I returned from New Jersey yesterday, the state in which I lived for the first 23 years of my life. Going home has always been an emotional experience for me. I left New Jersey because I desperately needed to hit the reset button. Some might say I escaped or ran away from my problems. I disagree. In order to heal, grow and change, we sometimes need space - and lots of it. Like a plant that has outgrown it's pot. My new pot was the state of Colorado and a fresh start with my husband Brett. I've blossomed as a result, but until now, there has always been lingering pain around my family and my childhood. In the days before my most recent trip, that familiar feeling of anxiety emerged, as it always does when I'm headed East. But I made a … [Read more...] about What Is Perfect: A Personal Story
Overcoming the Food Journal Barrier
If there's one thing I get resistance to when coaching clients, it's keeping a food journal. Back when I was a Weight Watchers member drop out (x4), I despised keeping a journal. I came up with every excuse in the book to not have to use that dang sliding points finder and write in my log. It takes too long (bull, I've journaled on and off for years and it's possible to do it in minutes a day) I don't need a food journal to lose weight (there is tons of research that proves tracking works) I know how much I'm eating (have you ever tried to recall what you consumed at the end of the day? Try it, good luck. Looking back, I ate a lot of Weight Watchers products because the points were conveniently listed on the packaging (very clever … [Read more...] about Overcoming the Food Journal Barrier
Operation Simplification: My 4 Step Plan
Simplifying my world has been a goal for some time now. I've made some, a little, okay, no progress - unless you count the stack of books I bought on how to simplify (ironic, huh). I decided to write this post, not only to help solidify my own action plan, but to encourage others to step away from the chaos and clutter long enough to notice how it might be negatively impacting their lives. With that, here is my plan, also known as Operation Simplification (#operationsimplification). Step One - Unplug Problem: I love the internet! I could spend hours (and sometimes do) reading my favorite blogs and browsing around Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Social media is the black hole of time suck for me. Solution: When I wake up, I tend to go … [Read more...] about Operation Simplification: My 4 Step Plan
Top 10 Kitchen Essentials
Somewhere in my mid 20's, I decided to teach myself to cook. I approached this new endeavor with a "go get 'em" attitude, recording and watching (and re-watching) episodes of America's Test Kitchen, ordering way too many cookbooks from Amazon and checking even more out of the local library. I turned my kitchen into a cooking laboratory. Prior to this undertaking, I mostly survived on a diet of Stove Top stuffing, english muffins, Cheerios, canned corn, elbow macaroni, pizza and fast food. No wonder I was obese. Back in college, I can remember attempting scrambled eggs in my little kitchen on Ray Street and failing miserably. I forgot to oil the pan - it didn't even cross my mind. While growing up, my Mom did most of the cooking and she … [Read more...] about Top 10 Kitchen Essentials