Anna Maria Locke

I'm Moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:00:00 +0000

I am absolutely terrified to type this, but it's been a long time coming!

After almost six years on Blogger, I'm officially moving to Squarespace.

I'm terrified because change is scary, haha! And also because I'm not sure how long the transition will take.

I'm going to revert this blog back to my old annikalikes.blogspot.com address once I move annamarialocke.com over to the new site.

Stay tuned for the new Anna Maria Locke :)

Here's to the next chapter in this adventure!

xo Anna

life in January

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:12:00 +0000

Do you ever let yourself look back at where you've been and how far you've come?
It's funny to revisit this time last year. Literally one year ago to this day, January 28th, we were deep in the middle of the Polar Vortex and I was dealing with the same mid-winter "what am I doing with my LIFE!?" introspection.

So much has happened since then, so much has changed, and yet so much is still the same.

This time last year I was struggling to balance my full time job with my dreams of turning my Etsy shop into a thriving handmade business. I had no idea that Beachbody was about to drop into my lap and completely change the trajectory of my life. Over the past year I've grown into myself, I have a clear and exciting vision for my future, but my Etsy shop is still always on the poor backburner, haha! But in the meantime I've learned so much about running and marketing a small business, and this year I promise I'm going to make good on my intentions! Although I think I'm still going to view the shop as a passion project on the side instead of pressuring myself to turn it into something too huge to handle.

Anyway, this January has been a month of huge and transformative personal growth. I've struggled and battled to gain clarity on exactly what I want to accomplish this year, and even though most of the time I feel like I'm running as hard as I can just to stay in place, I know I'm also making huge strides and progress in my confidence and vision for my life and career.

When I look back on January 2015, here is what I will remember.

Endless bowls of fancy oats to warm up chilly mornings.

Pushing myself past my mental, emotional, and physical limits every single day with Shaun T's Insanity Max 30 (although I must admit I actually miss my early morning gym adventures! Working out from home while you work from home is awesome, but my hermit tendencies are starting to get to me).

Fueling and nourishing my body with enormous salads and allllllll the veggies.

Finding balance and rewarding myself with my favorite treats! Wine, milk stouts and chocolate porters, mugcakes. I'm happy Ben and I finally checked out the Map Room, it's adorable and brings me back to my grad school days as a geographer!

We joined a church! I started to make pillows, a sewing project I've been putting off for way too long. Ben bought a new car and I discovered the amazing and wonderful Andrea Owen whose blog, podcast, and book are helping me joyfully accept myself for who I am and lay off the internal pressure!

During the first half of the month I was obsessed with planning, reflecting, goal setting, and organizing. I developed and hosted my first ever coach training workshop for the new members of my team, I started to create a new vision for my monthly accountability Bootcamps, and I blogged more thanks to this amazing editorial planner from By Regina. I've slowly started to develop monthly and quarterly goals that align with my core desired feelings. This is a hard process and I'm balancing my inner overachiever with my determination to live more intentionally and find joy in life instead of being constantly overwhelmed. I feel like I'm literally bursting with energy and inspiration and I have a desperate desire to write more, share more, and embrace my journey in all its messy glory. 2015 is the year I will grow into myself, and I'm so excited for what's in store!

I've always struggled with insecurity, fear, perfectionism, and feeling like I'll never be "enough," and this was the month I started to recognize and confront all those little voices holding me back.
Every day I'm practicing self compassion and I'm slowly accepting myself for who I am, right now. I'm taking action on things that I've been thinking and journaling about for years, instead of letting my perfectionism overwhelm and paralyze me.

I really love how I've been blogging for almost six years now because it's fun to remember where I've come from and recognize what has always been important to me.
In January 2011 I said "I am trying to project self-confidence, optimism, and excitement towards all the unknowns coming up in my life this year, and not stress out too much."

Yup, I'm still me :)

chicken and white bean chipotle chili

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 01:47:00 +0000

Ben and I have a habit of picking up dinner at Chipotle when we're feeling lazy, but it probably takes just as much time to throw together a healthy homemade meal as it does to get in the car, drive, order, come home, etc. Weeknight recipes like this require little more effort than opening cans and dumping ingredients together, but the end result tastes amazing, almost restaurant quality :)

I love making a big pot of chili or soup to last through the week. This chili is different than any other kind I've ever tried. It's kind of a cross between white chili and traditional chili, and it has an addicting smoky flavor that's balanced by the creaminess of the Greek yogurt. It's like the sassy and spicy cousin to my regular chicken and white bean chili. Healthy comfort food at its finest!

Chicken and White Bean Chipotle Chili
Inspired by Better Homes and Gardens
serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts, diced
1 red onion, chopped
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 T chipotles in adobo sauce*
2 cups (or 1 can) cooked white beans
2 cups (1 can) broth
1 T chili powder
salt and pepper
plain Greek yogurt
cilantro

*I freeze the leftovers flattened in a plastic bag and then break off bits to use in future recipes! I do the same with tomato paste--a tip I learned from Iowa Girl Eats.

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in a large pot coated in cooking spray until browned. Add the onion, saute for 1-2 minutes, then add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chipotles, beans, broth and chili powder. Simmer for 10-30 minutes, top with Greek yogurt and cilantro, and enjoy!

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

weekly meal plan || January 25

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 14:22:00 +0000

Here's what we have on the menu this week! I'm going into week SEVEN (out of eight!) of my Insanity Max 30 program so I'm trying to cut out the extra wine and snacks to maximize my results :)

You can read more about my meal planning strategies here! Ben and I have started a Sunday routine of going grocery shopping right after church since we're already out and about. I love stocking up on all our food in one trip, it makes the rest of the week run a lot more smoothly.

Breakfast
Eggs + Toast + Fruit
Oatmeal + Fruit
Protein Pancakes

Lunch

Dinner leftovers

Salad with chicken or tuna

Dinner

Almond butter chicken satay + brown rice and cucumber salad

Grilled shrimp and grapefruit salad + noodles for Ben

Chipotle turkey chili with lentils

Roasted veggies and pork medallions

Snacks

Shakeology

Apple + nut butter

Almonds

Veggies and hummus

Hard boiled eggs

What's on your menu this week?

3 amazing podcasts that will inspire you to take on your goals

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:39:00 +0000

I'm way late to the podcast party and just discovered the amazingness of these free audio life changing tools last fall. I know a lot of people who listen to podcasts for entertainment and yes I know that Serial is addicting and so good, but I prefer to listen to them to either learn something useful, or to stay motivated and boost my confidence while I'm doing a mindless task like walking, driving, cutting/ironing fabric, or sewing.

When I discover something new and exciting I immediately go into obsessive accumulation mode and I've "discovered" and burned through soooo many podcast subscriptions. In the spirit of making 2015 THE BEST YEAR EVER, here are my top three favorite podcasts that will inspire you to lead a more fulfilling and positive life.

Listen, be inspired, and go forth to set some goals and take action towards your dreams!

1. The Lively Show
I don't remember when or how I first discovered Jess Lively, but I immediately clicked with her blog and personality. A former creative small business owner and Chicagoan, she now lives in Austin, TX and has made it her mission to uplift and inspire other women to live intentional, values-based lives. Her podcast is hands down my number one favorite and I never miss an episode! She interviews other successful female business owners and creatives and their conversations are always so deep and inspiring. I almost always feel a click or "omg YES" moment while listening to them talk about their struggles, successes, and the resistance they've faced along the way. I love that Jess ends each interview by asking "what advice would you give someone who's just starting out on this journey?" because oh heyyy that's me! I've also picked up a gazillion little nuggets of useful business advice and learned about resources like Creative Live and Nicole's Classes through her guests!

Great for
Creatives, new mothers, anyone who is considering starting a small business/Etsy shop/blog, women who want to live more intentionally in regards to their personal habits, relationships, home, career.

Listen to
+Redefining Pretty with Elizabeth Piper
+Increasing Our Joy with Rachel MacDonald
+Three Tips for When You Feel Overwhelmed

2. The Chalene Show
Oh Chalene Johnson. Joyful influencer. I discovered Chalene when I became involved with Beachbody last year. I worked through her goal setting book PUSH and instantly became obsessed with her energetic, tough love, positive attitude. She's a self made businesswoman, celebrity fitness trainer, social media marketing expert, life/business coach and an all around genuinely awesome lady, wife, and mother. I've had the honor of hearing her speak at The Platinum Edge conference last fall and also attended two live workouts with her that literally changed my life. She is very clear that no matter how busy or successful she might be, she always puts her husband and children first, and she's taught me how to align my life and goals based on my own true priorities (family, faith, friends). And also how to MAKE SHIT HAPPEN! I'm obsessed with her workout PiYo and one of my 2015 goals is to become a certified instructor, eek! Chalene's podcast is focused on motivation, leadership, and life coaching and will help you boost your self confidence and look at your life with a bigger sense of possibility.

Great for
Introverts! Small business owners, and anyone really, if you click with her strong personality. You must be willing and ready to turbo-charge your life ;)

Notes: The Chalene Show is best listened to while power-walking outside or at the gym.

Listen to
+Motivation and Energy On Demand
+Introvert or Extrovert? How to Overcome Shyness
+Too Scared to Try? How to Break Free From Perfectionism

3. Raise Your Hand Say Yes
I discovered Tiffany Han fairly recently, and immediately connected with her podcast and mission: to pull back the curtain on what it means to be highly creative and share your talents with others. Her focus is on interviewing creative female entrepreneurs about what it means to live an authentic and courageous life. The background behind the title is that when life hands you an opportunity, you should immediately raise your hand, say yes, and then figure it out later! It's encouraging to hear from established and successful creative professionals that it's ok to feel insecure, it's ok to dive in and learn from failure, and that you can't live your dream until you embrace the abyss and just go for it!

Great for
Creative entrepreneurs, women who feel like they "should" do something scary, anyone who wants to take a leap of faith/add value/start a blog/share their art but needs an extra boost of encouragement.

Listen to
+Erin Loechner on Saying Yes
+Lisa Congdon on Creative Evolution
+aaaand basically all of them.

I hope that you connect with one of these podcasts too! Life is really short, and I encourage you to find pockets of "wasted time" while you drive, commute, or do mindless busy-work and fill your mind with uplifting stories.

No matter what you're dreaming about, I'm on your side. Let's make this our year :)

xo Anna

how to set 2015 goals and follow through

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:15:00 +0000

I've been thinking and obsessing A LOT lately about what I want to accomplish in 2015, and I'm just now finally hashing out my goals and intentions even though we're already almost a month into the year. Better late than never! This is the first full calendar year that I'll be self-employed, so I feel a lot of self imposed pressure to have all my goals and dreams beautifully organized with made to match action plans and long term and short term objectives. But it's not that easy!

It's freaking hard to set goals and follow through. This is why only 8% of people actually achieve their New Years Resolutions. It's really scary to trust yourself enough to set a long term goal because who knows what will happen! The great unknown is a big obstacle. Will I actually be able to make this happen? There's only one way to find out. Obviously you have to have faith and give it your best shot, but the fear of failure can be self sabotaging and my own fears have been holding me back.

I'm obsessed with the big picture and long term dreaming and visioning, which is why I went to grad school for geography instead of ecology (if you're an environmental scientist you'll understand), but I also struggle with a lot of self doubt, which prevents me from setting and accepting really big scary goals. When I quit my day job to follow my dreams, I was surprised to discover that my self doubt hit me even harder and stronger than ever before!

For the first time in my life I'm cut free from external expectations of school or a job. I have complete control over how I spend and manage my time and let me tell you, it's not necessarily a blessing! Some days it feels more like a curse. I don't know what to prioritize. I don't know WHAT is the most important thing for me to be focusing on at any given moment, no structure, and that paralyzes me and prevents me from doing ANYTHING.

I'm also obsessed with absorbing books and blogs and podcasts and printable questionnaires that will tell me what I should want out of life, how I should feel, and how I should plan out my strategy, but it's hard for me to know what I'm capable of, or what is possible and realistic, because I'm so new at all of this. Because I don't know what to expect, I don't know what my end goals should be. I don't know how to plot out the details and baby steps because I hate not being able to see exactly where I'm going. I am a chronic overachiever and commitment-phobe, and I'm easily overwhelmed by all the information I'm overloading myself with.

Sooooo yeah. All this is what I've been dealing with this past month, but I'm starting to finally feel like I'm developing a plan. I've discovered several bloggers and coaches who have amazing perspectives on goal setting, and here are some of the resources and posts I've found most useful!

Blog Posts
Know Where You're Headed by Tara Gentile
How to Set Goals Intentionally by Jess Lively
How to Set Goals and Commitments That You'll Actually Keep by Alexandra Franzen
How to Make It Happen Already in 2015 by Lisa Jacobs
Set Blog and Business Goals Without the New Year Hangover by Kyla Roma

Books
Push by Chalene Johnson (great for taking action and making shit happen!)
The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte (for putting values front and center in your jam packed crazy life)

Worksheets
PowerSheets by Lara Casey
Design Your Creative Year by Kyla Roma (free!)
Unraveling the Year Ahead Workbook by Susannah Conway (free!)

What I've Learned About Goal Setting

-Start with how you want to feel. What makes you excited to think about? What would make you dissappointed if it never happened (no matter how scary it seems now?)

-Instead of setting goals based on what you want to accomplish, think of benchmarks or milestones as intentions that align with your core desired feelings and values.

-Focus on daily actions that you can control. For example, you can't control the number on the scale, so instead of saying "I want to lose 10 pounds," say you're going to eat whole foods 6 days/week and exercise 4 times/week. Allow room for fun!

-It's important to focus and simplify! Set a Chief Initiative for the year ("Push" Goal), and a handful of supporting goals.

-Plan actions and benchmarks seasonally. Every three months ask yourself "what do I want to accomplish?"

-Braindump for each goal! What do you need to learn, do, acquire, and who do you need help from? Break all steps down into tiny daily action items.

-Sort the steps into 3 categories: This month, next month, third month.

-At the end of each season, re-assess!

-Set deadlines. Be aggressive with yourself so you don't procrastinate.

-Journaling every single morning really helps me feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

Now go forth and dream bigger, girl!

Do you set goals or New Years Resolutions? What is one big scary dream you want to accomplish in 2015? Let's make it happen!

Insanity Max 30 meal plan

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 01:36:00 +0000

I’m officially starting week six of Insanity Max 30, and even though I’ve been killing the workouts and seeing some great results so far, I must admit that I haven’t been really focused or disciplined with my nutrition since before the holidays. The meal plan that comes with Insanity Max 30 is amazing and I haven’t been giving it enough credit. It’s very similar to the 21 Day Fix in that it’s focused on portion control instead of calorie counting, and it really takes all the guesswork out of “clean eating.” Based on your weight, you’re assigned a certain number of portions each day of the basic food groups: protein, veggies, fruit, healthy fats, and carbs. You can use the fun color coded containers, but you also get measurements in cups and tablespoons which is really convenient!

Confession. I’ve been loosely following the nutrition plan, but I haven’t really fully committed because I’ve been full of excuses. First the holidays, then the freezing weather, and I’ve been lazy. Since New Year’s I’ve been eating almost 100% whole foods and have eliminated all processed food and added sugar from my diet, but I’ve been drinking way too much wine and I know I’ve been eating too much. Yes, you can definitely over-eat healthy food! What you eat has a much greater impact on your body than working out, and you honestly can’t “out-exercise a bad diet,” so it’s time for me to eliminate my dumb excuses and get serious! Yes I am torching tons of calories every day, but that doesn’t mean I have the green light to eat like Michael Phelps. I know this program has amazing potential to completely transform my body and I want to live up to that potential and not ruin all my hard work with mindless choices. I only have 3 weeks left, so I’m going to be dialing in on my meal planning and nutrition so I can feel energized and amazing. This does not mean deprivation, it just means focus and intention! No more boredom snacking, wine just because the bottle’s open, or extra bites here and there when I’m not truly hungry. I’ve committed to making 2015 the year I stop holding myself back! #noexcuses

I'm using myself as my own motivation!

HOW I MEAL PLAN

Every Saturday or Sunday, I go through my stash of cooking magazines, cookbooks, and Pinterest and plan out what we’re going to eat for the week. I put together a grocery list as I select recipes and we stock up on all our groceries on Sunday. We buy 85% of our food at Aldi (I’m obsessed), and the rest at Jewel or Trader Joe’s. Ben and I both love food, so we do our best to stick to a “budget” but let’s be real, food is where we do our biggest spending because I looooove trying new recipes and new fun impulse buys. Eeek! Aldi saves us, but we still usually end up spending $100-$120/week on groceries for the two of us, and then go out at least once or twice a week for Chipotle and a date night restaurant. I know this isn’t too bad, but I also know we can do better. We do most of our cooking at home and make our own lunches, but living in Chicago around so many amazing restaurants makes it really easy to spend money!

Love Aldi so much!

DINNER
I start by thinking of 3-4 dinner ideas for the week. Between Ben and me, this is usually enough to get us through with leftovers and we go out on Fridays for “date night.” I follow the Tone It Up meal structure, which means I keep my carbs to the first half of the day so dinner is usually lean protein and veggies with a healthy fat. I’ll usually make a side of brown rice, pasta, or add some carbs for Ben and my lunch leftovers. Sometimes I’ll have a starch like beans, sweet potatoes, and the occasional whole grain, but I’ve eliminated processed carbs (bread, pasta) at dinner because I’ve discovered sticking to “lean, clean and green” really does help me wake up in the morning feeling lighter and leaner. I’m not depriving myself because if I really want bread I’ll eat the damn bread and definitely make room for treat meals or drinks at least a couple nights a week, but I eat to feel good and that’s how I make my decisions! I’ve been able to achieve a balance that keeps me sane and feeling great.

BREAKFAST
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast and lunch, and I’ll go through a phase where I eat the same thing every single day all week. My breakfast rotation is usually either oatmeal, protein pancakes, or occasionally eggs. Usually oatmeal. I prefer sweet over savory in the morning and eat a huge breakfast because it’s my favorite meal of the day and morning is when my metabolism seems to be cranking at the highest levels so I’m starving. There are a lot of people who swear by the Paleo diet and preach the elimination of all whole grains, but I’ve discovered that for me, physically and emotionally I function best with some carbs in the morning and a huge bowl of oatmeal makes me freaking happy. Don’t cut out foods just because people “say so.”

LUNCH
Lunch is usually a giant salad I eat in a serving dish sized bowl, topped with leftover chicken or a can of tuna. I love mixing tuna with mustard or Greek yogurt to make “tuna salad,” and loading up my salad with as many veggies and toppings as I can. I also like to add a couple tablespoons of healthy fats like a sprinkle of cheese (feta or goat cheese), nuts, olives, or chopped avocado. I shake up my own salad dressings from olive oil, vinegar or lemon, a squirt of Dijon, some herbs, and sometimes a sweetener like honey or maple syrup. Chopped apples are good too! I always eat an apple and PB for lunch dessert because I have a huge sweet tooth and this kills my sugar cravings.

SNACKS
On top of my three main meals I always eat a morning and an afternoon snack. In the morning this is usually Shakeology blended with unsweetened almond milk, ice, and occasionally frozen banana, which I have after I workout. My afternoon snack is usually veggies, hummus, and almonds. Again, this fits with the TIU meal structure of keeping fruits and sugars in the morning, and veggies and healthy fats in the afternoon to maintain your blood sugar an energy levels and it works for me! Sometimes I’ll have Shakeology in the afternoon because that’s when my energy dips and Shakeo will rev me back up and keep me full until dinner. The pre-dinner hour around 4-5 pm is when I turn into a bottomless snacky pit if I’m not careful!

THIS WEEK’S MEAL PLAN

Here’s what I’ve got on the line up for this week!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates and recipes.

Breakfast
Eggs + Toast + Fruit
Oatmeal + Fruit
Protein Pancakes

Lunch
Dinner leftovers
Salad with tuna or chicken

Dinner
White bean and sausage cassoulet
Asian turkey wraps
Grilled steak and fajita veggies
Leftovers
Date night

Snacks
Shakeology
Apple + PB
Veggies and hummus

Do you meal plan, or do you take things day by day?

xo Anna

p.s. How to combine the 21 Day Fix with the Tone It Up plan + a recipe for French Toast Oatmeal

the best lentil soup ever

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 14:57:00 +0000

For Thanksgiving at my sister in law's this past year I brought a lentil salad recipe I found in Better Homes and Gardens (or as Ben calls it, Better Homes and Gardens Than Yours) that had a dressing made with red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard and it freaking rocked. Like, it was ALMOST as good as the cornbread stuffing that our friend Meredith brought, and stuffing + cornbread are two of my most favorite foods.

A lot of people tell me I'm an amazing cook (and I will accept all compliments and accolades gladly, hehe), but really my secret is just paying attention to what I eat! If I eat something that makes me think OMG this is the most delicious thing ever, I make a mental note and try to remember the components of what made it so yummy to me.

When I'm making dinner I rarely follow a recipe exactly. I usually take inspiration from my hoard of cookbooks and magazines or the memory of a delicious meal I had at a restaurant and put my own spin on it. Once you start to learn what flavors go well together and some basic cooking skills, you'll become a chef too. (I started with Easy Mac, pasta with frozen garlic bread, Lean Pockets, and Hamburger Helper in college, so if I can learn how to cook you can too. I believe in you!)

Anyway, last week we were down to a few bare scraps in the fridge and I threw together this lentil soup that was inspired by our Thanksgiving side dish. It turned out to be the best lentil soup I've ever had! Healthy, hearty, savory, delicious, and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Try it this weekend!

The Best Lentil Soup Ever
serves 4

Ingredients

-1T olive oil
-1 onion, chopped
-4 carrots, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup green lentils, rinsed
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tsp dried thyme
-4 cups broth
-1 cup water
-1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
-2T Dijon mustard
-2T red wine vinegar
-green onions

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until partially cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Add lentils, herbs and spices, broth, and water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft (the best way to test doneness is try a bite!). Stir in the beans, mustard, and vinegar and simmer for another 5 minutes. Top with chopped green onions and enjoy!

Toast and peanut butter makes the perfect side to lentil soup.

(21 Day Fix: 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 tsp per serving. Makes 4 servings.)

how Insanity Max:30 changed my life (confessions of a Shaun T fangirl)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:07:00 +0000

(me in 2006 vs. today)

Shaun T’s latest crazy at-home workout program, Insanity Max:30, launched last December and I ordered it on a whim. I had no idea what I was in for.

This is a 60 day program divided into two months, and I just finished month one. In the last week I’ve been noticing that yes, I’ve gained a lot of muscle, but there’s also a very deep and profound shift happening inside of me that’s making me feel vulnerable yet empowered at the same time. For the first time in my life, I’m starting to feel like an athlete both physically and mentally. I’m gaining a sense of confidence in all that I do, and I’m slowly starting to embrace the sides of myself I’ve kept hidden and suppressed for so long because they are connected to feelings of inadequacy and shame. Well, I’m experiencing this overpowering compulsion to finally unleash my heart and story, and so that’s what I want to talk about today.

It's official. Shaun T and his crazy workout program are changing my life.

Settle in, grab a latte (or glass of wine, since as I type this it's 5 o'clock on #winenotwednesday), and come along for the ride.

THE BACKSTORY

Growing up, I was a sedentary bookworm. My dad is a competitive runner, so I was used to waking up at the buttcrack of dawn on Saturday mornings in the summer to drive to some obscure town in the middle of Illinois and watch him compete (and win). For a few years in early elementary school, my siblings and I even did a kids’ race series hosted by his running club and a local hospital. I associate this brief phase with memories of struggling around a quarter mile track on hot and humid summer evenings, amassing a fluttering collection of brightly colored participation ribbons, drinking icy half frozen plastic cups of hospital juice, and eating delicious cookies at the finish line. The snickerdoodles were my favorite. I hated running.

I always ended up walking the mile in PE class, while my classmates whizzed by and lapped me. I easily earned straight A’s all the way through 12th grade, with the exception of gym class. Sports just weren’t my thing, and I didn’t think I cared. I was happiest when I could get lost in a book for hours. I loved drawing, making paper dolls with my sister, and creating maps and imaginary worlds for our toys and stuffed animals. I felt inspired and free tromping around in the woods behind our house with the neighbor girls, embarking on made up quests and adventures.

In 5th grade, we did an assignment where we wrote our own “Got Milk?” ads. We were supposed to tell a story about something we love to do, and how milk helps us do it (yeah, it was the 90’s). Everyone in the class talked about their favorite sport, because 5th grade was the first year we were able to participate in extracurricular activities, but I didn’t do any sports, so I talked about how I loved to read. This sounds really inconsequential, but that was the first time I remember ever feeling shame for not being “like the other kids.”

I made it through junior high and into high school with minor psycho/emotional damage considering the trials of adolescence, and in high school settled into my clique of talented honors students. I had lots of friends, and many of them are still in my life to this day. I was definitely happy, but I was always obsessed with how I looked and stressed about not feeling “pretty” or “skinny” enough, although I never considered that I could do anything to change how I felt except spending extra time putting makeup on in the mornings.

THE TURNING POINT

I very slowly and gradually discovered Pilates, workout DVDs, and power walking which turned into jogging. By the time I entered college, “working out” was something I did occasionally when I was motivated to hit the gym, but I was more interested in figuring out what I was doing, making friends, being accepted, and surviving Cell Bio. I was far from your typical party girl, but I did go out and partake in the drinking/Taco Bell combo occasionally, as well as the unlimited Whitey’s ice cream that was served in the cafeteria. (If you’re from the Quad Cities, you know what I’m talking about…). Our campus at Augustana is built into the Mississippi River Valley so it’s extremely hilly and I was more active than I’d ever been before, but I also ended up gaining the typical Freshman 15 and continued to obsess about my body image and weight.

(Me in the center, spring of my freshman year, 2006)

(The fam! Summer 2006.)

I hit a tipping point while I was home for Christmas break during my sophomore year. I distinctly remember stepping on my parents’ scale and seeing 149 flash back at me. I’m 5’6” so I wasn't "overweight" by any means, but it felt and looked unhealthy to me. I was extremely unhappy in my own skin and knew that I needed to do something about it, so as soon as I got back to school I started slowly and gradually working out more often and paying attention to what I ate. I ended up making friends with some girls on the XC and track team and we became roommates junior year, while I was also dating Ben. He was a pole vaulter, so I ended up hanging out with the track people a lot. Augie is a D3 school, so even though our track team was one of the best in the division, really anyone could join and participate and guess what? This girl who walked the mile her entire life ended up running collegiate XC and track.

(Spring 2008. I love this photo! I look fierce, right? But notice how no one is cheering me on, because my relay team was always the last on the track and didn't matter...)

I liked the team aspect and practices, but what I never admitted to anyone was how much of an imposter I felt. I wasn't ready to completely redefine myself as a college athlete among all these REAL athletes who had been doing sports their whole lives, and my body wasn’t used to running every single day so I ended up injuring myself every season. The overtraining never allowed me to really improve my endurance or times, so I always finished in the last few places at every meet. This experience was probably ultimately good for me in the "school of hard knocks" way, but it was my first taste of complete and utter failure, and it made me feel so small and alone, like I was letting myself down as well as the team, my coach, Ben, and my dad. Every time I finished last, or next to last, or couldn't keep up at practice, it was a reminder that I wasn't good enough.

On the upside, the benefit of all that running was that my pounds melted away, and even though I never completely overcame my negative body-image issues, I did feel beautiful and loved seeing baby muscles develop in my legs and abs. Health and fitness has been a major part of my life ever since then.

WHERE I’M AT TODAY

It took me up until just one year ago to "come out" of my secret fitness closet and publicly admit that I was into healthy living. Since then I've completely embraced my new identity and have even made it into a career. Working out is a regular part of my life and I feel completely comfortable at the gym, or heading out for a 3-4 mile run. It’s ironic, but I’m now a lot faster than I ever was in college even though I’m not training for speed and only run occasionally for fun. I don’t need any motivation because I work out for the way it makes me feel and I’m definitely in great shape. HOWEVER. I am afraid to really push myself or set particular fitness goals, because I’m still dealing with that damn athlete imposter syndrome. Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I'm seen as a publicly inspirational figure and I am still working on accepting myself.

Every time I come closer to surpassing my own limits I end up falling back into my “comfort zone,” and living in a comfy plateau because I’ve finally reached my happy weight and am completely confident with my body. This is fine, until I start to feel a nagging voice in the back of my head saying “you can do more.” Every day I tell the women in my accountability Bootcamps that they’re worth it. They deserve happiness and confidence. They push themselves every single day and are so driven.

So I bought Insanity Max:30 because I finally decided that I needed to start pushing myself too and I wanted to see what I’m truly capable of when I face my biggest fears and harshest critic--myself.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM SHAUN T

Ok first of all, I had no idea how incredible Shaun T is as a person. The premise of Max:30 is that you push yourself to your limits. Here's a sneak peek of the workouts if you're interested--the moves aren't complicated and you only use your bodyweight, but they are relentless.

It’s easy to “hold back” when you’re working out because our instincts want us to be able to endure and save our energy, but Shaun T pushes against those instincts.

Every time I press play on a Max:30 workout I feel that same gut fear/excitement/terror/determination I used to experience right before a track meet or XC race. I know that I’m going to have to push myself to my physical AND mental limits, and I know it’s going to not only be physically painful but also emotionally painful if I let my mind win. When I'm in the middle of the workout I'm going to feel that same desperate and trapped feeling, almost like an animal trapped in a corner with no way out. The only way out is through.

YOU VS. YOU

Each workout is a fight between your body and mind. The old you against the new you that you’re working to uncover. Sometimes you let your body win, when you’ve pushed to your physical limit. You have to be able to recognize where that limit is so you don’t injure yourself. It’s a lot easier to succumb to the mind, though. You can start the warm-up determined to push through and be strong, but when that second minute of squat jumps comes, it’s easy to lose focus and instinctively give up.

When I let my mental instincts win, I feel the same disappointment I used to feel when I gave up in a XC practice or race. It’s a feeling of shame. Of failure. of letting myself down.

Every single day when I put in that DVD, I’m forcing myself to face the potential of feeling the deepest level of self doubt and shame that I can experience.

(via)

Every single day I have to overcome those old doubts and fears, and force myself to dig a little deeper.

Some days I’m focused, alert, mentally sharp enough to truly push myself to my physical limits and on those days I emerge victorious, feeling like I can do ANYTHING I want, capable of making all my secret dreams come true.

Most days I let myself down. But I keep going.

IT’S OK TO FAIL

The whole premise of Max:30 is that you push yourself to failure. You leave nothing behind and give it your all straight from the warm-up, because the whole POINT is to reach your limit and have to stop. You record your “max out time” every day, the minute and second that you first need to take a breather and rest. Every week you repeat the same workouts and you try to beat your previous max out time. It’s easy to get competitive with yourself, and extremely tempting to hold back a little so you can beat your time. But that’s cheating yourself of growth. Some weeks I add 2 minutes to my Max Out time, some weeks I’m sore or tired or mentally drained and I max out even sooner than I did before.

But ultimately your time doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are fighting to give it your all.

“Every time I shoot a video, I fill my soul up with every struggle I’ve ever had, because I have to tap into mysle fto get you to understand. Like, that’s why I’m there for you. Thats why I tell people: I’m your biggest fan.” (Shaun T, interviewed for Men's Health)

You can’t control all aspects of your life, but you can control your body, your mind, and how you react to the world. Shaun is teaching me that if I can dig deep with my body, I can do that with my life.

I know for certain that I’ve been holding myself back ever since I quit my job last summer to “chase my dreams.” I’ve been battling with an insane and paralyzing amount of inner resistance, and I’ve been trying to work through it ever since. I know that I need to figure out WHY I’m holding myself back, and what exactly I’m afraid of, and I’m still not entirely sure.

When I read the Shaun T interview in this month's issue of Men’s Health (of course I had to pick up a copy when I saw he was on the cover!), there was a paragraph at the end of the article that made me literally gasp.

“Why do we hold back? Is it because we’re lazy? Or because we fear that if we crank it up, we won’t be able to sustain it? That we will, inevitably, disappoint ourselves?”

Yes, yes, and yes.

WHAT INSANITY MAX:30 HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE

This might sound cheesy, but if you dare to commit to the program I think you’ll understand what I’m starting to realize. Insanity Max:30 is a metaphor for life.

Leave nothing behind.

You can't pace yourself--even when you don't know what's coming next, you need to push as hard as you can. It's not about if you fail, it's about when, and failure is the whole point because it's a signal that you did your best. No regrets.

The physical results of this program don't come for free, but they're more of a bonus side effect and just HAPPEN when you start to take action every single day to test your limits. Hmm, kind of like life.

This isn't the most impressive physical transformation you'll see floating around the internet, but I didn't intend to lose weight with this program. My goals were to gain muscle, lean down, and see what I'm capable of. Considering that there were two solid weeks of holiday dinners, cookies, and the equivalent of at least 5 bottles of wine in between these two photos I'm pretty impressed and I've definitely put on a significant amount of muscle! I'm drinking Shakeology every single day, I've been eating 100% clean (no processed foods or added sugar) since January 3rd, but I'm eating a lot and allowing myself wine on Wednesdays and weekends.

I've never felt better, on the inside and out.

I AM WORTHY. I am an athlete.

I am beautiful, strong, and perfectly imperfect. It’s ok to feel vulnerable, and we all struggle with feelings of shame and inadequacy.

I am taking a stand once and for all. I refuse to let myself be a barrier to my own potential.

I can’t believe I’m even posting all of this, but I know that my story will help inspire other women (you?) to take a chance on yourself. We have to acknowledge our deepest fears in order to break free and rise from them.

No matter where you are right now, what you’ve overcome, or what you’re still battling, know for certain that you are not alone in this fight. Do the best you can do, and know that you are enough.

Stay tuned for more details and reviews on Insanity Max:30!

If you have specific questions or are interested in ordering the program and joining my next Bootcamp, don't hesitate to shoot me an email at annamarialocke(at)gmail.com!

xo Anna

zoodles with beef and veggie bolognese sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:17:00 +0000

Chiberia has officially returned! The highs this week have been in the single digits at best, and Ben had two days off school this week for cold. I've spent my days huddled under 4 layers of clothes in front of the space heater, downing enormous mugs of homemade herbal tea lattes.

I've been craving warm, cozy comfort food and wine every night, but I'm not going to make the same mistakes I did last year! Last year I let the Polar Vortex get the better of me. This year I'm determined to use this time of fewer distractions to really focus on my personal goals, including my health and fitness!

After fully indulging through the holidays, I'm limiting my wine to Wednesdays and weekends (balance!) and doing my best to stay on top of my clean eating. Luckily it's pretty easy to re-make my favorite comfort foods into healthy options! Here's one way to satisfy your carb cravings without blowing your goals. I'm a hardcore pasta lover but even I can feel satisfied by replacing carb-heavy noodles with zucchini! The texture is almost identical, try it out!

Zoodles with Beef and Veggie Bolognese Sauce

Serves 4

Inspired by Cooking Light

Ingredients

-2 large zucchinis

-1 yellow onion, chopped

-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

-1 lb lean ground beef

-1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

-1/2 jar of no sugar added marinara sauce (I love Aldi's organic sauce!)

Optional: extra veggies! Clean out your fridge! Mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, spinach, any veggie would be good to throw into this sauce.

Directions

-Using a spiralizer, mandolin slicer, or veggie peeler, transform your zucchini into noodles!

-Transfer zoodles to a large glass bowl and microwave for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

-Add 1 T olive oil to a large pan over medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and extra veggies until soft.

-Add the beef and continue to cook until browned.

-Drain your diced tomatoes and add them to the pan with the marinara sauce.

-Heat through, and serve over zoodles!

[21 Day Fix: 2 greens, 1 red]

Husband modification: I made regular whole wheat pasta for Ben.

I hope you are staying warm this week!

Introducing: Inspire Joy Bootcamps!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 23:45:00 +0000

I'm so excited to officially launch my new Inspire Joy Bootcamps for 2015!

Since last February I've been hosting "challenge groups" and coaching women through fitness programs like the 21 Day Fix and PiYo, and over time (and 100 participants later!) I've slowly refined and revised the structure and format of my groups into an experience that is completely transformative.

I started feeling an energy shift in my December accountability group. The focus started to change from how many pounds and inches we could lose, to everything we can GAIN when you take a stand and make a commitment to yourself. The women in the group bonded as friends and sisters, and witnessed some incredible personal breakthroughs.

Once a month I will open a 21 day private accountability group through Facebook and create a positive, uplifting, and motivating community to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

My ultimate mission with these Bootcamps is to create welcoming, close-knit communities and life changing results factories. We start by learning how to make small, healthy adjustments in our daily routines, eliminate processed food and junk from our diets, nourish our bodies with wholesome real foods, and sweat every day with a fun at-home workout program that's guaranteed to deliver.

Weight loss becomes a mere a side effect when you commit to these small positive changes.

A full immersive experience

You'll receive a fun world-class at home fitness program specifically tailored to YOU, a workout schedule, and a nutrition plan to help you establish a routine and set healthy habits you can maintain for long-term results. No more guesswork! Decide, commit, and succeed.

Goal setting, personal development, and visioning tools to help you design your dream life.

Daily support and check-ins via the community and social media to keep you on track when life throws temptation in your path!

A recipe e-book chock full of delicious and family friendly meals and snacks.

Meal planning strategies and spreadsheets to help you get organized.

A delicious and energizing superfood and protein meal.

My weekly Fit For Life check-in newsletter with helpful recipes, articles, and one-on-one email coaching.

LIFETIME access to me, and a reserved spot in all future Bootcamps. I'm with you every step of the way until you've reached your goals.

You are ready if

You're willing to make the effort to prioritize YOU.

You're not sure if you'll ever be able to lose the last 10, 25, 45 pounds.

You’ve recently stepped on the scale and have felt ashamed or frustrated with the number reflected.

You know deep down that you're worth more.

You're a yo-yo “dieter” who struggles with consistency and you want to finally break the cycle and find a deprivation-free lifestyle that WORKS.

You want to LOVE your body instead of feeling “gross” or disappointed.

You want to finally fit back into that pair of skinny jeans or special dress lurking in the back of your closet (I know it’s there!!).

You have a special trip or event coming up and want to OWN it.

You want to find a lifestyle that is sustainable, not a short term “quick fix.”

You DON’T want to deprive yourself of the fun in life, but also don’t want to feel guilty or regretful next time you go out for wine night with the girls, or eat a burger or piece of cake.

You finally want to get organized and learn how to meal plan.

You don’t want to feel alone in your journey to be healthier, or are afraid of being ostracized or judged by your friends and family.

You have NO IDEA where to start, but you know something needs to happen.

You need accountability to stay on track, and love being part of a smal, positive, supportive, community of women who will get you and uplift you.

Come as you are!
We’re not perfect, but we’re real women, battling real challenges. In community there is power and strength. We triumph over the day-to-day. We celebrate small victories, lift each other up when life gets hard or scary, and never give up on our future dreams no matter how far away they may seem.

Take a chance on yourself! Believe you are worthy of happiness, and capable of creating it. You are not alone.

You’re not falling off the wagon ever again. You were put on this earth to be happy, confident, and radiant, and I want to help you find that woman you were designed to be. You’re already beautiful--start believing it.

Enrollment process

I'm only accepting a small number of new clients every month. I want to make sure that our personalities "click" before we enter each others' lives, and I want to be sure that you're truly ready to immerse yourself in this experience. I pour my heart and soul into these groups, and you need to be able to match my level of commitment!

We will start by getting to know each other over email, and then schedule a 15 minute phone consultation if needed to dig deep into your goals.

Finally, I'll help you decide on a program that's best suited to your lifestyle, schedule, and needs so you can be sure you'll be able to stick with it and see results!

Once you're an Inspire Joy Bootcamp member, you'll have a spot reserved just for you in all future Bootcamps if you wish, and you'll receive my one-on-one support via email and social media for as long as you need me!

Investment

For entry into your first Inspire Joy Bootcamp (and a guaranteed spot in all future groups) you'll invest in a complete health and fitness package that comes with a workout program, nutrition guide, and a 30 day supply of a delicious superfood meal replacement smoothie, Shakeology.

Packages begin at $160.

Transformations

Let's start writing YOUR success story today!

Click here to read more about my experiences as an independent Team Beachbody coach!

2014 in review

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:55:00 +0000

I'm not sure I'm ready for 2015 yet, but ready or not here it is! It's January 2nd, a freezing cold Friday morning, and I'm sitting in my white fuzzy bathrobe going through all my photos from last year and remembering everything that happened.

Ben doesn't go back to school until Monday, and I'm taking full advantage of being able to set my own "vacation time" so we both still have one foot in holiday mode as we step forward slowly into our normal routine again. We're home from our Christmas roadtrip, and had a great time celebrating the holidays with both of our families, but we're also happy to be able to relax and spend some quiet time together before we have to kick back into work mode.

I love the significance of a fresh start, whether it's a new week, month, season, birthday, or year. Having New Year's arrive at the end of the week is kind of throwing me off, but I'm ok with the slow transition. I'm focusing on cleaning, organizing, reflecting, and planning until Monday, when it's full steam ahead! I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing year full of growth and opportunity, but before we get too far into it I want to look back and re-cap 2014, because I think it will go down as one of the most monumental years of my life.

Career change, personal growth, weddings, friends, challenges, discovery, courage, chaos, joy, overwhelm, gratitude.

WINTER

2014 will always be defined in my mind as the year of the polar vortex. Snow, ice, early morning workouts and brilliant sunrises, obsessive weather checking, wine nights with the girls, working from home in front of the space heater, big "cold day" breakfasts, vitamin D pills. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I truly want from life, and what success means to me.

It was a hard winter, but I discovered an inner determination to focus on positivity no matter what, and at the end of February I reached a personal tipping point and decided to sign up as a Team Beachbody coach to share that determination and take my health and fitness passion to the next level.

SPRING

The snow and ice finally melted. I distinctly remember the first day in late March that I was able to see bare sidewalk again.

Ben and I visited my family's booth at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, the first taste of spring in the city.

I pushed my mental and physical limits and completed the 21 Day Fix, reaching the best shape of my life and highest level of body confidence.

I painted a little, reveled in the green of new plants and buds, spent my 27th birthday in southern Illinois at an environmental education conference, and celebrated Easter with the first al fresco brunch of the year.

EARLY SUMMER

May is always a bipolar month in the midwest, and we took full advantage of each warm day to live a little more spontaneously.

Late spring into early summer is my favorite time of year. I kicked off my wedding season with a circuit of bridal showers and dress fittings, went home for Memorial Day and Father's Day, ran the Steamboat Classic, took lots of lunch break walks around Lincoln Park's south pond, absorbed personal development books, and became addicted to frozen yogurt.

MIDSUMMER

Last summer was a blast. After the long horrible winter, Chicago woke up and came alive, and we took full advantage of the glorious season of fun.

Ben and I spent our weekends playing tourist in the city, I mentored a new batch of high school interns at the zoo, ate copious amounts of tacos and cocktails, and celebrated a bachelorette party every other weekend.

I continued to embrace Beachbody coaching, swamped myself in the energy of online accountability groups, and started to sponsor and mentor my own coaches, women who quickly started to become some of my best friends.

It was a whirlwind of work and fun, and I started to really think about my career path and future. After weeks of inner conflict and obsessing, I ultimately decided that deep in my heart I needed to leave the zoo to focus on what made me the happiest, running my health and fitness business and Etsy shop.

EARLY FALL

I took the plunge, resigned from my full time job on August 29th, and immediately drove up to northern Wisconsin for a girls weekend on the shores of Lake Superior.

I don't really remember much about September, it was kind of surreal to be officially working for myself.

Wedding season officially hit, and we travelled the midwest to celebrate four weddings in four weeks, plus our own second anniversary.

I spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking about life, and it was kind of an overwhelming time.

LATE FALL

October into November. More whirlwind. Ben and I drove out to the Morton Arboretum to spend some time hiking and absorbing the fall colors. It was the first time I'd visited since I left my job there, which was two jobs ago now.

In early November I flew to Dallas for a Beachbody training conference hosted by my team. I got to meet up with a few of my own beautiful coaches and we spent the weekend listening to leaders in the company and experts in the fields of social media, marketing, and sharing your personal story. My brain EXPLODED and it was a big turning point for me professionally as well as emotionally. We also got to do PiYo live with Chalene Johnson, which filled me with so much freaking joy and cemented my goal to become a certified PiYo instructor and eventually teach it in fitness studios.

We also celebrated Ben's 29th birthday and I made a delicious chocolate ganache cake!

I'm slowly but surely developing a cohesive brand and style for my creative business, Anna Maria Locke, and created a few of my most popular scarves from plaid flannel and leopard print.

HOLIDAYS 2014

So typing all this out is making me realize why I needed a break so badly, whew! What a crazy whirlwind summer and fall. This December was great. I closed my Etsy shop for vacation after a very successful holiday season in which I made over $2,500 in sales, wrapped up my accountability and coach training groups, and made an intentional effort to relax and enjoy the season!

Ben and I decorated our second mini Christmas tree, I spent a lot of time thinking, reading, and planning for the year ahead, and we spent days driving around Illinois and Michigan to visit both of our families.

I've been attempting to maintain some semblance of balance between all the drinks, delicious holiday treats, and my abs by sticking with the brand new Insanity Max:30 fitness program. It's been great so far--I'm on week 3 now, doing 30 minute bodyweight circuits five times a week. It's a two month program, and I'll share a review once I hit the 30 day point!

Ben and I drove back to Chicago for New Year's Eve and for the first time in my life we didn't host or attend a party. Instead, we had a wonderful quiet dinner at a wine bar in our neighborhood, then came home and binged watched some Marco Polo on Netflix before crashing shortly after midnight.

Yesterday we kicked off the day with a delicious brunch of smoked salmon and bubbly, until a VERY UNWELCOME rodent visitor made itself known. Right now we're dealing with rat traps and poison, and frantically cleaning and organizing every corner of the apartment. Yuck!

ON THE HORIZON

I finally feel like I'm getting a handle on the work/life thing, and I'm really excited for everything that's going to happen in 2015! I want to be more intentional with my energy and time, and hopefully even out the emotional roller coaster ride I've been trapped on since last spring.

A few of the big projects and milestones ahead:

-a new website and blog !!!

-a more established health and wellness coaching business and team

-WATERCOLORS IN THE ETSY SHOP (finally, right?)

-a new apartment this summer !!!

I want to start writing and sharing more of my life again. I feel like I got sucked into the learning and absorbing vacuum this fall, became overwhelmed with everything I felt like I "needed" to know and do, and paralyzed myself with too many conflicting priorities.

2015 is going to be a year of FOCUS and intention. I have a lot of big goals and dreams, and I know I'm capable of making them happen. Thanks for reading along and letting me share my journey! Stay tuned :)

xo Anna

Healthy Happy Holidays || Travel Tips!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 16:32:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:50:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 22:30:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:09:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 16:03:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 02:41:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:03:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 22:29:00 +0000

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

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 19:36:00 +0000

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!

what I'm doing with my life

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:17:00 +0000

Have you ever gone on a trip with a group of other people (you may or may not have known them before) that breaks you free from your normal bubble and routine and immerses you in an experience so powerful that it ends up shifting your perspective, the way you view yourself, and maybe the entire trajectory of your life itself?

You are rocked to your core, you feel AWAKENED, you can't help but ugly cry when it's all over because you have to return to reality, the magic is over, and nothing in your world will ever be the same.

But it is the same. YOU are the one who is different.

These trips might immerse you in a foreign culture on the other side of the world. Or they might be a short weekend somewhere close to home. You might go into the trip KNOWING it will change your life, or it might take you completely by surprise.

I've experienced a few of these kinds of trips, and I'm starting to recognize a pattern: I feel completely comfortable with the people I'm with, comfortable and safe enough to be MYSELF without holding back, because I know I'm accepted and I belong.

-My high school exchange trip to Germany.
-My campus ministries mission trip to Biloxi, MS the spring after Katrina.
-The seemingly inconsequential summer weekend after my freshman year of college where I returned to campus to help with freshman registration and ended up meeting a guy named Ben.
-The seven weeks I spent snowed in at Holden Village in the winter of 2008.
-This past Labor Day weekend where I went up to northern Wisconsin with a couple girlfriends I met on Instagram, of all places.

This past weekend is going to be added to that list. I flew to Dallas for my first live Beachbody event, a training conference hosted by my upline organization. Yup, basically a fitness cult convention, hahaha. But it changed my life. It shook me to my core and made me really look at what I'm doing with this opportunity. On the outside, it's just another network marketing thing like Jamberry Nails, Mary Kay, or that fancy mascara that I am thisclose to buying because I am a mascara addict and my translucent lashes need all the help they can get. There are even tons of other health supplement companies that sell magic shakes and pills and vitamins that promise to give you the same results that the stuff I “sell” does.

But Team Beachbody is SO SO SO different. The word Team comes in front of the brand because that’s what it’s all about—a sense of belonging and acceptance by a group of the most positive, values-driven, enthusiastic people helpers you’d ever find, who are all committed to making a difference in the lives of the people we love as well as complete strangers. The focus is on helping people achieve the types of accomplishments that seem too huge, personal, and scary to even dream about. What is something that YOU reallyreallyreally want, but you think it would be impossible to do or achieve? Get out of debt? Find a job that 100% satisfies and fulfills you and makes you excited to wake up in the morning? Run a half marathon? Run a mile? Feel good about yourself and squash the little voice in the mirror that tells you you’ll never be pretty enough/never be smart enough/never be skinny enough/never be good enough to get what you truly want? Instead of squashing that dream and telling yourself you'll never make it...why don't you face your fears and embrace what you want out of life? You are worthy of happiness! YOU ARE ENOUGH.

How you view yourself is how you view the world. Think about what it means to lose 10, 50, 100 pounds. You aren't just physically different—you’re an entirely new person! I have a friend who has to accept that she can't define herself as the “fat girl” anymore. She is literally a brand new person on the inside and out, and she's using her experiences to inspire other women to create a new, stronger, more confident identity too.

I’m helping women (including myself) realize that there is more to life than a thankless, stressful job that sucks our energy and joy and that we are WORTHY of taking control of our own success and happiness. How amazing would it feel to be able to redefine your entire life based around your core truths and values? To create a reality that YOU design to perfectly fit your unique strengths and talents?

For years I felt like I didn’t “deserve” the level of “success” that my best friends were achieving straight out of school. Steady jobs, good paychecks, they are even buying houses now, what the heck! I felt trapped, I felt worthless, I felt like I didn’t have control over my life and was just waiting for a magical opportunity to present itself but I was too scared to go out there and make it happen because I had zero self confidence in myself. I felt like no one wanted to hire me because I was never good enough or fit XYZ qualifications. I just accepted the "quarter life crisis." It was an ugly, vicious, bitter cycle and I was becoming a version of myself that I absolutely hated to see, because I knew that I was meant to be as happy as the little girl in fourth grade who dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast and designed a wedding magazine with her best friends. What happens between childhood and adulthood that strips us of our joy and makes us so bitter and cynical?

Do you even know where you're headed? Do you even like the direction you're going, or do you have this deep, suppressed, desperate anxiety that there’s something MORE out there if you could only figure out what it is? Do you know for certain that something has to change, but you don't know what to do about it so you’re just going to keep chugging along with the status quo because it’s “safe” and “secure”?

WAKE UP. Face your life.

Surround yourself with people who are successful, people who lift you up, people who share your values and vision, people who are true and real and raw and messy but who embrace themselves anyway and empower you to do the same.

The name of my little team of coaches is Inspire Joy because my deepest desire is to empower women to find their joy and share it with the world, to help them realize their own self worth and feel beautiful in their own skin. To live their truth.

Would I ever have guessed in my wildest dreams that I'd end up being a network marketing professional? Um, hellllllls no. Laughable! Yeah go ahead and laugh and think that I'm crazy. I have degrees in Biology and Geography, I've published an academic paper on forest fires, I thought I wanted to become a pediatrician for most of my life, I am an introvert and I will always detest sleazy pushy salespeople and the heartless profit-driven corporate world. But I've also always known that I am meant to help others, I'm meant to be creative, I love being constantly challenged, I have an insatiable desire to learn new things, empathy and intuition are my strengths, and most of all I know deep down that I'm MADE to be happy and light up the lives of the people I love.

And here I am. And it is amazing. I can finally be true to myself, and by simply embracing who I am and what I struggle with and what makes me happy, I'm making a massive, rippling impact in the lives of women who are just like me, who share my struggles and my joys. My drive has a direction and I finally feel legitimate. I've been a bystander and a lurker and a sponge for years, while I struggle to find a "job" and figure out my "career" and freak about the future, what will happen, where we'll live, what to do after we have kids, well now the answer is so clear and obvious and staring me in the face.

Here's the secret: stop trying to fit society's mold or traditional definition of success. Stop trying to be perfect. Just be YOURSELF.

Be brave, be daring, be vulnerable, stop hiding, get out in the ring, wake up early, carve out time to have FUN and spend time with the people who matter the most, connect with strangers and turn them into friends, redefine your comfort zone, take lots of selfies along the way, open yourself up, and watch miracles happen.

This is just the beginning!

chocolate ganache olive oil cake

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 02:37:00 +0000

Yesterday we celebrated Ben's 29th birthday! We first started officially "hanging out" (college speak for dating) around the weekend of his 21st birthday, which seems crazy to me. We've come so far in the past eight years!

Birthday boy in his birthday scarf...awww ;)

It's become tradition for me to make some form of baked pork and apples with a chocolate cake for Ben's birthday dinner. Sometimes I try to "healthify" the cake, sometimes we go for the store bought ice cream cake, and sometimes I just have to go all in.

Enter this magical vintage cookbook I inherited from Ben's grandmother Mimi. Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers from 1963? GOLDMINE!

I chose a simple looking chocolate cake recipe from among the 57 options (no exaggeration, just counted them all) and tweaked it to bring it up to 2014 standards.

A little "rustic," but this chocolate cake turned out SO moist and delicious! And of course the ganache is always a bonus. I replaced the shortening called for in the recipe with olive oil, hooray healthy fats! If you're intimidated by the idea of making a cake from scratch, you need to give this recipe a shot. It is just as easy as a boxed mix and SO much better for you (...at least less unhealthy?) without the extra preservatives.

Chocolate Ganache Olive Oil Cake

adapted from Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers, Desserts Edition

Cake

1 1/4 c sifted unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c cocoa powder

1/2 c olive oil

1 1/4 c sugar

1 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl. In a stand mixer or separate bowl, beat together olive oil, milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Grease two round 8" cake pans and divide batter evenly between them.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges start to separate from the pans and a toothpick comes out clean!

Allow cakes to cool in the pans before assembling and frosting.

Ganache

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used 2 blocks of Baker's)

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

Bring the cream to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until chocolate is melted. Allow ganache to cool for 15-20 minutes, whisking every once in a while, until it is thick enough to be used as frosting.

Once cake is cool, place one layer upside down on a plate. Spread about 1/3 of the ganache over the first layer. Add the second layer right side up (so the flat bottoms are together...yeah I didn't do it this way haha) and spread the rest of the ganache over the top!

Self Employment || Month 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:58:00 +0000

Happy Halloween!

It's officially been two months since I resigned from my full time job. To be honest, it feels like it's been a lot longer...maybe even a lifetime. This fall has been jam-packed with travel, weddings, events, the highest highs and lowest lows, and my own self-imposed overachieving business, but for the first time I finally feel like I'm starting to settle into a groove! Month 2 has been the hardest but also the best, and my anxiety is starting to shift into confidence. I'm doing this!

I stopped by to visit the zoo earlier this month for the first time since my last day, and it was the strangest feeling ever. Walking on grounds, I felt overwhelmed with this happy sense of "home," but at the same time I didn't belong anymore. The season had shifted and the summer crowds, lush green gardens, and hordes of campers were gone and replaced with golden leaves, a chill in the air, and dead crunchy prairie grass. My office was still the same, the people were the same, but also different. My workspace still has post-it reminders and lists written in my handwriting, and all my old supplies right where I left them, but Valerie has started to make it her own space and has taken on my old responsibilities with energy and grace because it's her job now.

It's weird to belong, but not belong.

Like graduating from school, but if your friends and classmates didn't graduate with you...

One of my main goals for October was to implement more structure and routine into my schedule. It's definitely a work in progress, but I already feel so much better and more calm. It's easy to get trapped in the feeling of "never doing enough!!" but I'm also starting to force myself to reflect, track progress, and give myself props for the things I'm doing. I have a lot going on, and if I don't give myself a gold star, no one else is there to do it for me!

OCTOBER ACHIEVEMENTS!

Personal
-Celebrated our 2 year anniversary
-Applied for and received dual Dutch citizenship with my siblings!
-Celebrated my friend Kate's bachelorette party with a nude painting class (so fun)
-Traveled to central IA to celebrate my college roommate and best friend Christine's wedding! (And was involved in a very scary accident along the way that threw me off for the entire following week)
-Stopped by my grandma's farm to visit on the way home from Iowa
-Had multiple dinners, lunches, meet ups with girlfriends
-We've been attending church every Sunday we're at home

Etsy
My Etsy shop ended up on the backburner this month due to personal events...but I'm ready to focus, create a holiday marketing plan, and ramp things back up!
Stay tuned for new sneak peeks :)

Beachbody
This was an incredible and potentially tipping point month for my health and coaching business.
-I am finishing up two awesome and dynamic online fitness accountability groups
-I'm continuing to host team virtual hangouts every week
-Two of the coaches on my team advanced "rank"
-Ran my first training program for my team
-Hosted my first mini clean eating challenge (stay tuned for November's!)
-I'm starting to figure out how to maximize my productivity so I don't feel sucked into Facebook and email 24/7.
-I now have 46 coaches in my downline team! AKA I am leading a legit organization! It's so exciting and fun and I can't wait for things to keep snowballing
-Earned my highest weekly paycheck to date (more than my old FT salary)

NOVEMBER GOALS

Now that I feel like the crazy, obsessive, unorganized, chaotic, hanging to sanity by a thread, endless weddings, push through and work until something happens phase is over and I'm starting to settle down and come CLOSE to some sort of "balance" (or at least a state where I can keep almost all balls in the air), I'm looking forward to heading into November with a plan. Here are a few of the top action items I want to accomplish!

Personal
-Cook a fancy dinner and have a stay at home date night every Saturday
-Attend church every Sunday
-Clear out our second bedroom (aka the junk room) and turn it into a work space! This is a personal goal because it is going to drastically improve the overall quality of my entire life.
-Get to the gym twice a week (I've been working out at home but need to take advantage of the classes and membership we're paying for)
-Yoga once a week

Business
-Be more consistent with tracking expenses and income so I can gain control of my finances and pursue opening business accounts (scary)
-Improve my existing Beachbody accountability and training group experiences
-Develop an Etsy game plan for the holidays
-Complete this Digital Products e-course and list digital products in my shop
-Enroll and begin this InDesign e-course !! so I can start to officially create and sell wedding invitations
-Establish and follow set working hours and a daily routine
-Start blogging on a regular basis and plan my posts, so they're not as sporadic
-TRACK TIME! Don't get sucked into social media or distracted. Be focused!

And with that last goal, I'm going to close this post so I can head to Starbucks for some focused and productive work before my sister Ella arrives this afternoon! We're hosting a Halloween party tonight and there are costumes to be made and food to be prepared.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Anna

chocolate cookie dough oatmeal

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:36:00 +0000

Continuing on my "dessert for breakfast" theme...

This morning I decided to try making cookie dough bites from vanilla Shakeology. So delicious!

Shakeology is a superfood/protein shake that I usually drink every day as a smoothie, but now that it's getting colder I am getting a little more creative with how I make it! It's fun to play with.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Oatmeal
Serves 1

Oatmeal
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-cinnamon
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp almond extract
-1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
-1 T cocoa powder

Cookie Dough
-1 tsp coconut oil, melted
-1 scoop or packet Vanilla Shakeology
-dash of cinnamon
-2-3 tsp unsweetened almond milk

Make your cookie dough bites by melting the coconut oil in a bowl (I microwaved for 30 secs), add the Shakeology, cinnamon, and 1 tsp of almond milk at a time until a thick, dry, dough forms. Chill in the fridge while you make your oatmeal!

Cook the oats on the stove in 1 cup of water with a dash of salt. When the oats are almost finished, stir in the cinnamon, extracts, almond milk, and cocoa powder.

Roll your Shakeology dough into small bites and top your oats!

[21 Day Fix: 2 yellow, 1 red]