The Right Stuff

No I am not talking about the 80's New Kids On the Block Song :P but instead work out essentials.  There was at one point in my weight loss journey so far where I actually had more workout clothes that fit me better then everyday stuff. Mainly because dress pants are just to darn expensive to constantly replace.  There are however I have come to realize a few must haves on your journey to working out, losing weight and staying fit.

 

Honestly the first major purchase I bought aside from one pair of workout capris was a sports bra and that was after months of working out.  I was convinced I didn't need one or that they would not have one that would support my girls. I was wrong. It makes a big difference.  My absolute favorite, mainly because I just stuck with what works and haven't tried any other is the Under Armour, Armour Bra. I think I like it because it does up like a normal bra and you shop for it the same way.  Strangely I think one of my first purchase was an actually water bottle.  I got sick and tired of taking a plastic one with me and drinking all of it and not having enough, so then having to carry around two bottles just became annoying.

 

One of my other major purchases were new running shoes. I soon discovered it was nice to have 2 pair of shoes, one strictly for working out and ones for everyday. Never would I have thought to own 2 pair of running shoes at once for dual purposes. Next came work out clothes and boy do I have a lot. Once I started leaving my house and going to Zumba on a regular basis I knew I needed more then one pair of pants and shirt. I got some capris, more tops, then it was summer and I got shorter capris and tank tops. I now have an entire drawer devoted just to workout clothes. And headbands boy do I love my headbands.  There is nothing more annoying then sweaty bangs on your face well working out.  I have a variety mostly Under Armour and a few lulu lemon. I can't come to buy a lot of high end brand name sports wear, I am mostly Walmart and Joe Fresh.

 

Lastly are the few things I never really think much of but do use. A sweat towel for one can be very essential item. Though I have seen you have to sweat like a pig to look like a fox! Speaking of sweating like a pig, that doesn't mean you have to smell like one either.  A good deodorant is definitely essential! I also like to use a dry shampoo for days I don't want to wash my hair twice but feel it needs a little sprucing up. One thing I never really thought to much about until a friend gave me one as a gift was a workout bag.  I was using a reusable shopping bag but I must say having a multi compartment, zippered bag is really nice when I go from work straight to the gym.  I still use small reusable bags (lulu lemon are wonderful) to transport my shoes and water bottle.

 

Now I read in Self magazine (remember my guilty pleasure) that Kelly Osbourne's secret to staying motivated is to dress up for the gym. That way, she says when you see your reflection in the mirror, you're like, "Oh, I look cute!" not "Get me out of here!".  Although I believe they say....

 

 

On My Plate

I would like to thank everyone for the kind words after my previous post (The Beauty and the Beast) I honestly feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders! I am so glad that I could share what I am going through with you all.  I already feel 10 times stronger and more confident then I did before that post.  So much so that I have decided to take a huge step in my life so that I can continue to help myself as well as others. I have become an Independent Team Beachbody Coach.  This will allow me to offer awesome workout programs, one of the healthiest meal replacement shakes plus my support and guidance along the way!  Together with this blog I want to reach out and help people, because to me getting healthy and fit is one of the most important things you can do in your life!  I have a new page over on Facebook to offer tips, recipes, motivation plus I will share ever blog post so you won't miss one!  So go over and Like Me! I know you want too :) I just ordered the newest program, the 21 Day Fix. I am super excited for this as it incorporates nutrition with working out to get maximum results in 21 day!

So with nutrition on my mind, I recently went out to celebrate a friends birthday.  She choose a nice Italian restaurant.  Now I like pasta but I know the servings can be huge sometimes and I wasn't really feeling like a salad either.  Which by the way you do need to watch out for because although seemingly healthy you can actually over eat on salad too. So I decided on Grilled chicken, with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies.  I asked the waitress if I came with one breast of chicken or two and she said two, so I then asked if she could just have the kitchen box up half my meal and bring me the other half.

I did feel like a pain in the butt but I was glad I did ask for this.  It was super tasty and just as good the next day.  I did splurge and have a glass of wine and cake later on... but compared to everyone's massive pasta dishes I think it was ok lol.

What are some others ways you save on calories well eating out?  I know if I do get salad I ask for dressing on the side. Sometimes restaurants have a healthy choice menu or a low sodium one, if so I try to choose from something off that.  Now having said this I do realize I don't eat out every night and when I do it is special and its ok to treat myself once in awhile. 

Eating healthy is a huge part of Living Lighter.  I know from experience as I recently fell off the wagon and pigged out for a few months.  I slowly became more lazy and lost motivation and almost stopped working out all together. (Read about what got me going again here). As soon as I started eating better I noticed a big change, I felt better, I became more motivated, I wanted to start working out again which in turn helped give me more energy and just started the ball rolling again. I will reach my goal again One plate at a time, One pound at time.

The Beauty and the Beast

Fat. Ugly. Failure.

 

These are all things I have thought about myself throughout my life at one point or another. More often then I realized before preparing this blog. I have caught myself looking in the mirror and telling myself I look fat and disgusting. Then I realized what I said and told myself to stop it. I think I have always dealt with low self esteem and not a lot of confidence. Don't get me wrong I can come off very confident but that's just laying on the surface like make up it eventually washes off.  I used to be a lot more confident and I'm not to sure what happened to that girl but I'd like to find her again and keep her around. I do know that I have wanted to lose weight for a very long time. I do honestly have a diary from High school and in it I have wrote that I was going to lose 10 pounds. And then a few months later I said the same thing again.

 

Why do we put such an emphasis on what we look like? I doubt I will ever look like a model on the cover of a magazine or wear bikini or have six pack abs. I'm ok with that. I think the reason why I had so many failed attempts at weight loss is because I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. Like in high school I wanted to be skinny to be cool and popular. I wanted to be skinny because I thought I would be liked more. Or later in my life I wanted to be thinner because I wanted to be able to go shopping with my friends and actually shop. It's hard going into stores knowing they have absolutely nothing you will fit in. When I finally decided to lose weight I wanted to lose it for me, for my future, for my health.

 

I envy women who love their bodies and are not afraid to show it. I tend to hide my body in baggy clothes even though I know I can look amazing in clothes that flatter myself. I have the pictures to prove it. I did reward myself last summer for all my hard efforts in my weight loss journey so far. I did a Lady Luck Pin Up photo shoot, it felt amazing to get dolled up. For that one day I actually was a model. I can say I will wear red lips with confidence. I have to remember that I am the Beauty and I need to slay the Beast, my low self esteem.

 

 

Why am I talking about this you ask because I want anyone who reads this to know they are not alone. And I think we can get stronger and be more confident. Now is the perfect time too, did you know that February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month? Here are 10 tips I found on how we can boost our own self esteem:

 

1. Stop comparing yourself to others

2. Compliment yourself regularly

3. Exercise consistently

4. Simply smile

5. Focus on your accomplishments

6. Get the support you need to succeed

7. Make a list of your positive qualities

8. Find something special in each day

9. Eat better

10. Explore a passion

 

To read more on each tip check out the article I found this from. (Boost Your Self-Esteem)

I know this is something I am going to be working on. It's all a part of my Journey :)