a fitness update (and i talk numbers!)

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I guess I've kind of opened Pandora's box on the whole fitness bit because once I broke down and wrote my first fitness post, now I feel a bit compelled to share my progress with you guys.

When we last left off I was pretty bummed that my three months of hard work wasn't appearing to pay off. I felt like I was making a ton of sacrifices and the return wasn't really turning out to be worth the lackluster life of no Diet Coke and chicken and veggies for every meal (did I mention this was BRUTAL in the beginning?)

I really thought about throwing in the towel and just going back to eating mac n' cheese, cupcakes and french fries (the three basic food groups, of course.) I had almost convinced myself that my body just wasn't capable of losing weight. (Don't we always do that? Find a way to blame external factors for our own unwillingness to put in hard work?) But thank goodness there was this little voice in my head saying, Stop making excuses. You know you're just not working hard enough and you're not being patient.

So yes, I had made a lot of sacrifices. And yes, I went from exercising very little to exercising sometimes six days a week. But was I really challenging myself every workout? Was I pushing myself past my own comfort zones and past what I thought was possible? No. So I told myself that I would start to work harder and if one month later there was still no visible change then I could allow myself to throttle back again.

Lucky for me, Jason was closing in on the last 30 days of his 90-day-challenge so I had someone else that was really trying to kick things up a notch as well. And that's what I did. I started really trying to do things I thought weren't possible in the gym: move up in my weights, power through pain, integrate an HOUR of cardio into my regiment a few days a week (yes... that means two-a-day workouts and yes... it's as miserable as it sounds. I still HATE cardio with an absolute passion so every time I step in the gym for one of those sessions, I'm just proud of myself for not running the other direction. Although I guess running away would technically also be cardio. Damn exercise, you win again!)

And halle-freaking-lujah, it's working!

I told you guys before that I was still hovering at the same average weight I had always been. I can't believe I'm doing this but I feel like there's no reason to be scared or ashamed of a number on a scale so I'm just going to lay it all out there. That number was 146 (I'm 5'6" if that gives you any context.) That's literally the weight I've been all my life, but I would fluctuate 3 or 4 pounds every day depending on my diet. My heaviest weight was 149 and was the scary number I'd see every time I came back from a great vacation or weekend of eating poorly. But I have never, ever dipped into the 130's. I don't even know what that number looks like on the scale.

So what's my weight now you ask?......

140.2. 140, Y'ALL!!!! I know it's only 6 pounds but I have been EXACTLY 140.2 for the past week, which tells me that I've now gotten my body into a rhythm and that number is not just a fluke. The progress may seem small but to me it's huge. Not only is it 140, but it's 140 PLUS added muscle weight, which leads me to think I've shed even more fat from my starting frame.

I definitely feel that my upper body is getting to the place that I want it to be. Toned and trim. Now all I have to focus on is losing more of that belly fat and toning up my stomach and legs (my trouble areas.) But I'm excited for that. It's amazing what six measly pounds will do for your bikini attitude!

I've been taking pictures periodically which I personally think is a much better progress measure than the number on the scale, so when I feel like I'm at a point I'm really proud of, I'll try to get brave enough to share the photos with you. It's so crazy to look back on the changes! I'm also hoping to dip into that coveted 130's bracket, but won't be disappointed if I don't. This weight feels healthy, strong and totally sustainable for me so I'm happy with it.

Anyway, not the easiest thing to do putting this all out there but I do it because I know I draw inspiration from the journey of others and if someone out there finds strength in knowing someone else has powered through, then it's all worth it!

Tomorrow I'm going to share three quick alternatives to high-calorie treats that I've integrated into my diet to cut cravings and avoid poor eating. Check back in if you're interested!

Thanks, as always, for reading,

// What do you struggle with most when it comes to being healthy? Do you have a coveted weight bracket you've yet to break into? Is anyone else trying to make a healthy change out there? //