Tag: lululemon

Gym Favs.

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Newtritionsavvy Gym Favorites

 

I don’t know about you guys but I am OBSESSED with this new Athleisure movement. I know working out has always been a thing but it seems like now more than ever it’s all about that style you posses in the gym. As my body has changed quite a bit over the last few years I have come to discover items that I probably would never have worn before (crops etc). I used to swear by Lululemon only (which I still do on some products) but I will say that I have branched out in other areas. The items above are just a few of my favorite things when it comes to the gym! As you have probably noticed I love black and grey clothes – I think thats just the neutral tone lover inside of me but it always works no matter how I am feeling! 🙂
1. Nike – These products never get old. I swear by Nike only for a training shoe. The key is finding one that works for you. I have these Zooms and I LOVE them for my time in the gym. Along with their shoes I love Nike athletic wear as well. I think it’s important not just to wear brands but know what the company stands for. I support their mission 100% and apply that into my training mentality every single time I workout.
2. Lululemon BRA – Ok let me just say there is NOTHING in the world better than a Lululemon sports bra. I have a pretty large cup size and I have my whole life. There was a time in which I would wear a regular bra as well as a sports bra (I know, this is kind of mortifying now that I am thinking about it) until I discovered the Ta Ta Tamer sports bra. The durability is not comparable to any other kind. I have had all of mine for about 5 years and they are still in brand new condition. I am not exaggerating either!!! They have since come out with the Enlite Sports Bra which does have a hefty price tag, but from personal experience I can vouch it is more than worth it.
3. Swell – These water bottles are great. The are insulated for both cold or hot water and their main mission is to rid the planet of water bottles. How many of us are guilty of consuming too many water bottles? This company is sustainable as well as an all women owned company!
4. Notebook – I like to have a journal of some sort to keep track of my workouts. It helps me in the future if I don’t have time to make it to the gym or to remember when it is exactly that I worked out.
5. Lucy Studio Hatha Legging  – These for me are by far the best pant I have come across in my lifetime. I was never a fan of Lucy before #1 because I was too busy spending all my money at LuLu but also because the athletic line seemed like it was for the older woman. A couple years ago I was at Stanford Shopping Center and made my way in just to browse. I tried on my first pair of Studio Hatha Leggings and from then it was history. I have really long skinny legs (not complaining) but most of the time pants don’t fit my waste and ankles proportionately. They are either too tight on the hips or too loose on my ankles. This for me is the PERFECT fit pant. I wear them both to workout and to lounge.
These are just a few of my favorite items. Do you have any “swear by” items that I need to know about!?
xo Sarah
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Lululemon Find.

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Happy Friday! I stopped by Lululemon yesterday and was desperately in need of a new sports bra. Unless you have a problem area you won’t understand my excitement in finding this new gem. I usually am a fan of the tata-tamer bra but have lost some inches in the last year everywhere, it doesn’t quite fit the same way that it used too. The size I had was too big and the size down was just a bit too small. I branched out and found this one (pictured above). It’s tight enough and is a simply pull over bra. I recommend for those in need of a new sports bra!

Rock On Organic!

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This is my favorite event of the week. I have many favorites but cooking probably tops them all. I was at the Campbell Farmers Market this weekend and it was D-E-A-D! A little strange considering the weather was sunny and beautiful and usually that attracts people to get out and do something. Never the less- I would like to encourage you to buy your produce from the local farmers market. Often times the later you go the better prices you can score because they want to get rid of their products. Sometimes it will be $1 per lb. (Major Score). There are also many CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) you can join. Find one here.

Buying local refers to where the good was grown and produced. Back in the day when our grandparents were growing up- local farms was the only option. As we build global awareness of the problems factory farms pose to our generation, we’re seeing a return of sustainable, local farmers who believe in the way business used to get done. They also tend to practice more sustainable methods, such as protecting our air, water, and soil quality; and recycling and composting their waste. Small farms have been shown to invest more money back into their local communities.

There are many farmes markets throughout the week. Not only will you reep the benefits of great food, it might inspire you to try something in season that you don’t usually cook with. What’s better than knowing EXACTLY where your food comes from.

Organic goods are like music to nature’s ears. They are biodegradable, and come straight from the ground without shipping harmful polutants off into our atmosphere and water supply. Rock on, organic. Rock on!

What I love about Me: Sarah Sotelo

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{Tell us something you love about yourself}

I love that I have found my passion at an early age. I made a lifestyle change about 5 years ago and it has forever made me a better person. Little did I know that simply changing the way that I ate and lived life would make me feel better, lose weight, maintain a better attitude and allow myself to be an example for others. I love making a difference in other people’s lives as well as knowing that each person that enters mine is also teaching me some sort of greater lesson. I love that I can see beyond the platform in front of me and look toward the greater good. A happy and healthy lifestyle is a choice, and I am glad I have made the right one.

{What is your favorite physical feature?}

My favorite physical features are my eyes and smile. I think you can tell so much just by looking in someone’s eyes whether it’s truth, love, compassion, or even disappointment. Nothing spells out happiness better than the light in someone’s eyes and the joy in one’s smile.

{What is something you used to dislike about yourself that you have now come to appreciate?}

I used to hate my body. I never did anything to make it better- I worked out only sometimes, ate like crap, drank too much and didn’t really care. I never understood how I didn’t look like the girls in the magazines (which I don’t want to now) and why I was never satisfied.  After a huge transition from college to the “real world” I have noticed a dramatic difference in my body. Like I said before, I made a lifestyle change that has only made me realize we are in full control of the way that we look and view ourselves. I became vegetarian, stopped blaming other people for the way I looked, started making exercise a priority and started forgiving things that have happened in my life and were not going to change the way I viewed my future unless I did. It is an incredible feeling to know that you are in charge of your behavior, and how you react to situations. In 9 years, I have transformed by body to now be completely comfortable who I am – without having to compare myself to others! I am comfortable. I am secure. I am nobody else but Me.

{What is your proudest accomplishment?}

My proudest accomplishment is finishing my Nutrition Education Program. I loved being surrounded by educated people who get it- and won’t settle for anything other than healthy living. I am grateful that this has put me in the direction of my future career. I am also grateful that I work hard and can travel and see other parts of the world.

{Tell us about your style. What type of outfit do you feel the most like yourself in?}

I could live in Lululemon and my Nike Free shoes ALL day every day! (I pretty much do.) What’s wrong with that!? In real life I love to dress comfortable as well as classy. You won’t find me in heels too often because I am 5’8 and feel like I am tall enough! Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be sexy- throw some heels on with a cute dress here and there, but on an average day, it’s flats, skinny’s, cute shirt with some jewels to finish off the outfit. I love getting ready, and feel that you should always try to look your best when you are in public! (This doesn’t count working out!! )

{List your top three favorite things to do?}

My favorite things to do in life are educate people on living a stronger, happier and motivated life without falling into the day to day norm of others, working out in the gym as well as any outdoor activity and I absolutely love to shop. Nordstrom and Whole foods are by far my favorite stores. I think I go to WF 5 days a week! I have a hard time laying low and doing nothing…If you know me, you know that I am always on the go.

{What makes you the happiest?}

My health, family, friends and puppy make me the happiest. My ideal day includes a great workout, Starbucks coffee or Whole Foods smoothie, a little blog searching and cooking of some kind. I love traveling and learning about new favorite places. So far, NYC  and Paris are my two favorites! I am trying to get better at relaxing and being able to stay still, but this is definitely a work in progress.

{How do you find your motivation to work out?}

My motivation to workout comes from the way that I feel after I do it, and knowing that I am in total control of the way that I look. Seeing the change in my body in the last couple of months has shown me that I am capable of doing things outside the box, such as knowing that I am strong enough and can finish. I am not competitive, but FNS has allowed me to do things I had no clue I could even do (Such as a pull up, tire exercises, and pushups!) Knowing that the workout never gets easier and we just get better motivates me to continue my journey to great physical health. When you are surrounded by positive, like minded people It only drives you to want to be better. I love working out with friends and being held accountable. SO thankful to have stumbled upon this gem.

{How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle between work, school, family and social life?}

To be honest, sometimes it can be hard to balance work, school, family, social life etc. I find that my social life has taken a turn in a different direction. Of course I still like to go out for a drink with friends, but I would much rather save the date for a morning hike and coffee, or farmers market or even an outdoor activity. I guess I can relate this to priorities. When I go out and drink, I hate the way I feel the next day and most weekends it’s just not worth it. I would rather be productive and challenge my body and enjoy the day than be stuck feeling like crap. This allows me to encourage people to want the same, and save the date with me for a healthy meal or hike. After all, you are the company you keep. Family and friends have never been hard to maintain. I enjoy spending time with both, and am a firm believer that we make time for the things that are important to us! We are all busy, but if we want it we will attain it.

{What is your main goal you are reaching towards in the next 6 months, and year?}

I am currently taking classes to complete my Registered Dietician Degree. This is my main priority above all. I started my blog in April with hopes that people can learn what I am about and know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not about being too extreme but rather having balance and enjoying life. Most importantly,  I will show people that living this way is by no means a “have to” but purely a WANT! In the next 6 months I am going to give a small talk/ lecture to family and friends about the importance of taking control of your health. At this point, with our healthcare system and easy accessibility to prescription drugs and profit- I think people need to take responsibility for what they put in their body and how they feel as a result. I will be running my first half marathon in about a month and will continue with FNS. My theme for the year is “Bite the Bullet.” I sometimes think too much before I do something, so I am vowing to myself to just do it.

Thank you for taking the time to read these stories from people who encourage and inspire me on a daily basis. It is much harder to write about yourself than you think. While answering these questions I had to take a second and think of the things that I really value in my life and translate into words what is important to me! I hope this helps you better understand who I am, and what my mission is in life.  I encourage you to write these questions down and answer them yourself. We are all an inspiration to someone in our lives, so use it to the best of your ability.

-Sarah

What I love about Me: Brian Nunez.

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{Tell us something you love about yourself.}

I love my compassion for others and my relentless pursuit on making a difference in
people’s lives. Little did I know at the age of 5 I was on to something that lead me to
where I am today. I vividly remember sitting my mom down in my room and telling
her that I wanted her to write down an idea I had. I wanted to start a “Helping Club”.
Not the type most would assume, I wasn’t interested with helping kids with homework
or sports, I honestly had a vision of me being someone grown ups called when they
needed help with something, they were sad, needed to be cheered up and could
make them laugh (that was the extent of helping as a 5 year old in my head). God
bless my mother for entertaining the idea and telling me it was great. It just took 20
years later for it to come to fruition.

{What is your favorite physical feature?}

I really like my smile and my teeth. I like the fact that I have never had braces and
there are some imperfections with two of my bottom front teeth. They are a little
crossed, not anything major but enough to make me have to put in more effort when I
floss them. I think that is one of the first things I notice with people is there smile and
their teeth. You don’t have to have perfect teeth to have a beautiful smile.

{What is something you used to dislike about yourself that you have now come to appreciate?}

One of the things I used to not like about myself was that I was always too worried
about trying something new. I was afraid of looking stupid because I wasn’t
good at it. After many years of playing it safe and doing what I was always good at
it, in 2011 this inspired me to theme my year, “The year of the Challenge”. I made
a promise that I would challenge myself to do all things I wasn’t good at
and go all in. This ranged from business, fitness, and personal life. I was a college Football
player and 100m sprinter who would run the Boston Marathon and Big Sur Marathon
two weeks apart and then signed up for an Ironman. I would start my own company which
is now FNS Training Center. I would do seminars and public speaking to fitness
professionals from around the country and share my ideas and philosophies. Having
been fed up with playing it safe on so many levels,  I appreciate that this has inspired
me to become who I am today. I had reached my threshold safety and knew that
wasn’t going to get me anywhere. What I appreciate most is that, this wasn’t and
isn’t always easy for me and I now can relate to so many people who are in that
same zone. Those who are so close to jumping but afraid of what they think is looking
stupid. I can connect and relate and that is what I appreciate.

{What is your proudest accomplishment?}

Creating a company, Fitness Never Sleeps, and taking the risk to create something
so different in the industry. From playing it safe to going all in, this has been a vision
and goal of mine for the last 5 years. There are many things that I am proud of from
living abroad, playing college football, doing an ironman and winning competitions,
but creating a philosophy and then a brick and mortar version of making that come to
life is something that takes the cake. What makes it that much greater are the people that I get to coach and the coaches I am surrounded by. I was very particular what type of coach and leaders I wanted to surround myself with and I am equally proud that I have the best group of coaches I have ever worked with.

{Tell us about your style. What type of outfit do you feel the most like yourself in?}

Many might think it is hard to dress down from wearing lululemon to work everyday
but my favorite thing to wear is just board shorts and sandals. When I have to go out
outside of work and wear what I call “normal people clothes” jeans are like wearing a
suit to me and usually with some Chuck Taylor’s and a t-shirt. I am waiting for the day
Under Armour makes a tuxedo then my wardrobe will be complete.

{List your top three favorite things to do?}
1. Working out (FNS, hikes, and going on runs).
2.Coaching both physically and mentally.
3. Traveling around the world or to new cities.

{What makes you the happiest?}

There are many many things that make me happy, but what makes me happiest
where I feel in my total state of bliss would have to be waking up early Sunday
morning taking my dog, Buddy, out for a walk and coming back to have a cup
of coffee and breakfast with my wife watching a movie. With a great crazy work
schedule between the both of us, I cherish the moments where I can sit next to my
wife with my dog on my lap and relax.

{How do you find your motivation to workout?}

My motivation comes from a few different forms of inspiration everyday. First, is that
I am self motivated to never settle or be mediocre. That doesn’t mean I can lift the
most weight, run the fastest, or jump the highest. I pride myself on being consistent.
Getting in some type of workout everyday, whether it be 20 minutes or 2 hours. I
constantly remind myself, “this is what you do”, “You can’t slack off and coach without
leading by example”, it’s the accountability of what I do that helps me stay motivated.
Each year I set a new theme for myself, and every year when it comes to my fitness
goals I want to be in better shape than I was the previous year. Continuing to set
the bar high for myself and do things that are a challenge for me as well. Lastly,
inspiration from my fellow athletes at FNS when I am working in the trenches with
them seeing the unbelievable amount of work ethic they have in every class. From
Julie Grosso being told she would never walk again to watching her box jump and
Monica Ishak with a long history of back problems to overcoming them setting PR’s
in class. That inspires me and constantly reminds me that there are no excuses, no
complaining, others have had far worse days and have overcome them.

{How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle between work, family, and social life?}

Balance, like most people is I what I am striving for the most. What this really comes
down to for me is priorities. There are three main priorities in my life right now. First my family, second is my work and working with others and third is me time. I couldn’t do much of what I do on a daily basis without the support and encouragement of my wife Parisa.  We make sure that that we spend quality time together. Finding a work/life balance is part of that, which includes not getting on the computer when I get home from work and putting my phone away so that I can give my attention to our marriage and life outside of our careers. This is always a work in progress and with her help she reminds me of our pact. With a baby on the way and having a company in its infancy stage it will be like raising two kids. Much like I have done with my business, surrounding myself with supportive, hard working, and a caring staff is important to me.  I found that over the years the more I stay true to what I want and need and stand for that the more I can authentically give to others. For me, Compromising giving to myself comprises giving to others. It’s  important to me that I find alone time which allows me to clear my head and focus on what I need to continue to be successful.

{What are your main goals you are reaching towards in the next month, 6 months and year ?}

In the next 6 months I want be holding a beautiful healthy baby girl as I am
explaining to her what we are doing at FNS expanding the facility to double our size. I
want her to be raised by a village and have the love of everyone around her as we do
everyday. Raising a baby will not just be a 6 month goal but for the rest of my life, but I
want to be able to balance all these things while still continuing to grow FNS. For FNS
the main goal we are shooting for is to grow our culture and share our message with
the world, but it starts with our immediate community first. We set our GOal Big for 400
athletes by the end of our first year. We are currently at 280 athletes and plan to reach
400 by years end with the help of our athletes now. Since completing the Ironman this
year, most of my focus and attention will be on growing this community. I will continue
to do races and be involved with community races, but I will get ready for my next big
event next year hopefully in our expanded facility.

What I love about Me: Megan Wirth

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{Tell us something you love about yourself.}

My attitude to win. Ever since I was a young chap on the softball field, it has been drilled into me that winning is the most desirable end point anyone could ever work towards. Although “winning” looks different for me now than it did when I was whipping the softball around the field years ago, my desire to work hard, to achieve the biggest and scariest things, and to play with the seemingly insurmountable odds is something that I absolutely love about myself. Although success in every situation isn’t always achieved in the way I visualize it, I do know that I bring everything I’ve got up to the plate for that burning desire to win is fueling me at the core.

{What is your favorite physical feature?}

I really love my nose, and my nose ring (although not biologically natural). Those two things, remind me of one of my earliest memories of hard work and accomplishment. When I was fourteen, I begged my parents to get my nose pierced, and after a indomitable effort by my parents, we struck a deal: if I was able to pitch a perfect game against the next team we played against, I would be able to get my adorned piercing. Well, I learned at a very early age that we should all be so very careful what we put out in the universe because the next game, I came collecting after a perfect game against Oak Grove’s Varsity softball team (as a sophomore).

{What is something you used to dislike about yourself that you have now come to appreciate?}

Many would think that my sixty extra pounds I used to carry would be the “something” I would dislike about myself, however, my weight never affected me when I was growing up and it wasn’t until I allowed others words, approval, and actions affect me that I began to loathe the way I looked. Over the years, I have been in this dynamic struggle with approval: both with myself and others. From letting people in too soon, or not letting anyone really in at all, I have never been consistent with my own self in the sense of my own voice, feelings, and personally when in different relationships. Some can divert it back to self esteem issues due to my weight, but the confidence I have lacked in the past in my relationships is something that I used to literally hate about myself. From being taken advantage of to not putting even a morsel of myself into different relationships and becoming completely detached from the people around me, I have realized that my lack of a backbone has played a huge role in my own self-image. However, by recognizing that weakness and really learning through the trials and tribulations, I can now look back on the silent, closed off, and vulnerable person I once was and realize that the emptiness of a true self-esteem and self-image has aided me to grow into a woman who prides herself on her ability to take a stand for her word, her wants, her needs, and goes at it with both feet in the water in any given situation.

{What is your proudest accomplishment?}

Winning the 2005 CCS Championship at Archbishop Mitty. That season, we were a team filled of “nobody’s”, underclassman, and a brand new coach. However, unbenounced to everyone else, we did it seamlessly and with only one loss the entire season. Personally, I was a sophomore who pitched nearly every game that season and my record was fifteen wins and no losses as a pitcher with a batting average above three hundred for the entire season. After striking the last batter out that game and realizing what had just happened, everything went silent, and for that one moment, I was basking in a moment of glory, shock, and euphoria. For that split second (which was broken by my catcher running to me and picking me up in joy): nothing mattered. I realized what hard work, motivation, perseverance, and dedication to something bigger than yourself looks like because that moment (that entire season) embodied every single aspect of those attributes. That was the moment I was able to put actions to the word accountability, could put a promise to the word commitment, and started a relationship with my personal best.

{Tell us about your style. What type of outfit do you feel the most like yourself in?}

Although the majority of the time you’ll see my in my lululemon attire (wunder under crops, power y tank in some kind of vibrant color), Rainbow sandals, and a messy bun, my ultimate favorite look is as follows: colorful shorts, loose and flowy top accented by a colorful bando or bra, wedges, and a thick, beady necklace with my hair down and curly. This is my favorite (and often seen) outfit if I am not rocking the everyday workout look wink.

{List your top three favorite things to do?}
1. Workout (whether this is running, FNS, walking, yoga)
2. Vision boarding and goal coaching
3. Crossing a finish line at a race

{What makes you the happiest?}

I am happiest when visualizing my future. Yes, time is of the essence and the present (for lack of a better cliche) is a gift, but I love seeing and knowing where I am going. With the amount that I vision board, revisit my goals, and check in with myself, I get butterflies knowing that everything the universe is giving me right now are all stepping stones, hurdles, and circles of fire to get me to wherever I am meant to be. I get wrapped up thinking about my babies running around my home with my handsome husband walking through the door after his long day at work. I get exhausted thinking about the amount of meetings I have in hopes to make a difference with my life’s work. I find myself at peace knowing that everything is happening for a reason and I am the luckiest girl alive.

{How do you find your motivation to workout?}

My motivation is not gripped by the version of myself that was once sixty pounds heavier, but liberated from the chains of excuses I had for eighteen years of never really having a grasp of my health. On July 6, 2006, I was given a choice of leading the life I was, or taking on a new lifestyle that would make such drastic but positive changes. On July 6, 2006, tapped into that relationship with my personal best, with the power of commitment, and realized I was worth my best health and no one was going to get me there, but myself. So, my motivation lies vested in that promise to myself six years ago: to never go back and that I was and still AM worth it.

{How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle between work, school, family, social life etc.?}

Piggy-backing off of the last question regarding my motivation to workout, I find myself maintaining this lifestyle because, I want to. Anybody has the power of choice and if you want ANYTHING badly enough, you WILL get it and you WILL achieve it. Has this been easy? No. Have there been more instances of struggle and hard work than smooth sailing? Absolutely. However, this lifestyle, as crazy as it comes across, has given me a life I didn’t have for eighteen years. That’s enough to keep me on the path of no return, and for me, makes everything justifiable because at the end of the day, all we have is ourselves and without our health, what’s left?

{What is your main goal you are reaching towards in the next 6 months?}

In six months I want to be teaching yoga to children in local elementary schools. On August 20th, I start a whole new chapter of my life with the non profit Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, where I will be going into local elementary schools and bringing health and fitness into little girl’s lives, that may otherwise never have that kind of opportunity. This is the power of one’s lifework. I want to be held accountable that with every day I make myself better, I am bettering the lives of those around me (whether less fortunate or not). We are a part of a society where the power of plenty surmount anything, and who would I be if I held onto all of my vigor for life and never attempted to share it with those around me. So for the next sixth months, I am going to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity I have with bringing health and fitness in children, continue to undergo yoga teacher training, make the necessary connections, but most of all, live each day creating and following through with my lifework.

Obsessed with all things lululemon.

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{Breathe, Read, Think & DO}

{Best Sports Bra EVERRRR}

{Love the Length on this}

{Skinny and Long, Perfect for my Sticks!}

{My Next Purchase}

I am obsessed with all things lululemon! I remember the first time I went into the store and found a workout shirt that was long enough, pants that fit these skinny sticks (width and length) and the BEST, I mean BEST sports bra I have ever come across! I am all about spending money where it’s necessary, and when you workout every day you need clothes that are going to last! Not only are they worth it, they are cute and you feel good while wearing them! I realize for some it can be expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I freak out when I leave there with more than 4 things but I know in the end I am getting my use out of every item and my money is definitely getting it’s worth. If buying cute clothes is the start to working out, do it.  Once you start to move and feel good about yourself, nothing is better!! Trust me.

It’s Friday….Have a great day and weekend everyone!

Be encouraged. Stay on your hustle. You can’t fail until you quit.