Mommy Haley Wants To Be Wedding Haley Again

 I posted THIS in August, talking about how we, as women are too hard on ourselves. We see ugly when we look in the mirror because we judge ourselves too harshly. Later in my post, I showed a very embarrassing photo of myself at the beach this summer. I am by far, in the worst shape I have been in my life. Obviously it's because I had a baby eight months ago. But that was eight months ago and it is time for some changes.
 Rob has been faithfully going to the gym before work since August and he is beefing up quite nicely. He feels good and looks even better. Sadly I see less of him because once Alina goes down at eight, he is falling asleep on the couch within minutes. But he has inspired me to get off of my flabby ass and to start pushing myself. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to start exercising again. I have never, ever been this out of shape before. When I was pregnant, it became increasingly difficult to do simple tasks, like walking to work or bending down to pick something up. I was used to being pregnant for nine months, then I became so busy being a new mom and then I just didn't have any interest in working out, with a baby, that the result is I've let myself go.
  Sarah from Venus Trapped In Mars also inspired me with this post to document my goals on my blog in order to commit to them. That way, if I say I want to do something I will be more likely to, if all of Blogland (the small portion of bloggers that visit my corner of the interweb) knows about it. It's like going to the gym vs. running on a treadmill in your living room. I always push myself way harder because I am so aware of all of the other people in the busy gym. I think (for some crazy reason) that everyone is looking at me, judging how fast I go or how long I run for. But that's what motivates me to run my ass off without breaks. If I'm alone on a treadmill, I am more likely to take little breaks and to walk instead of run. So Blogland will act as my eyes at the gym. Even though you all can't see me working out every morning, whenever I post about my progress, I'll have to be honest.
 My method for working out is through a program called RushFit. Rob and I have both done RushFit in the past and it worked tremendously for us. I used to come home from work and go through the work out everyday and I was in shape in no time. I just have to commit fully and just follow the videos and the work out calendar.

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This is the first four weeks of the program and then I can work my way up accordingly. I have this on my iPhone to refer to everyday.

 My goals are simple. I don't want to look anything like I do now. I want the flabbiness of my belly to be tightened back up the way it was before I carried Alina around like a sack of potatoes. I simply want to look as good, or as tight as I did in 2010 after my wedding. My legs are and have always been my trouble area. So I would also really like to tighten those up. The flabby thighs and cottage cheese ass can hit the road as well. Those are my goals. My weight is currently 139 pounds in the morning. The day I found out I was pregnant, July 15, 2012 I weighed 136 pounds. That was actually the heaviest I had been in awhile. I was actually at the point where I knew I needed to start working out again and then I got pregnant. It would be ideal for me to reach 135 pounds once everything is said and done. But if I stay at 137-139 pounds but look and feel better I will consider my goals met.

 The pictures on the left were taken of me in August, 2013. I had Alina five months before that. I would like to think that I don't look that flabby and awful now. But, let's just assume that I do. I did take a picture of me on Day 1 of my work out. So I'll be able to compare my progress through pictures once a week.
 The pictures on the right were taken of me July 11, 2010. The day after my wedding. I was in the best shape I had ever been in. I didn't even work out, I think it was due to all of the stress that comes with getting married. Plus I looked so well groomed because I just got married. I had my nails done (um, first time ever), eyebrows freshly waxed and dyed (done once before), my hair was freshly cut and dyed, I was super, duper tanned and skinny as hell. Plus! I was super happy because I was a newlywed.

  Okay, okay, I realize that this isn't a fair comparison at all. I literally just popped out a baby in the first picture, so I look like serious hell. I have huge bags under my eyes, I'm pretty sure I pushed so hard that my eyeballs are sticking out of their sockets a little and luckily there isn't an image of me in a bathing suit after I had Alina. All I can say is that the sack of potatoes that was my stomach would have looked like a very empty, saggy sack of potatoes. Plus the picture of me all gorgeous, tanned and skinny was again, right before my wedding day. But if I have this awful picture of myself to look at, I can really feel motivated to look better!

 So here's to looking great, feeling even better and to wearing my regular bathing suit to the swimming pool again! (After I saw the picture of me on the beach in August, I carefully tucked that bikini top in a safe place and replaced it with my maternity top. I haven't worn anything else since..!)

And since I put up so many BAD pictures of myself today I have to counter balance with some good. So here's that same picture of me in full bathing suit, the day after my wedding. I looked hot, felt hot and want to look hot like that again damn it!!!!


*** Oh wow- I just found THIS POST from 2007. That was the best shape I've ever been in. I remember now that I was working out daily and running. But I'll stick with looking like Me in 2010. Me in 2007 was 21 with plenty of spare time to devote to my body!***