Walk off the Weight!

It's that time of the year again. The cold weather goes away, and the summer season comes out to play and along with shorts, skirts, dresses, and of course the dreaded bikini. Don't be afraid to shed some layers and show off your beautiful body! With this easy and wonderful exercise routine, I have lost 10 pounds and counting! You too can work out and walk off those unwanted pounds! There are few feelings more accomplishing than paving your own path to your dream body. It just takes one day at a time!

I don't like dieting. It is simply not my thing. Don't get me wrong-I eat right and I eat healthy, but I just believe life is too short to deny yourself good food and to indulge in cravings when you want to. That being said, I do believe in portion control! Eat what you want, just don't eat the whole box! A good way to manage portion control is to put whatever you are eating in a small bowl or cup. Instead of taking the whole bag of chips, place a handful in a mug. You will get your fix without risking overeating.

Eat for fuel, not just for fun. If you aren't hungry, don't feel like you have to eat. I usually will just eat small healthy snacks throughout the day, and then eat a satisfying dinner at night. It's my own personal version of the Special K Challenge, just without buying the overpriced name brand products all the time. Weekends are a great time to "cheat." However, I don't like using that word. Instead, try to view it as weekends are a great time to "live."

Need help with cooking? Women's Health magazine always is my go-to for new ideas on healthy but more importantly delicious meals to make. Pinterest is also amazing for exercise and recipe ideas! Pick up a copy of Women's Health Eat Great, Lose Weight for ideas on how to shop for the week. Despite being semi "anti-diet" I found this book extremely helpful due to the fact that I always tend to over-shop (and therefore over-spend at the grocery store). This book gives you creative recipes for recipes, organized grocery lists, and many other tips to help you maintain your health and fitness willpower.

The Workouts

Can't afford or simply not into the being a gym rat? Yeah, me neither. I would much rather take advantage of the beautiful environment, i.e. the town I live in and its natural surroundings. Now granted I live in an exceptional great city for outdoor activities, (Flagstaff, Arizona) but I still think finding a local trail and walking that is a better workout for your mind and body than walking that same mileage on a treadmill.

I walk myself and my dog at least 2-4 miles a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how I am feeling. If I don't walk at least a small distance, I feel very low energy and just kind of blah. In addition to walking, I do arm, leg and core workouts with light weight dumbbells and my yoga mat in my living room. Every little bit counts! Pick five exercise moves you don't hate to do and do 2-3 sets of 20-30 per move. Choose a strong mantra to chant inside your head. This will really help continue to motivate you as your workout goes on and you grow more tired. My mantra has always been "chase the burn", because I want to achieve that successful burning feeling during whatever exercise I'm doing. This is how I know it is working and that my time and efforts are paying off.

On days I feel like I need a leader, I workout with Daily Burn on my TV. Their workouts are great! You can pick your time, style, and level preferences, and the workout varieties are infinite! You can sign up for a free 30 day trial and memorize some workouts to eventually do on your own. When your trial expires you can decide whether or not you want to pay to keep, but I highly recommend using it. The workouts can be hard or simple but they are all extremely effective. I noticed a huge difference once I started combining Daily Burn with my walking fitness routine. The walking was helping me a lot, but Daily Burn was definitely the boosting catalyst my body needed for the pounds to really starting falling off.

Burn calories, not time. More importantly just don't ever give up! It does not matter if you have all day or have 10 minutes- if you really want to lose weight and be a more confident you, it starts and ends with taking the steps. Literally.