Calling All Bloggers!

Hello, loves! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I’d like to take the time to invite me fellow writers to be a guest on my blog for what I’m thinking will be called “Time Out Tuesday”.

If you’re interested, shoot me an email and we’ll make it happen!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Fashion Friday - J's Everday Fashion for the Everyday Fashionista

Happy Friday, lovies! It’s the beginning of the month, spring is nearly here (if you’re in Florida, like I am, it’s been here for a while, but that’s neither here nor there), and it’s time to put the sweaters and coats and scarves away for the year! Aren’t you excited? Bright colors. Breezy sun dresses. Linen pants. Wait. You don’t have any of that in your closet? It doesn’t fit anymore because you’ve been sticking to your workout plan? Buying a whole new wardrobe isn’t financially feasible? Are you kidding? As a Budgetista, I can’t even think of those words without shuddering. Where there’s a fashionable will, there’s a fabulous way. And I have found just the remedy for that problem.

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog and instantly fell in love. J’s Everyday Fashion helps women just like you and I, who know that the world is our runway, make financially savvy decisions on what to stock our closets with and how to put ensembles together that look effortless yet fashion forward. I love how she takes looks straight out of the fashion magazines, recreates them, then tells you where AND when she got the pieces (because I always wonder if it’s still in stores), how much they cost, and how to edit them to suit you. She outlines how to take a look from day to night with a few simple swaps. And best of all, J thinks outside the box. Some of the things that are hot on the runway have probably been sitting in your closet for a few seasons because you have no idea how to work it into your wardrobe. It’s as simple as taking what you already have, adding a few inexpensive pieces, and viola! Your closet has been transformed. It’s all around fabulous! I could learn a lot from her… And so could you! Check her out!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Work It Out Wednesday - Getting Over A Plateau

Happy Hump Day, lovies! In today’s edition of Work It Out Wednesday I’d like to talk about my struggles getting over my personal hump – the dreaded plateau.

Over a month, I’ve been stuck at the same weight. I’ve had my normal little fluctuations, but my  morning weight was pretty consistent. I just didn’t get it. I was working out 10-15 hours per week. I limited my calorie intake, steering clear of all the things like fried foods, white starches and alcohol, and upped my fruit and vegetable intake. All the while, I’m thinking to myself “Man, these last few pounds are going to melt off!” Little did I know that it wouldn’t be that easy.

After a few weeks and no significant decline in the scale later, I approached my spinning instructor Nita from Vixen Fitness and vented about my weight loss plight. You see, Nita is a nurse and has been in the fitness industry for years, so if there’s anyone I should be asking about breaking through a rough spot, it’s her. After a few minutes of hashing through my daily workouts, meal plan, and supplement intake, we came to find out that I just wasn’t eating enough. At 26 years old, my metabolism is on fire compared to hers, and with all the stress I’m putting my body under by hitting the gym 2 hours a night, I wasn’t fueling the machine properly. Don’t ask me why eating more makes you lose weight, but it does. Now, that’s not to say that you can just eat whatever you want and not work out. And just in case you thought I was condoning that, I’m not. I repeat, YOU CANNOT EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT, NOT WORK OUT AND EXPECT WEIGHT LOSS! There is a balance.

WeightWatchers is a great tool to use, but if you don’t have the means to pay the meetings membership or the online subscription, check out LoseIt.com. It’s the same principle – make note of calories in (what you eat) versus calories out (what you burn working out) and find your deficit. The program will encourage you to replenish your daily calories burned to make sure your body is well fueled and you have the proper weekly deficit.

Sometimes when you hit a plateau, you just have to switch things up.  Reduce your carb intake for a week. Try a new work out. Work out at a different time of the day. Keep your body guessing and the pounds melting off!

Happy Losing!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista