Wedding planning

I'm knee deep in wedding planning at this point. I have not gone full bridezilla yet, but we've got time for that. So far, we've booked our venue and I bought my dress - yes, I bought my dress over a year before the wedding. Two big things that could be super stressful, but were made very easy, luckily!

The dress

I bought my dress at David's Bridal. I had not heard the best things about the bridal shop, but decided to try it out because...budget, hello! 

I had perused online and added dresses to my "favorites". I had no idea what exactly I liked and disliked or even really what I was looking for. I just knew I wanted something romantic, strapless, and NOT white.

I walked in to the store with no expectations, because I had never tried on a wedding dress before. I mean this is my first engagement and marriage after all, ha! My stylist was really sweet and was there for everything that I needed. She helped me look at dresses and complete the wishlist I had started online and really gave me great pointers about what might look good on my body. I told her what I was looking for, which was very vague, but she was able to pull dresses that I had no idea that I would love. The first dress I tried on was the dress that I ended up choosing. I didn't know it would be that easy. I tried on a total of 8 dresses and I loved about three of them but I absolutely loved the first dress that I tried on. It was nothing I had imagined. First of all, it's very close to white - ivory. I know for many people that's a huge color difference, but to me, it looks just about the same. I wanted a more blush or champagne tone. Next, the bodice is "nude". It reminds me of something Pnina Tornai would design - just not so "designer". 

I ended up doing the whole "yes to the dress" thing with the tears and the "oohs" and "aahs" from the sidelines. It felt surreal, like the whole engagement. But it was such an amazing day and I was on a high all day from finding the dress. 

So now that I bought my dress, I cannot gain weight. Which I will not let happen, but ya know, life? I have 8 months to whip my booty in to shape before I start my dress alterations, which is a long time - now just to stick to something. I've got my workouts down thanks to my friend's mama-friendly boot camp Fit Mama Workouts right here in Omaha & virtual runs from Flex it Pink. The thing I struggle with (always have!) is my food. Food has historically been my foe, but thanks to some nutrition planning with an old friend (Max Muscle Metro) I do have a great place to start. Here goes to making better choices over the next 8 months (and beyond really!) and looking hot on my wedding day!

XO

C*

Results!

OMG. I never thought I'd feel like I was getting anywhere, but hard work does pay off. Over the last 3ish weeks, I've been trying to really go hard in the gym and the kitchen. There were many days I didn't make it to the gym and many days I didn't eat how I should've, but I started new the next day. I never gave up, and now I have some arm results to share. I have no "measurements", per se, I don't remember the last time I took measurements, but my body is responding really well to lifting.
So, here it is!:

I feel good. I wish the rest of my body looked so good, but it is getting there! My calves are getting stronger as are my tris! This journey has been amazing so far, I know I can get far, I will do it.

I'm so lucky I have a great support system in this journey, as well as all of my other journeys.
I'm getting nervous just cause school is starting in a couple of weeks, I don't want to feel too overwhelmed with everything, so I'm hoping that even with school coming back, I will keep at it in the gym!

Follow me, comment, message, let me hear your thoughts, your stories, I truly want to!

xo
C

It's been forever...

It really has. I've been really busy just living life. I've had so much fun this summer with my son, my boyfriend, my family, and my friends. It has just really been amazing and eye-opening.
I've gotten to do fun things like watch toddler soccer games, go to the children's museum, celebrate my child's birthday, go swimming, travel, etc.
Now, I'm getting ready for myself and Cole to go to school. He starts pre-k NEXT week, you guys. I just don't know how I feel about that. As for me? Well, this semester is (hopefully!) the last of my undergrad. Um, yes. Crazy and unbelievable! I'm almost there, I've almost done it! Through tough times, rough relationships, single parenting, I'm ALMOST done. I never thought I could've gotten this far, honestly. But, here I am :)

Now on to why I started this blog. I really have wanted to get in to shape for a long time. I've always had a love hate relationship with working out, going to the gym, eating right, drinking water, etc. In high school, I was a big fan of running. About twice a week or so, my mom and I would go run a mile or two around a local high school track. It was fun, exhilarating, and enough exercise for me. After high school, I dabbled in "at-home" workouts, but I've realized that it doesn't really work for me. I like going to the gym now and I've recently started an affair with lifting. Now, I don't do as much cardio, but I am trying to incorporate it back in to my workout. I'm on week 3 of a bodybuilding.com program by fitness model Jamie Eason. It's super easy to follow and there are pictures and videos if you don't know how to do a workout. It's also really helped that my wonderful, awesome boyfriend comes to the gym with me every once in awhile. He really pushes me while lifting, even if I get annoyed cause I think I can't do it.
If you are wanting to start a fitness/weight loss journey, I recommend to research! Google, ask a personal trainer at your gym, ask a friend who frequents the gym, just ask, don't be afraid! It was hard for me to ask, but I'm finally getting more comfortable with it. I also really try to motivate myself any way I can. I follow instagram accounts like Flex It Pink, which is a female empowerment account that also makes fitness apparel. It's nice to see other people going through the same things as me, trying to be their best, their healthiest, it really motivates me. But ultimately, I have to seek within myself for the motivation and trust me, that's the most difficult. You can want something so bad, but never even do anything about it. That's where I've been stuck for too long. Now, I'm here. Making a weight loss calendar, sticking to a schedule, trying really hard to eat decently, etc. It's hard, but I'm done wishing, I want to be THERE. I'm super impatient, so it's been a rough 3 weeks not really feeling like I'm getting anywhere, but I know I just need to keep plugging along and I'll see results.
Follow me in my journey and share yours! Let's motivate each other! Follow me on insta and twitter and let's talk :)

Xo*
C

Weight loss is a bitch.

I've told myself that I need to lose 20 lbs forever. In high school I was tiny, size 0-2. After having Cole, I gained about 45 lbs during my pregnancy and lost a lot of it while breast feeding him during the first year. But as soon as I stopped, the weight came flooding back. I got to my heaviest ever at 162 (ugh, I'm embarrassed about that) and felt like a huge slob! So, at that point, I told myself I needed to lose 40+ lbs and I got overwhelmed. That's a lot. And I didn't educate myself on great ways to lose weight (like portion control, healthier eating habits, and exercise) so I freaked out and became unhealthy. I got in to a habit of limiting my calories so much that I was hungry all of the time and then I'd give in to all of my craving at the same time. So, the weight never came off.

It wasn't until I got happier and healthier, I got results. 

But now I'm here. 22, 145 lbs, and stuck in a rut. I'm a mother and a student and I have a job, that a lot of times I make excuses of why it's ok that I ordered pizza twice this week, or why I didn't make it to the gym at all this week. Indulging in cravings or skipping the gym every once in awhile is not all bad. We all need a break! But if you have a goal, if you want to be healthier, lose weight, gain muscle, get an A+ on your paper, get that promotion, you can't quit when it gets too challenging, too tiresome, or it seems like you'll never reach your goal. Keep going! Cause the time is going to pass anyway, might as well spend it doing something that will benefit you! 

And that's where I'm stuck. Sometimes lounging on the couch watching One Tree Hill, eating ice cream sounds better than getting my butt kicked at boot camp (ok, it always sounds better!!) but I feel much better getting an hour work out in and then lounging with the tv. 

So, let's get together and empower each other, let's reach our goals together. It can be anything!: health/fitness, school, work, as a parent, anything!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you'll be working on for the month of March! 

Xo,

C