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A Vegan’s Story

 

Vegan Mac n cheese
Vegan macaroni and cheese, cauliflower, sprouted, whole wheat bread, and salad with vegan nut-based cheese.

A Vegan’s Story

 

“You’re a Vegan?!” Her eyes bulged uncontrollably as a huff slipped from her gawking mouth. “What do you eat? ” She sneers. “Where do you get your protein?!” Her gaze slips away from my face and over my 100-pound body as if she’s searching for part of me to be abnormally … off. “Well, you look good,” she turns up her nose. “And you have 5 kids!? How!? Are they all yours?”

What am I supposed to say? No, I stole them so I could keep this body and have kids, too. “Yup, they’re allll mine,” smiles awkwardly to fill the gap.

“But how?” She’s serious!

I feel kind of guilty for being tiny, but only for a second. Then the feeling shifts into, I could show you how, if you want me to. 

“I exercise regularly and I eat healthy…” Vegan style.

She crosses her arms and stares at me for 5 seconds before her expression softens.

“Yeah, I need to eat better.” She turns and flips her hair over her shoulder and I swear I see her trying to turn her wine into water. But I wish you could have seen her face. I couldn’t tell if it was judgment or doubt, or concern, or maybe a little of all three.

“What do you eat though? Lettuce?”

I get asked this alllll the time. “No. I eat everything you eat, just a healthier, homemade version of it. Pizza, lasagna, casseroles, burgers, ice cream, cake, steak (gluten steaks), chili, salad… tofu –”

Her expression is priceless. Her nose wrinkles and her lips pucker like she just ate a rotten tomato. “I can’t do tofu! But that’s great; you look amazing! I wish I could look like you, and to think you have so many kids! I only have one and look at me!”

There it is. She wishes, but she can’t do…

It’s over. We part ways and we will probably never see each other again.

I have conversations similar to this all the time. People cannot understand how I have so many kids, look so healthy and fit, and am a vegan. It blows their mind.

THEY’RE ALL SECRETLY THINKING:  “WHERE’S THAT PROTEIN? SHE’S PROBABLY MALNOURISHED.” 

First, if you really, truly, want to be healthy and look good, stop saying, “I can’t.”

It’s about what your priorities are. If you really, truly want  to look and feel amazing you can! But you cannot have your cake and eat it too, and expect not to be fluffy. (Haha, see what I did there?) Some things will just have to go, and in the same way, some things you’ll just have to add. Even if you don’t love it…. right now.

Yes, I am a vegan. I’m fit and healthy. Annnd, all 5 kids came from this body. No, I don’t just eat lettuce.

YES, I GET MY PROTEIN.

Along with this woman, and everybody else that asks me this question, protein seems to be the number one concern.

So where do I get my protein?

Honestly, this is the easiest thing in the world to answer. It’s in some veggies, some fruits, all nuts and seeds, and beans, and whole grains are loaded to the hilt with protein.

In all actuality, it’s easy to get enough protein because, for one, our bodies don’t need as much as most people think, to be healthy. And two, it’s not just in meat.

The dietary reference intake for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (USDA, 2010). In fact, the recommendation is that only 10-35% of our daily calorie intake should come from protein.

That’s not a lot of protein. I’m about to drop a load of wisdom on your heads right now. Protein isn’t the “be all end all”, for good health. It is easy to get enough. It’s easy to get too much, too, if you are not a vegan; and too much, is toxic to our bodies!

So don’t stress. If you eat a balanced diet of nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, you’ll be getting enough protein. Period.

In the next few blog posts coming up, I’ll be going into this topic in much more detail and I will help you along the way. This is just the beginning of the vegan journey. It’s simpler than you think. You won’t have to start eating the grass growing in your lawn or get an extra fridge to store your lettuce. All you’ll have to do is take the things you eat now and substitute a few of them for healthier, vegan, options.

Now that I’ve debunked a couple of the “normal” concerns that I have heard time and time again, when you think vegan, what comes to mind?

I am really excited to launch into this new series on health and fitness (coming soon!). We’re going to dive a little deeper into what it means to be a vegan, how to be balanced on a plant-based diet, and how to see amazing gains in the gym even if you’re a vegan!

I’m also so incredibly stoked right now, because I’ll be featuring special guest, Jim Gurtner, who won championships as a bodybuilder on a vegan, plant-based diet. This is going to be super-duper inspiring, so click the link below and sign up for my emails to be the first to know when his story hits Balance8Life!

By the way – if you’re new to the thought of being healthy, but don’t know where to start, look no further! Setting goals is a good place to start. You can also go to my blog and explore my articles. If you start at the bottom and work your way up, I introduce each of the 8 methods for balancing a healthy lifestyle. I then show you how to set goals, make them last, and be consistent with them.

If you have any questions, please reach out! I love hearing your stories and questions! You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram, too, for daily motivation and healthy tips.

Happy balancing! See you soon!

 

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Consistency Killed the Fat

 

 Ropes 

Consistency Killed the Fat

 

Consistency is the key to success. Whether you are new to a healthy lifestyle or have been doing it for years; Consistency is how we achieve lasting results.

Sometimes it’s just not easy.

Consistency means: steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.

Like I already talked about in my articles, How to Set Goals that Last and Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last, there are steps we have to take in order to reach goals. But just like walking, if you take one step forward and another step backwards then you don’t really reach your goals very quickly, or ever.

This is where consistency comes in. Now when I say consistency, I don’t mean consistently stepping through all your changes one after another. I mean staying consistent with the change you just made. As you take those steps towards your end goal, make each one stick before you go to the next. Once you see you are consistent with that one, add the next change, the next piece in finding balance in your life everyday.

Your goals should be realistic which will boost your ability to be consistent.

If you are 300 pounds and your goal is to be 100 pounds, your realistic “baby step”goal, should be to lose 5 or 10 pounds (first). When your goals are realistic, you get to see obvious, consistent improvement and can celebrate your successes a lot quicker, reaching one small goal at a time.

Consistency depends on solid promises.

Never make a promise to yourself, or anybody else, that you cannot keep. In Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last, the 5th step is TALK ABOUT IT. Talking about it makes you want to continue those good habits so that you don’t disappoint anyone, but we all have moments where we fail. Owning those moments and promising to do better, for yourself, is also important. Consistency isn’t always immediate, it’s a mindset; begin with consistency in your mind and when you miss it don’t lose that mindset, reset and keep pushing.

Once you have decided what you’re going to do, talking about your plans reinforces them and motivates you to take action.  It also creates strength within you to do it again. This gets stronger and stronger every time you do what you said you were going to do.

I’ve seen this recently. My brother and I have been listening to a lot of podcasts about how to change the habits you do on a daily basis. He is a car salesman and the hours are long. Going to the gym can be a struggle. 

My boyfriend and I just recently started going to the gym at 5am. Since Andrew works with my brother, and there just isn’t any better time to hit the weights, I told him he needed to get in the gym with us. Which, to say the least, was the last thing he wanted to do. Sleep or gym? I think we would all want to choose sleep. 

Eventually, my bro did start coming, but he missed a day after his first day, went again, missed another couple days, but kept at it. Now he’s a regular 5am gym rat… who’da thunk?

My point is, he did miss a few days, but he stayed consistent in his mindset and he regularly told people at work that he was doing it, plus he posted every morning on Snapchat that he was. So he had the combined mental consistency, the “talk” and his actions followed. (Plus, he had us, which helped!) 

 

Woman exercising

If you are in the beginning stages of a change in lifestyle, and you SKIP one single day, at this moment, you’re weakening your mental strength.

Sometimes we miss a day because of unavoidable circumstances. Make sure that you are consistent in your thoughts, not just your actions. If you miss a day keep telling yourself “I am doing this thing every day”.

Once you allow yourself to miss a second day during your new habit forming stage, unless you have extremely strong will power, this is a potential set up for a third day, and the rest of your days to come.

Decide, commit, and don’t go back.

Consistency and lazy can’t be friends.

Change sucks. It hurts. It’s difficult. It takes energy. It takes dedication. You have to force yourself to put one baby step in front of another. Once you look back at how those little steps brought you to the top of the mountain, … ain’t nobody ever regretted the pain it took to see the view!

Bad days happen, but consistently push past them.

Get up. Move on. Keep up the momentum! Don’t let one off day ruin your progress and keep you down. Consistency requires you to get up, push past the pain, accept that you’re not perfect, and repeat the times that you did well before.

Focus on the positive. We all have bad days. Life happens. The trick is to accept that life will get in the way sometimes. Recognize when it was really life and when it was a decision to find an excuse not to keep going. I talk about how to turn excuses into positive results in Quit the Routine Start an Excuse.

Set a two-week no break rule to solidify your consistency.

If you are about to take that first baby step, and you’ve done everything you need to set yourself up for the change, make a two-week-no-break rule. Get into the habit of your new decision and change. This way, you’re well on your way and when you take a day off or miss a day, you’re more likely to get back on it than if you take a day off two days in.

If you consistently want it, you’ll consistently go get it.  

Period.

 

The title of this article is “Consistency Killed the Fat”, and I realize that I have mostly been talking about fitness, but, I am talking about any change!

If you are wanting to lose, or gain, weight, eat better, change your entire eating habits in a drastic way, drink more water, etc., any healthy lifestyle habit requires baby steps, and consistency for long-term results. It is very important to stick with it and stay consistent even when you don’t see a change. Change takes time. Without consistent persistence, change won’t happen.

 

Food in blue bowl

Keep it consistently exciting by changing it up. 

Boredom can ruin a great routine. Sometimes we have to break away from the routine, and find something to spice it up. If you’re tired of the gym and finding it difficult to keep going, get involved in something outdoors, or join a class in another location. There are options; Google and Pinterest are great places to find ideas!

Follow balance8lifedotcom, ’cause I am consistently here to motivate! 

I’m here to help! I post something new every Wednesday. Doing things alone, making a change of any kind, takes a lot of work, so finding that someone that can help keep you focused is so invaluable. For quick on-the-go motivation, tips, and reminders, follow balance8life on Instagram here!

No matter where you are in your health-journey, keep up the good work! You’ve got this! I would love to hear from you! You can comment below, or, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

 

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Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water

fruity water

 

Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water

 

This post is for my water drinking peeps that don’t drink water. Or, don’t like to drink water. Or… maybe talk about it and intend to and try to but just can’t get over the fact that it’s not tasty and yummy and fizzy… and just can’t stick to it, but know they should.

This is also for you peeps that are on the ball, drink your 96oz of water pretty regularly, but don’t exactly like how it tastes. You’re drinking water to live; you’re not living to drink water.

Water. Is. A. Must. Always. Every. Day. But it just isn’t the most popular drink in the world, nor is it the most exciting.

Sooo…. We’re going to change that right now.

Here are 5 different ways to have fun with water, change up the flavor, the fizz and even the sweetness, without compromising your health.

#1. SODA WATER

If you’re missing the fizz or tang of soda, soda water is a great alternative. Added lemon or lime and a scoop or two of stevia powder extract, and you’ve got yourself a sweet, flavorful and fizzy, yet still healthy glass of water.

Soda water is water infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure, which is why it has bubbles. There have been several studies done on sparkling water and our health. Questions like: how does it affect dental health, bone health, pH levels in our body, etc. But nothing super significant has really come up that makes me feel like I should stay away from it any more than regular, plain ol’ water.

 

#2. LEMONade WATER

 My son absolutely loves making his own “homemade lemonade” he calls it. He started this when he was 7. He pours about ¼ cup of lemon juice into a mason jar and adds several shakes of stevia powder to it. (I don’t know his measurement exactly, it’s his secret) 😉 He then fills the rest of the jar with water and ice and will sit and down an entire quart jar within an hour.

WHAT IS STEVIA?  Stevia is an herb native to South America. The leaves of this plant are a natural source of noncaloric sweetener. It is calorie free and 100% safe for diabetics and people who want the sweet without using sugar and without any of the side effect that come with artificial sweeteners.

Stevia extract is a sweetener that I always keep in the house. If you’ve never used it, you have to get used to the idea that less is more with this stuff.  1/8th of a teaspoon of stevia powder equals 1 teaspoon of sugar in sweetness. 4 Tablespoons is equal to 2 cups of sugar. So you can see how little you really need. And it lasts forever!  Just be careful when buying it in the stores. The packets usually still contain other sweeteners in addition to stevia. I highly recommend Trader Joe’s brand Stevia Extract because it is pure with zero added ingredients.

 

#3 CUCUMBER WATER

When I lived in the country, I grew cucumbers and had an abundance of them. So I started using them for things you’d never think of.

You wouldn’t think a cucumber would make water taste so great, but trust me! My kids love it. It’s refreshing, gives it a light, crisp flavor and the green adds a fun, pretty bit of excitement to boring ol’ water.

 

Directions:

Wash and slice a cucumber, add it to a large pitcher and fill the pitcher with ice before adding water. (The ice kind of keeps the cucumbers from floating to the top and helps them infuse the water with flavor a little more than when they just sit at the top). Let the pitcher sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to a few hours, and add more ice to a glass, pour up and… ahhhh so good.

I don’t recommend leaving it in the fridge for more than a day, the cucumbers start to disintegrate and the flavor becomes too bitter.

 

#4 HERBAL TEA

Most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, but some herbs have toxic or allergenic properties, so just be sure you read up on what you’re buying.

My favorites are peppermint and chamomile tea. I also like red tea (rooibos). My kids like the Celestial brand fruit tea sampler. All of these are great just as they are, but if you prefer it sweet, again, add some stevia.

Black tea doesn’t count as “herbal tea” here. I would stay away from black teas and other caffeinated drinks altogether as much as possible. In an article, “How Not To Get Cancer And What To Do If You Do Get It” written by Doctor Agatha M. Thrash, M.D., Preventive Medicine and founder of Uchee Pines Natural Health Lifestyle Institute, she says, “Never use soft drinks, coffees, or teas . . . May use herb teas.” I tend to believe her so I (mostly) stick to this rule.

 

#5 FRUIT INFUSED WATER

I honestly have to admit that, besides lime and lemon, I’m not a huge fan of putting fruit in my water. I have seen several pretty fruit infused water “recipes” on Pinterest, though. If you must add flavor to your water to be able to drink it, fruit is 110% better than any artificial flavor pack loaded with chemicals and words you can’t pronounce along with artificial sweeteners and colors that were created in some lab.

Enjoy! Experiment, search on Pinterest, and explore your options. If you find something you love, please share with me! You can comment below, or, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

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Get Fit Together Or Not

Get Fit Together Or Not

 

Did you decide that it’s time to get fit together? Or not . . .

Are you looking at your dude suddenly inspired to help him trim and slim back to the day he said “I do”?

Did you hear those wheels screeching and the rewind button just squeal in response and maybe even a roaring, “Oh no you didn’t!”

Thought so.

But if you’re like me and you are on a healthy kick and you suddenly want your man to join, it’s so difficult not to try, right?

What inspires you the most? Is it someone telling you that your attitude needs to change? Or is it someone that is always in a good mood and has a great attitude. Every. Day?

Positive thinking, positive living, and positive actions are a huge inspiration to those around us. It also starts a momentum for our own selves when we stay connected to our own positive energy. Our own need for change and need for improvement should inspire us to grow and in turn will inspire those around us.

Change takes time, especially the change of our health. It’s not easy for me to make a healthy decision when the one I love isn’t going after it with me. If I’m not focused on my personal need to change, sometimes I get upset and wrapped up in my partner’s lack of interest in changing in the same way and at the same time, as me.

Why do I want my partner to change? Of course we all want what is best for those we love. But going a little deeper, often times we want them to make the change with us to make it easier for us. It’s selfish at that point because we want him to carry us through the change to make it easier for us.

When someone else that we have to be with day in and day out isn’t onboard with what we think is better we tend to let that other person be our excuse for not changing. It makes it easier.

Well, his muffins are always in the pantry, (even though I eat most of them) so I can’t not eat them! It’s his fault!

If you want to change your man, you have to stop. Turn your focus back on your own journey to change, and let him come around in his own time.

 (For help with how to do this change stuff, check out my article Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last) Prove to him that you are strong and capable at accomplishing difficult things on your very own.

Improving yourself also makes you more attractive physically, but I’m also talking about internally, too. The true happiness within you, the excitement of self-achievement, shines powerfully to those around us. Men appreciate a woman that can be her own person.

Respect him and praise him. 

Men feel manly and powerful when their woman truly respects them. It gives them leverage and drive to prove they’re the man. If time passes and you’ve expressed that you wish he were in the boat rowing along with you, but he also recognizes your respect in not pushing it, he might just see how much fun you’re having in that boat and jump in to lead simply because he wants to prove to you that he can, just like you! If he’s competitive he might want to out row you, but that’s okay. Let him.

Appreciate him.

Truly. As he is. Shrek-like and all. Period.

Leave windows open and doors cracked. 

I don’t mean actual doors and windows. I mean, entice him. Invite him with your actions, not your words.

Leave a tail of crumbs behind you.

Figuratively, again. Leave good food out. Keep bottled water in the fridge. Bake healthy meals. Leave your gym shoes at the door. Leave reminders all over the place; reminders of your new change, and leave happiness out there for grabs, too. The enjoyment within you and your own accomplishments and your change, will give him little “crumbs” to taste for himself. If he likes it, don’t be surprised if he comes back for more than just a crumb.

Wow him with your changes by not quitting when the going gets tough.

Choose your talk time and words wisely.

When you do talk to him about your wishes, remind yourself why. Is it truly for his best interest and health, or is it just because you don’t want to do it alone? Leave judgment at the door, in the trashcan with the banana peels. Kindness goes a long, long way.

If he’s all about it and in it with you 110% of the way, encourage and be supportive. And have fun!

Men are born to care for, lead, protect and provide shelter and safety for us women. When we allow space for them to take that role as they were meant to, and when they are ready to, we empower them.

So, next time you get on a healthy kick and decide that all drinks need to hit the highroad and there will only be water in the house and in the car and at the office and…

….DO IT FOR YOURSELF.

There’s always a time and place for change. Sometimes our time is a different time than Shrek’s.

So be patient.

 

If you have comments or questions on this topic, or anything else, reach out! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang, you can reach me!

 

 

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9 Ways to Manage Your Time Like a Pro

 

 

Time management is important. It is also a skill that has been lost on a lot of people.

My boyfriend used to tell me that I try to fit too many things into one day. On these days, I would set myself up for disappointment when I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do.

This is something that I have gotten much better at. I admit though, I’m good at fitting a lot into a small space or timeframe.

Partly, I attribute this habit to the hours and hours I spent on putting together puzzles when I was younger. I learned to fit things together, to patiently problem solve and make things work. I have to thank my mom for that. She’s a queen at making things work and accomplishing very much with very little.

Time management is one of my strong points. I have been asked many times: How do you DO what you do and still manage to do what you love? (i.e. paint, write a novel, play guitar, workout, etc.)

1. USE A CLOCK, A TIMER, SET ALARMS

From day one, I had my babies on a schedule, a very, very tight schedule. The schedule was by the clock, on the dot, daily, predictable and rigid. The days were habit forming and routine dependent.

Not only does this benefit you, but also a schedule is a must for young ones. Having a set schedule is the only way you can stay sane as a parent. Children need regularity and need to know what is expected of them as early as birth. On the plus side, this allows guilt-free time for mom (or dad) to have “me time”.

2. DO PUZZLES AND LEARN TO PROBLEM SOLVE

I know this may seem weird, but I’m telling you, spend about an hour on an old fashioned, cardboard puzzle. Before you know it, you’ll be trying to do that with your time. When I’m loading my dishwasher I will sit there for 5 minutes rearranging until that last dish or two has a spot.

Problem solving is how we identify a problem, develop possible solutions, and take the appropriate course of action. Good problem solving skills are necessary for maximizing your time and figuring out how much you can actually fit into the time that you have. It also helps you identify when you can be doing more than one thing at a time.

3. TIME MANAGEMENT WITH MULTITASKING

Not everyone is good at multitasking, but everybody can multitask, man and woman alike.

It is possible to fit your day together with multitasking, and therefore it’s possible to accomplish fantastic time management skills.

When I was a stay at home mom, I had days where I would set out to accomplish a whole lot.

For example: laundry, workout, mow the grass, make bread, make granola, go grocery shopping, pay some bills and if I got lucky, work on writing my book and go tanning, too.

You’re probably thinking this is impossible, especially since in the beginning, I had 4 sometimes 5 kids all under the age of 7.

 The trick to multitasking is to identify the task that can be started, and continue running, behind the second task you set out to do. (i.e. throwing in a load of laundry quick before taking a shower).

4. PRIORITIZE        

It’s all about setting up your day for success. Prioritizing.

When you’re in bed (or sometime shortly after you get up) and your day hasn’t started yet, make a mental run through of all the things you want to do.

Put the most important task at the top.

For me, I knew that if I wanted to make bread and do laundry, these two things take the longest amount of time, but work almost on their own. (As mentioned above with multitasking). So before I did anything else, I would throw a batch of bread in (I have a bread machine), and a load of laundry. After this, then I’d go about getting my day “started”. This way, once I finished breakfast and had my shower, I could switch laundry and I already accomplished several things with little effort by prioritizing and multitasking.

The key is knowing where to fit things in and when. It’s like a puzzle. If you piece together your day just right, you can really cut down on time. You can maximize the amount of things you’re able to get done in a short period of time, simply by prioritizing.

5. PLAN AND MAKE LISTS

This can be a simple plan that is only in your head, or a physical list on paper. When my day looks crazy, I’ll scribble out my list on paper. Otherwise I usually just piece it together in my head as I go, with a general direction at the beginning.

If you’ve got a very specific plan, or a loose plan, either way, this helps when you’re going about your day.

6. TIME MANAGEMENT WITH FOCUS    

Staying focused on the task at hand really cuts down on a lot of time.

Silence your phone; turn off the TV; close a door; go somewhere quiet…  Grocery shopping? Skip Wal-Mart. (Yeah, I just dropped the WM bomb). Do whatever it takes to focus on the task at hand.

7. SQUEEZE IT IN AND ARRIVE FASHIONABLY ON TIME

Some people are extra sensitive about their time so much so that they create large empty gaps in their day. These folks will arrive an hour or so before they’re actually supposed to be somewhere. These people struggle with multitasking and time management out of fear that it will make them late.  They also tend to only accomplish one single task in a day.

If you’re this type of person, use your timer or watch, make a plan, get out of your comfort zone. Understand that there are little things that can be done in the time that you otherwise may just be sitting doing nothing. And if you arrive exactly on time, it’s okay.

8. LOOK FOR HOLES

While you make your list or plan, look for places where you might have “holes” in your schedule or day. Utilize these tiny gaps in your day by filling them with smaller things on your to-do list.

Fill waiting periods with short to-do’s instead of waisting that time on social media.

9. ACCEPT THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT ALL IN, AND ELIMINATE

It’s important to remember that some things, though you want to accomplish them, may not be that important and worth the exhaustion.

At the end of the day, focus on what you have accomplished instead of what you haven’t accomplished. It’s okay to leave some things for another day.

TIME MANAGEMENT BONUS POINT

One of the top number one time management skills I have found that works is early to bed, early to rise.

When you get up even just an hour earlier than usual, you’ll be surprised at how accomplished you feel during the rest of your day. Your day will feel so much more put together when you wake up at home instead of in traffic and at the office.

Now it’s your turn to tell me what you do to mange your time and get everything done. I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

 

 

 

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Quit the Routine Start an Excuse!

Routine

 

Have you ever thought that you might need to quit your routine? How it might need a little make-over?

Summer sort of snuck up on me, and I didn’t have a specific plan set in place. Suddenly, it was here and moving on without me and I felt like I was running to catch up! With school out, the routine changed, and everything just went bonkers.

This is the perfect set up for fantastic bad excuses.

Excuses such as: “I’ll wait until school starts again,” “I didn’t have a plan,” “there’s just too much going on right now,” “I’ll wait for this new job to settle in”, etc. Before you know it, missing the gym is a thing, drinking more becomes a thing, eating excessive amounts of sugary treats is another thing, putting on weight, and covering up that summer body with fluff is also a thing. And all these things pile up and become an awful downward spiral that takes a lot more energy to fix than most of us want to put into it.

It’s time to quit this routine and start making legitimate, good excuses.

We all make excuses when we don’t really wanna do something. But… do you really want to fluff up? How do you really feel about your desire to get healthy and fit? Have you actually thought about whether or not you really want to be happy. What does that actually mean to you? What to you want?!

You are capable of following a routine that will change your life for the better and last a lifetime.

How many times do you think about starting a healthy routine (or habit) but make excuses because you just aren’t the routine type. Get out of that mindset. We’re all creatures of habit. We all follow some sort of routine.

What habits and routines could you replace that would get you closer to the vision you have of yourself in a year from now, or 5, 10 years from now?

Like I have talked about (briefly) before, setting goals that last means taking baby steps. Changing our daily routine is the same basic concept.

In ten years, your life will look exactly as it does today unless you take the first baby step in actively changing up that daily, stagnant routine.

It’s not having a routine that you’re not into; it’s changing the routine.

The best way to start changing the routine is to replace one thing you do regularly (drinking soda) and incorporate the new thing (water) into the routine you already have. Instead of changing everything at once, simply start with one thing at a time.

My goal with balance8life is to show you how to transform the bad routine into a good one. Before you know it, you’ll start to feel better and your health will improve. All it takes is that first step, but you have to take that first step and begin making good, legitimate excuses not to eat the wrong thing, not to stay up late, not to skip your exercise. These 8 methods work for me. They are 100% guaranteed to move you into a routine that will set you up for a healthy lifestyle.

 

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How to Drink 96oz of Water a Day

 

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know how to drink water. I know. That sounds like a crazy concept!

Water is essential to our health for several reasons. Water cleans what we can’t clean in the shower or at the sink. The inside of our bodies need it just as much as the outside.

I was at the gym one day (actually, this has happened many days) and not long after I walked in, it smelled like body odor. Major BO. I mean, I get it, it’s the gym. People are working out, sweating, and getting their pump on, and everybody is going to smell a little funky. But I’m talking about the extra. I assume those of you who hit the gym regularly have experienced a similar scenario. You’re thinking, is it so hard to shower first and put on a little deodorant? Maybe think about the fact that other people have to… be around you?

This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous but imagine if these particular types of individuals used something other than water and soap to bathe in, like, for example, soda or tea. I know, I know, this is a crazy thought. But… would they smell any better? Would they be cleaner? Absolutely not.

Water is what we drink to wash the inside of our bodies.

We need water to help balance our body fluids, regulate body temperature, and increases brain power. Water provides energy, promotes healthy weight management, helps us smell and look good, scares away headaches, prevents kidney stones, staves off cramping, and so much more! If we don’t drink water, our bodies can’t function properly. If we think it’s crazy to wash our bodies in soda and coffee, (giggle) then why isn’t it equally as insane to “wash” the inside of our bodies with anything but water?

Doctor Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. of Preventive Medicine says that, “Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues both internally and externally.” She also says that, “four quarts of water are constantly circulating in the body as part of the blood.”

As you can see, water is vital on a daily basis. If we aren’t drinking water, and plenty of it, we’re going to have problems. And as a side note, what we put in our bodies actually does effect how we smell on the outside, too.

But how do you actually go about drinking enough water in one day? One 16oz bottle of water is not a problem, but 4-6 of those? (How much water is enough? Click here to find out!)

Here are a few things that have worked for me. I’d also love to hear more ideas from you! (Comment below and tell me your tricks!)

1. Set out six 16oz bottles of water at the beginning of your day

This makes measuring a no brainer and takes the guesswork out of it.

2. Drink more in the morning

Knock back 2 bottles of water while you’re milling about in the morning. This takes a good chunk off of what you’ve got to manage throughout your day.

3. Set a timer

Set a timer if you’re not used to drinking water and not usually thirsty, this will help remind you to pick up the bottle!

4. Use a 32oz water bottle

I like this because I know I only need to drink 3 in my day. I also like this because I don’t have to buy water and I can refill it and throw it in the dishwasher. My favorite is the 32 oz Nalgene water bottle because they are tough (I drop it often) and they don’t have a weird plastic smell.

5. Exercise 

When I workout, I drink more because I am sweating. It’s easy to down an entire 32oz water bottle in an hour of working out. Don’t feed your body with anything but water while working out. Water is the best and only hydrating fluid your body needs while exercising.

 6. Have it handy

Always have water in the car, at your desk, in your hand. When it’s there, you’ll be more likely to drink it.

7. Make it fashionable

If you’re one of those that like fashion, cute, pretty or exciting bottles, buy one. Make it fun!

I would enjoy hearing how you get your water in! Leave me a comment and give me some tips!  I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

 

 

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Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last

 

 

Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last

 

One day I received a folder for a new client.* She only had a few weeks to achieve very specific (and drastic) fitness goals.  I assumed she was somewhat fit already and just needed a trainer to kick her butt a little harder to take her to the next level.

I was so wrong.

She was several pounds overweight, had several children, and had a new baby that was only a few months old. I knew it wasn’t physically possible for her to meet her goals by the set deadline she’d given me, she didn’t have enough time to condition herself. But she hired me as her personal trainer to get her there, so we worked. Unfortunately, she was unable to get through the first workout without modifying almost everything. Even then, some things she just couldn’t do.

Two days in, she skipped her workout. A week in, she called and canceled her training sessions.

Her goals were attainable, the speed at which she was trying to achieve them, was not.

As a result, she quickly became discouraged and gave up everything. Not just the training, but also her gym membership, the diet, and the goals she’d set.

I had another client* that had quit working out and decided he wanted to start back up but needed someone to be accountable to, so he hired me. He was used to getting up at a certain time, but decided he wanted to fit the gym in before work. He set his workout in the morning, 3 hours earlier than he was used to getting himself out the door in the mornings. This guy didn’t even make it to the gym the first day, or the next. Instead, he skipped it altogether because it was too hard, and canceled his entire training program.

Can you relate to the struggles either of these people had?*

In my last blog post I talked a little about how to set goals that last. (If you missed it, here it is). Right now, we are going to dig deeper on how to go about making big, drastic changes in a way that allows you to maintain those changes, and accomplish your end goal.

I have met many people over the time that I have spent as a personal trainer, all of them wanted to change their lifestyle and got very excited. The problem was that not all of them learned to pace themselves, they made drastic changes too suddenly. I don’t know a single one of these particular clients that are still on their lifestyle change journey.

Drastic change is something a lot of us need and desire, but don’t know how to do successfully. That’s what I want to help you do in the following steps. I can tell you these things but I’m not there to help you stay on track like a personal coach or a trainer might be; I want to give you the tools that I have used in my own life to achieve my goals!

 

1. DECIDE AND WRITE IT DOWN.

The first step is to decide what your desired change or goal is. It can be huge, it can even seem unattainable. This is where you don’t hold back with your dreams! Write your ultimate goal down and visualize yourself in that place!

2. BREAK IT DOWN AND SIMPLIFY.

Once you’ve written down what your huge, drastic, life-changing goal is, back it up a few steps and break it down.Write down the smaller steps that will get you there.

For example, if you want to run a marathon, but haven’t been running in years, write down “marathon”. Then back it up and write, “10K” and again, “5K” and break it down even further, committing to 30 minutes of powerwalking or jogging, starting at 1-2 miles 4 days a week. Slowly build on this, working toward your first mile-marker goal. (Your 5K, etc.).

3. TAKE BABY STEPS. 

Once you’ve written down your goal, and broken it down, decide where youbelieve is physically possible to start for you. Be reasonable. This is essential for making big changes in your life.This is where you have to be real.Now that you know what your end goal is, start at step one and focus on the small goals that will get you to your big goal.

4. PICK A START DATE.

Don’t decide to start today. Pick a Monday, or a date of your choosing, and mark it on your calendar. Commit to it.

5. TALK ABOUT YOUR DECISION.

Decide where you will start, and talk about it. Post your decision on social media; tell your friends, your coworkers, and your family. Tell them the date you are starting. Once you start to talk about it, it becomes a reality. No longer is it something you’ve personally decided; now everybody is watching to see if you actually do it. Now you’ve got a huge support group.

6. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISLEY.

This sounds funny, maybe even a bit childish, but if you choose to hang around other people that are doing the same things you’re doing, you’re more likely to stick to your decision.

Believe in yourself and be patient with yourself. We live in a time of instant gratification. Nobody travels the world without first saving money, making a plan and packing his/her bags. It all takes time. Before you know it, you’ll be there, you’ll have succeeded in making your drastic lifestyle change, and before you know it, you’ll be making another goal.

Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear about your goals and how you either plan to accomplish them, or how you already did, and what you did to get there!

If you have any other questions, I’m here to help! Hit me up on any of the social media platforms you enjoy the most. I’m on (almost) all of them. . .  Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest ,Linkedin, and balance8life.

 

*The clients actual experience/story has been altered to protect client privacy.

 

 

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How to Set Goals that Last

 

How to set goals that last

 

How to Set Goals that Last

 

In our journey to a balanced lifestyle, moderation is crucial. Some people have incredible will power and can make fast, drastic, changes in their life successfully. Unfortunately, for most of us, this isn’t possible and leads to exhaustion and a quick, disappointing end. 

Decide to run a “marathon” by power walking on your first day. 

If you jump in with both feet and get absolutely ridiculous with your health and fitness (and diet) changes, you will quickly become discouraged and very likely, quit.

Good things comes to those who wait! Nothing happens immediately. The more you do at once, and the faster you pile on the expectations of your own growth, the more overwhelming it becomes.

When I started my lifestyle change, I found that setting aside just thirty minutes in my day to exercise, was all I could manage. I didn’t change my diet, I didn’t make water measurements, and I didn’t commit to working out for hours. Eventually all of these things fell into place in their own time, and they will for you, too. But you can’t start all at once. A successful lifestyle change takes time, patience, endurance, and a plan, with big goals to aim for.

A lifestyle change is a huge commitment. Setting goals and achieving them one small step at a time is where it’s at.

In my next blog post, I’m going to show you how to set goals for big, drastic changes in your life, by taking it one step at a time. With moderation, you’ll succeed. I promise.

 

 

 

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What is the 8 in Balance8Life?

 

 

What is the 8 in Balance8Life?

 

I love being healthy. I want you to be healthy, too! But I understand that you might not know exactly how to get there, what it looks like, what it means, and what to do about it. So, again, I want to help you.

There are a lot of ideas and theories on how to go about being healthy, but this is what works for me, and this is what BALANCE8LIFE is all about. It’s about balancing these 8 wonderful things to obtain (and maintain) good health.

1 GOOD NUTRITION

This in itself can be so complicated with today’s diets. I mean, what the heck is an airatarian? “Those who only consume air and water in an effort to stop the slaughter of innocent plants and animals.” Yup, it’s really a thing. (I wouldn’t suggest it).

Balance is key in nutrition. It’s not about dieting, counting calories or making drastic, quick changes. Dieting is a means to an end that usually comes quick, with nothing to fall back on to continue a healthy lifestyle, and before you know it, you’re right back to where you were before: unhealthy. So let’s do something better. Let’s change our lifestyle.

A balance of fruits (yes, fruit is good for you), veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans), whole grains, (yes, gluten and carbs are good, too) and if you must eat meat, white, lean meats, but believe it or not, meat is not necessary for good health. Quite the contrary, but… we’ll talk about that another time.

Annnnd…..That is where you start. ( I’ll help you with what good nutrition really looks like in other blog posts as we go).

2 EXERCISE

Exercise is not all about the gym. The gym is only a fraction of it. Exercise is simply doing something active for an extended period of time. You can do yard work, go swimming, ride a bike, climb a mountain, kayak, pole dance, etc., etc. So for those of you who hate the gym, or the people at the gym, there are always other options. Walking is simple, it’s a great place to start, it’s good for all ages, easy on the joints, good for people who’ve had injuries, and walking burns the same exact amount of calories per mile as running. Keep it real folks. Thirty minutes of sustained, increased, heart rate, 4-5 days a week will make a bigger difference than you think. Try it!

3 WATER

Drink your Water, my friends! Juice, tea, coffee, Gatorade, flavored water, alcoholic beverages, etc., etc., all of these drinks don’t count. Pure water is essential to our health. Our bodies are approximately 65% water. If we don’t drink it, our bodies suffer in ways you probably don’t even know. While you’re in your car, out to eat, relaxing at home… water! Drink it.

“Lack of adequate water intake is a burden to our body. As a result, the body reacts by keeping extra sodium in the blood to keep up the water level as much as possible. If this continues for too long, the body’s fluid and electrolytes (e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.) can become very imbalanced, with resulting severe health problems.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

4 SUNSHINE

Hello, beautiful! I’m a beach bum (when I’m not in my apartment 5 hours from the beach). Sunlight, (in moderation), increases circulation, and cardiac output is increased. Sunlight also increases the number and efficiency of blood vessels in the skin, it decreases blood pressure, and just 10 minutes in your day provides 100% of your daily dose of vitamin D needs, plus several other awesome things… bring it!

Check out The Bright Side of Sunshine here!

5 MODERATION 

How many of you have gained weight after your babies and decided to make a New Years resolution, and went running 3 miles after not doing any physical activity for years, threw up afterward and did it again the next day, then was so sore and frustrated you quit? How about changing your diet? Have you ever cut out all carbs and gluten and drank only water for a day or two then quit because it was too hard? What about only eating rice with zero salt and eating that three times a day? This isn’t moderate. When we make all-or-none changes fast and-furious-like, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Our minds and bodies can’t handle that much that quick, and without moderation in all things, we become imbalanced and end up very unhappy.

Moderation is needed in all things: family time, alone time, work, diet, exercise, electronics and TV, the list goes on. Little baby steps and balance is key to a successful lifestyle change for the better. Drastic overload in any area of life can end fast and hard with the end result being disappointment, injury, bad health, depression, or other negativities that can be avoided with moderation.

6 FRESH AIR

It seems like common sense, but air is the most essential element of life. We can live only minutes without air.

We also need fresh air for perspective. It helps to clear the mind and calm down our thoughts, and our ‘tudes.

Buddha had a lot of super awesome things to say about air, as well. One of my fave quotes is: “If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air.”

Check out my blog post, Amazing Free Mood Enhancement to see what getting a little fresh air did for my day.

7 REST

Without it, how on earth can we function? Well, let’s take a look. We function with extra caffeine, which can ruin our sleep, so we take melatonin, on a mild scale and prescription sleep aids if that doesn’t work. And when you awake, you still feel tired, so you drink coffee. It is a vicious cycle.

But the good news is, it CAN be broken!

I’m not just talking about sleep, though. Rest in general; that peace of mind, the nerves and muscles relaxing, a day (or two, or more) off of work, all of this equals rest. Our bodies need rest in order to be healthy.

Just as high intensity exercise increases inflammation in the body and weakens the immune system, so does a highly intense lifestyle of stress weaken our brainpower and our ability to perform at our best. We cannot run marathons without rest, and neither should we run the marathon of non-stop hectic life without a break.

Everybody needs good quality rest, it’s time to get The Rest in Your Story!

8 MEDITATION

I realize that not every one of my readers is going to be in the same boat when it comes to meditation. I do challenge you though, to seriously think about why you may not like it (if you don’t) and try it out. Take your mind away from your self and meditate on the goodness that is around you.

Since nine-tenths of all illness start in the mind, it is important that we clear it of negativity. A cheerful attitude is good medicine; a broken spirit (guilt, evil thoughts, regret, revenge, etc.) saps our strength.

The body produces endorphins when we are happy. These help restore our physical health. The body also produces negative hormones when our thoughts are focused on our self and negative thoughts. Choose health by choosing carefully what you allow your mind to dwell on.

As we go on this journey to bettering our health I’ll be showing you how it’s done, so don’t worry if it seems too hard now. It really isn’t.

 “Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.”