Love in the Dominican

Jessica sure is on top of her posts!  I know how much she's been wanting to complete the Whole 30 challenge, and Jess...I'm so proud that you pushed through it and accomplished your goal!

I suppose I need to post an update on life, seeing as it's nearly May and a lot has happened recently.

SCHOOL:

The last 3 1/2 months have been incredible.  Incredibly rewarding and exhausting.  

I successfully made it through 2 1/2 months of teaching, capped with parent-teacher conferences and spring break, and now onward towards the finish line.  I was extremely nervous going into conferences for obvious reasons: Number one, I am a brand-new teacher and number two, I've joined this class midyear.  Conferences were surprisingly positive. Parents seem very happy with the changes and expressed that their kids really enjoy having me as their teacher.  I'm trying to take the positive feedback as a sign of my skill or potential, but I doubt myself as a new teacher daily. I guess I just need to keep in mind that I am new and I will grow on a daily basis.

We're already preparing for the end of the school year which seems to be flying towards us at full speed.  My kids have shown a lot of grown, but the most obvious growth to me (since I didn't know them last semester) is their growth as capable, responsible, loving little beings.  I get such a thrill when they gain reading levels, when they yell out "Oooooh I get it" during math, or when they tell me how much they love to read.  BUT, the real thrill is when someone includes a friend who is lonely, who uses their manners, who takes the higher road in a sticky situation, and who shows their love in the classroom.  I want nothing more than for these kids to grow up into thoughtful adults that contribute to our society in a positive way.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Over spring break Nick took us on a tropical vacation that we both deserved and needed.  We headed to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for 6 days of sun and warm tropical water.  Before Nick planned this vacation, I made sure he knew that I'd rather "take our relationship to the next chapter" than have the vacation, but that I'd be ok with the vacation if he had a plan.  After 5 amazing years, it was no secret that I was ready for an engagement..after all, I'd known for at least 4 years that I wanted to marry him.  I did my very best to go into the trip with no expectations, but in the back of my mind thought that if he was going to do it, this would be a great opportunity.

Well, he did it! I asked him later if I even said yes, it seems that I did. :)

Now for the details:
Nick apparently had the ring long before booking the trip.  He is SUCH a planner,  I'm not really sure why I ever questioned whether or not he had plans to propose.

The week before, Nick met up with my dad for some "financial advice," aka his daughters hand in marriage.  The following day we had a family night planned, and looking back, I now realize how well my parents and Nick's mom held it together.

We were in Punta Cana for 3 days before he popped the question, so I was losing hope.  The night before, we were walking along the beach and a couple was having a romantic moonlit  meal by the water.  Nick kept asking how on earth they were able to do that.  I became "al-sassinator" and said that he PLANNED it, he called the front desk and PLANNED it.  Which followed by me crying on our rooftop cabana bed saying, "I thought it could happen, but it's just not going to happen."  I'M SORRY NICK, I'M SUCH A JERK, hahaha!!  He told me later that in that moment he didn't know what to do, but that he was laughing inside.

The next day I woke up feeling better knowing that in the end I had my best friend with me and whether or not he proposed didn't change the fact that I love him and I knew we would end up as husband and wife eventually.

We went on a day trip to Saona Island.  It started with a beautiful catamaran ride to the island.  Once we got there, we enjoyed a delicious Dominican lunch and drinks.  Nick and I strolled up the beach stopping for pictures along the way.  We found an awesome palm tree growing over the water and started taking pictures.  Nick set up his GoPro to capture the beauty.  I started to sense something was about to happen when he was looking up and down the beach to watch for people.  Then he started acting a little nervous, I guess...taking deep breaths and being a little sporadic in his affection. Once I realized what might be coming, I too became VERY nervous, but was trying to stay present in the moment.  At one point I felt super nauseous with anticipation, and kept thinking to myself that maybe it wasn't what I was hoping but maybe the rum had gotten to him. :-D

Finally, he took a deep breath and began his speech to me.  I truly tried to stay with it so that I could look back and remember the moment.  I've heard from so many friends that they don't remember anything and practically blacked out as their boyfriends proposed.

He held me close as we were ankle deep in the water.  He said so much and what stands out is that he knows I will be an amazing mother and wife, and that he loves how goofy I am.  I know there was so much more to it, but I guess I did partially "black out" or the adrenaline took over too much and I can't quite sort out what else was said.  Then he got down on one knee in the water, and pulled my ring out of a little envelope he had created to store the ring in his wallet those past 4 days.

First I wanted a hug and a kiss, then I was ready for the ring.  Of course my hands were swollen because of the heat and humidity, but it's a perfect fit.  Nick got all of it on GoPro and he had a plan all along..I should have known!

I spent the rest of the day on cloud 9, with Nick, and I know he was relieved to not have to keep that big secret anymore...or the ring in his wallet.  We took a speed boat from the island to a natural pool where we got to pick up starfish.  They made for some awesome ring photo opts.

We are thrilled to become husband and wife, and continue writing our story together.  I'm so excited to be able to call him my fiancé, and soon my husband...and then after that, the father to my children, YAY!!

I'm sure most of my blogging after this will be wedding related.  We are on the hunt for a venue, and quickly learning how fast expenses add up, ugh!

Until next time,

~Alex~

WHOLE30 COMPLETE!

Wow, I can honestly say I never thought I would be able to say these words but... I HAVE COMPLETED THE WHOLE30 program!!!!!! Today is day 31, and surprise I haven't cheated! haha... it's only 7:04am but honestly I really don't have a desire to eat anything bad. My journey has come full circle and I feel accomplished, healthy and on my way to a complete lifestyle change. 

I will briefly break down my journey by week and again if you are interested in doing the program definitely check out the website! 

*pictures from pinterest.com

Yep, this about sums it up. I really wouldn't need to write anything else! ;)

Week 1-2

I felt exactly like the picture above. My body couldn't decide if it wanted to cry, be angry, be alone, eat a jar of butter, fall flat into a box of donuts and every emotion in between. I don't say that to scare anyone, I say that to show food has a powerful hold over you and you don't realize it until you take those foods away! Overall the first two weeks were no bueno for me. 

Week 3

I started to have an increase an energy but still struggled a bit with digestive issues. I can say I never had a stomach ache like I always used to, I think it was more my body was getting used to digesting such dense foods. This was the week I started having CRAZY dreams. Like I would be eating a piece of bread with jelly on it and wake up freaking out! phewww. only a dream! ;) This happened a lot! Some days I would still struggle with energy but the biggest change was my emotions! I saw such a change in how I felt, like a fog had lifted and I was back to being "normal feeling!"

Week 4

Easy peasy. Cravings pretty much subsided (ok, minus Easter. I was pretty bitter that I couldn't eat my Easter candy). But... besides that cravings have pretty much gone. I really look at food differently, energy has increased and I can tell slight changes in my body. I don't think I lost a ton of amount of weight thats noticeable but that honestly wasn't my goal. My overall goal was my get rid of the junk in my body and start bringing my body back to a state of healthy/normal/no stomach aches!

I am really happy and excited to have completed the program and I can't say enough good things about it!!! Give it a try. What are you waiting for? Is it hard-yes. But, it's worth it. 

Tips:

**Plan & Prep! These are probably some of the most important tips I can give you. I will say by Week 4 the thought of cutting veggies or cooking food was reallllllly starting to weigh on me. haha. I was over it. But... you just push through. 

**Grocery bill definitely increased. Were we eating out as much, no. But... our grocery bill definitely increased so make sure you are aware of this. Huge difference, no. So, don't even think about using that as an excuse.

**This next tip is helpful but not necessary. Complete the program with a buddy. I can say having my husband do the program with me was so helpful! We held each other accountable and it was nice knowing we both could really only eat out at the same places and buy the same foods. Definitely a plus!

So, there you have it. My whole30 journey! Have a great week!

Day 29!

Happy Monday peeps! :) I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and not just because I am obsessed with Easter egg hunts and easter baskets, but because we are celebrating a Risen Savior. Death could not hold Him down, Jesus rose again and because of Him I am alive!

Today I am on DAY 29 people! 2-9! I know, it's a miracle. I'm not going to post too much until Wednesday when I finish. But, i'm pretty excited :) Have a great week!

Happy Monday & Day 22!!!

Happy Monday! It's almost April and officially Easter week! I love Easter! Time is flying and I am trying to cherish every waking moment because before we know it summer will be here! The weekend weather was fabulous and I was semi-productive; organized the pantry to be more "paleo", went on a walk outside, spent time with friends and prepped food for the week. 

We are here at Day 22 and I cannot believe it! A little recap of how my Whole30 Journey has gone:

Week 1-2: 

Major detox for me, hormones were balancing out/shifting as in (I was a little hormonal hot mess), but thankfully that has balanced out. Bloating and overall feeling like my pants were just a little tighter than normal (which is normal, read the book). I also had a little bit of breaking out on my face, exhaustion/tired, and really just overall out of sorts. I was not feeling too hot, still having some digestive issues and really in a nut shell my body was trying to re-figure out what the heck was going on. Let's just say, I am very glad the first two weeks are over! :)

Week 3: 

Hitting my groove, as I like to say. Energy increased, waking up early to workout was still hard at first, but had more sustainable energy throughout the day, started seeing physical differences in my body, hormones/emotions started balancing out and the mental process of eating "healthy" did not and still does not seem foreign to me. I am starting to hit the point where eating "whole30/paleo" is just what I do, it's what I eat and I know it makes me feel better. 

Do I feel 100% yet? No, but that's because I'm not done. I still have a little over a week and I'm excited to see what these last 8 days hold for me. I am so beyond happy that I am doing this program, and to see and feel the difference in my body has been so rewarding. As you all know I have wanted to do Whole30 many of times.. and failed. But this time, I was determined and told myself, it's 30 days. It's going to change my life, and so far it has. 

Whole30 Tips

As many of you know I have entered the world of Whole30 and am LOVIN it! I can't say it enough, if you are wanting to update your lifestyle habits please give this a try. Is it hard, yes. Will you want to quit, probably but is knowing you are making your body healthier forever worth it, YES. 

I wanted to give a few tips on what has helped us stick with the program.

*images from pinterest.com

1. I highly recommend reading the book. It gives you so much detail on why food is good/bad for you, how to do the program, recipes, tips and so much more. This really helped me because it helped me understand WHY you are doing this program. Knowing that I was making food choices because it impacted my health has really helped me stick with the program.

2. PLAN AHEAD. I can almost guarantee that if you do not plan/prep ahead you will not be able to complete this program. Don't quote me on that and I'm sure there's some super human out there that's able to wing it, but not me folks. I need to have food in the refrigerator, lunch planned out and "emergency" snacks in the event that I won't be home. This is key, and this is one of the most important things. I always make sure I have bacon pre-cooked in the fridge (we bake the entire package for the week and then warm it up on the stove when getting ready to eat), veggies pre-cut, fruit ready to go and chicken, beef, sausage ready to go.

3. If possible, buy in bulk. If you have a Costco or Sam's membership I highly suggest buying in bulk. You can buy organic eggs and meat at Costco and I think the price is much better than if you were to buy that much at a regular store. Just saying.... 

4. Be patient with yourself and the program. I'm not done yet, but going through the detox, slowly seeing results and some days still feeling tired are all normal... for me ;) Be patient with yourself, your body and the program. We are so used to "quick fixes" today that we don't even give things a chance to see results. This is your life. 

5. If possible, do the program with a partner! This is just a bonus, but for me, having my husband do the program with me has been so nice and extra motivating. Having someone right there to eat the same foods as you, help you when you're feeling down and just encourage/motivate you along the way has been an extra bonus, and I'm loving it!

I hope this has been helpful! If you've started, way to go!! If you're thinking about it- do it! 

Day 15- a huge breakthrough!!!

Today marks day 15 of my Whole30 Journey! Wow, I have good news people, today I feel NORMAL. Today I have reached a different level and I am beyond thrilled to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. I actually feel happy. Literally, I actually feel like I like people again! ;) 

My husband and I are officially 1/2 way through the program and I am truly proud of us. I am not going to lie when I say the past 14 days of detox have been absolutely horrendous, painful, psycho/crazy awful. Today, waking up and looking at the world in a happy manner again makes me realize how insane these last 14 days of detox have been, I truly don't think I realized it until I reached the "light" today. This may sound totally dramatic, which it probably is, but honestly I have feel so.much.better. today. And to think, I'm not even finished with the program yet! WOOOHOOO! Eating healthy foods is not as hard as it was, I still get the occasional cravings, but I've decided, it's not really that I crave unhealthy foods, sometimes it just seems easier to eat unhealthy. Especially in social settings, but it's really not even that the foods look appetizing. 

Over the weekend I still had low energy, mood swings, some food cravings and bloating. Today I woke up with some detox stomach issues again, not stomach aches (like I used to have) just going to the bathroom....

Today I have:

energy

clarity

happy mood

motivation

*cleaned my house

*worked out

and it's not even 9:00am. ;)

I encourage anyone who reads this blog, which is probably all 5 of you, to read through the whole30.com program and consider it for yourself. Our meals have stayed pretty simple, quick and easy, that just works best for us. Here's an example of a typical food day:

Breakfast:

Tea

Eggs

Bacon

1/2 Avocado

Potatoes

Spinach

Lunch:

Chicken Sausage

veggies (cucumber & carrots)

potatoes

avocado or green olives

If hungry: 

Larabar (apple)

Dinner:

Chicken

Sautéed broccoli

potatoes

1/2 avocado

apple

WATER. WATER. WATER. WATER.

We switch out our meals, always try to stick with organic and if we eat out we end up at Chipotle for a salad. Here's to a great week! :)

DAY 10!!!! WHOLE 30 JOURNEY.....

People of America... this is an urgent announcement. I am officially on DAY 10 of my Whole30 Journey! This is officially the farthest I have ever gone and I'm feeling pretty darn excited about it! (Minus the Shark Tank episode I watched this morning where the product was Cake balls.) I may or may not have wanted to jump through the tv and eat every.single.one. 

But... anyways back to my post ;)

Ok, where were we. I left off with Day 8 which was Monday. I had slightly more energy but Day 9 and Day 10 (today) is when I have felt an energy shift. I am still having random cravings but I feel fully invested this time. 

*What I am about to write next is slightly TMI but... if you're annoyed you can click out. ;) The major difference and I think hurdle I am facing so far with this Whole30 Journey is that it has thrown off my cycle. (NO, NOT PREGNANT). My hormones have been ALL KINDS OF CRAZY! I can literally go from happy-sad-emotional-irritable-irate-annoyed-crying-laughing, all in about 3 seconds. I'm not kidding people, my hormones are out of control. I have done eating plan similar to this before and the same thing happened to me, so I know this is a tell tale sign my hormones need a firm correcting, which is another huge reason I must stick to this plan. I can tell I am literally re-wiring my body- for good!

These last two days, like I said I have seen an increase in energy but I have definitely had some of the bloating, gas, stomach issues they said would happen. I will leave it at that and let your imagination take over. ;) I haven't had my sparkles/sunshine/aha moment yet, but I know it's coming.

Last 2 days recap:

1. More energy
2. Emotions still crazy
3. bloating/gas
4. still some food cravings, but no actual desire to eat the bad food
5. still working out