let's get physical

Ya, I just went there. But it's time to get cracking ladies and gents!

This officially concludes the first year of me working my butt off and losing over 30 lbs.  No more sad, frumpy, boring mommy moments for me.

So long!  I'm working towards getting back into my pre-children shape, and I've got about 20 lbs to go. 

I'm sitting around 178 in this photo, and I'd like to do even better than that and take off another 20 lbs making this years goal total 40 lbs to lose.  That would put me right around 160 ish, once I get there if I choose to keep going I will, if not I'll be going into maintenance mode.

Here are the things I have learned in the past year:
*This is a process, there is no quick fix.  You didn't get unhealthy overnight so don't expect to get back to healthy that way either! It takes WORK, diligent, hard work, not just a few minuets of cardio a few times a week either. 
*Daily workouts.  Right now, I am doing 3 days of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and 3 days of cardio for 45 mins. So aim for 5-6 days a week, anything less will not give you consistent results!
*Weight training is a must kids, muscle burns fat! Weight lifting is MORE important than cardio for weight loss! If you want to burn the fat off you need to build up the muscles under it!
*You cannot out-train a bad diet! Eat to live, don't live to eat, I still struggle almost daily with this one! I love food, too much and the love affair stops here and now!
*You are going to slip up from time to time, hell, I am still recovering from the damage I did while I was nursing an injury, instead of sticking to my diet, I turned back to food for comfort and gained weight that I worked super hard to take off! But the key here is to not give up, it's a bad day, not a bad life! Even if it is a bad couple of days, stop that crap and get your butt back in gear! Never, ever  beat yourself up for screwing up, that will lead you to failure!
*Find someone, anyone to help keep you accountable! This is a really hard change to make, it would be so much harder to do alone! Even if you feel uncomfortable reaching out, know that at least I am here going through this with you and I always have an eager ear to hear! USE ME! Or find someone who will tell you to "put that cookie down and give me 20!"
*Celebrate the little things as well as the big things! So you didn't lose any weight but you lost 3" off your stomach? That is some shit to be proud of right there! Progress is progress no matter how "small."
*The scale is not your friend! I used to weigh myself every day, and then my scale broke and it is a bit liberating.  Just work out and eat better to feel better, don't let the scale rule you! Weighing yourself multiple times a day is obsessive and unhealthy and it won't help you achieve your goals! Go do some squats instead if you feel tempted, the burn you'll feel after is much better than any number on the scale!

*Remember your goals.  Keep the prize in sight when you don't feel motivated to work out or when you are tempted to eat like crap.  Does skipping a workout get you results? Does a cheeseburger? Then ask your self if you can really afford to skip the workout or eat that cupcake!

*Lower your standards of personal "perfection." Would I love to look like this:

Um, yes please! Will I ever look like this? Not with out thousands of dollars of surgery.  You know what your body is capable of, make realistic goals, like fitting into pants 4 sizes smaller or feeling confidant in a bathing suit.  Not to look like someone who has a different body than yours.  Cuz no matter what you do , you can't fight the shape God gave you, but you can sure as heck enhance that bad mother and feel like a goddess in your own skin!

Now get busy!