I'm back!

I'm back! Yes, it's been a hot minute, but I blame it on grad school, trying to live a life away from the computer screen, my job, friends, a short stint in dating, etc. Why am I back? I'm resetting my healthy lifestyle and I figured blogging would be a great way for me to stay accountable and inspire others.

So here's what's going on in a nutshell:

• I've gained some weight since you last heard from me. I'd say a good 20-30 lbs (I can't remember my exact weight since my last blogged, but that's how much I gained during grad school and a super busy/stressful season at work)
• I no longer teach group fitness. I tried to get back into it, but it wasn't working. I figured this is okay because I can still motivate others with my blogging and focus more on my own health and fitness journey.
• With group fitness teaching out of the picture plus the weight gain, I'm not as physically strong as I used to be.

My "before" as I work on the "after" (12/2014)

With all this said, I've recently been on a mission to get my health back. Now that I'm in a new decade (30s are fierce!), I know that what I do for my health now will have a huge impact on my health as I get older. I want to age gracefully and healthy, so now is the time to plant the seeds.

How? Well, I was doing my tried-and-true WeightWatchers program (which I'll always love), but I honestly kept "restarting" every other day or week, which was my way of making an excuses to eat what I want and not count my points. Then I'd get frustrated when I didn't lose any more than 10 lbs over the past year or so. I realized that I've been more dedicated to bad food instead of being dedicated to having a healthy lifestyle and reaching my fitness goals.

I need to end my bad relationship with food!

I've came to this realization while reading this book called "Strong is the New Skinny." They have

this reset diet that lasts for 4 weeks and it focuses on resetting your daily diet with clean/healthy foods.  I've always tried to avoid doing anything "clean" for a diet, because I always thought it was super extreme. But when I look at the people who are at the health and fitness goals that I want, I realize that the difference between them and myself is our diet. So why not try to do what they do and see if it works for me? My next few posts will be focused on my experience, so be sure to stay tuned!

I'm also happy to say that I've invested in a FitBit--and I love it! I'm all about data to track where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going. So expect to see updates and details about my experience with my favorite gadget in future posts as well. 








So what's new with you? What are your health and fitness goals as we enter the new year? And what tools/resources are you using to get there? Share in the comments below!