Hmm. What Now?

Before I forget bore you with this post, I wanted to let you all know that my sister-in-law and I are hosting our very first link-up tomorrow: Three Thanks. We would LOVE for you all to join us, as the happiest, healthiest people are also the most grateful. The link-up will go live at 12:01 Thursday, March 27th, and the only thing you need to do is write a post about three things for which you are thankful. The rest of the directions will be in tomorrow morning's post. :)

I thought that as soon as I had my hood, my diploma, and the last grade posted for my graduate degree, I would be relieved.

I thought that as soon as I stepped across the finish line after running 26.2 miles I would be thrilled beyond belief.

Yes, I was relieved when I earned my masters degree, and yes, I was thrilled when I ran my marathon.

But I was also dejected: after all, these were feats that took months to accomplish, events that I had spent countless hours preparing for, milestones that I had looked forward to for ridiculous amounts of time. After I had invested those months, those hours, that time, what was I supposed to do when all of it was over?

Honestly, that's kind of how I feel now. I finished my Whole30 yesterday. I don't "have to" continue: I already accomplished my goal. I spent the last 30 days thinking solely in terms of #whole30approved, #whole30challenge, and #paleo; talking to whomever cared and would listen about nutrition and healthy living; and writing about pretty much only Whole30-related things.

Now that my Whole30 is officially over, what am I supposed to do?

Set another goal, of course.

As they've told us a million and a half times at work -- and as Melissa and Dallas told us during Whole30 -- it is extremely important to set SMART goals:

According to Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, there are nine factors that are crucial to optimum health. (I first discussed the Whole9 when introducing my goals for the Whole30).

For the purposes of my next Whole30 (30 days of whatever I choose to make my goal), I am going to focus on nutrition (yet again) and healthy movement.

• Nutrition: I will continue following Whole30 guidelines regarding food and nutrition for the next 30 days, aside from Days 17-19 and Days 28-30*.
• Healthy Movement: I will workout -- either run or attend Farrell's -- at least four days each week for the next 30 days.

I asterisked the specific days in my nutritional goal that I will be out of town, first for my friend's bachelorette party in St. Louis and second for a professional conference in Atlanta. While I am going to try to maintain as close to a Whole30 diet as possible, I know I will likely stray in St. Louis (primarily because I would like to have a drink or two with my girlfriends) and in Atlanta (primarily because breakfast and lunch are catered to us and because I would like to have a drink or two with my colleagues). Again, I will maintain a somewhat Whole30 diet while traveling, but I do not want to set myself up for failure by expecting to be 100% compliant.

"Attainable" is the "A" in SMART goals, remember.

I wanted to include a fitness-related goal for the next 30 days since I feel like I have been totally slacking in that department lately. I'm pretty thrilled that I lost six-and-a-half pounds just by changing my diet, but I want to see what that would look like if I bump up the exercise, too.

I've had such good intentions of working out and have gone on a few runs here and there, but it's been sporadic at best. I am really good at making excuses: today's, for instance, was that it was "too windy." I mean, who runs in 30-40 mph wind gusts?

I was almost persuaded to get out there and just do it when I heard the middle-school track team sprint up the hill by my house, but then I talked myself out of it: I'd have to change, shower, etc., and I just don't know if I have time to do all of that before bowling.

Seriously.

I suck.

So anyway, that is the game plan for the next 30 days: continue eating Whole30 (aside from my two trips out of town) and exercise at least four times each week. And, per a suggestion from one of my new blog friends, Melissa (hey girl!), I am going to post my workout plan each week along with my meal plan. 

Let's start with the plan for the rest of this week. Tomorrow, I am planning on running two miles with one of my work friends; it is supposed to rain, however, so if it does, I think we will either run on the treadmill (kill me now) or through the halls at school. Saturday, I am planning on running 7-8 miles.

On Sunday, I'll post next week's plan along with my weekly menu. 

Hold me accountable, friends.

Breakfast: I didn't take a picture, but I made the ever-delicious blueberry scrambled eggs. I've been in the mood for sweet breakfasts more than savory breakfasts lately, and this dish is a bit in between the two and absolutely hits the spot.

Lunch: 

I brought my leftover Jalapeno Chicken Burgers to school today but thought that a.) since I finished Whole30 and b.) actually had a break for lunch for a change, Linds and Mags and I could eat at a restaurant like real grown-ups. We headed to Gusto, a super-awesome pizza joint in town, and all three of us ordered salads. :)

This is the same salad I ordered last Friday when I went with Kate, Shaw, and BFF. It was so ridiculously good that I had been thinking about it since then. I inhaled it, yet again.

It was a nice "celebration" (i.e. a break from lunch alone with students chatting my ears off in my classroom) with great friends.

Dinner:

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be Grilled Swordfish with Peach-Avocado Salsa from PaleOMG (without honey in the marinade -- still stuck on Whole30 principles). However, as soon as I went to make the salsa, I realized that my peaches had been sitting in my fridge a bit too long: brown peaches were a no-go. Also, apparently chopped red onions aren't good three weeks later. So, I improvised: I made my salsa with an avocado, some blueberries, a bit of cilantro, some salt, a plop of olive oil, some lime juice, and of course, a freakin' shit-ton of jalapeno.

I'm pretty sure you could put jalapenos and avocado on dog poop and I'd think it was delicious.

I was nervous about making swordfish, as I've never cooked it before and have only recently (within the past couple of years) become comfortable with "easy" fish like salmon and tilapia. The swordfish actually turned out okay! I put a bit of olive oil in a pan and let 'er cook on each side for a while, and then I pretty much demolished it with a knife to make sure it was done in the middle.

Then, I inhaled the whole dish.

Nom nom nom.

Since I'm no longer "technically" on the Whole30 challenge, I'm not going to continue posting how I feel physically or emotionally, and I'm not going to post about my cravings (since they've been fairly non-existent for quite a while anyway). However, if something drastic (or, okay, interesting) changes, I'll keep you posted.

See you tomorrow for a super-fun link-up! Please cross your fingers that it actually works. :)

Just Me

One of my biggest inspirations in my healthy living journey is my mom.

Head over to her blog (Cathy Shows Up) and harass her to tell you her weight-loss story. Essentially, she lost a ton of weight several years ago and now, I think, looks like a completely different person.

(Regardless of weight, though, my mama has always been and will always be the most beautiful woman I know.)

I mean, look at her.

When we were in Michigan for my sister-in-law's baby shower in November, my mom and I talked a lot about healthy living, weight loss, fitness, and nutrition. At one point I asked my mom what jumpstarted her journey, and I will never forget what she said:

"I just realized that if I wanted to lose weight and get healthy, that was on me: no one else was going to do that for me."

That really hit me. We are the ones responsible for our journeys, no one else.

As I've mentioned a bit before, the past year was pretty hard for me, as I was in a relationship that I was so desperately trying to make succeed, a relationship that -- as much as I hate to admit it -- probably should have ended long before it did. (I am so optimistic, though, thinking that things will always work out, and so stubborn, thinking that I will make things work out, even when they are not supposed to.) 

This relationship -- not The Boy himself but rather the relationship as its own entity -- affected my psyche in so many ways. (I want to be very clear in that I do not blame The Boy for any of this: I wish him nothing but the best. He is a great person, but we were not great together.)

First, I was so exhausted, trying everything I could to make something work -- to no avail.  And because it was so exhausting, I literally had no energy left to workout and no energy to cook healthy meals. All of my energy went to salvaging a sinking relationship.

Second, I was so depressed. I seriously thought that I was a failure: if I couldn't get this relationship to work, something that should work easily, everything else was pretty much a bust as well.

Third, I was just so dispirited, and that feeling transferred to other aspects of my life. There were times that I honestly just thought, "What's the point?" in regard to eating well and working out. Much like I felt like I had exhausted all options relationship-wise, I felt like I had tried everything I could in regard to healthy living, and nothing changed. So, why not just watch TV and eat easy, cheap food?

Fourth, I did not necessarily feel the most supported in a healthy lifestyle, which made it even more difficult to maintain. For instance, I would often cook us super healthy, well-balanced meals, and then The Boy would bring a bag of Hot Cheetos to the table. And instead of going for a walk or a bike ride, instead of doing something physical and outdoors and fun, we would do a lot of sitting on the couch and watching TV because he had "been on his feet all day" (because clearly teachers work at desks...).

But, those are all excuses. As my mom said, no one can do it for me, and I am in charge of my own health, my own fitness, my own nutrition.

Source

That is, essentially, why I decided to jump headfirst back into healthy living with the Whole30 challenge. It is a fairly strict nutritional plan that requires the utmost control and dedication, qualities that I feel I have been lacking -- at least in this regard -- lately. While I know that I will not always be as unwaveringly dedicated to Whole30 as I am now, it has been the best jumpstart to a healthy lifestyle, one that I honestly don't think I will stray from much after my 30 days are up.

In addition, the psychological aspect of the program really hit home for me:

Source: Whole30 Timeline

Despite the facade that I may put on at times, I have battled with self-esteem issues pretty much my entire life: I should be doing this, I should be doing that, I can settle for this, I don't deserve that, etc.

But you know what? I do deserve everything that I want, everything that I "should" have. I am important, and I am worth a full commitment.

And, I am capable of transforming my life. I don't "need" a cookie, and I didn't "accidentally" drink that last glass of wine. (This is the tough love piece of Whole30 that I referenced a couple of weeks ago.) Everything is a choice, and the decisions I make are up to no one but me.

That is one of the greatest things that Whole30 has given to me thus far: self-confidence, self-worth, self-efficacy. I am very thankful, and I am looking forward to where this journey takes me in the future.

Cheers!

Whole9 + Goals

Prior to discussing my daily eats and emotions, I wanted to introduce the idea of Whole9, another concept from Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.

According to the Hartwigs, these are the nine factors that are crucial to optimal health, and I wholly believe that this is accurate.  After all, how can someone be as healthy as possible without adequate sleep? proper nutrition? spending time outdoors?

In the Day 0 email that I received after signing up for the Whole30 program, I was instructed to create goals based on no more than three of the nine factors.  In order to do that, however, I had to first familiarize myself with what the nine factors were.

Nutrition
Obviously this is the primary factor targeted with Whole30: by omitting things like sugar, alcohol, grains, and other foods that quite possibly have negative affects, I will end unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal my digestive tract, and balance my immune system. By doing so, I will become healthier in so many ways.

Sleep
This factor includes not only how much one sleeps but also how one sleeps. For instance, it is important to sleep for a certain number of hours but it is also important to sleep well during that time, spending the right amount of time in each phase. For more information (since I am definitely not super well-versed in this area), check out this article.

Healthy Movement
I appreciate that this factor does not necessarily always mean hard-core exercise or training. Rather, healthy movement also equates to low-intensity movement, natural movement (like carrying groceries, pushing a stroller, etc.), and even the absence of movement -- relaxation.

Fun & Play
This factor is also included under the umbrella of healthy movement, as it means playing Frisbee with one's dog, running around with one's children, etc.

Stress Management
Essentially all factors can cause stress in life: for example, if I am not over-exercising and not resting enough, my body will experience negative stress. This factor includes lifestyle modification, focused and expert consultations, and supplement interventions.

Socialization
This factor emphasizes that we can only be truly healthy when we interact with others (in person, not just via social media) and have a positive support system, people who help with accountability, motivation, and inspiration.

Natural Environment
Clearly, it is essential for us to spend time outdoors, whether it be walking around the lake, laying in the grass, or chasing kids through the neighborhood. It is important for acquisition of vitamin D, but I'm sure there are a bazillion other health benefits as well.

Personal Growth
This factor includes a number of different things: spirituality, philanthropy, volunteerism, etc.  Essentially, it is imperative to have goals for oneself that are not focused solely on one's profession, one's fitness, etc.

Temperance
While often ignored or undervalued, this is a critical factor that basically means "moderation or self-restraint," knowing when to say when, when it's okay to do something not super healthy, knowing oneself and one's own habits and preferences.

Again, I was asked to create goals for no more than three of the aforementioned factors. Because I am a rebel, though, I created goals for four:

1. Nutrition: I will eat only Whole30-compliant foods throughout the entire 30-day challenge.
2. Healthy Movement: I will work out (either run, go to Farrell's, or do a Jillian Michaels DVD) at least three days per week.  (A related goal is that I will NOT do anything to exacerbate my back injury, which likely means that I will not work out for a few more days.)
3. Sleep: I will sleep at least seven hours -- from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. -- Sunday through Thursday.
4. Personal Growth: I will read at least two books over the course of the 30-day program.

I truly believe that all four of these goals are attainable, an extremely important aspect of SMART goals.

In addition, I have strong self-efficacy (belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations) in regards to all four goals. I commit to being successful, and therefore I will be successful.

As always, thank you all for helping me fulfill the sixth factor: socialization. I turn to all of you for support and accountability, and I cannot thank you enough.