Archives for September 2015

I hate when I hear people say that phrase to me and I hate even more when I say it to myself! I really despise the feeling of “uh I should have known that would happen.”

As I sit here on my couch with an icepack on my leg, I have that exact feeling. I had a bike accident and ended up over the handlebars. What is really frustrating is that the bike I was riding was one of those “Craigslist gems” I thought would be perfect and inexpensive. Since that purchase I’ve spent more money on tune-ups and specialty parts than I care to share! So the disappointing part is really that I relied on this bargain bike that had already failed me once before (the tire came loose and lodged into the frame, leaving me with an interesting mile walk back to my house, since I couldn’t ride the thing)! So basically I was left with frustration, I was out money, and had a long, painful walk home…the whole time thinking “I should have known this would happen.”

And on that long walk home I realized a few things… the most significant being that it’s essential to know when it’s time to trade up. This bike had given me enough issues already, and I had an inkling that I would have more problems. Knowing when to trade up is especially important when it comes to the mindset we have everyday. Meg and I work with clients who have given chance after chance to cheap, low-commitment, health and weight-loss programs. Can you relate? Consistently enrolling in programs that don’t really feel like they’ll work for you is like signing up for a guaranteed feeling of “I should have known this wouldn’t work.” Frustrating? Extremely! Every time we fail in the past, it’s easy to get down with the notion “I should have known this would happen!” If this happened once or twice, that’s one thing, but to hear that people struggle with this cycle for years, decades, and sometimes their entire life, well now that’s a real issue.

It took me 28 years to have my first real injury from a bike accident and to solidify the belief that when something has failed you once, twice, then it’s time to re-evaluate. If you’ve signed up for a 2 week detox, 6 week cleanse, or event 3 month bootcamp and are still not where you want to be, then you know where I’m coming from! The idea of trying to skimp, whether it be on money or commitment, is something that all of us are familiar with. I learned my lesson with a Craigslist bike that wasn’t so much a diamond in the rough as it was an unstable money pit on its last legs. From now on I will put serious focus into setting myself up for success, and emphasizing long-term benefits over a quick fix!

Regardless of where you are in life (with a broken bike or with a long time health goals that still feels out of reach), all of us can look back at a moment and reflect on all the things we didn’t do but should have, all the times we should have known better…. If you’re sick of feeling like you “should have known” after each failure, you’re not alone! My goal is to get us all to a place of consistent actions that lead to results and leave you overjoyed and proud of your success 🙂

If you feel like you are stuck in a cycle I can help! If you know the mindset you have isn’t working I understand. If you are at the point where you are ready to trade up, book a complimentary call with me to find out how! All it takes is a willingness to change your mindset and the right kind of support.

Cheers to trading up! I’ll be sure to share pictures of my new bike, so stay tuned 🙂

 

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon

 

 

Last night something special happened, a little later in the day than I would have liked, but I’ll take it! I noticed a little thing, something no one else would have noticed, that made me so happy. I’ve been strength training pretty regularly and making those trips to the gym part of my routine. It’s been over a month now that I’ve had this routine in place and I’ve honestly been so distracted with life that I didn’t really notice any changes. Well last night I finally noticed…

I went to yoga last night, a class that I hadn’t been to in over 3 weeks. When it was time to push up from the floor after a chaturanga I almost did what I usually do which is roll-up instead of doing the push-up. But instead, I mindlessly just did the pushup. Is this earth shattering? NO, but it made me smile because it was a sign that I was making progress! My arm strength has always been a weak point for me and I thought I had just accepted that, but my new habit of lifting weights in the gym was showing up in my biceps and triceps!

This little lesson made me realize that too often we put our heads down and go through life without ever patting ourselves on the back for the little things, without acknowledging our progress, minor as it may be. Celebrating these small wins keeps us motivated AND increases our chances of succeeding with whatever goals we’ve set.

My small yet tangible progression towards my goals energized me. I also left that yoga class proud of myself!

So what does that mean for you? I’ve spoken with a LOT of women this week who want to eat healthier but run into issues. I’ve heard so many women tell me that they only feel on track if they are making ALL their meals from scratch, aiming to go vegan, and only buying organic and local ingredients, etc. etc…all while trying to have a life. When they run out of time or motivation, or somehow fall off their strictly perfect eating plan, they give up entirely. Sound familiar?

You’ve heard me say this before, but I’ll say it again, perfection isn’t achievable (it’s also boring, makes you un-relatable, creates too many headaches, etc.)! So I told my client to take a deep breath, relax, and let go of perfection. She had already made amazing progress cutting out Drive-Thru dinners and heavy decadent desserts from her diet, but was she all vegan, all whole foods, all organic? No. Not yet. But was she closer than yesterday? Was she making progress? YES! And that’s what is going to make the difference 🙂

So I wanted to share an easy “transition” recipe for all of you who are working towards cleaning up your eating. If you’re busy and need something on hand that’s healthier than a frozen meal, try this Mexi-Cali Rollup! This has been a big hit in my client’s household and my fiancé loves it too, plus it’s a breeze to make and can even be made vegan (if that’s where you’re at).

Mexi-Cali Rollups (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 extra-large spinach tortillas

1 15oz. can refried beans (I use vegetarian refried beans)

¾ cup salsa

½ red onion, diced

2 avocados, peeled, pits removed and diced

1 cup kale, rinsed and roughly chopped (I use organic kale whenever possible)

¼ cup cilantro (I use organic cilantro whenever possible)

Directions:

1. Place one tortilla on a clean surface and spread a thin layer of refried beans over tortilla.
2. Layer on the rest of the ingredients, saving half for the 2^nd
3. Now the fun part! Starting at one end, roll the tortilla up, keeping all ingredients inside the roll (think of rolling up a yoga mat, not like rolling a burrito). Make sure you tightly roll the tortilla, as this will make it easier to cut.
4. Now use a serrated knife to slice the rolled tortilla into 1-inch sections. The end pieces won’t be perfect but that’s okay 🙂
5. Repeat with 2^nd tortilla and remaining ingredients.
6. Use as an appetizer, finger food, or lunchbox staple! Enjoy!

 

If you feel like you’ve had some trouble acknowledging your small successes, your progress, let me know.  You’re not alone and I’d love to help you see your personal progress! If you’d like to connect, click here to access my calendar.

 

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon