10 Ways to Start Your Day Without Caffeine

4/11/2014

1] Recognize that caffeine is both a stimulant & addictive...don't be too hard on yourself, it's all about baby steps 2] Decrease caffeine consumption gradually (nothing happens overnight, nor is it healthy to go cold turkey) 3] Water down drinks that contain caffeine (sodas/sport juices) 4] Switch it up, do coffee in the AM & Tea in the PM (Green Tea is a mellow substitute) 5] Ask yourself if you really need that extra cup or are you pouring that 2nd/3rd glass out of habit? 6] Go from a Large cup to a Small cup 7] You have choice in all aspects of your life. It's up to you to make the right one for yourself. http://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep/101/move-more-drink-less.aspx

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Beachbody Transformation Pics

You have a choice.

You can either beat yourself up every time you look in the mirror OR you can decide to GET UP and CHANGE!

This is my total transformation. I know I'll hear "You looked great in your before!" or "I wish I looked as good as good as your before."

Just STOP right there. This is MY body and these are MY changes that I've created for myself! And what you can't SEE are the leaps and bounds of healthy growth I've made on the inside... It's all relative, isn't it!?

There are 8 years between these pictures. You may think I looked great before, but I was NOT great. In fact, in my before picture... I was tired, neglecting myself, uninspired, had just been fired from the financial firm I hated working at, I was under-earning, eating all the junk, binge drinking on the weekends, in an unhealthy relationship with a man who I had no idea was cheating on me with other women behind my back, maybe making it to the gym 2-3 times a week, half-ass training and constantly making excuses for skipping my workouts.

I was 29 years old, but felt like I was 50, stuck in a mental fog. I didn't know how to eat healthy. I was drowning in my own self-doubt.

Throughout the next few years, I thought I had it figured out. I was building my new career in the fitness industry. Had found the love of my life, was making good money, throwing dinner parties with friends, vacationing overseas and it all looked good from the outside. But looking back now, I was kind of empty inside.

I was engaged and my world revolved around him. I left my city life, got married, bought a house and was on a new adventure with my life partner, my best friend. That all quickly unraveled when I found out that my, now ex-husband, was a master manipulator, a con-artist, a lier and a cheat. The life I thought was what I had dreamed of, quickly disintegrated overnight. And I spent the next few years putting back the pieces the best way I knew how.

My depression and anxiety came back full-throttle, insecure, fearful of everyone and everything, with no trust in life, crumpled on the floor drowning in tears and a bottle of wine... I quickly realized that no one was going to save me, but me.

So I threw on my running shoes, I wiped away the tears, and I threw myself out the door, onto the hiking trail I went. And when the trail was wet and rainy, I pressed play on this Beachbody DVD that a good friend let me borrow.

Every step, every jump, every lift, every crunch and sweaty run I forced myself through... things just seemed to fall back into place. Don't get me wrong, it WAS SLOW moving and it WAS PAINFUL at first. My body was capable, but my mind was stuck.

I had never been so low and knew if I didn't commit to getting at least 20 mins of movement in each day, I wouldn't survive this... even when I was too depressed to get out of bed or cook myself food.

And having the option of working out at home made all the difference. It gave me the freedom to squeeze it in, without having to get dressed and drive to the studio, without having to face my shame in front of strangers at the gym. It was MY TIME. It was MY STRUGGLE that I was going to get through on my own.

But I wasn't alone. Wth this program I had actually adopted a whole new set of friends and a community of women who were also struggling to make change for themselves, to make sense of it all. They became my motivation & accountability day-in and day-out. They told me WHAT to eat & HOW to eat through following a meal plan and intentionally prepping my food choices.

I'd wake up early or stay up late, before and after my long work day so I could stay on track. And no matter what came up, I stayed consistent because of that accountability of having amazing ladies to check in with. Who wouldn't let me fall off. I finally started showing up for myself, taking time for meditation and listening to empowering podcasts. I realized that this fitness, nutrition, self-help stuff is no joke. It has truly saved me.

Find your WHY and then pick your HOW. For me it just makes sense to invest in a program, superfood shake, and accountability group because it works if you work it. This is a lifelong journey of health & wellness and I'm in it for the long haul to show my family, my sisters, my nieces and nephews, that exercise and nutrition is a way of life, to always invest in yourself and to never give up on yourself, no matter how hard things get.

Drop me your favorite imoji, fill out my new client form in the link in my bio or DM me with questions, interest or support. I'm here for you if you want to connect.

Andrea's Blog:

Wellness Library Providing: Fitness Motivation, Healthy Lifestyle Coaching, Tasty Recipes, & Fit Tips!