As much as we know the truth, we all have a small hope that a couple of weeks is where we will see major body transformation. We know it isn't true. To see a transformation as such takes a lot of effort and doesn't happen over night. But what happens when vacation is right around the corner and you haven't done much to meet your goals? Well, luckily there are some small changes that can help make a difference. 

I have vacation coming up in 3 weeks and have been prepping my body for the past two months. I've changed up my workouts, what I eat, how much sleep I'm getting, my alcohol in take, a lot of change! I feel great, I look better and I am one step closer to looking my best on the beaches of Hawaii. So what did I do to see a difference? 

Probiotic 
Eat more greens
Hydrate
8 hours of sleep
Workout often 
Become more conscious of everyday choices

Probiotic: I have always suffered from gut issues whether it was bloating or acid issues, it was always something. When I could just have about enough, I turned to a friend who is educated in more holistic remedies and she recommended a probiotic. I picked one up and my stomach hasn't been the same since (in a good way)! Not to get too graphic here but it has helped regulate me completely, brought down my bloating significantly and I don't have that disgusting sluggish feeling every day. Something I thought was just normal for my body really wasn't, I just needed to find a good fit. 

Eat more greens: Your parents always tell you to eat your veggies, but really you should. If you are not the type to order a salad or have a big side of broccoli with dinner that's okay, there are other options. One of my favorite ways to sneak in some vegetables is in shakes. I make protein shakes and make sure to add at least two cups of spinach. Making eggs? Add in some vegetables and make it an omelette. Making meatballs? Add in vegetables. The best part about a lot of vegetables like spinach, is that it doesn't have a strong taste which means you can add it to just about anything. 

Hydrate: This one is a biggie! If you aren't drinking enough water a day, your body will look bloated, your skin will break out and your hair won't be as glow-like. We need water in our bodies and when we don't have enough our bodies will hold onto what we do give it i.e. the reason you may be bloated. 

8 hours of sleep: I know it can be tough with our schedules to get in that full 8 hours, but schedule it like you'd schedule a doctors appointment. Sleep is imperative. We need that time to allow our body to rest and relax as well as recuperate. When you sleep you do burn calories, and with lack of sleep you are more likely to binge eat, not do your workout because you are too tired and not get through your day as easily. Once I started making my sleep a priority it was amazing how much better I felt. I am not a morning person, but I was beginning to wake up earlier and not feel tired or reaching for a cup of coffee. 

Workout often: This depends on your goals and your body type. You know your body better than anyone, so usually, you'll know what it reacts best to. I like to mix up my workouts between cardio sessions, HIIT and weight lifting. When I need to lose some lbs my body reacts best to HIIT and cardio sessions like running, so I focus more on those kinds of workouts. Like I said we are all different, so find out what works best for you. My week will typically look like 5 days of cardio and 2 days of weight lifting when I am in my "crunch" time. 

Become more conscious of everyday choices: This one seems kind of obvious, but maybe it isn't until you really hold yourself accountable. I decided to take my measurements every Wednesday which meant that I was holding myself accountable. I didn't want to go in for a measurement that week and not have lost anything or even worse gained! I actively thought about what I was putting into my body and how I would feel if I didn't get enough sleep or if I sacrificed a workout to do something else. It's the conversation you have to have with your inner self to keep you centered and on point for your goals. 

Losing weight can be tough. It becomes a mental and physical game. You think about every meal you eat, calculate the calories in and out, when you'll squeeze in that workout. It can sometimes feel like another full time job. I get it. I go through it every day. But I go through it because I love it. I love the way my body feels when I eat right and exercise regularly. What I don't love so much, is when the scale doesn't reflect my hard work. 

Have you ever worked your ass off for weeks only to see the scale move down by one pound? Or maybe not at all? How frustrating! But the secret in this is to know the full on truth. The scale is never right. And I can prove that. When I was prepping for my bikini competition back in 2015, I had to measure and weigh myself weekly. I would sometimes weigh myself at home, others at my gym or at my trainers gym. It should come to no surprise that all 3 scales gave me different answers. I realized this was no way to track my progress because it wasn't makings sense. 

Second scenario. I had been losing weight for vacation, noticing my clothes were fitting much better but I still wanted to keep track. So each week, I weighed myself at my gym as well as took down my body fat percentage, and muscle mass. I was having great progress as my fat percentage was going down weekly and my muscle was going up. But my overall weight wasn't budging. I was fine with that though, because the fat was coming off. BUT! I then weighed myself the week of my period. I couldn't understand how my weight went up so fast in only a few days. I had felt so discouraged like all my hard work was for nothing. But again, not true! When we get out periods, naturally our bodies hold onto more water, many women because iron deficient and our hormones are out of sorts. Aka your body isn't on the same schedule its been used to the other 3 weeks of the month. So cut yourself a break. 

Moral of the story? Don't use the scale! I have heard more stories then not about how depressing it is to see how much you weigh when in all reality that's not the number you need to be focusing on. There are plenty of other ways to measure your success like;
-the way your clothes fit
-measure your body with a tape measurer 
-measure by body fat percentage and muscle mass 

You don't have to torture yourself and step on that scale. Leave your comments below of any scale stories!