nutrition

Designer Whey Product Review & Giveaway

Sponsored Post/Product Review: Although this post is sponsored by Designer Whey, all opinions are my own.

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Hey guys! I had the opportunity to try some new product which I wanted to share with you all. I have dabbled in all sorts of protein powders but have yet to find a favorite. Designer whey is definitely at the top of my list, along with Optimum Nutrition and Cellucor. Here is what I tried from Designer Whey:

French Vanilla powder: (mixed with almond milk) This is my favorite. It’s not too thick and the vanilla flavoring is super tasty. Each scoop is 100 calories and 18 grams of protein. Most other powders are more calories, and also more protein content, but this is a great lighter shake. If you are in the “cutting phase” or lower calories fit into your macros, this is the way to go. Still has enough protein, but only at 100 cals.

Gourmet Chocolate powder: Same 100 cals/18g protein. The chocolate isnt over powering, but a subtle flavor. Also very light. The powder mixes better than any other whey powders I’ve tried.

Luscious strawberry powder: I’m not a big strawberry fan, but this wasn’t too bad. I definitely recommend mixing all with milk as they are lighter shakes and are much more filling with milk rather than water.

Also a huge fan of the ready to drink shakes. Same calorie and protein content as the powder. I love the fact that I can just throw them in my bag and go. For someone who’s always on the go like myself, this is ideal.

Triple Chocolate crunch and peanut butter crunch protein bars: These are both equally delish. Not bad on the calorie front, at about 160 calories per bar. These are much healthier than others I’ve seen on the market. Such a yummy replacement for a chocolate bar or piece of candy. I will be buying these again.

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So why drink whey?

With so much information and so many different protein sources, it can be hard to determine what is accurate and what you should take.

It all starts with you.  Your body has different needs for different situations.  With a regular, well-balanced diet, you are already getting a good amount of protein from many of the foods you eat.  But with our multitasking, hectic schedules, and workouts, your body needs additional protein to recover and, depending on your workouts, build muscle.

That’s where whey comes in:
• Whey is pure so your body quickly absorbs it for maximum post-workout recovery and nutrition.
• Whey is a “complete” lean protein with the right balance of amino acids and protein to help your immune system. (source)

Whey is a VERY important factor when trying to reach any fitness goal. Whey is a powerful muscle builder, and also aids in weight loss. It’s one of the first supplements you should consider when starting a muscle-building or fat-loss goal. Here is a great article if you’d like to read more about the benefits of whey.

Another really cool thing about Designer Whey is that they have a long list of protein recipes on their website. You know me, I love trying new protein recipes. Protein powder isnt just for drinking these days, but can be put in pretty much any recipe!

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Designer Whey was gracious enough to give away 5 cans of protein powder to a lucky Fitness & the City reader!

To enter the giveaway please complete the following:

  1. Follow Designer Whey on Instagram: @designer_whey
  2. Follow Fitness & the City on Instagram: @fitnessandthecity
  3. Tweet about the giveaway and tag @designerwhey and @jennapardini
  4. Leave a comment letting me know that you have completed the above and if you were to win, which flavors you would like to try.

Winner will be announced April 14th.

Good luck!

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Keep up with Designer Whey: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

everydayhero / FITBIT giveaway (sponsored)

The following post is sponsored by everydayhero.

Hope you all are having a great week so far! I wanted to share with you some news about an awesome platform that is coming to the US . Since we love to raise money for different causes by running or taking part in fitness activities, I thought this was very fitting. The everydayhero platform is transforming the giving experience by offering people a way to track and see all the good they do for causes they are passionate about. The platform not only allows people to raise and donate money to nonprofits, but it takes the notion of giving a step further. It allows users to raise money and track their Giving Footprint to measure, monitor and amplify everything they put forth when giving to a cause.

Here is how it works:

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The everydayhero platform is arriving soon in the U.S. You can pre-register for the platform (and get a sneak peak in advance) by visiting the everydayhero site: https://preregister.everydayhero.com/us/.

Click here to watch a short video of how the platform works.

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Now for the fun part! Everydayhero is giving away 2 black Fitbit Flex bands to 2 lucky Fitness & the City readers!

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Here is how to enter:

  1. Tweet about the Giveaway
  2. Follow everydayhero on Twitter
  3. Follow jennpardini on twitter
  4. Register for the everydayhero prelaunch
  5. Please leave me a comment letting me know that you have completed all entries.

Winners will be announced Friday March 21st.

Good luck!!

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Keep up with everydayhero: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Blog

What I Ate Wednesday (Veggie Edition)

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but thought I’d link up for a “What I Ate Wednesday” post…especially since it’s “love your veggies” month.

I am still counting macros and sticking to my meal plan (97% of the time). Definitely seeing some results, but eager to keep going and see much more! Here is what I ate:

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  • Breakfast before work: Cellucor whey protein shake with almond milk
  • Around 10-11am: 2/3 cup oatmeal, apple
  • Lunch: pre-made lemon chicken from Trader Joes (LOVE these when I’m not in the mood to cook!) , green beans (always ENDLESS veggies) and 1/2 cup sweet potatoes
  • Snack: Fage greek yogurt, cookies and cream quest bar (have you tried?!)
  • Pre workout: Ezekiel bread with nut butter (my fave!!!!) & pre-workout drink “PRE”
  • Post Workout: Cellucor BCAA’s
  • Dinner: 1/2 turkey sandwich (random craving) and small piece of tilapia with broccoli
  • Before bed: Mix of 1 scoop casein, 1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder, and water. Mix and freeze. (Another nightly fave, not pictured)

Let’s just say, all this training definitely builds up my appetite! I am constantly eating and building muscle. YES!

Do you use MyFitnessPal? I feel like its a lifesavor! I enter all of my meals and it calculates just about everything. My username is FitnessandtheCity if you would like to find me on there. 🙂

Since were on the subject of veggies…..I found this recipe which I’m dying to try: chickpea, quinoa and vegetable cakes. Will let you guys know how they turn out!

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Also dying to make this recipe: Protein powder valentine’s truffles (WOWSERS)ask-the-protein-chef-truffles-1b

Thanks for reading! xo

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Counting Macros

Counting macros. Who does it? Who is against it? Who has no idea what that is?

I have officially gone crazy and am on my first week of counting macros. Macros including how many grams of proteins, carbs, and fats my meals consist of. Wow, this is harder than I thought, requires a lot of brain power and prep time! I just purchased my first food scale and have officially gone off the deep end. 😉 Just kidding, but seriously wondering if any of you count protein, carbs, fats etc? It is not an easy task, but so far so good. This is my first week testing the waters, and I’m not 100% sure I’m doing it right, but I’m sure it will get easier with time. Hopefully in no time, I can just know exactly what to eat and when without having to think about it.

I’m not competing, nor am I obsessing, I’ve just been very curious and want to see how my body reacts. I love the whole learning process of it all, and actually paying detailed attention to what I eat. The prep time is more tedious, but if we want the body of our dreams, we have to work for it! Not only am I wanting to see what physical changes I see, but also how this affects my training runs for the marathon. Food is power, and so far I feel like it may be the key to getting me through grueling 15/20 mile runs. I’m in the muscle growing stages, and to gain muscle I eat, eat, eat. (Turns out this isnt so bad after all) 😉

I’ve been following a truly inspiring instagram account called “Passion2befit”. Ashley (passion2befit) and I have been emailing back and forth and I’ve grown to get to know her through social media. She is an amazing athlete who shares her bodybuilding life through pictures and sets out to help as many people as possible. (I am very excited to have her featured on the blog soon!) Ashley created a meal plan for me, taking in about 1900 calories/day. Here are some pictures that capture my meals (a few snacks not pictured):

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(4 eggs white with spinach; oatmeal with cinnamon; non fat greek yogurt; chicken, broccoli and quinoa; stuffed pepper from Trader Joes with salad; rice cake with cake batter protein powder and blueberries)

I’m sure some of you are thinking, why the heck is she doing that? My intention is to take a peek into a life of a competitor/athlete and learn how to nourish my body, get to know my needs and watch the positive changes that may occur. This is all a learning process for me and so far, I’m loving the journey! Really excited to update you guys on my progress.

Don’t forget to enter the Michelle Bridges program giveaway. (She doesn’t count macros, but gets you on track with a delicious meal plan!)

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Chocolate Addiction Q&A

By starting this blog and being more open about my fitness lifestyle, I’ve come to the realization that I’m not only passionate about fitness, but for helping people reach their goals. I love love love when friends ask me for advice and hope I can make a difference in their lives even in the slightest bit. I wanted to share a question a friend messaged me, because with the holidays I know how hard it can be when it comes to indulgences.

Q: Hey girl, so I need “diet” advice and you’re the first person I thought of to ask. Ever since Halloween, (or let’s be honest…it started before then…) I’ve been having trouble getting rid of the sweets! It’s almost like I *have* to have chocolate every day. I’ve been having the hardest time giving up junk food. I know you just went on a challenge that required you to give up treats during the week–how did you do this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A: Trust me when I say this- I feel the need to have sweets everyday as well!! It’s hard to avoid temptation, but here’s my advice:

First of all, give yourself a little challenge. Try to cut down sugar intake by allowing yourself 1 sweet per day, 3 days a week. Then go from 3 days to 2 days, then finally to one. It’s hard but really challenge yourself and see how you do. Keep yourself accountable. I usually allow myself a treat on Saturdays that way I look forward to it the whole week. And on Saturday I definitely don’t skimp. Go all out, as long as you can get back to clean eating right after your indulgence. It’s really something I look forward to each week and totally worth holding out and working extra hard that week to get there.

Once you cut out the chocolate or eat it much less you will want it much less! This is a fact. Chocolate is addicting so once you break the habit you wont crave it. Make the craving go away and stay away. 🙂

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in total restriction of all sugar. During the week it’s ok to allow a piece of dark chocolate here and there, but just grab one small piece and avoid going back for more. Each night before bed I have herbal tea, which is really satisfying in place of something sweeter. So give try giving that a go.

I also found SO many good alternatives and different recipes containing healthy substitute ingredients. Some contain chocolate or vanilla protein powder or if you don’t drink protein there are so many other alternatives out there. You will notice what is most swapped out to make a healthier recipe as you take a look below. Quest bars are my absolute favorite quick fix for a craving. Pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds and they are ooey gooey heaven. Here are a few other alternatives:

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The Dashing Dish – my absolute FAVE website for healthy recipes, including this peppermint fudge at only 52 calories per serving!!

almond dream

Great alternative to ice cream! Non-dairy, almond milk ice cream by Almond Dream.

muffins

Healthier banana nut muffin recipe found here and here.

Other recipe ideas:

Trust me, you are not alone with sweet cravings. It’s just the way you manage those cravings is what counts. Make it a lifestyle change and go for the healthy alternative. You want your body to change? Then you need to take action! Remember, its all about moderation. No need to give up the sweets for good, but make it more of a treat once in awhile so you have something to look forward to! 🙂

Do you share the same problem with sweet cravings? What is your favorite healthier treat?

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