Archive | Fitness RSS feed for this section

Project Comeback | A Week of Workouts

September 25, 2018 in Fitness

There’s something about birthdays…

I love birthdays. I love celebrating other people’s birthdays and, after the occasional short-lived panic attack, I love celebrating my birthday too. But, despite my love of birthdays, the anticipation of one arriving can sometimes send me into a bit of a frenzy. I always want to feel, and look, my absolute best on each birthday. So at the end of Summer or the very beginning of Fall I’ll inevitably have a moment of “Oh wow – My birthday is in ___ weeks. Time to get serious.” And I’ll proceed to order all the anti-aging products at Sephora and start working out like a crazy person.

This Summer was especially fun and, if I’m honest, indulgent, so this year’s birthday pandemonium has had a touch more hysteria than normal. Enter – Project Comeback.

I adore having goals and something to reach for. I thrive when I’m pushing myself and trying to achieve something tangible. What I’m trying to say here, is that I’m hyper-competitive. And I’m definitely my favorite opponent. So, with almost 6 weeks to countdown, I’m happily chugging along towards my goals. While diet is a huge factor in a healthy lifestyle and in losing weight, I’m going to focus on the fitness aspect first.

Week of Workouts Project Comeback Fitspo Fitlife San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

So, without further ado, here’s a week of workouts in Project Comeback:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

  • 11am: Stretching + 20 minute bodyweight circuit
  • 5pm: 30 minutes of cardio + sauna

Thursday:

Friday:

  • 11am: Stretching + 20 minute core workout

Saturday:

Sunday:

Tell me the truth – How do YOU deal with birthdays?

Note: This isn’t a guide for anyone else, nor am I telling you how you should workout. Everyone responds to different types of workouts and intensity, and if you’re unsure how to get started on your fitness journey, I recommend talking to a trainer or consulting your doctor first to ensure you’re healthy enough to begin working out regularly. 

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

The Bay Club | #BayClubHappy

September 7, 2018 in Fitness

This would need to be your first time visiting Moi Contre La Vie to be unaware that I’m a bit of a fitness nut. To put it nicely. I love Barry’s Bootcamp, Soulcycle, OrangeTheory, WheelHouse, and have really enjoyed trying out a host of local pilates and barre studios in San Francisco. I also like to do bodyweight and weight training sessions, and look forward to my weekends in part because that’s when I get a chance to run. All that being said, everyone plateaus. When The Bay Club reached out to ask if I was interested in a short-term partnership, I jumped at the chance!

Why?

First, the Bay Club is a well-known and respected institution in San Francisco. They have a handful of facilities, including ones with tennis courts and pools, and I’d had the chance to visit a few of their locations over the years.

Second, I was in the midst of a lull in my fitness routine. I was bored. I had hit a plateau and wasn’t making any progress, which was leaving me increasingly frustrated. When you use working out as your stress reliever, among other things, it’s not a good feeling when you don’t look forward to your gym sessions!

Bay Club Fit Happy Workout Fitspo FitLife San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

While there are two gyms near my office in the Financial District, I found myself venturing to the main San Francisco location on Greenwich, and the tennis club in SOMA, the most often. Both facilities are large, with lots of space and equipment, and amazing locker rooms. The Greenwich location, simply called the Bay Club San Francisco, is the largest. It has an indoor pool, massive gym and cardio centers, a gift shop, basketball courts, a gorgeous spa, a café, and tons of classes throughout the week. Oh, and happy hour.

It’s basically a small town.

And while all of those facilities are great, the primary reason that I kept coming back for more was my personal trainer Kristina. I worked with a personal trainer the first time that I ventured into the gym after my back injury, but otherwise I’ve worked out alone. My new Bay Club membership included a free training session so I promptly set one up. When asked what I’d like to work on, I suggested using some of the machines, as I hadn’t had much exposure to them over the years. I left the first session sweating profusely, but smiling. And was still sore three days later. I like to be sore. I like to know that my workouts are, you know, working. When I got back from my trip, I emailed her about training packages, and now I’m on my second pack of 10 sessions.

A trainer teaches you, pushes you, and engages you. It’s really the last one that I’ve found most appealing. As I mentioned above, I was feeling frustrated and stagnant. I need to remember what I loved about training and change my perspective, which is what Kristina has done.

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Tone It Up’s 7 Day Slimdown

August 2, 2018 in Fitness

I’ve been following the inspiring ladies of Tone It Up for years. I’ve done their Bikini Series countless times, workout challenges, bought product bundles, and used their nutrition plan. But one of my favorite challenges of theirs is the 7 Day Slimdown. It’s a great, easy, clean program that you can do before an event, photo shoot, or just as a healthy reset. Plus it’s only 7 days long which is much less intimidating than an 8 week challenge!

Tone It up 7 Day Slim Down Vegan Gluten-Free Paleo Vegetarian San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness lifestyle Blogger

You can check out more about the Tone It Up 7 Day Slimdown here. Below are my favorite parts of the program and the things that I’ve seen the most benefit from during the occasions that I’ve done it.

  • Increase water consumption – I’m a thirsty girl and I’m usually pretty good about drinking my H20. That being said, it’s always good to have some encouragement.
  • Limit salt – I am a confessed salt junkie. Their recommendation during this 7 days is to reduce the amount of salt you’re adding to your food to help with water retention and bloating.
  • Daily cardio – A big part of their recommendations is to do some cardio daily. I actually really enjoy this part, it really gets your body nice and tired so you sleep well!
  • Cut starchy carbs – Lots of fruits and veggies, always, but start limiting starchy carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, oats, and cereal to help reduce bloat a few days before an event or photo shoot.
  • Ab-Solutely – Do a 5-10 minute ab burner every day. You can find great ones on the Tone It Up website.

And last, but not least, a spray tan or sunless tanner is a GREAT way to look slim and toned in just minutes!

Tell me – Have YOU tried the 7 day slim down?

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Wireless Headphones Review | JLab vs Jaybird

July 11, 2018 in Fitness

I just got my second pair of wireless headphones and couldn’t help but start comparing the two pairs.

This review will be comparing the Jaybird X3 and the JLab Audio Epic2 wireless headphones. 

Jaybird JLab Wireless Headphones Running Workout Working Out Exercise San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

{Jaybird X3 Wireless Headphones}

Jaybird X3 In-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Sports Headphones:

  • Cost: $129
  • Pros: These are extremely noise canceling, best headphones I’ve worn in that respect. They’re also very snug. Perhaps too snug. There are different sizes so you can adjust the snugness. The volume and music clarity are also great. I can confirm that running in these babies is no problem and they have a clip so that you can attach it to the back of your shirt or sports bra if you’re bouncing too much.
  • Cons: These don’t have a great battery life and drop down to 80% almost immediately upon use. They do charge pretty quickly though so that helps offset the charge life. I keep them in the little pouch and the charger fits into any USB port, so they’re not too cumbersome to recharge.

 

Jaybird JLab Wireless Headphones Running Workout Working Out Exercise San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

{JLab Audio Epic2}

JLab Audio Epic2 Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Sport Earbuds:

  • Cost: $100
  • Pros: Good battery life. Adjustable length and multiple sizes for ear comfort.
  • Cons: These are the over-the-ear style headphones, which I hadn’t actually realized when I ordered them. They don’t stay in well for running as a result, but are fine for walking or weight lifting/gym workouts. Too much bouncing just doesn’t work well with them. The music quality is pretty good, but not as good as the JayBirds.

Overall, I’m happier with the JayBirds, despite the shorter battery life.

Do YOU have a favorite pair of headphones?

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Getting Fit | What You May Not Know

July 10, 2018 in Fitness

In Part I of Getting Fit – Kickstarting a Healthier Lifestyle – I talked about some tips for starting, or restarting, your healthy living journey. Today I’m going to be telling you a few things that you may not know yet about what may happen when you start on this new lifestyle.

Getting Fit What You May Not Know Fitspo Fitlife San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

It Takes Time – We live in an age of instant gratification. You can have your food delivered, have a car arrive at your front door, or even have online orders delivered within minutes. But the truth about getting healthier is that it takes time. And there’s no crash diet or workout routine or magic pill or drink that will circumvent that time.

Weight Isn’t Everything – This tip is a two-parter. First, building lean muscle can result in gaining, not losing, weight. It may seem counterintuitive that you’re gaining weight as you get healthier, but it’s a natural side effect. Don’t be alarmed and don’t skip weight training out of fear of weight gain. And second – Don’t weigh yourself daily. That’s more likely to increase your stress, make you feel like the process is hopeless, or even lead to disordered behaviors. Instead, try taking progress photos or measurements that you can review every few weeks or once a month. That’ll show you the progress you’re making without letting yourself get upset about (completely normal) daily fluctuations in weight.

You’ll Eat More – When you workout more, you eat more. The key is to reach for healthy, whole food-based meals and try to get protein in each meal. Don’t think that because you worked out, you can reward yourself with a pizza or takeout or ice cream. Remember – You can’t out train a bad diet.

The Bloat Is REAL – One of the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle is cutting out processed foods and increasing your consumption of whole foods, fruits, and vegetables. And while that helps your body get the micronutrients that you need, it can also lead to bloating. One way to help with the bloating is to ease into whole foods little by little. Another tip is to increase your water intake.

You’ll Need to Shop – While gaining muscle and losing fat are wonderful things, they can often mean a shift in your body type and proportions. Which means clothes that you love or that have always fit, may no longer be comfortable. Rather than seeing it as a bad thing or being frustrated that you can’t wear anything but yoga pants, you can set a challenge and reward yourself with some much-needed shopping.

Dry Shampoo is Life – My sweaty sisters out there will already know this, but once you amp up your workouts, you’ll find that your hair can be a bit of a mess. You’re not going to wash your hair daily or restyle it after every workout – Enter dry shampoo!

Do YOU have any tips for people working on getting fit?

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }