#WYCWYC + a giveaway!
Hi friends! How’s your day going? The weather here is absolutely dreamy -I think this is magnified by the fact that it was super humid this weekend in VA- so Liv and I have been enjoying some time outside.
Today, I’m excited to share a new book with you that I’ve been loving, and it just so happened to be co-authored by bloggerfriends whom I’ve known for years and deeply admire: What You Can, When You Can by Carla Binberg and Roni Noone.
They sent me a copy last week, and I was able to read it from front to back during our weekend travels.
Here’s what WYCWYC (pronounced “wick-wick”) is all about:
We all know we should eat better, exercise more, get better quality rest, and so on. Tell us something we don’t know, right? After all, every statistic we have about Americans and our health proves that no matter how good our intentions are, we are failing to change the habits that undermine our well-being. But how do we achieve our healthy living goals when they’re so daunting? Who has the time, the willpower, the resources to do all that nutritious eating, muscle building, restful sleeping, and work-life balancing?
Carla Birnberg and Roni Noone have the answer to that—the answer is you. You have the power to make healthier living easy and exciting, just by adopting one simple mantra: “What you can when you can.” It’s all you need.What You Can When You Can (#wycwyc) is a book, a movement, a mindset, and a lifestyle—one that harnesses the power of small steps to let you achieve your health and fitness goals on YOUR terms. The #wycwyc (pronounced “wickwick”) philosophy applies to anything and everything that contributes to a healthy, happy life: nutrition, exercise, physical and mental rejuvenation, and so much more.
Here’s why I LOVE it:
I feel like many diet and fitness books encourage a “total life overhaul,” which at first can be daunting and overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting a health and fitness journey,. I also think it’s the quickest way to burn out: try to do too much, too quickly, and it’s often a recipe for failure. (And then feeling badly about yourself and the cycle all starts over again.) It’s something I write thoroughly about in my own book, but when I was first getting started in health and fitness, I fell into the “all or nothing” trap, which hurt me far more than it helped. The beauty of WYCWYC: it’s broken into small, attainable steps you can make in your health routine and life, which will lead to huge progress over time. I love the idea of bite-sized goals that you can accomplish and stick with for the long term.
In the theme of WYCWYC, this book is also extremely compact and skimmable; you pick it up and read bits and pieces as they apply to your life, or as you need them.
Here are the categories that WYCWYC focuses on, along with a sample tips from that section.
It’s all about the mindset: Aim for persistence, not for perfection.
Rethink and take charge!: Stop MUSTurbating (<— love this so much) and making yourself badly for things you “should,” “ought” or “have”’ to do.
Daily considerations: Activate your wait times. Think of all of the times throughout the day you spend waiting, and instead, do something productive or that enables you to de-stress.
Food for thought: Think of what you can ADD instead of take away, i.e. more steps throughout the day, more time laughing with friends, fruit instead of dessert, more vegetables to your meals.
Tricks of the trade: Prioritize sleep. As someone who has a deep love for sleeping, I really appreciated this section. 😉
Since reading it, and learning more about the movement, I’ve found so many instances of WYCWYC in my own life. Last week, I really wanted to get in some cardio, but the Pilot was working and gym childcare closed in 30 minutes. I turned on a Zumba DVD and had a little dance party with Liv. During this weekend’s wedding festivities, I was starving between the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, so I drove down the street to CVS and grabbed a Larabar to hold me over until dinner. We didn’t have gym access, so I got in an online workout during out hotel stay and we took a long walk around property. It really is about doing what you can with the means you have, whether it’s time, location, finances, availability, etc.
And now, a giveaway! Two lucky readers will each receive a copy of What You Can, When You Can.
Enter via the widget below!
I’ll choose the winners this Thursday night (midnight EST) and announce in Friday Faves.
xoxo
Gina
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My husband loves when I take off from the gym but I knew I wanted to do something so we went for a walk together and it was better for the heart and soul!!!
I am a teacher with only one week left of work – this book may go to the top of my summer reading list 🙂
Don’t belong to a gym so I run outside and follow workout videos/dvds at home! #wycwyc
Accepting that some days, all I can fit in is a short walk, and that is okay!
I am the queen of all or nothing but something I have incorporated into my daily routine is the practice of gratitude. When i feel myself getting worked up or stressed instead I choose to use that time to list things I am grateful for from the past 24 hours rather than dwell on the “what ifs” and could/should haves.
I’m a teacher and am exhausted by the time I get home..so I get up early and work out otherwise I know my day won’t be as good without it 🙂
I do what I can when I can when I get up earlier and start reading my personal growth book, or enjoy th pure silence and no social media. I need to get better at shutting down when I can so I don’t alienate my family or my hubby
I love this concept! With multiple different health issues and an overwhelming desire to do everything possible to fix things naturally, I try to realize that sometimes life happens and it’s okay to not eat bone broth or buy exorbitant amounts of expensive “better” housewares. We do what we can, and we need to be okay with that!
I love Roni! I have been a follower of her blog for YEARS!!!!
I love the idea of thinking about what you can add rather than what you take away. I’m always looking for ways to sneak in more steps throughout the day. It always feels like a little victory to check my fitbit and have more steps than I thought I would!
I love working out outside whenever I can!
when i don’t care to take extra time to prep and dress a multi-veg, pre-dinner salad, i take a handful of greens from the bin and stuff in it my mouth, chewing while i put together the rest of my meal. roommates think i’m cray, and i am — for greensss!!
Just added this one to my summer reading list, whether I win a copy or not! Love the overall premise of the book!
Moving my body intentionally! If I can “shake it” some way every day, it’s worth it!
This sounds like a great book!
When I first started working out, I would spend hours at the gym. I was younger at the time and didn’t have the responsibilities or time constraints of a professional job. As I transitioned into my first full time professional position, I let my health and fitness fall to the wayside because I no longer had hours to spend at the gym. Now I happily work out each morning before work for around 45 minutes at home using equipment I have slowly acquired and youtube videos. It is quick and efficient, energizes me, and sets me up for success for the rest of the day. #wycwyc
I work 12+ hours a day and then come home and study before I’m off to bed. Those are the days that I can’t make it to the gym and just don’t have the energy after work to workout so I make the conscious effort to take the stairs throughout the day. It’s not much, but on those long workdays, it’s what I can get done.
I love working out or being active as often as I can…whether at the gym in the early morning or outside on the weekends with my dog. I also love to fit in time to “grow my mind” as well….I am excited to read this book!
I would use this book to help in my attempt at recovery from eating/exercise disorders
I love this concept!!
having a game plan, which includes time for self!
I used to squat while I brushed my teeth and do calf raises if I was in the elevator. I should definitely bring those back!
Having a 2 month old son, I do my best to fit in a short and quick exercise when I can, even if it’s just 15 minutes!
Love the concept of #wycwyc. Been implementing it a LOT lately as I’ve just moved and am trying to navigate a back injury, which makes working out at all (let alone finding a place to work out) extra hard. Not to mention eating well on a now super-tiny budget haha…definitely been some compromises lately, but I feel surprisingly great! I think the most important part has been not “MUSTerbating” (I love that, too!) when I’m frustrated with what I’m not able to do/afford.
I try to do something while brushing and flossing my teeth–usually squats!
Love how you are supporting fellow bloggers and friends!
I’ve always been in that all or nothing mindset. But a lot has changed in my life and I understand now why my best efforts count for so much more.
I try to sneak veggies into every meal, like spinach in smoothies!
I get out and walk during lunch. This is good for me both physically and mentally! It’s a good break from work… And staring at the computer all day 🙂
I have different dumbbells around the house that I will often pick up and start doing some arm exercises throughout the day. It’s a nice way to get in some quick arm workouts and get the blood flowin!
I do a short workout or stretch while my daughter is napping. Thanks for the giveaway!
There are days where working out just doesn’t fit into my schedule as much as I’d like it to. I try to be gentle with myself when my schedule is hectic and take at least 10 minutes a day to stretch. This book sounds awesome!
I run an after school program, and one of out character building themes is the idea of “grit” or setting long term goals and not giving up on those goals– I feel like wycwyc could fit nicely into that mindset!!
A lot of advice I read says to take your time and not multi task while eating. Well, being a teacher, that’s usually not possible. But by packing a healthy lunch, I’m doing what I can! WYCWYC sounds like a great book!
Thinking like this has kept me sane. I’ve worked hard to find a balance between feeling good and keeping my career and my passions prioritized- doing what I can when I can and feeling good about it has given me a healthy perspective on being healthy.
Wow, sounds like a good read.
I stay active by walking or running around my property while my kiddo plays outside. I get exercise and my son loves it because he tries to chase me on some of his riding toys!
Take the stairs at work – gotta get those extra steps in where I can!
This book sounds very interesting! I would love to give it a read.
I love this concept! I’m a little bit hard on myself if I miss a workout or if I lack motivation one day. I’d love to read this book and read some of their insites on this subject.
I do workout dvds at home! 🙂
I try and prep easy healthy snacks and food to grab for meals on the go so I don’t find myself ordering takeout at work or at the drive through.
This sounds right up my alley! I’ve definitely been working on simplifying life to be healthier and happier, and not putting so much pressure on myself.
No one can be perfect, just do what you can. So if I don’t have time for meal prep one weekend, I will eat out salads most of the week. If work is too busy for an hour at the gym, I go for a 20 minute run with sprints. It is about balance, and it is the only sustainable lifestyle IMO.
I’m in graduate school, and sometimes movement is more limited than I’d like. So I do what I can when I can by getting up and walking around during breaks, standing in class, and going on walks at lunch!
It’s definitely a great philosophy! I wrote a review of it myself and really like the emphasis on self-compassion.
My toothbrush has a 2-minute timer. While I’m brushing, I do wall-sits. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up to about 30 minutes a week–and that’s 30 minutes a week more than I would do otherwise. The book sounds terrific!
Love the sound of this book!
I always prioritize sleep! It’s hard to stay motivated when you are exhausted
I love this message! Definitely would be interested in reading the book 🙂