Just Jodi Style

Fitness Tuesday: No Sugar No Dairy = NO PROBLEM! ….NOT!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I am already preparing my stomach for the endless amounts of turkey and stuffing I will be consuming. Recently I have been trying all different kinds of diets / lifestyle changes to see what works best for me. Since I started working out more frequently I have noticed a drastic change in my skin. The tricks that used to work before to clear up a break out aren’t working for me anymore so I have no choice, but to change how I eat.

There have been numerous articles that state by cutting out certain things from your diet will change how your skin looks and also your energy level. The first thing I tried trying to eat gluten free for an entire week. Needless to say I discovered how much gluten I truly eat and can’t see myself giving that up completely. This week I am cutting out dairy and sugar from my diet. Now I know what you are thinking how can you do that so easily? I am here to tell you it is not as easy as it sounds.

There are so many items that I use that I never realized contained dairy and also sugar. There are good sugars that you can eat and should have in your diet, but I am trying to get rid of the processed sugar like candy and sweets. I have already started having headaches from the withdrawal from sugar and dairy that my brother warned me would happen, but I am going to power through it. I personally can’t see myself completely getting rid of dairy and or sugar in my diet as of now, but maybe toning down how much sugar and dairy I eat. Check back with me in a week and see how I feel. Has anyone else tried this and seen great results? Comment on this post!

Until then I am going to dream about the picture above of the amazing oreo cheesecake my brother made the last time I was in Miami <3

 


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Fitness Tuesday – SOULPUP

Happy Fitness Tuesday! Today I want to talk about fitness with your furry friends. If you follow me on social media you know that I am a SoulCycle junkie or if not by my matching shirt with my sweet puppy Stella. I try and go at least 4 times a week if not more, but I am not like Venessa Hudgens who says if she can goes twice a day. That is a little crazy to me! When I got Stella she was only 3.5 lbs of pure fluff and now she is 22 lbs. Some people think she is bigger than that because of all of her fur. All of my old dogs were large golden retrievers so once they were about 6 months they were too big to pick up on my own, but this isn’t the case with Stella. Since starting my workout journey I have tried every type of exercise in the book…except hot yoga out of fear I will pass out in the room. I never realized that by picking Stella up all the time and carrying her I was really building up my muscle strength. So I decided to do something that involved me working out and Stella. I now try and do lunges while I am holding her across my living room floor. She sometimes gets a little squirmy, but eventually she lets me hold her. The other exercise that I love to do with Stella is running. I love running outside with her for many reasons. First because of her size she runs really really fast! You can ask my family in Miami whenever she is there she runs around my house in circles and is so fast. She is so fast that my brother Ira who to this day says he is the fastest in our family can barely keep up with her. Sorry to break it to you Ira, but Stella is the fastest Marcus now. If you are going to take your dog out for a jog please take a collapsable bowl that can be attached to your leash for water. I know too many people that didn’t do that and thankfully none of their dogs got hurt, but they were severely dehydrated. If you have a furry friend like my sweet Stella do these two exercises with them and see what I am talking about. Sadly my SoulCycle t-shirt is no longer available, but a similar shirt to the one Stella is wearing is up on their website. Click here to purchase it for your sweet furry friend. <3


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Fitness Tuesday: Organization

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and are settling back into the work week. Everyone always asks me how I am so diligent with my work out routine with work and also taking care of Stella. The answer is simple…Organization. I know a lot of people use their calendars on their phones and I do too, but it is always a good idea to have a backup. After an incident a few years ago where I lost everything on my phone including my calendar I now swear by also having a paper calendar. In college my friend Jorie introduced me to the Erin Condren LifePlanner and since then I am hooked! Since then her products have increased tremendously including amazing new designs. Unlike other calendars you see in your local Staples or Office Depot the Erin Condren LifePlanners are so sturdy that even after walking home one day in the pouring rain it was still perfect! By visually seeing my week in my LifePlanner I am able to plan out my week of work outs. I also know by now that SoulCycle sign ups are at noon on Monday, but they always show the schedule a week in advance. I also have a back up plan incase for some odd reason I am not able to get into a class or need to change my class around due to a change in my work schedule. After doing this for the past year I now have it down to a science. The only tricky part is when I try to add in a new work out class and figuring out how their sign up system works and when their schedules are released. I am telling you all that organization is key in any fitness journey, but it is all worth it when you see all of your results from some hard work! Head on over to the Erin Condren website to get your own LifePlanner now.

 

Erin Condren LifePlanner Link


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Fitness Tuesday – Resistance Bands

 

It’s Fitness Tuesday here on Just Jodi Style and I am here to share with you my newest work out obsession. We all have seen resistance bands in the gym, but we don’t always know what exactly to do with them. I always though that you could just stand on them and do bicep curls all day. That is not the only thing that you can do with them. Depending on how you are standing and what position you are in there are so many different muscles you can work with your resistance band. The pack that I purchased from Amazon for $22.99 comes with ankle straps and also just straps you can use with your hands. I like this better because the other bands where it essentially looks like a big rubber band I found more difficult to use on my own without the risk of hurting myself. Anytime Fitness posted this image online of some of the many exercises you can do with resistance bands. I have been using mine for about a week now and I can truly tell the difference not only in my arms, but also in my legs as well. This next week while using them I am going to try and use them to work on my back and glute muscles as well. Anyone can do this in the comfort of your own home. The one suggestion I do have is go to a work out class that uses resistance bands so that an instructor can better help you with your form. It’s crazy to think I know, but there is a wrong way to use them. After a few times going to a class that uses them then I think its safe to use at home on your own. Now lets all get some last minute work outs in before the big holiday weekend! Hope you all have a great day.

Click Here for the link to the bands I bought on Amazon

 


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Fitness Tuesday – Summer Body Ready

It’s Fitness Tuesday here on Just Jodi Style and I want to discuss something that everyone knows is coming…SUMMER! With Memorial Day coming up soon everyone is a panic to get their beach bodies ready. I have noticed this personally in all of my work out classes these past two weeks. Normally the 7 am spin class I attend is 75% full, but now there is always a waitlist to get into the class. I want to stress to everyone to not overdue it just to get beach body ready. In reality that body won’t stay long if you are just trying to get an easy fix. For example I have seen a ton of people doing juice cleanses to drop a few lbs fast, but the moment you start back on solid food the weight just comes right back on. Trust me I have done 2 juice cleanses in my lifetime. Yes, I lost a great deal of weight while doing them, but the moment I started back eating normally food all the weight just came right back on. The best way to keep your body great all summer long is to be consistent. Yes this will requiring working out, but you will also need to watch what you are eating and drinking. Something that I learned helps with your metabolism is to start your mourning off with a hot cup of water with a little bit of lemon. This will help jump start your metabolism and also I have noticed that it has helped me when I feel like I may be getting sick. Another thing that helps is portion control. I know that everyone posts about their meal prep for the week, but that gets boring after a while. You want variety and there is no shame in admitting that. I personally look at my schedule for the week every Sunday night to determine my meals for the week before hitting the grocery store Monday morning. I do this because Monday SoulCycle classes open up for the next week and that way I can also plan my meals around my workouts as well. It’s a win win situation you plan your week of fitness ahead of time and what you will eat. Now I don’t plan specifically what day I will be eating certain meals, but I plan out how many meals I will eat at home and enough options for all of those days. I hope this helps all of you with planning your summer bodies. Have a great day <3


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Mother’s Day Week – Fitness Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Normally on Just Jodi Style today would be Fitness Tuesday, but with Mother’s day around the corner I wanted to focus on a Mother’s Day fitness gift idea. Now personally I know that my mom wouldn’t come with me to SoulCycle or any of my work out classes, but she prefers to work out at home. I have previously posted about how she loves to take the stairs everyday in my parents office building as her form of exercise for the week, but not everyone has that luxury to do that. One of my friends recently told me that her Mom saw Khloe Kardashian using an ab roller wheel in one of her workouts and she wanted on herself. Now before I ever tell my Mom about any at home work out I like to test it out myself to see if I enjoy and also to make sure she it isn’t too much for her. This ab roller wheel I got from Amazon and it was only $15!!! First off such a steal at that price and secondly it was very easy to put together. It came in a small box and just a few pieces and I was rolling my way to flatter abs. I have noticed that the ab roller does work better and easier while using it on my carpet vs the hardwood floors. On the hardwood floors I felt like anytime I moved over a crack in the wood I felt like I was going over a speed bump. However, this is also difficult on marble floors because you don’t have as much control with the ab roller wheel as you would on carpet. I have personally bought one for my home in Miami for my Mom, but shh she doesn’t know it yet so nobody tell her please 🙂 . I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday so far and getting all of their last minute Mother’s Day gifts! This ab roller wheel is also available on Amazon Prime so you know it will definitely get there before Sunday!

 

Click Here to Purchase this Ab Roller Wheel yourself!


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Fitness Tuesday- Cleaning in Heels?

Happy Tuesday! I can’t believe it is already April and summer is just around the corner. I have personally noticed that the work out classes I normally attend during the week have suddenly become more crowded the past few weeks. I guess everyone is trying to get into shape right before summer hits, but you don’t have to go to the gym to get a workout in. I read a few years ago that Audrina Patridge (you know her from the MTV reality show The Hills) used to clean her house while wearing high heels. This was really confusing to me because why would she willingly wear heels while cleaning your home? The answer is simple it is a great workout without even trying! Now I don’t suggest you mopping your floors while wearing heels in order not to slip and hurt yourself, but you really can do everything else in heels. I did this the other day while cleaning my apartment and my legs were so sore the next day! It also helped break in my heels that I haven’t worn since last summer. If you have a pair of shoes you are wanting to break in this is the time to do it. I have in the past worn socks in my heels to break them in, but now I think I will wear them while I am cleaning. I personally wore my black patent Steve Madden heels, but if you aren’t sure how you will handle cleaning in heels start out with a great pair of wedges. That may be easier for you in the long run during cleaning and like I previously said it will help break in your shoes more. Has anyone else tried this too? Comment below and let me know if it worked for you and if you would recommend it to your friends. Hope everyone has a great day despite this gloomy gross weather outside in New York City. <3


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Fitness Tuesday – Dehydration

It’s Fitness Tuesday here on Just Jodi Style and I wanted to talk about hydration. Now I know I have spoken about drinking lots of water while working out and post work out with my handy s’well water bottle, but there is more to it than just that. Now I am not a soda or even a gatorade drinker. On an average day I drink more than the necessary amount of water you should have and then some. I found out the hard way last week that you can be dehydrated even when you drink plenty of water. Last week I felt so out of whack and felt like I was having a vertigo spell, but what it really was me being dehydrated. I needed more electrolytes in my system and I honestly was surprised. I take good care of my body I eat 3 meals a day I have snacks in between and I take my daily vitamins and then some so how was I all of the sudden dehydrated? The simple answer is that sometimes everything that you have been doing catches up to you. I have been working out more than I have in my entire life and I need to change up my regiment according. Since last week I have started drinking Core water which honestly when I first heard about it I thought another water that is suppose to be better for you. After trying it myself I can say that it is truly better for you. It is full of electrolytes and doesn’t have all of the sugars that Gatorade has. I also have added more fiber into my diet such as almonds, lentils and even artichoke. These foods have helped me fuel up my body so to speak and I have felt better after all of my workouts since I have added this foods into my diet. If you are one of the many that are gearing up for swimsuit season so you are hitting the gym extra hard please be sure to keep yourself as hydrated as possible. Even when you think you have drank enough water or gatorade or anything drink more. Hope everyone has a great rest of their day!

 

Image taken from google <3


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Fitness Tuesday – Jump Rope

It’s Fitness Tuesday! I am constantly trying to find things to share with you all especially when it comes to fitness. I was watching an recorded episode of Ellen DeGeneres with Khloe Kardashian as a guest and of course she talked about her fitness journey. She is honestly one of my fitness idols currently for obvious reasons, but mostly because she is realistic with her goals. Khloe believes that you need to take things at your own pace and don’t push yourself too hard, but just hard enough. She was promoting her new show on E! called Revenge Body and Ellen as always asked her to play a game. The difference with this game was Khloe had to do different exercises while answering questions. One of the things that stood out to me was how great she was at jumping rope and how great of a work out it was. I remember my Dad telling me that it was something a lot of boxers do before they have a fight. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and honestly I am still unsure. I thought I was coordinated having done gymnastics as a child through my teens and playing basketball, but I learned that I am not as coordinated as I thought. My suggestion to anyone that is just starting to do this themselves is don’t try the fancy tricks you see in the videos. I tried to do the criss cross trick while jumping rope and I tripped and fell in the gym. Not a pretty sight, but now I know that I can’t do that :-). No need to get a fancy jump rope if you are unsure if this will be something you will do frequently. Check out Amazon and find a simple jump rope or if you are like me and are super short then the kids jump ropes in the toy section work perfectly! Hope everyone enjoys the last day of February! Crazy!


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Fitness Tuesday – The Perfect Workout Companion

It’s Fitness Tuesday here on Just Jodi Style and I wanted to share with you something that I can’t work out without. There are the obvious items you should always have when working out. You always need something to drink so you don’t get dehydrated, but we all know that gyms get to us by offering bottled water for a small fee when you enter incase you forgot it. I personally have a dozen S’Well water bottles thanks to their sample sale they had back in November. I don’t go anywhere without one because at every gym they always have a fountain with filtered water and if you are already spending so much money on going to a class the least you could do is bring your own reusable water bottle. They recently did a less expensive collection for Target, but honestly a S’well water bottle after at least a week’s worth of working out pays for itself. The other item that I can’t go to the gym without are my headphones. Even on my way to a workout class I always listen to music to get myself mentally prepared for what I am about to do.  are a given you should always have something to drink when you are working out, but on top of that you should always have your music. When I first moved to New York my brother wouldn’t allow me to wear my solo Beats headphones out in public because at the time they were the item that was stolen the most everywhere. I also wanted headphones that were smaller and that I could talk on the phone with while I was walking once it got cold out. He told me to buy the Bose soundsport inner ear headphones. They come with two different size ear pieces and also a traveling case. I purchased the extended warranty on them from Best Buy and it was worth every single penny. I had a minor issue with them within the first year and they replaced them without a question. Then the next year my dog bit them and because I had a warranty they replaced them yet again! They are honestly the best headphones I have ever owned and recommend them to everyone I know. They now have the wireless Bose headphones which I am eager to try, but I think for now I will stick to the soundsport ones for now. These are also great gifts for Valentine’s day which is just around the corner :-).  I hope everyone is having a great day especially with all of this rain we are having in New York City and staying dry. <3

Click here to purchase your very own S’well water bottle

Click here to purchase your very own headphones from Bose


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