I'm not sure why everyone always says, "Wow I can't believe it's already *insert month here*." I mean we literally say that every month. It should be pretty easy to believe considering we (mostly) all have eyes and a calendar. Nonetheless, I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY AUGUST. Seriously, in May when I moved home after finishing up freshman year, I looked ahead at the 3 months I would be spending back in Horse Country, Texas, away from so many of my Texas A&M friends, and I thought it would surely be an eternity until I returned to College Station. But, alas, this is my final week where most of my meals are paid for and made for me, where I haven't had to worry about an on campus parking ticket, where my laundry is magically done for me, and where my sweet little puppy is always there to greet me when I walk in the front door. Oh I guess I should mention my family too. Yeah, they're here as well. Hehe, love y'all.
As much as I am looking forward to being back in college station and starting up classes again, leaving home is more bittersweet than I was expecting. I've had the pleasure of working at Texas Woman's University all summer, seeing high school friends, attending my hometown church, and recently starting CrossFit. I'll definitely miss the lovely folks that have surrounded me for these brutally hot summer months.
As far as weight loss goes, it's pretty much done! Wow, it's strange to type those words. I reached my goal weight about a month or 2 ago. At first, I wasn't really sure what to do. Do I keep trying to get thinner? Does this mean I can eat more? I was just wandering around. When you cross a finish line after such a long race, it can bring a sense of lost purpose when it ends. At first, I did try to lose more. I convinced myself that I could drop 10 more pounds, but it was soon very apparent that my body had found its equilibrium and it would be unhealthy to get much farther below that. But I didn't want to throw in the towel and gain it all back.
Then I learned that there is this awesome thing called MAINTAINING. It means the hardest part is over. So that's what I've been doing the past few weeks. I still eat Paleo about 95% of the time. I love it, really. My body rejects heavily processed foods or a lot of dairy. Seriously, I had some beef enchiladas the other night, and I thought my digestive system would never be the same. But I do enjoy having a splurge every now and then! It's fun to eat dessert some nights or to have a few bites of random things like mashed potatoes or bread. I had my first sandwich for the first time in 6 months. That was an exciting day. It's still a rarity, but I definitely love living a healthy life and still satisfying cravings every couple of weeks or so.
Now some of you may have noticed I mentioned CrossFit (gasp). Yes it's true, I am now not only part of the A&M cult, but the CrossFit cult as well. I tried to avoid it as much as I could, but Kat Hill, who has done Paleo with me these past 6 months, finally dragged me to a class about 2.5 weeks ago, and despite the blood, sweat, and tears (no exaggeration), I fell in love. I started attending regularly at Sanctum CrossFit in Prosper! It's been such an awesome new experience for me, and I have learned more than I thought possible in this short amount of time. It will be sad to say goodbye to my new friends and coaches, but I look forward to checking out CrossFit in Aggieland.
I'm also excited to be in a kinesiology running class this semester! It will be so much more entertaining than sitting in a desk taking notes. I'll be a writing consultant at the University Writing Center, as well as an Assistant Director for the Memorial Student Center Freshmen in Service and Hosting. I cannot wait to meet my freshmen and pour into their lives like my assistant directors did for me during my first year!
Thank you so much for all of your support and for reading my little blog. It's been 7 months of of weight loss but so much growth as a person. I don't feel like the same girl I was when I began college a year ago. I guess what everyone told me would happen came true! I am beyond thrilled to be a sophomore at the greatest university on Earth at 43 pounds lighter, a little bit wiser, a whole lot happier, and with hair that is 8 inches shorter.
So I guess the Freshman Fifteen didn't get the best of me after all. Let's hope I can say the same for the Sophomore Slump! Stay tuned...
