I recently received a text message from one of my best friends that went a little like this: "I need some motivation... I've fallen away from my workout and good eating kick!!! I need some serious accountability!!!!..." Want to know my response to her? "Don't worry. Take a deep breath. Do something right now that's good for you - even if it's a walk to the mailbox, and make good decisions from then on out!" I then when on to ask her what she has been doing and what does she REALISTICALLY have time to do going forward (

girl

has 6 children to take care of -

life

definitely gets in her way!).

You see, it's one thing to try to back yourself into a corner of what you should be doing, but sometimes, when we box ourselves in SO much, we don't leave time or the ability to veer from our normal path. This is dangerous! Not really dangerous in a skydiving or a driving 100MPH in a 25MPH zone sort of way, but dangerous in a self-sabotaging way. When you fall off of the wagon from this, you are going to fall HARD! It's going to make it even harder to get back on.

Let's talk about the wagon you are on: What does it look like? Is it realistic? Did you try to make yourself or your "goals" into something that you aren't or shouldn't be? Is it too far from what you feel you can actually accomplish? Did you set one big goal or smaller ones that will lead up to a bigger one? You need to evaluate this. If something doesn't seem attainable, squash it - you won't get there. SURE - Dream the impossible and reach for it! However, people don't accomplish the impossible by starting on a direct path to it first. They overcome little hurdles that ultimately add up to the big shebang!

How about the road you are driving the wagon on? What does that road look like? Did you give yourself 3 weeks to run a half marathon? 1 month to lose 20 lbs? If your goal looks like that, you've set yourself up for failure before you even started. Think about your goals and the things it will take you to get there, what's going on in your life (vacation, obligations, responsibilities, time constraints, etc) and determine the road that looks best for YOU. Not a group of your friends, but YOU!

What happens if and when you fall off of the wagon? You see those posts on Pinterest and Facebook all the time - "So and so lost 75lbs in 3 months because they were FOCUSED." Um... first of all, that isn't healthy, but I digress... If it's actually true, do you not think they had times of self-doubt? Think they sneaked in a night of too many calories or drank a glass of wine? Most likely. If it's actually true however, they learned how to pick themselves up off the ground, get back on the wagon and move closer toward their goal. The OVERALL goal became BIGGER than their immediate desire (not need - if it's truly a need, don't ignore it). All you have to do is have the courage (and maybe "gumption" if you are in the South) to get back up, brush yourself on and persevere toward the finish line.

What does your wagon look like?

Tiffany

Be Happy in the Skin You Are In... NOW!

April 2, 2014Body Image, MotivationWhitney Carlson4 Comments

Today's post comes out of necessity for me to get something off of my chest. There is so much talk in the media about what it means to be skinny and even a definition of "fat." We are seeing "fat shaming" and now, "skinny shaming" left and right - wherever we turn. So, when should we be happy with the body we have? Once we are happy, do we stop trying to make it better?

The truth of the matter is, you have to be happy in the skin you are in at the moment to make any improvements in the future. As most of you know, I had a baby 10.5 months ago and my auto-immune disease has spiraled out of control since then. I'm in a good place as far as my body goes (at least I think so), but I'm not that super teeny size I used to be. Guess what - I don't care! I'm happy with the effort that I have been putting in, the way I have been eating. and can honestly say that I am getting stronger each day - physically and mentally. I fit in most of my clothes (with the exception of those super tiny ones) and I have found the balance that I need to ensure I am taking care of my family while also taking care of myself.

(I was that person... I used to laugh at the people that said I didn't understand what it was like to have a kid, when I didn't have one, but now I understand! Especially at this age, there is very little time to yourself and it's a triumph if you actually cook something to eat and GET to eat it!)

So... does that mean that I won't work hard to get myself to the next level? Absolutely not! Life is a constant state of change and why not change for the better? I am a real woman, a real mother, a real wife and a real member of society. My life has to reflect that. Your life should reflect the person you are and the person you want to be - not reflect what you do or don't see in the mirror. That will come.

Understand that YOU are constantly evolving. Love the process. Love each and every step.

Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

March 17, 2014Breakfast RecipesWhitney CarlsonComment

Cookies for breakfast? Have we lost our minds? Well, that's debatable, but yes! Cookies for breakfast! We adapted these cookies from Against all Grain and they are so delicious! This is the perfect replacement for some of your fruit calories and the perfect sidekick to those morning egg whites.

The texture is quite a bit more gooey than a normal cookie, especially with the coconut flour option, but they are so delicious! Here's how to make them:

Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

(recipe adapted from Against all Grain's Allergy-Friendly Breakfast Cookies)

Ingredients:

2 bananas, peeled and ripe
1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
2/3 c unsweetened applesauce
4 dates, dried and pitted

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2/3 c coconut flour (you may also substitute gluten free oat flour for a thicker texture)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla (avoid HFCS)
1 tsp baking powder

-----

3 TBSP cranberries, dried and chopped
2 TBSP raisins, dried and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large food processor, combine bananas, applesauce, almond milk and dates. Blend until smooth. Don't worry if you still see your dates, they will be finely chopped, but not pureed.
Add in coconut flour (or oat flour), cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla and baking powder and blend for approximately 30 seconds to combine.
Remove food processor blade and fold in cranberries and raisins.
Spoon your "cookie dough" onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Because there are no eggs in this recipe, your cookies will not spread like normal cookies. They will stay in the shape and place you put your cookies on the baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let sit on baking sheet on counter for 5 minutes to cool and harden before handling.