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Where in the world have I been?! I’ve been contemplating on when the “right” time to bring back my posts on GLOW would be. My last post was in July 2014 and I basically dropped off from posting here. So where did I go? Long story short, I fell off the wagon, got back up on the wagon, then ditched the wagon and got a tank. Now I’m bulldozing everything down in sight.
On January 1st, 2015 I made some major changes to my life. Normally, here would come the eye-roll and the exasperated “Oh God, New Year’s resolution #1,609 to be broken by February.” Honestly, I don’t know why I picked 1/1/15 to start over, or why I upheaved my entire lifestyle that day. And you know what? It doesn’t matter, because it’s now April 14th, 2015 and I have something to show for it. That is what held me back from updating and bringing GLOW back, to be honest. I wanted to prove to myself and to others that I was going to do this and stick with it. I wanted to prove that I was going to have both tangible and intangible results when I came back. So here’s what has changed in my life since that day via bullet-points:
- January 1st, 2015: Gave up drinking alcohol of all and any kind. I have not touched a drop of alcohol, not even a single sip. I know this may seem outrageous to some, but it just couldn’t be a part of my lifestyle anymore if I was going to be serious. Some people, like my husband, can run a 5k, go home and have beer, and then do it all over again. I simply do not feel my best physically OR mentally when I’m drinking alcohol. I have anxiety/panic disorder, which I’ve struggled with for over ten years now, and alcohol worsens my panic attacks and depression. I also simply perform worse during exercise and feel worse after drinking, even if it is only “one or two drinks.” Will I ever drink alcohol again? I’m sure I will. This year, I just needed to do what was best for me physically and emotionally, and going completely straight-edge with alcohol was the right decision for ME. Additionally, I no longer even crave it or think about it much. When everyone else is grabbing their beer or ordering their alcohol at dinner, I simply drink sparkling water or some other non-alcoholic drink that isn’t just plain water.
- January 1st, 2015: Gave up 90% of grain eating. This one was actually not necessarily a conscious decision, but came as a result of my dietary changes and what foods made me feel better or worse. I noticed after eating grains, I usually felt very sluggish, tired, and bloated. I don’t think I’ve had pasta of any kind in 2015 at all…maybe just a few bites of someone else’s meal. I don’t deprive myself of carbs, because I get them in non-grain form. Also, I do still eat grains occasionally, such as when I go to Panera and get half of a sandwich and a salad, or when I enjoy a Greek Chicken Wrap at my favorite local restaurant. I don’t deprive myself, but I consciously choose not to eat grains most of the time. With my PCOS, this has proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. I have a lot more energy and throughout all of winter, my immune system stayed strong.
- Since January 1st, 2015: Ran three 5K Charity Races. They tell you to find exercise you love doing or you won’t stick to it. This is 100% true. I have always been a runner since I was in high school and there has always been magic for me in hitting the pavement. The rhythm of my steps, the challenging of my body, the control of my breathing, and the feeling of accomplishment when I finish. We have done the Red Shoe Run, Race Against Hunger, and the YMCA Bunny Hop. Not only do you feel great giving to charity through your registration donations and meeting people in the community, you start to see familiar faces and feel a sense of camaraderie. I enjoy trying to beat my last time. I enjoy the personal competition with myself. I especially enjoy the “runner’s high” I get afterward. My husband always laughs at me because I will be absolutely giddy for the next several hours after a race! Endorphins are real!
- Since January 1st, 2015: Lost 30lbs. Yes, you read that right. Goodbye 30lbs! I never intend to find you again. It’s amazing how many people were very doubtful in the beginning of my journey, especially since it happened to coincide with New Year’s Resolutions. They made rude comments, they rolled their eyes, and they would even post suggestive statuses about how they couldn’t wait to see how many people jumped off the “Resolution Train” by February. I never did. I do try to weigh myself every week or two, but I don’t obsess over it. I simply mindfully make healthy choices about my eating, exercise, and live a clean lifestyle. The number keeps decreasing as I step onto the scale as a result. It’s been fantastic to see the inches fall off the tape measure, the sizing on my clothing go down, and the number on the scale go down, but really it’s a personal accomplishment that I did for myself and not for other people to praise me.
- March 2015: Changed My Hair to Pastel Purple. I did this because I feel more like “myself” than ever before. One of the things I’ve observed more than ever with people who “find themselves,” is that they start making little aesthetic changes…their clothing, haircut, hair color, makeup, etc. My favorite color is purple and I decided to just go for it. Now I feel like a magical fairy unicorn and the compliments I get on my hair in public come in droves. I made this change as part of my journey to looking and feeling more like “myself.”
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There have been so many accomplishments and personal dreams come true, both small and large. With that said, I still have a lot of goals and things I want to accomplish in the coming months. My husband and I have made it our 2015 goal to do one 5K race per month. We have our next one coming up this weekend, for a little girl with Optic Atrophy. And while I am currently trying to get over being sick with pneumonia (it happens, especially when running a lot of miles makes your immune system temporarily weaken), I have hope that I will be able to participate, even if I log my worst time ever.
I’ll be updating as I used to here on GLOW now. Hopefully at least every other day, as I’ve gotten tons of questions from many people all across social media and throughout my family and friend circles. The one question they all keep asking in some form or another is, “HOW?” I’ll be sharing my own lifestyle tips and tricks, what I eat, my favorite natural products, and my 5k race experiences with you. If you have any specific requests, of course leave them below in a comment or e-mail me.
I look forward to being back.