GETTING REAL ABOUT GETTING FIT

I don’t know if it was the start of a new year or our engagement over Christmas or just finally deciding to do something about not feeling like the best versions of ourselves… but Will and I have been on a major fitness kick since January. We found a personal trainer we like love, who understands our individual goals but lets us train together at night so we get the most for our time and money. Working out with a personal trainer is still a major expense for us but we agree that fitness is one of the best things we can invest in at this stage in our lives (especially with sixteen months until our wedding!). Eventually I’d love to cut back on this expense and get into a routine of going to classes I like during the day but having Will as a workout buddy has really helped us make this a priority on a weekly basis.

The other great thing about having a personal trainer (besides, you know, actually working out for a change) is that she tracks our progress every six weeks or so, both in terms of weight and all kinds of measurements. In addition to these check-ins, we’ve also been taking progress pictures just for ourselves and it’s been really rewarding to notice the little changes taking place. Will has actually lost 12 pounds (and looks better than ever, truly) but I’m mostly focused on toning up and making sure I look the best I can be when I walk down that aisle and get to marry him!

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This past week, though, I got weighed and measured and realized that I’d not only gained two pounds since the last check-in but that most of my measurements (arms, waist, hip, butt, etc.) had stayed pretty much the same. So frustrating! I know that progress is rarely a straight upward trajectory but it still sucks to hit a plateau or feel like you’ve taken a step back. (And I know two pounds is not the end of the world, I’m not overweight, it’s not about a number, yada yada — it’s more about knowing I can do better and therefore having no right to be disappointed… Read on.) Rather than letting me feel sorry for myself (or worse, go eat something terrible to “make myself feel better”), our trainer asked if I’ve been doing anything differently lately (umm, did those calories from day drinking on a bachelorette party actually count?) and if I was finally ready to talk about some changes to my diet.

Ahh yes, my diet. What I’ve failed to mention up to this point is that despite pushing myself through several seriously tough workouts a week (and as my fiancé has started eating brown rice and lean protein every day for lunch), I’m still completely addicted to sugar, totally reliant on carbs to fill me up after neglecting to eat lunch at a normal hour, and definitely having a few too many cocktails on the weekends (but it’s wedding season?!). When I did gymnastics through high school, I could eat literally anything I wanted and still basically have the body of a ten-year-old. I had hoped that if I really got into a habit of working out hard again, I’d lose a few pounds, maybe stop hating my arms, and head into the summer feeling ready to strut my stuff.

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Yeeeah… not quite the same at age 26. While I do feel more toned and definitely (thankfully) have more energy from the past several months of working out, deep down I know there’s more I could be doing to look and feel my best. I think it took getting into a regular routine of working out before I felt like I could tackle improving my diet as well. It’s hard to take on several big changes at once but now that we’ve been in Dallas for a year (and have an active social life here!), have made some decisions about our wedding, and have started to reap the benefits of working out, I think it’s time for phase two of my fitness journey.

I’m not sure what this will entail exactly… but I do hope that by writing this out for all of you to see that I’m finally ready to start thinking about the food I put in my mouth and the impact it has on my body, my skin, and my energy levels (and maybe even my sleep? #wishfulthinking). More salads, less Splenda, more healthy snacking, fewer sugar crashes… Wish me luck, because I’m seriously going to need it.

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I’m by no means qualified to dole out fitness tips and the thought of sharing my bikini-clad before-and-afters on the internet makes me a little nauseous… But if you have any ideas for fun fitness-related content you’d like to see on Design Darling, shoot me an email or leave a comment below. And if you have any favorite healthy snacks (or, let’s be serious, healthier alternatives at Starbucks, etc.), I’m all ears. I’d love to hear what you do to be healthy and take care of yourself — whether it’s acupuncture or juicing or doing SoulCycle or taking your dog on long walks.

P.S. I am seriously inspired by my friend Liz’s post-baby fitness goals… If she can get in shape with precious Charlie by her side, I really have no excuse!