Lifestyle

We are often asked, "How do you start eating clean?" Well... take a look at these resources. We have created them to answer questions just like that and hope they will help ease your transition from processed foods and sugary drinks to clean, healthy foods and pure, fresh water.

To inquire about coaching please email Scott & Whitney at whitneycarlsonfitness@gmail.com.
You can find our workout plans here and our eBooks here.

Want to start eating clean but not sure how?  Use these resources to change your lifestyle!

First Steps:

Choose Your Workout Plan {gym and at-home versions available}

Read Our eBooks

Body Image:

How Getting Into Fitness Ruined My Body Image

Are We Obsessed with Fitness Perfection?

5 Things I Did to Achieve My Dream Body

Stories from My Scale {Why You Need to Ditch Yours For Good!}

Build Up Your Confidence with Positive Thinking

Thigh Gaps, Six Packs, and Barbie Bodies

Get Started:

Getting Started with Clean Eating

How Much Should You Eat?

Food Prep:

Clean Out Your Kitchen!

Sunday Food Prep Example #1

Sunday Food Prep Example #2

Sunday Food Prep Example #3

Scott and Whitney's Daily Food

Eat Clean Weekly Food Prep

Clean Eating Food Prep - Daily Meals Example

Shopping:

Clean Eating Shopping List

Clean Eating at Costco {Shopping List}

Basic Supplements

Get "Clean" Right Away

Helpful Hints & Tips

Tips: 7 Easy Tips to Slim Down for Your Next Big Event

Tips to Beat Belly Bloat

Stories from My Scale {Why You Need to Ditch Yours for Good!}

Why You Should NOT Rely on the Scale OR Measurements!

Get Motivated:

When you just can't get it together read this.

Why it's OK to Fail

Tips for Getting Back on Track

Scott & Whitney's Transformation

Updated: Scott & Whitney's Transformation

Get Started:

Positive Body Image Isn't Always Easy

Why You Should NOT Rely on the Scale OR Measurements!

New Year - New You!

Getting Started with Clean Eating
How Much Should You Eat?

Sample Meal Timing

Basic Supplements

Get "Clean" Right Away

Helpful Hints & Tips

Scott and Whitney's Daily Food

Sunday Food Prep Example #1

Sunday Food Prep Example #2

Shop Clean:

Fit Finds :: SHOP.COM

Clean Eating Shopping List

Clean Shopping (Part 1) :: Costco

Clean Shopping (Part 2) :: Publix

Clean Shopping (Part 3) :: Specialty Stores

Clean Shopping (Part 4) :: Online Retailers

Clean Coupons (Part 1)

Clean Coupons (Part 2)

The Dirty Dozen

The Clean Fifteen

What Does Your Produce Sticker Mean?

Supplements:

Basic Supplements

Alternative Remedies for Seasonal Allergies

Weight Loss Supplements

Sport & Energy Supplements (Part 1)

Calcium
OPC-3

Get Educated:

Nutrition:

Canned or Dry Beans? What you Should Know!

Cooking with Dry Beans

Yogurt: Greek vs. Traditional - What's Your Better Choice?

Apple Cider Vinegar

Natural Fat Burners

Sugar

Water

Foods for Energy

Chia Seeds

Egg

Beef

Farm Raised vs. Wild Caught

Grapefruit

Food Swaps

Coconut Water

Clean Protein Powders 101

Whey Protein Powders Reviewed
Vegan Protein Powders Reviewed

Lifestyle:

Determine your suggested daily caloric intake.

Track your daily food intake

Keep your Metabolism Reved Up! Tips to make it work for you.

Sleep. Is it Just About the 8 Hours?

Toxic Clean Eat Skeptics - Handling Friends & Family

Eating Clean at Group Functions

Clean at Home:

Building a Green Cleaning Stash

Green Cleaning Recipes

5 Beauty Recipes from your Kitchen

Winning Over Your Significant Other

Clean Eating with KIDS

Tips for Fitting in Time to Exercise while Managing a Family

Toxic Clean Eat Skeptics - Handling Friends & Family

Calorie Burning Date Night Ideas

Supplements During Pregnancy

Nutrition in Pregnancy

Clean on the Go:

Clean Breakfast Ideas for Back to School

Clean Snacks for Back to School

Clean Food to Keep at your Office

Eating Clean at Group Functions

Clean Food to Pack for the Airport

Clean Road Trip Food
Clean Beach Snack Ideas

Tips on How to Eat Clean While Dining Out

Eating Clean in....Vegas?!?!

Clean Holidays:

Our Top Tips for Staying on Track Over the Holidays

Summer Holidays:

Memorial Day Meal Plan
4 of July Meal Plan

Labor Day Meal Plan

Winter Holidays:

Super Bowl Meal Plan

Halloween. Real Perspective on the Candy that you Love so Much!

Halloween Meal Plan
Healthy Halloween Meal Plan
Clean Crockpot Meals for Halloween Night
Top 5 Non-Candy Ideas for Halloween Treats

SCARE{less} Halloween Candy & Treats
Homemade SCARE{less} Candy Round-Up

The Modern Pilgrim - Week 1 Wrap Up

The Modern Pilgrim - Week 2 Wrap Up

Misc:

Beat Belly Bloat

Online Coaching :: TLS Weight Loss Solution

What to Eat Before & After your Workouts

How to Choose a Personal Trainer

Clean Eating & Hypothyroidism

The Olympia Expo

How to Boil the Perfect Egg... Every Time!

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven!

You can find our workout plans here and our eBooks here.

Clouds Rest (Yosemite National Park)

The awe-inspiring view of Yosemite Valley from Clouds Rest with Half Dome on the left and El Capitan on the far right.

We hiked Clouds Rest as part of a hiking trip to Yosemite National Park and Mount Whitney.

Trailhead Location: Sunrise Lakes

On the southern side of Tioga Road, southwestern end of Tenaya Lake (Latitude, Longitude: 37.825883, -119.470066)

Payoff Factor: 5

(1 being “Meh…”, 5 being “Hike? What hike?”)

Difficulty Factor: 4 (some sections are a 5)

(1 being your Grandma can do this hike, 5 being you’ll feel like your Grandma when this hike is over)

Length (Distance): 12.6 miles
Length (Time): 5-7 hours

Cumulative Elevation Gain: 3,218 feet

The view looking north from one of the first major viewpoints about 2.5-3.0 miles into the trail.  Mt. Hoffman is on the left and the flattop Tuolomne Peak is on the right.

Trip Report:

This is easily one of the top 3 day hikes in Yosemite National Park and likely a top 10 National Park hike.  The sweeping panoramic, 360 degree views from the summit provide an incredible display of several of Yosemite’s most prominent landmarks like Half Dome, El Capitan, Mt. Hoffman and Tenaya Lake.

It is a fairly long and difficult hike with some exposure thrown in just before the summit as you cross a narrow ridge with deep drop-offs on both sides.  If you’re afraid of heights you probably don’t want to attempt this hike although there are excellent, but not 360 degree, views just before you cross the arête.  You will see conflicting mileages on this trail, but I'm going with the distance from the GPS app I use on my phone as it has been very accurate every time I've tested it.

The trail is easy to follow with only a couple different intersections, but both are well-marked...just keep following the Clouds Rest trail!  The trailhead is at the Sunrise parking area which is at the southwestern tip of Tenaya Lake off Tioga Road.  You will find bear lockers at the trailhead; we suggest using these if you plan to leave food in your vehicle during the hike.  

The trail will run along Tenaya Creek for the first half mile or so and then begins a very steep climb at about two miles in.  This is easily the hardest part on your legs as the trail climbs about 1,000 feet in less than a mile (20% grade)...it's no fun on the way down either!  From there the trail descends a bit then makes a moderately steep climb to the summit of Clouds Rest.

Hiking Clouds Rest in Yosemite National Park

Hiking Clouds Rest in Yosemite National Park

This hike can easily be done in a day or can be combined with overnight or extended backpacking trips to Sunrise Lakes or Little Yosemite Valley if you're crazy enough to summit Half Dome the next day.

Keep an eye out on those pesky chipmunks at the summit.  They will get into your food and are very persistent in doing so!

Yosemite National Park - A Possible Move?

Trip Dates: November 14-16, 2014

A company flew Scott & me out to California in November for us to check out the possibility of moving there for Scott to have a job INSIDE Yosemite National Park. Yes, we would be living INSIDE Yosemite National Park. It was a very quick trip, we flew out on a Friday morning and back on Sunday night. The entire time we were just amazed that we were back inside Yosemite National Park a month after we left from our fall hiking trip! The emotions of the possible move plus my dad just having surgery made everything seem very surreal.

We stayed in the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls during this trip. We drove straight to the park after we landed on Friday and met with his potential co-workers for his interview. On Saturday we had breakfast with another potential co-worker and even sat at the "Queen's table" in the Ahwahnee Hotel! The hotel was decorated so beautiful for Thanksgiving - I would love to see it at Christmas!

After breakfast we headed out for a hike. We did a quick hike to Panorama Dome and then went back and did the Mist Trail. We did a portion of the Mist Trail last time on our way down from Half Dome but we didn't do the entire trail so I'm glad we were able to do the entire Mist Trail this time! It was pretty difficult - it's like a StairClimber the whole way up! After our day filled with hikes we headed back to the hotel for dinner and sleep!

We woke up early Sunday morning to make the drive back to Fresno to catch our plane but we, of course, had to make time for another short hike! We hiked to the Grizzly Giant in the Mariposa Grove of Redwoods as we were leaving the park.

I said I would never climb Half Dome again but I actually really wanted to do it! We couldn't though because it was closed for the season so the cables were down. We were able to get a few awesome pictures of it though! I still can't believe we climbed this!

Yosemite is a very, very beautiful place and we were so lucky to be able to visit again. This was one of the toughest decisions of our life so far...there were many "pros" of making the move but also some very big "cons". Ultimately it was up to Scott to make the decision since he was the one that would be changing jobs (I can do mine anywhere!). A few of the pros were living in a small house (it was employee housing we would be living in), Scott walking about 300 feet to work, obviously living INSIDE Yosemite National Park, etc. However, we are very lucky with the job Scott has now. He works about 8 minutes from our house, he has a fall break (the reason why we take a trip each fall), and he has three weeks off at Christmas (the reason we just took another trip out west). A move across the country, giving up Scott's current work/life balance, and leaving our family and friends were the reasons that we decided to decline the job offer. There are things that money can't buy and time off is one of them! I'm still sad we aren't moving and even cried a little bit but I know it was the best decision for us at this time. Ultimately, I feel like we will end up out west but just not right now. :-) For now, we plan on trying to sell our home, buy land around here and build our "tiny home".

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." -John Muir