It’s time to Tone It Up. And by that I mean drop those pesky extra pounds in time for my vacation to Hawaii.
My vacation clock is ticking towards an exciting anniversary trip the first week in September.
This means my weight loss motivation is in overdrive.
Like many people, I have gained and lost the same 10-20 pounds over the past decade. Currently, I’m a little more than 10 pounds heavier than I’d like to be. My shorts aren’t fitting right- and to be honest, some aren’t fitting at all.
I know I’ll feel much better getting the extra weight off my 5’4” frame. I’ve been at my goal weight many times before, but I always feel more comfortable with how my clothes fit when I am a little under 130, instead of the 140 I weigh now.
I love working out, and I take a 45-minute spin class every day, so I know the root of my problem.
It’s my eating habits. Specifically, my eating outside of the office.
I’m fine at work. From 8-5, Monday-Friday I turn down the normal office treats like cookies and cake with ease. I have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a healthy snack of carrots or berries to beat the midday slump.
But once I get home at 5 pm, the gloves come off and my healthy attitude goes out the window. I start by grazing until dinner. Then I eat a full dinner, and although it’s generally healthy- like salmon and veggies- the portion size is through the roof. And I never skip dessert.
The weekends are no better. I tend to eat out more while continuing to snack between meals.
Things were feeling out of control, and last week when we finalized our plans for Hawaii, I knew after the 4th of July holiday it was time to make a real change.
I’ve been reading up online about all different eating plans. I also checked out Instagram and Twitter to see what people were saying about the more popular nutrition plans. I even Yelped to see if there was a nutritionist in my area that might be better than an online plan.
After a week of “shopping,” I picked the Tone It Up Bikini Series
It seemed like a good amount of food so I wouldn’t be starving, and it focused on whole foods like lean protein, veggies, fruit, and getting plenty of water.
You know, the things we’ve always heard are good for us!
I have also tried a few of the Tone It Up workouts on YouTube. They were challenging, but the founders of TIU, Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott, didn’t take themselves too seriously. I loved their positive attitudes.
I also liked the community aspect of the plan. There were so many women all supporting each other via posts on Instagram, Twitter, and the Tone It Up message boards. I was sold!
I purchased the plan ($150) over the 4th of July weekend and read the almost 60-page Nutrition Guide. It’s full of helpful information about how your body processes food. It’s a deep dive into nutrition for a layman, but they keep the tone light and pretty easy to understand. Kind of the best of both worlds.
In terms of an eating plan, I decided to start my Tone It Up adventure with the 8 Week Bikini Guide. I found it really helpful because it clearly lays out what to eat each day.
Between the Nutrition Guide and the Recipe Book, you definitely have enough information and options to come up with a menu that works for you. But I’m a big fan of being walked through things, especially at the beginning.
I plan on doing a weekly update on my blog to keep myself accountable.
Since I took the 4th of July as my last “eat whatever I want day,” I actually started the plan on Tuesday, July 5.
On Tuesday morning I was 145 pounds. This is crazy high for me and knew a lot of it was bloat from the frozen yogurt, cookies, Mexican food, and Sizzler (I told you I went big!) over the holiday weekend.
I was right, and a lot of that weight quickly came off. By Wednesday morning I was at a more realistic- and honest- start weight of 141.2.
Although I’ve only been on the plan for a few days, I already feel less sluggish, which is great.
So far the meals have been really good, too. I’m not hungry either, which is great. Forgoing my nightly dessert has been a little tough, but that is a mental thing over a hunger thing. A few days a week you are allowed a TIU approved dessert, so that is encouraging.
Meal prep is no joke and Karena and Katrina are upfront about it in the Nutrition Guide and on a few YouTube videos. I’m sure once I have a better feel for how to prep the meals, it won’t take as long.
In full disclosure, I also rarely cook.
My husband normally handles dinner. So a big plus to the plan is that so far I’ve been able to make all the meals and they have all tasted great, considering my lack of culinary skills. I was a little intimidated when I first read some of the recipes, but they have all been manageable. Time-consuming, but easy for even a novice in the kitchen.
I’m still taking my spin class every morning, but I’ve added a daily TIU video as well to hopefully get some more muscle definition.
So far, two thumbs up for Tone It Up! Next update on Tuesday, July 12. Figures-crossed that I’m still feeling as positive at the end of Week One as I feel today!
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