Whole30: Oh boy. What have I done?

Ugh. I feel pretty miserable as I type this. Not because I'm doing anything wrong, but because I'm trying to do something right and my body does. not. like. it.

I've never been good about disciplining myself with food. It's always been a reward for me. 

This Summer, let's just say I've rewarded myself in abundance. Between a cruise to the Bahamas, two trips to the Atlantic Coast and a trip to Detroit, I ate all the things. 

Between two doctors visits in May & July, I'd gained eight pounds. WHAT. 

So on August 1st, I began my first Whole30. No sugar, no grains, no dairy. No alcohol. Lots of no's to the things I love but I don't think love me back. 

Today is Day 5. I just feel yuck. Not getting much done at work, feeling antsy when I'm home reading a book. Definitely not enjoying walking past the bowl of candy at work. Definitely not enjoying the smell of pizza. 

From my little bit of research, here's what's happening: For a majority of the last 15 years, my body has run on sugar. My brain likes it when my body runs on sugar. Now, there's no sugar. My body think's there's no fuel. However, there is fat. Fat in the avocados, chicken, beef and plenty of protein to go around. I just have to wait for my body to realize that the fat is good and it's there to be used. 

In the meantime, I've made a lot of good meals. Last night was Carnitas with Guacamole and Cauliflower Rice. I'm enjoying Living Loving Paleo and the Whole30 emails. The first trip to the grocery store was overwhelming and over budget, but hey, think of all the money I'll save on restaurants this month. 

Luckily, Boyfriend is working the Whole30 with me. It definitely helps to have some accountability and support, especially from him. They say everything is easier after Day 10, but I know it will be a challenge every day of August. 

Here's to the next 25 days! 

ok let's try this again

I took a year off, but I'm back. I need to get my voice back.

I'm 25 now. I'm getting smarter. I think. I'm working this delicate balance of standing firm in my shoes and allowing myself to dance and move freely in the midst of things that come my way.

Keegan-Michael Key just blew me away in his interview on "Off Camera with Sam Jones". His passion and storytelling turned an hour interview into a heartfelt outpouring of emotion. I had to keep rewinding after he finished the following statement:

"I'm a big proponent of here's a sentence and theres a piece of punctuation. When we read a script or read a book, there's a millimeter of space between that piece of punctuation and the capital letter in the next sentence. That millimeter to me, might as well be a hundred mile chasm because in that millimeter between that punctuation and that capital letter, you can do anything."

I just want to write.

Six Years

It’s been six years since we lost my big sister. How the time flies. In those six years,  I went to college, I graduated. I grew closer to my family. I found an awesome guy who is there for the good and bad days. I started my life in the aftermath of her death. How do you handle that? 

The more time that goes by, the more I see incredible blessings weaved through it all. It pushed friends away. It brought the best people, the people I needed and still need. I’m immeasurably blessed those people who helped me through Whitney’s death. I miss that 18-year-old girl’s innocence but I’m really proud of this 24-year-old woman. I know Whitney is, too.

Copperplate Calligraphy

I just finished an amazing 6-week Copperplate calligraphy class with Anne Elser at the Spruill Center. I've always been interested in typography and letters. I love words, and calligraphy turns words into art. It's a beautiful combination.  

It's harder than it looks, but with an amazing instructor like Anne, I think I'm on my way to drawing letters in an impressive way.

In this post-grad world, it's important to stay inspired and to keep learning! How easy it is to stop learning.