So We Meet Again

Whoa. Fast forward a few years!  I've decided to remove all previous posts and start anew.  I'm married now, to the most amazing man I could have asked for.  He's my ideal match.  And life is good. All in all, life has changed a lot, but at the same time, not that much.

To cover some of the major life changes: got married, bought a house, changed jobs (for the better!). These seem like major life changes, but the most amazing part is... they just felt right. And because they felt right, they didn't feel like big changes. The fear that you might expect isn't there... and instead of a scary, hesitant step forward, you experience a natural transition to this new place. But don't get me wrong - it's not like you are numb while making these changes! There is an awesome adrenaline rush as a side effect.  And who doesn't love a good adrenaline rush?!

But the things that I consider the foundation of my life are still there: working out, eating well, and always trying to find the silver lining.  I have my own (small) workout room in our house. So, I've traded CrossFit for free websites such as BodyRock.tv and LovingFit.com.  NOT that I have anything against CF... if I had a few extra bones in my bank account each month, I'd love to do CF. That's probably regarded as a terrible excuse, but I'm happy with where I'm at. BodyRock and LovingFit offer GREAT workouts and fitness/nutrition advice. I favor more of the LovingFit workouts these days, and follow a new structure. (Sun - Full Body WO, Monday - yoga, Tues - Lower Body, Wednesday - Upper Body, Thursday - yoga, Friday - Core, Sat - active rest.... all of which include warm-up time, post-WO cardio, and stretch/cool-down).  I am especially in love with any body weight workouts - you know you're in a good place when you can throw your body around with good form and decent speed. Good form being the MOST important of the two. But you know that. Right?


Regarding food... I've gone in circles, loops, crazy 8's.... I've tried a lot of different "lifestyles."  It seems to be my thing. I don't believe in diets, I believe in a lifestyle.  The hardest part is settling on one!  But what I've really learned from all of these trials is that every person is different. I don't care what you say... if you're raw, if you're paleo, if you're SAD (standard American diet)... your diet choice is not necessarily the best for EVERYONE. You have to find the right combination for you. Unfortunately, mine is not wine and chocolate, like I'd hoped :)  It takes some experimentation to figure out what your body needs. One thing that I think IS true for all folks... whole, organic foods. That is the one big takeaway I learned. So if a lot of your diet is processed foods and you're looking to drop poundage, that's the easiest way to start. If the food you're buying isn't in it's original (or darn near original) state, then don't buy it. Think "perimeter shopping" - stick to fruits, veggies, meat/chicken/fish, nuts.

For me, I'm learning that something like an 80/20 paleo lifestyle works for me. Reduced carbs (eventually, minimal or NO carbs), and plenty of meat and veggies. Although, veggies are also carbs. But if you've done your research, you know that, and you know the differences between the two.

But back to food... I've made some AMAZING paleo dishes, mostly which I get on PaleOMG.  Not only is that chick hilarious, but her grub rocks.  Kudos.  I'm like the new best friend she doesn't know about.  But not stalker-y.  But back on topic... I can't completely cut out carbs. I'm a sucker for an awesome curry rice dish (I'm pretty sure my husband and I have mastered it!). But, I've found that reducing carbs big time does make a difference in my training, so I'm slowly reducing them in my life.

But in the end, it's all about how you feel. I covered two of my three favorite things... working out and food. Now, for the silver lining stuff.  If there is one thing I can tell you about Brazilians: they are the happiest people you'll ever meet. I have a feeling that is a decent contributor to why I married one (of course, he's particularly amazing, so don't think the great smile is the only thing that sold me!).

So, while my blogging may have stopped, my life didn't slow down at all. I've missed sharing my discoveries of life's little uncertainties... and hope that I'll have more to contribute going forward. Hopefully you'll enjoy, cuz...  I'm back and I'm feeling better than ever :)