Challenges, Chaturanga and Changes

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