Dieting - What's Normal, What's Not?

When it comes to dieting, "normal" may not be the best way to be.  
Most people want to lose weight at some time in their lives, and want it to be fast and easy.  The truth about dieting is harder to swallow.  

What's "Normal"

"Who Doesn't Love a Shortcut?"

All those diets that sound too good to be true promise that:  

• You'll get an immediate sense of control.  
• Everyone will tell you how great you look. 
• You'll feel better about your body.
• You'll like yourself better.

The diet business takes advantage of people's desire for a "quick fix" to sell $40 billion worth of diet products a year.

What's TRUE

It Takes Time to Lose Weight  

People who lose weight for good do it a little at a time, over a long period.  They:

• Decide they want to change the ways they eat and move.  This is different from deciding to "lose weight".  
• Set Realistic goals.  Adding 10 minutes of activity a day is more possible than setting an unreachable weight goal.
• Reward themselves.  Appreciating small changes can be a key to make change last.
• Lose a reasonable amount (5 or 10 pounds).  Then maintain their new weight for a few months before trying to lose more.   

I, personally, decided to make a lifetime commitment.   I know it's cliche, but I am not on a diet, I changed my lifestyle altogether.  This time, I lost 65 pounds over a year by eating clean and exercising daily (I also follow a macronutrient ratio of 35% protein, 25% carbs and 40% fat because I'm a endomorph).  The best part is...it's not over.  I'm never going back to the way I ate before so hopefully, I'll be able to maintain this healthier lifestyle. 

 

What's "Normal"

"The Right Diet Is Out There"

The first diet book was published in 1864 by an English casket maker who claimed that low carbohydrates and daily alcohol were the way to shed unwanted pounds.  

Since then, fad diets have come and gone with great regularity.  Their inventors are experts at packaging.  They make it easy to believe that this time, this particular diet will really work.  

 

What's TRUE

The Diet Dilemma

Most people try to lose weight by limiting their calories, eating only one type of food, or following a rigid food plan.  They almost always gain it back because: 

• Keeping weight off takes different skills than taking it off.  
• Diets make you cranky, tired, moody, and more likely to get sick.  So people are eager to get off a diet.  
• After a diet, most people go back to the eating and activity patterns they had before. 

Trust me, I've done ALL of the fad diets.  Take a wild guess what happened when I stopped the "diet" and went back to eating "normal".  YEP!  I gained it all back and then some.  It doesn't work, never will.  You have to change your lifestyle. 

What's "Normal"

"Is Food More Trouble Than It's Worth?"

Diets can cause a love/hate relationship with food.  Eat this...don't eat that...eat less...eat more...blah, blah, blah.  But food can be a very useful tool.  

 

What's TRUE

Food Is  Friend, Not a Foe

What you eat affects how you look, function and feel.  You'll do best eating foods that contain a lot of nutrients in relation to their calories.  

 

• Eat richly colored fruits and vegetables.  They offer lots of essential nutrients and satisfy your hunger.  It's a 2 for 1 deal!
• Eat whole-grain breads, rice, cereals, and pastas.  They contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals than refined products.  
• Try nutritious food.  Add 1 or 2 new foods at a time, until you have plenty of choices as part of a healthy diet.  
• Use hunger to help you gauge when and how much to eat.  Stop eating when you're satisfied, before you feel full. 

This was the hardest part for me, but I have been able to find new, delicious foods that I LOVE by following this advice! 

 

60%

of the calories the average American 

consumes are "nutritionally empty".  

This means they come from sugar and

nonessential fats.  This leaves only

40% of total calories to supply all

the essential nutrients. 

What's "Normal"

"But Exercise Is Such a Pain"

Many fad diets don't even mention physical activity.  But using the calories you consume is an important part of managing your weight.    

 

What's TRUE

Your Body Loves to Move and Stretch

You don't have to join a gym, learn a sport or spend all your spare time working out to get the activity you need.  

•  Walk, dance, bike, swim, or do some other activity you enjoy for 30 minutes on most days of the week.  It works to go for 10 minutes, 3 times a day too!
• All activity counts.  (According to one study, even fidgeting helps!)  Walk when you talk on the phone.  Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.  Choose the farthest parking space.   
• Notice the feel of your body moving.  Enjoy the great sensations!   
• Have fun while you're moving.   If you like moving, chances are you will (and vice versa).  

Bonus Points!

Besides helping you lose weight and keep

it off, physical activity relieves common

causes of overeating.  It can lower

stress, boost mood, enhance

self-esteem and lift depression.  

Fortunately, exercising has never really been a problem for me.  I truly enjoy working out.  I also LOVE that sore feeling from working out.  To me, that's the best feeling in the world!  I've never been one to take the elevator (I trained myself to feel guilty for taking an elevator or escalator).  And, it's true when they say that exercise lowers stress and releases endorphins!

 

What's "Normal"

"I Have No Willpower"

Fad diets that don't work undermine people's confidence after a while.  People who try to lose weight this way, and fail again and again, start to think it's their fault they can't do it.   

What's TRUE

It's Possible to Feel Confident 

and Empowered About Food 

Knowing why you eat, how you eat, and what you eat can be helpful if you want to change your weight.    

• Why?  Being bored, sad, stressed or wanting to celebrate can lead to unconscious eating.  Knowing why you're eating gives you more choices.
• How?  Do you eat standing up?  Quickly?  While studying or watching TV?  Eating slowly or in smaller meals can make it easier to pay attention to what you eat. 
  
• What?  Most people who succeed in losing weight keep track of how much they eat.  You can watch serving sizes, say no to second helpings, count fat grams or calories, or stop eating when you're satisfied but before you're full.  

 

Fat Is Not a No-No

 

In the right quantities, fat is helpful, not harmful.  In fact, fat: 

• Makes you feel full longer
• Helps you absorb the nutrients in fruits and vegetables.  For example, a salad with a little oil helps you absorb more of the nutrients in the veggies.  
• Strengthens your immune system.  

Remember to: 

• Choose monounsaturated fats (Found in olives, nuts and avocados).  These fats raise HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels and are heart healthy.  
• Limit saturated fats (Found in cheese and meat).  
• Don't overdo.  The official recommendation is for fat calories to be 305 of the total number of calories you eat each day.  
• Watch out for extra sugar and calories in "low-fat" and "nonfat" snacks.  

 

I hope this is helpful for at least ONE person.  I know this was helpful for me in the beginning and it continues to aid me in my weight loss. 

 

XOXO

TMIF - August, September and October 2014

I know, I know...I was MIA yet again.  What is my damn problem?  LOL  I WILL get better at this.  I now have a Blog Planner that I made all by mythelf.  I hope this helps because I am a TRUE PROCRASTINATOR!  

But, anyway, here's my Fitness Plan for the months of August, September and October. 

I am going back to the P90X Lean Program again (I get the most results from this program).  I actually plan on starting Monday, August 4.  And, since the program is 90 days long, I won't have to do a separate TMIF for September and October. 

Here's the P90X Lean Schedule: 

 
And, in the calorie counting arena, as you may have read in my last post, I'll be using the My Fitness Pal app to log my meals/calories for August.  

I will post my preference on September 1, 2014 and that's what I will use from that point on.  

Comment if you are doing or have done P90X because I can definitely commiserate with you...it's BRU.TAL!  LOL 

XOXO

Noom Weight Loss Coach App vs. My Fitness Pal App Part I

I like to post about Health & Fitness because there is a direct link between health and the way you look.  So, my next couple posts will about dieting and my fitness plans. 

Of course I work out, but I firmly believe that 90% of losing weight has to do with what you eat.  Do you realize that it takes a helluva lot of exercise to burn 400 calories (or one meal)?  Did you know that you have to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat?  Not to mention, you can't really pay attention to the scale since you'll be gaining so much muscle from working out that much. 

Plus, exercising that much will quickly lead to burnout.  Therefore, my answer is to watch calories.  I don't pay attention to fat, carbs or anything else for that matter...just calories.  With that being said, I do pay attention to other nutritional data on foods including sugar and sodium intake.  Anyway, I stay within 1200 calories everyday and the only way I can do that successfully is with a calorie counting meal log.  For the month of July, I used Noom Weight Loss Coach which is similar to My Fitness Pal.  My plan is to use My Fitness Pal for the month of August to determine which one I like better.  I have tried My Fitness Pal in the past, but I wasn't as serious about my calories then.  Shoot, I wasn't real serious about anything back then, LOL. 

Today I will review the Noom Weight Loss Coach app for Android (the free version). 

Noom Review: 

First, this is what the app looks like on my phone - Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

Coaching

Second, I really like this app and the main reason for that is that it's more of a coach than a calorie counting app.  I really love that aspect.  "Daily tasks help you understand what to do each day to lose weight". 

And, let me tell you, if you like a challenge you'll love this app.  And, if you like to accomplish goals (who doesn't?), you'll love it even more!  Noom gives you small tasks to complete everyday which kept me coming back. I'm OCD about completing tasks, accomplishing goals and getting points!  Yes, you get points for completing tasks and those points advance you through levels.  I haven't quite figured out what you get for higher levels or why there are even points and levels for that matter, but I just like advancing, LOL.  

Con - In order to get more coaching, they want you to pay for the Pro Subscription.  It states that you can lose weight 2x faster with Pro.   It's $9.99 per month, $19.99 for 3 months or $49.99 for a year. 

Meal Logging/Calorie Counting

Noom makes meal logging pretty simple.  You can either scan the UPC on your food packaging or you can use the Noom search engine.  And, the foods you eat are saved.

Also, the app has all foods color coded using the stop light method - green, yellow and red foods.  "Color-coded logging teaches you which foods are really healthy - and which foods aren't".  You want most of your calories to come from green foods which are foods you can eat in abundance.  You'll want to be cautious with yellow foods and your red foods are to be treated as indulgences.  This is one of the main reasons I check into my app everyday because, to me, it's fun to see how many green foods I eat.  It's also eye opening - in the beginning I was eating mostly red foods that I thought were green or, at least, yellow.  I didn't even know how unhealthy I was eating until Noom told me.  .  

Con - The app is a little touchy when adding new foods, there are a few glitches including being unable to change the number of calories for new foods from 200 (it's locked at 200).

Pedometer

Noom also has a built-in pedometer feature.  The only problem I have with it is that I don't have my phone on my person at all times, so it doesn't catch every step I take.  In addition, with the pedometer being on my phone it seems to be a bit more touchy than a regular pedometer.  Sometimes, it'll count a step every time you hit a bump in the car or it'll log steps from just moving around in your handbag.  I don't really pay attention to the pedometer feature.  But, you can disable the pedometer by setting your daily step goal to 0.  

Weigh In

Of course you are asked to weigh in every week and you see a chart of your progress, but that's about it with that feature. 

Unfortunately, this is about as far as I've gotten with Noom in one month.  With the free portion, you can also view your logbook (your meals, exercise and weight log) and your history (meals you've logged each day, your weigh ins and how many goals you accomplished each day).  If you opt to go Pro, you can also join groups to motivate each other, log measurements and view recipes.  

At this point, from what I remember about My Fitness Pal, they're pretty similar.  But, I know My Fitness Pal doesn't have goals to accomplish each day and I love that about Noom.  So, I think I'd recommend Noom over My Fitness Pal. But...keep looking for my review of My Fitness Pal next month.  I can make my final call then. 

If you've tried Noom, let me know what you think in the comment section.  

XOXO

What's In My Pool Bag?

I know, I'm a little late with this, but better than never, right?  

Yep, I'm in the good ole Midwest, so it's a pool bag, not a beach bag.  :(  But, it is what it is.  I love the Midwest regardless! 

Disclaimer:  I'm definitely an over achiever, so I probably have too much in my pool bag, but I always want to be prepared.  I can also tell you that I've used EVERYTHING in my bag more than once and most things are used every time I go to the pool. 

For whatever reason I love watching YouTube videos or reading blogs about what other people pack in their pool/beach bags. I pretty much go to the subdivision pool or Hurricane Harbor (HH) every single day (from 10:30 am - 4:00 pm), so here's what I pack every day.  

• Six Flags Season Pass (for HH) or Subdivision Pool Key
• Swimsuit (not pictured)
• Flip Flops (not pictured)
• Towel
• Sunglasses
• Hawaiian Tropic (HT) Oil Free Faces Sheer Sunscreen SPF 30
• HT Dark Tanning Lotion with Sunscreen SPF 4
• HT Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion
• Urban Decay (UD) b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
• Magazines/Book 
• Water/Gatorade (not pictured)
• Makeup Bag
• Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes
• Kleenex
• Q-tips
• Hair ties
• Systane Ultra Lubricant Eye Drops
• Maybelline Baby Lips Sunscreen SPF 20 Lip Balm
• Tampons
• Contact Solution
• Deodorant (not pictured)
• Biolage Fortifying Leave-in Treatment
• Comb 
• Waterproof radio
• Cell Phone in waterproof container

First and foremost, I keep my Six Flags Season Pass or Subdivision Pool key in the front pocket of my pool bag.  Naturally, you're gonna need a swimsuit, flip flops, towel and sunglasses.  But, the most important thing is your sunscreen!  I am a huge fan of all Hawaiian Tropic products (obviously).  They seem to work wonders for me.  I use the HT Oil Free Faces Sheer Sunscreen for my face (blatantly obvious) and for my shoulders.  Then, on my stomach/back, legs and arms, I use the HT Dark Tanning Lotion.  I prefer lotion over oil because oil just plain makes me feel icky!  Seeing as how we usually go to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, I use the HT Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion right before I change into my clothes to go ride roller coasters.  I love this stuff!  Unlike other aloe gel/lotions, you can't even feel it on your skin.  It doesn't feel thick and grimy...and it really takes the heat out of your skin.  Again, I love it!  Throughout the day, to refresh, I spritz my face with the UD b6 Prep Spray.  That's my skincare for pool days.  I also bring along some of my Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes to remove any makeup or just to cleanse my face after lying in the sun all day.  

To avoid complete and utter boredom, I bring magazines or a book to read.  Next, I always bring one large bottle of Smart Water and one bottle of Gatorade to stay hydrated all day.  This actually gets me through the day. 

I always include a makeup bag with some small necessities.  Kleenex because I'm the queen of allergies in this allergy-ridden city and my nose constantly runs while I'm at the pool.  Q-tips to soak up water in my ears (no, I don't shove the thing all the way down my ear canal LOL).  I usually have hair ties with me at all times...and I mean ALL TIMES.  Since I wear contacts, I always need eye rewetting/lubricant drops.  I went without those drops once and let me tell you...OUCH!!  It felt like glass shards were in my eyes.  Nope.  Next, let's talk about lips.  I don't know about you, but my lips always get chapped when I'm out in the sun...hence the Baby Lips Sunscreen Lip Balm.  I adore Baby Lips (all of them) and I especially love the Sunscreen Lip Balm.  It is so sheer but hydrating at the same time.  Can't live without.  Of course, I keep at least two tampons with me for emergency situations.  :)  

Finally, we have contact solution in case my contacts fall out (trust me, it's happened); deodorant for obvious reasons; Biolage Fortifying Leave-in Treatment because my hair becomes uber knotty after being in chlorine all day and a comb to comb it through (this leaves my hair soft and smooth for the rest of the day); a waterproof radio to help combat boredom after I'm sick of reading for the day and last but not least, my lifeline - my cell phone.  

I know, I probably over pack seeing as how my shoulder kills me after walking all the way to the pool or water park, but eh.  I seriously use all of this stuff. 

I hope this helps you pack your bag.  

XOXO

Ulta Haul

Happy Saturday peeps!  Because it is entirely too hot for me to hang out outside all day while the hubby is power-washing the fence, I decided to post my little, itsy bitsy, Ulta haul (with a few necessities from Wal*Mart).  I know this is a sensitive subject because for some reason when you post hauls people assume you are bragging.  But, whatever, I'm not (trust me, I don't have anything to brag about).  The main reason I post hauls is because I love watching others' YouTube videos or blog posts about their hauls.  Yes, I stalk.  :)  Do you like hauls?  Let me know in the comment section below.  

Ok, so the whole reason I went to Ulta yesterday is because they were having the sale on jumbo shampoos and conditioners.  Kenra jumbo was $15.99.  So, I headed to the store with the intent of just buying shampoo and conditioner...oh who the hell am I kidding?  Who goes to Ulta with the intent of just buying shampoo and conditioner?  Definitely not this girl.  I think I was actually using this sale as an excuse to head on over because I normally have my mom (a licensed cosmetologist) go to State Beauty Supply and buy everything at cost.  So...anyway.  Here we go. 

  
Products Purchased at Ulta: 

1. Kenra Color Maintenance Shampoo (33.8 fl. oz./Liter) (FWP:  free pump)
2. Kenra Color Maintenance Conditioner (33.8 fl. oz./Liter) (FWP:  free pump)
3. Urban Decay b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray (4.0 fl. oz.)
4. Urban Decay Electric Palette
5.  Smashbox Full Exposure (Bonus: Full Exposure Mascara)
6. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Refill
7. OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Onyx

 Free Samples from Ulta: 

1. bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara
2. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product

Products Purchased at Wal*Mart

1. Olay Daily Moisture Body Wash (23.6 fl. oz.)
2. Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer in Sugar Cube
3. Swisspers 100% Cotton Rounds

Ulta 1 & 2 - Kenra Color Maintenance Shampoo & Conditioner:

This is the exact reason I originally headed to Ulta yesterday.  I have loved Kenra products since the days of old...OK, so maybe just since the 90's, but that's the olden days to me now.  :)  I try to mix up my shampoo/conditioner brands every time I buy new.  I feel like my hair starts to "get used" to a certain product or brand and starts to act yucky.  It starts feeling weighed down, stringy and just plain ugly.  So, my last purchase was Biolage and this time it's Kenra.  You'll learn one thing about me, I buy hair products based on fragrance alone.  I know, probably not the smartest reason, but that's me.  And, let's just face it, Kenra smells awesome!!  Am I right?  Anyway, the Color Maintenance Shampoo is supposed to be a "gentle formula to help preserve color" according to the bottle.  The Color Maintenance Conditioner is a "silk protein conditioner for color-treated hair".  I love this conditioner because my hair is so dry and damaged from coloring and highlighting and Kenra makes my hair shinier, softer and stronger. Agh!  I forgot to mention the free pump with any jumbo purchase.  Even though the pumps are only $3, I felt like I was getting away with something, LOL. 

Ulta 3 -  Urban Decay b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray:
  
By Skindinavia

"Give your skin a quick hit of vitamins and calm a multitude of sins".  This prep spray is supposed to reduce redness, minimize pores and absorb oil.  To Use:  "Shake well.  Apply to clean skin before moisturizer or makeup.  Hold bottle 8"-10" away and mist face several times.  Can also be used anytime to refresh skin or at night before your treatment."  Honestly, I didn't even know I wanted this until I was staring at it.  Especially during the summer, I'm always looking for ways to feel refreshed or cooler.  I figured I'd try this mainly at night before my moisturizer but also in the morning before my lotion and makeup.  I tried it last night.  I washed my face and then misted with the b6.  My face felt soooo clean!  I loved it so much that I almost didn't want to bother putting my moisturizer on, but I made myself  :)  And, I know it's just a spray, but my skin felt so smooth and soft after spraying this.  You have to try it, seriously, have to!

Ulta 4 -  Urban Decay Electric Palette:

 Ok, I have wanted this palette for a few months now, well, since it came out.  I know...odd coming from an ultra conservative girl like me.  I mean, my mom took one look at it and said, "are you crazy?"  But, there's so much you can do with these colors!  Honestly!  Look at the colors on my hand!



Imagine these shades with brown eyes!  Or Blue...or green!  Agh!  And, to top it off, the colors have really cool names!  The colors are: Top (from left to right) - Revolt, Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe and Bottom (from left to right) - Chaos, Jilted, Urban, Freak, Thrash.  I can't even pick a favorite yet, but I really do like Slowburn, Fringe, and Jilted so far.  Does anyone have this palette?  Don't you love it?  Did I mention that it comes with an awesome UD double-ended brush?  It does!  I know, I'm totally geekin' out, but come on!  Can you blame me?  Love, love, love!  Ok, calming down.  I will do a demo with this palette this week and show you.  I haven't had much time to play with it yet, but I will! 

Ulta 5 -  Smashbox Full Exposure Palette: 

I happened upon this palette and I think it's gorgeous!  Definitely plays up to my little subtle ways as evidenced by the color swatches on my hand.  But for real, you can do so much with these neutral colors including a day or night look or even an awesome smoky eye...right????  These are also really awesome shades for any eye shape.  Smashbox includes a "Get the Looks for Your Eye Shape" pamphlet.  It tells you the best day, night and defined look for each eye shape including the steps to achieve that look. 

 The top row includes seven shimmer shades and the bottom row includes seven matte shades.  Also included is a double-ended brush - one side for shimmer and the other for matte.  I don't believe you can go wrong with this palette.  As with the Electric palette, I'll do a review and demo using Full Exposure this coming week.  In the demo I'll include a demo of the Full Exposure Mascara that served as a bonus to this palette.  I'm pretty excited to demo this for you...I can't wait.  I'm gonna have a fun week!  Yay!!





Ulta 6 -  Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Refill: 

These are my absolute favorite makeup remover towelettes.  They remove eye makeup in a jiffy!  I use these every single night along with my Aveeno Foaming Cleanser.  


Ulta 7 -  OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Onyx:

Don't ask...even I don't know why I'm buying black polish in the dead of summer.  All I can say is...I needed it.  Plus, I love OPI polish and you can't have enough.  And, I think it's funny that this polish is so black that you can't even see the OPI "logo" on the front of the bottle.  Yes, I'm easily entertained.   

Ulta Free Sample 1 - bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara:

Oh how I love free samples!  Then, you add the fact that it's a free sample of some type of cosmetic and I get all giddy!  I haven't tried this mascara yet, honestly, I don't do much with bareMinerals.  But, I will certainly try this.  The little card it came in said, "exclusive protwitst 180 degree wand:  spiraled 180 degrees to curve around lashes & coat from all angles".  And, there are "allegedly" 10 last benefits in this one mascara.  Who knows?  I'll find out though.  ;)  Those benefits are said to include:  volumizes, lengthens, thickens, separates, lifts, all-day wear, mineral fortified, smudge-resistant, resists clumps and fights flakes.  Ok, well, some time this upcoming week, I'll do a demo with ALL of these products and we'll see what happens.

Ulta Free Sample 2 - It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product :

Again, a free sample!  The salesgirl at Ulta said that this was her favorite leave-in product, so I'll have to see.  She also told me to just shampoo and condition my hair, towel dry and then spray this all through my hair and comb through.  Granted, that's exactly what it says on the back of the bottle.  Anyway, she said that it doesn't weigh your hair down, etc.  So, again, I'll have to see.  I mean, it does say "miracle leave-in product", right?  LMAO.  

  

Wal*Mart 1 - Olay Daily Moisture Body Wash:

Just like my shampoo/conditioner, I change it up with body wash all the time too.  This time it's Olay.  It doesn't list a fragrance on the bottle, but damn does it smell yummy!  I picked this one because it says there's "1 jar of moisturizer inside".  Who knows if that'll make a difference or not, but I figured I could use any additional moisturizing help during the summer.  Olay claims that this body wash visibly replenishes moisture in just one shower.  I'll be sure to let you know tomorrow if that's really the case or not.  :)  

Wal*Mart 2 - Salon Perfect Professional Nail Lacquer in Sugar Cube:

 

Yeah, again with the nail polish, I don't know...I just needed some white polish.  LOL.  This stuff seems to work the best for me.  After just two coats, it's thick and not at all sheer (I hate that with white or neutral polishes).  As with everything else in this post, I'll do a demo for you.  I promise.  


Wal*Mart 3 - Swisspers 100% Cotton Rounds :

  
Simply put, I adore these buggers!  I ran out and just needed some more.  I use them for pretty much everything.  Makeup, cleansers, toners, nail polish remover, etc.  I love the lint-free aspect.  That's it.  Don't know what else I can say about these except that they are a beauty must!  

Alrighty then!  That's all I got chicas.  I hope you enjoyed this haul.  If you have any of the products posted, please leave a comment below (or mini review).  Thanks for readin'!  

XOXO

This Month in Fitness (TMIF)

Ok, I admit, I was MIA for the entire week surrounding the 4th and I just started this blog!  My apologies, so sorry.  But, I was having good times.  

Anyway, I started a new workout routine for the month of July.  I usually mix things up each month (to keep my body guessing) unless I'm doing 90 days of P90X or 60 days of Insanity.  So, without further ado, I'm doing the following: 

AND...on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I also do this: 

 

For the record, I am NOT a runner, I do not like doing anything even remotely close to running and that definitely includes jogging...so this is a big deal for me.  Also, I increased the incline on this...I do 3.5 on the incline.  

XOXO