Paleo Learning Curve

So as with any lifestyle change, there is a lot to learn when deciding to go paleo. It can be so overwhelming at first. When I first started looking into it I sort of felt like it was out of reach. I couldn't imagine eliminating so many food groups, and finding the time and money to live this way. So I started trying to do some research online. There is TONS out there. But I felt like most of it wasn't what I was looking for.

There were a lot of fitness experts, health fanatics, and "power couples" who shared useful tips, but the recipes included crazy, hard to find (and really expensive) ingredients, and honestly the food didn't look like something my husband or two year old would be pleased with. They are doing great things, I just didn't feel like it applied to my lifestyle. So I started to wonder is it was really possible for ME to do this. Let me qualify what "me" means here...

I am a...mom, wife to a husband who doesn't care much for nutrition, and doesn't get excited by a healthy lifestyle, full time student/part time hairstylist (aka not a ton of time to worry about food prep), pregnant, non paleo expert, girl who is living on a very tight student budget. I needed to make this work on little time, little money, and normal yummy food my family would enjoy eating. SO! That being said, I thought I would share some things I learn as I go on this journey. Just in case anyone out there is more like me.

Let me say again, I do NOT consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I am learning as I go, and it is really working for me. So what have I learned so far?

• The cook book Paleo Slow Cooking, by Chrissy Gower is AMAZING. The ingredients are normal, the prep is short, and the food is great. I can throw it in the crock pot before I leave in the morning and we come home to a delicious dinner ready and waiting. If you are serious about going paleo, this book is worth your money.
• Getting everything you can't have out of the house, and fully stocking your pantry with lots of things you can have, will eliminate the temptation to cheat. Sure, I cheat, but having to go out and get the item I am cheating with rather than having it at my constant reach is key. When there is a good variety of things I can have always around me, I am less inclined to think of the things I can't have.
• It is possible to make paleo dessert, but in my opinion it is better to just limit your desserts and eat the real thing when you decide to splurge. The paleo brownie isn't as good as a real brownie...so just eat the real one, but make sure it is limited, and worth it.
• When it comes to the 85% rule, rather than going crazy and having anything and everything with the other 15%, use it for small things. Ryan for example doesn't like using lettuce for his taco shells like I do, so he uses corn tortillas and counts that towards with cheats. While pregnant a glass of milk in the morning makes me feel so much better sometimes, so a few mornings a week I allow myself a nice glass of milk with breakfast. Sure there have been bigger splurges in there too, but plan your week ahead and think of when you might need to cheat. Just plan. It makes it so much easier.
• On that note, make a menu. If you just come home and have no dinner plans, you will be far more tempted to go for quick and easy and often not healthy. Simply having a plan will eliminate so much stress. Chances are if you don't have a meal planned, you will venture off the path.
• That being said, have "quick fixes" ready. I like to grill chicken, hard boil eggs, and wash and chop fruits and veggies to have in the fridge at the beginning of each week. This way when plans fall through, or you are hungry and in a hurry, there are healthy options quick and easy there for you. 
• Make sure you have variety. I get bored easily. I can't have the same thing everyday for very long. It is nice to have staples to fall back on, but get creative. I have found at the beginning it was very helpful for me to stick to the book. Make exact recipes, and stick to the really straightforward option. The longer I go now, the more I am venturing out and trying my own creations and recipes. I think it is so fun to sit and think of new meals I can make. But having a hard copy cook book is awesome in the beginning to give you direction.
• There are a few things we always cheat on. I don't buy grass fed beef, organic, or worry too much about spices being totally paleo approved. This helps keep things within budget, and makes finding ingredients simple.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Almost everything you need is found there, rather than in the middle. 
• Eat less expensive meats, and go heavy on the veggies. This keeps cost down.

We really have been loving our paleo journey. Ryan has admitted several times that he feels so much better after a paleo meal then after a cheat meal. I am also loving it being pregnant. I can't believe how much better I feel so far with this pregnancy than I did with Kyle. There is no comparison. I still have a lot to learn, but it is going well so far. I will keep you posted as I go, and any recipes I try that I make up, or find online rather than a copywrited cookbook I will try to share every now and then. Happy eating! 

Victory

It is easy for me to look through "defeat goggles" at the end of each day. I see what I didn't get done or what i didn't do well enough. Today I decided I should count my victories instead. Just the small things, like getting the laundry done (or started even), getting a work out in, learning something at school, making Kyle laugh, or sometimes just making it home to say I lived another day. Every day is full of victories. And sometimes I like to remember the big victories in my life so far to motivate me to remember that I can do hard things.

If you allow it I think the daily victories will always trump that day's defeats. It just depends on which ones you are willing to count up at the end of each day.

Ya scared me!

Just some thoughts for this lovely Thursday...

I'm scared, like terrified, to have another baby. 

I'm scared to go through postpartum depression again...first months of Kyle's life were literally the very worst months of my life so far. I was beyond a mess. It surprised me, I was unprepared, and I didn't want to admit that to anyone. But it was a very dark place, and going back there scares me stiff. I am glad now I don't blame myself for feeling that way anymore. I dream of being a PPD awareness activist someday, cause holy smokes it is so real. People out there need to be aware, and to be helped.

I'm scared of gaining a million pounds and losing all my sense of identity like last time.

I'm scared to give a speech in public speaking tonight...eek.

I'm scared of how long this awkward hair phase of mine is lasting...my head is a bulb. Its cool.

I think it is ok to be scared sometimes.

I have overcome a lot of fears in the last few weeks. I'm proud of that.

I am obsessed with my chemistry class, which is both shocking and confusing. Doing chemistry with Ryan after Kyle goes to sleep is honestly something I look forward to.

I will never be a vegetarian and I wish one of my professors would stop trying to force it on us. Seriously guy, to each their own. Back off.

My favorite playlist is full of One Direction, Justin Timberlake, and the Beibs. And I am totally ok with that.

I feel happy and lucky to be living this life.

I want to redecorate my house, but I need someone else to pick everything out.

I sometimes feel like I am living in the twilight zone, but since it is a smooth ride I don't mind.

Ryan is my favorite person, best friend, and the coolest person I know. He is also hilarious, and plays air tennis really well while watching the Open.

I really look forward to going to class, even the hard ones.

Kyle is the coolest little kid I have ever known. I try to live like I deserve to have him around, cause he is a treat.

Doing something every single day that pushes me a little is proving to be a tiring, but awesome way to live. I really feel like I am growing. I am so grateful for it. 

Have an awesome Thursday!

Kyle Favorites

A few things Kyle has done/said lately that I want to remember

• My most not favorite thing that has started is Kyle's fits, temper tantrums, throwing things, hitting other kids, and inability to share. Anything. Terrible 2's? He is still the sweetest most of the time though.
• Said while Ryan was tickling him and he was trying to talk to me "hey, hey, hey, I talking to Mommy"
• I asked him to come eat his breakfast and he said " I be back in a few minutes Mommy..." and went to play with his toys.
• "I wake up!"...every single morning as he busts out of his room.
• He walked in on me getting dressed and said "Oh mommy you nude! So Handsome!"...oh dear.
• "Where my Nemo phone? I need call Mick Mouse"...every morning.
• On a call with Mick when we were trying to get out the door, "Ok Mick Mouse, I got go, I got go now."
• Getting him out of jammies every morning is a battle.
• Most mornings he runs into my salon, climbs into the chair and says, "haircut please Mommy."
• Said to me the afternoon before my nail appointment, "um where your colors Mommy?"...then he suggested I choose green next time.
• His songs he makes up while sitting at the piano are getting better and better.
• He remembers specific things about people forever. Kelsey gave him strawberries while babysitting him days ago and still every once and a while he says, "Kelsey give me strawberries, yummmmy" just out of nowhere.
• On school mornings when Ryan and I are heading out "Mommy Daddy stay home!"...sad.
• As soon as Ryan walks in the door he grabs his finger and says, "come play, come play Daddy"

I wish I could remember everything. He is just so small that most things he says make me laugh. He is so grown up now, and I love it.

Coming Out

I have been debating on weather to blog about this...mostly because I don't like to deal with the drama of people's opinions. Before I go any further let me be clear, I am talking about diet here not some big secret issue. I eat Paleo. That's it.

I first heard of the Paleo diet about a year ago when my brother started doing it. I have always been against any eating plan that didn't allow flexibility and some indulgences so I quickly wrote him off as crazy and didn't think much more about it. Then time passed and I started to think about it again. Besides my brother turning into a lean machine, I wanted to achieve better health...I was on the hunt.

I have a nutrition background as I spent most of my time at BYU before as an exercise science major. I am sort of a nutrition nerd. I love the chemistry behind it and I love understanding what your body does with what you give it. (I get so giddy and passionate and diet and exercise. I love to watch it change my life, and would love nothing more than to help others experience that joy. My favorite part of doing hair is helping people feel better about themselves. By finishing my exercise and wellness degree I also hope to learn the tools I need to help myself and others achieve their own personal happy place). I also love carbs, sugar, and junk food of all kinds. I also have always struggled with digestion problems, stomach pain, feeling like a blob, needed my gallbladder out, and so much more.

It was in November I believe that I drove my brother home from the airport. We started talking Paleo and it started making a lot of sense. He gave me a book to read. I finished it in two days. I was almost a believer. It made so much sense to me. Returning to our roots, eating how people ate before cancer, infertility, obesity and type two diabetes were commonplace in our society. I wanted to know more, so I read another book. I loved this one even more than the first. It was full of WHY Paleo is smart. The science is there. The logic is there. I loved this not as a diet to lose weight, but I decided I wanted to adopt it as my permanent way of life.

Ryan was not so easy to convince. He likes to be healthy, but doesn't care much at all about actual nutrition or what the food is doing inside his body. He doesn't struggle with any major health problems, and thought Paleo sounded extreme and difficult. However, he wanted to lose some weight, and since I was converting he said he would give it a try. The longer he does it the more I am convinced he might never go back.

So what is Paleo? In short, it is a "hunter gatherer diet". It is dairy free, grain (and therefore gluten) free, and sugar free, with the exception of fruit. It also encourages fresh food free of additives and preservatives. You eat this way 85% of the time, meaning three meals a week can have "cheats" in them, though I rarely find a need to venture out of Paleo approved foods.

I am new to this. I don't know everything. I don't expect everyone to think it is a wonderful idea, but it is something I am becoming more and more passionate about. I believe in it. Being pregnant, I am clearly not in it for the weight loss, I am in it for a healthy lifestyle.

In the short time since I started hardcore Paleo, I have already noticed changes. Including:

• more energy
• better quality of sleep at night
• weight loss (for Ryan)
• Fat loss for me. 
• very healthy steady pregnancy weight gain. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with Kyle. It was in no way healthy and I felt terrible all the time, even worse after delievery. I lost control. This time so far I am on a MUCH healthier track to gaining only the weight needed for a healthy pregnancy.
• Virtually zero digestion pains or issues.
• no more lethargic blah feeling after we eat
• improved body image
• A whole new perspective on food. When I choose not to eat something it isn't because "that will make me fat", it is because "that is not good for me, it won't make me feel good". This is such a healthier, more positive way to live emotionally.
• I don't obsess about food as much. I don't crave things terribly. 
• Tonight we ate our first "cheat" meal...afterwards Ryan said "wow, I don't feel good at all. I think I would have rather eaten completely Paleo"....I am converting him! Not me really, the results do the converting. 
• I have gotten creative in the kitchen. I love preparing our meals.

I have hesitated saying anything publicly for a few reasons. I really am not a confrontational person. I don't like to argue. It is totally fine if you don't agree with me, and I am open to friendly conversation, but I hate feeling attacked. It is not how I roll. I also feel so new at this I feel silly claiming it as my lifestyle, and I still don't have all the answers. Lastly, I considered waiting for 3 to 6 months and reporting more results. BUT then I thought..

Why not share my journey? Maybe you have been considering Paleo? Maybe you have never heard of it? Maybe you want to try it but find it intimidating or overwhelming? Well whatever the case may be, I hope maybe I can help a little by sharing my journey. Sure, I want to have all those great physical results too. Who doesn't want to look great? But for now, I am embracing how healthy and free I feel, even being pregnant. So I am sharing. I am learning as I go, but finding it is much easier than I anticipated and think I will love documenting my learning here. This isn't a resolution, or a short term diet, this is a lifestyle, and I am loving living it!

Resources:

If you want to know more I HIGHLY recommend reading:

The New Evolution Diet by Art De Vany

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

And an awesome cook book to get you started is:

Paleo Slow Cooking by Chrissy Gower

I refuse to become that preachy annoying person always talking about this. But this blog is a place where I can share whatever I want, so I will!

Dr. Seuss

"You're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way."

Story time is sometimes the most insightful time of my day.

Resolutions

It is that time of year again. I actually love it. I love the feeling of the fresh start. I love setting goals. I love reflecting and seeing how far I have come, and where I could use improvement. This year is no different...but as I make resolutions I really think I only have one.

This year is full of new territory for me. I start a 17 credit semester at BYU tomorrow. College itself is not new, but doing it like this, in the phase of life is all new. It makes me nervous. I am not nervous I won't be able to do it, I know I can, but at what cost? I am stressed about always having arrangements made for Kyle. I am stressed about juggling home and school. I am stressed that maybe I am asking too much from too many people. But most of all, honestly, I am worried about becoming that stressed out monster I know I once was.

For most of my life I was obsessed about taking on as much as possible. Starting in high school I worked too many hours, and put way too much pressure on myself. Telling people how much I was juggling became a source of pride. Like, look how much I can handle! Idiocy. My first year of BYU nearly killed me. I was a mess. If not for a good roommate to talk me down and play hilarious sloth videos online, I would have exploded from stress. Anyways that pattern has always continued. I take on too much, and everyone close to me suffers because of it.

Then one day a little less than two years ago I snapped out of it. I was doing it to myself, so why don't I take control of it? I not only started finding ways to deal with the stress life threw at me, I started to eliminate the stress itself. I didn't take on so much. I made time to do things that made me really happy. I focused on being my happy self and being present to the people most important to me. I asked Ryan to help keep me in check, and he deserves a trophy for his patience with me through it all. I have been in such a good place. Sure I still get irritable, but my stress induced tantrums have been eliminated. I no longer find myself lashing out at the people close to me. I have loved it. I say no to things I don't think I can take on, I set limits for myself, and I accept change and disappointment so much better.

I still feel like school is the right thing for me right now. I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to not only finish what I started, but spend a lot of time each week learning about something I am passionate about. But about a week ago it got real. I started really thinking about everything going back to school actually meant. A lot of time away from Kyle, always having someone to watch him while I am at school, finding time to do homework, balancing my hair clients, working out getting Ryan and I too and from work and school with only one car, keeping my house clean and food made, and finding time for down time with Ryan and Kyle as well as personal down time to do my stress coping activities. Not to mention I found out I have to go spring term, which means I have to have a baby one day, and go to class the next. Stay with me here this is not meant to be a "I am going to be so busy pity me" tangent...My point is when I realized all of these things I was suddenly in a four day long bad mood. No fun, snappy, irritable, unhappy Julie had returned.

This is when it really hit me. I was totally letting even the thought of this new schedule stress me out to the point of wallowing in total self absorption. I am so grateful for this realization because I feel like it allowed me to get things in check before it was too late. Going back to school is a gift, all the family and friends I have to help me are gifts, Ryan being the world's most patient and supportive man is a gift, Kyle is a gift, having another baby regardless of the timing with school is a tremendous gift, and being able to still work a bit and keep some extra money for our family coming in is a gift. These are all wonderful things. Sure, it will be new and challenging. It will be different than what we are used to and some days I am sure I will curse the day I decided to drag our family into it, but it is all ok. I can only do my best. It is only a short season for us.

So what is this long drawn out novel getting to? My only resolution this year? To remain kind, loving, and happy to everyone, including myself, but most of all to Ryan and Kyle. Regardless of the stress or curve balls I encounter, I need to handle it. No excuses. Bring it on 2013, I think I am finally ready.

Winter Break

I thought about breaking this all up into smaller posts, but then I decided to just mash it all into one. The whole winter break. Sledding, family time, Christmas, my sister's visit, and more. It has been jam packed!

Before the official start of the break we were lucky enough to get some time with Kate and Jeff! They came and stayed a night with us and as always, we loved it. We stayed up too late but had a great time, so it was worth it. Kyle loved having them back in the house, and enjoyed Jimmer coming along too.

That weekend we went for some sledding in Heber with the Lundgreen family.  It was a beautiful day. I love having an in law family I like so much. I also love to sled. I only went down a few times but I love how I feel like I am 5 years old while I do it. Watching Ryan was probably my favorite part...topped only by Kyle's love of riding around with Grandpa in the ATV and digger. Ryan had a few wipe outs that were really fun to watch:)

CHRISTMAS

Next was the arrival of the Brown's! I have mentioned before how much I ADORE my sister. Having her family in town for the holiday was perfect. We started things off with Christmas Eve. Ryan and I got to watch the kids for a bit in the morning which I loved. I did the girls' hair and nails, and then it started snowing. Watching 4 little kids react to a snowstorm when they have never seen it before was pretty great.

Later we had the traditional clam chowder dinner (my faaaaaaaavorite) and a little Christmas program. It was so fun to have my family there. As much as I love my parents, spending Christmas as an only child was never my favorite. I loved having everyone there. I can't forget to mention how much Kyle loved his jammies he opened. They were Mickey Mouse (duh) and holy smokes. I thought he would like them but he couldnt stop dancing and singing that he was happy! It is also now a daily battle to get him to wear anything else. Then Ryan and I came home and helped Kyle put cookies out for Santa. Then we just sat and chatted by the tree. It was so peaceful and perfect. I am so in love with my own little family time. There is truly nothing I love more.

Christmas morning was so fun this year! Kyle actually slept in more than he ever has in his life...Ryan and I were up, dressed, and making crepes by the time our little man came walking out of his room. The very first thing he did was run to check the cookies (so grateful we remembered to empty the plate last minute). Then he ran in and saw his Mickey mouse holding his stocking. His reaction was amazing. We ate our crepes, opened our presents and then headed over to visit my family for a bit.

Christmas afternoon we had dinner at Ryan's sisters house. it was great! Her husband is an AMAZING cook so I knew the food would be amazing, but everything looked so pretty and it was fun to see all the family. We can't thank them enough for hosting, I know it was so much work. We had a great time.

We finished the day back at my parents just chatting and relaxing. Christmas night is always such a weird feeling. Like all of a sudden it is over. It always goes so fast.

OTHER FUN
The rest of the week was packed with fun stuff. I think I will do the highlights bullet style.

• Giving Michelle a whole new look
• Kyle getting to play with cousins around the clock
• Being surrounded by family all the time
• Going to City Creek and to see the lights
• An amazing date night with Chris and Michelle
• Getting box seats at a Jazz game!! 
• Trying and LOVING Thai food
• Going to Heber with my family to sled 
• Shopping with Michelle
• Cafe Rio
• Ryan and Chris getting to play a lot of tennis
• Cutting the girls' hair
• Snuggling Miles
• Going to Build A Bear with all the kids. Kyle loved it.
• Having everyone get to know Kyle a little better.
• Lunch with Mom and Michelle
• Ryan being able to spend so much time at home
• Watching Pitch Perfect
• The pumpkin drop...where my dad throws huge pumpkins off the silo and we watch the explode
• Playing in the snow over and over again
• Me, Ryan, AND Kyle making it all the way to midnight on New Years Eve.

And some pictures.

2012

It was a great year. Some things to remember:

• Chopped my hair shorter than ever before
• Ryan went to Ohio for a week on business
• Ryan presented at a conference in San Diego and was published!!!
• Ryan decided to go for the PhD
• I decided to go back to school, applied, got in, and registered.
• I had my gall bladder out, and knee surgery. Both were unexpected.
• Kyle grew up SO much.
• Kyle turned TWO! What?
• We went on trips to San Diego and Dallas
• We went to three MLB games
• Ryan finished his second year of grad school
• I ran a few races, including the SLC Half and the terrible Migraine Half as I now call it.
• Ryan quit sugar and lost weight
• We found out we are having a little girl next year and finished half the pregnancy
• We played a lot of Candy Land and Monopoly
• We had Kate and Jeff live with us for the summer
• Kyle went from crawling, to walking, talking, and acting like he is 20.
• Ryan passed all his qualifiers and officially became a PhD student...meaning we decided to stay two and a half more years.

And so much more. 2013 freaks me out, but that is for a whole other post. I feel like we learned a lot, and made a few life altering decisions this year, but at the same time it feels like we just sort of floated through it. A lot happened, and yet it feels uneventful. I think I am just grateful for years like 2012. It had trials for sure, and plenty of happy times too. It was well balanced and sort of....calm? At times it felt intense, but overall it was a happy year full of a lot of good lessons, and good times. I feel ok about it coming to an end. Let's move on!