Whip It... Into Shape

This whole working out and eating healthy thing before my wedding has been more difficult than I thought... 

Now, before you scoff and bring up the fact that I (sometimes) do crossfit, (occasionally) run, and eat (sort of) paleo... let me tell you, it's a struggle. 

I like crossfit a lot, but between commuting back and forth between Bartlesville and Tulsa and trying to squeeze in wedding planning... I am lucky if I can get in 3x a week- I typically only get in 2. And I do like to "run," if by run you mean a slow jog. I would love to be the kind of runner that does 4-6 miles every day and runs under 8 minute miles, but sadly, I am not that runner. I typically only run 2 miles, sometimes squeezing out a third or fourth, and I am proud (sadly) of an under 10 minute pace. 

And the eating paleo thing? Mostly, I like it. It's not that bad when you consume lots of almonds (high in fat) lots of fruit (high in sugar), and lots of bacon (high in everything.) But when I try to eat paleo AND control my portion size, I have a hard time. I still eat almonds, fruit, and bacon- but not as much as I'd like. I'd like to eat 50+ almonds a day, 3+ servings of fruit, and bacon in at least 2 of my meals.... but that style of eating does not help with weight loss. 

And after trying on my dress, I realized I need to get more serious. 

You'd think that would be motivation enough, right? Well... it is. Almost. 

I still crave chocolate every day. Multiple times a day. I still want to eat my weight in peanut butter. Sunday, I found myself jealous of the ten year old eating at the adjacent table, snarfing potato chips and grilled cheese. 

Funny, but also tragic. 

I am getting to where I want to be, but it is a slow process. 

I write this to let you know, if you are struggling with your beach body diet- take heart! You are not alone. Changing your eating habits and mastering your cravings is HARD, but also worth it. 

I want to look at my wedding pictures, and not think, "ugh" and I want to look in mirror and only see the things I don't like. But I also want to be healthy. 

There a lots of things that go into this- healthy eating, a balanced life, (which includes a sufficient amount of sleep!) and a healthy perspective. 

All of that being said, I don't want my size or shape to be the only things I think about. That is unhealthy and obsessive. And if I eat too much almond butter one day, then I'll just do better the next day. It's a process. It takes work. But it is possible. 

So, my advice? (for you and myself) - Don't approach eating from what you can't eat- approach it from what you can. Try to expand your clean eating options so you don't get bored. 

Go outside! If the machines at the gym are intimidating, instead of heading to the gym, go out your front door. Do something active. Working out can be fun. For example, you can dress up, put on your sweat bands, and go play racket ball like my college roommate and I used to do. (see above picture.) 

And... I'm about to take my own advice. I'm going for a run! See you later beach babes! (and uh... beach guys?)

What advice do you have for getting in shape? I am always open to new ideas!

Happy Tuesday Readers! 

xo, The Attic

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