1. Learn how to really cook
Last semester, I ate the same thing almost every week, and none of it came from any type of recipe. I just threw things together. Ground beef and onions. Eggs and sausage. Chicken and sweet potatoes. I got so tired of it, and it made Paleo very bland. I didn't use any of the resources on the internet or in cookbooks, and in turn, I spent a lot of money going out to eat, bought groceries that I didn't end up using, and burned out on the lame meals.
My parents got me 3 Paleo cookbooks for Christmas, and one day when I had a lot of time, I sat down and planned out what I was going to eat for a month. I picked different recipes for every meal, wrote up a plan of when I would have leftovers, when I could eat out, when I would need to meal prep, etc. At the beginning of each week, I go back through the meals and write down everything I will need to buy at the grocery store. This prevents me from buying anything I won't need or buying so far in advance that the food goes bad.
I have stuck to this plan to almost a T. I have really enjoyed some of the meals and switched them out with others that seemed really difficult. Yesterday I had a great adventure traveling all over College Station to try and get my phone fixed (I shattered it while carrying in groceries), so I didn't have time to prepare lunch. I went and ate Torchy's to numb the pain. But I love this planning thing. I don't have to worry about having time to cook or question what I will eat. It's already done! And just for the record, I'm a pretty fantastic chef.
2. Do a Whole 30
I've been wanting to do this challenge for a while. It's 30 days of extreme Paleo. No added sugar of any sort (stevia, honey, syrup, etc.), nothing processed, no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no happiness (just kidding!). I didn't think it would be so difficult, but I'm one of those people that adds sweet-n-low to coffee and tea, despite the cancer it might cause. I also drink smoothies from Smoothie King, pour honey on sweet potatoes, and occasionally get brown rice. All of this is a no from the Whole 30 people. They also say that chewing gum is a no. Whoever wrote that was clearly tripping.
I started on January 15. So for 19 days I have drank only water, black coffee, and black tea. It's a miracle I'm still here. Some people don't really know the point of doing it, but giving yourself discipline for a structured amount of time is beneficial in so many ways. It makes you stronger mentally and physically. I'm trying to be the best version of myself, and challenges like this give me a chance to test my will power. I've lost the 5 lbs. I gained during Christmas, seen dramatic muscle tone improvements, and I feel 1000x better.
Fun story, I had to go on winter retreat for MSC FISH while doing Whole 30. I packed down a cooler with meals for 2.5 days. On the first night, I had grilled chicken a frozen broccoli that I planned to heat up for dinner. Well, there was no microwave. And also no forks, since everyone else was eating pizza. So I ate cold chicken and frozen broccoli with my hands while everyone stared at me.
The truth about the Whole 30 you've been waiting for is just that. It's gonna be really difficult. You have to plan around events. You probably won't have to eat frozen broccoli, but you will be drinking black coffee and tea. I really encourage anyone to try a challenge. It's a great head start to a healthy lifestyle. Once you realize how great it makes you feel, you'll know that the frozen veggies and black coffee was worth it. Actually, you might not think that at all. But at least you accomplished something.
3. See old friends
I fell off the radar last semester, and I lost touch with some really great friends because of it. I've gotten my time management together, and I won't let that happen again!
4. Play basketball
I really do miss playing this favorite sport of mine. Practicing for 3-4 hours a day in high school, Saturday morning drills, and hundreds of career games kind of burned me out of basketball for a while. Coach Hodge yelling, "we're burning daylight!" is still a recurring dream I have. But every time I see someone playing, this longing in me to relive those days takes over. I started playing ball again with some of my MSC FISH friends, and it has made me so happy. Of course, I can't shoot or dribble like I could in my prime (wow I sound old) but I'm in a lot better shape! I can run the court and play defense like never before. Just for old times' sake, I ran some sprints we used to do for conditioning. I improved my times ten fold, which gives me a lot of encouragement to keep getting fit. I joined an intramural team, but I'm gonna need to dig up the basketball shoes I buried a while ago!
5. Floss
I'll get back to y'all on this one...
This semester got off to such an awesome start. I'm so thankful to be an Aggie, be an AD for FISH, be a basketball player again (sort of), and be a member of CrossFit Aggieland. Here's to my latter half of college!
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