My Bikini Ready Workout

Ugh, ok, so lately I've been slacking off and feeling like a total blob. Remember back when I was all gung ho about health and loosing weight. Yea that didn't last too long did it? What 3 weeks and 5 pounds? Fail.

And then, I was secretly working out (averaging) 3 times a week. (By secret I mean, I didn't blog about it. My friends and family knew) I lasted at that pace about 10 weeks.

Then my husband came home and I'm all "who wants to go to the gym, I want to snuggle on the couch!" and boom just like that I've gained like 5 pounds back. I did lost 10 pounds with him gone and did tone up my midsection a bit. So, I know I can do it.

It's Monday, and a brand new week, and I'm ready to get serious about this. I bought The Women's Health Big Book of Exercise and I'm doing the 6 week Bikini-Ready workout. Starting today. Matter of fact, I'm probably at the gym getting my sweat on as you read this. I know you're jealous (snort!)

And of course I have to keep a record of this, so I can look back and see how far I've come and all.

I'll be back in a week or 2 with measurements and a before/after pic hopefully.

I'm also loosely going to be modifying my diet. Less carbs (sorry pastas, I'll always love you) more veggies and of course more protein. And more water, duh. I think all of us could drink more water everyday. So I'll check back soon and we'll see how everything is going.

-----------------------

(This is going to suck) No it's not, it's going to rock.

See my power of positive thinking working right there!

*photo source*

Becoming a Healthier ME - part 1

That's it, time to get healthier. And what better time then while my husband is away. We've all done it from time to time, "let ourselves go" a little bit. Well, I'm ready to change that. Since moving to Germany I've let the weight creep up (about 15 pounds this past year). Ouch!

I decided to post about the healthy changes I'm making to my life.

Feel free to follow along, get tips, or totally ignore these particular posts. It won't hurt my feelings, I promise. I'm not doing this for anybody but myself. But since it's something I'll be striving to do better, I'll blog about it to help myself stay motivated. It's harder to quit when you have someone watching you and cheering you on.

So, let's start with my goals.

Goals:

My goals so far for this challenge:

- Loose 20 pounds before Rich gets back

- Loose a few inches off my waist

- Drop a pants size

- Feel healthier

- Have fun while doing it!

I've added a few healthier meals and snacks to this week. 

Healthy Foods:

1. spinach salad with chicken, strawberries, poppy seed dressing and roasted almond slices

2. red grapes as snacks

3. pistachios as snacks

4. baked salmon filet with sauteed spinach and yellow rice

Exercise:

Also, I started doing these 2 workout videos. I did one every other day so I think I did each twice this week.

1. Pilates for Every Body - I LOVE this pilates video! It starts with a warm up and then focuses on all the areas of your body. The ab and leg workout are killer! My butt is so sore, in a good way! I'm not using any resistance bands right now just doing the motions, I'll add more later as I feel stronger. (45 mins)

2. Get Your Body Back - this is fun because it's a little cardio added in small segments and Ariana likes to try to do this with me. It's broken up into several short segments which is helpful for short breaks in between when I'm starting out.  Right now I'm only doing Phase One. (27 mins including warm up and 2 minute stretch)

Please note: I'm not a workout guru, nor do I want to turn my blog into a fitness/weight loss blog, but I'm going to take this opportunity to share with you the healthier changes I've made, whether it be workout, food, or anything else that helps me be a healthier me! These are not sponsored posts. I'm not following any set exercise program or diet routine. I'm not taking any weight loss pills or drinking meal supplement shakes. I'm just doing what feels right for me. And maybe they will work for you too.

I know I can do this! I already feel a little better!

*** AND I just weighed myself and I lost 2 pounds this week!