for a lot of girls, it's that time of the year once again.
you know what I'm talking about.
it's the end of March, and swimsuit season is sneaking up on us.
after this eternal winter, you feel like you're coming out of hibernation, and you don't like your body in that bikini.
unfortunately, this isn't going to be a post about how I got a six-pack in two weeks, by only following this program, or drinking this detox.
nope.
so here's what this is actually going to be - today I'm going to tell you how I learned to try to feel confident in my body.
with literally millions of posts, and programs, and exercise routines, you can get overwhelmed fast, and you feel like giving up.
DON'T
that's what happened to me. I gathered tons of magical exercises and quick-fixes, and, like an idiot, expected them to work flawlessly.
it doesn't work like that. but, enough rambling. I'm going to tell you what worked for me.
Exercise - like I've said, there really are no quick-fixes. I know, it saddens me, too. but first thing's first, you got to exercise. no, you don't have to be a gym junkie, but you know what I'm about to tell you.
get. up.
I usually try to go by this schedule.
but routine isn't really my thing, so it's more of a guideline.
Cardio: due to practice, I can accomplish about 3 miles in my 30 minutes of cardio. keep at your own pace, train more, and you'll get it.
I don't always run, because sometimes it simply gets boring. but to fill my 30 minutes, I'll do HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. they burn quite of bit of calories and they're different.
on 15-minute cardio days, I'll either go for a short run, do a short HIIT, or I'll go run intervals; they burn fat really quick.
other things you can do are biking, walking your dog, jump ropes, swimming, hiking - all of which I love.
Abs: there are many existing ab workouts and I've tried a lot of them.
one of my definite favorites, is the plank. I'm sure you've probably seen this move before, and if you've never tried it, it's harder than it looks! start out holding the position for 20 seconds and add seconds every time you do one.
more of my favorites that I can actually feel are bicycle crunches, abdominal holds, and side planks.
Legs & Butt: cardio exercises help tone your legs like no other.
one of my main problems is my thighs. I've found it harder to tone my inner thighs than anything. but what's working best for me, is squats, wall sits, leg lifts, and lunges. running helps you get thinner thighs, too.
I haven't tried many butt exercises, mainly because squats work so well. lunges work, too, but squats are my favorite, and you see results fast.
Arms: I actually love weight training. feeling strong is an amazing feeling. it's not just for guys, either. my favorites with weights are: curls, flies, and reverse flies. push-ups and tricep-dips are awesome if you don't have weights. wall push-ups are a bit easier, and if you do them everyday, you'll easily be able to do regular push-ups.
Diet - I like food. a lot. I'm guessing most of us are fans of it, too. luckily, I like healthy food as well. so why am I still eating junk?
because it's convenient. that's why. it's easier for me to eat a Pop Tart in the morning than prepare a meal to keep me full. it's easier to buy fries at lunch. it's much easier for me to get a McFlurry after school, than go home and make a perfect smoothie.
but we gotta get that out of our heads!
you always hear stuff about diets, but I don't like thinking that I am young and should diet. then I would hear, "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle". what I am hearing is that basically, it's a diet that's going to last a lifetime. no way.
you've probably heard of it it, but there's this thing called the 80/20 rule. you eat 80% clean and indulge 20% of the time.
it sounds worse than it seems, but I've done the math.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say we eat 4 times a day. that's 28 meals in a week. so you eat 23 healthy meals. ew. but that leaves you 5 meals {McFlurries} a week.
try to plan around that. when I'm with the girls, we usually have our traditional pizza/fried chicken/ice cream night. so, if I know that we're hanging out Friday night, I'll eat a healthy breakfast and lunch.
you need to eat when you're hungry.
well, duh.
I mean, don't eat it just because it's available. I have a really bad habit of that. if you're not sure if you're hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait a little while. eat something if you're still hungry. sometimes, I'll have a craving for a food, when I'm just dehydrated and I don't realize it.
when you're craving something, it doesn't mean that it's what you need. try to find a healthy alternative.
replace the bad food in your house, with healthier foods.
trust me, once you start eating healthy, you won't crave unhealthy things much more. I wanted grapes and blueberries when the family had pizza. it's true.
I don't really pay attention to labels of processed foods that say they're only ____ calories.
to me, clean and healthy is not processed. it's straight up fruits, vegetables, and meat.
I'll have a green smoothie for breakfast. green smoothies consist of fruits and greens such as spinach and kale.
do I hate spinach? yeah, pretty much.
do I drink it? you betcha.
spinach and kale don't have overpowering tastes, that's why you can blend them with fruit and you won't taste it. spinach is really healthy. it gives you loads of energy, too.
for lunch I'll usually have fruit, nuts, and sometimes a wrap.
I'll snack in the morning and after school. my favorites are: apples, bananas and peanut butter, blueberries, grapes (usually frozen), dark chocolate, and almonds.
don't get fooled. know your stuff. yeah, that fast-food smoothie might be healthier than that milkshake, but are you really saving that many calories? and no,I'm not recommending you take the shake. just because you're eating healthy, doesn't mean you should eat a lot. eat what you need to. you'll notice the difference.
eat like you love your body more than your taste buds. you won't be showing them off in a few months.
Motivation - I get unmotivated so easily. quote after quote, but nothing that actually makes me want to get up. It's worst when I haven't exercised in a week and eaten junk - like after a vacation. Maybe it's just me, but when I feel fat, it doesn't motivate me. even looking at super-fit girls doesn't get me going. and I have no idea why.
but here's what does work:
- pressure - seeing countdowns until summer makes me realize that I don't have time for set-backs.
- imagining success - imaging the "dang!" when they see my abs
- new workout clothes - it actually makes me can't wait to try them out
- music - I really can't even imagine lifting weights without my training tunes
- stress - exercise heals my crazy mind
- getting mad at myself - you're too soft. what is wrong with you? get up.
- knowing that other people can do it - after watching the Olympics and The Hunger Games, I want to be a beast.
- seeing how far I've came - seeing improvement. going longer, faster, harder than yesterday. it makes me realize that I'm so far, I can't loose it all.
don't try to tell yourself that you don't have time. get up earlier, make it happen. you know that it's worth it. you will fall back and have trouble. but keep going. you're already in pain, so get some reward from it. you got this.
remember that this is what worked for me. I'm not guaranteeing results, but I'm not being fake, either. if you have any questions about exercises, eating, motivation, or anything else, please don't hesitate to ask
