Diet Recap + Albion Giveaway!
As promised, I will be doing a recap of my health/fitness goals from the new year. The first couple of months are always the hardest to get into a routine. I feel like if you can get through January and February, you'll make it through. Maybe that's just me, but I do better once I get used to a schedule. My goal was 5 pounds a month for 4 months, to lose a total of 20 pounds. I started January 1st, and we're in the middle of March and I'm down 8 pounds! Not at the exact goal I set for myself, but definitely on my way. February was a super challenging month with traveling, Valentine's Day and other winter woes. Honestly winter is the hardest time to lose weight. You just want warm, comfort food! But my clothes are fitting a little better and I'm feeling more active, happier and in control. I'm excited to keep going!
To be honest, I was a little disappointed in January while doing WW. Four years ago, when I lost 35 pounds, it was like... if I followed the points, I lost at least 2 pounds a week. That was that. This time, I'd follow the points and I'd gain 2 pounds. It was so discouraging at first. After doing a bit of research online, I found out a lot of women were struggling with the new WW plan. So I had to take down my daily points, and could not touch my extra weekly or activity points. It went from feeling like I was eating a ton each day to basically nothing. That wasn't the case, but it just felt like such a drastic change. But I got into a new routine and felt fine after a few weeks of eating less. As for food these past few months, for breakfast I'll usually do a yogurt or fiber bar. Lunch is pretty much always a salad. I've honestly fallen in love with salads over the past few months and now I crave them. Ha! I also eat a lot of soups. For dinner, I try to cook whole-wheat pasta dishes, stir-fry veggies, veggie tacos and grilled or baked chicken. When dining out, my favorites have been veggie pizzas, thai chicken lettuce wraps and whole wheat mariana spaghetti. For sweet tooths, I always keep fruit around, along with WW fudge bars and frozen yogurts. That's not to say I don't indulge in some of my favorite foods once in a while, but this is what I tend to stick to on my "good" days.
As for my exercise routine, it's really basic. I'm doing the same routine I did when I lost 35 pounds. I try to run 3 times a week, and hop around to a few of the different machines at the gym and do two reps of 15. I do an ab, upper arm, and inner thigh machine. My routine usually takes about 30 minutes at the gym. I can run 2 miles in about 20 minutes, and then my machines only take about 10-15 minutes. I love having a gym membership, but now that it's getting nicer I'm excited to run outdoors a bit. I just crank some music and run! I just received a couple of new workout pieces from Albion Fit and I loved wearing them to the gym! My favorite part about this top is how long it is and didn't ride up at all. I felt so comfortable sweatin' it out at the gym tonight.
Albion Fit is doing an amazing giveaway for Selective Potential readers! They are offering one of you a $100 gift card to their shop. Both my pants and top are from Albion Fit and their materials are so breathable and flexible. Just head over to their website and leave a comment with what you'd get with your gift card!
