grum*chum

Whole30: Complete!

I did it! I’ve finished the 30 days of no-this, no-that, and now I’m slowly reintroducing foods into my diet.

I’m so glad I did this. It’s been 100% worth it.

I know when I wrote my initial goals for the Whole30, I mentioned losing weight, but truth is, there was a lot more that I wanted to learn from this experience. Weight was just the catalyst for actually doing it.

Ultimately, I wanted to learn about food, what’s in food, what food does to my body, learn about new recipes, and hopefully gain a healthier lifestyle (and mindset) regarding what I eat. I mean, I’ll be eating for the rest of my life, might as well learn healthy habits, right?!

I learned all of this and so much more. Let me explain:

• Detachment. Week one: I thought I was going to die. I had a major psychological fear of giving up grains, peanut butter and dairy - was I cRaZy?! By week two, I was fine. I knew I could live on meats, fruits and vegetables. It was amazing, though, because I had no idea that I had such a mental addiction to food. Glad that’s taken care of!
• Less is more. Seriously, I may never go back to the Chipotle burritos I ate before - with tortilla, rice, black and pinto beans, sour cream, shredded cheese. Now, with only four ingredients, the carnitas salad with pico de gallo and guac, has become my new favorite. I can taste each flavor and be completely content. (Plus, I don’t know what they put in their pulled pork, but it’s to die for!).
• Buying groceries is less scary. For someone who is over-sensitized walking into a grocery store, this diet allowed me to have tunnel vision: eat real food. If it’s a veggie, go for it. If it’s in a package with bright colors and ingredients you can’t pronounce, let it sit. Sure, I’m buying the same veggies and meats week-to-week, but I’m trying new combinations and making nutrients part of my daily diet.
• Meal Planning. At 24, I cook for myself. Just me. I can’t go overboard with buying lots of fruits and veggies at the beginning of the week, because if I go out to eat with friends or coworkers, it could all go bad before I get to it. I’ve adjusted to going to the grocery store probably twice each week, just when I run out of fresh goodies and need to restock my cabinet. Also, I learned early on that I don’t have to plan each meal in particular — I can just gather ingredients for the week and play it by ear. I usually get lots of veggies, fruit, some meat and just serve it up different almost every meal. Works great for me!
• The Science. Okay, so I don’t know everything there is to know about Paleo and why people eat like this all the time, but I did take the last 30+ days to try and learn. This time wasn’t just a “diet,” it was a time that I allowed myself to investigate deeply and broadly about food. I found that there are some pretty awesome people in the Paleo community - bloggers, pinterest recipes, etc. I still want to buy It Starts with Food (they don’t have it at the library. sad.) to really learn more. The Hartwigs have done ton of research, so I want to (at least) be responsible for learning what I can.
• Moderation. Oh, what a word. We “moderate” our intake of sweets and treats, but I realized I was never making sure I had enough of the nutrients my body requires. During Whole30, I was able to swing the pendulum the other way — making sure I was chock-full of the stuff my body needs. It’ll be interesting bringing this all into balance, but now I know how easy it is to snack on an apple and cashews versus a bag of pretzels or a Special K bar.
• The long run. I have a plethora of knowledge (and now personal experience) about food, and that was one of my goals from the beginning. I will use what I’ve learned to keep a “healthier” lifestyle for the long run. When I’m 35, I want to be making good food choices. That starts now. I may not be eating 100% Paleo, but at least I know what is “healthy” and what is “less healthy.”
• State of mind.  The Whole9 mentality is that food either benefits you or it doesn’t — that, I can remember. I love how the Hartwigs explain things. After Whole30, I have to re-enter the real world. I can’t “blame” my diet on the program anymore. I have to make food decisions by myself now — like a big girl, without the training wheels. I can eat a cookie if I want, but I don’t have to justify it — if I want to eat it because it tastes good, so be it! Food is good! Just eat the cookie, Allea. As long as I realize what is good and not-so-good for my body, I can move forward and just eat.
• Self-Control. Who knew?! I actually possess more self-control than even I imagined! Even if this was the only thing I learned from this experiment, it was worth it. I’m pretty darn proud of myself, actually! (Ask my friends, this was not an easy Whole30 — there was tempting food everywhere!)
• Healthier all around. When I wasn’t stuffed up on pasta, I felt more apt to workout during the Whole30. I could go run on the treadmill and not feel like I had to work double in order to burn off the bread roll I had with dinner. Instead, I knew all the food that I was eating was only benefiting my body. I feel more fit now, and I just feel better about my physical state in general.
• Other areas of my life. The Whole9 game-plan isn’t just about food — surprising, no? In fact, nutrition, sleep, exercise and state-of-mind are all really important to one’s overall health. In addition to changing my eating habits, I also incorporated more physical activity and made sure I was getting 8 hours of sleep each night. It’s my body and I’m the only one taking care of it, so I want to do it well.

Moving forward.

My goal is to eat Paleo meals at home. I can keep that part of my diet under control, considering I’m the one buying the food and choosing the recipes. However, this girl likes her peanut butter, milk and cereal. 

I’ve learned I don’t really need cheese on everything, that’s new (and easily applicable). I also don’t need a bun with my burger. As far as I’m concerned, those are kind of tasteless carbs that I just don’t want/need.

I’ll be able to say “no.” Sweets and treats are good, but now that I know I can say no, I will. I’ll save my treats for special occasions like birthdays, time with friends, etc. This means I’ll probably skip having a beer with dinner by myself (like I ever do that - it’s rare) but instead save it for when I’m hanging out with friends. Make it worth the memory!

I know I can have sweets and treats and not beat myself up. I’m eating healthy the rest of the time! I’ll no longer be eating frozen meals, and I’ll opt for a salad at McDonalds. Plus, you better believe I’ll keep making the most delicious snack ever (that means you, Mr. Sweet Potato Fries!).

Then, I’ll keep my sanity. I’m only human. Let the good habits continue!

We are welcome.

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.”

- Psalm 96:8

Challenge Accepted.

The Whole30 challenge, that is. 

After watching some amazing transformation in the life of my friend Kayla, then stumbling across this blogger’s story with the Whole30, I was game. For many reasons, but ultimately, I’d like to feel better about my “mid-section” (such a weird word for “tummy area”). After reading through Jessica’s whole post about her Whole30 journey, it was her picture of before and after that sold me. Her “before” picture is pretty much what I see in the mirror (lines and all.). And the fact that she changed her physical appearance by eating healthy food, continuing to exercise, having a source of encouragement (her husband), and was dedicated to learning more about new foods and her own dietary needs, was the spur I needed to get myself to a better version of me. 

Why do it?

• I’m 23. If I’m ever going to be in the best shape of my life, I best be getting to it now. Like, now now. And if it means I take out grains, beans, corn (!! I know. and I’m in Nebraska!), sugars, and dairy (a love of my life, that milk.), while learning about how certain foods affect my body, I’ll not only become a more healthy version of myself, but I’ll be a wiser, better equipped person [who really likes to eat].
• I love food! However, I stick to the same foods all the time. Corn, chicken, bread, pasta, peanut butter (the ultimate fave), milk and cereal. I want to learn about new foods, flavors, and ways to mix them all together.
• I want to create a lifestyle change. When I’m in my 40’s, I want to be feeding my family food that will benefit us nutritionally. It’s a habit of eating pasta or potatoes with every meal - that’s how I was raised - and it tastes dang good! But, I know these foods make me sluggish, so I might as well take this time to try and find food that will energize me!
• I’m taking it as a challenge of self-control and discipline. To not dive into a bag of peanut butter M&Ms or eat Chinese food with friends is going to be difficult, but I’ve never challenged myself this way. I’ve always just eaten “what I wanted to.”
• It’s only 30 days! Here’s to trying!

My fears?

• First of all, I fear close family or friends not understanding why I’m doing this. It’s not just a “diet” — no, I’m calling it a “change in diet.” I’m not starving myself. I’m not withholding “yummy” foods because I expect to drop 20 pounds within 30 days (which, I don’t want that, by the way.). I’m doing it because I’m practicing self-control.
• Of most of the recipes I’ve found online, the particular bloggers like a lot of coconut, raisins or mango. I hate [with a flaming passion, y’all.] all of those things. (Add one of those ingredients to any dish and I’ll avoid it like the plague.) BUT, a lot of those bloggers never mentioned eating apples, grapes or tomatoes. I just hope I can find enough recipes that I’ll actually like to try out. Thankfully, I love tomatoes and avocados; recipes using both are all over the place.

I’ve declared 2013 as a year of learning. Ask my roommates and they know that’s all I’ve talked about over the course of the last four months. I’m taking strides to learn about financing (started a retirement account like a big kid last month), the world I live in (by reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. I know.), my body (I joined a gym and love group classes), and fashion (trying new styles I’m not used to, while actually having money to spend on new items. #postgradrules).

However, all this time, I knew my day-to-day routines for meals and snacks were not the best. (Though not the worst. I mean, I snack on apples and peanut butter, but it’s after I had a wimpy bowl of cereal for breakfast. No bueno.) But the problem was that I didn’t know what to change to make it better. That, and I didn’t really have the mental capacity to try and learn it all, you know, with learning all those other things about my life. Luckily, the Lord had me in the place where I needed to be as I saw some great examples of how food could be a positive way to glorify Him though they way I eat. I am ready mentally, too, and I’m excited to learn more!

turning 24.

okay, it’s happening. I’m no longer just “23-and-a-half.” in fact, the “half” mark passed by a while ago…and I’m now less than one month from turning 24.

thus returns the struggle for contentedness. last year, around graduation, I had this struggle for the first time. probably because I was graduating college and could “now leave” if I “wanted to.” and the most prevalent thought in my mind was, “now, allea, you can only be 23 for one year of your life. where do you want to be?” — haunted by the following thought: “…in Lincoln where you’ve already been for a while, or in some big, exciting city, like New York City or Chicago?”

enter: discontent.

but, after assessing my love for Lincoln (seriously, that post took an hour to write), I’m more than okay with where I am going to be for Year 24. (and I hope to stick around for Year 25, 26…)

that addresses my physical “where,” but what about my social “where”?

let’s start by admitting that I’m a little bit frustrated with 18-year-old Allea.

at 18, I thought I would “have it all together” (or at the very least “have some of it together) and be starting “that relationship” which would lead me to being married “by the time I’m 26” — when I was 24.

darn it, self! you set really high expectations for Year 24!

let’s admit it, though. at 18, 24 seemed like light years away! a lot could happen in 6 years (holy crap, 6 years!) and it didn’t seem too far-fetched. but now that I’m turning 24, I need to confess my unmet expectations to myself and forgive 18-year-old me for setting a timeline only God can control. I guess I set these benchmarks because I needed to be okay with being single in college — as if all of these desires would come to fruition after college, then all would be made well.

no, allea. that’s not how it works.

but changing my mindset to not include timelines is weird for me. my whole life has been a matter of whens/wheres/whos/hows. setting a syllabus for when the “next phase” will occur will only deter my ability to live in the now. 

so I won’t. no more “by the time I’m _____” goals related to relationships. I want to love my world as it is now. I want to love myself as the conveniently single girl who can accomplish a lot of personal goals to better herself for the rest of her life.

24 will be a lot more than “hoping” for “mr. right.” and sorry to anyone who wants to know more about my dating life as a conversation point. I won’t go to the “pity Allea here” zone. it hurts my self-esteem to see singleness as a burden, plus it does no one any good. this is a good time in my life. a great time. I can be flexible with my days, read late into the night, watch an incessant number of music videos and celebrity interviews on youtube, get into the best physical shape of my life, learn to cook meals that are good for me, sleep in absolute silence, and travel anywhere on the globe. this is a great time in my life.

24 is going to be awesome.

where I am.

Last summer, I wanted to move to Nashville.

I had graduated, started a job, lost a job, and was seeking somewhere different. Somewhere where it was “cool” to live. Where coffee shops call out to you, new bands sprout up on street corners, welcoming parks are down the street and always picturesque, there’s a crowd of cool young professionals with new, innovative ideas, and where there’s a small, Gospel-preaching church just waiting for me to join.

That’s what I saw as Nashville. Granted, it probably is. But from my side of the computer, that’s how I saw a handful of people living in that city, and I was just “missing out” by being in Lincoln - the capitol of boring, flat, you-live-here-because-your-family-lives-here Nebraska. Yes, the Nashville women whose blogs I follow probably love that city more than life itself, and it shows, but I know that what I learned through the last 10 months has taught me a lot about where I am now.

I’ve come to appreciate the Star City. Surely, my “boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”

Little did I know, I have in Lincoln exactly what I would have searched for in Nashville. EXACTLY. Except, even better. It’s everything I would want in a city, but I get to enjoy it all with my friends, my church, my family, my people. I have it all here, and I’m not going anywhere fast.

Let me introduce you to Lincoln:

Cool coffee shops:

• Destinations (my go-to spot. I love the volunteers there who make the shop so welcome!)
• The Mill (both downtown and on Prescott)
• The Coffee House (aka. COHO)
• Mo Java (they have comfy chairs that are perfect for reading!)
• Indigo Bridge (bookstore + cafe + coffee)
• [the late] NuVibe (the downtown location closed, but the south location is still going strong; best smooties, hands down. go for the Velvet Elvis if you love peanut butter like I do.)

Delicious local restaurants:

• Yia Yia’s (pizza!! I go for “the pacific” every time.)
• Dozo (sushi)
• Ivanna Cone (okay, just ice cream, but still. awesome. also, they only take cash or check — don’t forget or you’ll have to use the atm.)
• Le Quartier (they only have, like, 5 choices of sandwiches or soups, which is grrreeat for an indecisive person like me. everything is amazing. plus, they’re a bakery, so they make their own bread. plus! it’s like Panera, but better…and that’s coming from me and I love Panera!)
• Haymarket Farmer’s Market (okay, not a restaurant, but you must go. it’s every Saturday morning, and it’s jam-packed with yummy produce and local crafts/artists, sometimes even with live music performances.)

Nebraska-only restaurants you must visit if you’re here:

• Runza (don’t be weirded out by the cabbage, it’s awesome; I suggest the cheese Runza, plus they have thebest fries. Ever. Also, I love their burgers. Skip Mickey D’s and go for Runza. So worth it.)
• Amigos (tex-mex at it’s finest. you want to get ranch sauce, trust me.)

Hip bars (that’s right, I said “hip”):

• The Tavern (you get to sit outside, with fire pits to keep you warm at night.)
• Yia Yia’s (they have beer from everywhere!)
• Lazlo’s (they make their own beer. “empyrean” - look it up)
• Zip Line Brewery (local beer. how very “Colorado” of us…)

Sweet, picturesque parks:

• Holmes Lake (go running around it one time, and that’s 2.3 miles. and the sunset views are amazing!)
• East Campus (they have some trails, but it’s mostly sidewalks and pretty trees.)
• Pioneer’s Park (I’ve only been there once, but I’m pumped to go back now that it’s nicer outside.)
• 128 miles of trails (not a park, but still, outdoors.)

Music venues:

• Mo Java (local bands play every Friday and Saturday night)
• Destinations (local bands play every now and then during the school year)
• Jazz in June (cannot say enough about how awesome Tuesdays are in June. we sit outside the Sheldon Art Gallery as music bounces off the University buildings, while we take in some sweet jazz performances. ride your bike there and you’ll feel like a hipster. do it. plus it’s free.)
• Pinewood Bowl at Pioneer’s Park (I have yet to go, but last summer they got Mumford & Sons to play for a sold-out crowd. Epic, Lincoln.)
• need more proof of sweet music in Lincoln? check out Hear Nebraska. that’s right, they’ve got it all. even the free summer music series put on the by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.
• The Arena. (Oh, sweet, awesome, the new arena. Actually, this should include all of the West Haymarket development. It’s going to make our oldest district even cooler with concerts by Pink!, Michael Buble, and Jason Aldean all within the first few months of opening this fall. It’s going to be epic.)

Places of sweet worship and great company:

• Grace Chapel (it’s been my home church for almost 4 years now. it’s such a great community of people who uphold the Word of God and are serving the community, as well as the Walt Hill reservation, plus Haiti — my dearest, Haiti.)
• Mosaic (I often listen to Aaron’s messages through podcasts when I’m traveling to Omaha for work.)
• 2 Pillars Church (I also listen to Todd’s messages. I have a lot of friends who go to 2PC, and I love getting to hear what they’re learning!)
• Lincoln Berean Church (way too big of a church for me to attend, but Pastor Brian’s message are always easy to understand, clear, and concise. I appreciate him a lot.)
• Rivertree (I used to go here in college because it was easy to walk to from UNL’s city campus. Greg Loy is super great.)

And bonus: the city as a whole got a branding makeover last summer, and it is 100% true. Lincoln is a place where you can live, eat, exercise, work, enjoy, worship and just “be.” It’s cheap to live here, it’s easy to get around, people are super super nice, and the number and quality of opportunities are only increasing.

If you haven’t been to Lincoln, you should come. It’s only getting better.