If it's easy, is it worth it?

So ... I had read that the first three days on the Zone diet would be the worst of my life. Thankfully, I can report my first three days haven't been that bad. I've had a few moments of hunger, but the hardest part has been not nibbling in between meals and snacks. I grew up on a dairy farm, which is why I believe I am a grazer. Those cows looked so happy just eating all day! Anyway, I am trying to be patient because I know it takes time to see results from nutrition and exercise.

Because I am a grazer, I tend to think about food all day long. Since I am trying to only eat at certain times, I have to continually remind myself why I don't eat all day long. I tell myself I want to be healthy for my husband and our future children; I tell myself it is important to me to turn in solid performances in the gym and nutrition plays a huge role in that. Lately I've been reminding myself that it is easier to just eat whatever I want and that sometimes the easiest way isn't the best. I have dealt with body image issues my entire life, and I am finally getting to a point where I am happy with my body. Am I satisfied with my body? No. I want to get stronger and increase my metabolic conditioning (met con for all you CrossFitters who want to learn the slang). Am I proud of the way I look? You're darn right I am! I have worked hard to earn the body I have now. I have taken responsiblity for my own appearance and health, and I am proud of that. If it was easy, everyone would look like Stacie Tovar (check her out below). But it's not easy, and I am proud of my hard work.

That is what I try to remind myself every time I see a commercial for cake or drive by a fast-food place and smell the wonderful fat that my french fries would be cooked in. Which is more important, temporary pleasure or long-term results? Don't get me wrong, some times temporary pleasure is more important, but I am trying to make those moments fewer and further between. I honestly believe it all comes down to mindset. If you're long-term health is a priority (and I believe it should be), always take a breath and ask yourself how important this food really is. If it's important, I am all about cheats, go ahead and enjoy it; but I think you'll find, you will want to turn it down and you'll thank yourself later. The bible tells us our body is not our own and that it is the temple of the Holy Ghost. We've been given a huge responsibility to take care of our bodies because they do belong to God. Hopefully, you'll treat your body well and honor God in doing so.

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!

Starting Over

So, I didn't realize it had been about a year since I had posted anything. I am now back and vow to be more committed to the blog. I want to share my struggles and triuimphs and everything in between in hopes to encourage those who read this. I want everyone to realize that they are not alone in anything. God promised that he would never leave us or forsake us, and I believe that includes the most mundane aspects of our every day lives. A big part of my life now if CrossFit Branson (CFB) and the challenge of being a trainer. I will be sharing tips and feelings about working out and nutrition. I hope this blog will be helpful, and I will always do my best to answer any questions any of you have.

Over the weekend, I read several articles about the advantages of the CrossFit Zone Diet, so I have decided to give it a shot. For the next four weeks, I am going to be as strict as possible in following the Zone diet and just see what kinds of results I get. Basically, the Zone features a menu where each meal is made up of protein, carbs and fats (yes, fat can be good!). I won't go into a lot of detail here, but if you want to read more, click here.

I am working on changing my attitude towards food. I grew up in a home where we ate constantly. My mom and both grandmas are incredible cooks, and I absolutely love food. I have found that if I am happy, I want food. If I am sad, I want food. If I a stressed, I want food. If I am award, well, you get the idea. I want to begin to look at food more as fuel for my body instead of an emotional thing. I am excited to see how my performance in the gym is affected and how I feel physically. I am hoping for more energy and hopefully increased strength - that's where a lot of hard work at CFB will come into play. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes!!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16: 
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!