Fave Summer Products

Hey everyone! Happy Summer! Are you enjoying the long days relaxing on your porch with a cold beverage? I am (minus the porch I so desperately wish I had...future goals!)

My last post about my favorite Arbonne products was so well received, I wanted to do another one with my favorite products for summer! Check out a few of these that I've been using religiously and a few others I still haven't tried yet, but that are on my wish list!

Before we begin, you might be new here, so just want to share that with Arbonne, everything is pure, safe, and beneficial. Each product contains carefully selected, botanically based ingredients. Our products are rigorously tested. We're vigilant about the latest research regarding chemicals to ensure we're being mindful and cautious. Our products deliver results. As trailblazers, we must educate, empower, and inspire people to make better choices for the beauty, health, and wellness of their family and friends.

With that, let's go!

Awaken Rejuvenating Body Mist

from our Aromassentials line 

Not only is this a lovely lemony scent to wake you up in the morning, but it also serves as an awesome bug spray! I've been using it instead of Off and it's working like a charm. A friend took it to the woods in Wisconsin with great results, too!

Key ingredients: Awaken Essential Oil Blend which is a balance of lemon and coriander, clover extract, and ginseng extract.

Energy Fizz Sticks

from our nutrition line

I love, LOVE the fizz sticks. They are meant to break the coffee & pop addictions, but as someone who has been working out in the mornings now that it's warm, I usually find myself coming home and not wanting coffee. So, I make one of these and it's cold and refreshing and lightly caffeinated too. They come in pomegranate and citrus.

Some other cool things to do with them: Fizztini, add some Malibu, mix them with our Herbal Detox Tea, or add them to the 7 day cleanse for a little more flavor.

Key ingredients: antioxidants and a botanical blend of green tea, ginseng, guarana, combined with B vitamins and  chromium which helps boost energy

Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 for Body

from our Liquid Sunshine Line

Water-resistant mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide that creates a barrier between your skin and the sun. Protects from UVA/UVB rays. Super lightweight and non-greasy. 

Tried this out the other day for the first time at Lake Michigan and worked like a charm. Laid out for about an hour and a half before finally going into the lake, and I could tell it was still good to go even after splashing a little water on myself.

I also have the sunscreen for face and the chapstick, which tastes like coconuts. I'm nuts about it :-)

I haven't tried the Sunless Tanner yet, but I heard that mixed with the body firming cream, it's amazing, too! I will definitely be getting that out when I get the winter blues next February!

Renewing Body Gelée

from our SeaSource Detox Spa

This is one that I have tried a few times, but it's still on my to-buy list. It's a cool, refreshing gel that hydrates for soft, smooth-feeling skin. 

When I tried it, I had three bug bites. I put it on one but not the others just for comparisons sake. Here are the results after 36 hours:

Ridiculous, right? I can't even with this one, not sure why I haven't purchased it yet! So, this is just one use of this product. Here are some others that I'm going to try out after I get this for myself:

Sun burns

Bee stings, any bug bites

Headaches

Carpal tunnel

Fever reducer

Arthritis

Hot flashes

Let me know if you're interested - I'm not sure where you'd put it for hot flashes, but like for headaches, on your temples and back of your neck. I know some of you are already believers of this "magic blue jelly." What else are you doing with it?

Key Ingredients: sea kelp extract, ivy leaf extract, Japanese green tea extract

PhytoSport

from our Sports Nutrition Line

So this is one I *haven't tried yet, but was just talking about it last night with some friends. I'm running my first half marathon in September with my sister and so the other girls who are also runners were telling me how if you're going to be out running for an hour or more, this is a great product to use.

Three steps, and lots of carbs, key amino acids, electrolytes and more help support your workouts. After I get a hold of this and try it out, I'll be back with more details!

So what are you already using? Are you using any of these products any differently? Do you have questions? You can keep the conversation going in the comments section below!

And, if you're in Chicago and would like to join me, send me an email and I can let you know about a few events (one I'm hosting later this week!) that you could attend to learn more. You can reach me at hellogoodgoodlife@gmail.com :-)

Thanks for reading, and be well, friends!

Xx,

(back to) workin on my fitness

I do better with my weight loss goals when I make them public, so here you all go. That was the original reason I started blogging and it totally helps and works, so I guess I'm back to my roots here on GGL.

We had a Biggest Loser in January until just now and I did not win. I did not win extra lbs either, but I didn't really try too hard. It was still cold out and I don't currently have a gym membership, so you can see how I really went no where. The only consistent change I made was that I started prepping chicken salads for lunch - and did that every day for three months. It's a lot of work on Sundays, but it's a good habit, and I always get veggies with this habit. I love my salads so it's not a big deal, but one friend at work feels like this about them:

Except you guys want to hear about my diet, right? :-)

I started using My Fitness Pal again - they've really up-ed their game! It syncs with my Jawbone and Runkeeper, so all my movements are tracked and it makes adjustments for my activity. Plus, it has this handy equation at the top of the home page:

So I can see how many calories I get for the day, less the food I've eaten (and it's so easy to enter - just scan the barcodes!) + extra calories from working out and then you want to end up in the green.

One thing I don't understand is how it says I get 2,060 calories a day. My two friends who share my diary with are only eating 1,200 a day, so not really sure how that all works out. Anyone know?

So you enter in all your food and track your steps and activity and then you always know how much you have to go.

Anyways, back to my goals - I'm hoping to lose 20 lbs. I know, it's a big goal. It's going to take awhile, I have to stick with it, and I have to be accountable with my friends (that's why I'm glad Jamie and Katie are looking at my diary on My Fitness Pal!) But, then, when I reach my goal, I get this:

Actually there's another one that just came out on Friday, but I can't find it online yet, but if the fitness is going to get real, so is my purse collection :-)

So friends, cheer me on, ask me how I'm doing, help keep me going. After all, bathing suit season is upon us...

Murderous Thoughts

about food. Yes, you heard read that right.

So I'm basically on like day 1 of a month of (as clean as possible) eating. I'm cutting sugars, carbs, and alcohol and really anything that has more than one ingredient. Except one cheat meal each week, but I haven't yet determined on what day that will be happening.

We are starting a Biggest Loser competition this week at work and that's highly motivating, so I want to do good.

Today I've done really well. Here's what I've eaten and drank:

Warm Lemon Water (Read why here.)
Breakfast: Kashi cereal with a 1/2 banana
Got hungry around 10:30 and ate: Cocoa Roasted Almonds
32 oz of water by end of lunch
Lunch: Grilled chicken and steamed broccoli and a Cutie
Got home, apple and peanut butter <--- Was really wanting something like chips and salsa or something worse like those Munchies; settled on an apple instead
Cup of hot tea
Dinner: Salad, microwaved potato, and a hamburger no bun
Almost finished the second 32oz-er of water.

I'm not even hungry, but I'm so pissed that I can't have a glass of wine or any of those mint M&Ms in the secret drawer (that's not so secret) or a bun on my hamburger. I feel like this:

Not even day 1!! Grrr

Anyone who tells you that you can't be addicted to food - they're a fool and I'm the proof. I am - straight up addicted - not lying. (Wish I was.) (Read about it here or #4 here.) I've let food become almost like an extension of my self - that crappy, processed, food - especially miserable junk food! Its addictive and makes us sick and I've got to be undergoing some crazing detoxing or something.

Which - question: Can I even be in detox if I haven't completely given up all sugar and carbs??

But for now, after I finish this blog, I'm going to read, then watch the Bachelor, go to to bed, and get up and repeat this GD process all over again.

One day at a time. That's all I can handle.

Written on sugar cubes?
Do you see where my mind goes?

Am I the only one who is dealing with this?! Please tell me I'm not alone!!!

PS- Murderous thoughts? I have no idea what that even means - other than I'm angry about not eating what I want. Not planning any murders though. Should I even have posted this?!

PSS- Did you know I started blogging here on Good, Good Life because of a food challenge? Waaaayyyy before BigTime Literacy. It's kinda theraputic, actually!

Never been happier to do a sit up....

I've been wanting to try CrossFit for a long time - Katie and LeeAnn in Phoenix have been doing it forever....so when I found a $40 Groupon for one close by work, I thought it was about time to start moving my dupa.

I went today for the introduction class. The leader guy Greg explained the basics of CF - group setting, go at your own pace and work on improving your own stats, do basic exercises that help you become fit...."Fit people look better." Such knowledge in such simple words. 


So then we do our little practice Workout of the Day (WOD). Greg shows us proper form for everything - and then we get to work. 

WOD #1
60 Jumping Jacks
50 Kettle Ball Sumo Dead Lifts
40 Squats
30 Sit-ups
20 Push-ups
60 Jumping Jacks

I think there were 13 of us in the group, all just going about our workout at our own pace. I started off super good with the jumping jacks thinking to myself, "I can totally do this. Piece of cake. I'll finish in no time."

I get through half of the kettle ball exercises and need a break, but then I get those finished. I moved on to the squats and whatever, they are squats so pretty simple. Good form, not really worrying about how long it will take to finish, focusing on a point on the wall in front of me, getting down to business.

By the time I got to the sit-ups, I had never been happier to do them in all my life. First of all, I got to lay on the floor and I got to use my arms/momentum to help sit up. Got a little more challenging towards the end, but nothing compared to the push-ups.

So then they begin. There's no girly-modified-on-your-knees pushups here, either. If you can't do it from plank position up and down, (after you put your chest on the floor) then you have to lift your chest and straighten your arms and then lift your butt off the floor back to plank. I DIED on the push ups. Did five. Stopped. Did five more. Stopped. Did two. TWO!! Stopped. Then three more. Then the rest (however many that was....) Don't judge me.

I slowly get myself up for the last set up jumping jacks, and by this time everyone has already finished. When I started this WOD, there was no way I was thinking I was going to be the last to finish. I mean, make no mistake, I'm out of shape, but I didn't think more out of shape than every other person there. So there I am, alone, doing the jumping jacks. The person I thought I'd be faster than was cheering me on, and I'm too light-headed to even try and figure out how I was dead last.

Oh well. I didn't quit. I finished. 13:27 for all that, but it got done.

Honestly, I'd rather go work out for 13:27 at that intensity than work out for an hour at a gym with tons of breaks and hardly ever getting my heart rate up.

So yes, I say success! I'm excited to go back, but nervous at the same time. I wonder how many times I have to come in last?!

And then she was a runner....

So I've been using the Couch 2 5K app for about five weeks now (although it's been longer since I sometimes repeat weeks and then there was a 10 day stint where I didn't do anything - I do NOT recommend that!), but I am just finishing up week five. I did the first day of week five in Florida. I was nervous because every time I go up a week, I'm worried I won't be able to finish. On the first day of week five, I ran 5 minutes, walked 2.5 minutes, ran 5, walked 2.5, and then finished by running 5. I was so proud of myself because I finished, easy peasy.

Then I didn't run for like a week.

Yesterday I went out to do day 2 of week five (a little apprehensive, but thinking it shouldn't be a big deal because it was easy the first time) and usually the intervals are the same all week. So there I am, la, la, la la la, running along and the little voice comes on to tell me my stats. Now, on this app, you always get the stats when the interval changes - so you go from a walk to a run, or vice versa and she tells you your pace, interval distance, and total distance. So I stop running and walk, thinking that my ear buds were kinda falling out so I must have missed her telling me to change to a brisk walk. Then about 2.5 minutes later she tells me to slow to a brisk walk. I was so confused.

So I keep going and the second time I'm running, I pay more attention to her and she gives me stats but doesn't tell me to stop running, so I realize that the running intervals are getting longer (in this case, a 10 minute run, then a 5 minute walk, and then another 10 minute run) and I that I just screwed up the whole run.

Oh well, I thought. There's always tomorrow.

I go out again today, and this time, I'm running, and running, and running - get stats - and keep running, running, running - get more stats - and keep running, running, lalalalala, running - more stats, and one more running, running, running. And I did the whole thing. The whole 20 minutes (minus a few 30 seconds waiting on a stoplight) but yea! I did it! I wasn't even feeling tired cardiovascularly or physically and I was thinking, "So this is what  actual runners must feel like. You really can go and keep going, going, going."

It was at this moment when I thought back to what I've been reading about the mind and your thoughts - that you can run if you want to. Or, if you want to be a cook,  or save up money and go to Greece, or have a husband and a baby, or whatever - you can if you point your thoughts in that direction. In the book I've been reading about thinking habits one line that really stuck out to me was that you get what you think about whether you want it or not. (Dr. Wayne Dyer) It's so true!

So I'm in the process of changing my thinking habits about the food I was eating and it's working. (I'm on day 20 today!) For 20 days I've been eating nothing but good, nutrient rich food and I don't really feel deprived. I've done a decent amount of running along the way, and my body is changing. (Goal: To run more than 18 miles in April.) Some of my clothes fit better and I feel better about myself. I am sleeping a little better - I still wake up at least once a night, but when I'm asleep, I'm deeply asleep.

Other than that I can't really report any other improvements, but I feel good, and I like where I'm going.

And I'm not going to lie - I definitely want to lose some weight and look good in a bathing suit this summer...

Eye on the prize.

Whole 31.5 Day Challenge?

You can find them at Costco.
Whole 30 compliant!

There I was today, around 11am during our Institute Day munching on some roasted almonds. LeeAnn had texted me about an amazing new apple sauce she found, so I thought I would just ask her if the almonds were okay to be eating. Her reply, "Nope, sorry."

Not only was I bummed, I also felt majorly disappointed because I thought I would have to start over, making this a 31.5 day challenge. I'm down for 30 days, and I know I will form some new habits, but I definitely can't live without cupcakes and tortillas forever. Luckily she laughed and said it was okay. I gave the almonds to Julia and we were good to go. (I really did like those almonds, too.)

Lots of headaches today. Is this because my body is processing out all the bad food I ate over the past two weeks? Even Jon noticed I seemed bummed. I feel like a pain doing this challenge around work friends, especially when we have to pick a place to go out. The original idea was a pizza place, but everyone was down for my suggestion: Buona Beef. I thought I would be a little better off going there.

I was a little worried about going out to lunch, but I got a naked sandwich - just the beef and there was some Italian Sausage in there too. What's the word on that? I had a side of fruit and more water. I haven't had anything but water in two days! (But I do have some lemon flavored seltzer water with lemon slices at night...you need to try and mix it up a little!) On the way out, there was a little display and I actually checked the ingredients of their beef - no sugar, and everything that was okay! I also skipped everything from Baskin Robbins which we stopped at on the way back to school. To some maybe this isn't any big deal, but I have such a sweet tooth!

The bf came and we went and did a couch to 5K run (I finally finished week 4's run: run 3 minutes, walk 1.5 min, run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, then repeat). I'm so proud of myself! I think it is so true that running with someone will totally help you - I just kept thinking that my legs didn't hurt as much as last time....and I didn't want him to be disappointed in me. I barely finished, but finished. I plan on repeating these week 4 runs again next week. Not sure I could move to a harder run when I can't even finish the one I'm on and feel good about it.

We came home and relaxed a little and then he wanted to go out to eat. By the time we left (to walk to dinner....it's beautiful here!) it was probably 7:30. I still wasn't even hungry at all! We went to Avenue Ale House down the street and I had a turkey burger with some veggies on top and a salad. I actually didn't even finish it all...didn't need to because I wasn't that hungry anymore. I did have a pickle. Not sure if that is cool or not.

7A Teachers : )
Michelle, Jon, Charlie, Julia, and me

Such a great day today (minus the headaches). I am feeling pretty good about all of this and I know I can make it though the whole challenge. Sorry to work friends or anyone who I hang out with if it's annoying, but I really appreciate your patience.

Looking forward to a great day 3!