New Challenges...

and new determination!  Thankfully I'm still trucking along.  Still eating healthy (or at least 90% of the time) Yes there are days that I go overboard, but I've learned that one day every now and then is not going to get me off my journey. 

I'm not going to lie - I'm liking the new me. It's great feeling going into a store and seeing cute clothes and knowing that a size 14 (and even some 12's) are going to fit you!  That has gave me the motivation to up my exercising - still doing my cardio five days a week, but to add more strength training.  No not weights at the gym, but I do hope to get enough courage to join a gym one day.  But for now I work out with my resistance bands, do my squats and use small 8lb hand weights.  Sure it doesn't look like much... but my goal is to get in a routine for 30 days.  After all consistency does pay off.

We have a family vacation July 20th - 27th. and I hope to lose 5lbs by then.  Currently at 197!! Oh I'd love to lose more... but I'm trying to be realistic!

My advice to anyone wanting to change their lifestyle - GET THE MINDSET THAT YOU ARE WORTH THIS CHANGE AND DOING IT FOR YOURSELF - sure we all see skinny ladies and think oh I'd love to look like that.  But the feeling you get when you see your body change right before your eyes is amazing, when you realize all YOUR hard work is paying off. 

Squats - I do them literally through out the day - in the mornings before I get dressed, when I go to the bathroom at work.... very seldomly do I do them all at once

Standing crunches - stand tall w/ resistance band stretched behind your back (or just your arms behind your head) and raise your knee up to the side and bend until knees & elbow meet.  Believe me it really works on the love handles (aka muffin top)

Front rows & Pole rockies - Yes I made those names up, wasn't sure what they were called.  But hey they are toning my arms and getting rid of the back fat so they work! Take resistance band and wrap around pole (I have spiral stairs so works fine, probably could hook around door knob)
       Front rows - wrap band around pole stretch far back and hold your core (stomach in) and row like in olypics row boat ) both arms at same time
       Pole rockies - wrap band around pole BUT turn around (back facing the the pole and band) and now stretch band out in front of you... this helps the back fat!

Crunches w/resistance band - lying on the floor, hook the band around your feet and do crunches, I try to raise up until I'm sitting in a V and hold for 5-10 seconds. Sure hoping this helps flatten the tummy a little