How to STOP binge eating

Binge eating is something that more people struggle with than we think! I have personally struggled for years and have become more vocal about it lately because I truly don’t want ANYONE to feel alone in this struggle. It is something that can be hard to overcome, and the journey is up and down, but here are some steps I took to stop binge eating. They are steps I work on with my clients as well as helping them find their sweet spot of living a nourished life and enjoying food freedom all at once!

1. I started EATING MORE. Yep. I started eating MORE food. I ate more nourishing, real, whole foods and felt energized and satisfied daily. A big trigger for binge eating is hunger and deprivation. So I stopped letting myself go hungry or depriving myself of food. I ensured that each and every meal and snack had staying power and filled up my body.

2. I stopped feeling guilty. Another big trigger for binge eating, even more than hunger, is GUILT. If I did have a cookie or two, I refused to feel guilty and I moved on. If I let guilt set in, that would inevitably get me to feel like a failure. I’d convince myself that I already messed up so why not keep eating more? Stopping the guilt it its tracks stopped the possible binge. And that was the most freeing thing of all!

3. I stopped the excuses. I stopped telling myself that I deserved to binge on pizza because of a rough day. Because guess what? I don’t deserve large amounts of junk entering my body. I don’t deserve the food coma and nausea. I don’t deserve feeling sluggish when my babies want to play. I deserve energy, joy, and presence with those around me. I stopped excusing my behavior because of emotions or a bad day. I started giving myself what I TRULY deserved: health, joy, and energy for life. 

These steps take work and practice. They take TIME and grace. They take a lot of hit or miss food experiences that will ultimately get you to your place of living nourished and free. Nourished and Free is a method that teaches you how to truly nourish your body with real, whole foods, and also treat yourself and live in food freedom. It teaches you how to say YES and how to say NO to certain foods. And ultimately, it gives you the confidence to live as the healthy version of yourself that you are craving.

And bonus? As a mom to two girls, I want to teach them that their bodies are incredible. I want to teach them how to honor themselves and honor God through how they care for themselves. And I want them to trust themselves and have the confidence I desperately lacked when in the depths of binge eating. Being a mom is tough, but their little eyes are watching, and I want to be a present mommy instead of one who numbs out her stress with food.

These simple steps transformed my mind, body, and life, and I hope they do the same for you! Comment below if you are going to implement any of these steps and any other questions you may have! I love hearing from you all! And if you want to take your health a step further and work with me 1:1 to reach your goals for your health and mindset, fill out this application and I will get back to you to see if my mentorship is a good fit for us!

Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday everyone! I can't believe it's already Friday. The weeks are flying by, and I am getting closer and closer to returning to work. It's hard even thinking about it, because sweet miss Emma has completely stolen my heart. I don't even want to think about how it will be to leave her and go to work once August hits, so for now I am going to soak up each and every day with this bundle of joy and appreciate all the seconds that God has given me to pretend I am a stay at home mommy. 

And since it's Friday, I thought I'd write up a few of my favorite things lately! Friday is always a great day to reflect on the week and focus on the blessings, good times, and ways to make the next week even better!

1. Crispy Chickpea snacks from Trader Joe's! These little suckers only lasted a few days in our house. They are SO good and taste like the Corn Nuts I used to devour in my junior high days. I love ranch flavored anything, and the crispiness of these totally satisfy any chip craving, while being slightly healthier and nutritious! 

2. Praying for God's grace. My husband and I have tired to be a bit more intentional about our prayer life. Being new parents can take a toll on those spiritual disciplines we used to be better about. Prayer is so important and brings us so much peace, plus invites God into every aspect of our lives. Some of my favorite times this week were praying together over our family, our jobs, our baby, and our life goals and dreams!

3. Panera's strawberry poppyseed salad! I've been to Panera 3 times this week and each time I ordered this salad plus some kind of sandwich or soup! This salad is full of fruit, which I usually don't like but this summer, I am digging the fruit and salad combo. The dressing is super light and tasty too! 

4. My new Bebe au Lait nursing cover! This cover makes it so much easier to nurse in public (hence all my trips to Panera this week...mama's gotta get out of the house!) This cover is breathable so both Emma and I don't end up a sweaty mess trying to cover up, plus it's easy to put on and take off yourself so you don't need help! Makes for a happy mama and happy baby!

5. SHIFT SHOP! Beachbody's newest program got launched this week! I've already done some of the workouts and man oh man, I canNOT wait to officially start this program in a few weeks! Our team of coaches is kicking off a prep week starting Monday the 17th, then officially starting the program on the 24th! Which means I will be in the thick of the program during our 5 day Palm Desert family vacation! But who cares, I've made enough excuses in my lifetime to postpone getting healthy and fit, and I'm so over making excuses now! I'm going to do my best to follow the program while on vacation! 

This program is a 21-day strength and agility program, with a nourishing meal plan and a focus on shifting your mindset, confidence, and overall health! I am SO excited I cannot contain it! I have wanted something fresh and new to help me get back into my pre-Emma strength and shape. If you want to challenge yourself this summer, apply to be part of our test group! The deadline is Monday! Apply here!

And that's a wrap folks! Emma is taking an extra long nap this morning, so I may make a cup of coffee and get some reading done before she wakes up. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy this beautiful summer weather!

Goal Setting as a New Mommy!

If you know me, you know how much I LOVE setting goals, dreaming big, and then crushing what I set out to do. I'd say I'm a pretty ambitious person and love challenging myself. But this can also work against me, because I set pretty high standards for myself and sometimes, if I don't meet them, I get disappointed, which doesn't really get me anywhere!

The key to healthy goal setting is to know your intention behind your goal. If you know WHY you are setting these goals, they are easier to accomplish and you know deep down that they are a journey, not necessarily a destination. Especially when it comes to health and fitness goals. Our bodies and our health are both constantly changing. It's an ongoing adventure to pursue health and vitality, so keeping these things in mind while goal setting is SO vital to a healthy outlook and accomplishing our goals! 

As a new mommy, I've got some major health and fitness goals. As many of you know, I had to take things easy during my pregnancy and couldn't push myself as much as I wanted. Now that I am (hopefully) getting cleared this week to workout, I am excited to gain my strength and energy back! And I'd be lying if I didn't have some appearance- goals too ;) I can't wait to get my muscle back and tone up my abs, legs, and arms again! 

But I also know that working out with a new baby will be challenging! Just last week, I was trying to do a low-impact upper body workout, and Emma wanted to nurse midway. So I paused the workout, nursed her, she went back to sleep, and I pressed play and finished the workout strong! I was proud of myself for rolling with the punches and still being able to finish the workout and take care of my baby at the same time! 

While I know it will be challenging, I also know that I am a better version of myself when I take care of myself. I am a better wife, mommy, daughter, friend, coach, dietitian, and every other role I have when I have filled up my cup and my soul. Only when I do this do I have enough fuel and energy to pour into others. I am more selfless when I am a little selfish in my self care. It's taken me a while to learn this, but trust me, you can't pour into others from an empty cup! Make sure you take care of yourself so that you can better serve those around you!

And with that said, on to some of my goals!

1.) Tone up! The after-baby body is no joke! I was blessed in that I was able to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight just 8 days after having Emma (thank you breastfeeding!), but my body is completely different! A little squishy in some areas and definitely lacking in muscle. My goal is to gain my strength and muscle back! 

2.) Pour into the ladies in my group, The Nourished-You Project! I am launching a brand new accountability group, focused on the fact that our health is an ongoing project and that nourishing ourselves, body and soul, is SO important. We are all following workout programs, drinking our superfoods, and encouraging each other along the way. I love being able to coach these women, but they also provide me with accountability as well! It's a win-win! If you want to join, it's not too late! Contact me here for more info! 

3.) Eat more plants! I am definitely not a vegan or vegetarian, but that doesn't mean that my diet can't be full of plants! The meal plan I am following counts colorful containers, not calories (thank goodness! Because calorie counting won't get you anywhere...trust me!), so I get a lot of vegetable containers and protein containers each day. I plan on using legumes and beans as some of my protein sources, as well as animal proteins, plus filling up on ALL the vegetables and fruits I can! Food can be so therapeutic, and filling up on plant foods can revitalize our health and energize us! Don't discount how powerful vegetables can be in your health! 

4.) Stick to my workout plan. This is the plan I came up with after chaining my mind a dozen times, but I really think that this will be the best plan for my post-baby journey!

• 21 day fix workouts: June 7-11
• SHAUN WEEK! (new program only coming to Beachbody on Demand, basically Netflix for workouts!): June 12-18
• 21 day fix extreme: June 19-July 9
• 21 day fix or Shaun Week: June 10-16
• SHIFT SHOP: Starting July 17th! Shift Shop is Beachbody's newest program, all about making mental shift as well as a physical shift (because the mind is crazy powerful). I am so excited to get my hands on it! I will be running a test group for this new program in July, so stay tuned for more info on that if you'd like to join! 

5.) Show myself some major grace! I am one that loves routine, and I know that with a new baby, some days my routine may change, my workout may get switched from morning to afternoon to evening, and I may just have to roll with the punches. I want to be committed to my health, but I also know some days will call for improvisation and grace! Treats will happen, tired workouts will happen, and sleepless nights will happen, but that doesn't mean I just give up and stop taking care of myself! This is an ongoing journey, so I want to keep that mindset as I go into this summer and rebuild my strength and routine again. 

And that's a wrap on my goals and intentions for this month! I'm nervous about how it will all unfold, but I know that each day will be a new adventure and that I will only get stronger with time. If you'd like to join me on this journey, I'd love to connect with you and begin working with you! The more support, the merrier! Contact me here and we can start chatting about your goals and which programs and plans would be best for you!