Why I Stopped Snacking (And Started Eating Meals Instead)

 

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am always hungry.

I think about food constantly (I’ll admit, probably too much), and if I don’t eat every couple of hours I get grumpy, fuzzy headed, and undoubtedly not much fun to be around.

It has taken me a long time to figure out how to eat properly to best fuel my body, keep my energy up, stay lean, and of course keep myself from “turning” on the people around me when I get too hungry. I’m always experimenting with new foods and trying new methods of eating to work towards reaching my full athletic (and mental) potential.

Yet despite fully knowing that I needed to eat every couple of hours, up until recently I still basically ate only three meals a day—with many, many snacks in between.

Here’s what would happen with that approach:

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Join Us for the Strong for Summer 5 Day Workout Challenge!

Strong for Summer 5 Day Workout Challenge

Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means one thing: summer is almost here.

So I thought it would be really fun to start getting ready for summer with a 5 day workout challenge with daily videos, prizes, and more!

The reason I wanted to do this specific challenge is that while we all want to look good on the beach, it’s so much more important to both look and feel good—and pushing your personal limits and getting stronger is the best way to do that.

It’s going to be AWESOME!

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8 Badass Exercises You Can Do With Nothing But a Pull Up Bar

 

It’s no secret by now that pull up bars are one of my very favorite pieces of workout equipment, ever.

Currently, I have three in my house: a doorway one outside of my home office, a ceiling one in my garage gym, and I recently built the pull up bar of my dreams in my backyard (see photo below).

And no, you definitely don’t need access to three pull up bars in order to get strong and fit. But coming from a place where I never thought I’d be able to do a pull up in my life, I probably went a little crazy once I actually had the space to put them. But hey, whatever makes you happy, right?

Pull up barPull up bars are an incredibly efficient, old school piece of equipment that no matter how you use them, can’t help but make you feel a bit like a badass. Yet unsurprisingly—and mainly since they don’t even exist in most gyms—many people have no idea what to do with a pull up bar.

So to help inspire you, here are 8 of the most badass exercises you can do with nothing but a pull up bar:

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5 Tips for a More Powerful Kettlebell Swing

 

Kettlebell swings are a fantastic full body exercise to burn fat, boost endurance, and build muscle in a short amount of time.

It’s the reason why they’re called the king of exercises by many fitness junkies—and the reason why you should include them in your workouts on a regular basis.

But whether you’ve just picked up your first kettlebell, or if you’ve been swinging one around for a while now, there are always ways to make the exercise more effective, and of course, more powerful.

Note: These same tips apply to both the classic Russian swing or the more CrossFit-esque American swing , whichever version you prefer to do.

Here are 5 tips for a more powerful kettlebell swing:

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5 Pieces of Home Gym Equipment Everyone Should Own

 

So many people think that the only way to get in shape is to belong to a big fancy gym—but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are so many exercises you can do using nothing but your own bodyweight, or a few, basic pieces of equipment that will easily tuck into a closet when you’re not using them.

These affordable, easy-to-find pieces of equipment are what I would recommend to anyone just starting to build a home gym, and are the equipment I would get if I could only have a few pieces of workout equipment around.

Here are 5 pieces of home gym equipment that everyone should (eventually) own:

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Beginner Jump Rope Tutorial

 

Jump roping is one of my favorite ways to burn calories and get your heart rate up in no time.

But it does take a good deal of coordination (and a good amount of confidence), so if you haven’t picked one up since elementary school P.E., today’s beginner tutorial will help you get started.

Watch this quick 3-minute video tutorial or follow the instructions below, and you’ll be jump roping like a pro in no time!

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7 Healthy Post-Workout Meal Ideas To Boost Recovery

 

What you eat immediately after your workout is one of the most important meals of the day.

Proper post-workout nutrition refuels your body so you can get fitter, faster, and stronger. Without it, your body just won’t be able to recover fast enough, which can impair performance and impact any muscle building or weight loss goals you currently have.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, when you work out really hard like we do, you need to eat after your workout! So don’t skip it.

Ideally you’ll wolf down some protein and carbs (avoid fats immediately post-workout since your body can’t absorb them quickly enough) as soon as possible after your workout, but try not to wait more than an hour. I’m always famished after my workout so I never have a problem eating right away! 🙂

Here are 7 healthy post-workout meal ideas to satisfy your hunger and boost your recovery:

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Super Athlete Beta Now Available on Android! (+ Limited Coaching Spots Available)

Android_super-athlete

I’m super happy to let you guys know that the Super Athlete subscription is now available on Android!

Like everything seems to, it took a little longer that we’d hoped to get together, but now when you sign up you’ll get:

  • 100+ new workouts. Get immediate access to 100+ new workouts, including AMRAP, boxing, tabata workouts, and more.
  • Set custom goals and reminders. Set up goals for how many workouts a week you want to do and the app will remind you.
  • 3x weekly workout updates. Get all new workouts 3-4x a week pushed straight to your device as soon as they’re released on the blog!

Exciting stuff you guys! And yes, if you sign up now you can still lock in the monthly subscription price of $3.99.

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7 Health and Fitness Items I Never Travel Without

7 travel friendly health and fitness items

Aside from health and fitness, one of my biggest passions in life is traveling. I spent two years after college living in Amsterdam (and traveling whenever possible), and still travel whenever I can for both work and play.

And while I used to never know how to work out or eat healthy while traveling, over the years I’ve slowly learned from mistakes and adopted habits that allow me to keep fit and healthy even when I’m out of my regular routine.

Aside from working out every single day (aside from a rest day, of course) and walking almost everywhere, I’ve also figured out several travel-friendly things I can bring with me when I’m away from home so that I never get stuck eating unhealthy food all day long or making excuses that I can’t work out.

Here are 7 health and fitness items I never travel without:

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Reader Stories: Christina On HIIT, Handstands, And Staying Motivated

12 Minute Athlete

One of my very favorite things in the whole world is getting to watch you guys grow and improve as people and athletes and realize you really can do anything you put your mind to.

Every single email you guys send me and comment you write saying how much you improved at your 100 burpees time, or that you did your very first double under, or your second pull up in a row despite previously thinking you’d never be able to do a pull up in your life puts a HUGE smile on my face (and some of you think I never smile!).

It’s just so amazing to see all your improvement and know that so many of you are gaining strength and confidence in not just your fitness abilities, but in so many other areas of your lives.

One of the people I’ve watched improve so much over the past couple of years is Christina, a 39-year-old visual artist, former flamenco dancer, mom, and future small farmer/homesteader living just outside of Chicago.

Since way before nearly anyone else commented on the workout posts, Christina has been updating us on her progress on an incredibly consistent basis.

Not too long ago, Christina left this comment on the recent 6 Minute Superhero Workout:

Hey Krista,
I think I have been doing your HIIT workouts for almost two years now. Yesterday I encountered a scale for the first time in about 2 years. People have been commenting on how much weight I have lost and I am at least two dress sizes smaller. Now, get this: I lost 3lbs!!!!! Lol- how amazing is that! It means, as I can attest, I have gained an enormous amount of muscle and lost a whole lot of fat. I am so thrilled! Not that I needed any extra convincing as to how awesome HIIT is. And it all started with one of your handstand posts. Thanks for all you do!
Christina

I’ve been so impressed at (and proud of!) Christina’s dedication and improvement over the past couple of years, but seeing this comment, I knew I had to finally reach out and learn more about her story. And I’m so glad I did—Christina is strong, humble, and an awesome inspiration for all of us.

Here’s what Christina has to say on HIIT, going after goals, staying motivated, and more:

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