How to: Get back on track after pigging out over the holiday’s!

I have to tell you…

Stepping on the scale this morning was a smack of reality. Before  the holidays, I was on a serious mission to drop the added weight that had unknowingly found it’s way onto my ass. I did however, manage to lose   5 lbs. that I had gained,  weeeee. So, when I stood on the scale this morning to discover, not only had I gain the five pounds back, but I added another pound and a half to my inner thighs, you could only imagine my frustration.

The reality is,  I created unrealistic expectations for myself . Have you ever been guilty of that?  Do you create goals for yourself that are unrealistic and then suffer from “This-sucksidose ” syndrome?

Lesson Learned :

Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself ! Avoid saying things like, “I will lose 10 lbs. in two hours”, it is a set up for failure!

Solution:

Instead, try making short term goals that are realistic for you to keep. For example, “I will break a sweat for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times  THIS week.” Another could be, “I will not eat after 7:30 pm every night THIS week.”

See how you do.

So far so it’s been really working… however, it’s only Monday!

I won’t let this happen, will you??!!!

Meryl Streep sings to her daughter in- “MAMA MIA“

“Slipping Through My Fingers”

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she’s gone there’s that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can’t deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go

Well, some of that we did but most we didn’t
And why I just don’t know

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Dear, Meryl,

Even though  though all your critics out there called “Mama Mia”  a piece of  Crap…you once again, were brilliant , and once again made me cry like a little school girl, with a big snotty nose! When you sang those lyrics to your pretend daughter in the movie, I fell apart. It forced me to examine how I spend my time with my children.

Yours truly,

Carolyn Barnes

Although I am with my kids ALL THE TIME, (and desperately need a BREAK….), how much of that time am I truly clicked in and present?

The Lyrics to that song clearly had an impact on me. Later that night, instead of doing the usual, (brushing teeth, a bath and a story blah blah blah), I decided to change things up a bit.  I decided my daughter, Sophie and I were due for an “adventure”. We got a flash light, Some blankets, and pillows and dragged them out side and onto our front lawn.  We snuggled under our blankets,( the grass was damp, but we didn’t care.) Sophie took her flashlight and pointed it into the sky and up to the stars.

” Do you think my light can touch the stars, mommy?”  We lay cuddled, under the big world as her tiny 6 year old hand tried to touch each and every star with her light.

It was at that moment when I realized how , how wonderfully simple. A flash light, some pillows, a warm blanket and the stars, ( just 3 feet from our front door).

Of course my daughter Sophie, wants to do this almost every night (I am ready to shoot my self)… I just thought you should know that I will never sing this to her.

What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go

Well, some of that we did but most we didn’t
And why I just don’t know

cLEAN Lifestyle- Make the most out of your time. Improve your body, declutter your home, and find your “Me” time.

The day I realized I could turn my daily housecleaning routine into a great work out that could really tone my tush, arms, and tummy, bells went off in my head – CLEANING can make you LEAN! Why should I spend time and money (that I don’t have) at the gym, when I can get an intense workout doing what I’m already doing, and on my own clock?

After fine-tuning my new workout, this concept has become much more than just a workout, it’s become a wakeup call and a lifestyle change.

The cLEANmomma lifestyle has become a way to de-clutter my mind, body, soul, and yes, even my house!

What is The cLEAN Lifestyle™?

The cLEAN Routine™ is a combination of cardio and strength training exercises that allow you to multitask.

When I first started working out while cleaning my house (or doing random daily chores), I’ll admit it felt a little silly. But after doing it for a while I really noticed my body getting toned in a way that going to the gym and spending 45 minutes on an elliptical machine just didn’t do for me – and it’s actually fun! Setting aside 40 minutes several times a week to really workout while I worked around my house was really easy for me to commit to and easy to make the time for. That’s was half the battle. I was already doing the task – WIN-WIN!!

The cLEAN Diet™ isn’t about starving yourself to go to your high school reunion – it’s about creating good long-term eating habits that you can live with!

When it comes to your diet I really need to be clear. Changing your approach to food and really taking a look at what you shove in your mouth is what it’s all about. With the help of my experts, my eating habits have evolved to include more whole, healthy foods and MUCH less garbage. Don’t get me wrong, I still opt for the occasional burger, slice of cheesy pizza, or chocolate chips with a jar of peanut butter, but it’s all about moderation. And I feel better!

The cLEAN Mindset™ is the clarity of goals and the belief that you can achieve anything set your mind to.

Staying motivated to workout or changing eating habits are a challenge for even the strongest people. Being clear about what you want to achieve and having the will power to get there even when it’s tough are what the cLEAN Mindset is all about – in every area of your life.

At the risk  of sounding like some cheesy self-help book….It’s about training your brain to help you become the best possible you, with the knowledge and understanding that it takes time and the desire to want to do it!

Don’t hate your thighs anymore. Read why!

So…

I was swimming with my kids in the pool and as I was drying my daughter she says to me…

” Mommy, are my thighs going to be bumpy like yours when I get old?”

I just about passed out, considering I do a bazillion leg lifts a day and that comment was sooo friggin uncool.

However… after I revived myself and peeled my ass off the floor, I said to her, “yes… you too will have a fat ass and bumpy thighs.” No I didn’t… kidding.

I did say,

” Sophie… here is the deal. we are all born with certain body types. Some people have long legs some have small boobs, some are really really skinny, some people are rounder.  That’s a fact of life.”

I then said  ”What’s important is that you look at your body in the mirror and know that it is yours for the rest of your life. You can do good things for it, like eat healthy stuff.

You can get your body moving, like running around a lot.

And… if  you are not nice to your body, then your thighs will have more bumps.

End of story.”

She then said…

“Do we have any ice cream?”

I just walked out, didn’t answer and did 50 leg lifts while I organized a drawer.

Gotta love my 6 year old!

Wake up and tap into your life. Do it before it’s over. Here’s how.

I have to tell you…

It’s all about brain power! I found that if you go on autopilot throughout your day to day life, You don’t really get anything done.

The first thing I focused on was being present – being in the here and now.

So much of the time I would occupy my brain with nonsense, which kept me from focusing on what’s really important!

Once I replaced my brain chatter and actually started to pay attention to what was going on around me I really started to enjoy life!

The point I’m trying to make here, without trying to sound like a self help book, is once I got my brain screwed on the right way, I was able to accomplish a lot more.

Sooooo… if you want to start this program, screw your brain on the right way and bring on the life changes!!

Hope that’s helpful!

- C

Change your habits, see results fast!

Look, let’s face it… we are all born with certain body types and I’m the first one to say… “Heidi Klum, I am not!”

Having said that, by committing to this slightly off the wall program of how I incorporate housecleaning with exercise, as well as changing some eating habits like, lowering the amount of crap you shove in your mouth, (an Oreo now and then is ok), I truly believe you will change your body. Remember it’s the body you were born with. So don’t have expectations that are not part of your gene pool.

Remember you want to make the best you!

1) Change your posture! This is the biggest bonus! Just by standing up tall and engaging your tummy muscles, you’ll immediately look like you’ve lost 10 pounds. You’ll also alleviate pressure from your neck and lower back relieving you from daily pain.

2) Start your day with your work out shoes on. Are you really going anywhere shmancy? (Unless you work and have to..) By doing this, you’ll naturally walk faster and with purpose

3) If you are home, turn your T.V. off! (Unless you’re catching up with last nights episode of nip tuck.)Instead, blast your favorite music, this will automatically put you in a better mood, and bring your energy up. (My personal fav is an eclectic mix 1980’s. Duran, Duran brings me back to my glorious days of high school when I had endless energy and the drive to look fabulous for Ken Fry, my “Jake Ryan.”)

4) Get into the habit of parking in the farthest spot when running errands. However, if you are wearing cute shoes, forget it.

5) Wear work out shoes to the mall, (and put a cute pair of shoes in a bag to try on your clothes.) then you can go for that extra lap or two before you hit your favorite store.

6) Before going out to dinner or lunch… fill up on healthy fiber, like a small Fuji apple. Spread a little peanut butter. The fat in the peanut butter will fill you up so you don’t load up on the bread basket!

7) If you have stairs in your house, use them! A lot!

Keep healthy, easy to grab foods for you and your kids. I keep cut up fruit or veggies in a bowel so I can grab a handful for a quick snack, (veggies With a little light ranch dressing (Nancy’s kitchen ranch is sooooo yummy.) It will fill you up instead of shoving the rest of your kids Goldfish into your mouth.

Start here… more to come.

Let me know if you have any tips and I’ll post them!

How to motivate yourself, an easy solution!

Staying motivated is a mindset and a change in attitude.

It’s easy to tell yourself that you haven’t got the time or that you’re tired. Stop it!

If you are not used to working out and this is all new for you then start slowly.

Look, I get it. We all juggle hundreds of tasks a day and exhaust ourselves, but enough of the pity party – its time to care of yourself!

Welcome to multitasking. Now you can fit a workout into your day (Every little bit you do for yourself counts!) and if you don’t have time, ha!… there are no more excuses!

Staying motivated

That’s a tricky beast. Try following this simple rule: Commit to something new for two weeks (keep track – it really helps). Before you know it, you’ve created a new habit!

Lisa’s story

We as moms (and all people for that matter) are worth the investment in taking care of ourselves. My girlfriend Lisa would always bitch to me how about she hated her thighs, hated her hair – you name it she would bitch about it. I finally said, “Then do something about it!”- in a kind and loving way, of course.

She told me that she had been stuck in this negative rut for years and she knows what to do, but starting was the hard part (isn’t it always??).

It made me think that this went a lot deeper, so we got to talking about the root of where she was coming from. Lisa told me that she felt frustrated with herself for “letting herself go.” She also felt the fear of failure. What if she tries a diet and can’t stick to it? Or what if she loses weight but still isn’t thrilled with herself?

After listening to what she had to say, I suggested a couple of things.

First I told her to start slowly and avoid overwhelming herself with major changes all at once. This allows you to make new habits for yourself that you can stick with (and are life changing) as opposed to a month of hell that makes you want to give up.

Next, take a look at what you eat on a daily basis and try to make healthy food choices.

Then, work on your posture! The list goes on…

Once you make these small changes, you will be motivated to continue on this path to making the best you!

Here are Some Things that Help Keep Me Motivated and Have Really Changed My Life!

• Every morning if I am not going anywhere fun or fabulous, I put on my workout shoes and pants. This helps remind me to be active through out the day.

• I used to have the TV on in the background, but I switched it to music. I love 80s music – bopping around to Duran Duran or Prince makes me happy.

• I make sure to eat healthy foods regularly throughout the day instead of crashing and eating my kid’s bag of carbohydrates.

• I used to hate water, but it’s really good for you, so I got in the habit (it took me 14 days of putting lemon juice in it). Now I sip it all day long!

• I don’t by garbage at the grocery store. If it’s not in the house, I can’t eat it. If you want to have a stash of your favorite cookies, have only one – you have to allow yourself to indulge sometimes:)
  

• I  have at least one naughty thing to eat several times a week, but I make it small. That will help you not focus on what you can’t have and it lets me rebel!
  

• I start one new exercise every two weeks and slowly build up. This way I’m always starting something new and keeping it fresh.
  

That’s it for now.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on what helps you stay motivated, I’d love to hear!

-C

All Natural Skin & Hair Secrets for <$10

Oh joy… I’m out of face cream and money…

How many times has this happened to you?

Necessity is the mother of invention and over the years I’ve found soooo many ways to keep my skin and hair fabulous without spending more than 10 bucks.

• Hair conditioner - We don’t need shmancy shaving cream for our legs, ladies – conditioner goes sooo far! Shmeer a little on and shave away. I swear it works!
• Dryer sheets - Bye bye pet hair. It’ll take it right off your pants and who knew that if you rub these on your panty hose your dress won’t cling as you walk!
• Visine - I found if I have any broken capillaries, a little visine goes a long way!
• Baby wipes - I call it the big eraser. Take away your deodorant streaks, make up, or anything you want to remove!
• Corn starch – If you have exima or other skin irritations, rub a little corn starch with some water.
• Oatmeal — Spending a lot on a good facial exfoliate is a waste when you’ve got oatmeal in your cupboard.
• Witch hazel — Isn’t just for boo boos, and scrapes, but shmeer it on your cracked feet and it does wonders as a toner for oily skin.
• Baby powder — It’s not just for baby’s tushies. This makes your skin so soft. And sometimes when I haven’t washed my hair in a few days, I use it as a dry shampoo to take out the oil and give my hair a great lift!
• Mayonnaise — If you put it on your hair for 15 minutes with a cap around your head, then rinse …voila!

Shop In Your Own Closet. It’s FREE!

Can’t afford a new wardrobe? Try out a few things I learned…

After the kids were born and I was getting back into shape, revisiting my wardrobe was something I had to face… And I had to face it  on a tight budget.

So here’s my take on reorganizing your closets, reworking the stuff that’s cute and fits and tossing out the crap!

I’ll be the first to admit it… The recent economy woes have hit my family in the worst way. Having said that, I still wanted new clothes. Who doesn’t ?

I ran into a fabulous lady at a baby shower named Joanne.  She happens to run a business (TheClosetStylist.com) where her and her partner go into your home, reorganize your wardrobe, toss out what’s ugly and doesn’t fit and rework what you’ve already got, making it fun, hip, and current. Joanne told me her goal was to turn your closet into something that is visually peaceful, functional and inspiring. This was my dream come true. Who doesn’t fantasize about being on one of those makeover shows? Well that baby shower encounter changed my life (my wardrobe, at least)!

That night, after I put my kids to sleep, I stormed into my room with a new mission, tearing into my closets like a woman hitting the clearance sale bins. After two hours of trying on everything in my closet I was done – then a funny thing happened. The next day when I was at my daughter’s dance recital, several of my mommy friends asked me where I got my new top. I just smiled. Who knew you could get an entire new wardrobe just by reworking what you already had!

My personal cheat-sheet inspired by Joanne:

1. Sort and organize:  Before you get rid of things, sort all your clothes according to type. Pants stay with the pants, skirts with skirts, tops with tops.  Get the picture? This helps you see your real inventory. Maybe you have 30 shirts and only four decent pairs of pants.
2. Purge! The next step was to go through each piece of clothes and if it was too big, or too small, I took it out (I saved the cute, too small stuff as inspiration to fit into again).  Some people say, “If you haven’t worn it in a few years toss it”.  This is about rediscovery so that rule doesn’t always apply. If you react to something with a hey, wow, I forgot about that, then keep it. If you haven’t worn it and you realize you probably won’t  – purge.
3. Color Sort: After you are done purging your wardrobe, rearrange your clothes with all like colors next to each other like a rainbow. This really helps you see what you have.
4. Store the out-of-season: Get  storage boxes and shove anything out-of-season in them. This is another way to see what you really have.
5. Store the odd shapes: Storage boxes also also great for belts and purses! This is where see-thru boxes are really helpful.
6. Get a cheap shoe rack! Nuff said – Looks good and works well. Life is better with a shoe rack vs. a shoe pile.
7. Accessorize: Funny how one basic outfit can look so different with a different belt or scarf or even some jewelry. Mix and match scarves with different tops to rework an outdated look.
8. Upscale your cheaper clothes: If you mix obviously higher end clothing with some run-of-the-mill cheaper items, that cheaper item can actually come off looking sophisticated!
9. Purge again with friends: If you are having trouble letting go of that purple and orange stripped shirt, have a girlfriend come over and tell you how ugly it is! Friends can be soooo helpful!
10. Wear your “special occasion” stuff more often! Makes every day special!