Day 2: Food & Fitness Challenge 18/52

Day 2 of the Food Challenge is in the books! Breakfast was greek yogurt with cinnamon and berries. I still don’t love the taste of the yogurt; so, I played “how much cinnamon can I put in this before it turns into the cinnamon challenge?” Lunch was veggies and hummus. I also had turkey because I hate hard boiled eggs. Lunch was more veggies. Dinner tonight was Mediterranean turkey burgers. Basically, it was turkey, spinach, and onions with a greek yogurt dill sauce. It was fantastic! One of the benefits to cooking for one is that I have tons of leftovers! It forces me to measure out portions, but it’s so worth it.

Workout today was yoga. It was nice to slow it down a bit because I was SORE from cardio the day before. Yoga made me feel much better at the fitness side of this journey than cardio did. Afterwards, shake #2. I decided to go with my strongest option- nonvegan chocolate. I  used almond milk, a banana, and peanut butter for this one. This time, I shook the powder with the liquid before blending. I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. This shake was AWESOME! It wasn’t grainy at all, and it tasted fantastic. It tasted like real chocolate, and I felt like I was getting away with something. It cured that chocolate craving. I popped it in the freezer for about 5 minutes, and it was perfect. It definitely redeemed my hope for shakeology. I have no reason to lie to you. I wouldn’t pretend to like it. I get paid nothing for saying I like it. It was worth it. I could see myself drinking it long term.Tomorrow, I choose between regular vanilla and vegan chocolate.

Day 3 is a new workout and the food from Monday. We’ll see how it goes!

 

Day 1: Fitness Challenge 17/52

As promised, here is my recap of day 1 of 5 in my Beach Body Adventure:

Monday at work, I didn’t eat much in the morning in fear of being starving later. I just equated meal planning with being hungry. That was NOT the case. Breakfast was two eggs, lunch was the epic quinoa turkey burrito bowl. It tasted fantastic and was super filling. It’s also very photogenic! I also had veggies and dip(made with greek yogurt and dill). I’m not a lover of greek yogurt, but it’s growing on me. I also got hummus as a substitute for cheese from dinner; so, I was happy.  After work, I had a 30 minute cardio workout. It was super convenient because they have them all online on demand. No dvds to lose, and you could easily put it on your tv instead of the laptop. I liked the cardio video I did. The instructor was clear at explaining each movement, and he was making jokes to the other demonstrators; so, you’re laughing while you work. It was challenging without being impossible.

After you’re finished your workout, you get your shakeology for the day. I started with Vegan Vanilla with coconut water and mixed berries.   It was absolutely terrible. I’m not even going to lie to you. It was awful. My mom and I tried adding almond milk to it, but that made it worse. So, I threw it in the freezer in hopes that’d help. It didn’t. It was super grainy, and the ninja did little to mix it better. I’m hoping to doctor it up and salvage it for another day. Dinner was spaghetti squash. I’m not going to lie, it intimidated me. I was afraid of the texture and the initial taste. HOWEVER, this will be one of my new favorite foods. I also will keep this sauce recipe forever. I didn’t even mind that it was turkey instead of beef. I also added a good amount of basil, but that’s just who I am as a person. I loved that one squash made enough for 5 whole portions. So, it was once and done for the week.  Again, fancy food photos! 

On to day 2!

A Short Term Adventure: With Food&Fitness 16/52

If you know me, you know I’m always up for an adventure. What started as a simple Facebook contest has landed me a new 5 day adventure with Beach Body. My friend, Kandalyn, is a coach, and when she offered me a 5 day challenge, I really couldn’t find a good excuse to say no. 5 days can’t kill me, right? So, what you all get is a 5 day honest(and maybe a little too honest) review of the Beach Body program.

Starting tomorrow, I have some low key work outs do to, and a meal plan I’m kind of excited to eat through. The part I am not so excited for is their Shakeology. I’ve never liked the idea of throwing some mystery powder into my drink for the sake of health/weight loss. I’ve also had some texture nightmares with those kind of supplements in the past.

Here’s what I expect:
1. To lose a pound or two. Because I’m planning meals and being specific about what I eat, I expect to see a small loss on the scale.
2. To absolutely hate these shakes. (I’m not kidding when I say I’m dreading them.) 
3. To be hungry and cheat a little bit. Most likely in the late evenings.
4. To end up thinking it’s a nice idea, but it isn’t worth the calculated effort.

Here’s to the next 5 days.

The Christian Atheist: 15/52

Sometimes,  you don’t find a book. The book finds you. That’s absolutely the case for my February read. I was at a Goodwill, and the book was a dollar. I saw the title, thought it was interesting; so, I bought it. At the time, I wasn’t familiar with the author or the book itself. It was a DOLLAR. It was a justified purchase. After reading the book, dollar well spent.

Christian Atheist is an odd term for most people. Normally, these are contradicting titles. However Craig Groeschel’s book The Christian Atheist loosely framed by Titus 1:16 quickly confronted readers with their inconsistency.  Simply put by one of the people Craig encountered, a Christian Atheist is someone who would say ” I know my life doesn’t look like a Christian’s should but I do believe in God.” Christian Atheists are people who believe but they fail to turn those beliefs into outward change. “We are created to be living examples of God’s love to a hurting world. We believe in God but our lives don’t  reflect who He really is.”

Lessons I’m Learning…Slowly.14/52

I fell off the wagon a bit. My New Years Resolutions have mostly gone out the window. As I wrote that last sentence, I realized that I need to wash the makeup off of my face before I kill that commitment, too…Anyway. I’ve taken a hiatus from those things the past month or so as I dealt with some life transitions and health situations.  Through the past few months, I’ve been using pinterest as my primary coping skill for describing my feelings. Because my brain is not in a place to get back to full content mode, welcome to life lessons through pinterest graphics.

Things I’m Excited For 13/52

We have over a foot of snow on the ground. I’ve been sick for almost a full week. It goes without saying(but I’m going to say it anyway) I’m going absolutely insane. In order to not go completely crazy, here is a list of things I’m really excited to do when the weather is warmer!

1 . Picnics-
When it’s warm, we use pretty much any excuse to eat outdoors.  I keep at least one of these picnic blankets in the back of my car at all times. Just in case of an impromptu hang out.
2. 
Kayaking: There are so many parks and lakes within a 30 minute drive of my house. I’m not sure how I lived here for so long before learning. I went kayaking with the staff of the summer camp where I used to work, and I have loved it ever since. A kayak will probably be my first big selfish adult purchase.
3.
Fishing: I get to go fishing maybe once a year. My goal is to go  a lot more this year. My little cousins really love it; so, it’ll be good bonding with them.

4.
Going to the beach: I haven’t been to the beach in multiple years. This is a crime and an injustice in my life, and I will NOT stand for it. I will go to the beach at least twice this year. Maybe even for my birthday. We’ll see.

5.Mountain sunsets: I live 5 minutes away from one of my favorite view of the mountains ever. I’ll be spending a lot more time just hanging out there enjoying the view and the warm weather…and maybe even the pool.

“Learn To Rest” ..And Other Advice I Ignore 12/52

Welcome to confession time. I’d like to say I’m pretty good at giving advice. I am not, however, always good at taking it. This week I’ve had some forced lessons in some of those hard to follow directions.

1.REST: I’m really bad at resting. I always have some kind of noble reason not to. There’s always work to be done. Between 18 inches of snow(ew) and being sick all week, I have had no choice but to rest. My body and brain have obviously needed it. It took a trip to the ER on Friday night to finally give in. This was only after spending the day out with friends and prepping to go to an all day conference. Yeah, my version of resting is going to a youth ministry conference.

2. Taking a break: These things go hand in hand. If I’m working on something, I am not the “let’s put a pin in this and come back later.” I am the we’re going to finish this and it will be the best it can possibly be type of girl. If I’m going to start something, I want to finish it. I’m starting to learn that sometimes, the project isn’t yours to finish, and that’s okay. 

So, because of these two things. You’ll see I’ll be ALLOWING MYSELF to get behind on where I wanted to be with blogging, book reading, and other tasks. Rest is more important than a self-made to do list.

Adventure Is Out There: February Update 11/52

So, back in January, I decided to be delusional ambitious and make a lofty list of New Year’s Resolutions. You can read that post here! Here’s where I am at the end of February.

Daily
1. I have succeeded in washing my makeup off every day before I go to bed.
2. I have not read something from the Bible every single day.
3. I obviously have not journaled every day.
4. I have had real conversations with at least 3 people every day.

Weekly
1. I think I missed doing laundry one week.
2. Purging stuff once a week was ambitious.
3. Blogging has gone pretty good! I think I’m still at least 1 week ahead.
4. I haven’t had a full intense with vacuum cleaning of the jeep, but I have definitely been intentional about taking things out of it.

Monthly
1. I am almost done my second book. I started a Bible study that has a lot of journaling type questions and readings to go along with it- so it kind of counts. Maybe as a 1/2 point?
2. I am on track so far with mail. I need to send it for March. I have some stuff ready to go. I lost my fun sized mailing envelopes though. So the fun stuff has to wait.

I Have This Hope 10/52

Bragging moment. Back in January when I went to Winter Jam,  one of my friends won the chance to meet one of our favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North! We have a long standing deal that we share the rewards of any winning within reason. I’ve loved TAN since I first saw them live in 2010 at Night of Joy in Disney. They weren’t well known outside of Florida, and they definitely weren’t as big of a deal as they are now. Every time I see them, I’m blown away. On their newest album, there’s a song called “I Have This Hope.” You can listen to their version with another one of my favorite artists, Matt Maher, here!

I loved the song from the beginning, but I didn’t hear the story behind it until much later. Jeff’s sister in law was diagnosed with cancer. They tell the story of writing this song for her as a reminder of God’s presence in the midst of trials. I first heard the story on the radio on my way to work. I had to pull over. So many of us have love ones who have been affected by cancer. I’m not immune to being a part of that “so many.”  It’s been a long 6 or 7 months  for my family. I cry every time I hear someone retell the story of Jeff’s sister in law. They talk about their struggles as they watch someone they love going through their worst moments. Is God good? Is God even there? How could He let these things happen?

But sometimes my faith feels thin,
Like the night will never end.
Will You catch every tear?
Or will You just leave me here?

These past few months, I’ve related to that more than I want to admit. Christian culture has this false idea lie that if you’re a Christian, life is going to be easy. If you’re a real Christian, you’ll never doubt or question anything. This is a lie, and like all lies, it damages our souls.  I am just a person, and I am not God. I’m not the Creator of the Universe. I am not the Savior of the World. I am also not condemned for my moments of doubt and pain because  if there’s anyone who knows about suffering, it’s Jesus Christ. When Job found himself in dire situations, he presented his case to God. And not only was God able to withstand being questioned by Job, He answered Job’s questions. God’s existence, goodness, and sovereignty is not dependent upon my consistency. It is based simply upon His character.

It’s really easy to get stuck in that mindset. Fear is paralyzing. What if God doesn’t come through? We are so human and so easy to forget that God is faithful to keep His promises. Hebrews 6:19 says that we have HOPE as an anchor for our souls. An anchor is meant to be a stable, constant force in a time of turmoil. That’s who Jesus is. Even we we doubt Him. Even when we don’t see Him working in a situation. Even when we’re broken and hurting and walking in the midst of trials. I have an anchor tattoo on my ankle for crying out loud yet I forget the truth of Hebrews 6:19 and Isaiah 43:2.

Isaiah 43:2 says “When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.”

This verse reminds us that we cannot always avoid the trial, but God is present in everything. There is no place we will go where God will no go with us, and He has not gone before us. No matter what the situation-” I have this Hope in the depth of my soul. In the flood or the fire, You are with me, and You won’t let go.”

Dear Younger Me 9/52

In 9th grade, our English teacher had us write a letter to our future self. I’m sure it was filled with inside jokes and things I thought I’d want to remember. I probably did my best to sound wise. We talked about our hopes, what we thought we’d being doing as college freshman, and what we saw ourselves doing long term. At that time, I definitely didn’t know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So, I can only imagine what 9th grade me pictured herself studying. I remember someone in the class put $20 in that envelope. Freshman year of college, she mailed them to us. I remember my excitement getting mine. As I write this, I cannot remember one single thing from that letter. It’s funny how what was once so important is completely forgotten. The  small memories of the past fade quickly. However, there are some memories from our past that stay with us longer than we’d ever want. They set up camp and constantly remind us they exist, as much as we’d rather forget.