Fitness Friday {TRX}

I haven't been able to make it to the TRX class at my gym lately. Life has gotten in the way but I am hoping I will be able to make it back soon as it is one of my favorite classes to take/fitness things to do.

Shirt purchased on FitForABelle.com

Since I haven't been able to make it to class, I thought I would blog about it for Fitness Friday! For those that don't know - TRX is a suspension training system that uses ropes and allows the user to work against their own body weight.

For me, the TRX really transformed my upper body and abs. I love the idea that it uses your own body weight because it my mind that made it less intimidating to try out at first. I also love that the possibilities are endless as to what you can do....You can literally use this suspension system for every muscle in your body! If you are creating an at home gym, I would highly recommend getting the TRX as you pay for it once and get tons and tons of uses out of it. Not to mention it's a space saver because you can mount it to the wall or ceiling. (Disclaimer - Make sure safety is always your first priority while using the TRX)

Some of my favorite exercises are upper body simply because I can feel my guns getting bigger with every repetition (#notvain). But, some of the cardio-centric moves are also fun and make great YouTube/Instagram videos!

Happy Fitness Friday Y'all!

Tuesday Truth {Why I Hate Scales}

I have never been a fan of scales. I actually think that selling scales in stores like Target or Walmart should be illegal. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat...so why, if I was working hard and eating right, would I allow myself to get on a scale for it to only tell me the exact opposite of how I am feeling inside and how my clothes are fitting. IMO, the minute someone decides to start a "diet" and decides to buy a scale to keep track of said diet is the minute they set themselves up for failure. It's also why I don't agree with any "diet" program that requires you to weigh in before you get started. Any program that does that simply wants to prove that their product works by referring to that number on the scale. They really don't care how much weight you lose or how you lose it...they only care that the number goes down and in turn that proves their product is effective.

I think my hatred of scales came from having to weigh in at the Dr.'s throughout my pregnancy. First it's every 4 weeks, then it's every week. At one point I had them stop saying the number out loud because whatever number they would throw back at me would cause me to stress eat and gain another 5 pounds for my next visit. It was at that point in time that I decided I would never let a number on a scale define me again.

Instead of using a scale and obsessing over a number, I always went by how my clothes fit...I know that the rule is to always "dress for the body you have and not the body you want" as far as fashion goes, but for me, I decided that my clothes were going to be my "scale." I knew I wanted to fit back into my skinny jeans...so every week or two I would put on the jeans and see if they fit any better. I can report now that those skinny jeans still don't fit because now they are too big for me.

I've said this a million times before, but I would rather be able to do 50 burpees and then post a cool video on Instagram of me doing something on the TRX than post a picture of what my scale says. The minute you change your thinking and realize that health is much more important than how much you weigh is the minute you will flourish and succeed in your weight loss/lifestyle change journey. Don't let a number define you!

Sidenote - I have to apologize for the lack of blogging lately. There's a lot of things going on behind the scenes at Decidedly Delightful that have left me creatively tapped out. Hopefully the impending holiday season will stimulate my creativity and get me back to normal. Cy is also starting at daycare soon for a few days a week so I am hoping that having a little bit of time to myself will also allow me to focus more on this lovely little blog! I would like to thank everyone for their support...it means more to me than you will all ever know!

Summer Favorites

Happy September everyone! With fall (and Halloween related posts) looming upon us I think it's high time to wrap up the summer.

Beauty - 

I discovered the magic of cream based makeup applied by a Beauty Blender this summer. I found a new (to me) beauty guru on YouTube, Nicole Guerriero, who has a highlighting & contouring video in which she uses drugstore products on one side of her face and high end products on the other side of her face. IMO by the time she was done I could not see the difference. With that, I went right to my local CVS and picked up all my supplies (minus the Beauty Blender, you can find that at Sephora). You can find her video here.

Fashion - 

Rompers, jumpsuits, short shorts, menswear...these were a few of my favorite summer things. Also, this was my first summer with a very active child (last summer he was just learning to walk). So I developed a new appreciation for flats. I rocked a pair of black Forever 21 sandals literally all.summer. Note to self for next summer - stock up on cute sandals and flats! I will always look back fondly on the summer of 2014 as the summer of the onesie.

Fitness - 

I am happy to report that after my beginning of the summer injury I have finally lost the last of my baby weight. Although my body will never be the same as before (that's what tummy tucks are for) I have a new found appreciation for the human body and am in the best shape of my life. Coming off such a great summer of fitness I decided to parlay that into getting my Spin instructor certification! I am so excited for a new chapter in my life (and fitness) and I am looking forward to kick ass via Spin bike!

Mom Stuff - 

We went through two types of flotation devices for Cy this summer. One of them was a life vest with an Orca fin on it (so cute) which Cy hated and a Puddle Jumper (which we discovered by the end of the summer) that he (and we) loved. The Puddle Jumper is well priced and Coast Guard certified. It's also not super bulky which I think is what Cy's problem was with his Orca vest. 

My favorite blog post of the summer was a #TBT post where I wrapped up our Disney trip. I love going back and reading this post every so often. It quells the "Disney vacation itch" for a little while. 

My least favorite blog post of the summer was my Science of Twitter post. Although I liked the idea of this blog post, I feel like it came off all wrong. One day I will do a rewrite. 

Musings

Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor - 

After my "fashion pop-up shop" on eBay ended, I decided to take any clothes and shoes that didn't sell to Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor. As luck would have it, The Mister and I visited his family in the Capital Region last weekend where they have both of those stores.

For those that are unfamiliar with what Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor are...they are basically a consignment shop that gives you money upfront for your gently worn clothes/shoes/accessories. They usually don't take everything you bring, and they don't give you an exorbitant amount, but it's nice to walk out with cash for clothes that you are ready to part with. Plato's Closet is more of a Forever 21-ish/Wet Seal/targeted at a younger crowd type of store..whereas Clothes Mentor is more for the "business casual" crowd. Luckily I had items for both stores and made out with $40 all together. I usually just donate my clothes, so being able to walk out with a little bit of money was a bonus.

LA Fitness Show Up -

A few weeks back I had to brave the monstrosity (#Dramatic) known as LA Fitness. My trainer took a much needed vacation but I still wanted to get my three days of spin in...so I printed myself a three day guest pass and went to workout at a place that has steroid warnings in the bathroom. Long story short, while I am using the last day of my guest pass, I see someone doing push ups in the yoga position known as "crow." I, of course, see this as some sort of challenge that the universe has now placed on me and proceed over the next few weeks to learn how to do it. I posted the video on Insta/FB (#Duh) yesterday and thought I would share it here today as I am pretty proud about learning it. My next short term goal is to be able to get myself up into a handstand...for Instagram, of course...

Fall 2014 -

It's only August, you say? Well, for a Fall lover like me (my birthday is the day after Halloween, I was literally born into it) once August hits it's time for me to start thinking of blazers, skulls and some Football food (oh my!)..And let's face it - blogging is just better around the holidays. So, while I am enjoying these last few days of warm weather, I am having visions of (glittery) Halloween decorations in my head.

Musings

eBay -

I made the announcement on my personal Facebook page yesterday that I am starting an eBay store. The clothes I am listing will be taken to Plato's Closet in a few weeks if they don't sell via eBay. After the initial listing of clothes, there will be a bunch of other things on there as well. I don't have emotional attachment to many things so I have always had this dream of selling everything in my house that wasn't bolted down and starting over. Here are some sneak peeks -

Spin - 

I have been obsessed with Spin for over a year now. There is really nothing like it as far as a cardio session goes. Last week, my gym was closed for vacation so I had the opportunity of taking cycling classes at a few different places and got to use different bikes than I am used to using. At The Edge, we are a Spinning certified gym and therefore use the Spin brand bikes. At LA Fitness (I used a free three day guest pass to take three cycling classes there) they use Kaiser bikes and I have to say I do not like them as much as the Spin brand bikes. This is going to sound totally foreign to anyone that doesn't spin but the Kaiser bikes don't "catch the gear" like other bikes do...when you turn up the resistance it just gets heavier. It's a little too smooth for my liking, I like to actually feel the "ground" below me. The other place I took a cycling class was in Portland at a place called Reve Cycling Studio and they use Schwinn bikes which are pretty similar to the Spin "brand" bikes. You could catch the gear and feel the ground below you. This is an awesome studio with infectious energy and I recommend anyone visiting/living in the Portland area to take a class there. 

Celebration, FL - 

For those of you that have hung out around this blog, you already know about my obsession with the formerly Disney owned town of Celebration, FL. I am currently reading a book written by a women (Barbara Nefer) who moved there on a whim with her husband. They were on a Disney Vacation and happened to go on some tours of some Celebration homes and decided to immediately pull the trigger and purchase one. She started a blog based on her adventures in Celebration and the book I am reading is a compilation of her blog posts. Everything that I have ever imagined about living in Celebration is true...the sense of community, the fact that you can walk everywhere and the best part, being able to head to Epcot for dinner on any day of the week. Le sigh...one of these days I will convince The Mister to move! The book is called Mickey Mouse is My Neighbor: Living Next Door to Disney World for anyone wondering what it's like to live a stones throw away from the Happiest Place on Earth.

Food & Fitness

For the last month and a half, I have been eating the cleanest I ever have. I eliminated dairy, processed carbs, refined sugar and any and all processed foods. I of course have my cheat days/meals and I am always sure to have a cocktail on the weekends but for the most part I have been really good. You see, I hit a plateau which made me make the change. I realized that I could work out until my arms and legs fell off but until I changed what I stuffed down my gullet, my waistline wasn't going to get smaller.

With all of that being said and before I get into a few tips and tricks that have aided in my shrinking waistline, I want to disclaim - The only thing that will make you to lose weight is regular exercise and clean eating. The secret is that there is no secret. Hard work is what will help you get to the body you want. That.is.it.

Now, there are a few things that I swear by that I wanted to share with everyone today -

1. Lemons - Whether it be hot lemon tea in the morning and at night or lemon water all day, lemons aid in digestion and have a bunch of other health benefits. Lemons also help me de-bloat. In the past month the only thing I have had to drink is lemon water (and the occasional cocktail, of course). I have completely cut out all soda and juice. -

2. Sweat - In order to lose weight, you need to incorporate 45mins to an hour or intense cardio 3-6 days a week. There is no way around this one. Walking is great and all but until you get your heart pumping and you get your sweat on, you are not going to see results. I know that some people like to start eating right first and then start working out which is fine if that's your cup of tea...but working out is going to help you feel stronger and inspire you to keep going.

3. Stay off the scale - Srsly, you should probably just throw your scale out. I despise scales which probably stems from having to weigh in every month during pregnancy. Numbers do not mean anything...how you feel on the inside/how many push ups you can do/how your jeans fit mean more than a number on a scale.

#Word

4. Apple Cider Vinegar - Specifically Bragg ACV with "The Mother" in it. It needs to be organic, raw and unfiltered ACV to be effective. I do a half a shot before eating. Again, this is not a miracle cure for weight loss but it will aid in digestion and offers a bunch of other health benefits as well. I would not recommend doing anymore than a half a shot if you are just starting out doing this. Last week I did a full shot and was sick to my stomach for about an hour afterwards. Use with caution, this stuff if strong! -

5. Good, clean food - I am a believer in good, clean food aiding in a healthy lifestyle. As someone who has put in the hard work in order to lose weight and get strong I am not a believer in all these new shake programs that everyone seems to be doing these days. Not only am I not a believer, but those programs kind of offend me..Basically they are promoting the fact that you have such a lack of self control that you can't lose weight/eat healthy without spending your money on a pyramid scheme. No thank you...I will take my money and spend it on fruits and veggies and lose weight through putting in the hard work myself. The minute someone tells you that you need to spend money on anything else except a gym membership and groceries to lose weight/get in shape, walk away. Eating right may not take the weight off as quickly as one of these shake programs would but you will keep the weight off much longer as you are learning how to properly fuel your body with food from the earth as opposed to "food" from a factory. Take it from me - do it the hard way and you will feel a lot better about the fact that you didn't cheat your way to getting in shape. Trust me when I say that eating correctly will give you the same effect as all these shakes...you just have to put in the hard work (see the theme here?). This whole paragraph may offend people...and that's totally fine as this is simply my opinion. One last thing - If your child ever came up to you and said they wanted to lose weight, would you shove a shake at them? No, you would tell them to clean up their eating and you would tell them to be more active...let that sink in a little. #sorrynotsorry #rantover 

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor or a trainer, I am just offering tips that helped me loose weight and get fit. The bottom line is this - You need to be able to put in the work in order to get the results...there is no magic pill or shake that is going to cause permanent weight loss. The only thing that causes permanent weight loss is a lifestyle change. And let me also say this - skinniness is not everything. I would much rather be able to do 50 burpees in a row without stopping than fit into a size 2. 

Musings

Since I ran my first timed 5K I have been dealing with an injury. Achilles Tendinitis to be exact. I didn't get it diagnosed right away as with any pain I have, I just figure it will go away. It didn't and now I am stuck on a limited work out schedule and on a daily stretching routine. I have never been injured before. Pretty much because I have never been as active as I have been in the past year(ish) so it's really frustrating. Especially because summer is on it's way and all I want to do is run and spin and jump. I am very impatient so I am hoping for a speedy recovery so I can get back to my 6 hours a week of workouts. UGH!

The Southern Charm season finale was the other night and it was obviously the greatest thing I have ever seen. I can not believe that T.Rav and Kathryn had a baby! Andy Cohen said the other day that they are doing a reunion show so that usually means there will be a second season! Yay for that! After watching the whole season I am pretty convinced I want to live in Charleston, SC. As a trust fund kid, obv.

I have been participating in an April photo contest on Instagram for a local salon/boutique Luniac Glamour. It has been so much fun thinking of different pictures to post every day. Here are some highlights -

Day 4 - A word that best describes you -

Day 8 - Man Crush - 

#MyMan

Day 14 - Something someone made for you -

All of the bouquets and boutineers for our wedding were handmade out of feathers (Etsy). AND I had the Minnie Mouse bouquet charm handmade as well (Etsy). It gave the perfect little touch because our fur baby couldn't be with us on the actual wedding day. 

To end this musings post...I found this on Instagram the other day and literally laughed for 5 mins straight...it's the little things..

#CarryOn

Product Junkie {Hair & Skin}

I did a few product junkie posts a while back when I first started blogging again. But, as all of you product junkies know, I am constantly looking for the next best thing. So I have a few new favorites to share with you all today.

Palmers Firming Butter

I have used SO many firming products over the years and I can say with confidence that this is one of the best ones. And it smells great! I don't think I have ever used a Palmers product that I didn't like. 

This acne treatment is RX only. I used to be totally against RX'ed acne products...Until I started using this one in the beginning of March. It works like a charm and does not leave my skin flaky and prone to sun damage.

Yes To Grapefruit Moisturizer w/ SPF 15

I am a big fan of any and all "Yes To.." products. Since my regular moisturizer didn't have an SPF in it, I needed one. I have only been using this for a few days but so far so good. If you are looking for natural skin products with no parabens and close to no chemicals in them, "Yes to.." is your brand!

Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover

I usually use make up removing wipes for removing my face. But this time around I tried something a little different. You need a cotton square to help with the removal process (obv). But a few swipes and this works great! Also, I was getting sick of digging at my eyes to get off the mascara (a big no no) so I YouTubed how I should properly be removing make up (you think I would know since I went to school for it in a past life) and realized that you have to let the cotton square with the make up remover on it, soak in for a few seconds...Here is the YouTube video I referenced. 

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

This eye cream is something I forgot to reference in my last product junkie post. I have been using it for a while and LOVE it. It brightens up your eyes and goes perfectly under make up. Great for the summer!! I have never met an Origins product I didn't like.

Fat Hair Amplifying Mousse

Garnier Anti Humidity Smoothing Milk

These two hair products were impulse buys. Over the weekend, my straightener stopped working. Good thing I brought my curling iron with me because it saved my life/hair. The only two problems I have ever had with curling my hair was getting it to not frizz (I am not great with the blow dryer). And having enough body in it so the curls don't fall flat. Well, these two products worked like a charm! FTR - I applied the mousse before the blow dry and the smoothing milk after curling. In hindsight, I could have done both products before the blow dry. Next time I will do that for sure! This was the final result.

#BigHairDontCare

Barre Babes

FitSugar.com

As I mentioned in previous blogs, my gym offers a plethora of small fitness classes. One of those classes is Barre. For those that don't know, this is the description of Barre on The Edge's website -

Barre-Our classes are designed to effectively strengthen, tone, and balance the entire body. We offer fat burning workouts that integrate the use of the ballet barre, light weights and various props. Students will focus on form and precision while performing small isometric movements as instructors emphasize basic alignment, foundation, and specific muscle actions. Each class includes several highly effective sequences of toning and resistance exercises with an emphasis on the core, arms, seat and thighs. Each strength section of this workout is followed by a stretching section to create long, lean muscle without bulk. These are challenging, no impact classes that require focus and precision for maximum results.

Disclaimer - You don't have to be en pointe to do Barre :)

The Edge first starting offering Barre in the beginning of 2013. I had tried it a handful of times, but during that time period, I just needed a bit more cardio in my week. Now that I am down to a weight that I feel is okay for my body, I am ready to incorporate more muscle lengthening and toning workouts into my 6 hours a week. With so much cardio and especially spin, you start to loose flexibility. Which is where Barre comes in. It is perfect for that.

My bestie and fellow Edge member, Olga, just started teaching Barre at my gym. I was so excited to take her class as she has an extensive dance background and I knew she would be amazing in this role. And guess what? SHE WAS! I am very sore today and even though it is not super cardio intensive, I still got my sweat on. Not to mention that Olga is from Kazakhstan so being taught Barre by someone with a gorgeous Russian accent is just so fitting, you will have to come see for yourself! During her class I really felt taken care of and I knew that if my form was incorrect that she would come by and correct me...Barre is all about form. This is one of the main reasons I love small fitness classes...You don't get lost in the shuffle. Someone is always there to correct you or help you.

If you are thinking about taking a Barre class, I would totally recommend it. It's super low impact but when you leave after the class you still feel as though you had a great workout. You can find The Edge's schedule here. Another great feature about The Edge is the there are no mirrors! Which is great for people like me who have not had a ballet lesson since the early 90s.

Come be a Barre Babe!

xoxo

A Week of Rest and a 5K

I have had a sinus infection for about a week now. Antibiotics and all. I have taken a full week off from the gym, something I never do. And, on Saturday, I ran my first timed 5K. I am finally feeling better and will be back at the gym tomorrow. Which I am excited about because I start getting depressed if cut down on my 6 hours a week of working out.

 

Even with not working out all week and the sinus infection, I still ran the 5K in 37 minutes! Go me! I will hopefully be doing more races as the summer comes and can improve upon that time. I was just happy I finished. I seriously have so much respect for runners. It's such a mental game. I am slowly learning that and know that once I can get in my own head, my running will improve.

So, sorry for the lack of blog yesterday. I gave myself an out to just enjoy the beautiful weather...Weather Channel is saying more snow this week...and with that I say - Go home Weather Channel, you're drunk...

xoxo

Eating Clean

As I mentioned in my first flob, I am not a clean eater. I carry no guilt towards food so eating a cupcake or three doesn't really affect me...Until my face is breaking out or I am bathing suit shopping...is it me or are the lights in the dressing room so unforgiving?!

Anywho, now that spring/summer is on it's way I am feeling like I need to detox and clean up my eating. So, with a plethora of Pinterest researching and weighing my clean eating options I have decided that I want to start juicing more and (try) to follow a Paleo "diet." I put diet in quotes because I hate that word and what I am doing is more of a lifestyle change to feel better as opposed to a diet to lose weight. I am hoping to gain many more benefits than just weight loss. I also like the Paleo way of eating because I can and have gone without dairy but I don't think I would be able to go without meat.

A lot of the reason why I don't eat clean is because I am such a convenience eater and I am obsessed with eating out. Since I am not willing to part with eating out, I am definitely going to try to get better at cooking at home and use eating out as my "cheat" meals. A few days ago, a Facebook friend posted this link on her page about making "smoothie packs" ahead of time so you aren't cutting up fruits and veggies every morning. It was super helpful and not intimidating so I think I am going to try it out.

Although I don't cook, I do love a crock pot meal. The Mister cooks most of the time but when he is traveling for work, I pretty much use the crock pot for every dinner. So, I was happy to stumble upon this blog post with lots of recipes for Paleo slow cooker freezer meals.

So, we shall see how this all pans out. I am hoping I don't end up in a corner rocking back and fourth eating a bag of Doritos. And I am hoping that putting this all out there will hold me accountable. Stay tuned!

xoxo