Shaking the Sophomore Slump

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...

Just a Little Pizza My Mind

I want to write about something a bit more serious today. This is something that has been weighing on my mind for a while. If you've read any of my previous posts, you'll know that I have been doing the Paleo diet (lifestyle) for quite some time--going on six months. In other posts I have discussed habits, priorities, working out, set backs, and a number of other topics all related to living active and healthy. What I have not discussed is the darker side of what can come with a goal to be thinner.

In January, I was 182 pounds. I was not thrilled with that number or the way my body looked, but I had a relatively great self esteem. There were days when I would change outfits 6 or more times to find something that I felt thinner in, but for the most part I felt okay about myself. To me, it was always more important to be a good person and have a nice personality than to be thin. By the end of February, I was 164 pounds. I was on top of the world at this point. In just a little over a month I had lost nearly 20 pounds from sticking to the Paleo diet and hitting the gym 5 days a week.

The next 10 pounds were much more difficult to get off. My body had adjusted to my diet, so I had to step up the intensity in the gym. I was still determined to reach my goal of 30 pounds lost by the end of the semester.

By the time I was headed home for summer, I was 150 pounds. I had dreamed of seeing that number since I was a sophomore in high school. I had reached a goal. I had defeated a huge struggle and accomplished something seemingly impossible.

Why wasn't I satisfied?

All of a sudden, 32 pounds lost felt like it wasn't enough. 140 became the new goal, and then 130, and then I noticed that I was obsessed with looking in the mirror and picking out my flaws. After that, I had thoughts of skipping meals to keep my caloric intake at less than 1200 in a day. Weighing myself once a week turned into weighing myself twice a day and fighting tears any time I gained a pound.

I was becoming addicted to losing weight and had made it my identity. And I was scared to death of gaining any weight and losing progress--scared to the point that I tracked every bite of food that I ingested.

In the past, I did not understand eating disorders, but after 6 months of losing weight, I have seen how addictions to looking a certain way can lead to eating disorders. I myself have not dealt with this to the point of calling it a disorder, but I have noticed that some of my thoughts would lean to those tendencies every now and then. And I am putting a stop to it.

There is a fine line between living a healthy lifestyle and being obsessed with outward appearance. I have been balancing on the fence between these two mindsets, and I am finally letting go of the unhealthy, negative thoughts I have put into my head in the past. Thanks to friends that constantly build me up and a God who reminds me that the state of my heart is infinitely more important than my body, I have been able to relax and enjoy life with having a scoop of ice cream every now and then (and being okay with it.) I will not let numbers on a scale have so much control of my happiness--because it will never bring true contentment.

I hope that this post can be one of encouragement to girls (or anyone) who struggles with body image. Life should not be about counting calories and picking out your not-so-toned body parts in the mirror. Take a deep breath, enjoy a slice of pizza every now and then, and remember that you are beautiful.

Just Call Me Miley Cyrus

For as long as I can remember, I have been a goal-oriented person. I am all about competition and winning and being able to claim a prize (whether there is a real prize or just the pride of knowing I won) at the end of the day. It was very black and white in my eyes. If my team's score was less than the opponent's, we lost. If my grade was an 89 instead of an A, I had failed.

I viewed my weight the same way. I have never been happy with the number on the scale. I can remember being in 3rd grade and weighing 80 pounds, knowing that most of my friends were around 60 pounds. I hated it. I remember when I first broke 100 pounds in the sixth grade, and I heard a girl complaining that she was fat because she was 75 pounds. I hated it. I have always wanted to lose weight, fit into smaller clothes, wear a two piece swimsuit...so many things that other people seemed to do so effortlessly. So when I started my journey to get fit this year, I had a number in mind: 140. I held that number out in front of me like it was a finish line I had to sprint to, and I couldn't slow down until I got there. It was all about the finish line. It was all about the number.

I weighed in at 141 pounds today. I have lost 41 pounds since I began on January 27th. I am one pound away from the number I set in my head so long ago. Back then, it seemed so far from reach. In my head, I would be happy when I reached my goal. When I got to my magic number, I would have succeeded, and then I could rest.

Today, I have reflected on the past 5 months. I have looked at my weight loss graph and remembered each step of the way: when I first started and I dropped 7 lbs. in a week, when I stalled for an entire month and thought I was incapable of any more progress, when I cheated and ate pizza over spring break, when I stopped fitting into old clothes and bought new ones, when I stopped fitting into those clothes and had to buy more new ones, when I looked in the mirror and was so proud of myself, the countless times I went to Chipotle, attempting to cook anything Paleo and then giving up and eating chicken, when I got the flu and couldn't workout for 4 days and I thought my life was over, when I began running and got up to 4 miles without stopping, when I could bicep curl 20 pounds with one arm, when I could dip my entire body weight with my triceps for the first time...There have been so many moments--so many moments along this journey that have brought me happiness, joy, and motivation to continue.

It started out as a race to get to the magic number. Today, I am 1 number away from finishing the race, but now I understand that it was never about finishing as fast as I could. In fact, there isn't a finish line after all. I haven't "won" and getting to 140 lbs. has not brought me ultimate happiness. This is just a check point. The entire journey is what has changed and molded me into a more positive, more driven, more passionate individual. Now, it doesn't have to be about the numbers any more. It is about devoting a huge part of my life to fitness and health. There are so many more check points to reach as I continue! A half marathon, a triathlon, a full marathon, a tough mudder...heck I still can't do a push up. There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna want to make it move...I guess Miley Cyrus is more poetic than we gave her credit for? But I'll get there. And I'll enjoy every minute of the journey. I was going to say the climb, but that's enough Miley for one day.

50 Thoughts You Have While Running

1. Gosh I can't wait to run today
2. Wow I'm way too tired to run today
3. I suppose I should probably run since I have that race coming up
4. This weather is fantastic, gonna get my tan on
5. I'm so glad I decided to get out and run, this is great
6. 4 miles here we go
7. Well it's a bit hotter than I anticipated
8. What am I gonna eat after this?
9. Better run faster cause the neighbors are out
10. There's that stupid wiener dog
11. Shut up before I kick you, wiener dog
12. Dang I better slow down, I'm not gonna make it at this pace
13. I hate Texas weather, I could suffocate in this humidity
14. IT'S ONLY BEEN HALF A MILE?
15. Oh shoot, this is my jam!
16. I COULD RUN FOREVER TO THIS SONG
17. I'M INVINCIBLE RIGHT NOW
18. *sings* I'M WALKING ON SUNSHINE WHHOOOAHH
19. Okay maybe I'll just do 3 miles
20. Yeah don't wanna be an overachiever
21. Or 2 miles
22. No, I'm not a quitter. I'm doing 3 miles
23. Or 2.5
24. NO YOU'VE ALREADY MADE IT THIS FAR
25. This car is going awfully slow
26. I hope it isn't a kidnapper
27. Is that a dead bird?
28. No it was just a dead frog
29. Wow they need to mow their lawn
30. Have I ever mowed a lawn?
31. Okay this car is definitely a kidnapper
32. *waves to car as they pass*
33. Whew, that was a close one
34. Oh, another dead frog
35. Ugh I hate this song, why is this on my playlist?
36. I need new music
37. Yeah if I add some new music, I'll run faster tomorrow
38. I MADE IT TO 2 MILES
39. I'm gonna stop now
40. No I can't, I have to do at least 3
41. I'm so tired though
42. I'm so hungry
43. Will chipotle still be open when I finish?
44. Run faster so you can make it to chipotle after
45. I need to walk, my legs are giving out
46. Tomorrow I'll be less sore
47. Okay yeah I'm definitely stopping, it's getting too dark
48. Wait, I'm 2 miles from home, I have to run back or I'll be stranded
49. *finishes 4 miles*
50. THAT WAS GREAT AND SO EASY, I COULD'VE GONE 4 MORE LOL CAN'T WAIT TO RUN AGAIN TOMORROW

You Are What You Eat: Part 2

The best way to eat healthy is to avoid fast food and heavily processed food at all costs. Foods that come in boxes with fun pictures and advertisements like, "Fat and Sugar Free!" may seem great at first. Then check the expiration date. If it doesn't expire for the next year, it is most likely made with chemicals that your body does not digest correctly. Check the ingredients as well. High fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, coloring of any sort...these are the kind of things you would make crafts out of. They are not want you want to be filling your body with. A lot of people might hear that and call it liberal hippie crap, but there is a reason that obesity is linked to fast food, sodas, and junk food. IT ISN'T REAL. That's why it's more expensive to eat healthy and fresh foods. Fresh food cannot be as widely distributed because it will go bad. Next time you go to the grocery store, take a look at some of the ingredients in packaged foods. If you ask me, the extra money for real food is well worth it!

Here is day 2 of my food log blog.

Tuesday, June 2nd:

Breakfast:
-1/2 glass of coffee sweetened with Stevia (all-natural sweetener)
-4 hard-boiled egg whites

Lunch:
-16 oz. pomegranate tea
-2 scoops vanilla Herbalife meal replacement
-2 tsp. cinnamon

Afternoon Snack:
-Outshine strawberry fruit bar
-bottle of water
-2 tbsp. natural almond butter

Dinner:
-6 oz. honey-lemon roasted chicken breast
-1/2 cup steamed broccoli and carrots

Evening Snack:
-2 tbsp. natural almond butter
-32 oz. lemon tea
-4 strawberries

**These posts are to help people achieve or begin a healthy lifestyle and lose weight in a nourishing way. This was not written to completely bash processed foods-- our way of life would not be sustainable without the wide distribution of processed and genetically modified foods. However, because we live in a country that has been blessed enough to give us options, we all have the option to eat processed foods or more natural choices. Choosing the natural foods is scientifically proven to produce better health and weight loss results in people who are striving to obtain such goals.

You Are What You Eat: Part 1

It has been requested of me to record and blog everything I eat for three days. I'm actually very excited to do this! I always record what I eat and drink everyday in my FitBit app. If you own a FitBit watch, you can do the same! If you aren't a FitBit owner, you can download myfitnesspal and log your food as well. It will tell you how many calories you are eating in a day and how many you have left in order to lose a certain amount of weight or maintain your weight. This is the best way to get an idea of how much you are actually eating. It's easy to forget high calorie drinks and snacks...they do count! Feel free to ask me any questions about these applications or about the food you see listed below.

Monday June 1st:

Breakfast:
-glass of water
-2 farm fresh, cage free eggs
-a handful of spinach leaves
-about 1/4 cup of white, organic mushrooms
(eggs, spinach, and mushrooms were prepared omelet style and cooked on stove over olive oil; seasoned with a pinch of salt)

Morning Snack:
-about 1/2 cup of red seedless grapes

Lunch:
-32 oz. diet lemonade from Chick-fil-a (water, real lemon juice, splenda)
-4 oz. 93% lean ground beef
-1/2 tbsp. chopped green peppers
-2 tbsp. white, organic mushrooms
(beef, peppers, and mushrooms were all tossed together in a pan and cooked on stove over olive oil; seasoned with a pinch of salt and tsp. of garlic)
-1 package of All Natural Wholly Guacamole Minis (100 calories)

Afternoon:
-water

Dinner (Olive Garden):
-2 glasses of unsweetened tea with lemon
-baked tilapia
-6 mini white shrimp
-a side of broccoli
-NO BREADSTICKS


I don't measure out my food. These are just approximations.**

The Big Three-O and Plat-O

May 4, 2015

Last week was entirely too crazy for one person to handle. Getting diagnosed with the flu was the last thing I needed as I headed into my last week of regular classes for freshman year. I missed three days of school, and missing one day of college is enough to put you into an insane asylum to deal with the stress. I was well past insane asylum and to the point where the mind just actually shuts down into a vegetable state after missing 4 quizzes, a test, a video project, having to write a 1200 word analytical paper, and doing regular online homework, all while barely being able to swallow anything larger than a pill. Luckily, my mom was able to come to the rescue and nurse me back to health. There's something magical about a hotel bed and a mother to tend to your every need. Thanks mom!

BUT, despite it all, I reached a personal goal--the original goal I had set out to accomplish this semester. After 13 weeks of Paleo, I hit a weight loss total of 30 pounds!!! Seeing that number on the scale was such an awesome feeling. This dream of mine seemed so distant when I began talking about it in January. At 30 pounds lighter, 5 notches down on my belt loop, and 4 dress sizes thinner, I am feeling better than ever! I am so excited to continue toning up and training this summer.

Success hasn't been a piece of cake (literally I haven't eaten cake in over 3 months), however. In last week's blog, I mentioned that there was a point in this journey where I had plateaued and not lost a single pound for 4 weeks. This is something that most people will experience during weight loss, strength training, or any training for that matter. At first, I was unsure at how to handle it. I thought I was incapable of losing any more weight, but with some adjustments I was able to surpass the obstacle and continue. Here are some tips for when you reach a plateau:

1. Change it Up
You've probably been doing the same workouts and eating the same foods for a while now. While these things have been working up until this point, it is very likely that your body is accustomed to these routines now and is ready for something new and more challenging. I had been lifting weights and doing the same order and rep amount for quite a while, and for cardio, I was alternating jump roping, biking, and plyometrics. At first, these things had been quite the workout. I would wake up very sore and tired, but after about 4-5 weeks, they were becoming easier, and my weight loss stopped completely. Once I began running long distance and changing up weight exercises, I dropped 10 more pounds like it was nothing. In a few more weeks, I will reach a plateau and begin changing up the exercises once again. Changing it up also keeps it exciting! Don't risk a burnout by doing the same thing everyday.

2. Don't Stress
This is the piece of advice I have the most difficult time following. Stress is literally good for NOTHING. It makes you feel awful, it can often prohibit you from being productive, and it has negative effects on the body. Your body needs you to chill out in order for positive change to occur. Keep in mind that the process is slow and difficult at times like this, but that perseverance produces the real winners.

3. Remember How Far You Have Come
This is another reason not to stress. You've already been making progress, so don't let a few slow weeks make you forget the accomplishments you've already made! During my 4 weeks of struggle, I had started to convince myself that I hadn't really done anything and maybe I had set goals too ridiculous to achieve. Luckily, I had taken progress pictures, and looking back at the "before" shots, it was easy to see the changes in myself. Even small progress is good progress!

So that's my two cents on plateaus! I'm sure I'll have to read this blog myself when I hit a stalling point in the next few weeks. I hope you're all doing well! May the Fourth be with you :)