It seems like forever ago that there wasn’t a single bar studio in Boston but really it was just 2 years ago! The Bar Method opened up shop exactly 24 months ago tomorrow. I’ve been a member for over a year and have never been so proud of how my arms and abs look, despite not lifting a weight over 5 lbs.

Since they opened, it became apparent that the people of Boston were willing to pay big bucks for studio classes and liked the ballet based workout. There are currently 4 studios offering barre style workouts on Newbury Street alone! Nearby BSC and Equinox also offer their own version however it was The Bar Method that brought the style to city proper.

To celebrate, they are throwing a little party tomorrow, June 21st. You can sign up for a class with my promo code SarahFit1 to try it for just $10 if you are a new member. You’ll enjoy juice samples in the lobby from new juice truck Mother Juice as well as receive discounts on amazing cocktail and bridesmaids dresses perfect for wedding season from Brideside. On Brideside.me you can view what other bridesmaids dresses look like on REAL people with curves and different body types.  This was something that totally was a pain when searching for my sister’s wedding. There will be other treats and cocktails/mocktails available before and after class to enjoy along with other staff members to hang out with and also check out some Stella & Dot jewelry trunk show.

If you find out that you love the class, there is a summer special where you can sign up for a 30-day $100 membership. After that, it’s $165 a month which is what I pay and is totally worth it!

Do you really need to eat something before a workout? The answer depends on what your goal and workout is and what you like!

Trying To Lose Weight
If your are trying to lose weight, try working out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning to maximize fat burning. If you are a member of the Tone It Up community, you know this as your Booty Call. It’s a 30 minute cardio start to your day. If however your booty call workout is going to be your only workout and will last longer than 45 minutes of maximum effort, think spin class, you may want to have something small, like 1/2 a banana to power through and burn as many calories as you can.

If you workout later in the day after work and are starving, eating something small before hand will fuel your routine to be an all out effort. Try simple sugars that will digest quickly like a piece of fruit, half a protein bar, green or other fresh pressed veggie juice, trail mix or cheese! Yes, I said cheese. I wrote this fun blog for The Laughing Cow earlier this month on fun ways to add more cheese to your pre and post workout meals. Keep your pre workout meal to 150 calories or less.

Training For a 10K or more challenging race

If you are training for a race, eat something before your workout if it’s first thing in the morning. You also will want to eat something before hand if the workout is going to last longer than 90 minutes or you simply are hungry at the time you scheduled to workout. If you are properly fueled, your workout will be lackluster and it will be challenging for your body to perform as it is optimally equipped to do so. Try having a slice of whole grain toast like Ezekial bread with peanut butter, a fruit smoothie, an energy bar, coffee, spirulina, or my favorite go to, Vega Pre-Workout energy mix. Aim to eat at least 30 minutes before your workout.

Get Fit and Build Muscle

If you are hungry eat. Sometimes we don’t know when we are actually hungry so this can hard but try to listen to your body. The above two recommendations apply here as well. If you’re workout is going to be 30-60 minutes, you don’t really have to eat before but make sure you eat something afterwards with carbs and protein. A 3:1 ratio is recommended but I’ve seen people suggest 4 grams of carbs to 1 gram of protein and also a 2:1 ratio. If you do more cardio, stick with a 4-3:1 ratio, but if it’s a strength specific workout with minimal cardio, a 2-1:1 works!

What is your go to pre-workout snack? I’ve recently been experimenting with spirulina tabs by EnergyBits, but find my shot of espresso and Vega Pre-Workout Energy mix are the best when it comes to boosting energy for a workout.

BACK IN THE DAY 10K

Additional announcement! My friends at City Sports are hosting a fabulous 10K in Davis Square, Somerville MA on June 30th to celebrate their 30th Birthday! Everyone is encouraged to wear 80′s gear for the race! So much fun. Sadly, it’s the same day as my triathlon so I will not be there, but I would if I didn’t have a conflict. I do not pass up opportunities to dress up in 80′s outfits. Sign up and get a limited edition T-Shirt, commemorative pint glass, 80′s style CS sunglasses and guaranteed post race fun. Sign up here.

New video Tuesday! This arm workout for women is inspired by the barre studio classes and uses a pair of light weights. You can do it along with me so grab your dumbbells and get ready to slim and sculpt your arms.

Do you love to know how many calories you burn per workout? What about checking your heart rate throughout? I’ve been wearing a heart rate monitor for about 3 years now and am pretty addicted. Once you learn your “zones,” you know when your body has reached it’s limit or not. In January, I learned about Pear sports, a training system with a real time heart rate monitoring, and coaching program that runs on your phone.

I have a discount code for you guys today and I’m giving one away, scroll to bottom for details. 

Pear comes with a heart rate monitoring chest strap that sends data to your iPhone. Check it out here. Since I do not have an updated iPhone, Pear loaned me an iPod touch this month to test out the different training programs. You download the app for free and then connect to the store to download a workout if you like. I downloaded a couple interval runs that were free as well. Pear plans to always have 70% offered for free, while 30% will be more in depth and paid programs for longer races like an Ironman or marathon. Free programs include beginner plans plus weight loss, spin workouts, running and even strength training.

From here, you calibrate the system with a 20 minute exercise that has you walking for about 5 minutes and brings you up to a 7 outta 10 fast run. If I had known we were not going up to 10, I probably would have pushed it a little harder at 5 or 6 but that’s OK. The calibration tells your what your heart rate zones are for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are used during the real time coaching work outs.

Since I used the iPod, my distance and speed were not recorded but if you use your phone, it will. At the end of your workout, you are able to analyze your progress and keep track of your workouts. I struggle to reduce my heart rate after zone 5 sprints. I’ll get there with more training. What I love about Pear is the real time feedback during the workout. If you are supposed to be recovering but at a level 4, Matt or whoever will tell you to take it down a notch. If you should be at a level 5, they will let you know as well. I love the Nike Training Club App but sometimes it feels too easy or too hard. Pear makes it just right because it can tell my level of effort.

You can also do a free format workout like I did for a spin class. It was crazy how high my heart rate would get, which is why I love Recycle. It’s fun to see the zones and my heart rate drop in between songs. The best part about all this is that to purchase the Pear heart rate monitor, it’s only $99 and you get a pair of kick ass stride ear phones (that allow you to adjust audio and hear your heart rate at any time with a click of a button near your ear). Most heart rate monitors start at that and do not include gps sensor or zone guidance.

I’m not being paid to write this post, I promise it’s not sponsored, but since I loved the app so much, I wanted to share it with you guys AND got you a 10% off discount code as well as free shipping if you want to try it out. Just use promo code sarahfit at check out. PLUS, I’m giving one away on the blog. To enter, just click here and sign up via the Google Doc. It’s much easier to pick a winner at random. Maybe one day, you just might be able to download my interval runs or strength workouts! Until then, they are building the app to include more workouts from celebrity trainer likes Michelle Lovitt and more with current trainers like Noelle who basically coached me through my Oakley Mini 10K! Noelle already has a stand up paddle board interval workout you can download now.

Am I crazy or do you guys agree this sounds pretty awesome? Do you already have an HR monitor? You do need a newer iPod touch, iPhone 4s or later version but you can try the Pear Pro if you own an iPod shuffle which uses a foot pod to monitor distance/speed. To enter the giveaway, ENTER HERE. 

This past weekend, I spent in New York City with Oakley Women to run the New York Mini 10K. How is a 10K mini you’re probably thinking? When the race first started in 1972, the organizer said it was a mini marathon for the women to run because back then, women were not always allowed to run with the men. After a stormy night, we were lucky to have clear skies and perfect temperatures for the 6.2 mile race through Central Park.

This is the first major race Oakley has sponsored and their shirts could not be cuter. It featured their new slogan “made for more.” I started out running with Noelle Kozak, Pear enthusiast, and felt like I had my very own running coach. She challenged me to finish with under 8 minute mile splits. I should have known this wasn’t going to happen, but gave it my best. Around mile 4, my heart rate was at 185 and Noelle was at 166 BPM. While she said we were both at zone 5 (the max zone), I told her to go sprint to the end. I finished a minute slower than my own PR but still recorded 51:19. Here is my official badge! Kinda cool, right?

There were over 5000 women that ran the race (7000 signed up). I had no idea how fast the women of NYC were. I usually feel like I’m in the front but these ladies had me feeling like a slow poke. The later start time of the race at 8:30 am made it an ideal race for me. The hills were just hard enough to leave me grasping for air but not that bad that I needed to walk or slow down too much. After the race, we went out for brunch and mimosas at Sarabeth‘s. I ordered fruit, a veggie omelet and a side of apple chicken sausage that was amazing. They served us complimentary muffins and scones too. According to the good old HRM, I needed the fuel for our busy day planned!

We ventured down to SoHo to hang out at the Oakley store where runners were given 25% off. I bought roomie a new bathing suit and myself an NY Oakley tank featuring Lady Liberty and a pair of Frogskin sunglasses to wear for our tour on Sunday.

For dinner, we ate at a restaurant called La Esquina that looked like it was located at a taco stand in SoHo. We entered the “deli” and proceeded to be led through an “employees only” door to downstairs where we discovered a swanky restaurant.

It was really dark so I didn’t take any pictures but the food was fabulous. We had a set menu and were not really able to order but it didn’t matter. They took good care of us and the spicy margarita was outstanding. We went out for a few drinks afterwards because the Oakley gang is a social bunch and very fun to hang out with.

Not wanting a hangover, I just ordered a beer. I remembered liking the Easy Blonde and it sounds funny ordering. I’m twelve years old sometimes and I like it. I went home early but the other girls partied it up until 2:30-5am!

On Sunday, we ventured down to Liberty Warf for a tour of the NYC harbor area. The new needle on the Freedom Tower was cool to see in person.

I love tours. I’m a nerd and I love history. It was fun to pass by Governor’s Island after the music festival, hear about Ellis Island again and see the statue up close. I have been to Ellis Island twice but still haven’t been up the statue. She’s closed again for renovation and of course Jenny (Oakley Women Marketing), AJ (Oakley Ambassador) and me all wore our awesome NYC Oakley tanks.

Sunday night we had an 8:30 pm reservation at ABC Kitchen and didn’t leave until midnight! I never stay out that late on a Sunday these days. The food was phenomenal. I had a vodka strawberry lemonade to start and then forgot to take any more pictures. Sorry! If you go though, I highly recommend the salted caramel sundae with hot fudge, caramel popcorn and peanuts. Yes. It’s just as good as it sounds. Everything was very fresh, heavy on veggies, light on the bad stuff and mostly organic/whole grain.

Since it felt so healthy (except the dessert), it was too easy to keep eating. Oops. Monday required a little detox. The Oakley gals and ambassadors all posed outside before heading into our cabs and home for the night.

Somebody has got a wicked cool tan line… On Monday, I was excited to head back to Boston and get back into the regular swing of things. NYC was so much fun, but oh so tiring. I love to visit, but love to leaving even more. Ha!

If so, then you will love this ab workout using an exercise ball. You can do it at home if you have a ball or at the gym. Since we filmed it in real time, you can do it along side with me.

This workout video features the regular crunch, planks, Pikes, a mountain climber and oblique side bends and more! It will only take you 10 minutes. Click on the big photo above to watch. You can click here as well to watch the ab workout video.

The top and capris that I’m wearing is part of the new Anue yoga line from New Balance. The sports bra is by Roxy.

Last week, I was greeted with a new Tone It Up diet plan in my inbox from Katrina and Karena. The entire plan has been revamped and includes 50 new recipes and an extensive goal achieving program.  I wrote a review and fell in love with the plan a few years ago when I used the 7 day slim down to lose a few pounds for one of my very first photo shoots in 2010. Full disclosure, you guys know that Katrina and I have been friends since 2006 but I only support the plan because it rocks and is something I personally use myself.

What I love about the new plan is that it is so user friendly to read, follow and implement. The pictures are absolutely amazing. The girls say they reflect a “sun kissed” feel and they really do. All the images seem to have that so-cal photo filter that makes you wanna move to Manhattan Beach to be their neighbor. It reads like a diet book. It’s quick to soak in so you can get started right away. There is a ton of variety and options for your favorite smoothies and pancakes.

On top of the plan, they include some great nutrition education so that you can use to make decisions on your own in the real world. They break down what nutrients their favorite foods are high in so if you have a deficiency you can adjust.

Since I have reviewed the plan before I’ll keep this review to what is new and good. The recipe section features a slew of new raw, vegan, gluten free and soy free options. With my Integrative Nutrition courses, I’ve modified my diet to eat more vegetarian and non GMO meals so this was a welcome addition to my growing needs.

They also expanded the 7 day slim down a bit, a program that is incredible if you do it before an event. Celebs do this for their big red carpet nights, why shouldn’t you for your wedding?

I also love the new section dedicated to achieving goals. I am planned to start my own inspiration board this week and will share it with you guys when I’m done.

My favorite part is that the recipes include a new graphic that helps you decide what meals are good for what meal. The TIU plan is based on 5 small meals. Many meals are perfect for more than one meal, but the guide is really helpful. They also divide the recipes into 3 categories so that people looking to lose, tone or maintain can get a little extra guidance in knowing which recipes are best for them. If you are thinking of buying the plan, check out their amazing testimonials. They are incredibly inspirational. Even I was moved to get started on a new health kick after reading the whole thing!

Here are the other additions to the plan:

♥ 50 Brand Spankin’ NEW, vegan friendly recipes ~ protein rich and soy-free!

♥ Fresh NEW look & feel ~ Sunkissed!

♥ In depth explanations of what to eat, when to eat it and why it’s beneficial to your metabolism!

♥ Tips and guides that include superfoods & nutrition for fat burning, muscle tone, hormones, hunger and why we chose the foods listed for YOU!

♥ Recipes from your Beach Babe Edition are now incorporated into the plan, complete with your NEW Meal Wheels! YES!! So many of you have been requesting this!

♥ Fun updates to your Meal Wheel, Lifestyle Chart & Meal by Meal Guide

♥ Expanded Motivation section with step-by-step guides to make your dreams a reality! Let’s do this together

♥ New bio section from your trainers, to learn where we came from and what led us to the people we are today

♥ New sections on what foods to combine together for increased metabolism, muscle recovery, hormone balance, alkalinity + MORE!

♥ Revised 7 Day Slim Down with a New Event Day Plan!

♥ 5 Day Slim Down is now included in your main Tone It Up Nutrition Plan for easy access

♥ 3 Brand NEW Exclusive Member Printable Workout Routines

♥ AND don’t forget your 52 Page Bridal Edition that was released 2 weeks ago!

I can’t wait to hear your first reaction from the plan!  www.toneitup.com/blog.php?5823

If you are a Sarah Fit reader and TIU member, let me know down below If you purchased the plan and were not satisfied also let me know below. I honestly have never had a reader tell me that they were not so I’m curious if you exist!

This morning I made the mistake of putting a teaspoon of coconut butter on my protein pancakes. Why was this a mistake? It was so freaking good, I wanted to use it as frosting all over them! I’ve heard coconut butter aids in weight loss so maybe I should…

Whole Foods invited me to a blogger event in Boston when I was in Texas. Since I could not go, they sent me a littler package with a variety of fun products, most of which I had not tried. In 2008, I did sample coconut butter at expo east and brought home a sample but I was always turned off from buying it because of the price.

I will say that despite being 186 calories per 2 tablespoons with 18 g of fat (16 of which are saturated but they are good medium chain fatty acids! ) it is worth the money. Moderation is key. It may be a superfood but it’s not low in calorie. I think a jar costs around $11 or $14. One study said a farmer tried to fatten up his cattle feeding them coconut butter but they lost weight instead. All the doc’s I found online said this isn’t the case for humans but it is beneficial to us for many other reasons including lower cholesterol and having antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal capabilities. It’s also great to use a skin and hair moisturizer.  According to EatingWell.com, eating coconut oil/butter speeds up the metabolism by 5% while digesting. If you ate a 500 calories meal, 10% is typically used for digestion. If some of those calories came from coconut oil, allegedly your body would burn 75 calories instead of 50 while digesting.

They also sent some Beanitos, Paleonola, Bonk Breakers, Bonnieville Cookie, Summit Seeker Trail Mix and raisins for baking up a storm. The Beanitos were gone quickly. As was the power cookie. Roomie declared Bonk Breakers his favorite bar ever. I first tried these at the Kona Ironman and knew they were good but are pretty high in calories for an energy bar for the activities that I do. If you do long bike rides, these are awesome!

The summit seeker might be my new favorite trail mix made with raw sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pepitas and a few chocolate chips. I first ate out the cashews and chocolate of course. The Paleonola was also a fun addition. I do not buy granola on my own because I’m terrible at portion control with the bags. The sugar sends me on a downward spiral and the small portions set me up for overeating almost always. It was really good and if you want a grain free granola, check it out. The Bonnievilles cookie did not taste like a typical cookie but I liked it. It’s gluten free, vegan and made without refined sugars. I tried the peanut butter caramel, which is made with 9 ingredients and has 260 calories. With 19 g of sugar it’s a dessert for sure but it does have 7 g of protein and 3 g of fiber from natural sources. Not a bad option if you eat gluten free and have a sweet tooth!

If you are looking for a homemade dessert for gluten free diets, check out this delicious chocolate and almond freezer pie I found in the Udi’s Gluten Free Community.

Have you discovered any new goodies?

Today, I have a new and upcoming workout for you called Shockwave!

I shot this awesome workout video featuring the Shockwave workout featured at sports clubs all of the country (and world) with Josh Crosby. It’s a circuit workout that you do using an indoor row machine. It’s offered at Equinox here in Boston and I wanted to share with you guys a sample workout because I loved it so much. If your gym has a row machine, grab a pair of dumbbells and try it out. It’s pretty quick so you can do it one or two times through.

It’s a great total body workout that will elevate your heart rate to burn calories while sculpting your muscles.

In other news, it’s already June and my favorite holiday is just around the corner. I had so many people doing the May DietBet that I decided to extend it until July 2nd so people wouldn’t forget about their bikini bodies. It starts today but you can join up until next week. The DietBet gives you money when you lose the weight! No strings attached, I promise. The pot is at $13,750 right now. If you want accountability for the month of June, sign up! You can learn more about what the dietbet is here.

Being stressed out will get you sick. This happened to me last week. I very rarely get sick unless I’m running myself into the ground but yet we lament how it always happens at the worst possible time? I’m headed to NYC this weekend to run the Oakley Mini 10K! If you are too, let me know down below. I’m thinking of having a mini meet up at the finish line afterwards.

Editor note that you already know but the FTC makes me include here: I am an official brand advocate for Bel Brands in 2013. While I receive compensation for participation as a brand advocate, opinions are my own.

Things I’m obsessed with lately:

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Meatloafs from PaleOMG. So simple and easy. I do not eat a paleo diet but I can appreciate a good recipe. The only real difference I noticed was that instead of bread crumbs or oatmeal, I used coconut flour. The first time I made them, I used Cholula.

The second time I made them, I used Franks Red Hot and The Laughing Cow Light  Blue Cheese Wedges. The cheese is a must if you are not paleo. I cut the meatloaf muffin in half and smeared the cheese down the middle like butter on a muffin. So good.

I made sweet potato home fries using my favorite recipe of just evoo, salt, pepper and all spice. Seriously, the all spice is a magical ingredient. If you can’t tell, I’m trying to eat gluten free for the most part these days. It’s given me a stomach the past few times I’ve had it. Thanks to the Udi’s Gluten Free Community, the transition has been pretty easy. They have provided me with some great tips and recipes.

My avocado addiction is getting worse. I can put it on toast, in a smoothie, really anywhere. One of my favorite places to put it is with sautéed kale, seeds like pepitas and raisins. Simple and delicious. Avocado is loaded heart healthy fats and fiber. It also makes your skin look good!

Smoothies for breakfast are also my new jam. I’ve always enjoyed them but recently, they have taken over my protein pancake as my new go to morning meal. My friend told me that I had to try Amazing Meal and while at first I was like, this doesn’t taste very good, the nutrition info is crazy packed. It is raw, gluten free, vegan and made with no sugar added. For 90 calories, you get 10 g of protein, 6 g of fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes and lots of leafy green vitamins. It really is superfood. I have found that I actually like the taste when I blend it with 1/2 banana, frozen mango chunks and almond milk. It’s a bit pricey at $2 serving from whole foods, but if you are trying to get more vitamins in your life from real sources, this is a great alternative. It is instantly energizing. I ran out of almond milk this week and have been making it with water and ice and it tastes just fine!

Mantras. I love them and can’t get enough of them lately when it comes to staying motivated to train and eat clean. Check out my top 31 favorite mantras as compiled by me from all of your suggestions! Check to see if yours made the list here.

What are you recently obsessed with?