Showing posts with label fridayfive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fridayfive. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2020

Friday Five: Summer Favorites from Beautycounter

I have been using Beautycounter for a couple of years, slowly switching to clean products once I learned that what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them! 

Did you know the average woman wears an estimated 63 disease-causing chemicals on her skin every day? Hidden toxins can have a big impact on our health. In cosmetics alone, the European Union has banned or restricted more than 1,300 chemicals. The US? Partially bans 30.

It’s up to us to be smart consumers and purchase products that are in line with a healthy lifestyle to reduce our overall toxic load. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of waiting for the government to protect us when it comes to the food and beauty industries.

               

Here are 5 things I am loving right now:

Countersun Mineral Sunscreen - I love that this light, creamy lotion goes on easily and a little goes a loooong way. I usually prefer sprays because lotions can be thick and heavy. It is also reef safe, which is important to me as a Hawaii resident. 

Countertime Collection - Admittedly, I've never used a full line of products before (cleanse, prep, treat, protect). Now I look forward to washing my face every morning and night! 

Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation - I feel like I've spent most of my life looking for a foundation that didn't feel like I was wearing foundation (including other BC products). THIS is the winner for me! It's hot in Hawaii and this doesn't feel like my face is melting off - even if I have makeup on before a workout!

All Bright C Serum - I recently added this to my morning face routine because I have sun and age spots on my face and chest that I do not like at all. I have seen a noticeable lightening of the spots on my face and my face is just overall brighter.

Lip Gloss - Just like the name says, it's glossy! I've always been a lip gloss girl. I am very picky about the brand because I don't like sticky or thick. This makes me feel glam, even in my athleisure wear. 


I recently became a Beautycounter consultant so that I could help get clean beauty into more hands. Using safe or clean products that do not have toxic ingredients not only helps your skin, it can lower your risk of other health issues like skin cancer, nervous system issues, reproductive issues, and more!

Let me know if I can help you find something you are needing and want to make a switch.



Friday, July 20, 2018

Interval Training in 5 Easy Steps

Interval training is one of my favorite ways to workout. I love the combination of high intensity and low intensity periods used back and forth, back and forth, throughout the workout. In a quick 15-20 minute workout, your body can burn calories more efficiently and continue to burn longer throughout the day.

The key to interval training is push to max effort during the high intensity period (work) and then rest from cardio (but keep moving) during the low intensity period (recovery).


Interval Training in 5 Easy Steps

1) Decide what kind of workout you want to do: What are you in the mood for or what can you do? I'm all about what you can, when you can so I mix things up. There are lots of interval training options like HIIT, Tabata, sprints (run, elliptical, swim), even jumping jacks alone can be your workout. Any type of aerobic workout will work. Pick what works best for you, but at the same time will challenge your body.

2) Plan your intervals: Again, so many options! If you are just beginning, you will want to start with a work to recovery ratio of 1 to 4 which means your recovery will be 4 times longer than your work. For example: 5 seconds work to 20 seconds recovery or 30 seconds work to 2 minutes recovery. As you become fitter, you can adjust the work to recovery ratio so that you spend more time at max effort and less time in recovery ---> 1:3, (intermediate) 1:2, 1:1. 2:1, (advanced) 3:1, 4:1.

3) Warm-up: I highly recommend doing at least 10 minutes of easy warm-up (like walking) before doing high intensity workouts.

4) Use a timer: This will make doing your workout so much easier. Instead of staring at a clock or your watch, download an interval app (this is my favorite) on your phone or look for something like a Gymboss timer.

5) Cool down: A low intensity cool down is just as important as the workout. The longer the cool down the better so the body can metabolize the fat it was using during the workout instead of letting it return to where it came from!

I really began to understand the impact of interval training when I first started carb cycling. FASTer Way to Fat Loss® pairs interval training with low carb days, which forces the body to reach for stored fat as energy (learn more here). I wasn't running at the time, so I did all my interval training workouts on the elliptical or doing HIIT workouts. It's really easy to make interval training work for you.

Do you do interval training?

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!




Friday, June 15, 2018

Friday Five: Kicking Off Summer

It turns out that living out of my suitcase for nearly a month took it's toll on me. As much as I wanted to jump right back into my normal routine of fitness and blogging when we got back to Hong Kong, my brain just wasn't ready.

Has it really been a month since my last blog post???

Today it finally felt like it was time to catch up and write a Friday Five post about what's been going on around here.

1. We were blessed with some incredibly nice weather when we got back from the states and I did some swimming and walking.



2. I researched a lot of different juices until I found a favorite ---> Happy Apple <3


3. mrC and I got dressed up and went to our first Chinese wedding celebration in Macau. If you think their celebrations are over-the-top, you are right! It was a lot of fun.


4. And then little C arrived for a kick off the summer two week visit ---> just as Hong Kong was having record-setting hot weather.

We went to Stanley Beach to show her one of Hong Kong's most popular sports and cheer on the AWA Dragon Boat team.


We got nice and sweaty hiking at Cape D'Aguilar and then cooled off with a swim at Shek O Beach.




She and I got to spend the day on a junk boat cruising around Hong Kong Island while her dad was working.




5. We played on our SUP boards.



A couple of weeks of living up to my 2018 goals, I felt refreshed and energized. In my next post, I will tell you about the two week fitness challenge I took.

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!


Did your summer weather kick in early?
Tell me something you have been up to lately!


Friday, May 4, 2018

I like Being Sore, Arm Workouts and More...

It took awhile to get moving yesterday, but I finally found my way to the fitness room for another strength workout. I was moving a little slowly because my muscles were sore from the leg workout I did the day before. I like that sore feeling.


I really like the Dirty Dozen Arm Workout, so that's what I did. I walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes first as a warm-up and then went through the 12 exercises two times. I was pretty excited to discover that I no longer need the 5 pound weights (although I did use them on the reverse flys only because my back/shoulder is still bugging me).


As a finish to my arm workout, I did a 90 second plank for PPB challenge day 3. I didn't think I could hold it for 90 seconds without losing form, so I broke it into three 30 seconds planks. After I did them, I figured out that I could have probably done two 45 seconds planks. I think I was distracted by the man on the elliptical who was breathing really heavy and I don't think he realized it. Anyway, I did my core work.


Speaking of core, did you see this??? I'm totally envious of her core strength!


I love tacos from Hot Head Burritos. For the past two days instead of having breakfast at the end of my fasting window, I've been having tacos...for brunch.


On our way to see the family, we stopped in My Main Squeeze to get a smoothie because it was 90 degrees again. I was thrilled to find that they make acai bowls (I love them), so I changed my mind. For toppings I chose peanut butter, granola and raspberries.


For dinner we met up with mrC's childhood friend and his wife at a restaurant in Palmer, MA that was new to us. Steaming Tender Restaurant is the formerly Palmer Union Station that has been restored and turned into a beautiful and fun place to eat. While we were eating we saw an Amtrak train pass right by through the floor to ceiling windows in the dining area. And, I highly recommend the Rattlesnake (spicy chicken pasta). Soooo good!

not my picture


Ever have to workout near a heavy breather?
Would you try Lindsey Vonn's ab workout?

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!




Friday, April 27, 2018

Detours when Exercising on the Road and Friday Faves

My first full day in Delaware started with a morning swim.


The Marriott hotel that we are staying in while mrC attends his recurrent training has an indoor pool that looks like it's the same size as any other hotel indoor pool, which according to my quick online research averages around 17 feet. Using that number in my workout (40 laps), I probably swam 400 meters in 30 minutes. It felt good to be in the pool, but I'm really missing the 25 meter length of the lap lanes at our fitness center.

I realized yesterday that there are a lot of variables that can affect a workout when traveling. Just going to swim I had to 1) adjust to the length of the pool, 2) deal with the fact that there was no changing room or toilets at the pool ---> hello changing under a towel!, and 3) time my workout so that I didn't miss the breakfast service window.

Traveling presents other obstacles I've talked about on Instagram and in previous blog posts, but what it boils down to is that you have to figure out a way to make it work. Whether you go outside or inside or stay in your hotel room, there are plenty of ways to workout when you are on the road. It might not be exactly what you planned, but you can't wait for everything to be perfect. You might be waiting forever!

It was such a pretty day that I decided to take a walk after my free breakfast of scrambled eggs and chicken sausage. There's a Wellness Walking Trail that I found when we were here last year not far from the hotel. From the hotel, the entire loop was 3.21 miles and took me about an hour.


Most of the trail loops around the hospital campus maze of parking lots and buildings, but one section passes by this small lake. It was still a bit chilly for me at 60 degrees but a great follow up to my morning cardio workout.


___________________

I have some Friday favorites for today:

1) These athleisure shoes are so comfortable and make me feel like I'm not wearing sneakers because they are so stylish.


2) This book: Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen because so many of us struggle with food issues ---> what to eat, how much to eat, what to avoid eating, when to eat, our feelings about what we're eating/not eating...

3) Being reunited with Jane's Krazy Mixed up Salt because it just makes everything taste better, especially my eggs.


4) I'm so happy that we upgraded our GoPro because it takes amazing water photos (see above) and I don't have to mess with a waterproof case.

5) Spring. It was so nice to see signs of Spring. I know many of my US friends have been waiting a long time to see this and I forgot how much I like daffodils.


Have any Friday favorites?

Has Spring arrived where you live?

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!




Friday, January 19, 2018

Winter Fitness Challenges

Overcome the winter blues with these great ideas.

Working out in the winter can be hard. Finding the right challenge can help you find your motivation.


Full disclosure, living in Hong Kong means that I don't have to worry about snow storms or below freezing temperatures. I also won't be burning calories anytime soon doing cool things like having a snowball fight, cross country skiing or just shoveling the driveway. But I do have to deal with seasonal issues like shorter days, gray skies and colder temperatures.  All things that can zap my motivation.

There are many ways to stay motivated in the winter and keep moving.

Here are five of my favorite fitness challenges to help when I'm struggling with motivation.

1. Winter Warrior Challenge

The goal is simple: run as many miles as you can during a set amount of time. Many of the online challenges start in December or the first of the year, but you can still do a winter warrior challenge on your own or with friends. Check your local running store. Many have on-going challenges that work on a points system for showing up. You can even win prizes.

2. FAB ABS February Challenge

FAB AB February is one of my all-time favorite monthly challenges. A 30-day challenge is perfect for people who have trouble getting started and staying committed. It also helps that you can literally cross the days off the calendar. Just about anything can be turned into a 30-day challenge (or even 21 days if your prefer). At the end of the month, you can start a brand-new challenge that focuses on something else.

3. Yoga with Adriene

Yoga with Adrine is perfect for people who want to work out at home - whether it's because you don't want to pay the high price of a yoga studio or your just prefer the privacy of your own home. With a large selection of videos and 30-day collections, Yoga with Adriene lets you stay out of the cold and in your comfy clothes.

4. Instagram Challenges

Need visual motivation? Participating in an Instagram challenge lets you easily be motivated by others doing the same challenge - just search the # (hashtag). Saucony has one going right now. These challenges can pop up at any time, so be sure to check out what hashtags your sweaty friends are using.

5. Sweat A Day Challenge

A perfect all around full body fitness challenge that will push your limits DAILY is the SWEATADAY challenge with Shauna Harrison. This Instagram challenge began in 2013 and continues to go strong because it is that good.

I hope these challenges inspire you to keep moving (not only in the winter, but all year long) the way they inspire me. If they do, help your friends and share this post ;)

What challenges are you doing (or have done) that you want to share?

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!




Friday, January 12, 2018

Hong Kong Stay Warm Running Tips

After running my way through more than one winter in New Hampshire, I considered myself a Winter Warrior. It took some practice though. I had to learn how to embrace the frigid temps, wicked winds and foot after foot of snow. There were actually piles of snow everywhere on my last run before we moved to China. Eventually I could layer up with all my favorite gear (like Polartec tights - affiliate) and run in the middle of a snow storm if I wanted to.


My idea of cold has changed a lot in the last 2 1/2 years. Cold for me now is anything under 60F degrees, ha! At it's coldest, the temperatures in Hong Kong can dip between 30F and 40F but they don't stay there very long. No matter what your cold feels like, I think it's important to think about how to stay warm.

Here's how I keep warm on cold weather runs in Hong Kong ---> remember it's all relative:

1. Long sleeve tee or capris - when the temperature drops, the first thing I change is my running outfit. My first go-to change is to try a long sleeve tee with shorts because once I get used to running in shorts I don't want to give them up. If it's too cold for the shorts, I'll dig out my running capris.

2. A hat - I usually hate wearing hats, but they really do work for keeping warm. Since I don't have to worry about my ears freezing, I can usually throw on any old ball cap to do the trick.

3. Heavy duty layers - on the rare really cold day (like my recent feels like 47F 5K), I pull out the winter training gear and layer up. This year I have a new favorite warm top (affiliate) from Athleta. I actually have a ton of gear in storage in Massachusetts, but I didn't think I would need any of it here.

4. Arm warmers/compression socks - sometimes it's only feeling chilly at the beginning of the workout and that's when arm warmers come in handy because you can roll them down once you warm up. Compression socks are great for those in-between shorts and capris temps (or for those of us hanging onto our shorts a little longer). I actually don't remember to wear either of these often enough.

5. The treadmill - when all else fails and I reach my cold weather tolerance limit, there is always the trusty treadmill at the fitness center. I'm pretty sure that only a cold wintery rainy day will force me to run indoors while I'm living here.


How do you stay warm on cold weather runs/days where you live?


I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0 and Nicole for Fit & Fashionable Friday 



Friday, January 5, 2018

3 Accomplishments and 2 Goals

Happy Friday! I'm jumping into the Friday Five 2.0 Linkup with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel and talking goals and resolutions today.

Before I can set goals for a new year (which I do not always do), I like to reflect on the previous year ---> what did I do? what did I achieve?

1. I ran over 200 miles! Almost all of them on my Wave Sky (affiliate). For someone who had a meniscectomy and has very little cartilage remaining in one knee, this is a BIG deal. And when I see that the previous year (which I will now call the year of the cranky knee) I only ran 29.25 miles, I'm so happy that I figured out a way to bring running back into my life.


2. I ran THREE races (recaps here, here and here)! As soon as I was able to run 5Ks on my own and after joining a night running group, I started seriously looking for races. Finding 5Ks in Hong Kong with a relatively flat, road course was harder than I expected ---> many are on trails with rocky downhill terrain.

I love seeing the smile on my face!

3. I tried new things: SUP racing, archery, GRIT ---> loved them all! Archery was a fun group activity to do. SUP racing was the most exciting and seriously hard work to go just 500 meters out and back. I'd love to do it again. GRIT has become my favorite workout class. I love the cardio and strength combo.


EXTRA:  I'm pretty proud of the variety I kept in my workouts. Running, hiking, yoga, SUP, Bodypump, Bodystep, GRIT, strength training, HIIT workouts, sprints. I have my favorites, but I was open to doing any and all types of workouts in 2017.

So, my goals for 2018 are pretty simple.

4. Be happy where I am. I'm going to continue to do what feels right and good on any given day. I'm going to run when I feel like it, not to meet a schedule. I will accept what I can do today, not worry about what I did in the past.


5. Keep moving. No matter what, I want to stay active. I love getting out and doing things. I will keep doing the things I love, but I will also keep trying new things. Anything that comes my way.


What accomplishment are you most proud of from 2017?
What are your goals and/or resolutions for the new year?


Saturday, October 21, 2017

Sweaty Saturday 5K, GRIT and a Walking Tour

Today I improved my 5k time.


Five thoughts during my run:

  • the weather was amazing - only 70 degrees and practically no humidity. The change in the weather makes a run feel soooo much easier, doesn't it?
  • it had been over a week since my last 5k run. I couldn't believe I had let that much time go by. My last 5k was the Thursday before last! I was sick on Monday and had to skip the night group run and I ran a one mile warm-up before strength class last Saturday. Wow!
  • I love my Mizunos (affiliate) - they feel so light on my feet and I think they just look good.
  • I only stopped for a break twice ---> once at the beach to stretch my legs and keep my knee happy and second on the final big hill at the end. mrC came along and pushed me to start running again. It was my best run in a LONG time. 
  • every muscle is still sore - the ones I could feel the most during the run were my glutes and trapezius (back of my neck/shoulder area). I could really feel the soreness of my glutes when I was heading up the final hill. I guess I know my glutes were activating ;)

I was sore from Thursday's GRIT workout. I took this class a couple of times in February, but I didn't remember much about it. This class was about 30 minutes HIIT strength and 20 minutes core. I actually liked this class better than Bodypump. I used lighter weights, but the repetitions were much faster.


There was a good mix of cardio strength, supersets, and a bunch of core. It was challenging, but that is exactly what my body needs. I didn't burn as many calories as I expected, but hopefully they were burning long after class was over.


I walked my way through Friday's active recovery day on a history of Hong Kong walking tour with mrC. Even though we have lived in Hong Kong for nearly a year now, it was fun to learn more about the history and politics from a local.


Our guide was very open about the way Hong Kongers see events from the past as well as things that are currently happening. It was very helpful to hear a local explain the effects of past wars and post-war agreements made with the British and China on everyday life in Hong Kong.


It was also interesting to learn new things about places that we have visited many times. For example, the HSBC Bank building has two lions made out of bronze flanking the front of the building symbolizing protection and security. What we didn't know is that the holes in the lions are from bullets and that the lions were actually stolen by the Japanese during the war.


We wrapped up our successful run today with some pool time. I will never get tired of this place. It is impossible to NOT relax here.


Then part of breakfast included a big Bob's Red Mill protein (affiliate) smoothie. I've been making more of these lately and getting better at using my Hong Kong blender (I really miss my Ninja (affiliate).


Any improvements or PRs you want to share?
Have you ever taken a tour of your own "home" town?
Do you love/hate your blender?



I'm a little late and off topic, but still linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!




Saturday, October 14, 2017

Thoughts About Workouts and Other Stuff

Things that make me go hmmm. (I'm linking up with the Friday Five 2.0 - join the fun here)

It was leg day on my workout schedule. I started with a one mile warm-up run on the treadmill. I had already walked to the fitness center, so my legs felt good during this run. For some reason the Nike Run Club app on my watch thought I had run for 50 minutes? Hmmm.


Another thing that makes me go hmmm...why doesn't the treadmill and my watch distance ever match up?

My FASTer Way to Fat Loss® strength training workout was broken into three parts:

LEGS: squats and deadlifts
SUPERSETS: thrusters/plie squat jumps and scissor step-ups/calf raises
GLUTES: kickbacks, clamshells, bridges, abductors

It was a good workout, but I had trouble figuring out how to do the scissor step-ups in the fitness center. There are several weight benches that are the right height and some low step platforms that are kind of too low. I used the low step platform today because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to put my shoes on the weight bench. I did wonder though, do people step up on weight benches? Hmmm.

Another thing that makes me go hmmm...what is the proper etiquette for wiping down mats in the gym if you didn't leave sweat marks?


After our workouts (mrC ran a 5k on the treadmill, yay!), we walked back to the apartment for our cool down and enjoyed the amazingly pleasant fall-like weather we are having right now.

Let me side-track for a minute...The nice weather actually started yesterday. Here I am all dressed up and waiting for the bus to go to lunch with the girls and NOT sweating to death. (PS - I love my sandals ((affiliate)) but for the life of me, the right heel strap will not stay up, no matter how tight I make it. Ugh, but I still wear them)


And since I brought up lunch, here is the freshly made pasta I had for lunch. If you are ever in Hong Kong, I highly recommend dining at Cucina at the Marco Polo hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. They have spectacular views of Victoria Harbour (you can see the table where we sat on the Cucina website here - right in the corner). My friend's husband is the General Manager of the hotel, so we might have had some VIP treatment thanks to her ;)


How about more good food? I'll share our post-workout breakfast from today: Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancakes. I've been looking forward to making these ever since we brought the box back from our trip to the US in September. First I was saving them to eat in October (anyone else do that?) and then it was just a matter of time to make them.


They are soooo good! Why, oh why, don't they sell these year round? And why did I only buy one box? Hmmm.


mrC had to run to the airport, so I got caught up on some TGIT on Hulu. When he gets back we are going out to dinner.

What do you have going on for the weekend?
Do you like pumpkin pancakes?
Are you a Grey's Anatomy, Scandal or How To Get Away With Murder fan?



Friday, October 6, 2017

Scheduling Workouts

It's kind of ironic that the Friday Five 2.0 topic this week is scheduling because for the past two five weeks my normal workout schedule has been in the tank. There has been some working out, but not the typical planned out kind of thing that I'm used to.


Here are five things that got in the way of my normally scheduled workouts:

1) Traveling ---> ICYMI we were in Ohio and Budapest for three weeks (read about it herehere and here). When I travel, sometimes I can fit in workouts and other times not so much. I got in some runs, but the rest of the time I was either tired or busy.

2) Prepping for a US Navy visit: This means meetings, lots and lots of work on the computer creating documents, emailing people and keeping track of the hosting schedule.

3) Welcoming US Navy personnel at the pier and hosting sailors for a day: Monday I spent half the day pierside getting things set up for the arrival of about 5000 service men and women. They were delayed getting off the ships, so I didn't see them until I went back to meet the group I was hosting. My friends and I spent Wednesday taking the sailors to lunch and showing them around Hong Kong.


4) Attending reception aboard the USS Ronald Reagan: Ok, so I did spend the first part of the day relaxing, but I needed it after so many really busy days. Getting there takes a bus, a ferry, a taxi and a water shuttle to the ship moored in Victoria Harbour. Then we had to do it all again in reverse to get home. The two hour event was an eight hour adventure door to door. That's exhausting. (But I loved my new dress that a I've been dying to wear)


5) Appointments and Parties: a birthday bash on a junk boat for a friend, laser hair removal and the annual AWA Welcome Breakfast. The timing of these things just messes with my motivation to workout. Either I don't want to get sweaty and all that before, or I'm just worn out after.

I squeezed in a few of workouts here and there (runs, some SUP and yoga) when I could and when I had the energy, but it is not the same as when I am on my regular schedule.

Next week is already looking better because I have reserved spots in two of my favorite fitness classes. I think just getting to the first one on Monday will set the tone for the rest of the week.

How about you?
Do you need to schedule your workouts? Follow a plan?

Join the link up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!
















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