I apologize for not posting this weekend; it’s been a busy past few days (I had work and was preparing for a job interview I had in the city today (!)). So I thought I take some time and give an update on my journey to self-improvement as well as recommend some apps I use to stay on track.
I have been eating fairly healthy with the occasional indulgence (this girl can’t give up her cheese). I have been exercising, cardio as well as arm and leg workouts (I’m really digging Blogilates’ 6 Min to Sexy Arms! video) and even joined the new Crunch gym near me for access to more equipment and fitness classes that I think will keep me motivated to exercise.
What else is helping me? Well, a just few apps that keep me from regressing back into my sloth-like state:
Both a website as well as a smartphone app, My Fitness Pal is extremely helpful for those trying to control the amount of calories they’re eating as well as those who just want to eat a more balanced diet.
It not only counts calories from the food you eat, you can link apps that track how many steps you take daily as well as enter other cardio and strengthening exercises you’ve done, you can also see the breakdown of how much carbs, protein and fat you are consuming (it gives recommendations for daily intake), and it tracks how much water you’re drinking (an extremely important part of a healthy diet).
If you forget to log a meal, it will give you a little ‘nudge’ via a phone notifcation reminding you to log in.
It comes on all new iPhones as a preloaded app (and on iOS 8), and its steps component is fantastic. Simple, but vital, the Steps dashboard shows how many steps you’ve taken today and tells you how much of it you’ve walked or run, as well as how many flights you’ve climbed. Anytime I look at it and see that I’m below my daily average, it motivates me to walk around or run to meet or even beat it (I’m very competitive).
3. Spotify
Spotify is literally my jam. This is my go to music app, for when I be up in the gym workin’ on my fitness (you’re welcome ;)). Its ability to create custom playlists and fantastic music library, it’s a perfect workout partner. You do have the occasional commercial interruption, but you can pay a few dollars a month for ad-free music (the cheapskate I am hasn’t taken that leap yet).
My musical tastes are varied to say the least, so I typically listen to a mix of pop/synth pop, rap (Tinie Tempah and Kanye are great go-to’s) and of course, Beyoncé (She’s in her own category). Here are a few workout tunes I am really digging at the moment (all found on Spotify):.
- Panther – Made In Heights (their entire discography is gold)
- Around the Clock – Tink feat. Charlamange Tha God
- Operate – ASTR
- Fall In Love – Phantogram
- Mind The Gap (Cutmore Edit) – Nabiha
- 7/11 – Beyoncé
Soundcloud is also pretty great, but the library isn’t as large.
Are there any health or fitness-related apps you love to use?
The Encyclofeedia 