Changing your life is a scary thing. And it’s hard. It takes a lot of work, replacing bad habits with good ones, pushing yourself every single day, avoiding temptation, and figuring out what your body needs.

So let’s just talk about little changes. The small things you know you should be doing, but aren’t.

1. Drink more water.

I feel stupid even writing this down. It’s basic. It’s cheap free. And it’s so good for you! But you already know that.So let’s talk about how to actually do it.

Less of that… more water.

How: sometimes drinking lukewarm (rather than really cold) water, is easier. This definitely works for me! I also spice it up with lemon or cucumber. Just a hint of flavor really can help. And honestly, just having a giant cup at my desk is probably the easiest way to drink more water without thinking. I’ve swapped my lunch time diet coke for water, and I’m feeling much more energized in the afternoon! Once you get in the habit, it gets easier to do it without thinking.

2. Cut down on night time snacking.

I know I’m not the only one who loves a nighttime snack, but mine can get a little out of control. Not that there is anything wrong with having a snack, but I realized it makes more sense for me to snack in the afternoon, when I need the energy, rather than “saving” those snacks for night time.

Ok ignore this specific type of tea… although I do like this one.

How: I tried to just cut out night time snacking, and it lasted for… maybe 2 days. Instead, I’ve started drinking a cup of decaf tea, and something indulgent, like a piece of dark chocolate. Having a bit of something really delicious is so much more satisfying than a giant bowl of rice cakes. The tea keeps me occupied while blogging and answering e-mails, without feeling like I’ve banned myself from the kitchen.

3. Stop eating the whole box of [cereal/cookies/crackers].

Let’s suppose I’m not the only person who has seen a box of cereal disappear after 2 days, and wondered “Wait… when did I eat all that?” It got to the point where I wouldn’t even buy Peanut Butter Puffins, because I literally wouldn’t know how the box could be gone so fast…

These crackers didn’t stand a chance…

How: Instead of banning yourself from the things you love (and buying things you only sort of like, just to restrain yourself) as soon as you get home from the grocery store, divide the box into individual servings. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but not only does it prevent the mindless “hand-in-the-box-everything-I-pass-it” syndrome, it also makes it’s super easy to grab a baggie when you’re running out the door, and you really do need a fast snack! Just be sure that you’re really portioning out accurate servings! (I use a food scale, which sounds kind of anal, but you’d be surprised at some of those cereal serving sizes!)

Now if only I could pretend like I’d totally conquered these…

What are some small goals you’ve accomplished?

I’ve really been trying to use up what I have in the fridge, before making trips to the grocery store, in order to keep my grocery budget at an almost-reasonable level. It means I’ve been eating tons of fruits and veggies, to make sure they don’t go bad. It also means my meals have sort of been on repeat. The weekend was a little more exciting, with brunch, and a dinner at Burger Bach. But as for my eats during the week, they tend to be pretty monotonous. Does that make me a bad food blogger? Maybe.

Breakfast

Ahh the smoothie I referenced on Friday!

The Elvis Shake

• 1 banana
• 1 cup soymilk/almond milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp peanut flour
• Pinch of xanthan gum (optional)

Peanut flour is sort of like protein powder, so I used that instead of regular protein powder. It’s pretty awesome, and if you haven’t found some yet, check out this post for more info! If you don’t like the taste of protein powder, I highly recommend this! No chalky taste at all!

Lunch

I’m a huge snacker, so I like to spread out my lunch. I had the rest of my morning shake (what didn’t fit in the glass above, went into the blender bottle) around 11. Then I had the salad and the yogurt around 1, and the apple around 2:30. I’m basically eating all the time.

Dinner

I’ve been using up my veggies by making massive salads, but I get sick of those pretty quickly. I decided to switch things up, and use up my veggies with some noodles, and whip up some 5-ingredient peanut sauce.

I always forget how easy this meal is. And it’s 10 times better than take out, so I really have no excuse. Broccoli might be my most favorite thing ever. (Ok, second to peanut butter. So broccoli covered in peanut sauce is heaven.) Recycled picture from the original recipe. Even if you don’t have fresh veggies on hand, this works great with frozen!

What I Wore

I don’t generally post outfits, because I’m not, and will never be, a fashion blogger. But I got these red shoes at Target yesterday. Sure, they’re my 4th pair of red shoes, but aren’t they cute? A random woman at work told me I looked like Audrey Hepburn. I’ll take it.

What I Want to Make

I’m obviously obsessed with Pinterest, because who isn’t? But this is definitely on my list of things to make.

(original source)

I mean, how clever is that?! It’s a silverware-drawer-sorter-thing-turned-jewelry-holder. Since I’m the worst at organizing my jewelry, I think I’m going to mount this on the inside of my closet. (And if you’re not already following me, what are you waiting for?)

What are you doing this Wednesday?

Sunday was G-love’s birthday, so we had a big brunch at my apartment to celebrate.

I made a huge fruit salad, Galen made waffles, and we also had bacon, eggs, and mimosas. You know, typical brunch fare. Galen claims that the “just add water” pancake mix is the best (which might have something to do with the additional butter he mixed into the batter…) and we poured it right into the waffle iron. It’s not a recipe I can really share (other than, “hey, add water and butter to the mix”) but I have to admit, they did turn out pretty fluffy and delicious.

Later in the day, Lindsay and I decided to go check out the Food Truck Derby. The weather started out awesome, but after about 20 minutes of walking around, it started raining, and we high-tailed it out of there before we got to really try any of the food trucks. I’m sure there will be plenty of recaps from some other Virginia Bloggers, but I don’t have much for you!

Since we were still determined to get some food, we decided to try Burger Bach, a new-ish burger place in Carytown. They had a veggie burger (thank goodness) but they also serve grass fed beef and free range chicken, and some delicious looking fries, with various homemade sauces.

Their burgers are served with greens + herb vinaigrette which is awesome. My veggie burger was packed lentils and veggies, which made it tasty and filling, and all the toppings were organic, and the sauces are made in-house. For $8, this burger rivals Carytown Burgers and Fries, although that place will always have a special place in my heart.

So now the important question…

Pancakes or waffles?

So far… this week has been pretty excellent!

Monday, I got an e-mail back from FitFluential, and I’m officially a FitFluential Ambassador! I’m excited, because it’s such an amazing community of bloggers!

I also ran a new PR on the treadmill, did some Jillian Michaels, had a BFF Date with Eric, and found out I’m influential about Unicorns. What? Yes. I don’t make this stuff up.

Yep, that’s my PR! A mile in 8:29 (See above.). I know that’s not fast for most of you, but I was excited aboutit! (And that’s what PRs are all about, right?) I think my weekend off really helped, because I felt so energized at the gym. Seriously, from now on, force me to take rest days, ok? Ok, good.

Anyways, on to my daily eats! This is What I Ate Wednesday Monday.

Breakfast

This breakfast is still keeping me quite satisfied. It’s unbelievably tasty. Same breakfast, same picture. Don’t judge.

• 1 banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tbsp cacao bliss coconut butter
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• Whole lotta ice

Lunch

A rushed lunch at work (photographed and packed at home, eaten at my desk while answering e-mails.):

• 1 cup chobani 0%
• 1 scoop protein powder
• Blueberries + Strawberries

It’s so weird how I don’t generally like dairy products, but I could eat greek yogurt every single day.

Afternoon snack:

I have some fruit almost every single afternoon. That whole no-fruit-after-2pm thing would not work for me. Monday, it was an apple. I also had a light string cheese for a little protein. I feel like an idiot when I eat string cheese at work. It’s like eating fun dip. And you just can’t look like a grown up when eating fun dip.

Dinner

For dinner, I consumed a (few) glass(es) of vino from Secco, because it was flight night, and Eric and I hadn’t had a BFF-Date night in forever, so it was long over due. We also do our  best business brainstorming when we’ve had a glass or two of wine. It’s a fact. Don’t mess with the facts. We also had some pizza. It’s all about balance, right?

What are you excited about today?

I had good intentions. I packed my running shoes. I remembered a sports bra. But no running happened. None. Does walking to the ice cream place count?

I wasn’t actually surprised by my lack of exercise. Since my left leg had been bothering me a little bit last week, I figured taking 3 days off wouldn’t kill me.

But that wasn’t all I rested from. I didn’t open my laptop for a solid 48 hours. Not once. (And I didn’t even check my e-mail on my phone.) I also (accidentally) left my phone at home for most of the day on Saturday.

Disconnected. And you know what?

It was fine.

I think my brain needed the digital detox as much as my body needed a rest from working out.

I’m really bad at focusing on one task, and one task only. My phone is always buzzing next to me. I practically begin twitching when I see this:

And obviously, the same reaction is true for e-mails, texts, facebook, wordpress…

Putting my phone down, and keeping my laptop closed allowed me to really spend time with my friends and family, without constantly asking “sorry, what?” as I glance up from my phone, mid-text.

And while I might have been disconnected form the world… I was snapping pictures!

Visiting Alexa’s school (CCAD) for an art show! She’s amazing

Eating the worlds best veggie burger.

And found some words of inspiration. (Kelly, I stole this )

My trip went by way too fast, as it always does, but I’m glad I got to go home and see my family, Alexa, Kelly, and Christine! (Christine, I will definitely be trying that quinoa recipe!!!) Lindsay, we really will meet up one of these days!

Do you ever need a digital detox? Do you miss out on things because you’re too absorbed in your phone or computer?