My Get In Shape Challenge

Recently my boyfriend, Mr. F., and I decided it was time to get our butts in gear and get in shape. He started working out before I did. I've always been extremely hard to motivate when it comes to working out. Frankly, I hate it. I don't know why since its not bad when I get involved but getting to that point is the hard part. So yay me, I've worked out nearly every day for the last three weeks. As part of my motivation to keep this up, I decided to share my progress. Hopefully that will help keep me on track. ;-)

My tools and such:

MyFitnessPal - This is a great app available for both iPhone and Android systems. It keeps track of both your calories and exercise, and your progress with measurements and weigh-ins. Plus you can add friends!

FitBit - This is the neatest little device! It counts all the steps you take during the day, how many miles you've walked, stairs you've climbed, and all the calories you burn from that. Plus it tracks your sleep. I love that part but its crazy to see how often you wake up through the night. It integrates with MyFitnessPal also but I've found that kind of skews my calorie intake a bit so I don't sync them. I wear it on my waistband but take it off when I exercise.

Workouts:

Bike Ride - I started going on 4.26 mile bike rides 4-6 times a week. I like going but its allergy season and we've got fields on two sides of us and a creek behind us so I've switched to indoor workouts. A great tool to use on rides is MapMyRide. They have mobile apps but I log it on my computer. 

Xbox Kinect - I love the fact that fitness video games exist! I was never much of a gamer but these games make working out fun. My favorites are Your Shape Fitness Evolved and the latest one Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. I just picked that up yesterday and so far I like it. It has some dance routines in it like Bollywood and Hip Hop which are fun. I also love Dance Central 2 which has a work out mode. 

Yoga - I like to try lots of different yoga routines so I don't have very many favorites but I do really like Body by Bethenny. I love yoga and try to do that several times a week. 

Total Gym - You've probably seen the infomercial for this on tv... I'm not an infomercial shopper but Mr. F. fell asleep with the tv on one night while out of town and the next day woke up needing this machine. (lol) As it turns out, its awesome. I started doing weights, consistently, with this last week. We have work-out routines that came with it so I'm sticking to those, alternating upper and lower body routines every other day. 

We also take our dogs for walks occasionally. 

Progress:

When I started, I was (turning red here) 157lbs. This photo was taken over Christmas 2011 and I nearly cried when I saw it. I'm also looking terribly awkward as I hate those "stand here and smile" photos and my glasses are making my eyes look creepy...

I set my target weight loss goal to 17lbs. I realize its more about the measurements than weight itself since my body needs to rebuild a lot of muscle but I set a rough goal anyways. As of today, I've lost 5lbs. I've also lost .25" from my neck, .5" from my waist (although that looks like a lot more visually for some reason), .25" from my hips, 1" from my bust, and .75" from my arms. Small progress but I'm happy with it. The best part is not getting winded anymore when running upstairs! 

So that's my work-out story for now. This was hard for me to write and share but I am determined to stick it out and shape up! If anyone else would like to share their stories I'd love to hear! I'll update my progress weekly! :)

**I am not a nutritionist, fitness expert, or doctor. These are my own experiences I've shared and are NOT a substitute for professional advice. Please consult your physician before beginning a diet or exercise routine. **