Saying goodbye has never been my thing. Never. Over time though, I’ve learned that you have to look forward to the next time. That’s the only way to go. So you can imagine how heavy my heart was this morning when I dropped my sister off at the bus station. Go figure…I still hate saying goodbye. But, we had a great time while she was here, and there are lots of fun times ahead, so no worries!
By now, y’all know that I’m very close to my sister. Y’all also know that she’s quite a bit younger than me (that’s neither here nor there!). However, I truly believe that everyone has something to give, to teach, to share, regardless of age. My sister shared some of her fitness and eating techniques with me this weekend, and I in turn, am going to share them with y’all. Aren’t we just the best?!
So, with the half over and done with, I am now looking to create a workout and eating plan for myself that I can sustain until the big day. Now when I say this, I don’t mean anything drastic. For the most part, my eating habits are just fine, but I still think there’s room for improvement. I’ll get to that in a minute. I do, however, believe that my fitness routine needs to be revamped to fit my wedding goals. See, Indian outfits tend to show off two major parts of the body – the stomach and the arms. If I had to pick, these would be my “problem areas.” Again, nothing I plan on doing is very drastic, but I know that if I want results, I have to do things differently. I’m not 100% sure what my exact plan is going to be, but I have time since we’re still ironing out some of the wedding details. What I do know, is that regardless of the timeframe, I am definitely going to incorporate some of the things my sister shared with me this weekend. Are you ready!?
1. Incorporate 3 lb. hand weights into my treadmill routine. Aekta does bicep curls, arm raises, and forward punches while walking on the treadmill. Genius! If she switches over to running mode, she puts down the weights and picks them back up when ready. Why didn’t I think of this!?
2. Planks. Planks. Planks. Aekta has started to incorporate planks into her daily workout routine. Her physical therapist told her that planks are the single best way to truly strengthen the core, and that along with some solid cardio, they are your best bet to a flatter tummy. Sign me up!
And go figure, that Laura had posted about planks today. Great minds think alike! 
Laura actually shared a link to Haley’s blog, and I actually really liked her plank routine, so I think I’m going to get started with it tonight! I love the blog world! Ask and you shall receive!
3. This next little tidbit of wisdom from my sister is actually pretty simple. Remember how I told y’all that Aekta and I are big eaters?! Well, that’s not always good. Aekta realized that her love for food was actually taking a turn for the unhealthy, so she implemented a new system. Portion control and slow eating. She serves herself half of what she wants, eats it slowly, and then takes more if she’s truly still hungry. What she realized is that over time she ate less at every meal because what she needed did not equal what she wanted. Easy, right!? Well, we’ll see. I think I do ok with the portion control part of the equation, but I’m not a slow eater. Back in March, I started a Slow Down Challenge. I did ok for a week or two, and then I totally dismissed the entire thing. Not good. Well, guess what…I’m bringing it back!
Well, I’m off to watch the news the Bachelor Pad. Don’t judge. It’s not nice. Everyone has their vices. 
So tell me…do you do planks as part of your fitness routine? Have you seen results? I need all the motivation I can get, people! Share away!
Can you please share your meal plan? I am looking for a sustainable diet as well!
I will send you an email tonight. Thanks!
I do planks nightly. They are one of the few exercises a preggie can do 😉
so great tips!
Glad you liked the planks! I actually did them tonight too. 🙂
I love running incorporating intervals between weight sets. I’ve posted a few examples in the Fitness section of my blog. If you ever want to talk more about it/trade ideas, I’m happy to! Weights are my favorite.
I will be emailing you some questions soon!
I do the same thing on the treadmill!! I love it! It multi-tasking at it’s finest! 🙂
Stef! I meant to tag you too. I just couldn’t rmb which blog I also saw the weights + treadmill combo mentioned! Sorry!
Sounds like a manageable yet effective plan! I love the plank and they’re my go-to ab exercise! A trainer told me ages ago that if you only have time for one core exercise, do the plank…far more effective than countless crunches!
Ah thanks so much for the link love! Made my day that you like the sequence! 🙂 And thanks for the reminder about eating slowly, its so important but yet I tend to inhale food! Oops! Will def be a little more conscious about it now so thanks! 🙂
Oh planks are evil. But hurt so good.
Your sis is wise and has some good ideas there. I remember I didn’t really do much in preparation for my wedding and kinda wished I had worked on my tummy a bit. Hahah only because I wore a choli top 😛
All the best!
I love planks! I haven’t done them lately, but plan on doing them daily after baby arrives. And I don’t judge, I love Bachelor Pad 🙂
aww i know exactly how you feel about having to leave your sister! mine goes away to vet school in less than a month and can’t come home for more than 2 weeks out of the year so she can get her ohio state residency. i’m so happy they invented skype!!
love the portion control photos too!!