Doings things healthier this time!

istillwantbacon

Hello!

I wanted to say hi to everyone & introduce myself. I just signed up this morning & I think this is my first time being active in any sort of online forum type thing- so apologies if I have any missteps!

I'm a 27 year old girl that is really tired of feeling low energy & awkward in anything other than my comfy jeans & a baggy shirt.
My weight loss goal is pretty minimal (4-5 lbs) but I'm small- so thats sort of a big deal. I'd like to focus more on toning and becoming physically fit (again).

I grew up super active and also played softball competitively through college. I left the team after my sophomore season and felt sort of lost not being a jock for the first time in my life- had some other tough stuff going on and really focused in on personal fitness. Got into a pretty restrictive diet routine and a whole lot of time in the gym doing weights, cardio, rock wall climbing & swimming. I kept that up for my final 2 years of school and probably through my first 2 years out of college. I liked the results (though was never content) and felt great, but looking back realize it probably wasn't the healthiest or most sustainable lifestyle.

Me falling out of that lifestyle had to do with some good lift realizations/help (yay!) and some complete laziness and lack of motivation (boo!). I've been in an office job for nearly 5 years now, its 9 hours a day and I don't always get lunches- so I'm sitting a lot. Also, almost 2 years back I had a horseback riding accident and busted my collarbone pretty good- it stayed broken for about 4 months (had to wait x amount of time before insurance would cover surgery) and then I had a bone graft & metal plate put in- which was about 2 months recovery time. I had started my lazy weight gain/muscle loss before that, but those 6 months definitely took a toll. I've had brief stints of renewed interest in gym/running since then, but most it stuck was about 2 months.
I always have some level of consciousness about what I eat- 4 years of obsessively counting calories constantly runs tallies in the back of your head. Soda is never really a part of my diet (maybe 4 a year?), chips, cookies, etc- don't happen. Butter is a rarity and I really don't do many/any visits to fast food chains.

I am a sucker for a good bacon/egg/avocado/cheese breakfast sandwich & a burger with blue cheese, however. Big fan of craft beers, wines & gin drinks- and my boyfriend owns an organic/small batch/all homemade gelato shop, so THAT adds on a little too.

I'm at 122- started 125, but quick to cut those first silly pounds from just ridiculous over indulging.
I'd like to get down to 118-120 with a decent amount of muscle to me.
Big problem areas are thighs/bum. Arms look a mess, too- but I'm petrified of my upper legs.
Would LOVE any help in that area- I do a lot of squats, plie squats and bridge dips currently, but need help!

I want to do this right this time around- no ridiculously low calorie counts and hours of cardio. Food (good food!) and drink is a really big part of my life- my family structure, my relationship & my happiness. I'd like to keep it there- I have a lot of faith on the local, organic & sustainable food movements and feel strongly that by eating better, someone can improve their overall health considerably. I'd like to still be able to go to town on a plate of hot wings & a few belgian beers while watching the Phillies with my boyfriend & dad and sip martinis and nibble gouda with my momma- so theres got to be some sort of balance out there, right?

I'm looking forward to sharing recipes & some workouts!