They say that January 17th is the most common day of the year that people begin to quite their resolutions. So if you are reading this on Monday January 20th and are still going strong, then congratulations! I am proud to say that I am still going strong. I am on week three of the new My WW program (Formerly known as weight watchers – I am on the Blue plan for anyone wondering!), and I have been getting in at least some movement or exercise each day (even if it is just walking up a couple flights of stairs in the middle of the day!). So goal #1 of committing to a healthy lifestyle is going pretty well!

But to kick things off, my boyfriend and I decided to commit to a 5 day cleanse by a popular youtuber. So on Friday January 3rd we began. Spoiler alert – we lasted two full days.

Day one was appropriately called “Liquid Love”. You started your day with green tea, a green smoothie, a green juice, and then lastly a bowl of what I now call the dreaded “Belly Soothing Soup” aka butternut squash soup with a bunch of turmeric and spices. Honestly, Day one was not too bad. I did not feel hungry throughout the day, and I actually really enjoyed the green juice that I bought from Trader Joes. But once I got home I started to feel it. So I heated up a bowl of soup excited to have something a little more substantial and … it was just plain bad. I couldn’t get it down no matter how hungry I was. So I went to bed.

Day Two was exciting because for lunch we got to have – a salad! I had never been more excited to have a salad with some grilled chicken in my life. The day started with the green tea and the smoothie. Then I had my “Slimming Salad” filled with tons of greens, chicken, hummus, and lots of lemon. And then for dinner… that damn soup. I just couldn’t do it. To make matters worse we went to a concert that night. No dinner. No drinks. We almost cracked on the way home. But at that point I was so tired I just went to bed, but before that we both decided that tomorrow… we were done.

I just could not imagine doing another three days of this. Especially because day three consisted of more of the same as day two. If I had to have one more bowl of that soup…

Waking up on Day three I was down almost 8lbs. Because that was the thing about this detox.. you were not getting nearly enough calories to sustain you throughout the day. As soon as I started eating normal meals again (that fit into my points) I gained back 4lbs. I was still down 4lbs by the end of the week, but I attribute that to my better eating habits thanks to WW.

So what are my final thoughts on doing a detox? I say if you want to do it for one day after weeks of not eating well? Go for it. But any more than that you are just restricting your body of the calories and nutrients it needs.

The good thing that came out of the detox? It definitely helped to change my mindset on food. And maybe that is the point? At the end of those two days I didn’t want to go to taco bell or order a pizza. I was craving grilled chicken or scrambled eggs. My body was craving protein. And I think that shift in mindset was what helped me jump head first into the WW program. I got excited about planning healthy lunches and dinners for my boyfriend and I. So do I regret doing it? No. But I am very glad we stopped when we did.

I am going to do a whole post about my experience with WW so far and my favorite point friendly foods soon, so look out for that!

xx Casey

*Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian. All thoughts are my own!

For the past couple months I have swapped listening to music on my way to and from work, in the shower, and while I am cooking, for listening to audio books. I am going to start this by saying “not sponsored” (I wish!) but I have been obsessed with Audible for almost a year now. If you do not know what Audible is, it is an audio book subscription app where for a monthly fee you can choose one new audio book a month. You can also purchase extra credits for a discounted price. When you sign up you get two credits to start off which is great!

I wanted to share with you today a couple of books I have been listening to (besides the Harry Potter books which I have also been listening to – I am finishing up the second one now!) that have been inspiring me lately.

Reshaping it All – Candace Cameron Bure

I loved this book because it follows Candace Cameron’s journey from her struggles with her diet while a young girl om Full House to her relationship with food now. She also shares delicious recipes and stories from her personal life that help you see healthy living in a different way.

I also listened to and enjoyed Kind is the New Classy & Dancing Through Life by Candace Cameron Bure because I just love her! Her books are definitely very Christian based, however the positivity that shines through her books make them great to listen to, especially during stressful times.

Grace not Perfection – Emily Ley

Emily Ley is the creator of the Simplified Planner so this book was all about intentional ways to make your life a little.. simpler.

Cultivate; A Grace Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life – Lara Casey

This book has to be one of my favorites so far, and I know I will be listening to it again. The way that Lara uses her garden as a metaphor for life really inspired me in a way that I haven’t been inspired before. I always feel calmer and more relaxed after listening to a chapter of this book. It has also inspired me to try and grow my own herb garden this Spring!

In search for my next inspirational book I went ahead and downloaded “Girl Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis. I had heard from many people how much they loved it so I figured I would give it a shot. I am going to be honest with you – I got through this first two chapters or so of this book and I went ahead and returned it. I could not connect with what Rachel was saying and how she was saying it. When she started talking about how if someone falls off of a diet that they are on she can no longer trust them – because how can she trust someone who can not keep a promise to themselves? Something about that struck a negative cord with me and at that point I went ahead and returned it.

That is another great perk of Audible – if you download a book and do not like it, you can return it and they will refund your credit no matter how much you have listened to.

If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them! I can not wait to share my Spring Reading/Listening List with you in a couple of weeks!

xx Casey

These days when you hear the words “self care” most women’s minds go to face masks, manicures, and maybe a nice glass of wine at the end of the night. And some days, that is exactly what self care looks like to me. But the concept of self care is much more than that.

To me, self care is about taking the time to care for your mind, body, and spirit – whatever that looks like to you. Sometimes self care is meditating in the morning before you start your day. Sometimes it is spending time with loved ones. And sometimes it is binge watching episodes of Friends for the tenth time. Self care is whatever soothes your soul.

What is self care not? Selfish. It is not selfish to take time for yourself. Whatever season of life you are in, you still need to take the time to make yourself a priority. You can not give your all to the people and things in your life if you are not taking care of yourself first. It is necessary to make yourself a priority.

Self care is all about creating balance in your life. And sometimes? The scales need to tip your way a little more, and that is okay.

xx Casey