Why Workout?

I still have not created or started a workout regimen.

If you knew me…well you wouldn't be surprised. When I said I didn't like to workout, I really meant it. I wasn't kidding around.

This is why I have such an issue with fitness…I really have motivation issues. I should say I have issues with taking my motivation and running with it. Literally and figuratively.

I decided I need to write out my reasons for wanting to workout, for wanting to get fit and in shape…I'm a big list person. I love lists. It's silly, but I do. Deal.

So…why work out?

1. Skin: I recently read that working out may be one of the best things for your skin. This is something I know, and yet choose to ignore. Which is ironic given the fact that in the last two years my skin has been worse than any other time in my 24 years. Exercise improves circulation, and it controls the effects that stress has on our skin. Cortisol surges from tension and it can weaken our skin's barrier…aka workout! It will balance out the stress effects with endorphins.

2. Attitude: It can be so easy to take hold of all the junk going on in our lives…working out may be our best bet to reverse the affects of a bad attitude after a long day!

3. Outlook: Oh my goodness this should be one of my biggest motivations! I totally let so much affect the way I see the rest of the day and how I treat the people around me. Stress, tension…all of that could be relieved by a little bit of cardio. And hey, like Elle Woods says, "Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands." We may not be worried about committing murder, but happiness and positivity should definitely be an aim to have in our lives!

4. Hot Bod: I mean come on…this is self-explanatory. A hot bod is like a MAJOR bonus for working out for health reasons. Be healthy, be hot. Should I say more?

5. Health: This one should be number one…as in number one priority. We should workout first and foremost simply to be healthy. We gotta take care of ourselves…our bodies are a temple! This is my biggest problem. I'm lazy, and that isn't very honoring to God…I'm not at all taking care of the body he gave me. Oof.

What other things motivate you to workout??

xoxo,

       S

Wedding Woes

I know people say wedding planning can be stressful…but OH MY GOSH.

I love planning. I absolutely thrive off of details, and lists, and meetings and such. But oh my goodness I have never been so utterly overwhelmed in my life.

I had a mini breakdown last week. Hence the lack of posting. My b!

Things are fine…it was mostly just little thing after the next. My fiancé and I know like eight people getting married this summer and working around dates has been so difficult and frustrating. Then finding a venue has been hard because my budget was too small to allow any room to be flexible…so I had to adjust that, which is fine but I'm not exactly a millionaire over here and neither are my parents.

We figured out a venue. And then looking at our guest list I didn't know how in the world we were going to condense it and narrow it down to the maximum that our venue can hold.

All in all last week was a little overwhelming.

Thank goodness I have a wonderful fiancé and supportive friends and wonderful parents who are helping us out a lot.

Lesson learned: DON'T LET THE WEDDING BECOME BIGGER THAN THE PERSON YOU ARE GOING TO MARRY.

That's so easy to do…getting caught up in the details, and the cost, and the overwhelming amount of steps to check off one by one.

Last night I realized that I'm getting married. To the love of my life and my best friend. The wedding will be wonderful, because it will be celebrating our marriage, our life together and the creator of this Earth!

Marriage is a gift. I won't take it for granted.

Suja: Juice Cleanse

So one thing I've been semi-proud of myself for lately is my eating habits.

Don't get me wrong, I don't ALWAYS eat healthy. I have a small addiction to chocolate, popcorn, wine, and COFEE. oof.

But I do feel that in the past few months when it comes down to it I've been sticking to fruits and veggies, tuna, nuts and then eating everything else in moderation. That was the hardest part. But in the last year my appetite is not as huge as it was before…maybe all of these good habits made my stomach go back to normal. I used to PIG OUT. Thank God for a good metabolism.

With all of that being said, I wanna up my game and do even better. Not only that, but make legit MEALS for dinner rather than snacking. I blame always being in a rush and busy. But now things will slow down for a bit. Until it's close to WEDDING TIME. Eek.

So to start off right, I've been considering doing a juice cleanse. The only thing is, I want to actually get NUTRIENTS from a cleanse and fill up on what I'm eating/drinking. I don't want to starve myself. That would just be dumb. And I want it to detox my body while still giving me all the nutrients I need.

I keep hearing things about Suja's juice cleanse. Basically, you buy it in a 1-day, 3-day, or 5-day set, and they send it straight to you.

The best part about this, is that my laziness can't interfere, because it will all already be made for me! That is the best part of it all. Along with the cleanse part…ha!

I am thinking of doing a 3-day cleanse. But I'm going to research a bit more before I take the plunge, because it will cost me a bit to do it, especially with shipping costs.

Some facts…all of the drinks are:

• Vegan
• Kosher Certified
• Organic
• Dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free

Anyone else ever done this cleanse? Any other HEALTHY cleanses you know of?

xoxo,
        S

**all photos are from Suja's website! No credit to me whatsoever.

Workout Schedule..what works for you?

So because I hate to workout I have to make plans and a regimen to get it done.

I'm VERY type A. I love lists. I love organization. And I love to make plans.

I've been doing some research on working out. One major thing that caught my eye…

your body, and the habits you create in your twenties, are a good indicator of what your future body and habits are going to look like.

Aka I need to get my butt into gear and get some good habits! I do like my body. I just want to be toned. It's the laziness I need to get rid of. Ain't nobody got time for that!

So while I feel that running is going to be the key to burning fat and flattening my stomach (HELLO CARDIO!), I also really want to start doing some weight training each week…just free weights. Nothing crazy. So how often should we work out specific areas of our body in a week?

Well, there are tons of plans out there. But most of them say depending on what your goals are, you should work out each area one time, two times, or three times a week.

For example, I have chosen to work out each area of my body more often than not…I will work out the specific area every five days.

Here is what I'm talking about…and no I didn't make this plan. I liked it, and so I'm going to make my own!

So along with doing these exercises, I will try and get some cardio in as well.

I also read that a good habit to get into is doing weights for at least as long as you have done cardio. So if I run for twenty minutes, then I'm going to lift weight for twenty minutes.

Let me be clear…I am NOT an expert. And hey…I could be wrong about everything I just wrote here. This blog is just a place to get my thoughts out, to keep myself accountable, and I clearly have made this very public so I can get advice, opinions and tips from YOU fine people :)

This plan, though really great, is a little difficult for me because of my work schedule. SO I will be tweaking it a bit. But this is a general idea of what I want to go for. Obviously I won't be perfect at it. And I KNOW I'm going to miss days occasionally. But that's life. And I'm just starting out!

Positive attitude. That's my main focus.

And of course not doing anything with my body that I can't handle! Don't wanna hurt myself!

What kind of workout schedule works for you?

xoxo,

    s

Everest

Working out is my Everest.

I hate working out.

Which makes things difficult when I want to get fit and toned and HELLO hot hot hot….for my honeymoon.

I have never been naked in front of a man. I have never seen a man butt naked right in front of my eyes. Because, I'm a virgin.

No, I'm not crazy. No, I'm not Mormon. Actually, I'm a Christian. I am a 23 year old virgin that is saved and sold out for God.

I decided long ago that I was going to wait until marriage to have sex. Although many may disagree (and many will agree) sex is meant to be had in marriage, the way God created it. I know these days that does make me sound nuts. But whatever you think reading this, waiting was my choice, and I wanted to honor God with my body and in all my relationships. But the big day is only a few months away.

Let me tell you that I am EXCITED.

Like I want to jump up and down screaming.

Because not only do I get to marry my best friend and the love of my life, but I get to partake in one of the most beautiful things God has ever created. Sex is a gift, and I can't wait to enjoy it! Especially with my hubby.

With that being said…I hate working out. I really do. I don't enjoy it. The idea of running literally sounds like straight torture.

But it's been awhile since I got serious about taking care of my body. I was a dancer in high school, I was alright about working out in college, but I wasn't serious about it. And while I could get away with my eating habits and not working out (thank God for good genes) I don't want to skate by on it.

I read somewhere that your body in your 20's is going to be a good indicator for what your body will be like longterm. Yikes.

Now let me get something straight. I don't think I'm fat. I don't even think I'm overweight. Most days I'm totally fine with my body. But then there are those days that make me want to cry…I blame the shark attack on my ovaries once a month.

But in the end it all comes down to doing this for me, doing it to honor God because he didn't give me a body to just totally destroy and stuff with junk all the time…and of course to give my hubby something good to look at. I know it's not all about looks, and I know my fiancé loves me and that includes every part of my body (even the parts he hasn't seen!). But I want to look hot for him. It's as simple as that.

And NO. There is nothing wrong with a wife wanting to look sexy for her husband.

If you think there is…you might want to do a serious study on Song of Songs…just saying.

I will be posting my progress, my workouts, food stuff, tips, inspiration…and if I'm feeling brave maybe a picture or two of myself.

Let's face it, as a lazy girl and a girl who wants badly to not be lazy…I'm going to need all of the motivation I can get.

One last thing before I go…

I know there is a good chance that girls who have body image issues may come across my blog. I want to make it very clear that this is not a thinspiration kind of blog. I don't advocate starving yourself or working out to the point of exhaustion. (I hate working out…soooo) I say this with all the love in my heart…but if you are one of those girls, get help. We all have our stuff. And just so you don't think I'm all self-righteous and high and mighty…I have issues too.

Body image is not one of them, but I do have forgiveness issues and lots of baggage because of my parents divorce. I see someone about it. And I can definitely say it is one of the best things I have ever done and the healthiest things too. It may not have been a physical issue but it was a heart issue. And those usually lead to bigger issues as well. We all need a little help sometimes. There is nothing wrong with that. But thinking you are fat when you're not is a problem.

God created you which makes you beautiful.

If you get anything from this blog I hope you at least remember that.

xoxo,
     S