Health Nut Wannabee Mom Becomes Bikini Mom- Tips To Get Into That Bikini Finally!

Do you remember when you were a little kid and something really scared you but then you got older and it just did not seem so bad? I was always like that with the high dive. I wanted to jump off of it and would climb to the top only to have to climb back down-I was so scared. As I got older and more experienced with swimming and diving I got closer and closer to actually jumping off the high dive until the glorious day that I actually did it (I was so proud-I still remember). All the fears, insecurities and hard work had paid off (I was still scared but more confident in my ability to not die jumping off). Well, that is how I feel about posting a picture of myself in a bikini-terrified yet more confident than ever in my life. When I was 18 I could never have done it, 25 uhuh, 30 Pleeezzzzzeee, 35 dear God I had just had a baby but now at almost 40 years of age and two kids later I am doing it and I will tell you why.

This body I now have (not perfect by any means but not bad for my age I think) is a testament to my learning to eat healthy, workout in a way that was most beneficial to my lifestyle and to listen to what my body was saying. I started Health Nut Wannabe Mom blog to become healthier and share what I learned with all of you. Now, almost a year later here I am a much healthier and happier individual. I have always been thin but according to Christoper Warden my previous online personal trainer and a New York fitness professional, I was what might be called-"skinny fat". Thin but with no muscle, tone or definition. Christopher whipped me into shape with a strength training routine that I learned to love (after much cursing and whining) and saw almost immediate results with (I encourage you to visit Christopher's blog Fitness Philosopher). The next thing that I did was to change my eating habits which were dismal at best. I lived on carbohydrates and anything with sugar. Below are my secrets to staying thin and healthy.

My Health and Diet Tips

Strength Training-Lots of light weights, pushups (I hate them but they work), lunges, and just basic resistance exercises every other day.

Nuts- I love to eat almonds, cashews, peanuts (unsalted are best for you) and a variety of other nuts as well. They taste great and fill me up so that I do not reach for the chips or pizza that I so love.

Tea- I drink at least 5-6 cups of green, white, or black tea a day! Sometimes this is difficult but the benefits are amazing as tea is a diuretic and really has an amazing amount of antioxidants to keep your body healthy.

Water-I drink at the very least half of my body weight in water a day (ex-if you weigh 100 lbs it is recommended to drink 50 ounces of water a day). I have tried to replace my beloved diet Pepsi with water for the most part and this has been tantamount to my success. I also add lemon to my water whenever possible as I have heard it acts as a diuretic weight loss tool.

Fruits and Vegetables-I eat mainly a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and the low sugar fruits (like pineapple) especially. Instead of reaching for a candy bar, cookie, etc I go for the fruit (not always what I want but necessary) most of the time. When I cannot fit in my fruits and veggies I still get the benefits with my whole food supplements-POPS.

Organic dairy- I really am not a big supporter of dairy products but being a very strict vegetarian I have to compromise at this time so I eat tons of organic cheeses, cottage cheese and plain yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit on top.

Olive Oil- I take a teaspoon of olive oil everyday! This is great for your skin!

Flax Seed- I either have ground flax seed on a salad or take a spoonful of flax seed oil everyday to get my all important omega 3 fatty acids in.

Eat Many Small Meals A Day- I rarely sit down and eat a large meal. Instead of a big breakfast, lunch or dinner I snack all day on the aforementioned foods. This keeps my metabolism going and keeps me full and satisfied.

Avoid Meat, Alcohol and Sugar and Fast Food-I try to either not have these at all (no meat never) or if so in very small amounts.

And finally the truth comes out- when I want my chocolate and diet Pepsi, pizza, fries or any other very bad for me food I have it. I have it in moderation (except in those moments of extreme duress and then it gets very ugly). I believe that the more you deny yourself something the more that you want it (this is unfortunately true with more than food for me) so go ahead and have it but have it in moderation. So, those are my fit at forty (okay almost forty) secrets. Do you have any great tips to share? I am always looking for more!