Boggy Creek Farm

While you're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for my next blog post (c'mon, I know you are!) take a gander on over to my Achieving Healthy Blog and see some fresh (no pun intended) new shots that the talented Angela Doran took of me my first few weeks in Austin as well as a roundup of my trip to a super sweet local farm, Boggy Creek!

The post can be seen HERE!

IIN Health Coach {in training}

I am soooo late posting this, but it's been on my mind for at least 3+ months.

Back in June sometime, I enrolled at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition's July 2013 class. IIN’s year long, comprehensive curriculum covers over 100 dietary theories and combines counseling techniques with real-world business training. Its unique nutrition philosophy takes a holistic approach to wellness and encourages students to consider relationships, work, exercise, and spirituality as essential to building good health.

IIN's mission: 

Our mission is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.

By June of 2014 (once I pass all my tests and graduation requirements), I will be a certified health coach! There are so many things that have brought me to wanting this. There's no possible way I could cover them all (plus you'd get bored, I'm sure) so I'll just review what I feel are a few the top reasons that lead me not just to  enrolling but having this burning desire to join the health and wellness industry in attempts to change myself as well as many others.

• I want to become a more health conscious person. I am my first client. If you know me at all, you likely know that I'm the pickiest person. Ever. I know I need to eat vegetables and do better for myself, but for whatever reason, it's been a battle. I've been doing SO much better in the past few years (if you don't believe me, go back and read my posts from 2009 talking about what I was eating vs. my posts about what my meals are like now).
• I have worked in the health & wellness industry a little bit the last few years and I see a huge disconnect on what these "professionals" are preaching to their clients vs. what they are actually doing in their own lives. Some of what they are telling their clients is so far off base, I cannot comprehend how on earth they deem what they're saying as acceptable. It's apparent to me that the education they are verbalizing is straight from a Google search and not from any proper schooling. 
• I feel constantly surrounded by unhealthy people. Some of these people KNOW what they should do to help themselves, and they just don't do it. Some literally just don't know that what they're doing is bad for them and the long term negative effects it has on not only them, but the rest of their family and their own lives. 
• I want to gain understanding as to why I often feel tired and sick. I know for at least 98% certainty that it has to do with my diet, but what exactly is the culprit?
• I want to be able to help those closest to me, achieve optimal health. I already have a lot of friends and family come to me for advice and with questions and I'm so excited to finally be able to have real, educated answers for them!
• I want to be known as an educated professional and not just someone with strong opinions from personal experience. Completion of this school is going to be such an accomplishment for me!

One of the things that I love so much about this school, that I hadn't even considered a part of my health prior to enrolling, is that they teach what they call "primary foods". It's everything that feeds you in life, but doesn't come on a plate. We wrap it up in four categories: Relationship, Spirituality, Career, and Exercise.

I cannot begin to tell you how much happier I feel since having started this program. Really evaluating each aspect of my life, and working to create a balance in each area. I am working daily on my happiness, and it feels so good to see how effortless it can actually be! I feel confident in saying, that this very moment is the happiest I think I have ever been. Of course, I still have areas of my life which I wish to improve, but I'm taking the steps to get there and know it will happen eventually. 

I've been brainstorming a lot about what I want my "niche" to be and I have a lot of really great ideas, but that will have to wait for a later post since I still haven't decided for 100% just yet. Thankfully I still have about 6 more months before I need to lock that down :)

Thank you so much, for taking the time to read through this post and learning more about what I've been doing the past few months. Please feel free to comment or contact me directly if you have any questions you want to ask! I hope you have a very happy and healthy day!

xoxoxoxo

- Abbey 

May Recap

Whooohooo! Probably my best month yet, in terms of actually doing what I mapped out for myself!   

• See how long I can make it without purchasing a loaf of bread/eating bread in general (hopefully the entire month!) – I still haven’t purchased a loaf of bread, but I did go to Subway, ate a bagel, pizza, etc. but I’m gonna keep going as long as I can without buying a loaf of bread!
• Continue to track my food on MyFitnessPal Monday through Friday – CHECK! I skipped a couple of week days when I was traveling, but I logged every day I was at work!
• Plan workouts for the coming week by Monday – I am so glad I started doing this. I’m the kind of person where once I've set a goal for myself, I have to do it or I’ll feel really guilty. Doing this was a great way to keep me accountable and I’ve already got the first 2 weeks of June planned out!
• Plan meals for the coming week by Monday – Woof. This probably the thing I failed at the most. With leaving town so much, it was hard to know how much groceries to keep in the house so I pretty much had to just make do with whatever I had. I think I still did a decent job of eating clean/healthy for the most part though, so that’s what’s important.
• Run at least 1-2 times per week – I definitely accomplished at least 2 runs/week, sometimes 3! Feels good to be running so much, but I’m not looking forward to it warming up :/ Thank goodness I run at 5am most days! 
   I had a bit of a high school reunion when I was in San Francisco when I can the Bay to Breakers with my friend Megan!
   The race finished on the Pacific Ocean.... such a gorgeous view! 
• Lift weights at least twice per week – This may have been closer to once/week, but definitely twice/week sometimes. And I was doing Insanity a couple of times per week, so I feel like that counts.
• Daily doubles at least twice per week – Especially towards the end of the month, this one gets a CHECK! I’m a homebody and hate going out, and I love working out, so this was not near as difficult as I thought it might be, even in the slightest.
• Eat out in NYC no more than once – What’s weird is that as stated above, I’m a homebody and hate going out. I didn't think this one would be hard to check off at all, but I ended up eating out like 4 times! Very unlike me. I have to remind myself though sometimes that spending quality time with friends is more important than saving a few dollars. Besides- I was well taken care of when I was in CA and Arizona, so I didn't end up over spending like I thought I might. 
   Cassie and I went to Blockheads to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
   Tacolicious in San Francisco! 

Sorry I’m a little late! I’ll post goals for June some time later this week :D

May Goals

Deciding on what goals to post for May was harder than any other month for some reason. Mostly because April came and went faster than I knew it and I wasn't prepared. But also because I'm wondering if I should post fewer goals in attempts to up my chances of actually crossing them all off.
Am I posting too many goals for myself each month? Am I being unrealistic about what I'm setting myself up for? Who knows. But two days into May... here goes nothing!

• See how long I can make it without purchasing a loaf of bread/eating bread in general (hopefully the entire month!)
• Continue to track my food on MyFitnessPal Monday through Friday
• Plan workouts for the coming week by Monday
• Plan meals for the coming week by Monday
• Run at least 1-2 times per week
• Lift weights at least twice per week
• Daily doubles at least twice per week
• Eat out in NYC no more than once

So there you have it!

I'm going to San Francisco and Arizona the last two weekends of the month, so I really want to 1) try to pinch my pennies so I can enjoy spending money on vacation and not be stressed and 2) Um hi, it's warm there... photographs will be taken... I'd like to feel good about the way I look in said photos. 

Goals

Part I...
I don't know if anyone reads this anymore.... I kind of doubt it. If you stopped, I don't blame you.


When I started this blog, it was supposed to be all about my new and exciting adventures of life in the fast lane in New York City. Unfortunately, my life is a bit less than exciting or adventurous.

I go to bed between 9:15-10pm almost every night (even on the weekends...). I wake up anywhere between 4:40am-6am . Even on Sundays, I'm lucky if I can sleep in past 8am. I only go out about once a month, if even that. Every time I leave a Broadway show (which is almost never), I vow to myself that I'll go more often, but never do. I almost never drink anymore, except the random glass of boxed wine from home here and there (just keepin' it classy folks).
It's not to say that NYC isn't exciting anymore, I'm sure it is. But after 2.5 years, it's definitely lost its luster. I feel the nightlife is very “been there done that/same shit different day”. As a 28 year old, I just don't feel like I'm doing my generation justice by living my life in the way that I have been the past year or so. So, I'm sorry to all my mid-late 20-something people... I'd love to tell you that I'll try harder and really take advantage of NYC for all that its worth. But the truth is, I'm not changing, and I don't want to.

After having worked at a gym for about a year and a half, my interest in the health and wellness world/industry has really piqued. Realistically, I drink diet soda more than I should; I have a hard time resisting the jar of sweet & sour candy peaches that my office has in our kitchen; I love cheese and will never give that up; blah, blah, blah. But I am trying. A little while ago, I wrote out my goals for the next 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years and I want to try my hardest to make sure that I accomplish them.

I am really making an effort to make sure that I have a healthy lifestyle that includes whole foods, adequate sleep, a workout routine I can live with, all while trying to juggle a social life sprinkled in there somewhere too.
Let me tell you, all of your granola eating, gym rat friends make it look wayyyyy too easy. I swear their lying. Because I've only recently been putting solid effort into trying to balance it all, and it's really hard... And my social life? Well it is pretty much non-existent.

I have been feeling guilty that I’m not making the most of this time in my life when I’m supposed to be young, carefree, do it all (and on no sleep) etc., etc., etc… I feel like I shouldn’t be allowed to live in New York City.
Thankfully, I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately about nutrition and realize that I just need to remind myself more often, that what I’m choosing to do and how I’m living my life right now, is probably the best thing I’ve done for myself- ever.

A lot of the other health/wellness/fitness bloggers that I try to keep up with have been posting their goals either daily, weekly, or monthly in attempts to help keep themselves accountable. So I’m going to go ahead and follow suit. However, this post has gotten long enough, so you’re going to have to check back in a few days for my Part II… I promise there will be one because I’ve already got it up and scheduled to post, I just didn’t want to bombard the people who actually might be reading this….

To be continued…

20 pounds... gone!

Since I've started running, there have been times where I think to myself, "why am I doing this??".
My roommates tell me all the time that they think I'm crazy for running.
Shortly after I started really making a commitment to running (back in April '11) I discovered an app for my phone (RunKeeper, for those that are interested to know) that would track my runs. It would give me my stats for time, distance, pace, and loads of other interesting information.
I started posting my stats on my Facebook because, I felt like maybe if I put it out there in public, it would help keep me accountable to stick with it.


I really never thought that the feedback I would get from friends would be what kept me going.
I can't even begin to tell you the overwhelming response I've gotten from people who email me or tell me I'm inspiring them. Even my friends who are already runners, or into working out are telling me that my posts, and pictures make them want to get out and get moving.
It just goes to show you, that you just never know how what you do, or what you say will effect others.
A huge thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever emailed me, commented on a photo of mine, or told me in person that I've inspired you in some way. Please keep them coming... they inspire ME and keep me motivated to keep doing what I'm doing.


That also brings me to the other thing that has been keeping me motivated lately....

These are screen shots from a video I had taken just after moving to NYC. I was going through my phone the other day to delete old photos when I came across this. I was appalled. How did I ever let myself get this out of hand?! I look swollen! If you remember the BLOG POST I did in August about my weight loss, you may remember this shot: 

This is from just a couple of days before I moved to NYC. Oye.


Please don't ask me how it's possible that I didn't get motivated until the following spring before I decided to take action...

Slowly... getting.. there...

Finally starting to see progress...

And here I am today!! Finally, my hard work is proving to pay off!


I've lost almost 20 pounds since August 2010! Can you believe it?! These pictures are such a great reminder for me of where I was, to where I am now. I feel really lucky that I actually enjoy running- I know it's not enjoyable for a lot of people; but I firmly believe if you can force yourself to do it, and constantly remind yourself why you're doing it, it becomes addicting. 


You may start to see some changes in my blog in the future... I'm still on the fence about where I want this "publication" to go. I already have another blog dedicated to my photography, so if that's what you're after, I suggest you check that one out HERE. I'm considering making this blog more health/fitness/food related; but I would really love to hear from YOU about what you'd like to hear about. Would you enjoy reading a more healthful related blog? More NYC experiences? 
Tell me in comments below!


Thank you, as always for taking the time to read about me, my life, and my struggles and successes. I appreciate each and every one of you!