"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." ~Jim Ryun

Absolutely love this quote, because it is so true!

I'm finally getting a moment to sit down and share some of my tips and tricks for staying motivated in keeping with my healthy lifestyle. *Of course I am not certified, by any means.  Just something I'm passionate about* But, as mentioned in my previous post, I've had a few friends ask me to share such knowledge(Who me? I feel so special! hehe) I was a little scatterbrained with answering the question, which is why I want to write it--err type it out.

So far, I have determined that it all comes down to habits.  I found this awesome quote on Pinterest, of course, and it's brilliant!

It may feel like you are sacrificing and giving up a lot when you decide to go on a diet, lose weight, get in shape, etc.  Really though, perception is everything.  Try to create new habits into your daily routine, and soon enough the bad habits will be dropped like, well, a bad habit!  It doesn't have to be balls to walls, you can start small.  If you skip breakfast (which is common), start eating breakfast!  Maybe it's a banana or maybe it's eggs, turkey bacon and toast.  You make an attainable goal, and promise yourself you will stick to it for a week. That week will turn into a month, and soon enough it will just be a normal part of your day. Another example may be something as simple as weaning yourself off of soda.  If you drink 4 cans a day, go down to 3, and then 2, and yeah...you get the point.

Side note: If you are serious about changing your eating, you need to purge your fridge and pantry.  I know it can be wasteful, but you don't need that temptation.  Trust me!

Here are a few of my personal "habits"

1. Make smaller, attainable goals. When I start a new program, I make short-term goals.  For example: Let's hit the ground running for the 1st week, no excuses, instead of looking at the light at the end of the 3-month-tunnel.  Yes, I do enjoy programs that last 60-90 days.  But, I take it a week at a time.  Sometimes a day at a time, if I'm feeling less motivated.  "It's only 45 minutes out of my day, let's do this!" I sometimes need to trick/remind myself "You will feel better after, just press play/get in the car to go to the gym"

2. Find a buddy. or someone to hold you accountable.  Rob is that person for me, and vice a versa. And my friend Desiree is currently doing the same workout that I'm doing ( I copied her, hehe) and we check in with each other to see how it's goin.  Some people are motivated by having a die-hard work-out partner. This way, you really are held accountable, and don't wanna "bail" on meeting at the gym.  Buy a Groupon with a friend and attend a boot camp or crossfit (if you're a rock star) or some yoga.  There are always great deals, and once you buy it; you wanna get your money's worth.

3. Morning workout.  Yes, I'm "one of those".  Even before Sofie was born, I would wake up at the crack'a'dawn to work out.  Sometimes before the sun had even risen.  It's my favorite way to start the day, and frankly, I get lazier as the day progresses. So i like to get it over with.  Some people like to workout at night, and that's cool too.  Or go on your lunch break, whatev. Do what works for YOU.  Bottom line: create a routine and make it a habit.  Put it in your calendar as an appointment if you have to (or are OCD, Type A personality like yours truly; shameful but true!)

4. Plan/Prep.  Rob and I like to have a "mastermind" meeting to choose what we want for dinner for the week. Makes it easier to grocery shop, and takes the thinking out of it for you.  I don't spend my whole Sunday prepping a week full of meals, but some are religious about it and that's pretty awesome.  We prep a week full of a spinach breakfast casserole, which I shared a month or 2 ago.  Mornings are a little nuts around here, and I won't take 5 minutes to make myself breakfast.  I will, however, take 20 seconds to nuke a piece of this deliciousness in the microwave about 30 min before I hit the gym. You can easily prep lunches.  Like this super awesome Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad that is from Shaun T's new T25 workout. Seriously, so yummy. Oh, and I almost forgot...  I actually prep my workout gear. It's silly, but it's a mental thing. I pick out what I will be wearing the night before: Top, bottoms, sports bra, socks, and shoes.  Put it right on top of my dresser.  I've even heard of people sleeping in their workout gear so there is really no excuse!

5. Daily Juice & Protein Shake.  Part of my daily prep is making our favorite Mean Green Juice that I posted here..  Holy pregnant mama, batman!  Haha anyway, there are a lot of other recipes here.  If you gawk at the fact that you should be eating 5-7 servings of fruits & veggies on the daily, this is a great way to meet that requirement. Another part of my daily routine is to drink a protein shake (currently indulging in Shakeology, mmm chocolate) immediately after my workout.

My favorite protein shake:
1/2 C of frozen fruit
1 tsp ground flaxseed
1 scoop of Shakeology (or 1/2 of that with half of reg whey protein...trying to budget!)
1/2 banana (i share with Sofie!)
Water/Almond Milk-1-2 cups? not sure the exact amount, I add as I go to thin it out
Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

6. Progress Pictures. Trust me, this has been horrifying for me. And maybe one day, when I reach my ultimate MILF status goal,  I may be ballsy enough to share.  But for now, they are for my eyes only (and Rob, because he takes them for me...and loves me regardless!)  Do not obsess over the scale (though, I succumb to that from time to time) because you should be building muscle along with trimming fat.  Plus, you lose inches before pounds.  Good rule of thumb.  Anyway, I take pictures to compare and see how my workout and eating habits have changed my body.  It's hard to notice from day to day.   But if you compare on weekly, or monthly basis, it is astonishing! I have gotten more compliments since doing my new workout routine, Jaimie Eason's 12 week Trainer and I have only lost 2-3 lbs.  I can see in pictures that my body is getting stronger & leaner.  No # on the scale can match that.

7. Cheat Meal! Saved the best for last, hehe. Throughout the week, we stick to 5 small meals a day that are balanced with healthy fats, simple carbs (yes, you need simple carbs for energy.) & protein. No booze (maybe an occasional glass of wine or happy hour margy) So, we look at this as a reward for sticking to our plan.  Mostly, I truly believe it keeps me sane.  I look forward to our cheat meal (yes meal, not day!) and it motivates me to eat better on all my other meals.  Maybe a Five Guys cheeseburger loaded up with goodies with some fries.  Don't forget about dessert (my fave!) Last weekend, we went on a date night to Grimaldi's for some delicious pizza and a few glasses of wine (or beer for Rob). We earned it!
 
It can take some time to transition into a healthier lifestyle and definitely won't happen overnight. It's easy to give up, so challenge yourself to make a goal and stick to it.  I promise, after a few weeks of eating healthier, you will feel better and will hardly miss 90% of the junk you used to eat.









 As far as what I consume, these are non-negotiable in my life:

1. Stay hydrated.  Water is your new best friend, drink up my friends! I try and drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day (1 glass=8 oz).  I absolutely love my Camelbak water bottle!  I make sure to fill this puppy up at least 3 times (it holds 20 oz) Oh, and Sofie likes it too.

2. No Limit soda!  I gave up soda in HS and really haven't looked back.  Though, I do indulge in some Coke Zero from time to time. Or in a cocktail.  But, very rarely. And honestly, I only have 1, maybe 2 cups of coffee a day (love my Keurig!) You won't miss the extra caffeine once you feel the extra energy from regular exercise and a balanced diet.

3. No Limit booze! So important. I didn't realize how easy it was for Rob and I to drink often.  Out with friends, at home with dinner, at the baseball game, on vacation, while playing softball, celebrating {insert holiday, bday, whatever}, the list goes on.

4. No Limit fast food/processed food!  It's hard to resist getting a full-fledged meal in a matter of minutes and even harder to completely cut out processed food.  If you prepare and plan ahead; you don't need to make any rash decisions and go to Taco Bell.  Though I do go to Sprouts on a weekly basis for our fresh produce versus one big grocery trip, it is worth the 20 minute trip to avoid the nasty bloat feeling I get after eating nasty food.  

Ok, so I guess the above list isn't 100% non-negotioable since there is wiggle room. I really believe you can have everything, in moderation. IN MODERATION.  We live in a society that tends to over-indulge.  Don't let that be you.


Welp, I think I'm done droning on and on.  I hope this was helpful, at the very least it has been a reminder of what works for me.  Next time I'm feeling blah...I can now read this post.  Yay!

Tomorrow I start phase 2 of my workout and I'm a little intimidated, but stoked!  Kicking it up a notch and finally adding some cardio.  I have missed having a good cardio sesh, I crave that feeling I get after sweating it out and burning some major calories.  Why am I such a freak? haha

Of course I must end this post with my ultimate motivation.  To be the best version of myself and inspire my beautiful baby girl to want the same for herself.

Until we meet again,

Lex

9 months old!

Seriously. Cannot. Believe. How. Fast. Time. Flies.

SERIOUSLY!

Mmk, enough with the dramatics. Let's see some stats and pics.

 I think it was a week or so after she turned 8 months old when she started to play the "Look Ma! No Hands!" game.  She is getting braver each day. She's also walking along furniture (mainly the shelf in the play room) super fast.  We've been trying to practice walking with her, and in Flagstaff she took a little baby step! We called it a half step, haha. It was one of those "did she just....yeah she did!" moments.

As of late, she has been reaching for the spoon while we are feeding her (finger foods are mostly at night)  She is doing a pretty good job of putting the spoon in her mouth, but doesn't quite understand to take it back out. Haha.

So I guess she has lost weight since last month? Eek.  Not gonna worry too much about it until I talk to the doctor about it.  Especially since I can tell she is getting longer aaaaand our home scale is a little sketch (such a woman thing to claim, haha) This child is extremely active, it's pretty much the first thing people say when they see her. Haha. She gives the Energizer Bunny a run for his money. ;)  

Comparison of 1, 3, 6, 9 months.

Some of my faves!

 That's about all that's new with Sofie, since my last post.  Last weekend, we got outta this nasty heat for the 4th of July and went to Flagstaff with the Trocki's. Such gorgeous weather!  le sigh

At the parade.  Sofie was pullin on Daddy's ears on the top right, haha!

Used an awesome app called "A Beautiful Mess" to make this pic

Our little family. Don't mind the most adorable pout EVER!

The ladies.

Thanks to Joan & Jody for checking on Riley for us.

View from the back porch.  There is a deer on the bottom left!

Rob & I wanna be snowbirds and we refuse to wait until we are retired, hehe.  Maybe we will start a trend ;)  We enjoyed not having an agenda on this trip, that's the best way to vacation.

We came back a day early to take advantage of the 4th of July specials on appliances and majorly scored at Spencer's.  Thanks to our awesome BIL, Nick, for always helping us out.  Can't wait for our new GE french door fridge, dishwasher and microwave to be in the new house!

Other than that, just getting back into the daily grind. Started week 3 of my workout and the intensity has been kicked up a notch.  It's amazing that I feel/look better and haven't done 1 minute of cardio. Is it pathetic that I miss running? Haha, I'm crazy.  It's just such a good stress-reliever.  We also bought Shaun T's T25 Workout and I will be trying it out tomorrow in lieu of my Legs workout (or maybe I will do a 2-a-day, say what?! Haha)  We are huge advocates of beach body products.

I've had a few friends reach out to me about tips & tricks to keep me motivated and am happy to share this on my blog.  Of course, I'm not a professional by any means. But I feel like knowledge is power and it doesn't hurt to change things up a bit.  I will be making a separate post for this, so stay tuned.

On that note, I better get some stuff done before Little Miss On-The-Go wakes up from her afternoon nap.  Here are some other pics:

Mmm, puffs and yogurt drops!

Nautical beauty!

Just love her in yellow!

Sofie LOVES books. And using her feet, haha

Love that smile!

Impromptu play date after we checked out Baby Town

Can I keep him Ma?

 

Xoxo

Lex

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." ~Benjamin Disraeli

Happy happy news to share!  Just gonna spit it out (because most people assume I'm pregnant, hehe)

We're buying a house, yay!  Having short-sold our house 2 years ago, we were unsure just when we'd be qualified to buy again.  Things are always changing and Rob has been diligent about asking periodically aaaand we got pre-qualified a month ago. Since then, we have been on a hunt to find the perfect home.  Holy guacamole, this market is brutal.  A huge thanks to Rob's mom & sis for helping this come to fruition.  We really lucked out on finding an amazing house that we can actually envision living in for 10 years+.  We feel so blessed that we can afford such a beautiful home on one income and still live the lifestyle we enjoy.  Another plus is that it's only 2 miles away, which will make it easier to move and we love living in this area. Can't wait to post pics!  Closing Aug 9th and looking to move in by September 1st.  

Is it nerdy that I'm excited that I actually know about Pinterest with this new house?  Hahaha! I really can't wait to do some DIY projects for home decor. Eek! Especially ones that involve chalkboard paint, I'll hafta ask Desiree to show me her skills ;) I'm definitely down to try and do more DIY crafts!

I dabbled in a little project for Father's Day.  It turned out ok, I think I may need to use the spray paint chalk next time & need to make sure I wipe off the chalkboard pen I used.  Looks so much better than reg chalk.

Hope all you daddies had a great Father's Day!

Official 1st Father's Day, yay!

Throwin it back to the "early days"

Sometimes it is hard to believe that we have this happy, beautiful baby girl in our lives.  Almost seems like it was yesterday that I secretly wrote on my belly for this holiday!

And of course I hafta give a shout out to my dad. Thank you for always supporting me with unconditional love, guidance and support.  I wear my heart on my sleeve, just like you and have embraced that part of myself in most recent years.  Love you, Dad!

L: Dad & I.  R: Dad & Sofia

For the last few weeks, our little monkey has been trying to pull herself up and climb on anything she can reach.  She likes to play the "Look Ma, No Hands!" game and let go of my hands, wall, or whatever it is she pulled herself up on.

Epic Fail!

Sofie had her first "Cousin Slumber Party" with Karlie 2 weeks ago, and it was super fun! Karlie kept asking me "Ok, how many more days until I get to sleep over and stay with Sofia??" I love watching them interact, and it's adorable to see Karlie in the "older" cousin role.  She takes it very serious and is always wanting to help her baby cousin.  Not to mention, she is always making Sofie laugh.  She just loves Kar kar!

Karlie & Sofia!

A few funny conversations we had

{Sofie climbs up and stands up for a few seconds}
Karlie: Oh wow! She can do a lot of new things for her age.  That's pretty good for her age, right??

Karlie: I wish we could build a fort in her play room, that way Sofia and I could sleep together in it...
Lex: Maybe when she is older sweetie, she needs to sleep in her crib.  Maybe you can build a fort in her room...?
Karlie: Oh yeah!!! That way we can be together! I know she will be in her crib, but I just wanna be in the same room as her.  So we can be together.

{around bed time}
Karlie: Sofia seems tired..
Lex:  Yeah? How can you tell?
Karlie: Because I'm tired.
{Sofie starts crawling around and giggling}
Lex: I dunno Karlie, she seems pretty excited
Karlie: Excited to go to sleep?????

haha, omg.  so.much.fun. 

That following weekend, we went to NYPD for lunch and Karlie drew a picture of her and Sofia and asked me how to spell her name.

 

 Can't wait for the next slumber party and making more memories. So crazy how fast they grow.  I remember when Karlie was Sofie's age, and now she is 6 1/2 and lost her first 2 baby teeth about to be in 1st grade.  le sigh

Here are a few other pics I love, and then we shall call it a night:

Such a happy baby!

Loving her reflection

Her fave snack: Mum mums!

New finger food: black beans!

Everything else has been going well.  I decided to start the Jaime Eason's LiveFit 12 week trainer program. I pinned this while I was preggers and my friend Desiree started it over a month ago and I finally gave in.  I haven't lifted weights since my CG soccer days, and I feel like such a goober at the gym, buuuut I'm really pumped!  It's crazy to say, but I already feel stronger and have lost a few pounds in just 2 weeks (well, 1 day shy of completing 2 weeks).  Keep Calm and MILF On!  I still have a ways to go (preferably 10-12 lbs), but most importantly: I feel so much better, have way more energy, and just love getting back into our old lifestyle.  It's never too late to be the best version of yourself. In fact, life is too short to be anything else!

Thanks to my parents, Javy, & Cathy, we were able to enjoy a date night.  End of the month is always a challenge, and it was wonderful to just go to dinner and talk about what's goin on currently, reminisce about the old times, and be excited about new beginnings. So incredibly blessed.

Date night! The Keg

Until next time {{next week}}

Lex