5 tips on Establishing a Morning Routine

It’s all the buzz now. Having a morning routine. Having a way to intentionally start your day and set yourself up for success. I am a firm believer in having a morning routine so you can get ahead of your day and spend some time by yourself, for yourself.

It may seem selfish to some, but this time of day actually helps most of us be LESS self-focused throughout the day. I personally spend time with God and in my Bible, and allowing God to fill up my heart and my cup allows me to better serve my babies, my husband, and my clients throughout the rest of the day. Then, I workout and move my body as a way to celebrate this body God has given me and take care of myself. Working out in the morning boosts my energy, releases anxiety, and helps me make better food choices throughout the day. All in all, I am kind of crazy about my morning routine and am in love with it, because I’ve seen the way it changes my mood, energy, and sets me up for a better day!

But how do you start a morning routine? What if doing something, anything, besides sleep, at 5am is a foreign concept to you? That’s ok! I’m here to help! Here are some of my tangible and simple tips for getting started with a morning routine.

Get enough sleep: I can’t stress this enough. You simply cannot get up at 5am if you haven’t had a decent night’s rest. You shouldn’t, actually, because lack of sleep can be just as detrimental to your health as soda or a bag of chips. So if you want to start getting up earlier, you have to start going to sleep earlier. Which means you may have to give up your Netflix show or that extra hour of scrolling through Instagram. Don’t worry though, once you get hooked onto your morning routine like I have, you won’t sabotage yourself with these things and you will get your butt to bed EXCITED to get up in the morning. Just you wait :)

Have a comforting beverage you look forward to: for me, I make either a cup of coffee or my pre-workout, which tastes like lemonade and is so delicious. Either drink gets me excited to get up in the morning, and I love to sip on something while I’m journaling or reading my bible!

Listen to some pump-up jams: some mornings, that’s worship music; and other mornings, it’s N*sync. But whatever pumps you up, you do you, and listen to that music! Music can be so energizing for us, so get excited, listen to something that lights you up, and enter your morning feeling happy and energetic. I personally have a playlist on Spotify for times like these where I need to pump myself up and get excited for life, so I highly suggest making your own playlist to help you out here, too!

Have your space ready for you: whether that means getting your Bible and journal out the night before, setting out your workout clothes, or having the coffee maker automated, getting as much ready for yourself ahead of time will help your morning go smoother. I love having my desk ready for me with my Bible, journal, and my workout clothes so that I can start my morning with all my tools at the ready!

Enlist some accountability! Reach out to a friend, mentor, parent, or spouse to hold you accountable to get up. Post your goals for yourself on your phone/alarm, or something inspiring (my phone alarm says “Love God, and Love Others), so when that alarm goes off you jump out of bed. Accountability can really help us in this area, so even if you need an extra layer from a coach/mentor (um hiiiii), utilize all the tools necessary to get yourself up and keep the promise you’ve made to yourself to have that time alone in the mornings.

If you have some goals for yourself as we enter into a new month to get up earlier and make your mornings more productive, I hope these tools and tips will help you in establishing your morning routine! And if you want to read some books on this area, I highly recommend “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod, and “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins.

Living in the Middle

Extremes can be so tempting for some of us. Extreme ways of living can make us feel secure with their rules and restrictions. And while I do believe rules and restrictions are healthy for us (my personality type is a rule-follower, type A, safe with routine type of person) I also think that living in the middle of extremes can actually be the healthiest thing for us.

Being a dietitian that has worked with many clients, and has been on her own personal journey with food, I have found the most success with my health and my client’s health when we actually get a little LESS strict with our food rules. So instead of focusing on a 100% clean diet, which ultimately can lead to the binge-restrict extremes,  living in that 80% zone helps us stay balanced in the long term.

For example, let’s say you eat perfect meals for 3 weeks straight. You portion everything out, use your calorie counting app, and feel totally in control. You lose 10 lbs and you feel amazing, but you are missing some of your favorite foods, going out with friends, and the freedom to eat what you crave. You then decide to “give in a little” to a craving, go nuts, and binge for 5 days straight. You gain back 12 lbs, feel fluffy and bloated, and basically feel like a failure. This cycle continues, and you go up and down 10-12 lbs every couple months.

For me, this cycle had me going up and down 20-25 lbs every couple months! I had two sets of clothes depending on what weight I was at, and I was so TIRED of living such an inconsistent, extreme life between binging and restricting.

Isn’t it better to live a little less perfectly for the long term, versus living in extremes that leave our body feeling tired, going up and down in weight, and feeling like a failure time and time again?

I finally decided that I’d rather live as a healthy and balanced X lbs instead of living at either X +/- 20 lbs, forcing my body through the never ending and incredible unhealthy rollercoaster.

Let’s let go of these extreme lifestyles and focus on healthy habits that we can implement into our everyday life. For example, some healthy habits I encourage my clients to live by are working out daily, having a vegetable with each meal, and having a salad with dinner every night. These are habits we can ADD to our day, and they will not only nourish us more, but will help us establish a healthier foundation for the long term.

Extremes can be tempting because they promise results and success, but I’d personally rather live a lifestyle of health that includes salads AND pizza, kale AND cookies, and a little bit of middle ground when it comes to our food choices. I believe in living a nourishing LIFE so that you can have the freedom of sweets and treats, while trusting your body to take care of the rest BECAUSE of that heathy foundation you have set. 

This is what I teach my clients with my Nourished & Free Method.  If you want to live a life of nourishment while living in food freedom, click here to learn more about how we can start working together to make this happen.

You CAN build an incredible foundation of health that will allow you more freedom than you know! 

Focusing on the FEELING of Healthy Living

Many of us need to find a certain motivation to help us stick to healthy lifestyle. What helps some people is the scale, size of your jeans, an accountability buddy, or looking good for an upcoming event. But, I do believe one of the most powerful motivators is focusing on how you FEEL when you move your body and nourish yourself.

Numbers don't always tell us the whole truth. Sure, the scale is a pretty good indicator of your relationship with gravity (insert eye roll), but it doesn't tell you anything about how much muscle you've built, how many vegetables you've eaten, or how hard you've worked to get to a place where healthy living is your default.

Lately, what has been motivating me is focusing on how I feel after I choose a nourishing food vs. a not so nourishing food. Or even how I feel just eating one cookie vs. five cookies. Healthy living doesn't have to be all or nothing, but if most of your food choices are fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and good sources of protein, the rest falls into place. The occasional treats take care of themselves, and you will FEEL healthy, strong, and energetic.

So if you aren't seeing the progress you'd like to on the scale, or can't fit into that favorite pair of jeans quite yet, focus on how you FEEL after a day of healthy eating and moving your body. Write down what comes to your mind to remind yourself of how PROUD you are of your efforts. And let that be enough, because trust me, that feeling can carry you through the times when you want to go off the trails, and the way you feel BECAUSE of your healthy choices can help you go from one good decision to the next!

Set Goals to Grow

It's the beginning of a new month...and you know what that means. It's time to set some goals and dream big for the new month. You can really set goals any time and any day, but there is just something about the freshness of a new month that makes it seem like anything is possible.

I get asked VERY frequently about how I stay motivated, how I set goals, and how I actually achieve them. To be honest, I am a natural list and goal maker. I love making lists and dreaming big, then crossing things off. But I do believe that you can work at becoming this type of person too, even if it is not your natural inclination. You just have to find a way that works for you!

Because the reality is, if you aren't setting goals and working towards them, you aren't growing as a person, which is SO important. We should always be transforming and learning and growing into the person God has created us to be. My mom always says, "there is no destination in life when you are finally done and 'mastered' at something, it's all about the journey." She's a teacher, so it makes sense that she would instill in me that the journey is where all the learning happens. Much of the time, the goal is not as important as the person you BECOME while on the journey to achieving that goal.

If you need help getting started on goal setting, read this post I wrote at the beginning of the year. You can set goals for different areas in your life and focus down your priorities in this way. But what I'm trying to get at here is that if you want to grow as a person, goal setting is crucial, and stretching and growing yourself every day is exciting and empowering.

I heard this quote this morning and it really fired me up: "a rubber band is useless unless it is stretched." I don't want to be useless in this life of mine. God has given me potential, just like He has given YOU all potential as well. So don't sit back on the sidelines of your life. Make things happen, go after your goals, whether they are career-focused, health-focused, financially-focused, or really anything!

And most importantly, once you vision and dream up your goals, WRITE THEM DOWN. Writing down your goals is soooooo powerful. Research shows that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. And that means more growth, more empowerment, and more confidence being instilled in you that you actually CAN achieve what you set out to do.

What are some of your goals for this new month? In what areas do you want to grow and stretch? Start dreaming big and thinking OUTSIDE of the box, because you were made for MORE, and God has a lot in store for you! If you've wanted to get healthy, start now! (and I can help!). If you want to save money, make a budget and set goals for how much you want to save each month. If you want to get a promotion, meet with your boss and ask what you can start doing now to set yourself up for your dream job. If you want to write a book, write tpday, even if it is just ONE page...just get started! Whatever it is, set your goals and dreams, write them down, then watch the person you become while on the journey to achieving those goals. Trust me, it's SO worth it to live a life of growth and living into the person God created you to be!

Mini-Food Diary Analysis now available!

Have you been wondering to yourself:

• are my meals balanced?
• do I eat too many carbs, proteins, or fats?
• am I eating too much?
• am I eating too LITTLE?
• why am I always so hungry?
• why do I wake up NOT hungry?

My NEW food diary analysis option is definitely for you! At just $29.99, you can get some feedback on whether or not the food you are eating is helping or hurting your health, as well as learn ways to improve and balance your meals to nourish yourself wholly.

It's hard to know sometimes if your "healthy living plan" is actually making you healthier or not. Sometimes, what we THINK is a healthy and balanced meal is actually leading to more cravings, energy dips, and hunger later on. Well, I'm here to help! As a dietitian and nutrition expert, my specialty is helping people learn how to fuel their bodies properly and nourish themselves from the inside out. And that all starts with balancing your meals and daily food intake.

How this will work is, once you purchase below, I will email you a food diary template, and you will keep track of what you eat and drink for 5 days. After the five days, you will email me your food diary, and I will analyze it from a dietitian's perspective and give you a breakdown of what's going well for you nutritionally, as well as give you constructive feedback on what you can improve on in order to live your best and healthiest life!

AND on top of that, once you get your feedback, you will have the opportunity to purchase any of my other services at a 15% off discounted rate! That means that if you would like to continue working together and learn how to  make nutrition work for YOU, eat balanced meals to reach your goals, and how to make yourself healthier with long-term accountability with a registered dietitian (hey, that's me!) you will be able to do so!

If you would like to have your food and meals analyzed and get started, purchase below and I will contact you with the food diary template!

Food Diary Analysis

Food Diary Analysis $29.99 USD

Stop saying “I can’t”

I hear this all the time, and it’s starting to get on my nerves.  

I can’t eat healthy.  

I can’t workout in the morning.  

I can’t give up my soda/bread/junk food.  

I can’t meal prep because “there’s no time.” 

It’s time for some tough love. You can TOTALLY do this. You can do all those things I stated above. Because you are a grown up person with capabilities. You are a responsible human being, and when you want something bad enough you will figure out a way to make it work.

You will MAKE the time to work out...you will make the time to cook for your family. You will prioritize your healthy habits above other things (ahem Netflix, anyone?) because it is THAT important to you. THAT’S what you tell yourself the next time you think you “can’t.” 

Because you can do these things. And then, you’ll see how your life changes. 

You will be more present with your family, you will be a better employee at work, you will get better sleep, you’ll have more energy to play with your kids, and you will be a kinder and more patient person. I’m saying all this because I speak from personal experience.  My life has changed completely since I stopped telling myself I “can’t” do certain things. I started to actually just DO THEM.  

So in 2018, do the hard things. Do the things that you weren’t able to do in 2017...or rather that you CHOSE not to do. Give yourself some tough love, because the only way we will grow and make changes if we do something different...consistently. 

What do you want to do? Do you want to get healthy? Lose weight? Lower your cholesterol? Manage your blood sugars? Eat for better moods? Whatever it is, you can TOTALLY do this, and I can help!  

As a registered dietitian, my passion in life is to help people realize that they can make healthy choices and it IS possible to reach their goals and live a vibrant and energetic life. So when you are low on motivation, I'll be there for you. When you don't know what to cook for dinner, I'll give you some ideas. And when you really REALLY don't want to get up for that workout, I will do whatever it takes to get you out of that bed (unless you are sick obviously). I am committing to be there for you 100% of the time, so why don't YOU start showing up for yourself, too?

If you want to work together and receive my knowledge, advice, and guidance in the new year, my special discounted packages are still live in available until December 29th. Take a look and see what package fits best with your goals, and if you can't figure it out, we will brainstorm together and pick the plan that's perfect for you. COntact me above with questions!

You CAN make 2018 your BEST year. You just have to take action, and then do the thing. Go be awesome today, friends! 

Why you should get uncomfortable

Last week, Emma and I drove out to meet my husband for lunch. I have Mondays and Wednesdays off, so we drove to Ontario, took our packed lunches to the food court at Ontario Mills, and ate while everyone else was having yummy smelling food court food. My hubby LOVES Chinese food, and the smell of Panda Express was getting to him. He wanted to get noodles, but also wanted to stay healthy. That morning, he had just sent me the picture above, so I threw it right back at him! I told him to be uncomfortable and do the uncomfortable thing, just like he had told me! I don't know if he appreciated that (I mean, who enjoys getting their own advice thrown back at them?), but it made him pause his thought process and decide not to get the chow mein.

It would have definitely been easier for him to just walk up to Panda Express and get the noodles right? It's comfortable, it's familiar, and it's something he typically would do. But in order for real change to take place and progress to occur, we HAVE to start being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

We hold ourselves back so much in this life, but I am finally calling it quits with playing small. No more wondering what it would be like to be more fearless, more confident, more full of love to give to others, or just MORE. I want to get uncomfortable, because that's the only way I'll grow.

I've been getting up between 4:30 and 5:00 to get my workouts in. I used to think I was a morning person and that's why it was so easy for me. But the more I've worked with clients as a dietitian and health and wellness coach, I've learned that NO one is a morning person. We just DECIDE that it is worth it to get up. It's worth it to get uncomfortable. Because if we are stuck in comfort, we are going to just be stuck forever.

I have a diagnosed gluten allergy and have been telling myself for years that there is no way I can cut out gluten because it's too "uncomfortable." I want to enjoy pita bread and pasta and pizza. That's comfortable to me. But these past two weeks I told myself to finally grow up and honor my body. I've been gluten free since October 29th, and I feel amazing! Sometimes (scratch that, most of the time) it is uncomfortable, but it's always worth it because I know that I am treating my body well and in a way that honors my energy and my health!

And guess what? I'm pretty sure everyone loves junk food. People who want to live a healthy lifestyle don't just magically NOT like junk food. Heck, some of my favorite foods are Oreos, chips and salsa, froyo with ALL the candy toppings, and brownies. I don't eat healthy because it's easy or comfortable, I eat healthy because it makes me feel good and I want to be the best version of myself possible. It is sometimes uncomfortable to choose the healthy foods and to say no to donuts or chow mein. But that uncomfortable feeling is what will make you grow and THRIVE into the amazing person you were created to be. I've found that each good decision just leads to another, and another, and another, and that string of good decisions helps you grow in strength and confidence in order to make MORE good decision. It's an amazing cycle!

So, what can you get uncomfortable about today? Maybe it's waking up 30 minutes earlier to get a workout in. Maybe it's cooking a meal tonight (even if you are tired, even if you "don't" have time, which I'm learning is a myth...but more on that later!), instead of ordering a pizza. Maybe it's reading a book that will make you think and grow instead of slipping into the Netflix vortex (and if you need book suggestions, let me know!) Whatever it is, just know that it WON'T be easy. You aren't going to want to do any of it. It's going to be uncomfortable.

But from that feeling, growth will happen. Your muscles will get flexed and sore, but they will strengthen too. You'll continue seeking out uncomfortable situations that will give you the opportunity to shine and live an amazing life. You were made for more than playing small. You were made by an amazing, creative, loving God, so why not live into that identity?

I'd love to chat with you about ways you can start getting uncomfortable in your life! Contact me here and we can get started setting some uncomfortable goals that will stretch you and bring JOY into your life again. Because the real YOU, the one you were created to be, is possible.

Day in the Life of a Working Mama

I finally feel like I’m getting into a groove as a part time working mom. I am home with Emma on Mondays and Wednesdays and go to work Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays. I’m grateful to be home with her twice a week and it feels like Christmas every time I see her after work! I feel like my heart grows by the day because I love her more than I can handle! 

When Emma was sleeping through the night, my mornings would always start with an early morning pumping session. I am still exclusively breastfeeding and even though we started solids last week, she is still not a fan of them (I know eventually she’ll get used to it!) But anyways! Emma has not been sleeping through the night for the past month, so since I’m feeding her throughout the night, most mornings I don’t really “need” to pump when I wake up. So usually I sip on my preworkout while doing my devotional and prayer time, and then I press play on my workout! I love working out at  home because sometimes Emma wakes up midway and needs her momma, so I can just pause and nurse/hold her for a bit, then press play and finish it up! So convenient! 

After my workout, (this week I’m doing A Little Obsessed on my Netflix for workouts...SO SORE), I shower then head downstairs to pack lunches for my husband and I, and get Emma’s daycare bag ready (pumped milk, change of clothes, diapers, etc). I also make sure to eat a little something; this morning I shook up my recover protein shake with some collagen peptides, delicious! I forgot to snap a pic but just imagine chocolate milk goodness that is actually good for you! 

I try to nurse Emma before I head to work, but like I mentioned above, if she’s nursed all night and is sleeping soundly, I go to work and pump there rather than waking her up to eat. It’s also easier on my mommy-heart to sneak out while she’s asleep verses having to watch her sweet face smile at me as I walk away...I tear up just thinking about it! 

If I’m still a little hungry, I’ll make sure to grab second breakfast before I head to work! This morning was two paleo muffins, a chocolate zucchini muffin and a pumpkin muffin! I've been cooking through Danielle Walker's cookbooks from Against All Grain, and so far my husband and I have loved every single recipe!

Once I get to work, I make coffee (duh) and see which patients I need to see or who is due for an assessment. I work as a dietitian at a dialysis unit with patients who have kidney failure. It’s pretty busy each day so I make sure to fit in snacks and occasionally some walks to get outside!  

Morning snacks usually consist of carrots, apples with either peanut butter or almond butter, or a Larabar! I make sure to fuel myself well since I push myself pretty hard in my workouts, plus I'm breastfeeding! So many calories being burned all day long!

Lunches have been so fun to pack in these portioned containers my mom got us from Amazon! This lunch was rosemary garlic chicken (I'll post the recipe soon!), with potatoes and green beans. Super simple and delicious!

If I get hungry in the afternoon, I typically have some nuts, but this week I've also been enjoying another treat from Against All Grain...her Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  My husband has been raving about these and I've already made two batches in less than a week. He says they taste just like the regular cookies I used to bake, but they are Paleo/gluten free and MUCH healthier! I highly recommend this recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Once I get off work, I "safely" zoom my way over to Emma's daycare to pick her up. I get so excited to see her, and she has been smiling and kicking her feet in excitement when she sees me come into the playroom, which melts my heart! We usually get home and sometimes she'll fall asleep in the car, which gives me time to clean out my pump parts and put my milk away (pumping is a full time job in itself!), but most of the time when we come home, we nurse and snuggle and she falls asleep while I make dinner.

Dinners have been simple this week: we've had grass fed beef meatballs, rosemary garlic chicken, salmon, and turkey burgers. I'll make a salad because we have 6 heads of romaine (thanks Costco) that are going bad by the second, so I've been forcing us to have salad each day so it doesn't' go bad because I HATE wasting food! I haven't snapped pictures of dinner because I've been a little distracted during dinner time trying to get Emma to have some solids with us at the dinner table! Last night she tried zucchini, and I think she liked it a little more than sweet potato. I'm getting a little worried that she hasn't been liking foods much, even though I know she will get used to it! It's funny, because I specialized in infant/toddler nutrition when I worked at WIC, and even though I HAVE the knowledge and have counseled others countless times, I'm still worried when it comes to my own baby!

After dinner, we bathe Emma and get her ready for bed. I've been trying to get her down between 7:30/8pm so I can get a few hours of sleep before the night-waking begins. Yes, I've been getting into bed by 8pm because Emma has been waking up at 10, 11:45, 1, 2:15, 3:45...you name the time, she's been waking up. She's going through a huge developmental leap right now, and with that comes a sleep regression. I've decided to roll with the punches instead of sleep training her and just rely on coffee to get through the day (she hasn't been sensitive to my caffeine intake, thank GOD)! Luckily when she does wake up, she typically nurses and goes right back to sleep, so even though I am getting broken sleep, I don't feel TOO terrible throughout the day!

And that has been a typical day in the life on the days that I work! I was telling my husband earlier this week that I am feeling so much happier than I used to feel. As much as I miss Emma and wish I could be with her every day, I've come to accept the working life, enjoy my days at work with my coworkers and my patients, and relish the moments with Emma even MORE. I have also taken much better care of myself and have chosen foods that have supported my mental health and anxiety (look out for a blog post on this later on this month!) I really feel that God is working on my heart, helping me take care of myself so that I can take care of Emma, and has given me a strength that only HE can give. I am so grateful!

And with that, I hope you all have an excellent day, and thank you for reading and following along on this journey with me! I appreciate all of you so much!

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!

February Goals & Intentions

We are one month DOWN in 2017...isn't that nuts?! Life goes by so fast, and this year isn't going to be any different. Being pregnant, I feel like I am more conscious of each week that passes by as we get closer and closer to our due date. I'm excited because we can't wait to meet our little girl, but I'm also anxious! I'm such a planner and this is a situation where I just have to trust God and can't plan out much since there's really no telling when she's going to make her appearance or how life will look once Baby Girl enters our world! We are so excited to meet her and my heart just bursts when I think about finally seeing her face! It's been such an exciting time for hubby and I, and we keep praying that everything goes smoothly and that God continues to bless us with a healthy baby girl! 

Since it's the beginning of a new month, my habit is to set goals and intentions to give myself direction and focus for the month ahead! I have a lot of big goals and big dreams, and these small, monthly goals help me take the baby steps required to reach my bigger goals. I love goal setting and that feeling after you CRUSH a goal and can check off that box. I blame my type-A personality! We dietitians are all type-A...so it is what it is! After brainstorming, prayer, and reflection, here are my goals for February 2017! 

1. Workout 6x/week. I am loving being able to workout again during this pregnancy! My doctor told me that I can walk, dance, and do any low impact workouts that typical pregnant women would do. No running or sprinting obviously, and I am listening to my body, but I have just been so much happier and have less anxiety since I've begun to workout again! I am in week 3 of Country Heat, an awesome line dancing program I started, and have begun adding some of the Active Maternity workouts on Beachbody on Demand (BOD) into my routine. If you don't know what this is, BOD is basically like netflix for workouts! Beachbody streams their programs online and actually has an all-access pass right now that give you access to every single program Beachbody has ever made, plus the 3 new programs they are coming out with this year! BOD has given me SO much flexibility with my workouts! I've been able to follow along with the Country Heat program, plus add some BOD exclusives, such as the Active Maternity workout series! I am loving being able to workout, so my goal is to continue to workout 6x/week! 

2. Follow the 21 day fix container system. I've been following the 21 day fix container system to actually help me eat MORE during this pregnancy (I am following the highest calorie bracket because....pregnancy) and it's been helping me balance out my plate and eat more nourishing foods! I've had a lot of food aversions during this pregnancy, and following this meal plan has helped me eat more variety and actually get over some of the aversions I've been having. I am going to continue on with my meal plan, especially since my challenge group is starting tomorrow and the accountability will make things even easier! 

3. Figure out how to use our fancy camera. While we were on our honeymoon, my husband and I splurged and got ourselves a Canon SLR camera. We took pictures with it in Hawaii, and since then it has just been sitting in a drawer in our bedroom. I want to take my picture taking skills up a notch and start playing around with this camera this month! This goal has been a long time coming, but now that I've written it out publicly, I HAVE to follow through, right? So expect to see some higher-quality pictures soon, folks! 

4. Practice gratitude every day. This is something I KNOW I need more of in my life. Counting our complaints is so much easier than counting our blessings, isn't it? I have found that, with the complications we have with our pregnancy, getting used to a new job, and the typical stresses of everyday life, I've stopped feeling grateful and really thanking God for His blessings. But if you stop to think about it, God's blessings are always overflowing! We should be thanking Him daily for His grace, mercy, and provisions. Which is why I want to start practicing gratitude on a regular basis by keeping a journal next to my bed and jotting down three things I am thankful for each and every day. By doing this, my mind will focus on the good in my life, and not the countless worries and anxieties I could conjure up at a moment's notice! 

5. Track my spending. Ok guys, this one is a biggy. Considering my OCD personality and my love of tracking things, you would THINK I would have this concept under wraps. But, I don't. Each month, I start tracking my spending, only to stop by the 5th or 6th and then wonder where all the money went! Well, this month I am going to REALLY track every dollar spent and evaluate where I am spending my money, which in turn shows where my priorities lie. My hope is to be able to better budget my money and be a good steward of the blessings God has given me! 

If you'd like to join in with me on any of these goals, please comment below and let me know! I'd love to have the accountability and buddies to check in with! Goal setting and following through gives us such a sense of accomplishment and direction, so I hope that you will join along this month! And if these goals don't jive with you, set some of your own based on how you want your life to be! And above all, trust the Lord with all of your desires. We make plans, but God knows which path we should take and He will lead us in HIs way if we let Him, because His way is the best way! 

Happy February, y'all!