Brother-Sister Date

If you've been following me for a while you should know a truckload about my brother Evan, who is 15 months younger than myself and only a couple grades behind me in school. He was up in Provo going to BYU at the same time as Ryan & I, so we got to spend a lot of time with him before he left for his LDS mission in Villahermosa, Mexico. 

This is my brother Jesse, he is 5 years younger than me {although some of my friends have mistaken him for being older & flirt with him...haha} and now that I'm living in SoCal for the summer I made it a point to spend more time with him because we are finally in the same state! 

Last week he took me out on a brother/sister date to go see "The Great Gatsby" {which we LOVED by the way}, then we spent time just talking about life & eating our pizza at BJ's. It's funny how some siblings will go through life and not take the time to really get to know one another. I'm just grateful that I have the opportunity to form a stronger relationship with Jesse before he leaves on his own LDS mission! 

{Btw, he will be available in 4 years for any adorable girls who want to be my sister-in-law ;)}

Weekend Hangover

After such a raucous party weekend with Ryan's family in San Diego (UCSD graduation, Korean BBQ, brunch on the beach, an intense bike ride, delicious chocolate gelato, Sprinkles cupcakes), I'll definitely be taking it easy today! Working out, lounging, and some pool time are sounding realllly good right about now :) 

How to Overcome Clean Living Guilt

Since moving back to CA for the summer, I made a promise to myself to make a lifestyle change. A real change, for good. Drink more water, use portion control, sleep 6-8 hours {not like that was an issue before, I probably sleep too much}, eat more fruits/veggies, and get my body moving 4-5 times a week. Honestly, I feel like I've been doing MUCH better than past attempts; I've already lost a few pounds, feel stronger when doing my workouts, and I sleep better at night! 

I use the My Fitness Pal app religiously in keeping track of my calorie intake & workouts...then we hit the weekend. Where Ryan gets off earlier on Saturdays {which is when we usually go out to eat & I actually get to see him} then we do amazing Sunday dinners at my parents....all this partying means that I also don't take the time to do my workouts. I want to spend time with family and enjoy delicious food goshdangit! I still continue to watch my portion control and make a conscious effort to choose "better" choices on the menu...but then I start to feel guilty. I can't eat this if I didn't work out today. This is totally going to ruin ALL my progress. Even if it's a little piece...why am I enjoying my favorite german chocolate pie from Marie Calendars? These are some things I remind myself of in order to avoid the ever-looming healthy living "guilt".

1. Realize That You're Not Perfect

You're human, you need some chocolate now and then. Specifically that amazing pie from last weekend. As long as it's not an everyday occurrence, you should allow yourself to indulge occasionally. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet...you're going to be doing this the rest of your life so you have to be realistic. So don't beat yourself up every time you give in!

2. Progress Is Perfection

If you're off track for one or even two days, just hop right back on that train and keep going. One weekend is not going to completely and drastically mess up a week's worth of training/clean eating. I'm loving this quote "progress IS perfection" because it's a reminder that every little bit counts, and that being perfect is not the end result, you're perfect because you're trying.

3. Don't Give Up!

The best and most cliche point of all time. DONT GIVE UP. Keep plugging away at your goal. It takes some people days, months, or even years to reach their ideal end result. With every set back you gotta come back stronger and with more resolve. At the very least be consistent!

And if you needed some more inspiration...here's some Ryan Gosling hotness for you.

You're welcome.