You may be wondering why I’m blogging about fitness on our fashion blog, but I have learned lately that they truly go hand in hand. I thought I would get a little personal in sharing my weight loss success and how I now feel more confident with fashion!

When you feel good you look good. Fashion is about being confident.  Personally, I feel the most confident about myself when I’m working out and feel like I look good. Trust me, I went through many stages of weight issues and I am proud to say I have now lost 30 lbs and I have never felt better. Bottom line…my clothes fit and shopping is fun again!

There is no exact recipe for weight loss, but in my mind there is no secret either. Working out and eating right is what works. By no means am I a nutritionist or a doctor, but for me counting my calories and working out worked! Every person is unique so find what works for you.

I never worried about watching what I ate as I was involved in sports my whole life and always active. So I was shocked when I graduated college and started gaining weight. When I entered the real world I was still eating what I wanted and found less time to work out. I never got to a point of being obese or anything, but I was so tired and unhealthy it took its toll on me. I had to make a change. I used to love shopping and buying clothes and suddenly that became a chore for me. Some of my favorite items in my closet were too tight!

I then went through a stage I don’t necessarily recommend….I became obsessed with exercise and nutrition. Although by being strict I lost the weight, it’s not the life change I felt I wanted forever. I was working out 6-7 days a week and ate pretty boring/ bland foods. I reached my ideal weight but had to find a more realistic routine that I could adopt for life.

I then found my balance. I started adding back in some of the foods I loved, although in moderation and cut my work out schedule back a little. I still work out a lot, especially more on days I know I am going to splurge and have pizza! (I have to have it occasionally) Being fit is a way of life. It’s not a fad diet or a popular workout; it’s a life-long commitment to being healthy and fit.

This all circles back to fashion and feeling beautiful. There are so many trends and styles that I never took advantage of because I wasn’t confident to leave my house wearing them and now I can. Confidence can mean a lot of different things. It’s not necessarily being a size 2, 4 or even a 6. That’s not realistic for everyone. Once you are content with your body you then feel comfortable in your own skin and it will show the second you step out the door. For me it made shopping fun again and much easier. It was amazing how everything just fits better.

Here are a few tips that help me that I thought I would share….

1. Lift Weights: Every woman should lift dumbbells. I lift anywhere between 3 and 10 lbs depending on what I am doing. I am not looking to bulk up just looking to burn fat and stay slim and toned.
2. Stay Active with Cardio: Find an activity you love. Whether it’s running, swimming, playing tennis or hiking.  The point being…doing cardio helps lose weight and if you don’t like going to gym find something you can have fun doing while reaping the benefits.
3. Set Goals and Realistic Expectations: Setting a goal gives you something to work towards but be realistic. Don’t try to lose 10 lbs in the first week or try and go from not working out to working out 7 days a week. Ease into it or else you will get burnt out.
4. Everything in Moderation: I don’t like diets. I don’t believe you have to give up everything you love. Just find a balance. Give yourself a “Free day” and splurge a little.

Much love!