Workin' on my Fitness like Fergie

I've started a new board called "Thin-Spired" on Pinterest to motivate me to get moving this winter!! People always start complaining about "bikini season" when bikini season is upon us. To get where you want to be and to see results, you need to workout A LOT before the good weather even arrives.

My stomach used to look like this:

And I looked like this before my wedding: 

The thing is, I worked out so much before my wedding. For me it was a matter of stress relief, not to be the skinniest bride I could be. Dan was home in CA and we would frequent the gym with our friends and the other bball playing hubbys. I went to the gym all the time and took spin classes 3 times a week. 

I was the fittest I've ever been....

After the wedding we went on our honeymoon, where we were eating and drinking like kings! I'd been eating whatever I wanted before the wedding, but I was working out so much it didn't matter. Once the honeymoon was over, we visited CA, and then moved to Australia where it was winter and I had no gym membership. I kept eating what I wanted, and like most people, added on winter weight.  When the time came for me to get a physical for my immigration application, I was horrified to see the I had almost packed on 20lbs in 3 months!!! Yikes!

Honeymoon, Kauai 2010

That was a rude wake up call, and I told myself "You don't have to have a gym membership to get results. Don't make excuses!" I walked and played a lot of basketball with Dan.  I did the best I could with what I had. I lost weight, but I wasn't where I wanted to be: long and lean, and quite strong as well without being bulky. 

Fast forward to this season in Poland, there really wasn't a gym to belong to. Upon our arrival here, I went to the nearest sporting goods store and bought a yoga mat. I had purchased Jillian Michaels's dvds in the states for $10 at Target and would watch these when Dan was at practice. 45 mins of yoga will make anyone sweat and I loved the different levels it offered as well. If I wasn't feeling great, level 1 suited me fine. When I wanted a challenge, I did level 2. 

Mat work is really all you need to keep fit, but you can always do little tricks as well like:

1. Always take the stairs

2. Walk to the grocery store (easier in Europe) and carry groceries home

3. Drink a glass of water before a meal to help you feel more full

4. Do intervals on walks. Walk at a fast pace, find a landmark and sprint to it. Repeat until you are too tired to go on.

5. Engaging your core consciously, and constantly. You can do this at your work desk, while driving, and most importantly, while walking or doing exercises like yoga or pilates. 

6. Do lunges, whenever and wherever!! 

Fact of the matter is this though... a great gym did open here in December and I've been enjoying it immensely. I take Zumba two nights a week and spin when I can. I also started doing weights again, and I can see and feel a difference after 4 weeks. 

(Oh ya, I took out my belly ring I had since I was 15 years old!!! I don't miss it at all!)

It isn't that I just care about my stomach, but having a strong core (or a core that looks strong haha) makes you look and feel better.

So I'll leave you with some of my motivational pins: