I’ll be honest with you: I’m really out of shape

I’m an all or nothing kind of gal. I’m either running everyday OR my house is clean. I’m eating really healthy OR I remember my Mom’s birthday. Never both. Never altogether.

I don’t know if you watch the show 30 Rock, but my favorite character, Liz Lemon. Her whole dilemma is to acquire “the package”. The perfect man, being in shape, organizing her life, having a stress free job, etc. Everything WE want right? My favorite of all her quotes is “I can do it! I can have it all!”

And that’s what I want to feel like. That I can have it all. But the more I try the more difficult it is. I’m racing around trying the perfect routine, set schedule, meal plan, workout regimen, phone alert system, APP that I can find that will be my ticket to perfect balance.

Guys I’m as clueless as anyone on how to achieve it. I’ll be honest with you, I’m really out of shape!

In EVERY area of my life. But here I am preaching about balance and healthy food, and yoga and I’m as beginner as they come. Don’t get me wrong-I’m very proud of how far I’ve come: loosing weight, learning new vegetable recipes, exercising more, learning how to take care of myself. But after I give it my ALL, I find I’m giving NOTHING. (All or nothing..get it?)

Where’s the balance? What is this balance I keep hearing about. My professor from college told us that “It’s one thing to know how to do something, and another to do it.” In other words, you don’t know anything until you’ve done it and practiced it. So I’m confessing to you all that I know nothing about balance.

There is one thing that I know: and that’s me. I know who I am and what I like. I know I am an all or nothing person, that I can’t do the same thing for an extended period of time. I know that I like to sweat and then shower because it makes my bones feel warm. I know I love eating junk food when I know I’ve eaten well and have earned it. I like having energy all day long. I don’t like smoothies and I love to drink wine!

Balance is being pleased with the time that you spend on the things that make you feel alive. Now, doing it? Pfft. I couldn’t tell you. But I think the better you know yourself the easier it will be.

What makes you feel alive?

Do it. Take a picture. And post it with #imhappening on instagram or Facebook and you may be featured on my website!

 

Have You Been Bad Yet Today?

Bad? Me?? Never!!! Well, I give you permission. Eat that cupcake, buy that burger or sit on your butt today. There’s something incredibly important about being bad. It’s in our nature to want to do those things we know we …

Good Food Shall Persevere!

So a lot of what I share on here is based off my personal experience. My newest venture is making the most of my food. Nutrition density and perseverance. I’m not rich, and I don’t have money to get Chinese take out and pizza every night (although pizza is an every other weekly event), and my body shan’t afford it either. I’ve found these last months you need but a few core items that will last you several meals, that your body will be happy about.

One, a whole chicken and two, eggs.

For those of you who are vegans, that’s unfortunate, because animal products are incredibly versatile (then again, I’ve never successfully been a vegan).

• A whole chicken you can boil up and use the chicken meat for anything and keep the stock you just made and freeze it for a soup later that week all lasting you at least 6 days. We have a slow cooker, so I slow cooked a huge chicken over night, and the next day the meat just fell of the bones and it had the moistest flavor.

• Eggs, I always buy the big 5 dozen rack, because we eat eggs a lot. When they’re on sale I try to get cage-free organic eggs- the nutrition value is immensely greater than your average eggs, high in Omega-3. I boil about a dozen, and those last me a week maybe more. I’ll make egg salad, deviled eggs, or grab one and go when I’m in a hurry. I make quiches, frittatas, breakfast eggs etc.
• For those of you who are greek yogurt fans, I but a big container of Zoi honey greek yogurt. At my work, Good Health Nutrition Center, they have the big containers for $3.99, which is the cheapest in town- I would know. That lasts me a week, I have a little every morning for breakfast with my hard boiled egg, and anytime when I need something sweet in my mouth.

 

• If you’re a fan of soups, always keep broth, onions, celery, milk/cream, and any veggies you love on hand. I found a build your own soup website. And you can use whatever you have on hand to make a yummy soup!

• Also, bread is a good one to make homemade, it’s so much cheaper and better for you. You can get a bread machine at Goodwill for pretty cheap, I managed to get both of mine there for a good deal and they both worked well. Or if you prefer to be old fashioned, kneading it up and popping it in the oven works wonderfully. Here’s a site that’ll help you in your homemade bread making adventures.
• Another simple tip that I read somewhere, was to keep all your vegetable scraps in a container, and then at the end of the week boil them and make your own vegetable stock for soups or what have you. I’ve started my jar under the sink yesterday.

My next year’s goals are to enter the world of canning. Yes, I’m going to can the hell out of everything! I’m excited.

It’s wise to schedule yourself a ‘Make Day’ once a week to get all of this boiling, slow cooking, kneading and baking out of the way and ready for the work week. Any other tips, suggestions PLEASE post below! I’d love to hear more creative ideas!

Your body needs you

Mind, body, spirit. We’ve heard that before, but is there something I haven’t discovered yet? This being the first six months of my life undergoing physical stress so that I can get my body back to where it belongs, I …