Dancing in the Dressing Room

March 24, 2015

Long time, no talk! I apologize for the blog silence over the past couple of weeks! Things have been a bit crazy. About two weeks ago I learned that liquids and computers do not mix, and therefore am typing now from my new Macbook (thanks dad)! Last week was also spring break, which I spent backpacking and camping through Arizona with many of my best friends. It was the trip of a lifetime, and the sites we saw were breathtaking and awe inspiring. Arizona will forever have a piece of my heart.

Arizona was amazing, but trying to eat paleo while camping was not. I won't be able to choke down a dried banana chip for a long time after consuming probably 100 of those throughout the trip. I have discovered a new love for natural jerky and egg white protein shakes, however.

Actual weight loss has been at a stall for me for about 3 weeks now. I seem to be floating around the same numbers, which at first was very frustrating for me. I felt like a failure and that everything I was doing wasn't paying off like it had in the beginning. But after comparing progress pictures, I have noticed that I am still getting leaner, which should be most important anyway. Since most of my clothes weren't fitting well anymore, my awesome parents took me shopping on Sunday where I was able to fit in MEDIUM sized clothing. For someone who has worn a large and XL for the last 3 years, this was a huge deal. I have never felt so confident in a dressing room. I was also able to purchase things that I used to think looked bad on me like jeggings and v-necks. My old way of thinking told me not to even bother trying those things on, but I did it anyway and I felt like a new person. I found so many things that I liked and that fit well, I just started piling clothes into my arms...(RIP to my parents' bank account). It was so exciting to look in the mirror and like the reflection. It reminded me of why I began paleo and that the scale number is not as important as the physical difference.

I returned to my room and put all my old, non-fitting clothes into a suitcase, and then packed them away at the back of my closet. The shopping trip was just what I needed as a boost to start the latter half of spring semester!

Tests, Stress, and No Underwear

March 9, 2015

Well, it’s actually a miracle that I didn't pull all my hair out after last week. I had two midterms that required more studying than one person should ever do in their lives. I spent about 14 total hours studying for my animal science lab midterm on Thursday night. Let me tell you, nothing will make you crazier than memorizing the yield grade reproductive percentages of a sire boar from Switzerland. Especially when you're a freaking English major. Seriously, I would've rather written a dissertation. The long hours had me craving coffee and I had about 4 cups in total for the week, along with 4 smoothies to save time by drinking those instead of sitting down for a meal. I only missed one workout on Monday, but even on the days that I made it to the gym, I felt very slow and unmotivated. In fact, I felt unmotivated about everything. Studying for those tests was the last thing I wanted to do, especially with the miserable weather—weather meant for nap taking, not walking to class. I felt gross in all aspects. The week was so bad, that I reached a student low point. I realized on Friday that I was on my last pair of clean underwear and I wouldn’t have time to do laundry before I left for my weekend road trip!! I had to make a run to the mall and buy new underwear and then swing by HEB to try and stock up on Paleo snacks for the weekend. I was a stressed mess. Looking in the mirror, I could tell that weighing in for the week was not going to be a pleasant experience. 

I was right. I gained two pounds, making it my first set back after nearly 6 weeks of Paleo. I was extremely upset with myself, so upset that I just wanted to run for about 300 miles and hope the two pounds would disappear again. I sat down and reevaluated what I needed to do differently this week, so as not to feel that way anymore. I decided to cut coffee and smoothies out completely, seeing as those things definitely had a lot to do with the weight gain. I’m also trying to stay on top of my school work so that stress doesn’t affect any progress. But at the end of the day, I have to understand that this is a slow process and that everyone experiences set backs at some point. I’m sure this won’t be my last, but it is just another reason to work harder and eventually reach my end goals.
      On a positive note, I got As on both of those exams. And I finally did laundry last night.

Why I Started Paleo

February 25, 2015

A lot of people have been asking me why and how I got started on Paleo. Well, it actually wasn’t the initial plan at all. It wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution or a big scheme to get fit. It started as me just making an effort to go to the gym. I told myself I would go 3 times a week. I got a workout buddy for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then I noticed that on the days I didn’t drink soda, I didn’t feel as bloated, so I decided to drink only water. And then I realized that going to the gym made me feel strong and confident, so I started going on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well. After that, I downloaded the myfitnesspal app and decided I would cut back on calories since I was working out so much. I didn’t want all the exercise to go to waste! 

This all happened in about the span of a week, right when the new semester had started. Unfortunately, at about this time, my anxiety skyrocketed. I was dealing with some things that were out of my control and stress seemed to be weighing heavily on me. I began thinking about all the things in my life that were out of my control, and the list seemed endless. But then I realized that there were so many things I could control, and one of those things was eating healthy. One of my best friends had been on Paleo as a senior in high school and dropped nearly 70 pounds over the course of 6 months. He had talked to me a lot about the diet, but I didn’t know everything about it yet. I was so tired of focusing on the things I couldn’t control, so I decided to start Paleo with full force and commitment. I didn’t even wait till the next day. I started right then on Tuesday, January 27. And I haven’t stopped since. 

I don’t say any of these things out of conceitedness, but rather with the hope that someone who reads this that may be dealing with anxiety or another hindering situation, might be inspired to focus on things that we all can change. There is not enough time in the world to be dragged down by negativity! :) 

***Being on the Paleo diet is not the key to happiness in any way. It is just something I am committed to and enjoy! This post is to encourage anyone and everyone to find something positive and tangible to focus on, instead of lingering on things that we cannot control. This can be through studying the Bible on a deeper level, learning something new, building friendships and relationships, or even something small like flossing before bed (just kidding, nobody does that.) (Hopefully my dentist doesn’t read this.)

The Embarrassing Gym Stories Saga: Part 1

March 2, 2015

Happy March everybody! I can’t believe it’s almost spring break. Which means summer is just around the corner. Which means…. SWIMSUITS. About this time of year, everybody is hitting the gym to try and get that summer bod. Everyone that fell off the New Year’s Resolution train is trying to hop back on for one more shot at getting in shape. We can’t hide under baggy pants and jackets for much longer! 

I’ve been going to the rec for a while now but just thought I’d share some stories with y’all, partly for entertainment, but also as encouragement for anyone who is nervous about going to the gym to realize it’s completely okay to not know what you are doing. 

First of all, I think I have been to the rec around 30-35 times this semester, and I don’t think I have made it out once without embarrassing myself in some way. The first day that I ran on the track, I forgot to look at the arrow that points which direction to run. So I ran the opposite way and then had to awkwardly turn around mid-run once I saw all the other trackers coming straight for me. 

I have forgotten which locker I put my stuff in 3 different times now. Last week, I forgot again and had to have a worker come unlock some for me until we could find it. After ten tries, we still couldn’t find my backpack, so I told the guy it must’ve been stolen. And then he asked if I was sure I put it in that section. Then I realized I had put my bag upstairs. 

Yesterday, I was focusing on shoulders for weight training. I headed over to the barbell section and a bunch of pretty buff guys were around me, all grabbing the super heavy ones. I didn’t want to seem weak, so I tried to grab a 100 lb. barbell for shoulder shrugs….but I couldn’t even lift it off the rack…so I tried to play it cool and just grab a different one, but everyone around definitely noticed. I left the section after that…

Another time, I sat down on the last stationary bike that was available. It was really crowded. The other 6 bikes were already taken. This particular section is on the 3rd floor and overlooks the entire weight room, so everyone down stairs can see you. Well I sat down, not noticing that the seat was actually broken. The seat slid off, along with myself. Two of the other bikers stopped pedaling and just looked at me. I grabbed my towel and quickly walked away. 

In the free weights section, there are many adjustable benches. You can make it flat, inclined, or sitting straight up. There was one that was in an upright position that I wanted flat so I bent down in front of about 20 people and tried adjusting the seat. I was struggling to get it to move, so I pushed it a little harder. It wasn’t moving. I gave it one final push and it slammed down, causing a loud metal noise that echoed throughout the weight room. Then a worker came up to me and said that particular seat wasn’t actually adjustable. 

So needless to say, I’m a bit clumsy. If I still have the courage to hit the gym, anyone should! For now, I’ll work on paying more attention and staying under the radar…but no promises.