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.

5 Things I Did {and Didn't Do} to Achieve My "Dream Body"

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Note: We're on Snapchat! You can find us under hesheeatclean. We will be posting more of our meals, workouts, and money saving tips! Also, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!

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After posting a few of my He and She Unfiltered posts I not only received a ton (and I mean A TON) of messages from people (especially other trainers) who struggle with the same thing but I also received questions from people asking me how I achieved this balance in the beginning. This is really asking me how I made my transformation. I've touched on it a little bit in other posts but I'll outline it here again.

I don't really like "Dream Body" but that's what first came to mind so I'm rolling with it, hoping this reaches someone trying to achieve that "Dream Body". I wouldn't say that the body that I have right now isn't my dream body. It isn't when I compare myself to others but it is when I'm focused on what my body is CAPABLE of. So, I guess it's safe to say that this was my "Dream Body" then and I still have my "Dream Body" - it's that my definition has changed.

I have made such amazing progress since posting about my body image issues - you can read about them here.

THIS is my DREAM BODY. I visit places that I dream about and use my body to explore them.

Zion National Park (Angels Landing Trail)

 Saying "I can't believe I just did that...", climbing the highest peak in the lower 48, Mount Whitney.

One of the prettiest places I've ever seen, Glacier National Park in Montana! 

I wasn't and I still am not very competitive. I never played sports in school. I did cheer and play softball for years but it was just a rec league. I never tried out for anything. I never worried about my weight or my appearance either. I was never that girl in the gym running for two hours and eating 800 calories. I never counted calories and cardio bored the crap out of me. It wasn't until my husband introduced me to weight lifting that I actually found something that I wanted to do. But even then I still wasn't competitive. People would tell me all the time "You should compete" but I have never wanted to do a competition. Nothing about getting up on a stage half naked, having my body compared and critiqued against others appealed to me. I want you to understand that this is coming from someone with a completely blank fitness and nutrition background - I wasn't your all-American athlete in school or someone who has struggled with body image issues before.

With that being said, after entering this "health and fitness world" and having people ask me questions about what I do I quickly learned that every one seems to be looking for that magic pill or the quick fix that will make all their worries and extra body fat disappear. Well, you probably know by now that there is no magic pill, it's all up to YOU.

This might surprise you but the first place you have to start is in your mind.

So, without further ado this is how I achieved the body of my dreams:

1. Positive Thinking AND Talking

When I decided to change my lifestyle I also changed my thoughts. I started looking at things from a different perspective. This isn't to say that it was all sunshine and rainbows but I always tried to find the good in whatever it was. I did this while working a high-stress job that I hated so I know that it can be done! I would also talk to myself. Yep, I would talk to myself. POSITIVELY. Even if it had nothing to do with being healthy - it could even just be "wow my hair looks good today" or something similar. I started each day with positive thoughts and talks!

2. One Day at a Time

I took it one day at a time. I didn't care what I was going to look like or be doing in a month or three months down the road. I was just living my life, talking and thinking positively and living in the moment. I did go on to prepare for a photo shoot (as the picture above shows) but that was only for a short period of time. The rest of the time was spent just living life. It was always just one foot in front of the other. One meal. One workout. One day. It was a lifestyle. There was NO finish line.

3. NOT Comparing Myself to Others

I started blogging about my journey in March 2012 on my personal blog and I didn't go back and read through all of the posts but from what I can remember (and what I saw) I only posted ONE picture of someone who I "wanted to look like". As I mentioned in my post on how getting into fitness ruined my body image, it wasn't until Instagram really took off in the fitness industry that I fell into the comparison trap and it's truly been one of the most difficult things I've had to deal with. I never thought anything could consume someone so much. I'm so thankful that I haven't lived my whole life like this though and really hope to help others work on getting out of this same trap. Bottom line - I didn't compare myself to others. I wasn't competing with anyone. I wasn't even competing with myself. I was just living a healthy lifestyle.

4. Hard Work

I worked hard. I loved it. I was passionate about it. I trained 4-6 days per week (4-6 days per week weight training and 2-3 days of cardio). I didn't ever "over-train" but I was pretty much always on target with my workouts. I also had a personal trainer for about three months before my photo shoot. Same thing with my eating. I didn't ever restrict my calories (again, I am NOT a girl that will starve herself to be thin) but was always on target with my meals and we didn't eat out often.

5. Determination AND Consistency

As the ones above show, I was (and still am) very determined and consistent. I never had a goal date or finish line when I started. I wanted to be happy and healthy. Giving up has never been an option. Sure, I'll skip a workout if I'm sick or just not feeling it but giving up on a healthy lifestyle is never going to happen. What would I be giving up on? Basically everything I love and enjoy. If you don't feel the same way you should try to find an exercise routine that you do enjoy (try one of our She Sweats workout plans!) and find healthy meals that you do love! To me, there is no other option.

To be completely honest with you though...

I don't know if I would have made the transformation I did if social media was the same back then (I know it was only 4 years ago but so much has changed - and I sound really old saying that). Social media is one of the main reasons that I fell into the comparison trap and why, for awhile, I was only accomplishing 3 out of these 5 things. I forgot the most important two...positive thinking and not comparing myself. Although I am healthy, a size four (definitely the smallest I've ever been, aside from my photo shoot), workout 4-6 days per week, and eat healthy I would still find myself falling into the comparison trap because of social media. I would not change anything about my journey because I consider everything a learning experience and I honestly think I went through this in order to help others. It's definitely been an amazing ride these last 4+ years and the fact that my husband and I still continue to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle shows that we have been successful!

Please use these tips and by learn how to love YOURSELF so you can be on your way to a healthy "Dream Body".

What is Nutrition Moderation and Balance?

Moderation. Balance. Those are words you probably hear or see a lot in the fitness community. Every one is preaching moderation and balance. What does moderation and balance really mean? What does it mean to them? What does it mean to you?

This is another post that has been on my mind lately and actually in our draft folder for quite a few months. I realized that these were becoming "fitness buzzwords" (we use them too!) but saw that many people were completely lost on the entire topic. I decided to finish and post it after we had ice cream (yes, REAL ice cream) last night in Annapolis. I posted the photo below on Instagram (@heandsheeatclean).

What is Moderation and Balance?

According to dictionary.com:

Moderation: the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.

Balance: a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc. or mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

What does Moderation and Balance Mean to You?

When someone posts a picture of their cookies - are they just eating two or three? Could you do the same or would you devour the whole bag? When they post a picture of their ice cream is it one scoop or four scoops?

Just like we have mentioned numerous times previously, you are NOT like anyone else. Just because someone eats two cookies per day and then puts the rest of the bag back in the pantry without thinking about it doesn't mean that you have to force or even train yourself to do the same thing. It doesn't mean that they are any better than you or more disciplined than you (or vice versa). We each have our own personalities. We need to learn how to work with our personalities instead of against.

Some people can have a bag of candy or pretzels and only eat that "one serving" or a few at at time. Others can't. It's okay. Maybe you are one of those people who can just eat a few at a time but my guess is that you've tried over and over again to "practice moderation" or count calories, points, or macros to allow for those "treats" but still end up devouring the entire bag. Don't beat yourself up.

The solution? Don't keep the cookies or pretzels in your house or at your desk. Just because you don't have junk food in your house doesn't mean that you are too strict or don't enjoy your life or food (These are comments that many of us get!). There is a place and time for everything - when, where, and how much is up for YOU to decide. 

80/20 Rule

Our overall lifestyle (traveling or not) is 80/20. 80% of the time we eat what we consider clean/healthy foods (lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, lots of veggies, etc.) and 20% of the time we may consume food that has more sugar, fat, etc than we normally would.

We never want anyone to feel deprived. You can still enjoy your favorite treats! Just like I posted that picture of our ice cream while we were traveling, we get our treats outside of the house. Order dessert at a restaurant (and split it with someone else), get small portions of your favorite treats while traveling, etc. In that picture, I had one scoop (which is more like two scoops at most places) of cookie dough and Scott had two scoops of peanut butter cookie. We didn't think twice about getting it. We live a healthy lifestyle and have a healthy relationship with food. This doesn't mean that when we are traveling we eat junk 24/7. This means that a majority of our meals are still healthy but we don't worry about what we are eating the whole time (more to come on this topic later).

As always, we want to caution you about comparing what others eat to what you eat. How your body will respond to certain foods is different. How often and how much you can eat will depend on your body. Just like everything else with health and fitness this takes time and trial and error! Maybe you have that "treat meal" once a week or once a month or maybe you do eat that small portion of chocolate each day. How often you need to have it will depend on your personality and your goals. Find out what timing works for you so that you do not feel deprived because that will just lead to bingeing.

Keep in mind that just like everyone has their own definition of eating clean, everyone has their own definition of moderation and balance. Some people think that eating a rice cake with peanut butter is balance. Some people think that eating three scoops of ice cream is balance. Some people think that eating a slice of pizza is balance.

"Trigger foods" will also vary for each person. I can devour an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids in one setting but I don't really ever crave (or even care for) breads or pastas. My easy solution? I don't buy Sour Patch Kids and keep them in the house. I don't care to try and "train" myself to only eat 6 Sour Patch Kids. If I want them, I will eat them outside the house where I can get a smaller portion instead of a large bag (or I will make my "Sour Patch" Grapes!).

Where do you fall on this? Have you tried over and over again to incorporate these "treats" but still end up over-eating? Or are you one that can only eat small portions and leave the rest alone?