hi hi hi!

okay...so we are in week seven of the #bikiniseries and i've been compiling your questions. i think i'll do it in two parts...or else it could get suuuuper lengthy...and i still need time to eat my nightly popcorn.

(have NOT been able to kick that habit.)

let's get to it.

what is Tone It Up?

 okay! tone it up is a fitness company that two gals started - katrina and karena. have a look...they are smokin' hot and want to make you smokin' hot too!

if you visit the website you'll find first and foremost they want you to buy their nutrition plan. but, if you get past that, you'll see that they post a workout schedule for you every single week laid out each day. uhhh...yes please. they have toooons of workout videos for you, most ranging between 10 - 20 minutes, which isn't long enough, but if you put enough of them together you can definitely get your sweat on. or, if you're just starting, that'll work great for you! they also have all their workouts organized - abs, total body, legs + booty, etc.

you'll also see that they have their beach babe dvd's for sale. i highly recommend. i love all the workouts they have listed and they often reference them in the weekly workout schedule. these work great for me, seeing as how there isn't a gym within 40 miles.

recipes - lots of recipes to brows. i also recommend following them on pinterest since they pin goodies all the time! and you know if they are considering eating it, it must have some nutritional value.

what are the meal plans like?

well…the basic idea is lean, clean, green…so if you stick to that you don’t even need their meal plans! you are supposed to eat four meals a day and one snack. you start with a small, protein breakfast before your first workout, then after the workout you have a recovery meal. lunch is protein, greens, and you can have fruit + healthy carbs here too…like whole wheat bread. after 3pm they discourage fruit because of the high sugar content - they don’t want your blood sugar to spike. so a snack would be like a hard boiled egg and almonds. then my favorite dinner is some sort of meat with quinoa over salad. the hardest part is cutting the dairy. whomp whomp. #givemesomecheese

what do you need to do the tone it up program?

 so simple...just a few things!

equipment - 
  • exercise ball 
  • kettle bell (i have a 10, but need to buy a heavier one) 
  • dumbbells (i have 5's and 8's)
  • waterbottle
  • beach babe dvd's
and what about the food?

what's your favorite sports bra for running?

 ooooh! this is a passion of mine...seeing as how i have some gals goin' on in front. to give you an idea of what i've worked with...i used to be a 36 DD, then i lost weight and was a 34 D, then i got pregnant and i'm not sure what i was...until i started nursing, then i was a 34 E...and now i have no clue what i am. one is one size...and the other a different size. breast feeding has really killed them.

but the bra that's worked for me, for running, through it all is...drumroll...

MOVING COMFORT - FIONA

i love this bra for a few reasons - it has adjustable straps, but not the kind like on a regular bra. they adjust from the front with velcro. it's brilliant, really, because you can easily adjust them while the bra is on to get a great fit. it also has a clasped back so that you can find the right fit for your ribcage. this is key for me because i have a large bust for my frame. it's also nice that you don't have to pull it over your head.
the next running bra i order will be this one...

MOVING COMFORT - REBOUND RACER

it has all the same features as the fiona, but it's a racerback, which means i'll be able to wear racerback tank tops for running instead of a t-shirt all the time.

when do you workout?

this was something i really had to come to terms with...i felt so damn guilty! but, i've heard it a thousand times - put yourself first, and you'll be better for it! 

in my case, this is so true. working out releases all sorts of glorious feel-good hormones...i'm this crazy happy mom once i get off the treadmill. i have tons of energy and i'm so so ready to get active with my crazy turtle and my sweet sawyer-muff. they probably think i have crazy eyes, but really...i just feel that good when i get done working out. 

so to answer the question, i workout in the morning...usually right after i nurse sawyer. 

whether i'm doing a workout video or running on the treadmill, i get everything set up. i turn on a show for kaye, i throw a million toys on the floor for both girls, i make sure kaye has her snack, juice, milk, water, potty break...really anything she might ask for in the next 45 minutes...then i get to work. 

OF COURSE i feel guilty for turning on the tv so i can get a workout in, but truth be told, she usually ends up on the floor, right next to sawyer, showing her little sister how to play. it's so sweet to watch. 

how do i find time?

 ummm...i think this goes back to my message of putting yourself first. do it. do it guilt-free.

i'll admit, since i've been doing this bikini series challenge for the past seven weeks...things have slipped a bit around the house. dusting happens every four days instead of two. the floors are looking pretty rough. dishes sit a little longer than they should. but...i feel so good.

so when it comes to finding time...find it. twenty minutes in the morning, twenty in the evening? twenty minutes FLIES by...you'll be done before you know it!

okay...i've yammered on and on enough. i'll be doing a PART II next week to answer the rest of your questions!

if you have any more, leave a comment or send me an e-mail!