Tag Archives: guest posts

Three Things Thursday: Working and Playing Hard

Another Three Things Thursday, another day-before-Friday (though tomorrow’s post will not be a Friday Five). As a co-worker said this morning, “we’re on the downward slope”. Speaking of which…

1. I have been having some kick-butt workouts this week.

Two spin classes down and while they mostly did NOT involve downward slopes, they did involve amazing music and heart-pumping intervals. I left each class feeling satisfied and accomplished. Last week my workouts were so-so and I honestly think it was because I was not fueling myself well enough. This week I made a conscious effort to not think twice about that Sunbutter, not question myself if my body told me I needed an extra snack, and not let my mind trick me into thinking seconds of dinner are something that shouldn’t be allowed. Talk about immediate gratification…I killed it in Group Power on Monday, and didn’t miss any single-count curls during the bicep track, something that usually happens by the end of the song. I rarely ever get sore from core workouts, but the one I did on Tuesday STILL has me sore on this Thursday morning! Trying to get through a workout without being properly fueled sucks, and I’m glad I’ve been reaping instant rewards for my efforts to make sure I eat enough food (and enough of the right food) for my gym sessions.

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Barre: A Real Food Giveaway

Don’t miss my guest post for Heather over at The Love of Kale today – I’m doing my restaurant review thang for her two favorite vegan hotspots – and mine as well!

You’ve probably seen Barre popping up on other Fitfluential Ambassador blogs lately – no, not the popular workouts (though I’ve always wanted to try a barre class). I’m talking about Barre the bar (you still with me?), a “real food bar” developed by two professional dancers, Aaron and Julia, with athletes specifically in mind. The ingredients in each Barre:

  • are whole, real food
  • contain no animal products (vegan!)
  • contain no common allergens like soy or wheat
Examples: dates, sea salt, ground flax seed, hemp & brown rice protein, agave nectar (are you impressed yet?)

A crumbled Barre mixed with plain Chobani made for a great evening snack last night!

The Barres also are lower in sugar and saturated fat than other bars, as well as high in fiber and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The nutrition stats are definitely not candy-bar status. Personally, I prefer a bar with less than 200 calories. However, the 200-210 calories in Barres come from the above REAL food which serves as REAL fuel for your body!

Protein is power!

And I should know, because I put each Barre to the test before a workout – and had FANTASTIC results! I felt like a rock star and dominated at the gym. Fuel from whole, clean foods really does make a huge difference in fitness performance.

Rock-star smile.

I love the names of each Barre! The original flavor is the Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan. This one definitely tasted the most decadent. At first bite, memories of Cinnabon in airports during family vacations back in the day danced in my head. It honestly was a bit too sweet for my snacky tastes. I prefer savory snacks in the mornings and afternoons. However, I can see myself going to TOWN on one of these after dinner and dipping it into plain Chobani for a #chobanipowered dessert. The taste really is exactly that of a cinnamon bun!

The next flavor to be released was called the Black Swan Chocolate Cherry, very appropriate to go with something dark and sweet like a cherry bar made with cocoa powder! I enjoyed the fact that this bar was full of contrasting flavors. I’d take a bite and get the dark cocoa, and then suddenly taste sweetness when my tongue hit a cherry. Still a bit more sweet than my usual snacks, but truly enjoyable.

Finally, the most recent, brand-new flavor is Spirulina Ballerina. I heard the name of this one and immediately wondered what the heck spirulina even was. Wikipedia revealed to me that it’s a microalga…what? BUT it’s also a common dietary supplement – a complete protein (meaning it contains all the essential amino acids, like soy), making it superior to many other plant proteins, which are incomplete. That makes it ideal for vegetarians and vegans! And you know what? This Barre flavor was my favorite, because it tasted the least sweet and the most hearty! I really felt like I was fueling my body with what it needed to perform at its best. Maybe part of that was psychological, but hey, it worked!

Thank you so very much to Julia for sending me each flavor of Barre to “test drive”. I certainly enjoyed eating them – and the results thereafter at the gym! As if she hasn’t already been generous enough, Julia has offered to give one reader a box of Barres, so that you can try them yourself.

What a sweetheart!

Want to enter? Here’s how! (US readers only please, and no Hawaii or Alaska entries, sorry!) Make sure you do a comment for each method of entry:

  1. Comment and tell me which of the three flavors you’d want to try most. *mandatory*
  2. Tweet “I entered to win @realfoodbarre from @CaitPlusAte! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-15s” and comment with the link to the tweet.
  3. Follow @CaitPlusAte on Twitter and comment with your Twitter name saying you did.
  4. Follow @RealFoodBarre on Twitter and comment with your Twitter name saying you did.
  5. Follow CaitPlusAte on Pinterest and comment saying you did.

That’s 5 chances to win! Entries close this Wednesday 7/9 at 11:59PM EST. And if you don’t win, you can always purchase Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan and/or Black Swan Chocolate Cherry Barres from their website!

Lazy Snow Day

Make sure you check out the guest post I did yesterday for Heather of For the Love of Kale! It’s got some new lower body workout ideas – and felt! You’ll see…

Hey, guys. I hope your weekend was fabulous! Mine really was. I went to bed around 1 or 2AM both Friday and last night. If you know me even a little bit, then you know this is unheard of. What’s even more unheard of is that I slept til 10:15AM yesterday. And I got out of bed, saw that it was a “snow day”, and declared it a day to relax.

The timing couldn’t have been better, because yesterday was really completely in line with the “happiness goals” I outlined for myself in Friday’s post. I started the morning off with YogaWorks Body Slim (link on the Workouts page because it was such a good cardio workout) by the fireplace, and followed it up with a snack.

Rug = yoga mat?

1% cottage cheese with blueberries and a sliced banana. Kellogg's freebie bowl.

I tore my way through the DVR with Kourtney and Kim Take New York (no shame), Grey’s Anatomy, and Dance Moms (again, no shame). Coffee by my side all day.

I have the same PJs as Kourtney, and my dad can't take a steady iPhone photo.

Half regular, half toasted butternut decaf. Vera Bradley mug.

And I accomplished one of the happiness goals of taking a bubble bath (more decaf coffee instead of wine, because I was going out later).

 

Honestly, the bubble bath was not a de-stressor! Ah! I was trying not to get my hair wet, and kept slipping and almost going under the water as I tried to lean back and read, so that was a bit annoying. And since I wasn’t submerging myself, I kinda started sweating and did not feel like I was getting very clean! This paragraph is FULL of first world pains, but this happiness goal backfired just a little bit.

Also made sure to post my to-enjoy list, even if Friday’s was a bit late. Saturday’s needed TWO tweets – good sign!

Getting a manicure yesterday helped me de-stress too! Color is OPI's Warm & Fozzie (Muppets collection).

I’m adding another goal to the list as well, thanks to the inspiring blogger Kasey of PowerCakes! Yesterday, she came up with a great idea called #MirrorlessMonday. Today, and upcoming Mondays, you can comment on her blog or tweet her (@PowerCakes) with a part of your body you love the most with the #mirrorlessmonday hashtag. Also, try making a conscious effort not to scrutinize yourself or even any little part of you in the mirror. This is a good goal for every day, but sometimes when it’s a habit (I know it is with me), it’s good to start small. I’m adding #MirrorlessMonday to my list of happiness goals!

I have to admit for me today, #MirrorlessMonday has already not been mirrorless. This is a bad habit! At least it’s increasing my mindfulness throughout the day. It’s a step.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post (there was a teaser picture for it up on the blog yesterday), because I have a fun night at the casino to share with you guys – I met someone pretty awesome there!

What do you think about #MirrorlessMonday? How was your weekend??

Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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