Muscle Recovery & a Product Review

Lately I've been trying very hard to listen to my body, particularly in the areas of exercise and muscle recovery. It's really easy to get caught up in your goal of exercising 6X a week and forget to give your body some rest. I still haven't learned exactly what my body needs as far as recovery yet, but I am getting much closer to figuring it out. So far I've learned that I better plan on at least two easy days after a Jillian Michaels workout, and one for weight lifting. If I'm to sore to walk down my stairs I take that as a resting day. It's all about listening to your body. Once I've started doing this I've noticed a huge improvement in my workouts. I feel like I get much more out of them and they are much more enjoyable.

Many people who go through rapid weight loss have the unfortunate side effect of muscle atrophy. This is why protein is SO important in a weight loss diet. When your body is starved for protein it can start to breakdown your muscles as a last resort. I have been told to try to get in 75 grams of protein each day. It's a difficult task but I know that not only will it prevent atrophy, but it will help promote the rebuilding of muscles after exercise and strength training. The only way I come close to getting my recommended amount of protein in is by supplementing with protein shakes. I have been using UNJURY medical quality protein powders.

 They have a few flavors to choose from which include chocolate splendor, strawberry sorbet, vanilla, and unflavored. I have tried all the flavors and by far my favorite is chocolate splendor. When mixed with 8oz of milk it really tastes just like chocolate milk! It really doesn't have that proteiny taste and blends very well in my blenderball shaker. I try to get in at least one of these shakes a day, especially if I've had a good workout. The unflavored is actually pretty unflavored. I've added it to things like pudding, mashed potatoes, and milk for my cereal. You can tell it's there, but barely. The strawberry and vanilla are ok, but I love my chocolate. :-)

Here are some nutrition facts: One scoop + 8oz skim milk (IGA brand)

Calories: 190

Carbs: 17

Fat: 0

Protein: 29

Sodium: 185

Sugar: 15

Also here is the breakdown. You could cut down a lot of the sugar and calories by replacing the milk with something like unsweetened almond or soymilk. 

In other news, I'm seriously considering getting a Fitbit. I'm leaning toward the Fibit Flex but i'm not so sure. Does anybody have experience with one? Do you love it? Also are there any other fitness trackers that I should consider? 

Happy Monday!