friends. this #bikiniseries has kind of taken over...but it's only for four more weeks, and that's totally do-able. totally.

but before i dive in and tell you all about the little changes i've been making over the past 3.5 weeks, let's talk link-up...

1 | grab this here snazzy springy-themed button and link back to september farm.
2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.
3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.

1 | i've cut dairy - this has been ridiculously not fun. i didn't realize how much dairy i was actually eating in a day. whole milk in my coffee, snacking on cheeses, probably cheese on our dinner, and then ice cream at the end of the night. dairy all up in here...up in here.
i'm all about the bolthouse yogurt dressings. so delicious! you can find them in the refrigerated
section of the produce at the grocery store. they are delicious and super low in calories.
i can't say this is going to be a permanent change, i'd miss it too much. however, i will say my stomach feels better.

2 | workouts every day. no seriously...you work out every day. this has certainly been the hardest part. i feel SO GUILTY. kaye isn't napping anymore so i typically try to get my first workout in during sawyer's first nap around 9 am. i try to encourage kaye to workout with me, but that always ends up making it suuuuper hard for me. the workouts usually last anywhere from 20 - 40 minutes. the easiest way to bust it out is having kaye log some screen time. this usually consists of some iPad time or a show on TV. see...bring on the guilt.

i bust out my second workout (if that day calls for one) after the girls are in bed, which is usually around 7 pm. these workouts are pretty hard to get motivated for because by the end of the day...i'm shot. i just want to sit down, do some online browsing and watch some super crappy TV. can i get an amen? but you know what, i do it. because it's what the plan calls for. and i'm always happy when i make the choice to get my sweat on.

3 | i'm not overthinking it. here's the thing...i'm no whiz in the kitchen and i certainly don't have the resources to buy fresh every day. in addition, the plan calls to prep your meals on sunday so you're prepared for the week. there is no way in hell i'm going to prep meals for myself and then cook something different for my family for the week. not gonna happen. so i've been loosely following their ideas for meals, snacks and smoothies. i'll still make my family something healthy and yummy...that's also karli-friendly. for example -

wednesday night i made something we call bean-wa bowls. it includes shredded zucchini, shredded chicken breast, diced tomatoes, and quinoa. throw that all together and throw in some cheese, sour cream, and whole grain chips...you have yourself a very tasty, filling meal. for myself, i just left off the sour cream, cheese, and chips...and guess what? it was still so so yummy. i ate the leftovers for lunch on thursday and was one happy camper.

4 | energy level...i never thought i had low energy. i mean...even with being up several times a night for six months it's not like i was dragging through the day. i was still getting in my cardio several times a week and doing the daily grind...but by the end of the day, i was shot. there was nothing left in the tank.

now? maybe it's new types of workouts? maybe its the nutritional adjustments? it's probably a combination of the two...but i feel so much better. i have more energy and motivation to get more done in the day. love that.

5 | confession - i in no way have been perfect on this plan and i'm still seeing major changes. for the past three sundays i've had brunch with some sort of alcoholic beverage. i've enjoyed a beer here or there...and for nearly four weeks i've eaten popcorn EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. and that's a fact.

now that the challenge is almost halfway over i'd like to adjust a few things. i'd like to cut the popcorn. i mean...every night? that's excessive. i also need to work on getting in all my calories in the five meals recommended in the bikini challenge. we'll just see how that goes.

i've also started a tone it up instagram to post my progress, meals, and workouts over the next four weeks...so if that's up your alley...feel free to follow me over there!

okay...that's enough of that talk.

link up for you, link up for me!
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