Fitbit Flex - Review

I thought I'd do a review of my Fitbit Flex; I've had a fair few people ask me "is it worth the money?" and "what benefits do you get from it?" - all will be answered to the best I can. If I miss something out, just comment and I'll answer!!

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What is a Fitbit?
A Fitbit is an activity tracker that tracks predominantly your steps and distance you have travelled. It also includes how many calories you have burned and how many minutes you are active for.

There are several different types of Fitbit's varying to prices - which suit different needs.

(To see which one best suits you, go to the Fitbit website here and find out!)

I have a Fitbit Flex, I originally bought mine with a pink band but decided to get a cute floral one on eBay - I'll touch on that later!

What compelled me to buy one?
Peer pressure if I'm honest. A lot of people at my previous job had them, and with all the running around I was doing a lot of people said I should get one. I was amazed when I did, I was walking more then 6 miles a day, and that's without doing any additional exercise. I was hitting 15,000 steps regularly and became slightly obsessed with getting the 20,000 step badge at one point. 

Has it had a benefit?
Definitely; its made me more aware of how much I move and if I'm moving enough. If I'm having a lazy day at home I always try to at least do 4,000 steps a day to try and keep my step count up as much as I can. It definitely helps with my weight loss as well with the app as it tells me how much weight I've lost since a certain date. There is also a food tracking and water intake logs on the app too, its definitely helpful for people who like to keep a good track and record of everything.

One of the key features which helps me, is the sleep tracking; I'm a terrible sleeper, and sometimes I don't realise how restless I really am, which explains why I'm always so tired sometimes! It definitely helps give me a good insight to what I'm doing when I'm not aware.

How does it work?
The Fitbit Flex is a wristband that goes on your non-dominant arm, inside the wristband is a little widget that wirelessly syncs to your phone using Bluetooth. If you tap it then 5 little dots will appear. My step goal is 10,000 so each dot represents 2,000 steps I've done - once you hit 10,000 all 5 dots will show and your widget will vibrate once you've hit the goal! It's really as simple that, you can check your exact progress of steps on the app.

How accurate is the Fitbit? 

I'll be honest, unless you move your arms the exact same amount as you move your legs then your fine. The reason I opted for the flex is because I do tend to wear a lot of dresses so the Zip or the One didn't really appeal to me at the time. I noticed this particularly when I was pushing my brothers wheelchair - I did an hour of wheelchair football (which is a lot of running!!) and my fitbit said I had done 4 steps... I don't really believe that. I have looked at purchasing a clip for when I wear jeans and skirts for my Flex as it may give me a more accurate idea of how many steps I had actually done. However, it is pretty accurate considering it is on your arm, so long as you aren't lifting anything!

Pros & Cons?
Pro's are that it makes you more aware of your daily activity and what you are really doing. You can change the wrist bands to cool designs, which are available from Amazon for relatively cheap prices. Its a handy little device, and I tend to forget I even have it on me. Has a really good charge life, normally lasts me a good 4 days before I need to recharge. I also love the food logging and water intake - particularly as I have a bad habit of not drinking enough water!
Cons for me is the accuracy as mentioned above. It does sort of bug me a little. It isn't as such an issue for me, but I'd also like to have a Fitbit I can wear whilst swimming as the Fitbit flex is recomennded not to get wet - so I feel like I lose some of my active minutes when not wearing this for swimming.

I'd like to upgrade to another Fibit at some point towards the end of this year as I would like to have the flights climbed segment as well as I do tend to use stairs a lot - I'm not overly fussed on the Heart monitor Fitbits though! We'll see!

I hope this was helpful for those debating or contemplating a fitbit!

You can Purchase a Flex or view some of the other Fitbit's Available on the Fitbit Website

Fitbit - Flex £79.99

However, I bought mine from...

Argos - Flex £59.99 

Whey to Go! - Team Sky Protein Smoothie Review

I want to seriously apologise for my lack of posts! I've been without my laptop for a good couple of weeks which has meant I couldn't post (bar my 3 month overview which I did via my brothers iPad).

However, I now have a laptop that doesn't give me second degree burns and the fan which actually works now - happy days! Back to a somewhat normal service... I have also started a new job, which I'll do a post in regards to settling into and how I've coincided with living healthy and transitioning into my new job.

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Anywho, I thought I'd do a review of the Team Sky Protein Smoothie's which I've been having recently in regards to helping with building muscle and muscle recovery post-workout.


So far I've only tried the Pineapple & Coconut and the Raspberry & Blueberry smoothies.
Pineapple & Coconut
I did struggle more with the Pineapple & Coconut to drink it down quickly (having protein in the first half hour post workout helps with the muscles, according to a few friends who are gym junkies); I don't know if its because of the taste, or it could just be me. But it was drinkable and it actually was okay once you sort of got used to the taste... It was nice that I didn't get the chalkiness of the whey protein in the P&C smoothie, that it one of my hugest pet hates. I could taste the whey protein, but it wasn't the only thing I was tasting. (I'm not a huge fan of whey protein, but I have been told by my ex who is a rugby player and my personal trainer that I do need to use whey protein to help with my muscles now). After drinking the smoothie, I did go online and see some of the reviews and some said it tasted like a non-alcoholic Pina Colada - I wouldn't quite go that far, however it did have a hint of pina colada about it.
Raspberry & Blueberry
I then went on and purchased the raspberry and blueberry smoothie as I wanted to have a bit of variety - I managed to knock this one back pretty quickly which I was surprised with! This one was more chalkier then I expected, however the taste was super scrummy! I couldn't taste the whey protein as much, but as said before it felt more chalky in my mouth. I did enjoy this smoothie and would happily drink it regularly! Some people found this smoothie a hit/miss sort of one, some weren't keen on the taste. I found it a tad sweet, which suited me to the ground as the smoothie was my breakfast anyway!

Ingredients (info obtained via Google)
Pineapple & Coconut - 165 kcals

Water, Whey protein* (Milk), pineapple juice* (16%), Apple Juice* (3%), Coconut Water (0.5%), Stabilsers (Pectin, guar gum), Natural Colouring (Safflower concentrate, Lemon Concentrate), Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K), Acidity regulators (Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid), Flavour.

*From concentrate

Raspberry & Blueberry - 142 kcals

Water, Whey Protein* (Milk), Apple Juice* (3%), Raspberry Juice* (3%), Blueberry Juice* (1%), Stabilizers (Pectin, Guar Gum), Natural Colourings (Carrot Concentrate, Hibiscus Concentrate), Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K), Acidity Regulators (Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate), Flavour, 

*From Concentrate

Overall marks out of 10

Pineapple & Coconut - 7/10

Raspberry & Blueberry - 9/10

I'd totally recommend these for people starting out with protein shakes/smoothies like myself. I did try another make and it could of just been a bad bottle but it made me feel a bit quesy. Its always good to remember with these things, it depends on the individual; taste, what workouts your doing etc. Make sure you do plenty of research to see what works for you. 

*This post was not sponsored and the products featured were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own and are not paid for me to say.

M&S Extra High Impact Underwired Sports Bra Review

I thought that I'd do a sports bra review for my most recent splurge that was a complete necessity for me. I went (and finally) bought a proper sports bra. For the past 2 months I had been running without one, and after realising that this was definitely not a phase, and it didn't end after a month I thought it was time to search around.

I felt so absolutely clueless, and the reviews on products didn't help either - I looked at other plus size bloggers who featured sports bra reviews, some said one was great, others said it was rubbish and I became so much more confused - so I forgot all about the blogger reviews; and I'm sort of glad I did, because just because one thing doesn't work for one person, it may work for someone else!

So I tried out good old M&S - I got my first proper bra from M&S, and I've had nearly all my bra fittings and measurements (I get a friend to do my modelling portfolio ones every 4 weeks now) done with M&S. I waltzed into the store where most the ladies who work in the lingerie department seem to recognise me and got remeasured. Bearing in mind since my modelling break which I took back in April I hadn't got my boobs measured in 3 months; taking into consideration I've lost weight and taken up a lot of fitness activities in that time there was bound to be a change. My boobs had gone from a 44C to a 42D/DD.

Photo by M&S

So I browsed the sports bra's; all looked great but none in stock were in my size so I went home and jumped on my laptop and carried on my research - I'd seen a close friend of mine had recently bought the Extra High Impact Underwired Sports Bra in black and she said she couldn't recommend it enough and it was only £25.

So I went to check the reviews and it was really 70/30 - some ladies thought it was amazing, others were left vastly disappointed - I just decided to bite the bullet, and decide for myself. Two days later and this beauty arrived.

I completely refrained from reviewing this right away - as I knew I loved the look of it but really had to completely test it out thoroughly - so I did!!

Before I summarise each little activity I did to test the bra I'm going to show you how it looks on me and the two possible ways you can wear this...

Straps in conventional wear

Above is the most conventional way of wearing the straps - the straps don't dig in on me at all and are super comfortable. I found for me the best way to run with these is to have the straps adjusted fully and as I run the bra straps will adjust to my boobs as I go along. Overall I find this super comfy to wear - I'm not a fully cup bra sort of person but obviously that's bound to change for sports bra's. The material is amazingly soft and comfortable too - as I ran along they didn't rub against my nipples which felt amazing compared to what I was having before I purchased this. 

Straps in the racer back wear
(P.s I know the strap is twisted!)

I'd definitely say that if you feel you aren't getting enough support from wearing the bra conventionally definitely try the racer back. This kept my boobs held down phenomenally and I didn't have too many issues with the bounce factor wearing the straps conventionally. Again, there was no chaffing on my nipples which was definitely an overall highlight for me when purchasing this bra - the comfort is unreal! I did find this incredibly difficult to put on in the racer back style - especially if you don't have someone (like a boyfriend, girlfriend or partner) to help you - my technique was to get the bra on without pulling the straps up, with the back at my front switch the straps round and then wriggle around enough to get it on... It worked but I was definitely super cautious when putting it on just in case!

I also really love the simple detailing on this bra. I chose for the magenta mix but you can also opt for the black bra which has neon green spots on. By the underarms there is a meshing type material to help with sweat and positioning also. The under wire sits below the boobs and cuts off at the side not going right up to the end of the cup. For me personally this works well and means there's no risk of the wire digging in when running or cycling. The bra is also non-padded and has added stretch for comfort.

For the past 2 weeks I've been running, cycling, doing jumping squats, sprinting - anything you can imagine that involves boob bounce. 

Activites Review

• Running/Sprinting - So I mainly use the bra for running, I run several times a week so this was the main purpose of my purchase. For the all of my activities I tend to opt to wear the straps conventionally unless I have a bad back where I'll opt for the extra support of the racer. I had a whole lot of bounce before hand but since wearing this my boobs are pretty much supported and the bounce has completely reduced; I was sceptical at first, I was never expecting miracles to eradicate boob bounce but definitely wanted to reduce it to a bearable amount - before I was wearing 2 very old sports bras and one normal bra and had about 95% bounce it was uncomfortable and really really hurt my boobs and back after running. I'd say I only get about 20% boob bounce now, and that's generally when I'm running exceptionally fast down a hill or sprinting. 
• Cycling - I did a trial cycle with my normal bra and I didn't realise how much boob shift I had when bobbing up and down a bumpy track. Thankfully when wearing this sports bra, the shift in my boobs was near on eradicated, it was comfortable and didn't feel like my boobs were sagging. More importantly for me, the underwire wasn't digging in under my rib cage like a normal bra. I often got marks and sores due to my bra digging in, especially when cycling but thankfully due to the lining and material thickness around the underwire it was comfortable.
• Circuit Training - So I recently also took circuit training up (post will be up soon for some of my quick little circuits). I think the main two activities that tested my bra was doing the sprint mountain climbers and jumping squats. I did get a fair bit of bounce in my boobs, however, once my boobs had reached their highest bounce point the bra did help in supporting them down easier and they didn't 'crash' down and leave me in pain on my under bust. 

OVERALL OUT OF 10

8.5/10 - I'd definitely recommend this bra for anyone who is a beginner at doing high intensity and high impact activities. I'd say if you were a long distance runner then maybe see what else may work for you (hard for me to comment as I only run a maximum of 3.5km). This definitely reduces a vast amount of my boob bounce and is a perfect comfortable fit for me when training. My only small downfalls are the difficulty of the racer back which can't really be improved as that will be an issue with any bra. For my 42D boobs this bra is attractive, comfortable and does the job perfectly for me!

PRODUCT DETAILS

My Size - 42D

Size Range - 34B - 42F (covers sizes B-G Cup sizes)

Machine Washable and Tumble Dry safe

Made from; 83% polyester, 11% elastane & 6% polyamide

Click here for link to website to purchase your's now

*this post was not sponsored by Marks and Spencers and all products bought were purchased with my own money. I was not asked by the company to review this product.