I know that sounds like a headline on a women’s fitness magazine cover, promising all of the tips and tricks to get that rump lifted and tummy lean, but it’s not… well not really.
My family and I are going to the Caribbean in early January and I found the prettiest, little bikini the other day… completely by accident. Honest!
It’s a bit of cruel irony that we choose to go away right after the holiday season. December can be a very difficult month for those who not only care deeply about eating healthfully, but also happen to enjoy a little decadence from time to time. And when I say decadence of course I mean wine, cheese, maybe one of my friend Sharon’s homemade peanut butter cups. Oh yeah, and what about mashed potatoes with gravy at Christmas dinner? Which just reminded me of the mashed potatoes and gravy at Thanksgiving dinner! Losing a little focus here. I guess you can see a part of my conundrum. I’m rather easily distracted by food.
Okay, so back to the challenge at hand; staying on track to be ready for that adorable new electric blue bikini I just picked up. Did I mention that it also comes in orange? I may be making another quick shopping trip.
October will be a breeze. Well, with one exception (damn those tiny perfect delicious miniature Crispy Crunch Bars!) But, in the wise words of my trainer, Eli, or as my kids call it “the world according to Eli” cheats aren’t the problem… the FREQUENCY of cheats is the real culprit.
So goal number one; save up my cheat for the 31st. I’m willing to forgo the potatoes at Thanksgiving and I’ve never been a big fan of pie so that one’s easy and attainable. One little morsel of that melty peanut buttery crunchiness will be well worth the wait. As you may have noticed, I sidetrack easily, and it’s usually about food.
So now that I’ve emotionally committed to keeping a very tight diet from today until my pre-planned cheat on the 31st, I have to consider where else I can look to improve.
The obvious answer is the gym. Lifting has never really been an issue for me. I genuinely enjoy it. I love to feel each of my different muscle groups working, and yes, I even enjoy the pain after a particularly strenuous work out.
Cardio on the other hand, well cardio is not my favourite way to spend time. I do it because I must… for my heart and for the width of my hips. That little blue bikini will demand a firmer posterior and I am determined to give it what it deserves.
Increasing the intensity of the morning workout is a good place to start… really get that heart rate up for a bare minimum of forty-five minutes. It’s not really that hard once you get started. It’s generally the first ten minutes when my brain tries to convince me that there are SO many other things I could, or should be doing. Laundry/writing/cleaning behind the fridge/repainting my son’s bathroom-all decided against, and that first ten has past. Then I’m committed.
So I guess it’s the second cardio of the day. Between everything else being done and bedtime, I just know I can find another thirty to forty-five minutes to sweat… after all it’s for the tiny blue bikini. And maybe it’s little orange sister.
Happy Lifting!
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