{ my happy place }
{ he always copies me on my outfits ( top | pants | hat | shoes ) }
Why hello THERE!
Currently writing to you from Cabo, in a bikini, eating some scrambled eggs.
Yes, that’s right, we’re in Cabo to plan our wedding. Please follow along on Snapchat & snap me ANY opinions guys!
Ok, so today’s post topic is going to be Cabo prep.
When I know I’m going to be in a bikini for a week, I plan ahead.
I’m not an Instagram model, I don’t just wake up with a flat tummy ( courtesy of Flat Tummy APPARENTLY? DON’T LIE FLAT TUMMY IS BULLSHIT ) & roll out of bed with a six pack & fresh bed head.
I work at this shit.
Every day, an hour a day, I chip away at fitness.
SO. Today I figured I’d let you in on my Cabo prep.
Basically I start to plan a month & half ahead of time. This may sound crazy but I MUCH rather prefer to go baby steps than crash diet, Hydroycut style. You with me?
I knew I was going to Cabo February 15th.
So January 1st I stopped drinking for a month.
I wanted to clean out before margaritas & chips. And to be completely honest, December is just too much with cookies, pumpkin rolls, & champagne SO yes, sober January.
Then mid January, I upped my workouts.
{ our plunge pool x a ginger margarita! }
This included more Treadmill and wait for it…my LITTLE secret: MORE WALKING.
WALKING IS SO FUCKING UNDERRATED GUYS.
SO, SO underrated.
WALK.
Walk to the store, walk to the gym, walk to dinner, just walk.
I swear you will not believe how weight falls off when you walk. You can eat more when you move more.
Tomorrow make it a point to walk more. Just see how you feel. When I know I’m going to be in a bikini, I turn on my pedometer iPhone app & try to track 10k steps a day. The difference this makes is unreal.
Not everything ( including diet & fitness ) has to be so hard. Walking is easy. Shit, I don’t even care if you talk on your phone or work on email while you’re walking. Just walk.
Walking is such a lost art. This is a whole blog post, but no one walks anymore.
{ Cabo ready }
Anyway, on top of walking I upped TSC Bombshell Body Guide workouts to 4 a week instead of 3. I also added one day of Reformer Pilates ( I walk to class!! ).
Diet-wise, I cut back.
Not a fan of crash diets, they won’t work & the second you get on vacation you gain it all back. Over juice cleanses right now & not one for Atkin’s anything SO I sort of create my own ‘diet.’
This entails lots of free range eggs ( LOTS, I love eggs ), no eating after 7:30, water, water, water, light alcohol ( AKA vodka sparkling water with tons of lemon juice ), no wine, light starchy carbs ( normally I’ll do one piece of toast in the morning & then cut the starchy carbs for the rest of the day ), lots of fish, veggies, fruit, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
Accountability is funny. A lot of people will tell you “don’t weigh yourself.”
I disagree.
Here’s why: you can track exactly where you’re at so there’s NO grey.
I don’t look for a specific number on the scale BUT I do track my accountability. For instance, if I weigh 293872347 lbs in December, I weigh myself & make a goal to maybe drop 5 pounds by Cabo. It keeps me accountable, that’s it. The scale doesn’t run my life, just shows me where I’m at.
{ pre-dinner where I ate too much popcorn soufflé }
Another thing that helps if you really want to get bikini ready: My Fitness Pal. More accountability. I didn’t do the app for Cabo but if I was doing a big shoot in a bikini, I’d sure as hell be using it.
I’m pretty balanced when it comes to weight. I don’t stress about it ( firm believer in if you stress, it creates more Cortisol ). If I’m having a glass of champagne, I’ll skip the crackers. If I’m eating Cheez-It’s ( << obsessed ), then I’ll skip dessert. And if I’m having a brownie, no wine for me please.
Basically: I balance my diet like a checkbook.
So while I have worked hard to get bikini ready, I’m also reasonable. You know?
Nothing worth having comes easy, diet & fitness are work. Again, I prefer chipping away instead of crash dieting. A little fitness, a lot of walking, tons of veggies, light alcohol, and protein & you’re good to go.
Really people would be surprised at what tiny, little changes can do for their health. Extremes are boring.
Now I’m headed to Cabo feeling good & fit but I’m sure as hell having some champagne on the plane ; ). BALANCE.
Please leave any ‘get fit before vacation’ tips below, the more the merrier really. We’re all in this together.
See you on Snapchat, lauryn x
I love this post! It is so true! I try and follow similar guidelines as well. It is awesome to read this though and know I am doing something right!
Love these. Never been to Cabo, but have always wanted to go! Whenever I have an event coming up, I drink my acv cocktail/green smoothies religiously, drop dairy/starchy carbs/fun drinks, up the cardio (time), and add hot yoga if I can – the sweat really does something for me mentally & physically. Have fun in Cabo!!! Definitely adding the walking to my plan!
I just love how real you are! I totally agree that walking is over rated. Are you guys planning your wedding in Cabo? I’ve been planning mine in my home town, and decided today to fuck it and go to hawaii. I’m super over the huge big wedding and thinking a destination is the way to go! Have a ball!!!! xo
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
Love this. You are so right – walking is SO underrated. I lived in small town in Costa Rica for three months without a car, ate so much food but still lost weight from walking everywhere. I literally couldn’t keep the weight on haha. It’s so easy to be sedentary in the U.S. and it makes me sad.
Balance balance balance! Everyone has a different lifestyle, career, climate to work with and as long as you find what works for you – never deprive again and enjoy life’s most precious moments to the fullest.
Mexico is my absolute favorite place in the world- loving all the snaps from you and Suze. ENVIOUS. I need a marg and guac and a little Mexican friend ASAPo.
Have fun planning wedding details. Venue is to die ?
You’re so right about walking making a huge difference. Sometimes it’s easy for me to forget to do, too! I will definitely be stepping up my game to get ready for summer! Enjoy your time in Cabo, it looks SO beautiful!
elainea
toast the girl almighty
Good to see what you do to prep your body internally but can you share tips on you prepare the outside of your body for a trip like this? Such as hair care, skin care. Also, what do you pack? Thanks!
Dude LA is SO CRAZY about not walking!! It’s a bizzarre thing – like it’s so nice out all the time, but no one ever walks places??? What?
Moving from NYC to LA I like gained weight because I stopped walking so much (NYC was like 15k walking days) and I needed to change my life here to walk more.
So now I text and walk – HA. SO bad.
Preaching to the choir here, love this!! Can’t wait to hear about wedding! 🙂
Thank you for being so real! It’s freakin hard to get bikini ready and you have to make some scarifies and really work at it. Something I always do leading into a vacation is watch my salt intake. I don’t add it to food and avoid things like soy sauce and processed food. Salt = bloat, no thanks. Have fun on your trip 🙂
Literally my idol!
I learned a lot of good tricks from my mama growing up – for example, if I have a burger, skip the bread or eat it with one slice instead of two. If at all possible, skip products made with bread/flour and go for more produce-based options (sweet potatoes, squash, etc.) Another tip – GINGER TEA. My mom taught me to boil sliced ginger and lemon with a few mint leaves, and I swear you feel it cleansing you from the inside as you drink it. (In the winter she boils cinnamon sticks and apples with ginger for different take). I swear by these low-maintenance teas for helping with keeping clear skin, good mojo on the toilet (BUH BYE constipation!), and just a feel good, I-can-kick-a** kind of feeling.
((It’s so cool how you mentioned walking – my abuela walks EVERYWHERE, and even though she is almost 70, she does not look a day over fifty.))
seriously love this post. everything rings so true. i definitely need to walk more.
love you and sue on snap.
ox Taylor | http://www.mycupofchic.com
LOVE these tips!! I’ve been trying to get up more since most of my day is spent sitting at a computer. The second the weather is warm, I always walk to work. Keep any tips you can think of coming!
xo Annie
http://www.laircake.com
Loving all these tips – and I love that you mentioned you knew you were going so you set up a plan to feel your best, and it makes all the sense in the world. I like the idea of chipping it off the fitness block. I am actually lucky to live in a very walking friendly city but it seriously makes all the difference. Especially getting groceries! I like to think of it as a bit of strength training since the grocery bags can get so heavy lol! What app do you use? I will DL it now!
As cliche as it sounds, when I know I have a big thing to prepare for, I do what a lot of the VS Angels or models in the VS show do. I follow them religiously since they have it so figured out so I upped my egg whites, greens, sweet potatoes and chicken breasts (thanks to Kendall Jenner!) & three of the above is my go to when I have no idea what the hell to make for dinner. I find keeping them on hand, constantly, makes it just a no brainer. My FAVOURITE way for sweet potatoes is with chili powder, chili flakes & a squeeze of lemon juice – the sweet, smokey, spicy combo is incredible and I crave this constantly!!
Thanks for the motivation and enjoy Cabo!!! Whenever you get stressed about wedding planning, remember that it is about the two of you. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters! xx
I’ve been a reader for a while now and I’m a big fan of yours. You are always trying to be real with your readers and it’s so refreshing. So now I have a real question for you. You seem to be say “follow along on snapchat” frequently and consisting on your blog posts and Instagram posts recently. Is there some kickback you are getting to have more friends or views on SC? I noticed you encourage us to follow Michael’s SC as well and I was very curious why you seem to be pushing it so hard. It would mean so much if you responded back.
consistently*
Hi Jane, I’m so flattered you like the blog! I have absolutely no affiliation with Snapchat, I just really love the platform. It allows me to connect with you guys one on one & it’s all about realness. Definitely my favorite right now ( no one is paying me or making me say that! ). XO
I totally agree about weighing yourself daily. I’ve been doing this for years and it isn’t an obsessive thing or anything, it just lets me know what’s working for me and what isn’t. Oops, I’ve gained a pound or 2, need to watch my portions more. Or awesome, I’ve lost a few pounds, let me think about what’s been working.
And I loved when you said, “I chip away at fitness.” Such a great way to think about it. It’s ongoing and every little thing you do makes an impact, one day at a time.
Whenever I’m really trying to lose weight I get really into tea to help curb snacking. This is something that has been really working for me lately, especially in the evenings when I’m thinking about snacking on something not so healthy.
Yet another great post! Have fun in Cabo!
Walking is the best! The saddest part to me with our SUV-bound culture, walking becomes “weird” – and walking around draws attention from people who wonder what you’re up to, or slow down because they think you’re having car trouble… odd looks/energy, or outright staring or comments. – even when I’m not wearing rouge stilettos and flourishing a smoke bomb 😉 It just takes all the fun out of it. One of my favorite things in a big city with a lot of walkers, Chicago as my favorite example, is just being a person in the crowd, no one looks at you twice and you have the freedom and anonymity to stroll about enjoying the weather and all the sights without feeling under scrutiny.
YES to the walking. I walk everywhere when I travel and I eat way more than usual, yet still manage to lose weight. It’s so underrated!
This was so helpful! “You can eat more when you move more.” looove this!!!!
Much love
http://thehappyvegangirl.com
So jealous that you are wedding planning in Cabo. I am stuck in cold NJ planning mine (but daydreaming of my warm honeymoon location in June…). We were actually looking at Cabo as a honeymoon spot, but saw that you can’t swim in the ocean there? Is this true? So we changed it..lol.
I totally agree about its the little things that matter. If you try to do a crazy diet, I think it makes you sort of crazy..haha.
Anyway, your blog is the one I look forward to reading the most everyday. Just love your personality and how real you are.
Couldn’t agree with you more about walking! When I moved to NYC I started walking everywhere and the pounds fell off!! Saves $$ on cabs too 😉 enjoy cabo!
I follow a lot of the same ideas and also chug LOTS of water. It often helps keep me from grabbing something unhealthy. I really like your idea of setting a date in advance to start–definitely helps with accountability!
Hi Lauren! So glad you’re having a great time in Cabo! I grew up in North Dakota where people hardly ever walk, but I recently moved to Minneapolis for school and I’ve had to walk everywhere since I didn’t bring a car. I cannot believe how much better and stronger I feel! It’s such a stress reliever, and walking for miles a day really add up (: so glad you mentioned that tip!
I needed this. I’m headed to Jamaica late March and I’m just now getting into the eating healthy/workout groove! I totally agree with the walking thing… Short walks throughout the day really add up! I typically do no carbs after breakfast (other than fruits and veggies) and try to drink a crap ton of water! At night if I’m craving sugar I’ll have a cup of good decaf coffee or a cup of tea with agave nectar and almond milk!
Probably my favorite post right now. I love your “balance” philosophy! Keep it up, girly. You look flawless 🙂
Love your blog! Love your style and all your advice and insight on things!
P.S. Is that bag for real????? It’s RAD and so huge!!!! Who makes that??? I feel like I need that in my life!
BALANCE! Yes! I hate when I read get fit tips that involve cutting out EVERY good thing there is in life (I could live off of wine and chocolate!) so this was super refreshing to see someone who knows that balance is truly the key to a healthy diet.
One of my HO diet tricks is to down a large glass of cool water with a teaspoon of honey and cinnamon mixed in every morning before eating breakfast and right before eating dinner. This has helped me keep of weight especially during the holiday’s as the mixture speeds up your metabolism as well as fills you up a little bit before eating so you don’t over indulge.
Definitely a nice and easy thing to try, PLUS it increases your daily water intake which is always good!
There’s more of my diet tips on the other side of this link —> http://www.lovinlivinlearnin.com
I have been interested in trying Reformer Pilates. Could you do a post on this or discuss it more in future posts?
Lauryn, totally agree about chipping away. Love the inspiration here. I just booked a trip to the Italian Amalfi coast for July and want to feel great. I’ll be walking to my SoulCycle class now. : )
XO,
Catherine
Hi!! I have been a long time reader. I am in the planning process for my honeymoon (!!!) and am wondering what resort this is?? You seem to have such positive experiences here and I would love to check it out!
Thanks so much!! XOXO
Great post, good advice. I think walking is the best (and agree- it’s the most underrated activity) apart from fresh air and exercise-it’s free- no gym needed.
Completely agree I lost around 10kg in 4 months just by walking and of course strict diet.
My wife and I recently started walking and doing a little bit of easy outdoor sporting activities and it has definitely helped us to be more active and we lost a bit of weight as well. We hope to be consistent in doing so.
Great post. Love reading your blog. I started playing pickleball with a new paddle https://www.pickleballpaddleshop.com/pickleball-paddles/and it really helped to get me in shape, along with daily walking and changing my diet some.
Sorry here is the correct link to the pickleball paddles in case anyone is interested in the sport too https://www.pickleballpaddleshop.com/pickleball-paddles/
I really like your caring bag on last photo, i definitely try this bag.
Excellent sharing, i love this post.
I love this post! It is so true! I try and follow similar guidelines as well. It is awesome to read this though and know I am doing something right!