skinny or strong & a february challenge!

hiya friends!

over the last month, you might've seen me posting annoying inspiring (or so i'd like to think!) pictures of healthy(ish) food and workouts. i know some people don't understand why the heck i was doing it (or even why other people do it), but for me, seeing what i'm visually putting into my body & the efforts i'm making to be healthy is what keeps me going.

the goal for january was #nocupcakesjan with Amanda from For Love of a Cupcake. it was all about striving to eat better, make good decisions and work out to supplement a strong body.

now don't get me wrong, i ate cupcakes, chocolate and cake when i felt like it (i mean i did have a birthday after all) & i had my cheat meals too, but at the end of the day, i spent more time making sure i was putting good fuel into my body than the other junk. at the end of the day, i might've lost a few pounds or so, but i am pretty sure i put weight on with the muscle i've built up.

all of this got me thinking...

here i am wanting to be skinnier, but is that REALLY what i'm going for? do i want to be skinny or do i want to be strong? 

for me, personally - i want to be strong. i want to be lean. i want to have good muscle & treat my body well.

Source: tyanatalksbeauty.blogspot.com via Marissa on Pinterest

in my family (from both sides - thanks Mom and Dad), i have a tendency to be able to gain weight quickly if i eat terrible. when i was younger, i had a quick metabolism and with my usual running around & playing sports, i kept an even weight & didn't fluctuate much.

but now, i KNOW i have to work to stay healthy. this is the beginning of a very new journey for me. i can't just get up and shove a cupcake into my mouth for breakfast, turn around and have a cheeseburger for lunch, only to top it off with a brownie & ice cream for dinner. can i do that once in a while? sure, absolutely! i want to give in to my cravings & allow my body all that ooey gooey yumminess...but not all the time.

Source: getmotivatedpaige.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

so while i spent January starting up my better eating habits, i have decided to continue my journey and to join The Bar Method in their fun challenge for February. they have opened it up to all of us who go to classes, but i want to push it further & challenge YOU all to give it a whirl...

the challenge: work out every single day in February. it is the shortest month of the year and you don't have to have 1+ hour workouts. just do something. go out for a walk, go for a jog, take the pup out, go for a bike ride...do anything. just get in some movement!

the prize: looking back in 28 days and seeing you are making a difference for YOURSELF!

Source: happytohealthy.com via Hannah on Pinterest

i'm joining the challenge & in order to keep up with it, you'll find me posting about my daily workouts on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram! let's all help motivate each other to be stronger & better! i'll be using code #FitInFeb to tag my stuff, so feel free to join me :)

follow me on those sites above & leave me with all your information so i can follow you too!! if you can do better just ONE more day than you did in january, you are on the path to a better you & a better lifestyle!

will you be joining me?! i'm excited!