It's all over! Marriage Equality... Yes... I'm going there. Hopefully in a non-controversial, respectful and educated way. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning you'll know that the one thing I can't stand is ignorance and intolerance. I am one of those people that believes that you should mind your own business and stop worrying about what other people are doing. That being said I fully support marriage equality. Homosexual couples are committing to lifetime relationships without the benefits that heterosexual married couples get. A ban on gay marriage screams discrimination to me.
Lets get down to the basic ideals that this country was founded on. Things like... oh.... I don't know... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All men are created equal. Just based on that alone you would think that this would be a cut and dry decision. Everyone has the right to live their lives as they see fit so long as they're not hurting other people in the process. Everyone should have the same rights regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation. Done and done.... No ban on gay marriage... It's that simple. I really don't understand all the debate... Until you get to....
People who are quoting the Bible as a reason why gay marriage should be banned... Ok... I respect your right to believe that one line you keep regurgitating from the Bible. Did you read the rest of it? There are things like love they neighbor, and let he who is without sin throw the first stone and some thing about God being the one to pass judgment. A very important fact to remember is that not everyone believes in the Bible! Regardless of how you feel about homosexuals, you can't deny that these couples are as much in love as any heterosexual couple.
So why shouldn't there be gay marriage? ::raises hand like an over eager Hermione Granger:: I know! I know! Marriage should lead to procreation and homosexuals can't do that (yes I've seen this argument). Thankfully there's a loop hole, which is modern medicine. All you need now is a happy sperm donor or an egg donor and a surrogate. Lets not get into the fact that there's alot of premarital baby making and some married folk that don't intend to have children. Marriage isn't a catalyst for procreation.
I have no problem with anyone's lifestyle as long as it's not hurting other people. A married gay couple isn't hurting you. So big deal if you have to explain to your kid why her classmate has two mommies or two daddies. You'll have to explain the one mommy or one daddy thing if you aren't part of the 50% of marriages that ends in divorce. There are all different kinds of families. Right? Sound like something you heard as a child? I'm thinking it is.
I'm under the impression that most people are good people and homosexuals are people like everyone else. At the end of the day it's about being able to be free to marry the person you love. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you weren't allowed to marry your significant other?
So... that's all I've got for your today. <enter catchy sign off line here>
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Put Weight Loss on the Back Burner?!
Yesterday, I took a little drive over to the bookstore. I went looking for one book specifically, but decided against it. So, I ended up with this...
I've been meaning to read it for years based on the recommendation of Leah. You can find her blog Here. If you don't already read her, you should definitely check her out. Anyway....
So... I'm reading along and there's this message. It was touched on a couple of times in Chapter 4. Weight loss must be put on the back burner. WHAT?! Crap! That's going to be hard.
Since I've quit dancing (10 ish years ago), how much weight I am losing and gaining has been a constant worry in my mind. Also, I've been consistently weighing myself since high school. More specifically, after I gained 15 pounds sophomore year. There were a couple years in college where I don't recall thinking about it too much. That was only because I was dancing 2-4 hours per day 5 days a week and knew I looked good (however that was a result of being able to fit into size 7 jeans). How the heck do you stop worrying about your weight when it's something you've done for half your life? Yes half...Ok... you're doing the math.... That's right! 32... I'll be turning 32 next month. : D
Anyway... I can tell just from reading the first 6 chapters that some of this shit is going to be hard, but something needs to change. I'm sick of meticulously tracking my food whether it be with points or calories. I'm sick of working my butt off dieting and seeing little to no results. I'm sick of always worrying about it. I just want to be free!! So... NO MORE DIETING!! It's done. I've learned to flow with the rhythm of the seasons. I've learned to honor my feminine cycles and to realize when I need to rest. I've learned to listen to my intuition. Now it's time to work on listening to my hunger signals.
So... Lets start doing some of this stuff. Might as well incorporate the principles as I read them and they're fresh in my mind. Principle one is to reject the diet mentality. A hard pill to swallow. You know the ones I'm talking about. Those big ones that you can't get down, and spit out. Then try again, but this time its all chalky and even harder to swallow. Finally, you start over with a fresh pill. Yeah, I'm figuring this is going to be a very hard change to make. Small changes are sometimes best. So, the biggest diety thing for me is mentally counting calories. I might not keep a food journal, but I usually know approximately how many calories I've eaten and adjust the rest of the day accordingly. Going so far as drinking tea instead of eating something when I'm hungry a few hours after dinner. Or on a "bad" day, just throw the whole day out the window, eat everything in sight, and start again the next day hoping for a "good" day. Therefore, today I will just eat with only the thoughts of "Yum!" and "That hit the spot."
Principle two is to honor your hunger. Which is simple enough. I just have to make the effort to stop and evaluate myself. I won't eat if I'm not hungry. There are the chocolate cravings to contend with. I always want chocolate. However, I did psyche myself out yesterday. I wanted a coconut cream egg, but told myself that it would taste better after dinner and it turns out that I was right. When I wanted it, I was in "I want to eat everything I see" mode. So I stopped and quickly realized that I wouldn't enjoy it at that moment because it would've been devoured without a thought and I was eating for the sake of eating. (see? that part not so hard... well sort of...) And it was the perfect ending to the delicious dinner I made last night.
Yup! So... that's my plan at the moment. I'm always up for a little freedom whether it be from a job or from self inflicted restrictions. I can already see how eating intuitively would relieve alot of unnecessary stress.
So that's it... <enter catchy sign off line here>
I've been meaning to read it for years based on the recommendation of Leah. You can find her blog Here. If you don't already read her, you should definitely check her out. Anyway....
So... I'm reading along and there's this message. It was touched on a couple of times in Chapter 4. Weight loss must be put on the back burner. WHAT?! Crap! That's going to be hard.
Since I've quit dancing (10 ish years ago), how much weight I am losing and gaining has been a constant worry in my mind. Also, I've been consistently weighing myself since high school. More specifically, after I gained 15 pounds sophomore year. There were a couple years in college where I don't recall thinking about it too much. That was only because I was dancing 2-4 hours per day 5 days a week and knew I looked good (however that was a result of being able to fit into size 7 jeans). How the heck do you stop worrying about your weight when it's something you've done for half your life? Yes half...Ok... you're doing the math.... That's right! 32... I'll be turning 32 next month. : D
Anyway... I can tell just from reading the first 6 chapters that some of this shit is going to be hard, but something needs to change. I'm sick of meticulously tracking my food whether it be with points or calories. I'm sick of working my butt off dieting and seeing little to no results. I'm sick of always worrying about it. I just want to be free!! So... NO MORE DIETING!! It's done. I've learned to flow with the rhythm of the seasons. I've learned to honor my feminine cycles and to realize when I need to rest. I've learned to listen to my intuition. Now it's time to work on listening to my hunger signals.
So... Lets start doing some of this stuff. Might as well incorporate the principles as I read them and they're fresh in my mind. Principle one is to reject the diet mentality. A hard pill to swallow. You know the ones I'm talking about. Those big ones that you can't get down, and spit out. Then try again, but this time its all chalky and even harder to swallow. Finally, you start over with a fresh pill. Yeah, I'm figuring this is going to be a very hard change to make. Small changes are sometimes best. So, the biggest diety thing for me is mentally counting calories. I might not keep a food journal, but I usually know approximately how many calories I've eaten and adjust the rest of the day accordingly. Going so far as drinking tea instead of eating something when I'm hungry a few hours after dinner. Or on a "bad" day, just throw the whole day out the window, eat everything in sight, and start again the next day hoping for a "good" day. Therefore, today I will just eat with only the thoughts of "Yum!" and "That hit the spot."
Principle two is to honor your hunger. Which is simple enough. I just have to make the effort to stop and evaluate myself. I won't eat if I'm not hungry. There are the chocolate cravings to contend with. I always want chocolate. However, I did psyche myself out yesterday. I wanted a coconut cream egg, but told myself that it would taste better after dinner and it turns out that I was right. When I wanted it, I was in "I want to eat everything I see" mode. So I stopped and quickly realized that I wouldn't enjoy it at that moment because it would've been devoured without a thought and I was eating for the sake of eating. (see? that part not so hard... well sort of...) And it was the perfect ending to the delicious dinner I made last night.
Yup! So... that's my plan at the moment. I'm always up for a little freedom whether it be from a job or from self inflicted restrictions. I can already see how eating intuitively would relieve alot of unnecessary stress.
So that's it... <enter catchy sign off line here>
Sunday, March 10, 2013
One Thing I Am
I am strong! Well... Not physically strong. I am strong-willed. Unwilling to bend to outside forces. I never compromise who I am to fit into a group of people. I'm not sure how I became this way. Maybe it was from the strong female role models I had in the form of awesome aunts... Or maybe it's something that was pre-programmed into my character while still in the womb.
My first memory of demonstrating my strength was when I was in the 8th grade. Toward the end of the school year, the high school has tryouts for various activities that have summer practices. Well, I wanted to be in the color guard. I got teased for it by my other classmates, and I just didn't care. I didn't let those people sway me from a decision that I had made. I wanted to be in color guard and dammit I was going to do it. It was a wonderful part of my high school experience that I'll never forget.
In high school, I continued to be my own person. I had a small group of friends who truly knew me. Those people are still probably the ones that know me best even though I haven't seen most of them in over 10 years. We parted ways after high school simply by going in different directions and losing touch. However, in many ways I'm just an older and better version of my teenage self. It was generally known that I wasn't one to give in to peer pressure. I wasn't a person who abandoned their morals and values to fit in. Being like everyone else just isn't who I am. So widely known in fact that no one ever offered me drugs because it was understood that I didn't want it.
I'm still like this in many ways. The people I hang out with now generally know that if I don't want to do something, I won't. It doesn't matter if I'm the only person in the group not participating in the Jager shot or not getting drunk. I never waiver. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I haven't engaged in those behaviors. I do. Sometimes excessively... Sometimes not... But it's always on my terms. You can pour me one, but if I don't want it, I won't drink it. I'll pretend to drink it, then dump it in the sink or just give it to someone else.
I like being my own person. Though I'm sure it has lead to alienation at times, but I'll never regret who I was at any point in time in my life. I was always true to myself. This is one of the traits I like about myself. I am actually quite proud of this specific trait. Life is so much easier when you don't care what other people think about you. The only other person's opinion I care about is Dave's. He is my voice of reason when I lose sight of what is right for me.
I love who I am. So why would I compromise myself just to be part of the group? If it means I'm a loner, then I'm a loner. I'll accept that. When it comes to friends, it's quality, not quantity. Just be you and do what's right for you. It's probably the best advice anyone can give.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Bashing? Or Boosting?
So, my girl Cyn at The Racy Readhead got a little flack for offending someone by posting the following picture on her facebook page.
She removed it and posted a blog. She was accused of bashing skinny girls and apologized for the offense. Ok.... fine... I see how someone could be offended by it. However, the last time I checked, young girls weren't killing themselves to look like the top picture.
I spent years in the dance community watching girls starve themselves to be skinnier so they can fit into a mold. I saw an exceedingly skinny woman regularly walk into the store I worked at just to ask the skinny girl I worked with if she thought she looked good. She would also ask her how much she ate to look like that. I witnessed a gorgeous girl with an amazing body compare herself to an image in a fitness magazine and heard her say "I want to look like this woman."
Lets make it clear that I have no problems with women who are naturally skinny (and I feel that the middle woman might have been photo shopped). I have friends who are just thin by nature. I would never call someone a derogatory name because I feel they are too skinny, which is something a reader on Cyn's blog said was happening to her daughter (which pisses me off as much as when a chubby girl gets made fun of). I have no problem with women who want to be skinny. I do have a problem with society's definition of what is sexy and the pressures that are put on women to look a certain way especially when they take unhealthy means to live up to those expectations. I have an even bigger problem when an 8 year old girl is bulimic because she's trying to look like the girl she saw on the cover of Teen Vogue. What that young girl doesn't know is that the image was probably re-touched to look that perfect. (and I do understand that eating disorders aren't all about weight and body image. That's not what this post is about so I won't go into those details.)
This picture isn't bashing skinny girls. It's putting it out there that curvy girls, who are often made to feel fat, are sexy too. There is the argument that two wrongs don't make a right... However, you could argue that the picture is an opinion and we're all entitled to our opinion. I'm sure there are people out there who would disagree with the statement in that picture. I'm sure there are people who would prefer a super skinny lady. To each his own. Beauty is relative.
As I get older, I'm learning to love myself the way I am and realizing that I am sexy regardless of what society tells me (thanks in part to my skinny friends who say they love my voluptuousness). I'm going to be 32 next month... Why did I have to spend over half my life feeling insecure about my body? There is room in this world for all body types. I just wish that the media would give us equal representation. Would it hurt Victoria's Secret to have an ad with a size 12 woman in it? Or even better, have a size 12 Angel walking down the runway in their televised fashion show. We don't need to change. Society needs to change and realize that we're all beautiful in our own way regardless of what we look like. Why do we feel the need to judge people because of their outward appearance?
As for her removing her post, that was her decision. I support that. She's a wonderful woman who doesn't want to offend people. However, I have more of a "screw you" attitude. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and if I offend you, that's your problem. I'm not easily offended. If I find that I don't want to be bombarded with someone's opinion, I just unfollow, unfriend, or simply don't read what they post. Or if you want to, you can comment on how offended you are. Better yet... you can post a valid, respectful argument. I might consider your feelings... Maybe apologize for offending you... Or just say that it wasn't my intention, and leave it at that. If you're disrespectful, I can simply delete your comment. This is my world and you can choose if you want to be in it or not.
If the media has a right to bash Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson for how fat they are, then I have a right to say "eff you! They're pregnant! Have some compassion you heartless ass!" Thankfully freedom of speech is my constitutional right, and I won't shy away because one person or a hundred people are offended by what I have to say.
So... I'll end my rant or ramblings there. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading. If you didn't make it this far, thanks for trying (though you won't see it. : D)
Love you all! I hope you have a wonderful Friday, and a fantastic weekend.
She removed it and posted a blog. She was accused of bashing skinny girls and apologized for the offense. Ok.... fine... I see how someone could be offended by it. However, the last time I checked, young girls weren't killing themselves to look like the top picture.
I spent years in the dance community watching girls starve themselves to be skinnier so they can fit into a mold. I saw an exceedingly skinny woman regularly walk into the store I worked at just to ask the skinny girl I worked with if she thought she looked good. She would also ask her how much she ate to look like that. I witnessed a gorgeous girl with an amazing body compare herself to an image in a fitness magazine and heard her say "I want to look like this woman."
Lets make it clear that I have no problems with women who are naturally skinny (and I feel that the middle woman might have been photo shopped). I have friends who are just thin by nature. I would never call someone a derogatory name because I feel they are too skinny, which is something a reader on Cyn's blog said was happening to her daughter (which pisses me off as much as when a chubby girl gets made fun of). I have no problem with women who want to be skinny. I do have a problem with society's definition of what is sexy and the pressures that are put on women to look a certain way especially when they take unhealthy means to live up to those expectations. I have an even bigger problem when an 8 year old girl is bulimic because she's trying to look like the girl she saw on the cover of Teen Vogue. What that young girl doesn't know is that the image was probably re-touched to look that perfect. (and I do understand that eating disorders aren't all about weight and body image. That's not what this post is about so I won't go into those details.)
This picture isn't bashing skinny girls. It's putting it out there that curvy girls, who are often made to feel fat, are sexy too. There is the argument that two wrongs don't make a right... However, you could argue that the picture is an opinion and we're all entitled to our opinion. I'm sure there are people out there who would disagree with the statement in that picture. I'm sure there are people who would prefer a super skinny lady. To each his own. Beauty is relative.
As I get older, I'm learning to love myself the way I am and realizing that I am sexy regardless of what society tells me (thanks in part to my skinny friends who say they love my voluptuousness). I'm going to be 32 next month... Why did I have to spend over half my life feeling insecure about my body? There is room in this world for all body types. I just wish that the media would give us equal representation. Would it hurt Victoria's Secret to have an ad with a size 12 woman in it? Or even better, have a size 12 Angel walking down the runway in their televised fashion show. We don't need to change. Society needs to change and realize that we're all beautiful in our own way regardless of what we look like. Why do we feel the need to judge people because of their outward appearance?
As for her removing her post, that was her decision. I support that. She's a wonderful woman who doesn't want to offend people. However, I have more of a "screw you" attitude. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and if I offend you, that's your problem. I'm not easily offended. If I find that I don't want to be bombarded with someone's opinion, I just unfollow, unfriend, or simply don't read what they post. Or if you want to, you can comment on how offended you are. Better yet... you can post a valid, respectful argument. I might consider your feelings... Maybe apologize for offending you... Or just say that it wasn't my intention, and leave it at that. If you're disrespectful, I can simply delete your comment. This is my world and you can choose if you want to be in it or not.
If the media has a right to bash Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson for how fat they are, then I have a right to say "eff you! They're pregnant! Have some compassion you heartless ass!" Thankfully freedom of speech is my constitutional right, and I won't shy away because one person or a hundred people are offended by what I have to say.
So... I'll end my rant or ramblings there. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading. If you didn't make it this far, thanks for trying (though you won't see it. : D)
Love you all! I hope you have a wonderful Friday, and a fantastic weekend.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Painting a Pretty Picture
Last week I was attempting to lift my sister's spirits and we came along the subject of suffering. We all have our own little struggles. She struggles financially. I'm one of the few people whose life has been pretty good. So, as I explain that I have my own form of suffering, she comments that "Atleast you have the pretty picture." I can't deny that I do. I don't have to work. I have a nice house. I have a loving husband. So.... yes.... I paint a pretty picture, but what's that worth?
The nice house reflects Dave's good job. His good job is also the reason I don't have to work.
The loving husband reflects his ability to handle my unique brand of crazy. Most people wouldn't know from the pretty picture that I'm an emotional wreck. I'm not talking about "that time of month" hormonal emotions. I mean all the time... On any given day, I might cry at the drop of hat. Sometimes for no known reason. Some stupid shit makes me cry. He'll see me crying in front of the tv and ask "what now?" and I'm like "this shitty movie had a happy ending!" (please don't ask why I watch shitty movies because I honestly don't know)
I'm obviously not dealing with some inner conflicts. Like feelings of failure after realizing that maybe my field of study isn't for me. Destroyed confidence after years of being beat down by my employers. Depression and lack of focus because I'm almost 32 and don't know what I want to do with my life. Sick of working my ass off so that other people can get rich then treat me (or their employees) like crap. Gee... What else? OH RIGHT!! I'm tired of being someone's peon.
Ok... I know I said that I wasn't going to go into specifics about what happened at my last job, but lets get into some specifics. Some of the attorneys would talk to their paralegals like they were below them because they didn't have a law degree. Now keep in mind that most of them had college degrees or working on degrees. Anyway, it was up to us paralegals to make sure that all the pleadings we sent to the court were properly packaged for filing according to local court rules. We filed cases in every county in the state of Pennsylvania.... There are 76 freaking counties! (yes I just Googled it and counted) Anyway... something get done wrong? It's on the paralegal when technically it should be on the attorney. My attorney was a gem. There were 12 paralegals and only one was willing to work with him (that person being the one training me). I had the unfortunate luck of being assigned to him upon starting there. I saw the following posted on Facebook a long time ago and immediately thought of him.
He was that bad.... A Pompous, arrogant prick of man that got his kicks out of making other people feel like shit. He was obviously over compensating for his own feelings of inferiority Well... he didn't make me feel like shit. I'm too awesome for that. His behavior just pissed me off and made me hate him. We had an incident. He said something uncalled for. I went to HR. They did nothing. A week later, I quit. He wasn't pulled into the HR rep's office until after I left. I could sue, but this dumb dumb didn't copy herself on the emails she sent to HR detailing the incident. Whatever... That wasn't the only reason I left. The company was crap! 1% contribution to 401K which was taken away shortly after I left. Apparently health insurance was crappy and expensive. They were just a salary for me... and it was a crappy salary that I didn't need. There's more, but I think you get the idea.
Anyway... long tangent on why I don't want to be someone's work bitch anymore. What was I talking about? Oh... right my pretty picture...
Though pretty.... it isn't as pretty when you look too closely. Everyday I'm battling inner demons and I only named a few. Makes me think... Is my current situation just me hiding from the world? Maybe something to thing about for a future post perhaps.
So... yeah... my inner workings are a little dark and dreary at the moment. Hopefully Spring will bring some insight into what I want for my future.
The nice house reflects Dave's good job. His good job is also the reason I don't have to work.
The loving husband reflects his ability to handle my unique brand of crazy. Most people wouldn't know from the pretty picture that I'm an emotional wreck. I'm not talking about "that time of month" hormonal emotions. I mean all the time... On any given day, I might cry at the drop of hat. Sometimes for no known reason. Some stupid shit makes me cry. He'll see me crying in front of the tv and ask "what now?" and I'm like "this shitty movie had a happy ending!" (please don't ask why I watch shitty movies because I honestly don't know)
I'm obviously not dealing with some inner conflicts. Like feelings of failure after realizing that maybe my field of study isn't for me. Destroyed confidence after years of being beat down by my employers. Depression and lack of focus because I'm almost 32 and don't know what I want to do with my life. Sick of working my ass off so that other people can get rich then treat me (or their employees) like crap. Gee... What else? OH RIGHT!! I'm tired of being someone's peon.
Ok... I know I said that I wasn't going to go into specifics about what happened at my last job, but lets get into some specifics. Some of the attorneys would talk to their paralegals like they were below them because they didn't have a law degree. Now keep in mind that most of them had college degrees or working on degrees. Anyway, it was up to us paralegals to make sure that all the pleadings we sent to the court were properly packaged for filing according to local court rules. We filed cases in every county in the state of Pennsylvania.... There are 76 freaking counties! (yes I just Googled it and counted) Anyway... something get done wrong? It's on the paralegal when technically it should be on the attorney. My attorney was a gem. There were 12 paralegals and only one was willing to work with him (that person being the one training me). I had the unfortunate luck of being assigned to him upon starting there. I saw the following posted on Facebook a long time ago and immediately thought of him.
He was that bad.... A Pompous, arrogant prick of man that got his kicks out of making other people feel like shit. He was obviously over compensating for his own feelings of inferiority Well... he didn't make me feel like shit. I'm too awesome for that. His behavior just pissed me off and made me hate him. We had an incident. He said something uncalled for. I went to HR. They did nothing. A week later, I quit. He wasn't pulled into the HR rep's office until after I left. I could sue, but this dumb dumb didn't copy herself on the emails she sent to HR detailing the incident. Whatever... That wasn't the only reason I left. The company was crap! 1% contribution to 401K which was taken away shortly after I left. Apparently health insurance was crappy and expensive. They were just a salary for me... and it was a crappy salary that I didn't need. There's more, but I think you get the idea.
Anyway... long tangent on why I don't want to be someone's work bitch anymore. What was I talking about? Oh... right my pretty picture...
Though pretty.... it isn't as pretty when you look too closely. Everyday I'm battling inner demons and I only named a few. Makes me think... Is my current situation just me hiding from the world? Maybe something to thing about for a future post perhaps.
So... yeah... my inner workings are a little dark and dreary at the moment. Hopefully Spring will bring some insight into what I want for my future.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Whole30?
More like Whole1... I got through a good 12 waking hours of no grains when the cracker monster reared its ugly head. If it was later in the night, I would've just gone to bed, but it was 8 pm when I finally caved and ate crackers.... 7 whole grain organic crackers... So much for that. I was crabby and getting a migraine. My sister said "welcome to the world of addiction." Yes, for me, grains are an addiction. I didn't miss the sugar in my coffee this morning, nor did I miss the milk. I didn't miss the cheese on my eggs or the sandwich I usually have for lunch. I did miss the rice I didn't have with dinner and the oatmeal I usually have for breakfast. Even with the support of my sister and my friend who is going into his 3rd week of the program, I was too strong willed to listen to the advice that I would feel better in a couple more days. However, a couple more days of migraines and shaking for something as harmless as grains just wasn’t worth it to me. I can step up, be an adult and make a conscious effort to replace some of those grains with protein and veggies.
Also, upon further reflection I realized that a program like Whole30 doesn't coincide with what I believe. I don’t believe in eliminating whole food categories. Though the author’s of the book claim (and so did I yesterday) that it’s about getting healthy and not losing weight. Well it’s not... I AM healthy. I get my yearly check up. For me, there’s no point to go to such dietary extremes if I don’t have to. All I want is to lose a measly 15-20 pounds. Besides depriving myself of foods I love leads to far worse things. Like a massive binge... or treating everyone around me like crap. I also like to enjoy life. There are birthday parties and holidays coming up. I like to enjoy my time with my family. I don’t want to worry about what food I’ll be able to eat. It just doesn’t make sense for me right now.
I’m obviously not in the right frame of mind to dedicate myself to such a strict dietary program. Even while I was reading the book, I was questioning some of the extremes they were implying. There is something to be said for eating a balanced diet. That I can do. I’ve done it before. We all get thrown off track sometimes. We just need to realize that we’ve strayed from what we know is good for us. Then, muster up the strength and motivation to get back to doing those healthy things we know work for us. So... I need to eat fewer grains, more protein and more veggies. I also need to get my butt up off the couch and get moving! It’s going to get nice out pretty soon. I’m home all day. There’s no reason why I can’t go over to the trail near my house and atleast go for a nice stroll.
So that’s the plan!
Also, upon further reflection I realized that a program like Whole30 doesn't coincide with what I believe. I don’t believe in eliminating whole food categories. Though the author’s of the book claim (and so did I yesterday) that it’s about getting healthy and not losing weight. Well it’s not... I AM healthy. I get my yearly check up. For me, there’s no point to go to such dietary extremes if I don’t have to. All I want is to lose a measly 15-20 pounds. Besides depriving myself of foods I love leads to far worse things. Like a massive binge... or treating everyone around me like crap. I also like to enjoy life. There are birthday parties and holidays coming up. I like to enjoy my time with my family. I don’t want to worry about what food I’ll be able to eat. It just doesn’t make sense for me right now.
I’m obviously not in the right frame of mind to dedicate myself to such a strict dietary program. Even while I was reading the book, I was questioning some of the extremes they were implying. There is something to be said for eating a balanced diet. That I can do. I’ve done it before. We all get thrown off track sometimes. We just need to realize that we’ve strayed from what we know is good for us. Then, muster up the strength and motivation to get back to doing those healthy things we know work for us. So... I need to eat fewer grains, more protein and more veggies. I also need to get my butt up off the couch and get moving! It’s going to get nice out pretty soon. I’m home all day. There’s no reason why I can’t go over to the trail near my house and atleast go for a nice stroll.
So that’s the plan!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Back to Blogging?
Well, it's been well over a year since I've posted anything. I'm pretty sure I've lost alot of my readers, but might as well give this another shot.
A few things have changed in the last year. That "great" job I got in November 2011 wasn't so great. Actually it sucked. As in it sucked the life out of me. I've never been so disrespected in my entire life. I won't get into specifics because I'm just putting it all behind me. After months of nagging, I was finally able to convince my husband to let me quit without having another job lined up (thanks in part to something an asshole attorney said to me). I gave them my notice 2 weeks before my one year anniversary. I am currently a housewife with no focus as to what my next move is going to be. However.... a name change of the blog might be in order as I doubt that I will ever be a paralegal again. (Post some recommendations in the comments if you'd like. I'm crap at naming things. : D )
As a result of said crappy job, I've gained about 10 pounds which isn't so bad... Except it takes me a long time to lose 10 pounds. Also, as a result of being home all day, I've lost any self control I had in regards to eating.
So onto the reason for my return to blogging. I'm about to embark on quite an adventure and thought it would be fun to document my experience. On the recommendation of a friend I read, It Starts With Food. He is currently doing the Whole30 program detailed in the book and said that after one week, he was already feeling the health benefits. It's basically a 30 day nutritional reset based on the Paleo diet. You can find the program for free here if you're not interested in reading all the sciency stuff behind why they believe eating this way is beneficial. A summary: no sugar, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no alcohol and no white potatoes for 30 days. You consume lean meats, veggies, healthy fats and some fruit. After 30 days, there is a reintroduction period. You reintroduce one type of food at a time. In the following days, you record it effects on you and then decide how much you incorporate it into your diet.
This is more than just losing weight for me. For years I've known that my diet is too heavy on the carbohydrates and too light on protein and vegetables. Almost everything I eat is a grain or has refined sugar in it. My cravings are out of control! Think Swiss Cake Rolls + 3 days= hide said empty box under other boxes in the recycle bin because my husband didn't even know I had bought them.... Time to hit the "reset" button. If the program does half of what it claims, it's worth giving it a try.
So to my remaining readers (if there are any), HELLO!! I look forward to catching up with your blogs.
A few things have changed in the last year. That "great" job I got in November 2011 wasn't so great. Actually it sucked. As in it sucked the life out of me. I've never been so disrespected in my entire life. I won't get into specifics because I'm just putting it all behind me. After months of nagging, I was finally able to convince my husband to let me quit without having another job lined up (thanks in part to something an asshole attorney said to me). I gave them my notice 2 weeks before my one year anniversary. I am currently a housewife with no focus as to what my next move is going to be. However.... a name change of the blog might be in order as I doubt that I will ever be a paralegal again. (Post some recommendations in the comments if you'd like. I'm crap at naming things. : D )
As a result of said crappy job, I've gained about 10 pounds which isn't so bad... Except it takes me a long time to lose 10 pounds. Also, as a result of being home all day, I've lost any self control I had in regards to eating.
So onto the reason for my return to blogging. I'm about to embark on quite an adventure and thought it would be fun to document my experience. On the recommendation of a friend I read, It Starts With Food. He is currently doing the Whole30 program detailed in the book and said that after one week, he was already feeling the health benefits. It's basically a 30 day nutritional reset based on the Paleo diet. You can find the program for free here if you're not interested in reading all the sciency stuff behind why they believe eating this way is beneficial. A summary: no sugar, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no alcohol and no white potatoes for 30 days. You consume lean meats, veggies, healthy fats and some fruit. After 30 days, there is a reintroduction period. You reintroduce one type of food at a time. In the following days, you record it effects on you and then decide how much you incorporate it into your diet.
This is more than just losing weight for me. For years I've known that my diet is too heavy on the carbohydrates and too light on protein and vegetables. Almost everything I eat is a grain or has refined sugar in it. My cravings are out of control! Think Swiss Cake Rolls + 3 days= hide said empty box under other boxes in the recycle bin because my husband didn't even know I had bought them.... Time to hit the "reset" button. If the program does half of what it claims, it's worth giving it a try.
So to my remaining readers (if there are any), HELLO!! I look forward to catching up with your blogs.
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