How To Stick To Your New Year's Resolution

I've made it no secret I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I never have been. On the few occasions I've decided to make one, I'd be generous if I said I made it a whole week before breaking it. Whether it's deciding to become more organized or more fit, the way I see it is: If you are setting a specific date in which you are going to set out on your journey, it means that you are putting it off because you see it as an unpleasant task. It means you don't WANT to perform whatever the action is that is necessary to reach your destination. And to me, that means that you don't WANT said destination as badly as you think you do. That's just me...

So if I don't believe in setting Resolutions for the start of the new year, then why am I writing a blog post about how you can keep your New Year's Resolution? Good question. Well, the thing is there are still LOTS of people who DO believe in making them. (I assume if you are reading this, you're one of them, yes?) All around the world people are taking a good long look at their life and brainstorming things they want to change about it. And that's commendable, no matter what time of year it is. Far be it from me to rain on that kind of parade. 

I'm a HUGE advocate for self-reflection, self-improvement and goal setting. I have spent the better part of 2 years trying to step back as objectively as I possibly can and nail down the things that I like, dislike, and want to improve about myself. Needless to say, it's been quite a life-changing journey.

And THAT is why I am writing this post. Because all of you out there who are about to set out on your own life-changing journeys via 2013 Resolutions DESERVE to see it through. I suppose you could say if I was going to set a Resolution, that would be it - to help others see their New Year's Resolutions come to fruition. 

That being said I have one key piece of advice for making sure you keep it: 

KNOW YOUR RESOLUTION INSIDE AND OUT.

ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE:

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE: DON'T BE VAGUE ABOUT YOUR GOALS. BE SPECIFIC IN WHAT YOU ARE SETTING OUT TO DO.

KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE IT: WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION RIGHT NOW -THIS VERY SECOND - FOR WANTING THIS? I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THIS FRONT AND CENTER IN YOUR BRAIN, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE DAYS WHEN YOU LOSE SIGHT OF IT AND YOU WILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND ASK YOURSELF WHY YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

KNOW HOW TO ACHIEVE IT: BLINDLY POKING AROUND AT YOUR GOAL HOPING IT WILL FALL INTO YOUR LAP WILL NOT GET YOU FAR. TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. THE ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES VIA THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE MADE WHAT USED TO BE CONSIDERED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

Time to take a good look at the person staring back at you in the mirror and ask...
"Are you ready to kick some butt???"

Don't make a Resolution just to make one, and don't make it because that's what everyone else expects you to do, or because that's what everyone else is doing. TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THE PERSON STARING BACK AT YOU IN THE MIRROR AND ASK THAT PERSON IF THEY ARE READY TO SET OUT ON THIS JOURNEY. IF THEY CAN LOOK YOU IN THE EYE AND SAY "YES" BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, YOU'RE GOLDEN!


Happy New Year everyone! 

XOXO, 

Sara

Grocery List

I often get asked what kinds of foods I buy at the grocery store so I thought I'd put together a list of my most commonly purchased items. Keep in mind, I am constantly playing around with different foods and recipes to avoid boredom, so this may not reflect EVERYTHING I buy ALL THE  TIME, but these are some of my personal favorites that have become staples in my kitchen. (Note: These are merely suggestions - feel free to get creative with the list and add your personal preferences!)

Protein:
~Chicken Breast
~Eggs
~Liquid Egg Substitute
~Turkey Breast
~Canned Tuna
~Greek Yogurt
~Cottage Cheese
~Turkey/Chicken Sausage
~Ground Turkey
~Ground Chicken
~Shrimp
~Tilapia
~Lean Ground Beef
~Steak

Complex Carbohydrates:
~Sweet Potatoes
~Brown Rice
~Oatmeal
~Quinoa
~Whole Wheat Bread
~Ezekiel Bread
~Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins
~Whole Grain Wraps
~Whole Wheat Pasta
~Cous Cous
~Beans
~Whole Grain Cereal
~Rice Cakes

Healthy Fats:
~Peanut Butter
~PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
~Almond Butter
~Olive Oil
~Whole Almonds
~Avocado

Favorite Veggies:
~Broccoli
~Asparagus
~Green Beans
~Cauliflower
~Zucchini
~Yellow Squash
~Spinach
~Tomatoes
~Cucumbers
~Eggplant
~Celery
~Carrots
~Romaine Lettuce
~Butternut Squash
~Acorn Squash
~Spaghetti Squash
~Peppers
~Onions
~Mushrooms

Favorite Fruits:
~Apples
~Bananas
~Blueberries
~Strawberries
~Raspberries
~Peaches
~Oranges
~Clementines
~Plums
~Grapes
~Grapefruit
~Cantaloupe

Beverages:
~Water
~Unsweetened Almond Milk
~Tea (any flavor but I especially LOVE Green Tea and Peppermint!)
~Coffee
~4C Totally Light Flavor Packets
~Mio Liquid Water Enhancer
~Torani Sugar Free Flavor Syrups (for my coffee!)
~True Lemon Naturally Sweetened Flavor Packets

Cheese:
~Fat Free Feta Cheese
~Greek Strained Yogurt Cheese
~Fat Free/Low Fat Cream Cheese
~Low Fat Laughing Cow Flavored Spreadable Cheeses

Extras/Condiments/Spices:
~Light Mayo
~Walden Farms BBQ Sauce
~Walden Farms Salad Dressings
~Panera Bread Poppy Seed Dressing
~Walden Farms Chocolate Dip/Chocolate Syrup
~Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip
~Walden Farms Caramel Dip/Caramel Syrup
~Walden Farms Pancake Syrup
~Hummus
~Salsa
~Cinnamon
~Basil
~Mrs. Dash Seasonings
~Garlic Powder
~Onion Powder
~Parsley
~Rosemary
~Paprika
~Stevia
~Splenda

Protein Supplements:
~Whey Protein Powder
~Quest Protein Bars


You may also want to, periodically check out the "Grocery List" Tab on my homepage for updates to this list, as I will continue to add to it as time goes on!

You're STILL on that DIET???

DIETING VS. BEING HEALTHY: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

When I first started changing my eating habits, it was probably somewhere around the millionth time I had promised myself I'd lose weight and change. Over the years I've done the whole yo-yo thing and used all kinds of questionable means. But this time...this time, it was different. I knew that. I knew it to my very core. Nobody else knew it, but I knew. 

So how, you ask, did I KNOW that this time was different? Because I wasn't dieting. I was "living a healthy lifestyle." To those who asked me what my secret was or asked what "diet" I was doing, I tried to make it abundantly clear that this was NOT A DIET!!! IT'S JUST HOW I EAT!!! It got frustrating at times to have to constantly convey this point to people. The implication that I was dieting was almost insulting, because I knew that it was so much more than that. But over time I came to realize that instead of being annoyed by the question, I should take a minute to think it over, and get to the bottom of why this was such a common misconception. 

The truth is that there can sometimes be a fine line between dieting and "healthy" or "clean" eating. When you're looking at it from afar, they do actually seem like the same thing. But they are not. There are actually a number of differences between the two.

1. One of the main characteristics in any weight loss diet is self-deprivation. Whether it's depriving yourself of calories, carbs, or fat, this is a common theme among all "diet" plans. And while there is no denying that healthy eating to lose weight DOES rely on a calorie deficit (since this is the only way to actually lose body fat), it is more about SUPPLYING YOUR BODY WITH NUTRIENTS rather than DEPRIVING YOUR BODY OF FOOD. (See how I turned that around??? It's all about perspective - it changes a lot!) Anyone can lose weight if they eat less calories than their body needs. It's science - pure and simple. If your maintenance calories are 2500 calories a day (JUST AN EXAMPLE!) and you eat 2000 calories a day in Pop-Tarts you will lose weight, sure. The problem is that you won't look or feel as good as if you are supplying your body with 2000 calories of whole, unprocessed nutrient-dense food. Shifting the focus from restricting food that will make you fat to including food that will make you healthy is where the difference lies.

2. Diets are temporary and therefore yield temporary results, whereas healthy eating is meant to be a lifelong commitment. It's not realistic to think that you can maintain the drastic requirements of fad diets long-term or that the results of said diet will be permanent. Just ask any fitness model or competitive bodybuilder and they will tell you that even under the expert watch of professional coaches, the extremes they have to go to, dieting down for a photoshoot or a show are not something they would want to do on a permanent basis, nor is it in their best interest healthwise. Furthermore, once you go off the diet and back to your "normal" eating habits, whatever progress you saw will quickly disappear. Since living a healthy lifestyle doesn't require you to go to drastic self-deprivation measures, it is much easier to continue long-term, ensuring that you will be able to maintain your results.

3. This last one is going to come out sounding harsh, but after trying to word it a thousand different ways, I realized there's just no better way to put it, so here goes: Diets are designed to appeal to the impatient, lazy and ignorant - and I do mean that in the nicest way possible! The reality is that fad diets are created for the masses, and let's face it - the masses are compiled of busy people who want to see results YESTERDAY and don't "have the time or energy" for research, food preparation, and long-term goals. In contrast, healthy eating DEPENDS on research, knowledge and a commitment to hard work over a long period of time. I've spent countless hours sitting in front of a computer, researching, and barely even scratched the surface. I've also put in many, many months of hard work training at the gym, and hours planning and preparing my meals. To this day I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm okay with it because I know that I have the rest of my life to continue working toward both my short-term and long-term goals. 

Have I had people tell me I'm nuts for doing what I do? All the time! It used to bother me, but not anymore and this is why: I am committed to living a healthy lifestyle because it makes me happy - and that's worth SOOOO much more than any "diet". Is it hard at times? Yes - I'm not going to lie - to commit to a life of healthy living requires dedication, time, and hard work. It may not give you overnight results, and yes, it may interfere with your schedule at times. But with it, comes a greater understanding and appreciation for what your body and your mind are capable of, given the chance to shine!

THAT is the difference between "dieting" and BEING HEALTHY.

How Not To Get Off Track This Holiday Season

As I sit here digesting my turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Apple, Pumpkin, Coconut Custard, and Pistachio Pudding Pie (yes I tried each one!), not to mention my AMAZING clean-but-not-so-clean Pumpkin Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies, I am reminded that the day after Thanksgiving starts the beginning of a new era. If you're a hardcore shopper, no doubt your thoughts immediately go to the Black Friday sales. If you're a "Before-Thanksgiving-Is-Way-Too-Early-For-Christmas-Lights" Bah-humbug-er, you assume I mean the start of what is considered fair game for all of the decorations, music, and general holiday madness to begin. But if you are a health nut, dieter, or just your average health-conscious individual, you KNOW what I'm talking about. So let's talk about it. It seems silly to treat it like the elephant in the room, don't you think?

This is the time of year that you will inevitably put on those extra holiday pounds, right? Maybe. Or maybe not. You cannot ignore the fact that along with this time of year comes an excess of not-so-healthy foods, what with all the chocolate, baked goods, eggnog, and not to mention, the holiday feast.

I am a huge advocate for making allowances for "unhealthy" foods on special occasions. Having lived with the crippling fear that one holiday meal or one slip-up will send my progress flying into reverse, I understand the impulse to want to bring your chicken, brown rice and veggies in Tupperware to Christmas dinner. Please DO NOT DO THIS - I'm begging you!  

But at the same time, don't just sit back and settle for what you think is the inevitable weight gain during this time of year. Yes, it's FINE to enjoy yourself and your time with loved ones around the holidays, but you don't want to be one of the ones who has to make the dreaded New Years' Resolution to lose all the weight you packed on during the holidays!

I have never been a fan of gearing my progress TOWARD a specific event or date. I find that I actually lose focus and momentum if I give myself a deadline. This is just my life. It's not a temporary fad diet, there's no finish line, and my goals are constantly changing. If you've ever heard the saying "It's a marathon, not a sprint" then you get where I'm going with this. I wouldn't say "I have to lose this amount of weight by such-and-such a date." I'll lose the weight doing it the healthy way, in whatever time frame my body needs to do it in. So it wouldn't make sense for me to schedule my setbacks around the calender, either. 

Yes, they ARE going to happen eventually - that is inevitable. No one's perfect. But you are setting yourself up for these setbacks when you go into something with the expectation that you will fail. Finding a healthy balance between enjoying your holidays and enjoying your progress is key.

So what's the secret to having a healthy, happy and WELL-BALANCED holiday season? The trick is to choose your battles wisely and to take a minute to sit back and create a plan for what you want to allow yourself during the holiday season. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Ask yourself  "What are the food traditions that are the most important to me during this time?" Is it the Italian 7 Fishes Christmas Eve dinner, the Potato Latkes at Grandma's house, the...FRUITCAKES...??? (Hey, I'm not judging - whatever floats your boat!) While there are going to be plenty of things that will be passed around in the next month that will look tempting and delicious, the important thing is to practice moderation. Instead of eating every temptation that comes your way in the spirit of holiday cheer, take the time to say "Is this important enough to me to put my progress on hold?" Some things are - don't get me wrong (my Potato Latkes are THAT good - just sayin'!). But not everything is. Some things JUST taste good and hold no sentimental or traditional value, and therefore...do you really need them? It's learning to identify the difference that will make or break your progress this season. 

2. Identify your challenges. For me, my weakness is all of the little treats that my clients bring me during the holidays - candies, cookies, and those cinnamon-sugar pecans my boss's stepmom makes and sends to the salon every year! While I am always thankful for the holiday wishes that come along with them, the treats themselves hold no sentimental value and don't involve any family traditions that I wouldn't want to go without, but I'm a sucker for them anyway. Admitting it is half the battle and raising your awareness of it will help you to reason your way out of mindlessly munching on them until the container is empty!

3. Eat the things you really want to during the holidays and GET OVER IT! Don't beat yourself up over minor setbacks. One cheat meal or even cheat day is not going to set back your progress irreversibly. Creating an unhealthy mindset riddled with guilt and shame, however, will. Allowing yourself to feel guilty only brings down your self-esteem, which will eventually lead to you giving up on your goals. REPEAT AFTER ME:  IT HAPPENED. NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. NOW MOVE ON.

The important thing to remember is to ENJOY this time with family and friends! Don't allow it to become your enemy by messing with your head or your progress! 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season!  :)

~Sara 

Guest Blog Post: Life After Sickness

I am so proud to present to you my first guest blog post! After seeing all that the H.I.P.S. organization was doing for teenagers, I asked my cousin Rebecca to share her experience with living with an eating disorder and body image issues, how she coped, and how she came to appreciate her body and help others to do the same!

Life After Sickness

By Rebecca Kaiserman

The transition to high school was harder than expected. The academic, extracurricular and social pressures were more than I expected. However, living in today’s society, I was only taught how to increase life’s speed, rather than cope with its current stresses.

I began to engage in very unhealthy behaviors, including restriction of calories, purging of food and over exercising. I decided to finally acknowledge that my behaviors had gotten out of hand and was admitted to a relatively local treatment center during the summer between freshmen and sophomore year of high school. Continuing in private psychological and nutritional therapy, I founded the H.I.P.S. organization during my sophomore year of high school. I was fairly stable until the eating disorder voice resurfaced towards the end of my junior year. I began to abuse diet pills as well as retreat back to all the previously stated unhealthy tendencies. But hold on, this is where the story turns around.

The summer between my junior and senior year of high school, I was on the verge of being readmitted to a more intense level of treatment when I miraculously managed to convince my parents it would be a better idea to keep my plans to go on an abroad community service trip. I spent ten days in Costa Rica teaching English and becoming immersed in one of the most beautiful cultures in the world.

The culture in Costa Rica put my illness and my priorities into perspective. Their culture does not emphasize the size of one’s body, but rather the value of an education and hard work. I came back home with the greatest sense of appreciation for our world. I did not leave pitying the lack of fiscal resources that many believe plague foreign communities, but rather with the hopes of implementing their values into my daily life. 

I have been able to continue to appreciate the little things and focus on continuing to do what makes me happy. I have become very interested in spiritual practice and connecting my mind, soul and body. I truly believe if you use your mind to take care of your body and foster your soul, these three things will align to optimize your physical and mental health. I have come to appreciate my body as a vehicle that helps my soul convey the messages it contains and dreams I hope to accomplish. My body knows so much more than I think and communicates with me what it needs, as long as I remember to listen.

Absolutely there are days where the eating disorder voice reemerges, telling me my life would be easier without lunch and if I spent hours on the treadmill. But I know myself well enough to know I can over power this voice; I have enough faith in myself to look back on all through which I have persevered and am sure that if I want to continue to lead a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle, that is as possible as I wish it to be.

To see all of the amazing work Rebecca and the H.I.P.S. organization are doing visit their website.

Treat Your Body Like You Love It!

This was a post that I wrote for my cousin, Rebecca, who runs an organization called H.I.P.S. (Health Image Power Success) which helps to foster positive self-image among teenagers. I was so inspired by her work and all of the good that she has accomplished that I was so unbelievably honored to be asked  to write this piece about how fitness and healthy nutrition can enhance your life to create a healthy balance! Check out their website and Facebook for more great information and motivation! Enjoy!

Your body is an amazing thing. When you really stop and take a minute to appreciate what it is capable of, it's truly mind-boggling. The inner-workings of your body are made up of such an intricate collection of systems that even the greatest minds on the planet don't fully understand it. One thing they do understand, however, is that if you don't treat it right, there's a good chance it won't treat you right. In order to get the most of this beautiful work of art, there are certain things your body requires of you.

Proper nutrition allows your body, as well as your mind, to work to their fullest potential and give you the opportunity to enjoy everything that life has to offer. The key to making your body run more effectively is fueling it with adequate nutrients and hydration - without this, you can suffer from such symptoms as chronic fatigue, depression, decreased ability to concentrate and a multitude of physical ailments.

Fitness can also enhance your body and your life in ways you may never have even thought possible. When it comes to fitness, it's not about fitting the mold of someone else's idea of perfection. It's about pushing yourself beyond the limits you once thought were holding you back. It's about seeing what you are truly capable of, about breaking personal records, about creating a stronger version of yourself. When practiced in its purest form, the art of physical fitness will not only build a healthier body, but build character and a healthier spirit as well.

Creating a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle first starts with the right mindset - meaning you must want to include fitness and a healthy diet in your life for the right reasons. Instead of making these efforts day in and day out because of self-hate, do it out of self-love. Do it because you love everything about YOU and know how well you deserve to be treated - inside and out!

Girls, do you even lift?

Ok, so the logic behind why guys lift seems pretty obvious, right?  Lift heavy weights. Check.>>>Get big muscles. Check.>>>Make girls swoon. Check. (For the record, boys, I'm only kidding...I know that's not the only reason!)  ;) 

For generations upon generations, the stereotypes of what the perfect male and perfect female are supposed to look like have dictated what we think we should be doing to achieve these said perfect physiques. Guys go into the gym, pump some iron, down their mass gainers, and read Muscle and Fitness, all in hopes of getting, bigger, stronger and more ripped, while the ladies can usually be found on the cardio machines or in aerobics classes, trying to achieve that "perfect" Barbie waistline and shrink their butt and thighs.

Speaking as an experienced "cardio bunny", I have news for you, ladies: (while this may not apply to ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE) when it comes to changing our physique, we have a lot to learn from the boys. The reality is that cardio will only get you so far, and yet soooo many women are reluctant to venture their way off of the elliptical and over to the weight room.

Oh, trust me, I get it. I'm not judging. I spent a year straight, killing myself doing cardio six days a week and wondering why I still didn't look like a fitness model! The truth is, you just don't know what you don't know. I was always taught that you do aerobics to get skinny and if you lift any weights at all, you do light weights and high reps, or else you'll get giant muscles like a man. I had no idea this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case! And clearly I wasn't the only one who was misled, because look around most gyms and you'll find an overwhelming number of women doing hours of cardio and wielding around those adorable pink 5 lb. dumbbells.

Ladies, here is the truth about why you should consider jumping off the treadmill (well, make sure you turn it off first!) and picking up something with a little weight behind it!

1. No matter what anyone tells you, you WILL NOT get big and bulky like a man just because you are lifting weights. Men and women are built very differently, both in our musculoskeletal structure and hormonal balance. We are not physiologically designed to build or carry large amounts of muscle mass, nor do we produce enough testosterone on our own to do so. Simply put, women, naturally, do not have what it takes to bulk up the way men do. The one thing we do have in common, however, is that our muscles, just like men's muscles, require stimulation to grow. So ladies, don't be afraid to lift and lift heavy enough to challenge yourself and stimulate those muscles!!!   

2. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Even when you are just sitting around doing nothing, muscle requires more energy to sustain itself than bodyfat does, so the more muscle you have, the faster your body will burn calories. Need I say more?

3. Muscle takes up less room, is more shapely than fat, and...the best part? It doesn't jiggle. :) Translation? You actually look tighter and more sculpted than even the skinniest skinny-fat person!

4. Ok so this last one may not be a legitimate health or fitness-related reason to start pumping some iron, but it's still not a bad one: You feel pretty bad-ass going into a male dominated weight room and making all their jaws drop when you start lifting weights like a dude! I work out at a time of day when there are very few women in the gym, and the handful that are there are usually cardio bunnies. So I understand what it feels like to be intimidated, working out next to a bunch of jacked guys. But if you hold your head high and walk in there like you own the place, I promise you, they are more likely to be impressed than to judge you. Now I'm not saying that you NEED to impress anyone - you are doing this for yourself, after all; but my point here, is that, as women we are the underdogs. Nobody expects much from us when it comes to fitness. It's kind of nice to prove 'em all wrong, don't ya think? ;)

Don't get me wrong - if lifting weights isn't for you, it isn't for you! In my opinion, whatever type of physical fitness you are passionate about and will stick to is the best type for you - whether it's weight lifting, running, yoga, or a combination of all three! But when I look around my gym and overhear remarks like "I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to look like a guy!" it makes me cringe, because I know how misinformed this statement is! I HATE the idea of someone not reaching their goals because they didn't go about reaching them the right way due to misinformation and I think there is a TON of that going around when it comes to girls lifting weights! So, ladies, my advice is to be proactive in finding out what the optimal plan is for the results you want to achieve. If you're investing the time and effort in working out to change your body, you might as well make it worth your while, right??? 

Why I Keep My Fat Pants

One of the best/worst things about losing weight is that once you've made some decent progress, you no longer fit into the same clothes you once did. It's one of the best things because it's a tangible reminder that you've made progress, and you get to go shopping for new clothes that you once thought were off limits; however, it's one of the worst things because it now means you have to foot the bill for said shopping trip! 

For the bulk of my weight loss journey I managed to get by without having to buy too many new pairs of pants, thanks to the legging trend, and still managed to wear a lot of the same shirts I used to. But there came a point when my wardrobe became somewhat limited, and a shopping trip several shopping trips became necessary in order for me to dress like a normal person. Anyone who knows me knows how abundantly happy this made me to have an excuse to shop, even if it was off of the clearance rack to keep the cost of my new size-appropriate wardrobe down. Aside from the obvious joys that shopping can bring, there's no better feeling than having to run back and forth from the fitting room a hundred times to get the next smaller size because the size you thought you were keeps falling down!

So, once I knew I was close enough to my goal that my size would not change too much, I gradually began adding to my wardrobe. This obviously left a lot less room in my closet and so the garbage bags came out and trips to Goodwill were made. In the past, my weight has fluctuated so drastically that I was often hesitant to get rid of any larger size clothing, in case I should have a need for them again. I would put them away in bins and save them as a safety net for when I would inevitably fall off the wagon and start stuffing my face with KFC. As you might have guessed, I didn't have a whole lot of faith in myself back then. 

Well I have no plans to EVER have a need for those larger sizes to stick around waiting to be pulled out of bins on that tragic day when I find that I can't get my pants to button. I have gained enough confidence in myself over the past 2 years to not need a safety net. I now know that I'm not a ticking time bomb just waiting to get fat again and that the choices I make are entirely within my control. And I choose to keep progressing, rather than move backwards.

At the risk of going all Jenny Craig commercial on you guys I had to post these!
Had a good laugh when I opened up my bin of winter clothes and found
my special fat pants! Had an even bigger laugh when my sister's boyfriend
tried them on and they fit!  ;)

So, if I have no need for these "fat clothes" then why, you ask, are you looking at the above pictures of me holding up my fat pants? These are not just any fat pants. These are special fat pants. The only fat pants I still keep. These pants were the only pants that fit me when I was at my heaviest non-pregnant weight. These are the pants that I was elated to finally be able to fit back into 2 weeks after giving birth. I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and joy the moment I was able to zip these pants up because it meant that I had gotten down to my pre-pregnancy weight...yea...I know, right???? What was I thinking??? 

At the time, I was just happy to have lost the baby weight and would settle for being the same state of overweight that I was before my pregnancy, just as long as I wasn't MORE overweight because of the pregnancy. I had no expectations that anything I did to try and further my weight loss would be effective or long-lasting, and didn't want to get my hopes up. So I assumed that these pants were the best I was going to get. 

Two years, 45 pounds, and a whole new mindset later I know myself better than that. I know that I care enough about feeling good from the inside out to never let myself get back to that unhealthy and unhappy state again. I know that I am in control and I know what I am capable of. So, why do I keep these particular fat pants, you ask? These fat pants are a symbol of the knowledge I have gained about myself throughout my journey of living a healthy lifestyle. THESE FAT PANTS serve as a reminder that I can do anything I put my mind to, and that I am stronger than I once gave myself credit for. And THAT, my friends, is why I keep these fat pants.

Change

Since I have started writing my blog, I have gotten great feedback and encouragement from family, friends, and even new friends that I have made as a direct result of writing it.  While I can't even begin to express how truly thankful I am for the support, there is one thing that has been nagging at me in the back of my mind - the feeling that I am not making a difference.  

I won't lie. Of course it feels great to receive compliments - who doesn't like to be praised for something they worked so hard on???  But that was not the reason that I wanted to write a blog in the first place - it was never about me.  The past 2 years have been about me.  Every night when I left my sleeping baby and husband to go to the gym...that was about me.  It was a change I needed to make for myself.  I know it may sound selfish, but the truth is I'm glad I did it.  It's true what they say - you have to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of others.  I'm in a much better place than I was 2 years ago and, in my opinion, a much better wife and mom because of the changes I have made. But that's not what this blog was ever about.  

What inspired me to write this was the idea that I could actually make a difference in someone's life the way others have made a difference in mine.  I used to think that there were 2 types of people: the people who are natural leaders and are effortlessly able motivate others, and the people who NEED to have those leaders to motivate them.  But one of the many lessons I've learned during my journey is that we are ALL capable of being the former.  The difference in the 2 types of people simply lies in whether or not they have realized this potential. And I discovered for the first time that I had a desire to be the type that realized it. 

So to set out on this journey to help others and then feel like a failure because everyone isn't going out and making drastic changes in their life was initially a little discouraging. But it got me thinking...MY transformation - physical or mental - didn't happen overnight! Why would anyone else's? It should be so obvious to me, of all people!

My own physical transformation is going on 2 years and counting; and the changes I've made in my ways of thinking were preceded by years of failed attempts at crash diets and many, many unfulfilled promises of change. To make REAL change in your life - whether it has to do with health and fitness, or any other life situation that you are trying to change - there has to be a culmination of different things happening - sort of a perfect storm.

1. The Want. You have to want it. No matter how much motivation you are receiving from external sources, this is by far THE MOST important step to change. You have to truly want it deep down to your very core - your motivation has to begin with something that is inside of you. Nobody else can do this step for you. 

2. Readiness to sacrifice for what you want. When I embarked on my fitness journey, I had just come off of a 9 month stint of sharing my body with another human being. A beautiful experience, no doubt, but also a little unnerving at the same time. Over the course of my pregnancy, I had a lot of time to sit back (with my swollen feet up!) and really think about how I felt about where my life would soon be headed. I didn't like what I saw.  I didn't like the way I felt about myself and I hated the idea of my daughter growing up seeing poor self-esteem as the norm. This was enough for me to reconcile the idea of getting dressed at 9:00 at night in the dead of winter and heading out to the gym when everyone else was cozying up on the couch, watching "Dancing with the Stars". Mentally, I was ready for change, no matter how inconvenient it seemed.

3. The Catalyst. If you read my very first blog post, then you know that, while I was making good on my promise to include fitness in my life, I was still only going through the motions for the first year. Yes, I spent almost every night at the gym, but after a short while, what I was doing became fairly ineffective, and I was on the verge of giving up and settling for the results I had gotten. It wasn't until I saw the drastic results that someone else had gotten from dedicating themselves to learning about fitness and nutrition that I began to truly understand what I had to do to reach the goals that I had set for myself. This was the catalyst that sent me into a frenzy of research, trial and error, and led me to make the decision to not only make this a "diet", but a "lifestyle". 

As I mentioned earlier, my inspiration for starting this blog was to help others see that it is possible to do what sometimes can feel impossible. I get a ton of people telling me that they wish they could do what I did and change their habits and lifestyle. For me, hearing that makes me a little sad. Because I know the truth: that you don't have to wish for it. I had a hard time conveying the intensity of what I mean by this in writing, so I recorded a Vlog to hopefully get the message across...hope this explains it a little better:

P.S. I apologize for having to get up in the middle of it - haha - and for my rambling and abuse of the word "Um" - I'm not a great public speaker, which is why I have a written blog, as opposed to a regular YouTube channel, but I just felt like something was getting lost in translation when I was putting it in writing. 

Nobody's Perfect: Overcoming Setbacks and Regaining Motivation

Nobody's perfect. Not even me. Ha ha, no I'm totally kidding - ESPECIALLY not me!

Over this past year, I seem to have inadvertently made quite a reputation for myself amongst family and friends as a bit of a "health nut". I remember, back before I became interested in nutrition and fitness, how I used to view people who were supposed "health nuts." Out of sheer ignorance I assumed that they, first of all had a screw loose, but secondly never indulged in anything that wasn't considered healthy. In my mind, they saw themselves as superior to the unfit and were obviously above junk food cravings, unhealthy habits, and were definitely perfect ALLLLL the time.

All I can say is: Good God I hope that's not how people see me! 

Because that is DEFINITELY NOT ME!

Yes, over the past year or two I have made a very conscious effort to lead a healthier lifestyle: eating certain foods, devoting a lot of time to exercising, etc. And yes, it has had great benefits, including looking and feeling better, having more confidence in myself, and just being happier and healthier, overall. I am aware of all of these great things that being more fit has brought me, and yet it does not make me immune to falling off the wagon now and again. 

So over the past month or two I have definitely felt myself losing some steam when it comes to my healthy habits. My diet has been somewhat erratic, and my motivation to push myself harder in the gym has been a little on the low side. Although I have forced myself on most days to stick to my workout schedule, I know deep down that my workouts have not been as intense as they could have been. And truth be told, I'm definitely feeling the effects that my mistakes have had on my body.

My guess is that this sounds familiar to a lot of people. Chances are, at some point in your life you've gone all gung ho about something only to lose your enthusiasm over time, am I right? Whether it be a diet or exercise plan, a new hobby, or a project around the house, it tends to be in our nature to throw everything we have into a task for a short time and then retreat back to our old, comfortable ways once the novelty has worn off. 

What is the best way to overcome this phenomenon? You could start by being aware of it. A little self-reflection can go a long way in a situation like this. For me, it took a couple of sleepless nights of asking myself why I was feeling this way and really stepping back and reflecting on why it bothered me. Was being fit and healthy still something that was important to me, or was it just a passing phase - "remember that year that Sara got really skinny? Yea, she gained all that weight back and got fat again!" I certainly don't want that to be the case. No, I decided. I made this decision for life and I'm sticking to it. I don't want a quick fix fad diet so I can drop 6 sizes in a week. I want to BE healthy, for real. 

So what to do when you've made this decision and then lose a step or two - or ten? Well...the only thing you can do: accept it, and move on. You can't change the past. All you can do is reaffirm your reasons for setting the goals you have, and keep on pushing toward them. Nobody is perfect. Even the most successful people in the fitness industry have admitted to having those days or weeks or months where they "just don't wanna".

And that's ok - it happens to everyone! But the only way to succeed is to not give up. To do that you need motivation, right? That's the hardest part - staying motivated...and do you know why? Because it's mostly on you. Sure there are plenty of external sources of motivation - a good support system is super-important to have, but unless you are truly motivated on the inside, nothing you do will really stick.

Feeling good about being strong and healthy...that's my motivation.
What's yours? ;)

So sit down and have a heart-to-heart chat with yourself (maybe not in public, or you might look crazy!) about what your goals are and WHY you want them so badly. If you are completely honest with yourself, this will likely be all you need to hop right back up onto that wagon, because while YOU may not be perfect, your reasons for wanting to be healthy ARE the PERFECT motivators!  :)




Don't forget - if you need a little more motivation, "Like" my Facebook Page, for recipes, pictures, and to follow along on my health and fitness journey! 

"What I Eat" Meal Examples

I get a lot of questions about what, specifically, I eat to stay fit, so I thought I would just throw together a quick meal example post to give you an idea of what some of the typical foods that I eat throughout the day are. Keep in mind, my diet varies from day to day depending on what I'm in the mood for, what I have in the house, and what I have time to make. But I took pictures of some of my meals from yesterday to post so here goes:

 I'm in a little bit of a Pumpkin Spice frenzy this week (mostly because the can of Pumpkin
from my  Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake is going to go bad if I don't use it!) so I went with
Pumpkin Spice Oats (top) and Pumpkin Spice Cottage Cheese (bottom) for breakfast. They photograph a little funny, but let me tell you, words can't express how good this was!!!

Egg Salad on a Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin with Baby Spinach and Tomatoes
To keep the calories and fat down I use 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, with light mayo
 and spicy brown mustard. Throw in whatever seasonings you like and enjoy!

This is a prime example of why you shouldn't give up so easily when trying
something new! These chicken meatballs almost ended up in the garbage
because I was getting frustrated with how they were browning, but they
actually ended up turning out AWESOME! I used egg whites and
whole wheat bread crumbs with my fave Italian seasonings and threw them
on top of some spaghetti squash and steamed broccoli! I think my hubby might be
holding a grudge because there was only enough leftovers for one and I
claimed them for lunch the next day!  :)

   

Like I said, these are just a few examples of meals that I eat throughout the day to hit my calorie and macro goals. I typically have about 6 small meals a day and try to track everything that I'm eating when I'm really focused on a particular goal. If I'm just trying to maintain my weight then I tend to be a little more relaxed about tracking but if you are just starting out I can't stress enough how important it is to know what you're eating! 

Well I hope this was helpful in giving you some ideas of things you could add to your diet - feel free to customize them any way you want! Let me know if you enjoyed this type of blog post and I will be sure to take more pictures of my meals for posts like this in the future!  :)

No-Protein-Powder Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. Always has been - how could it not be? The weather is cool and perfect for taking walks with the baby, the leaves are gorgeous, plus you have Halloween AND MY BIRTHDAY! Summer's great and all, but I LIVE for this time of year. So when the daily Pumpkin Spice Latte posts started popping up on Facebook, it made me WAYYYY jealous!!! But in sticking with my clean eating routine, I wouldn't dare order one for fear of the effect that the extra calories and sugar would have on reaching my goals. So I got to work on a healthy alternative, and it turned out pretty dang good, if I do say so myself!

It's really easy, requires no Protein Powder, and tastes *AWESOME*! Just add:

~1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
~1/2 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin in a can (Make sure it's not Pumpkin Pie Mix - they ARE different!)
~1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
~ Cinnamon to taste
~Stevia (or your choice of sweetener) to taste
~Ground Nutmeg to taste

Throw it together in a blender and microwave it for 1-1 1/2 minutes. (You could add ice and make it a frozen shake, just reduce the amount of almond milk you use by about half - I personally like it hot though - my way of saying  "In-Your-Face" to all the Pumpkin Spice Latte Drinkers!) For a little added flare I drizzled some Walden Farms calorie free Caramel Syrup on top.

Here are the nutritional facts for mine - you can customize it however you like and just plug it into MyFitnessPal. If you are not a big fan of cottage cheese, you can substitute it for Greek Yogurt or Vanilla Whey Protein Powder. You can also use a pre-mixed Pumpkin Pie Spice (these are just what I had in the house!) if you prefer.

Sometime this week I'm hoping to take Little Girl apple picking, so perhaps next week I will have some fun, healthy apple recipes to share! Wish me luck! In the meantime, hope you enjoy your Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake!  :)

The "Anti-Goal" Board Challenge

I know this might sound a little backwards, since part of motivating yourself should be to constantly remind yourself of reasons you CAN reach your goals. Lots of people make goal boards or lists of reasons why they want to reach their goals to serve as a reminder when they need a little boost. Seriously, I'm all for this, as it can be a great tool to keep you consistently motivated to keep going when times get tough. But have you ever considered making a list of things that could potentially stop you from getting where you want to be? 

We live in a society full of "What if's" and "I wish"'s and we often have a tendency not to be very pro-active about the things that we want. If I had a nickel for every time someone came up to me and said "I wish I could lose weight like you did, but..." I'd have a TON of nickels (thought I was gonna come up with something wittier than that, huh? Sorry to disappoint you - thought I'd take a straightforward approach on this one!)  :)

Stick with me for a minute and I'll explain my line of thinking...Since these "I wish, but"'s keep coming up so often, it would make sense to address them head on, rather than treating them like the giant elephant in the room. The truth is life is always going to try to get in your way. There are always going to be obstacles and the only thing you can do about it is to push through it and work your way around them. If you just sit back and wait for them not to be there, you're going to be waiting around your whole life!

So, a little off topic, but I'm going to tell you a story. I once had a bad day at work (yes, I like my job that much that it's only happened once! - haha!) Everything just seemed to be going wrong - from being late (that's definitely happened more than once!) to not being able to make my clients happy to hitting traffic on the way home. I was in such a funk when I got to the gym that night that one of the staff members actually pulled me aside and asked me what had been so bad about my day that I was so angry. I was 100% prepared to go on an all-out self-pity rant and let loose everything that had gone wrong that day...and then nothing came out sounding quite as bad as I meant it to. All of the problems that had gotten me all stirred up throughout the day sounded...sort of silly when I said them out loud. It was then that I realized that sometimes a problem can seem monumentally unmanageable in your head and then when you actually address it, it's not really so bad. 

This brings me to the "Anti-Goal" idea. When you have a goal in mind and you start thinking about all of the obstacles in your way, it can seem impossible to reach that goal. But if you break each of these obstacles down and really face them, the task of beating them becomes a lot less daunting. All you need to do is write down what your specific challenge is and then brainstorm the most obvious, logical, realistic solutions. It differs from a Goal Board in that when you make a Goal Board you are using emotions to fuel your motivation to reach your goal. "I'm going to reach this goal because I want..."  The problem is that emotions are sometimes fleeting and they won't always be there to keep you inspired. With an "Anti-Goal" board, you are coming up with a tangible explanation of reasons you can't possibly fail! You're shutting down every excuse before it has a chance to shut you down. 

Here are a few examples of things on my "Anti-Goal" Board:

Here is my challenge for you: Make an "Anti-Goal" Board and see what you come up with! You might surprise yourself with the solutions you find once you look at your own personal obstacles in writing. Post them on my Facebook if you feel comfortable doing so and/or let me know if this has worked for you!

Diary of a Semi-Clean Eater: Food With Purpose

Empty Calories. We've all heard it before. "Don't drink soda - it's empty calories!" "All those empty calories will go straight to your hips!" 

But what does that even mean anyway, "empty calories?" There are those that believe that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. If you are in a caloric surplus (taking in more calories than you burn), you will gain weight; if you are in a caloric deficit (burning more calories than you take in) you will lose weight. While I am under no circumstances disputing this logic, I'm not one of those "all calories are created equal" thinkers - nor am I a hard core "clean eater", though.

How did these Doritos and Pop-Tarts get here????

If you Google "clean eating" you will find multiple definitions that tend to vary quite a bit. It seems that everywhere you look, everyone has their own standards when it comes to "clean eating." But some of the most prominent features of a clean eating diet include eating only whole, minimally processed foods in small meals several times a day to keep your metabolism constantly running. I suppose you could say that in it's purest form, a clean eating diet can be quite restricting.

In bodybuilding, there is an acronym "IIFYM" (If It Fits Your Macros), which has caused somewhat of an uproar among clean eaters. Upon first glance, the name implies that you can eat whatever you want, as long as they fit into your daily Macronutrient (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) allowance. Want Pop-tarts, soda, and ice cream? Not a problem if you follow IIFYM, right? Well....it's more complicated than that. If you look further into IIFYM, you will find that most of the people that follow this approach actually eat a diet that is primarily "clean" with a small allowance for "dirty" foods.

The reason these foods are considered "dirty" is that they tend to contain a lot of empty calories...aaaannnnd we've come full circle (see, and you thought I was just rambling!). Empty calories are calories that contain no significant nutritional value - that is, they're doing nothing to provide you with the essential macro- and micro-nutrients that your body requires to run optimally.  I suppose I land somewhere in the "IIFYM" range, in that I try to make most of the food that I eat macro- and micro-nutrient dense, but allow (for my own sanity) some of the foods that would be considered off limits to a hard core clean eater.

For it to really stick, everyone needs to follow a nutrition plan that works for them, and I am certainly not qualified to say what the optimal plan for anyone else is. What I will tell you is that I have had the most success, both in my physical progress and maintaining my mental health, by following a "Semi-Clean" approach. I plan my meals out and pack them to go to work with me the night before, so that I am prepared. I make sure that each meal is well-balanced to fulfill my macronutrient requirements...but on the occasion when a balanced meal is not available to me, or on special occasions, I don't freak out about consuming a couple of "dirty" foods here and there (just had a chocolate chip cookie today, as a matter of fact - and it was amazing!)

Essentially, what it comes down to is that you have to have balance. I have eaten at both ends of the spectrum in my life - from eating nothing but fast food and junk to eating only whole, clean meals 6 times a day every 2-3 hours like clockwork. The former makes you really unhealthy, physically, while the latter...well that can have a tendency to make you a little nuts!

For me, I define "clean eating" as "eating food that serves a purpose" - filling your body with the energy and nutrients that it needs to be healthy. I truly enjoy learning about these foods and using them to fuel my body to its fullest potential...but let's be honest...you can't be all business ALL THE TIME, right?  ;)

Why Take Progress Pictures?

Because you'll regret NOT taking them. That's why. I do. When I first started trying to lose weight, truthfully, I didn't have enough faith in myself to think I would ever get even remotely close to my goal. Taking progress pictures, or "Before" pictures never entered my mind because I didn't believe I would ever make it to the "After" pictures. And while I'm still not what I would call an "After" (I'll explain later), I've learned throughout my journey the importance of taking these pictures, no matter how goofy you feel doing it. 

I should preface what I'm about to show you with a confession: I am a recovering scale addict. No exaggeration needed for dramatic effect here. I, quite literally, used to step on the scale at least a dozen times a day. And whatever that number said dictated what state of mind I was in for the remainder of the day. The problem with this lies in the fact that those numbers can fluctuate dramatically and not in any way, shape, or form reflect your true progress. Water weight will make that scale do some pretty crazy things at times - and it's particularly a problem for women, who tend to retain water like the Hoover Dam, depending on the time of month. Something you should also consider when relying on the scale is that muscle is more dense than fat, which means that if you are building muscle, your weight may stay the same or even go up.

You can rely on the mirror to tell you if you are making progress, or how tight or loose your clothing feel, but this can often be subjective depending on how you feel that day.

Measurements are a great way to track your progress - yet another thing I regret not taking when I started out. They tend to be a pretty accurate account of how far you've come - just be sure to take them at the same time everyday for consistency.

But the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" says it best. Progress pictures really tell your whole story if you are consistent with them. Giving up my obsessive weigh-ins and taking pictures to document my progress was really the turning point for me when it came to re-claiming a healthy perspective on my clean lifestyle. Sometimes you become so fixated on where you are headed, that you forget to look back and see where you came from, as well as look around at the present and appreciate how far you've come.

After getting several requests to post "Before" and "After" photos, I've done my best to compile a few pictures that illustrate my journey for you.  This wasn't easy for me to do, because quite honestly, who wants to post pictures of themselves looking their worst for the whole world to see? But I reminded myself that seeing other people's transformations was such a big motivator for me, and I would feel silly not posting them out of insecurity if there is the possibility that it might motivate someone else. Therefore, I present to you my "Before" and "During" pictures. As I mentioned earlier, I hate the idea of calling them "Before" and "After". "After" implies that the transformation is done. But the truth is, we're never really the "After" because we're constantly growing, changing, and striving for new things. So while I may never be the "After" picture, I'm enjoying being the "During" because I love the process of change and growth. So here is a brief documentation of my changes! Hope it motivates you to make your own "Before" and "During" album!  ;)

September 2010 -
A week past my due date, VERY
uncomfortable, and officially the
heaviest I have ever been.

March 2012 -
Couldn't find any pics, but
about a month after this, I
reached the lowest weight I've
 been since high school!

                         

                                 To all the moms who think they will never see their abs again -
                                  it's not impossible, I promise you that! It just takes time,
                           hard work and a good diet.

Absolutely HATED having
my picture taken!

I never felt comfortable wearing
a bathing suit - now for the first time
I don't even mind being
photographed in one! 
This Pic ^^^ was the first bikini
I had bought in years, and this was
 the first progress 
picture I decided to take!

      






    

                  My latest progress...my goals have
             evolved as I have grown and
              learned new things... 

Instead of trying to be "skinny", 
I increased my calories slightly,
 and started lifting heavier and 
with more intensity to grow muscle...
"Strong is the new skinny."  :)

Like I said earlier, if I hadn't taken progress pictures, I'd still be obsessing over the silly numbers on the scale! It's so important to take a step back and look at your progress from a distance to really gain some perspective on it! Even if you feel funny taking them, I encourage anyone who is trying to change their body to do this - and no, you don't have to make a blog and post them for everyone to see! Use them as a tool to learn about yourself and about how you grow and change. I promise, you won't regret it!  :)