Exercise
First things first, you need to find something you love. I have friends who are obsessed with walking and have lost tons of weight, I have friends who have become body builders and can climb ropes all the way up to the ceiling, I have friends who are yogi's, I have friends (mostly relatives) that are runners, my husband plays basketball at least once a week and coaches 6th grade girls basketball so he gets a work out in there too. You HAVE to find something you love.
Lately, I've been inspired by yogi's. I follow some amazing people on Instgram (shoutout to #beachyogagirl) and I see their amazing forms, techniques, lifestyles, bodies and poses and I want that! But let me tell you, you don't just walk into doing crazy awesome poses..trust me. And that's the most frustrating thing about it. To look good, to really make a change, to hold a handstand or a scorpion pose, it takes time. Did I mention that I'm the least patient person on the entire earth? Well, I am. I always try to skip to the good stuff and end up falling on my head...literally. HA!
After work today, I'm finally going to join a gym. I tried this once in the past and loved it, but my job back then demanded 12+ hour days from em with commuting downtown Chicago and it was way too draining. What I loved about the gym I used to attend though was the classes. I loved going to class and being shown what to do. I tried a few classes and kick boxing was by far my favorite. Not only did I feel the workout, but I looked so cool doing it! This new gym I'm going to join today also offers classes and I plan to attend each morning at 5:30 am, before I go to work (that way when I get busy in the evenings I won't have to miss class). I'm also opting to only pay for a 3 month membership to start off, especially since we're trying to have a baby, I have no idea where I'll be at physically three months from now. Best to start small I guess!
Also, if you can't afford the gym or don't want to dish out the dough, try using a workout DVD or finding a great free YouTube channel with workout videos!
Eating
I've tried eating this and that, I've tried not eating these or those, I've tried not eating, and I wouldn't be writing this post if I didn't try eating everything I wanted to and still lost weight, so here I am. Remember how I mentioned that I'm lazy? Well something that seems to have been working for me are smoothies. We have a Ninja Blender and it's amazing, my dad has a Vitamix and loves his too, and it's easy to use and clean, if you rinse it right away. I found some smoothie recipes on Pinterest and have found a few that I really like. The best part is it's a lot faster to do the light prep work needed for a smoothie than it is to cook a healthy meal, so this smoothie plan has been working for me so far. (Side note, my husband is so skinny and can eat whatever he wants without gaining weight so I usually make him whatever we have at home if I'm having a smoothie for a meal). You can also follow my Pinterest Boards Yummy and Because I Need To for inspiration and ideas.
Here are some healthy recipes I like -
Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwhiches
5 Minute Prep Meals
Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
14 Slim-Down Smoothies
No-Bake Energy Bites
***Of course eat your fruits and veggies and some light protein and drink plenty of water. Take a vitamin too if you're able to.
Tracking Your Efforts
My last major health-kick was back in August around my birthday. We had just spent our first summer living in Columbus (okay MY first summer, since Andrew grew up here) and I got into tracking my step count along with pretty much everyone in my husband's family. I asked Andrew for a Fitbit for my birthday and asked if part of my present could be getting one for him too so we could compete with each other and encourage me to keep at it. He agreed to get a fitness band too but ended up getting a Jawbone. Both fitness trackers are good investments and sync with apps on your smartphone and or the computer so you can track your progress in real-time. You can even input the exercising you do if the app doesn't record it, such as weight lifting or yoga, you can track your sleep and see how often you wake up and at what times, and you can input the food you're eating. If you have an Iphone, the Fitbit app comes with a bar code scanner that can scan the bar code on the food you eat and automatically calculate how many calories you have left for the day. If you're like me, and have smartphone but refuse to buy into the Iphone craze then you can search popular food brands for the food you eat or use the website to input a recipe to pull the calorie count. I believe the Jawbone app comes with a bar code scanner regardless of what smartphone you have.
When To Weigh In
It;s recommended that you weigh in at the same time of day, generally in the mornings, after you've used the restroom, with little to no clothing on, and before you eat or drink anything, to get the most accurate weight. You will notice that your weight may fluctuate slightly every few days depending on what you've recently digested or what you're in the process of digesting. It's best to track your weight either by writing it down or by using a fitness tracker such as the Fitbit or Jawbone.
Find Inspiration
I have spent a ton of time on Pinterest and have found a source of my inspiration there, plus I am inspired by my sister-in-law Megan, who is a runner and has completed two half marathons, my cousin-in-law Ali Patberg, because she's a phenomenal basketball player who was already in shape but has totally redefined her figure and her game and so many others. Here are some pictures from Pinterest of people that I aspire to become more like.
Happy Living & God's Blessings!
J.M.
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