Summer Ready with Orangetheory

Obsessed with this yellow set! Wearing an xs/s in top + bottom. Also comes in baby blue + red.

I have these sneakers in 4 colors, and they are the only ones I work out in. Great for running!

this water bottle is the only one I use. Keeps water SO COLD!

Sports Bra + Leggings: Touché LA (also in baby blue + red) | Sneakers: Nike Free Running Shoe (on sale!! want them in pink too!) | Bottle: S’ip by S’well

If you know me, you know I have a major love for Orangetheory Fitness. I have been going to Orangetheory Mission Viejo off and on for over a year and been back consistently since January. New Year’s resolution going strong baby! I started out by going 3-4 times a week, bumped it up to 4-5, and lately I have been going 5 times a week. I had planned on going 5 times a week through summer (bikini body and all that), but just recently I’ve started to feel a little burnt out so I might back down to 4.

I am usually an all or nothing type of person… going super hard all the time OR not working out at all. I don’t want to get to that point where I fall off the wagon and completely stop working out. Especially not after all the work I have put in and am finally seeing some great results! In today’s post I am going to share what I’ve been doing to get these results and some helpful tips to get into summer shape from two of my favorite Orangetheory coaches- Shari + Anthony.

In the past, I’ve tried all sorts of types of exercise- one-on-one personal training, group classes at the gym, reformer and mat Pilates, Barre, Bikram yoga, boot camp. Orangetheory has got me in better shape than any other exercise I have tried. I have written a few other blog posts about why I love Orangetheory and think it is so effective so if you missed those and want to read more, you can check out the posts here and here.

My natural frame is tall and slim. My arms and legs always stay thin, and I gain all my weight in my mid-section (and my face ugh). The reason I can tell that I am in better shape than ever before is by the muscle tone in my stomach. Even in the past when I ate “perfect” and exercised religiously, I never had abs. In the photos, you really can’t see the definition that I’m talking about, but you can check out some recent iPhone photos here and here. I am definitely regretting my decision to forgo a spray tan the night before the shoot. In a pinch, a spray tan does wonders!

Like I said, I’ve been working out at Orangetheory for over a year, but my results have only come in from my most recent dedication where I have been going consistently since January. So what am I doing differently?

1. Eating less.
2. Taking a pre-workout drink before exercising.

I am not dieting or restricting myself, and I don’t eat perfect. I am really hoping to make some changes in my diet so that I feel healthier and more energetic and get even better results. I am still personally struggling with my commitment to do this. In general though I wouldn’t say I eat unhealthy. I stay away from fast food, dessert (I prefer salty over sweet anyway), butter, soda. But my favorite lunch is a sandwich with chips, and I don’t really want to give that up and realistically I don’t think I could for very long. But when I eat chips, I try and have the baked kind and my bread is always whole-grain.

Between the blog keeping me so busy, being a mom, and keeping the household running, I just haven’t had as much time on my hands to eat and that’s actually why I am eating less. When I am bored at home, I like to snack so for me keeping busy is key. If you want to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you are eating. It’s as simple as that.

I debated on whether to share that I take a pre-workout drink before exercising. I didn’t even know they existed until my husband started taking one. So I totally blame him. But actually the results have been amazing! A pre-workout drink is just what it sounds like, it’s basically an energy drink that you take before you work out. And as a disclaimer, you should research this and/or talk to your physician beforehand. I am always pretty tired (#momlife) so the drink gives me a little pick-me-up. It also helps me push myself a little harder than I would otherwise. The one I take is pretty clean and light on caffeine because I don’t like to feel jittery and I don’t have time for a caffeine crash afterward.

Please keep in mind that I am not a trainer or nutritionist. I am just sharing what has been working for me! With that said, I’d like to share some getting summer ready tips from my Orangetheory coaches.

Shari:

1. Eat salad! Veggies are not only high in fiber which keeps you fuller longer, but also have tons of vitamins and antioxidents. Just add a few ounces of lean protein on top with a tsp of olive, vinegar, and lemon juice, and you’ve created a balanced, low calorie, filling, and yummy meal.
2. Include white fish in your daily protein. It is low in salt, fat, and calories. Add lemon juice and salt free lemon pepper on a 3.5 ounce piece. You can bake it, grill it, or poach it.
3. Make water your BFF. Drink 3/4 to 1 gallon a day, especially on hit summer days to hydrate, detoxify, and get that salt out.

You can follow Shari for more tips on Instagram here!

Anthony:

1. Eat your last meal 3 hours or more before you go to bed. (does not only apply to summer, but every night.) give your body time to digest and break down your last meal before you sleep. Our metabolism slows down while we sleep.
2. Switch up workouts, try doing more HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. It implements more cardio vascular during workouts without having to do the cardio, and it increases metabolic rate!
3. Alcohol! Empty calories. I know summer time is party time, but limit the alcohol consumption. Good alternatives to beer and wines, are anything clear. Like Blanco tequila, vodka, gin, etc. Use mixers like tonic water, seltzer water, or even just water!
4. Avoid as much sugar as possible. Sugar is good when its natural and if its being used in the body properly. If we do not use the sugar we consume, the body could store it as fat. Keep sugars to a minimum. Hence alcohol consumption to a minimum. There are a lot of sugars in alcohol.
5. And probably most obvious, stay active. Get outside, go for a walk or a hike. The more the body moves, the more calories are being burned!

You can follow Anthony for more tips on Instagram here!

I think my favorite tip of the bunch is eating your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime. I’ve chatted about this before on the blog, and I swear just changing this makes such a big difference. Especially if you are a big snacker before bedtime (like me!). If I change anything from what I am currently doing, I will probably start with this. I totally blew it last night when my husband requested the peanut butter pretzels. Those things are irresistible. Must get them out of my kitchen immediately haha!

This was kind of a hard post to put together because I feel like I am in a transitional stage. I have the exercising component all dialed in, but I am still kind of in between with my commitment on whether to change my diet. I hate to put in all this tough work at Orangetheory (and let me tell you it is tough!) and then have it go to waste because I have the munchies. lol!

I did get some questions on what I eat in a typical day, etc. and this is a topic I will revisit soon! Thank you so much for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend! I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited for the 4th! We have another little staycation planned so make sure you are following along on Instagram!

xo

Photos by Vincent Elejorde. Hair + makeup by 1011 Makeup.