Is 15 Minutes A Day Worth It To Look Better and Feel Better?

I knew back in December this was going to be the year of the beach for me.  The beach just makes me happy.  I've always been a beach girl and by golly I'm getting my beach mojo back!  But you can't get excited about going to the beach if you dread putting your swimsuit on. My biggest issue right now is lower belly fat. So I thought that's what we'd talk about today. Anyone else with me? Okay let's go.  

                                  If I told you that by setting aside only 30 minutes a day for yourself, could actually make a difference in the size clothes you wear, would you believe me?
At the beginning of the year I made a concerted effort lose weight and tighten things up. More importantly, I just wanted to feel better.  One thing I know about myself is that if I want to do something on a regular basis, I'd better make the program as simple as I can.  No strict calorie cutting and intense workouts for me.
So far, so good.  I lost between 12 and 13 lbs and have maintained that for over 2 months. It fluctuates daily between those two. I'd still like to lose another 5 lbs and if I decided to really cut the sugar and carbs out I'm sure I could do it.  
The biggest thing I've noticed is the way my clothes fit.  I went from a very tight medium shirt back to the small I've always worn before.  I've even lost a pants size, almost two. I'm stuck somewhere in-between.  Even without more lbs falling off, I'm noticing that the inches are coming off, which makes sense. Muscle weighs more than fat.
So how have I been doing it?  I started walking daily.  Some days more than others, but between the exercise, the fresh air, and the good old vitamin D that comes with it, I really started feeling a lot better.  Remember, not only does your body benefit from exercise but your mind does as well.  Plus even my skin looks better.
I also started exercising everyday.  Admittedly, I'm not working hard at this, but apparently it has been enough that I can still eat way more junk than I should while maintaining my current weight. I probably spend 15 mins a night doing a few simple crunches and arm exercises.  The photo below is an image of the exercise I do.

                                     Image from sheknows

• crunches - 10 reps of 3 crunches. I lay on the floor with my back pressed against the floor, legs straight up in the air with feet pointed parallel.  My hands are behind my head and I lift my shoulders off the floor.  Straight up, down, up again twisting to the left, repeat again twisting to the right.

Exercise is the best way to get rid of unwanted fat deposits in your body.  Researchers at Havard's Dana-Farber Cancer institute reveal that working out for 30 minutes five days a week is sufficient to burn belly fat.  Exercising releases a hormone called irisin that helps in the conversion of white fat to brown.  Indulge in exercises that involve multiple muscle groups while effectively working your cardiovascular system.

I knew it was really making a difference when I would feel Neil's hand on my stomach as we slept. I could tell he was feeling it like someone taking mental notes.  He never said anything, he thought I was asleep.  Then one morning he said your stomach's really gotten a lot flatter.  Picture me grinning like a Cheshire cat!  Something like this.

Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you how I'm taming the jiggle where there shouldn't be any wiggle - underneath my arms.

Before you leave be sure to enter my latest giveaways.

• Ryans, Old Country Buffet and HomeTown Buffet Giveaway.
•  BrylaneHome Spring Helpers Giveaway

P.S.  If anyone knows why blogger thinks it's fun to play with my font please let me know.  I can't get all the paragraphs to come out the same even though I typed every word the same way and it looks the same in the draft.  Geez.

Be blessed y'all...

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

~Proverbs 17:22