Cleanse

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During Christmas break I indulged in lots of sweet treats and only hit the gym a few times, so when came home two weeks ago I decided to attempt to go on a cleanse. Surprisingly, tomorrow marks the last day and I have successfully made it through 12 days without any slip ups. I don't have a scale at my house, so this cleanse was not based on weight loss at all. I think that it's important to know your body and without a number be able to determine what feels "healthy". Without any drastic eating restrictions or rigorous exercise routines I was able to create my own cleanse based on what I thought I personally needed to improve on. So, without further adieu here is what the 12 day cleanse entailed. 

+ No desserts/sweets

+ No coffee

+ Only drink water  

+ Limited snacking

+ No red meat

+ Limited bread (only had 1 sandwich in 12 days)

+ Lots of fruits and vegetables 

+ Avoid most processed foods

+ Smoothie, yogurt, or eggs for breakfast 

+ Go to bed by 10:30 Monday-Friday

+ Workout at least 6 days (I went to the gym, ran, and took spinning classes) 

The first couple days of this cleanse were a little bit difficult. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I have such a bad sweet tooth, so I was craving a dessert a lot at first. By the 3rd or 4th day the sugar cravings started to dwindle away and it was fine from there on out. I found that drinking a ton of water (with lemons) made me feel so much better and decreased my snacking. I was able to try out a ton of new smoothie combinations that I love (comment if you would like to see a smoothie post) and play around with different salads. Fruit has always been one of my favorite foods and I had my fair share of grapefruits, clementines, and apples (with peanut butter). This cleanse has definitely given me a new mindset on eating and I think I will continue to abide by some of these rules even when it ends. 

From a more mental look at this cleanse, I feel so much less stressed and can focus much better. I knew that returning from break would be difficult school wise and wanted to make the transition easier. By working out at least every other day I could clear my mind after school and getting to bed by 10:30 put me in a much better position in class the next morning. Because this is not some insane juice cleanse, I think that anyone could do it and I highly recommend it. With exams just around the corner I am going to try and maintain a similar mindset to make the time a bit more pleasant! Have you ever done a cleanse? I would love to hear about what you did and your experience!

P.S. Read this article for a good laugh!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

How to be a Morning Person

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This past year I have found myself slowly becoming more and more of a morning person, and surprisingly I love it. Waking up a little bit earlier gives you some extra time to be productive and makes you feel more awake by the time you need to be at school or work. Although getting out of bed when it's still dark out is not completely appealing, there are lots of benefits to becoming a morning person. Here are a few things that I have been doing to get up a little bit earlier. 

get to bed earlier// Freshman and sophomore year I stayed up way to late during the week doing homework and studying. I finally have my afternoon routine down to a science and have not gone to bed after 11 on a school night all year. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule will help you be more awake in the morning.

get up 30 min earlier// I used to get up at 7:00 every morning to be at school by 8:00 and this year I wake up at 6:30 Monday-Friday. I have found that I like to get to school on the earlier side as I can go to the library and finish up homework or fit in a little extra studying. Also, by the time 8:00 rolls around and class starts I have been up for an hour and a half and am significantly more awake. 

don't hit snooze// I think that I am in the minority here, but I get out of bed the second my alarm goes off and think that it really helps you get ready for the day. If you are constantly hitting snooze, try to eliminate one per day or week until you can finally get up the first time! 

lay out an outfit the night before// I have been doing this for most of my life and it is seriously a game changer in the morning. Waking up can be so much more relaxing and getting ready will not take nearly as long. 

morning workouts// Sign up for an early mooring workout class, or find the motivation to go on an early mooring run once a week. Starting your day with a workout will wake you up and give you the rest of the day to be productive! 

don't sleep too much on the weekends// I try to wake up no later than 9 on the weekends. If you are waking up super late on the weekends your sleeping schedule will get all messed up and waking up on monday will not be easy.

eat breakfast// I am a sting believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and have zero idea how people skip it entirely. You do not need to whip up some gourmet meal every morning but just having some fruit and yogurt or a bagel will give you some energy to kick start the day! 

drink coffee or tea// If you really are not a morning person and can't wake up, give yourself a little caffeine to kickstart the day. 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Winter Workout Wear

 

top | vest | leggings | sneakers (on sale) | headband 

I don't know about you but over the past few weeks I have indulged in my fair share of sweets. Now that we are back to reality, I am ready to get back into a workout routine and start eating better. I do not do a winter sport at school, so I try to workout at least three times a week. So far this winter has been pretty moderate and I am still able to run outside. During the cooler months I typically run in leggings, a long sleeve top, and a vest or a jacket if it's really chilly. I purchased these Asics back in August for cross country season and they are seriously amazing. They have great support and lot's of different color combinations available.

I am so lucky to live by the water, so I try to run near it whenever I can. Finding the motivation to run, or just workout during the winter can be difficult. Making a plan with your friends is a great way to get out there and push yourself. Also, I love making playlists on Spotify. I find that if I have a bunch of great songs to listen to while running it makes it go by faster! Here's to getting in great shape in 2016!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea