More progress :D

Here it is...more progress pictures, from the back. Hahaha I went to a wedding on Saturday and (obviously) wore the same red dress that I wore out for my friend's birthday in April. It was about a month and a half between the two pictures. Although the picture is dark, you can see that my back/waist is still continuing to slim down. The roll in my back on the left is less prominent (hooray!) and as I was looking at myself in the mirror of the bathroom at the church, I noticed how loose my dress looked from the back. From the front it was looking tighter, but that could be attributed to the bra I was wearing (notice that it isn't the purple one?). Soo yeah. I'm ecstatic. It's so nice to see that I'm still making progress because I feel like I've fallen off the wagon and I'm working to get back on it.

P.S. So sorry for the lack of posts! It's been over a month. Life got crazy and not a whole lot has changed in my fitness journey. I'm still going the same days and generally working on the same things. I think I've got a new workout or two to share with you. I've definitely got new workout gear that I can share. :)

FFA - Recovering from my Strained Back

Is anyone else noticing a theme this week with my back? Now, I’m putting this out there that I am not a professional nor do I claim to be one. I’m just sharing my personal experiences and what has worked for me.

As I've said, I strained my back three weeks ago today at the gym doing squats to a bench. I had really bad back spasms for a few days that kept me home from work that same day, but limited my mobility for a few days. I used warming pads on my back to keep the muscles loose and also downed a spoonful of mustard to help ease the spasms. As far as the gym went, I stayed out of the gym for a week and a half and limited my heaving lifting even though my back started feeling better after a week. The first time I went to the gym, I didn't use any free weights or resistance machines, just my medium weight resistance band. I used my PumpUp App to generate a quick workout for my upper body with some cardio. It was so nice and literally didn't put any strain on my lower back whatsoever. I haven't been to the gym since because of vacation, being sick, and my workout buddy spacing this week. Hopefully next week I'll be back in the gym and pumping iron. lol

FFA Friday - What's in my gym bag?

Hello everyone! Today on this lovely 54° Friday, I'm going to share with you one of the most personal things I probably can; what I keep in my gym bag (just kidding, this isn't that personal). Once again, as you're reading this post, I'm currently getting my sweat on at the gym (abs day. Not my favorite, but it's necessary.) probably using most of the stuff I'm going to show you today.


Sooo here is everything I take with me on a daily/weekly basis:

• My gym bag - I got mine from amazon for a pretty decent price. It's got a few pockets, but most importantly, it's got a separate shoe compartment that I can slip my gym shoes in when I'm done working out. You can get it here.
• Gym Shoes - I originally bought a pair of New Balance Cross Trainers but found that they were too tight. Soo after Christmas, I bought a pair of bright pink and orange shoes from Target and I absolutely love them! They're lightweight and super comfy while still giving me plenty of support. If you wanted to check them out, you can do so here.
• Water Bottle - This is probably the most important thing that you can/should bring to the gym. Keeping yourself hydrated is key. I drink at least two full bottles by the time I'm done with my workout. Mine is just a $7.99 purple bottle that I got from target and don't have to touch the mouth piece to drink out of.
• Armband - I asked for this armband for Christmas, just so I had something to put my phone in while I'm working out. It comes in pretty handy, especially with my PumpUp Pro subscription. I don't have to hold it or look at it and I can just do my workout without any interruption.
• Towel - I don't carry this around with me, although some days I should, but I keep a little hand towel in my bag to wipe off my face, neck, etc when I'm getting ready to leave the gym. Just so I'm not super sweaty and wet walking out into the cold air (I literally live like 5 minutes away from my gym, so showering is pointless).
• Hand Sanitizer -When I actually remember to use it, I like to sanitize my hands after leaving the gym (fully leaving. Walking out to the parking lot and getting into my car). My hands usually feel grody after leaving and I don't see too many people wiping down the machines after using them.
• Oil Blotting Papers - I haven't used these yet, but I keep these in my bag for when I plan on going out right after the gym, but don't have time to shower. Or if I just feel like de-slicking my face before heading home.
• Headphones - I keep these with my armband to use with my phone. I am so not a fan of the music my gym plans, not to mention that I need headphones to hear the voice coach in the PumpUp app I'm using.
• Keys/Key Card for Gym - Since my gym, like most gyms I assume, gives you a key card to check in with, I have to make sure I always have my car keys with me, even when I'm not driving.