Twenty-Eight by Twenty-Eight

I’m not going to lie to you all. Things have been pretty tough lately. I’ve allowed stress to take over and it has affected my health. I’ve been trying to eat healthy but I have indulged too. I have only been to the gym once in the last three weeks and I am not proud of that. It is definitely time I whip myself back into shape.

My birthday is just around the corner. Those of you who are close to me know I start counting early. As soon as my half birthday (August 28^th) rolls around I begin to get eager. I'll be twenty-eight in twenty-five weeks. Twenty-five weeks and two days to be exact. I was born on the 28th of February so my twenty-eighth year will be my golden year. I feel like it will be a great year; hopefully my best year yet! I've decided that my next goal is going to be to lose twenty-eight pounds by my twenty-eighth birthday.For the past few months I've been pretty set on 'the scale doesn't matter' and I still believe that! But I also know that I haven't been working to my full potential. I know I can do better. And I know that if I work harder I can achieve my goal of dropping twenty-eight pounds.(I do not know what I weigh today because I have not stepped on the scale in a month. But I will purchase batteries for my scale soon and I’ll fill you all in at that time.)A few changes I'm going to implement right away are:Eating out only once a week.This will be tough for me because my boyfriend and I tend to eat out several times a week. We get lazy after long days at work and we just grab something quick. But I decided that I'll stock up on cereal and on lazy nights I can pour myself a bowl and save some calories.Adding back in more cardio.I had cut back a lot on cardio because I prefer strength training now. But they are both equally important when you're trying to drop weight and fat and I need to remember that! I need to do at least five days of cardio.Not cutting out any food groups.I feel like this will be the biggest factor in my success. I cut out food groups all the time. I've been gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free. I've done the Whole 30. I've said no to sugar and desserts. Every time I avoided a food group, I ended up wanting it even more. I need to learn how to be on theeverything in moderation diet. Oooo! I love that! That's what I'll call my new eating plan.I was comparing a photo of myself on day 1 of the Whole 30 on April 26^th and one from last week. I really can't believe the difference in my stomach. And that was only a four month difference. I can only imagine the progress I can make in six months if I push myself even harder.

I'm going to check in often with ya'll. I haven't been blogging lately and I have missed it. Have you missed me?! Aw, I thought so. Anyways, I'll be working my booty off in the gym (hopefully more of my thighs and stomach) and tracking my food religiously. Here goes!