health & fitness | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

7 tips for getting ready at the gym {feat. Dove Dry Spray}.

24 November, 2015 by Gracie 1 Comment

I’ll be honest - showering and getting ready at the gym (or more often, in a SoulCycle locker room) is kinda sorta when I can turn into a bit of a diva. I’ve just gotten so used to my creature comforts of getting ready at home that I just dread having to do it elsewhere.

But obviously life happens, and if I want to squeeze a workout into a busy day sometimes getting ready at the gym and going right to my next destination is the best bet. So here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to make getting ready at the gym quicker and easier.

1) Dry shampoo. No surprise there! Depending on how sweaty I got during a workout (sexy, I know) I sometimes can skip washing my hair, and a generous sprinkle/spray of dry shampoo can do the trick.

2) Use a wet (as cold as possible) towel on your face & neck. One of the things I hate most about getting ready directly after working out is that I don’t have as much time as I’d like to let my body cool down. Ideally I like to ice my face to help me cool down (and relieve any puffiness), but a cold towel can help do the trick too.

3) Travel-size everything. You can get just about anything in travel size now - a hair dryer, curling iron, straightener, toiletries, etc. If you’re regularly getting ready at the gym, the less you have to carry around throughout the day can make the process less of a pain.

4) Roll your clothes instead of folding them. This tip is a game changer when it comes to packing in general as it helps avoid wrinkling. It Also saves space in your gym bag.

5) Use a backpack. I know I know, backpacks aren’t exactly the most glamorous accessory. But if you’re going to be walking a lot with your gym/work stuff, it’s much more manageable than carrying everything in a shoulder bag. If you have a car and don’t need to carry much stuff - disregard this (and I envy you ;)).

6) master the top knot. Sometimes despite your best efforts, hair can be the biggest struggle when it comes to getting ready at the gym. So in the event that you either don’t have time to blow it out, or you just can’t get the frizz under control, a great top knot can be a life saver. Paired with a pair of earrings and a bold lip - you can save yourself time and effort.

top knot

7) Dove Dry Spray. I’m pretty picky when it comes to the right deodorant. I want something that does the job, smells great, but also doesn’t leave any weird residue. Right now I’m loving Dove Dry Spray, which was introduced to me by Simply Stylist. It provides all the care of Dove in a dry spray format - a way to experience real skin care benefits from a deodorant.

Dove Dry Spray doesn’t leave behind visible residue and protects from perspiration for 48 hours. It goes on instantly dry for a cleaner feel - the perfect option for when you’re on the go (AKA definitely when getting ready at the gym). Go to Dove.com to learn more!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dove. All opinions herein are my own. Please note that I was compensated for this post. You can refer to my product review policy here. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

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Do you often get ready at the gym? What are your best tips for doing so?

fitness: all about FitReserve.

5 August, 2015 by Gracie Leave a Comment

Over the past year I’ve become quite the fan of fitness classes, and they’ve really changed how I feel about exercise. I used to think that I hated exercise, but the truth is that I really just hated going to the gym. Ever since I started taking classes, though, I love to exercise in a way I never realized I could. Not to mention that there are just so many amazing fitness studios here in New York!

So when FitReserve recently reached out to me and offered to let me try their multi-studio fitness membership, I was all about it.

FitReserve NYC

So What is FitReserve?

FitReserve is the ultimate fitness membership that allows you to mix and match classes from a curated selection of the top studios in NYC, at over 50% off retail. FitReserve provides access to full studio schedules and peak class times, plus access to exclusive insider studio and partner perks, events and more.

I had used a similar monthly fitness class membership in the past, so I was familiar with the concept. What really sets FitReserve apart, though, is that ability to access peak class times. FitReserve also has 3 monthly plan options, ranging from 5 class per month to 20 classes per month.

FitReserve NYC

Another awesome perk of FitReserve - for every referral you can receive $100 off your next billing cycle + your friend will receive $50 off his or her first month. Umm, yes please.

FitReserve is partnered with 165 studios with over 12,000 classes across NYC, including Yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, boot camp, barre, cardio dance, HIIT, TRX, indoor cycling, boxing, rowing and more.

I’ve been having so much fun trying out the different classes, including ones that I would probably never brand out and try if it weren’t for the multi-studio option. For example, a few weeks ago I took my very first boxing class at Work Train Fight. It was a great workout that really challenged me. I’ve needed some more strength training in my workout routine, so it was a great way to get that while still being fast-paced and fun.

Gracie Gordon | Work Train Fight NYC

Some other great classes I’d recommend via FitReserve:

Peloton
Core Fusion Barre
Row House
UFC Gym
I.Am.You Yoga

I can’t wait to try more classes - will be sure to share them when I do!

Please note I was compensated by getting a free trial to use FitReserve.

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What’s your favorite type of fitness class? Is FitReserve something you’d be interested in if it was in your city?

{LOTS of} good eats lately.

19 July, 2015 by Gracie 3 Comments

I kinda sorta hate when people say “food porn,” but…get ready for a serious dose of it. I’ve been eating real good over the past week or so. Oh, how I love NYC and it’s food/restaurant culture…

First up, rewind to last Sunday where I had an amazing feast at one of my favorite NYC restaurants, ABC Kitchen. Everything there is amazing (highly recommended if you’re ever in New York), but their Salted Caramel Popcorn Sundae is what dreams are made of.

Usually when I make food at home it’s something quick like toast or eggs, but the other day I got a little fancy with my breakfast and made this big Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Pancake. To make it I combined:

1/3 cup oats
1 mashed banana
cocoa powder
cinnamon

Then topped it with peanut butter, more banana, and a drizzle of honey. AKA dessert for breakfast.

Clearly I’ve had quite the sweet tooth lately, so I might as well confess to this Coconut Creme Donut I snagged before some morning meetings from Doughnut Plant. This thing was rich - I could barely get through eating half of it (but so worth it).

I balanced out the carb intake with some rice-less sushi 😉 Did you know you can get cucumber-wrapped sushi at a lot of places? Just ask for “Naruto.” It’s a delicious + healthier option…my lifesaver when I did the Whole30.

Fast forward to Thursday, where we snacked on some oysters + crab legs for Happy Hour at The Standard Grille.

On Friday night we went to what is definitely one of my favorite new restaurants - Upland. We went to town with a ton of amazing dishes, but my favorite was definitely the Estrella.

If you ever find yourself there, I’d also highly recommend the Whole Crispy Mushroom, Five Lettuce Caesar (pictured below), Burrata, and Crispy Duck Wings.

five lettuce ‘caesar’ from Upland NYC

And last but not least is yesterday’s taco party. I rarely make it to the Upper East Side, but we were there yesterday after a visit to the Met and stumbled upon Cascabel Taqueria. Rachel and I split the steak, battered fish, and carnitas tacos. They were all uh-maze-ing.

See…I told you it was major food porn 😛 I must admit that there were a lot of healthier options in between those meals, which is why I’m such a fan of following flexible dieting. I love being able to indulge…and indulge often…without a hint of guilt!

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What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?

the best exercise you can do.

27 June, 2015 by Gracie 16 Comments

So this was going to be an Instagram rant, but I decided to save it for a full out blog post. Lucky you 😛

The other day I posted this pic on SnapChat, and at first it was just a typical Snap with a typical caption….

(That was most certainly taken before my sweaty-mess workout, ha)

But, then I started thinking - why did I feel the need to include the caveat “shameless?”

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the reason was because cardio isn’t exactly an IT form of exercise right now. In fact, lately it’s become some sort of joke like, oh - you still do cardio bro? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that when I tell them I love SoulCycle.

Listen - I get it. I know that more research is showing long bouts of cardio aren’t as necessary for health/weight loss/etc. as once thought. I know that weight training is better for X, Y, and Z reasons. And yes, I still make it a point to implement strength training into my exercise routine.

But…why all the hate? The funny thing is I see most of the judginess happening within the “FitFam.” And it’s not just against cardio. I’ve seen people bash every form of exercise under the sun. Strange, isn’t it, to be negative about something that relates to people trying to better themselves…

Bottom line - the best workout you can do it the one you’ll KEEP doing. And that most likely means that it’s one you’ll genuinely love and enjoy doing.

So if that’s running, run.
If it’s lifting heavy things, lift heavy things.
If it’s Yoga, do Yoga.
If it’s Crossfit, cross that fit.
…and so on.

I’m saying this coming from a place of genuinely loving exercise for the first time in over 10 years, and that makes me SO happy and excited. I’ve learned that I’m the type of person that connects to the mental/emotional benefits of exercise way more than the health/physical benefits, and that’s okay too. Who knows what different forms of exercise that will lead me to love throughout my life, but for now if that is cardio, I’m perfectly okay with that.

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What are your thoughts on this? What form of exercise do you connect with most, and why?

eats lately.

18 June, 2015 by Gracie 8 Comments

Hey hey! First of all - I need to say thank you again for the response to my There’s Only Plan A post. Your comments have been great and so insightful. I’ve loved reading each and every one of them.

Now to totally switch subjects - let’s talk about food, shall we?

eats

Sunday night was a huge feast at The Clocktower - we had a few apps, entrees, and dessert. Pictured above is the Steak Tartare and Lamb entree // Banana Shake from Juice Press // half of a mini watermelon // fruit bowl // veggie & quinoa bowl from Roast Kitchen // veggie sushi

I haven’t talked much lately about my Flexible Dieting (AKA Just Eating) experience, but not much has changed. I still bounce back and forth between tracking my food. Right now I am not, whereas a few weeks ago I was tracking everything to the T. I know I should probably stay consistent, but sometimes just living and just eating is more important, you know?

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m noticing that my meals during the week tend to be way more plant-based. I don’t know why that is - lately I just genuinely crave vegetarian food, which is weird because I’m typically quite the carnivore. Maybe my body is rebelling against me trying to cut down on carbs…? Whatever, I’m just going with it. That’s the beauty of just eating, right?

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What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?

bikini acceptance.

10 June, 2015 by Gracie 52 Comments

I’ve got to be honest - I never thought I’d be one of those body acceptance blah blah blah people.

Haha. I think that came out wrong.

I guess what I mean is that I don’t find anything wrong with wanting to lose weight and even aim to be *gasp* skinny (yes, I said the S word). Those things seem to have become taboo in the blog world, and I think that’s unfortunate. Especially when the irony is that so many behind the “body acceptance” movement are actually the most restrictive.

WHOA. I digress. Writing a blog post at midnight will do that to ya. Where was I going with this again?

I remember. So, the other day when I was putting together my part 2 Vegas recap, I decidedly left out a few photos. And what did they all have in common?

I was in my bikini.

As someone who considers herself to be pretty damn confident, I was kind of bothered by this. Why did I care enough to purposefully leave out those photos?

After thinking it through, I came to a pretty solid conclusion. It’s not that I feel like I’m “fat” or unworthy. I don’t even think it’s necessarily an insecurity.

When it comes down to it, I think it’s an issue of pride. That my body isn’t what it used to be. It isn’t what I feel like it should be for how much I exercise. It’s that if I just waited a few more weeks, I’d have a better bikini body to show for.

And you know what? I had no idea that I felt that way until I wrote that post. Good ol’ GML, once again helping me dig up any issues left behind, ha.

So here I am, drinking the body acceptance Kool Aid, I suppose. But I’m totally down with that, because I’m in favor of FREEDOM in all shapes and forms. So these are a few revelations I’ve had over the past few days…

Why can’t my body look like it used to? Because it doesn’t. Because bodies change. Because I’m not 17 anymore - I’m a grown woman, and proud of it.

Why don’t I have washboard abs and a thigh gap? Because that’s not how I’m built. At least not right now.

Don’t get me wrong - I love fitness and aiming to be healthy. And do I still want to lose some weight? Yes, and that’s okay. But, as I focus on the changes I make in my body, I never want to forget that the real importance lies in the changes that happen in my heart. My soul. My character.

Yes, I want to feel confident in my own skin and proud of the work I’ve put into my fitness. But even more so, I want to be confident in the condition of my heart. In the destination of my soul. In the character I’ve built through overcoming hardship, surrendering my life to God, and becoming a woman that stands for more than just a “perfect” figure.