Teeny Bikini Bares All

Or so that's exactly how I feel. I cannot believe I'm actually posting pictures of myself - like this - online. For other people to see. Without sucking it in. Well...sometimes you've got to take the dive right? So, this is me. I don't have a scale so I'm not sure how much I weight right now, it's usually between 123-126 lbs. But the lovely ladies of Tone It Up say that weight doesn't matter, tone does. And I agree. So, I've taken my measurements and am going to continue to check in on my progress. 

Hips: 87cm

Waist: 74cm

Thighs: 50cm

Love handle mid-belly region (what else do you call that tire under your belly?!): 89cm

Upper arms: 25cm

And of course, my visual inspiration:

Tankini always told me and In-Betweeni that we really can have anything we want. We just have to want it bad enough. I'm finally ready to show myself what I've got.

- Teeny Bikini

May Madness: Operation Hot Bod

In-Betweeni got me to thinking, there has got to be a better way to handle our stress. Everyone has stress, big or small, and it's a killer. Literally. For my sis, it may be the never-ending saga that is our family and her upcoming prom, for me, it's being a host. And living in a country where communication is slim. Our family has always shared the exact same outlet for our stress: eating. Eating like crap. It's not a foreign coping mechanism, we know, but it's our black hole. So...this brings me to my point. I've been saying (for what feels like forever) that I want to get back on track. I'm going to put myself through a little test and I hope that In-Betweeni, Tankini and whoever else is inspired, will join along. I am going to begin OPERATION HOT BOD. A bit of a spin-off of the Tone It Up girl's Bikini Challenge, but it is customized to my needs. Through this I am hoping to find another vice for stress relief, confidence and, of course, my bikini body! 

I always say, "I'll start Monday" or "tomorrow is better, I already ate like crap today" but enough is enough. I'm starting today. Yes, I've already strayed a bit, and no, I didn't do the workout I planned, but today is the day I start holding myself truly accountable. Below you will see my general workout plan (mainly inspired from TIU and my athlete boyf) as well as some pics of where I'm at now to keep me motivated. Here we go!

Are you ready to join Operation Hot Bod?!

- Teeny Bikini

I've been so bad...

Oh god, passed couple of weeks have been the hardest. The stress has been piling up and of course what do I result to? Eating, munching, snacking, and all of the above. But after last weekend where I stepped into my lovely dress for senior ball, I realized that with my eating habits (plus some faults from the pill) I didn't know if I could maintain my weight, epecially with my lack of self control lately. And I was scared that I wouldn't be able to fit in my dress. To branch off that thought I felt horrible, tired, lazy and disgusting, so I figured I probably should get on top of my game. So I put together this new plan of mine where I am eating much healthier, I've cut most carbs and sugar out of my diet, and I do some method of exercise everyday. It's only been my third day, but I'm feeling pretty good!

I've been practically living off of apples, salads, bell peppers with hummas and some chicken, and let me tell you, it's been rough. Things were going good, but I just need more variety. Issue is my dad won't buy different selection of healthy food and I have no means of transportation to the store, only making my whole plan a little more difficult to accomplish. Although, I have been pretty good about my self-control, but this has been the diet lately..

Basically every day this week it's been the same breakfast and lunch

Oatmeal w/either blackberries, strawberries or bananas
Apples
Bell peppers w/Hummus
Celery sticks w/ Peanut butter
Banana's
Mango's
Salad w/ a light dressing, cherry tomatos, and cucumbers

As for dinner it has been the same salad as I had for lunch, or some kind of chicken dish with a vegetable.

In the beginning of the week I started off doing the Kim Kardashian work out video as well as some others on On-Demand. The only thing about using the same work out video daily is their side chatting can get a tad bit annoying, so I've tried to switch it up with the different videos on tv. Sadly, I have been banned from going on my runs, as wells as going up to the gym. It's my dad's rules not mine, why he started them, who knows?

-In-Betweeni

Can't. Get. Up.

Some days doing anything at all feels like I'm moving Mt. Everest. Playing host is an exhausting role and I will forever appreciate the tole it takes. I have been running from work to sightseeing spot back to work and then to family dinner...it sounds lovely, but don't forget, in Paris, this is all on foot. Go figure why I can't muster up the energy for a workout. Today was a good eating day though - it's so much easier to stay strong when you're eating food from home, no restaurant temptations to lure me away from the goal today! I was planning on rewarding myself with a proper at home pedicure but now, at 10:30pm, I can barely keep my eyes open. So here's the deal for today...

Eating sans regret:

Breakfast - Kellogg's All Bran 

Morning Snack - Tone It Up protein bar (the best fill-you-up-on-the-go snack ever!)

Lunch - homemade veggie soup, veggie omelet filled with spinach, bell peppers and mushrooms, 3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt with strawberries and 1tbsp chocolate chips

Dinner - caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), 2 slices smoked salmon and the same yogurt mixture from lunch

Fitness:

Okay, I'm still slacking. But what did I say? I'm exhausted!

- Teeny Bikini

Its Been Rough

It seems that I each morning I start off strong, have a good breakfast, proper snack...but somehow (once I meet up with family, of course) all my hard efforts go into the bin. Yesterday for example, I started off with some foam roller exercises - if you don't own one, you are seriously missing out - and topped it off with a delish bowl of oatmeal. Lunch was easy - I met with my (and In-Betweeni's) aunt for lunch. She is following the Dukan diet and has succeeded tremendously. Though I'm not a huge dieting fan (I know you can tell), eating with my aunt keeps me safely away from the junk food! I munched on a fantastic Thai chicken salad and yogurt with raspberries. But then....ice cream, authentic Italian pizza, wine...I fell into the blackhole of no return!

I started thinking this morning, we started Bonding Over Bikinis as a means to help each other stay motivated and be held accountable toward reaching our goals and I am doing far from that. How is my relentless, undeserved indulgence helping motivate my family? I need to start making a change. Pronto. I did so good for quite some time but with work and school and now visitors, everything I had accomplished has fallen by the wayside. Eating right is in fact not the hardest part of this adventure for me. I can whip up some delish and healthy goodies in no time, it's finding the time to work out - just like everyone else, right? But if I'm going to help my sis get prepared for her bikini, or shall I say prom, body, I better get my act together! Cause she's kickin' my butt right now!

So....the new plan? It's difficult now to start strong as my time is so thinly divided, but I am going to try my absolute best. A rockin', confident bikini body is a girl's dream!

- Teeny Bikini

Hello There Gorgeous

Is it possible, really, to have total self-control? You're thinking, but of course. I'm thinking, no. I think its actually impossible. Yesterday I gave in whole-heartedly and indulged while whole-heartedly full of guilt. I started off the day quite well, but as I got left alone to play tour guide, my passion for the (edible) delights of Paris took over. How could I not share them with our guests? We strolled through the 7th arrondissement, past Musée D'Orsay and through the winding streets of the Latin Quarter and Saint-Michel and landed, by absolute chance of course, at the best Greek gyro shop in all of Paris. Was I supposed to walk by without encouraging them to taste the staple meal of so many Sorbonne students? No way. I stayed remotely good, just picking at a few french fries while everyone else dug straight in to heaping sandwiches of greasy goodness. I stayed strong. Then we meandered over to the Tuileries - the massive gardens in front of the Louvre - and settled comfortably on a bench with a bottle of white wine and comté cheese. I could have been stronger. I didn't need quite so many pieces of cheese or that 3rd glass of wine...but it was so Parisian of me. Next stop: patisserie. Seriously, though? To deprive my guest of the perfect held within a French pastry is actually criminal. They're gorgeous. And you can never buy just one. That's just wrong. 

Tuesday's exhibition of anti-self control:
Breakfast - oatmeal with Trader Joe's vanilla protein powder, Red Mill flaxseed, 1/4 tbsp raw sugar, banana
Morning Snack - Tone It Up protein bar
Lunch - homemade asian salad (recipe below) and handful of french fries
Afternoon Snack - 3 glasses of white wine and a handful of compté
Dinner - 2 glasses of red wine (France is making me look like a drunk), eggplant ratatouille from Tankini, eggplant pesto parmesan, green salad, hand-sized piece of baguette, 3 slices of Tomme de Savoie cheese, 1/2 millefeuille (traditional pastry) and 1/2 strawberry tart.
Post Dinner Snack - 1 glass of white wine at O Chateau 

Exercise:

Does walking for hours around Paris count?

- Teeny Bikini

Those Darn Croissants!

Yeah...I was not so good today as I hoped, but hey! I was proud of myself for getting up in front of school and performing in front of them all that I just had to treat myself! So...I gave in and had a coffee and almond croissant with my lovely friend. Then to make matters worse, dinner wasn't much better, and exercise...yeah..

Brekkie

1/2 c. Oatmeal w/ blackberries

Green Drink

Snack

1/3 c. Almonds

Blueberry Yogurt

Lunch

Peanut butter & Jelly

Orange

Dinner

2 Slices of pizza...

Exercise

Uhm...none for today.

Not one of my best days,

In-Betweeni