Wednesday, July 25, 2012

getting wedding ready: exercise edition.

in the months that followed my october 2011 engagement, i had freak out session after 
freak out session about how i was going to lose the weight & get in wedding shape

i toyed with different diet approaches, some healthy, some not. because honestly, in the past, 
i've gone both ways, with results. it wasn't until i moved to kinston that i really started to 
get things right. and by get things right, i mean eat healthfully & heartily, 
while working out on a consistent & daily basis. and for me, that's what's working. 

i'm not going to lie, i had a mini panic attack when i moved back to shreveport 
for the months leading up to the wedding - will i still adhere to my workout plan? 
will i gain all the weight back? will i lose all the muscle tone i've worked so hard to achieve?

the happy answer is that i'm now working out more here in shreveport than i was 
there in kinston. i work in my dad's physical therapy clinic, which means i'm on 
my feet constantly. sometimes i supplement this seemingly effortless workout of sorts 
by donning ankle weights. seems like no big deal, right? wrong. i can't even tell you how 
much it has worked my legs, just by adding four pounds to each. and luckily for me, 
my dad's clinic has a rainbow of weights, in all different sizes. 

we have also taken to doing p90x & various other calisthenics. to say i'm sore is an understatement.
and on top of all of that, a friend & i have been getting together for runs this week.

don't get me wrong. as the wedding date clock ticks on & on, & as the date draws ever
nearer, things will obviously be kicked up into overdrive. inordinate amounts of fruit
& veggies will be consumed. water by the gallon will be drunk per day. sweets will
be shunned. but there's a big comfort in knowing that a lot of the weight that i will
have dropped, all the muscle tone i will have added, all the extra me i've been carrying
around that i will have gotten rid of, will be the result of hard work & treating 
myself the way you should always treat yourself - right, & with respect. 

i think what i'm ultimately trying to say here is that the key to getting in shape is consistency.

and dedication.

well, that & eating right. but we'll save that for next time...


read other posts in the getting wedding ready series:

 


photo: dad's clinic \ instagram
link-up: wedding wednesday \ something charming  

9 comments:

Kate @ Daffodils said...

I admire your dedication to working out! I keep trying to get in a routine and failing. I am sure you are going to look perfect on your wedding day!

Betsy Transatlantically said...

omg weights on ankles. death! my job is so desk-bound that sometimes I'm glad when I have to move the car every two hours because of parking restrictions because it is an excuse to get up and move! but Charlie is making me stick to my running schedule :)

angie said...

loving this post! i'm also trying to get fit and lean for my wedding haha. i'm currently doing some weights training, and yoga when i can xx

Chandra said...

Nice to know there are others working out and preparing for their big day! I had quite a love affair with chips, but have put them aside (this was a hard one)!

Melissa said...

pilates, yoga, and pure barre. i'm rotating between classes. pure barre is by far the hardest and most intense - it leaves me sore for days after - so that may be something i drop for a while and pick up again before the wedding (they have a bridal deal!) yoga and pilates are here to stay though.

also trying to change the diet butttt.... who knows if that will happen, haha.

x!

Alexa said...

Ugh. I NEED to get back into my workout routine. Every since having a baby the whole thing has totally gone down the drown. But it's always been an important part of my life...so hopefully I'll jump back on the train soon.

Nicole Rene said...

Ohh the ankle weights is an interesting idea! At my job I'm constantly on my feet too and I know it's a good exercise in itself but adding some ankle weights might be something I want to try! I haven't tried P90x but I love workout videos! Insanity is my lifesaver!

Unknown said...

This is great Lauren! I wasn't as vigilant as you are before my own wedding, but I definitely worked out a bit. I've yet to step foot into a gym in the two years that I've been married though :( I hope that you are able to keep going up until your wedding, and after! And you may have just inspired me to get back to the gym...

Thanks for linking up today!

xoxo,
Joelle

Young at Heart said...

I do yoga ....my teacher is in her 70s and the class is 60-70s I'm the youngest in the class... it's a workout for mind and body and I can't bare the thought of going into my 70s withoutthem!!

the back and forth.

Justin had to turn on the air conditioner again last night.  It's October 26 - doesn't that mean the heater can stay on? Doesn't...