Rock Climbing

There is an App for That

So for me one of the easiest ways to keep track of my workouts and nutrition is through apps on my iPhone but I struggle in finding the perfect App.

I feel like there is always good with the bad.. and really my blog is just a way to sort out my thinking!

Running Apps...  

 "Map My Run" and "Run Keeper" 

My Ranking for these apps would probably be 3 stars. They are both very similar, they give you updates throughout your run on how many miles you have run and your pace. WHICH is great! BUT the one problem I have wit these apps they do not seem to be very accurate and that is because the GPS in the map can be a little off. This is probably one of the best examples that I have...

No I was not training for a Tri and I did not take a swim in the Charles River when I was running, but that is what Run Keeper recorded unfortunately.  During this run run keeper had me running 3.37 miles in 38.00 minutes giving me an average pace per mile of 11:17. When I went home and  I looked at a map and saw its 1.19 miles loops and I looped it 3 times, completing a 3.57 mile run. Which would make my average pace 10:38. Annoying. Another then that its a really good motivator, you just have to keep this in mind. 

Nutrition Apps. 

For Nutrition Apps I like My Fitness Pal and Fooducate. 

My Fitness Pal 

My Fitness Pal is great... Its a great way to recorded your daily food intake. One of my all time favorite parts about my Fitness Pal, and how I found it? Is you can create your own recipes and find out the nutritional information of stuff you make from home.  When I go out to eat I guesstimate sometimes to find a round about number for what I just ate and or try to type in all the ingredients listed. Pretty much awesome! Its also awesome because you can record workouts and calories burned and then it re adjust your goals (calories and carbs) accordingly. Which is amazing! Yesterday was the first day I did not go over my carb limit! WOOT!

There are not many things I do not like about My Fitness Pal. I get kicked off online a lot, which maybe that's my phone settings.  

IF I had one complaint it would be how it labels some food groups. Like "Fat" and "Sugars". I am always over my Sugar level according to My Fitness Pal but its because I eat a lot of fruit. Blueberries in the morning, Banana in the afternoon, sometimes some strawberries mixed in there. And my friend who is almost an RD, assures me that if its mostly sugars from fruit its okay because they are natural sugars and when you eat fruit you get other nutritional value from them.  I think the levels are adjusted for your calorie goal, but its really hard to stay at 57 grams of sugar a day and I don't even drink soda. 

But sometimes I look at it like this

Added Sugars 

- Natural Granola  10 Grams 

- Feta Cheese from Salad 2 grams 

- Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese- 1 gram

- Cookies and Cream Frozen Yogurt- 30 Grams 

So yesterday I really had 42 grams of added sugars. Which is under the 57 so score. 

Also I on the website on the same page the record all "fats" together which is kind of annoying when you had half an avocado for lunch. Like WHAT I cant have any more grams of fat? BUT I feel like when you stay under your saturated fat/trans fat goals its okay. I may be wrong because i am just starting to teach myself all this but that's normally my goal. Its just annoying when you see the red there! 

So sometimes the app require a little extra work to see what you are really eating, but the good thing is too you can adjust your goals if you wanted too. At the end of the day you can hit "complete this entry" and you get an quest of what you would weight in 5 weeks. Which is approximately what I weight now. I think its really cool... and don't worry I am 5 feet tall so that weight puts me at a normal BMI. 

Fooducate 

I just downloaded this this weekend, so far its been a really interesting app and I used it to buy veggie burgers the other day.  For example I will show you my new favorite greek yogurt in the morning. Fage Plain Greek Yogurt. YUM. 

So you can either scan (LOVE: My Fitness Pal you can scan as well, forgot that added bonus!) or type in what you are looking for. When you found your product you will get a grade.  IF you do not like what you see you can click better options and find better options to buy based on process foods, fat, sodium and sugar. 

 

It also tells you the nutritional information, ingredients and where this ranks compared to other products. It interest me there is a greek yogurt ranked C. Kind of concerning...

 

Then it gives you 8 things you need to know about the product. I liked how they gave you different ways in enjoy this product. Also makes me feel good that I eat it with fresh fruit and granola and its listed on there! Woot!

So this app I think is pretty cool. I just question the people who put these grades together if it would be the same as a certified RD. Ya know? I am always questioning but I cant help it... and yes its probably sad I went on Fooducate LinkedIn webpage to see if any employees went to school for nutrition. 

Apps with Bracelets

Jawbone Up (Have to have the Bracelet) 

This is probably my favorite app minus the bracelet breaking a lot (every 3 months or so). It records your steps each day and the front page is pretty easy to read. Shows you your sleep, calories, and steps in a nutshell...

I like the food and work logs as well.. As far as the workout logs I wish you could customize them a bit more. They only give you some generic range. BUT for the Food intake the USDA and National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends these nutritional targets for healthy adults!

The sleep part I find really accurate as well!

What Apps do you use??

Escape from Reality

Ah the weekends...  How I love you.  One of my favorite songs is Kenny Chesney "Reality". 

My escape from reality is the beach. (OR going to a Bruins or Red Sox game)

This weekend Jon and I's plan was going to be going the Phantom Gourmet Beach BBQ in government center. Well I tend to research EVERYTHING before I purchase/do something so Saturday morning I looked it up on yelp and it had one star! YIKES. I guess its super expensive and you get like nothing for your dollar. Normally I take yelp with a grain of salt because I feel like the people who complain on there are just complainers are were probably super rude to to staff and that's why they have complaints, but is clearly was a sign we shouldn't go. So we opted for the beach instead....

We went to Revere Beach which was actually a good experience! Aside from the stupid teenagers who showed up at the end blasting there music and decided to pretty much sit on top of us. (we moved) I mean its nothing like beautiful Maine beaches but it was fairly easy to get too and free parking and free beach access! So for those deals, its a nice place! 

You could watch the international flights come into Logan... so that was cool!


This mini pizza was only $8.99! I bet you can guess whose side is who...

Anyway... needles to say I did not do a workout on Saturday. By the time we got back from the beach it was time to start cooking dinner to prepare for the Bruins game that  night! BUT Sunday I got a good run in. I was proud because I set the Treadmill to a goal of 3.5 miles even though my plan was go to 4.0. I was just not feeling working out Sunday, but I beat through it and ran 4.0 miles!

Tonight? Power Yoga, then watching the Bruins game. GO Bruins! 

Back at it...

So my workout routine got a little messed up for a couple of weeks but I am back at it!

Here is what I have been tracking...

Here is the copy of the "plan" I am on again...

I been running pretty slow but Yesterday I had one of my best runs yet! Although the problem is that I am not sure with my runs outside that the pace is completely accurate. 

First problem is that my Jawbone bracelet broke AGAIN and I need them to send me a new one. (I am calling today) But the second problem is that sometimes with the fitness apps such as "Map my Run" and "Run Keeper" the satellite is off (the run yesterday said my path was in the Charles River... I certainly did not run in the Charles River!) . According to the "Map my Run" I ran 3.34 miles in 38 minutes, which got me 11.17 pace per mile.  I looked at a map and saw its 1.19 miles loops and I looped it 3 times, completing a 3.57 mile run. Which would make my average pace 10:38. I also only recorded my actual run and not my cool down or warm up. SO I think it it were 10.38 pace that is why its such a difference.... I just wish I new the truth! What do you use to calculate your runs!? Do you calculate your warm up and cool down in your run pace?

Anyway... Yesterday was an amazing run anyways. My favorite place to run is around the Charles. I think running around water is so peaceful and such a motivator! 

Anyway on my 3rd time a round I look a few pictures... HOW pretty are these?

Ducks!

Action Shot... 

 Have a great weekend!

Laughing Cow

So I have fallen in love with Laughing Cow cheese. I have only tried their Light Swiss Cheese Wedges and their Cream Cheese Spread Wedges, but as a proclaimed cheese obsessed person... yum.

Last night I wanted something healthier for dinner even though I was exhausted because the Bruins kept me up WAY past my bed time. They pretty much played another hockey game. Lucky for us the next game is on Saturday Night, a non school night. Woot.

So I made this really easy recipe. I was at whole foods, and they didn't have or I couldn't find the laughing cow cheese so I just used swiss cheese instead of the flavored one, but it was still so good!




Nutrition facts for one tomato...

Another favorite treat is to have the swiss cheese over a rice cake... yum yum yum.

Happy Weekend! Go BRUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yoga and "Frozen Yogurt"

I have been a slacker on tracking my workouts on blog, but I have been a slacker in real life too! I will get to it eventually...

I been really tied up lately with stuff, so I put my 2 weeks at the Gap, Saturday is my last day at least for the summer.  BUT I already can tell I could get way to use to this one job gig. Monday nights are normally Gap night (or lately Bruins playoff game night) and last night I had no Gap and no Bruins game to watch so I took a Yoga class at my Gym like I have been meaning to do on Monday nights for forever now. It was great...expect in my Gym the Yoga/Fitness studio is next to the hallway (with window walls) that goes to the Basketball Courts... My gym has a bunch of leagues that play at night I was doing Yoga moves with all these men walking by I kept trying not to laugh at myself. Especially because I know one guy who plays on the league pretty well and if he saw me he would definitely have made it awkward/made me laugh. Ha-ha so I really wasn't in the "zen" of yoga but I am not really into that part anyway. I like the stretching of the muscles and trying to improve my strength and flexibility through it. Other then that distraction the class was pretty good! It was called "gentle yoga" and I could have used a bit more of a challenge, but taking the class to gets started is good. The other classes I could take would be Kundalini Yoga which definitely would not be my thing or Hot Power Yoga on Sundays which I could see myself liking, I just need to get good at this Gentle Yoga first... What are your thoughts on Yoga...?

Anyway after Yoga I wanted a little treat.... I was recently inspired by trip to legacy place Jon and I went  on one evening. He was nice enough to come along with me for some errands which he hates so I said I would treat him to ice cream (yes he is a little kid at times). I heard good things about J.P Licks so we went there.... OMG IT WAS SO GOOD! 

That right bottom picture right there was my inspiration... (Note: I won a 5 dollar gift-card from JP licks for posting this picture on instagram, how cool is that!?)  I got cookies and cream frozen yogurt. What I did is took a Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt and blended it in a blender with 3 Oreo cookies. I then froze  it over night (it really only needs a few hours) and then let it sit for about 30 minutes before eating it. I could still taste the Greek Yogurt so sprinkled one more cookie on top. I think want to try it with just plain yogurt and see how it comes out.

Nutrition Facts from My Fitness Pal....

Have you ever  tried to make homemade Frozen Yogurt?