Motivation.

When it comes to exercising and eating healthy, it can be hard to stay motivated sometimes. For me personally, a lack of motivation is what leads me to make poor choices when trying to lose weight/get fit.

However, there are many tools available to help keep you motivated and on the right track.

1. Fitness section of Pinterest. I love Pinterest for many reasons, but one of my top reasons is for finding motivation to workout as well as great exercises and healthy recipes! If I want a new workout or am feeling a little unmotivated, I just go to the fitness section of Pinterest and I am always instantly motivated to get to work. There is a workout for everybody on there and it can also lead you to find other great sites, such as Fitsugar. 

2. Motivational Quotes. This one kind of goes hand-in-hand with #1 because I find the majority of my "fitness motivational quotes" on Pinterest. Below are some of my absolute favorite that are great reminders to just do it.

^ this one is my personal favorite ;)

3. Motivation/Inspiration Wall or Board. This is also another idea I found while on Pinterest. Essentially, decorate a wall or make a board full of pictures/quotes that motivate you. You can also keep track of your weight loss this way if that is what you're going for. Below are a few pictures of these motivation boards that I've found on Pinterest. My goal is to make one of these soon!

I hope these ideas helped you find new ways to get and stay motivated! Just remember to go out there and kick some bootay ;)

Change is now.

Today, I hit my ultimate low point in my life. While it is nothing too bad or serious, I've just realized that I am not happy with where I am at in life right now. Most things in my life are great though, such as my friends, family, and my boyfriend. But I've realized that even though my relationships with everybody else are fantastic, my relationship with myself is not.

I've struggled with self-esteem issues for ever since I can remember. Being a naturally curvy girl, I used to label myself as "fat." However, in the past year or so, I've come to realize that my curves are beautiful. Nothing is wrong with them at all. This was a great realization for me and really made me change my outlook on myself and my body.

While I was happy with my body in this respect, I would soon start to mistreat it. After my freshman year of college, I realized I was making some poor choices with food. This past summer I really tried to make an effort to watch what I ate and exercise regularly.  However, since the start of sophomore year, I've really neglected both of those things. 

I started skimping out on going to the gym. I started eating junk food and snacking too often. And it has finally caught up with me. I'm on the pathway to ruining my body; my recent weight gain is an indication of that. This isn't who I am. I'm not the girl who eats so much junk food and doesn't work out. I've just been that girl temporarily.

I sat down earlier tonight and decided that I need to change everything, NOW. Tomorrow I will go to the gym. Tomorrow I will make healthy food choices. And that will all continue. There is no stopping. I feel like I am restricted in this body, like it controls who I am. I have no confidence. Every time I get ready in the morning, I have a constant struggle of what to wear because I no longer feet confident in anything. It is an absolutely horrible feeling to hate your body. I want to love my body, love myself, and treat my body the way it should be treated.

Change is now. It isn't something I will put off anymore. This lifestyle change will be hard at times, but it will be the best thing I could ever do for myself. I will prove that.

Pink Lemonade Funfetti Cupcakes!

Hey guys! Once again, sorry for the lack of blogging. I was on spring break this past week and I enjoyed every last second of doing nothing! Midterms the week before were HORRIBLE and so I needed a week to just relax. 

Of course, when I'm home I always have to bake. I am such a foodie! I made pink lemonade funfetti cupcakes, which are AMAZING! They're actually healthy too and under 100 calories per cupcake! 

I found the original recipe on SkinnyTaste, click here to see it :) 

So I make mine slightly different than the recipe calls for, but I just omit a food coloring and lemon zest so I'm assuming the nutrition information given for the original recipe is about the same for mine.

Ingredients:

• 18.25 oz box confetti cake mix
• 2 1/2 tsp powdered sugar-free pink lemonade mix
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• lemon zest from half of a lemon
• 2 drop pink food coloring, optional
• confetti sprinkles, optional

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake tins with liners (this typically makes 24 cupcakes).
• Stir powdered lemonade mix and water together.
• Combine this mixture with the cake mix, vegetable oil, applesauce, lemon zest, and food coloring. 
• Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Add sprinkles.
• Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cupcake and comes out clean.
• Cool then serve!

Enjoy!