Five Fitness Faves Helping Me Get in Shape for Summer

I am finally at a place where I feel like something has “clicked” in my fitness routine. I’ve been regularly active for over a year now, working out about five times a week, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually started seeing the results I had been seeking.

For so long, I had been focusing on just one aspect of healthy living at a time: I’d go all out for exercise, but lack discipline in my diet, or vice vera. Now, I’ve got a good synergy between what I’m eating and my workout routine. Just in time for summer, I’m feeling healthier, stronger and more confident in my body— and I don’t feel overworked or deprived of my favorite foods!

Check out my fitness favorites below that have helped me design the perfect all-around healthy lifestyle for myself.

BodyBoss Fitness Guides

I’ve done it all— self-led workouts, personal trainers, and group classes. I’ve got to say that my favorite way to work out has been following the BodyBoss Method guides. They have two programs currently, the Ultimate Body 12-Week Fitness Guide and the Tone Fitness Guide. I personally switch off between the two, though it’s recommended to do each program all the way through. The Ultimate Body Guide workouts can be done anywhere, with little to no equipment necessary, and focuses on high intensity interval training. The Tone Guide requires gym access and will help you maneuver through the gym with a tailored plan using common machines. I love how brainless it is to follow these workouts. Just follow the photos (or the online videos!) without any guesswork. According to my Apple watch, these workouts have me burning just as many calories as my bootcamp classes but on my own time! The workouts are only around 30 minutes a day and designed by expert trainers for all levels of fitness.

Travel-Friendly Workout Equipment

Trips out of town used to derail me entirely when it came to my fitness routine. If I didn’t have access to a hotel gym, I’d just hope whatever walking I did during the day would suffice. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t). After every trip, I’d expect to have at least a 5-pound weight gain with the lack of activity and inevitable eating out. Not anymore, though!

To accompany my BodyBoss exercises on-the-go, I pack lightweight workout gear with me that allows me to maximize my workouts. A lightweight speed jump rope gives me an easy way to get cardio in without running around an unfamiliar city or trying to find a treadmill. Resistance bands are great for toning (they show up in many of the Tone Guide workouts) and can even take place of light weights for some moves.

MyFitnessPal

One major factor in finally seeing results in the past few months has been tracking calories using the MyFitnessPal app. This is something I’ve done on-and-off since college, but got pretty lackadaisical about in the past couple years. Now, I’m tracking daily and it has helped me control my portions. Even though I had been eating pretty “healthy” before, my portions were too much for my body. Now I’m able to eat more mindfully— but that doesn’t mean restricting myself too much! I still splurge weekly, but I do so in moderation. I’m able to see the balance of my exercise and my diet, and make adjustments as necessary.

Food Scale

Tracking calories won’t mean much if you don’t actually know how much you’re eating. I’m using a simple food scale to get more precise when it comes to foods like meats and cheese. I don’t measure every single thing I eat, but when it comes to the stuff that can easily throw me off my daily calorie count, I like to be close to exact. Plus, now that I actually know what 6oz of chicken looks like, I can guess more accurately if I’m in a rush or eating out.

Supportive Workout Wear

What you wear during your exercises in can be just as important as the equipment you use. Comfortable and supportive workout wear helps you focus on the activity— not pulling down hems that are riding up or checking if your boobs are still, in fact, inside of your sports bra. My favorite workout wear recently has been from Marika. Their high-waisted leggings and shorts are a dream for people with long torsos like myself— form fitting and the waist band stays in place. Plus, a lot of their leggings have pockets for smartphones! I also really like their sports bras, which are cute enough to work out in on their own during hot days. They have a ton of styles for a range of sizes, and are constantly having 30-50% off sales.