My proud moment and tips to have yours!

I am very proud today. My stomach has always been my trouble spot. I have been dedicated to fitness for years now, working out every day and sometimes twice. Discouraged, losing hope, and feeling down on myself, I stopped blogging last year. My mindset was "if I can't have the body, who am I to tell others how to?" Well, I am blogging again, and although I am still a work in progress I am finally starting to see results.

Few months apart

With that, I will share my biggest secrets. The five key things that kicked my fitness habit from routine into transformation.

1. Switch up your routine - I was waking up every morning and doing cardio and then lifting with kettle-bells and free weights and could not understand why I was not seeing results. This was until my fiance took me to the gym with him. He showed me machines to target different muscle groups daily. Now I actually have a schedule- a chest day, a leg day, an arms day, an ab day, all with a cardio finish. What can I say? He was right.... (ugh)
2. Stay away from label gimmicks - Anything claiming "low fat" "low sugar" just uses harmful alternatives. Stop worrying about your calorie intake, and start worrying about what you put into your body. A handful of carrots will always be better than a handful of chips, this seems obvious. But an unflavored 140 calorie greek yogurt sprinkled with fresh cinnamon or honey and your own fruit is actually better for you than that 70 calorie "low fat" yogurt. I know, it's hard to believe. But when you start seeing the change, you'll agree.
3. Cut the late night snacking- Living with a fiance that is trying to GAIN weight is tough. Surrounded by frozen pizzas, chips, and junk food. I made a decision to eat my dinner early, have a satisfying dessert (Yes, go for the icecream!) and then call it a night in the kitchen. Having a dense dessert keeps me from snacking, and also keeps me satisfied.
4. Pack your lunch: Is it Pizza Day again at the office? "Good for them, not for me" is my motto. You do not need to reward yourself with food, and you should never feel guilty for turning down the pizza. Pack your lunch, and your snacks. You'll save money, you'll save calories, you'll save guilt. I will follow this up with a whole blog post on healthy eating in the workplace.
5. Ditch the booze.. or at least the chaser: This is last because it's always my biggest challenge. When people tell me "I know I really need to cut out alcohol, so I am going to stop drinking for a month" I always advise against this, because I see the same outcome every time. The day their "alcohol free" month stops is the day they go our binge drinking cosmos with their girlfriends. Instead, keep it in moderation.