Hey y’all! I wanted to give everyone a little update on my fitness challenge to keep you all in the loop as well as continue to hold myself accountable.

I joined the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Challenge with Lindsay (she is so adorable and from Dallas!) just a few weeks ago. Prep week started on January 8 and week 1 started January 15. I hit prep week hard like it was my true first week because I was wanting to reach my 6 pack goal by our Cabo Trip, which we leave for in 6 days! The first week was super hard on me and took some adjustment, but now I’m cruising right along! I must say I have learned a lot more than I already knew about nutrition on this challenge, I have held myself even more accountable due to having to check in daily with a group thread where all the members are very real and transparent, and I have also enjoyed having someone else write my workouts for me. Before this fitness challenge, I had accomplished all of my weight loss on my own with diet and workout (both cardio and weight lifting). I am definitely seeing results, especially in my core. I truly feel having someone else push me and write very targeted workouts for me has helped my body to push past the plateau I was beginning to feel. I even had an older gentleman in the gym this week come up and compliment me on my “6 pack”! I told him it’s there while I’m lifting, but the definition isn’t as noticeable without straining or flexing. Anyways, I am super glad I joined this challenge and am excited to see the final results for myself as well as everyone else who joined on board!

This is a 6 week fitness challenge and the next one starts on February 19 (prep week) and week 1 kicks off on February 26. I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to tackle it again to truly get that ab definition I’ve been wanting, or if I’m going to give my body a little break. I guess I will make that decision when I get there.

Tomorrow is mine and Grant’s 1 year anniversary plus Super Bowl (Grant’s dream first vacation!), so I know I will probably cheat a little as well as some on our Cabo trip. Life is too short not to still live it up and enjoy the big moments with yummy food and drinks in celebration. I guess if I fall off the bandwagon too much while in Cabo, then I’ll for sure need to join the next challenge round.

I just wanted to share the fitness challenge I joined with each of you in case you are looking for a way to be more accountable with your fitness goals and truly start to live a better lifestyle. Below is a comparison of me this week in the gym (a little over half way through the challenge) as well as a photo taken in July 2014 (not even 3 years ago with my dear friend James Dunklin at my older brother’s wedding). I have put a lot of hard work, persistence and determination into my body and lifestyle transformation. If I can do it, so can YOU!

For other popular fitness related blog posts I have written, check out my favorite go-to healthy snacks, my fitness journey overview post (written almost a year ago), and my diet overview (also written almost a year ago; great for those of you who are more in the beginning stages).

Cheers to feeling (and looking) better at 30 than I did at 25!

xo,