The Wedding/Summer How-To Game Plan

I've had quite a few of you out there in blogging land emailing me asking for tips on how to get in shape for the summer, how to get fit for your upcoming wedding, etc. Obviously, my game plan is now back in high gear to drop the pregnancy pounds as soon as possible, so I thought I would try to hit some of the high points to making any lifestyle change a successful one. And yes, I am going to be 100% honest with where I am at and my progress...hoping this can pep up others, too!  

a. Set Goals. You need to establish what you're looking to achieve with weight loss/muscle tone/etc. Before my wedding, I knew I wanted to lose a few pounds, but for the most part, I wanted to lean out the muscle I had and work on refining my arms, midsection, and legs.
Now, my goal is to refine/tone everything...yes, I said everything, with a focus on my legs, thighs, and booty as this is where I gained most of my baby weight.

I cannot believe I am going to share this, but here are a few pictures of me pre-workout aka what my body looks like now {5 weeks post delivery}...I'm currently at 127 pounds and I am wanting to get back down around 118-120=my happy weight.

b. Count the Calories. This is the number #1 thing to do to figure out exactly what may be inhibiting your weight loss-you can burn hundreds of calories by doing lengthy sessions of cardio, yet if you don't know exactly what is going into your body, you won't be able to figure out what you need to eliminate to lose that pesky weight. For me (given my BMI, height, starting weight, etc) I normally stick to about 1400-1500 calories a day, broken down by 3 small meals and 2 snacks, which helps to keep the metabolism going! {Also, keep in mind, this number is a bit higher for me right now since I am breastfeeding and need additional calories, so it's most like 1800-2000 calories}.
A great way to find out whow many calories you need to be consuming to lose weight is here.

c. The Workouts. During operation "think wedding skinny", I worked out about 4 times per week. The people at the Y loved seeing me so much, I am sure of it. Typically, I would run 3-4 miles on the treadmill (rotating between a 5.5 and a 6.5 pace), and would mix that with strength training with light weights (5, 8, and 10 pound weights depending on each exercise) 2 days per week. Before AND after each workout, I would do 5-10 minutes of stretching to keep muscles loose, and I always finished with a 10-15 minute ab workout...yes, I know this sounds like a lot, but once I got the hang of it, my gym trips lasted right about 1 hour.
Currently, my workouts connsist of running 2 miles on the treadmill, doing my normal ab routine, and lifting weights...right at about 45 minutes at the gym. I cannot wait until CC can go to the gym nursery so I won't have to be so rushed and she can have some playtime, too.

d. The Other Stuff. To really see a difference, you must be willing to make big changes. I limit myself to a few alcoholic beverages per week, and when I do drink, I consume low calorie/low sugar drinks-SkinnyGirl Margaritas, champagne, red wine, light beer, etc. However, I do admit, I let myself indulge and I allow myself to have a sweet or two each week-nothing crazy, but a sugar free popsicle or frozen yogurt every so often. Don't deprive yourself!

e. Dress the Part. Part of the motivation to workout is to look good while doing it. Spend some of your hard earned money on some flattering {yet still comfortable} workout clothes...this really helps me when I get in a lull. Even better, you don't have to spend your entire paycheck on a new wardrobe. I buy most of my tanks, sports bras, and shorts/skorts from Target and Old Navy...moderatley priced, fun colors, and the fit is fantastic!

f. The Most Important Detail. Stay hydrated! Sure, we all love our addictive drinks-coffee, tea, sodas, etc-but the most essential thing we can do for our bodies is to drink plenty of the good stuff, H2O! You should be drinking between 8-10 glasses a day so arm yourself with a great water bottle and keep refilling it!

All in all, my best advice is to get on a routine, and log each and every thing you eat and drink into a food/drink journal. I use the My Fitness Pal on my iPhone and it really helps to keep me accountable. I also recommend not eating late night (7pm should be the latest you eat dinner unless it's a special occasion), and try to eat smaller portions-after all, restaurant dishes are likely double what you should be consuming anyways.
I promise you, this isn't rocket science...it's learning to eat differently, working out to be healthy and fit, and knowing the end result is worth a little sweat. Having a goal in mind to work towards is something that also keeps us on track-for me, it's fitting into my new bathing suit {seen below from VS} for our beach trip in May, which is a mere 20 days away!

I hope this answers some of the lingering questions a few of you have had. I am an open book so if you ever need advice, support, or other suggestions, I am here to help...good luck my friends!

The Exercise Girl...Where Did She Go?

If you think I have fallen off the workout wagon, I'm happy to report I haven't! I may not be posting a lot about my exercise routines and such lately, so I wanted to let you know health is STILL a major priority and I am slowly trying to convince Jeff to hop on my train, too--that boy loves anything and everything that is bad for you bless his heart.
We've changed our grocery store habits the past 2 months and that seems to help a lot...instead of 1 big stock up every other week, we're making weekly trips to pick up loads of fruits and veggies and fresh proteins to cook for dinner.

My only fault--when I see a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or a bag of Doritos, those simply must go in our buggy. Afterall, if you can't have even a taste of something that you're craving, you'll end up eating much more of something else in the long run which usually cancels out the "healthy aspect" of it all.

Now, as for my workouts, after the wedding, I am not going to lie...I was burnt out from it all. 4+ workouts each week with at least 40 minutes of cardio, plus 3 sets of weights for strength training, added to endless amounts of ab workouts, and I was a lady who needed a break.
However, now I am still working out 3 times a week, I am walking a lot more rather than running, and I am still using weights to keep my arms and legs toned, but not as high impact. All in all, I feel a lot better and this new routine is much more manageable with a busy lifestyle.
I've even bought some new workout gear recently...as yes, we all still want to look good at the gym while we people watch and pump some iron. Thank you Old Navy and Le Target for having a great sale on activewear ;)

For all you Nashville people, the Green Hills YMCA is where it's at--it's comical and you never know what you're going to see.
Here are a few examples of a "normal" day:
1. Crazy-man-that-is-ALWAYS-at-the-gym breaking a stationery bike while still flexing his muscles in the mirror
2. Uber:prego woman on the stairmaster going so fast you think the baby is going to pop out right then and there
3. The "spinners" club with their crazy shoes and weird gear
4. The "old timers" who love to sport their YMCA t-shirts, sweatbands, and old school Reeboks...adorable I tell you
5. And then the girls that look like they are participating inthe Miss Tennessee pageant...AKA going to the gym to find me a man {now dont get me wrong, no shame in that, but it's funny to watch the singles flirting now that I'm an old married woman!}

The Dreaded Diet

Normally, I pretty much eat what I want...in moderation. Coupled with 3 to 4 days of exercise and portion control, I'm on a fairly routine food plan, but can incorporate a few indulgences every now and then since I know what my "happy weight" fluctuates around. 
However, 2 weeks from today=bridal portraits, which means this girl is going on a very strict... dare I say d-i-e-t. 

Please tell me there are others of you out there who despise that word...ugh, such a nasty connotation. We'll just say I want to look my best for the pictures and that we're "cutting back a bit". So needless to say, I have to watch myself and this is "the plan" I came up with:

Exercise

• 9 to 12 miles per week on the treadmill/outside running/arc trainer
• 2 to 3 days of strength training and weights

Food/Drink

• Cocktails: only one day per week {2 drinks}
• 8 to 10 glasses of water per day to keep hydrated and skin looking refreshed
• No eating after 7:30PM
• No dessert {and yes, fro-yo counts as dessert--boo}

Beauty Regime

• Tanning bed: first let me say I cannot wait to go back to spray tanning after the wedding...but this needs to happen to make sure I am not a casper bride
• Whitestrips: yes, I will be using these to keep my pearly whites bright!
• Nightly: using moisturizer and eye cream every night to reduce wrinkles and keep skin clean and breakout free

So tell me, what did you do to get glam and gorgeous for your big wedding extravaganza?? If there is anything I am missing or not thinking about, by all means let me know!

And one other question--I have had people look at me crazy when I told them about bridal portraits...is this just a southern thing? I have friends all over and in talking to them about having them taken so we can display a portrait at the wedding, it was almost as though I was speaking another language...

They're Magically Delicious

Not only is it Thursday, but it's St. Patrick's Day all you lucky charms! In celebration, I made sure to wear my favorite color green so that I won't get pinched, though I won't be making any corned beef and cabbage---why can't the Irish have more stomach appealing food?  
The fiance and I have a hot date lined up tonight...meeting with our pastor for pre-marital counseling--haha! Boy we sure know how to celebrate, don't we? 

Today I am doing a roundabout at some of my favorite blogs/sites with some fun new posts that are most certainly worth devoting a bit of attention to--come on, you know you want to:

Check out this house tour...my gosh, pure happiness exudes from this decor! I just love Maillardville Manor--so sweet!

Visit Southern Weddings Magazine's blog for these gorgeous yellow bridesmaid dresses...ahhh love pairing the frocks with fun cowboy boots!

Hop on over to Fantasticly Frugal for helpful hints for maximizing your online savings--especially for those of us who can't help but virtually swipe the Visa!

Since I cannot eat chocolate as of late as my Lent sacrifice, I do believe I can indulge in this tasty treat featured over at Joy the Baker...Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake--yummo!

Curious about how to transform yourself and your body? Run on over to Runner's World and read their feature on The Golden Rules of Weight Loss for some things you may be missing

We're so close to the weekend I can taste it...and Nashville is due for some lovely-like spring weather...high's in the 70s with rays of sunshine headed our way. Sounds like the perfect time for me to be outside enjoying it all I can--and hoping Jeffrey can get a bit of sun on his Casper like self, too!! ;)

Training {Slim Down Tricks} and Top 2 Tuesday

For all you out there who made hard-core plans to tone up and get healthy in 2011, how is it going? 1 month down and I hope you're still all on board! You can do it, all you need is motivation, persistence, and that desire to look good for yourself.

This week, I am bringing you  "Tips to Boost Your Metabolism" courtesy of Women's Health Magazine...

1. Eat a Good Breakfast! Every. Single. Day. Don't let your body go into starvation mode... after all, it truly is the most important meal of the day. What to eat? Lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats--omelets, steel-cut oats, berries and Greek yogurt, or fiber-packed cereal.

2. Drink Green Tea. It's the closest thing to a metabolism potion. The brew contains a plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. According to  studies, consuming two to four cups per day may torch an extra 50 calories. 

3. Grab Some Metal. Women lose iron during their period every month. That can throw you a wrench because iron helps carry oxygen to your muscles. Stock up on iron-fortified cereals, beans, and dark leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli.

4. Mix Things Up with Intervals. You're always looking for a way to shorten your workout, right? Well, step up your intensity and you'll burn the same number of calories or more in less time. Bursts of speed may stimulate a fat-burning response within the muscles.

5. Hit the Sack Early. When you sleep less than you should, you throw off the amounts of leptin and ghrelin—hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite—that your body produces. Make sure you get at least eight hours of rest.

And now on to Taylor's Top Two Tuesday... this week's topic, Top 2 Things You've Learned About Friendship--funny how sometimes these things come up when you need them most ;)

1. Honesty is the Best Policy--if your friends are true friends, you should be able to be honest with them no matter what the situation is...having a support system of close women is extremely important and I know that God has placed certain women in my life for a reason. Open communication is key and you should never {I am so preaching to myself here} feel that you can't honestly share your feelings ust because of how someone might react.   

2. Be Who You Are. In life, you can't please other people, you can only be who you are and if people like you for you, then so be it. If not, don't worry about it--simply move on. I have let myself get hurt way too many times in the past and it just wasn't worth the emotional stress I put myself through. This quote is one of my favorites: "About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Some will love you for what you can do for them, and some won't like you at all"

Happy 1st day of February friends...so many exciting things coming up this month! Time with family, trips to LA and Denver, Superbowl, and of course Valentine's Day!!  

Top 2, Training, and Nonsense

Hola lovelies!! Happy, Happy Tuesday to each and every one of you... it's raining and a tad bit dreary here in Music City this morning, but I am keeping my fingers crossed the snow blows right on by us--too many things to do this week for weather to get in my way so take that Mother Nature.

Today, it's all about diet and nutrition--thanks to Taylor for her Top 2 topic...

Top 2 Healthy Recipes and Snack Ideas! {I'll give you 2 of each}

 1. For healthy snacks, I am all about the fruit--we load up each time we go to the grocery store and its always best to think about what's in season to help save money, too... favorites for our house are always bananas, grapes--put them in the freezer as a treat, blueberries, as well as apples... mix it up and add some variety to keep it interesting so you don't get bored.

Another item that is wonderful for snacking that I have found tasty are the Fiber One bars--they're only 150 calories and they have a touch of chocolate so it's almost like a dessert, but healthy for you with 35% of your daily fiber!

 2. As for healthy recipes, sometimes these can be hard to come across, but
2 of my favorites include these easy peasy recipes:

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan via Kraft Foods

 And because I must have dessert, Lemonade Pie via Tidy Mom

 I also wanted to invlude some helpful hints and tips & tricks...little things I have stumbled across that make life {and trying to watch your weight/cut calories} that much easier:

Dottie's Weight Loss Zone--lists hundreds of chain restaurants and calorie counts for popular food and drink items... think Starbucks, Panera, PF Changs, Subway, Olive Garden, etc--VERY helpful so you can plan ahead to order something not too bad  

Eat This, Not That books--yes, you've all seen them at your local Target/Barnes & Noble, but these books are WAY educational and there to help... different versions exist: grocery store, best/worst foods, kids, etc...check them out! They are fool proof and provide pictures for easy reference--switching out a few things here and there can really help you lose a few pounds in no time flat!

Training Tuesday...Tips & Tricks from Moi

Back for round #2 on this Tuesday to share some of my secrets—a few tidbits of advice I have learned through my often tumultuous love of everything health and fitness...and please note to self, these things are specific tips and tricks that work for ME, meaning use with caution and remember to pay attention to what your body is telling you to do!

1. Use the scale to your advantage... unlike some people, I tend to argue that you should weigh yourself everyday. If you have a goal in which you're trying to accomplish, this is the way to track even if you've gained a pesky pound or two--however, keep in mind your actual weight can fluctutate throughout the day so take note!

2. Find your “happy weight”--check out this quiz... for me, my happy range is between 113 and 118 and I always know what I need to do to get back to business if I indulge in a few too many treats

3. Do in moderation... and yes, I most certainly believe this 100%--yes, you can have that cocktail, but cut back elsewhere--skip the steak and opt for fresh fish and a small salad--you shouldn't deprive yourself from something if you REALLY want it, but make sure you increase your activity or elminate something else to hold yourself accountable and not go overboard

4. Choose a goal and stick to it--have an important event coming up? a bikini you're wanting to fit in? aelect a goal that you think you can meet and do what it takes to get there! sometimes, it's better to choose smaller goals and then increase as you meet them... it's said that when you meet a goal you're apt to continue because you've seen just what you can do! don't sell yourself short

5. Surround yourself with positivity--if you're happy, you'll exude happiness, you'll be more likely to keep your body in check, and life will be all the more fun! have people in your life that bring you down? let them know that their negativity can influence people around them, or if you don't feel comfortable talking with them, simply cut back on your time spent with them

"life is too short to be anything but happy"

6. Eat 4 to 5 small meals a day… keeps your metabolism at top speed, burning the products you put into it and helps keep you going!! I have found that I do better when I have my larger meals at breakfast and lunch--and that mid-afternoon snack is a must in my book!

7. Write down what you eat—keep a food journal like the one posted here. This will help you keep track of calories consumed, number of glasses of water you drink each day, etc—this can really show you just how much that Ben and Jerry’s can backfire if you’re trying to lose weight

8. If you can’t make it to the gym, try a DVD... I've said it before and I'll say it again, that Jillian Michaels knows her stuff--The Shred is one of my favorite DVDs when I can't make it to the YMCA and you'll still feel the burn {today AND tomorrow!}

9. Don’t do it for anyone but yourself!

10. Don’t burn yourself with the same routine… switch it up! Go to a Pure Barre class, take a fun dance class with your girlfriends, take your honey on a weekend hike—if you do the same exercises each and every day, your muscles will adapt and you’ll be doing yourself a major injustice so get out there and use what God gave you!!

What are your favorite tips and tricks you've mastered and want to share??

Halloween Candy-Lovers Unite!

Yes, the weekend I have been dreading is finally here... not really, I LOVE me some Halloween fun, but the thought of having to keep a stockpile of candy at my house and attempt to save it for the trick-or-treaters Sunday night has me running scared.
See, the problem my friends, is that I don't have strong willpower when it comes to the sweets and seeing it sitting there in my cute pewter pumpkin halloween bowl will just make me take 1 or 10--whatever... this week's "health nut" post is dedicated to the healthy halloween candy {if that can really exist??} and is brought to you by the lovely people at Women's Health Magazine:

 Best Nutty Candy Bar: 100 Grand (190 cal)/Worst: Snickers (280 cal)

Best Crunchy Candy Bar: Take 5 (210 cal)/Worst: Butterfinger (270 cal)

Best Chocolate Candy Bar: Nestle Crunch (220 cal)/Worst: 3 Musketeers (260 cal)

Best Breakable Candy Bar: Kit Kat (210 cal)/Worst: (270 cal)

And for those of you looking for some new workout tunes, add these newbies to your iPod--they're on my fall playlist right now and perfect for high energy working out:

Just a Dream--Nelly

Crazytown--Jason Aldean

If It's Love--Train

Like a G6--Far East Movement

Little Lion Man--Mumford and Sons

DJ Got Us Falling in Love--Usher

Power--Kanye West

Your Love--Nicki Minaj

Cee Lo--Forget You

And no, workouts have seized to exist the latter part of this week because of my stupid inconvenient sickness, so needless to say I am missing my mileage at the gym until I get back to 100%--have I mentioned being sick stinks???  Taking it easy tonight and hoping to make it back tomorrow =)

Good versus Bad

So, do you ever bite the bullet and let yourself indulge in whatever you want to eat?? Rarely, I give myself the OK to say to hell with my “healthy diet” and gorge on a few of my favorite things… granted, this doesn't happen often enough and only when I dont have an important event coming up, but still nonetheless, we have to treat ourselves every now and then right??

With that in mind, I went searching on the world wide web for things you assume would be terrible, but in all reality, truly aren’t THAT bad to satisfy that salty/sweet craving you’re having—here are some of the winners:

(as an FYI, I chose these based on calorie count, as that is what I use as my rule-of-thumb… not what everyone does, but this works for me)

1. Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut—200 calories
(just don’t eat a dozen like my fiancé has been known to do)

2. Baskin Robbins Very Strawberry Ice Cream—220 calories for a 4 oz scoop

3. California Pizza Kitchen – BBQ Chicken Pizza (1/3 of pizza) – 290 calories
{you can also eat the frozen kind too!}

4. Cracker Barrel Chicken n’ Dumplings – 14 oz. equals 390 calories

 5. Krystal Regular Cheese Krystal – 180 calories {late night craving, right??}

6. McDonald’s Southern Chicken Sandwich – 400 calories (similar to Chick-Fil-A)

7. Panera’s Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – 200 calories

8. Classic Italian Sub from Quizno’s (small) – 370 calories {my fav!}

9. Pineapple Pleasure Smoothie from Smoothie King (20 oz) – 313 calories

10. Junior Burger from Sonic (no cheese) – 320 calories

11. Starbucks Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte (the tall AKA my vice) – 90 calories

12. Steak n Shake Onion Rings (small) – 334 calories

13. Whitt’s BBQ sandwich – 305 calories

On the other hand, I stumbled across a few establishments that are the places you should just stay clear of including: Captain D’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, Chili's, Macaroni Grill, KFC {unless you get it grilled!}, and PF Changs... I'm sure the list goes on to include others, but these were the few that caught my attention.
Sorry if this has brought a little bit of sadness--as it did to me--but this really made me think about how a balanced diet keeps you on track, but still we can treat ourselves!!
And, I assure you that this helpful tip REALLY works: "everything in moderation" =)