Hello Pretty Ones~

Do you tend to take concepts, ideas, or situations and make them a bit…complex?

I know I do!

And there are times I just know all I need is quick jolt of simple to keep the flow a flowin’.

I’m loving the simplicity of Audrey’s words below.

Thank you Audrey for being my muse today!

May we all enjoy a happy + simple weekend with the ones we love…

XOXO,

Mary C

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the

best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a

lot. I believe in being strong when everything

seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy

girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that

tomorrow is another day and I believe in

miracles.”

― Audrey Hepburn

I personally struggle all the time with being hard on myself and with telling myself I am not enough (not thin enough, strong enough, smart enough, put together enough…).

Mmm mmm these words have been ushering in a host of loving peace and forgiveness into my life.

Calling me to rise from my knees, dust myself off and forgive.

And I’m talkin’ about that forgiveness one offers themselves

and THAT kind of forgiveness, I’m discovering, is CRAZY beautiful and FAST healing.

So often clients come to me wanting tolose weight. 

What we discover buried underneath that goal is a deep desire for HEALING:

Healing in their relationships with their bodies (body image)

and with food (compulsions/addictions/over-eating/under-eating).

This healing comes as we:

A. Forgive ourselves. Yup, for every mistake we have ever made.  Guilt + shame can be a real burden and metabolism squelcher.

and

B. View our bodies as animals. And learn to consider it our responsibility and honor to care/provide for them as we would any creature.

Above, I love how Mary Oliver uses the words “soft animal of your body”

This concept of our bodies being animals has been essential in transforming my relationship with food and exercise.

(For your healing and health, I strongly encourage you to read this blog post  written by my guru, Jena who has studied and embodied this “body as animal” concept for years.)

May we all offer ourselves a bit of compassion.

May we bathe ourselves in forgiveness.

And may we allow our soft animals to love what they love,

free of judgement,

free of critique.

For our health, happiness, and freedom

xoxo,

Mary C

Oftentimes when I share this concept with clients the fear arises: “If I let my animal love what it loves, she will be eating oreo ice cream all day”. This is a reasonable fear and one that is best addressed when you can understand what your animal REALLY loves. Understanding her CRAVINGS is a HUGE help. Read this genius and quick blog on that topic, if this sounds like you.

Hello All -

I hope this finds you well on this fine August day…

Summer is not over yet and thank goodness because I JUST discovered this recipe!

Have you been looking for a lunch like this:

-Easy to prepare + store

-Travels like a charm

-Crazy nutritious + actually delicious.

-Gluten free

Have ya??

Well dear friends of mine, I’d like to introduce you to my recent obsession + my meal-on-the-fly solution: Summer Rolls!

Check out this recipe and try it today!

And don’t you be like me, allowing somewhat obscure ingredients like rice paper to hold you back from attempting this recipe. It turns out the “rice paper is too weird” excuse is not valid: rice paper is easy to find and easy to use. Find it at most grocery stores or certainly any Health food/Asian Market. Use rice paper like a burrito wrapper or watch this video for simple step by step instructions.

Easy Summer Rolls:

Serves 4

These rolls can be filled with anything! Express yourself in the use of vegetables and protein: you could add beans, spinach, Thai basil, apples, shrimp, etc. Get free and find what works best for you (or if you’re like me – what’s already in my fridge)

The marinade can be used to drip over the vegetables before you roll OR you can marinate some of the veggies in advance.

1 mango

1/2 cucumber
2 carrots
1 avocado
1 small pack sprouts
1 small pack sugar snap peas
1/4 wild cabbage
1 handful cashew nuts or peanuts (chopped)
fresh coriander (cilantro)
fresh mint leaves

rice paper

Marinade:
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
1 lime (juice)
1/2 fresh chili (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
salt

Preparations: Slice all the ingredients into thin sticks and put them in separate bowls. Mix the marinade and prepare the other dressings.
Making the rolls: Warm some water in a large pot. Dip the rice paper in the water so that it become soft, spread it out on a plate. Put the ingredients in the middle of the rice paper, drip the marinade over the vegetables (in the picture we just used lime), fold the rice paper as shown on the pictures below.

Yum yum yum. Hope you enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below and share your favorite combos

Be well,

Mary C

I’ve had a nice serving of change over the past 6 months and as we all know change whether blissful or blows can take a lot out of you emotionally and phyiscally.

Throughout the most recent changes I’ve noticed that Im having a very difficult time forming words and thoughts.

Writing has always been a passion of mine – but pesky words aren’t forming actual thoughts effortlessly or fluently.

And talking is my favorite! But for the first time in my life, I’m actually a bit mute (at least in my opinion- friends and family with recent experience feel free to dispute).

Up until now, I’ve accepted this period of quietness as purposed for healing and restoration.

While I still believe this to be true (and a genius self preservation mechanism) I cant help but be struck by what I experienced this past Sunday night and how it left me curious about VOICE, freedom, and health…

Sunday night I went to an incredible event in NYC. The event, hosted by the genious K.C Baker, was celebrating 7 women with a fear of public speaking and a greater passion to speak who spent the past 8 weeks uncovering their message, disovering their voices, and creating beautiful coming out speaches on the message they felt most created to share.

It was incredible, electric, and a true honor to witness.

As I strolled the calm streets of New York City home that night I was left inspired and wondered,

“What is my voice? What is the message I would want to say to this world if given 10 minutes and listening ears?”

In typical Mary C fashion I started to formulate in my mind the perfect speech with a killer hook, rises and falls, a final charge, and a call to action that would have Mother Tersea herself asking where to sign up!

But I could sense this was all fluff.

Was I really saying what I felt in the core of my being needed to be said and heard?

If not, then what would it take to discover that?

Is that, what yogies and hippies call your “truth”???

When I got home, as I unpacked my bag of conference goodies & giveaways I pulled out a sticker (yup, i think one might even call it a bumper sticker) that read:

———–”Forget about saying the right thing. Just say the TRUE thing.”———-

Mmm mmm now THAT is a good word.

Sadly, however, this is a bit of a foreign concept to me.

I have a long history of people pleasing** and exhausting myself trying to determine what others want me to say and do and then becoming that even if it means losing myself and my voice (which gets burried deeper and deeper by the day).

**Health Coach Moment: This behavior, this people pleasing: the stress it brings and anger it fermits, has a direct effect on weight loss. I believe that the person who still struggles with this will always struggle with weight.

End people pleasing, start losing weight.

Which brings me back to my story…

Yes, I thought. That is true. That is a good good word.

I instantly felt lighter and free.

And as it relates to my health and clients health: Could encouraging myself and others to UNCOVER + EXPRESS their truth be a key not only to releasing years of unexpressed beauty but also years of unnecessary weight as a result of the unexpressed?

Getting deep, this I know! But does that ring true for any of you? Damn, it inspires me to keep digging…

I’ve been sitting on that for the past few days now. And I would say I’ve become fiercely dedicated to uncovering what is true within me.

This life transition and all of this change therefore is even more of a blessing.

Sure it’s left me a little mute.

But it’s also left me quiet for long enough that I could hear this message.

And the newness of change creates the possibility to start fresh.

And the opportunity to speak that which is really you, that which is really true.

May we all have the courage to:

—Forget about saying the right thing

—and just say the TRUE thing.

While fiercely believing that in doing so we are freeing ourselves and providing a real contribution to the world around us.

And maybe, just maybe, as the anger of suppression subsides our bodies will respond kindly by releasing any stress, depression, or weight that is no longer needed.

With love and gratitude,

Mary C

Naughty titles are incredibly fun to create! Whew! Wildness abounds

Today I’d like to discuss one of the most deeply satisfying things in all the world…

It starts with a capital “C” and is near and dear to many of us all, especally the ladies,

You know what I’m screaming about…

Yup…Chocolate!

(Sorry for the quick tease, I can’t resist!)

But truly, today let’s look at mesmerizing chocolate and how I’ve discovered that finding the right one can actually help you stay satisfied and get slim!

I’ll begin by declaring that whoever started this saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” seriously needs a hug and to be invited to one of my parties.

I’m also convinced that this highly unfortunate person has never experinced the likes of one of these:

What you see before you, is hands down one of THE most satisfyingly orgasmic chocolate experince you will ever have.

Bold statement, I know. But Merry’s Miracle Tart had me at hello and meets all my non-negoatiables. Piquing my interest with his simple, gluten + dairy free ingredients (yes, I’ve decided to assign this treat a gender) AND satisfying me with his perfectly rich flavor –  I’m head over heels for what he’s got going on.

For years I  foolishly attempted to convince myself that I could arrive at my ideal body while simultaneously carrying the stress of denying my desire for chocolate’s uniquely satisfying pleasure. As we know, stress leads right to belly fat and chocolate’s role in my life was stressing this girl out! Intuitively, I knew it was time to play my way into a solution! For months, as your committed health advocate, I’ve been on a mission to discover a chocolate worthy of entering our bodies and suitable for our hot-bod toolbox . Damn, I love my job. Thanks to one of my very best friends (who knew of my quest and picked up this treat for me), I now feel proud to offer my loving, genius, animal body the wonderful pleasure of enjoying this treat’s chocolatey goodness, and you can safely do so too.

Still not convinced this is a wise move?  Fear not, eating chocolate AND staying on your weight loss path is possible. You CAN have your cake and eat it too and here’s why/how: Because there are absolutely zero additives found here you need not worry about becoming addicted. You can trust that when relaxed, your body is fully capable of recognizing AND processing real food. Furthermore, as you stay aware while eating (maybe try eating as if you are making love to each bite) you will expericence full satisfaction which is always followed by a sense of completion. It’s only when we don’t allow ourselves to stay aware that overeating and bingeing come into play. Also, if needed, acknowledge the inner judgements that fearfully warn, “What are you doing? We have weight to lose. We can’t be eating chocolate” and just smile. That voice, that part of you, just doesn’t trust yet that you are safe and tending to your pleasure is a wise move. Doing so, with awareness, will lead you directly to wherever you want to be (thin, in love, successful) and never deeper into some dark pit of fat and failure as you might fear.

With that said, I always respect reasonable boundaries and if it helps you feel safe – just take home one of these special treats at a time as a means to avoid unnecessary tempatation That’s always a good call and may even help to increase your enjoyment because hell if there’s just one Im surely gunna make every bite count

Check these out online or at Whole Foods refrigerated Raw Food section. Eat up. Play. Enjoy. Breathe. Worship me later.

Here’s us all dancing in the safety and richness of “having our cake and eating it too” – in each and every area of our lives!

Cheers,

Mary Catherine

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to annouce the official launch of BUTI Online Streaming workouts!

For those of you who have been following my latest blogs you may know that I recently discovered a revolutionary workout called BUTI, created by CEO and Founder Bizzie Gold these workouts are absolutely incredible mixing yoga, plyometrics, and dance for a total body and booty lifting transformation. Brag alert: Im total proof – my hips have never been so open and ass so lifted in all my life

Bizzie and I recently teamed up and I will be creating weekly 20 minute plyometric routines that compliment the 75 min BUTI classes and are a perfect addition for those wanting to lose weight, burn fat and increase muscle definition. I have had a blast creating them and they are truly crazy effective. I will also be blogging on the online forum weekly and providing health tips, recipes, etc. Lots of fun to come!

So check it all out here at ButiFitness.

And certainly try these  2 Teaser Workouts. These are available for free for the next week while we work on getting you videos of the highest quality and sound This world is so new to us but the workouts are just to good to wait. So we hope you enjoy

BUTI Tone:

BUTI Sculpt:

Also, BUTI was named one of the countries Hottest Workout Classes this month in Self Magazine! Bizzie is a genius and I’m so excited for her  and so proud to be on this journey with her. Check out the article online here.

Eating on the run, in front of the computer, or worst of all going hours without eating at all…

Does this sound like you?

Well, Im here to tell you that you are not alone. As much as I hate to admit it, these eating behaviors have been my reality these past few weeks and so today’s post is all about getting curious and getting grounded on our path to radiant health no matter what our day brings.

Coaching moment: Getting curious? What does she mean by that? It’s important that while on this journey we, like detectives, stay curious about our lives and health. This is different from heaping judgement on ourselves. Judgement is never helpful and just adds to stress, weight gain, and a not-so-radiant life. But staying curious is always welcome and keeps us in the present. From a curious space of observing our behaviors we can make changes that heal and last a lifetime.

With my own life picking up speed, I certainly have a renewed sense of empathy for my clients and friends who come to me with concerns about how to stay healthy and slim in the midst of demanding work and family schedules. I’ve curiously pondered, “Could stress (positvive or negative) and the pace of a busy schedule truly spike my cortisol levels, interrupt my digestion, and over time cause me to gain unnecessary weight?”

Today’s video addresses all of these topics and offers practical tools I’ve picked up along the way to help you reclaim control of your life and health in moments when it’s so easy to fly off on a crazy tail spin.

The video is 8 minutes and at the end I demonstrate one of my favorite tricks, so be sure to stick around for that!  :)

All my love and support,

Mary Catherine

►

Mary Catherine’s Go To Snacks:

I don’t get too creative at snack time. I save that creative energy for my  main meals. So here are a few of my simple + trusty go to snacks:

1. Raw Unsalted Almonds: I rarely walk out of the door without a bag of raw unsalted almonds. Without fail no matter how boring they may seem, they always satisfy me in my time of need with their nutty goodness. I’m sorry I ever doubted you raw almonds.

2.Berries, apples, or other convenient fruit- toss them in your bag and out the door you go.

3.Cherry Tomato and Avocado – I just love to mix of fresh veggies and healthy fats. Nothing fancy here, I take whatever tomato I have on hand and toss them into a to-go container. From there I’ll add some  salt, pepper, lime juice, and whatever herbs I meant to use all week but forgot about. Then I take an avocado, slice it on top and out the door I go. It takes everything in me to actually wait to enjoy this natural and filling snack. Also, if you have it on hand: add some cucumber or any other veggies/legumes/gluten-free grain for that matter.

4.Almond milk+VegaSportProtein+MiracleGreens - Sometimes I need something cold,creamy, green, and with a bit of protein that will stay with me! So I’ll take my BLENDER BOTTLE and mix:

-8oz unsweetened almond milk + 1 scoop of my favorite protein powder  + 1 scoop of these awesome greens. 

Shake it up and drink slowly. Yum Yum! If you’re someone who needs an afternoon coffee, try this cocktail for a seriously satisfying boost.

Workout Videos: BUTI  the workout posted is me doing a teaser round of the BUTI SCULPT workout! Also check back for the BUTI TONE video which is a high intensity workout that fuses yoga and dance with circuits of plyometrics and conditioning. More complete videos will be available for online streaming very soon and I’ll keep you posted on that

A few weeks ago, I posted about a deep desire I had for this dress:

For weeks after I shopped high and low for a dress that made me feel as beautiful and free as this one did. But it was hopeless. I had fallen in love and no counterfeit version would do. So for my birthday, I proudly walked into that store and purchased “my” dress! It felt so good to know that I did not succomb to my usual tempations of spending a little less money on multiple dresses that I forget the minute I leave the store. Nope, this dress captured and has managed to keep my affection for weeks and now it waits for me in my closet for another spin around the dance floor. Where will I take her next?

Here I am wearing the pretty little piece, proudly standing with 3 of the most fabulously talented and loving women I have ever known. Thank you Jana, Ruth, and Olivia for a birthday fit for a Queen! xoxo

The reason I bring this to you today is to share what I have discovered through this dress experience to be a HUGE missing link in the popular health/body image conversation!

Dressing beautifully directly effects our body image NOW. And we must feel fabulous now to get relaxed around our body image issues.

So if I could break it down for you, I would do so like this:

Dressing beautifully makes us feel fabulous. Yes, eating beautifully does too but today’s post is about what we choose to put on our bodies.

When we feel fabulous we are relaxed.

When we are relaxed, it is THEN we have all conditions set in place to lose weight and allow the healthiest version of ourselves to emerge.

This weekend, while I was in New York taking yet another AMAZING workshop from the ever genious and radiant Jena LaFlamme she shared with us a very interesting fact:

Did you know that the primary reason jockeys brush their race-horses before a race is because doing so is PROVEN to help them run faster?

How cool is that??

So if your body is an animal, and according logic it most certainly is, then just like the racehorse if we want our animal to run with gusto we might consider stopping the shame game and start the brushing, loving, adorning game.

How much more fun is that anyways?

No more waiting to get thin to buy the clothes that you lust for. If you take this approach you will be waiting a very long time to feel as fabulous as you deserve to feel.

No, do the best you can to adorn yourself NOW as the fabulous queen that you are. Honoring the body you have now, it is she who will help you emerge to wherever you desire to go. Treat her with that awe and respect. Don’t hide her in sweats all day or deny her lotion just because you don’t want to touch those thighs. She is on a mission too and needs your love and support. Shaming her is only making her stressed and slowing the process of ideal body emergence to a crawl.

You want to run to the finish line of body bliss? Stroke and adorn your beautiful body with love, attention, and care.

I just absolutely loved this concept! It totally address the confusing “How can I love myself now, when there is so much I want to change about my body?” de-lima.

Now hopefully you can see the value in doing so, giving you permission to love yourself now even as you hold the desire to arrive somewhere in the distance.

As a health enthusiast I naturally  place a high value on selecting the finest quality and ingredients when it comes to the foods I choose to put in my body. But until recently, I have not believed in the very real value in taking the same approach when it comes to the things I choose to put on my body.

What a FUN way to incorparate health into our lives! Truth is, I’m sure Im a little behind the times on this one. But for all the ladies out there who may have fallen out of the routine of treating yourself like the Queen that you are, as your health advocate I say it’s time to romance yourself again – for your health of course.

Apply that favorite cream from head to toe and massage it deeply into all those places that your most ashamed of. Give her some love.

Exfoliate those dry winter lips for kissably soft smacks

And hell if you are still thinking about that dress you saw last week, it may be time to treat yourself.

Again, it really is for your health. Watch as you romance yourself that you begin to offer yourself the most healthy and beautiful foods, friends, and more! And it’s proven that you will arrive at your desires much faster than you would have if you had stayed in the shame-body hiding-hate loop.

Here’s to your health and to living like the Queen that you are.

With love and affection,

Mary Catherine