4 Awesome fitness tools that will jump-start your fintess routine

Below are 4 amazing apps / tools that will jump-start your weight loss or fitness routine. To find them go to your app store on your mobile phone and search for the name of the app then press download.

1. Fitness pal
Fitness pal gives you a calculated calorie goal based off of your goals and current weight. Logging in everything you eat really helps put things in perspective and you see what’s working and what’s not.

2. Pact
Pact is like making a bet on your health. Make a bet to log your food, eat healthy and workout then get paid!It also keeps you accountable because no one likes loosing money.

3. Bodyspace
Bodybuilding.com is an awesome website that has tons of workouts, recipes and tons of the fitness industries secrets. It also has a great way to keep track of your measurements, and a community of other fitness addicts. Their app is called body space and is perfect for keeping track of progress and finding new workouts.

4. Instagram
Instagram has tons of fitness pages that you can follow to keep you motivated and post fitness tips! You can follow me at @AutumnLeighFitness

visit Autumnleigh.com for more fitness tips and motivation.

Banana peanut butter bliss smoothie

Ingredients

Handful of ice +
1. 1 frozen banana
2. 1-2 handfuls mixed greens
3. 1 tbsp peanut butter
4. 1/4 cup milk
5. 1/4 cup water
6. 1 tsp ground flax seed
7. 1/4 cup non fat greek yogurt or any kind of yogurt.
8. A squeeze of honey
9. A dash of cinnamon.

Throw in a blender until your preferred consistency and enjoy.

*Nutrition info from MyFitnessPal

The benefits of eating breakfast

You may skip breakfast because you want to loose weight, you don’t have time or just because you don’t have a appetite in the morning.
Unfortunately if loosing weight is what your going for, your plan will most likely backfire. Skipping meals, especially breakfast could actually be what’s stopping you from reaching your weight loss goals. There are people who function we’ll without breakfast but if your not one of those people don’t skip it! You know your body, listen to it. Instead of going on about the harmful effects of skipping breakfast I decided to gather a list of reasons you should eat breakfast

1. Eating breakfast boost your metabolism. By eating a healthy meal within an hour of waking up your telling your body to start working and stop conserving! When you skip breakfast your body feels like it needs to conserve its energy therefore conserving fat as well.

2. “Short on time? Eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal will probably save you time in the long run. By recharging the brain and body, you’ll be more efficient in just about everything you do.” –webmd

3. By starting your food intake early you have more of a chance of getting all the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs.

4. “Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom.” –webmd

Why the concept of “food prep” isn’t just for bodybuilders

Have you ever been hungry but didn’t have time to make something to eat so you ran to the nearest fast food restaurant to calm your hunger?
Do you have cravings for unhealthy treats and foods that will do nothing for you physically?
Are you constantly on the road and don’t have time to prepare every meal at home? A lot of us have done this or do this on a constant basis , if you don’t then that’s great for you!

Food prep is a term short for food preparation. Food prep means to prepare your food for yourself! Some people do it for the entire week. some prepare for 2-3 days, while others only for that 1-2 days. Depending on your schedule and preferences you will decided how far ahead you want to prepare for.

Food prep makes choosing healthy choices easier. Instead of running to Taco Bell save even more time and money by having your food on hand. By carrying a cooler or insulated lunch bag filled with healthy treats you’ll have no excuses! Plus when you buy in bulk it’s usually cheaper 😉

When you choose healthier choices your body will thank you and you will reach your fitness goals faster!

How do you food prep? Comment below and let me know how you stay on track!
Thank you for reading

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licensed dietitian. Please contact your physician to make sure this is right for you. I also do not have any affiliations with the link provided

10 Alternatives to candy

If your like me and you crave candy and sugar a lot. Then not eating sugar could sounds like a nightmare to you. I’m not saying that I never succumb to my cravings but when I do I usually feel awful afterwards. Not because I feel guilty for eating it but it actually makes me feel really bad and bloated. So when those cravings do come around I usually try to opt for something sweet but healthy too! Here is a list of a few healthy alternatives to candy and processed foods. These treats should definitely kick your sugar cravings!

1. Pineapple is my personal favorite. It is sweet & sour at the same time with a tropical flavor that is very refreshing.

2. Grapes

3. Apples baked in cinnamon.

Ingredients: 1 Sliced apple, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Instructions:   Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Toss sliced apple with the cinnamon, lemon and brown sugar. Place in a baking or casserole dish. cook for 30 minutes until soft and juicy, stirring occasionally. serve with ice cream or enjoy plain. *to keep it on the healthier side skip the brown sugar and ice cream!

4. Greek Yogurt with honey and Fruit *some ground flax seed never hurt anyone 😉

not only will it satisfy your sweet tooth but it will also help keep you full since Greek yogurt is packed with carbs and protein. Honey and fruit contain antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, which help keep us healthy.

5. Frozen banana dipped in chocolate

Kill your craving of ice cream with this healthy treat.

Dip a banana in melted dark chocolate and freeze. Bananas are rich in potassium which has been linked to lowering blood pressure and  reduced risk of stroke.

6. Dark Chocolate , nuts and granola

7. A FRUIT smoothie is always a yummy healthy treat. (Tip: pineapple covers the taste of kale and spinach amazingly!!) try it out. Maybe you can sneak some veggies in your sweet treat. *Add some yogurt and ground flax seed and you basically have a meal on the go.

8. Organic peanut butter and whole grain toast/English muffin

9. Orange, banana, berries, watermelon, cherries, apples, kiwis, pomegranate seeds, melon, grapes ect.

10. Dried fruit

What’s your favorite healthy sweet treat?

10 Ways To Be A Happier Person

1. Think Positive thoughts, the more negative thoughts you think the more you invite negative thoughts into your head.

2. Focus on the good things in your life.

3. Pay attention to that beautiful sunset ,how pretty the lights of the city are or the silence of the calm country city.

4. Do more of what you love, you have a choice every single day to do something that will make you happy. Do it!

5. Move on from your past. Your past is just a story, don’t let it define who you are. You will only continue to live in the past if you don’t move on.

6. Have achievable goals, focus on one goal until you achieve it.

7. Surround yourself with people that support you, Nobody likes being surrounded by negativity .

8. Take time for yourself, everyone needs time to relax and recharge. Whether its listening to your favorite song, baking, taking a nap, dancing, taking a long shower and lathering up in lotion. Whatever it is you enjoy, Do it!

9. Help other people and don’t except anything in return. It feels great to help other people.

10. Take deep breathes, Deep breathing is a built in stress reliever.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licensed dietitian. Please contact your physician to make sure this is right for you. I also do not have any affiliations with the link provided

What is the best way to lose weight?

I hear this question all the time in the fitness world. Honestly there is no one specific “best way” to loose weight. Each client will respond differently to a training program, however I think the basic principles you need to include during a weight loss program are cardio + resistance + nutrition + Sleep . A combination of these four things creates a fat burning machine. Cardio gets your heart rate up and helps you burn more calories. Resistance and or strength training helps you gain muscle, more muscle leads to greater caloric expenditure during everyday activities. Nutrition is the key factor when it comes to weight loss because the number one rule for weight loss is to have a calorie deficit, simply meaning to use more calories in a day then you consume. When you combine these four basic fitness techniques you should see great results.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licensed dietitian. Please contact your physician to make sure this is right for you. I also do not have any affiliations with the link provided

My Basic grocery list

Produce:

-Organic Sweet Potatoes / Yams  / White Potatoes

– Organic apples

-Pineapple

-Bananas

-Bolt House Arabic Coffee

-Bolt House Carrot Juice

-Organic Carrots

-Organic Broccoli

-Organic cauliflower

-Organic kale / spinach

-Organic Brussel Sprouts

-Lemons

-Garlic

-Onion

-Rolled oats

-Flax Seed

Dairy:

-Free range Eggs

-Milk

-Greek yogurt

Grains:

-WHOLE GRAIN English muffins

-Tortillas

-Whole Grain Pasta

-Whole Grain bread

Meat:

-Free Range chicken breast

-Free Range turkey breast

-Free Range Beef

Frozen Food:

-Organic Frozen Fruit

-Organic Frozen Veggies

Condiments:

-Free range Chicken Broth

-Organic Peanut Butter

-Natural jam

-Natural Pasta Sauce

cheats and sweats:

-Brown Sugar

-Oreos

-Cereal

-Pop chips

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licensed dietitian. Please contact your physician to make sure this is right for you. I also do not have any affiliations with the link provided.

simple diy crockpot applesauce

Ingredients:

About 8 apples cleaned, cored and diced.

-A mixture of organic apples  is what I usually use but you can use what ever brand of apples you like. This is a great opportunity to get rid of those older looking apples sitting on your counter taking up space.

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cinnamon plus one cinnamon stick for extra flavor.

5 tbsp brown sugar

1 squeeze of lemon juice

combine all together in crock pot and cook on low  for about 6 hours. Stir occasionally, remove  cinnamon stick and blend!

simple as that. eat some right away plain or with some yummy ice cream to make it more like a dessert, or you can store for later in mason jars. Place in the freezer if storing more then 2 weeks. good in the freezer for up to 3 months

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! 🙂 thanks for reading.

NUTRITION FACTS:

*ALL NUTRITION FACTS ARE BASED ON EDUCATED GUESSES

calories:             909

fat:                      2.07

carbs:                78.69

protein:             3.21

makes about 7 servings,  127 calories per serving

spinach avocado berrry salad

• 2 cups of organic spinach
• 4 strawberries cleaned and cut in half
• 1/4 avocado
• 4 cleaned blackberries

 

nutrition facts:

*all nutrition facts are based on educated guesses

calories:                    123

sodium:                     42

sugars:                      4.33

protein:                      3

dietary fiber:              6.99

carbohydrates:         13.43

fat:                               8.56

potassium:                354mg