Fit Friday: The Level

I was offered a free Level in exchange for a review of the product. All opinions are my own honest opinion and I would never promote a product that I didn’t love and use myself.

As many of you know already, I use a standing desk during the day. I have been standing daily for the last 2 years and it actually hurts my back to sit for too long now! I love the way it makes me feel and it gives me SO much more energy than I ever thought possible! I will never go back to sitting down during the day, but I have been trying to find new ways to make better use of my time while I’m standing there working. Lucky me, I have found a really great product to help me along!

We all know that standing there doing lunges and squats is possible at certain times, but lets be real…you aren’t going to stand there all day long doing these little exercises. You’ll do a few here and there and then the rest of the day you just stand there. Well, you lean…you tap your foot…you wiggle back and forth. Standing there all day can make you a little restless and can even make your legs and hips start to hurt. I found that I was leaning on my desk a lot of the time because my knees would lock and I would end up with pain in my legs. Well, needless to say that was a bummer. I needed to find something to help me stand without hurting my body so much. Enter the Level! I was sent a Level to try out and I am in love.

The Level is essentially a balance board that keeps your body engaged the entire time you stand at your desk. It increases your range of motion and engages your core the entire time you stand on it. You pretty much try to balance yourself on it and it has even been shown to increase your heart rate a bit while you do so. It definitely takes a little bit of time to get used to, but after trying it out for a few weeks I will definitely be using it from here on out.

To read a little bit more of the science behind The Level, check out their website! They are even willing to demo products to companies and schools if you are interested in trying them out for your workplace!

Fitness Friday: The Bulu Box

I received a Bulu Box in exchange for a review. I give honest reviews and all opinions are my own.

I feel like we are in the era of the subscription box. There really is a box for everything these days.

Bark box for your dog.
Birch box for the make up lovers.
Stitch fix for the fashionistas.
Graze for the snackers.
Whimsey Box for the crafter.
Club W for the wine-os.
Rocksbox for the jewelry lovers.

One of my favorites so far though, has to be the Bulu box! They send you vitamins, supplements, and other fitness related products to you each month. You get samples of a whole plethora of items so that you don’t waste your money on a full sized item you might hate! They even have a special weight loss box for those that are specifically interested in weight loss.

I was asked to review the Bulu box and knew that it would be helpful on my healthy life journey! I really liked the size of the samples. I tried the Birchbox at one point and some of the samples were just too small to decide whether or not I liked them. The sample sizes in the Bulu Box were definitely big enough to get a good feel for the product. You can also review the samples to earn points that will earn you money towards the full sized products that you can buy right on the Bulu box website!

You should definitely check the Bulu Box out if you are interested in health products, I was pleasantly surprised!

Fit Friday: Staying Active On Vacation

With our trip to Europe coming up this fall, I have been thinking a lot about how I am going to manage working out (or not working out, lol) for 2 whole weeks. I have been working out 4-5 times per week and I just don’t know if I can (or want) to go for an entire 2 week span without getting my sweat on at least a little bit. You know that I will be eating terribly the entire time, because let’s be realistic, vacation=dessert and wine…oh and the fact that we will have to eat out for most meals. Eating paleo/whole30-like when eating out is practically impossible so there goes my healthy eating. <sigh>

I wracked my brain for a while trying to think of fun ways to stay active while we are abroad and a came up with a few.

1. Jump Rope: I was offered an awesome TKO jump rope in exchange for a review and I thought, this could be the perfect opportunity to have a way to exercise when I go on vacation! I mean, it’s small, and it can be shoved into the small crevices of my bag…I can jump rope down the hall at my hotel, or you know, just in my room. (The people below us are going to LOVE me!) I already knew I was going to bring some work out clothes, because even though I *may* not use them, you don’t have the option to use them if they aren’t there. So, now that I have my clothes coming with me and this jump rope I know I can at least get a little cardio in a few times! I love the one they sent because it fits comfortably in your hands and it is plenty long enough so that you don’t trip over it constantly.

2. Walk everywhere: Even though there are trains and cabs in most big cities, walking around will really help you to stay on track. It’ll also help ensure that you get a great nights sleep every night which is a huge plus for us with the time change!

3. Running: I know not everyone is a runner out there, but what could be more fun that waking up, throwing on your shoes, and taking a little run (or jog) around a new and fun place? You can explore the area you are staying in and who knows, maybe you’ll find a fun, hidden gem!

4. Phone Apps: There are some really great phone apps specifically designed to be used without any sort of equipment. I know there is a deck of cards work out where you do a certain number of crunches, push ups, and other exercises for each type of card. This would be an easy, fast way to get in some ab work.

5. Rent your work out: Rent a bike, kayak, or canoe to site-see with. This will all depend on where you are going, but I know bike tours are pretty popular in Europe! Get your heart rate up and have fun while you’re doing it!

I hope these tips help you out on your journey to be healthy and happy! Like what you read today?! Check out my other fit posts below!

10 tips for staying active during the holidays

Jawbone UP24 Review

3 Ways to stay motivated

How I lost 13 pounds in 30 days

Day 12 of the Whole30

The 6 best apps to get and stay healthy

Half Marathon Training

The Healthy Living Struggle Is Real

It was one crazy weekend in Austin this weekend. There were some crazy storms that we managed to get through unscathed. We pretty much stayed indoors all weekend and I worked on shop items and photos as well as some blog things. I’ve been super busy lately with working out and eating healthy and all of my shop orders! You have no idea how much time it takes to get healthy until you are in the process of doing so! You have to meal plan which takes an hour or so each weekend, cook healthy meals which takes an hour or so each day plus the clean up, and then work out which can take up to 2 hours a day when you add in getting ready for it, traveling to the gym, and then showering after you’re done. I have to say, sometimes it’s a little more than I bargained for. <sigh> I just have to keep chugging along and remind myself that I have come so far already and I need to make this a lifestyle for myself so that I can keep it up. The benefits of living healthy far outweigh any extra time that I would have in not doing so.

Get The Look:

J McLaughlin Top c/o // J Crew Shorts // Charming Charlie Clutch, Necklace, Fedora, & Sunglasses // DSW Sandals

Today’s outfit is a great one for summer. If you have been around here for any amount of time now, you know that nautical attire is a favorite of mine:) When I had the opportunity to get this J McLaughlin top I jumped on the chance. Stripes are a girls best friend regardless of what they say and this shirt is BEYOND soft! If you have the money to spend on the brand, I definitely love the shirt.

I bought these shorts online from J Crew a few months ago on super sale and was SO excited when I got them in. They are actually a little bit big on me already, but that just makes them extra comfortable, right? Haha! Well, I hope that you are all having a wonderful hump day! That’s the joys of a 3 day weekend, the next one will be here before we know it! Have a good one!

Fit Friday: Day 12 of The Whole30

Well, it is day 12 of the whole30 for me, and I am SO proud of myself that I have made it this far! I honestly thought I would turn back after day 2, but I’ve stuck through it! Yay me! I’ll for sure be posting about some great recipes that I have been making for you guys to check out, because let me tell you…it gets hard to pick what to eat after a week or so! Lol!

What I’ve Learned So Far:

Pretty much everything we eat has sugar added in to it. That was the thing that has made this so difficult for the last two weeks! EVERYTHING has sugar added in to it and it is CRAZY! I sat in the grocery store for HOURS both weeks just trying to find compliant things and it was rough. Let’s just say I made a LOT of salads with my homemade balsamic vinaigrette, I ate a lot of fruits and veggies, and we grilled a LOT.
Planning every single one of your meals in advance is HARD. There are times where I just wanted to walk into a restaurant and order a cheeseburger and have it be over. I have already put SO much effort in to planning what I am going to make each day and I’m only half way through it. <sigh> But, like they always say, if you don’t plan, you plan to fail. So, on with my meal planning I will go for the next two weeks.
You will do a LOT of dishwashing. I have to wash the cutting board between each meal since I’m always cutting up veggies and meats. I use at least a plate for every meal and sometimes a plate and a bowl. I use other bowls and such to prepare meals…let’s just say…there are a lot of dishes and there are only two people in my house. I may be eating well, but I’m using a lot of water….lol…
You pretty much can’t eat out anywhere and if you do, you have to give the waiter a 10 minute long list of questions. A lot of places cook their meats in soybean oil which is non-compliant so that’s out. I’ve pretty much only ordered a salad with chicken and some veggies and my own homemade dressing every time I have eaten out. Anyone have any great tips on Whole30 compliant restaurants in the Austin area? I would love you forever

Bottom Line: How Do I Feel?

Well, I won’t lie to you…for the first few days I was constantly hungry! I had a headache, felt exhausted, and wanted to rip someone’s head off if I didn’t get some sugar pretty soon. Since then, it hasn’t been that bad. I do still have to talk myself down off of the cliff whenever I see ice cream or sweets on TV, but other than that I am full and satisfied with my meat and veggies! I have to say though, I’m not feeling this BURST of energy everyone else always talks about getting around half way through. Maybe it’ll hit me this weekend. <Fingers crossed>

If you’re interested in doing the whole30, I would recommend giving it a try. If anything, it’s great to know that you are in control of everything you are putting into your body. It’s also nice to know that I CAN go 12 days without sweets and live to tell the story. I will remember this (hopefully) next time I get those late night cravings for ice cream…

An today I leave with you some Whole30 humor…enjoy!

*I was offered a free Level in exchange for a review of the product. All opinions are my own honest opinion and I would never promote a product that I didn’t love and use myself.*

Share this:

*I received a Bulu Box in exchange for a review. I give honest reviews and all opinions are my own.*

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

What I’ve Learned So Far:

Bottom Line: How Do I Feel?

Share this:

I was offered a free Level in exchange for a review of the product. All opinions are my own honest opinion and I would never promote a product that I didn’t love and use myself.

I received a Bulu Box in exchange for a review. I give honest reviews and all opinions are my own.