Triple D

Wow...that was a fast 30 days! This is such an amazing journey. And to watch my body transform, literally before my eyes, is AWESOME!! With that being said, not every day comes easy. Not every day feels good. But every day is a success!! No matter how bad I am not in the mood to do my exercises, I do them anyway. That brings me to my first "D".

Determination!

I am determined to change. I am determined to get healthy and tone up. I am determined to finish what I started. I am determined to make a lifestyle change.

It is that determination that pushes me to run up and down the stairs...to jump rope... to do my least favorite exercises (which are mountain climbers and burpees....BLAH!!!!). The determination to prove to myself that I can do it. The determination to believe in myself the way my husband believes in me.

My second "D" is...

Desire!

I truly have the desire to want to change. The desire to look at myself and be happy with my reflection...not just satisfied. The desire to set an example to others...because believe me, if I can do this...ANYONE can do it. The desire that my boys will learn a lifestyle of fitness and crave it in their daily lives.

My final "D" is...

Dedication!

I am dedicated to loving my body. I am dedicated to this change so I can be as fit as possible to keep up with my littles. I am dedicated to process...and the realization that change doesn't happen over night.

When I made the decision to start exercising, it originally was to make a quick change and then go back to my old ways. I was so naive....and very childlike in my thought process of how my 30+ year old body would react to the workouts and maintain the progress. However, along those first 30 days I began to slowly enjoy my few minutes of working out. Now 90 days later I honestly feel better afterwards and love the adrenaline rush it provides. The part I struggle with the most is the mental side....and to be honest...the lazy side. But I literally talk to myself and remind myself of how easy it is to just give up...it takes true heart and dedication/desire/determination to keep going. So I get up and get 'er done!

I decided on a 90 day challenge this time because I wanted to step it up. It's a whole body routine and has taken some getting use to but I like changing it up. I don't even remember how I stumbled across the program that I'm doing but I am so glad I did. The name of it is called, "The bikini body mommy 90 day challenge". It is a program that was started by a mommy who does the exercises right along with you and you get to see her struggles and results right along with yours. She has a meal plan as well, however, I do not follow along with that portion of the challenge. You have to pay for that, and to be honest...I'm not looking for a 'diet'...I'm looking for a lifestyle change. I know I will not eat healthy food all the time, so I wanted to transform my body by eating the things I already eat...just kick it up a notch with so very much needed exercise.  Every single one of her daily exercise routines are on YouTube...for free!! No excuses!!

When I started this challenge, I took before pictures of myself (just like she tells you to) in a bikini. I am not going to share the before pictures until the 90 days is up and I can show them side by side. I still have plenty of room for improvement and can't wait to see the results on October 31st!! So stay tuned!! However, I did take my normal "before" pictures. There's not a huge difference visually but there is a noticeable difference in the way things "move".  Here's my last 30 days of progress:

 Now in all fairness...I took the one of the left at the end of my leg challenge on July 31st. I didn't start my 90 day challenge until August 3rd. So technically there is more then 30 days between these shots.  But it is the best shot I have to show the difference. I am so pleased with the results...in just 30 days. 6.5 inches!!! How awesome is that!! Here is the breakdown as to where I lost my inches.

Chest = -1 inch

Arms (bicep) = no change

Waist = -1.5 inches

Thigh = no change

Hips: Widest = -1.5 inches

Hips: Narrow-ist = -2.5 inches

I was in shock when the measurements were taken today. Yay me!! These results just give me more and more umph to keep going. I also wanted to share a reminder of where I started from back on June 1st. I am so mad that I didn't think to take measurements to begin with.  (Reminder: I did a 30 day Ab challenge 6.1.14-6.30.14 and then a leg challenge 7.1.14-7.31.14, and starting my 90 day full body challenge 8.3.14)

Another thing I want to point out...even with all the changes my body is making...the scale says exactly the same thing today that it did 30 days ago, on August 3rd. Proof that the scale is NOT a depiction of my hard work or results.

One more thing...I wrote a little saying on my mirror as a reminder to myself and thought it might help remind someone else..."Satan's job is to distract you from the goodness God has planned for you...don't get distracted". Satan tells me I can't do this...that I won't stick with it...that it's not making a difference...that nobody cares. I am proudly proving him wrong...every day...one step at a time!!

The journey continues...