Hey Everyone!

It has been a while since I have last posted a blog, I have been freelancing nonstop. Some days I am up until 2 am just trying to get ahead of my assignments. Freelance writing isn’t always glamorous and is a lot more work than anyone would ever think.

Every day I am getting more and more followers, and I am incredibly grateful to all of you. Thank you for making me feel like my writing does something for others. It’s never been about money or fame; it’s about connecting with others worldwide and expressing myself.

The Latest News

The latest news in my life is that I got engaged! My boyfriend proposed to me about two weeks ago, and since then it has been nothing but Wedding talk. I do admit it is sort of a scary time planning a wedding, especially with COVID-19 wandering worldwide. We have been planning it for next year on June 20th. Hopefully, by then, things will simmer down.

In all of the wedding talk, I have also been working on losing weight. Instead of trying a quick fix the month before the wedding, I decided to take the whole year to get to my goal weight and eat healthily.

Typically, I work out 3-4 days a week; my diet is okay though there are times when I drink too much wine and eat too many cupcakes. I do splurge occasionally but not all the time. If I had to label my current diet, it would be ovo-pescatarian. I am not strict; if I go to a burger restaurant, I will not deprive myself.

My goal for the wedding is to lose 15-20 pounds. My stomach is flat, I am naturally a very toned person, and slightly on the curvy side. I know I look good, and I have confidence in my body, but my other goal is to look healthy and feel like my body is the strongest at that moment. There is power in feeling healthy. I would love to look back at my pictures and know that I held a healthy lifestyle.

Workouts

Though I work out 3-4 days a week, I have been trying to be more active every day. With 4 intense Workouts a week. As a freelance writer, it is sometimes hard to pry myself away from the screen to work out, but I know it is necessary for my goals. Not to mention my mental health.

My workouts currently include three days of walking uphill for 45 minutes on the treadmill, about 4.0 mph. This is more like a speed walk. I love walking uphill more than anything else; it has helped tone my calves while also making my glutes appear more rounded.

During my 4 days of intense workouts, I either walk uphill at 4.0 mph or jog at 5.8 mph until I have hit the 5-mile mark. All of this is done on the treadmill, where I live people make a big stink about not wearing a mask outside. For me, someone who has to puff on her inhaler after 3 miles, wearing a mask while running is a sure way to have an asthma attack. Luckily, we have a homemade gym area.

After I am done running, I do a fantastic ab workout. I downloaded an app on my phone, and let me tell you the app is phenomenal for any beginner. The app is called Six Pack in 30 days. However, I do suspect you will not get abs in 30 days. There are three levels inside of this ab challenge; each level is 30 days. I started with the “Lose Belly Fat” challenge. It seems easy, but once your doing it and working those muscles, it becomes hard. I highly recommend it. Each workout session is about 15 minutes long. Perhaps by the end of all 3 challenges, I will have a four-pack.

Every other intense workout, so two days of the four days, I jump rope. This is another workout that seems so easy, but it is a full-body workout. For a 15-minute workout, the average person can burn over 150 calories, which is an insane amount for such a little time. The first time I did a jump rope workout, I did it in 5-minute intervals as fast as possible for 45 minutes. I do not recommend starting with that amount. It hurts for days after that. Start with 10 minutes and add on 5 every week. Do not do this every day until your body can handle it.

Equipment

There have been several purchases on my amazon account for many different types of workout equipment. It is all super affordable and can help create a home gym when you are not comfortable going out. I will provide each link for you guys to check out.

Band + Bar

This is by a brand named Bodygym, and I have to admit if you are a workout buff and love weights, this probably won’t have enough resistance for you. I opted for the more relaxed band with less resistance because I have to be careful not to pull anything in my back. When my back goes out, I go with it for days. It has a workout band you step on, and a bar you can pull up in front of you, or put it behind you to do squats. It is a fantastic tool, and you can change out the giant rubber band for a more resistant band if you choose. However, you will have to buy that separately.

Kettle-bells

We have a set of 3 kettle-bells, 5 Lb, 10 Lb, and 15 Lb. I have slowly worked my way up to using the 15 pounds for squats and other exercises. They are slightly rough on the hands, but I refuse to wear workout gloves. This is one of the best purchases on Amazon; however, they may come separately and not all at once.

Waist Trainer

This one was on a whim, and I have to say I love it. It isn’t like a corset; those are horrible for your body. This is more like a sweat vest that cinches around your waist. I read every article about it, and I know technically the results don’t last, and there is no science to back up what I am saying. However, this is 100% one of the best purchases. I sweat so much when I wear this thing, and after a week and a half of wearing it with my workouts, my waist has gone down an inch.

I would recommend leaving it off for any ab workouts. It limits your body movements. However, if you decide to get a waist trainer, it is crucial to building the muscle in your core while doing this. The waist trainer may give you the appearance you want, but it will never hold if your core remains weak. You need to build the muscle. That is something no one tells you.

So, there you folks have it. These are the tools and exercises I will be doing four days a week for the next years. Let me know your favorite workouts, and I may just add them in! I have a few more that I love doing; this is just an overview. I do not believe doing it in a rush the month before my wedding will get me the results I want, so I am starting now and giving myself the time I deserve! I will be writing about my wedding very soon, so stay posted.