A Mom's Guide to Time Management

I get asked all the time, “How do you get it all done?!” You wanna know my secret? I DON’T!

[GASP!]

Even though I’m very organized, I still don’t get everything done that I aim to in a day every. single. day. And you know what? That’s okay!

I’ve learned since having babies to set PRIORITIES for the day and focus on those instead of a long list of things I’d LIKE to get done. In doing this, I really have to narrow down what’s important versus what can wait. Laundry? Important. Prepping food for the week? Important. Purging an area of the house? Not so important. Working out? Important to me, because that’s my sanity time. And the house falls apart if mama doesn’t get her sweat on. Haha!

I’ve also found it SO helpful to have a daily routine. Even on the weekends, I try to stick to the basic structure (waking up earlier, having my coffee alone, reading my devotional, etc.) because I’m just that kinda gal.

So what does a typical day look like for me? I’m glad you asked!

• 6am: the alarm goes off; I turn on the lamp, get up (no snooze for me, because I’m a recovering snooze addict), and make the bed

• 6-6:30am: brush teeth, put on my face, tame my hair, and get dressed (usually in workout clothes, because why not?)

• 6:30am: go to the kitchen and have a shot of ACV (good to get things moving, if you know what I mean), greens juice, and 12oz water

• 6:35am: make my morning matcha collagen latte (or coffee, depending on what I’m in the mood for) and read my devotional

• 6:45am: write in my prayer journal, jot down my gratitudes for the day, and also write down my “positive claims” (thanks to Rachel Hollis for this idea!)

• 6:55am: briefly glance over my to-do list for the day (which I write down the night before)

• 7am: wake up the kiddos and get them dressed (I pick out their clothes the night before, too)

• 7-7:45am: kiddos’ breakfast, teeth brushing, hair, and packing last min backpack items (lunch is also done the night before to make mornings easier)

• 7:45-8:30am: off to school #1 (Reagan) and #2 (Reid)

• 8:45am-12:15pm: back home to eat breakfast myself, share my morning post (usually my breakfast), workout, answer emails/DM’s, and prep any content I can

• 12:30pm: get Reid from school/eat lunch

• 1-2:30pm: a mix of both play time and random housework (sometimes I get a mini helper for these chores if I’m lucky)

• 2:45pm: get Reagan from school/lay Reid down for his nap (homeboy still NEEDS a nap)

• 3-5pm: help with homework and accomplish any other goals for the day (work on new program, prep additional food, etc.)

• 5-6pm: playtime with kids, prep Reagan’s lunch, and pick out clothes for the next day

• 6pm: start baths and prep for dinner

• 6:45pm (ish): dinner as a family (which is very important to us)

• 7:15-8pm: brush teeth, read books/Bible story, tidy up, and BEDTIME

• 8-10pm: write down my to-do list/priorities for the next day + alone time for B and I (share my post for the night, watch a TV show, read a book)

• 10pm: go to sleeeeep (if I don’t pass out before - ha!)

That’s my day! I also allocate time for business calls, any learning webinars I’m taking, etc. during the time Reid is at school. And, on occasion, a coffee date with a friend or getting my nails done!

Now, obviously during the summer, things normally done mid-morning shift to Reid’s naptime - even my workouts. During this season, they also accompany me to run errands/get groceries, which makes for way longer trips, but hey. But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, right?

Not gonna lie, y’all: There are some days I keep looking at my watch to see if it’s an acceptable time to have a glass of wine. HAHA! Life isn’t perfect and things can be overwhelming at times. The kids fight. A lot. The cat pukes on your new rug. I can’t get a workout in or even poop without being interrupted 47 times. But I am trying so hard to live in the moment, embrace the craziness as much as I can, and BE PRESENT. It’s a work in progress. Shoot, I’M a work in progress.  

My point with this whole blog post is to share what works for ME and my family. It’s not to shame you or make you feel like you’re not “doing it right”. I personally thrive off of routine - it’s the only way to manage my family, our schedules, running a business, and working with brands on social media. You don’t have to be as Type A as I am, but I promise that if you’re consistent with your schedule and give it a solid change, you’ll find that the days are a lot more manageable - and things actually get DONE!

Let me know if you have any questions at all. I’m an open book, you guys!

XO

How to Stay on Track When Eating Out

I know a lot of you know what I’m talking about: you are doing great and seeing results and then…you go out to eat with friends/family and it all goes to crap. Meaning, you eat a meal you normally wouldn’t, stat to beat yourself up, and say “screw it” and giving up completely.

Studies have shown that a whopping 95% of people who lose weight gain it back - and I strongly think this is one of the top reasons why!

Photo c/o New York Times

The biggest things to remember when going out to eat while trying to maintain a healthy nutritional lifestyle are:

1) BALANCE is key! You can allow yourself to indulge a bit, but in moderation. Listen to your hunger cues and stop eating when you’re “satisfied” and not “full”.

2) CHOOSE LIGHTER OPTIONS that are loaded with lean protein + veggies.  Skip sauces/dressings when you can (or ask for them on the side).  Aim to eat the protein and veggies first since those will help you feel more satiated and not bloated/yuck.

3) If you’re going to have an COCKTAIL/DRINK, try to limit it to two. When we drink inn excess, our hunger signals can be thrown off and we tend to eat more mindlessly. Also, try to opt for clear liquors (like vodka and tequila) and add low-calorie mixers like club soda/lime or a splash of sour and then the rest club soda/sparkling water. If you’re drinking wine or beer, be conscious of the size of the glass, since some restaurants have a generous pour.

4) ENJOY YOURSELF!! One meal isn’t going to throw you entirely off track (although it CAN make you feel blah the next day, so be mindful like I mentioned in #1).  Just have fun, live your life, and EAT THE FOOD when you’re out with friends and family. The more stressed we are when it comes to fitness and healthy eating, the more likely we are to give up. And adherence to a healthy lifestyle is KEY in seeing changes!

I hope this helps y’all! I’’d love to hear any tips you guys have for staying on track while eating out, so just comment below or shoot me an email.

XO

My Eating Disorder, Part 3

It wasn’t until I started noticing a trend in what other fitness-focused people were eating that I had a light bulb go off. Well, dang. Maybe my diet is one of the reasons my digestive track is all jacked up and I’m not seeing the results I want with my workouts. Maybe I’m not eating ENOUGH - as well as just poor choices.

I dove headfirst into research on “clean” diets, what macros were and how to find a balance for your body, etc. I decided to trying omitting gluten from my diet to see if it would help with my tummy problems - and it did! I then cut out dairy (since it tends to cause digestive stress and water retention, especially in women) and saw a huge difference after doing that, too.

After about 3 weeks of eating in this new way, I felt like a new woman! I didn’t even miss my junk food because I loved how the wholesome, nutrient-dense foods made me feel. However, I knew I still wasn’t eating enough to fuel my busy days/workouts.

This part of my nutritional overhaul was by far the most difficult for me. I had it programmed in my head that calories in vs calories out was all that mattered. If I burned more than I ate, I’d be good to go. While that theory is correct, the QUALITY of your food and the balance of macros makes a HUGE difference! I’ve talked about that before though, so I won’t go down that rabbit hole in this post. Haha!

Mentally, I didn’t want to increase my calories. What if it made me gain weight? What if I couldn’t fit into my skinny jeans again? Blah, blah, blah. But I saw in other people’s posts the transformation that could occur if you fuel your body the right way, and I knew my body needed that. I had punished it for too long with a crappy, low-calorie diet and it needed to change. Not just for my mental and physical health, but for my daughter. I didn’t want Reagan to grow up watching me abuse my body with restrictive/binge eating and talk negatively about my body. I wanted her to have a healthy relationship with food and with her body. So I went for it.

Now, I didn’t increase my calories by 500-700 overnight. I took baby steps and increased them by about 100 or so at a time. This allowed me to 1) mentally adjust to the higher caloric intake (because it can seriously be a mind-eff when you’ve dieted for so long!), and 2) see how my body did with those extra calories and decide if I needed to keep increasing or if that was my “sweet spot”. Once I felt I was at a good range for my body (sleeping good, digestive track on point, enough energy throughout the day and for my workouts), then I stopped there. I also made sure I was eating a good balance of macros (fat, carbs, and protein), playing with the ratios till I found what my body liked.

While a lot of people will say tracking your calories/macros while battling with/during recovery from an eating disorder isn’t wise because of the added stress it can cause, I personally feel like it helped me. It helped me to make sure I was getting enough in - and in the right ratios.. But let me tell ya: if tracking adds stress to your life or makes those tendencies creep back up, stop doing it! Go with more of an intuitive eating approach - whatever works for YOU. This is just what has helped ME.

During this time, I gained about 2-3 pounds - but it was all muscle! I was definitely leaner, but my muscles were toned and growing (hiiii, baby muscles!) and I just FELT BETTER. I didn’t feel frail anymore. People stopped commenting on how thin I was and started actually asking what I was doing (which is how my Instagram page was started)!

I didn’t feel the compulsive tendancies to binge, because I was eating enough throughout the day and not letting myself get hangry. If I did go out and have an unplanned meal, I didn’t beat myself up about it or restrict food the next day. My mentality changed along with my body, and it was such a freeing feeling!

I have since stuck with my nutritional lifestyle - even through my pregnancy with Reid. I didn’t track during that time, but just kept eating my usual balanced meals throughout the day. And man, was my pregnancy completely different than with Reagan. I had energy. I lifted weights. I was able to play with and take care of my toddler. And after I had my c-section, I was able to get back to my daily activities because I was still fueling my body the way it needed to be fueled.

Now, I’ll be honest and say sometimes those thoughts do come to the back of my mind. I’ll have a day every now and then where I “regret” my food choices and feel like I need to work them off (I don’t, but I have those thoughts). Or maybe I’ll feel those binge-y feelings creeping back up on me when I’m tired or stressed. I’m not perfect -no one is! And recovery and healing isn’t linear. It’s a lifetime struggle that we always have to be mindful of. What matters is that we recognize our triggers and recognize WHY we’re wanting to binge or restrict ourselves. Then we can both try to avoid those triggers and deal with those feelings in a healthier way if they do arise.

How can we deal with them? Take a walk outside. Take a short nap if you know you’re getting binge-y because you’re overtired. Get out of the house. Write down your feelings in a journal. Text a friend what you’re feeling and ask them for some kind words. Pray. Find what works for you and helps you through those times. Because they will arise from time to time, but (as Heidi Powell has said) we’re bigger than our addictions, friend.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I really hope this blog series has helped you in some way. If my story can touch ONE person, it’s 110% worth it. Feel free to share this on social media, in an email to a friend who may need it, etc.. I also urge you to talk to someone in the medical profession if you’re struggling and feel hopeless. And never hesitate to email me if you have any specific questions or just want to ask for prayer. I’m here for you!

XO