Staying Healthy and Getting Fit

I've been drinking a bit of raspberry Emergen-C to boost my immune system and to replenish energy after workouts. So refreshing...
Did you notice the heart-shaped cubes? I really should've shared these photos around Valentine's Day now that I think of it.

I'm writing this post to get me thinking about fitness and health. What a privilege it is to take care of our bodies through healthy eating and exercise. I fall off that wagon far too frequently. But the good thing is I do my best to jump back on as quickly as possible?

Now that Jack is three months old, I know I am more than capable of strenuous exercise once again. I've been easing into it for several weeks now with walking and some 20-minute toning exercises. I think it's finally time to get a bit more serious. This week I plan to develop a set fitness routine and jot down some fundamental guidelines for my diet. If I come up with anything brilliant I will most certainly share it with you.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear your fitness and diet strategies. What's been working for you these days?

A Walk at the Beach

Tuesday we spent the afternoon at the beach walking as a family...  

Perfect weather for taking some quick photos.    

I love you Jack and James.

On To the Next Healthy Habit

Happy second week in January. Monday marks the beginning of week two of my healthy habit building. Last week's focus was to drink more water and to drink it all throughout my day. And let me just say that it has been a rewarding success. My energy and endurance have improved substantially.

This week however, I will be focusing on exercise. I want to add just a pinch of it each day. Hopefully allowing myself to tune into forgotten muscles and in the process boost my mood and overall health. After all...

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Pilates seems to be a perfect vehicle for this. I have a little exercise dvd with a fifteen minute segment that I want to fit in each morning energizing my body to start the day right. So here we go...

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If you join me in this, let me know. I would thoroughly enjoy the extra support and accountability...

p.s. I will of course still be drinking lots of water.

Loving Friday

I woke up this morning with a rare desire to go running. I've not been regularly exercising and have been praying about starting something that I would stick with consistently. Today, I just up and woke with the desire to get going. I started an exercise log and wrote down three clear goals right at the top of the first page.

1. Exercise three days a week. (full body lifting with cardio)

2. Tighten the abs and thighs. (it's time)

3. Increase my energy all day long. 

I figure I'll stick with these goals for 3 weeks, assess my progress, and go from there.

When James and I got married there were a few items of his I wasn't all that fond of. Definitely not the case with these bowflex weights. I LOVE them.

Other things I'm loving?

1. This yellow travel mug for my green tea.

 

2. This adorable skirt I found in my closet that I haven't worn in a whole year. Yikes!

3. My BSF study in the book of Acts.

4. My plan of memorizing Scripture. I've chosen my book. You might've guess it. It's the book of James though I promise I have always loved that passage in the Bible even before I married a man by the same name. 

My goal for next week is to have the first eight verses down. They go like this:

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man shall not think he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

Hope you have a blessed weekend. 

Love,

New Shades On

This is post number two in my fitness series. If you haven't checked out post number one, it's right here. 

Today for my workout I adorned myself in my new shades from Anthropologie. Cannot get enough of that store! I love their clothes not to mention all the other wonderful goodies flooding their shelves with delight. I feel happy every time I enter just to look about me... don't even have to spend a penny to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

I paired my sunglasses with a bright blue tank, light purple sports bra and my favorite black yoga pants. I drove to my gym, met with a trainer who happens to share my same name, and learned how to use all the fancy lifting machines. After the  tutorial, I did a full body workout so I wouldn't forget everything I'd just been taught. I wrote down all the details like weight, reps, sets and left it in a file cabinet for next time. I'll be keeping a close eye on my progress. 

If you've never learned how to use the machines at your gym it's worth asking a trainer to show you. Knowing what you're doing really helps take away the intimidation factor, which makes working out way more fun. I say throw on a cute outfit and go for it! Be a little crazy! Try something new!

Tennis & Tea

That should really read 'Tea & Tennis' to be chronologically correct, since I did in fact begin with the tea.

Any Earl Grey fans out there? That sounds like the name of a singer when I put it that way. It happens to be one of my favorite teas at the moment. Just the right amount of caffeine to give me a boost before a workout. I usually try to avoid caffeine but am finding it difficult to resist a little black tea now and then. 

With this post I hope to begin a series of posts about exercise, fitness and overall health. Today for my workout I played my husband in tennis. Love that game and I love to sweat when I'm dressed for it! 

On our way to the courts we found a cool new walking path we'd never before explored. Adventure. I love the look of the tree in the left photo with that skinny long branch extending out over the path. 

 Tomorrow I meet with a personal trainer at my gym. This is my second session and I will be learning all about the lifting machines. Last session I had my measurements taken, took a cardio fitness test, and set a few long-term goals. Can you sense my excitement?