0 8 weeks later

Happy summer!!

8 weeks ago, I started my very first Tone It Up bikini series. I had known about the TIU girls for years, and have been following them on social media and even watched their Bravo reality show. One time, I even signed up for a challenge and got all the emails, but never did a single workout. I knew I needed extra accountability, so I created a FB group, and a new instagram account just for my food and workout check ins. Both would go on to be invaluable to me.

Little did I know, this series would really change so much more than I expected.

Sure, the workouts were tough, but I was able to fit them in the majority of the time, or make up for a missed workout the next day. The weekly schedule was perfect for always giving me something to do. I loved that I was motivated to get a cardio session in every day by the #150bysummer goal, and the workouts themselves were usually under 30 minutes, so I could easily fit them into my day. Don't mistake a short workout as being easy--they usually kicked my booty and had me dripping sweat. I loved that they packed a big effort into a short amount of time.

The thing that surprised me the most, was the community. Other TIU girls were so incredibly supportive during every day of this series. People from all over the world were liking and commenting on my check in photos, and I even got together with some of the TIU Austin girls for a stand up paddle boarding meet up. There were so many mornings that I didn't want to get up to run or do my daily work out, but scrolling through my Instagram feed gave me the happy motivation I needed to get out bed and out the door. Without those girls who were so awesomely doing their own bikini series, I don't think I would have successfully completed the series.

And successfully complete it I did. I didn't take measurements at the start of the series, but I did track my weight every day, just to keep an eye on what would make me retain water (hint: it's sugar and carbs, or eating a lot late at night). In the end, I lost 14.5lbs! That's pretty awesome for 8 weeks.

I still feel like I have a ways to go, so I am going to continue following the TIU schedule that is out every Sunday, or restart the bikini series today for another go at 8 weeks of booty kicking. If you want to join me, I would love it!

Here are my progress photos. I've definitely been smaller in the past, but I am happy with this for what I have done and what I have planned.

Detail: 8 weeks later

0 bikini series check in

Happy Monday!

I am starting week 3 of the Tone It Up Bikini series today, and I am loving it. The motivation is sky-high for me to continue. I am getting in way more cardio than normal, with about 4-5 runs a week (up from 1-3), a bike ride or two, and I am doing the TIU daily workouts.

My eating has been pretty awesome also, even when faced with delicious temptations. I have found that having an instagram account just for check-ins, food photos and sweaty selfies has held me accountable on the food front. I find myself choosing healthy options easily, making them look as enticing as possible, because I know I will be sharing what I've eaten online. I am all for something that keeps me from eating the garlic bread and all the cookies I made for Billy yesterday, when it smelled and looked so much better than my spaghetti squash and chicken patty.

You know what else is motivating and encouraging? Tangible results, aka WEIGHT LOSS! I started eating clean the week before the BS started, so since then, I have lost 7lbs.
In 3 weeks, y'all.
With my healthy eating alone, I lost 3lbs right away, which I am assuming was water weight and bloating caused by carb heavy foods and processed sugar garbage.

Talk about a drastic change in my eating habits. If you want to know what it is I am eating, follow me on instagram for photos and meal check-ins, @tiu_adrian spoiler alert: it's a lot of fruit and veggies.

I've mentioned before that I track all of my food in My Fitness Pal. That alone is so helpful in this whole ordeal. Before I switched to healthy, clean food, I struggled to keep my daily calorie intake even remotely close to my goal. I had no idea why it was so hard, I mean, I was eating healthy-ish and sometimes working out, so why was I always going over the goal? When I started tracking diligently, and cleaned up my food, it became difficult to even hit my daily goal, not to mention the added calories working out gave me. The best part is, I am usually too full to care. Dang veggies do that to you. Don't get me wrong, I have moments where I am feeling hungry or craving something, but it's usually for something I don't need, and I can substitute a healthy alternative and be just fine. Tablespoonfuls of almond butter have been a saving grace for me when a sweets craving hits. I sometimes pair it with a pack of frozen dark chocolate banana slices, and it's heaven.Quest and Think Thin bars come in handy too, but I try to get my calories from real food, and leave the bars for convenience options when I am busy.

Thanks to all that clean eating, I am actually seeing more definition in my body, and feeling my muscles get harder under the surface. Those TIU workouts are no joke. But thankfully they are usually under 20 minutes, so I have no excuses to miss one. The biggest surprise of this series has been how easy it is to follow. Now, easy is a relative term, because a few months ago I would have cried in outrage at myself for saying that. What I mean is, it's simple to get up, get my cardio or run in, do the quick daily workout, and be done for the day. I've committed to doing most of my food prep on one day, so I can have quick and healthy options to eat for a few days. Knowing what I have available is key to me making those smarter choices.

Are any of you doing the bikini series? Have you even heard of Tone It Up? What works to keep you accountable and motivated when eating healthy and working out?

Detail: bikini series check in

0 Tasty Thursday: Hawaiian chicken burgers

Yes, I realize it isn't Tuesday, but I have been enjoying this recipe and wanted to share it with you! Forgive me for changing the days? OK, good. I knew you would rather have a recipe on a random day, than not.

Since joining the Tone It Up Bikini Series, I have been eating a ton of healthier food. I mean, something like 80% of weight loss comes from your diet, right? Because I was running and biking my little heart out, but eating all sorts of crap that counteracted the exercise and left me at the same weight, or worse, gaining. 

Well, thankfully there are a ton of recipes from the TIU community for healthy, tasty food. Even the bikini series welcome pack came with a few recipes to try, so of course I had to put my own spin on one. And yes, it's healthy and delicious!

Via Tone It Up Bikini Series starter pack

Hawaiian chicken burgers with portabello caps

Ingredients:

makes 6

1lb 97% lean ground chicken breast

1/2 cup egg whites

1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp crushed pineapple

2 tsp maple syrup

6 portobello mushroom caps

6 tbsp soyaki sauce (or teriyake)

onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, or other seasonings to taste

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. 
• Combine chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, pineapple, syrup and seasonings to taste. It will be very liquidy, but that's cool.
• Use your hands to form 6 patties and place on the baking sheet. I sort of scooped up a handful and plopped it onto the baking sheet where it kept a patty sort of shape. 
• Pull out the stem from the portobello caps, place bottom up on baking sheet. Add 1/2 tbsp of soyaki sauce to each cap.
• Bake chicken patties and mushrooms for 20 minutes, flipping half way through cooking time. 
• Pull both sheets out of oven and top chicken patties with 1/2 tbsp soyaki sauce each. 
• Serve warm, with your choice of sides. I ate my chicken patty on a mushroom cap open face style, and had a salad and a side of quinoa with it. I'm sure it would be awesome on a good bun if carbs are a part of your diet.

Detail: Tasty Thursday: Hawaiian chicken burgers

0 An unusual occurrence

I am a self-professed sugar-addict. I would rather grab something packaged and easy when it comes to snacking. I generally don't eat a lot of veggies besides the occasional spinach in my smoothie, and sauteed veggies in my scrambles. I can go all day without giving protein a second thought, because carbs are easier.

The above statements are all completely true, yet somehow, I have been changing my ways. It started Saturday April 19, close to midnight, as I drove home from a babysitting job and thought about what I had to eat at home. The family I babysat for has a hot mom who bakes spaghetti squash, eats healthy, and you can tell she works out because of her defined arms. I want to be her. Besides the mom part.

I stopped at the grocery store and loaded up on veggies before continuing home. Cue to a few days later when I have put together a few delicious recipes using spaghetti squash, I'm eating grapefruit for breakfast, snacking on fruit, finding it hard to hit my 1,450 calories a day because all of the produce fills me up without adding too many cals, and I have managed to lose 3 lbs. Oh, and I haven't craved sugar. WHAT?! Is this really my life?

I was nervous it was a short-lived health kick and I would suddenly need ALL THE COOKIES to make up for my week without them. Even heading back to San Jose for a long weekend, I managed to stay pretty decent, even though traveling is a total trigger for me to eat everything in sight. Coming back to Texas, I have once again turned to a healthy diet, and am enjoying my new workouts since joining the Tone It Up 2014 Bikini Series. Since I was back in CA until Tuesday night, I started two days late on Wednesday.

Confession time: I've been following the Tone It Up girls for years, but never got involved. Last year, I signed up for the Bikini series, got all of the e-mails, and didn't do a single workout or change my eating habits. Horrible, right? This time around, I knew I wanted to do the 8 week series, so I enlisted the help of friends on Facebook, created a group specifically for us doing the challenge (you want in? let me know!) to stay accountable and motivated, and to bounce ideas and questions off each other. I am obviously the most frequent poster, since I sort of feel like a group leader even though this is my first time around doing a Tone It Up plan of any kind. I really like that the workouts are pretty short, but killer, it encourages me to get in cardio miles every day, and I have something else to work for besides my own desires. This Malibooty workout from Wednesday definitely left me feeling the burn!

Today I went grocery shopping and put together two big batches of healthy veggie based meals to split up and use over the weekend. I have all sorts of fruit and veggies available to snack on, and healthy staples like Greek yogurt, string cheese, and ready to make quinoa and fish dishes in the freezer.

So here's my call to my blog friends, want to keep me accountable and help motivate to me to continue with this series? Join the Bikini Series and do it with me! Here's a link to the FB group. I have made it open so you can join if you want.

Oh! I made a TIU specific instagram account so I can post photos of my workouts and food without annoying the pants off anyone not interested ;) follow me @tiu_adrian

Detail: An unusual occurrence