Well hello! This probably means very little to all of you BUT I have to share because I’m super excited about it…since the launch of Kara Loves Coco, I’ve hosted my blog on a particular website. One of which I did not own. In the meantime, the world of blogging quite literally exploded and most bloggers started or switched over to a different hosting site for various reasons. I held steady in my old school ways…I didn’t even budge when my web designer suggested I make the switch. Or other bloggers I respected said it was far superior on the other side. It wasn’t until my rep with Reward Style (the affiliate company I work with), broke down the benefits for me that I decided to take plunge and made the switch. Why did I wait? It’s hard to make changes when your comfortable. This change was going to cost money. It was going to take time- Lord knows I already felt depleted in that department…and PS- when would I learn the new platform? It was so much easier to just stay put. Isn’t it always? But I took the leap. My goals are to GROW this community and in order to do that, I needed to do this. Now I have the benefits that come with SEO. Now I own my content. And that feels cool.
Similar Top/ Leggings/ Shoes/ Watch
In the words of my fave Peloton instructor, Ally Love, “Being a boss is a combination of what we do and how those things make us feel. It’s pushing our boundaries of comfort to take charge of fear and overcome the norm. It’s about setting the tone, establishing a new standard, creating limitless boundaries to find self-fulfillment. Ultimately, it’s finding honor in the process rather than the outcome. When you set your plan in motion, you will succeed.”
Speaking of establishing a new standard, if you follow me on Insta Stories, you’ve seen that I’ve made exercising a part of my daily routine. I wanted to wait to write this post to make sure that I actually stuck to my plan. And I’m really proud to say that for the last five weeks, I’ve worked out 5/6 days per week. I haven’t done that since the month before I got pregnant with Coco. So just shy of five years. FIVE YEARS since I’ve made myself and my health a priority. I had every excuse. Exhaustion from lack of sleep, having no time and having other things that had to get done were my top excuses. Ironically none of those things have really changed. My kids still wake up occasionally (currently working on 4 hours of sleep thanks to Griffin’s cold), I still have only about 1.5 hours to myself during the day (when he naps) and there are still a million things that I COULD be doing instead of working out. Blogging, cleaning, meal prep, taxes, e-mails, phone calls, paperwork…everything that EVERYONE has, right? But I let those things stand in my way of doing what I needed to do for my body and soul.
There was no Eureka moment that inspired me to work out. I just decided I had had enough of feeling gross. I remembered how good I felt when working out was part of my lifestyle. I researched my plan, committed and did it. I didn’t allow myself any excuses- it had to get done 5-6 days each week. I always work out when Griffin naps with the exception of the weekends when I workout in the morning. Instead of puttering around my house and picking up toys, I lace up my shoes and workout in my bedroom. When Coco was sick last week, I turned on a movie for her and got to it. My kids get up at all different times so morning workouts would be tough to stick to. I also really cherish my morning coffee and time to myself to get ready before they wake up. The most common questions I get are involving my schedule- how much, how often and what? I joined Bikini Body Guide by Kayla Itsines. I have an entire review coming soon on my experience with this but this program is my resistance training. I love it because it maps out your week for you and tells you what workouts you should be doing and how often. We also purchased the Peloton in December (review coming soon on this too!). Here is how I line up my week:
S- Soul Cycle or Peloton HIIT workout
M- Rest Day
T- BBG Arms and Abs
W- BBG Legs
Th- Peloton Low Intensity Ride
F- BBG Full Body
S- Soul Cycle or Peloton HIIT ride
In addition, I try to get in 10k steps per day (I track on my Apple Watch).
I’m not going to lie, the first week or two sucked. They were SO hard! But every week since then has gotten easier- and dare I say that I totally look forward to this time now?! I look at those 45 min (tops) now like a gift I give myself and my family. Why? Because all I’ve seen and felt have been positive changes since I started. It really seems like everything has improved: my mood, my body, my skin and my sleep. I’m prone to anxiety and have felt like working out has cleared my thoughts and kept that at bay. I’m less snippy with Austin and my kids…I swear these endorphins are a THING. So based on all of this, I hope to never go back to not being an active person. Another bonus? All of the fabulous workout clothes available right now! I’ve pulled my favorites together for you below. Tell me- do you workout regularly? As always, thank you so much for following along!
My Favorite Workout Wear
