How to be productive

December 1, 2014

As a full-time graduate student with a part-time job and my blog, it is essential that I stay productive and focused. I literally cannot afford to fall behind and sometimes that pressure can be really overwhelming!

I thought it would be fun to share my top 5 productivity essentials to help any of you who are feeling overwhelmed by a million and one demands and to let you know that it is possible to balanced a hectic schedule.

1. Wake up early

Okay, so although this doesn’t apply to everyone, it definitely works for me. I have always been a morning person and cannot stand working at night. Why? I like to work when the sun is out as this keeps me feeling happy and energized, and I have a lot more concentration in the morning. Plus, I like to be able to work into the morning and into the afternoon (if needed) so I can relax a bit at night, go out for a nice meal or watch a movie. I find that waking up early has always enabled me to be my most productive, so why not give it a go yourself?

2. Organize yourself

I am not the type of person to carry around a planner with me and make to do lists, but I DO make a mental to do list and input important events (such as essay deadlines and etc) into my iPhone. Organizing yourself by seeing what needs to be prioritized is so important in being productive. Why waste 5 hours on something that is not actually that important?

If one of your goals is to start a small business, you can turn to Kabbage, an online provider of small business loans (and one of Forbe’s most promising companies), and get a loan to get started. Definitely high on the priority list! Kabbage also posted a great article on how small business owners can be productive which you can read by clicking here.

3. Stop with the excuses & negativity

Your mental state of being is critical to being successful and productive. Think about the last time you felt sad and negative. Be honest, how much did you get done? Instead of dwelling on how hard life seems and how much you have to do, try and turn those thoughts into positives.

“I will NEVER get this all done by next week” can be turned into —> “Let’s see how quickly I can get all this finished, and then I can kick back with the girls!”

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking 🙂

4. Don’t skip out on nutrition

Please, pleaaase do not feed your body with high-sugar and high-fat foods that only serve to make you feel sluggish! Make sure you get in meals and snacks that are rich with complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats and lots of fiber to keep you feeling full. Having a latte is an awesome kickstart whenever I need an extra boost and having energy rich snack on hand helps me get through the busy days.

For meal and snack idea’s, click here to get a whole selection!

5. Get some sleep!

Sleep; something so overlooked but so incredibly critical for being productive and efficient. A lack of sleep can result in a very cranky, tired and inefficient individual! Everyone is unique in how much sleep they need although 7 hours is usually recommended. For me, I need about 8-9 hours of sleep to have a really productive and efficient day. And no, catching up on sleep doesn’t work 😛

[Tweet “5 top tips on how to be your most productive by Honestly Fitness”]

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness, Health, Products I love

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 9

November 30, 2014

Happy Sunday night to those in California! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving for all those who celebrated. I had such a wonderful couple of days and I am sad that they are over but thankful that they happened. My lovely boyfriend flew in from Salt Lake City on Wednesday night and we drove down to the Central Valley and spend the next few days visiting his family (mine are all in Thailand) and generally having a good time. We did some shopping, saw the new Hunger Games movie and ate lots of good food. I made my first pecan pie last night and it turned out really well although the top was a bit too brown.

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 9

So, Kayla Itsines really kicks it up a notch with the workouts for week 9 of the bikini body guide. Like, it was kind of ridiculous and I only managed about 1 to 1 and a half round of the arms and legs workouts. The ab workout was comparatively easy and I managed 2 rounds of those exercises. What did I personally find hardest about the workouts? Definitely the crazy amount of plyometric moves in the leg workout and all of the push ups and mountain climber AND push up combos in the arm workout. Basically sobbed my way through the arm and leg workouts haha.

Did a 15 minute sprint HIIT workout in addition to some fast walking and was absolutely dripping in sweat. I am happy to report that although my foot was a little sore afterwards, it seems to have completely healed now. Woo hoo!

Feeling much more confident and strong 🙂

Nutrition

Hehe, sooooo Thanksgiving isn’t really a conducive environment for the most stellar nutrition. The first half of the week was fine but I definitely indulged a lot from Thursday to Sunday. But I do not mind; as you all know, my mantra is about being balanced and happy. I know that for the most part that I eat very well and mindfully so a few indulgent dinners will not hurt. All of the desserts were so good. For Thanksgiving dinner, we went to a very fancy restaurant and I had a huge lamb dish and shared some appetizers and dessert with my boyfriend and his dad. The next day we had a huge sushi dinner and the following night we had a huge Thai meal. Ahh, food coma heaven 😉

For some examples of what I have been loving to eat, click here and here 🙂

Being Happy and Balanced is what counts

That’s all from me, a short and sweet post. Love you all and thank you again for reading and caring about Honestly Fitness 🙂

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

Honestly yours,
Alice

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram page 🙂

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Fitness

The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale!

November 28, 2014

[UPDATE: Discount is no longer valid.]

I have such an exciting offer for you all, my lovely readers! Black Friday and Cyber monday sales have become an annual tradition and I am excited to let you know that Kayla Itsines has been kind enough to give me a special discount code so that you all can take 10% off of her eBooks. Such a perfect gift to yourself or for a loved one who is looking to get active and healthy.

If any of you are on the fence about purchasing any of her eBooks, feel free to check out my Kayla Itsines bikini body guide review by clicking here.

My thoughts about her H.E.L.P. have changed however, as I have found that pairing the bikini body guide workouts with her H.E.L.P. healthy eating guide has made my results a lot better. The following are posts about my journey of round 2 of Kayla Itsines 🙂

Round 2 – Week 1
Round 2 – Week 2
Round 2 – Week 3
Round 2 – Week 4
Round 2 – Week 5
Round 2 – Week 6
Round 2 – Week 7
Round 2 – Week 8

For some examples of what I have been eating during my second round of using Kayla Itsines bikini body guide eBooks, you can visit my Friday Fare page by clicking here. I have also been loving these recipes: Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie bowl, Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup, Blueberry Honey Chia Jam, and Fudge Brownies which are grain-free and refined sugar-free (in moderation!).