Who doesn't love pancakes?!

OK, this isn't a post on making pancakes but on the toppings that go with! I ran across this article with healthier alternatives to the transitional maple syrup. I'm dying to try the Greek yogurt one. Enjoy!!

Skip the Maple Syrup: Low-Sugar Pancake Toppings

Goal Setting and Lifestyle Changes!

One of the hardest parts of a lifestyle change is deciding where to start. This can easily become an overwhelming task for nearly anyone. We often become accustomed to our every day routine (or lack there of). While we have the best intentions to (INSERT GOAL HERE e.g lose weight, get organized,etc), it can be tough executing the plan. 

Being that this is a fitness blog, below are a few suggestions on how to implement change to attain your goals.

1. Get some sleep! It's amazing how much better our bodies and minds function when we aren't dragging. Try getting to bed even 1/2 hour earlier. Give your body a chance to rest and recover from all it's hard work each and every day. Personally, I aim for a minimum of 7 hours, but I'm a real happy camper if I get  7.5-8 hours.

2. Eat Breakfast! Starting the day with a balanced meal is one of the best things you can do for weight loss. You are kick starting your metabolism for the day and helping yourself stay focused! You should aim to get a balanced amount of protein, carbs, and FAT! I personally recommend eggs, yes whole eggs, cooked in coconut oil or ghee along with some veggies or sweet potato or one of my Super Greens Smoothie (tastes like a milkshake). To be honest I have been addicted to my Smoothies lately. You can really do so much with them by playing around with the ingredients. The best part is that it's like an ICE CREAM SHAKE for breakfast! Yum!! Don't skimp on the fat at breakfast! You can be sure to get enough by either eating whole eggs, adding avocado, cooking with coconut oil/ghee, etc.

3. Take a quality probiotic! Taking a high quality probiotic daily is like giving your  army (belly) the proper artillery needed to win. I recently started taking Dr. Ohhira's Probiotic. You can order it online at Amazon. However, if you have one that you prefer and it WORKS, then by all means keep taking it. 

4. When it comes to meal planning, be REALISTIC. We've all been told at some point that if you want to lose weight, you should eat "X,Y, and Z" Well what if you hate X, Y, and Z? What do you think your chances of success will be? Probably ZERO! Why not give yourself a fighting chance and do a real reality check. What is a reasonable and attainable goal for YOU? Not your friend, not the person in the magazine article, but YOU. Perhaps you hate cooking and always eat out. Why would you want to start a new diet plan that requires you to cook 5 -7 nights a week? Instead, perhaps you should look at the types of placing you are eating out. Maybe you can substitute dinner at Whole Foods instead of dinner at Popeyes or McDonalds.  To be successful, you have to set goals for yourself that you can attain. Focus on your strengths instead of what you are not good at. Also, even if they are small, goal setting allows you to work towards improvement instead of falling further and further behind.

Good Luck!