Great High Protein Snacks for After Workouts + A Carrot Tangerine Juice Recipe

This shop featuring great high protein snacks with #BarNutrition and a carrot tangerine juice recipe has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser.

Great High Protein Snacks for After Workouts + A Carrot Tangerine Juice Recipe

As someone who tries to stay active, I was thrilled when I learned that the house we were buying was right around the corner from the dreaded stairs. Before moving, these stairs were what I would run to with my teammates during our team challenge at the YMCA. We’d run a mile and a half to get to them, then do the stairs 8-10 times, then run a mile and a half back to the gym. Talk about a workout!

Now I’m about 1/4 of a mile away from the stairs and can walk or jog over whenever I need to get some cardio in. No need to drive to the gym!

When I’m done with the stairs and my knees are shaking and my legs are weak, I need something to pick me up and keep me going for the walk home. Luckily I have great high protein snacks in my back pocket to pull out and keep my body fueled.  [Read more…]

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle with Weight Watchers Simple Start

I was given a free one month subscription to Weight Watchers to try their new Simple Start plan and write about my experience.Though I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own.

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle with Weight Watchers Simple Start #SimpleStart

It all starts with a plan. And attainable goals. What might seem like small little changes will eventually start to turn into a large lifestyle change. That’s what Weight Watchers Simple Start has provided for me.

Now I’ve been on Weight Watchers before. Before having my son, and then again after the birth of my son and my daughter. However keeping track of points, logging in, and staying on track proved to get away from me when I started showing signs of success, usually around the 25 pound loss mark.

So with a new year comes a new goal… to not hop off the wagon! To stay OP (on plan) and to try new things. That’s why I love that Weight Watchers has this new Simple Start app that can help me follow the simply filling plan easier for two weeks to reset my eating habits and get me on the right track. Without counting points. [Read more…]

January Fitness Photo a Day Challenge

I’m starting this New Year off with a bang with this January Fitness Photo a Day Challenge. Finding the motivation to keep going and the accountability of sharing my journey this next year as I get closer to my goal is my biggest inspiration right now! 

Plus, being able to discover new Instagram users to follow and see so many creative pictures out there is so helpful and lets me get to know my Instagram friends a bit more.

january-photo-a-day-fitness-challenge

This is all you have to do:

Find me on Instagram at @simmworksfamily to easily follow along. Use the hashtag #lowcarbsandiego to make sure we can all see your pictures. Leave your Instagram handle in the comments so I can make sure to follow you back! Start taking pictures and join along now. No need to wait until the beginning of each month. Jump in whenever and post when you can. Have fun with it!

How do you challenge yourself?

Keep Moving in Style with the New Fitbit Flex

fitbit flex

It’s no surprise that over the past few months I’ve kicked up the motivation and have started moving more regularly. Since first being introduced to Fitbit and receiving my Ultra I’ve increased the steps I take daily from an average of 5,000 to 10,000.

As a Fitbit ambassador I’ve enjoyed testing out and reviewing the products Fitbit continually creates and I love how much better each product gets!

Since first receiving my Ultra I’ve had the chance to try out the Fitbit Zip and Fitbit Aria scale. And now my Fitbit family includes the new Fitbit Flex. As soon as I saw that my Flex arrived for review I started jumping for joy and quickly figured out how to charge and use it ASAP.

Oh my wow! I am in LOVE with the Fitbit Flex. Not only do I consider it a fashionable accessory, I love how it keeps me on track and determined to constantly push myself through the day.

[Read more…]

5 Free Apps for Weight Loss Motivation

5 Free Apps for Weight Loss Motivation

With the craziness that is my life I rely on technology to get me through the day. Whether that’s scheduling doctors appointments, keeping in contact with my friends and family, or staying motivated to lose weight. In order to continue leading a healthy lifestyle I’ve relied heavily on a few great apps to get me through the day and stay on track with my weight loss plan.

These 5 apps are not only easy to access if you have a smartphone, they’re also free! And you might have already downloaded them to your smartphone and didn’t even know it. So head over to your app store and check these out if you’re looking for great motivation to get in shape and stay healthy.

[Read more…]

Counting One Step At A Time with FitBit Zip

Fitbit Zip Gift of Health

 Sometimes we all need a little help attaining our goals. And technology can be a very good thing when it’s used just right. One tool I’ve been using daily for the past few weeks is my new little friend – the FitBit Zip.

Now I know I’ve mentioned FitBit before when I reviewed the Ultra but this little buddy is just as awesome at tracking steps, stairs, and calories burned all with a smile on it’s face!

[Read more…]

On the Move with the FitBit Ultra

When I started my weight loss journey this time around I knew I needed something that could easily track my fitness. I have a heart rate monitor but I only wear it when I’m going to the gym so I wanted something that would be great for all day use.

And since sadly I haven’t found enough time to fit in the gym, I’ve been trying to stay active in my day-to-day activities by walking more and doing at-home training. So it’s hard to track all that I’m doing to stay fit.

That’s when I found the FitBit Ultra. And I’ve been in love ever since.

The FitBit Ultra wirelessly tracks any and all activity in the form of how many steps are taken each day, calories burned, and how far you’ve traveled, with it’s 3-D motion sensor (think: Wii technology). All in one little device that securely attaches anywhere from your waistband to your bra to the clip it comes with. It can even track floors climbed with the new altimeter technology built in. This device is much, much more than a pedometer.

I love securing it to my pocket or waist during the day and even while running around with the kids and getting up and down 100x it has never once fallen off. It can be attached via the clip that comes with it or by simply attaching the device to your waist, bra, or pocket.

And if you’re worried about someone noticing this device, don’t. It’s so small that I’ve only once been asked about it and that’s only because a friend had read a previous blog post where I mentioned using the FitBit. She didn’t even know I was wearing it at the time!

I keep the FitBit docking station on my nightstand plugged into my laptop. That way I remember to wear it as soon as I get up and I place it back on the dock when I go to sleep. I absolutely love how easy it is to keep track of everything. All of the data is instantly sent to my computer wirelessly without me having to push a button.

AND I get super awesome reports with a run down of my activity each day. A summary of the previous week is even emailed to me so I can keep up with how active I am over the course of 7 days.

Take a look at what a typical day looks like for me: 

How awesome is this for motivation?

I’m always trying to beat the previous day’s steps. Some days I succeed, others I fail miserably. But I’m having so much fun doing it. And with the push of a button I can tell how I’m doing at any point in the day.

Not only does the display on the FitBit Ultra have the steps, stairs, and calories; it also includes a clock, stopwatch and a personalized greeting! When I’m out and about I just need to look down and check what time it is instead of pulling out my cell phone. Quick and easy!

Being home full time with my kids and working from home allows me little time to really focus on the time I spend being fit. By including the FitBit Ultra in my daily routine I not only am aware of how active I am but how active I need to be; I spend less time worrying about it! And less time tracking fitness means more time focusing on what really matters.

I have yet to use it to track my sleep but will be delving into that function this month! So stay tuned for another review of the Sleep Tracker functionality of the FitBit ultra in August.

And if you want to check out the FitBit Ultra for yourself head over to the FitBit website to purchase one today! 

Disclaimer: I received a FitBit for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

Health and Fitness Update

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve given an update on how I’m doing on my weight loss journey. And I have to say that I’m kind of at a standstill. I’m in the middle of my second 6-Week Challenge at the YMCA and I just can’t seem to get out of the slump I’m in. I’m working out with a trainer as part of a group 2 times a week, I’m working out on my own the other days of the week and I’m tracking everything I eat. So I give myself a pat on the back for that.

But I kinda got ahead of myself and jumped onto the 17 Day Diet plan in hopes of an “easy” way out of the current decade I’m in. And I half assed it. I was just so excited about the success my friends have had on the plan and I knew if I was diligent enough I could see success too. But I’m working out too much for the first phase of the plan to be doable. And I found myself making excuses for sneaking bites of foods that weren’t on the list. Sure, I could have stuck with it for just a bit but I was feeling icky and almost… empty.

The lean meats and veggies (TONS of veggies) are still around but I need whole grains… I need my oatmeal! Especially when I’m doing difficult workouts with a trainer and exerting a lot of energy. So I’ve put the 17 Day Diet aside for a bit and am just focusing on the calories. I use myfitnesspal.com to input what I’m eating and I try to stick with their calorie recommendations. But instead of eating the calories I’ve burned in my workouts I leave those as a deficit. So I’m consuming about 1250 calories a day.

What I have learned from the plan is that I need to stop eating carbs after 2pm. If I do that, I lose! It might not be as much as when I totally cut out the whole grains. And I’m eating yogurt regularly. Two servings a day. With those two things combined with lean meats, low-sugar fruits and LOTS of veggies I think I can stay on track and slowly get back to losing. And once this challenge is over I might just re-visit the 17 Day Diet.

I am excited to say that I am happily in a size 12. Last Friday I tried on an old pair of jeans from high school (OMG!) and they fit. Sure they were a tiny bit snug but they fit. (Want to see how good they look on me? Check out my butt in my Boba review!) And all of my 14s are falling off of me. Too bad I have to stick with my budget. I’ll be visiting the Goodwill later on this week. Because as soon as I have more pants I’m getting rid of the 14s for good! No more turning back. I’m on a roll and I’m going to make it to goal!

Weight Loss Progress
Starting Weight: 224.6 1/30/2011
Size 16
Current Weight: 192.7 2/18/2012
Size 12
Total to go: 37.7lbs
Total lost: 31.9lbs

This post may contain affiliate links.
By using these links you are supporting the Simmworks Family Blog.



© A Crafty Spoonful - All Rights Reserved
It is OK to use one of my photos provided a link back and/or proper credit is given. It is NOT ok to copy and paste a whole post including instructions. Please do not remove watermarks or alter images in any way. Please contact me with any questions at danielle@acraftyspoonful.com

.