Finding the right postpartum fitness journey must have items are essential if you’re looking to stay consistent! I’m officially taking my fitness journey seriously and wanted to share some of my must have items since starting!
A little back story on me- I was never the skinny chic. I always had big boobs, curves, and loved to eat & drink. I put on the most weight after I turned 21 and was working at a bar. Cheeseburgers and beers at 11pm became the new norm.
My heaviest weight at the time was 164lbs, and that’s when I decided I needed to change my lifestyle. With a clean diet and consistently working out, I got to around 137lbs. You can read more about that journey HERE.
Now fast forward 3 years and 1 baby later, I’ve gained all that weight back plus more. 2020 was a stressful year for me but I’m finally getting back into a normal routine and ready to get back into my fitness journey.
Here are my favorite fitness journey must haves items
Insulated water bottles
I have a hard time remembering to drink water throughout the day and it’s the most important thing you need to consume if you’re trying to lose weight. I found the only way I get my daily water intake is if the water is freezing cold- so an insulated water bottle was a must have for me.
I’ve used insulated water bottles before but they never kept by water as cold as I’d like until I tried out bottles from Nayad. I was sent over 2 bottles from Nayad a few weeks ago (one for water and the other a coffee mug) and I am OBSSESSED with them both. Since receiving them I’ve used them every day. I’ve filled up my water bottle with ice and the ice would last all day and into the next, keeping my water the temperature I need it to be in order to drink it haha.
Nayad has many different bottles and you can get them in different colors- the ones I have are the 26oz Roamer Bottle in black and the 20oz Metro Mug in marble. I highly recommend checking them out if you’re looking for an insulated bottle/mug that actually works- and they happen to have a sale on their site!
Apple Watch
Such a great investment especially if you are counting calories and tracking your activity. The only reason why I got my apple watch is because I wanted a better idea of how many calories I’m burning in a workout. I love that I can set goals for how much I want to move in a day and the face of the watch will display how far along I am until I reach that goal. Also- I have an office job where I’m sitting for the majority of the day and forget to get up to walk around. The apple watch with send you reminds to get up and move throughout the day and it’s honestly been SO helpful! The FitBit is also a great alternative to the Apple Watch if you’re looking to save some coin!
Supplements/Proteins
Some of the supplements I’ve been taking that have helped me in my fitness journey are vitamin b (helps with energy), fish oil (good for your heart), fat burner pills, apple cider vinegar pills (helps with bloating) and Alani Nu’s balance bills.
I started to take the balance pills because it’s said to support hormonal balance, weight management, complexion, infertility, improve moods and energy levels and even increase your sex drive. Although these pills seem like magic pills and I personally haven’t had any issues with them, there have been some negative reviews about them. Definitely do your research before consuming these!
I don’t like the taste of protein so finding shakes that I like is a challenge. I’m currently drinking Quest protein shakes in my coffee as a creamer and I’ll make a protein shake with fruit and my Alani Nu chocolate peanut butter flavor.
Besides the obvious sources of protein (meat, eggs, peanut butter), I’ll also enjoy Lenny & Larry’s cookies once in a while or Kodiak Cakes waffles!
Comfortable & Cute Workout Clothes
Yes- I’m one of those. There’s just something about new cute workout clothes that makes me want to workout all the time.
3 years ago when I started committing to the gym, I bought a bunch of workout clothes that really motivated me to show them off at the gym. After 3 years of wearing the same gym clothes, they now look crusty and are no longer my style. Back then I bought low rise (ew I cant imagine wearing now) leggings and the only leggings I like to wear now are high rise. So a gym wardrobe update was a necessity for me.
I absolutely LOVE Gym Shark leggings, but they can get a little pricey if you’re buying a lot. I only bought a few pairs of Gym Shark leggings: the flex high waisted leggings in black, the energy + seamless leggings in taupe and their flex cycling shorts in black.
Although I still use some of the leggings from 3 years ago (mostly Nike brand and Victoria’s Secret), majority of the leggings I use are from Amazon. My favorites from Amazon are from The Gym People, Raypose, Normov, and Ewedoos.
Along with workout clothes, comfortable workout shoes are a MUST. I’ve been using my old gym sneakers for YEARS and finally decided to pull the trigger on getting new shoes. I picked up some Nike max 270 in the color summit (obsessed with this color) and although they are pricey- I found them to be well worth it!
Meal Prep
As a working toddler mom, my biggest struggle is finding time to work out. I work long hours and by the time I get home from work I find myself in the kitchen prepping dinner and lunch for the next day until bedtime.
Meal prepping has helped me tremendously not only with eating healthy, but with getting time into my schedule to workout. I make my meals twice a week (Sundays & Wednesdays) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday I’m able to get in a quick workout after work!
Pinterest is my go-to when it comes to finding what meals I should prep (I have a whole board I save them to if you want to check them out) and I also get ideas from my FitMenCook app. I paid for the app but they also have a website you can check out for great recipes!
Two things that made meal prepping easier for me was THESE meal prep containers (I have classic black ones but this color is so cute) and THIS food scale. This scale has an iPhone app that helps you keep track of your macros via Bluetooth- such a life saver!
At Home Gym Equipment
For the days I don’t feel like leaving the house and going to the gym, having equipment at home is a must!
My favorite workout equipment I have at home is my Peloton bike. I’m obsessed with it! It is on the pricy side but should you choose to invest in one they do offer a payment plan with no interest which we took advantage of beginning of quarantine. BUT there’s a way around getting the peloton: you can purchase a regular stationary bike and just pay for the monthly peloton class subscription to use from your phone. You can even airplay the classes from your phone to the TV and workout in front of you TV!
Besides our peloton there are a few things I find necessary to workout at home. I recently purchases a weighted hula hoop and have been using it almost everyday! Other items I’ve been loving are dumbbells, my kettlebell, a speed rope, resistant bands and my ab roller!
A Support System
Unfortunately this one you can’t purchase off of Amazon lol! Having a support system has made this fitness journey so much easier. I’ve noticed when I’m trying to eat clean and workout but the people around me are eating junk food and not being active, I get off track easily.
Not everyone eats as clean as i’m trying to at home, but they are always offering a healthy alternative to what they’re eating. If we decide on getting take out, my boyfriend will make sure there’s healthy options for me on the menu. If I’m feeling sluggish and don’t want to work out, he encourages me to at least do a quick workout. These little gestures come a long way and really help with staying on track!
I think these fitness journey must have items really help me stay on track when it comes to eating clean and staying active. Do you have any of these items? What are some of your fitness journey must have items??
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