Losing weight is one of the most common goals for women all around the world. Despite what the cover of most magazines make us think - it isn’t an easy one! Between the number of fad diets and challenges and stressors in everyday life, there are plenty of obstacles to overcome when you are working to achieve your goals. 

One of the biggest obstacles to losing weight is overcoming anxiety. Even though over 40 million americans struggle with anxiety, myself included, it isn’t often talked about. Our levels of anxiety are higher than ever with new ways of life and routines and a fear of new illnesses we have never seen before. This anxiety impacts many of the systems in our body that contribute to the process of weight loss. 

Anxiety impacts our sleep, motivation, and mindset. All vital parts to reaching our goals.

Your Sleep

Anxiety often keeps us up late into the night, sleepless. Being anxious produces excess cortisol which adds more difficulty to losing weight, results in stomach fat and leaves us feeling ‘wired’ at night and then tired in the morning.  Losing sleep impacts your hunger hormones - leptin and ghrelin. This can create false hunger signals.

Your Motivation

The feelings of overwhelm that come with anxiety create difficulty in decision making. Your mood being lower creates lethargic feelings,  making getting to the gym or being active much harder. This also lowers our strength to stop and think about our food choices, which makes positive choices in nutrition less likely. 

Your Mindset

It takes so much strength to keep a positive mindset. When you are anxious this strength can often be lost. Your mindset directly impacts your physical body. What we feel on the inside, shows on the outside. 

So What Are Your Solutions?

There are ways that we can set ourselves up to avoid losing sleep, motivation and strength for a positive mindset when we become anxious.  Try preparing yourself with these five solutions:

Have you ever wondered why breathing deeply helps you to calm down? Or why meditation works to soothe your physical body into a relaxed state? This connection of your mind and your body is made possible by your Vagus Nerve. 

The Vagus Nerve is your body’s longest cranial nerve, running all the way from the brain stem to part of the colon. The 12 cranial nerves in your body control sensory information (like smells, tastes, or sounds) or control movement. But the Vagus Nerve - it does BOTH!

The role of the vagus nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system is to slow the sympathetic stress response. Some evidence shows that it reduces anxiety! So, if you are feeling anxiety - stimulating your Vagus Nerve is a great way to self soothe. 

Here are some ideas to stimulate the Vagus Nerve: 

1. Cold Exposure - Like taking cold showers

2. Singing or chanting

3. Yoga

4. Meditation

5. Laughter

6. Deep and slow breathing

7. Massage

8. Prayer 

9. Probiotics

10. Exercise

11. Sleeping or laying on right side

12. Tai chi

Practicing one or more of the above activities will help your Vagus Nerve help you to reduce anxiety and have less stressful days.

Have you been feeling like you aren’t getting the best results that you can from your training? Are you putting in a ton of work to only feel like you are getting little back? Social media is filled with different workouts and ‘experts’ who make figuring out just what exactly to be focusing on confusing. This blog post is here to clear up that confusion! 

To continue to see success and results in your training your main focus needs to be on progressive overload. What exactly does this mean? The principle of progressive overload states that one must continually increase the stress applied to the body to avoid plateaus in strength and progress. This can be done a number of ways by manipulating one or more of the 8 training variables. Regardless of your health and fitness goal, something has to change in order for you to change.

Check out the following 8 training variables that apply to progressive overload that will help you to get the best results!

Weight (Increase)

• There’s only one way to progressively overload with weight, and that’s to dial it up. As you become stronger, the weight will become easier, calling for you to increase the weight on the bar

Rest (Decrease)

• Rest is one of the primary determinants of the overall intensity of your workout. The amount of rest in between exercises is determined by your goals (5-8 minutes for power, 2-5 minutes for strength, 1-2 minutes for hypertrophy, 30-60 seconds for endurance). Performance, level of difficulty and the metabolic demands that will be placed on you during the training session will increase as rest time is decreased.

Muscle Action (Modify)

• This refers to the concentric, eccentric, and isometric actions of an exercise. Most workout programs follow a standard, concentric focused routine. By adding variety and stressing the eccentric and isometric parts of the movement, the stress on the body increases! 

• Emphasizing the negative (eccentric) portion of a lift increases the time under tension and provides a greater stretch through a full ROM than you would get concentrically. And performing circa-maximal or supra-maximal eccentric overload is great for increases in strength and size, not to mention amazing plateau breakers

Exercise Tempo (Increase / Decrease)

• By modifying the tempo of an exercise, we’re indirectly emphasizing one of the 3 muscle actions previously mentioned

• If you have been following the standard 1:1 concentric/ eccentric exercise tempo, try emphasizing the negative portion of the lift to increase the time under tension (i.e., 1:3 concentric eccentric)

Exercise Type (Modify)

• You can manipulate exercise type as an overload variable through exercise progression (i.e., reverse crunch –> decline reverse crunch) or by modifying the exercise stimulus

• In modifying the exercise stimulus, you’re taking an exercise and modifying the mechanics. Instead of performing the conventional deadlift, you can switch it up by performing a sumo deadlift, snatch grip deadlift, deficit deadlift, and so on

Number of Exercises (Increase)

• By increasing the number of exercises, you are increasing the frequency of a muscle group and total volume per training session. Before adding to the number of exercises in your training program, take frequency into consideration (the next training variable)!

Frequency (Increase)

• You can increase frequency by increasing the number of training sessions per week (2x/week to 4x/week) or how often you train a specific muscle group (i.e., moving from glutes 1x/week to 2x/week)

• Again, frequency inherently lives within other training variable parameters such as the number of exercises and total volume, which should be taken into consideration before modifying

Total Volume (Increase)

• Volume can be increased by increasing the total number of repetitions or sets for the workout. Start by adding repetitions, then add sets if needed.

• If you’re doing a rear delt fly at 4 sets of 8 reps for 30 pounds, keep the weight and sets the same for the next workout but increase the number of repetitions to 10. Adding an entire set can be taxing because of the sudden increase in volume. If you have been doing 4 sets at 12 reps of 3 exercises and you increase the volume by adding a set to each exercise, you’ve just increased your total volume by 36 repetitions in a single training session.

Utilizing these 8 training variables in your strength training will help you to get the best results and erase your fears of plateauing or not making progress! Get in there and make it happen!

Between hectic schedules, managing kids, husbands, commitments, the increased screen time & chronic stress levels it truly doesn’t come as a surprise that getting a good night of rest is more difficult to come by than ever. Without proper rest, it is nearly impossible to tackle the day ahead to the best of your ability. Night time routines are an imperative part of learning how to sleep like a superhero. 

I have personally battled insomnia (in addition to high stress, demanding schedules & life in front of screens) for over 10 years. Sleepless nights and resulting fatigue are miserable! Over time, I have found several products that have helped me wind down, improved my sleep and have become some of my biggest tools to prioritize restfulness & turn my sleepless nights into the 7-9 hours of restoration that our minds and bodies so desperately need.

Below are my favorite products (and links to purchase) to help you wind down, unplug and get a better night of sleep. Let’s dive in!

1. Sleep Supplements: For those using melatonin, habit forming sleep aids or a prescription to encourage sleep you may notice that their effectiveness wears off rather quickly. The body quickly identifies these “false” substances and builds up a tolerance because of their limited ability to “hack” into cellular structures. Exchange your old sleep aids for Serenity capsules, a completely natural, plant based capsule filled with essential oils and coconut oil that will give you an incredible nights rest without the harmful chemicals or tolerance build up. An equal alternative is using the Serenity essential oil blend as a pillow spray, on the wrist or under the tongue.

2. The Best Bed: If you are spending a fortune on bedding and sheets with little to no return on investment, return them for a set of bamboo sheets. These sheets are silky soft, absorb more moisture than cotton and allow for the perfect temperature while you rest. The fabric allows them to keep cool when needed and also provide warmth easily as an alternative. They are a small investment compared to other high thread count sheets and are a must have staple in your linen closet.

3. Fresh Air: Allergy season, climate changes, germs and dusty air vents all contaminate the air we breathe. At night, this can result in sleepless nights of coughing, scratchy throat or other common allergy systems preventing you from sleeping like a superhero. Investing in an air purifier will eliminate those symptoms and ensure that every breath is free of anything keeping you from a good night of rest. They range in price, function and size. We have one in each bedroom of our home!

4. Feeling Safe: In addition to bamboo sheets, sleeping under a weighted blanket has proven health benefits that you won’t want to miss. These blankets, usually ranging from 15-20 lbs ease insomnia, help with sensory processing disorder, fight back against stress, reduce anxiety, improve focus for ADHD, encourage calm, aids in PTSD, panic disorders and symptoms of OCD and depression all while improving your sleep. In my experience, the added weight doesn’t equate to either additional heat or an increase in temperature. These blankets have built in temperature control systems to provide you with all of the benefits without sacrificing any comfort.

5. Rise and Shine: Sleeping soundly involves more than a solid night time routine and the products above. The way we wake up each day has an equally profound impact on our energy levels, focus and ability to fall asleep naturally again the following night. Our bodies are designed to rise with the sun and begin to wind down after sunset. We have trained ourselves to wake up to harsh alarms, loud noises and snooze buttons, all of which have absolutely no benefit to our natural sleep cycles or circadian rhythm. The more effective and beneficial alternative is using a light alarm clock with light simulators. These simulators create the natural lighting of a sunrise (and sunset to aid in winding down) each morning rather than alarming our bodies with loud noises and rude awakenings. Waking up to light rather than a racket encourages your body to wake up naturally as it would if you had left the windows open and the sun was peeking through, nudging you awake to start another day.

Try out these strategies and you will be sleeping like a superhero in no time allowing yourself to be ready to tackle each new day!

Have you ever felt like there are not enough hours in the day? Between owning my own business, enjoying hobbies, being present in my marriage and my friendships, I definitely have. My life is full and time is limited! The hardest part? I find that when I am evaluating what I have on my plate that I am not willing to give any of it up! I bet this sounds like a slice out of one of your days, too. 

What is my secret weapon to managing it all? 

I work smarter, not harder. 

I have become a master at maximizing every hour of my day in order to honor the choices and commitments in my life. Imagine starting each day feeling organized, knowing where to focus your attention while having ample time to do all the things. Now, let’s make this vision your daily reality by being proactive. Below are some of the habits I have formed to keep me sane, manage my time, and feel successful regardless of what life throws my way!

Plan Ahead

Each night before bed consider your schedule for the following day and identify the top 3-4 priorities or tasks that will require most of your time and attention. Write those top tasks on a list and rank them in order of importance. These tasks are the ones you feel MUST be addressed that day. Do not strive to over achieve on your top task list! Having more than 3-4 tasks on your plate puts you in a poor position to have a manageable day. It also results in throwing off your sleep, stress levels, schedule and ability to be your most productive self. Identifying your top tasks also allows you to wake up each day with intention, making it easy for you to dive right in! Feeling like your list will never end? Train yourself to remember that there is ALWAYS more to be done. 

By identifying what on your list can truly wait you will cross each task off in order of importance without sacrificing your sanity. Spend your precious time moving forward, not side to side

Setting Boundaries.

Boundaries are essential for great time management and productivity. Establishing a task timeline or even a “cut off time” to have things accomplished is the key to reducing stress, eliminating the feeling of “rushing around” and most of all maintaining a work life balance. Boundaries, limits and prioritizing your time allows a seamless transition into family time, social hour or whatever is next without additional work stress. 

If you are someone that struggles to meet deadlines or conclude things in a timely fashion, start by implementing a “cut off time” each night. This “cut off time” is the deadline and your productivity reminder that your tasks should be finished and not costing you time that you do not have. It will help you stay on track for completing tasks, maintain a manageable schedule and encourage balance. My “cut off” time alarm is my favorite sound of the day! It holds me accountable and on my most stressful days creates a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Make it a  big priority to honor that deadline. When working smarter, not harder one can easily accomplish their tasks while also creating much needed balance on a daily basis.

Be Proactive

We spend a lot of time each day being reactive, especially in work settings by responding to emails, sitting in meetings and solving other people’s emergencies. Although some of this can be avoided, some of it is completely out of your control and operating from a place of reaction will road block your ability to accomplish your top tasks in a timely fashion. A great solution that will increase your productivity and focus when unavoidable disasters strike is setting a time limit for each task. Identify the most important task and set a timer for 25-30 mins (or the time your schedule allows) to dedicate your entire focus on that single task. When the timer is up, you will have been far more productive than if you were thinking about the task, working on it while checking your email, answering your cell phone while simultaneously scrolling social media. That stopwatch or timer is more than a time limit, It is a guaranteed window of time throughout the day to be productive, laser focused and free of distractions that otherwise compete for your time and energy.

Limit Distractions

It has been shown that the average office worker loses about 2 hours a day due to distractions. They can’t be eliminated completely, but limiting distractions is a key component for optimal productivity. Silence your cell phone, close the extra windows on your desktop, close your door and declutter your space to truly set you up for success. I strategically turn my message and email notifications off on my cell phone during working hours. Even better, turn it off! Your boss and schedule will thank you simultaneously for being the most efficient worker in the room. Not to mention, the benefit of increased productivity and efficiency will far overpower the additional scrolling, text messaging, or daily 35 minute snooze that never actually makes you feel more rested.

Using these tips and establishing habits that encourage you to work smarter and harder will positively impact your life in every way. Enjoy more free time, have more fun, take care of yourself and see the people in your life that matter the most. Life is for living, after all.

Health and fitness goals on their own can be challenging - you are educating yourself, experimenting and changing routines and habits in your life. Working toward those goals while prioritizing the relationships in your life isn’t always easy. My marriage is my biggest priority. I am a wife first and foremost, and everything I do needs to reflect that. That can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes when my goals and motivation are at an all time high. If you are feeling like you are playing a constant game of tug of war with your relationship and your goals, you are not alone. Regardless of how willing you might be to re adjust priorities to reach your goal, we can’t ignore our loved ones along the way.

Finding balance between reaching goals and prioritizing relationships is a common struggle. But, it doesn’t HAVE to be hard.Here are some ideas to help you lessen the game of tug of war for balance in your life:

1. Practice random acts of kindness: Your support system is your lifeline! Make sure to express gratitude and love for the people pushing you along. You are only as good as your support system and they are working hard, too. Sometimes going to the extra mile to make my husband a special dinner, take him on a surprise date to the movies or write him a card makes me feel just as good as it does him. It’s the LITTLE THINGS!

2. Not all dates revolve around food: Some of our favorite stress releases are a going to the movies (bring your own snacks!), bowling, playing cards, making a list of things we want to accomplish at home, going to the gym together instead of alone, etc. Additionally, there is no reason you can’t have a special date night that involves food! Refer to my recent blog on “Navigating Social Events & Meals out” for more information on how to honor your goals without sacrificing time and memories with your family. Sometimes just an hour of “normal life,” or giving yourself permission to take a mental break from your goals serves as a great distraction and reset to bring your mind back to the people you love the most.

3. Laugh: Don’t get so caught up in your routine of gym, sleep, eat and repeat that you forget to live your life. Go to the social gatherings, eat at the table with everyone else, make time for your friends. So many people get anxiety from the THOUGHT of temptation when tackling a goal. There is no need for that. Life is for living and you can still enjoy it while chasing your fitness dreams.

4. Set boundaries: We set boundaries for work, personal time, children and friends. Do it for your goals as well! You can be 100% dedicated to your journey to health and still prioritize your loved ones by giving them time and your undivided attention whenever you can. Be intentional, be present and make sure they feel connected to you. Don’t be the person that only talks about the gym, food prep and how exciting your progress is!  Be well rounded, have other hobbies and tend to all aspects of your life. You are more than your goals.

5. Be aware: Your goals are a CHOICE. If we are so lucky to have loved ones that are willing to push us along, supporting us and honoring our goals, we have to recognize that is THEIR CHOICE. This is important to remember. Identifying how your choices and goals impact the people closest to you is one of the best things you can do to maintain perspective. Reaching your goals and thriving is a gift. It’s a powerful and overly satisfying experience that breeds MORE activity. However, reaching your goals will not be nearly as rewarding if you don’t have your special people beside you at the finish line. 

Goals require perseverance. They also require compromise. The bigger the goal, the bigger your awareness needs to be on keeping the peace and holding on to as much balance as you can. Tackling a fitness goal can be a big part of your life, but it does not define you. Your life is happening right now. You can work toward your goals without sacrificing the special moments that happen every day. 

For years we, as a culture, have dieted - counted calories, tracked minutes of exercise, worried about cupcakes and cocktails. It becomes second nature, a habit, a daily ritual. Dieting provides us safety and the illusion of control. Learning how to stop dieting, after years, requires courage. Learning to listen to your body in order to lose weight requires letting go of that perceived control and THAT also requires grace, lots of grace. 

Intuitive eating is based on trusting yourself, your body and the cues it gives you to reconnect with what your BODY WANTS. The hardest part about that is that listening to your body and allowing it to guide you is the only way it will work. If you are thinking “that is the most impossible task, I have been counting and tracking for years on end” that was my initial reaction as well! I felt the same way, but I have learned since that it can be done!

Clinical studies have shown that diets don’t work time and again. In fact, most people gain the weight back — plus some! Yet - because the control feels good, we go back to them. It may sound counter intuitive, but by allowing yourself to stop dieting and change your mindset around food. Though it is not an instant process, it takes time and quite a bit of focus, you will find FOOD FREEDOM. 

Below are 4 steps to stop dieting and start eating intuitively:

• Give yourself permission to break the rules: In order to remove the feeling of obsession and control around food, you have to escape the “rules.” Eliminating the restrictions and inviting freedom is a really powerful act for your mindset. You are giving yourself permission to have anything you want, which psychologically actually helps you NOT want it. No more calorie counting, macro tracking, weighing, food label memorizing or anything else you’ve learned to do in order to control your body and how it looks. All foods are equal and allowed at all times. NOTHING is off limits to you! This where the grace comes in. 

This part can feel really scary, don’t be afraid. You got this.

• Honor your hunger and fullness: These are the two pillars of intuitive eating that require your full attention. To reconnect with them try asking yourself, “Do I like this food? Is that what I want to eat? Am I really hungry or am I bored, stressed or feeling emotional? Am I satisfied, or did I eat more than I needed?” Answer yourself honestly. Feel your feelings when you are not hungry. Food won’t address those, but you should.

• Be ok with “the feels”: Emotional eating and responding to triggers is one of the biggest reasons why we overeat as well as start diets to begin with. By sitting with your feelings and allowing space to coexist with them you are no longer masking the “uncomfortable feeling” in your stomach that suffocating with food never ends up helping. You will feel better AND lose weight (double win)!

• Ditch perfectionism: You will take several steps forward and one step back throughout this entire process. It is a process with stages, just like anything else that is new! You will teeter on the verge of success and at other times feel derailed and completely drained. This is not a linear process and it is OK to struggle. In fact, it is necessary. If you have moments where you want to throw in the towel, go back to your old ways and start another diet- you are doing it right. Don’t give up!

You can start easing into the practice of intuitive eating today - using those four steps to learn how to stop dieting and find your food freedom! 

You are filled with courage and grace which will bring you success!

What is one of the largest factors that is keeping you from seeing the results that you want to see? Not sleeping enough!

Sleep loss and weight loss are arch enemies. You cannot have one as long as the other is present, making getting adequate and high quality rest a major “must” in order to achieve the results you desire.

Perhaps anxiety, poor work life balance, stressful life events or a lack in routine is what’s putting a wrench in getting precious sleep. Regardless of the “why,” there are more studies than ever exposing sleep loss as a silent killer of one’s metabolism.

The Science

Any amount of sleep loss (chronic or partial) can increase the risk of obesity and weight gain. Studies were conducted on adults and children which indicated that metabolic alterations including decreased glucose tolerance, increased cortisol, increased ghrelin, decreased leptin, increased hunger and appetite all result from sleep loss.

The Breakdown: the metabolic consequences of sleep loss  

Cortisol is a hormone related to stress that breaks down muscle tissue. Increases in this are not ideal for anyone, specifically women as it leads to stomach fat, difficulty in losing weight and taxing stress on other hormones that can easily lead to imbalances. Increased cortisol levels often manifests as difficulty sleeping through the night, feeling “wired” in the evenings and groggy in the mornings or very “worn down” by daily tasks.

Ghrelin is one of the hormones that when secreted, it makes us feel “hungry.”  Increases in ghrelin lead to overeating by reducing feelings of self control and signaling false hunger cues. This often feels like an increased appetite for no reason.

Leptin is another hormone related to hunger and fullness cues. It’s primary function is to regulate hunger, food intake and energy expenditure. If leptin is lacking, the sensation of fullness, satisfaction and knowing when to stop eating can disappear! In short, decreased leptin = increased cravings and frequent overeating. 

Prioritizing sleep is an enjoyable and easy step in increasing your progress and helping you see the results that you want to!

One of the largest obstacles for those embarking on a health and fitness goal is nutrition choices. Most people assume that in order to make any kind of progress, your plate must be filled with peanut sized portions of white fish and asparagus. With excitement and determination, they start this new journey and follow their “diet.” For a small string of days they stick to it, but then they become so tired of the tasteless food that they throw in the towel and head out to their favorite neighborhood restaurant. 

Sound familiar?

My biggest piece of advice to those ready and hopeful to start a successful chapter of healthier choices: (drumroll, please)… Prepare and eat better tasting food! The truth is that healthy food does not have to be bland.

There are endless ways to spice up the healthiest of meals so that you are eating flavor packed treats, not tasteless meals that only lead to frustration and failure. Enjoying the food you eat and being free from feeling restricted is the key to any successful health and fitness journey. Here are a few tricks to get you started!

1. Think herbs and spices, not sauce: Most first time health pursuers make the same common mistake. You can fill your plate with the cleanest of choices. But, as soon as you cover it with your favorite sauce or dressing, it’s game over. There are better alternatives that add just as much flavor! Food seasoned with fresh herbs, spices, lemon juice or anything from a regular spice rack packs more punch than you’d think! Cilantro, cinnamon, garlic, mint, thyme, ginger, lemongrass are all ways to add endless flavor to even the most bland chicken breast. Put that spice rack front and center in your kitchen, and shake away. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to throw away your old favorites!

2. Sauce Swaps: When it comes to dressing, the less processed the better. Make your own dressings by combining some real ingredients. Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter, honey, molasses, liquid aminos, salsa, apple cider vinegar, mustards are filled with valuable nutrients that benefit your body. Hummus or greek yogurt products make fantastic dips. You can add more flavor by adding spices and herbs as well. These choices are superior in taste and better for your health.

Making your meals more satisfying by enhancing the flavors is just the first step to being successful with your nutrition. Here are a few more tips to make your healthy eating easier:

1. Bake Smarter: Love to bake? No problem! Making small adjustments in your ingredients of choice will improve your recipe collection. With more fiber and nutrients, coconut flour and almond meal are excellent alternatives to traditional baking flour. Applesauce and greek yogurts make for great oil and binder substitutes and adding raw honey or molasses will not only make the recipe taste better, but also keep you alive much longer than other processed sugars. Experiment with cacao powder, unsweetened coconut, extra dark chocolate and nut milks to take your recipes (and health) to the next level.

2. Be Carb Smart: Swap out white, enriched carbs with something more nutrient dense like quinoa, brown rice, millet, or whole grains. They provide a deeper flavor than the processed or white versions. In addition to fruit and veggies, these options will be packed with fiber to help keep you satiated, aid in proper digestion and provide you with far more essential nutrients than your previously processed go-to.

3. Don’t drink your calories: Keeping low or calorie free beverages at home can help you stay the course. Swap out soda, beer, and calorie filled drinks with La Croix, sparkling water, or tea. You will stay better hydrated and have more calories to put toward your food, rather than wasting it on choices that have no nutritional value. If you find sparkling water or tea boring - add in fresh lemon, lime or even steep your teas with fresh herbs and berries.

4. Check Your Plate: You should have a combination of protein, carbs and fats in every meal. When serving yourself, aim to fill your plate with 50% fresh produce, vegetables & bright colors. 25% of the plate should include a quality protein source (about the size of your palm) and the remaining 25% is for complex carbohydrates and whole grains. 

Don’t Deprive Yourself: A successful nutrition plan doesn’t require restriction or deprivation. Enjoy ice cream, milkshakes, and other tasty treats within moderation! There are plenty of options that will satisfy your sweet tooth and benefit your body at the same time, sans guilt. Look for organic popsicles with real fruit, yogurt based ice cream or get creative with your toppings! Cacao nibs, 70% or darker chocolate chips or even all natural gummy bears will give you the best of both worlds. Check the bulk food section for tasty treats and enjoy real chocolate instead of the fake, processed stuff. You will reach your goals with happy taste buds and food freedom.

Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, we all start our day at some point. Some of us hop online to check social media, others dive in to email, still others eat breakfast, exercise, or pack lunches for the kids. There’re a million different ways a morning could go, but the most important thing is that it “goes” in a way that serves you.

The MAJORITY of Americans find that many of the following apply on a regular basis:

• Feeling rushed, late, or scrambling

• Snoozing until the last minute and feeling sluggish most of the morning

• Lacking motivation and intention for the day and the slow start didn’t help

• Living off coffee to perk up

• Skipping breakfast, sometimes lunch and dinner feels like a black hole

• Doing just enough to keep your head above water

• Wondering why each morning feels like such a production to get out the door

Why do we feel this way? The majority of mornings lack structure, consistency or any type of a routine. While there is not an ideal morning routine that fits everyone, we can learn a lot from the research and inspiration behind starting a morning on the right foot. The key to a solid morning routine is making sure it fits your day. 

Here are 5 simple ways to maximize each morning by ending and starting each day with mindfulness and intention!

1. Lay your clothes out before bed the night before. Whether it is workout clothes, business casual or a full blown suit, making less decisions in the morning is key.

2. Have breakfast or morning snacks that work with your schedule. If you have a need for speed, thinking ahead about breakfast will make all the difference. You will need portable, effortless and INSTANT! Overnight oats or a smoothie that you can take in the car are good options. Yogurt & fruit can also be convenient and will give you the fuel to start your day on the right foot. If you have more time, plan to make yourself a meal before the day gets away from you.

3. DO NOT hit the snooze button. Research has proven that snoozing is the absolute worst thing you can do for your mind and body. Hitting the snooze button makes it harder for your body to wake up, encourages late starts and makes it nearly impossible to have a sleep schedule. You’re also giving your body mixed signals by simultaneously knowing you need to get up, not honoring that commitment and then going back to sleep! You will feel more tired, less organized and less motivated throughout your entire day when you snooze. Move your phone out of reach for the night, find a wake up time to which you can commit and get up on that first alarm. Little adjustments such as a new alert sound, having to get up out of bed and even allowing your body to get up at the same time consistently will do wonders for your day.

4. Identify your “Top 3” priorities. We are all famous for stacking a few too many things on our to do list. Somewhere along the way we were taught that busier is better and the more we can cram into a day is a direct reflection of our success. Be intentional with your energy by choosing the top three tasks you must accomplish and focus your attention there for the day. You will be more efficient, have more energy and be so much less stressed when you easily complete your task list without staying late, being overwhelmed or getting held up by errands that truly don’t need to happen that day.

5. Set a routine that works for you! I savor my morning time and have to be very intentional to make sure that my day starts on the right foot. My morning routine is fast, simple and makes the rest of my day 100% more productive, enjoyable and successful.

Here is an example of a morning routine to try! It can be completed in 10 minutes or an hour. 

The important thing is that your morning routine is something you can commit to daily, works for your schedule and creates the structure needed to start each day feeling perfectly prepared for whatever life decides to throw your way.

I recently taught a nutrition seminar at a local high school. My audience included several teams of youth Volleyball athletes, all of which were between the ages of 14-18. I led with the question, “How many of you weigh yourselves every morning?” and every hand in the room went up. My heart dropped to the floor. The following question I asked was, “How many of you like the number that you see?” Not a single person kept their hand in the air. The reality is that young girls, adolescents & women of all ages allow their scale weight to dictate their beauty, worth and self confidence.

I used to be guilty of the same thing. I spent years focusing on a weight with which I was comfortable. I would say , “Anything under 125 pounds is fine,” as if my weight was a negotiation, compromise or something on which I had to settle. I treated it as if that number actually equated to something, said something about the person I am or what I bring to the table.

Embarking on my own fitness journey, I started self educating, and was able to surround myself with valuable resources to learn more about what the number on the scale really represents. Doing so helped me realize how little that number should be valued. So many things impact your scale weight. If you are going to place value on that number, then you must also be willing to consider everything associated with it as well.

What is “everything” we must consider when we weigh ourselves?

Water: The human body is made up of 40-70% water, most of which is found in muscle tissues. Our bodies require copious amounts of water regardless of the level of physical activity.  Water transports nutrients, vitamins and minerals throughout the body, diffuses gas, rids the body of waste, lubricates the joints and provides structure to skin. The Dietary Reference Intake for water for women is 91 oz per day, and 125 oz for men. However, I encourage my clients to drink one gallon per day (128 oz). Drinking water does the exact opposite of bloating. The higher the water intake, the faster the body will flush and release fluids. Drinking 128 oz of water a day will do nothing but help your body look and function to the best of its ability. If you are not drinking enough water on a regular basis it is extremely likely that your body is retaining fluids, resulting in a higher scale weight.

Rest & Recovery: The body repairs and restores itself during sleep. It is preparing for the days and weeks ahead of strenuous activity, life and interaction. Implementing consistent habits to maximize sleep should be a priority, along with allowing your body ample time to recover and repair (taking rest days if you are an active person, etc). Our muscles are made up of 70% water. That also means that training and vigorous exercise that results in muscle soreness can cause temporary fluid retention in the muscle while it repairs. Poor, broken lack of sleep or overall fatigue will result in a higher scale weight. If there is a random jump on the scale, evaluate your rest and recovery for the week and note that the number does not reflect NOT fat gain! Stay objective when making these evaluations!

Sodium:  If you are willing to pick apart your weight, you should be just as willing to do a thorough evaluation of what you put in your mouth that contributes to the number on the scale. Salt, fiber levels and food intolerances all have a major impact on your scale weight! Sodium can EASILY cause water retention (and the scale to go up) if more salt than usual is consumed in one sitting. I recommend a sodium intake of  2,000-3,000 mg. It is not ideal to  consume less than 1,00 mg of sodium per day. It can be helpful to pay attention to the sodium content in foods you purchase to identify any culprits that may be causing additional retention.

Dietary Fiber: Fiber aids in digestion, helps speed up the process of waste elimination, allows one to feel more satiated for longer periods of time and has other major health benefits. As fiber moves through your body, it absorbs water along the way. Therefore, should you have a particularly high fiber diet or eat foods containing high levels of fiber one day, your weight will increase due to the additional water absorption that it is pulling through your tract simultaneously. Exceeding average fiber levels may cause a scale spike for up to 72 hours for some and may be completely unnoticeable for others. A good rule of thumb is to have roughly 20% of your daily total carbohydrate intake consist of dietary fiber. Being aware of your fiber intake and understanding its role in digestion will make weighing yourself much less scary.

Food Sensitivities & Intolerances: Food intolerances and sensitivities present themselves differently in everyone. Learning what foods work best for your body and digestive system is crucial looking and feeling your best. If you are unsure of foods that may be causing frequent discomfort you can try a temporary elimination diet, slowly removing one food at a time for 7-10 days to see if things improve. Food panels and intolerance tests are also available to determine sensitivities. Consuming foods to which you are intolerant or even slightly sensitive can result in painful gas, physical discomfort and changes on the scale. Evaluate your food choices and be mindful about what you put in your body! Certain foods will work better for you than others and having that knowledge is imperative when placing value on the scale.

Hormones, Stress & Self Care: These three are the scale weight trifecta! Women have the privilege of navigating monthly cycles that impact energy levels, hormones and how the body looks and feels. When nearing or on a cycle, enduring a stressful time or feeling overly tired your body is going to reflect that on the scale. Those feelings are what our bodies use to communicate what we need. Don’t ignore them, power through them or try to be a hero! They are great indicators that you need to scale back, take some time to yourself and give back to your body. Pedicures, massages, quiet time, lighting a candle, or walks outside are all ways that I manage my stress and practice self care to honor what my body needs.  Additionally, women should know that it is not uncommon to experience weight fluctuations anywhere from 1-6 pounds around a menstrual cycle. Without stress management tools or ample self care you can expect to see the number on the scale rise. Whether it is finals week, a demanding work schedule or an event in your life causing stress, do not be surprised if you see the scale move.

The next time you hop on the scale to evaluate your progress, please review this list and approach your evaluations with mindful consideration. Incorporate other (more valuable) measures of progress in place of or in addition to the scale as well! Using measuring tapes and noting how your clothes fit, current energy levels, improved athletic performance and your overall well being will tell you so much more than that metal box.

The scale is only ONE tool for measurement and there are so many things that it DOESN’T tell us. Be less attached to that number and more attached to the person behind it. The number on the scale doesn’t tell you who you are, it doesn’t celebrate the exercise you did that week, it doesn’t take into account your headspace or work load, nor does it tell you when you have made serious muscle gains, or lost inches! Measurements, body scans, photographs and self awareness do that. There is no wrong way to measure progress or self evaluate. The only thing that matters is that your method of choice adds value, encourages celebration of all types of progress and serves your current journey.

Our environment is so important to our life. It helps to give us comfort, inspiration, and care. For most of us our home is our main environment, and definitely the one we have the most control over. It should be a place we look forward to returning to every day. But we don’t always feel that way. Some days we come home and the last feeling our home gives us is relaxation and calm. The answer to cultivating the perfect environment is all about simple solutions that will not only make your living space more organized but also more spacious, lighter and calmer. 

Pairing down, putting away and purchasing thoughtfully are some of the ways that I have created calm in my own life. Here are eight ways to bring clarity, calm and order to your environment:

1. Buy fewer things! Resist impulse or “speed bump display” purchases (the strategically placed items near the checkout counter that you never actually need) and focus on quality.

2. Donate things you don’t use. This includes unwanted gifts (its ok to not keep these!), clothes you no longer wear, odds and ends that you haven't touched in over 3 months.

3. Shop your own house. Everyday items such as baskets, trays, and hooks are perfect for storage in every room. Use baskets for blankets and extra cozy things, hang kitchen supplies with hooks to save counter space and place similar items on trays, giving them a “home.”

4. Steal ideas from experts! Pay attention in stores and hotels for how things are displayed. When visiting friends with living spaces you enjoy, take note! Ask questions! Then recreate your vision.

5.  Phase out plastic. You won’t want to stash away products made out of more sustainable materials such as wood, glass, bamboo or ceramic. They are much more pleasing to the eye (and better for the planet).

6. Less is more. Bigger is NOT better in terms of storage. Huge closets and pantries make hoarding extras easy and keeping track of belongings more difficult. Take note of exactly what it is you want to store, and plan your storage accordingly.

7. Establish simple routines. Keep car keys, glasses and remotes in a designated spot. Commit to resetting your kitchen before bed to save time in the mornings.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME! Too much order is cold, uninviting and unrealistic. Life is for living and our homes are the playground. Simple items that bring you joy, combined with less clutter is all you need.

Food while dieting is known all too well as boring, bland, completely unsatisfying and always leaving you still hungry! One of the hardest parts of losing weight and being in a caloric deficit is feeling hungry. Lucky for you - I have some tricks of the trade to help you feel full and satisfied after your meals. 

Volume foods are the secret weapon to any recipe. They are the nutrition choices that allow you to have generous amounts of food without eating more than plan to. My struggles with food were centered around lack of portion control. I would overeat, consuming far more than my body needed, and often used food as a source of comfort. Honoring my hunger and fullness, learning to intuitively eat and creating balanced meals helped me understand how to have the best of both worlds!

Some refer to high volume foods when in a caloric deficit to increase satiety and fullness. I, however, use them all the time! I love feeling satisfied and enjoying healthy portions of food on my plate. Most people assume a satisfying meal needs to be large, heavy and full of calories but that is not the case. Incorporating high volume foods encourages the consumption of whole, nutrient dense foods that also conquer hunger, provide satiety that lasts and give you the best of both worlds regardless of your goals! 

Not only do volume foods help to make you feel more satiated, they also have a lot of perks! They are lower in calories, and higher in vitamins and minerals!

Examples of high volume foods include:

• Salads with as many veggies as possible instead of cheese, croutons and creamy ranch

• Riced cauliflower in place of or added to any rice, bread, pasta dish

• Zoodles, lentil pasta or black bean noodles have half the calories with a bigger serving size

• Rice cake snacks instead of bread or chips

• High fiber wraps, tortillas, or thin crust pizza or

• Swapping the bun for your burger for portobello mushrooms or a lettuce wrap

• Sparkling, calorie free drinks like water, la Croix, etc.

• Stevia, cacao nibs, popsicles

• Mustard, salsa, lemon and lime juice, almond milk and herbs/ spices

Consuming high volume foods will result in feeling more satisfied, giving you larger portions and allowing you to enjoy meals without compromising the taste! 

To read about how to turn up the taste volume on your food - check out this post. (Link to Golden Rule for Nutrition post)

How have you been feeling lately? The world is a different place and it is not an easy time right now. The global state has undoubtedly created stress in your life, in one way or another. We are all adjusting to new schedules, new barriers, new routines and missing things that would normally bring us peace and happiness.

Living in a stressful state is not just hard on us mentally, but it is also hard on our bodies physically. Stress makes us tired, snappy, we look like hell and our bodies suddenly stop cooperating. By the time we see these signs, stress has already been working its way through our bodies for a while. 

Stress isn’t always a bad thing. On one hand, stress signals the body to change various hormones and the levels of those hormones in order to help us adapt. This is great and benefits us in many situations!

On the other hand, our bodies are NOT designed to battle stress on a daily basis (like so many of us ask it to do). 

Here are some things that too much stress can do inside of your body:

1. Increase heart rate, forcing your heart to work harder than it should

2. Hormone secretion resulting in major bloat, water retention & horrible digestion

3. Disruption of your menstrual cycle that can eventually impair reproductive function

4. Decreased thyroid function, resulting in ZERO energy, way less sleep and frustrating weight gain (despite not changing ANYTHING in your diet or routine).

Stress is inevitable. But managing it is KEY to our lifelong health and happiness. There are a lot of things that we can not control in life right now, but what we can control is our response to this situation. So what can we do?