Clarity through minimalism

I'm on a never ending journey to find myself and what makes me happy. In this stage of my life, I have been completely obsessed with the idea of simplicity and minimalism. I want to rid my life of clutter; mind, body, and personal belongings. 

We are CONSTANTLY presented with convenient opportunities to buy more than we need. (I lose my marbles over phrases like, "BOGO", "free shipping", "half off", etc.) There are times when convenience is absolutely worth the price. I could even make a pretty great argument that our entire system based on the division of labor was shaped by and for convenience. With my schedule and lifestyle, it is much easier for me to pay somebody to grow my food, make my my clothing, and build my home than for me to do just do it all by myself. 

Time to be honest with myself. I need stop trying to impress others with the things that I own and start trying to inspire them by the life that I live. Lately I have been incorporating this new mindset into my daily life on just about any decision I have to make. I ask myself, "does this (fill in the blank) add value to my life? How? Am I mindlessly following the newest trend or am I consciously making decisions that will help me reach my goals? Are my passions being shaped by social media, advertisements, insatiable needs, and insecurities, or are they controlled by reason that is good for mine and my family's well being? It hasn't been easy. It's been really eye opening and has shown me a lot about myself. 

I think that with this chaotic schedule I have and being a mom but also a young professional in a corporate environment, it puts a lot of pressure on me to prove to everyone that I am serious about being professional but also being put together as a mom/wife. I want to look the part, play the part, and just be all of it without falling apart. How have I not caved into all the pressure? It is just constantly reminding myself that I don't have to do what everyone else is doing, and I don't have to live up to unobtainable expectations that always put on myself.

 I know that there's a chance I will not have time for everything I want in life, so I need to make choices. Choices including my family, finances, career, and the people I allow in my life. That last one is important. Who you surround yourself with is so important. Some are there to bring out the you the best in you and make you the best version of yourself, and some, no matter how bad you want them in your life, they may be toxic. Toxic relationships will always bring you down and are the hardest ones to cut loose. 

At the end of the day, I just really want and hope I can make choices that come from a deep sense of who I am, who I want to be, and who I will be for my family. I want clarity. 

Diets & Gimmicks

I've said it once and I'll say it again; people are constantly asking me what I eat for every meal and want to mimic my meal plans, or I get asked how I stay lean/thin. I am a short, petite girl and the amount of food I eat to nourish my body is going to be different than what is good for yours. 

My blood type is O Positive and that really affects the types of food I should be putting in my body, and certain foods to avoid/moderate. Blood type O ancestors were said to be aggressive predators, with that being said, type O does well on a high protein diet of lean, organic meats and dark, leafy greens. Vitamin K is really important for my diet because type O blood is missing some clotting factors which vitamin K provides. There are a lot of other dos and donts in regards to eating for your blood type, so lucky for you there are websites and books jam packed with more information about your type. 

Diet pills, weight loss shakes, skinny teas, wraps, whatever. The answer is no. No I do not use any of that garbage. Drinking a shake to lose weight is the strangest thing I've ever heard. Of course you're going to lose weight when you cut your calorie consumption by more than 50% and replace it for a meal. Is that weight going to stay off? Probably not. Are you going to feel full? Maybe, but probably not. Don't get me wrong, Im a shake/smoothie fanatic, but I like them in addition to other food or even as a snack if i am on the go. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to just eat whole foods and limit sugar/sodium. Not only that, but be active. Test your body. Challenge yourself. Go outside. Create a goal and flippin crush it! Just a hunch but being lazy IS NOT AS COOL AS TREES OR SOCIAL INTERACTION OR GETTING TOUCHED OR TOUCHING OR FROLICKING OR TEA TIME.

Each week I am working 50+ hours a week, getting in 4-5 workouts or 5-6 hours in the gym, Im a mama to the sweetest baby, I volunteer weekly at the local women's shelter, and I still find time to buy and make foods that are good for me. I need the vitamins and nutrients to keep my body fueled and ready for the chaotic schedule I have. That doesn't even include time with Max and Scott, family, friends, or keeping up the house. Don't give me any excuses. If you don't care, I won't care. 

Everyone has the same amount of hours in the day. Choose how you want to spend them. And start little. Going cold turkey has an incredibly low success rate and isn't realistic in regards to your regular diet. You aren't punishing yourself, so stop acting like it. Sure you'll be tired, but boy will it be worth it. 

Typical work day

With better weather only a few months away, so many people have been contacting me about losing weight, what I eat on a daily basis, toning up, and everywhere in between. I'm not a certified nutritionist or personal trainer, so I really don't like telling people exactly what they need to eat. What works for me may not work for you because our bodies are all unique and process food in different ways. I never claim that my workout regimen or meal plans work, but I am all about sharing anything and everything that has been beneficial for me.

With that being said, this is a pretty basic work day lineup. I start the morning with green tea and lemon wedges and drink it while I get ready because 5:30am is just too early to eat. Then for breaky I usually have eggs/spinach/banana or overnight oat jars. This one is rolled oats, peach Greek yogurt, frozen mango, chia, hemp hearts, and goji berries. (My mouth is literally watering typing this out) OOIAJ or overnight oats in a jar are my favorite because there are endless, delicious combinations and they are easy to take on the go. Moving on, I always need a snack before lunch and that's usually some sort of fruit and nut spread. Today is sliced apples with cinnamon and almond butter. Studies show that cinnamon helps boost your metabolism, so I tend to put that and cayenne on anything I can. Lunch is usually a wrap, whatever soup or roast I made that week, chicken/veggies/quinoa, half an avocado/tuna, or today's; chicken Apple sausages/peppers/avocado. I usually work out after I eat lunch, so my snack between then and dinner is almonds/trail mix and a protein shake. 

Wow this was long. Sorry guys! But in the end, I don't count calories, I count nutrients. Whole foods make your body happy and I know the way my body looks and feels directly affects my mood. Who doesn't want to be in a great mood?