New Approach

Five months ago I decided to finally make a change to my lifestyle and eating habits. I've had my phases of being all about working out and staying fit. January 2012 to April 2012 was the last time I've been consistent with the gym. I went to Las Vegas that April 2012 and after that, it all went downhill from there. I've visited the gym every so often after that, but I was never consistent. Like I said, it was more of a "phase" that I thought would stay with me for the long run.

It wasn't until after Thanksgiving of 2012 that I got tired of what I saw in the mirror. I was so bloated from eating anything I wanted (trust me, sucking in your tummy works wonders, which is why people don't believe me when I say I have a five month old food baby in my tummy). I hated looking like I was expecting a baby, I was tired of seeing those love handles pooch over my pants; it's NOT CUTE!

I've been very consistent about going to the gym ever since the beginning of December 2012. I try to workout between four and six times a week. For the longest time, all I've done was cardio (elliptical trainer, Stairmaster, treadmill), but it wasn't until one gym session with my boyfriend that I opened the doors to the weights and weight machines. I do the basic weight machines; the bicep curls, rowing, etc. It wasn't until I started doing these weight machines that my goals shifted to another direction.

After following so many fitness users on Instagram, I realized that strong is so sexy. Yes, I've gained about fifteen pounds from what I once was and I'm definitely trying to get back to the weight I was before. But I feel like toned legs, toned arms and a toned stomach is so much more sexier than being skinny. Forget being skinny! I want to be strong! Every other day, I spend about 40 minutes doing weight training and working on my abs, and only 20 minutes working on cardio. The other days I just do straight cardio for a whole hour. I do a combination of the Stairmaster, elliptical trainer and the treadmill.

Along with working out, my boyfriend introduced me to protein powders which I feel is helping me reach my weight loss goals! I've only lost two pounds according to the scale, but it's okay; muscle weighs more than fat!

I'm already starting to see a difference, especially in my legs and stomach. My tummy is NOWHERE near where I want it to me; my food baby has just shrunken down from five months to three months. :) I can't wait to post all of my progress shots on this itty bitty blog of mine.

Something new I want to try is to keep track of my food intake. I got a really great idea from a YouTube user I watch occasionally. She recommends to take pictures of everything you eat and drink (whether it's healthy or not!). This way, you can visually see what you are putting into your body instead of writing it down. This is definitely something I am going to try to post here, so watch for that! I'll admit, I've watched my eating habits, but I haven't gone cold turkey. I still have cheat meals (more often than I should), and I'm not TOO strict on everything. I'm not an avid health nut and not everything I eat is organic or 100% healthy. But I'm okay with that. I'm making progress slowly but surely, and I know I'll reach my goals. :)

My next project: the 30 Day Squat Challenge! Can't wait to say I can do 250 squats! Toned booty here I come!