Stitch Fix Review

As many of you know, I have an obsession with subscription boxes. My new favorite is Stitch Fix, which is a personal stylist service. First, you complete a survey about your sense of style and the clothing sizes you wear. You are given a stylist who selects 5 pieces for you (usually 4 clothing and one accessory) and then mails them to you for a $20 fee (the fee can later go towards the price of any item you buy). These deliveries are called Fixes. Once you receive your Fix, you try on the clothes, keep what you want, and then send back what you don't in a postage paid envelope. You complete a survey once you get your box that allows you to provide feedback, such as how well the items fits, if you like the style, or if the price point is okay with you. You peg items as "Keep it" or "Return it." Items you keep are automatically charged from your card on file. You are given the opportunity to add comments, and then request specific styles or items for your next fix. Stitch Fix also allows you to paste in your Pinterest Board so that they can use that to help style you as well.


Now, to my review. I have received three fixes so far:

Fix #1:
I received 4 pieces of clothing and a necklace.

Item #1: RETURN IT. The necklace, I thought was hideous, strictly because it was just a long piece that hung straight down...there wasn't that rounded appearance around your neck that necklaces typically have--not my style.  ($28)



Item #2: RETURN IT. A blue dress, with white embroidery around the edges. While I wanted to like this dress, the embroidery rubs on my neck the wrong way. Overall, the dress was a great fit, and was even long enough for my longer legs (dresses are normally too short on me, and I told my stylist that). I couldn't find a picture though (sorry!)($48)

Item #3: KEEP IT. A light pink shirt with a design. Needs an undershirt, but thought it would go well both for work and for an afternoon out. Nice and breezy. Slightly tight around the arms, but overall I like it.  ($38)



















Item #4: KEEP IT. A grey and white striped 3/4 sleeve sweater. Fitted arms, lose around the torso. Super soft material, and comfy cozy. ($40)








Item #5: Skinny streth-fit jeans, with an elastic top. I first looked at this and thought....maternity wear? BEST DESIGN EVER. Soooo comfy for jeans, and the band was forgiving so I didn't have to worry about having too much to eat, or that my pants would fit if I was bloated or gained a pound. ($85)









All in all, I got three items, and spent about $170. While this is way more than I typically spend for clothes, I had to take into account the following things: 1. I didn't have to go shopping!! 2. The items were better quality than what I typically buy, and 3. I have horrible fashion sense and this stranger helped me figure it out a little bit more. Hahha.


1st thought? SUCCESS! Ready for Stitch #2....and 3. I'm addicted!!

Fix #2, I had a different stylist, and quite honestly, I returned the whole box except for a necklace (see the necklace I have on in Fix #3). With the $20 styling fee that I could put towards the price of the necklace, I only paid $8 for the necklace.


(Stitch 3 addressed in the next blog....!)


Want to try Stitch Fix? Help me out and use my referral code please!!! :)
https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/7270638

2016 is HERE! The Year of Fit Starts NOW!

It's January 1st...what are you doing to prioritize YOUR health today?

As I sit here in Rocky Point, Mexico, overlooking the sea of Cortez, it gives me opportunity to reflect and find peace. Boy is it beautiful. It is also my final days off before I go back to work, so having a plan is essential. It's time to map out more morning, and next week...

The last blog post detailed the key meals I planned on focusing. A note on that--You may have asked "why didn't you include calorie counts or a detailed list of ingredients/amounts? My diet is my diet...I do what I need to help myself. You are going to have slightly different needs, and you want to make sure you are enjoying the food you eat as much as possible. Granted, feel free to model your meals after mine.

My last deluxe dinner was garlic mashed potatoes (potatoes, garlic, butter, salt, water), salmon (poked with spears of garlic while cooking) w/ teriyaki, and sauteed bok choy. I cook as lean as possible, but use plenty of spices to make up for flavor in place of extra fat. I only used a tablespoon of butter in my mashed potatoes, and only even went that far because I no longer eat dairy and couldn't put milk in. I am NOT saying to cut out fat...in fact, that's the last thing you want to do, but it does add a lot of calories simply because 1 gram of fat is 9 calories, while carbs and protein are only 4 calories a gram. Refer back to former posts for a few examples of my meal plans. The key here, that is so powerful, is that you need to be doing these YOURSELF. Awareness is everything. And keep tracking your food!

Back to my plan...Meals are roughly sketched out. It's more important to plan out the types of workouts I want to have so I can accomplish this. Instead of saying "Monday is this...Tuesday is this..." I like to create a list of the workouts I want accomplished by the end of the week, and allow myself the flexibility to choose the one I want each day, as unexpected situations may arise and I may not feel like doing arms after moving 40 jumbo desks in my classroom.

A rough sketch looks something like this:
3-5 days of core/abs
3 days of arms/shoulders/back
2 days of legs
3 running days

These will all take place on a total of 5 workout days, so I will cut and paste as I feel. For example, legs with running one day, but upper body with running another. Of course, for each day, I have a series of workouts that I typically do. I will further discuss them as we go along, but for now here are a couple of them:

Upper Body Workout Day
3 x 12	Bicep Curl
3 x 12	Tricep overarm bend
3 x 12	Hammer curl
3 x 12	Tricep kickback
3 x 12	Bent Over Row (10-15lb weight)
3 x 12	Shoulder press (5-10 lb weight)
3 x 12	Shoulder rotation (5-10 lb weight)
30	Rear back lift (5 lb dumbbell)
3 x 12 each side	Side arm lifts (3-5lb weights)

Lower Body Workout Day
3 x 12	Squats - shoulder width
3 x 12	Hamstring - Deadlift
10 ea side	Lunges
Hold for 15 pulses, each side	Pulse lunges
15	Squats - sumo style
	Leg lift circuit

Total Body Workout Day
	Shoulder Width Squats
	Narrow Squats
	Sumo Squats
	Biceps + Triceps
	Shoulder Press, Shoulder inversion
3 x 12	Dead lifts w/ bent over row
3 x 15	Upright row (5-10 lb weight)
30 each direction	Calf Press

Commit by taking 15 minutes and planning out the list of workouts you plan to accomplish. Also include the time you plan on accomplishing them, and the last case scenario time. For me, I plan on doing short workouts in the morning before work, but if that doesn't work, and I don't get to the gym, I will do a workout at about 6 pm on my yoga mat in my living room. PS....if you don't feel the burn, you may need to step it up a notch. Beneficial workouts are often uncomfortable-- if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. I recommend consulting Pinterest for a few workout ideas, or blogilates. If you sign up for the free newsletter, you receive access to monthly workout plans. These are services I can provide for a fee ($8/week each for workouts OR meals, $15 for both), but I don't deny free is better for some of you. The benefit with paying, is it will be more designed specifically to you and your needs.

Today's workout plan for me is as follows:
1 mile run on the beach (sand will really kick it up a notch)
Lower body circuit - 3 series squats, lunges with weights, thigh circuit, bridges, donkey kicks
Abs circuit - 5 minute plank series (get's some arm workout in there), flutter kicks, holds, russian twists, bicycles, v-ups
Biceps - 10-15 lb dumbbells, bicep curls - 3x15.

I just had my cup of coffee, I believe I will take an hour to get some work done, and enjoy the beautiful morning sunrise, and then off to the beach! ....don't get too jealous, it's only 65 here. Brrr!

Getting in the Mindset...Meal Planning and Preparing Your Workouts

I want to welcome in the new year with a bang! Oh I'm not denying that I will indulge on New Years Eve....but it's about taking appropriate measures before hand so that it does not sabotage you. I tend to scale back my calorie content about 100 calories a day the week of a big event...allowing me an extra 500-700 calories to eat/drink without gaining anything. I could of course run 7 miles instead to make up for that...but, this just seems easier!

And of course, if you know you are going to be in a situation with horrible food, take measures ahead of time to address it/bring something yourself so you can eat. The whole "oh I brought this new dish I wanted to try out!" (code for -- I am really afraid to eat any of your buttery food and am trying to exercise self control).

Anyways, I decided to start my program a few days early. The reason for this is I go back to work next week and it's about to get CRAZY! I need to be back in the habit of meal planning, and especially, working out.

Yesterday I topped out at 1400 calories. Lower than I normally do, but I'm preparing for NYE remember. I won't go any lower though because my body needs about 1300 calories to even run itself (BMR). It was not a conventional day of eating by any means. And that will happen. But I started my morning strong with a lentil soup from Amy's (the canned kind--320 calories for the whole thing, 14 gram protein), and made a lean meal in my crockpot (porkloin stew-- with eggplant, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, seasonings and chicken broth) that could serve as lunch and dinner. Add in some Chex cereal w/ almond milk and a bag of popcorn and tada!! See....Indulging in an entire bag of popcorn doesn't have to be an end all be all.

Pork Loin Stew

Yesterday's/This morning's workout was as follows. I did a double dose of arms, and I definitely could feel how much weaker I was today. I don't typically recommend that, but I was sure to have protein shake when I was done (instagram= healthyteachergirl for the recipe and to follow me!):

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake

Yesterday: Chest/Core
15 Tuck Jumps
15 Seconds of Burpees
20 Pushups (10 one legged)
20 Russian Twists
5 Full Crunch/Extensions
60 Reverse Crunches
50 Crunches

This morning: Abs/Shoulders/Chest
15 Tuck Jumps
15 seconds of Burpees
20 Tricep Dips
10 pushups
18 Pike Pushups
10 One legged Pike Pushups
10 One legged pushups
3 Side plank pushups

Later today I plan on getting my run in. I signed up for the ColorRun on January 23 and need to show up looking like I can manage to run a mere 5k. And I'm really ready to have a nice ass again.


And to meal planning:
My CSA box this work serves as my inspiration:
*Komatsuna
*Oranges
*Yellow Tomatoes
*Cabbage
*Acorn Squash
*Bok Choy
*Micro Greens



I found some chicken breast and pork loin on sale last week so they will serve as the bulk of my protein for the week. I also will get some seafood (shrimp and salmon) to get some Omega's in.

I am a simple creature when it comes to eating so I do one of two things for ease:
Make a double portion of dinner so I can eat the rest for breakfast or lunch the next day,
or I cheat and buy the healthy choice dinners that I can pop in the microwave really quick. Those are the only two ways where I can really know what I'm eating, since it's either already labeled, or I have done the calcs already from dinner the night before.

So far, I have planned the following dinners:

Garlic pork loin w/ mashed acorn squash
Pulled Pork (BBQ) and stuffed yams (Monday night...I need something I can crockpot)
Pulled pork tacos
Asian Salmon w/ Bok Choy (tonight's dinner)
Thai Pumpkin Curry with Bok Choy
Chicken sandwich with lettuce, sprouts and tomatoes 

You'll notice that I don't have a lot of starches in there like pasta and rice. There are two reasons for that: 1. My blood sugar stays a lot more stable when I avoid those foods, and they are high glycemic and therefore cause a blood sugar rollercoaster (increasing hunger), and 2. they are more calorie dense, and I like eating a lot of food!

Snacks for my prep hour at work include:
Lentil Chips,
Sliced Veggies + Hummus
Hard Boiled Eggs


I have a good week's worth of meals here, so now I shall head back over to Pinterest to find some breakfast ideas in case I don't want leftovers :) After I find my meal there, I will usually reconstruct it if I feel it will be too calorie dense, and then add the items to my grocery list.

Fit Tip: Definitely make sure you incorporate protein at every meal/snack (20-30 grams). This will help decrease hunger and stabilize blood sugar. It also helps rebuild your muscles if you are exercising! 

Going to finish my shopping list, and then off I go to the store!
Fit Tip: Do NOT go back to the store during the week, so make a good shopping list and meal plan now! Eat a bit before hand (with protein!) so you're not hungry at the store. This helps curb any spur of the moment junk food encounters. And do not buy any junk food!

Prepping for the January Challenge - Determining your Goals, and Planning

Part 1 of Preparing for the January Challenge: Determining your Goals and Preparing to Meal Plan (Part 2 will essential meal planning tips and ideas to create a strong meal plan for you. Former blog posts touch on this already).

This challenge is not designed to be a "who is the best" type of challenge. This is a challenge for yourself. It is time to take the steps to reflect on you, your wishes, and where you want to go.

Bottom line: the #1 reason for being overweight is a lack of energy balance (you are eating more calories than your body can burn). (Why you are eating too much is an entirely different issue).

Questions to ask yourself, that I will answer as well for myself:

What about your health/body would you like to change/What fitness goals do you have for yourself?
*I want to be able run a 5k and not get winded.
*Have defined ab lines
*Use 30 lb dumbbells for my squats, 15 for my biceps, 20-25 for shoulder row
*Workout 4 days a week
*Decrease stress - allow more relaxation time for myself

Based off of the answers to these questions, my January plan needs to incorporate cardio (running), weight training, and specific ab circuits. The only way to see the abs is to decrease body fat so they are visible + work those muscles!

Break it down. What do you have to do to reach those goals:
-Treadmill / outdoor running 3x/week- Running specific distances/slowly increasing the distance ran. Also, for some muscular definition I will be increasing the incline and having some interval workouts as well (go tushy and calves!)
-Do a 10 minute ab circuit 5 days/week before/after work
-Have a more defined workout time
-Clear nutrition plans to keep calorie goals in check (counting calories is the only way to know for sure where you're at)


What is standing in the way from you achieving your goals?
*My own excuses and willpower. I often talk myself out of why I can't workout (oh I'm busy, oh I'm tired) --for example, once I'm done writing this I'm already telling myself that I'm still sleepy from traveling yesterday and that I won't have enough time to workout before my ortho appointment. THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO STOP!
*Having a specific time to workout every day (i.e. after work every day, no matter what). Routine naturally makes things easier. In an ideal world, I would be working out in the morning before school. But I would have to get my work life together enough to make that happen first! ....unpeeling the layers of the onion. Remove all excuses.

It is very important to know the specific goals/the steps to reaching them, and what's holding you back before you begin. If one of your goals is to lose weight, be sure in incorporate meal planning. For this reason, there are two challenges that I am asking that you do yourself. Keep it private, or go public to get more support and accountability! If you are not sure that your goal is reasonable, or doable, check with me if you'd like!

Prep-work #1: Answer the questions above. Be specific. If you need help constructing some goals, contact me. Start with things you can measure yourself. If "want my pants to feel more lose" if your goal, that's fine. Want to run a 10 minute mile? Also fine. Just have a way to keep track of it. For extra encouragement and accountability put it in the comments below.

Prep-work #2: Take pre-measurements/photos of yourself. January 1 to January 31. Include things like weight, waist circumference, how your favorite pair of pants feel. Whatever your specific goals are, be sure to include a photo for them (example: have more define calf muscles, take a picture of your calves).

Challenge 1: Tracking Your Food. Track everything. Meal plan EVERY week and measure every single thing that goes in your mouth. To make this easier, I plan everything out on Sundays, and put it into containers for pre-made portion sizes. No WW points. Those are not specific enough to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Use MyFitnessPal, as it allows you to monitor things like sugar intake, protein, etc. For those of you concerned about weight loss, this is the all powerful tool here. Yes, other aspects of nutrition absolutely do matter. But step 1 is understanding how you eat.

Challenge 2: Meeting Your Goals: This part is clearly indivdualized, but focus on about 3-4 of your goals that you are going to accomplish this month. The larger goals, or remaining goals can roll into February. They are not going there because you got lazy, but because you want to focus on a few things at a time. Plan it out first. 


Before January 1, create your first meal ideas for January 1-9. Include grocery items needed, approximate calorie counts (you will be getting the exact ones when you make it). Make sure you include items with protein!!! Don't forget to plan out snacks, if you are the type of person that likes to snack. If you plan on working out, don't forget to plan a post workout snack w/ 20 g protein for weight training days, and 4:1 ratio carbs to protein for cardio days (you only need 100-200 calories for post workout). 

I highly recommend creating a Pinterest board for this. It makes it easier to pin everything to one place, you can label which day you want it in the comments before you pin it.

If you don't already have a planner, I recommend getting one. They are fun to doodle in, and it makes working out and accomplishing tasks more fun (for me at least!). I use the Happy Planner, and plan to add everything in to that, but there are some great fitness planners available as well!
http://www.ogorgeous.com/product/2016-blogilates-fit-planner

My Happy Planner:

 Now that you have somewhere to start, get to it! We've got work to do!!

3 Free Fitness Apps You've Gotta Try!

The majority of us can say they have some type of fitness app on our phones now days. But can you say, that this is a quality app, that isn't giving you some bogus information/wasting your time? How do you even know that? This week, I am going to let you know what I think some fantastic fitness apps are. They are all free, with paid premium subscriptions, but I think for the first time ever, you might just cave and buy the paid one for one of them!


FitStar - Personal Trainer / FitStar Yoga
http://fitstar.com/

This app starts off free but has a premium service that costs about $40 a year (I have seen two different monthly prices advertised--one for $4.99/month, one for $7.99). 

But, it still offers a great service that is FREE -- two, specific workouts per week. 

You first take a fitness assessment (similar to that of insanity, but much shorter). After you do each exercise, which is timed, you input how many reps of the exercise you did, or how long you were able to keep up. You then input your exerted effort. The app uses this information to design your next workout. So far, the workouts range from 11-22 minutes. Short and sweet (or miserable, depending on how you look at it).

Input your level of exertion, and how well you did on each exercise.

Despite the fact that it only provides 2 exercises/week for the free service, you can still supplement it with some of their pre-designed workouts. I am using the app for those days that I am not up to go to the gym or do a run, but still need to be doing something active. If you don't have a gym membership, I would recommend paying for the premium version. 

Provides you with a single exercise, and a timer to keep you paced. You can go faster if you wish.

 










.
..
.

..
.
.

.
..

Argus - 
http://www.azumio.com/s/argus/index.html

Assuming you don't already have some sort of fitness tracking device like a fitbit (or even a new iPhone), but own a smart phone, this is the app for you. Argus uses location monitoring to track your footsteps throughout the day. The only problem is if, like me, you put your phone down during the work day so it doesn't truly track what you've done. It can monitor other user inputted things, such as water, coffee, and exercise, but I use it strictly for the footsteps as I have other apps for everything else.



MyFitnessPal -
myfitnesspal.com

 MyFitnessPal is your best friend if you're trying to lose weight and just can't seem to understand why it's not working! It's also awesome for maintenance, and those days where you *think* you're doing alright but for some reason you're feeling a bit bloated (aka my life). It's simple. To lose weight, you must eat less calories than your body burns in a day. No, don't worry about what you're eating just yet, that comes later. Only worry about how many calories you eat (unless you're battling some health issue, everyone obviously has specific needs). This app is great because it has virtually every single food in there. You measure out what you eat, enter it in, and waalaa! You need to be honest with yourself. Don't guess how much you ate. Get a food scale, measure things out, and enter it in. You may be shocked by how much you're actually consuming.

So before you go into shake land, or some fitness program that makes you "lose 7 pounds per week!"....use FitnessPal. And be real with yourself. Being at a healthy weight isn't always easy. No, I don't have a faster metabolism (that's a complete myth), I just work hard to stay thin and in good shape.





Those are my 3 go to fitness apps!  I think they are a great combination, being able to monitor your nutrition, activity, and exercise levels. Stay tuned for my January Fitness Resolution Challenge!!  Hope you join!

Note-images are not mine, and I do not claim them to be. Please see image location for sourcing information. 

For the lazy days...

I work my butt off. I am up by 5 am preparing for the day, writing lesson plans and responding to work emails. It isn't until a full twelve or thirteen hours later (or more) that I finally walk through the door after work. Unfortunately long days don't mean active days, and I find my body exhausted yet conflicted because I need to do something to get back in shape. But I have absolutely no energy to do that. My new solution: work out in bed!

No, not sex...you have a dirty mind.

It is incredibly easy to do an ab workout and leg workout in bed. You feel the burn, but you don't have to roll out of bed. I call that a win-win. I think while watching Netflix makes it a super win.

My inspiration for the day: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/lazy-people-exercise-moves

http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011409-19-absculpting-pilates-moves-can-home/?pp=0#slide=1?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fitness

If you are seeking this for tone and physique, don't forget to count calories y'all, or you won't be able to pull this off. The most important thing to weight loss is calories in must be less than calories out. But then again, if you are gung ho about getting fit I don't think you'll be looking for excuses to exercise in bed. Otherwise, gotta start somewhere! :) 

Basic Advice for Weight Loss Beginners

As an educator, every summer is a great opportunity for reevaluation. Weather is great (unless you're here in Arizona), attitudes are more positive, and you can be more active on a daily basis. For myself and other professionals in education, it's time to start gearing up for the new school year. I really enjoy assessing where I am at both emotionally and physically, and I use this time to create a plan of action, and better educate myself in areas where I am lacking. This is something that regularly needs to happen, and it should be a habit. Even though I don't have kids of my own, I am still responsible for 160 children on a daily basis. I still work from 5:45 am until 5 pm nearly every day. The pieces of advice below have saved me. I am tired of people telling me I'm skinny because of my genes, or that I have a faster metabolism (big misconceptions about weight...see my blurb below). It's called planning, knowledge, and self-control.

My blurb: My boyfriend has an AMAZING blog that's going to debut next month....It is blunt as hell at times, but very helpful for people who are serious about losing weight, and contains very helpful information to educate you about health and nutrition topics--not the mass misconceptions that are being portrayed all over the internet. Stay tuned for that. :) Nothing is live yet, but it can be found at weightequation.com. So go bookmark it. :)

Anywho....Prior to creating goals....a few pieces of advice.

1.) Stop kidding yourself. Think about the reality of the situation. Are you at a healthy weight? Are you participating in behaviors that keep you from reaching goals? Knock it off!

2.) Once you have a plan, actually do it. Don't say you'll do it and then don't.....don't lie about how much your doing....don't make excuses as to why you can't do it as much as you want to. If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

3.) Plan, plan, plan. It's in those busy or spontaneous moments that people tend to lose control. You're starving after a long day at work and you don't have anything quick to eat except potato chips and granola. NO!


What to do?
1- Evaluate yourself. You need to know your starting point to go anywhere from there. Determine your primary goal -- weight loss you say? Then go figure out what your daily calorie burn is (by identifying your basal metabolic rate + activity level), and then don't eat as much as that number says. Fact of the matter is, you need to be BELOW that number by the end of the day. The easiest calculator of them all is bmrcalculator.org. But don't lie about how active you are. Most people fall into the low category. Even when I'm on my feet 8 hours a day I categorize myself as being in the "light" category. The number provided will be for weight maintenance. If you want to lose, you need to cut calories. 3500 calories is 1 pounds. Therefore, if you cut 500 calories a day, you will lose one pound a week (500x7=3500).

You could eat pure acai, kale, quinoa, and coconut oil (supposed superfoods)... but if you eat too much...you're done for. Diets that say "you can eat as much as you want" are full of shit. They claim that because they recommend you eat low calorie foods, so therefore it is possible that you are under your calorie goal in order to lose weight. Well, that's not the case for every person, and you will be robbing yourself of a well balanced diet.

2- Track your calories. Stop making excuses. Don't be lazy about it. Until you have a well developed habit and knowledge about portion sizes and calorie contents (and you're at your goal weight), you can't afford to guess. Download Myfitnesspal on your phone, and start measuring your food. Hell, get a food scale. You might be surprised at how off you are. The calorie content is more important than what you're eating right now. I do have viewpoints on better eating habits, but that's for later.

3- Start planning. Get on pinterest, make a plan. Food prep ahead of time. It will be extremely overwhelming to do this on a daily basis. Sitting down on a weekend to plan out the week, go grocery shopping, and make your meals for 4 hours for the entire week is way easier than dealing with it every day after work when you're tired and hungry. Or when you're in a hurry running late for work in the morning.



Now, I'm off to take my body fat measurement, and make a meal plan for the next week. Ta-ta for now.