You can also read this on Healthyandwholeyou.com

What's in store for today:

• Tips To Become An Early Morning Warrior
• These Maple Sausage & Cheese Muffins Make Are Meal Prep Magic

Tips To Become An Early Morning Warrior

I'm always learning more about myself and what works best for me on my health journey, and lately I've learned that I do best when I am fully committed to waking up very early and having my workouts and most of my steps done before I start the rest of my day.  

If I don't, then I find every excuse to push strength training and steps off to prioritize work, family, leisure, and all the other things that are also important to me.  

So in the last week I have successfully recommitted to very early mornings and I wanted to share my new morning structure and some tips that have allowed me to consistently wake up at 4:30am execute it consistently every day this week.  

1️⃣ Getting to bed at the right time

In order to be successful, I've had to do the hard thing which is to set an alarm on my phone for 8:30pm every day as my reminder to start my evening wind down routine and to head to bed so I can ideally be in bed and nearly asleep by 9:30pm. 

If I don't do this, then I stay up too late, get crap sleep, and hate life when the alarm goes off at 4:30am.  

2️⃣ Set out what I need for the morning

On my way to bed I mix up my morning hydration cocktail with about 40 oz. of water, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt, and 1/8th teaspoon potassium chloride powder in a water bottle and set it on my nightstand next to my side of the bed. 

I also set out my workout clothes for the morning in the bathroom so they are there and waiting for me when I wake up.   

3️⃣ Set my alarm for 4:30am and set my phone on the charger across the room by the bedroom door

This is super important.  I have found that if my phone is right next to me on the bedstand, then when the alarm goes off at 4:30am I have a very hard time not just silencing it and falling back to sleep.  

By putting it all the way across the room I have to very quickly jump out of bed and run over to silence it before Joani is disturbed or annoyed 😂 

Having to jump up quickly honestly helps with getting me moving and then all I have to do is just leave the room.  

4️⃣ Minimize light and noise while I wind down

I used to think this was kind of over emphasized in the community, but when I started trying to go to bed at 8:30-9pm during the summer when it is still pretty light out in Indiana, I have found this to be very helpful.  

I like to watch a YouTube video or podcast on my phone for 10-15 minutes before I roll over and go to sleep.  So what I will do is turn the brightness all the way down on my phone and turn the volume down very low so I can still hear it, but it's a bit of a strain to hear and see it.  

I don't know why, but this seems to make me sleepy versus having it at higher brightness and volume.  

There's still some light that comes in through the windows of our bedroom at that hour, but what really helps me is to lower exposure and helps me to get to sleep.  

When I find eyes getting a bit heavy after 5-10 minutes I put my phone down on the charger across the room and it's game over. 

5️⃣ Enjoy a healthy snack 

I know there are so many out there who will gasp at this because of the "rule" that you aren't supposed to eat within 2-3 hours of going to bed...

But I live in the real world and it's just not really feasable in my world 😂

Plus, personally I find I am able to get to sleep easier if I have enjoyed a tasty and healthy snack.  There's nothing worse than going to bed feeling a little hungry or like you need a snack and trying to ignore it and force yourself to sleep.  

Getting the snack in, which is planned into my day anyway, helps me wind down and go to sleep satisfied, and it doesn't negatively impact my sleep because it is small and protein centered instead of high calorie, high carb, etc.

6️⃣ Daily gratitude and next day planning

This one is just super quick, but I like to take just a couple of minutes to jot down my goals or to-do's for the next day and to think of a few gratitudes from the day.  

This just gets things out of my head so I'm not spinning while trying to sleep, and it also puts me into a calm and thankful state which is better for sleep.  

7️⃣ A true commitment to following through

Lastly, what makes it work is a real commitment to following through.  

I've recognized in my life that as uncomfortable as that first 10-15 minutes of dry and sleep eyes are when I first wake up, it's not nearly as uncomfortable as knowing I am not being consistent with my strength training or step goals, or that I am having to rush to finish them later in the day or week because I procrastinated all day or week.  

I've recognized that getting up consisently at 4:30am 7 days a week, working out or running, hydrating, and getting a jump start on my day allows me to go into every day with some huge wins and it feels so good to know that my workouts and daily step targets are either done or virtually guaranteed before 8am.  

That's enough for me to fully commit, but this really only works if you fully commit.  

Hope these tips help you or inspire you to get up a little earlier to knock out your workouts, get a huge jump on your step goal and your day, so you can live a more peaceful and less stressed life...like I am at the moment.  🙌🏻

These Maple Sausage & Cheese Muffins
Are Meal Prep Magic

What do you get when you combine pancakes, maple syrup, sausage, eggs, and cheese?  You get THESE amazing breakfast muffins 🤤

Have 1 as a protein snack or up to 3 as a full meal.  

Maple Sausage & Cheese Muffins

Bulk Recipe - Makes 12 Muffins

• 241 Calories Per 2 Muffin Serving
• 52% Protein
• 33% Carbohydrate
• 31.2 Grams Protein
• 19.6 Grams Net Carbohydrate

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups Kodiak Protein Pancake & Waffle Mix
• 2 Scoops Whey Protein Isolate Powder (We used Isopure Vanilla Zero Carb Brand)
• 10 Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links (Chopped up into small pieces, Applegate Brand has the highest protein) You can also use 1 package ground turkey sausage such as Simple Truth Turkey Sausage
• 1.5 Cups Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese (We used Great Value Brand)
• .5 Cup Sugar Free Pancake Syrup (We used Maple Grove Farms Brand)
• 1.5 Cups Water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.
2. Use the microwave to thaw + reheat the 10 Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links, then chop them into small pieces with a knife.
3. In a mixing bowl mix 1.5 cups of the Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix, .5 cups of sugar free maple syrup, 1.5 cups of water, and 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder whisking them together until the batter is smooth without clumps.
4. Stir the fat free shredded cheddar and chopped up turkey breakfast sausage into the batter.
5. Use cooking spray to spray the inside of your muffin tin (We recommend a full size muffin tin with 12 muffin spots rather than a mini muffin for this recipe) then use a spoon to portion out the batter mixture evenly into the 12 muffin spots. Depending on the size of your muffin tin you might get 13-14 muffins rather than 12.
6. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when pushed down into the middle of a muffin. The larger the muffins the longer they will need to cook.
7. Enjoy!
   
   

Feel free to top with a little extra sugar free pancake syrup when you eat them! Ideally not more than 1/4 cup.

Podcast Episode 🎙️

How To Stop Starting Over
(4 Steps To Master Discipline)

If you feel like discipline is something you constantly struggle with…then this episode is for YOU.

There’s a simple 4 step process, that if followed, will not only make you a consistently disciplined person, but will also rebuild your confidence, belief, and trust in yourself…which might have been eroded by years of approaching discipline in the wrong way. 

Give it a listen, and remember if nothing changes…then nothing changes 💪🏻

Client Win Of The Week:
Aaron Pickel's 90 Pound Journey

& Finally Making It Sustainable 

The first time wasn't sustainable. The second time? 💪🏻

Aaron crushed it a few years back — 280 pounds down to 190. But over the next couple years on his own, it crept right back. 200, 210, 220, 230...

The problem? He'd lost the weight on a handful of meals he ate religiously — and he was secretly sick of them. His workouts held, but his eating slipped, and half the weight came back.

So he did the hard thing: set his ego aside and asked for help.

This time he came back to Healthy & Whole 3.0, built around sustainability over everything — meals he actually enjoys, real variety, and the freedom to eat out and enjoy a cheat without derailing.

And the weight came back down — 220, 210, 200, 190 — sustainably.

The first time, Aaron built a prison of boring meals. This time, he built freedom. He didn't transform his body once — he did it twice, and this time it's built to last.

Incredible work, Aaron. 💪🏻

Ready to start your journey? 

Here's how I can help...

If you're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with your body and health, I know how you feel.   Apply for coaching here with Healthy & Whole, I'll work with you to find the perfect support level for you in our program that fits your needs and your budget.  We have options starting as low as $47 per month 💪🏻

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.