2/20/13 One week of #Whole30 down!

What an eventful week! I have completed 7 days of the #Whole30 Challenge and feel pretty good! The blogs I have followed and read from others have helped keep me motivated, but they definitely take a different track than I do. This has been as much of an emotional journey as a dietary one, at least to date. This week, I do see myself venturing out a bit more food-wise. There are a lot of whole30-approved foods other people find delicious that I just cannot choke down. Fortunately there are also some delicious recipes from the ones who have gone before me that I am enjoying. I am particularly enjoy the breakfast foods as I find that is my biggest meal of the day. However, I hardly find myself starving and the other tangible changes are quite noticeable and positive!

Heartburn that I used to battle daily...gone! Bloating/gas issues...gone! Almost daily stiffness and Advil popping...gone! If one can actually feel leaner, that is how I feel, like I am actually taking up less space in the world!

I am sleeping great, feeling just that much stronger in my workouts, and it’s only been 7 days! I think I was more worried emotionally going into this about getting through tailgates sober—VOILA, made it through 4 days of Opening weekend festivities & games, in the freezing cold (especially for this Florida girl), cold sober! <pun intended>. One great thing about tailgating, I can easily have the meat done on the grill—no extra oils/sauces, totally whole30 approved! I actually found myself telling my friends what I was doing and they were quite supportive, which helps! Seeing people I haven’t seen since last season and receiving compliments—why yes that REALLY helps!

So as I head into week 2, my will is stronger, but alas, another huge temptation ahead...my best friend is coming home from Nicaragua for a month! I think I can manage my actual food choices and still avoid the dairy, sugar, grain, beans…but without sounding like too much of an alcoholic...can I still avoid alcohol? Which, by the way, would also likely entail some no-no’s when you add in mixers. Sure, I had already weaned myself to Crystal Light as mixer…but from the reading I’ve done, the sugar substitutes are nearly worse for the body than real sugar...just less calories. So we might not be hitting up my favorite Mexican restaurant for margaritas and queso, but I think we’ll manage to have some fun all the same! J

I can honestly say that I am surprised at my will power, even if I am not quite as extreme as some participants may be—this has still been a huge overhaul to lifelong eating habits, and so far seeing very positive results! As I like to say, YAY ME!

FAT TUESDAY

The self-improvement journey continues! I have been influenced by my Badass Fitness trainer, Shannon from http://www.badassfitness.com/   and the badass warriors to really go outside my comfort zone in eating habits. A group of these friends participated in a #Whole30 Challenge http://whole9life.com/start/ in January with significant results in overall health and well-being that really got me thinking. I enjoy working out, however I also enjoy eating some crap-tastic, (but yummy) food choices. While they may provide some instant pleasure, they mostly are terrible for my body!

I have certainly known my fair share of over indulgence too, and I believe the challenge for me will be in eating better foods that might actually make me FEEL better too. I’m in my 40’s, I have a variety of minor ailments that plague me on and off, but my overall health is pretty darn good! Perhaps a more organic approach is worth trying, so I am! I try to live realistically, but have been finding that incorporating changes is actually not as hard as I once thought.

Having been raised Catholic, I have always considered the season of Lent a true time of reflection and renewal. The “sacrifice” of giving something up each year, is really a way to keep us in check and make us both spiritually insightful and grateful for the all the things we are and what can be sacrificed for a greater good. I think sacrificing some long-standing bad habits can only serve to be a good thing. With that I’m going to venture outside my comfort zone, with the awareness that there are some things I will probably not take to and already know that. Rather than focusing on the negative though, I will work within the parameters of my existing tastes and expand and hopefully discover new & fabulous options that will work for me.

Sounds good right? People participate in diets or work to change their whole lifestyles every day, what makes my journey any different? For starters, it is coinciding with the start of college baseball season. Florida State Baseball is a passion and interactive experience for me and my family. There are 36 home games between now and the end of May. Here in Tallahassee, that means some serious tailgating too. So, can I spend the first 5-6 weeks of the season sticking to a new food plan?—that remains to be seen, but let’s try! While my husband is not likely to join me on such a challenge as this, he is ever-supportive and I’m willing to bet he won’t mind cooking some of the recipes. I don’t see him giving up adult beverages, (which will be a serious challenge for me too ) but I think I can manage it for a few weeks at the least. Wish me luck!

2/6/13

Hello February! You arrived so quickly! Fortunately, I consider January a success and I am ready to move on! For me, February signals the start of the FSU Baseball season! Some folks might not think that’s such a big thing, following college baseball, but for me and the Animals of Section B, it’s a lifestyle through June. Home game attendance for 30+ games, tailgating, planning the Annual Animals Whiffleball & Tequila Picnic—it’s like a second job, minus a paycheck. Of course when June rolls around and the boys are in OMAHA playing for a College World Series Championship (which still eludes us), it seems like the season flies by! I am excited about this year’s team and look forward to many fun-filled days at Dick Howser Stadium and tailgates under The Oaks At Doak!

On a more personal front, my exercise program is still going strong, have managed to lose 9lbs. so far in 2013! Will participate in my first 5K of the year this coming weekend, and registered for one in March and two in April---monthly goals seem to work well for my motivation!

For even more ways to fill my calendar, I’ve re-joined my WAKA Kickball team after a one-season hiatus! Kickball you say?  Yes, a kickball league for adults ( www.kickball.com )
—it’s so FUN and a great way to do something active even if there are adult beverages involved (should one choose to partake of course).  Living and loving life one busy day at a time and seeing who I can pull into my adventures!