Diet, Diet, Diet...

Have any of you heard of the Paleo diet? It actually a pretty cool concept. Basically, think back to the age of cavemen and dinosaurs. What were our great ancestors eating? Lots of veggies, fruit, berries, nuts, and meat, right?? No sugar (unless it was from a natural source, like the fruit), no dairy, no wheat, and maybe beans (that is one of those "you decide" parts of this diet). Pretty much, if you can't eat it raw, it wasn't eaten.

A guy that I worked with introduced me to this very simple, but kind of revolutionary thought: Our bodies are made to digest some things, but not other things. Why do you think some people are gluten intolerant (or have celiac disease), can't have dairy, or are allergic to peanuts? Because our body wasn't made to digest those things! Most people are tolerant to these common household items, because we've adapted our bodies to be okay with it. Take gluten, or wheat, for example. Back in caveman days, it wasn't eaten because our bodies couldn't handle it. In order for us to eat grains, we need to pick it, grind it, mix it with stuff, and go through this whole process before we could finally make it something edible enough for our bodies to not reject it. And as far as dairy goes- did you know that goat's milk is actually closer in composition to that of a women's breast milk than milk from a cow? Pretty amazing stuff!

Okay, so you may be wondering why I'm throwing all this information at you... Well, I'm sad to say that since my 8% post, I have fallen into the majority category of failed New Year's Resolutions. Although I have backed down on the amount of Starbucks, it hasn't been to the extent I was hoping. And eating more healthfully, that just hasn't happened. So without further ado, I am here to announce that my roommate and I have decided to try the Paleo diet... CJ is one of those lucky gals that, while not allergic to peanuts, cannot eat dairy or gluten without sneezing her little British nose off!

When we started researching the Paleo, we came across this gal. Her suggestion when first starting off with this diet is to go through the cupboards and fridge, and give away or throw away everything that doesn't fit within the guidelines of Paleo. So, yesterday we took her advice and, with my boyfriend sitting on our couch, went through the house asking him "Do you want this one?". Funny thing about college guys- they will take whatever groceries you don't want! So we were able to get everything out pretty fast ;-) Needless to say, he won't have to go grocery shopping anytime soon!

We've made our meal plan for the week, consisting of a lot of chicken, fish, and stir frys, and almost have all of our shopping done! (Tonight's dinner is spaghetti squash with turkey meat sauce!) For breakfast we've made quiche "muffins" with an egg substitute (while egg are allowed in the diet, CJ doesn't do so well with those either...) that we can just pop in the microwave for a few seconds and eat on the run! Enough dinner will be made each night in order for us to have lunch the next day. We are SO excited about trying this! My new guilty pleasure is apple slices dipped in almond butter.

Now those of you that know me really well are probably wondering about the whole "lots of veggies" aspect of this diet when it comes to good old Emily and her vegetable preference... Well folks, I've decided that my lifelong hatred of the green monsters must come to an end, and it's time to grow up and grow out of my old eating habits! CJ is slowly (and graciously) entering me into the world of bell peppers and onions and other "monsters" I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole... God love her. :-)

Well guys, once again thank you for reading, and thanks for being so patient with my less-than-regular appearances on my blog! I hope to write more, but we all know that I've said that one before ;-)

Loving Thoughts,

JJ

The 8%

         Well folks, it’s that time of year again: time for New Year’s resolutions. And course, the most popular resolution is to lose weight. Not that having a goal to lose weight is a bad thing, especially if your doctor is encouraging you to do so for health concerns, but come on, lets be honest: How many of us stick to that resolution past the homemade chocolate chip cookies (that generally show up about 3 days into your new “diet”)?? I read a report on New Year’s diet resolutions, and they said that only about 8% of people who set out to lose weight at the New Year actually stick with it past two weeks. TWO WEEKS! That’s not even enough time to get a routine of healthy grocery shopping started, and cooking your own meals!

Now I’m going to extremely honest (not that I’ve really ever had a problem with sharing my personal struggles or issues), since I graduated high school back in 2010, I’ve gained almost 30 pounds. That is over 10 pounds a year in just 2 ½ years! Granted, when I was in high school I was doing sports every season, working for the forest service, and waiting tables (and for those of you who don’t consider waiting tables to be very much of a challenge, I challenge you to be the only waitress in a packed out restaurant that seats about 65 on Mother’s Day while being your own busser, dishwasher, and salad preparer. Then you can tell me that waitressing isn’t a challenge!) Now, I’ve been working a desk job for over a year and it’s been who knows how long since I’ve even taken a jog. So it’s really no wonder that I’ve gained so much weight!

But back to this whole New Year’s Resolution thing… Remember how most of us never make it past the second week? With a statistic like 92% running against us, why would we even shoot ourselves in the foot and set ourselves up for inevitable doom?  That’s why for my New Year’s resolution, I have decided to actually step up to the plate, and just take care of myself. I’m not looking for any amount of weight to come off, or fit in a certain size of clothing; I just want to take care of my body, mind, and spirit, and with that, the unhealthy weight will come off.

So what does taking care of myself actually look like? Well, for starters it means everything in moderation. Cutting back on Starbucks to just make it a special treat once or twice a month will save my waistline, and save me money- a big bonus for a girl who’s still paying off 6+ grand in school loans and credit card debt (but a post on money will come later!). It means majorly cutting back on buying fast food lunches at work (sadly, the McDonald’s dollar menu and I have become quite close lately). It means actually waking up with enough time to make myself a decent breakfast so that I’m not snacking on fatty crackers or chips, or whatever else I have in my “snack drawer” at my desk, making me bloated and not hungry for lunch. Taking care of myself means making dinner at home instead of skipping it, or going to Taco Bell (another drive-thru that my best friend and I have become best friends with!).

Taking care of myself means actually getting active again. It’s medically proven that physical exercise creates endorphins that make your feel happier! And of course, who wouldn’t feel happy about doing something that is good for their health, and good for their waistline!? There is a great loop that the church sits on that is about 1.25 miles, that I will be walking everyday on my lunch break! It’s a bit of a bummer that there’s no one to walk with, but it can fit right my next step for taking care of myself: spending more time with God. I used to pride myself on how much I depended on God, and how close our relationship was. But somewhere in the mix of things, that closeness started to fade. I now find myself longing for that kind of child-like dependence to be in our relationship again, but it’s been more of a challenge to bring back than I thought it would be…

Taking care of myself also means no more soda, and waaaay less caffeine. I would be embarrassed to tell you how fast I go through a liter or a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper! Considering how little water I drink, I think if I were to only cut out my Dr. Pepper, and not do anything else, I’d probably lose 3 pounds! But as I was drinking a can the other day, a realization hit me: it’s not so much the flavor of the pop that I crave; it’s the carbonation. I absolutely love that tingling, burning, popping sensation that you get from a soda. So, I’m going to start experimenting with seltzer waters, and adding my own fresh lemons to it so I can avoid the artificial additives and sugars that you get with pre-flavored drinks. In the meantime, I’ve been making my water drinking more exciting by adding lemons to just my tap. (But note to self: for one pitcher of water, ONE lemon is enough! Haha) And I’m pretty proud to say that I actually drank a whole 16oz of lemon water on my way to work this morning, and am working on my second! (As I’m typing, that is) I don’t normally get that much water in a DAY (or maybe even two); much less the 45-minute drive to work!

Going back to what I said earlier about eating a good breakfast: holy cow! This morning, I woke up with enough time to make myself a hard cooked egg (because I can’t stand runny yolk!) on top of toast with a slice of cheese, and made myself a peanut butter and banana sandwich for a mid-morning snack, but since I only needed half the banana, I got to eat the other half with my egg and toast! That, paired with my lemon water, gave me SUCH a great burst of energy to start my day with, and now as I type I’m eating my yummy PB&B sandwich! Needless to say, I definitely don’t want to skip breakfast anymore!

And about lunch: this Taco Bell Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, McChicken & fries loving girl is proud to announce that she packed her own today! The bestie and I bought a HUGE bag of pre-mixed salad on our grocery shopping trip, so I packed me a salad with carrot sticks, broccoli, a little bit of ranch, and fruit salad made from Greek honey yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, and bananas! I’m pretty excited to have that meal welcome me from my 1.25-mile walk this afternoon! And since I know I’m going to get a little snacky later this afternoon, I even thought to bring some trail mix to munch on. Now all I need is a real lunchbox instead of a plastic bag! Seriously… I’d love to get a Batman lunchbox! Nothing says “working professional” like a comic book lunch pail, right?? J

Another task in taking care of myself includes less money-induced stress, A.K.A Pay Off Your Debt Lady! There is a post to come about this, but basically I have a new budget plan that, if stuck to, will get me debt free in about a year’s time. Now THAT would be amazing to have happen! It’ll also help to not be buying coffees, lunches, and dinners that I should be making at home with all the groceries that we buy, and end up throwing half away because we still eat out! But it’s a huge blessing to know that Caite is struggling with the exact same thing, because we each know about each other, and we can keep the other accountable to eating at home and no more money spending!

So, to end this post, I just want to encourage you all to take a look at your New Year’s resolutions. Are they ones that you can actually keep, or are you setting yourself up for failure by reaching too far? After you do that, make a plan! How are you going to achieve those goals? How much time will it take? How much do you need to commit to it? Once you have attainable goals, make a poster! Put it somewhere you see everyday, and write on it each day so it can remind you of your progress and successes, and still keep pushing you until you’ve achieved your goal! Next, TELL SOMEONE ABOUT IT! The more people that know your goals, the more people that can help keep you accountable so you don’t slip up, and they can keep encouraging you when you don’t feel like you can go any further. And lastly, pray. Pray about your goals, how you want to achieve them, and the results you are looking for. God already knows your hearts desires, but He also desires to hear YOU tell Him about it, and He can be your greatest encourager if you let Him!

So with that, go my friends- Go, achieve your New Year’s resolutions, and be the 8%!

Loving thoughts,

JJ

My Future Husband

Hello All!!

So, most of you know that I’ve finally moved out on my own, and am now in an apartment with my best friend (but that’s a whole other post in itself!). While I was unpacking though, I found something that I’d totally forgotten I had made!

Shortly after Ethan and I broke up I decided to write a list of the things that I want in my future husband. They range from the totally vain (like good looks) to the totally non-negotiable (like having a strong relationship with Christ).  It was interesting to read this list over, especially since there is someone that I’m interested in right now. It was also entertaining to see some of the things I had written down (you could definitely tell I had just gotten out of a relationship!)

Anyways, I decided to share my list with you. I’m going to keep my list of the “vain” things that I want, because I feel like it’s a good thing to know what you’d like, whether God actually gives that to you or not! The key is to still be happy with whatever Christ blesses you with! I did revise a little bit of my Non-negotiable list though, since my relationship with Christ has changed so much since I originally wrote this.

Let’s start with my “Vain” list. I’m going to write in red what is on the list, and give you a little explanation as to why I wrote what I did, unless it’s pretty self-explanatory. So, without further ado, here is my Future Husband- List Of Vain:

1. Good Looking (Now, I know people say, “Attraction grows as you get to know a person”. Yes, it does! BUT, I know myself, and I know that if I’m not physically attracted to a person, I’m not going to be romantically interested. I know that sounds terrible, but it’s the way I am…)

2. Large Build (I know I’m not a huge girl, but I’m not a little one either… I like piggyback rides, and I like to be carried…. I don’t want to feel like I’m going to squish the poor guy I love if I jump on him!)

3. Cares about his appearance (I think that is pretty self explanatory…)

4. Great voice (I’m not really sure how to explain this one, lol but a good voice makes me melt…)

5. Smells good (Again, I melt if a guy smells good!)

6. Good kisser

7. Likes to dance (Because while I’m not very good at dancing, I love to do it!)

8. Love dogs (Because I hate cats and want a few dogs!)

9. Likes cooking (This was an ongoing joke all through high school. I have always said that my future husband had better like to cook, because I can’t! Unless he wants a lot of pasta… haha)

    

    10.  Likes indoor AND outdoor activities 

    11. Is a gentleman

    12.  Good with finances

    

    13.  Great sense of humor, loves to laugh

    14.  Not afraid to act like an idiot with me

   

    15.  Always up for new adventures

  

    16.  Will tell me I’m beautiful when I’m not trying to be (Come on, what girl doesn’t want that??)

  

    17. Will kill spiders for me! (Everyone who knows me, knows I HATE spiders!! I flip out…)

    18. Has interest in traveling

Okay! Now you know how terribly vain I am! But those things aren’t all that I want in a guy… Now here is my Future Husband-Non-negotiable List:

   1.     Strong relationship with Christ (It’s not enough to just “be a Christian”… I want to be able to see the fruits from your relationship with God! How is He working in your life??)

   

   2.     Involved in church (Don’t just show up on Sunday mornings… church’s always need help somewhere, so jump in and do something!)

   

   3.     Likes serving in ministries (Really just ties into number 2… Don’t do something with a heavy heart- do what you LIKE to do, and do it for the glory of God!)

   

   4.     Is a virgin (This one is a little hard for me to explain, but I’ve had a hard battle to keep my virginity… I feel very strongly that God will honor that fight by giving me a virgin husband)

   5.     Strong family connection

   6.     Loves being with family

   7.     Wants a family of his own (Tying 5-7 in this explanation. Family is really important to me… if it wasn’t for my family always being here for me and supporting me, I have no idea where I would be. I want family to be just as important to my husband as it is to me!)

   8.     Doesn’t let failed past relationships haunt him (It always sucks when a relationship doesn’t work, but it didn’t work for a reason: God said no! don’t let that affect you so much that when you find the person God is saying yes to, you can’t see what’s right in front of you! Also, I am not that girl who hurt you before…)

   9.     Doesn’t push physical boundaries (Remember that fight I talked about in number 4? Don’t make that fight even harder.)

   10. Will tell me if something is bothering him (Giving advice is one thing that I love to do, and happen to be pretty good at. LET ME HELP!)

   11. Likes to talk (I don’t care what we talk about, but talk! Tell me what’s going on in your day, tell me the stupid things your coworkers are doing, whatever! I love talking, so it’s torture for me to be around people who keep to themselves…)

   12. Likes to volunteer

   13. Will tell me if I’m wearing too much makeup

   14. Isn’t afraid to tell me to put on more clothes

   15. Is strong enough in himself and his relationship with Christ to be the spiritual leader in our home, like God calls every man to be.

   16. Will be able to push me and help me keep my relationship with Christ strong

   17. Doesn’t smoke

   18. Doesn’t party

   19. Doesn’t swear

Well, there you have it… I’m sure there are more things that can go on either list, but those will come to me in time. I would really encourage everyone to make his or her own Future Spouse list. It really helps to see what you’re willing to let slide (your vain list) and what is really important to you in a relationship. Then, when you find you’re interested in someone, you can use your list as a sort of checklist. Do they have any of the qualities on your non-negotiable list? It’s a lot harder to be like, “Oh, well they don’t really go to church very often, but that’s okay…” when you have it written down that he or she has to be in a strong relationship with Christ.

I would also encourage you to give a copy of your list to someone you trust that can help you see if the person you’re interested in really is a good person for you to date according to what you have written down as important or as things that you’d really like to have. It’s hard to see those parts of people that you DON’T want, when you are emotionally involved in the situation (such as having a crush). But someone that is on the outside of the situation has a much clearer picture of what is really there. 

And if you are currently in a relationship, or if you like someone, I would really encourage you to pray seriously about your list before you make it. You don’t want to find yourself making a list that obviously depicts the person you like! That would totally ruin the point of making the list in the first place!

Anyways, I hope you had fun reading today’s post, and I hope it gets you all thinking! If you have any questions about anything I said, please feel free to comment, or shoot me a text if you have my number!

I hope you all have an amazing and God-filled day!