Variation of "The Plan"

My official last day of the Whole 30 Challenge was August 27th. I will honestly admit that I didn't follow the plan exactly. I ran into a small a problem that I wasn't expecting. I just wasn't eating enough calories! I would eat eggs and fruit for breakfast, chicken or shrimp with a salad or veggies for lunch, nuts and another piece of fruit for a snack, and then a lean meat and veggies for dinner. I struggled to find enough things to eat that could increase my calorie intake and still fit "the plan". Every day I was only eating about 900 to 1,000 calories, which just isn't enough for a 5'5" woman! I started adding in some greek yogurt for lunch and some whole grain cereal or toast with my breakfast. It brought my calorie total up without drastically increasing my carbs. I think this is a plan I can realistically stick with on most days, and that's really what I'm looking for. I can't stick to a plan if it doesn't fit my lifestyle or if it stresses me out. As far as my pain levels, which is the main reason I started this, I've seen a major improvement. I had very minor pain this past month, and I just felt better in general. Shocking, right? Eat good, whole food and feel better while doing it. Gasp! ;)

Whole30 Updates

Lately I've been spending a lot of time on the Sparkpeople website to track my calories and fitness. I also blog quite often about my weight loss and fitness progress. Thought I would include my last few posts to give an update on my Whole30 Challenge.


Day #6

So...I slipped just a bit. I was giving my students some Skittles before taking a test this morning, and I started munching on some. Honestly, I didn't really think about it. Then all of the sudden, I realized what I was doing. I'm not supposed to have ANY sugar!!! Now technically, the Whole30 site says that you are supposed to start again at Day #1 if you slip up. Well I'm sorry, but I'm human. Instead, I'm blogging about it so I can confess and be aware of it. And from this moment on, NO MORE SUGAR!!!

Day #8

What a great day so far! Started my morning with 3 eggs and some fresh black cherries, and then had a great circuit workout with a trainer at the gym. I love that Planet Fitness has FREE personal training sessions! The 30 minute circuit alternates between 10 weight machines and 10 cardio stations. Let me just tell you, by station 12 I was ready to call it a day! What a great workout though! It definitely showed me that I need to do a variety of cardio (not just running), that my abs really need some work, and my shoulders are super weak. Surprisingly though, my legs, back, and arms were much stronger than I thought. I looked at the weight that Ronnie kept choosing for me and thought in my head, "You've got to be kidding!", but then I banged out the reps! I plan to do the circuit 2x per week in addition to my running routine. I will then choose a P90x lifting DVD for a 3rd day of strength training. It's my weakness and I know it, so I'm excited to have something new to motivate me to get it done!

When I came home, I decided to take my measurements. I haven't done this in months, and I knew it probably wouldn't be pretty. Overall, I've gained .5 inches in my waist and 1.5 inches in my hips. I've never kept track of my thigh or arm measurements, so I'm excited to see how those change. Here's where I'm at right now:

Bust - 37 in.

Waist - 30.5 in.

Hips - 40.5 in. (Can we say curvy? lol)

Thigh - 24 in.

Upper Arm - 11.5 in.

I plan to measure again in one month. Here's to seeing numbers go down on more than just the scale!

Day #11

11 days ago I started the Whole30 Challenge, and one week ago I started a Biggest Loser Challenge with my friends. I weighed in this morning at...

146.6 lbs!

That's down 3 since starting Whole30 and down 2 since starting the Biggest Loser! Woohoo!

Off to Trader Joe's today to stock up on some healthy food for the week, then circuit training at the gym. I love feeling fit and healthy!

Day #12 - Today!

I went to the beach with my friends today, and it was so relaxing! I know I've only lost a few pounds, but I felt lighter and much more comfortable in my bikini. I packed a healthy lunch of veggies with hummus, strawberries, and some cashews, and lots of water! It was a hot one today! I also joined the My Fitness Pal website, which I'm pretty excited about. I love that I can see my progress as well as my friends'! Pretty cool concept!

Whole30 Challenge

Due to the health issues I've been dealing with, I've been given two options for treatment. Surgery, which I've been told by my doctor, probably won't help beyond providing a definite diagnosis, and hormone therapy, which scares the crap out of me. I contemplated both of these options for a few days, did my research, and decided I couldn't go through with either. I firmly believe there is a more holistic way to heal my body.

I began talking with a friend of mine who is a chiropractor and also studies alternative medicine. He suggested an eating plan called the Paleo Diet, which kicks off with a Whole30 Challenge. He has been following this eating plan for over a year and swears he has never felt better. The plan focuses on the way man used to eat before modern, processed food entered the picture. The first 30 days focuses on just lean meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, nut butters, olive oil, and vinegar. You can also use herbs and spices to flavor your food. You can drink water, black coffee, or herbal teas. Absolutely no dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol, or other oils are permitted. After the initial 30 days, some small indulgences can be consumed, including butter, dark chocolate, red wine, and wild rice. The idea is to eat whole foods as much as possible to decrease the amount of inflammation in your body. Also, we consume far more carbs than we need, so this eating plan gets back to the "original carbs" created by nature.

I originally tried to eat a mostly "animal free" diet around this time last year. It helped initially, but what I noticed was that I quickly replaced usual protein sources with artificial sources like protein shakes and bars. I also started eating wayyyyy more carbs than I used to in the form of crackers, breads, and pastas. The result? I've put back on the 6 lbs I lost and added a few more. I feel bloated, and gross, and my pain has returned.

So this new plan is going to be my plan for life. I think it sounds very wholesome, it makes sense for my body and my specific issues, and it doesn't sound like something I can't do with a little preparation. Also, I realize that there will be some times where I just want a cupcake. And I will probably have one. And life will go on.

I started today at Day #1, and besides an annoying withdrawal headache, I felt pretty good. I wasn't hungry like I thought I would be, but I also got to eat A LOT. Here are my meals from today:

Breakfast:
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- Fresh peach
- Cup of herbal tea

Morning Snack:
- Almonds

Lunch:
- Salad with romaine lettuce, shrimp, tomatoes, mushrooms, snap peas, and red wine/olive oil vinaigrette
- Celery sticks w/ almond butter (a little strange compared to peanut butter, but I like it)

Afternoon Snack:
- Banana

Dinner:
- Grilled kabobs with Angus Beef Tips, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Squash, and Zucchini
- Strawberries


Steve is planning to follow this plan pretty closely as well. I love that I have his support. And I just found out that my friends want to do another Biggest Loser Challenge. I have a feeling this diet is going to really help me out. ;)

Humbled

This will be post #1 for the day, because I feel like I have two pretty exciting things to talk about. First, I've been incredibly humbled this week. I was in extreme pain on Sunday night and Monday, and then again on Wednesday. I ended up going to my gynecologist Wednesday, which provided no answers and left me more frustrated, and then I went to the ER that night because the pelvic pain was so severe. No one ever gave me a straight answer of what was wrong. Could be a ruptured cyst. Could be endometriosis like always, but worse. Or it could be fibroids, which I have. I went for an ultrasound today which led to more confusion with my doctor and less answered questions. Through the midst of this I've been wondering, "God, what am I supposed to do? How do I handle this pain and how do I keep dealing with it?" Turns out, I was asking the wrong question.

Tonight at church, Pastor Spells spoke about how we react to situations and the fact that other people are watching us. We may not understand our trials, but we have to realize that others see us going through them and they doubt God if we doubt Him. I can't sit here wallowing in my own self-pity. There is a purpose to this pain or ailment or whatever is wrong. I may not understand, and I don't have to like it, but if I trust in God, eventually I will see good come out of it. I applied the same principle to my self-doubt and jealousy issues lately. Is that really how I view myself? Is it how God views me? No and no. So when those nagging, annoying thoughts creep into my head, I need to tell them to GET OUT! I've been living in FEAR that this pain, or these thoughts, will never go away or be controlled. That fear is not of God.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND.
~ 2 Timothy 1:7

This scripture is what I need to remember in these moments of doubt, because I have no reason to fear.

Stuck in a Moment

I'm not really sure what's wrong with me lately. I feel like I've been in a permanent bad mood for weeks now. I've tried to hide it, hold it in, not make a big deal of it. It finally came to a head very embarrassingly at lunch today with a few of my closest friends. Thank goodness it was with them because they are probably some of the most understanding people I know.

Part of my foul mood is due to teaching summer school and taking a second grad class. I'm tired and overwhelmed and I really just need a break. I know that people who are not teachers work all year long, so I really shouldn't complain about not having a summer. The problem is, as teachers, our work follows us home all throughout the school year. It's draining and exhausting. Summer is our only time to try to attempt to recharge our batteries before going through it all over again in the fall with a new group of kids. I'm worried that I'm going to be starting this year feeling exhausted and worn down. Not good when you need energy and enthusiasm to try and motivate a group of 4th graders.

I think the other part of my funk has to do with jealousy. And I can't even begin to say (or write) the reasons that I'm jealous. They sound really stupid when I try to put them into words. I'll just say that there are some things I know I need to get over. I'm too old to be worrying about such dumb crap.

On a lighter note, Steve asked me what I was doing. I told him I was writing. He asked, "Are you blogging? What are you blogging about? Menstrual cycles? The Steelers? Your feelings?"

I couldn't stop laughing.

Icelandic 8K

Last night I ran the Icelandic Seafood Fest 8K in Newport News, VA. This was by far one of the most interesting and fun races I've ever run! The Y-shaped course meant that at multiple times I was passing by people who were either ahead of me or behind me. This was actually really fun because my husband and a bunch of my friends were running the race too. We cheered obnoxiously every time we saw each other. Unfortunately, the mile markers were very random, which messed with my mind a little, and my Nike+ Sensor was really off from what was marked on the road. I eventually just shut the darn thing off.

My first 3 miles felt great! I was running at about a 10:30 pace, and I honestly thought I could keep that up to set a PR. Then around the beginning of mile 4, I realized something funny... I was starving! This race started at 7:15 P.M. which I'm not used to. I tried not to eat a lot throughout the day, for fear that I might upset my stomach during the run. I've never felt hungry during a race before! I pushed through, but I could feel my body getting tired. I walked a bit at 2 water stops, and I was really starting to wonder if I could keep going. Then, a saving grace in the form of a middle-aged woman in blue ran next to me. I was walking fast and attempting to catch my breath when she looked right at me and said, "Oh no, you are not going to walk at this point. We only have half a mile to go. Run with me!" My mood was lifted and I felt speed return to my stride. I ran right beside her for the remainder of the race and slowed up at the finish line so I could politely let her finish first. I touched her arm through my labored breathing and managed to shout "Thank you!" She smiled and said, "Oh I've been there before. We all need a little push sometimes." I honestly thanked God for her right then and there. I finished with an unofficial time of 58:17, which wasn't quite what I hoped, but I was still happy with myself.

I met up with my hubby and friends and we headed to the best part of the event....the seafood dinner! It was hosted by Bonefish Grill and the food was INCREDIBLE!!! We had caesar salad, pumpernickle rolls, grilled haddock with a lemon butter sauce, their infamous Bang Bang Shrimp, jasmine rice, and a brownie. Our group gathered around a big table and ate like kings until we couldn't eat any more. We felt like a big, happy family celebrating a holiday! It was such a fun event, and our Beer Runners Club plans to make it part of our yearly race schedule.

We're all taking a break from racing for the summer since it's so hot and humid here in Virginia, but we have two races already scheduled for the fall. I plan to do some early morning/late evening runs to avoid the heat, and I'll run on the treadmill at the gym when necessary. I'm hoping to work up my endurance enough to be able to keep that 10 or 10:30 pace throughout an 8K or 10K race.


Check out our group after the race!

Chubby Hubby & Wife

I heard of the "Newlywed 9" before. The supposed amount of weight most newlyweds gain after getting married. I just didn't think it would happen to Steve and me! While I don't think it's officially nine pounds each, we've both been pretty lazy about cooking healthy meals and exercising regularly. We're trying, but our schedule gets so packed that sometimes we're just too tired to care. We decided today though that enough is enough! It's almost summer and time to run around in swimsuits. Instead, we both would rather stay in our pajamas. Well no more! We're going back to cooking our own delicious, healthy meals and going to the gym or for a run outside. With school ending our schedule will open up, which should definitely help.

No more chubby hubby or wife in this house! :)

Running = Peace?

This is how I feel about running right now...

I'm frazzled, stressed, and not enjoying it AT ALL. I'm doing it because I feel like I have to. I have the Chic-fil-A 5K coming up on May 28th and the Icelandic 8K on June 4th. Running outside lately has been tough with the rain and my horrible allergies. (I was just finally able to put my contacts in for an entire day today after who knows how long)

The treadmill has been my replacement, and honestly I feel like a chubby hamster stuck in a wheel. My iPod keeps playing the same songs. The TVs at the gym show terrible lifetime movies or Man vs. Wild re-runs. And my calf muscle is still tight and sore from my last race. I've been cheating on running with Zumba to try and say I'm "still working out". Zumba is an AMAZING work out, but it's still not running. And my legs are going to remind me of that when these races roll around. I don't want to be disappointed in my times. I don't want to feel miserable during the entire race. I want to feel like this...

Is it possible? I sure hope so. I'm going for a trail run tomorrow and find out.

Weird

I went grocery shopping at Trader Joe's today, and then I headed to Farm Fresh to get some saltine crackers and ginger ale for Steve since he's had this stomach bug. I also picked up some light honey mustard dressing while I was there. Why is this important? I have no clue. But apparently a woman buying saltines, ginger ale, and salad dressing is concerning because the guy behind the check out counter said, "Make sure you drive home safely" when he gave me my receipt.

Ummmm?? Do I look drunk? I know I let my hair dry naturally today, which means it's a little frizzy, but GEEZ. Are you worried that I'm the sick one? If that's your nice way of telling me I look like crap, then maybe next time I should straighten my hair and put on more make-up before getting groceries. Or maybe he's psychic and wanted to warn me of my impending doom. I have no freakin' idea. But really, this was at 4:30 in the afternoon. What kind of trouble am I going to get into? Crazies on the road on Mother's Day? I don't think so.

Cruise Re-cap

I realized I never had a chance to actually write about my honeymoon cruise.  Life has been just a bit busy!  Our trip was incredible.  We had a direct flight into Miami and then took a shuttle to the port.  We toured Miami first, and I must say, it was more beautiful than I expected.  If we sail out of Miami again in the future, I think it would be fun to send a couple days in Miami first.

Embarkation was very easy, although Steve and I didn't realize that it would be a few hours before our luggage would be delivered to our rooms.  The weather was warm and sunny, but unfortunately we didn't pack our swimsuits in our carry-on bags.  Note to self for next time!  We toured the ship to check everything out, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon eating lunch on the deck and enjoy some fun adult beverages.  A steel drum band performed some Bob Marley tunes, and we relaxed in some comfy chairs in the sun.  Going in April was such a great idea!  We snickered a little bit about the fact that many of our family and friends were dealing with snow and chilly weather.  ;)

We dressed for dinner and met our table mates.  We really lucked out because all 3 couples were so much fun!  Of course we were officially the loudest table in the dining room.  Seems to be a trend no matter where I go...hahaha.  I had already made up my mind that I would be ordering whatever I wanted at dinner, with no care about how "healthy" it might be.  I could eat healthy at breakfast and lunch, but dinner was my chance to enjoy myself!  The first night I ordered crispy fried shrimp with a plum dipping sauce and baby back ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and onion straws.  OMG, they were both sooooo good!  Then I finished the meal with Carnival's famous warm chocolate melting cake.  To die for!  (And yes, I ordered two scoops of ice cream to go with it!)

After dinner, Steve and I both needed a walk, so we toured around the ship and then relaxed for a bit on the deck watching the water race by.  It was very strange to finally start moving, because we realized our ship was a little smaller than most.  You could feel it rocking at different times, which was the only part of the cruise we didn't like.  That evening we listened to karaoke for hours in one of the lounges, and let me tell you, this was SERIOUS karaoke!  People from across the country were singing, and most of them were really good.  One kid could honestly win American Idol if he tried.  I was impressed!  We collapsed into bed pretty early after a long day of travel.  The state rooms were small, like I expected, but they were very nice with plenty of closets, a vanity, a comfortable king-size bed, and a flat-screen TV.  For as much time as you spend in your room, I thought it was perfect.  We always looked forward to the towel animals we would find each night after turn down.  :)

Our second day was spent docked in Key West.  Southern Florida was experiencing record high heat and humidity for April, so we spent most of the day sweating like crazy!  We wandered the streets checking out the sights and shops.  It was 10am and everyone was drinking!  :)  We decided that we needed to find the Mile 0 marker and the Southernmost point of the U.S.  A lady told us to "just walk 5 blocks that way" which turned into over 2 miles!  Definitely well worth it though.  We met some fun people along the way and passed some really neat houses and buildings.  Funniest moment of the day:

Crystal:  Hey look!  It's Ernest Hemingway's house!
Steve:  Who is Ernest Hemingway?
Crystal:  Seriously?
Steve:  Yeah, I don't know.
Crystal:  Um, he's a very well-known American author.
Steve:  Well that's why.  You know I don't read.


I love my husband.  :)  Here's some pics from our walking tour:

Renoir statue in front of the Art History Museum - this thing was HUGE!

Entrance to the "Little White House"

A bed & breakfast almost completely entangled within a bayan tree! 

Mile Zero!

A great kapok tree!  Had to take a picture because it's one of my favorite children's books.

I will write about the rest of the trip soon!

Wedding Watch!

I know that many people are tired of hearing about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  I've been reading people's complaints all week on Facebook.  Personally, I couldn't disagree more!  I'm so excited and can't wait!

My reasons?

A.  The news is full of enough depressing information.  I appreciate that for once we are focusing on something positive, even if it is a bit extravagant.  They're royal for goodness sake!  It should be extravagant!

B.  I had a secret (or not-so-secret) crush on Prince William in middle school.  Pretty sure a magazine photo of his gorgeous smile and disheveled blonde hair was hanging in my locker.  (Most likely it was similar to the photo below.)  He may be thinning on top these days, but he's still pretty dashing.  And his voice?  I could listen to him talk all day.  There's just something about those Brits and their accent... ;)

C.  The fact that Prince William chose a women he seems to truly love and care for is inspiring.  They both took their time to know and trust each other.  Hopefully they have much better luck than many of the other royal couples.

D.  I believe the traditions of the monarchy are beautiful, even if they do seem old-fashioned by some.  Traditions make us who we are today, and Prince William and Kate are respecting their country and church by honoring traditions of the past.

So how will I be celebrating this momentous occasion?  I plan to wake up bright and early to get ready for work, and then I will enjoying a cup of tea on my comfy couch while curled up with my puppy watching the festivities.  I'll have to go to work eventually, but then my co-workers and I plan to watch the rest of the wedding on our Promethean boards in our classrooms before our students arrive.  The little munchkins may have to watch the end of the ceremony with me, whether they like it or not.  I mean, it's history in the making, right?  I do teach social studies after all!  ;)

Honeymoon, here we come!

I'm so flippin' excited!  Steve and I are leaving for our honeymoon cruise in 2 days.  We'll be flying to Miami to set sail with the Carnival Imagination ship.  We will go from Miami to Key West, then to Cozumel, Mexico, spend an entire day at sea, and then return to Miami.  We will only be gone for 5 days, but we figured that was a good start since neither one of us have ever been on a cruise before.  Hopefully we aren't the seasick type!  lol

Here's some pics of the ship....I'll be returning with many more of course!  ;)

"Me" Time

Yep.  I did it.  I took a whole day to myself to get things done and then simply enjoy some "me" time.  I organized closets.  I took donations to Goodwill.  I cleaned out junk from the spare room/office.  I did about 30 loads of laundry.  I got groceries.  I even went for a 3 mile run (with my fastest mile yet at 9 min 30 sec!).  I felt like Superwoman.

Then this afternoon, I went to Loft to use some coupons, went tanning, and spent a good 2 hours or so wandering around Barnes & Noble.  I absolutely love bookstores.  I sip my green tea while flipping through books in every section.  I love checking out travel books and dreaming of trips I could take.  I love perusing books on different religions just to take on a new perspective for a moment.  I laugh at the people who feel they are "important enough" to write a biography.  And I spend at least 30 minutes rummaging through the bargain books looking for a gem.  I went home with one bargain book and a new journal.

I've decided I need to get back to writing when the moment strikes me.  I used to do this a lot in high school and college.  I wrote poems, short stories, quotes I found that I loved, or even my random thoughts of the day.  I sincerely miss it.  I didn't realize how much until I had to start writing again for a class I'm taking for my masters.  I thought it would be really cheesy, but I'm actually enjoying it.  We're sharing our pieces while being critiqued by our classmates.  It's a very humbling but stretching experience. 

So here's to taking a little "me" time just to write...

Mountains

  But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

And I will tell the night
Whisper, "Lose your sight"
But I can't move the mountains for you                 - Timshel by Mumford & Sons   Do you ever feel like a song was written for you?  I don't say this selfishly.  I say this thankfully.  There are times that songs have nearly saved my life.  In my darkest times, I turn to music.  Someone else's clear expression of thought or feeling somehow helps me break free from my own.  This song, almost completely this album, has been my saving grace lately.   I'm feeling overwhelmed by life.  But I know that I have others around me that will support me.  Even more so, I am stronger than I want to believe at times.    As the song states, no one can move the mountains but me...

Crosby!

Yesterday Steve and I brought home our 8 week old puppy, Crosby.  He is officially the coolest dog ever!  He is so calm and relaxed, which is so not what we were expecting.  He loves to snuggle and be held and he sleeps ALL the time.  He had a few accidents, but he's already getting better at doing his business outside.  He goes out, does it quickly, and then he wants to go back inside right away because he hates the cold.  Smart dog.  :)  He also slept in his crate for 5 hours straight after only a little bit of whining and howling.  It was so pitiful I almost took him out, but I held my ground.  He also wandered into his crate by himself today to take a little nap.  Very good sign.

Right now, he is currently passed out in the recliner on top of Steve.....who is also sleeping.  ;)

He's a big boy...15 lbs already!

I just can't get enough of him...

And this is his typical position  :)

Look at that face!

So happy to be home!