Fitness Update

It's been a little over two months since I shared what I was doing to get fit and healthy in this post, so I thought I'd give an update. 

Top / Shorts / Shoes / Sports Bra

The biggest lesson I've learned in the three months that I've been working out regularly (4-6 days/week) is that it's not about the number on the scale. Okay, so I probably shouldn't say it's a lesson that I've learned....it's a lesson I'm TRYING to learn. I've  lost about five pounds, but the past few weeks I have kind of been at a standstill with my weight, which is frustrating. I'm okay with my current weight, but then I think about what I weighed when I got married.....I'd like to get closer to that number (see, I said I want to get CLOSER, not reach it. I'm being realistic....there isn't any way that I'm going to get back to my weight as a 23 year old, right?). I wish that I would have taken measurements prior to beginning the regimen because then I wouldn't be so focused on the number on my scale, which I'm still loving, the scale, not necessarily the number (buy it HERE or HERE).  When I look in the mirror I can definitely see a difference in my body, in a good way. My stomach and my upper thighs are my biggest concerns, and I have noticed a big difference in the way they look. This is where taking measurements would have come in handy - the number on the scale may not be changing as dramatically as I'd like, but if I'd taken measurements I'd have confirmation that a change was happening (because, you know, looking in the mirror isn't good enough).

Anyhow...with Michael traveling, soccer practices, etc it's been hard to stick to the meal plan I created, at least when it comes to dinners, so while I was still trying to make smarter choices when it came to what I ate, I wasn't necessarily paying attention to my daily calorie count. A few weeks ago I started using the Lose It app. I had originally planned on joining Weight Watchers, but it's $20 a month and Lose It is free (unless you select their premium plan, but even then it's only $39.99 for an entire year), so I decided to stick with Lose It. It's really easy to use - you simply create a profile with your current weight and your goal weight (and how quickly you want to reach your goal) and it tells you how many calories you can eat each day. Once you've created your profile you log your meals, snacks, and any exercise by scanning the item, searching by product, or manually entering the product information. You can even create recipes to calculate the complete calorie count on different foods (eg Linguine in Clam Sauce - 361 calories per serving, Dilly Dip - 96 calories per serving, Dump Cake - 201 calories per serving). When you log exercise, it subtracts the calories burned from your daily total. I still try to stay at or below my daily calories without deducting the exercise, but it's nice to have a buffer.

While the elliptical is good for cardio, I decided to add in some additional exercises. I've started doing the 30 Day Butt Lift Challenge as well as the 30 Day Plank Fat Burning Challenge, and have also started including crunches and weights into my daily workouts. I'm hoping that by adding in these exercises I'll begin to see a bigger difference.

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We are going to Hawaii in June for our 15th anniversary, so that was my motivation to start working out, but I've gotten to the point where I feel guilty when I don't work out (even though I still don't enjoy it, like AT ALL), so hopefully I'll keep it up. What are you doing to get fit and stay healthy?

XOXO,

Friday Favorites: For Your Health

It's January, so that means that you've probably set a resolution to eat healthier and exercise more. I know I have, though I don't like to think of it as a resolution because resolutions usually get broken, and I'm hoping that doesn't happen for me. I'm using my upcoming anniversary trip to Hawaii as motivation to stick with it and make this more of a life change. With that being said, this week's Friday Favorites are all somewhat geared towards living a healthier lifestyle.

Shorts / Scale / Tervis Tumbler / Devotional / 

52 Lists for Happiness / Elliptical / Nikes

What I'm Doing

I wish I was one of those people who enjoyed working out, but I'm not. I grew to like it prior to adopting Carter when my friend Erin and I would go to the hip hop and yoga workout classes at LA Fitness together, but with the birth of her son and Carter's adoption, we stopped going and I eventually cancelled my membership. We belong to the rec center in our community, and they offer some classes, so maybe someday soon I'll be able to talk a friend or two into joining me (it's more fun when you work out with friends), but for now I'm working out at home. We purchased an elliptical a few years ago, so I've been trying to work out on that at least four days a week. On days when it's nice outside I'll take our golden retriever, Beemer, for walks. We used to take family walks every night before bed, and I'm trying to work that back into our routine. Sophia and Carter enjoy doing yoga at night, so I join them when I can. If you have kids, you should check out Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube - both kids love it!

I also picked up the Fitbit Aria Scale, which I love. It's connected to my Fitbit account, and tracks my weight for me. Prior to buying it I told myself that a scale wasn't necessary - I didn't need to see a number on a scale to know whether I needed to lose weight/exercise more, which I still think is true, but it does feel good to step on the scale and see that the number is going down (or, at least, that it isn't going up!). I think part of my frustration with scales was that the ones I purchased never seemed to be accurate - when I'd go to the doctor the number was always higher there (while I preferred the lower number I was seeing at home, I wanted something that was accurate). So far the Aria scale has been the same as what I'm seeing at the doctor, and we've had it over a year now, so I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something a little more high tech.

What I'm Wearing

When you workout, you need to be dressed for it, right? There's just something about having cute workout wear that makes working out seem better.

Le Mystère makes my favorite bra, so when I saw that they made sports bras, I decided to give it a chance. It's very comfortable and supportive. It's designed for C-cup and up, so if you're an A or B cup you could get something a little cuter (like this or this). It's on the pricier side, though it seems that most bras are nowadways, so I'd suggest checking on Amazon for a deal. I'll usually just throw on a t-shirt over it, and add my Nike Half Zip if I'm going to be outside and it's cooler.

The Lululemon Run Times Short *4-Way Stretch 4" are my favorite workout shorts! I have a few of Nike Tempo Shorts, but I like my Lululemon shorts better. The waistband is smoother and they're more attractive on. My sister-in-law has several pairs of tempo shorts as does Sophia and they look great on them, but they just look weird on me.

I have two pairs of Nike 'Free Flyknit' Running Shoes and I absolutely love them! Up until getting my first pair of these, I didn't wear athletic shoes because they just never felt very comfortable to me. When we went to Disneyland the first time, I realized that I probably needed something a little sturdier than my flip flops, so I picked up a pair of Nike Frees. I really liked them, so when I needed a new pair I decided to stick with them, but when I went shopping I thought the design on the Flyknits was cuter, so I got those instead. I'm so glad I did because they are so stinking comfortable! And did I mention that everytime I wear them I get compliments on how cute they are? I don't wear mine with socks (I don't think you're supposed to - they're described as having a "snug, sock-like fit"), so being able to wash them is really important, and these wash and dry really well. They're not cheap, but every once in awhile you can find them on sale. If you're thinking about getting them, now is the time to snap them up! I have two fun colored ones, but I think I'm going to pick up a black pair for our trip to Hawaii this summer. 

What I'm Eating & Drinking

Last year I shared that we had started ordering Blue Apron boxes in this post. I love it because it takes the guesswork out of what to cook for dinner! Up until this point, we've gone with the meals for two, but I just changed our subscription to the family meal plan. It's only two meals a week, as opposed to the three we were originally receiving, but that may end up being a good thing because with Michael's travel schedule, practices, school events, etc it was sometimes hard to cook all three meals (don't get me wrong, I make dinner almost every night, but I don't always have time to devote to the prep work that these meals require). I'm also counting on Sophia and Carter eating those meals, and they're both pretty picky, so two fights meals a week is probably plenty. If you'd like to try it, let me know in the comments below because I've got free meals I can share with you!

I also just recently discovered the Skinnytaste blog. So far I've only made a few of her meals, but we've enjoyed everything we've tried so far. We have also used the Drop 10 Diet by Lucy Danziger, editor in chief of SELF magazine, as a guide to meal planning. I'm not necessarily on a diet (I had Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for dessert last night!), but I'm trying to be more aware of what I'm eating. The Drop 10 Diet is perfect for this because it truly isn't a specific diet, it's more focused on adding superfoods to your current plan. There are several recipes in the book, as well as on the SELF website, and we have incorporated some favorite recipes from the South Beach and Sonoma Diet books. I sit down each week and come up with our meals, which makes grocery shopping a lot easier. Here is a copy of a two week plan I created. If for some reason it doesn't work let me know in the comments below and I can email it to you.

I'd love to say that I have given up Diet Coke, but I don't think that's ever going to happen. I have, however, cut back to one (okay, sometimes two) a day, and am drinking more water. I find that if I have a big tumbler I can refill throughout the day I tend to drink more.

What I'm Reading

I picked up this daily devotional and have been trying to be more purposeful about taking time out of each day to read and pray. I also picked up this journal, which has helped me to refocus and be thankful for the things I have. It's important to focus just as much on your mental health as your physical health.

I've also started reading for pleasure more. You can read more about some of the books I've recently read here. I just discovered that our library is connected to Overdrive which allows me to check out eBooks and read them on my phone, so I'm debating whether it makes sense to buy a Kindle or not. I really enjoy holding a book in my hand, but I like the idea of being able to immediately check out/download a new book when I finish one and am not in love with reading on my phone (I'd like something a little bigger), so I'm considering getting a Kindle. If you have an eReader, which one do you have? Would you recommend it? Thanks in advance for your help!

I'd love to hear what you're doing to stay healthy this year!

XOXO,

Exercise

I have never been the type of person who enjoys exercise. I wish I was! I would much rather cuddle up on the couch with a good book than be outside getting active. 

Up until the past few years my lack of activity wasn't really an issue. I was really lucky in that I didn't seem to put on much weight. And then I did. Don't get me wrong, I am still within the "healthy range for my height," according to my doctor, but I'm not necessarily in the range where my clothes aren't either too tight or really uncomfortable. It doesn't help that a sweet second grader at my school asked me if I was pregnant (totally the dress I was wearing and not the little pooch I've been sporting, right?). I have gotten to the point where I get winded when I walk upstairs with my kids. Not good. So now is the time to get out there and get active.

Luckily we have an elliptical sitting upstairs gathering dust, so a few weeks ago I decided it was time to get upstairs and get healthy! I'm not setting a specific goal for number of times a week I'll do it, I'm just going to try my best to stop making excuses. I have already worked out twice this week for 30 minutes each. Yea me! :)

XOXO,
Heidi