Image found on Pinterest. Original source unknown.

As I have previously mentioned in my “Year of Me” post, I have been focusing on becoming more lean and toned. This all started back in September prior to my friends wedding and our Florida vacation. I had a goal of losing 8 pounds in 4 weeks. This turned out to be a lot easier than I thought! Mostly because the first week I lost about 7 pounds of water weight; though it gave me motivation to continue. I cut back on my excessive snacking, cut out the 3-4 Lindt truffles I was eating a day (insert face of shame here), and was just more conscious about what I was eating. I took advantage of the myfitnesspal app on my phone to keep track of what I was eating each day. You are also able to add in your exercise to calculate your allotted net calorie intake. I’ll admit this was tough, especially during the holiday season. I did allow myself a cookie here and there, but overall I feel I created a normal routine for myself.  To date I have lost 17 pounds and dropped a full pant size! I never thought I would see this early high school weight again. I was able to conquer each milestone by making an overall “lifestyle change.” People laugh at me when I say this, but I swear it works! Changing your overall lifestyle and way of eating has better long term results than crash dieting. There are loads of articles, books, and websites out there that can help each and every person get started. You just have to do it, jump right in!

Part two of this adventure is now to create a more toned body. My focus has been my arms and legs. I have come up with a weekly routine of sorts. For people like me who like a schedule and are able to stick to it, this is the way to go. I know what to expect in the upcoming week and am able to schedule fun outings and Girl’s Night accordingly. I complete 3 sessions at the gym with a mixture of cardio and weights, focusing on a different muscle group each night. I play soccer in a league every Thursday night, which is a great cardio workout. I have also started attending a Barre boot camp class. This class utilizes the ballet bar, hand weights, and bands. We work through our arms, legs, and abs in a 45-60 minute class. It’s intense, but great! Again, there are lots of ways to fit exercise into your weekly routine. Whether it’s a gym membership, organized group sport, or even at home exercises…there really is no excuse. I have utilized my pinterest fitness board multiple times for those cold, snowy days I did not want to leave the house. It is loaded with at-home routines that anyone can complete.

Example of a Barre Boot Camp exercise. Image found on Pinterest. Original source shown.

I am really happy with the results I have seen so far. I have set new goals for myself to give me something to work towards. Bathing suit season is just around the corner and I’ll be ready! After all, summer bodies are made in the winter!