To get to the top of the hill, you have to climb it.

So basically I'm probably going to regret doing this, but I know that if I don't have some way to keep myself going, this whole "get fit" thing will never happen. I am about to become one of those women that post "before" , "after", and "progress" pictures of themselves online for people to see.
Now I realize that these first few pictures are not going to be the prettiest sights in the world. I am fully aware of how I look in what I am wearing, and no, I am not proud of it. That's why I want to do this. I want to show my progress to people (mostly women) like me that want to get fit and get toned but don't think they can do it. I want to show that it can be done but it's not an over night thing (obviously). So here it goes....You can scroll past if you want to (preferred), but please no negative comments on how I appear at this moment in time. I need positive. Thank you.
Also,  please ignore the tan lines, oh the life of a lifeguard.

 And there you have it friends. Not my proudest of pictures (even though it could be worse), but now it is out there and now I can officially say I have begun my transformation. I could just delete this and pretend it never happened but.....I won't. So here's to day 1. Completed.
After working both of my jobs, I came home to my blazing hot apartment and changed into my shorts and t-shirt while I waited for my roommate to get home to start our 7-day Ab challenge. Boy, let me tell you, it is going to be a challenge!!! Here is the link if you would like to join me in this week long excursion:

http://skinnyms.com/7-day-ab-challenge/

It's intense. Anyways, we started on Sunday (obviously) and our workout consisted of this:

SUNDAY- Complete 1 Circuit = 200 reps…move from one exercise to the next with little to no rest.
Bicycle Crunch – 50 reps (25 each side)
Reverse Crunch – 50 reps
Mason Twist – 50 reps (25 each side)
Leg Lifts – 25 reps
Push Through – 25 reps

I promise you will want to DIE! However, doing all of that made us want to run, so we ran! I was faster than she was simply because I'm a runner and I love how I feel when I run. Point being, we did 2 miles, my time being 25:20. Not bad for having walked a little of it due to side cramps I should say dear Watson. After that I did 20 donkey kicks and 20 knee to elbow touches (for the obliques, I want curves, not a box) and finished off with a cold shower (remember how my apartment is boiling? Working out that much in it doesn't help any, but I guess sweat is fat crying right?).
Now onto day 2 tomorrow...oy. I do plan on doing this 7-day workout about every other week to build my endurance, but I don't need the abs. I have the abs. They're just hidden under my layer(s) of what I call "gross". So if any of you readers out there (and I hope there are some) I ask you to leave comments of what has worked for you to get rid of that "gross", be it exercise or dieting with specific foods and things like that. Any and all of you are also welcome to join me, you can message me here in a comment or an inbox (if possible), or if you have me on Facebook, message me, and texts work too (I won't be posting my number for creeper reasons).
Again, sorry for the pictures,I won't post every week (maybe biweekly or monthly), I know they're not pretty...yet.

It could be worse

WARNING: THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE THAT IS NOT APPROVED BY ALL. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY LANGUAGE YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS.

This one's for my sister. She has had a pretty bad rash all over for quite sometime now and it hasn't been fun. It's been itchy and doesn't look the best either. Today she found out what it is. It's called Psoriasis. I won't put a picture up, but if you want to search it you can. Basically it causes her body to make skin faster than it can get rid of it, apparently it's pretty common and doesn't show because of clothing that is able to cover it (obviously, it's clothes). However, even though no one can see it, that doesn't mean it's not there. It's something  that can be possibly be reduced by medications and things like that, but it's there for life.
Today I got to listen to my sister talk to me about the way it makes her feel, and, if you have already searched it, you can understand that it wouldn't be the greatest feeling in the world. But that doesn't matter in this case, because I know my sister. She doesn't take shit from anyone and she's not about to take it from some skin disease either. It doesn't matter how she looks because she is who she's always been. She's dealt with worse things and this won't be the last one either. It's just one more thing that is added to the list.
Everyone struggles with things. But it could be worse. In this case, Sarah had a biopsy done. It was being tested for cancer. It's not cancer. It's not worse. It won't kill her. It just looks gross.
For everyone struggling with something, always remember that IT COULD BE WORSE. Yes, I know that it is not always the case, some people are going through some pretty life changing things right now and my heart goes out to them too. But those aren't the kinds of things I'm talking about. I'm talking about the people that are struggling with school or a low paying job or being sick for a while or struggling with finances, things like that. It could be worse. You could not be able to afford school, or not have a job, or be in the hospital, or not have enough money to afford to eat.
Life is to short not to look on the bright side. This one is for my sister:
You are beautiful. It doesn't matter what's on your skin or what anyone else thinks of it. You know it doesn't look good and that no one else thinks it looks good either, but that doesn't matter. You are who you are. You are Sarah. You are my sister. You are strong and I know you can deal with this. Don't let anyone tell you it's ugly because guess what? It's on your body and your body is you and YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
End of story.

This picture is for my sister and for anyone else who thinks that one little thing makes them un-beautiful. Don't believe it.