Friday Favourites – My Favourite Workout Wear

Happy Friday! I hope you have had a wonderful week and are as excited about the weekend as I am!

This week I am going to share with you my favourite line of workout wear.

As a high school Health and Physical Education teacher, I am lucky enough to wear sweatshirts, track-style pants, shorts and t-shirts everyday. Yes, for some this could mean blah, grubby, and frumpy, but for me it means stylish, comfy and practical!

For me it means Lululemon!

What do I look for in workout wear? And why do I love Lululemon?

1. The Wicking Factor – Most days I sweat my butt of working out. Whether I’m running, teaching BodyAttack, or lifting weights, chances are I’m going to get my sweat on! So, for me, it’s important that my base layer is pulling the moisture away from my skin – keeping me cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Why I love lulu:

All of lulu’s run swiftly line is made with Luxtreme®, a moisture wicking material which is woven right into the fabric. That means it will continue to wick away sweat for as long as you own the top!

2. The Stink Factor – Because I wear workout clothes all the time – to work as well as to workout in, it’s important to me that they have some sort of anti-bacterial treatment to help fight odour build-up. There’s nothing worse than pulling a clean shirt out of the laundry that still smells like your last workout! Yuck!

Why I love lulu:

Lululemon has taken care if this too! They have added a silver fibre to their tops to create their very own Silverescent® fabric which inhibits the growth of odour causing bacteria!

3. The Comfort Factor – For me, the type of fabric and fit is important. I like fabrics that are soft and have flat seams to avoid chaffing. I also want a comfortable fit without being skintight. I want to be be able to move in the clothing, while at the same time, not worrying that I’m going to lose my tights half way through Track 4 of the latest BodyAttack release!

Why I love lulu:

Most Lululemon clothing is made of luon® , which is moisture wicking, offers 4-way stretch and is preshrunk. The high percentage of LYCRA® in the fabric means it will not stretch or bag out, while the nylon used in luon® is made to feel cottony soft.

4. The Longevity Factor – Because I work out a least once a day, and often twice- it is important to me that my workout wear lasts! I need it to wash well and not stretch and/or lose its shape.

Why I love lulu:

Lulu designs the majority of their products to last 5 years, and as long as you take care of it, it does! Luckily taking care of most lulu stuff means washing in warm water and tossing in the dryer 🙂

Not sure how to care for you latest purchase? Click here.

5. The Style Factor – Looking good means feeling good, and this goes for at the gym too! Lululemon has a variety of styles and fits for tops, bottoms, shorts, sweats, jackets, sock and undies. If you need it to workout in…they make it! I’m not sure how they do it, but lululemon pants have something magic in them that makes everyone’s butt look amazing!

Why I love lulu:

Lululemon clothing comes in awesome colours and styles to fit all body types! They have pieces that can be worn casually as well as functionally, and although formally known as a yoga clothing company, their clothes can be worn for weight lifting, aerobics, cycling, indoors, outdoors, warm, cold…really, for anything!

6. The Value Factor – Yes, lulu can be considered quite pricey, but for the amount I wear it and how long it lasts, I find it to be of good value.

Why I love lulu:

Lulu has a variety of ‘workout basics’ that never go out of style. When you are staring to build your workout wardrobe, chose a few timeless pieces – like a pair of wonder under crops and maybe a run swiftly tank or T – and add a piece here or there. Be sure to consider the type of activities you do most and make sure the pieces you buy are appropriate for those activities. Choose versatile pieces that will get you through both the hottest and coldest months.

So, that is why I love Lululemon clothing to wear to work and workout in.

Here are some of my favourite pieces to wear to work:

Here are some of my favourite pieces to workout in:

What is you favourite line of workout wear? Why do you love it?

Three Things Thursday – Winning, Giving and Giving Up!

Three Things Thursday

1. I won a Simple Choices Prize Pack from Morgan at Life After Bagels. It arrived in the mail yesterday and let me just tell you how awesome it is!

Check it out!

Wondering what all that is? Well, there’s…

• 1 box of 12 Simply Whey Coconut bars and 1 box of 12 Simply Whey Apple Cinnamon bars

• 12 bags of Garlic and Herb Simply Protein Chips and 12 bags of Chili Simply Protein Chips

• as well as a Simply Protein recipe book and Menu Planner

Super Awesome!

I had the Garlic and Herb Protein Chips for a morning snack and they were pretty good! Very savoury! I’m super excited to give the rest a try!

Thanks Morgan and Simply Protein!

2. I’m running my first ever blog giveaway and it ends in about 48 hours! For information on how you can win a copy of “The Best of Clean Eating 3” click here! Contest closes at noon on Saturday. Good luck!

3. I’m giving up Chai Latte’s for the month of February! Yep, you read that correctly, I’m giving them up for a whole month…you may be wondering if that is even possible, but I’m am going to prove it is! My Starbucks card is empty and I am staying away!

WIAW #4

Welcome to another instalment of What I Ate Wednesday! Today was a bit if an unusual work day – we are in exams so I have a different schedule which once again, sort of threw me off. I definitely need to start prepping dinners that provide leftovers for lunches – lots of little snacks are great, but after a run, I’m wanting more!

Breakfast 7:00am – Light rye toast with natural peanut butter and a glass of OJ.

Pre-run Snack 10:45am – One avocado (chopped) and a banana

Run Deets:

Post-run Snack 12:00pm – Blueberry Scone (thanks Cherie), strawberries and some yummy peanut butter pretzel treats!

Afternoon Snack 3pm – 1/4 cup of peanuts and 1 cup pomegranate seeds. Oops, totally forgot to take a picture 😦 after I wolfed that down I decided….

And, an hour later I was feeling rested and ready to pick up the kids.

Dinner 5:30 – Ham, broccoli and cheese scalloped potatoes and broccoli.

I’m already looking forward to a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch tomorrow 🙂

I’m sure there will be some sort of evening snack gobbled up in the next half hour or so, but I haven’t decided what yet…most likely a bowl of cereal…

What did you eat today?

What’s your go-to evening snack?

13 in 2013 – Week 4 Update

Wow, it’s hard to believe we are already approaching the end of January! It’s crazy how fast time is flying by!

I know you are not ‘average’ so you don’t really fit in with this stat, but did you know that of those who make resolutions or sets goals for the New Year only 64% stick with it through the first month!

Source

Are you part of that 64%? Will you be part if the only 8% that stick with it all year long? I guess it’s time to ask yourself…

I am happy to say I am still doing well with my 2013 goals. Although I’ve been sidetracked with illness and injury, I feel as though I am still in control and on track. After 4 weeks, here’s where I’m at:

1. Spend less, save more – as always, this is a work in progress. As I was browsing the Internet for easy ways to save money, I came across a couple of great sites that I thought I would share with you:

Money Saving Mom, a blog dedicated to helping you find great deals, stretch your hard-earned dollars, and live on less than you make, so you can save more and give more. Each Monday in 2013 Crystal will be sharing a different way you can save money this year, check it out!

The Nourishing Gourmet is doing something similar with 52 ways to save money on a healthy diet. Check out her site for more money saving ideas!

This weeks money saving focus: do laundry only once this week – on the weekend, during low cost hours.

2. Run a 1:58 half marathon – Things are coming together! I’ve decided on a 12 week training program to prep me for my May 5th half marathon. Training officially starts February 12th! I will post a copy of my training schedule over the next few days if you are interested.

3. Try one new clean eating recipe a week – Last week I made 2 clean eating treats.

I made Dark Fudgy Brownies with Avocado from the January/February 2013 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. They were absolutely delicious! You should give them a try!

I also made Eat Clean Apple Crisp that was probably the BEST apple crisp I have ever had. You can find the recipe here.

4. Become a certified RPM instructor – I’ve finally made it back to RPM! It almost killed me after such a long time off, but I loved it! This latest release is intense!

5. Do 10 chin-ups – Week 3 of my chin-up program was put on hold as I dislocated a rib last Monday and needed to give the surrounding muscles a chance to heal. I will be taking another week off and getting back into it next Monday.

Maybe I’ve finally learned to start listening to my body!

6. Build Strength – I’ve also had to put my strength training workouts on hold too, but will also be restarting those on Monday too.

7. Go to bed earlier – I’ve mastered this one! Last week I went to be ridiculously early – like 7:30 early – on more than one occasion. It was awesome!

8. Blog more – Last week was another great week in the blogging world. I posted 6 times and I’m hosting my first ever giveaway! I am also working on building a Happier, Healthier, More Fit Me Pinterest account and Facebook page.

9. Run 3x a week – Last week was a terrible week run-wise. With the crazy cold front that hung around most of the week, running outside was pretty much impossible. I did make it to the gym for a treadmill run once, but overall, I’m pretty disappointed with my progress last week 😦

Stats: 1 run, 4 miles, 38:29, 424 calories.

Goal Check: 100 miles by February 28

Yikes! Better get running if I’m going to reach my goal!

10. Drink more water – Getting better, but still need to drink more water!

11. Read 52 books – Last week I finished my 2nd book of 2013 – The House of Sand and Fog – and I’ve now started to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Run Less Run Faster by Runner’s World Magazine.

12. Take at least 2 family trips – planning in progress

13. Date night once a month – Thinking dinner at the Keg to celebrate hubby’s birthday will be our night out this month!

So, overall, not too bad. I can definitely say some of these goals have become habits and are now no brainers. There are a few things I still really need to focus on, but I feel as though I am moving in the right direction! Now that I’ve made it though the first 4 weeks, I am going to be doing monthly rather than weekly updates.

How are you doing with your 2013 goals? Are you on track? Losing momentum? Or kicking butt? I’d love an update!

Motivational Monday – Follow your Dreams!

Run Less Run Faster…

Sounds perfect to me!

Im pretty exited to read this book…a 3x per week training program that will make me run faster…sounds to good to be true!

Anyone used this program? What did you think?

I’m off to get reading…stay tuned for an update….

Friday Favourites #3 and My First Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! Are you ready for the weekend? I sure am!

Before we kick back and relax, its time for this weeks Friday Favourites post – my favourite cookbook(s).

As you may have gathered from the recipes I post that I am all about Clean Eating and The Eat Clean Diet. I have been eating clean for a while, but really got into it about a year ago, just after I had my son Tanner, and actually did a 40 Day Clean Eating Challenge last May and June. During that time I discovered a number of super awesome recipes, many of which have become regulars in our house.

You might be wondering ….What is Clean Eating?

Well, I figured I’d go right to the source one – Clean Eating Magazine

Curious about the Health Benefits of Clean Eating? (Source)

• Fat loss
• Weight loss
• Increased energy
• Clearer skin
• Shinier hair
• Better sleep
• Increased mental well-being

And a decreased risk of (Source)

• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Type II diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Some cancers – colon, prostate, lung, breast

Why do I love Clean Eating Magazine and The Best of Clean Eating Cookbooks?

• the recipes are easy to follow
• the recipes are delicious!
• most recipes come with pictures
• there are always leftovers
• there are recipes for every meal
• they have cleaned up many of your unhealthy favourites – like brownies, pizza and even fettuccine Alfredo!
• there are tips and tricks and clean recipes to help you survive big holiday meals/gatherings as well as social events – like the upcoming Super Bowl
• Clean Eating Magazine is available digitally which means I don’t have a ton of magazines piling up around the house or lose pages spread everywhere

And….Because I love The Best of Clean Eating cookbook series so much, I am offering YOU, one of my lucky readers, you the opportunity to win a copy of The Best of Clean Eating 3 – the latest cookbook filled with over 200 favourite recipes from the editors of Clean Eating Magazine.

** This is NOT a sponsored post. I purchased this cookbook to giveaway on the blog. All opinions are my own.

Giveaway begins Friday January 25, 2013 and ends Saturday February 2 at 12:00pm and is open to Canadian and US residents only.

Here’s how to enter:

You will receive ONE entry PER activity you do. Be sure to let me know what you did in the COMMENTS section below. Please leave one comment for each thing you do. 

1. Follow @healthyfitme10 on twitter. Let me know you followed and leave me your twitter handle in the comments section below.

If y0u don’t have a twitter account – subscribe to Happier, Healthier, More Fit Me for your entry. Let me know you subscribed in the comments section below.

2. Tweet about the giveaway: “I just entered to win The Best of Clean Eating 3 from @healthyfitme 10. You should too! #giveaway http://wp.me/p2gpm2-18Q” You can do this once each day for an additional entry. Be sure to let me know each time you tweet in the comments section below.

3. Follow Happier, Healthier, More Fit Me on Pinterest. Click the link below and be sure to leave your Pinterest name in the comments section below.

4. Like Happier, Healthier More Fit Me on Facebook. Just click the link below and leave me your Facebook name in the comments section below.

I will be choosing a winner on Saturday February 2nd at 12:00pm. Please be honest with your entries as I will be checking 🙂

Thanks and Good Luck!

Three Things Thursday – My Blog is Expanding!

1. I’ve created a Pinterest account dedicated soley to this blog. I am still trying to link up everything up, but check it out and follow me by clicking below. You will find tons of great workouts, recipes and other fun stuff!

2. I”m also working on creating a Facebook Page for my blog – you should check it out too!

 

3. I’m super excited because I’m having my first blog giveaway tomorrow! Be sure to check tomorrow’s post for all of the details! You’re going to love it!

How was your Thursday?

WIAW #3

It’s Wednesday, which means another instalment of What I Ate Wednesday!

My focus this week has been on packing a bigger “lunch” with more snacks to help me make it through the 3pm sugar cravings!

My work schedule allows me the opportunity to eat between 9:30-11, 12:15-1:30, and after 3pm. Although most people would be ok eating lunch at 12:15, I am not! There is no way I can go from 6:30 am to 12:15 pm without eating! No way!

So, I pretty much split my lunch into smaller snacks and eat at little at 9:30am, a little more at 12:30pm, and the rest at 3pm. And, I’m pleased to say, it’s working! By eating more frequently throughout the day, I am craving less sugar and not eating like a hug pig the minute I walk in the door after work!

So, here’s what I ate today….

Breakfast (6:30am)

2 egg omelet with shredded cheddar cheese and a slice of light rye toast with raspberry jam. My husband bought me an awesome little omelet maker for Christmas and I have to say, it makes THE best omelettes ever! The are so fluffy!

Snack #1 (9:45am)

One avocado. This was the first time I had ever eaten plain avacado…it was yummy…but really filling!

Snack #2(12:30pm)

Crackers and Cheese, 1 Apple (sliced) and one Eat Clean Dark Fudgy Brownie

Snack #3 (3pm)

Banana

Dinner (5:30pm)

Pork Tenderloin, Broccoli and Grilled Red Pepper

Snack #4 (7:00pm)

Eat Clean Apple Crisp This apple crisp was ah-mazing! Seriously, probably the best I’ve ever had! You should make it, it’s easy, quick and clean…what more could you as for?

Here is a nutritional summary of my day:

How was your Wednesday?

What do you eat?

13 in 2013 – Week 3 Update

Well, we are a full three weeks into 2013…how are you doing with your goals?

So far, I’d have to say I am doing quite well! Of course there are things I am still struggling with, but I have definitely made progress!

Here’s where I’m at:

1. Spend less, save more – Although we were on track again last week, we need to get back to meal planning and grocery shopping only once a week. Why? Well, because by meal planning and shopping only once a week we save because…

• I don’t have the chance to buy those on-a-whim, usually not-so-healthy extras – since I’m not in the store!

• I prepare meals that provide leftovers for lunches and/or another dinner which helps us avoid expensive lunches from the school caf and last-minute take-out meals for dinner on busy evenings.

• I plan Friday night treat meals, like Buffalo chicken wraps and sweet potato fries, which satisfies our urge for take-out, without the added expense and extra calories!

2. Run a 1:58 half marathon – Well, I’ve officially signed up for the Goodlife Fitness Half Marathon in Toronto on May 5th.

Now to decide on which training program I am going to follow to help me finish in my goal time…

Do you have an awesome Half Marathon training program you swear by? I’d love to see it and find out why you love it.

3. Try one new clean eating recipe a week – I’m totally loving this goal! I can honesty say that if I had not committed to one new recipe a week, I would have skipped out on it for sure! It has been great trying new meals and have found some that will become regulars.

This week I made Kung Pao Chicken from Clean Eating Comfort Foods 2012. The recipe is quick and easy and DELICIOUS!

4. Become a certified RPM instructor – I didn’t make it to RPM last week, and with it being LMI release week, I may only get there once this week – Friday. I am so looking forward to next week and the beginning of semester 2 when I can go to RPM on my lunch! Woohoo!

5. Do 10 chin-ups – Week 2 of my training program is complete and I can now do 2.5 continuous chin-ups! I am defintley motivated to continue with these results! The program amps up these week, but I’m ready!

6. Build Strength – Week 1 of my strength program went well, however I have decided to switch to a 3x/week program that is very similar to the 5x/week program I started with. The main are reason for the change is that this new program has 3 strength and 3 cardio workouts a week (rather than 5 strength and no cardio). This fits in much better with my plan of running a half marathon in May and getting my RPM certification. I feel that this is a much more balanced workout plan and will only require the odd double workout day as opposed to multiple per week.

This weeks workout schedule looks like this:

• Monday – BodyAttack
• Tuesday – super sets workout
• Wednesday – run
• Thursday – circuit workout and BodyAttack
• Friday – core workout and RPM
• Saturday – fitness blast workout
• Sunday – rest day 🙂

7. Go to bed earlier – Heading to bed before 9:30 is working well. I have a bit of time to tidy up, relax, and hang with my husband. What it doesn’t really allow for is time to read and comment on other blogs, which totally sucks! I think I’m going to have to figure out a way to squeeze that into my lunch, or after work – before picking up the kids.

8. Blog more – I feel like I have now developed a blogging routine and 5 days a week works really well for me. Finding time to blog on the weekends is a bit harder since I am busy with family stuff, and although I will continue to try and at get in at least one post in on the weekend, I still kinda feel that any weekend blogs are a bonus 🙂

9. Run 3x a week – last weeks run stats (on the right):

I am hoping to get in a couple of runs this week, unfortunately we are in a crazy deep freeze and temperatures are around -25 Celsius with the windchill! Looks like I will be hitting the treadmill – which is way less convenient 😦

10. Drink more water – Getting better, but still room for improvement! It’s so darn cold here that all I want to drink are warm beverages!

Click the image below for some great tips to drink more water.

11. Read 52 books – I’m still on book 2 – my mini goal is to finish this book before the weekend.

12. Take at least 2 family trips – Planning in progress…

13. Date night once a month – Brainstorming February date ideas. It’s hubby’s birthday so maybe a nice dinner at the Keg is in order! Yum!