Milwaukee Fashion + Lifestyle Blog
Week Two of the #BarreLifeChallenge has come and gone so it’s time for my next Weekly Wellness update! It’s always crazy to me how fast the time goes, but it definitely feels like the first two weeks of the challenge flew by. My results for the second week, though I am chipping away at my goals for both the challenge, and losing weight and improving my health, I’m noticing some frustration start to seep in when looking at the numbers. One thing I need to keep reminding myself is that it’s not all about the numbers, and I need to think about the improvements in how I feel, my mindset, and my confidence level as well. The scale or the tape measure may not feel like it’s moving much at this point, but it’s not a reason to give up and let all of the other progress go unnoticed.
With that said, here’s how the week ended up for me from an exercise perspective. I got up and moved my body 5 out of the 7 days (which is an improvement compared to the 3-4 I was doing before starting this challenge), so that’s a win! My overall step count, exercise minutes, and calories burnt were down from Week 1, but I didn’t do as good of a job incorporating my cardio/running in with my Barre classes, and needing a second rest day on Sunday (let’s be honest, I was a little sore and hungover), didn’t help the averages compared to the week prior. My average step count took a bit of a dip this week compared to Week 1 too, but still higher compared to before the Challenge. As an office-dwelling employee, I am working on ways to improve my step count throughout the day and make sure I am taking brakes from my computer to get up and move every hour.
But I don’t want to look at it as “less successful” than the week before. There was still progress made, strength gained, and hours worked.
Daily Breakdown:
Which all rolls up to…
Weekly Totals:
I’m getting the workouts in, burning more calories each week than I was previously, and that’s going to continue for (at least) the next 6 weeks of the Barre Life Challenge, but I need to make sure that the calories I’m putting in are what I need to fuel my workouts and daily activity! And not junk, which can be a problem for me. Besides using Noom to track my foods and learn trips for working through my bad habits, I am excited to work with Justine Sloan from Crunches Then Cocktails in her 21-Day Kickstart Program! This could be the training and awareness I need to really improve my habits, live a more balanced life, and see some amazing results!
For the next 3 weeks, I am going to be working with Justine and a small group of women like me to improve my habits so I can increase my energy, burn more fat naturally, balance my hormones (need it), and boost my overall well being. One of the main factors that I love about this program and why it’s made me so excited to jump right in is that it’s not about dieting. Or sacrifice. Or deprivation. I want to be able to enjoy the foods that I love in a smart way that aligns with my goals. And I think Justine has the know-how, personal experience, and lessons to transform my relationship with food and my life. I am so excited to take on this program and work with Justine to figure out how I can live a more fit, but still fun life!
I know there’s still a few spots available for the program kicking off this Friday (4/22), so make sure to check out Justine’s website for more information if you want to join me on this journey! Let me know if you’re interested and you can take $50 off of the cost of the program!
With that in mind, here’s what the scale and measurements are coming in for this week. Like I said with my exercise, it may not have been as “drastic” as Week 1, but I am in no way considering it less of a win. I’m down 2 pounds in the same number of weeks and that feels EFFING amazing! Most days, I feel like I have more energy, my pants fit a little less snug, and I’m sleeping better at night (not that I was ever a bad sleeper).
The images for this week still look pretty similar to me as the first two weeks. I’m carrying the majority of my excess weight around my tummy and mid-section, with some work to do on my thighs and glutes as well!
When it comes to weight loss, living healthy, and exercising, you need to do what’s right for you and go at the pace that works for you, your lifestyle, and your body. Just like with anything else in life, some months, weeks, or days are better than others, and you just need to do your best everyday, whatever that might look like. Just like my shirt says, it’s unique over perfect.
