A Dietitian’s Take on Shakeology

As a dietitian, I get asked countless times what I think of certain products. If I've tried this bar, that protein powder, this frozen meal, etc. It can get overwhelming, and I always first and foremost promote eating real, WHOLE foods. Packaging just makes things complicated. And can I just start by saying how much I used to hate shakes? Drinking your calories just seemed ridiculous to me. I mean, why would you drink, if you could chew? And all those protein powders out there just seemed crazy unhealthy with the who-knows-what ingredients they pack them with. And all-fruit smoothies? Don’t even go there…so much sugar in just a few gulps, sending your blood sugars skyrocketing and leading to the inevitable crash about an hour later. But, this past week, I started drinking Shakeology, a super-food shake made from whole foods, to understand what all the hype was about. As a dietitian, I was intrigued by the fact that this shake is not just protein, but contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, superfood, and probiotics (my best friends). The fact that it is made from high quality ingredients motivated me to try it. As a Beach Body coach, I wanted to be informed about the products that Beach Body endorses to form my OWN opinion of them before I start recommending them to my clients.

All I can say now is…WOW. This drink is FABULOUS. It tastes amazing, fills my chocolate cravings to a "T", and keeps me full for hours. I could spout off all the ingredients beside protein that it has (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics as discussed above), but instead, I’d like to talk about how it makes me feel. This is a subjective post, but I believe in being real with people and I want to provide as honest a review as possible about my experience with this drink!

1. Energized! Shakeology makes me feel so energetic and ready for my day! I look forward to drinking it and can’t wait to slurp it on my way to work. It gets me geared up for my day, which definitely takes a lot of energy from me. I don’t know what it is, and it could very well be the fact that I am having chocolate in the morning, but I feel great after drinking my Shakeology and am ready to attack the day!

2. “Regular.” This part may me a little TMI, but as some of you know, I’ve had tummy issues for my entire life. Since drinking Shakeology, I have been scary regular, with no issues! That has never happened to me before in my 26 years of existence. Shakeology contains probiotics in a super-food form, which has helped my issues in that department. I have never felt this good taking OTC, super expensive probiotics. That alone is a reason enough for me to keep drinking Shakeology!

3. Cravings be-gone! I have experienced little to NO cravings since drinking Shakeology. The fact that it is the chocolate flavor, and actually takes like a chocolate chip brownie mixture, helps me feel like I am treating myself BIG time, while not feeling at all guilty for having my chocolate. My cravings have been almost nonexistent, and it is so much easier to make healthy choices throughout the day without those naggy cravings getting in the way.

4. Chocolatey goodness. Have I mentioned, it’s chocolate? Yea? Well, I wanted to say it one more time. This thing tastes AMAZING. One sip and I was hooked.

5. Versatile. It’s SO versatile. You can just blend it with some ice and almond/cashew/whatever milk and call it a day. The other day, I added peanut butter. Yesterday, I added half a banana. You could also add frozen strawberries, coffee if that’s your thing, or really anything you want! There are so many variations that it will never leave you bored and will always leave you satisfied.

6. Lastly, it is so convenient. I now know the desire to want to be able to drink something on my way to work. I've felt SO rushed in the mornings, especially this week with our time change. It's been such a relief to know that I have a healthy option waiting for me. Just some almond milk, ice, and a packet of shakeology blended up in my magic bullet, and in 5 minutes, I'm headed out the door! And I am confident that my meal choice is healthy and something that, not only I will enjoy, but that will fuel me until my next meal.

That's how I feel about my Shakeology. I never thought I would find a shake that I loved this much. I feel like I'm having dessert every day, and I could live with that! If anyone wants more information about Shakeology, leave me a comment or email me at TveenRD@gmail.com! I'd really love you all to feel as amazing as I do!

Self-Sabotage, Fear, and Freedom

Those three words speak volumes to me as I sit here trying to gather my thoughts. Self-sabotage has been on my mind for a while, and it completely baffles me. I often wonder how we as humans, who are pretty self-centered and out to better ourselves, can actually be our own worst enemy. We try to blame those around us for our short comings and failures, and sometimes yes, life is rough and things happen that we don't have control over. But so many times, WE sabotage our own efforts. I wonder if it is fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, or all three meshed into one confusing mess. I think back on my life (yes, I'm only 26 years old, but things have happened to me too!) and I see so many patterns that I wish I knew how to put a stop to at 15 years old. I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with this topic and hope to inspire those around me that it is not a pattern we have to get stuck in!

Growing up, I always had a lot of goals and lists. Finish a certain number of books in a week (I was a huge bookworm), getting certain grades, practicing piano every day, etc. And for some reason, as a child, I always accomplished what I set out to do. However, starting in high school, I started to almost fear accomplishing my goals. I would get SO close to reaching a goal, and then at the last minute throw in the towel, give up, and even move in the opposite direction of where I was headed. The best example I can think of is my journey with my weight.

I was always a thin child but once I hit thirteen, the pounds started to stay with me. I couldn't do sports because of a knee problem, so my sedentary lifestyle and my love of goldfish and cookies lead to gaining 30 lbs in high school. It was a roller coaster for me: restricting to lose weight, then gaining it all back when my "diet" was too hard to follow. I finally got out of the resticive pattern in college and was able to lose weight in a healthy way. But even then, the minute I started getting into the "groove," nourishing my body, and actually feeling proud of myself, I would slam the breaks and turn towards my destructive food habits, gaining the weight back.  Even things that should motivate a person, such as an event or vacation, would only motivate me for a while. But then, literally 2 days before the event, I would give in to all my cravings and feel like I backtracked on all of my progress. It was a vicious cycle, and I've finally realized that I'm not alone in it.

Many of us sabotage our own health journeys because of fear. We fear being uncomfortable because we are "used to" the way we live. We get comfortable not reaching our goals and we think we are destined to be stuck in a destructive cycle.

It's time to stop this cycle! We deserve happiness. We should fear being complacent and NOT fear success! I've realized in this past year, and more so even in these past few weeks, that I am worth success. I am worth reaching my goals. There is nothing scary about achieving what you set out to accomplish. There is so much freedom in finally doing what you have always said you want to do.

But how do we do that? I think it really starts with a decision in our mind. We have to choose to believe that we are worth it. I believe God created each and every one of us. The Bible says we are more than conquerors in Christ. That means we were made for more than defeat! Believing what God says about you is the first step.

Then, it's changing your inner dialogue. I don't know if you've noticed, but there is always a script running through our minds, and our words can either be our best friends or our worst enemies. And guess what? We have the power to decide! God has given us a brain to think and decide things, so let's choose today, right now, to see ourselves as successful. To tell ourselves that we CAN resist those treats in the breakroom, or that it IS physically possible to fit in that 20 minute walk somewhere in our busy day. The more times you tell yourself you can, the closer you get to actually achieving your goals.

Lastly, I think you absolutely must have a plan. Take pen to paper and jot down your goals, then jot down all the ways you can think of to reach these goals. Do you have to set aside a couple hours during the weekend to meal prep? Do you have to go to bed a little earlier so you can get your workout done in the early morning? Do you have to look up some healthy recipes to change up your diet and not get bored? Write it all down, then DO THE THING! You deserve to be known as someone who follows through, attacks the day, and reaches his/her goals.

Now, if all of this seems a little daunting to you and you want some additional help, support, and guidance, please feel free to contact me! I am seeing clients and I would love to get to know you and more personally help you reach your goals. I even do Skype consultations if you aren't in the area. I am so passionate about helping people find freedom from the things that are holding them back. So, if you have any questions or want to work with me, please email me at TveenRD@gmail.com.

I hope someone out there was inspired by me pouring my heart out today! What is one thing you took away from this post? And what is one goal or task you will focus on achieving? Remember, you were made for success, and deserve every bit of it!

Food & Fitness Plan: 3/9-3/15

Food and Fitness Plan: March 9-15 Hello world!! Ready for a new week? I sure am. I love the beginning of a new week. I like to look at my planner, figure out what’s going on, plan out my workouts, and see what food I have on hand to be as efficient as possible with my meal prep. I did some recipe development this week, and have some leftover BBQ chicken from dinner with my parents a couple nights, SO I am off to a good start with food! I always make sure to have good food and ingredients on hand so that when hunger strikes, I reach for something nourishing and healthy.

I am also on week 4 of my PiYo workouts and loving every minute of it! I plan to continue following the calendar and supplementing with some additional cardio throughout the week. This is my tentative workout plan:

Monday: PiYo

Tuesday: PiYo + cardio 30 mins (either run/walk or elliptical)

Wednesday: PiYo + cardio 30 mins (preferably outside)

Thursday: PiYo x2 (in the AM by myself and in the PM with my friend!)

Friday: Run/walk 45 minutes

Saturday: PiYo strength intervals

Sunday: PiYo + cardio outside

Food-wise, I have a ton of veggies and fruits in the house, plus some good protein options. I also have been doing some recipe development for a special project (eBook of recipes!) that I am working on, so that has been fun too! Here are my meal options for the week:

Breakfast:

Shakeoogy

Eggs

Lunch/dinners:

Taco breakfast bake (can really be eaten with any meal of the day!)

Salads with protein (today will be leftover bbq chicken…yum!)

Lentil Vegetable stew (recipe in the making)

Going out with parents/friends/family (i haven’t been doing much of this lately, but when I do, it’s usually always a healthy choice!)

That about sums up my week! Now I’m off to get ready for MONDAY. I’m hoping this day goes by smoothy and quickly for all of us!

Operation "Let's-feel-like-Wonder-Woman!"

I have been feeling so great lately, and everyone around me can tell. I think it's because of a myriad of things, but since I'm a dietitian, I love to trace things back to food. Food affects us more than we think it does. It obviously affects our health, but also our moods, energy levels, skin, hair, decision making skills, and so many other things. There is a lot of controversy out there about which foods are the best for us. Some say protein, some say beans, some say soy, some say NO to soy, some say only fish, and some say red meat every day. But, the one thing that nutrition experts always agree on is the importance of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet. Study after study shows how important these foods are for vitamins, minerals, and their anti-cancer properties. They are loaded with antioxidants to protect our bodies from harmful substances, as well as fiber, to keep us full and help things "move along" (if you know what I mean). But, these benefits seem so far from the present moment. Sure, vitamins are great, antioxidants are wonderful, and fiber is helpful. But, what about right now? How about how you will actually FEEL on a day to day basis when you increase your fruit and vegetable intake? How about discussing the immediate benefits of replacing other, not so healthy food choices with these colorful beauties?

Well, today, I am here to talk about that! This past week, I have heavily sprinkled these superfoods into my diet. From green smoothies to salads to crunchy veggies for snacks, I've been having an increased amount of fruits and veggies this week, and I've really felt the difference.

Kale and peppers with my eggs

Light and refreshing green smoothie!

Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots as my morning snack.

Side of cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots with my sausage and taters lunch!

Afternoon snack of berries...yummy!

Adding at least 7-10 servings of fruits and veggies into my daily meals has really effected the way I feel throughout the day. I feel more energetic and positive. My moods are lifted and I feel just...happier! I also feel more full throughout the day. People think salads and vegetables/fruits won't keep them full because of how low calorie they are. But, they are actually packed with fiber, so they DO keep us full and help us resist giving in to cravings.

I've basically felt on top of the world, which is the reason I've been saying all week that I feel like Wonder Woman (or Superman...if you are a male)! I feel like I could conquer anything, and I really believe my food choices have a lot to do with that feeling. Food can be a mood depressor or a mood lifter. For example, having a ton of refined sugar and carbs can lift us up but then, soon after, send us crashing down. In contrast, fruits and vegetables lift our moods up and stabilize our blood sugars since they contain fiber, keeping us lifted, energetic, full and "regular" (added perk)!

So, you may be asking, how do I add more vegetables and fruits to my diet if it's something I'm not used to?? Great question! Here are some easy ways to add more vegetables and fruits to your diet:

- Add vegetables to your morning omelet such as kale, spinach, peppers, onions, or broccoli.

- Add berries to your oatmeal or cereals in the morning.

- Make green smoothies, or add some kale and spinach to all-fruit smoothies. Fruit smoothies are great too, but smoothies made with ALL fruit can often be very high in sugar. Add some veggies and take out a bit of the fruit to balance out the sugar, while adding more vitamins A and C!

- If you are a big rice eater, cut the amount of rice you eat in half at lunch, and add a HUGE salad to replace the rice. Try to add as many vegetables as possible to your salads! Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, just go crazy! The sky is the limit. Make it your goal to add a new vegetable every week to your salads.

- Have fruits and vegetables as snacks instead of your usual choices such as crackers or snack bars. They take longer to eat and make you chew, which helps increase the "I'm full" signal to your brain and makes you feel more satisfied instead of inhaling a bar in 3 bites!

- Lastly, try to add a salad with your lunch and diner. Even if they are simple salads, adding some greens with some tomatoes and cucumbers will help increase your vegetable intake and add a nutritional punch to each meal.

Which one of these tips would you like to try? Leave a comment and let me know how your operation "Let's-feel-like-Wonder-Woman" goes!

PiYo Meal Planning: Portions, NOT Calories

If you have been following my blog for a while now, you'll know that I have struggled with calorie counting. I decided to give it up a few months back, but have missed the structure of it all. I'm a huge planner and organizer, so when I feel kind of "on my own" about something, I tend to get anxious. While I have dabbled with counting calories again recently, I still stand by the fact that I don't like the effect it has on my brain! I'm not going back there, no matter how much I love to micromanage my life! That's where PiYo comes in.

I'm ending my third week of PiYo workout program and loving every minute of it. I also have LOVED the food plan that it comes with. I tend to follow my own kind of meal plan, but the fact that the PiYo plan counts portions and not calories is huge. The PiYo eating plan places you in a calorie bracket based on your starting weight, but after that, you don't need to count calories. You just tally up how many portions of each food you have for the day. It tells you how much of a certain food counts as a portion, and makes sure you are balanced and well fed throughout the day.

The food choices are endless, and the lists have actually helped me see how many different vegetables, fruits, or proteins I could be eating! I've been looking at my meal plans through this lens lately and it's helped me still have some structure (type A personality anybody?) without getting fixated on the numbers. It's also easy to plan my week by knowing how many portions of each food group I'll need to plan for the day. Usually, I'll plan breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and whatever portions I have left over, I'll have as my dinner. I also don't restrict my vegetable intake. My new mantra: Vegetables make us feel like Wonder Woman....so eat those babies up!

Veggies and berries have been my go-to snacks lately.

I also LOVE that Shakeology counts as a protein. Sometimes, I just can't handle having chicken, turkey, or eggs at every meal. It's just too much protein and chewing, and frankly is not fun 4-5x/day! Shakeology is delicious, chocolately, and jam-packed with nutrients and superfoods, NOT just protein. I usually have this as my mid morning snack (which is 9am for me haha morning person over here!) and it really helps keep me full while allowing me to slurp on delicious chocolate.

As a disclaimer, I am not crazy strict on these portions either. Being too intense about something is not a way to live a lifestyle. I am all for following a plan to a T for a few weeks, but always keep the fact in that back of your mind that you WILL have to go back to normal life, filled with healthy food choices as well as special events and splurges now and then. If I don't have enough protein portions in one day, too many fruits, or a double serving of my gluten-free toast, I don't freak out about it. I just continue with the day and keep on making healthy choices. I just love the framework of the PiYo eating plan and think it is GREAT for people who are trying to get their nutrition in check.

I'll end this post with my meal plan for today, and how I tally up my portions PiYo-style! Again, I'm not being too strict on myself, just trying to see where my portions lie in relation to the recommendations in the eating plan, and use up whatever food I have in the fridge for this week.

Breakfast: Shakeology, blueberries (1 protein, 1 fruit)

Snack: hard boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers (1 protein, 1 veggie)

Lunch: beans and rice salad (2 grains, 2-3 veggies)

Snack: nuts (2 healthy fats)

Dinner: toss up!

Total without dinner: 2 proteins, 2 grains, 1 fruit, 3-4 veggies, 2 healthy fats

I know I have 2 protein portions left for the day, veggies, and fruits! So I will probably try to have a combination of protein and veggies for dinner and eat till fullness, NOT stuff my face with 8oz of steak just to reach my goal. That is why this plan is helpful; you can tally your portions and see where you are for the day, but you DON'T have to ignore fullness or hunger cues. If you want that extra scoop of rice, have it! If you don't feel like having protein yet again, don't worry about it! It's good to be aware, without being too hard on ourselves. As long as our food choices are healthy and mostly vegetables and whole foods, we are well on our way to nourishing our bodies.

BIG Announcement & Stepping out in Faith

It's so crazy to me how often we fear ourselves. What we are or are not capable of. Our story. How we got to where we are. I was having a phone chat with someone yesterday who encouraged me to "share my story" and not be afraid of it. In the moment, I didn't think much of it and thought "oh yea, sure, I can do that," but the more I thought about it, the more scared I became. I don't like being vulnerable (ask my fiancé, he will attest to that!) so the moment I feel that I am going to put myself out there with the possibility of failing or getting hurt, I run and hide, or I just shut down entirely. Call it a self-protection mechanism, but I am always trying to protect myself. I realized that, while there are always boundaries which how much you share on social media or to the internet world, being real is the most impactful way to inspire and reach those around me. Shutting down or separating myself causes me to remain stagnant, to stay where I am, to cease growing, and to stop being effective.

Action is required to step out of fear and step into faith. I am a follower of Christ, and I believe that I was  made for more than fear and timidity. God calls us to power, not fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 states "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

So I am going to step out and announce that last week, I officially became a Beach Body coach! AHHHHHH!!! I can honestly say that this decision has been life changing for me, even thought I am in a basics training program at the moment with the awesome Inspire Joy team run by the lovely Anna Locke. I am just getting my hands dirty in all of this, but ever since I signed up to be a coach, I have felt this wave of energy, excitement, and...what's the word...RIGHTNESS. I just feel so RIGHT about this decision, that it is what I was called to do, and that I WILL be able to achieve my goals.

Beach Body has done so much for me over the years. I have done workout programs like P90X and Insanity, and now my current favorite, PiYo. These PiYo workouts have changed my life the past couple of weeks. Not only do I feel myself growing longer and leaner, my posture has improved dramatically, and I have more confidence as an overall person. 3 weeks into it and I am already seeing improvement on many of my yoga poses and sequences. And, it's INTENSE work. I am dripping at the end of each workout and enjoying every second of it.

I can't wait to share my journey with Beach Body as I grow more as a coach and as a person. For the first time in my life, I am stepping out of fear and into faith and following my dreams. Motivating and encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle is the top reason I became a Registered Dietitian. This new adventure with Beach Body will help me combine my passions of fitness and nutrition, while motivating, encouraging, and inspiring those I connect with. I can't wait to see where God takes me with this journey. I have surrendered my goals to Him, because, as I always say, His hands are the safest place they could be!

If anyone has any questions about Beach Body, please don't hesitate to email me at tveenRD@gmail.com. Also, you can follow my journey on my Instagram: @tveen_RD

Now I am off to do my PiYo workout for the day! Have a happy Tuesday everyone, and try to do one thing today that scares you, by stepping out of fear and stepping out in faith!

March Maddness...Wedding Style

49 days until my wedding and I already know that this month is going to be INSANE. Yesterday was my bridal shower and it was literally the perfect day. I had a tea party with all of my friends and family, and I couldn't have asked for a better time!

Photo credit so my cousin Lara and my friend Jessica!!

It was such a beautiful day and I will never forget it. Now on to the maddness of only having 49 days left! Even though life has been crazy, and is going to continue to be crazy, I've still been doing my best to make my health a priority. I've been working out and feeding my body nourishing, whole foods. I definitely don't want to get sick yet AGAIN (I still have my cough from the bronchitis I had 4 weeks ago), so lately, I've been making yummy green smoothies in the morning.

I've also changed up my workouts completely. Last week, I wrote a post about PiYo, the new workout program I'm doing. I'm loving it SO much, so I decided to discontinue my personal training sessions at the gym, save that money (woohoooo) and do PiYo along with some run/walks outdoors or on the treadmill. I still have my gym membership of course, but I am loving toning my body with PiYo instead of heavy and strenuous weights. And an added perk is that I can just roll out of bed, press play, and call it a day!

I have a few goals set out for March and I really am going to strive to meet them all. Here are some of my tentative ones, but as always, goals grow and change and progress as time goes on!

1. Keep up with my PiYo workout schedule.

2. Complete my special project training program that starts tomorrow! (more info coming soon!)

3. Keep my gluten-free diet going. I have been sticking pretty closely to gluten free except for yesterday at my shower where I had scones and tea sandwiches and other yummies...my tummy is mad at me this morning, but I have no regrets!

4. GET MY GREENS! Lately, I've been having way  more veggies than I usually do, and I seriously feel like wonder woman. Increased energy, happiness, and it has even helped my skin. My green smoothies have been so simple too! Spinach, kale, juice of 1 lemon, and ice. And I'll occasionally throw in a few berries. They are so refreshing and delicious, and I want to drink these at least 4x/week, in addition to the other veggies I have.

5. Add more variety to my meals. I wrote a blog post on this a couple weeks ago, and I want to continue with adding more variety to my diet. The restriction of being gluten-free is hard enough, so it is even more important for me to add variety so I don't get bored. I DO have go-to staple meals that I love and rely on, but I've been experimenting with new meals, new breakfasts, new things to pack for work, and adding more spice and flavor to my meals.

6. Continue on with spiritual and personal development. I want to continue my quiet times with Jesus in the mornings no matter how busy I am, because I know that without Him, I am nothing! I also want to finish 2 personal development books I'm reading: "PUSH" by Chalene Johnson and "Girl Boss" by Sophia Amoruso.

7. Continue writing my book! I have been compiling some recipes and things for an eBook coming out soon. That is why I haven't been sharing as many recipes on here lately! It's a work in progress, but I am so excited for this adventure! I have always loved writing, cooking, and all things food, so isn't an eBook the perfect blend of all three? I think yes.

I think that's a pretty good list for the next 31 days! Of course I also have some more personal goals, but that's another blog post for another time. Now off to our brand new apartment to get our furniture and enjoy this rainy SoCal day!! Happy March everyone!

3 Tips for Morning Motivation

Mornings are hard for so many people. It's hard to drag yourself out of bed, get yourself together, and gear up for the day. For me, I've never had a problem with getting out of bed. When I wake up, I hop out of bed and am ready to attack the day. Even on a weekend. This morning (Saturday), I woke up around 6:15 without an alarm and got to work on my day. I had some quiet time with Jesus, and felt so blessed by reading Romans 8. It took me a while to get past even the first verse. God is SO good to us, and we don't even deserve it.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Wow. NO condemnation, even though Lord knows we deserve it. I felt so free after reading that verse this morning, even though I have read it time and time again. Trusting Christ will never disappoint us, for when we are in Him, we find life and peace. I urge you all to read Romans 8 today. It will bless you as it blessed me this morning.

ANYWAYS, back to being a morning person. After my quiet time, I decided to bake some muffins. These turned out delicious!

Gluten free, high in protein, and SO YUM! :)

Then, I did my PiYo workout of the day (my thoughts on my first week are coming soon to the blog!) Next, I decided to go on a nice stroll outside. First, my fiancé and I went to the farmers market and I got the most delicious looking asparagus, red bell peppers, and broccoli! I can't wait to cook with them this week! I then walked around our neighborhood for about 30 minutes and had some time to reflect. God has been SO good to me. I walked through a park by my house and came across the bench that my fiancé first told me that he loved me, over 3 years ago.

I got nostalgic and had my own giddy girly jumping up and down party that I am getting married to this man in less than 2 months! All alone, in the park, I just felt SO incredibly blessed and happy. God has brought us so far, and I am so thankful that we have reached the point that we have in our relationship to soon become husband and wife.

After my walk, I came home, got ready, and started working on some bridal shower and wedding things. And this is all before noon! I just love being productive and getting things done in the morning. Now, I know that, for most people, this seems impossible. But for people who want to wake up early sometimes to have time to reflect, cook, workout, or just to get errands done, here are some tips for how to become a morning person:

1. See it as a challenge that you CAN conquer.

When you start to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, you begin to grow as a person. I have read so many articles and behavioral papers proving time and time again that morning people are happy and more productive. You get more done in the morning hours than most people get done in the night hours. I'm sure exceptions exist, but I know that for me, I love enjoying my mornings and getting things done! It wasn't too hard for me to get used to being a morning person; it just takes prioritizing yourself and your goals.

2. Sleep, sleep, and SLEEP. If you want to start waking up earlier, you HAVE to start sleeping earlier. You don't have to get into bed at 7 or 8pm, but at least my 10pm, I start winding down and getting ready for bed. I change into my PJ's (but most of the time I do this the minute I get home from work...sooo yea...), do my nighttime routine (taking off make up, putting on face lotions, teeth brushing, etc), and get into bed without any distractions. I used to play with my phone in bed, and that really activated my mind and kept me up. So I've eliminated all distractions, and I've been sleeping way better! This helps me be ready and energetic the next morning.

3. Lastly, and this is especially for those wanting to workout in the mornings, lay out your workout clothes before going to bed. When I wake up, I see what I am going to wear lying on the chair next to my bed. This motivates me to get up, get changed, and get moving. I also look forward to my workouts (you shouldn't do workouts your dread by the way...but that's another post for another time) so the excitement gets me out of bed too! Plan something exciting to do the minute you get out of bed, so you will be ready to jump out of bed with enthusiasm. And even if it isn't your workout clothes, even laying out what you plan on wearing for the day will help you get out of bed and be more productive.

As a disclaimer, there are some days that I just want to stay in bed, and I do. There is nothing wrong with that! But I also do love being able to get things done earlier in the day and having the rest of the day to work without thinking of all the things I have to get done when I get home. Hopefully these tips will motivate and help someone out there who wants to start become more of a "morning person."

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

Adding Variety to Meal Planning

I've heard it said time and time again that the more simple you keep your meals, the higher the chances that you will stick to your healthy eating goals. While I agree with this to some extent, I do think there are a few exceptions to this piece of advice. Keeping meals simple helps us when we are planning because we don't have to overthink what we want to eat. I know that I do this from time to time, especially during busy weeks. If I have some of my beloved frozen turkey burgers from Trader Joe's in my freezer, BOOM, meals for the week. If I have some sausage and sweet potatoes, I whip up a casserole and call it a day. But sometimes, especially when you are finding yourself eating out of boredom and dreading your next meal, it's time to rethink the mundane simplicity of your every day, go-to meals.

I've been feeling this kind of boredom lately. And I am a big lover of food, so when I don't look forward to my next meal...it's a problem. I realized that all I've been eating are salads with the same dressing, and some kind of protein, usually my turkey burgers. I love those turkey burgers, but sometimes, a girl needs some variety! These past few weeks, I have been giving myself so many more options when it comes to my meals. My only "rules" are gluten free (I started sneaking that pesky bugger in during and after the holidays...not a good idea), and minimal sugars, processed carbs, and processed foods in general. All else is totally game.

Let's start with breakfast. Usually, I eat veggie scrambles. Every. Single. Day. And while I love eggs, eggs every day can get a tad bit repetitive. Last week, I made some protein pancakes instead. I hadn't made pancakes in FOREVER, and I decided that I would make them again. They don't take that long to make, and are still healthy when you pack them with some protein (I used Jaime Eason's Lean Body for Her Vanilla Whey; best whey I've ever tasted!). These turned out great and added some nice variety to my morning.

I also hadn't had oats in what felt like a very long time, so yesterday morning, I microwaved my oats (short-on-time syndrome) and topped them with some chopped walnuts and blueberries. This kept me full for a WHILE and I thoroughly enjoyed my warm mushy breakfast.

And speaking of blueberries, I've just been having them as a snack lately too! On Saturday, I was pretty hungry in the mid morning, but it was almost lunch time and I didn't want too much to fill me up. So I opted for a nice bowl of bloobs and they hit the spot!

Lastly, last night, I decided to have a vegetarian dinner. I am a huge, HUGE, meat eater. I was actually vegetarian a few years back in grad school, but because of some of the health problems I experienced, I decided to add meat back into my life, and I have never looked back. But as much as I love meat, having it at every single meal can get annoying and kind of gross. Last night, I heated up a can of Amy's Organic low sodium lentil vegetable soup. I added a WHOLE lot of spinach to the pot to make it more vegetable-y (yes, it's a word), and the spinach of course shrank. Then, I added a bag of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice. The whole meal was ready in about 5 minutes, made two servings so I am all set for lunch today, and is the perfect winter stew!

If you want to add more variety to your meals while still keeping them healthy, I recommend getting started in a few easy steps:

1. Take inventory of what you have at home. I realized I have so much frozen tilapia, chicken, grass fed beef, and a mahi mahi burger that are just waiting to get eaten. You can season these meats up differently every time you cook them and get a different flavor each time.

2. Make a list of all the meals you could make adding and combining these foods. I brainstormed that I could use the chicken as a stir-fry with vegetables and some coconut aminos, I could make it into a vegetable casserole, or I could eat it with some marinara sauce and lentils (such a great combination!) I could make the grass fed beef into taco meat, or into little sausage patties. There are so many things we could create if we actually knew the foods we had on hand!

3. Start today. Start changing up your schedule today. You can still eat healthy foods while adding variety to your meals and not getting stuck in the same patterns every day. For me, getting stuck causes me to reach for variety in the form of not so healthy foods. I'd rather change up my daily meals knowing that they are still healthy and look forward to eating every day of my life!

I hope this helps someone out there who finds themselves in a food rut! What is your go-to meal every day, and what do you think you could do to spice up your meal plan a bit?

Changing Things UP!

Good morning everyone! It really feels like Monday today, even though it is Tuesday, and for that, I am grateful! This long weekend was just what I needed, to not only rest but also get a ton of stuff ready for my bridal shower coming up. I am getting married in 62 days and can't believe all the things that still need to get done. But I know that everything will happen in time, and in a little over two months, I will be in Hawaii with my hubby and we will be beginning a new phase of our lives together. I can't wait! So many things have changed about my food and fitness routine in the past couple weeks. I am really trying to discover what works best for me, my body, and my mind. I've dialed back the intensity of my workouts and have been doing a lot more light walking. I also ordered PiYo, which came in the mail yesterday! It was perfect because it arrived on a Monday, and the program calendar starts on a Monday with their Align fundamentals workout, so I did that yesterday.

I am looking forward to this program because I feel that it is exactly what my body needs at the moment; some hard core toning work without jumping up and down and killing my knees. I've had so much knee soreness and pain lately, even thought I haven't been running nearly as much. My cardio has been walking, elliptical, very SLOW and SHORT runs (like 5.0 mph for 10 minutes or so), walking, and more walking. Did I mention...walking? I've been walking outside, on the treadmill, and on my breaks from work. It's really helped keep me active and motivated with my steps (I bought a Fit Bit a few weeks back and love it!) and it's been easy on my knees. This is me taking a nice sunny walk last week on my 10 minute break at work!

Like I said, I bought a FitBit and it has been really fun to use! I love seeing how many steps I've taken and how active I've been. This morning's workout set me up pretty good, all before 7am! I did a 40 minute elliptical workout and did a slow 12 minute run. I plan on doing the PiYo lower body workout tonight when I get home from work!

Food wise, I've been letting myself have a little too many treats and sweets lately, which is ok in moderation, but not ok every day! I'm trying to move forward and have been keeping things pretty healthy the past few days. My fiancé and I did get Pinkberry this past weekend on Valentine's Day, but hey...we were celebrating!

As many of you know, I've been on a journey of no more calorie counting. I can't help but think that maybe I need that structure back in my life, especially with my wedding coming up and all the stress eating/not eating that tends to happen around this time! I've been playing around with the idea of keeping track of myself again, but I'm not too sure about it yet. But that's another post for another time...

Lastly, I bought this new journaling Bible that I am IN LOVE with. I am a huge margin writer, underliner, and highlighter when it comes to reading my Bible. I love that this Bible leaves room for me to write!

Life has been great lately. Things have been good, and I am looking forward to my wedding in just a couple short months! But things have also been stressful. Which is normal when you are going through any exciting time in your life. I've just learned that I can't rely on my own strength to get through. I definitely need Jesus and the people around me. Don't think you have to do things all on your own...we have a God who loves us and wants to strengthen us, as well as a God who puts people around us to help us through our stressful and exciting times!

Well, I am off to work and to conquer this busy day ahead of me. I plan on writing up some meal plans and recipes this week, so I will hopefully make the time for that soon! Happy Tuesday everyone!