I be up in the gym just working on my fitness

.... that's a total lie.

While I would love to be the motivated, "I love to workout," type.... I'm just not. However, thanks to 4 years of college basketball I do know the basics necessities for a good workout. I try to implement those things on a regular basis so I don't become a Fatty Fatty 2x4, but sometimes I'm not very good at it. The pressure also increases when you have a fiance who can, on any given day, go run a few miles and feel great. I.Would.Die.

So what have I been doing to make sure I'm not overflowing out of my wedding dress? Well, for starters, my entire diet has changed. I remember in college I proclaimed, "I don't eat anything green." That was 100% true (unless the candy I was eating was green). Now,  I do!

{One of my faves: Spinach salad with mushrooms, chicken, and goat cheese}

Yes, folks, I even eat spinach! I actually prefer it over any other types of green stuff -- unless it's arugula, which I love equally. I've worked hard in the last few months to order salads as meals or meal starters. For example, the other night I went to dinner and I really wanted to not eat until the entree came because I knew it was going to be so good. Instead, I ate my salad (that wasn't terribly appetizing) and only ate a 1/3 of the entree, which was definitely full of more calories and fat than the salad. It's just common sense!

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I'm also starting to pay more attention to labels. I by no means obsess over them, but I look at them and am starting to understand what it's all about. I have a pretty good grasp of how many calories I'm taking in per day and, thanks to a Google search, what amount I should take in based on my weight. Don't get me wrong, just because I look at the calories and fat % on a bag of M&Ms doesn't mean I don't eat them.... I'm a work in progress!

{hehe}

I'm definitely working on my accountability and exercise regime. I'm terrible about sticking with workout plans. I did a solid week of Jillian's 30 Day Shred, but then I got distracted by fatigue and schedules. However, I make myself do an ab workout, if nothing else, before bed. So far, this plan is working. Also, I am part of a 12 week "check in" program. There are 7 girls (all getting married) that have separate goals and on Sunday-ish we check in with each other and give our updates. I use this as a way to keep myself in check. I don't want to have to admit that I've actually gained 2 or 3 lbs when I'm supposed to be reaching my goal. The last check in is the Sunday after Thanksgiving and that'll definitely be the true test!

 {What I'm trying to achieve}

I'm not looking to be a size 2 (Um, hello... I'm realistic) but I do want to feel good about how I look. This has a little to do with the wedding, but mostly just about life in general. I tend to, for the lack of a better word, dwell on my body image. I just need to do something about it and work at it. Finding a plan that works for me is definitely what I'm looking for and I'm figuring out that I ain't as good as I once was (shout out to Toby Keith) so my effort level needs to be a bit higher.

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Last goal: to be able to understand and stick to this diagram without even referring to it....