Abs are Coming...Just Wait on It!

I have been a horrible blogger lately! I haven't posted in forever! Believe me its not because I fell off from my journey. If anything I have been going twice as hard since my last post! I think my extra dedication in the gym as well as being hazed by my job has literally taken up all of my time. People don't seem to believe me when they ask what I do during the week and my reply is "go to work and workout!".  For most people this probably sounds completely boring and uneventful but for me its the complete opposite! I look forward to going to the gym because I have built a great network of friends and workout buddies. Going to the gym is like going to function while burning calories at the same time lol...There's always someone to talk to or workout with. This is especially crucial on days that I am at a loss at what exercises to do. I can always count on one of my gym friends to show me some cool workout I have never tried before. If you dont have gym friends I suggest you find some lol..

So I feel REALLY good about the progress I'm making! I usually don't like posting photos like the one above because I'm not where I want to be physically. BUT I'm on my way and I think it is important to show my progress because before long I WILL have abs! lol...I took the pic on the left at the beginning of January and the pic on the right at the beginning of April. Mind you, in November-December I gained back 10lbs due to the holidays and not working out. But I have been beasting since January and got the extra 10lbs off plus another 10lbs. I have now lost a total of 38lbs. One of the biggest change in my workouts since January is that I have been incorporating running into my daily workouts! Like I have discussed in previous posts I have never been much of a runner. However, after consistently attempting to run a mile I have begun to notice changes in my body and in my time! I have really bad shin splints but thankfully purchased some new shoes that have helped TREMENDOUSLY! I got a pair of Nike Lunar Glides 5 with extra support from insoles. Best thing ever!!! The most I have run/walk/jogged has been 4 miles. I hope to get my mile time under 10 minutes and be able to run/jog 5 miles. 

This fit life is NO JOKE! It takes serious dedication and effort to get the results you want. I have a huge respect for the people in the gym I see on a daily basis putting in work. Since I started my own journey I know how hard it is so if you are grinding in the gym I salute you!!

Last week I finished up the #40daysofbeast challenge I joined with a group of my friends. The challenge was successful and really helped keep me accountable! We are dangerously close to summer so I plan on coming up with another 40 days challenge to grind it out before bikini season! If you are interested in participating in the challenge hit me up! I will be posting workouts, nutrition info and fitness stuff via my IG to keep people on track and accountable. Time to get fit before the summer is officially here! Below is a pic I took for #transformationtuesday last week. It's crazy to see how large I got to where I am currently. I love seeing pictures like this because it reminds me of where I came from and keeps me motivated to stay on this journey!

Since I have been in the gym alot lately I have developed a list of the ish that really BUGS ME and I need to vent!!

1. People that stay on machines to long when they aren't really doing anything (Like come on! Move so someone can REALLY get a workout in!)

2. People that SMELL (Ok so if you smell like an old In-n-out burger you are NOT allowed to work out next to me and you need to shower before you get on any machines at the gym)

3. Girls that come to the gym in full face makeup/jewelry (This is a gym! You are here to WORKOUT not find a man. Take of the make up and get to sweatin hoe!)

4. Guys that grunt and make loud noises while they workout (No one needs to hear your bedroom noises so please keep them to yourself lol..We all know you are lifting heavy. Clap clap bravo.)

5.  People that stay on one machine for 2 hours. (So working out involves diversity. You cant sit on the elliptical for 2 hours and then expect to see progress. You gotta try different stuff to get real results!)

What bugs you about working out at the gym? Speak on it!!!

RECIPE ALERT:

So this week for my meal prep I tried a recipe I had seen on pinterest for lasagna rolls! I'm not one for following recipes so I read over it and then decided to do my own thing and use the ingredients I wanted. The ending result was a mouthful of amazingness! I figured I would post the recipe I created but feel free to change/add/increase/decrease whatever ingredients you want!

Ingredients:

Whole wheat lasagna (1 piece per roll)

Low fat low moisture mozzarella cheese

Low fat ricotta cheese

Fresh spinach

Red Bell pepper

Chopped red onion

Grilled chicken strips

Spaghetti Sauce

Directions:

I first boiled 5 lasagna pieces until they were al dente. After they were done I layed them out on a plate to cool. I then mixed one packet of chopped fresh spinach, one chopped red bell pepper, red onion, and 1/4 cup ricotta cheese. (You can always add more or less of any of these ingredients to your own taste) After my ricotta mixture was done I spread it on the cooked lasagna strips, added pieces of grilled chicken and rolled them up! I placed each roll in a glass baking dish I had placed spaghetti sauce at the bottom of previously. I added more sauce on top as well as mozzarella cheese. Popped them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and then it was good to go! These rolls turned out awesome. If I made them again I would probably add more ingredients such as mushrooms. I also might add some mozzarella cheese to the ricotta mixture to make it cheesier inside. I cooked a side of fresh garlic sauteed spinach to go with each roll for my lunch this week. Super yummy and easy to prepare! 

Hope everyone has an awesome week! Get up and go sweat! Oh ya, don't forget to hashtag #CARBSDONTKILLMYVIBE when you workout! 

<3Bri