Tag Archives: health

Jumbled Thoughts: How Blogging Fueled My Body Image Issues

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Warning: This post is kind of a hot mess. A jumbled mess of thoughts that kept coming to me and may not flow well.

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I was very fortunate growing up. I never really had to worry about my weight since I was either in gymnastics class, playing soccer, dancing, or doing various other sports nearly every night of the week. Even after I quit training full-time as a gymnast and dropped track (I’m sorry running, I just didn’t realize I loved you yet. With time we got there though, that’s all that matters) I was still very active and continued with other sports throughout high school.

I very distinctly remember the first time I looked in the mirror and truly, honestly, thought “oh my god. What is THAT??” (Referring to fat that sprung up what felt like over night) It was after I had ovarian surgery in 2010. It was fleeting, after recovery I started my journey to a truly healthy life and found my love for running and saw my body return to it’s regular shape and size…. So the body image issue thing was always a bit perplexing to me.

Until I started reading blogs. I’m a runner. I’m obsessed with yoga. I like to learn about the newest findings in the health world. I like to keep my body looking and feeling good. I like to read about people’s inspirational journeys to health and fitness. So, naturally I was attracted to healthy living and running blogs…. When I started my blog, I talked about MY kind of healthy living and running a lot. However, I hardly consider myself in either of those categories. Although my association with FitFluential, SweatPink, and Oakley Women kind of contradict that statement. I don’t label this blog. It’s just 100% me. I had no idea what would come of Wild Things RUN Free. I had no idea it would take off as much as it has.

With that being said, there appear to be a ton of healthy-living blogs in the blogosphere who are living the complete opposite life of a healthy one. Preaching so many scary, terrible habits that can do some serious damage to women (and men) all over the world. People read our blogs because they either find us relatable, entertaining, or inspirational. If they find you inspirational they are likely to take your advice and follow in your footsteps. Telling them to gulp down workout enhancers, and push a small pile of vegetables around on a plate a couple of times a day is just not healthy living, in my opinion. The amount of times since really getting in to the blog scene that I have said to myself “oh my gosh I just want to shove a burger in her mouth” or have had to remind a friend “food is fuel” kind of scares me, and makes me really sad. I’m deeply sorry if this offends any of my friends in the blogosphere, but a multi grain hotdog bun filled with a few pieces of spinach, a large carrot, and some PB2 is NOT good fuel for your body. Food is meant to be seen as yummy, tasety fuel. It is supposed to help our bodies recover. Fuels our crazy workday, hectic social schedules, amazing workouts and sound nights sleep. The idea of ingesting 80% chemical laden food and preaching about HEALTH seems like such an oxymoron. There are certainly times for a protein shake, an energy bar, or even protein brownies if you so feel inclined.. But certainly not every day. Certainly not for your main source of energy.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in with some of my blogging peers what-so-ever, because I don’t diet. I eat healthy about 70-75% of the time, the other 25-30%??? Ice cream sundaes, the occasional burger, and oh sweet mother of everything holy, onion rings. On the weekends, I enjoy some adult cocktails and sometimes wake up Sunday morning with a headache. I am not “skinny”…. And quite frankly up until very recently I was perfectly okay with that fact that my size is just normal.

What tipped me over the edge? Blogs and self comparison. After a while it is hard not to compare yourselves to others. You see others making strides on their weight loss journey and you realize you’re just kind of there. I am running further, and faster times than when I first started this blog two years ago (significantly so) but I am not weighing any less, and I don’t look any better in the photos I post. You see people post fitspo pictures of themselves day in and day out on their blogs and their instagram.. A lot of them completely unhealthy with ribcages sticking out… But its still hard when you stand in the mirror and see nothing remotely similar.

It really struck me in Utah when I was at the Oakley Women Summit.. Every photo that was posted I thought to myself “I am the fattest girl in this room. Wow I am the fattest girl in this photo” I certainly didn’t feel this way in June when we were all in Napa. The very few pounds I have put on, aren’t what’s causing this psychological break down.

I am not perfect. I am not a size 0. You can only see my abs certain days of the week. Every time a friend posts a picture of me on instagram or facebook I immediately get embarrassed and think to myself “I look so fat”. I go into panic mode and try to figure out how I can eat and exercise out this terrible feeling. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY.

I am a healthy woman, rationally, I know this. I run (well ya know… when I’m not sidelined with a grade II ankle sprain) I do yoga multiple times a week. I eat whole, real, foods a majority of the time. I left smoking behind with my past. I let go of toxic relationships/friendships. I also believe in splurging and balancing the good and the bad. (aka living a little) This to me, is HEALTHY. Not being 100% in the no carbs, no this, no that category but knowing the difference between “all in or all out” and being able to moderate my actions. That is living a healthy life. Doing what is best for our bodies, mind, and soul. Yes, sometimes eating a pile of onion rings is good for the soul. ;)

Yet, I can’t shake this feeling recently. I find myself reading blogs more and more for the inspiration rather than just the enjoyment. Filling myself up with before and after photos and vowing to myself that I’m going to be better. That next month I’ll have a before and after photo to show.

I am at a weight high right now, but I already know most of you will want to smack me for even complaining about my weight. The rational girl in me knows this.

Why do we let the rational girl in us disappear? Why do we let the irrational woman beat that girl down?? What if we stopped comparing ourselves to others? What if we stopped trying to be the thinnest girl and instead just try to be the HEALTHIEST we know how to be for OURSELVES. Fuel our bodies. Laugh often. Exercise frequently. Rest when needed, and stop taking ourselves so seriously.

Life is not an all or nothing battle. Neither should our eating habits.

Giving Self-Doubt The Boot

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There is a reason that certain people go on to accomplish magnificent things in their lifetime, while so many other people cringe at the very idea of the tiniest challenge. It certainly isn’t lack of desire. We all want these things (whatever these things may be. Run a marathon. Travel the world. Write a book. Become a movie star. Climb Mt. Everest. Graduate college. Lose those extra pounds. Start a new career. Anything) We want them so badly. Some, of course, more than others.. But we all have at least one thing that we want more than anything else in our life. Yet, if you had everything everything you needed to tackle your goals, would you go after it? Too many times, the answer is a big fat NO. Far too often we let self-doubt get in our way of doing anything extraordinary. We let it get in our way of BEING extraordinary.

What is it that we are so afraid of? How do we stop it? How do we kick down the walls that are ‘protecting’ us, and accomplish the seemingly impossible? From my experience, it’s typically the ‘what if’ that gets us the most.

What if I cross the start line and end up taking a DNF? What if I get lost in the middle of some unknown country? What if I lose the weight only to put it back on? What if I quit my job and end up even more miserable or unsuccessful? What if I die trying to climb the mountain? What if. What if. What if!?!!?!?!?!?!

What’s stopping us, isn’t really the fear of rejection, failure, embarrassment. What is truly stopping us, is the meaning we have given rejection, failure, embarrassment and other emotions that tie in to not accomplishing what we have set out to do. Throughout our entire lives we have been conditioned to think that these things hold more value than they really do… We’ve let fear tame the masses throughout history.

It’s time that we free ourselves from our pasts and get over our fear and self-doubt. It’s time that we all, as human-beings, as athletes, as goal oriented individuals, finally go after the things that we want to achieve.

How do we break a bad habit when it exists entirely in the mind? Start paying attention to your thoughts. Every time you are struck with self-doubt, throw the thought away. Actually visualize this. Try shrinking the image in your mind until it just disappears as you are throwing it behind you. It feels ridiculous at first, but practice makes perfect. Once you immediately get rid of the negative thought, replace it with a positive one and again, visualize it. Only this time making the image grow larger and larger in your mind until it takes over. For example: if struck with the thought “I can’t run a marathon” toss it away and instead think “I CAN run a marathon.” while picturing yourself crossing the finish line. Medal around your neck. Smile plastered across your face.

There is not a single better way to eliminate self doubt than to take action that disproves your initial negative thoughts. Always be searching for things that you think are challenging. Taking action in EVERYTHING you do is the most direct route to success, happiness, and self-confidence.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
- Michael Jordan

Elf For Health Round 1 Recap

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Just before Thanksgiving rolled in, some of my favorite bloggers Lindsay of the Lean Green Bean and Elle of Nutritionella started talking about their holiday season health challenge they were hosting, called Elf For Helath. Essentially, each week they would send out challenges, and every 2 weeks (or round) you would be matched up with another “elf” to help motivate one another and give ideas on how to exceed the challenges expectations.

I wasn’t entirely sure what it was going to be like, but I knew that it sounded fun, and that both of these ladies are passionate about health/fitness and super creative! SIGN ME UP. So, that’s exactly what I did.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving the first Elf matches went out along with our challenges for that week! I had the pleasure of being matched up with this lovely gal named Stephanie. Stephanie was truly a wonder to be partnered with! We both are human, and embrace the fact that we aren’t perfect. Some of the challenges were harder than others to meet, and we pushed each other to stay on top of it and do the best we could without beating ourselves up if we couldn’t. She gave me some great tips and insight on how to meet and exceed some of the challenges during the two weeks we had the pleasure of being each other’s elves!! She was such a sweet heart and I can honestly say is a woman I will actively stay in contact with even now that we are no longer partnered together!!

Stephanie, if you see this! Thank you for the last two weeks! It was great getting to know you!!!

The first two weeks of Elf For Health (aka Round 1) was a total blast!!! I wanted to recap it here for y’all!! It still isn’t too late to join the fun. You can sign up to be a part of the challenge for Round 3 by scooting over here!

WEEK ONE!

Monday: Meatless Monday
A huge trend in the health world, and well… Everywhere is to go meatless on Mondays!! This was something I expected to have a little bit of trouble with. I like meat. Especially since I recently started the paleo lifestyle, meat has become even more important (As sad as this makes me) so I was interested and a little nervous to see how I could make this work while still getting all the nutrients I needed. I learned that with a little planning someone could very well be vegetarian AND paleo.

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Tuesday: Send a Card or Hand-Written note to a friend!!!
With technology growing so incredibly fast, it has become so much easier to stay in touch with our loved ones around the world.. However, I’ve always said it’s a sign of someone who truly loves you when you receive snail mail from them!! There’s just nothing like coming home from work to a letter in your mailbox from someone you care about!

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My best friend in the entire universe, Kyle’s birthday was November 27th. I decided to go on a scavenger hunt for the perfect birthday card. When I saw this, it was instantly the winner. We both have the immature sense of humor of a boy going through puberty, and we actually play the “in bed” game with fortune cookies!!

I also decided to write a few other hand written letters to stick in the mail to my mom and some other friends back home. I even wrote an open letter to my brother who passed away in February. It was so incredibly liberating to write down exactly how I feel about his death 10 months later. Words that I have never been quite comfortable putting on my blog. It felt great, and though he won’t read it, I believe that he knows I did that for him.

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Wednesday: Try a new workout!!
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I love running, I love yoga…. But it’s always great to spice up your fitness routine. I decided to go to a boxing class downtown! I ended up LOVING it to pieces and plan on going to more classes…. & yes next time I will wrap my hands better…Thanks for making fun of me BOBBY! :P

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Thursday: Get up 15 Minutes Early to Meditate & Reflect!!
Ahhh, yes. This was beautiful. I actually got up 2 hours early so I could hit the 6am yoga class before work, then headed into work 30 minutes early so that I could hang out in the dark with my coffee and just soak in the peace before a crazy hectic day of running around began. I wish I could say I will do this more often. I want to try… I just love my sleep so much… heh

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Friday: How many Colors can you eat today? Challenge yourself!
I made a chicken tortilla soup, minus the tortillas and most non-paleo things. I did include some beans, which aren’t paleo friendly but — It was still super healthy and DELICIOUS!!!!! I also made enough soup to probably feed all 900+ people in the challenge. Thank goodness soup is freezer friendly!! haha whoops.. But, I would say I got a whole heck of a lot of color in my tummy!! ;)

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The Weekend: Clean out Your Closet & Donate to Charity
When I moved to Austin at the beginning of November I donated 2 garbage bags full of clothes to Hurricane Sandy victims. So, unfortunately I wasn’t able to participate in that particular challenge. However, I recently did just that so I feel perfectly okay with the fact that I wasn’t able to!!

WEEK TWO

Monday: Track your fiber intake
ehhhhhhh. Monday bummed me out a tad. I thought I was eating so healthy now that I’ve “gone paleo”.. However I discovered on Monday that I don’t get nearly as much fiber now that I’ve cut out certain foods from my diet. However, I’ll chalk it up as a win because it was a learning experience. I spent a good chunk of Monday night researching paleo friendly fiber packed foods and recipes!!

Tuesday: Have a salad today and make your own dressing
This was fun and not at all difficult. Salad dressing CAN be complicated, but the healthiest ones are a cake walk!! I made a yummy Balsamic Vinagrete of sorts with a kick of lemon.. Perhaps I should call it Lemon Vinagrete? haha. I dunno. I will be posting the recipe for this dressing later this week! A child could make it, and its actually pretty healthy!!

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Wednesday: Pack a healthy snack & pack an extra one for a friend
Total fail. I admit it.. My bad! I woke up Wednesday morning absolutely nauseous as all hell and the last thing in the universe I wanted to think about was food of any kind when I left for work. However, a few hours into my shift I started feeling good as new and was starving. My coworker graciously shared a bundle of grapes with me that she brought. I was so thankful!! I even deemed her an honorary Elf for Health and made her an elf hat out of construction paper (this is what we do when it’s slow at work.. don’t judge haha) She was so intrigued by the idea she signed up for round 2 of Elf for Health!! :)

Thursday: Lets lift weights!
I worked from 6am until 8pm on Thursday and when I got out of work ALL I wanted to do was face plant in my bed and sleep until who knows when the next day. However, I knew that a workout would make me feel better and I knew that I needed to squeeze this challenge in. I didn’t go to the gym to do any heavy lifting like I had planned when I woke up that morning. Instead, I decided to just go home to my little dumbbells and get in some reps!! Hey, better than nothing, right?!

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Friday: Go make up Free today!
I don’t typically wear very much make up anyhow, so this wasn’t a huge deal. I always wear eyeliner and sometimes this shimmery skin toned eyeshadow that doesn’t even change the color of my eyelids, just makes them shimmer a bit… So I wasn’t totally stressing out about this the way a lot of people were. (Which, btw NO ONE should have been. You were all absolutely gorgeous!! Loved the pictures of fresh faces!!) However, Thursday night I made date plans for Friday and instantly got the “omg there’s no way I can go make-upless for the date!” I did it though, and felt super confident all day. I really think us women need to embrace our natural beauty more often.

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The Weekend: Plan your meals for the week and write your workouts down in your planner
I’ve gone back and forth on the whole meal planning thing. There were a few months I did it religiously, a few months I did it sparingly, and honestly ever since moving to Austin I haven’t been doing it at all… It was nice to do it again and although I’m not sure if it’s something I want or need to do on a weekly basis, it was still a great thing to do for this coming week. ESPECIALLY since it’s the holidays and for me, that means working 23534645 more hours than usual. Having things planned out and some what prepped will make coming home exhausted and starving that much easier. As for my workouts, I made my San Francisco Marathon training plan last week which includes cross training and what not so, that was already taken care of I’m happy to say! :)

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There you have it! Round one of Elf For Health IN THE BOOKS. 2 more to go. It sort of freaks me out that two weeks have already gone by since Thanksgiving. UM WHAT? Where is my life going? Though, It means 2012 is almost over, and I FOR ONE will be so happy to see this stupid year go. ;)

On Being Human

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Austin has been liberating. After quite the year, it really has become clear that everything does happen for a reason. I was meant to be in this city, I was meant to live my dreams. But, Austin has not treated my waistline or stomach very well, recently.

I love food. There is no denying this. I love to make food, taste new foods, find exotic restaurants, discover the local and amazing cuisine. Austin, has one of the best culinary markets in the country. So many locally owned and off the beaten path restaurants and markets.. I stopped paying attention to the nutritious value of what I was putting into my body, and instead began focusing on the taste and experience.

I mean, who doesn’t fall into this habit a little bit when in a new city? Especially one full of so much delicious food. Then, I had a rude awakening when I stepped on a scale at the gym the other morning. I had to go see in the mirror and I can’t believe I was in denial this long. I can’t believe I let it get this far!!!!

See, it shocks people that I’m so into fitness but I hate scales. They’re dangerous y’all. I will get fixated on a number if I have a scale in my home. I will freak about going up one stupid pound when I know otherwise it doesn’t actually matter. That numbers aren’t what’s important. Logically, I know that… But If I own a scale… All logic goes out the window.

But this is more than just numbers. This is big. For me. Since moving to Austin I have gained 15 lbs. Freshman fifteen?? No, more like then ATX15. It happened so quickly too. That’s the worst part. A month ago, just before I moved here I was at my lowest ever weight (since being an adult) and now I am at my highest ever weight.

I don’t have a body shot of me from October but this was August

I was stunned by what I saw when I finally really looked in the mirror. I could hardly recognize the person looking back at me. It was like a disoriented photo of myself. You know those apps you can download on your phone that make you look like you’re in a fish bowl.. or fat..

I’ve enjoyed living life without worry, I enjoyed my week off of running..But now it’s time to get my ass in gear. Especially because, not only am I disgusted with how I look and feel in my own skin… I can also see my current ways of eating taking a toll on my digestive system. As a girl who has always prided herself in not very often getting sick to my stomach, I have been nauseous several times in the last few weeks. I noticed yesterday, that it only happens after piling complete crap into my mouth…Time to Watch the foods I put into my body and get my butt back to the weight machines.

However, I am going to do it the healthy way. I mean, yo-yo dieting, from the Atkins diet to the pineapple diet (where you consumed large quantities of pineapple because pineapple would “eat” away the extra fat you were carrying), over exercising, diet pills, caffeine, and excessive calorie restriction isn’t exactly the yellow brick road to optimal health.

Making healthy choices for the rest of your life, bring you to optimal healthy. A perfect balance of nutritious foods, exercise and sleep. Which brings me to the Paleo “diet”… The Paleo Diet takes from the types of foods people ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution. Focusing on fruits, vegetables, lean meats & seafood.  Cutting the consumption of dairy, grains, refined sugars, saturated&trans fats and processed foods.

The Paleo diet sort of frowns on wine and beer. However, I’m doing a more 90% paleo type of eating. I’m realistic. I love my wine, I am not perfect, and I’m a big believer in just being human. Being human is what has brought me to this point. I have made some of the healthiest decisions of my life — like becoming a runner and moving to Austin. I’ve also made some of the least healthy decisions, like indulging too much thus gaining 15 lbs, and not being 100% sure how I got home Saturday night… ;)

Life happens, and I’m human. The biggest key of this flinestones way of life is to consume as much whole, real food as possible. Roughly a 30:30:40 ratio of protein, healthy fats and (produce based) carbs during my highest peaks of training.

My priority though? Just eliminate processed and refined foods. The ratios I will figure out throughout the course of my training. So long as what I’m putting in my body is clean and whole, that’s all I’m concerned with.

I don’t want to just be happy with what I see in the mirror. I want to be proud of how I got there, and how I continue to stay there.

Oakley Prescription Glasses

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During my Oakley Women Ambassador Retreat in Napa Valley, California in June one of the coolest parts of the weekend was getting to go through the Rolling O Lab.

Now, I know what you’re all thinking. What in the world is the Rolling O Lab? Well, it’s a test lab set up to show the science and technology that goes into the Oakley glasses. Lenses and Frames. Designed to show you exactly why Oakley is the best glasses designer on the market.

First thing we learned was about the High Definition Optics (HDO) and boy did they put this to the test for us. HDO is the technology Oakley uses to give clearer and sharper images without any corruption. What does that mean? No headaches! Typically people blame headaches from glasses on the tightness of the frame, when in reality it usually comes from your line of vision created from the lenses in your glasses… The lenses tend to shift everything over. With HDO you see everything exactly where it is, NOT shifted…

This is when the really cool test happened. *pushes up nerd glasses* The laser prism test! A laser is fired through each lense in a frame and in theory, the dots should come together in the center to focus on a single image. So each eye sees the same thing. See, what we see isn’t actually where they are in most glasses. The typical lense will bend light…. Our brain is wasting energy trying to put these images together… Have you ever put on a pair of glasses and felt like the ground was closer to you than it actually was? That’s what causes that feeling. Hence the headaches!

Not with HDO! HDO pretty much eliminates any distortion. What we see, where we see it, is where it’s actually at.

After the HDO tests he did a series of impact tests. As the leading brand in the athletic field for eyewear, you never know what could happen. You could take a spill on your face. Get hit in the eye with a ball. Have a rock shoot up and smack you in the forehead. Athletes are constantly taking risks and sometimes things go wrong. The last thing we want to destroy is our eyes! So Oakley puts all of their lenses to the test to make sure they can uphold the worst of the worst.

The Metal Spike test compared the Oakley Dart lenses with the lenses of the leading competitor, where a metal spike weighing more than 1 pound dropped from over 4 feet up, directly onto the lenses. The Oakley lenses scratched a wee bit, but there was no cracking, no shattering of the lenses. The Competitor? Well, it shattered… Which could lead to some pretty nasty eye problems…

Needless to say, I decided then and there if I was going to be wearing glasses on my face all day everyday, they would be Oakley glasses for sure. Then I discovered that Oakley has some of the cutest Prescription glasses on the market. It was like I won the jack pot!

I was beyond thrilled to get my hands on a pair of Rx glasses from Oakley. In fact, I hadn’t even realized they made them! I mean, it makes sense… I just never looked into it before! Boy oh BOY am I glad they filled me in on that bit of information!

I had such a hard time picking out which ones to get. Literally every pair of frames are adorable! But finally with the help of Zack I narrowed it down and ordered a pair of cute little pair of wire frames! Meet the Oakley Noteworthy.

These adorable frames are super lightweight! I forget they are on my face just about every time I wear them! haha. (Other than the whole being able to see thing… ;) ) However have no fear! If these aren’t your style; there are a variety to choose from!

Women:

Men:

(DISCLAIMER: as an Oakley Women Ambassador I was provided a pair of prescription glasses by Oakley. However all opinions are my own)

Do you wear prescription glasses? If so, check out Oakley.com and click on the prescription link under the STORE tab!

Time To Face the Strange Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

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I have always, always been a firm believer in keeping it real on the blog. It seems silly to me, to have this place that I pour my heart out to, only to sugar coat things when life gets rough. Who wants to read a blog about how perfect someone’s life is? Nobody. That just brings us all down. We like to be able to relate to the writer, like to know that there are others out there who are experiencing the same things we are.

Then something truly embarrassing happened, and I hid. I wasn’t sure how to write when I wasn’t able to be 100% honest. I didn’t know how to allow myself to talk about it all, either. So I rounded up some of my favorite Blends (blog friends) and compiled guest posts while my entire life changed before my eyes.

It is a commonly held belief that moving home comes second only to Divorce in terms of the stress it causes to the individuals concerned. Fortunately I am not getting divorced; I did however move home, and am separated from my now ex-fiance. It has been incredibly stressful, but I honestly can say I have learned some incredible life lessons.

  1. Move slowly and stand your ground! Don’t date someone who doesn’t respect your values and convictions, and/or who doesn’t respect you as a person.
  2. Don’t date someone whose actions don’t back up their words.
  3. Don’t change your plans for someone unless they’ve proven their commitment by doing the same for you.

Life truly is what happens while you’re busy making plans. Cancel your plans. Yeah, I get it: I should be saving for retirement; I should be eating 8 to 10 servings of vegetables a day; Alcohol is bad; I should be looking toward marriage, kids, a home or I’ll never achieve it. But you know what? Nine times out of 10, life never works out as one thinks it will.

So, I’m going the way of Buddha and learning to enjoy the moment.

You can’t control what’s going to happen to you. I’m not religious, so I don’t believe there’s a god-driven plan to life, but I do believe wherever we are at the present moment is where we’re supposed to be. (Yes, my problems are champagne when compared to others, but there’s still something I should be learning from them.) 

If you self-destruct, you have to pick yourself back up. I learned this earlier this year. I began to self-destruct when my brother passed away. I can honestly pin point the beginning of the end of the life I knew so well, to that. Nobody can help you up from the bottom except for yourself. Sure, there are sometimes people in our lives that help us see the light of day again, but without the inner strength, there is no moving forward. I am not going to self-destruct. I’m not going to throw a pity-party for myself. I am better than that.

I could sit here and pull my hair out over the amount of love, time, and money I put into our engagement. I truly thought we would spend the rest of our lives together, hand in hand. The multiple-years I let myself put my plans on hold so that he could accomplish his dreams. The gorgeous wedding dress that I already paid x amount of dollars on and is now collecting dust in a closet. But, in the end it is not and will never be worth it.

I refuse to mourn the life I had, and instead I am diving forward into a new chapter of my life. Of course, new chapter means new look….

I cut off 7 inches of hair that I was growing out for the wedding. As soon as I flipped my head back and forth after the cut, I felt free. I was free of the choke hold that he had on my heart and was ready to move forward….

What lies ahead? Well, stay tuned… It’s going to be all about adventure, running, health and happiness over here!

Oakley Daisy Chain – Because Every Fabulous Woman Needs A Pair of Aviators

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I have yet to put on a pair of Oakley glasses, be they active sunnies, lifestyle shades, or Rx prescription glasses; that I haven’t absolutely loved. However, when I tried on the Oakley Daisy Chain, I felt like I went up 10 degrees of awesome. ;) Seriously, EVERYONE needs a fabulous pair of avatiors – Both men and women alike. I was so VERY pleasantly surprised to learn that Oakley has the best of the best, in both the active world and the lifestyle wear!

Daisy Chain™ puts a cool twist on the ever-so-popular avatior style sunnies. Sleek, and so light weight, that you can repeatedly forget you’re even wearing anything on your head at all. Made from the C-5™ frame that weaves an elegant, but very clearly Oakley symbol along the stems of the glasses.

The C-5™ frame is made out of 5 metal compounds that are superheated to create a super alloy that maintains state of the art durability, even in the most lightweight of frames!

Complimenting these light, perfect fit frames is Oakley’s Plutonite® lens material that filters out 100% of UVA / UVB / UVC & harmful blue light up to 400nm. Eye safety is huge!!! UV light does worse damage than most people even realize, and its so easy to prevent with the right lenses! Oakley never misses a beat when it comes to protecting our eye sight! On top of all that, they’ve we’ve optimized peripheral vision sight and side protection with 6 base lens curvature.

You can even snag these babies with Polarized lenses, adding even more protection (and less glare!) OR prescription lenses.

The bottom line is, if you’re looking for a fabulous pair of lifestyle glasses I highly recommend the Daisy Chain!

What are your favorite pair of LIFESTYLE sunnies?

Woohoo For Bulu

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As some of you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador. I love the community of health & fitness Ambassadors that makes up FitFluential! I have met some of the most bad ass and awesome people who are dominating the health & fitness world! Seriously!! On top of that, I occasionally get the opportunity to try out products that I find either through FitFluential or one of the many awesome Ambassadors!

Such as Bulu Box!!!

What is Bulu Box?! Until I saw a video on youtube by fellow FitFluential Ambassador, Carlyn at Just Keep Sweating, I was asking the same question. It’s actually a pretty simple idea, and even more well executed!

Think of those Wine of the Month clubs you hear about (or heck maybe you’re a part of one) only instead of getting a shipment of wine every month, you’d receive a box of goodies specifically designed for those who live a healthy and active lifestyle! It can be so overwhelming trying to decide which vitamins and supplements we should take. What protein is best for us? Which vitamins will give me the benefits I’m looking for? Etc. It’s daunting to walk into GNC and not really know what you’re looking for.

Bulu Box is designed to change that. It really is simple. Each Bulu Box contains 4-5 Premium samples of healthy supplements for both Men and Women.. The samples range from vitamins, supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, diet, energy, detox… (to infiniti and beyond…..) The best part? It’s delivered right to your door!!!

Needless to say, once I saw Carlyn’s video I was really intrigued. I did some research on Bulu Box and found out it’s even cooler than it sounded. There’s a whole community within it. You can go on the site and type in one of the products you received and find videos and things where people talk about their experience with that sample, how to use it, etc. You’re even encouraged to post your own review and experiences with the samples!!! Then, to make it even easier for you — if you decide you like one of the samples so much you want to buy the product, you can click the “Shop” button!

I was sold!! I was eager to take a peek inside one of those boxes! This month, I had that chance!

Woo Hoo For Bulu!

I was immediately attracted to the bright orange and the witty verbiage on the front card! I’ve been saying “WooHoo for Bulu” around the house the past few days because it’s catchy.. Zack thinks I’m nuts. ;)

Tucked underneath was a card that gave a brief description of all the samples in the box. There was some seriously interesting stuff inside!

My box included some awesome stuff! LIFE Equals Omega-3s

Pure Matters for everyday health Vitamin D3 bottle (seriously, like… an entire bottle)

Night Food dietary supplement

Cellucor Super HD

and last but not least — REV Honey Energy U-Tube.

A lot of goodies in there! I’m really excited to try all of them out and come back for reviews for y’all!! I have to say — I’m most excited to try out the REV Honey Energy Gel! I’ve always had issues with fueling on long runs and since its training season again I’m looking forward to trying this out!!

Honestly, you can’t beat this awesome deal here y’all! You can even try out the fun without the commitment! For just $10 you can pay for it each month instead of signing up for the whole year (though, I promise if you do the year subscription, you’ll be pleased as punch!)

Head on over to BuluBox.com and check it out yourselves! :)

Are you or have you ever been a member of monthly sample club? I know there are a lot of cosmetics boxes similar to these! :)

Running Lately

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I have to say, I was pretty nervous to start running again after my diagnosis.. I was certain that sharp pain was going to come back. I knew they (Dr and Coach J) were right, I needed to start running after the pain stopped, but before my muscles got ‘rusty’… Yet, that didn’t ease my neurosis

The key has been adding in strength, especially to my core & lower body. ( what a nice way to say, hey um… your ass needs work ;) )

Before jumping into running, I did a week of yoga (still going strong on my 30 day yoga streak) and realllly stretched out my hips as much as I possibly could. My entire body was starting to feel so much better, all over. Hips, back, legs – everything. Then came deciding on my plan of attack for running.

With the help of a good friend I decided to do a circuit program and a sort of “couch to 5k” Only, I’m starting at a 5 min run 2 min walk. The idea is to focus on strengthening my hips and speeding up my running while also making sure not to tick off my bursa again.

So for the last week I have been doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and my make-shift 5k program. I can run longer than 5 minutes at a time so I’ve been focusing on pushing my pace during those 5 minutes. It’s truly astonishing how awesome I feel already. I can feel my running getting stronger and I’m astonished at how quickly the body can adjust to the stress you put on it. I’m confident that as I work my way through this training plan and continue focusing on strength I’ll be a hell of a lot faster.

In other running news, I recently discovered a new (to me) little route to run on. Not too long ago, we were hanging out on the playground that’s in our apartment community and I noticed the mail truck going down this little tiny pathway behind the trees. I was so curious… I had no idea this thing was there.

It has become my new favorite place to run during this training. It’s way too short to do any long runs on, but 3 miles is only a few out & backs. & it’s nice & shaded back there!  I really love it.

So that’s running lately. I’m excited to see what kind of damage I can do at BWC on the 24th since I’ll be 1/2 through this training plan. I’m looking forward to a 5k. My last one was what… St Pattys? Yeah… too long ago.

Dreams are the Seed of Change.

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Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream.
                                              -Debby Boone

I have always had a passion for food. Since I was young, I have had a love of the kitchen. If you look at my resume, you would laugh. I have only once worked a job that isn’t somehow related to food and/or restaurants. So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise when I wanted to go to Culinary School. I was always wanting to do all sorts of things, but in the end it always came back to Food.

After several years in the restaurant industry, I took a job out here with Jenny Craig. The title was a “Nutrition Consultant“. (I say that lightly. It was my title, and it was what I did, I consulted my clients and helped build their Jenny Craig Food Plan for the week. I was not licensed, I do not have a degree in Nutrition or Dietetics.) I loved it. I would still work there if it wasn’t for the need to make more money. While I can’t say the Jenny Program is perfect, it does work for so many people. I saw some people make drastic changes in the short amount of time I worked there…. But through my time there I was learning about Nutrition and weight loss. I loved it. It was a very rewarding job!! To know that you helped someone change their lives. Weight loss is life changing, y’all! It inspires people. My clients inspired me, every single day. But for the record, I was only learning what Jenny felt was important for us to relay to our clients.

The wheels really started turning at that point. I was finding myself reading Nutrition books on my spare time. Focusing more & more on the foods I was putting into my own body. LIstening, and feeling the way my body would react to foods.

An idea had been implanted in my mind.

I found myself miserable at my dream job. I had been offered a position of Kitchen Manager, at a highly respected restaurant. This was a dream come true. To run a kitchen at a restaurant I could work my way up the grapevine in. But I hated it. I realized very quickly, I AM SO OVER THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. I am over long nights. I am over being frustrated because other people in the kitchen are slacking. I’m over missing every single holiday because restaurants are open 365. But darnit I love to work with food. What ever was I to do?

I fell back to that idea that had been implanted in my mind several months prior. The wheels started turning more. How could I work with food, help others, and help change the face of restaurant food as we know it?!

Then a lightbulb went off! Go back to school Charlotte. Go get that RD at the end of your name (and no, not just because it makes you sound sophisticated) It’s no secret that to have any credit, or to legally give nutritional advice, you have to have to be a Registered Dietitian.

The light bulb went off, but I turned off the switch. I buried the idea. I’m getting MARRIED. I’m MOVING PARTIALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I wasn’t about to go back to school for 4 more years.

But the idea had been implanted, and the wheel never stopped turning. I started to realize all of the things that having a Dietetic Degree and an RD could do for my career. Both current career, and the career I dream of having in the future. Being an RD, I would be able to work in Test Kitchens of big time restaurants and help create healthy menus. Help come up with ways to create nutritional meals that are still delicious and affordable, for both the consumer and the corporation. Yes, America has a tendency for guilty pleasure splurges when they dine out, but only because more or less, THATS ALL THERE IS. (sure there are healthy restaurants out there, don’t get me wrong. But the majority. Especially the majority of fast food, and corporate owned/chain restaurants) If we get big name restaurants to wake up and smell the coffee, we will be on our way to a healthier Nation. This is something I feel strongly about. The whole no sugar drink over 16oz. I’m sorry but it irritates me. It does. I know its a good step, but the money they are spending to promote that, they could use to help fast food restaurants make NUTRITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS to their menu that will benefit everyone… Set regulations and laws that actually have to be FOLLOWED. Did you know that buying fresh produce in bulk in a restaurant food order is actually cheaper than buying frozen CRAP? It’s true. In bulk, fresh produce goes down to a fraction of the cost, especially once you create a partnership with a produce market… Anyhow, I’m rambling at this point. Moving on.

I found myself looking into it more and more. Found myself day dreaming of a job working with some of the biggest and baddest in the food industry, designing nutritional menus. I couldn’t STOP picturing our happy life together. Zack the video genius working with some of the best in the movie industry. Me, the RD working with nutritious foods all day. I even had a few day dreams where I was working with athletes and Sports Nutritionists.

There was no turning back after those ideas had been implanted. That was the life I wanted. I wouldn’t be struggling the way I do as a kitchen manager. I don’t even mean financially. Just the daily stress of being in that industry. I’ve worked the corporate side of a restaurant, and its nothing like the stress of the restaurant environment. I always loved the always going never stop. GO GOGOGOGO. of a busy restaurant shift, but — I’m so OVER it.

With the advice of some RD friends I’ve made through FitFluential, I meandered over to EatRight.org - The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics website. It told me a lot of things I already knew, such as in order to become an RD you have to have a) at least a Bachelor Degree from a US regionally accredited school in Nutrition & Dietetics  of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. b) Completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program. c) Pass the National Registration exam given by the Commission on Dietetic Registration d) maintain education as necessary with maintaining registartion.

It also had such a wealth of knowledge on how to get started, what schools offer Didactic programs. It looked like I was right.. It would be 4 years from the time I started, before I would have that RD at the end of my name. Then I found the money maker.

With the Central Arizona program – Since I already have my Associate in Culinary, and Culinary is somewhat similar to Nutrition, it would only take me one year of online classes to obtain my Dietetic Technician degree. With a 3.6+ gpa in that program I could transfer to The University of Texas (Austin). That would be the best case senerio since only about 22% get into Berkeley…. & Zack even looked at me at the end of our last trip and said “you know we could move here” So that would be a plus.

Other options are out there though. TONS. NYU, which is another city on our list of places we want to live one day. At least for a year, could make it 2 ;) …Johnson & Wales is in both Colorado and Rhode Island. Texas A&M has a very respectable program. (Though College Station, booo) – Regardless, there are a ton of Universities that I could attend to complete my Bachelor in Dietetics…. Which would be about 2 more years. (Not including the supervised practice)

So, after a ton of support from Zack, I applied to the Central Arizona program. This weekend I found out I was accepted to the program and will be beginning classes August 17!

As you can probably guess, I am THRILLED to be finally taking this leap. It has been a longgggg time coming. All because of a tiny seed that was planted in my brain because of a job I literally stumbled into, and the support of the people around me.

I am excited to take this journey, but I’m not going to lie. I am also nervous. Juggling work and school. Not to mention our upcoming nuptials next year followed by a huge move – regardless of where it ends up being. But I have a fierce determination. I have a goal.. A SMART goal, and I have a rock by my side to support me when things get rough, and I know they will. There will be many a sleepless night in my future.

But in the end, every moment will be worth it

If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it. 

                            ~Albert Einstein