In today’s episode, we sit down with coach, mom, and cycle-breaker Carmie Hawkins to talk about what it really means and takes to raise your standards - whether you’re navigating parenthood, cultural expectations, or your own self-sabotaging patterns.

Carmie shares her raw, honest journey to reclaiming her life and rewriting the blueprint she’s passing on to her daughters. This is a conversation about agency, boundaries, and the power of small, consistent actions, especially when you and no one else believes in you yet.

We also explore what happens when you stop asking for permission and start asking better questions. How do I want to feel five years from now? What do I want my kids to remember about me? Am I actually too busy - or just unwilling to change?

If you’re tired of starting over, waiting for the “perfect” moment, or measuring your worth in misery, Carmie offers the truth bombs you didn’t know you needed. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overlooked, or like you should have figured it out by now, this episode is your permission slip to begin again—with intention.

“Being a sacrificial lamb for your family is not a flex.”

- Carmie Hawkins

“You are allowed to want more—and you are worthy of doing the work to get it.”

- Carmie Hawkins

This week on Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:

• Why chasing thinness led Carmie to rock bottom - and how she climbed out
• The lies moms are sold about selflessness, sacrifice, and what it means to be “good”
• How boundaries with family helped Carmie parent differently and break generational cycles
• What “delayed gratification” really looks like in health, fitness, and life
• Why data tracking - not dieting - is the starting point for real change
• The power of manipulating your schedule like a science experiment
• How to spot the difference between an excuse and a priority mismatch
• Why “boring basics” still move the needle the most

Connect with Carmie Hawkins:

• Carmie Hawk on Instagram (@carmhawk_getsfit)

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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