Reality of You

Real talk about health, fitness, and weight loss.

8 Comments

App Workout Challenge Day #2: CARROT Fit

APP WORKOUT CHALLENGE

This is part of the 30 Day iPhone App Workout Challenge. Join and read all the posts here.

Welcome to day two, fitness fanatics!

Today’s workout is brought to you by CARROT Fit — and we’re doing interval training!

If you’re curious about the benefits of interval training, read this post. Interval training is truly one of the best ways to burn fat, get lean, and get a great workout in the same amount of time it takes to heat up an unhealthy TV dinner.

Today you’re also in for a treat — CARROT Fit strings together a hilarious, motivating set of workouts and keeps you entertained as you’re dying from the intervals.

Let’s go!

App to Download: Carrot Fit ($2.99 in the app store)

Workout Length: 7-14 minutes (see the bonus challenge to make this workout even more challenging!)

Type of Workout: Interval training

What you need: Chair, wall, and hand weights (optional — to make it more challenging)

About Carrot Fit

Today’s Workout

CarrotFit Review best fitness appsToday you’re doing SEVEN MINUTES IN HELL with one of the most hilarious fitness apps out there. Once you download the app, do seven minutes in hell TWICE in order to complete today’s workout.

Things to remember:

If you’re not familiar with the form for basic lunges, squats, and wall sits, you may want to review them on your own. CARROT Fit will go over form with you, but if you’re new to fitness I would recommend looking up the form ahead of time.

What you’re in for today:

A lot of sass, fun, running from ostriches, jokes about ’90s infomercials, and a fun workout. Good luck and tell me how it goes!

best fitness apps carrot fit reviewBonus Challenge

If you survived Seven Minutes in Hell, I challenge you to do it again — this time with WEIGHTS!

Use dumbbells of your choice for the squats, lunges, wall sits, and crunches.

…

 

NOTE: While I think this app is worth the price, I know some people don’t want to buy apps at all. The alternate workout for this day of the challenge can be found here. 

Congrats! You’ve survived DAY TWO! Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow!

-Amy

6 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: Clean Eating on a Budget (Day 22)

eatcleanonabudget This is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

Two of the biggest challenges to eating clean are time and money. Yesterday I talked to you guys about how to manage your time, and today’s post is about how to save money and still eat clean! [Read more…]

12 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: 5 Time Saving Clean Eating Tips (Day 21)

healthy time saving healthy tips college students

 This is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

Let’s face it: life can get insane. When you come home after a long day at work or in classes, cooking healthy foods probably isn’t at the top of your list of priorities. The clean eating lifestyle, however, basically requires you to cook your own foods instead of relying on packaged goods. That’s why I’ve created this guide so that you can eat clean, healthy foods in less time! [Read more…]

3 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: Basic Cooking Guide (Day 17)

Clean Eating Basic Cooking GuideThis is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

One of the hardest aspects of clean eating is mastering a set of tasty, clean recipes you can make quickly and on a budget. I didn’t really know how to cook — until this summer, that is. I’ve been cooking more often than your aging grandmother since May, and I’m here to put on my Good Housekeeping hat and lay down the law with my basic clean eating cooking guide! [Read more…]

159 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: 5 Best Detox Fruit Waters (Day 16)

Detox Fruit WaterThis is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

I like starting my day off with a detoxifying fruit water because it’s a delicious way to cleanse your system. By allowing the fruit to soak in your water overnight in your fridge, your water becomes infused with nutrients and flavor of the fruit. I’ve assembled the best of the best detox waters that contain anti-aging properties and help flush toxins from your body. (Another way to flush ze toxins? WORK OUT! Right now I’m doing a 30 Day iPhone App Workout Challenge, come do it with me!)

I also took kickass photos with my brother’s camera, and may or may not have told the cucumber water to “work it” and show off that “smize.” I now realize that I’ve been definitely watching too much Top Model recently. But I can’t stop! It’s so addicting! You watch one episode and you can’t stop!

Anyways.

Tips for making these detox waters:

  • These recipes are single-serve and make one glass. But you can refill your glass with water as many times as you’d like, and I usually make it in the morning and then keep refilling my cup with water and they last all day!
  • Try using sparkling water instead of normal water and serve at special occasions in champagne flutes
  • If you want to make a 2 liter pitcher, fill half of the pitcher with fruit. I would recommend also throwing in a little ginger root, which has anti-inflammatory compounds and aids in digestion. Don’t add ginger to a single glass– it’s a bit overpowering and requires a pitcher. [Read more…]

5 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: Whole Wheat Baking Secrets (Day 15)

Secrets of Whole Wheat Baking

This is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

Part of clean eating is about cutting out white flour and instead using whole wheat. But how can us baking enthusiasts make awesome baked goods without the use of white flour?

Luckily, I’ve been spending the past 15 days learning how and I’m here to bestow you the knowledge I learned on my epic baking quest! [Read more…]

6 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: 5 Best Clean Snacks (Day 14)

clean eating appleThis is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

You can never have enough healthy snack recipes. As a college student, there is no worse feeling than being almost late to a class and starving. That’s why I have healthy snacks on hand at all times!

Here are my favorite cheap clean eats! [Read more…]

4 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: 4 Tips for Getting Back on the Wagon (Day 12)

Getting Back on the Wagon for Clean EatingThis is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

Newsflash: we’re not perfect. If you’re able to do all 30 days without having AT LEAST one off-day, you must be a mythical creature with willpower granted by the gods.

Because I’ve been blogging about clean eating every day for the past twelve days, I’ve managed to stay on track — up until today. Today I spent the day catching up with old friends and drinking sugary coffee drinks and eating frozen yogurt. Definitely not clean-eating approved.

I did manage to keep the rest of my day clean (minestrone soup, whole wheat grilled sandwich with hummus and veggies, and a spinach smoothie), so that’s a victory!

Here are 4 tips for recovering from an unhealthy day of eating: [Read more…]

3 Comments

Clean Eating Challenge: Staying Motivated (Day 9)

Watermelon and a Green Orange CaribbeanThis is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: clean eating is tough. Occasionally I just want to throw in the towel and eat processed foods all day.

However, if you’ve decided to eat clean, and you want the health benefits associated with a good diet, you need to stick with it! [Read more…]

116 Comments

5min Recipe: Detoxifying Lemon Water

 

lemonmintdetoxwater

Lemon Cucumber Detoxifying Water: 5 Minute Recipe

Hey guys! Today’s recipe is a quick lemon/cucumber/ginger/mint detox drink that will help flush your internal systems of toxins. It’s a refreshing recipe and I hope you love it as much as I love dancing on street corners to music that doesn’t exist except in my head!

Also, this is a great drink to try before starting the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. lemon detox water

RELATED RECIPE: Sparkling Spinach Smoothie

How this drink detoxifies you:

Cucumbers rejuvinate you through energy-boosting vitamin B. It also contains a lot of fiber that aids in removing toxins from the body, as well as aiding digestion.

The ginger aids digestion and also has anti-inflammatory properties. In 2010, there was a study done that followed people who consumed two grams of ginger each day for about eleven days. It turned out those people had a 25% drop in exercise-induced muscle pain. So all you runners/serious athletes out there? DRINK THIS!

Lemons clean your bowels, and neutralizes free radicals that cause aging. Lemons also contain 22 anti-cancer properties.

Mint promotes good digestion and contains enzymes that could prevent cancer.

Now let’s make this crazy delicious thing! [Read more…]