5 Favourite Fitness Apps & Teryaki Chicken
Apps and technology make fitness so much more easier for me because it allows me to have a support network and a way to actually track my progress so I can physically see how far I have come and what I'm capable of. For me, at the start of my weight loss, it really helped me in terms of support because I was too scared to publish a lot of stuff on my Tumblr or discuss it with my friends so, whether you're a beginner or an expert, apps are useful for anybody.
1. My Fitness Pal
Originally I started using myfitnesspal just on my desktop and then discovered the app which made everything easier. It allows you to manually set your personal goals and enter in your daily food intake. You can do this by simply searching for the food by name or scanning the barcode using the camera on your phone. The database is absolutely huge so anybody would be hard pressed to find a food that it isn't have. MFP allows you to enter in meals which you can save and enter into your diary at a later date which is a great time saver. MFP is wonderful for tracking progress too; you can enter your weight and measurements which are then collated into a graph which you can set the scale for depending on how long you want to see your results across. The one side of the app I don't use is the exercise tracking aspect because I don't find the burns to be accurate so I used my own Polar FT4 watch to track my calorie burns. MFP is like the Facebook of the fitness app world as you can add friends, uploaded statuses, add photographs and contribute to online discussions. It is 100% free to sign up but I do have one word of caution. The math used by MFP to obtain daily intake goals appears to be skewed dependent on what information a user inputs. It has told me, and numerous others, to have a daily calorie intake of 1200 which is obviously far too low. To get round this, I used the IIFYM calculator at www.iifym.com and manually input the result from that calculator into MFP.
2. Nike+ Running
This is definitely my favourite run tracking app to choose from the multitude that you can find on any app store. Nike's design is sleek and easy to navigate with excellent mid-run prompts to let you know what distance you have covered and your times. If you have a new enough version of most phones or ipods, you can just put your running shoes on and go because the app is free. It can either use cellular data to track you to output a map of your route or simply create a diagnostic output of your run to indicate speed and distance. The big bonus to this app is the rewards and the ability to challenge your previous times or distances, which are all synced together for comparison, with the ability to add your friends too. The badges and trophies helped me challenge myself on a personal level because I really dislike running with others. Although it feels super weird the first time you finish a run and an athlete like Serena Williams is unexpectedly speaking into your headphones!
3. NTC
Continuing the Nike theme, Nike Training Club is perfect for anyone who doesn't want to fork out for a PT and who isn't confident enough to design their own workout routines. The NTC app is yet another well designed piece from Nike which can be personalised to meet your own needs i.e. building general strength, losing body fat etc. The workouts are laid out step by step with the app prompting you of when you need to change move or rest etc. The workouts vary in lengths and intensity from basic stretching and yoga across to high intensity circuit workouts. I think the best part about the NTC is that you can shift around the design of the workouts to incorporate less strenuous moves if you're just starting out or have a repetitive injury. Typically of Nike, the app can be used to create long term workout regimes that include a running schedule and the completed runs sync from the Nike+ Running app straight to NTC. The accountability you could create between these two apps would be a push for anyone struggling with maintaining their schedule.
4. Coach to 5K Apps
Yet another app for which there are a ton to choose from! The basis for these apps is to train an individual from a beginner runner up to being able to run 5k much more easily. The apps work by prompting the runner via their headphones as to when to run and when to talk with the aim of reducing the amount of time walked gradually over time so that you can eventually run at a steady pace for a 5k. I was dubious at first because I am genuinely a very bad runner but the time splits used are generally quite easy to get through because you're aware that you can take a break soon. I used my coaching app at the same time as my Nike+ running app by turning it on and running it in the background but make sure to keep the coaching app as the main open one. The app I used, and the majority of others I assume, use prompts through the headphone to indicate when to start/stop and what distance that you have covered. I would suggest anyone that is struggling with running to try this even just for a couple of runs because I saw a difference after only 3 uses. There are free versions of these apps and also those which are paid for so it is worth having a look through the reviews and picking whichever sounds best to you!
5. Fitbit
I am a sucker for fitness gadgets and especially Fitbits. I had the Fitbit Ultra a few years back and recently purchased the Fitbit flex so I could track my daily activity again. There are much cheaper options out there but the Fitbit has always stuck out to me in terms of compatibility, comfort and tracking capabilities. I think that the Ultra and Flex are the best two models if you don't want to spend too much money. The Ultra tracks everything that the Charge tracks but it costs about £50 more to be able to wear it on your wrist. The Flex doesn't track stairs like the Charge does but, once again, it is £30 cheaper. I sync my Fitbit daily to my phone and you can also add friends on the app/website to complete daily or weekly challenges in terms of your activity. If you don't have the money to spend on something like this then there are numerous pedometer apps for phones or you can purchase a cheap pedometer which works just as well. I have been asked quite a number of times if I would suggest using a Fitbit to track workouts but I am more inclined to say that you're better off spending your money on an accurate heart rate monitor (like a Garmin or Polar) instead of the Fitbit Charge HR which doesn't give out the most accurate readings because it lacks a chest strap.
So those were my 5 top personal favourite fitness apps. There are a few more that I use but I find those to be the ones that I depend on the most. I hope it guides people towards something that they may find useful for their fitness!
It is pretty much common knowledge that you just cannot keep me away from Wagamamas but since my boyfriend and I have moved into our own house it is important that we don't just go and blow £50 on a dinner (no matter how incredible it is). To feed my addiction, I started making restaurant food at home on my own budget and it seems to have been a big hit. On Sunday I made us Teryaki Chicken Donburi which is what I eat every single time I set foot inside Wagamamas. I got a couple of requests for the recipe (super simple) so I thought it best to chuck it on here!
Ingredients
Brown microwaveable rice
Spring onion (1 per person)
Carrots (1 per person)
Sesame seeds (1 Tablespoon per person)
Lambs lettuce or water cress (Handful per person)
Chicken Breast (400g)
Teryaki Sauce (2 Tablespoons)
This is one of the most simple recipes and a case of just throwing everything together. I fry the chicken breast without oil and season with some salt & pepper until its browned on the outside and fully cooked through. You could also grill it if you prefer and that is actually what they do at Wagamas but I am all about speedy cooking.
Add in two tablespoons of the teryakyi sauce and stir through the chicken. Keep on the heat until it thickens and has coated all of the meat. Microwave the rice (yes I am too lazy to cook rice) and split is between the two bowls. Shred the carrot using a peeler to create ribbons. Slice the spring onion in whatever size chunks or strips you like.
Wash and tear up the lambs lettuce water cress into more manageable pieces and make sure to get the soil off the roots thoroughly before drying it. Put the rice in the bottom of the bowl, layer on the carrots, add the leaves and then the spring onions. Chuck on the chicken and then sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Eat until you're fit to burst!
Enjoy!
Remember that any questions can be sent to my email address simplyshrinking@gmail.com
xoxo
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