Healthy Happy Holidays || Travel Tips!

In our second installment of my Healthy Happy Holidays series, I want to share my strategies and tips on how to stick to your health and fitness routine while on the road!

Tis the season for traveling near and far to celebrate the holidays with our family and loved ones. I don't know about you, but travel ALWAYS throws off my workout and healthy eating groove.

First of all, I'm a creature of habit and routine, and if I'm taken out of my normal routine I lose all motivation and will power. Second, if I'm back in my parents' house for some reason I automatically revert to my high school self and have uncontrollable cravings for all the sugary cereal, snacks, and chips that are still stocked in the pantry for my younger siblings.

Also--workouts! So hard to fit them in when you're the only one in the house who wants to exercise. Everyone else is sleeping in, relaxing, eating cookies, going shopping, seeing movies, judging you for wanting to go out in the freezing air and get your sweat on, making you feel "different" for being an overachiever and caring about your goals. You might be sleeping in the basement with your family, and you don't have your gym or at-home equipment to take advantage of. Talk about motivation killer!

It's a constant battle and work in progress for me, but here are my best tips for sticking to your health and fitness routine when you're traveling!

When you're on the road or in the air

-BRING SNACKS! Make sure to choose unprocessed, whole-foods based snacks. 

My fave airport security-approved snacks: 
+Nitrate-free all natural jerky
+Shakeology packets
+Starkist tuna packets
+Nuts and dried fruit
+Kind bars and Lara bars
+Sliced apples (pack with a paper towel)
+Sliced veggies
+Nut butter packets
+Roasted chickpeas
+Make sure to bring an empty water bottle with you through security, and fill it up once you're at your gate!

-If you like smoothies, bring a travel blender. I purchased a cute little Hamilton Beach travel blender at Target for $18 because I know that if I can continue to drink Shakeology every day, that's at least one super nutrient-dense and healthy meal!

-Take pit stops as often as you can. If you're driving, try to get out of the car every 2 hours to stretch and move your body.

-Stay hydrated! Forced air in cars and airplanes will suck all the water right out of your body. Plus, if you're drinking a lot of water you'll have to pee, which will force you to get out and move around!

When you're a house guest

-Again, SNACKS! I've discovered that healthy lunch and snack options are usually the hardest to find when I'm away from my own kitchen.

My fave driving snacks: 
+Everything listed in the Airport list
+Dried fruit and almond butter

When I have fridge access:
+Unsweetened almond milk for smoothies (you can get individual boxes that don't require refrigeration!)
+Coconut water for smoothies (again, no refrigeration necessary)
+Plain Greek Yogurt
+Snacking veggies (bell pepper, cucumber, baby carrots)
+Hummus
+Egg whites (good for late night Shakeo mug cakes!)

-Resume control, when appropriate! If you're visiting your parents or close family, volunteer to take over dinner duty for a couple nights. You'll win "star child" award AND you can decide the menu! Here are some healthy and delicious recipes that will win the whole family over. Just because it's not your kitchen doesn't mean you have no say on what you put into your body.

-Relinquish control, when appropriate! There's a line where being polite and gracious takes priority over your personal goals. Where this line is drawn is something you'll have to figure out based on your intuition, but it's probably where your extended family, grandma, new in-laws/partner's family are involved. If you're at a big dinner with your extended family or in-laws, sometimes you just have to go with the flow if making a fuss will cause tension. Don't use this as a platform to lecture everyone on the benefits of vegetables or clean eating, especially if there are once-a-year secret family recipe treats involved! Enjoy every bite of the things you LOVE, and pass on the things you merely like.

-Pack indoor and outdoor workout clothes. There is absolutely NO reason why you can't stick with your workout routine while traveling. This is much easier to control than your food! Wake up extra early and fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, which will keep you focused, energized, and also give you extra wiggle room for treats. 

My favorite "do-anywhere" workout sources:
+Tone It Up
+pumpsandiron.com
+Pinterest
+Melissa Bender Fitness
+Jessica Smith TV

Get outside and run!
+Winter running tips Part 1
+Winter running tips Part 2

Get outside for a walk with your family

No excuses :)

So there you have it! My best tips for sticking to your health and fitness goals while traveling and on the road. Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Leave them in the comments!

xo Anna

Healthy Happy Holidays || 6 tips to maintain balance AND enjoy the party season

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to be sharing tips and tricks to make this your healthiest AND happiest holiday season ever so we can start 2015 feeling confident and strong! 
Buckle up, gorgeous. Consider this your roadmap to balanced living.

Alright, it's officially COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS! I woke up at 3 am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep because all of a sudden my brain realized that we're leaving in three days on our annual holiday road trip to visit our families for the holidays! So much to do! So much holiday spirit and Christmas cheer to absorb! This is my favorite time of year, but it always catches me off guard.

When you're trying to make healthy choices and maybe reach some fitness or weight loss goals, December throws more roadblocks and obstacles in the way than any other time of the year. Everywhere you look there are delicious treats in the office, peppermint mocha lattes on every corner,  and a party every other night. But don't give up! I want to help you navigate the way through the season so you can maintain a happy and healthy balance and arrive at January 2nd (because let's be real...January 1st is for mimosas, bloody marys, and my epic monkey bread) feeling EXCITED for what's in store instead of hating yourself for overindulging yet again.

I personally believe that it's entirely possible to make progress on your fitness and weight loss goals while still enjoying the holiday season to the fullest. You just have to focus on balance and priorities, and be a little more intentional and strategic with your decisions. There's a fine line between having fun, and having a leeeeeettle too much fun, yeah?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE social events, party food, wine and fun holiday beverages, and most of all celebrating the culmination of another crazy year with the people I love the most, but there's no need to feel deprived when you're trying to make healthy choices. I promise!
Trust me, I'm right there in the passenger seat with you!

Here are 6 tips to maintain balance during the holiday party circuit -- AND enjoy every minute -- without derailing your goals!

1. Be objective, realistic, and intentional with your social calendar and goals.

Objective: How many social obligations, trips, and family visits do you have? Block them out on the calendar so you're prepared.

Realistic: You probably aren't going to lose five pounds this month. But how about feeling good instead of 'gross' come January? Or maintaining your weight instead of gaining? Small victories people! January is waiting for us. Make goals based on ACTIONS that you can control, like staying active and working out every single day, or eating only clean whole foods until 6 pm. Schedule in your "treat nights" so you can enjoy them guilt-free.

Intentional: Prioritize your parties! Choose the ones that you're looking forward to the most, and make a decision in advance to enjoy yourself to the max. Then reign it in a little at the parties that aren't worth it. Family Christmas weekend with your siblings you never get to see? Party On! Your husband's work party at a bar called She-nanigans? Club soda and lime with an early bedtime it is!

It's all about the plan.

2. When you're at a party with a buffet, stay away from the food table!

The purpose of a party is to enjoy the PEOPLE, not the mini meatballs.

3. Alternate alcoholic drinks with a glass of water. 

Better yet: soda water! You'll drink it slower and the bubbles will fill your tummy.

4. Set yourself up for success!

If you're heading to a potluck, bring a healthy option!

Don't give yourself ultimatums like "I'm not oging to touch the cheese" if you really really really love cheese. Put a couple pieces on a plate, and then walk away from the cheese.

If you're tracking your weight, give yourself a buffer of a few days after a party for your system to normalize. Better yet: weigh yourself on Friday BEFORE you head into a festive weekend, after you've been eating healthy for the whole week!

5. Strive for balance, not perfection.

When you have control over your schedule and meals, choose the healthy option. When you're at Grandma's and she's dishing up her famous lasagna and cake, for gosh sake enjoy every bite!

Stay consistent with your workouts and nutrition the majority of the time during the week, and you'll have a little wiggle room to play with.

Plus, it's been shown that people who indulge a little on the weekends actually end up losing more weight over time! It's science, it's official ;)

6. Surround yourself with a support system.

You're not going to be able to stick to your plan if no one in your life understands your motivation. Don't make your personal choices into a dinner table defense trial! Enlist a friend to be your success partner and check in with each other when you need a boost of support.

Or find a few friends and set up a secret accountability group on Facebook! When there's someone out there holding you accountable, it's so much easier to stay on track.

And if you do over-indulge? Don't give up. Just bounce back and keep moving forward.

We've got this!

xo Anna

homemade microwave popcorn

Happy Friday!

I feel like I've been using this blog as dumping grounds to process all the deep stuff I'm going through right now. GROWING PAINS! It's all good, but all overwhelming. So how about a lighter post for the weekend?

This has been my afternoon snack all week! I'm obsessed. 

Who doesn't love the convenience and delicious buttery warm crunch of fresh popcorn? I've been avoiding microwave popcorn for a while because even the "healthy" kind tends to have nasty chemicals in the bag, plus it’s expensive. My younger sisters make traditional stove top popcorn in  a heavy skillet over an open flame, but that always seems a little too ambitious for me. THEN I discovered this DIY method for microwave air-popped popcorn. Life changer! It's super easy, fun, cheap, delicious, and the popcorn doesn’t burn even when you pop it until almost all the kernels have exploded.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Serves 1

Ingredients

+3T popcorn kernels
+coconut oil spray
+stevia
+salt

Directions

+Put popcorn in a large glass bowl, cover with an upside down plate, and microwave for 4-5 minutes, until kernels are popped! (I use a clear Pyrex bowl so I can watch them)
+CAREFUL, bowl will be super hot! Remove with oven mitts and transfer popcorn into a serving bowl.
+Spray with coconut oil, sprinkle with stevia and salt! Or salt and pepper. Or hot sauce. Or parmesan. Or let marshmallows melt into the hot popcorn. The options are endless :)

(1 yellow on the 21 Day Fix or Insanity:Max nutrition plan)

Have a fantastic weekend!

xo Anna

Self Employment || Month 3

This post is a week late, but I wanted to do a November life re-cap before the holiday craziness gets underway! I'm writing these self employment reflections mainly for myself, because I want to be able to record the beginning of my journey so hopefully I can look back on this season of my life and smile. Ha!

So it's been a quarter of a year since I left the "normal" career path, and it kind of feels like a quarter of a century. Right now, in the moment, I feel like I'm on a roller coaster of excitement, overwhelm, purpose, overwhelm, complete fulfillment, overwhelm, and so on. My highs are higher and my lows are lower. I'm learning that there is so much I have to learn in order to be a successful small business owner--but luckily it's the type of stuff that for the most part I'm super excited about.

If I could define November in one word, it would be BREAKTHROUGH.

I'm just beginning to realize that this adventure, this year, has been the biggest voyage of self discovery that I've ever experienced. Yeah, kind of "duh" when I write it out, but what I'm going through on the INSIDE is shaking me to my core. Without external distractions, I'm literally getting to know myself on a much deeper level and it's kind of scary! Like, it almost feels like entering a new, serious phase of a relationship when you start to feel piercingly vulnerable yet your whole world and future is opening with wonderful possibilities you never imagined. It's intensely personal, but I still feel compelled and desperate to share EVERYTHING with the world, shout it out, shock people out of their complacency and routine. Don't take anything for granted. Don't ever settle for an existence that doesn't completely fulfill you in every way. Have you ever heard the quote "do more of what makes you happy?" Take it seriously. Have you ever been so excited to wake up in the morning and go to work that you can barely sleep? Because what you do is so immensely fulfilling and custom tailored to fit every strength, talent, interest, passion that is uniquely yours, and you aren't afraid of failure because you know you're going to be successful because you are doing what you're designed to do? That is my reality. I'm basically making things up as I go, but I'm starting to weigh every decision based on how it makes me feel and how I WANT to feel. Everything in my life that has ever happened to me, everything I've ever loved, created, accomplished, dreamed, experienced, ever since the beginning of my memory has started to come together and make sense.

This month I learned that your personal story is the most powerful and valuable thing you've got. All anyone ultimately desires is to feel connected to others, and your unique struggles and journey will change lives if you're brave enough to share. The more vulnerable you feel? The more impact you will have.

It's mind blowing, terrifying, shattering, and I've had several 6:30 am breakthroughs while reading a book or journaling in my fluffy bathrobe, crying into my morning smoothie, freaking Ben out as the poor man is simply trying to get out the door on time and head to work because he has a normal routine and a normal job. Thank you Ben for loving, supporting, grounding, dealing, and believing in me, because I wouldn't be able to do this without you.

Yeah, month three of self employment was intense.

What I did
+Flew to Dallas for The Platinum Edge, a Beachbody training conference with two of my amazing coaches Sharayah and Mandy! My brain exploded.
+Experienced PiYo live with Chalene Johnson
+Read The Desire Map, actually defined my Core Desired Feelings, my life and driving purpose suddenly became so clear
+Discovered the magic of E-COURSES!!!!! Uh oh. Brain exploded more.
+Started an e-course on InDesign from nicolesclasses.com
+Started an e-course on Digital Products from Creative Live
+Watched a Pinterest e-course and Branding e-course on Creative Live
+Discovered a trajillion amazing small biz/entrepreneurship/marketing podcasts. More brain explosions.
+Sold my scarves at a holiday bazaar fundraiser
+Rocked a Black Friday sale in the Etsy shop
+Started using Contactually to organize my contacts, and Calendly to organize my phone calls. Introvert's lifesavers! I'm getting legit.
+Ran my first official free "clean eating basics" accountability group
+Started shifting my monthly fitness challenge groups into a new format: 21 day "bootcamps" that are designed to help women develop confidence and learn how to lead a more active, empowered, organized, and inspired life. Stay tuned for more on this...

What I accomplished
+Cleared out our second bedroom and created a home office space (THIS CHANGED EVERYTHING!)
+Started to attempt to follow a monthly/weekly/daily schedule (I know I need more structure, I'm just so bad at implementing it into my life)
+$1,000+ sales in my Etsy shop for the SECOND MONTH IN A ROW! It feels like making money out of thin air. And fabric I guess. Can't get over it.
+Highest Beachbody paycheck ever. Over $730 in one week. I think I can do this network marketing thing...
+My coaching team, Inspire Joy, reached 50 coaches and I'm starting to develop more training and mentorship systems
+Starting to feel like I'm getting everything sooooort of under control...I am developing a clearer vision for my future and both small businesses! It's so fun and exciting and overwhelming ahh! I don't feel fully "legit" quite yet, and need to figure out a lot more business details (accounting, budgeting, marketing, branding, file organization and storage, you know...) but I am no longer QUITE as scared of the things that are over my head.

What I learned
+I already have everything I need to be successful, and need to be confident
+I officially want to be some sort of life coach someday. Yup, you heard it here first. It's happening.
+I will get certified to teach PiYo next year and start teaching it in a fitness studio. This format brings me SO much joy in a live class!
+Creating content is more important than consuming content
+I need to give myself more credit, and less pressure
+I need to define success based on how I feel at the end of the day, instead of how many to-do's I accomplish
+Just because I don't understand something, or because I'm not immediately great, doesn't mean I should avoid it or be afraid to give it a shot.
+I can do anything, but not everything. Do less with more focus!

If you really truly deeply passionately want to take a leap of faith and strike out on your own, let this be a sign to take that first baby step. You can do it, even if you don't know where you're going or how to get there. One step at a time. Stop saying "someday."

TODAY is all we have!

Life is too short to ignore the dreams and passions you've been shoving to the back burner.

Dream BIGGER and chase your joy!

Now I'm just trying to make the most of the holiday season and finish out 2014 strong! I'm starting to think about goals for next year, and I'm slowly starting to shift the emotional balance from overwhelmed to excited. I AM capable of doing this.

Thanks for reading and following along with my journey! I think that over the next few months you'll start to see some huge changes around here, and I can't wait to share them with you.

My word for December: Clarity

what do you do? my career identity crisis

Ah, December. The month of parties, social events, family gatherings, and constant networking with people who are usually either:

A. Old friends/fam who are genuinely interested in your life these days.
B. New acquaintances who are trying to figure out who you are and if they should be friends with you.

Last Saturday night Ben and I found ourselves in the crowded and loud back room of a nearby bar, munching on quesadillas and cheap beer (him), pita and hummus and cherry vodka/diet coke (me), and celebrating his ten year high school reunion. It was my first high school reunion experience, and it was weirdly fun, like a suburban high school yearbook came to life only everyone is starting to get a couple gray hairs and wrinkles (ok seriously--when did we become adults??). Since I've known Ben since I was nineteen, I always love getting the rare opportunity to experience a new side of him and his history. I also like parties and meeting new people, but as an introvert these specific types of networking events (crowded, loud, chaotic) definitely drain and intimidate me. Give me a quiet living room and a small group of interesting people and I can stay up until 3 am talking, but making small talk with strangers when you have to yell over loud music and everyone else's yelling is kind of hard.

Ok, now that the scene has been set, this is what I really want to talk about. What's always the first thing you ask someone when you're meeting them for the first time? Yup, the dreaded question.

"So, what do you do?" 

I generally do like hearing about other people's jobs because I'm fascinated by the different opportunities and paths out there, but I personally dread the question because I've struggled with a lot of insecurity over the fact that I've never had a traditional, easily defined career path. Not being able to respond with a confident, easy to understand, and suitably impressive answer is kind of like how I grew up with the unpronounceable name "Anna Vandervlugt". Ahhh-Nah, last name sounds like "looked" with a V in front of it. I'm used to having to justify, explain, and correct misconceptions but I hate it because deep down I really want to be immediately accepted and understood, just like we all do.

Ever since I left grad school I've struggled with a silly inferiority complex regarding my career path and job, which definitely stems from my two year stretch of un/under-employment. I never had to TRY to be successful when I was in school. Sure, I worked hard and earned my success, but I was a good student and was proud of the fact that I always held a high GPA, high test scores, good internships, and landed multiple full rides to top graduate programs. But then once I was launched into the real world, things didn't come so easily. And let me tell you, being in a group of apparently successful and corporate-ladder climbing young professionals and having to explain how you graduated from a top tier graduate program but now you're working part time as a field trip leader and babysitter and have no idea what you really want to do but all you know is that no one wants to hire you........yeah it's not really empowering.

But then I did finally get a full time job as an educator at a wonderful, well recognized zoo in Chicago, and all of a sudden people "understood" what I did, or at least thought it sounded exciting. But then came the follow up comments.

"Oh I've always wanted to play with zoo animals!"
"Do you get to work with the animals?"
"I've always felt bad for zoo animals..."
"That sounds...fun!"

And I had to justify that I was not in fact a zoo keeper or circus performer, but an educator who did outreach in underprivileged CPS schools around the city, and that in fact my zoo is a research and education centered non-profit institution focused on science and conservation, not entertainment. Then they were suitably impressed and I felt very proud of my job, but I knew in my subconscious that it wasn't the best job for ME, so I still felt crappy.

Aaaaaand now I have to explain that I recently quit my job and am working for myself.

Which makes me FEEL like people jump to the conclusion that I'm unemployed/broke again, which is probably an untrue story I'm making up to cover my own insecurities. Because to be honest? Sometimes working from home feels a lot like my life back when I was unemployed. I'm in the same apartment, doing the same things (blogging, sewing, working out, cooking), and even though EVERYTHING ELSE has changed, it's easy to forget how far I've come in the last couple of years! The truth is, when I was unemployed I was actually happy (apart from the whole uncertain future/being broke/feeling worthless part), because I was able to do exactly what I wanted to do every day. The only difference is that now I've figured out how to turn what I want to do, the things that make me ME, into legitimate businesses that bring in money. Small shifts but huge implications. Yeah, I'm a head case.

Does the question "what do you do?" make you feel uncomfortable and stressed out too? I'm starting to believe that those negative emotions stem from a disconnect between the ACTUAL answer of what we do, and how we truly FEEL about what we do.

Student/grad student/Nature Conservancy: Loved my job, loved telling people about it, but I knew it was only temporary.

Unemployed/substitute teacher/part time education guide: Didn't love my job, didn't love telling people about it, knew there was something better out there.

Zoo educator: Didn't love job but liked it enough to love telling people about it.

Self employed: LOOOOOOVE THIS JOB!!!! It freaking rocks. But now I have to figure out what to call myself, since there's no convenient HR department to write me a title and job description. I am the HR department now. And allllll the other departments. Hello career identity crisis!

What do you say when people ask you what you do?
And more importantly--how does it make you FEEL? 

I've been reading The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte, and she's got me thinking more about connecting with our feelings and desires. "It's better for your nervous system if your description of your current career or life status feels honest to you when you deliver it." BOOM.

It doesn't even matter what you do. What matters how you feel about it. This makes total sense! Someone might have an incredibly impressive sounding title but if they are constantly stressed and hate their life, there's no glory in that.

Now I feel AMAZING and empowered and excited to wake up in the morning, but I struggle to convey a neatly packaged description or elevator speech, because I don't have that official HR approved job title! I'm a small business owner, but that doesn't really say anything.

The short version: I own two small businesses--I'm an online health and fitness consultant and also have a handmade shop on Etsy where I sell scarves and (soon to be) watercolor art and paper goods.

But does that really tell you anything about what I do? I'm practicing getting better and more confident, because I am truly proud of my work and I honestly feel pretty dang successful!

The long version: I'm a health and wellness coach, and lead a team of over 50 other motivated and driven women just like me who want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. We run online accountability groups for people who want to gain confidence, lose weight, and learn how to stick to a healthy eating and workout routine for the long haul. I'm also an emerging social media marketing expert and trainer. I'm working on developing a lifestyle blog centered on empowering others to create a healthy balanced life. I'm a watercolor artist and wedding stationery designer (although I haven't made it public yet) as well as a handmade artisan and I design, sew, and knit one of a kind beautiful scarves for women around the world. I also love photography, and want to design and publish healthy recipe e-books and possibly a cookbook. My ultimate goal is to provide life or business coaching services to women who want to feel confident and empowered, meet their true potential, and design fulfilling, purpose driven lives.

Ummmm yeah. Did I tell you I have big dreams? I've been struggling a lot with trying to figure out what I should be prioritizing right now, and how to balance it all.

The other week I discovered Marie Forleo, a business coach and personal development guru who describes herself as a "multi-passionate entrepreneur," and everything started to click. YES! That's me!

I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur!

I don't have to feel confused or overwhelmed or frustrated by having too many interests and passions and dreams. I can run more than one small business. I don't need to combine everything. It's ok to be diverse, because ultimately everything that I'm passionate about comes together naturally because its all a part of ME. I am the brand. My family jokes about me being the next Martha Stewart and I just laugh it off because that's never going to happen, right? I have no idea what I'm doing. But. But but but...what if it could happen? What if I could be an internationally recognized lifestyle brand? I mean, yes it does sound ridiculous and I'm not sure if that would even make me happy, but what I'm trying to say is that I REFUSE to mentally dismiss possibilities purely because my current situation is not at that level.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to learn, read, create, and figure out how to define what I do.

how to create gorgeous photos and graphics for instagram

It's official: I am obsessed with Instagram. I use my account to share my clean recipes, workouts, random inspirational quotes, and behind the scenes daily life. Come on over and join the party!

I'm also obsessed with making my pictures look pretty by using photo editing apps, and let me tell you, I've tried a gazillion of them. After over a year of 'gramming I've narrowed down my favorites to a select handful and today I'm going to share my top two favorites with you!

I have an iPhone 4 and use it to shoot all my Instagram pictures. (And yes, I'm soooo excited to upgrade my phone so I can finally get a better camera...but I want to prove to you that you don't need the latest fanciest gadgets!)

Here are my go-to's. Some are free, some are a few bucks, but in my opinion every single one of these apps is worth the money. Out of all of these, the ones I've been using daily are PicTapGo  and Word Swag.

1. PicTapGo

This is hands-down my favorite app for making your pictures look crisp, bright, and professional. Use it as a mini Photoshop for filters and editing pictures themselves.

I've tried all the trendy filter apps, including VSCO, Afterlight, Rhonna Magic, and while those are all great too, PicTapGo is the only one I use now.

Whether you're going for clean and crisp, dark and moody, hazy, bright, vintage, or textured, there is a filter for you and you can adjust the intensity of each one.

The best part? You can layer multiple filters and then save and name the "recipe" to create your own signature look. I usually use a combo of Lights On, Awake, and Crispity.

Before (blerg)

After (OH HEYY!)

2. Word Swag

Ok. I literally just discovered this amazing and glorious text editing app this week. MIND BLOWN! Do you love motivational quotes or graphic text, but don't know how to make your own words look pretty? For the love of creativity and originality, STOP copying and re-posting other people's images and make your own!

In Word Swag you can either import your own picture or choose one of the gazillion free backgrounds.

Then you can either enter your own text or choose from several pre-made quotes.

And THEN. The fun begins. There are so many themes to choose from, and five different designs within each theme. I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking....

I literally whipped up all these designs in about 60 seconds flat. Thank you Word Swag for making me look like a professional graphic designer.

WITH THEIR POWERS COMBINED

I've been using PicTapGo and WordSwag to create some branding images for my Etsy shop. I'm still trying to figure out what my "brand" looks like (and tying together my Facebook page, Instagram, shop, and fitness consulting is an ongoing adventure), but I'm just going to keep playing with things that look good to me and see what emerges!

What do you think? Are you as excited as I was to discover these apps?

Go forth and populate the web with your beautiful images, and leave your Instagram handle in the comments so I can follow you!

xo Anna

sweet potato shepherdess pie

It officially feels like winter in Chicago. The leaves are gone, desolation and darkness is setting in, I've started to string twinkle lights around the windows, and the puffy coat is OUT! We just made it through a solid stretch of record breaking below-freezing days and now the weather has "warmed up" for a very brief respite (funny how 40's can feel so deliciously balmy after sub zero windchills) but it's pouring rain.

Also known as: perfect comfort food weather!

We've had a busy weekend--yesterday we tackled errands and cleaning, then went to the movies to see Interstellar. Talk about INTENSE! Have you seen it? It was fascinating and I definitely recommend it, but I don't think I'd ever want to see it again simply because it was one of those "high emotional investment" movies for me! You know the kind? Where you walk out of the dark room completely depleted and disoriented? Let's just say that I'm extremely grateful to be living in a pre-apocalyptic world, ha.

Today I took a mini-road trip to Indiana for the baptism of my cousin's sweet baby girl. It was great to spend time with my family and catch up. Family is one of the top priorities that I'm focusing on (necessary to avoid letting the crazy chaos of self-employed life get the best of me!) so it was worth the drive, although I'm pretty exhausted now. Luckily I made this huge casserole for dinner yesterday so we could re-heat some leftovers for a lazy Sunday night dinner.

I was inspired to make this riff on shepherd's pie by a recipe from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, Veganomican. So I totally ruined the vegan aspect by replacing the tempeh with ground turkey...but it turned out delicious! I absolutely love making mashed sweet potatoes, and I like calling this Shepherdess Pie because of the extra sweetness.

Sweet Potato Shepherdess Pie
Inspired by Veganomican
Serves 6

Sweet Potato Layer

-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
-1/4 c milk
-1 tsp dried rosemary
-salt and pepper

Turkey Layer

-1 T olive oil
-1 yellow onion, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, chopped
-8 oz sliced mushrooms
-1 lb ground turkey
-1 1/2 cups frozen peas
-1 1/2 cups frozen corn
-2 T tamari or soy sauce
-2 cups low sodium broth
-2 T corn starch

Preheat the oven to 375*.

Place the chopped sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, then bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a fork.

While potatoes are boiling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms, and sauté until veggies are soft. Add the ground turkey and continue to sauté until the meat is cooked.  Add the frozen peas, corn, soy sauce, and cook until the peas and corn are heated. In a separate Pyrex or bowl, whisk together the broth and corn starch, then pour into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the liquid has started to thicken.

When potatoes are soft, drain them and then add the milk, rosemary, and salt and pepper to the pot. Mash away!

Transfer the turkey mixture to a 9x13" baking dish, then top with the sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a big side salad!

[21 Day Fix: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 green per serving]

Enjoy!

xo Anna

P.S. Stay tuned later this week for new scarves coming to the shop and a HUGE Black Friday sale! Make sure you're signed up for my newsletter to get advanced notice ;)

what is clean eating?

What kinds of food did you eat growing up?

I was raised on the "standard American diet" of the 90's. If you asked 12-year-old Anna what her favorite foods were, the answers would include:

fudge pop tarts (the Kroger generic brand!)

toaster strudels

Pillsbury orange rolls

frozen Salisbury steak

Oreos and peanut butter

macaroni and cheese from a box

Ego toaster waffles

chocolate Teddy Grahams

crescent rolls

Kentucky Fried Chicken

oatmeal creme pies

Hamburger Helper

100 Grand bars

oh, and Grey Poupon mustard. There were definitely a couple years when I received Grey Poupon in my Christmas stocking and was really excited about it.

Aside from the mustard (and the occasional Teddy Graham...), my diet has turned a complete 180 over the past 10-15 years.

It all started around junior year of college, when I finally had my own tiny apartment kitchen and was officially responsible for cooking some of my own meals. Hamburger Helper and Easy Mac were still staples, but as I grew into independence I began to discover food blogs like Carrots 'n' Cake, Kath Eats Real Food, and Healthy Tipping Point. I immediately became somewhat obsessed with stalking the virtual lives of these these random women who promoted healthy, active lifestyles, and I slowly started to really think more about the food I was putting in my body.

In the winter of 2008 I spent two months at Holden Village, a retreat center which is known for its delicious, made-from-scratch food. My oatmeal and veggie addictions were sparked there, and I never really looked back! (This was the same time period I started running and working out on a regular basis as well, so the healthy living thing kind of clicked all at once.)

I ended up losing around 20 pounds between sophomore year of college and grad school, although it was a very slow up and down process. I don't even own a scale anymore because I'm happy with how I feel in my own skin and I don't want to let a number control my happiness and sense of worth, but that's a topic for a different post. Today I want to talk about FOOD!

My diet these days is MAINLY comprised of the types of food you see in that picture. These are what I call "clean" or "whole" foods.

Obviously I am not going to say no to pizza, pasta, burgers, froyo, and cake when the occasion or weekly date night calls for it, but I try to stick to clean foods as much as possible!

What is clean eating?

There are so many definitions and diets out there these days. Vegan, raw, Paleo, If It Fits Your Macros, gluten-free, Weight Watchers, it's enough to make your head spin. Which one is really the "best?" That's something I've been trying to figure out, and here's what I've concluded after reading a lot of books.

In my personal opinion. the BEST diet is one that hits these three criteria:

1. It focuses on whole foods

2. It makes YOUR body feel amazing

3. It is non-restrictive and intuitive enough that you can maintain it for the rest of your life without obsessing

This article on the art of eating sensibly pretty much sums up my views!

What are whole foods?

I personally define whole foods as literally whole foods. One ingredient things. Fruit, vegetables, meat, nuts, whole grains. Anything that hasn't been processed!

I also consider things that have less than 4-5 ingredients to be "clean" too, like Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, a sprinkle of cheese, the occasional whole grain wrap or splash of cow's milk in my coffee. 

Note: I don't have any allergies or sensitivities and go by the "everything in moderation (including moderation)" approach.

When in doubt, don't eat it. If it makes you feel like crap, don't eat it.

Read labels!

If there are weird chemicals in the ingredients list or anything you can't pronounce, then try to avoid or limit that food in your diet. I looooove cereal, but I don't eat it for breakfast because it is basically sugar with vitamins sprayed on, aka empty calories! I might have a handful of Ben's Golden Grahams after dinner if I'm craving something sweet...but I understand that it's a slippery slope to standing in the dark kitchen shoving handfuls in my mouth straight out of the box because those chemicals and all that sugar? They are DESIGNED to trigger addictive tendencies! When was the last time you started eating chips or crackers or cereal or fries and couldn't stop? Yeah, probably the last time you ate chips, crackers, cereal, or fries. 

I don't restrict myself from eating things that make me happy...I just try to make a mindful, intentional CHOICE that I am going to eat it because it makes my brain happy and accept the fact that it's going to make my body feel a little crappy afterwards!

Grocery Shopping Tips

Here is a basic go-to grocery list that I share with my clean eating accountability groups I host on Facebook! You can download a copy by clicking on the image or click here.

-Only go grocery shopping with a plan, and a list!

-Never shop on an empty stomach. You will have zero willpower when it comes to impulse buys.

-Stick to the perimeter of the store as much as possible, this is where the fresh whole foods are found.

Clean Eating Resources

If you're interested in learning more about cleaning up your diet and breaking your dependence on processed convenience foods, these are just a few of my favorite books and websites for more information and delicious recipe inspiration!

Books

It Starts With Food

The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged

In Defense of Food

Blogs

101 Cookbooks

Oh She Glows

Whole30

Move Nourish Believe

Tone It Up

Against All Grain

PaleOMG

What do you think? Are you inspired to clean up your diet a little bit? I know the holidays are coming, but now is the perfect time to set some healthy habits and finish the year happy, healthy, and energized! Let's commit to making the best choices we can and getting a jump start on those resolutions, shall we?

If you have any questions or want to join my next free 5-Day Clean Eating Accountability Group, please shoot me an email at annamarialocke@gmail.com. I'd love to chat!

xo Anna

Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide Review

Trying out new at-home workout programs has been one of my favorite things ever since I took a "personal fitness" gym class in high school and discovered Pilates and step aerobics. I had been a completely sedentary bookworm my whole life until that point, and I was so surprised to discover that exercise could be FUN, not torture! And now I've made it my job, haha. It's funny how life works, isn't it?

I love mixing up my routine so I don't get bored, and I LOVE challenging myself with tough circuits that push me to my max. I also love being able to work out from home, because let's face it, sometimes I don't have the time or mental energy to get my booty to the gym.

Are you the same way?

If you follow any active living Instagram accounts, you might have seen this Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide (BBG) program making the rounds on social media. Kayla is a personal trainer out of Australia who is transforming women on the inside and out with her intense 12-week circuit training program. After hearing so many of my Instagram friends rave about these workouts, I decided to look into the program a bit more. I like Kayla's philosophy on healthy living, because her goal is to help women gain confidence and inner strength by challenging themselves with hard workouts and fueling their bodies with clean, healthy foods. She promotes an active and healthy LIFESTYLE, not a quick fix or crash diet, which is something I'm definitely on board with.

On her website, there are three circuits you can download for free and try before you buy, which I definitely recommend if you're thinking about the BBG. I'm a sucker for freebies so I downloaded them, did all three circuits (one for lower body, abs, and arms) and loved them enough to drop $60 for the complete workout guide because I knew it would be worth it for me.

1. Circuits are my absolute favorite style of workout
2. I have enough inner motivation to push myself without a video or class
3. I'm motivated by a challenge

4. My goal was to mix it up and keep myself excited about my workouts

Done!

(Kayla also offers a nutrition guide, but since I've been doing my own research on clean eating for almost six years, am a member of the Tone It Up nutrition plan, and am obsessed with the 21 Day Fix, I have a good grasp on how to eat to fuel myself so I didn't purchase it.)

I'm proud to say that I stuck with the program the full 12 weeks and just finished it up on Tuesday! You get three circuits per week, and I completed all except two of them while I was traveling during my wedding craziness in September. Kayla also recommends doing low impact steady state cardio (LISS) a few times a week, which basically means powerwalking. Once you make it to the second half of the program, you can incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT), aka sprints.

(post Week 10 Lower Body--you will torch calories and SPARKLE with sweat!)

I didn't keep track of my LISS and HIITs, but I did make it a point to take at least one powerwalk every week, plus I threw in the 21 Day Fix workouts, running, spin class, and the occasional Tone It Up circuit. Overall I work out for 30-60 minutes, 5-6 days/week and take 1-2 days as COMPLETE rest days (no walking, no yoga).

Here's how it works, and a sneak peek of the free workouts!

If you can do the program with a friend in real life, it helps SO much. This was my favorite circuit, lower body when I visited my friend Kaite in Wisconsin! 

FAQ

How did you not give up?! What are your tips for staying on track?

I didn't give up because of my personality. I'm an "all or nothing" girl, and if I'm committed to something 100%, I will see it through no matter what! You just have to want it bad enough. That being said, 12 weeks is a LONG time to stick with a consistent program. If you fall off track for a week, just pick up right where you were and keep going. Don't start back with Week 1, because your body doesn't automatically revert back to your original fitness level and you'll end up getting discouraged. Keep moving forward!

How do the workouts compare to Tone It Up or Beachbody?

They're just different! Tone It Up focuses on daily cardio and resistance or light weights ("toning") routines. I love the Tone It Up workouts, but sometimes they aren't enough for me. The BBG is a next level kind of program and is NOT for fitness beginners. Tone It Up is a great place to start if you're new to a regular workout routine!

Beachbody programs are all video based, and I love every single one I've tried. There are endless different programs based on your goals and preferences. Whether you like dance cardio, athletic style training, heavy weights, kickboxing, a little bit of everything, high impact, low impact, long workouts, short workouts, beginner, advanced. Whether you want to gain muscle and strength, lose weight, increase your flexibility, or all of the above. Whether you want a nice trainer or a yell-in-your-face trainer, there is a Beachbody program for you. The main difference between Beachbody and Kayla's BBG is that the BBG is NOT a video based program--it's a PDF download and you can do the circuits anywhere, home or gym. This flexibility is great, but it's not great if you NEED a follow-along video to stay motivated and push yourself.

Is the BBG worth the money?

It's $60 for a 102-page PDF file with 12 weeks worth of workouts, instructions, and an exercise glossary with pictures and instructions on how to do the moves. You repeat each circuit on alternating weeks, so in total you receive 18 different circuits (21 if you include the free preview circuits which are different than any in the guide itself). So in my opinion, yes it is definitely worth the money, especially if you're like me and need to invest in yourself in order to actually make shit happen. That being said, you only get out of it what you put IN. So if you're going to do 2 weeks and then give up, really think about where your money is going!

What equipment do you need?

I did the complete program at home using a set of 10 lb dumbbells, 5 lb ankle weights that I put on my wrists to ghetto-rig 15 lb weights, a kitchen stool for step-ups, a small step-aerobics bench, and a jumprope.

Ideally, you need a bosu ball, medicine ball, dumbbells, 2 benches, and a jumprope if you're going to do the moves as she specifies. There are only a few different moves that actually require 2 benches and a bosu ball though, so I just got creative and improvised for those.

Do you think starting at Week 1 is a step back if you're already in good shape?

Nope. The circuits are killer and I'd only attempt this program if you have a solid fitness base, and have been working out consistently for at least 3-4 weeks already. If they feel easy, push yourself harder and use heavier weights!

Are you going to do Weeks 13-24?

Kayla recently released a "next level" program. I might do it in the future, but for now I need a break! 12 weeks is a long time and I'm sick of the circuits, haha. I'm planning to focus on spin class and lifting for the remainder of November, and then jump into Insanity Max 30 when it's released in December!

Did you get results?

I went from being able to do 10 "real" pushups to 24. 

My 5k running time went from 27:30 to 24:50. 

I can do 20 jump lunges without taking a break. 

Burpees don't phase me. 

I've increased my spin class "sprint" resistance two gears on the bikes at my gym.

My upper body and legs have never been this lean and muscular.

Kayla markets this program using dramatic before and after pictures of girls in bikinis. I didn't take progress photos because that wasn't my goal--and to be honest, I had 3 weddings, an anniversary, a birthday, 2 additional trips, and Halloween in the 12 weeks I did this program so my nutrition wasn't consistently 100% on point, BUT I can definitely feel a difference in the way my clothes fit and in my endurance!

That being said, if you commit to any intense fitness program for 12 weeks and consistently push yourself, you will probably get similar results. 

The key is to find something that works for YOU, because let's face it. If it's not fun, then you're not going to do it.

If you have any specific questions feel free to email me at annamarialocke@gmail.com. I'd love to chat!