fitspo friday: apps to help you stay on track
Happy Fitspo Friday!!!
This week has been very tiring with lots of hours put in at the gym and at work!! I hope it was a productive week for all of you as well!
Today I wanted to share with you guys some key apps I use on my phone to help me stay on track with my fitness goals. Most of these are free and are available on the app store if you have an iPhone (not sure how other phones work, but give it a try!) I'll provide links to the apps in the App Store so you can check them out!
1.) Coach Me
The first app that helps me stay on track is called Coach Me. This is my go-to goal setting app because it lets you join groups based off of your goals and then has a setting that reminds you to achieve that goal however often you would like. I have each of my goals set to remind me everyday at a certain time, usually at a time when I may not be feeling like achieving that goal. For example, one of my goals is to go to the gym. I have this goal set to 5 days/week and it reminds me M-F at 10:00am because I know that's right before I decide to go to the gym! This app is extremely motivating and holds you accountable for your actions. Everyday you "check in" for a goal, and the app keeps track of how many times you've checked in, any streaks you have, and even gives you virtual high-fives for reaching certain milestones! And if that's not enough to convince you, within each goal page is a mini-accountability group filled with a bunch of other people whoa re trying to work towards the same goal as you! There's community space to ask questions, answer questions, and connect with others. Overall this app is GREAT and really helps me stay on track with my healthy eating (No Sugar Streak of 55 days now!!) and my fitness. (You can set ANY goal with this app, it does not only have to pertain to fitness!)
2.) My Macros + (or My Fitness Pal)
My Macros + is basically a more complex version of My Fitness Pal. My Macros tracks macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbs) while also tracking daily calories and other nutritional information; however, the focus is on meeting goals for the three macronutrients. This app works well for me because it gives me a structured approach to nutrition. My main goals are to gain lean muscle, so ensuring that I'm fueling my body properly for muscle growth and recovery is very important. Tracking macros is a very specific way to achieve this goal through nutrition, and the My Macros + app makes it super easy! You can search for your foods, create recipes, scan barcodes if you can't find a specific food item, and connect with other friends using the app! It also allows you to track your body weight and provides detailed nutritional breakdowns and analyses of your daily consumption. My Fitness Pal achieves the same goal with many of the same features, but it focuses more on daily caloric intake rather than the 3 macro nutrients. Therefore, if you're just looking for something to keep your daily calories in mind and consciously make healthier choices, My Fitness Pal is probably for you!
3.) Emile
So this one may sound a bit strange, but it's actually pretty remarkable! Emile is a bot that holds you accountable for your fitness, diet, and sleep goals on a daily and weekly basis. It's still in its beta testing phase, but I've signed up with Emile and she works very well! Basically, you sign up for Emile with your phone number (see the link) and she will text you and ask you to set up your goals (how many times do you want to exercise per week, are there any foods you want to eat less of, how much sleep do you want to get each night, etc.) and also how many times per week you would like to achieve these goals. Emile is similar to the Coach Me app, except for the fact that it's like having a real person cheer you on and motivate you. Emile periodically sends you text messages throughout the week asking for progress updates, and even if you fall short, she's there to give you tough love and motivate you for the next week. She even sends cool GIFS and has an incredible sense of humor! I highly recommend Emile if you are someone who needs a person consistently checking in on you and holding you accountable in order to reach your goals.
So these are the 3 tools I use to help keep myself on track in my fitness journey!! I use these in addition to my bracelet motivation (which you can read more about here) and they really all work together to keep me super motivated!! Here's a pic of me in the gym earlier this week! I was super tired and had just woken up (still have bed head lol!), but I still made it to the gym anyway! Hopefully this post will provide you guys with some inspiration and facilitate achieving your goals!! :)
