5 Most Effective Ways to Start a Routine

As the new school year is approaching I am reminded that the little routine I have developed with the kids is going out the window. I am going to have to figure out breakfast, lunch and dinner in a different way and I also have to think about my workout routines and meal planning.

Here are my tips to starting a new routine that is going to help you with those Back To School Routines and keep you on track towards your goals!

1). Plan your morning ahead of time. Think about the tasks you need to complete before you or the kids walk out the door. Start with the biggest one first. So if you are looking to workout, shower, get the kids ready for school and eat breakfast decide which one is your biggest task. For me I am going to do the routine in the order I listed. My workout takes 30 minutes and if I plan ahead I will be able to get that done and out of the way for the day.

2). Resist the Phone! Sure it is fun to check Facebook and see what is happening in the news, but when getting into a routine it is a huge distraction and once you get sucked into the social media vortex you realized you just lost 15 minutes of time.

3). Set Goals! What do you want to accomplish in your day? What is most important and what can you leave for another time? One thing I do with my routine is if there is something I didn't accomplish at the end of the day it automatically gets added to the next day. Making a checklist is a great way to start a routine and gives a sense of accomplishment when you can check a box off. I love lists!

4). One of my favorites-Start with the easy routines first. What does this mean? You need to look at what you want to accomplish and go for the easy ones. If you start with the most difficult first it will be less likely to make it into a "routine" but rather a hassle and something you will abandon. An example would be my goal of trying to get up at 5AM to workout. It hasn't happened yet, I just go to bed too late and I'm not mentally ready. So I need to plan ahead and start with 6AM and then work my way to an earlier time.

5). LESS IS MORE!! Do not add to much to your new routine. If you have over 10 items on your routine you will become overwhelmed at the amount of tasks to accomplish in a day. Take baby steps and find the most essential. As you ease into the easy routines you can add to them, but do not exceed 10!!

I saw this quote from Steve Jobs and thought it was really something that puts life in perspective. We get dragged into so much "other" stuff that sometimes we lose sight of what we really want. So as you start your routine make sure it adds value to your life!

Comment below with what your routine will look like? Help other parents getting ready to tackle the new school year and even if you aren't a parent are you going to be starting a new routine yourself?

Vacations, BBQ's and Graduation Parties Oh My!!!

At this time of the year it is so customary to get ready for one event to the next. That is no different in this house where we have been thrown into the mix of all the celebratory gatherings. The only downside to all this partying is the constant buffet that is laid before us at each one. In Pennsylvania the common foods at a BBQ are hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad, potato salad, and our beloved tomato pie. Now obviously other homes may differ, but whenever we go to these events these seem to be the staple.
Now if you don't know what tomato pie is it is absolute heaven in a box. It is a cold rectangular shaped pizza, but it is cold. The sauce is put on top of the dough like traditional pizza, but the only topping is parmesan cheese. Why am I obsessing over tomato pie? Well simply because you could easily eat 5 pieces and not take a breath in between it is that good. It is also terrible for anyone who is doing a portion controlled diet or simply just making a healthy lifestyle change. So what is the lesson to learn from this? Well no matter where we go or where we are from we are always going to have that one thing that is going to cause us to make a decision. My feeling is that I would like to enjoy the tomato pie and need to make sure that the rest of my food choices are smart and sensible. I also need to decide if the extra cardio in the morning is going to be worth it.

So as an easy way to make the choices here are some great alternatives for you to choose or bring to the next gathering. That way you are not faced with the tough choice and have control over what you eat at these celebrations. Also it is a great way for you to enjoy that food you really do love.

Macaroni Salad
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/food/recipe-quick-pasta-salad

Potato Salad
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/learn-cook-best-basic-potato-salad

Brownies
http://deliciouslyorganic.net/fudgy-brownie-recipe-grain-free-paleo/

Tomato Pie (I still have to try this and be the judge, but let me know if you do!!)
http://www.americanflatbreadproducts.com/farmers-tomato-pie/

The original from Corropolese Bakery

Update on Max30 Results!!

So I have taken a long hiatus from blogging from the simple reason that life gets in the way. That didn't stop me from finding time for my workouts and planning my meals. I am so thrilled with the results I got from Insanity Max30. To find a program that actually works for me and keeps me motivated day in and out is really rare. The motivation I have gotten from my fellow challenge group members has allowed me to push further and it is no longer about my weight loss, but how can I inspire someone? How can I motivate them to get these results? Overall it has to come from YOU!! You have to decide if you are worth it! You have decide when it is time to make a change and it is YOU who needs to decide if it is going to be tomorrow for the rest of your life or TODAY is your day.
Here are my official after photos from 120 days of Max30. It is not an overnight journey. It is a lifestyle change that will open you up to so many more possibilities than just physically feeling your best. It has made me feel more confident, self aware of the great things in life, and also how to empower others to do the same for themselves. If you are someone who thinks you could benefit from the support and motivation of a FREE COACH then you can reach out to me and I will give you completely FREE advice about what works, what doesn't work, what may work for you and better yet just how to get started!!

3 Day Quick Fix RESULTS

So I finished the 3 Day Quick Fix from the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan and WOW! As I wrote in my first post I had my reservations about how often I would need to eat and if I would feel starved, but after the 3 days I feel great. The best part I was able to keep up with my workouts without feeling sluggish. I think this quick fix is perfect for people who are going to an event and want to look and feel their absolute best. This is by no means a diet that you can maintain for longer than 3 days. Why do I say that? The food is very boring, you are eating everything in its original state which is fine for a few days, but I think that if any type of lifestyle change is going to happen with nutrition you need to eat healthy, but find a balance.
The menu was simple:
Meal 1: 1 Red Egg Whites        1 Yellow Steel Cut Oats     1 tsp coconut oil
Meal 2: 1 Red Grilled Chicken 1 Yellow Yams
Meal 3: 1 Red Steamed Fish     1 Green  Steamed Veggies
Meal 4: 1 Red Grilled Chicken 1 Green  Steamed Veggies  1 tsp coconut oil
Meal 5: 1 Red  Steamed Fish    1 Green  Steamed Veggies  1 tsp coconut oil
Meal 6: 1 Red Ground Turkey  1 Green  Steamed Veggies  1 tsp coconut oil

FINAL RESULTS: 
Before: 142.5 lbs (RIGHT) 
Pounds Lost: 6
After: 136.5  lbs (Left) 
Inches Lost: 2 

So overall this is exactly what I needed to lean out the area that I feel I need to work on the most which is my stomach. If anyone would like more information about the 21 Day Fix or what workouts I do during this eating plan just feel free to comment! 

3 Day Quick Fix Review

After my binge eating from the weekend I decided to take drastic measures and tackle a meal plan that has been staring at me for months. It seemed an impossible task 6 meals in one day! Nothing but chicken, fish and veggies....this did not seem like it was going to work. Plus it had me drinking coconut oil. However, since I have taken on so many tough challenges lately I figured I would give this a try and let you know what it is REALLY like.....

Day 1: Daylight savings still has me totally thrown off. I'm not sure what time it is in my house because I still have to change clocks in places that don't automatically do it. I get my daughters ready for the day and then the boys wake up. I still have not managed to get my first meal in. This is going to be a challenge. In my life being busy is a constant and finding time to eat is really difficult. By 8:30 my Mom arrives to help with the kids and I am finally able to make my steel cut oatmeal and egg whites. I use pepper on the egg whites and cinnamon on the oatmeal and have a glass of water. I down the coconut oil and surprisingly it isn't too bad. The day then consists of me prepping my meals (chicken, fish) and getting ready to eat every 2 hours. Well the best laid plans are not always possible. Between playing with the kids and getting a quick 30 minute workout in (I love morning naps) I was able to eat again at noon (so I wasn't sticking to the every 2 hour mark). I had grilled chicken and yams with cinnamon and it was good. I felt full I didn't have a craving for anything. After the kids went in for the afternoon nap I was able to eat the fist and broccoli combo and that was surprisingly satisfying. I am not a huge fish person. I love shrimp, scallops, lobster, but fish I am just not in love with. So this was my biggest hurdle, but it wasn't bad at all. Now most of the day consisted of the same routine. However, this is where I really need to improve. I only ate 4 meals today. I ate my chicken with green beans and it was delicious. I need to make it a point to fit the other 2 meals in. I will set my alarm and try to beat the morning rush of 4 little ones asking for breakfast or in the twins case (crying) and focus on them. I will be posting my before and afters on Thursday and will give an update about tomorrow's challenges!!