Now that I’m running (literally) head on into my new and improved healthy lifestyle, I thought it would be fun to show you guys what I carry in my gym bag. Hint: lots.
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Fortunately, I have an amazing boyfriend who is so incredibly supportive–so we’re writing together for the very first time! Just A Bit of Becca, and a little bit of Spencer! We’re opening up our super smelly gym bags and sharing all of our favourite gym products with all of you!
For part 1 of this 2 part mini series, let’s dive into my gym bag!
Messy, stuffed full and smells like lavender and patchouli.
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I carry a Victoria’s Secret Pink Gym Bag that was $32.95 regular price and I picked it up on sale for $17! It’s the perfect size for everything that I carry and has thin, breathable fabric so that nothing ends up musty and stinky (can’t say the same for Spencer’s bag). I never leave dirty clothes or shoes in my bag, as you’ll see, and this really helps with odour control. I also bathe in VS body spray, but like, necessary…
1. Cellucor Super HD Weight Management Pills
First thing I have in my gym bag are the Cellucor Super HD Weight Management Pills. I have been advised to take one in the morning, 30 minutes before my breakfast and one in the evening, 30 minutes before my dinner. While I found in the beginning that the caffeine (or another ingredient) in them really made me sick and weak–I tried taking them right before a meal and find much better results. No wait time, just take a pill and have my meal. I don’t take these everyday and I don’t always take them twice a day! At 125lbs, standing 5′ 5″, I don’t necessarily need to loose weight, just to tone and sculpt.
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Cellucor Super HD Weight Management Pills help to control my appetite, boost my metabolism, give me an increase in energy and help promote fat loss.
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I completely recommend these pills if you’re looking to amp up your current dieting and workout regime. Don’t take these expecting results without working for them! Yes, they’ll help you drop your water weight.. But nothing compares to a well-balanced, healthy diet and hard work. These aren’t magic pills! The harder you work, the better they work!
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I also take their powder in the flavour Strawberry Lemonade as a pre-work out! I find that creatine makes me absolutely loopy, itchy and stomach sick so I opted for a weight loss powder that had added energy in it–just for a little boost. I was recommended Cellucor Super HD powder after having bought their pills, so I float from one to the other. Although I do prefer the powder, the pills are definitely a convenience.
2. Cosmobody Jump Rope
Next, I have my CosmoBody jump rope that I received in my “Welcome Box” with Fab Fit Fun! At first I was kind of bummed out. I just got this *supposedly* wicked subscription box and got a jump rope??? Snooze fest.
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I jumped online to see if there are any jump rope workout routines that I would actually be interested in doing and if you check out Fab Fit Fun’s website, they have actually posted some amazing little work-out routines to test out your new rope!
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Now, I absolutely love skipping as part of my cardio routine, to mix it up a little. There’s only so much running I can do before I’m dead bored. 10 minutes of skipping is said to burn 150 calories SO if you’re looking for some fun, new cardio you should totally pick up a jump rope and try it out!
3. Iphone Arm Sport Band
I also have my sport arm band for my Iphone5S tucked away in my gym bag! This is mostly used when I run outdoors, but, I like to keep it in my gym bag in case I’m doing any sort of high intensity cardio off of the machines at the gym!
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I got this arm band from Aliexpress for $3 and it works perfectly for me! It has a place to hold your house key, an adjustable arm strap and is so comfortable to wear. I chose it in black, but they have a wide range of colours including pink, blue, red, yellow and purple!
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As I mentioned, it’s very comfortable but mind you, if you’re sweating and you’ve got tight fabric wrapped around your arm, sweat will accumulate there! So, even though it works perfectly for me–the warm, chafing upper arm isn’t the most agreeable feeling. But, that’s the only con and it’s something I’m able to put up with in exchange for a hands free work-out (I also don’t really sweat too much). Ipod Shuffles are another great alternative for a hands free work-outs! They simply clip onto your clothing and are the size of a toonie! More of a higher priced alternative, but still an alternative nevertheless!
With the arm band there’s no bulk, no fuss and it’s reasonably priced!
4. Monster Diamond Tears Headphones
These are my babies!
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I saw these Monster Diamond Tears Headphones when I was at the gym and couldn’t help but notice another girl wearing them. I became obsessed and went home to Google what they looked like to see if I could something similar. “Diamond headphones” did the trick! I bought these off of Amazon for around $300 about 2 1/2 years ago!
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The quality of these headphones is absolutely incredible, being able to block out noise with the music turned off as well. They have a “tangle-proof” cord that, in nearly 3 years, I have yet to untangle once! It’s a flat cord–very thick and sturdy.
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The headphones themselves are also extremely well-made! After 2 1/2 years of abuse with no case, being thrown in a gym bag/ carry-on/ beach bag, they have absolutely no scratches!! That’s pretty impressive considering I’m notorious for ruining anything expensive, hence why I’m thrifty and dollar savvy.
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Amazon.ca is the place to go if you’re interested in these headphones! They seem to be about $70 less than other online stores that carry Monster.
They’re also available in Gold and Black/Purple aside from the ones I purchased, but my heart was stuck on the true Diamond colouring! By far these are the best headphones I’ve ever owned. Sturdy, gorgeous and they sound amazing! My favourite gym accessory.
5. Contigo Water Bottle
Boring, but it’s in there! This is just a Contigo water bottle that was gifted to me in my Christmas present from Spencer’s mom! I had been mentioning that I needed a new gym bottle and I’m very happy with this gym bag addition!
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I believe it’s 32oz., don’t quote me on that, and has a screw top! It’s rubber outer casing can be a bit of an annoyance with how much grit and gunk that sticks to it from my gym bag (that should be obviously cleaned), but it’s nothing that a little wash off can’t fix.
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I love its size and it keeps my water nice and cold! I do have a couple bottles with spouts that I recently purchased from Contigo as well, but I really do prefer this bottle. You can find it on Contigo’s website or at your local Target.
6. Deodorant
Deodorant. Nothing fancy.
This one is from Secret and it smells like Vanilla, but not obnoxiously.
It was $3? Maybe, if that. Again, nothing fancy.
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Hilariously enough, I have under active sweat glands in my armpits, so I actually don’t sweat. It’s something I’ve gone to the doctor about and they said that it’s nothing serious, I just tend to overheat extremely easily and have to focus on rehydration when performing strenuous activity. I don’t even have armpit hair… So weird, right?
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On a day to day basis, I do not wear deodorant! When Spencer and I started dating, he noticed that immediately as we were getting ready for the day together and thought I was crazy!! Such an odd thing but I really can’t complain… No sweat and no armpit hair? What’s a little passing out from overheating and extreme rehydration, am I right? You can’t win ’em all.
All jokes aside–I don’t buy any expensive or fancy deodorants because I don’t really need it. The odd time that I would be pouring sweat and get a little stinky, this does the trick!
7. Neoprene Sweat Band
Next is my neoprene sweat band that I purchased off of Aliexpress. As I mentioned above, I don’t really sweat and that’s been a huge problem when trying to loose weight! I spoke to a friend of mine who suggested getting a cheap neoprene band that will help me to target sweat production around the place that I want to shrink the most–my mid section!
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This has been a game changer! Although it was $8 and isn’t the best quality, I find that my mid section is slimming down faster than it was, as well as having a lot more sweat accumulate in this section! Other parts of my body have regular sweat production (maybe slightly decreased), but I still like to have that extra something-something to help slim my tummy! So far, so good! This is machine washable and is in the size small. For reference, my waist is 27.5″ and my hips are 38.5″ around. Size 5 pants. My hips don’t lie.
8. LUSH’s Breath Of Fresh Air Toner
If you take only one thing from this entire post (let’s hope it’s more than one), you need to purchase Breath Of Fresh Air if you are an avid gym-goer.
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Let’s set the scene… It’s 8 o’clock, bright and early, and you’re starting your cardio routine. You’re sweating, you’re loving it (sarcasm, no one likes morning cardio). You’ve just finished up and head to the changing room… You take a glance at your phone and OH MY GOD it’s 10:30 and you have to be at work by 11!! Unwashed face and all, you’re now heading into work with what will soon be a full face of pimples. Thank-you perspiration.
Just me?
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I always carry baby wipes and body wipes for the quick fix, but, I was noticing my face was breaking out quite often after the gym–even when I come home immediately and shower. So I decided to try a spray on toner to pair with my make-up wipes to see if that would make any difference and it did! Thank goodness!
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I’m stuck between Breath Of Fresh Air and Tea Tree Water being my favourite toners. Breathe Of Fresh Air contains:
♡ Organic Aloe Vera Gel
♡ Sea Water
♡ Carrageenan (seaweed) Extract
♡ Rose Absolute
♡ Patchouli Oil
♡ Rosemary Oil
♡ Seaweed Oil
It’s very calming and soothes my face. It’s great for adding those missing vitamins and minerals back into your face while providing a ton of added moisture. I love this toner for everyday use as well! It just works so well to kill bacteria that’s built up at the gym that I tend to throw it in my gym bag! It smells amazing, too.
This little dude is $10.95 for 100ml and $22.95 for 250ml–so worth it.
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On the other hand we have the OG Tea Tree Water–tried and true. I can’t live without this toner, SO why isn’t it in my gym bag?
For my skin personally, I find an overload on tea tree oil or tea tree based products can really irritate my skin. My current skin routine has tea tree spray and tea tree oil along with a pore banishing cream (all from The Body Shop), so therefore, I use the toner only when I’m having a really bad skin day!
It is the most badass toner you’ll find though. All natural, organic, vegan yadda yadda and it works so incredibly to kill oil and moisturize your skin! If I were you, I would buy the Tea Tree Toner if you’re not already including tea tree into your everyday skincare routine or if you’re a heavy sweater! This will kill bacteria and reduce oil without removing the natural oils from your skin.
9. Purple Haven’s Lavender Yoga Mat Cleaner
Something I would have never thought to buy– yoga mat cleaner!
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Made by the lovely people of Purple Haven, this spray has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help kill bacteria and leave your mat smelling amazing! This can be used on sweaty sneakers and smelly gym bags too!
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Purple Haven is located about an hour and a half from Toronto in Canfield. It’s the most gorgeous lavender farm that you will ever see, although I’ve only enjoyed its beauty from pictures! This lovely company makes a ton of incredible products using the lavender that they farm including bath bombs, bath soaks, body butters, sugar scrubs, pet products, carpet spray, shower steamers and more!
If you love lavender as much as I do, check out their online store @ www.purplehaven.ca or if you’re in the Toronto area, stop into their farm! They have special dates that the farm is open to the public–something you must do!
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Have you ever seen fields upon fields of lavender? Have you ever smelled it? Me neither!! Don’t pass up the opportunity and let me know how it smells. Living vicariously through my YYZ family!!!
10. SNACKS!
I always carry food with me wherever I go–especially when I’m going to the gym. I’m into the schedule of AM cardio, breakfast, lunch, PM weight training, dinner and a PM snack in regards to working out and eating–but sometimes I can’t make it between the gym and home and NEED something to hold me over!
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There were times at the gym that I would literally leave mid work-out because my stomach was aching so incredibly from emptiness… Never again.
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I carry whatever I have in the house–always healthy, always quick.
Right now I’ve got a couple Quaker Yogurt bars and a few Clif bars floating around in there! It’s not uncommon to see an apple in there poking around or any type of unsalted nuts. Just something that I can grab on the go!
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For anyone with sensitivity to pre work-out and creatine (I know it can’t be just me), try taking your supplement, eating something small and really hydrating while at the gym. Not just regular hydration but really focusing on keeping your body full of water. Difficult with cardio, I know… But, try. It has changed the game for me! No more AM nausea in regards to emptiness + pre work-out + cardio!
11. Kate Somerville Cleanser
Living, breathing and dying for this cleanser!
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I always carry a gentle cleanser with me for the purposes of a quick wash after morning cardio! I don’t sweat often but when I do, I find that it’s controlled around my face, neck and buttocks region. With that being said–breakouts occur.
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I love Kate Somerville products and this gentle cleanser is perfect for a quick, on the go scrub to soothe my skin and prevent breakouts! Sometimes a shower has to wait but washing my face can’t! These, along with a make-up wipe, will save your face.
So between my “I have 10 minutes to be at work” wash with make-up wipes and a toner and “I have time to shower”, sits my quick cleanse with Kate Somerville. It’s tough being a girl *dramatic hand to forehead*
12. Saje Eater’s Digest
Saje. Where all of your naturopath dreams come true!
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I was a skeptic. Believe me, I was a huge skeptic. You’re telling me that a bunch of oils mixed together will help with stress, sleeplessness and indigestion? Bull poop. Buncha hocus, pocus if you ask me…
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But there came a time after multiple different medications failing that I became so desperate to find something for my stomach ulcers (that’s another story on its own), that I said “WHY NOT?”, what’s the worst that could happen, right?
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I purchased this along with their Sleep Well and Stress Release and was completely floored. First of all, they smell great! Exactly like you think essential oil blends would smell–earthy, little bit of citrus and very calming. If you don’t like a scent that sticks, then this isn’t for you. For them to work, smelling them is key.
Secondly, they work. They work really well. For someone who has battled with a ton of medical issues her entire life, to find something that worked with absolutely no side effects was beyond relieving. Saje has changed my life! I have repurchased about 3 bottles since discovering this crazy essential oil phenomenon and will continue purchasing and testing everything out for as long as I need too.
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If you or a loved one is suffering from any stomach issues–check out Eater’s Digest! They also have incredible remedies for snoring, pain relief, headaches, skin conditions, asthma, allergies, cold and flu, hormonal health, weight loss and even aphrodisiacs… hmm..*wink wink nudge nudge*.
Truth is, they’ve got something for everyone along with nebulizers and diffuser sets! Hassle free with all the same benefits! (It’s on my Christmas list)
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You can check them out online @ www.saje.ca or at your local store! If you’re in St. John’s, check them out at the Avalon Mall– they have the most incredible customer service!! Very knowledgable and eager to teach you everything they know!
Stay tuned for a Saje haul and review! I’ve got my Top 10 must-haves!
13. Tory Burch Absolu Perfume
I always carry some perfume on me, preferably a small bottle, for that little pick me up after a long, hot work-out.
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Lately, I’ve been wearing the Tory Burch Absolu that I received as a points perk from Sephora a while back! I kept it tucked away in my “sample size” drawer and when cleaning it out, I found this! Tried it, loved it, buying the full size!
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I’m weird in that I love very sweet smelling perfumes, think Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy or Marc Jacob’s Daisy Sorbet–nothing musky, nothing “clean”–but I really like this for some reason. It has notes of fresh tuberose, pink pepper, pure rose, vetiver and sandalwood (says Sephora’s website), which are notes that I would never enjoy in a perfume, but somehow, this works on me.
It definitely smells different on my skin than in the bottle, which is understandable since that is the way with most perfumes–they oxidize and react to your bodies hormones etc. So maybe it just smells sweeter on me than it was intending? Either way, I adore this scent. The cute little bottle is also perfect for my gym bag.
14. Crazy Rumors Black Cherry Soda Lip Balm
Lastly, I carry a chapstick! Cardio, huffing and puffing, dry lips–you know?
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This little guy was picked up from All Cosmetics Wholesale, but can be found on their main website www.crazyrumors.com.
They have the most incredible scented lip balms, in the most adorable packaging! I mean, common, packaging is everything, right?? Some scents include Black Cherry, Cinnamon Bun, Amaretto, Sweet Thai Tea and Apple Spice, which smells like Christmas!!
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They retail for $3.49 each and shipping is only $2.95!
Super moisturizing, all-natural, vegan, certified organic and slightly sweetened with a touch of natural stevia, these lip balms are truly unique!
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That concludes Part 1 of 2 in my What’s In My Gym Bag little mini series, all of my work is done! Next, Spencer will be guest writing to show you what he has been loving in his fitness regime! He’s a lot more strict and focused than I am–that, I am envious of.
Stay tuned to see what the love of my life carries!
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Today I am thankful for GETTING INTO THE GLOBAL MAKE-UP ARTISTRY PROGRAM AT BLANCHE MACDONALD *happy dancing*, hot yoga and belly dancing!
Today is a good day, guys– and it’s only getting better!
Love, love, love you all and thank-you for reading, even with my horrible Shakira reference! Such a long read, but, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! You put up with so much! Sending my love and positive vibes your way!
XO
BECCA
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Let’s be friends!
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