How NOT to diet: A recent experience

We're about to get super real and down right personal with this post.

Raise your hand if you've ever been victimized by dieting--most of us have, myself included. I've struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember, which I'm very open about taking about. Not only to share the positive things I've learned, but also the negative--which is what I'm talking about today.

Over the past year, a lot has changed. I changed jobs, started a new shift and also have been dating my now fiancé. Those things can all have a pretty solid effect on your weight.

First off, I went from working in retail, where I stood up and walked around for 8 hours a day to 8 plus hours of sitting on my tucus. That makes a huge difference. I went from being lightly active to basically sedentary all day. Now I try to get up and walk around now and then, but it's no where close to the steps I got in working in retail.

Second, my shift. Even though working in retail can create some crazy hours and a different shift every day, they're all normal working hours. With my new job, I work from 2:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.--the night shift. I went from eating breakfast around 9 or 10 a.m. to about 12:30 or 1 p.m. The other huge thing, I'm still snacking around 1 a.m. and don't typically get to sleep until 2 a.m. That certainly does wonders for one's metabolism.

And finally, being in love. I love love, who doesn't? But in my research, it's totally normal for people to gain weight when in a relationship. There's lots of eating going on and if your partner has bad eating habits, it's common for the other to pick up on that.

Long story short, there are a lot of factors that have personally affected my weight in the past year. And I've gained weight. Working nights has lead to eating out a LOT, a lot of fast food and a lot of late night munching. Oh, and no exercise. For me to get to the gym, I have to go AFTER work-- meaning like, midnight, or super early in the morning, which I quickly figured out does NOT work for me. After working in a high-stress job all day, going to the gym is probably the last thing I feel like doing. So basically, it's been hard for me NOT to gain weight.

Now it's not a lot, but enough that I'm feeling uncomfortable with my body. So here's where we get to today's lesson.

I made the decision to, again, try Jenny Craig. I'd done it twice before; the first time I lost 30 lbs. and the second I also lost. (I don't remember how much because I gained it right back since I was severely depressed...but that's another story for another day.) Either way, I knew the program worked for me, it was convenient and I could lose the 15 or so pounds I'd gained fairly quickly...or so I thought.

The biggest downfall for this program (I'd thought) was the price. But with eating out all the time, it didn't seem to be too big a difference. So I went for it. I signed up and got my two weeks of food.

Now from what I knew from past experience, the Jenny Craig program was good because the foods were good, they were properly portioned and easy to take with me. Plus it was healthy with eating lots of fruits and veggies. Or at least that's how it was.

When I got the food, I was upset for a couple reasons. First, I have a lot of picky preferences and allergies: lactose intolerance, allergic to eggs and pumpkin, and I refused to eat mushrooms, broccoli and sausage. Not TOTALLY unreasonable, right? Well unbeknownst to me, they had changed the program to follow a very specific menu that made it extremely difficult to substitute things. So I just went with it. Then, when I ate my first day of food, I realized the little plastic bowl most of the meals come in was convex. So it made it look like a lot more food, until you actually move it around and realize you could fit the contents in your hands. "How is this enough food," I thought. I'd quickly learn, it wasn't.

So the first week, I stuck to it. But I also didn't eat a lot of the extra fruit and nuts and stuff because I had a bad cold and zero appetite. But I was good and stuck to only eating the JC food. I lost 7 1/2 lbs. Awesome! Maybe not... What I realized was that yes, I lost weight, but it was really not a healthy way to do so. I was basically starving myself. And what made me realize that is that when I went away for 3 days and couldn't eat the JC food, I gained 3 pounds back and I didn't even eat that much. Something just wasn't right here. This wasn't the program I was familiar with, and I was miserable.

I started back up again after traveling and struggled tremendously. Going from eating closer to 2,000 calories a day to 1,500 or less was just too far a gap to fill. I did it the right way this time, eating all the fruits and the salads, and was still so hungry! Believe me, I'm aware that it takes time to kind of fight your way through a little bit of hunger when you first start out, but this felt excessive.

I had been pretty good during the week, and one day I went out to dinner. I tried to pay attention, eating only half of the meal. At the end of the week, I'd lost the 3 pounds I'd gained on vacation.

And that's when it hit me. I had my weekly call, but it wasn't with my usual consultant. And let me tell you, it did NOT go well. I filled her in on my goals and my motivation and what not and then told her how I'd done for the week. And what she told me was pretty upsetting, yet also a wake up call.

In as many words, she basically told me I was NOT allowed to eat regular food or eat out AT ALL while on the program. Mind you, this was during the holidays. She asked me, well, do you want to eat dinner with your family or do you want to lose weight? And I said, "Both." She wasn't amused. "Well, that's not how it works."

Well, how, exactly, is it healthy to be eating only processed foods with tons of preservatives? How am I going to maintain my weight after this program if I'm not allowed to eat normal food at all? I don't understand how that could possibly be a healthy way to lose weight---that's because it's not. Not anymore, at least.

Long story short, the consultant made me feel really guilty and like I should be over the moon to sacrifice so many things I love- just to lose weight. And when I say "things I love," I don't mean french fries and mozzarella sticks. I mean enjoying my dad's cooking, trying new restaurants, traveling. Being on this super strict diet would have kept me from experiencing my life, and that was not what I was looking for.

So, unsurprisingly, I decided to stop the program. Starving yourself, eating food you hate, eating food that's all processed and making yourself miserable is NOT THE WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT.

I've spend a lot of my life trying diets and along the way, I've learned a lot about them and also nutrition. I know how to eat healthy, I know how to lose weight. It's the other factors that I lack- time, motivation and cooking skills lol.

Dieting DOESN'T WORK. If I had continued with that program, I may have lost a ton of weight. But more likely than not, once I stopped, I'd gain it back. And that goes for pretty much any diet program or fad diet.

It just doesn't work. So don't think of it as a "diet." If you don't just want to "drop a few pounds" but want to get healthier, think of it as changing the way you eat. What I found works well for me is "clean eating" and regularly exercising. I focus on eating as much organic as I can, lots of salads and fruit and not a lot of red meat, and pay attention to my calorie intake. Once you've counted calories for a while, you'll train yourself to know how much to eat and what foods. This is a reasonable and maintainable way to eat. Denying yourself food doesn't work. Cutting out an entire food group doesn't work.

I could give tips for days, but I'll save that for a future article.

In summary, nothing is worth putting yourself in misery. There are other ways to lose weight without having to change your whole life to eat a "healthy cupcake" for dessert instead of a real one. (Another thing I don't get about the program. How are iced cinnamon rolls and chocolate muffins healthy breakfast options?!) I will say I feel a bit betrayed. JC is a program that I've sung praises about for years, and now I will tell people to steer clear. Their motivation has changed. It's not about helping people get healthy, it's about making money. And there's never anything good about that motivation.

XO, Briana

Update: #25DaysofFitmas

So I know I said I would update on this weekly, but after I began, I felt that every two weeks or so would be sufficient!  I also said I'd be updating daily on social media, which I have also epically failed at.  Womp, womp.  That's what finals do to you! But just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I don't think about this challenge every day! So here are some of the things I've done so far!

25 Days of Fitmas

Hello beautiful people and happy December!! I legit cannot believe this year is almost over.  I am both surprised and relieved.  Half of this year was great and the other half was, well, probably one of the worst of my life.  Regardless, I am still here and raring and ready to finish off the year strong.  A fellow blogger of mine mentioned the idea of doing a "25 Days of Fitmas."  Now I'm not sure exactly what her plan was or what people usually do for things like this, but I decided to join her and come up with my own way of going about it! 

Now yes, there is a barbell in the graphic. Cute right? However, this is not just going to be about physical fitness.  My plan is to do at least one thing everyday to further my physical, mental and emotional fitness.  So for physical I might go to the gym, take a walk or have an at home Zumba session. For mental I would read a book, write something (a blog post, work on my novel or actually do some homework lol) or do a Sudoku.  Lastly, for emotional I would probably meditate, spend time with friends and family or visit the beach.  These are just a few examples of things I might do, if you choose to join me in this little challenge!  There are also things that encompass two or more of those things for example, yoga targets the physical and the emotional.

In addition to the challenge, I do have a few goals to go along with it.  For my physical goal, I'd like to lose a few pounds (to counteract all of the alcohol drinking and cookie eating that comes with the holidays) and tone up my problem areas.  For mental, I want to finish the school semester with as many A's as possible.  I also would like to finish a few more books before the year is over.  For emotional, I am trying to get back to a constant state of happiness and calm, which comes with getting in the habit of taking an emotional break on a regular basis and getting more in tune with my spiritual side.

So the way this will work is that I will post on here once a week with updates and post something on social media (probably Instagram) every day with what I did that day, using the hashtag #25daysoffitmas.  So if you want to join me, use the hashtag so we can support each other! Today I will be focusing on the mental part, as I am writing on my blog now and working on writing my articles for the school newspaper!  I hope you all will join me and share your ideas with me!  Together we can leave 2016 feeling fabulous!

7 Tips for Getting Into a Workout Routine

In recent days, I have slowly become the person I've always strived to be but never was motivated enough to get there.  My name is Briana, and I am a gym rat.  ("Hi Briana...") You get it.  Anyway, I finally kicked it into full gear and I now find myself at the gym at least 5 days a week.  If you'd asked me a year ago if that would ever happen (hell, even a month ago) I probably would have laughed right in your face as I shoved a slice of pepperoni pizza in my mouth.  I haven't gone as far as to give up pizza (now that really will never happen) but I've really committed myself to a healthy lifestyle.  I've only been at it for a couple of weeks, but I feel sooo much better already!  So if you're working on your "summer bod" or whatever, here are my top tips for getting yourself into a regular workout routine!

#1 Get a Workout Buddy

For me there is honestly nothing more excruciatingly boring than working out alone.  Do yourself a favor and get a buddy!  Not only does it make the painful course of your workout more bearable, but it can actually be a lot of fun!  It's also great motivation because you will push each other.  Your buddy also comes in handy for machine swapping, spotting, watching your form, and are also your own personal cheerleader: "You can do that last rep! YOU GOT THIS!!"

#2  Have a Plan

I mean this in two different ways: First, have a plan of when you are going to the gym.  My boyfriend, Brandon, and I go every morning Monday through Thursday from 6:30-9 (Yes, we may be certifiably insane, however this does include showers) and sometimes Friday and Saturday if our work schedules permit.  It's a lot easier to go when it becomes a regular part of your routine (ie. Gym, Work, Home, Dead...I mean Bed). Second, have a plan for your workout.  We have a routine for upper body day and lower body day that we normally follow, unless Brandon tries to kill me by adding something new -_- but I digress.  If you have a little routine going, you'll always have an idea of how long you'll take and it saves you time and thinking power.

#3  Switch it Up

This may seem contradictory to my last tip, but hear me out.  It is good to have a routine, but don't let it go stale.  You don't want to be just going through the motions, or you're going to get bored and want to quit.  I like to switch up my cardio on occasion or swap out an ab exercise.  Also, adding weight and pushing yourself will keep you motivated too!

#4  Be Prepared

If you're planning on showering at the gym or you have somewhere to be right after make sure you have everything you need.  I go to work right after, so I look like a legit bag lady ALL THE TIME.  I have my gym bag that has all of my normal things (wallet, keys...) and also keeps all of my shower things (soap, change of clothes, towel, makeup...) Basically, I need a bigger bag.  Then I also have a lunch box since I eat breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout my long ass day.  Brandon and I make our post-workout protein shakes in the parking lot.  It's a good time.  You may spot me walking to my car casually shaking my blender bottle bartender style.  Basically, just make sure you have everything you need to keep your day going smoothly.  There is nothing worse than forgetting your underwear and having to go commando with your jeans all day (although I cannot attest to this, I imagine that would be a pretty rough day).

#5  Set Some Goals

Goals are a major part of staying motivated.  Whether it's a specific weight, something you want to tone up, or a big event to prepare for, whatever it is that you want to take away from your gym going experience: that is your goal.  Also, make sure they are realistic and not harmful to your health. You're not going to have the perfect bikini bod in one week, so don't set yourself up for disappointment.  For example, my current goal is to get as much done as I can in time for my cruise at the end of the moth.  It's not super specific because I'm not really sure what I am capable of.  I could be down 10 lbs. by then, or only 3.  I don't have much to base it on, so for this particular event I went for something general.  Also, setting several goals is extremely beneficial.  I like to have an ultimate/lifetime goal, a long term goal and a short term goal.  So right now my ultimate goal is my best body: I want to be healthy (of course), be about a size 8 or 10 so I can buy any clothes I want, and be toned up.  I am not about the flab on my arms and the not so flat stomach.  My longterm goal would be to work on pieces of that main goal like tighten up my arms, get rid of that cellulite, or build a bigger booty.  And my short term wold be my cruise goal.  It is also important that you set a new goal for each one you achieve!

#6  Challenge Yourself

This applies to going to the gym in general and in your workout.  If you're a night person but your schedule only gives you time to go in the morning, DO IT!  You don't know until you try and it's never going to be easy, but it gets better!  Once you know what you are capable of, you can find your balance!  Also, push yourself to keep stepping up.  Don't do the same amount of weight every day or even every set.  If it feels too easy, it is!  Add 5-10 lbs. each time and see how much you can do, but still always be careful.  If you're in pain, and I mean more than just the push of your muscles working, then it is too much.  Or, for another example, if you got up to an 8.00 incline on the treadmill yesterday, go for the 10.00 today!  Your workouts should be challenging in order for you to make progress, but they will vary from day to day!

#7  Don't Get Discouraged

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.  I cannot stress that enough.  I'll be honest, I was super uncomfortable the first couple of times I was in the "weight room" since I was usually the only girl amongst a bunch of beefed up guys.  Mind you, I am by no means tiny, but I felt like a little peanut next to these guys and I felt like I didn't really belong there.  Thankfully, Brandon encouraged me and now I hardly even notice them, unless I'm picking out the ones with horrible form; which I feel bad not saying anything, but chances are slim that they'd take advice from a little squirt like me LOL. Also, don't compare yourself to your partner, especially if they are the opposite gender. On most things Brandon does a lot more than me, but he's a guy.  He's a lot bigger than me and he's been working out regularly for a good while before we started going together.  But then there are things that we do the same on.  It really depends on the person.  A 50 lb. dead lift for them might be the equivalent of a 15 lb. one for you.  As long as you are making progress, the numbers don't matter! It's how you feel that counts!

Hiatus

Hey Everyone!

Again, I find myself apologizing for my absence.  Like I said in my last post, I just started school again so I am up to my ears in things to do. So I'd like to take a moment to talk about all that I have been up to in my crazy life.

Back 2 Skool

A photo posted by 🌺 Briana Lauren Isabela 🌺 (@brianalaurenbela) on Jan 31, 2016 at 8:30pm PST

After being a graduate and degree holder for a good 2 years, I realized that I was getting nowhere and that I needed to do something about that.  I sifted through multiple ideas, and ultimately landed on the "going back to school" plan.  To make a long story short, I am now pursuing a degree in Journalism at my alma mater Coastal Carolina University.  Don't worry, I'll be writing a whole post on how weird it is to be in a second-degree program.


I Work Out

A photo posted by 🌺 Briana Lauren Isabela 🌺 (@brianalaurenbela) on Feb 22, 2016 at 11:30am PST

I'm happy to stay I've been sticking to my New Year's resolution to get in shape.  I've been eating much better, working out a few times a week, and people are already noticing the difference.  I'm to the point where even when I decide to cheat and have a shame pizza (I just really wanted some stuffed crust pepperoni, if you know what I mean) I didn't really even enjoy it.  My taste buds have betrayed me.  But honestly, I can't complain. I feel better, I look better, and I am definitely more comfortable in my own skin.  Worth it.

Love is Grand

After waiting a realllyyyy long time, I finally stumbled upon my Prince Charming.  Which is perfectly described by this Whisper submission:

Regardless of how long it took, I am incandescently happy and in love.  I feel so lucky to have him in my life and I don't know how I've every functioned without him around.  I guess this also acts as the "official" statement of the end of my singledom, haha.  He makes me realize why it never worked out with anyone else. :) However, having a boyfriend is very time consuming.  Albeit in a good way, the time I would normally be blogging is now spent out on dates or napping at 4pm.  Which I totally dig.

Werk

Rihanna's new song describes this part of my life perfectly.  Maybe.  Because honestly I can't make out a single word she says besides "werk."  So that's what this is.  Work.  I love my job, as you well know, and being a part of the lululemon family has been an awesome experience for me. Add this to the list of things I enjoy that take a lot of time.  Basically, when I'm not at school I am at work.  This makes for very long days with not a lot of down time in between.

Reporting from CCU Campus...

I am so excited to be writing for our school newspaper, The Chanticleer!  It's been so fun so far writing features and reviews and I absolutely love it!  Seeing my writing in ink for the first time was super exciting and I am not ashamed to admit I have about 8 copies of each issue floating around my room right now.  I've also made some really great, talented friends! I'm really looking forward to continuing my writing with them!!

And that pretty much sums it up!  Besides the usual romping around, occasional girl dates with friends, and impromptu beach visits.  Basically, this is why I haven't been posting.  And it actually hurts me to the core, because I do love it so much. So that is why I'm planning to write a TON over Spring Break next week!  So hopefully I'll be back to my normal posting schedule and not just a random date that I have time to write up something quick.  I've got a lot of new ideas and tricks up my sleeve, so bare with me!  I appreciate all of you and can't wait to bring you some awesome new content! Until then, keep up with me on social media! I'm always on there, haha! :)

XO, Briana

Working Out with Evian Facial Spray

I've been wanting to try this for a while and finally this summer Evian was so kind as to send it to me to review! Yay!  This stuff is pretty darn cool.  It feels like you dramatically dumped a bottle of water all over yourself, except you don't actually get wet.

I took it for a test drive during one of my at home yoga sessions and I found that it was that one thing I didn't know I needed for my workouts.  When I started to heat up, I just misted my face and I instantly felt better, cooler, and refreshed!

Not only does it feel great, it's also good for your skin!  It keeps it hydrated and also wipes away sweat, which reduces breakouts and irritation!

My form isn't perfect, but I thought this shot was pretty cool!

There are a lot of uses for the Evian Facial Spray besides your workouts.  It's perfect for wherever you're gonna get a little steamy.  This will be in my bag for workouts, beach days, theme park adventures, the whole nine. In the pool or ocean, this mist will get rid of any chlorine or salt water stuck to you.  Your face will thank you!

Another cool thing about it is that it doesn't mess up your makeup!  So for all of those times when you just wanted to dunk your face in a pool of water but couldn't because your makeup was too on fleek (even though it was probably melting off anyway) now you have the perfect solution.  Just hold the can a little ways away from your face and mist!  You'll be delightfully cool in seconds.

Find out even more cool ways to use the Evian Facial Spray by checking out their website and liking their Facebook page!! 

XO, Briana

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Summer Bucket List

So I've seen a few other bloggers have been sharing their summer to do lists or summer bucket lists and I thought I'd write one out for myself!  I always plan a lot of things in the summer time, but often either forget I wanted to do it or just never get around to it.  I feel like writing out a list and making the ideas tangible almost holds you accountable.  And it's oh so satisfying to check things off your list!  I know I've checked a few things off my lifetime bucket list in the past couple months and I feel so accomplished!!

Explore the area and take pictures of cool places and things

Visit the local record shop

Continue my surfing lessons

Read at least 3 books

Blog at least twice a week

Get outside as often as possible

Set up a studio area for painting 

Have a Shark Week party

Go to a concert

Go to the local Farmer's market

Spend more than one day in Charleston

Set up my bedroom exactly the way I want it

Learn a new craft

Do more Yoga

I'm sure this list will get longer as I think of things, but I think this is a pretty reachable list of things to check off for this summer!  I'll be adding a link to the top of the blog's home page and tagging all of my completed adventures! But I also want to take a moment to acknowledge all of the things I've already done! I know it's not technically summer yet, but here at the beach, as soon as the weather gets consistently perfect, it's summer time.  So quick shout out to this new, adventurous person I've become!

 

XO, Briana

My Yoga Essentials

Hey everyone! I' m coming to you today with my first "real" fitness related post!! Although I have been known to be more interested in the research aspect of fitness (aka Pinterest) I have strongly connected to Yoga!  I find that yoga is wonderful for the fitness and health of not only your body but your mind and soul as well!  And I'm all about that.

Yoga is a great way to get in some exercise while simultaneously relaxing your body.  Anyone can do it and it's easy to start off with simple poses and work your way up.  Admittedly, I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to the complicated poses, but I still find it extremely rewarding and something I'd like to make a part of my daily routine.

So far, I've come to realize that there are certain things you need to have an outstanding yoga experience! That's where this post comes in!  I'm going to share with you my Yoga Essentials:

1. Comfortable, Fitted Clothes

They make yoga specific clothes for a reason.  Trying to do downward dog in a baggy t-shirt is a total nightmare. I like to call it "the turtle effect."  Anyway, I find it best to wear a pair of yoga pants or leggings with a fitted active top.  Also, the stretchier the better.  You want to give yourself a full range of movement and flexibility.  Here are some of my favorites!

[Top: Nike Printed Studio Wrap in Black/Electro Purple | Bottom Left: Omgirl 'Urban Jungle' Tie Dye Leggings from Nordstrom | Bottom Right: adidas 'Arari' Print Racerback Tank from Nordstrom]

2. A Cute Mat

If you're going to be staring at it for some time, better make sure its cute!  More importantly, make sure it works for you.  There are several types of mats you can get.  There's the most common vinyl mats that come in all different colors.  Then there are yoga blankets or towels that are made with fabric.  I have one of each and use them in different situations.  For me I find that I tend to slide on my vinyl mat, and I get a better grip on the fabric one. But that's just me! I came across a great guide to picking the right mat for you from the Gaiam blog.  I find them to be a trustworthy source, since they are a well respected company in the yoga/fitness community.  Check it out!  Below, is a towel similar to mine from Spiritual Gangster!

Spiritual Gangster Magic Carpet Yoga Towel in Sky Blue

3. H2O

One of the most important things when doing any kind of exercise is staying hydrated!  Depending on the type of yoga you're doing, you'll probably work up a sweat.  So I always make sure I have a bottle of water by my side!  Especially Resource Natural Spring Water.  It's the perfect addition to a great yoga session! It comes from 100% natural spring water, is packed with electrolytes, and it's packaging is made of 50% recycled plastic.  So not only are you getting naturally hydrated, the bottle is eco friendly!  Plus, it tastes great!  I'm not a big water drinker, simply because I don't love the taste. But I find Resource to have a different taste that just sits better with me than tap water or other bottled waters. It's very smooth and I love it!  Much thanks to Influenster for sending it for me to try out! Learn more on their website!

4. Pretty Toes

Whether you're doing your yoga at home or in a class, your little piggies will be on display! Plus, they are a key factor in practicing yoga correctly!  So make sure you take care of your feet and have some cute polish that will make you smile!  Consider getting a pedicure, or doing one at home! Here's the polish I'm wearing now!

Nicole by O.P.I. in Feeling Very Cherry

5. A Great Teacher

The only way you're going to become an experienced yogi/yogini is by learning from the best!!  Find a class at your gym, a local yoga studio, or check out some online classes!  There are paid classes, apps, and even some free videos on YouTube!  I've compiled some of my favorites in my YouTube Yoga playlist, which I will link you to HERE if you wan to check it out!

So those are my top five yoga essentials!! I hope you find this useful and informative!  What are your essentials?  How do you yoga? Let's talk about it in the comments!! Also, below are my Fitness Gear and Yoga Pinterest boards!

Follow Briana Rivas's board Fierce Fitness {Gear} on Pinterest.
Follow Briana Rivas's board Namaste ॐ on Pinterest.

XO, Briana

Napwell = Nap Well

Hey everyone!!

So I recently came across some new technology that I just had to share with you all!  Now, I know that I personally am a huge fan of naps.  I just love to sleep in general.  And I'm sure a lot of you do too.  I also know that sometimes napping doesn't always go how you want it to.  For example, you say, "Oh I'll just lay down for 30 minutes!"  And then you end up sleeping for 2 hours and wake up feeling groggy instead of refreshed.  I've been in search of the right way to nap through Googling and searching Pinterest and various other sites.  Some things seemed to help, but not to the extent that I wanted.

Then I found Napwell.  Napwell is a prototype sleep mask that not only times your nap, but gradually wakes you up with a simulated sunrise.  The key to a good nap is not waking up abruptly in the middle of your sleep cycle, so when you wear the Napwell sleep mask, you can sleep soundly without worry!  This thing is really cool.  I promise.  Created by an MIT student, this is the first one of it's kind!  See it in action for yourself and read more in depth info here, on their Kickstarter Page.

XO, Briana

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Workout Ready! (Influentser Violet Vox Box Pt. 2)

To complete my series of Violet Vox Box posts, I'll be reviewing the last three products in my box: the Cranberry Soy Joy, the Goody Athletique Yoga Headband, and the Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo.

All of these products are great for your time before, during, and after the gym! So here is the Workout Ready review and how you can implement these great products into your routine!

Pre-Workout: Soy Joy Cranberry Bar

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know that when I'm about to go to the gym I sit for a good 10 minutes trying to decide if and what I should eat before working out.  Now, I know something with proteins and nutrients will give you energy, but I don't want a heavy stomach and I need to get going.  Enter, Soy Joy. These bars are your new favorite pre-workout snack!  This little bar not only fills you up, it gives you a boost of energy and it tastes great! Not like those yucky protein bars health nuts are always pushing.  Step aside kale shakes, we're having soy!

Soy Joy bars are made with all natural ingredients: ground whole soy and real fruit!  They also fit into just about any diet.  The bars are gluten free, vegan, and low in carbohydrates.  Soy Joy bars also have several health benefits: they are packed with nutrients, they help keep your hunger in check, and they also help maintain weight. 

In my Vox Box I had the cranberry flavor bar and I absolutely loved it.  The taste was great and it kept my appetite down for a good deal of time. I would recommend anyone to try it!  For more information about Soy Joy, check out their website! 

During Workout: Goody Athletique Yoga Headband

My whole life I've had issues with fabric headbands.  Whenever I put one on, they seem to slip right off of my head, usually resulting in me throwing it across the room and grabbing a toothed one.  That was until I tried the Goody Athletique Yoga Headband.  The headband has a Velcro closure that helps to find that perfect size, especially if you have a little head like me.  While working out, the headband stayed on and did its job of keeping my hair out of my face.  It also looks super cute and will make you feel good during your work out.  The last thing we want to worry about is hair in our faces and all over the place, right ladies?! The other awesome thing about this headband is the moisture-wicking fabric. Unlike other fabric headbands, this one doesn't make your forehead hot, it actually helps to keep it cool! Perfect for a great workout!

For more hair ideas, check out my Good Hair Day! Pinterest board.  For more information about Goody products, check out their website!

Post-Workout: Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo

I know how much I hate the post-workout sweaty hair.  I'm guessing everyone else feels the same. I've tried many different ways to make my hair look decent when it obviously is not and I have failed more often than I've succeeded.  Failed being I wind up with a hat on my head.  Through my endeavors, I've concluded that dry shampoo is my best bet.  The next step was finding the right brand.  Thanks to Influentser, I have found it.  The winner is Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo.  

If you don't already know, dry shampoo is a gift from the beauty gods.  It's like washing your hair without all of the pain of actually washing your hair and re-styling it.  It takes about 10 minutes total and doesn't require your full attention for about 9 out of those 10.  You can use it in three easy steps:

Step 1: Spray.  Keeping the can about 3 inches from your head, spray the area where your hair is greasy until it turns slightly grey.

Step 2: Wait.  For about 8-10 minutes, leave the spray in your hair.  Do something else while you wait.  Have a snack, fix your makeup, check Facebook, whatever floats your 10 minute boat.

Step 3: Brush.  After you've done your waiting, grab a brush and brush the area where you sprayed until all of the grey is gone.  I used the Goody Tangle Fix Hairbrush (another product that I absolutely loooveeee.)

And viola! Your hair looks shiny, but not greasy! Like you just did it!  This dry shampoo is great and really gets in there to get out all the gunk in a pinch.  

For more information about Clean Freak and the other great Not Your Mother's products, check out their website!

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That's a wrap on my Violet Vox Box courtesy of Influentser! I loved all of the products I received and will probably purchase some of them myself!  Keep an eye out for the possibility of future Vox Box reviews!

XO, Briana

The Influentser Violet Vox Box!

At the beginning of the month, I had the honor of receiving my first ever Vox Box from the Influentser team!! After signing up for the site and completing all of the necessary tasks, I made the list!! So now I have a little box full of wonderful products to try out and review to all of you!! I'll be splitting them up a bit, so here is how the whole shebang is going to go:

In my #VioletVoxBox, I got one #GoodyAtheltique Velcro headband, one #SoyJoy Cranberry baked soy bar, one #SallyHansen #TripleShine nail polish, one #NYMCleanFreak Dry Shampoo, and one Montagne Jeuness Clay Spa Mask (#MJClaySpas).

So, I'm going to review the headband, the soy joy, and the dry shampoo together and then the spa mask and nail polish in a separate post.  That totals to three Vox Box posts (including this one!)

On every post with products from Infulentser, you'll see this little badge.  This just shows that, "Hey, I got this from Influentser! Yay! Thanks!"

So that's basically it for this introductory post.  Don't want to give away all of the fun stuff!! ;) In the meantime, here are all of the links to the Pinterest boards I made for this box! Have fun, and check back soon for post number 2! 

Vox Box Board

Spa Day Board

Good Hair Day Board

XO, Briana