Category: Fit & Body

Fit & Body

Orangetheory Black Members and Coaches

June 3, 2020

I am about to hit my 1 year anniversary at Orangetheroy, which I cannot believe! Man what a year! I adore running but I cheat on it with Orangetheory but the reason I loved it was because all my fellow black running family started doing it. Each day, we talked about how OT was taking our soul, which to be honest is everyday. It became a fun virtual bond that made me excited to go each week and mostly we saw the results in our training and running. With today’s movement, I wanted to highlight and showcase black coaches, owners and members of the OTF family. This is a growing list but I think it’s great that we get to know them and collectively connect. I have directly spoke to OTF and am committed to making the OTF and running community more inclusive. I have a few ways for you to get connected and involved. 1) Fill out the form and share if you want to be featured 2) Use the hashtag #BlackOTF and the feed will continue to populate 3) Share ways you want to see OTF increase and change with me. Let’s make this an All Out effort to continue to grow and make a change. Black OrangeTheory Coaches Brittany Mhammond Airek J. Green Tiffany Levy DJ StaiSean Black OrangeTheory Members Alex Williams Kelli Boyer Alex Williams Kelli Boyer Orangetheory Member Handles Alex – www.instagram.com/alexandriawill Kelli – www.instagram.com/run_pretty/ Orangetheory Trainer Handles https://www.instagram.com/brittanymhammond/ https://www.instagram.com/staisean/ https://www.instagram.com/ronaldcharleschavis/ https://www.instagram.com/trainwithtiff/ https://www.instagram.com/greenair6/ Black OTF Feed #BlackOTF Want to Be Featured? Submit Your Info Here!

3 Safety Items for Beginner Runners

May 31, 2020

No matter if you are starting on your walking journey or an expert marathoner, safety is not something that should ever be taken lightly. Weather you are running solo or just walking and exploring the city anything can happen. As runners it’s essential to be mindful in these times to be prepared for the unexpected. Here are a few easy safety items I highly recommend for runners, no matter if you are starting on your walking journey or an expert marathoner. 3 Safety Items for Beginner Runners RoadID A few years ago, I went down in the Boston Marathon, and I remember parts of it. I do remember them looking at my bib and attempting to find my emergency information. I couldn’t remember phone numbers and much except that if they called my mom, she would freak out, and I wouldn’t go down until my coach said so. After I recovered from this DNF of being sick, hyperthermia, and a plethora of issues I discussed in my Boston Marathon recap, I realized how important it would have been for me to have my road ID. it’sIt’s a small id that you can wear 24/7 with medical and emergency contact information. I have worn one, for now, two years and it gives me comfort to know should anything happen to me, just stop my Garmin and call this number. 🙂 There are a couple of different options. You can add the id to your current Apple or Garmin watch or have it as a cute separate bracelet. In the photos I am showing both, one on my Garmin and the other is on a separate bracelet. I like both options but often they have specials on different styles and colors. I was able to grab the limited cobalt blue edition, which pairs nicely with all the blue colors. Road ID CODE :ALEXANDRIA10OFF | SAVE $10 OFF Runner’s Pepper Gel Spray Sabre is one of the most popular brands when it comes to dog repellent and pepper spray. They have a bunch of tactical and safety items for runners in particular. I am a fan of their Pepper gel for runners, which is compact and also can be worn on your hand or arm. The gel also is perfect for windy conditions so that it doesn’t accidentally spray back on you as you spray it. There are other options like alarms and such but this is just essential list and one of my go-to’s for everyone. This adjustable hand strap pepper spray fits right into your rigorous run while keeping you safe and protected. This SABRE runner pepper spray is full strength and guaranteed for reliable takedown power, and the 3-in-1 formula is a winning combination. Powerful lab-formulated pepper spray is combined with CS tear gas to enhance facial burning, plus a UV marking dye helps law enforcement identify the suspect. Garmin Emergency Assistance Alert If anything should happen when you’re on the go, activating the assistance feature will send a message to your emergency contacts immediately with your location. You also have the option of selecting this yourself if you need help too. Think of it as the bat-signal but to your emergency people. You find out more information on the Emergency settings on the Garmin Safety options.

Top 5 Supplements for Plant-Based Diet

March 15, 2020

Ever since I learned I was 200+ pounds and blood pressure was high, I’ve made serious changes to how I choose to feed and nourish my body. I focused only on decreasing stress, sugar and increasing sleeping mostly, which resulted in losing almost 30 pounds within two months. One area that was stressing me was lack of vital supplement of nutrition to my diet. For years, I have always purchased from a variety of sources and stores such as Amazon, Wholefoods and many retail stores, which was confusing, time consuming and ran into many issues. Instead, I now purchase directly through Amway. I loved being a customer so much, that I partner now directly with them. Below are my top five supplement for my plant-based diet, which aide in my weight loss and keep me fueled each day. Before you purchase any items, continue to support me by signing up for a free customer account. This also allows for me to help share great savings such as free shipping, discount and more through out the year exclusively to you. Once you sign up, by clicking Register then Become a Customer, then come back and click to shop. PS: I won’t email you or anything, and it takes just 60 seconds to do so. Before purchasing signup for a free customer account Click Here To SignUp Women’s Daily Vitamins Instead of buying individually up a multi-vitamin, vitamin D, magnesium and having a series of other supplements, I normally have every day. Instead of buying from multiple sources and outlets, I now am able to purchase my essential vitamins within one transaction but also have it in one packet portability. This pack includes the following vitamins for $1 a day! Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium Daily Multi-vitamin Hair, Skin and Nails Concentrated Fruits and Vegetable If you are a male or want an alternative one with Omegas included try the Men’s Packet. Similar to the Women’s Daily but instead of Hair, Skin and Nails it includes a daily Omega. Purchase Daily Women’s Pack Purchase Daily Men’s Packet Meal Replacement Shake I have always had a shake in the morning for weight loss. It helps fuels my day and is portable no matter where I go. I start my morning with water and a shake on my way to work but when at home, I add some of it to my daily green protein smoothie, which contains water, bananas, greens and frozen berries. Purchase Meal Replacement Shakes Immunity Supplement When traveling, I would always get sick especially when traveling to marathon. I have a series of items that I always use and take including immunity tonic. With immunity pack or tubes, I am able to travel and keep my immune system up to combat any other diseases. I prefer the liquid form but the pill version is also a great option. Purchase Immunity Pack (Pill) Immunity Twist Tube (Liquid) Multi-Purpose Wipes This isn’t a traditional nutritional supplement, but does affect your ability to intake nutrition. With diseases everywhere, I am always wiping down the office, seats in airline , my hands and everything. While soap and water are great, I sometimes am not able to get to them so I use the wipes. No phosphates, chlorine or other unpleasant ingredients, so it’s safer for the environment too. Purchase Multi-Purpose Wipes Hydration Drink As an athlete, I am always about staying hydrated. With summer months or longer workouts, I make sure to stay hydrated and replenish my body’s lost minerals with a hydration drink. Even if you work from home, you will be amazed at how easily you can be dehydrated as well. Being portable and having it easily on the run or in my gym bag. This is a great option for or runners, athletes, and anyone who wants to replace electrolytes and minerals without ingesting artificial colors and sweeteners. Purchase Hydration Supplements

Bras Brunch and Run Recap

March 9, 2020

Spring 2020 – Bra and Brunch Recap We kick off the first Saturday of Women’s Month with me for my 4th #brasandbrunch with @rei and @brooksrunning! This year, you all were in for a treat as attendees were able to get their first hands on the new Brooks Run Dare collection and I personally took everyone on an easy run/jog on a beautiful trial. These RunBras are created for just us runners in mind. I’ve got various sizes and includes the larger cup sizes. REI took care of the food in making sure we had something for our tummies and setup this super cute outdoor section so we could truly experience and enjoy nature. I shared the importance of the basics and how with running it is important to know your sports bras and running shoes are the foundations for success. Everyone was able to try on the new Glycerine shoes as well as test out the bras. Checkout the photos below and if you missed it, I have tons of upcoming events, sports bra guide and much more on the site. Bras, Brunch & Run Photos

How To Add Workouts on Your Garmin Watch

January 15, 2020

If you have a custom workout or are following a plan that requires various changes and instructions in a workout, you often have to write them down, remember them, or use an app that tells you what to do. One thing I love and use regularly is the workout section in the Garmin Connect. Often my running coach gives me a workout such as the following Warm up 1-1.5 miles Run: 800 meters at 11 min pace 400 meter at recovery pace Break for 30 seconds Do this (steps 2-4) 4 times Cool down for 1 mile or 15 minutes After doing this one time, I honestly have forgotten what I am doing. But that’s where the workout section of the Garmin connect is perfect. I can add this entire workout with the repeats, cool down and warm-up, etc. and to connect, and then it will sync to my Garmin. Once I am ready, I select the workout, and it will keep track and also tell me what to do so I don’t have to think about it. It’s my coach but virtual. In this latest video, I am teaching you how I do this quickly and what it looks like. Below are the step-by-step instructions for reference. Directions on App or Web for Adding a Workout to Garmin Sign into Garmin Connect from a personal computer Select Training in the expanded navigation bar on the left Select Workout Select a workout type… and choose the activity type Select Create a Workout Create and your workout based on your needs Select Save Workout From the Workouts page, the newly created workout will be listed. Click two diagonal arrows to sync the workout to your device. Note: A Send to Device pop up window will appear listing compatible devices the workout can be sent to. Select the device to send the workout to OR use the Garmin app to sync with your Garmin View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alexandria Williams (@alexandriawill) on Jan 7, 2020 at 12:00pm PST To Do the Workout on your Garmin or to review it Once you add the workout and sync it with your watch you want to do the following. From the watch face, select START. Select the activity (Running for this since we made a running workout). Hold Menu symbol (middle button) Select Training > My Workouts.‍ Select a workout. NOTE: Only workouts that are compatible with the selected activity appear in the list. Select Do Workout. Select START to start the timer. That’s it!

What I Eat In A Day to Lose 30 Pounds

July 17, 2019

Within two months, I lost almost 30 pounds. Yep. that’s a crazy amount of weight to lose and no I didn’t do anything crazy to get the weight off. No detox pills or crazy deprivation methods. I gave up and adjusted only three things in my life which were sleep, stress and sugar. You can find out more about how I ended up there by reviewing “How I lost 30 pounds in 2 months.” But obviously, the one thing everyone wanted to know is what did I eat or not eat for two months. I made it simple for me because remember my main focus was reducing/giving up stress so that included how I consumed my food. Everything listed has a link to purchase and or more information about the item. In general, I used meal prep services where my meals were already made for me. I didn’t have time even to cook and didn’t want to think about anything. Again less stress. Other areas, I tried to adjust and keep sugar to the low-low. What I Eat In A Day to Lose 30 Pounds Awake & PreWorkout I try to wake up at the same time. As part of my weight loss, sleep was/is critical, and thus, I make it a top priority over everything. After sleeping a full 8-10 hours, my body needs some significant hydration. I try to drink 12+ ounces with lemon or lime juice in the morning. Sometimes it’s more or less; it just depends on how I feel each day. Since I workout in the morning, I work out with either some form of electrolyte or pre-workout mix. These mostly come from UCAN as they are clean and sugar-free and ensure I won’t have a “sugar” crash once working out. UCAN is excellent for those who are diabetic and or concerned with for blood and “sugar” levels. Not to go into details about it but, it contains SuperStarch®, which a slow-release complex carb that steadies your blood sugar. I like it because I can take pretty much one product before or after working out. Simple. Easy. Not complicated. You can find the items or try them on Amazon or grab this package on their website. Breakfast After working out, it’s time to have breakfast officially. I am rushing and always on the move from either running or cross-training so, I keep breakfast stress-free with a shake. I would like to make smoothies, but it can be costly and not as possible. I like Garden of Life Raw Meal Protein as it contains greens, a significant amount of protein and everything honestly I need for the morning day. I take two scoops in the morning and add to a shaker. Once completed, I actually “eat” and have some toast. Ezekiel bread can taste weird if you aren’t used to it, but it’s low in sugar, contains reasonable amounts of protein and the “real” bread. Garden of Life Raw Meal Protein Garden of Life Fit Shakes Ezekiel Bread: Raisin, Regular and Sesame Daily Hydration Once I get to work or on my way. I use this time to consumer more liquids cause I am on the move and working away. I often am hydrating mostly before and after lunchtime the following items. Tea: Black with stevia and cream, half and half or milk. I allow myself this option because I love teas. I usually have one cup of black tea around 10-11ish and then again around 2-3. Sometimes I would get a red or green drink, but I love black tea. Alkaline Water: I like Alkaline 88 because it’s a bit more affordable, fresh and has salt (mineral) included in it and I need every bit I can take. I try to take in 40 ounces of alkaline water a day; thus, I don’t have to drink that much water in general. Green Juice: When I would feel sick or tired or needed some kick, I would get a green juice. The green juices I pick contain virtually no fruits so they can be a bit yucky to those who aren’t used to them. If I can’t find one without any fruit my other choice is to read the ingredients and select one with an apple as the fruit because it has the lower sugar containment. This wasn’t a regular thing, but I do drink them here and there. I don’t often because I opt to have Garden of Life Superfood – Greens as this contains all the greens I needed in a fraction of the cost. Lunch & Dinner Meals This is the most natural part of everything for me because I use Snap Kitchen each week and don’t think about what I am going to eat. I eat one of there vegetarian meals for lunch and dinner. Snap has updated their menu, so I am listing the meals I ate then plus the meal I like now. New Meals (July): Lentil, Veggie burger, Taco hash, Umami grain bowl, sweet potato veggie Benedict Previous Meals: Black bean burger, Taco hash, grilled kale hoping John, roasted veggies with cucumber than spicy dan noodles Salads: Greek and house salads are my favorites. I purchased two and split them in half and consume half with each meal. I keep salads simple with mixed greens, three toppings (ex: blue cheese, carrots, and roasted tomatoes) and switching out the dressings. My favorite dressings are by Wholefoods and Tessemae’s. I buy toppings based on whatever is on sale if I am making them. Save on Snap Kitchen: I used this same coupon to grab a week’s worth of meal for super less than $30 bucks. You can also try a few meals for cheap and on the low-low. Save that eating out money and decrease ya grocery bill. Additional Protein For Meals If I am hungry and need a bit more calories and or protein, I will cook a week’s worth of black bean burgers, Beyond

How I Lost 30 Pounds in 2 Months

May 31, 2019

I thought about having a webinar or going live to discuss how I lost weight but you know what, I just hit the video and recorded it for you. Instead of editing down this video, I thought it was important you got an idea of my journey and who I am. I am honest and hardly did any edits because in all things I want to continue to be authentic about who I am and what I am doing. #nocookiecutter Don’t worry. I am making shorter videos on everything I listed so those will go into details. Consider this your intro and pep talk about health and wellness first before going into the details and action of everything. Losing 30 Pounds in 2 Months & Running 3 Times a Week Before starting, I highly recommend doing a spring cleaning. I got rid of everything in my house. From food, the pantry, clothes, to underwear and old sheets, everything must go in order to make room for the newness. This wasn’t pretty but it forced me to see how much clutter I had physically that was reflected emotionally and mentally too. Importance of Tracking and Finding Habits for Weight Loss When I saw the scale hit 200lbs on February 13th at the doctor’s office, I was filled a lot of emotions and also sick for the umpteenth time. However, I left out of the office more concerned about my weight than ever. I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life and the main issue I had was – how did I get there. I was not only the heaviest but sick, high blood pressure and just a mess. My life was falling apart both physically, emotionally and mentally and I couldn’t keep it together anymore. After a few weeks, I finally got myself together and made a plan. The problem was that I didn’t know how to tackle weight loss and stop yo-yo dieting for good. One day, I heard the quote “we are all just creatures of habits” and it occurred to me that I needed to figure out what I was doing in order to lose the weight for good. So I tracked everything! I tracked everything to make myself accountable for results and know what’s going on. AKA what are my habits. So below are the things I tracked. Weight Blood Pressure – Doctor’s orders Sleep Food & Water Everything Else (Stress, Exercise etc) By seeing what I was doing on a daily basis I had a better idea of how I could make a plan and then adjust. I was able to see what was working, big time failures and how to create new habits. It wasn’t pretty but it kept me accountable to see what was happening every single day and to get raw and honest about what was going on with myself. Focusing on the Big 3: Stress, Sleep & Sugar. After reviewing my habits, I didn’t change everything. Instead, I focused on breaking and forming new habits of the following three items: Stress, Sleep, and Sugar. Pretty much I did the following Sugar: Sugar is literally in everything! I also have a big sweet tooth so this was probably the hardest for me. I cut out sugar in all things from food to fruit. At first, it was hard and no it wasn’t perfect. I skimmed through a few books that discussed the impact of sugar but it’s basically a drug. I kept tracking everything I consumed and would make adjustment each day and week. It’s now easier and I don’t think about it. I have some form of sugar in things such as post-workout drink or a cookie here and there but it’s super rare. I do have stevia often in my tea. Indirectly this made me cut out most bread, pasta, and al the other stuff too but that’s another video for another day. Sleep: I re-read my book so I could have a healthy foundation but the biggest things that stood out was my discussion of sleep in the book. I forgot all about the importance. Did you know that lack of sleep or keeping someone up is used as a form of torture in war or capturing an enemy? Yep! When tracking everything via my Garmin, I saw how little sleep I was getting. I thought I was having a night of at least 7 hours of sleep but in reality, it was more like 4 hours of sleep. I made it a priority to make sure that I had a lot more sleep. I started going to bed earlier and sleeping about 9-10 hours a night. It seems like a lot but I was making my body find a natural sleep pattern at first. Eventually, I even out and have a good cycle. Some days I do need more sleep and I am mindful of it. Stress: I monitored this via my watch but also just taking time out to each day to workout, write, meditate and such. This is a big issue and there isn’t much advice I can say about watching stress levels. Most of it is mental so my advice is to get some therapy and also adjust what you are consuming into your ears/eyes/mind on a daily basis. During this time, I unfollowed a lot of random accounts and people on social media that didn’t align with where I wanted to go. Additionally, this happened in real life as I begin to be aware of what was stressing me out or making me sad. This can be a job, person, car, meal prepping, etc. What I realized was that I didn’t have a lot of time and it was stressing me out so I begin to invest in things that would aid in decreasing stress such as trying meal prep companies and delivery services. In short, I substituted unhealthy stress for a healthier option such as traveling and working out/running.

Bermuda Travel Guide For Runners

March 17, 2019

Bermuda is an island literally in the middle of the ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean as most folks think it is. This means it’s closer to North Carolina and year around the weather is pretty nice. The coldest month is February, which in Bermuda the winter season consist of the low 60s degrees but watch out for the hot and humid summers.

Running and High Blood Pressure

February 21, 2019

Did you know February is American Heart Month? I had no idea until I went to the doctor’s for my regular checkup and let’s just say I had a come to Jesus meeting in the office. Whew! Child. I realized I am a hot mess. In the past few months, I landed up with being my heaviest weight that I didn’t tell anyone. I gained weight. Lost it. Then ended up having high blood pressure. Yep. Stressed. So I am trying to not be such a hot mess and get my life together by not being so “together” and chillin out.

Essential Running Gear for Beginners

January 7, 2019

Want to start running but know where to start? Maybe you have been running and don’t know what items you need to help you on your journey. No matter where you are on your journey, having the proper and essential running gear is vital to make sure you avoid injuries and keep moving.