Getting Back On The Horse in My Sweaty Betty

Photos || Madi Flournoy Henderson

LOW TIDE REVERSIBLE RUN TANK C/O || TRIPLE JUMP SHORTS C/O 

Falling off the horse is easy but getting back on can be difficult.  For those of you who consistently follow along with KBStyled, you know that I've been on a weight loss, health improvement, physical fitness journey since January 1st of this year, which means following a Whole 30 plan and working out 5-6 days a week.  

For those of you who may be new to KBStyled, first off WELCOME, I'm so happy to have you and secondly, you can read more about why I'm on this journey HERE.

I am now 6 months into this journey and although it has been going very well, it hasn't come easy...there have been many bumps in the road along the way.  I've worked hard and I've seen results...I can pat myself on the back and feel proud.  That feeling of accomplishment and seeing how far I've come and where I may be able to go on this journey keeps me going.

However, I've recently fallen off of the horse.  It all started with vacation...Peter and I went to Aruba (just the two of us...ahhhh, I am daydreaming about Palm Beach as I write this) and I knew before we even arrived in Aruba that I would allow myself to "cheat" my Whole 30 plan while there.  After all, vacation is vacation and I couldn't truly "vacation" without taking advantage of happy hour and drinking fruity YUMMY calorie filled frozen drinks every day and eating delicious food!

Overall, I did really well while on vacation...we worked out every other day while there, I always ate a healthy breakfast, and a healthy (Whole 30) approved lunch.  Dinner was a different story...I allowed myself to have whatever I wanted, which included lots of cheesy pasta, wine, fruity cocktails, AND dessert every single night!  All things that I had not had in MONTHS.  But it tasted soooooooo good!  p.s if you ever visit Aruba, you MUST go to Giovanni's and try their spaghetti formaggio...one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had.

We indulged ourselves while in Aruba and it felt good...I deserved it after all and I told myself that as soon as we arrived home, I would be back to my stringent rules and guidelines around what I ate.  Did that happen, NOPE, it sure didn't.

For about another week and a half after arriving home I was eating many "no no" foods and I wasn't working out as often as I should have been.  We were going through a bit of a stressful time with our house hunt right after Aruba and because I'm a stress eater, I began making poor choices...I had really fallen off the horse and I began second guessing my ability to get back on.

Even though it was only about a week and a half, enough became enough.  My body definitely felt the difference in my diet.  My stomach was always upset, I began having headaches again, I was feeling tired, and my overall mental state was not as great as it had been.  What I was eating was wreaking havoc on my body.  I was ashamed that I had allowed myself to eat so poorly and seek out those foods that I've worked so hard to cut out.

There was no other choice but to get back up on the horse.  Getting back to the basics and centering my focus and attention on exactly what's gotten me to this place in my journey so far.

Basics for me include tracking my daily progress using numbered post it notes, drinking loads of water, consuming only those foods that provide fuel and health benefits to me, and sticking to my workout routine.  It all sounds pretty simple but I also have to work through stress in a different way than I ever have before (no more stress eating here).

It feels great to be back on the horse.  I've come to realize that I can't allow myself too many "cheats" along the way because when I do, I end up craving more and more.  Of course I will continue to cheat every once in a while but I just won't do it every day like I had been most recently.

Moving forward...the journey continues!

And we must talk about this amazing Sweaty Betty gear!  Their new post-workout essentials are made for a luxe cool down.  I'm wearing gear from their "Summer Run" collection...loving these fun vibrant shorts and I'm completely obsessed with this reversible run tank!  The material is breathable and wicks away sweat all the while keeping you dry.  If you haven't checked out Sweaty Betty, you definitely should!

Thanks so much for letting me share a bit about the challenges I've recently faced on this journey of mine!  I'm sure many of you can relate...falling off and working hard to get back on.

As always, thanks for stopping by...have a great day!

Get Fit with Airabella Active

Photos | Catherine Truman

CAPRIS C/O (USE CODE "AIRABELLA15" FOR 15% OFF SITEWIDE) || SPORTS BRA C/O || LOUNGE TOP C/O || YOGA MAT

Being that I'm on a personal health and fitness journey (you can read more about that HERE), I am also on a mission to update my workout gear wardrobe with cute, practical, and affordable pieces.  These powder blue active capri pants from Airabella Active are some of the most comfortable most flattering workout capris that I own and I am completely in love with the color.  

The moisture wicking fabric keeps me cool and dry and I love how thick the material is.  Don't get me wrong, the material is not so thick that it is uncomfortable, but it is thick enough to keep everything in place (the less jiggle the better in my opinion).  And the high wide waist band helps keep my tummy tucked in and it also helps smooth out my hip area.  These capris get a major A++ in my book!  Plus Airabella Active is currently offering 15% off with code "Airabella15"!

I've recently been introduced to CHICHI Active and the long sleeve mesh top that I am wearing here is one of my favorite pieces to throw on and go.  How great is the mesh detail in the back, which lets your sports bra peep through?!  And speaking of sports bras...Sweaty Betty, has THE BEST sports bras.  The upbeat padded workout bra that I am wearing truly keeps "the girls" in place, reduces movement (if you catch my drift), is beyond comfortable to wear, and is super cute too!

Do you have any particular workout gear brands that you love?!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Stay The Path In Sweaty Betty

| Photos | Sweet Magnolia Photos

WORKOUT TUNIC C/O |  WORKOUT LEGGINGS C/O |  SHOES || SUNNIES || BAG C/O

Before January 1st of this year, I sat down and thought through my weight loss and fitness goals.  I knew on the first day of this new year, I was going to take steps to make a change...steps to become a better me.

I've always enjoyed working out but I have also gone through phases where I was so dedicated and consistent with my workouts to going weeks without doing anything.

As a follow up to Friday's post (HERE), after Addison's surgery, I stayed home to take care of her throughout her recovery and during that time, I completely stopped working out.  I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted (unfortunately I am a stress eater and I LOVE sweets) so over time the weight piled on...20lbs of extra weight to be exact.

Last year, I ran my first half marathon, which was a HUGE accomplishment for me BUT, I was still eating whatever I wanted, which prevented me from loosing those extra 20lbs.

There was always an excuse not to start eating right and working out...#holidays.  I enjoy food and I don't like depriving myself of the foods that I have always loved.  But there had to come a time when I decided to give myself an opportunity to be fit again, to feel great again, and most importantly to be healthy again.

So, as of today, I am 24 days into Whole 30.  If you haven't heard of or read about Whole 30 (and you are intrigued) I definitely recommend that you check it out.

Basically, the way I am eating has completely changed (no diary, no sugar, no grains, etc)...meats, veggies, fruits, some nuts, and waer...that's what has been on my menu for the past 24 days.

I don't intend to stop at 30 days.  I may relax a little on how stringent the Whole 30 plan is but I truly plan to continue shifting my perspective on food and my relationship with food.  YES, I will eat cheese again, YES I will have wine again, and YES I will have desserts again...just not all of the time.

This post was never intended to be about my weight loss and fitness goals, nor was it intended to educate anyone on Whole 30 (I still have a lot to learn) but I wanted to share some of my personal struggles/journey with you all.  Maybe I will write post about Whole 30 a little closer to the completion of my first 30.

And of course I have to say that I will continue to feel confident in cute workout gear like this Sweaty Betty tunic and leggings as I continue to lose weight.  I actually really look forward to investing in new workout gear as part of my journey towards a more strong healthy me.

Have you set any health/fitness goals for yourself this year?!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by...have a great start to your week!