So... it's been a week, in more ways than one. I've stuck to my goals of eating plant based for the most part, but did not stick to the plan of working out every day. Or even most days, honestly. I just didn't feel like it, and decided to listen to my body and do what felt right which was less traditional workouts and more walking. I've been under a lot of stress trying to get some new classes off the ground and apparently I go into ostrich mode when stressed and stick my head in the ground to pretend that things don't exist. **EYE ROLL** Add that one to the list of behaviors to change. I DID stick to writing in my Fitness Journal every day, and that's something I'm REALLY proud of. I've been tracking my workouts (or lack there of), sleep, water consumption, food consumption (without judgement, just writing everything down) and a general journal space to write how I'm feeling throughout the day (if I'm bloated, BM, mood shifts, etc) and I can definitely start to see trends which is really exciting! I've also been loosely tracking some metrics, to see if the hard data backs up the changes I'm feeling (or hope to feel) in my body. I'm long past having the number on a scale dictate my self worth, but I'm curious to see if the numbers move at all with body composition changes. That being said, here are the numbers:

Starting Weight / Body Fat % / Muscle Mass % as of 8/30: 146.6 lbs / 26.5% / 42.8% 
Weight / Body Fat % / Muscle Mass % as of 9/6: 146.4 / 26.4% / 42.9%
Change:  [-.1 / .1 / -.2] 

I'll probably end up putting this in an Excel document at some point so it can look prettier, but even with only getting one workout in and walking a ton, the numbers moved a tiny bit. Abs really are made in the kitchen people! 
I have a plan in place for my workouts this week, and am going to prep some easy grab and go meals because, life; so I'm hoping for some more movement in the data next week. I really, really, really don't want start counting macros because it makes me crazy, so hopefully adding some more strength training in will help. Overall, I'm feeling much more pumped and secure in my plan/goals for this week. Time to crush it!

Xoxo,
K

Then I do the things.
​Today is "Day 0" and I felt called to write a little, so here we are. It's very quiet in my apartment right now, just the birds chirping and the fridge whirring. I'm having my second cup of coffee on the couch while I continuously talk myself into and out of going to the bounce class I scheduled for myself for cardio this week. Pros: I'll stick to the plan, kick my own ass and get the sweaty cardio workout in that I need for my goals (and it's fun). Cons: I have to leave the quiet contentment I'm feeling right now and go out into the world. And put on pants. And a bra. hmmm. Either one is a good choice, and I honestly don't know which way I'll go. We'll see. 
So tomorrow starts The SoulBlossom Project and I'm excited/nervous. Excited to see how my body and mindset are going to change and feel after the first 3 months/90 days, and nervous about how friends/family are going to react. This is for ME and I shouldn't care about what others think blah blah blah but the truth of the matter is, I do. I'm not going to let it sway me from the path I've chosen to walk, but that path will be significantly less bumpy with support and less shit talking. We'll see about that too. 
The mindset thing is also slightly worrisome. I haven't had the best track record of sticking to a workout plan in the past, and I know that my head might try to get in the way of my goals, but this time feels different for some reason. Maybe because I'm putting less pressure on myself my NOT announcing it over on my "regular" social media channels. On my wellness Instagram feed, yes. Blog, yes. The other outlets... not yet. I'm giving myself some time to get my legs under me first. I'm also not going out of my way to tell every person I meet that I'm making changes. A few people know in advance but that's really it. I'm trying to keep my cards close to my chest this time and not overshare (for once) to see if other people I come in contact with every day will start to see a difference. It's a good test I think. Anyway, time to get more coffee and do the things!
xoxo, K

This one's for me. It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to lay it all out on the line here guys. A little back story: I'm yoga teacher, fitness instructor and budding nutrition coach. I haven't made much time in the past for my own practice or fitness (a TERRIBLE habit I plan on breaking) and while I've eaten more veggies in the last few months than ever in my life, I still love me some calabrese salame, cheese and OMG pizza. It's about balance right? (Spoiler alert: it really is about balance) A few days ago my doctor ran some routine blood work and it came back with elevated levels of LDL ("bad cholesterol") and I was honestly a little shocked. In hindsight I shouldn't have been, but that's why it's hindsight. So my doctor wants me to cut down on the meats and dairy. *sigh* As I don't want to have a heart attack before 40, I agree and decided to try a plant based diet for 6 months (the next time my blood work will be done) to see if that helps. I've also been wanting to get more serious about my own fitness and overall wellness and thus, The SoulBlossom Project was born! I figured that if I want to be taken seriously as a coach and instructor, then the first client I need to take care of is myself, and if I'm going to do this thing I might as well share my journey with others who are in the same boat. SO MUCH stuff online is like: drink this tea, don't eat this food, take this supplement and it'll work miracles! when a lot of it is utter nonsense. Not all of it mind you, and maybe something like that worked for you in the past, but a good chunk of the diet culture-y products out there are. The big question I'm basing all my lifestyle/health decisions on is: Is it sustainable for the long term? For me, a plant based lifestyle is something I've been looking into for some time now. Lifting weights and expanding my personal yoga practice are two fitness goals I've desired forever but never made time for. Well, the time is now. I'm going to split the 6 months into two 3 month chunks, starting September 1st. I'm going to *try* and blog most days, to share how I'm feeling in all it's glory and I'll also be sharing a bunch of stuff on my Instagram, @soulblossomwellness. I would LOVE if you followed along, and shared comments or stories along the way. Look for the hashtag #thesoulblossomproject to see the relevant posts. I'm SO EXCITED guys, and can't wait to get started!

xoxo, K

I had a dream the other night that I lived in a van and when I woke up I felt sad. Not like, "oh gosh how sad I lived in a van, that's terrible" but "damn, I wish I had the kind of life where I could live in a van". Now I'm not certain that I would like van life, my boyfriend is convinced that I would in fact hate it, but I like the idea of it. Of being free to move about how I wish, that I presumably have a location-independent source of income, that I could wake up in a beautiful setting every day and fall asleep with the smell of campfire in my nostrils and the stars overhead. Alas, that isn't currently the case and I'm trying to be okay with it. Living for the weekend isn't so much living as surviving, but I know that the path I'm walking will open up eventually, even if I can't see the forest for the trees right now. Okay, enough with the metaphors. Jeez.

In other news, I started my nutrition coaching course! In 18 short (HAH) weeks I'll have my certification and will open up some spots for clients, which I am super duper excited about. If you're looking for someone to help you get your nutrition and eating habits back on track, I'm your girl for sure. In the meantime I'll be posting nuggets of information and guides and articles and other fun stuff occasionally on here as I come across it so keep an eye out for that. I'm also starting a C25K program (hopefully) this week.  I've always wanted to be a runner but every time I try I go too hard in the beginning and my knees KILL ME for DAYS. My hope is by doing this running for beginners type program (C25K stands for Couch to 5K hahaha) I'll condition my knees and other body parts to get used to the motion. Plus it should help for backpacking trips in the future too. Are there any runners out there? Any tips for getting started?

​I hired a life coach. <-------------- Possibly the craziest thing I've ever typed.

I'm feeling all the things about it right now. Excited, freaked out, nervous, shocked, jubilant, positive, scared, all of them. 

^^I originally started this post July 27. For one reason or another, I never got around to finishing the blog post and sharing this with y'all. But now, almost two months later, I've started down the path to my own coaching business. I didn't really expect this path to open up to me when I started working with my coach, I was feeling so lost and confused about my purpose and how to get what I wanted out of life, when it seemed so DIFFERENT compared to what other people wanted for me or were doing themselves. But after probably 1 session (not an exaggeration) I felt like I had been slapped upside the head. OF COURSE this is what I'm supposed to be doing! I've always been a "fixer", a solver of problems, a helper, a nurturer. If you come to me out of sorts I'll try to help you solve the problem and more than likely try to feed you too. It's just who I am. So after a session with my coach, who was basically doing the same thing to me (minus the feeding, hard to do through a video conference), I thought this is it. And so, my coaching path was laid out for me. 

I'm a mindset and lifestyle coach. My goal is to help you live your healthiest, happiest, most fulfilled life, and with a little bit of work, we can get you there. It feels amazing to type this, and sit in the wonder of having a direction. I plan on combining my passions for yoga and nutrition into my coaching plan, but if yoga isn't your ideal way to move your body (GASP) that's okay too. I have some other tricks up my sleeve to improve that area of well being. Proper nutrition and learning how to fuel my body for optimum health is one of my other two loves and I'll be diving deeper into that realm in the coming months (more on that later). All this to say that I'm not trying to use my blog as an ad for my biz, but that I'm really really excited about it and wanted to share it (shout it from the rooftops really, but we'll settle for the little blog that could for now). What are you excited about right now? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! 

​Even if you're not into the "star stuff", you might be noticing that you're having trouble getting your point across to people, or perhaps misunderstanding what people mean when they're talking to you. Have directions seemed a little overly confusing recently? Do you feel a little argumentative or generally disagreeable? Are your tech devices suddenly rebelling on you? Well friends, Mercury is in retrograde and those are just some of the results of this planet phenomenon. Mercury is the ruler of communication, travel, technology, and intellectual thoughts, and three times a year this planet appears to move backwards in the sky for about three weeks. Mercury doesn’t actually move counter-clockwise; its orbit around the Sun is faster than ours,and this causes the optical illusion of a backwards-moving planet. When a planet is in retrograde (no, Mercury isn't the only one, just the most notorious of them), the themes and energies it embodies are reversed and internalized, which can make you feel like you’re spinning in circles or a salmon swimming upstream, pick your metaphor.  

With Mercury in retrograde, you are more likely to have miscommunications with others, travel mishaps (up to and including accidents so please drive safely!), and my personal favorite, random issues with technology. My computer at work randomly started freezing and getting stuck yesterday, and I can guarantee you that right around August 16-18 it's going to magically fix itself. It does it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. #sofrustrating. Something else to be on the lookout for are exes and old friends appearing (seemingly) out of no where, as Mercury's "reversal " can cause old feelings and relationships from the past to surface. Great. 

It's not all bad however. This time Mercury is in Leo, a fire sign that is big with expression and authenticity, so the creative juices will be flowing, you'll have some big ideas and you won't really sweat the details as much as you might usually. BUT while it's in Leo Mercury can also be very opinionated and that could easily lend itself to bossiness and being just a teensy bit self-centered. (coughnotmecoughcough) "Katie! What the hell does this all MEAN???" Well it means that for the next three-ish weeks you'll need to watch what you say, try to think before you speak, take other's views into account and generally try not to be a selfish jerk. I also would recommend against making any huge life/business decisions or any major technological purchase. There's an info graphic below to help too.  

Something else that helps me is to remember that the Universe is sending you these setbacks and challenges during this period of time for a reason and ultimately they'll be good for your growth. Does it suck? Sure. Will you die? Nope. Just hunker down with some tea and cookies (wine never hurt either, #justsaying) and focus on your own introspection and creative projects. We got this kids. Two days down, 2.5 weeks (give or take) to go. 

Have you had any strange Mercury Retrograde experiences? Share them below in the comments, I'd love to hear them and commiserate! 

​I've been thinking lately that I want more. 
Something is missing, I'm capable of so much more in my life I think. 
I want (need) to be out of that cubicle life and into the country and woods. I want to walk out onto a deck with my coffee and a view. I want to sit at my kitchen island and work in the morning with a cup of coffee and a plan. I want my own business, to support myself wherever home might be at the moment. I want fresh air and sunshine. I want to do what I love and help other people live their best lives. I want to wake up each day excited about what I get to do that day for work. I want to make my life fit ME rather than make me fit my life. 
Some people may say that wishing and dreaming is a waste of time, that it will never happen. I don't believe in the word never, and I don't believe in limiting myself. I think that if I can dream it then I can make it happen, I just need to buckle down and create a plan and stick to it. Sometimes I feel like I'm spinning in circles and have no idea what the hell I'm doing, but I keep on trucking. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time and I'll get there. Maybe not tomorrow (one thing you'll learn about me is that patience is not my strong suit), but I have a plan and a timeline. Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try" and truer words were never said. I can do this, and I'm hoping that you'll come along for the ride. 

xoxo,
Katie