.: almost there:.

ok, so i have 1 1/2 days left until i am finished with .:get balanced:. intended to blog a little bit more about my journey as i went, but i was spending a lot more time in the kitchen trying out new recipes than on the computer. sorry, not sorry.

after 12 1/2 days, i thought i would reflect on the pros, cons, successes and challenges throughout this workshop. my concluding post regarding .:get balanced:. will include LOTS of pictures and a couple of my favorite recipes that i will incorporate into my recipe routine going forward.

let's start with the cons, so i can finish this post on a positive note.

cons:. 

cravings: my cravings have exponentially decreased at this point, but there are still some cravings. like alcohol, i am not big drinker, but i do enjoy a beer while we are out for dinner or a glass of wine at the end of a long day. chocolate - this was a killer at the beginning, but i had the mindset that cheating wasn't an option, so i got over it pretty quickly. coffee was another tough thing for me to give up, not because i NEEDED the caffeine (which i definitely did, as well) but because i simply love the taste. drew and i really enjoy spending time together while drinking coffee whether it's out on a walk, catching up after a long day, reading or sitting around our living room just talking. drinking water or green tea has been just fine (and cheaper).

ease:. eating healthy can be easy and difficult at the same time. it is easy if you prepare and have an appropriate mindset, but difficult if you make excuses. talking specifically about eating while following get balanced, all my go-to snacks were pretty much off limits. for instance, pre-workout and post-workout routines had to be changed. it became easy as i got used to it, but eating an apple with almond butter, does not feel the same after a workout as a protein shake. also, drew and i went on a LONG bike ride (44 miles long) yesterday to soak up the long-forgotten MN sun and i stressed about what i was going to pack in the small bento bag attached to my bike. i ended up bringing a Larabar and a packet of almond butter and things were OK. like i said, eating healthy is only difficult if you make excuses.

hives:. yes, i have had a case of the hives. not horrible, so don't get the picture of me walking around like a leper. at the beginning of the week, i noticed my skin especially on my forearms and legs were itchy and when i scratched, large mosquito-looking bites would appear and itch EVEN more - lotion wouldn't even touch the itchiness. after 3 days, i immediately started to rule out possible topical issues (such as new detergent, lotion, etc), well i buy everything in bulk, so that was easy to rule out. i emailed my get balanced gurus and they asked me to look at what i was eating a lot more of such as nuts or coconut. i was eating exponentially more coconut than before, from flour to butter to milk and flakes. this was something that has been really frustrating the past couple days because i had made several batch recipes with coconut in it and couldn't let it go to waste. while this was extremely irritating, i didn't call it quits - i decided to become amazed at how what you eat can truly influence your body.

pros:.

feeling:. i feel really, really good at this point! i can tell that my body knows exactly what to do with the food that i am giving it. i have endless amounts of 'natural energy' from the time that i wake up until bed time without coffee. yes, without coffee - if anyone knows drew or i, we rely on coffee whether it is straight espresso or French press and the need for coffee and caffeine was gone, literally overnight. there were even some nights when i couldn't get myself to wind down and needed to resort to Melatonin. while i didn't do this to lose weight, a few people have asked me whether i have lost any weight. no, i literally have not lost a pound which is OK  - i feel better, i feel more fit. i went shopping with my friend last weekend and it was one of those days where everything fit. i even bought 3 pairs of shorts - i HATE my legs (specifically the 3 scars on each knee) so the last time i bought shorts was a couple years ago when i was training for the Twin Cities marathon (do i dare say that these were all a size down?)

portion control:. this could be considered both a pro and a con, but i haven't been mindful of portion control since i started .:get balanced:. everything i eat is basically made from scratch, so there isn't a nutrition label to use as a guide for calories, protein, sugar, etc. i have learned to trust my body with the food that i am giving it - stop eating when i am full and wait to eat until i'm hungry. i feel like my portions are a lot bigger than before, but i am also eating more veggies and fruit, so i suppose that may take a little more to fill me up.
 
favorites:. i have relied on a few favorite foods - some new, some old.

>> cooked oatmeal or quinoa with raw honey or maple syrup, flaxseed and cinnamon. you can do so many different things with this, it's scary - add dried cranberries, bananas, bake it will apple chunks. you can eat it for breakfast or as a pre or post workout snack.
>> gluten free banana bread - stay tuned for this recipe from the .:get balanced:. gals. this was even hit with drew.
>> quinoa granola - again something that you can really mix up to fit whatever you would like. this should bake similar to regular granola, so if you have a favorite granola recipe, switch up the oats with quinoa for added protein.
>> SPICES! this isn't a recipe, but i have really loved playing around with spices such as basil, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and curry. i literally had to buy all of the spices because we didn't have ANY aside from salt and pepper. you can get some really awesome, low-cal flavoring through spices!

will i continue this lifestyle after the 15 days are over??? no.

i have learned an INCREDIBLE amount through this workshop, not only about food and the science behind it, but my relationship with food and even about me, in general! it has exposed how often i truly 'treat' myself to dessert and how often we go out to eat to make things easier. with that being said, i feel like i had well-rounded diet before. i love dairy, but enjoyed it in moderation, same with bread.  i eat plenty of fruits and veggies and 'clean' meats. however, i will be more mindful of my gluten intake and i will know where to start when (not if) i have that crash and burn effect again.


i miss Chobani yogurt. i miss chips and salsa. i miss our waffle sundays. i miss my protein powder after workouts. i miss having an Izzy's ice cream cone after a 45 mile bike ride.

one. more. day.

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:2013 - a clean slate:.

during our dinner on New Year's, drew and i were trying to brainstorm resolutions. truth be told, my attention has been focused on 2 things lately, my new job and my health, and i forgot to even think about resolutions ahead of time.

i thought it would be fun to review my resolutions that i made for 2012 to help me get the process going.....here they are:.

>become more organized and with this SIMPLIFY! do i really ALL those clothes, shoes and junk that causes more stress then anything? regardless of what my mother may think, i do not enjoy coming home to a messy room or driving around in a messy car, it makes me feel uneasy and stressed. my goal is to only have to spot clean every once in awhile vs. having to spend an entire evening cleaning a week's worth of mess!

organization has been kind of an uphill battle simply because of the move - it was a process for drew and i to compile our things. we had to take about 10 steps back in order to simplify (read: get rid of a ton of shit) and then move ahead with organization. luckily, we are now winning the battle and have fell into routine to help each other and our place stay (semi) clean. as far as my car, i always force myself to bring everything from the day in the house. this has been life-changing, it always stays relatively clean!
>take better care of my teeth:. i'll admit, i fell into bad habits of not taking care of my teeth while in college. don't get me wrong, i brush my teeth twice a day (most days), but i have white strips i would like to start using and floss that NEEDS to be used.

i have picked up flossing! i regularly buy those flossing sticks, or whatever they're called, and keep them in my purse or cube so they are always handy after i eat or when i'm bored.

>eat less carbs....i know, i know, what a lame GIRL resolution, but seriously, it can be a bit excessive.

my diet significantly improved this year, so i am going to consider this one a win.

>train for SOMETHING:. with my recent knee surgery, i may not be able to train for a marathon (yet), but there are a lot of other events i could should be training for! first on my list, Alexandria's Sprint Tri. going along with this, i would like to create a leaner body type. i consider myself to be 'bulky' (thanks to years of playing soccer and basketball) and i think it is time to get rid of that! i am hoping that by leaning myself out, my knees won't have as much pressure on them, resulting in being able to run long distances again (read train for marathon) !!!!
  i trained for my biggest and last 1/2 marathon, the Lululemon Seawheeze!


> make the next step in my career planning/pathway, i'm on a 3-5 year plan (more on this later....)

i have taken the next and biggest step in my career path!!!!!!! i recently accepted a Wellness Coordinator position which is an absolutely amazing opportunity for me - it hasn't really hit me yet, actually! this means so much for me both. personally and professionally - i may be able to save money by not having to go back to school, again!!!! also, i feel like i can finally start my 'adult' life. ever since graduation, i have been planning the 'next step' whether it's taking more classes, applying for grad school, looking at what requirements i need for a job that i want, but that can all be put to rest. i put in my notice at UCare and will start my new adventure on January 21st!!!!! 


>save more money:. luckily, my mf and i are both on a budget diet with the help of some expense tracker apps, but i'm beginning to realize the more money i have in my savings account, the more i seem at ease and the more risks i can take...
managing finances as a new grad is a rollercoaster. you get ahead and then you somehow fall behind. well, as of this last friday, i hit my goal for my savings account and have almost all of my bad debt paid off (school and car loans don't count here, yet). 

so, what should i resolve to do in 2013???  i have a couple ideas:.

>> eat less sugar:. in the nutrition class i recently took, i learned A LOT of truths and myths about the food we eat - maybe more than what is good for me (and drew). one thing that i took away is that too much sugar can really wreak havoc on our body. did you know that carbs turn into sugar once it's put it in our body??? neither did i!!! i could go on and on about how sugar causes inflammation in our body and it can screw up our hormones and the release of insulin, but i won't. let's just say i want to cut down sugar this year from ice cream to breads and pastas to yes, chocolate!
>> quit biting/picking at my nails and cuticles. i have improved this horrible habit signifcantly in the past year, but there are still days when stress takes over and i find myself mindlessly mutilating my nails. i am an adult with a new career and will need to make good impressions on a daily basis. even though i cringe at the thought, i am willing to spend money on shellac manicures in order to hold myself accountable for this one.

>> continue helping my immune system stay strong and improve. you know that feeling when you get sick and overload on Emergen-C, tea, Lysol and humidifiers to help kick your immune system into overdrive and then when you start to feel better, you promise yourself you will continue all of these immune boosting practices on a regular basis??? well, i have been forced to be consistant with all of these practices the past few months, but i should really continue it on into the next year and beyond! i meet with an immunologist on Friday about why i have been sick so much lately, but i think it wouldn't hurt to help out my immune system daily.

>> be carefree!!! like i stated above, ever since graduating from college, i have spent hours plotting a route to where i want to be, different options within that route and what would happen if i were to succeed or fail. i have hit my big break and i am going to enjoy it - i am finally going to live in the moment and quit worrying about tomorrow. while this resolution may not display concrete results, this is the one that i am most excited about!!!!

>> spend more time in the kitchen:. i really enjoy cooking and baking, it's kind of therapeutic for me and now that i am going to be spending less energy mapping out my life and all the "what ifs", i would like to put that energy into trying new recipes. on a regular basis, drew and i eat a lot of the same things (i'm not complaining) because it is safe, healthy (for the most part) and pretty mindless. there are so many tastes and flavors out there that i really would like to explore this next year!

as i mentioned before, i didn't spend much time thinking about resolutions before last night, so these are all that i could come up with.

i have a feeling that 2013 is going to be BIG year for me!!!

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:your greatness is measured by your gifts, not by what you have:.

i'm done! i'm done and have been done with this detox! SOOOO over it!

i made it to about 3 pm of Day 3. did i see significant weight loss? sure, i lost 3.5 lbs (probably a little more since this was a measurement at the beginning of Day 3) in 2 days. was it worth it? hell no! i truly do enjoy eating fresh fruits and veggies and maintaining a clean diet, with a few nights of completely sloppy food (just to keep my metabolism on its toes, of course), but i did not get enough nutrients to really function. by 3 o'clock,  i was sitting in my cube with a crazy headache feeling light-headed and dizzy. knowing that my evening included practice with my girls and squeezing in a run before, i knew i had to eat something with substance to survive.

before my run, i ate a bag of animal crackers and granola bar, the best things i could find in my work's vending machine. 20 minutes into my run, i was shaking and nauseas ready to just go home and forget about practice, but luckily, i brought my protein powder with me. if i did not have that protein to get me through practice, i may have passed out.  either way, i had a huge realization:. you absolutely CANNOT workout without fuel and your diet is just as important as your workout routine....lesson learned

let's see if i can keep that in mind at 11 pm when my stomach is growling for something unhealthy (read ice cream)


always striving for more,
dee b.