Always Eat After 7PM: Week Four & Final Thoughts

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Today is the day - I am sharing my final thoughts on Always Eat After 7PM: The Revolutionary Rule - Breaking Diet That Let's You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight. Long title, but kind of gives you everything you need to know in a nutshell.

If you are just popping in now, Always Eat After 7PM is the newest book by best selling author and fitness expert Joel Marion. A few weeks ago I decided to give it a try. Here's a look at the last few weeks and my experience so far:

Week 1: Book Intro + What I'm Looking to Accomplish

Week 2: Why I Love It So Far + Author Interview

Week 3: Results Update + Recipes I Love

WEEK 4 & FINAL THOUGHTS

I didn't really know what to expect when I started to read Always Eat After 7PM a few weeks ago. With three kids at home, quarantine, and a move I didn't think I would fully be able to keep up with a new health plan. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was was the Always Eat After 7PM phase method easy to follow, it was non-restrictive. 

I didn't have to limit myself or do any big restrictions. I liked that I was able to eat all the things I normally eat, just with a little alteration. And by alteration, I really just mean timing. This quote was one of my biggest take aways from the book...

It made me realize that some of the eating habits I had learned in life were really just myths. And following the path of those myths could be detrimental. Marion goes into some of what the negative side effects are, but thinning hair, faster aging, drier skin, fatigue - just to name a few. No thank you!

I've had tons of more energy, and even though I haven't weighed myself, I've noticed my clothes are fitting a little looser. I don't feel that major crash I used to mid-afternoon in energy, and I seem to sleep a little better at night too.

Fruit Tart Recipe via Always Eat After 7PM

I've loved giving some new recipes a try and I feel as though the eating habits are easy to maintain with little to no thought.

It was a quick and interesting read. It's also one I would definitely recommend if you are looking to change your health habits some or are looking for a boost in your daily energy.

WHAT'S NEXT 

I've followed the Always Eat After 7PM routine pretty closely and have loved the results. I might focus a little harder on it this next month and repeat the 14 Day Acceleration phase, and document it a little more to see what the fat burning and weight loss benefits are.

Joel Marion also has a line of supplements that compliment the Always Eat After 7PM routine that I want to try. The BioTrust line seems easy to incorporate into the recipes or my normal eating habits and there are multiple ways to utilize them. I'll give it a whirl and report back.

Learn more about Always Eat After 7PM and grab your own copy here. 

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Weekend Getaway: St. Augustine Beach

Last week I shared about our short time in Fernandina Beach.  That was the first stop of our little weekend getaway, but the second stop had us in St. Augustine!

We stayed at the brand new Embassy Suites and it was really nice!  It was right on the beach, had a great pool, was walkable to a lot of restaurants and Rita's Italian Ice and even had a Starbucks on site, which my kids loved!

A lot of people from the Atlanta area love the Gulf beaches because of the crystal clear blue water and white sandy beaches.  Those beaches are beautiful, but I grew up going to the Atlantic beaches and my kids love them most because of the bigger waves! They are huge fans of being in the ocean and big waves just make it more fun.

Lucky for them we didn't have great weather which made the waves even bigger and the chance for shells in your hair even better.

It kind of made me laugh the entire weekend because there were a ton of people out on the beach and at the pool in the rain, us included. They either didn't seem to notice it was raining or just didn't care.

At one point I was huddled under a towel trying to stay warm so the kids could play at the beach. A little rain couldn't stop our fun. :-)

We were so lucky that some of our best friends live in Florida and decided to come spend a few nights at the hotel with us.  We laughed together, weathered the storms together, and just enjoyed each other's company!  We were having so much fun that on what was supposed to be our last night we made a very last minute decision to extend our stay for one more night!  

We were so happy that we did because we woke up to SUNSHINE on our last day there.  It was a GREAT day and the perfect ending to our little getaway!

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Always Eat After 7PM : Week 3 & Yummy Recipes

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Over the last few weeks I've been chatting about my experience with Joel Marion's new book Always Eat After 7PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight. Today I thought I would give a quick update of some of the results I've been experiencing, and some of the yummy goodness that I found inside the pages.

Here's a quick peek at my journey so far:

Week 1: Book Intro + What I'm Looking to Accomplish 

Week 2: Why I Love It So Far + Author Interview

WEEK 3 UPDATE

To be transparent I am actually well into my fourth week, but in light of what is going on in the world, I needed time to reflect on my thoughts outside of building the healthy lifestyle that I am trying to achieve. 

When offered the chance to give the Always Eat After 7PM method a try, my goal was to try to do something to boost my energy. I just felt "blah" daily. And tired. Always tired. Being a parent to three young kids, I get that comes with the territory. But, I'd at least like to try to keep up in the marathon that is parenthood, and hopefully go into each day not feeling completely deflated by 2pm. 

Overall I've definitely noticed a boost in my energy levels. Surprisingly so. This was perfect timing in terms of putting a move right in the middle of this experiment, but feeling fueled enough to handle that and every day life has felt like a blessing. 

I also have noticed I'm not as ravenous when I wake up or suddenly have major sugar cravings in the afternoon. Those things seemed to have evened out. If anything the thing I am craving most is salsa. Like a spoonful of salsa. Don't ask me why. I haven't questioned it because well - it's salsa.  

I did not weigh myself at the start of this, nor did I take any "before" shots. So I can't give any concrete evidence to the weight loss. It wasn't my ultimate goal so I didn't really think to record anything about it. But I've noticed my clothes are fitting looser, and I feel less bloated at the end of the day. I wish I had thought to track this for you guys - especially if you are looking to learn more about the fat burning/weight loss aspects of Always Eat After 7PM. But going off of how I feel - it works. 

YUMMY RECIPES

If you take anything away from this book, let it be these two things: 

1: The ideas of never eating late in the day, and carbs are bad - throw those two thoughts right out the window. Joel Marion proves with science based facts multiple times these are just myths. 

“Avoiding carbohydrates and restricting calories later in the day can have an adverse effect on your thyroid hormones, which play a major role in metabolism. When the thyroid fails to secrete enough of the hormones that control metabolism, this can trigger symptoms like fatigue, depression, weight gain, thinning hair, and dry skin.”

2: Eating doesn't have to be restrictive in order to be healthy, and he proves that too. With multiple yummy recipes. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the recipe section of Always Eat After 7PM. Not only does Joel share a ton of great meal planning ideas, he also has a variety of delicious recipes that are designed to help you reach your health goal - whatever that may look like for you. 

From dinner to dessert, there are a ton of yummy options to choose from, and  - most importantly - taste as good as they look. My family already has a few favorites that I have a feeling will be added to our weekly meal rotation no matter what. 

I mean, hello Chili Baked Potato...

Listen, any health routine that includes potatoes - I'm in! 

Each recipe is easy to follow (thank you!!), and includes tips, helpful modifications, and nutritional information so that you can easily factor in your daily health calculations (super helpful - especially if weight loss is your ultimate goal). 

The book has over 70 recipes total but in addition to these our favorites so far are the Ground Beef Lasangna, Bacon & Onion Egg Muffins, and No Bake Caramel Bars (holy yum!!). We have a few new ones to try this week, and can't wait! 

Stay tuned - I plan to share my final thoughts tomorrow! 

Learn more about Always Eat After 7PM and where to purchase here. 

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Weekend Getaway: Fernandina Beach

Last week we had a little weekend getaway and had THE BEST TIME!!!!  After a very long few months it was so nice to escape our house and have a chance of scenery.  The Mr. was doing some work down there so we decided to make a trip out of it.

We drove down from Atlanta and stayed for one night in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island.  I had't been there since I was a kid. I LOVED it so much. We didn't actually got to the beach on our day there and instead stayed in the historic district.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and it was being renovated so we had to ignore that, but the location was amazing and there were some beautiful features to the hotel!

It was right on the water, had a beautiful view of the harbor and was an amazing location because we could walk everywhere!

The historic part of the town reminds me a little bit of Key West, but it also has an old historic and quant feel to it.

We ate dinner right on the water at Brett's Waterway Cafe and then walked around town a bit.

The girls wanted to take pictures on the train tracks (because that is what girls their age do).

As soon as we finished we heard the whistle of a train and couldn't believe our timing.  I quickly grabbed pennies out of my wallet for the kids to put on the tracks.  After the train passed we found their pennies and they thought this was so neat.

We ended the night with a little putt-putt and all evening I heard a train whistle so I think it must pass by there frequently!

The next morning we took a family walk around town and explored some of the other shops and historic houses.

Then we grabbed breakfast at a little cafe called the Garden Street Bistro where we met some locals, including the biggest dog I have ever seen in my life named Murray. He was a newfoundland and was 182 lbs of sweetness. He comes there regularly with his owner for a side of bacon as his breakfast. The kids got feed him and we all fell in love with the laid back and local feel of the island.

After breakfast we loaded up and made our way to our next stop, St. Augustine Beach!  I was sad to leave and feel like this is definitely somewhere we will go back to soon! Check back on Monday for the second part of our trip! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Always Eat After 7PM: Week Two Check In

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Whew...now more than ever I feel like I need to be physically at my best. 2020 has been a source of mental and emotional exhaustion on many levels, and having the energy to combat it all physically feels like a necessity right now. A few weeks ago, I decided to read Always Eat After 7PM: The Revolutionary Rule Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion. I didn't realize then what great timing it would have entering my life.

WEEK TWO CHECK IN

You can read about a little bit about the book, the philosophy behind it, and why I decided to give it a go here. Today, I wanted to give a quick check in and share some highlights as to what I've read so far in case you are thinking of doing something similar, or are looking to change up your health routine.

Between packing, moving, keeping up with the kids, and the daily stressors/unknowns that are going on in our world right now - having a boost in energy and more physical strength has been quite literally a life savor.

The philosophy behind Always Eat After 7PM is basically to teach you how to look past all the diet myths you've learned over time, and rewire your eating habits to let your body work for you. Marion uses science based facts to show that eating the bulk of your calories later in the day is actually better for you. His plan is non-restrictive, and eliminates 90% of reasons for resistance. I was a little skeptical because all my life I've heard, "Don't eat late!", but this quote really made me stop and think...

“Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.”

So, I threw out that myth and gave Always Eat After 7PM a whirl. I figured if it wasn't going to work, I would notice right away.

Personally, I've found it super easy to follow, and haven't felt restricted in the least. I've been able to sneak a workout in here and there, but with moving the last few weeks have left little free time for my usual at-home workouts. Any changes I've noticed in the last few weeks I've attributed to following the Always Eat After 7PM plan. It's been interesting to see (feel?). I'll share more results soon, but so far I'm loving the increase in energy I seem to have.

MEET JOEL MARION & A QUICK INTERVIEW

I thought it would be fun to introduce you a little more to best selling author and fitness expert Joel Marion - as well as share this quick interview from him. I'm the kind of person who likes to do a lot of research before diving into something new, so I thought this might help a few of you if you are thinking you need a little lifestyle change somehow too. 

Q1: What inspired you to write the book?

After authoring 6 best selling books it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can't eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can't eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.

 Q2: How long did it take for you to develop the diet?

It actually took several years of researching for me to discover the real science of eating late night. After a few years of tweaking and refining, I finally came up with a rapid fat loss solution that overcomes all the pitfalls of traditional diets.

Q3: What was the most surprising discovery when you were researching scientific data for the diet?

That almost everything my college education and certifications taught me was NOT grounded in published scientific research.

Q4: You’re a six-time best selling author, what is different about this book compared to your others?

Although many of the concepts are similar, the biggest difference is that you don't have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. You don't have to deal with the burden of eating every few hours. And you don't have to skip the carbs at dinnertime or avoid eating before bed.

 Q5: How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?

It's not. And that's exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.

Q6: If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Born To Impact

Learn more about Always Eat After 7PM and where to purchase here. 

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Friday Favorites: Our Favorite One Piece Swimsuits

Happy Friday!  Usually after a 3 day weekend the week flies by, but that just isn't the case this week. It has DRAGGED!!!!  The weather hasn't been great and it's hard with the kids home all day with nothing to do now that school is over. There are no camps, no sports this week and we can't go to the movies or trampoline parks or anything we would normally do on a rainy summer day. Here's hoping for sunny summer days ahead!

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite one piece swimsuits!  I had a friend ask me the other day about this topic and so I figured I would do a blog post about it!

Our FAVORITE suit last summer was THIS ONE!  We even showed up at the lake one day twinning! 

I know a lot of moms don't feel comfortable wearing a bikini anymore and even if you do there are times that you just want to be a little more covered up.  Especially when you want to be the fun mom and do things like jump in the pool or go down the water slides...something we've been known for a time or two.

Being FUN MOMS!!!  Both of our suits in this pic are from Nip Tuck Swim! 

The good news is that one piece swimsuits are totally on trend this summer and we did a little round up of some of our very favorites!  

Black one shoulder - The one shoulder trend is SO popular this year!

Blue ruffle stripe - This suit is adorable and we love the girly details!

One shoulder ruffle - This one comes in a TON of colors and has over 1,000 great reviews!!!

Orange color block - We love the color blocking on this one and it also comes in a teal and pink color block.

Tropical palm leaves - This is another one that has TONS of great reviews and comes in a bunch of different colors/patterns.  The cut of it and the placement of the mesh straps are SUPER flattering.

Black crochet - This was our favorite last summer and is still available in a few sizes.  There is also an updated version HERE.

Orange ruffle - This suit is so cute on and we love the ruffles! It comes in a bunch of colors and also has a bunch of great reviews.

Leopard one shoulder - You know us and our love of animal print!  Combine it with a one shoulder suit and we are in love!

Blue lace - OK, this one is a little more revealing than some of the others, but it is so pretty and if you are looking to show a little more skin, but still be covered this is a great option.

Tie-dye - We had to include a fun tie-dye swimsuit since it's our favorite print this summer!


When we were doing our round up we couldn't pick just a few because there are seriously SO many cute ones out this summer.  Here are a few others that we love!!!

leopard // ruffle (also comes in white) // floral and striped //scalloped one shoulder (also comes in pink)

This leopard print one is actually one of my personal favorites this summer.  I love how you can tie up the sides of the legs so it doesn't cut into your hips.

When I spotted this cut-out suit it reminded me of a style I used to have when I was a kid called belly-busters.  Does anyone remember those?  It was connected on the side, but your belly still showed, hence the name.  SO impressed with the quality of this one!

Are you a one piece or a bikini kind of mom?  

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Always Eat After 7PM

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Whew...I'm tired. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. Just plain tired. Between moving, keeping up with the kids, and just every day life - I've become so exhausted it's a struggle sometimes to keep my eyes open past noon some days. Because I'm tired I've slipped into some bad habits - both eating and with my exercise routine. Recently it's really bothered me so I've decided to look into different ways to boost my energy levels and change up my routine - for the better. 

When we were given the opportunity to receive an advanced copy of Joel Marion's new book Always Eat After 7PM, I was intrigued. I love the premise behind the book. He chats about breaking typical diet myths (who makes up all these rules anyway?!),  and making healthy choices that don't seem restrictive. The goal is to create habits and long term changes that become part of your everyday lifestyle. That sounds like exactly what I am looking for. 

Here's a quick introduction from Joel Marion that really kind of spoke to me...

I appreciate that he's "walked the walk", and is coming from a place of his own personal experience. By breaking the rules and using science as his accountability partner, he was able to lose 12 pounds in the first two weeks, and almost pounds by week 16! I've always heard that "don't eat after 7PM rule, but scientific research is now showing that isn't really accurate - and Marion's personal experience is proof. Plus, he's pro-dessert, and I'm so here for that. 

The overall plan consists of three phases: a 14 day accelerated phase to kick the program off and see the rapid results he speaks about, the main phase where you learn about what foods to eat in order to lose weight, gain muscle, and build energy (bonus: he also shares some great recipes!), and the final Lifestyle phase where you build your plan to maintain all of your hard work. 

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. 

I'm excited to dig in more and give it a go. I've decided to take you along on the journey in case you are looking into doing something similar or are just looking to make some tweaks to your current routine and want to see what other options are out there. I'll share more over the next few weeks - so stay tuned!  If you want to go ahead and join me, you can learn more about the book and purchase here. 

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.