#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.

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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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll choose the winners this Thursday night (midnight EST) and announce in Friday Faves.

xoxo

Gina

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213 Comments

  1. Samantha on June 2, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    I’m really guilty of the all-or-nothing mentality, and I’ve been hearing about wycwyc and love it, I really need to work toward more of that style of thinking. Something I did this week that was wycwyc for me- I started cleaning out the fridge on Sunday and decided to use up freezer & pantry goodies by making a huge quinoa lentil salad (inspired by you!) for my week’s lunches. I so rarely meal prep because it sounds like a huge undertaking, but just making “one thing” sent me on a healthy cascade for the week – I ended up prepping breakfast sandwiches too later that night, and I’ve been eating great all week!

  2. Cayla on June 2, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    I try to incorporate exercise and healthy eating habits on dates with my boyfriend. Instead of skipping out on spending time together, we plan dates around runs along the beach and cooking together.

  3. Sara M on June 2, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    In the summer I try to add extra outside activity into my day.

  4. Kim M. on June 2, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    As a school speech therapist, it’s tempting to have the kids meet me in my classroom at their scheduled time, but I wycwyc by picking up each student at his or her classroom and get in a couple walking miles a day. Plus it allows for some conversation time with the kids.

  5. Cate on June 2, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    I get up and walk around more during my work day in order to get more steps and give my brain a bit of a focus break. I am more productive when I return to my desk.

  6. Crystal on June 2, 2015 at 6:40 pm

    I love WYCWYC–it doesn’t have to be all or nothing! Today I only had 10 min on my lunch break to exercise so I ran up and down one of the stairwells 🙂

  7. Laura W on June 2, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    I take the stairs wherever I can. I also work in a hospital and don’t get a real “lunch break,” so I whenever there’s some down time, I’ll walk around the floor or take a walk to the other side of the building to get moving and wake myself up

  8. Alexandra on June 2, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    My baby is 6 weeks old today and I’m finally cleared to exercise so I was dying to sweat today! Of course, my husband had to work and we had no sitter so during her nap I did a few YouTube workouts in the living room…including a few of your an and arm burners 🙂

  9. amanda on June 2, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    Walking! I park in the furthest parking spot at work. When it’s too muddy on our playground for recess, I take my kindergartners on walks. Walking is a quick, easy, and a free way to stay healthy!

  10. Sara on June 2, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    Would love to gift this to my sister-I think she really needs this guidance!

  11. kayla on June 2, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    I listen to my body and know that skipping at workout is not the end of the world.

  12. Sarah on June 2, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    I am so guilty of the guilty mindset. And it really is not healthy, or productive, or motivating to say the least. I really appreciate this post as a good reminder to not “should” on ourselves, because most of us do it, to some extent. Especially, us Moms. I would really like to read, or “skim” this book 😉 Thanks Gina

  13. Andrea Bilbija on June 2, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    Love this idea! I always feel like if I showed myself even half of the compassion and understanding I show to my friends and family, I’d be a much happier and more peaceful person. This book sounds like a great tool for getting someone well on their way for that journey.

  14. Lindsey on June 2, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    Getting as much sleep as my body tells me I need!

  15. Molly D on June 2, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    Sounds like a good read. I love how they set up the book as a hashtag.

  16. Lauren M. on June 2, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    My schedule is all over the place during the school year as a substitute teacher and a part-time barista, so I wycwyc during the summer months! It’s a time for me to refocus on healthy eating habits and go for walks in the warmer weather.

  17. Vicki L. on June 2, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    I always try to have a vegetable with my meals, even if it’s just some carrot sticks with dinner!

  18. Meredith on June 2, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    Sounds like a great book!

  19. Maggie on June 2, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    I love you go for walks and I take the stairs whenever possible… and I make sure I honour my body when it needs rest! Looks like a great read!

  20. Sarah Beth on June 2, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    I walk the dog 2-3 times a day. I forget to add this into my daily exercise count! Gotta give myself more credit 🙂

  21. Susan on June 2, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    I tend to inadvertently following the all or nothing in a lot of areas, but I feel less stressed when it’s a little at a time. Doing a complete healthy eating plan is a little stressful, but little things at a time are easier to adopt long term. Thanks for this book suggestion!

  22. Kelsey Halena on June 2, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    This is so true – and I totally fall victim to doing the ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ instead of being proud of what I have done. Would love to read this book!

  23. Karen on June 2, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    My dog likes to sniff more than walk when I take him out so i’ll do squats while he smells everything!

  24. Talia on June 2, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    I try to walk to pick up the kids when I can, and do things like dance with my kids or race them around. I also try to keep an assortment of easy but healthy snacks in my fridge.

  25. Brittany J on June 2, 2015 at 7:28 pm

    Love this! I activate wait times by taking my embroidery or crochet with me to do. I’ll get to work early and take that time to work on a project that at the same time helps keep my hands busy and relaxes me. Also, sometimes weeding outside or a chore becomes my workout for the day because that’s what my time or energy allows and that’s ok.

  26. Katie G on June 2, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    This book would definitely help me right now. I currently take the stairs instead of the elevator in apartment building and drink fruit infused water instead of juice or soda.

  27. Katie on June 2, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    I try to use 15-20 minutes of my lunch break each work day to go for a walk.

  28. Brandi on June 2, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    i got a pedometer and aim to do 10k steps a day

  29. Raquel on June 2, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    My coworker and I were just talking about the all-or-nothing mindset today! It’s such an easy trap to fall into. One way I try to “wycwyc” is by doing small exercises and stretching throughout my work day (ex. getting out of my chair and doing calf raises every hour or so). This book sounds like such an exciting and useful read!

  30. Jess P on June 2, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    I am trying to take the dog out for a walk 2x a day and walk around my building at lunch. It’s small steps that add up!

  31. Jaleh on June 2, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    I love this idea! It really helps to keep the self-shaming at bay.

  32. Anna on June 2, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    When I feel like I’ve fallen off-track I remind myself of what I AM doing…like resting, or drinking water, or brushing my teeth, whatever!

  33. Alexandra on June 2, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    Love this concept and something Im trying to incorporate. After a visit from family and overindulging this weekend with a few days of no workouts, I told myself as long as snuck in a group class in the mornings this week I wouldn’t let myself feel guilty about the weekend. Slowly getting back on track 🙂

  34. Lynora on June 2, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    WOw! I just finished my cardio for the day and did a few recovery laps half beating myself up and half trying to make sense of things. I try so hard to be happy but I’ve been stuck. I keep working out but I’m having a hard time getting my eating in check. I decided during my cool down that I need to relax, stop thinking about it so much and put more positive thoughts out into the universe. My 35th birthday is in a couple weeks and I want to not spend my next 35 years scared to put on a swim suit so I need to do what I can and accept it! Thank you to you and the universe! I can’t wait to read the book.

  35. Jacquelyn Schober on June 2, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    I started incorporating 20-30 minute walks during my lunch hour. I get to listen to my favorite podcast, get some sunshine and clear my mind from the work day for a little while! Ohh and I’ve made Saturday a macaroon ritual. A bakery right by my work have the dreamiest macaroons!!!

  36. Jackie on June 2, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    Wow I am definitely guilty of the “all or nothing” mentality sometimes! Today a workout was just not in the cards, but I made sure to get steps in when I could between work and running errands. I beat myself up sometimes for missing a workout or wanting ” bad food”, but I really need to keep in mind that I’m trying to change to healthy habits for the long run!

  37. Floey on June 2, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    Im drinking Ensure to get extra nutrients.

  38. Sarah E. M. on June 2, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Love how the “What you can, when you can” philosophy focuses on positives and adding good things to your life instead of looking at things you “shouldn’t” do.

  39. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul on June 2, 2015 at 8:22 pm

    Love Carla! I’m so proud of her for writing this book!

  40. Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment on June 2, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    Feeling good about your choices is so important. It should not be emotional or racked with guilt. Sometimes the “healthy” decision needs to be made another day.

  41. Lindsey giles on June 2, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    We were waiting over 20 minutes at a doctors appointment today. I just signed my three year old for the library summer reading program so I took advantage of that time to read to her and get part of her 30 minutes of reading in today.

  42. Liz on June 2, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    I try to go for walks at work – once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Some days, I’m too busy to get outside, but the important thing is I do it when I can. Love the wycwyc message!

  43. Andrea on June 2, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    As a busy mother of 1 year old twins and a 7 year old who works full time “wick wick” is how I manage to stay fit and keep my house is order and feed everyone!

  44. Cara on June 2, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    Feeling like a 15 minute garage workout is just as productive as an hour + at the gym has been a struggle, but I know something is better than nothing!!

  45. Alex on June 2, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    I take the stairs whenever I can

  46. Kari F on June 2, 2015 at 9:54 pm

    My gym has several locations. I have an hour+ commute home so if traffic is really bad I can stop at a location closer to work, work out and then head home after. By then the traffic is usually better too. Double win!

  47. Nikki Fahey on June 2, 2015 at 9:58 pm

    I try to get activity in a few times. if not 2 workouts. stairs. and park far away. I wish I biked places more!

  48. Kelsey on June 2, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    I take my dog for two walks a day- giving me some more fresh air, some extra steps, and some time to de-stress and relax after work.

  49. Dominique on June 2, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    I don’t have a parking pass for campus so I have to walk to and from my office. The daily walk is part of why I don’t want a parking pass. I also keep the house stocked with fruits and veggies so we grab those for snacks – most of the time at least.

  50. Vanessa on June 2, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    Priorities = sleep YES!!

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