Slimming Down by 4th of July (or else)

It's time to buckle down.

See the swimming shorts above? Aren't they cute?

I LOVE them. They are long enough to hide my not so firm upper thighs, but not too long to make me feel like I'm wearing a granny swimsuit.

I have the black pair above and a similar pair in brown. The night before we headed down to Florida for our family vacation, I tried on my cute swimming shorts.

The brown ones fit just fine (they are a larger size)...the black ones, not so much. Close your eyes and think "muffin top" - quick open your eyes...horrible image, huh? Sorry but now you know how I felt!

This is a major problem. I have a lot of cute swim tops to go with my black swim shorts.

I'm determined to get back into them by the July 4th holiday!

Over the last 3-4 years, I've been floating between two clothing sizes and it's annoying. One size is just a little too snug. The next size up is just a little too big.

Now, I'm not saying that I need to lose a bunch of weight - just about 5 pounds (maybe 10 to be back to my drivers license weight) so that I'm firmly in the smaller size.

I do NOT want to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes...just fit into the clothes I already have!

So, I've decided to start exercising regularly because I've tried the serious dieting route before and I just don't have it in me! I am planning to start eating more fruits and veggies and less chocolate and chocolate, but the main goal is to do some sort of exercise DAILY.

I'm going to utilize the great walking path that is right outside my door and walk for at least 45 minutes 4 days a week.

The other 3 days I'm going to do some sort of toning exercises - concentrate on losing some pounds around my middle.

Any ideas for a good workout? I'm looking for some exercises/routines that work.

Check back soon for updates!