Jul 22, 2013

Watch the Fat Melt!

Okay, okay, enough is enough!  I'm committed now, because I'm going to blog about it! :)  That is....I'm going to log my health/fitness journey, and throw it all out there for anyone and everyone!  I have always worried about my weight since I was a young teenager.  If you were to see a list of all the fad diets, and cleanses, and work out plans that I've tried over the years, it would make your head spin! 
The good news is, I know what works for me, now!  It was a long time coming though!  But as it turns out, all it comes down to is common sense!  Go figure.
In 2011 I was able to get my body into the best shape of MY life in as little as 4 months.  Here is a picture of me back then.  Wish I had a better one, but this is all I have!


At that time, for the first time in my life, I felt OK about my body.  I felt like I could try anything on (except a bikini) and feel good in it.  I DIDN'T think I had the perfect body, but it was definitely something I could live with and be happy about.  Then I had my third baby.  My baby is now almost 11 months old, and I am NOT happy with my body.  I took a lot of pictures today in fitted clothing so you could see what I look like before I start this!












CURRENT MEASUREMENTS:
Waist: 28"
High Hip (You know...the muffin top): 33"
Hips: 36.75"

I know I am not in the worst shape right now, but I could be SO much better.  Most of my toning needs to happen in my stomach/high hip area.  Not only do I want to feel good in my own skin, but I want to feel healthy too.  I want to be able to keep up with my kids, who seem to have endless energy!  I have been working out on and off since I've had my third.  I know that I will have to be more strict with my workouts, and I know that I have to stop eating crap!
The Rules:
1.  Drink a lot of water.  My goal is to drink at least 72 oz, but preferable 96 oz of water per day.  A tip for remembering to drink this much is to drink 2 cups of water before every meal.  If you have 6 meals, than you got all the water you need.
2. Eat 4 to 6 small meals a day.  With these meals, I will try to keep them at between 300-400 calories, and try to eat at least 15 grams of protein with each meal.  Protein sources will be meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and peanut butter.  Also, I will occasionally have a protein shake.  I have a hard time eating so much protein all the time.  But I find that when I balance my meals with carbs and protein together....it works wonders!'  If I were to eat 4 meals a day, I would eat at least 400 calories at each meal.  And obviously if I eat 6 meals, I will not eat more than 300 calories. 
3.  Eat fruits and vegetables!  This is a hard one for me for some reason.  I don't eat enough of these.  I'm not going to limit them.  When I crave sugar in the beginning, I will eat fruit instead.  Eventually my body stops craving the sugar as much though.  For lunch and dinner I will try to fill HALF my plate with vegetables.
4.  Cut SUGAR!  Okay, Okay, this is my hardest area.  I love ICE CREAM, COOKIES, CHOCOLATE, and pretty much anything with sugar in it.  For the first little while, I am going to allow myself one indulgence a week.  This is going to be soooo hard, but I'm committing to it.  I will keep you posted.  Also, I try to cut sugars in almost all areas.  I do use honey, but in small quantities to flavor oatmeal or other things.  I also love using TRUVIA (stevia), but wonder about the effects it has on our bodies.  When I'm really craving sugar, and fruit won't cut it, I'll make something with truvia. 
5.  No white stuff!  I will try to eat only whole grains.  That includes bread, rice, and pasta.
6.  Good Fats.  I'm going to try and eat a reasonable amount of healthy fats each day, which could include olive oil, seeds, nuts, avocado, peanut butter, etc.   These things have a lot of calories, so of course I will watch my intake.
7.  Work out at least 5X/wk.  My goal is to lift weights 4x/wk (2 upper, 2 lower body workouts), and to do 30 - 60 mins of cardio (running, zumba, aerobics) 5x/wk.  The amount of time I do cardio will depend on how I feel.  If I am feeling burned out...I will do closer to 30 mins of cardio, and if not, of course I will do closer to an hour!

That's it!  I know it seems hard.  And it is at first.  But then it gets easy.  Especially when you see the pounds dropping off! 
I posted these pictures of me because it will motivate me to get in THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE!  I'm going to try and post progress pictures every so often, also I will post my measurements on a weekly basis.  Keep an eye out for them and watch me transform!!!  Also, along the way, I will post some of my favorite, simple, recipes in case you want to try them out!

P.S.  If anyone wants to join me, I would be ecstatic!  The more the merrier!   Just comment below, and that way we can encourage each other!

XO,
Amber
 

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