personal health initiatives

The Challenge

So it's now been about 4 months since I made serious lifestyle changes to be healthier. The result? I'm down 17 pounds, I can do 20 push ups in a row, and my self-confidence is up, up, up!

However, I'm not quite where I want to be.

It's been hard to keep up the success I had the first 3 rounds of the Fit Girl's Guide (www.fitgirlsguide.com) with the stresses of life. But I'm determined to kick it back into gear now that the weather is improving and school is winding down.

To further keep up with my progress, check out fitgirl_rachaeln on Instagram.

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Notes from our first round of Fit Girl's Guide's 28 Day Jumpstart

Week 1:

He learned: "You stop wanting sugar after awhile. The craving go away." (So true! I wasn't even tempted to take the free little yummy cake sample at the grocery today)

She learned: "Portion sizes, portion sizes, portion sizes. I learned it takes a lot less good food (kale, bell peppers, squash) to get and keep you full. Also, pita pizzas are delish!"

pita pizza (my favorite dinner item in the Fit Girl's Guide)

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Week 2:

He learned: "There's a certain rush in the feeling of accomplishment of having stuck to dieting goals amidst countless temptations surrounding you."

She learned: "The importance of H₂O and exercise. These two things are major catalysts to seeing results that are often neglected in the obsession with eating less. However, increasing exercise and water means you will feel better and look better faster and also gives you a little more wiggle room for when you slip up (we're only human, after-all!)."
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Week 3:

He learned: "When you think you can't do another mile on the treadmill... Know that you can"

She learned: "The power of having an amazing support system. Fit Girl's Guide is so incredible because of the super strong network of women on Instagram. It has held me to a level of accountability that really made a massive difference. I wanted to cheat a couple times...skip a workout, go out to eat, or gobble 100 of the brownies someone's mom made. But I didn't, because I was able to see how strong my fellow Fit Girls were being and get the support needed to help me shut those cravings down. And I've made new friends! All the Chicago Fit Girls are going to do a race together in March! How cool is that?!"

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Week 4:

He learned: "You don't have to do one big overhaul, little daily changes not only add up to the big overhaul you want but change the way you look at goals."

She learned: "Trust the fact that you're going to lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. That's simple science. However, you're going to feel yourself losing it and reap all the benefits of having a healthy body if you eat the right calories. So eat your veggies, eat your whole wheat, eat your protein (!!!), drink your water, and stop stressing!!"

#28DayJumpstart Round 1 Results: -7 lbs

#28DayJumpstart Round 2 Results: -6 lbs

#28DayJumpstart Round 3 Results: -4 lbs