HIIT Treadmill Workout aka My New Obsession

     After becoming a mother of two, I quickly realized that I have almost NO time for myself.  For the first few months it didn't matter.  I was adjusting to life with two little boys and soaking it all in.  Then, I found myself in a rut.  I wanted to do so many things like read, shop, watch tv, exercise, all by myself.  The constant companionship of my children was making me agitated, angry, and claustrophobic.  I even found myself not wanting to be around my husband once the kids went to sleep. I just needed time for me. 

     I don't like feeling that way.  I love my kids, I love my husband, and I really am an extrovert.  I just also have a small bit of introvert in me and I need my own time everyday.  I realized that one of the things that I missed most about my pre-kid years was being able to go to the gym on my lunch break.  That was always the time that I could be alone, do something good for myself, and just let myself think.

  So, I decided to bring that gym "me-time" back into my life.  Unfortunately I can't take a lunch break from my kids.  I also didn't want to give up the time with my husband at night, so I decided I had no other option than to go before everyone else wakes up. 

  I've started going to the gym at 6 a.m. 3-4 times per week and it feels fantastic!  I go to spin on Mondays (which I love!) and the other days I do cardio and weights.  I also go to yoga during the day once a week. I pay my amazing babysitter and peace-out while she feeds the boys lunch :)  Going to the gym first thing in the morning is such a great start to my day, and forces me to go to bed early which is so nice! 

  Before kids I used to run on the treadmill a lot, I loved it.  The last two years I have done most of my "running" (I say that because its mostly a pathetic fast walk/jog where I'm panting the entire time) in the warm weather months with my kids and our trusty Bob stroller.  Now I am getting back into running on the treadmill and I decided to try a HIIT workout. 

  HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training.  Below is an example of a HIIT workout, one that I use and love. 

  It keeps you engaged and if you only focus on the current 3-minute interval you are doing, you don't
think about how long you will be running for.  Plus, it burns those calories!!  In 30 minutes I burn 350 calories, I'll take that!  Afterwards I usually spend about 10 minutes working on upper body, lower body, or abs. 

  The first week I started HIIT I lost two pounds.  It really does kick your butt but it feels so good!  Give it a try next time you find yourself staring at the treadmill not wanting to do the same old run. 
 

Off With Her Hair!!

Well, I did it, I cut my hair!

Twelve inches of beautiful, thick hair all gone.

Well, that's not true, its still around it will just be on someone else's head.  I donated my hair to Locks of Love so that someone else, going through something much harder than I've ever had to face, can have her hair back again.  I'm glad that I am able to donate something that I was so proud of and so attached to, to help someone else.

 

So, why did I do it?

  My first reason was that it has been on my bucket list to donate my hair (check!)

 

My second reason was that I didn't want to have my little monsters pulling my hair anymore (check!)

 

And my third reason was that I thought my long hair was beautiful.  I know, if I thought my long hair is beautiful, then why cut it?  I thought that it was the best thing about me, I had gorgeous hair and lots of it.  But that was the problem, I realized that I thought it was the ONLY beautiful thing about me.  The ONLY thing that people noticed, the ONLY thing that made me attractive, inside or out.  I had a realization one day that if I cut my hair, I'd be forced to find other things about myself that I liked. That is a work-in-progress right now, but I'm giving myself a lot of love and I'll see those good and beautiful things soon.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my hair.  I feel new and sassy and young and more energetic with my short hairstyle, I think I'll keep it for a while :) 

 

 

xoxo, Whit

 



Motivation

Well hello blogging world! 

 

It is I, your long-lost friend Whitney.  Its funny how having another child has made it almost impossible to sit down at a computer unless absolutely necessary. 

 

Since my last post (roughly a year and a half ago) I have had another little baby boy!  He is now almost 6 months old and I am so incredibly in love with him.  Expect to see a post about how much I love my little men on here very soon. But not today, today I want to talk about motivation. After all, I am still trying to lose 25 pounds that I packed on while carrying my children and I want it gone!

 

It seems like I have plenty of motivation to lose weight (feel better, look better, sense of accomplishment, etc..) and yet I just can't seem to put down the ice cream.  Seriously, its ridiculous.  I haven't lost a single pound in the last 5 months, not one!  I know that part of that is that I am not nursing this time around.  Another HUGE part of that is that I just love food.  

 

 

 

So, I am trying something new.  I have collected a few shirts (on sale, of course), a pair of new workout pants, and a beautiful new shade of Essie nail polish.  I will let myself have one after every pound I lose.  Lose a pound, get a shirt.  Lose another pound, I get to rock my new nail polish.  I'll start with the smaller items (or those that I'm not as in love with) and have to work harder to get the stuff I really love, like those awesome Indy Brand shirts.  I've also thrown old clothes into the mix.  Things like pants that I can't quite squeeze into yet, or a shirt that just doesn't fit the same way it did last summer.  I love to shop, I love new clothes, so I am hoping that these things help motivate me to kick start my weight loss!   

Now I want to know, What motivates you??