These are my TOP 10 Lifestyles that have changed my body for the better:
- Drink 80+ oz of water a day
Water drinking has been the bane of my existence for a long time. Even when Sesame Street was telling me to have 8 glasses of water a day, my five year old self was like, “…Really?? nah. I want Dr. Pepper.” But last winter when I did Unicity Transformation I was told 100 oz of water a day!!! And I had no clue how to do it. Which is funny, because I’m sure I could do 100 oz of DP any day. So factoring in my soda addiction, I got a water bottle that came with a straw and looked like a fountain drink. The rest was flipping history! I had a 24 oz one I filled up four times a day. And it was just that easy. I also tried to drink all of that before 5 pm. So that way I wasn’t peeing all night long. - Eat Wheat not White Flour
Another requirement of Unicity that I had no clue my body wanted so bad. My body seriously has problems with white flour. It makes me bloated, constipated and miserable. I didn’t realize until I started putting white flour back into my system that my body had the toughest time with it. Wheat flour tortillas, wheat whole grain bread, wheat flour… made the biggest difference for my stomach. I attribute getting rid of white flour as one of the main reasons my tummy got flatter. - Keep Treats to a Minimum
I think one of the biggest failures of “dieting” or “new eating lifestyles” is that people NEVER let themselves indulge. Or they have major guilt about any sort of indulgence. And it’s SO important to have a “reset” button on your week (as my coach, Mel) would say. I mean at the peak of my “transformation” challenge I had one 60 minute reset meal a week. But that doesn’t have to be your choice. At first it could be having several pieces of dark chocolate at the end of your day. Or having a cup of Chocolate Almond Milk. And honestly, the occasional ice cream sundae or Dr Pepper, isn’t the end of the world.
My sister Amelia and I were talking about our NEED for treats. And how there is something in my brain that thinks at the end of EVERY meal I need a dessert. Ok I had a good breakfast, so let’s have a donut. Ok I had a good lunch, let’s eat a cookie. And I just finished dinner so I get my dessert! It’s such a funny and juvenile mentality. My body doesn’t need to have dessert with every single meal or every single day! But! Rewarding yourself is crucial, just don’t let it erase all your hard work. - Avoid Processed Food
A few years ago I attended “Education Week” at BYU. And I took a class with my sister from Chef Brad. Chef Brad is so cool and so funny. And so many of the things he taught in that class changed the way I do food. And one thing he mentioned was that when you’re grocery shopping, along the edge of the grocery store you have produce, dairy, and meat products. And once you go down the aisle you’ve ventured into the processed foods section of the store. If you’re spending more time on the aisles than the edges, take a second look at your grocery list.
Now folks, I love top ramen and frozen foods. They are my peanut butter and jelly. But man are they just so bad for you. Starting to minimize their existence is a good idea. Every now and then, having top ramen when you don’t feel good or a frozen burrito when nothing else sounds good– go ahead. But again, just like treats, this should be a minimum. Not an every meal every day choice. - FitBit
- My FitBit has changed my life. I got it December 2015 and before I did my Unicity Transformation it helped me lose 7-10 lbs! Simply by having this little watch tell me that I’m not walking at all during the day. I didn’t realize how stagnant I was. So I started moving and walking more. And the thrill of having my watch buzz when I got my 10k steps or when I was in contests with other friends on FitBit, totally launched a whole new way of walking around. I’m so O.C.D. about having things ticked off on a list and my FitBit is a whole new list of things I have to check off.
- Food Journaling
- Another weight loss tip that everyone has heard. Keeping track of your food helps you remember what you’re putting into your body. Another thing I’ve been famously bad at. I tried literally writing it down in a journal type thing, I tried MyFitnessPal and nothing stuck with me. So here is another plug for FitBit, you can log your food and water consumption on it. So it’s my all around app and device I use to track my fitness. Love it!
- 30 Min 3x a Week of Being Active
- I was always under the impression that I had to workout 5+ hours a week to see any results and anything less than that was not acceptable.
And I mean, if you can or do workout that much, go you! But that was not a reasonable goal for me. Starting out by doing 30 min 3x a week was so great for me. I then upped it to 30 min 5x a week and try and solidly do 3 to 5 30 min sessions per week. And this includes taking my dogs out for a 30 min walk. Or if I have a really vigorous afternoon of cleaning, weeding, organizing; I call it good! The most important thing, again, is to just move!
- I was always under the impression that I had to workout 5+ hours a week to see any results and anything less than that was not acceptable.
- Had a friend hold me accountable.
This was another game changer for me, during Unicity Transformation not only did I log in my food; but I also would text my coach and let her know what I was eating and also– when I had temptations. And this girl is the sweetest ever, but she is a bad a$$ when it comes to health. I was so scared of telling her I had slipped up and ate a candy bar or something. And that genuinely helped me stay away from candy bars! And in reality, when I was having a tough time, she had great ideas and encouragement. She was never mean or nagged me over decisions. Grab a good friend to help you out (also, someone who wont dismiss your cravings either. You need someone who will encourage and not enable you). - Didn’t weigh myself everyday
- I weigh myself once a week. Usually on Sunday or Monday, right in the morning. I get naked and make sure that I’ve gone to the bathroom. That is your true weight. People weigh themselves at night after they’ve ate food all day, with all their clothes on– that isn’t accurate at all. Dummies. For me, the scale was not always a friend. It was just a sad reminder. When I do it weekly, it gives me an idea of where I’m at and I can move on. Also– it’s just a number folks. Obsessing about it is going to make you go crazy. I “weigh” myself by how much energy I have and by how my clothes fit. You know your body better than any ol’ scale.
- Grocery planned and shopped like a Master Jedi
- My husband totally makes fun of me for how much I plan. And since we’ve been married, I’ve mastered the grocery list planning. I write down all the meals I’m planning on having for the week and try and stick so hard to my list. I have a little bit of wiggle room, but when I don’t adhere to that–I spend so much more money on junk. Since trying to eat healthier, I make sure to stay out of the aisles as much as I can and stay on the edges. And I try to go to the grocery store once a week and after I’ve eaten. It can’t always be like that, but when I do that I don’t buy cravings.
OK! There you have it! My List! It may not be anything extraordinary, but it works for me! I hope you’re having a fabulous summer so far! Get out there and enjoy the sun! But if you’re like me, put on as much sunblock as possible and wear big hats.

This is us enjoying our summer holiday…. with a Bear photobombing the photo