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!