Happy Friday!! Yet again, this week absolutely flew by. It was full of the usual intern, work, class, teach and repeat schedule. On Wednesday night, I went with some friends to try the new Blaze Pizza that just opened and it was AWESOME. You can customize all the toppings on your pizza and the best part is that they don't even charge for extra toppings.

This morning I attempted to go to a 6:15 a.m. cycle class, but it was completely full! I used to be a lot better about signing up for early morning classes and I've been a bit slack about it lately, so I wanted to share a few tips to help you if you are trying to switch your workout routine to the morning. Unfortunately, I couldn't do cycle, but I ended up still getting a great workout, which I'll share in my next post! And came home to make a delicious smoothie:

Spinach, banana, strawberries, pineapple, Sunbutter, vanilla protein, coconut water & honey!

How to become an early riser:

Getting a workout in first thing in the morning sounds so great, doesn't it? You get it out of the way, it wakes you up and you have the whole entire rest of the day to be productive, but I know that it is not as easy as it sounds. However, working out early in the morning jump starts your metabolism, energizes you and even helps your brainpower.

1. You need to get a good night sleep. This is the absolute most important thing for me when it comes to hearing my alarm go off at 5:30 a.m. I know that this can sometimes be hard with school, work and all of the other obligations that we have going on, but if you can promise yourself throughout the day that you will be in bed by at least 10:30 p.m., that gives you a solid seven hours.

2. Lay your gym clothes out the night before. When you turn your alarm clock off and open your eyes to see your gym clothes ready for you, it makes it a bit harder to just roll over and go back to bed. It is motivating to know that you were so ready for an early workout the night before, so why back out at this point?

3. Plan your workout the night before.Whether that means signing up for a fitness class or having a workout written out, already having a game plan takes the thinking out of it. Chances are you might still be half asleep when you get to the gym!

4. Eat something small before. Although this really is a personal preference, I find that if I eat a small something before an early morning workout, I get a lot more out of it. I'll eat half of a banana and some peanut butter and it's not enough to weigh me down, but enough to give me a burst of energy that I need! This definitely takes some trial and error. I used to refuse eating that early because I just couldn't really stomach it, but I would find that 15 minutes into my workout, I felt ready to fall right back asleep! Again, this is totally personal preference and you will find what works for you!

5. Ease into it. This is crucial. It's not easy to jump right out of bed and get a solid workout, but like anything, practice makes perfect! Start out doing one or two early morning workouts per week and see how you feel throughout the day. I bet you that your energy levels will be a lot higher than if you didn't rise and grind.

It's all a process! These are just some things that help me a lot when I know I want to get in my workout before the sun. There's no right or wrong way or time to workout and it's all about what works best for you and your schedule.

Rach

I love having homemade snacks on hand when I am really busy and need to grab some quick energy. Store bought protein and energy bars are usually so expensive! I stick to either Lara Bars or Kind Bars because they have the cleanest ingredient list and are delicious, but I just cannot afford them every week. It's super easy to throw together something similar with ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Yesterday I threw together Peanut Butter Oat Energy Bites. These are an example of how you can make your own. I always stick to minimal ingredients (makes it the easiest) and make sure I have a protein, healthy fat and carb to cut the hunger and give me sufficient energy. I also tend to add in some sweetness in the form of chocolate. Always chocolate.

The key with making these is the consistency. I have found that a no-fail formula is to have about three to four dry ingredients and only one to two wet ingredients - one of which should have some binding power (like a nut butter.) For example, in these bites, I included almost equal parts protein powder and oats. I then added in equal parts chia seeds and chocolate chips. After adding three tablespoons of peanut butter, I mixed everything together and slowly added one tablespoon at a time of almond milk. This is key!! You don't want the mixture to be overly dry or wet. It should be like a really thick cookie dough that you can easily form into balls or bars. These are truly so easy to make and you can play around with so many different flavors and add ins.

Ingredients: 

• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2-3 tbsp chocolate chips (I got a little heavy handed with this ingredient)
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 3-4 tbsp almond milk (could also use water)

Directions:

• Combine protein powder, oats and chia seeds and mix
• Add peanut butter and mix well (mixture should be a bit crumbly - cue to add more liquid)
• Add almond milk or water one tbsp at a time and mix
• When mixture is at a dough-like consistency, fold in chocolate chips or any other add ins
• Roll into balls and place on wax paper
• Store in fridge or freezer

Enjoy!!

Rach