that Verizon Wireless sent to me for an entire week and I plan to review it soon:

Have you heard anything about the FitBit yet? I have lots of big things to share! Stay tuned :)

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Dirty Girl Run Recap

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This weekend I participated in the first Dirty Girl Mud Run in Atlanta! The weather was perfect. Here are my most and least favorite parts of the race:

The Best parts:

1. Watching teams encourage each other. I saw one woman stuck at the top of the “get a grip” station. Her team cheered for her to keep going and climb down. That was inspiring. They waited on her at the bottom and cheered until she climbed down.

2. Get as muddy as you want to: As you can see from my race photos, I did NOT get very muddy at all. I’m glad that the challenges allowed us the option to get as muddy as we wanted to or not. All of the “dirty” photos that you see from the race are from people who head dived into the mud or jumped in. I did not! The mud didn’t wash out of my shirt though. But that’s okay.

3. Race parking: Race parking was plentiful and free

4. The “Rinse off”: the rinse off area was for women only and it was great to rinse the mud off and cheer on the racers who were just passing by.

5. Shoe donation: I like that they let you throw shoes into a pile for donation. I took my muddy shoes home though.

 6. Team outfits: I thought that the matching outfits were fun and some of them were incredibly creative.

7. The fun names of each mud station: I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw “Utopian Tubes”. The names were fun and female friendly. Including PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff)

8. The music: The music at the start and finish line was great. It kept me motivated. I enjoyed hearing it on the course too.

 

The Worst Parts:

- Volunteers: I think next year they could use a few more volunteers. The check in line was long and I heard the wait for bag check was over an hour. I also wanted more signs around the front entry. Getting volunteers is hard though I’m sure.

- Announcements: I couldn’t hear the announcements over the music and excitement. Thankfully, I didn’t get hurt and neither did anyone else around me :)

-The backup: One station had lines so long I ended up running around it after waiting. No one could figure out how to get through it and the line was pretty backed up. I was sad about skipping skip it. :(

- Nose bleeds and headaches: No fault to the run, but I got a little sick after finishing. I had a nosebleed and then the rest of the day I had a terrible headache. I blame allergies. I was better the next morning!

Overall, I’d do the mud run again. Next year I will have to get a group together and make some cool festive outfits. This year I just wore a men’s white shirt. Not that cool, but it was very comfy. I finished in 32 minutes! I was excited :) Would you ever do a mud run/obstacle course? Here are some action and before and after shots:

Me pre race

Running through the last station: PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff)

Crossing the finish line!

Me post run!

Huge thanks to the Fitfluential team! I won my entry ticket from them via Twitter.

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O is for Ohm

April 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What a week! I feel like it went by so fast. I did all of my running around earlier this week. Yesterday and today have been more laid back. This weekend I am running the Sweetwater 420 Festival 5k. Last year was so much fun that I signed up for another one! It’s a fun race (with a huge hill) where beer, festival entry and a cool t-shirt are included in your entry. I’ve been following my interval running plan and it’s going great. I also decided to join in on the Tone It Up Spring Into Bikini season challenge. It’s 8 weeks long. You can sign up too!

I’m pretty sore today from all of the action this week, so I’m going to relax with some yoga. I use Sadie Nardini‘s workouts from YouTube. I’m going through 3 rounds of this playlist this morning:

 

Happy Friday!

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I is for Intervals

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this year I ran the ING Miami Marathon. Well, to be honest…since then I haven’t kept up my running. Which sucks now that I have several races coming up and have set a goal to run my next half in under 2 hours. Now, I have to start from scratch and get my mojo back. Last Thursday during my trip to Grandma’s house I spent the morning reading magazines. One of which was Competitor.

I don’t remember where I got this issue. Or if I picked it up from my Dad. Looking at where you can grab copies of the Competitor (which is free in print edition, digital editions have a subscription cost) I think my brother picked it up and left it lying around since they have copies of it at his gym. Well, the magazine was meant to find me because inside, there’s a 12 week half marathon training schedule. I am not doing a half in 12 weeks. But I have the Peacthree in July, a 5k next week and the dirty girl at the end of the month and after (all of) that I will be picking a half in the fall to do. So, I need to get back into running shape. The schedule is a great way to do that. I function better when there’s a plan already in place. That forces me to follow through. I couldn’t find the schedule online, but I will create a calendar so that I can stay on track!

I plan to start Monday! The program includes cross training and intervals. Have you started a new workout program for summer?

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My 1st Peachtree!

March 27, 2012 By 2 Comments
Yesterday morning I got the news that I was selected in the AJC Peachtree Road Race lottery! It’s almost as exciting as winning the actual lottery. (j/k) I’m excited because I have never done the Peachtree before. I also set two running goals that training for the Peachtree will help me achieve:
1. Run 300 miles in the year 2012
2. Run my next half marathon in under 2 hours
{via}
This year’s shirt designs. I voted on the one in the bottom left corner! You can vote using the link above.
My running history:
In 2009, I decided I wanted to run a half marathon. At the time, I had not run more than 3 miles in my life. I had never done any sort of official race. No 5k, no 10k, no anything! I trained with a group for long runs on the weekends, and during the week I maintained a weekly running schedule. The schedule included intervals, speed runs and weight training. I stuck to it about 90% of the time and I made it a priority to complete the runs and I made the end goal to just finish the race. And I did. I finished my first half marathon, the ING Georgia on March 20, 2010.

I realized after my first half, that running is a great stress reliever! It also taught me a lot about my willpower. Somehow, even on rainy days I made it a point to get the runs done. Even after networking events and dinners with friends, I made it a priority to get the training runs done. Since then, I’ve completed my second half marathon, the ING Miami half. I’ve also done some 5ks like the Susan G. Komen in Atlanta and the 420 Festival. I have to confess, I did NOT train long enough for this race. I started about a month out. Right after a very “relaxed” Christmas. I didn’t run much over the holidays which was a huge mistake. The Miami course was almost entirely flat too. Which was new for me since I trained on trails full of hills. I learned my lesson from doing that and I vow to never run a race without 2 months or more of preparation and training.

The next two races I’m signed up for are: The Color Run and 420 Fest 5k. The Color Run, is one for fun. Of course, I don’t plan on getting a great time. I want to have fun with my group and friends who will be there. I wanted to do the Zooma Atlanta half marathon, but because of the outrageous pollen counts and my allergies, it’s not a good fit. I have a history with terrible nose bleeds, insomnia and migraines as a side affect from training in the spring allergy season. Georgia has had record pollen counts lately which sucks for even going out to the mailbox. I also want to sign up for the Dirty Girl Atlanta obstacle course too. So it looks like my next  half marathon will have to be in the fall. So, I’m using the Peachtree training to help me get there.

Are you doing any of these races? Let me know! Do you have any tips for me?

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My New Half Marathon Goal

January 18, 2011 By 2 Comments

I am training for my second half marathon. I am doing the Publix Half Marathon. My goal for last year was just to finish! I completed that goal with a time of 2:19. My goal for this year is to finish under 2 hours. If I finish right at 1:58:59 I will be overjoyed! Having a time goal definitely means that I will have to train more effectively.

Running gear:

Brooks Defyance Running shoes

Garmin Forerunner 205

This will be my first time training using a Garmin or anything to monitor mileage. It has been very helpful so far helping me keep track of distance and speed.

iPod nano and wrist band

I don’t always take my iPod, and during the half marathon I turned it off after mile 6. I’m debating on if I should use or take it at all this year.

I’ve been searching for more information on how to finish with a faster time. One of the best sources is Runner’s World. And I also found some great speed workouts from Health.com. Over the rest of the week I will try to narrow down a plan and map out all of my runs. For now, I am committed to 1 hour dance classes for 2 days each week, and at least one social media related or networking event. Those commitments in addition to work and life. That means that I will have to schedule in my runs around those, but I know I can do that! I did it once already.

With my training so far, I am up to 7 miles. However, I have not started speed or interval work which are both necessary.

Have you ever run a half marathon? What advice do you have for running faster?

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Relaxing in Atlanta

January 7, 2011 By 3 Comments

Just before the end of 2010, I had the opportunity to visit Exhale Atlanta inside of the Loews Atlanta Hotel during their Exhale Atlanta tweetup. In early 2010, I toured the unfinished Loews and I even came back to visit the spa on a few other visits before it was completed. This was my first time seeing the completed spa, wellness and fitness areas and I have to admit, it was worth the wait! The beautiful decor and convenience of a gym, spa and wellness area make Exhale a unique gem in Midtown.

Here is the nail bar where they offer Pure manicures and pedicures.

They use Butter London non toxic nail color

Relaxing therapy room where they offer spa therapies like massages and facials. They also offer healing therapies like acupuncture and cupping.

The state of the art gym area overlooks midtown. Each machine has a personal tv, and you can plug your iPod or mp3 in. The view of the city was gorgeous at night!

This sign was a great reminder of how we should disconnect and just relax!

Exhale yoga studio

After touring the spa, I had the opportunity to try one of the Core Fusion classes. The class was a great calorie torching one hour full body work out. The leg and glute work had me sore the next day. But I enjoyed the challenge and definitely can’t wait to go back.

The cool thing about Exhale Spa is the membership plan setup. You can select to pay per class, monthly, or become a member of Fusion. All of the customizable options ensure that each plan can be tailored to individual needs. I have started a list of all the things I want to experience on my next visit!

What’s your favorite spa, gym or nail place in Atlanta?

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31 Day Yoga Challenge

November 30, 2010 By 4 Comments

After reading one of my favorite bloggers nhershoes I decided to commit to the 31 Yoga Challenge! I started doing yoga late 2009 after a trainer told me I needed to stretch more. Before getting into yoga, stretching was one of my least favorite parts of exercising. I just wouldn’t do it. But now I see that it’s extremely important and neccessary to any training program. I continued doing yoga regularly as preparation for my first ING Half Marathon this past March.

The rules for the challenge are fairly simple: For each day to qualify you have to complete 20 minutes of structured yoga

I usually do a yoga dvd or take instruction from the comfort of my home from Sadie Nardini who is an NYC instructor. I’ve also taken Core Fusion at Exhale Atlanta. I refer to this book for pose names and great illustrated photos of postures, movements and breathing techniques. I purchased it on Amazon.

Here are a few reasons why I’m committing to this challenge:

1. I miss the focus I had during my morning yoga sessions earlier this year – I used to start my day off relaxed and refreshed when I made time for yoga, I want to go back to that.

2. It’s cold outside – doing yoga in the morning at the start of my day helped me move a little faster and warmed my body up tremendously

3. The word challenge – I love trying new things and taking on a new challenge, this seems like the perfect one to take on during this period of hustle and bustle for the holidays.

4. I want to improve my flexibility – I’m semi flexible, but it could be much better!

5. It’s almost time to train again – I plan to do at least 1 half marathon in 2011! Doing this challenge is a great way to transition back into the “running routine”

So, tomorrow, it all begins! I’m excited. Are you taking on any new challenges to close out 2010?

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