Just Up In The Gym Like Fergie...

Except I don't really go to the gym....

It's that time of the year again when everyone and their mothers are scrambling to start a workout routine before swimsuit season hits. At least, I know I am! Especially since J and I booked our Mexican honeymoon, I've been desperate for motivation to workout.

My usual workout routine -- mainly just running -- isn't cutting it for me this year. I actually despise running and only do it because it's a quick but effective cardio workout. And when I say quick, I mean quick. 30 minutes max -- this ain't a marathon people. But I was getting bored. I rarely went running because, well, I had more interesting things to do!

So, I hopped aboard the Tone It Up bandwagon! And I'm so happy that I did. I'm sure most of you have heard of Tone It Up, and if you haven't, go check it out! The TIU girls are amazing, adorable, and make any workout fun! The free workout videos that they post on their blog are the perfect addition to any cardio routine. If you become a Lifetime Member, you also get access to a nutrition plan, which I hear is awesome. I honestly was skeptical about the Tone It Up workouts at first, but I honestly am in love.

If you're really lacking motivation, nothing helps more than a new workout wardrobe. I know, workout clothes usually cost an arm and a leg (ahem Lululemon) but if you look in stores like Target, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls, you can find cute items for a great price. I prefer brightly colored workout gear. There's something about neon shoes that make me feel more legit.

 

I may or may not be hunting down that lavendar watch. I like wearing a watch when I run so I know just how long I've been torturing myself and when I can stop. Sadly, the adorable one I used to own was lost in the move last August and I haven't purchased a new one since. Also, rose water facial toner is the bomb for a little post-workout refresher.

 

What are your workout must-haves? Have you tried a Tone It Up workout?

That Time I Almost Died

Okay Jillian. But what if I feel like I'm dying every. single. time? I hate you Jillian Michaels. HATE.

"So Jenna, how are you doing with your whole fitness shenanigan?"

Oh, so nice of you to ask. IT SUCKS. You might remember that I've mention a time or twenty that I hate working out. With a passion. I don't like getting sweaty. I don't being out of breath. And I definitely don't like "the burn". All of which I experienced last night, while dying and working out to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

I thought I'd kick it up a notch and impress my buddy, Jill, by doing level two. Worst. Idea. Ever. Last week it was difficult (because I'm weaker than a dandelion), but I got through it. Last night? I must have come down with bronchitis in the last couple days because I was wheezing like an asthmatic after a marathon.

If you were a fly on the wall last night, this is what you would have heard.

"Ugh, what am I doing with my life?"
"I hate my life."
"Jillian, shut it."
"No Jillian, I can't do it."
"Nice bermuda work out shorts, Jillian."
" MOOOOOMMMMMM. Am I dead? Is this Hell?"

This whole getting fit for the wedding is already getting on my nerves.

Yeah, I'm dramatic. What are you going to do about it?

Back On The Fitness Bandwagon

Am I the only one who has completely jumped ship on the whole fitness thing? I'm pretty sure I forgot how to run for a month or so. But good news everyone, I'm back on board. No need to worry, this gal will be working off those love handles in no time.

I'm so glad Justin finally popped the question, because now I actually have a real reason to get my butt in tip-top shape! {If you're like me and the other 90% of the female population, we need a legit reason to get to the gym.}

I NEED this!

So now that I'm all motivated, I'm keeping track of my daily calorie intake thanks to the MyFitnessPal app. I like this app because it keeps me accountable to the amount of food I'm eating. Let's be honest, most days I eat what I want. But when I have to log everything I eat, it makes me think twice about picking up that donut! I definitely don't starve myself and I don't believe in diets. I simply use this app to help me not snack (or gorge myself) on foods that I don't really need.

I've been all about the cardio lately. We have a nice elliptical and stationary bike in the teeny-tiny fitness room in our apartment complex, so I normally go between those two. I know a lot of you love to listen to music when you're working out. When I'm running outside, that's definitely my go-to in order to forget that I'm torturing myself. Lately, I've been bringing my Kindle Fire to the gym so I can read while I'm doing my cardio, and before you know it, I've already done 6.5 miles! Obviously, if you're running outside, you might look like a freak reading your book, so try and refrain from that. But all you book-lovers, if you're having a hard time staying motivated while on a bike or elliptical, try reading!

Like I briefly stated above, I don't believe in diets. Not only do I think they're completely unhealthy, but sorry to break it to ya, they don't work! They work like this: you diet for a couple months, see results, and then once you're off your diet, you're right back to where you started! The real trick? It's called a Lifestyle Change, people! It's all about portion control and healthy choices. You better believe this girl indulges! I love chocolate and mac and cheese like the rest of them! And seriously? It's so hard for me to control my portions because I love to eat! I'm going to need prayers and good wishes in this category!

I wanted to share this little flavored-water recipe I stumbled upon while on Pinterest. It's known as Sassy Water. I mean, just the name alone interests me!

Ingredients
2 liters, water
1 teaspoon, freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves
Combine all ingredients and let flavors blend overnight

Simple enough, right? The Sassy Water recipe is part of the Belly Fat Diet. Well, you know I'm not a fan of diets, but the water alone has a lot of health benefits. Ginger, cucumbers, lemon, and spearmint have all been found to help aid in digestion and gastrointestinal health. Spearmint is also believed to help curb your appetite, something we could all use when all we want to do is snack! And let's not forget to mention the water! We all know how important it is, whether you're trying to lose weight or not, to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. It is suggested that one drinks the entire 2 liters in a day in order to receive the full benefits of the water. Yours truly will be picking up some ingredients today after work so I can whip up some Sassy Water. I'll keep you all updated on my experience with this little gem. I'm hoping for a miracle and a flat belly by morning, but I'll settle for slower results if I must!

Well, if this post wasn't a book and a half, then I don't know what is. Kuddos to you for making it through all of this mumbo-jumbo.

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!

Weekend in Review

Well, once again, the weekend has come and gone. The further I get into this real world business, the shorter the weekends seem to get. Boo!

I had quite the emotionally draining Friday, not to mention a rough week at work. The kiddos were out of their minds all week long. It's like the gates of Hell opened up and swallowed Time for Tots...ridiculous. So with that said, I was really looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend.

The weekend started off with dinner and a mojito with Justin. I just love me a good mojito every now and again! I shared with you all on my Confessional Friday post that I stole my brother's iPhone cord, and feeling a bit guilty, I ran over to Best Buy after dinner to pick another one up. While there, Justin and I got sucked into the musical instrument area. Pretty legit actually...

 

...sadly, we spent a good amount of time pretending like we knew how to be DJ's. 

Saturday morning was extremely lazy, but I'm not complaining! I didn't do a thing until I went for a run around 3:00. The highlight of my Saturday? Hanging up this beaut...

 

...my new jewelry holder!! I've been looking for something to display my jewelry for a while now and found this handmade holder here on Etsy. I fell in love with it and Justin bought it for me for my birthday. How cute is it? It's a great way to display my favorite piece, and also, to remind myself of what I have since I tend to forget!

Sunday morning, Justin, Julie, one of my best and oldest friends, and I decided to be ambitious and go for a hike. Not just any hike people, a 10 mile hike! Ummm...what were we thinking? We're not exactly the nature type, so spending two and a half hours in the middle of nowhere was a little out of control. Nonetheless, we still had fun! 

We decided to be adventurous and check out this abandoned campground...

 

...super creepy. It was someplace you would see in a horror movie. We were half expecting to find a dead body somewhere, but thankfully we didn't!

 

Ok, we normally look a lot better than that, but we had walked about 8 miles by now! Don't judge! 

We were a little delusional and slap-happy at this point. The only thing getting us through this hike was the promise of Mike's Deli when we finished!

Let me introduce you to the amazing Mike's Deli...

Mike's Deli is a sandwich shop in my hometown, Chelsea, Michigan. I can't even tell you how many different types of sandwiches they have here! These aren't your average, Subway sandwiches. These bad boys have meat and cheese for days. Really, it's a heart attack waiting to happen, but so worth the obscene amount of calories and fat.

My personal fave...

...The Stingray! Turkey, bacon, French swiss cheese, mayo, on grilled Sourdough. Yummm. I got half the meat today, as suggested by Julie, and it was perfect. I could eat Mike's Deli every day.

 

Justin was really into his Stingray, obviously. We inhaled our sandwiches and topped it all off with some ice cream. Nothing like stuffing your face after a 10 mile hike!

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo, J

Just Workin' on My Fitness

So, I've been getting PRETTY serious about my fitness these days. This is a huge deal since in the past I haven't been able to commit to working out consistently for more than a few weeks. This is because:

A) I'm lazy

B) I hate working out

C) I'm lazy

AND 

D) Did I mention I HATE working out???

I've been working out pretty regularly for about two months now. Unfortunately, the past couple weeks I've been busy in the evenings so my workouts were really infrequent, but I made the conscious decision to not let that stop me!   

Am I not the most athletic person you have ever seen??

Here is my problem with working out. I just flat out HATE it! I hate gyms.They're always too expensive and I hate people watching me while I look like a freak pretending to know what I'm doing. And I hate sweating. It drives me insane. 

I work out in the evenings after work and sometimes, ok all the time, I'm exhausted. Chasing around eight toddlers, breaking up fights (yes, my kids fight like it's their job), and tending to every child's need is EXHAUSTING! Most of the time, I just want to go home, lay on the couch, and never get up! This really puts a damper on my motivation!

Some people say "Oh I love the way I feel when I'm running. I feel like I'm doing something so great for my body." Let's be honest here people, do you really love feeling like you're dying?!?

Ok, I am a bit dramatic about this whole working out deal, that's just me! 

But, as much as I hate running, that's my workout of choice (ironic, huh?). Now, I'm not one of those marathon runners! Three miles, TOPS! This week, I started running at a park near my house. They have a trail that is 2.8 miles, and that's good enough for me! One day I'll build up enough endurance to be able to run without wanting to collapse at the end.

After running, I do 2 ten minute workouts targeting specific body parts. For example, yesterday I did arms and butt and today I will do abs and legs. I use these nifty little iPhone apps for these workouts:

I use my iPhone for EVERYTHNG! 

 I'm not a crazy, obsessed fitness guru, but I think it is important to take care of your body. I haven't done the best job at doing so in the past, but it's never too late! Nothing feels better than knowing that you're taking care of yourself.

What is your favorite workout?

XOXO
        
            Yours Truly ♥