Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Much Needed Fresh Start

For as long as I can remember I just haven’t felt quite ‘right.’  I know, I know whatever ‘right’ means.   I sleep very poorly and never feel rested, even though I’m going to bed super duper early most every night and sleeping anywhere from 6-7 hours.  I also tend to have a headache most days.  And sometimes those little headaches blossom into a full out debilitating migraine.   My sinuses are also almost ALWAYS a problem.  My skin and hair are wreaking havoc on me.  Sometimes I have to resist the urge to shave my head and just ‘start over’ for my hair and I sometimes find myself scrubbing my face just a little bit too rough to try and get ‘rid’ of the ridiculous amount of blemishes I have (HELLO I’m NOT 14 anymore!).  I also sometimes find myself falling into small pits of depression that are hard to get out of and make it hard to enjoy the good things I have in life. 

As I’ve posted previously, I started CrossFit in February of 2010 thanks to the dedication and constant positive motivation from my wonderful friend JT Goodman, and have done it continuously since.   Yes I’ll admit I’m addicted, but I feel there are most def worse things I could be addicted too.  Exercise would be one of those good addictions.  I feel so much better after a WOD (workout of the day) and I genuinely miss them if I have to skip a day for one reason or another.   But for as good as CrossFit makes me feel I, still don’t feel completely ‘right.’

So I’ve reached the point of being sick to death of not feeling good and feeling like I am missing out on things in life that I will never be able to get back.   So I’ve been telling myself I HAVE to do something.  I had heard of a healthier eating lifestyle called Paleo many months ago and had minimally looked into it.  I saw there was a strict no dairy policy to the diet and figured I could never do it – cheese and I are pretty tight!  But recently, my friend Anna Caranci liked Easy Paleo on facebook.  When I saw that I emailed her to see if she was doing it and could she help me get started.  She told me she wasn’t, but would like to, and referred me to her friend Jennie Harrell who had started the blog Easy Paleo.  So I spent many days perusing her blog and I emailed her for some advice.  I am so grateful to have been able to speak with her and soak in all of her knowledge!  Through her blog I found the blogs of Robb Wolfe and Sarah Fragoso both of which were full of wonderful knowledge to help me get started.  I became comfortable with Sarah’s blog and her book ‘Everyday Paleo’ right away.  She is a fellow CrossFitter with 3 kids.  (I always think if someone else who has given birth can get back to a flat tummy then certainly so can I!)  Her transformation is simply incredible!   Check her out if you have a few minutes – you’ll see why she is such a great source of inspiration – just one look at her before and after pictures will make you want to do this.    I finished reading her book and am super excited to get started.  I know this will be just the thing I need to start feeling ‘right’ again!  I am definitely aware of how difficult it may be but I fully intend on completing the Whole30 Challenge and then maintaining a Paleo lifestyle. 

Anna and I met with Jennie Harrell in person (yay – like meeting a local celebrity, and one of the sweetest people EVER!) and got to pick her brain and clear up all of our questions about getting started.  She is such a wealth of knowledge and I found myself hanging on her every word.  One of my biggest concerns is that I don’t eat any red meat.  Come to find out Jennie used to be a vegetarian and is now 100% Paleo!  Talk about inspiration to at least try some red meat.  Which I will do.  Maybe not right away but I promise I will!  I took many notes and have started a grocery list and a 30 day meal plan so there is no excuse for this not to work.  I know I will have the support of good friends both, old and new, who will give me the strength I need to keep on keeping on!     

I will begin my journey on Sunday January 8, 2012 along with the wonderful Anna Caranci - we will hold each other to this goal and succeed! New year and new, wonderful things happening. I plan to document my journey on the blog - the good the bad and the ugly.  And speaking of ugly, I may as well put a disclaimer on here now -it is possible that i may be a little cranky and irritable at first from sugar withdrawal and totally changing my diet, so I’ll apologize in advance for that.  Just know that in the long run this will be good for me in both my physical and mental state and I will come out a better person for having at least tried!

Cheers to a new year and a new me!  In the meantime I fully intend on eating all that bad stuff that will soon be eliminated from my diet.  Get it all out of my system and start fresh and new!

2 comments:

  1. Good stuff...stay focuesed (I KNOW you know how, i've seen you CF like a beast for the last 'almost two years' so i KNOW you CAN and will succeed)...gonna be doing in this household also. Will need your help with the kids part and suggestions about recipes...but gonna start Xmas day. Bday will be filled with Strawberry Shortcake, which will NOT be missed, so xmas day it is!!!

    JTG

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  2. first... thanks for the sweet comment, a very nice boost for my day as I woke up at 5 am to all 4 boys up and ready to start some trouble for the day :) and love this Whole30 Challenge thing.. good luck to you! The older I get and the more kiddos we have... the more I think being healthy (working out, eating healthy) are so very important! Good luck to you dear! those spinach muffin things look mighty good!

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