nike cropped sweatshirt // VS slate KNOCKOUT LEGGINGS {ON SALE} // NIKE ROSHE SNEAKERS {on sale} // APPLE WATCH 

Ever since I turned 20 I have really always struggled or yo-yoed with my weight. I would start a certain diet  and work out regimen and lose a little weight with it but in the long run I would get burnt out fast and nothing ever stuck. in the spring of 2013 I lost 30 ish pounds and was happy with my weight only to gain it all back that winter. I pretty much struggled with emotional eating and weight gain until getting engaged in June of 2015. In prep for the wedding I then lost a good 40 ish pounds from that august to the following May in 2016 when we got married and went on our honeymoon. After returning from our honeymoon I completely gained all of that weight plus more back and felt like I kept gaining little by little each month as we made our way into 2017. This past August (2017) at my highest weight ever I decided enough was enough and that I was determined to lose the weight, for real this time.  Honestly and more importantly I really just want to be healthy. I’m in my mid 20’s and should be at my prime, and I’m determined to get there this year. i think now that i’m wanting to lose weight for the right reasons and not for an event deadline it should go a lot easier with less pressure. whether it takes me another 6 months or all of 2018 to lose it, i know it will be worth the hard work to feel my best.

Since this past August I have lost a total of 30 lbs with the change of my diet and very little working out. I am eating healthier meal options and smaller portions as well as I cut out A LOT of the junk (lot’s of sugar) that I was consuming on a regular basis. However, as I reflect back on these past five months i will say I probably splurged on my cheat meals, sweet rewards, and alcoholic drinks more than I should have. The 30 lbs lost in 5 months is a great start, I don’t want to complain about that, but I just know I can do so much better. I’m really going to kick it up a notch by setting a goal to work out 4-5 times a week and not indulge on sweets and eating out with drinks as often as I have been. Like I mentioned above I always had a hard time finding an exercise I truly enjoyed and trust me, I’ve tried them all. This Fall though I did find something and I’m so excited to share the details about it with y’all.

Cyclebar is an indoor cycle studio with an amazing energy, loud energetic music, and motivational cycle instructors. When I first heard of Cyclebar I was both interested and very intimidated but i’m so glad i looked past the intimidation and gave it a try. I’m stealing this next insert from the cyclebar website because this client’s testimony seriously laid it out perfectly.

“I entered the studio to find my bike neatly settled stadium-style among a few rows of bikes that faced large mirrors and two huge large-screen TVs. I could see the instructor preparing her music from the red DJ booth in the corner of the room, so I hopped on my bike,  clipped in, and started warming up.

Our instructor flicked down the lights, pumped up the music, and suddenly, I was transported to a completely different world. As the lights rose and fell and changed colors with the songs, the music pumped through my veins as sweat poured down my face, and my legs hypnotically cycled to the beat.

My self-doubts were gloriously silenced. There in the studio, it didn’t matter how early in the morning it was, what the people around me were wearing or how many times I had been to cycling classes.”

Cyclebar studios offer a mix of different classes each day including classic, performance, themed, and connect rides. The two main classes will be Classic and Performance. Classic classes are a mix of strength, endurance, challenges, hills, and drills while a Performance class will focus more on the CycleStats technology, group challenges, and rider competitions. You can opt in or out of having your personal CycleStats up on the monitor during class. your CycleStats are always  emailed to you after each class so you can see your calories burnt, power, RPM, and more – this feature is nice especially if you don’t want your stats up on the monitor during class.

My absolute favorite is when there are themed classes, most recently we had a top hits of 2017 for a NYE ride, they have Wine Down Wednesday’s with wine after class, 90’s boy band hits, and so many other fun themes each week. the studio also provides you with clip in riding shoes (you can also bring your own), a complimentary water bottle, and a locker with lock included. the studio I go to has a shower and two separate bathrooms for changing if needed. both bathrooms are stocked full of anything you might need like ponytails, bobby pins, deodorant, refresh wet wipes, and more. they also have a little kitchenette area with filtered chilled water for filling up your water bottle, fruit basket and a bowl of mints for you to take at your liking.

{elle mae cyclebar discount}

I’m very excited to announce that i am teaming up with my local cyclebar STUDIO here in kansas city, leawood to be exact, to give my fabulous local FOLLOWERS your first ride for free!! you will want to follow this link and choose the “drop-in” $20 ride at the bottom right and click “buy”. the website will then prompt you to creat an account before checking out. once you’ve created your account and are ready to checkout be sure to enter promo code “emrider” in the “promotion code” slot and watch your total balance go down to $0. find a class and time that works for you under the “schedule” tab and enjoy your free ride!

 along with that, if you love the class and choose to buy either the New Rider 10 Pack -OR- New Rider Unlimited, which is currently $99 vs. the reg. $150 you’ll get an additional 10% off when using code ELLE10 AT CHECKOUT. for all my non-local followers, UNFORTUNATEly cycebar studios are independently owned so i am only able to do this COLLABORATION discount WITH the studio I go to here locally. however cyclebar’s are all over the nation and you can see if there is a studio near you by following this link.

 the staff at the leawood, Kansas cyclebar are so accommodating and are there to make sure you feel comfortable. they give you a grand tour upon your arrival and show you how to adjust your bike and clip in. i know you guy’s will absolutely love cyclebar, so grab a girlfriend/guyfriend, your mom or dad, boyfriend or husband and go take advantage of that first free class with code EMRIDER!

PS. stay tuned for monthly updates on my health and fitness journey. i may even share my weight and measurement stats with y’all if I start feeling good 😉