My Top 5 Items I've Purchased To Help Me Get Started, Get Fit & Stay Motivated

#1 - Vinyl Tape Measure

No.. not a scale!! I'll admit it, I use the scale a lot. But the BEST way to see and calculate your results is by measuring your body, looking in the mirror and ultimately, how good you feel in those skinny jeans ;) . Most of us lose inches before we lose weight. Especially if you are weight training. Muscle weighs more than fat. So if you are weight training, your going to gain muscle.. which means the number on the scale may go up. I fight this battle every day...

I weight train A LOT. And honestly, my weight hasn't changed but maybe 6-10 lbs over the last 6 months. HOWEVER, my body has completely changed shape! I've lost about 5 inches around my waist alone. I didn't get that measurement from the scale people.. ;)

So get out of the habit of stepping on that scale every morning, go out out and buy yourself a measuring tape! Otherwise, the scale is going to be the death of you!! Trust me, I am fully guilty of doing it. But I promise you, once you notice your inches flying off and you can actually SEE your results in the MIRROR vs. the SCALE, you're going to feel amazing! 

So where do you get a vinyl tape measure? You can get them anywhere. 

I think I got mine at Target or Walmart in the fabric/sewing section. You can also order them online obviously. 

I found one on Amazon for like 4 bucks.. click here!

These are the body parts I like to measure:

1. Neck

2. Left Arm and Right Arm

3. Chest (Men: under your arms, Women: bust)

4. Diaphragm (rib cage)

5. Waist

6. Abdomen (6" below waist)

7. Buttocks (9" below waist)

8. Upper Left Thigh / Upper Right Thigh

9. Left Calf and Right Calf

10. Upper Left knee and Upper Right Knee

Log your measurements and add them up for "Total Inches".
I like to re-measure once a week. Usually every Monday morning!

#2 - Heart Rate Monitor

I seriously live by this thing!!! I swear, if I forget to wear it during a workout, I am completely unmotivated! A heart rate monitor pretty much shows you how hard you work out ;) I use it for 2 reason:

1. To Monitor My Heart Rate Percentage

Monitoring your heart rate is the only accurate measurement of your intensity or exertion level and in order to reach your fitness goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity. Every person should be exercising at a different intensity depending on their age, health and fitness level in order to effectively and safely lose weight, build endurance or improve cardiovascular fitness. Figure out your 60-70% Target Zone, program it into your heart rate monitor and start working out! You can elevate the level, speed and intensity of your workout. I like to slow down or rest in between sets to lower my heart rate, and then rev it back up! You burn more calories that way ;) Whatever you do…..just make sure you hit that target zone!

2. To Keep Track Of My Calories

This little thing literally tells you how many calories you burn based on your heart rate! It's amazing. And it keeps me on track. I usually have a set goal in mind of how many calories I want to burn during each work out. So if for some reason I don't reach that goal after I am through with my workout, I will spend a little extra time on the treadmill to reach it!

So where do you get a heart rate monitor?

Personally, I use a Polar. Polar Heart Rate Monitors are probably the best and most advanced monitors on the market but there are tons to choose from that are made for different types of physical activities or sports. The one I have is pretty generic and only monitors my heart rate and calories burned. Which for me is perfect!

I got my Polar from Dick's Sporting Goods! Go getcha-selves one!!!! 

#3 - Extra Dessert Delights gum

I chew this religiously!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear by it. Every time I crave sweets, I pop one of these bad boys in and BAM. Satisfied. Definitely curves my sweet tooth. My favorite flavors are Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Creme Pop and Sherbert!!

#4 - A Travel Cooler

Not sure I would be able to stick to my meals without this thing!! This is a recent purchase suggested by my trainer :) ITS SO EASY to pack all of my pre-made meals for the whole day. I take this thing EVERYWHERE. I've pretty much traded in my purse for this. When I have this with all of my meals for the day, I have NO EXCUSE not to eat them and stick to my meal plan. And because I am so busy running around all of the time, it's so convenient to be able to just reach in my cooler and grab my food. I eat on-the-go all of the time. People look at me like I'm silly but, it's totally worth it!

Mine is an Embark and I got it from Target :) I really like the plastic bucket on the inside because sometimes the food leaks and it's super easy to just rinse out!

#5 - MiO

Drinking LOTS of water is really important when you're trying to lose weight. I have to drink AT LEAST a gallon a day. Drinking that much water can get extremely bland. Adding lemon to your water can be a huuuuuge help. But I got bored with that too.. so I found MiO!!!!!! It's flavor for your water :) I add a few squirts and I can drink all of my water without struggle. It SOOOO good and these little guys are calorie free/sugar free! They literally have NOTHING in them!!! If you haven't tried this stuff, I highly suggest you do :) They are life savers! There are many different flavors to choose from. Only downfall is these little guys are like $3+ a pop! boo. You can find them at any grocery store :) 

From Plump....Where It All Started

So I'm not sure where I should start..from as far back as I can remember, I have never been 100% happy with my appearance. I've always been, what I like to call.."Pleasantly Plump". Some may argue with me on that just to be nice, or based on their personal preference.. but lets be honest.. I've always had a little extra "cushion for the pushin'" ..haha.

BUT, I suppose the reason I am here is to take you on my journey. So I will start off by telling you how and why I've decided to take on the fitness challenge. :)

It began in February of 2011 when I was probably at my lowest of all lows, going through a really tough break up and probably at my heaviest weight. Unfortunately.. or fortunately.. however you want to look at it, the break up was what really put things in perspective. I realized that I wasn't happy with ME and I never really was and also realized that was the cause of most of my past relationship issues. So I decided something needed to change.. I needed to change. For me.

So I started to hit the gym every now and then but of course, being a rookie, I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Hell, I would get winded 30 seconds into a light jog.

Well, a few weeks later I found out I got hired full-time in the position I was contracted in at the time. Life started to get a little better for me. During orientation I ran into an acquaintance who was talking about running a half marathon in the next week. We got to talking and come to find out, the friend that was going to run it with her was bailing.. and she didn't have a running buddy. So she asked me to join her.

At first, my immediate reaction was... "You're insane!" At this point I had accomplished maybe 2 miles tops in my entire life let alone 13.1. The race was literally in like 4 days and I had ZERO training. Well I ended up saying screw it and forced myself into saying "Yes. I'll do it".

So with zero training.. I ran my first half marathon, The Capital City Half Marathon, the whole way. Please, please, please do NOT do that people. I was in the worst pain of my life. Haha. Not only my knees and joints (Ear muffs boys) but my insides were literally falling out of me. . Not fun! :(

Anyway, the moment I crossed that finish line was probably the first time I felt such a powerful force of accomplishment. It was one of and my first proudest moment ever. To think that I just did something I never in my life thought I would ever do, nor be able to even do it. (BONUS: The girl I ran with ended up becoming one of my really good friends :) Thanks Bri!!)

From then on, I was hooked. I was ready for the next challenge. But I was not ready for the bumps in the road........

My First Successful Weight Loss...errr NOT

I ended up dropping about 12 lbs after I ran my first half marathon. How?... Lean Cuisines. I was living off of about 2 a day and hitting the eliptical for 40 minutes every day. I dropped weight quick. ....And gained it back even quicker.

Clearly I was not educated in nutrition.... and I highly, HIGHLY recommend NOT doing this.

1. It is not healthy. Lean Cuisines do not give you all the nutrients your body needs.

2. You may lose weight, but the moment you eat normal food, you will gain everything back faster than you lost it. I kid you not. Please do not do this. Take my advice from experience.

Motivation Took a Vacation

It happens to all of us at one point or another.. 

Before I knew it, a few months had gone by and my motivation said "SEE YA!" I was going out on the weekends, out to eat with friends, drinking and had zero desire to get back to the gym. It wasn't too long after that when I realized that I was unhappy again.. and running the half marathon and being active actually made me happy for a short time.

I decided to get my shit together and reach out for help. So I got a trainer. My whole world changed after that..      .....To be continued :).....

Stay Tuned!

Each week I will share my journey of how I got to where I am today. Once I get caught up, I'll start posting more tips, tricks, advice, opinions, and day-to-day updates!! Thank you SO MUCH for your on going support. It means so much to me!!!

Next up:

• What happened after the trainer?!?

• Top 5 items I've purchased to help me get fit, stay motivated and on track!