Spring is finally here and I am excited to be back into the swing of things with my fitness routine. Some of you asked what supplements I am taking and what I would recommend so here it is! For most of the beginning of the year my training was put on hold. My husband underwent a very serious surgery (open heart) and for most of February and early March I took off from the gym to care for him and help with his recovery. I also began a new job which I am so happy about, and it gives me the ability to train after work and remain consistent with my workouts. We even have a great gym on site and I pass a Retro Fitness on the way home from work so I have no excuse to skip the gym.

I had posted to my Jersey Girl Talk Facebook page asking my followers if they had any questions regarding supplements and what I am currently taking. Many asked about post workout snacks, protein shakes and just overall what I am using. While I do like to test and try lots of products there are a few that I have continued to buy over and over again because I really love them. My pre-workout for example is one that I never change out because it really is perfect for me. As far as amino acids I do test out many but I’ve been buying the same one over and over lately and am obsessed with drinking it throughout the day, during and after my workouts.

For my pre-workout, as many of you know, I am a fan of Cellucor’s C4 Ripped. I prefer the flavor Cherry Limeade over a few of the others. It is a sweet yet tart taste that reminds me of a Spree candy. It tastes delicious and I do a full scoop with a small amount of water, almost like a shot about 20 minutes before my workout. C4 Ripped is just as good as regular C4, only it does not have creatine. I prefer not having creatine in my pre-workout since it tends to make me retain water if I take it. What I love about this pre-workout is it does NOT make me jittery or dizzy. Some pre-workouts are way too strong for me, but this one gives me energy that I don’t necessarily “feel”. I don’t crash after using it and I never feel dizzy or tingly on it either. I can’t explain how it makes me feel, but it surely gives me a focus during my workouts and helps me feel like I can really push through any plateaus.

For my BCAA’s I am the biggest fan of pineapple flavored powders and lately I have been using the Scivation pineapple flavored BCAA powder. The Scivation Xtend BCAAs taste amazing! It’s my absolute favorite flavor since it is fruity and refreshing but isn’t overly sweet like a fruit punch or a watermelon. I like it so much that I go through an entire bottle every week and have been just auto replenishing it on Amazon. Me and my husband both love it so it goes quite quickly in our house. I do 1 scoop with ice and water in my shaker bottle during my workouts and then add it to my water throughout the day. It is not overly sweet but gives my water a great flavor and also helps me consume more water each day.

For vitamins I continue to take the Alive Women’s gummy multivitamin daily. I take 2 each morning and love that they contain vegetables and fruits as well to give me added nutrients. While having a gummy vitamin is carbs and sugar it is so small an amount I don’t mind. Plus I have a hard time taking pill form multivitamins as they tend to irritate my stomach and give me some pain and discomfort. I can take these on an empty stomach and still never have any issues.

When I have my lunch each day I take a few vitamins and supplements regularly. I take Tonalin CLA which is a natural weight management product that helps to, overtime, reduce overall belly fat and keep you lean. I also take a green tea extract pill which is a great antioxidant and also helps with metabolism just like green tea. I take Hydroplenish with MSM which is great for overall cellular health and is great for your joints, hair, skin and nails.

I take Turmeric which is an herb and is great for anti-inflammation which helps me to keep my skin clear (acne is a form of inflammation) and it also helps me with my lifting to keep me from ever feeling swollen or sore. I also take zinc which is known to help keep your skin clear from break outs and finally, at night time, I take magnesium which helps with sleep and relaxation, but also to keep your stomach happy and healthy (magnesium is great for your overall digestion). I use the powder formula called Calm Zone and it really puts me to ease right before bed. I have suffered from IBS when I get very stressed and the doctor recommended I add this to my routine and it’s been great!

As far as protein bars and protein shakes are concerned I do continue to supplement my protein macros with a few things. For protein bars on the go I continue to buy Power Crunch bars in the flavor Peanut Butter and store them in the fridge for a cold treat at night time. They remind me of vanilla wafer bars and they are delicious. The only thing I don’t like about them is they are pretty low in fiber and for that reason they don’t keep me super full. If I need a bar to hold me over between meal I have gone back to buying Quest Bars in the flavor Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. These have 14 grams of fiber I believe and they keep me full. I also love the big chocolate chunks in them which makes me feel like I’m having a cheat meal. It satisfies my sweet tooth!

For protein shakes I have to say I don’t make them that often anymore. I do however make a night time bowl of cottage cheese with a few berries in it, some cinnamon and then a scoop of protein powder to give it flavor. Cottage cheese at night is great when lifting since it is a casein protein – that means it digests super slow overnight in your belly, feeding your muscles like a protein IV drip. I am currently using Inner Armour Nitro Protein in the flavor chocolate. It is a low carb protein and high in protein grams. I also love adding Mamma Chia chia seed granola which is to die for!

 

If I do make a protein shake I just use one scoop, one table spoon of organic Trader Joe’s no salt creamy peanut butter, some cinnamon, a handful of frozen blueberries, maybe 2-3 froze strawberries and then blend it all in my NutriBullet with ice, water and some unsweetened almond milk. I have the 4lb tub so this is going to last me awhile so I likely won’t have a new protein powder to recommend for a bit.

I paid for all of the items I have mentioned above so I was not given product or payment to talk about any of these. Over the years I have tried so many and some for free but these are the items I have gone back to and bought over and over again. Of course my credit card hates me for ordering so much on Amazon but I am always running out of things and reordering. I have to say that I have surely started to take less supplements than I used to and I feel like right now this is a great mix of products for me. I am feeling great during my workouts, after and my skin is looking really clear, my muscles feel good and not sore and I have great stamina and sleeping very well.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the above and I’d be happy to answer! Make sure to also follow me on Snapchat and Instagram so that you can see the items I am talking about above in action (Username on both is MissADS1981)

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