When is the right time to figure it out myself vs. ask for help?

At that point, the extra time I would spend trying to figure out the origins and formulas in that worksheet would be a waste of my time + an unnecessary cost to the client (remember we billed every 6 minutes). It made sense in theory, but to be honest, I still didn’t know how much time I should spend trying to figure it out myself vs. ask for help. I didn’t want to look stupid by not knowing and asking for help too soon but I also didn’t want to waste time trying it on my own, when I was sitting 10 feet away from someone who knew exactly what to do…

Some of you out there reading this are spinning and wasting your time, money, energy, etc. It’s painful to watch (or hear) because it is hands-down one of the most frustrating and biggest motivation-killers out there!

Here are the 3 steps that helped me stop spinning:

• Figure out what you’re spinning about. Do you want to lose weight before summer? Do you want to stop turning to food every time you get stressed out? Do you want to get excited about stepping on the scale instead of dread it? Or do you just want to walk into your closet and be able to pull anything off the hanger and rock it?!

• Know why you’re spinning your wheels. This is the hard one. Why are you still struggling? Are you embarrassed? Is it difficult to ask someone for help because you feel like you should know better? Have you lost faith in anything actually working?

• Let it go and be open for a new solution. This is where you have to let go…let go of the fact that you thought the way you tried should work. Let go of your need to be right. Let go of what is holding you back from getting support. Open up your mind to a NEW solution. Maybe it’s not eating carb-free. Maybe you’re not going to lose 10 pounds from switching to paleo. Maybe the stress of finding the perfect eating plan is negating all the hours in the gym…whatever it is, let it go.

If you’ve been frustrated for months or years, or even decades then you know what I felt, but know that you have control.  Use the 3 steps listed above to remind you of this and put you back in control! You have the power and the ability to get the tools to stop spinning! This is what separates us from the guinea pig 🙂

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon

What’s your take on water?

This may be an odd question, but I’ve heard hundreds of different answers.  In fact, I was on the phone last week with a client who was in a bit of a rut.  She’s down 15 pounds but can’t quite seem to shake the last 5 lbs. to achieve her goal weight.  I asked her how much water she drinks everyday and… radio silence!

She finally told me, “I know I shouldn’t, but I hate the taste of water.  I’ve been hearing for decades that I need to drink more water but I literally cannot bring myself to do it.”

This is NOT the first time I’ve been told this.  Personally, I love drinking water!  I thoroughly enjoy a glass of filtered spring water and have a plethora of water bottles to prove it 🙂 BUT if you are someone who just can’t follow-through with your water-drinking goals, then don’t worry…you have other options!

I’ll share with you what I shared with my client:

You can EAT your H₂0!

It’s incredibly important to stay hydrated!  Our body is made up of 70% water and the benefits staying hydrated include (but aren’t limited to): getting glowing skin, flush out unwanted bacteria from bladder and kidney, stop gaining weight and lose those last 5 pounds, and slow the aging process.  All of our organs require copious amounts of water to function properly.

If we stay dehydrated for long stretches every cell, organ, and system needs to work harder, which means we will age faster!

The good news is that you can do all of this by eating certain fruits and vegetables.  In fact, many foods are over 90% water, which means more hydration AND nutrients going into your body!

Here’s a list of foods with the highest water content:

• Cucumbers (97%)
• Celery (96%)
• Radishes (95%)
• Tomatoes (95%)
• Red, yellow, and green peppers (92%)
• Cauliflower (92%)
• Watermelon (92%)
• Spinach (91%)
• Broccoli (91%)

So regardless of your take on water (love it, hate it, don’t drink enough of it), try exploring new ways to stay hydrated and eat your H₂0!

Enjoy testing out which of these foods you love the most!  Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite water replacement is!

Cheers,

Shannon

So many of you let us know with emails, comments, and calls that you know what you need to do change your body, but have more trouble with how to do it!  And when it comes to this type of change you need to know the HOW in oder to be successful.

I remember feeling this way, and thinking that there was so much beyond my control, especially when it came to my health…and my weight. In theory it seemed obvious but I found myself regularly failing when I was supposed to put all of it into practice.

One of the biggest challenges you told us that you experienced was attending social engagements and parties. Whether it’s going to dinner, birthday or themed parties, we want to help you feel included and part of the experience while still staying on track. If you’ve felt like going nuts on the cheese dip, nachos, buffalo chicken, brownie bites, etc.- you’re not alone!  It’s no fun (and not healthy) to skip social events in the name of your health, but what are you supposed to do?! Try this: Make it work for you, not against you!

So don’t go to your next party with an empty plate, or set yourself up to have to politely explain that none of the food offered is in line with your new dietary requirements…just bring your own!

Here is one of my crowd-pleaser recipes that I brought to a Super Bowl party- my Athens Greek Salad. It’s full of vegetables, very filling, delicious and easy to whip up the day-of!

Don’t stress your next party, just come prepared! And then get ready to enjoy!

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon

Athens Greek Salad

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

Dressing:

½ cup EVOO

¼ red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. dried oregano

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Salad:

1 cup pearl couscous

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ bunch organic curly kale, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 pint organic grape tomatoes

1 organic cucumber, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh organic basil, chopped

½ cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives

2 Tbsp. fresh organic parsley, chopped

6 oz. organic feta cheese (optional)

6 lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:

• Cook 1 cup pearl couscous according to package directions. When cooked, set aside to cool.
• Add all dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. (Any extra dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days)
• In a large bowl, mix the cooked couscous, red onion, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. Add your desired amount of dressing and toss to coat.
• Scoop onto serving plates and top with olives, parsley, feta and lemon wedges.
• Serve and enjoy!

PHOTO SOURCE: TheThingsWeSay.Com

With the end of the year right around the corner, a lot of us are focusing on what we’ll being doing for Christmas, where we’ll be for New Years’ Eve, and what next year is going to look like. It’s easy to get wrapped up into all the rush and race. So today I ask you to slow down. Trust that the year will end the way it should, the presents you get for everyone will be the right ones and you’ll be able to handle whatever next year throws at you. Ultimately, I ask you to stop worrying.

“Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” ~Eckhart Tolle

All the busy mental work we put ourselves through does little to change the actual outcome; in fact it can make it worse. I remember walking out of my final CPA exam with a horrible feeling in my gut, like I knew I failed. The worst part of it all was that if I had indeed failed this last section, my other 2 sections would expire, so I was looking at re-taking 3 out of 4 sections of this exam!

Twenty minutes out of the pressure cooker, I was drowning in fears about what it would mean to fail. I would have to dedicate at least another 6 months to studying, exam fees around $650, while working a full time job during the busiest time of the year no less. That meant 6 more months of 12 hour days (and Saturdays 🙂 followed by racing home to study another 2 hours each night. No social life, no happiness, no growth, no time to cook meals…just misery!

The worst part of it all was that if I failed, I’d have to acknowledge it was all my fault for blowing this exam.

Comforting me was not an option and I was convinced nothing would help, no one knew what it felt like.   I didn’t believe people when they told me I’d done my best. My parents told me not to be so hard on myself, but I was certain there was no other way to look at the situation, so I worried about my score every day for the 19 days it took to receive it.

Every time I opened my gmail account, my nerves kicked in. Today could be that day I received the words I had been dreading. Then one day when I got back from a Starbucks run, 2 co-workers were celebrating…exam grades were out! I ran back to my desk (as fast as I could with a latte in hand) and logged on to the check…I had passed! Relief flooded over me, my heart rate slowed down (as much as it could after drinking a latte), my shoulders relaxed, and my narrow vision of doom expanded into a blend of shock, euphoria and excitement. I was done taking exams!!!! I was officially a Certified Public Accountant (as exciting as that is)!

At that moment I thought about how unnecessary my worry had been, and how I wished I didn’t put myself in that space. I was overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and desperate to feel some sort of control. But the truth is, my worry wasn’t even slightly useful or productive and it actually exacerbated the situation.

I only missed out on 19 days, but I know there are women out there who have been in a state of worry for years, maybe even decades. Uncertainty should not automatically produce worry, because uncertainty has an equal change of turning out positive or negative. When we worry, we’re not protecting ourselves from pain, we are causing more of it and our preoccupied mind causes us to miss out on the present.

On the other side of worry, there’s trust. We can’t always count on the things we can’t control, but we can always count on ourselves. So my advice to anyone looking to worry less and be more mindful would be to trust yourself and trust what you have ahead of you. You’ll be a calmer, happier person and a heck of a lot more fun to be around 🙂

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon

P.S. Do you have your own methods for turning you worried mind around? Email me back and let me know what works for you!

I saw this Facebook post on my newsfeed from an amazing woman, and Whole Food Love’s go-to photographer, and absolutely needed to share (with permission :).  Meg and I know Kel for her incredibly talented photography, sense of humor, and personality. Here is a real life story about how one woman overcame her struggles with weight, the right way, the real way.  Kel didn’t find her life-changing set of rules in a diet book or from a detox, but instead from listening to her own body.  Read about her transformation below:

And here Kel is now:

And here’s her not-so-secret secret:

If you can relate, know that you are not “stuck” or “pre-determined” to live a certain way.  You can change your life.  You have the power to design a life that you LOVE!  Make the decision and move forward, and know you have support when you need it!

Encouraging you to live your WHOLE life (one that you love)!

Shannon

P.S. If you are looking for more motivation, strategies, and success stories you’re in luck!  The Fat Girl Slim Summit is on now and features 20+ women’s health and wellness experts that are sharing just that- motivational tips and strategies to help you stop “weighting” and start living life, confidently and in a body you love.  Click here to access the interviews!

source: nytimes.com

I was filled with gratitude when my client sent this article my way and said “This is how I see my work with you.” Carl Richards wrote this article for New York Times, titled When an Expense Becomes A Wise Investment Choice.

While most people agree that an investment in yourself is a worthy investment, many others would find it difficult to articulate the return on that investment.  In my former life as a Certified Public Accountant, I was very familiar with calculating the ROI (return on investment) for clients, but was slow to put that same logic into my own self-development. An investment in human capital may be exactly what you’re looking for in your own personal portfolio!

My favorite quote from author Richards, the Utah based financial planner is this,

I think about this way of investing every time I work with a personal coach. Yes, there’s a financial cost. I’m betting a lot of people would define the cost of such a coach as an expense, and the Internal Revenue Service certainly sees it that way when it comes time to itemize tax deductions. But I see it as an investment in myself.

So thank you, client, for sending me this article.  And more importantly, thank you for trusting your decision to invest in yourself.  I am filled with gratitude to be the one who can help increase that personal ROI 🙂

I’ve included the full article below. (source: NY Times)

Have you been able to see tangible results from your own investments in yourself?  Maybe a career change?  Hiring a coach? Even a mindset shift?  Share your story with us in the comments below 🙂

Encouraging you to invest in yourself and Live your WHOLE life!

Much love,

Shannon

I’ve been through a LOT of trial and error, especially when it comes to diets, healthy food, fast food, and failure. I’ve learned that an indulgence is only worth it if you ABOSLUTELY love what you’re eating. So here are some thing’s I’ve learned along the way…

That gas station subway sandwich- not worth it!

That stale bagel and cream cheese at the free continental breakfast- not worth it!

That day old dried out coffee cake, the last one left, from Starbucks- not worth it!

If you can agree with me there, feel free to nod and say “Heck Yeah.” Ok great, I’ve told you what’s not worth it (from experience), but what’s the solution? Have no fear, I’ve found some Healthy Hotel Habits throughout my travels and made a video to share my favorite strategy for eating healthy while traveling.

It’s NOT expensive. It’s NOT time consuming. It’s NOT difficult. Summary- it’s totally manageable 🙂

Check out the video below where I show you how:

I know from experience that one of the worst feelings is taking 3 really difficult steps forward and sliding back 5 from one bad mistake. Translation? Working out and eating healthy whole food meals for 2 weeks straight and then upsetting your routine and body with crappy fast food for a weekend of traveling. Trust me- it’s not worth it!

With a mindset shift to start thinking ahead and preparing, you can keep your healthy routine momentum and implement Healthy Hotel Habits.

Have any tricks to stay on track of your own? Email me back and share the love! Living a healthy lifestyle and living a FUN life are not mutually exclusive; you just need to right tools to stick with it!

Enjoy the video and remember to live your WHOLE life!

Much love,

Shannon

I made this video for you with one of the easiest ways to pack more protein into your breakfast!

This past weekend I went on my first camping trip! My fiancé convinced me it would be fun and I was up for the challenge! I was also in charge of the food 🙂 So I knew I had to bring something that was portable, that wouldn’t spoil and that would sustain us so we could do all the activities that we wanted to. So for breakfast I decided to make Cinnamon Coconut Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Porridge!
Usually when we think of cozy, warming breakfast options, especially in Fall when the leaves are changing and the weather starts getting cooler, we automatically turn to oatmeal. But with the right spices and ingredients, you can make quinoa into a breakfast porridge. With this you’ll set yourself up for success the rest of the day with a protein-packed breakfast!

We made this breakfast over a campfire, so if you have a stove and a pot this will be a breeze!

Check out the video where I show you how to make Cinnamon Coconut Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Porridge !

This Cinnamon Coconut Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Porridge is tasty and clean eating at its best. This recipe is elimination diet friendly and void of any processed foods and non-foods. Looking for an easy way to clean up your morning act? Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of this recipe! I encourage you to live your WHOLE life with WHOLE foods 🙂

Much love,

Shannon