Happy Saturday gals and sorry this post didn’t go up last night. I was exhausted so I decided to veg on the couch for the first time in six months and ended up watching Cupcake Wars to unplug. Have y’all ever seen that? Ridge started getting into it once I turned it on…and then left to get Little Debbie cakes halfway through bc he said it was making him hungry, haha.
I thought I’d do a different post tonight to answer a question y’all ask me a lot, which is “How do you stay fit?” My hope is by sharing what’s worked for me I can provide you with a few fast and easy ideas to implement in your own routine.
I haven’t always been in the shape I’m in now (though I’m still not where I ultimately want to be) and staying fit is not something that’s ever come easy for me (I shared my struggles with weight in this post). Not a single person in my family is naturally lean, but if you’re like me and the genetics aren’t in your favor, take heart- it’s still totally possible to keep in shape without starving yourself or spending massive amounts of time at the gym!
Here’s what’s made all the difference for me:
- “Budget” to work out a set number of times a week. I like to think of it as the equivalent of a grocery budget, but in reverse. For my grocery budget, there’s a specific dollar amount I give myself to spend each month based on what’s realistic for our family. I can spend 75% of the budget the first two weeks if I want, but then I have to tighten up on the back half. Similarly for working out, I tell myself I have to go at least three times between each Sunday and Saturday. I try to get ahead by squeezing in two sessions at the beginning of each week, but if I have to travel they might get stacked on the back half. As long as I hit my three though, I’m happy. Thinking this way has helped SO much- I no longer feel guilty the nights I don’t work out and it’s majorly helped with staying consistent.
(you can probably tell from this pic…Juliana was OBSESSED with my water bottle!) - Find a workout you love that gets results in less time. For me, that workout is Pure Barre. I started Pure Barre in late 2015 when I was still struggling to lose the baby weight from Juliana. Pure Barre uses tiny isometric movements, working with a ballet barre (hence the name!) to target and tone the muscle groups women struggle with most. It’s a tough workout but so effective! I love that each class works all muscle groups so I get a full body workout every time, and the music + the fact each class is different makes it fun. A recent addition to Pure Barre is the Pure Empower class. It’s my new fave!! First, the class is only 45 minutes (normal Pure Barre is 55 minutes). Second, it’s a high intensity, high cardio class that reaaallly amps up the calorie burn. One week I somehow managed to make it to four of these classes and I felt stronger and looked noticeably trimmer by the end of the week. I’m addicted to this class…it’s so so good! For the last year I’ve been going to Pure Barre Spartanburg. Kelly is the studio owner and she is amazing, as is each teacher and I love how I’ve become part of such a fun little community. If you live in the Greenville/Spartanburg area, I can’t recommend Kelly’s studio enough. (If you don’t but are interested in Pure Barre, you can find a studio near you here.) When I can’t make it to barre I’ll go running or occasionally do a virtual Pure Barre class a la You Tube. Pure Barre offers streaming videos which are a fantastic way to bring the barre home, but due to work travel You Tube has worked best for me.
- Keep healthy, convenient foods around. I noticed earlier this year if I bought whole carrots or a whole cantaloupe, as embarrasing as it is to admit, they’d sit in the fridge and go bad while I snacked on something processed. If, however, I got pre-washed baby carrots and pre-cut cantaloupe I ALWAYS ate them. Once I figured out this subconsious pattern, I started buying lots of convenient fresh foods at the store and this helped me eat better. Also, with life being as hectic as it is, I try to stock ingredients for quick but healthy lunches. Avocado toast is one of my favorites (hence the tee)…there are a million AT recipes online so I feel like it never gets old. (Wow, I’m such a milennial 😉 .)
glitter water bottle (y’all how cool for a Christmas gift?) // “avocado toast” tee (I’m normally an S but wearing an M in this)// white moto leggings (Alo Yoga is my favorite brand for workout leggings. I have another pair I’ve washed at least 60 times that still looks new) // pink hoodie // sneakers - Don’t beat yourself up when you get off track. The other day I ate badly (bagel and scone for breakfast, pizza and cheesy sandwich for lunch, several Christmas cookies post dinner). My instinct was to beat myself up (that little voice in my head started chirping “you’re never going to reach your goals eating like that“) but instead I told myself it was ok as long as most days I eat (relatively) well.
I wish I had breakthrough “hacks” to share, but I think fitness is a matter of making good decisions day to day. It starts with a commitment we make to ourselves because we know we’ll look and feel better because of it. Besides helping me stay in shape, working out and eating (fairly) well has helped me sleep better, have more energy, and feel less stressed…all just as important in my book!
Oh, and if you have cute workout gear it definitely provides a little extra motivation, imo :).
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Below are few other workout pieces I really love. Most would work well for a variety of activities- barre, gym, running, etc.