Gettin fancy with it!

So this past weekend was one for the books! Why's that you ask? Well, I made my first big girl move and purchased my own vehicle!!! Okay okaaaay, I got a really banging insurance check from my previous totaled vehicle, so that allowed me to buy a new car. But nonetheless, I am acquiring credit (the Dave Ramsey way ;)) and am stuck with a five year car payment. I would definitely call adulting on that one!

The weekend was spent in car dealerships, a lot! Although I was at home, I didn't get the full home type feel. A majority of the time was spent being stressed over the car buying process and taking it out on my mother (I didn't mean to, I promise!!). When things worked out on Sunday, and I had my new precious baby with me, I was ecstatic, but knew I still had to drive back to Austin to make it to work the next morning.

Ronda the Renegade!

One thing I always love when going home is dinner. Growing up, I remember all the fun times happening in the kitchen. Putting on music, helping my mom cook, cleaning with my sisters; fellowship, and family time revolved around it. Lately I've been craving that feeling again, and because I went home to buy a car, we didn't have that time, so I decided to bring it home to Austin!

On Monday night I decided to treat my closest bunch with a homemade meal, and wine. Why? Because it's what I do! It's the biggest form of flattery in my opinion. It was a way of me saying "thanks for getting all of my stressed out texts/snaps and handling it with grace" and "uhhhh I just bought a car. Let's both celebrate and cry over a five year payment...okay? Okay!"

In my latest pinteresting adventures, I found a delicious Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles recipe and decided that would be the meal! A fun, quick, and healthy meal, that give a spark of classy cause after all, I am cooking with wine :)

So per usual, I am a great recipe follower and alter-er, NOT a recipe creator!



Here are the ingredients I used. I did leave out a couple spices from the original recipe:

My attempt at being crafty with the ingredients. I failed, miserably.

1 lb of deveined shrimp
4 peeled zucchinis (I used a julene slicer, but a regular peeler works just as well)
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4c parsley minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 C lemon juice fresh
olive oil
1/2 C wine
salt + pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Coat a medium sauce pan with olive oil on medium-high heat (I always aim for about 4-6 on my stove dial). Add garlic, crushed red pepper, salt/pepper and shrimp. Heat until fully cooked. About 5 or so minutes. Once cooked, set aside strained shrimp, leaving any juices in the pan, then add in lemon juice, wine, and zucchini noodles. Cook all the way through until the zucchini is tender (or to your preference). Add in the shrimp, and heat through.

Viola!! That's it! Garnish your dish with the minced parsley, and add any salt/pepper to taste as needed. Other than that, your meal is ready to be shared amongst friends!

Don't worry, between 4 girls this was finished in an hour 

**Side notes: I went to HEB and asked the wine taster what a good white wine would be to cook with and he said anything dry. He recommended a dry chardonnay that they were tasting that day, and it did wonders to the dish!

Shake it Up!

So I have this issue, it's called "I take way to much time to make breakfast." Seriously, it should be a condition. The problem is I love breakfast so much! It really is the beez-kneez to my day. Should I skip my usual eggs, sausage, sweet potato mixture, I wouldn't be a happy camper. However not every morning goes how I want. Having to be at work by 8am means a gourmet breakfast won't be served everyday. Buuutttt, I found out what is: a gourmet shake!

Below is my trusty breakfast/protein shake recipe:

16oz water
3 scoops Arbonne Chocolate Protein
1 scoop Arbonne Daily Fiber
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 C gluten free oats
1 TBSP PB Fit

Blend all together in your blender of choice. (I use a Ninja..it helps to really break down the oats)

Alright, so breakdown time:

I like to use water instead of almond milk because it keeps the sugar to a minimum seeings as I'm already adding in a banana. I freeze the bananas to a) last longer, and b) they make a great substitute for ice! My gluten free oats give me the carbs I need to start the day, and the protein powder and PB Fit provide my proteins for the morning as well.

Some of y'all may be looking at the fiber like huuuuh? Do I HAVE to include that? We all probably know the effects of one too many Fiber One bars in the morning (No, DAD! They're NOT granola bars for the thousandth time....) Yeah, we've all been there. When I started my Arbonne business, I began regimenting my fiber intake. One reason why I loved getting the 30 Days to Healthy Living was because it included the Daily Fiber, and I knew for a fact that was something I was super neglecting in my diet. Check out what the Mayo Clinic says about benefits to fiber intake:

1. Normalizes bowel movements (or what I like to abbrev as BM's)
2. Helps to maintain bowel health
3. Helps to lower cholesterol levels
4. Helps to control blood sugar levels
5. Aids in achieving healthy weight

So get it in, peeps! A great rule of thumb, recommended by the Institute of Medicine; women under fifty years of age should get about 25 grams per day.

So there it is! Start your morning off delicious, healthy, and quick!

Playing Catch Up!

My, my...where the heck has all the time gone?! It's been a solid five/six months since I've written a post. Remember that time when I was so gung-ho about blogging? Yeah me too, when all was stress free and relaxing living by the beaches of San Diego and nannying for money I got to save, while cuddling with a sweet two month old nephew. Well, as it turns out, my time in San Diego fell short (too soon to which my sister would say 'I told you so!'). I ended up getting a job back in Austin with the help of one of my best friends at a local gym, so I figured moving back home would be the best decision.

About a month into being in San Diego I began feeling homesick. Yes, I loved being there with my sister and nephew, but I missed my friends, my apartment, my Austin. My friend Blaire gave me a call saying she had a job that I would love waiting for me and I thought, that's it! It's a sign I should be back in Austin. So I ran with it. I decided I would give myself a little more time in California, and then I would venture back to Texas.

And then the day came where I had to say a awful "see you later" to Emily, Susan, and sweet Sammy. It was without a doubt the hardest thing I ever had to do. Honestly, people at the airport probably thought someone died, that's how hard I was crying. And I really never stopped for the next five days.

The job I landed in Austin, wasn't awful. It wasn't great either. I ended up working in sales which through me for a looooop! Note to self: you do not take after father in the area of sales. It wasn't what I thought it would be, therefore I missed California, and my family that much more. Part of me thought I should move back, and another thought I should stick it out and just keep going. Muscle through, Soph, you can do it!

I spent a lot of my time venting with friends and family (for which I'm much grateful for) and a TON of time praying. The next three months of moving back to Austin proved to be such a challenge. Some would say I went through a minor depression (to which I would agree) but I never let myself fail. I continued to stay on track health wise, and put a smile on my face every chance I got.

Needless to say the job didn't last for long. The day after I decided to quit I felt like everything began falling into place:

• I graduated (walked the stage, rather)
• I signed up to take my exam to become a certified personal trainer 
• I met with an Arbonne Consultant to being my own Arbonne business 
• I went to San Antonio for a week to decompress...theeeen!
• I landed a new job as a chiropractor assistant at a chiropractic office in West Austin with the help of my cousin. 

To say everything happens for a reason is an understatement. Believing in God's time is the best advice, and the hardest advice I could ever give, receive, and live out. After five months of undesirable stress, heartache, and angst, things have finally started falling into place and I'm happier than I've ever been! I've been working on steps to further my future and happiness which include continuing to workout, reading and blogging...again, motivating others to achieve their goals, and most importantly praying everyday! 

The view from my morning run...trying to! 

Weekend Recap

Oh boy, Monday already?! That means I have just two more days here in San Diego, and the sadness is starting to take effect. Emily had asked me to hold Sam Friday morning while she got ready for the gym and I just starting balling right then and there. My time in San Diego has been nothing short of amazing and I'm gonna miss it way too much!

This weekend was an adventure for sure! I took a drive up to Sierra Madre to visit my Aunt Cindy and cousin Caroline. Let me tell you that a two hour road trip in California is NOT a Texas road trip by any stretch of the imagination. I was driving through mountains and it was absolutely gorgeous! Taking that small little trip was a fantastic way to spend my last weekend in California. It was just me, the radio, open roads, and family!

Beautiful, amiright?!

When I got there we took a trip to Ulta where a lady ended up giving me a free makeover? Uh, yes please! She was doing waterless manicures using Butter London products which I absolutely love! She started with a cuticle treatment that allows your cuticles to rub off super easily cause it's bad to cut them. I actually read that the other day in Women's Health too. Before I knew it, she put on two coats, and was putting makeup on me. It escalated quickly. Haha! I love the products cause they never add Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, phthalates or parabens (aka, gross, gross, gross) to any products, AND they're really good for sensitive skin. Even better, right!? 

Melt Away, Cuticle Eliminator
$19.00 online

Yummy Mummy (the color she did on me)
$15.00 online

After that, we went to Philippe's in LA. Talk about delicious sandwiches! It was so good. I got the Lamb French DOUBLE dipped sandwich. Remember those splurges I talked about? This weekend was definitely one of them! My aunt and I ended the night with a bunch of her friends at a local hangout in Sierra Madre. It was too much fun! 

Me and Caroline 

Aunt Cindy and I at the Buc 

However, I'm gonna chalk this up to a mini-vacation, I didn't do as well as I had hoped for the first week of the #4WeeksFit Challenge. 

Goal 1: I wanted to workout 4-5 times a week and I've only worked out three times this week, but I DO have my last training session scheduled for tomorrow so that will make four before the official week is over. (I started on Wednesday).
Goal 2: Eating out once a week? ...............oops? :/ next week will FOR SURE be better!
Goal 3: Meal prepping. I haven't done an official meal prep just because I am waiting to get back to Austin, but that will be coming up on Wednesday!
Goal 4: 6 miles......I'm still trucking at a solid 4. So we'll see how that one comes along!

Happy Monday! Here's to a happy and healthy start of the week!

Staying Motivated While Running

I touched on my jog in yesterday's #4WeeksFit post, but what I didn't say was how during the whole entire time I was planning my next post. I've said it before, and I will reiterate it til I'm blue in the face, I am suuuch an amateur runner. I won't even pretend like I'm a crazy superstar at it. I am very content with my 12 minute miles thank you very much :)

Sidenote: I was so incredibly happy when Jen Widerstrom (The Biggest Loser, Season 16 Trainer and probably someone I look up to the most) admitted she hated running. Whew! I am not alone!! Okay, okay I don't haaate it, I just think it's boring. For some people that's there escape, and seriously, hats off to them for sure.

Anyways, so as I was running I thought to myself, if I can stay focused and motivated maybe I can give a few tips as to how. Before I knew it my brain was going, my feet were following, and I was at the beach in no time (well 20 minutes no time, but you get the gist ;)).

So here it is,

7 Easy Steps to Stay Motivated While Running 

1. Grab a Running Partner
Lately Emily and I have been going on runs together and it makes it so much easier! It's always nice to have someone else there to help set the pace. Say I'm gonna stay always two steps behind him/her, or I'm gonna aim to match their footing, you can even go as far as saying I'm gonna beat them up this hill this time! But just remember, make it fun and not competitive. No one likes running with an overly competitive person (at least not me).

2. Pump up the Volume, pump up the volume..!
That's right! Grab your headphones and go! In my opinion, nothing is more motivating then some pumped up music. iTunes Music, Spotify, Pandora, Songza...whatever app you chose all have some sort of workout playlists. If that doesn't help, nothing pumps me up more than a little Destiny's Child (or anything 90s for that matter). Or maybe music isn't really your thing? Audiobooks! Try to find someone with an engaging voice and not monotone. (Andy Cohen, anyone?!)
Also, I just found this really cool online Discount Running Store that has running accessories (i.e. phone holder and earbuds). Click here for the link!

**Sidenote: if you're training for a run of some sort, make sure you know the rules on music. One of my friends told me how he trained the whole time for a marathon with music and when he got to the race they didn't allow it because of the busy streets. BUMMER! Train how you race!**

3. Set Goals
When I say set goals, I mean during your run, so short and obtainable, not long term in this instance. If you're running on a busy street or something set landmark goals for yourself. For example, yesterday I told myself just to make it to each crosswalk. Before I knew it, I had already passed three and was halfway there.
Are you more of a treadmill runner? Most treadmills have a "performance" option that will show you a track. You can aim to sprint/jog based on where you are on the track. It's a great way to keep your brain occupied, and to strive to achieve your goals!

4. Zone Out
For me it's always best to think about how much running I'm not doing. Only because I feel like I've ran three miles, and I find out it's only been three-quarters of a mile, and I'm like well, a profane word would work great in this moment! Zone-out. Think about something that's gonna occupy your time. Do you have an interview coming up? Try and anticipate questions they'll ask an answer them in your head. Are you a blogger? Think of your next post ;) Something that takes your mind off of what you're really doing.

5. Track Your Run
There are so many apps out there that'll track how far you go, your average speed, etc. RunKeeper, Map My Run, Nike+Running (if you have the adapter) are all free in the Apple App Store! Also, if you have some sort of fitness band like a FitBit, Nike Fuel Band, Misfit Activity Tracker, Garmin, etc. they all come with a tracking method. It's always nice to see how much you've accomplished at the very end. Long or not, you put in the work and should be proud!

6. Practice Good Form//Exude Confidence 
Let me just say that running down Pacific Beach in San Diego isn't exactly the most comfortable. Man Bun central!! And ladies who just came out of yoga looking a million bucks. Okay guys, I'm really not dying on mile 2, don't worry.  I don't think exuding confidence is something you'll read in the latest Sports Medicine magazine, but this is just how my brain works. The more confident you are in yourself, the easier running will become. Go out there and say who cares who's looking at me! I'm doing this for me and only me! Knowing proper running form makes that even easier to do. Here's a lovely chart to help you out.

Click the link to make it bigger :)

7. Good Shoes
The last thing, and probably most important (it's my Athletic Training side talking) is having a good pair of running shoes. Nothing is a bigger bummer a run like having busted feet. Take a trip to your nearest running store and get your feet checked out. Know what your tendency is (are you over pronanted, supinated, flat footed, have high arches?). There is so much that goes into how feet are, and everything in your body stems from your feet. Pick out some good shoes, and break them in.

Hope this helps even just a little bit!
Happy Running!!

#4WeeksFit Challenge//Today's Run

So!, exciting bits number one, I am doing my first link-up challenge! One of the things I am starting to love about blogging are links ups because they're a great way to connect to other people, and to keep yourself accountable and motivated!

Here are my four goals for the month of March.

Goal #1: Workout 4-5 times a week! This includes cardio and weight training. I'm really good at falling into lulls, so I'm hoping to stay accountable for the sake of blogging about it :)

Goal #2: Limit my eating out to once a week! I'm heading back to Austin next week, and I know the temptation of going back to all the local eateries I loooove is gonna be gnawing at me (pun totally intended). For the sake of my checkbook and progress, I'm gonna do my best to stay limited.

Goal #3: Meal prep. Meal prep. Meal prep. This part is probably the hardest for me because I love diversity in what I eat, so I'm gonna have to find some fun ways to mix it up a bit. Better believe I'll be sharing!

Goal #4: Be able to do 6 miles nonstop. Easy right? WROOONG. I'm such an amateur runner. After my half I crossed it off my list and didn't look back. I'm starting to get the running bug just a little bit more, so hopefully this will be a decent start.


I started out this morning by going on a fun little jog down to the beach. I am still super sore from my workout Monday and I knew the only way to combat it was to get moving and stop sitting around. Don't worry, I foam rolled before an after as well. I threw on my shoes and went for it. It was actually not as awful as I thought (minus the huge hill on the way home), plus having the beach as a reward was nice!

When I got to the beach, I decided to walk around a bit and take in the serenity of it all. As I sat down, I pulled out my devotional app and read what it was for today. Today's was titled "Physical." I'm smiled not even starting to read it, knowing it would be good. The verse came from 3 John 1:2 which read "Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit." Just another reminder that being healthy and staying fit isn't purely for the looks. I often stop myself and ask, okay why am I really doing this? It was such a sweet reminder to know that we're called as humans to respect our bodies and keep them in the best shape and health possible: spiritually, physically, and mentally :)

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

Sweet sweet victory!!

The Hill O' Death on the way home.
You can't even see the street...that bad -_-

I meeeean, not awwwwful? :/
It's always a work in progress.

WOD #1

After missing last weeks training session, I knew I was in for quite the workout today. Usually, I aim to workout 4-5 times a week, but because I've been so busy babysitting/nannying my life away, I value home time to keep me sane. I've been using workouts with my trainer Ryan as my gym workouts, and usually do some form of cardio twice a week with Emily.

I started going to Ryan when I moved to San Diego. Him and his roommate Wade own a small gym that they run themselves. It's not a corporate gym, and they do not have any specific style, which I actually appreciate. They're both well trained and know their stuff, so I trust them completely. When I first got there I told him I wanted to start working on different powerlifting techniques, so our workouts usually consist of that, or building main muscles involved in those movements. 

Here's a glimpse at today's workout 

Before any workout, I do a stretch and about a three minute foam roll. Don't worry, I'll do a whole blog dedicated to how much I live by foam rolling. Warm-ups, especially dynamic ones are key to happy, warm muscles. 

We started with bench just to kind of get the blood pumping, and to get my arms ready for the dead lifts. My goal this whole time has been to get 140 off the ground by myself, but unfortunately I was only able to take it from the rack and rep it. No off the ground for me just yet :( and yes, I was aggravated! Meh, next time!! 

After those complex movements, we started breaking down by targeting smaller muscle groups with more simple movements. By doing these simple, yet explosive movements, it'll help me to gain the power I need in order to get the 140 off the ground! 

We ended with just 10 simple squat jumps, and I'm pretty sure my legs and back were shot after that. 

Just like any workout, I ended with a thorough stretch, and foam roll! 

Plug of the day: 

Jump Start Fitness

Ryan Pearl and Wade Snow

https://www.facebook.com/jumpstartfitness123

Super cool guys in San Diego who love to help people with their constant motivation and by achieving their goals! If you're in the San Diego area, and looking for a fresh start or just continuing in your fitness journey like me, they're your guys for sure!

Dinner Night: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Here it is: my first food post. Don't worry, this isn't really nerve wrecking at all.

One of my favorite things to do is look up different recipes on Pinterest, and alter them just a tad. It makes me feel more like a chef than a copy-cat. I did just that for tonight's dinner! I found this recipe on Half Baked Harvest. The stuffed sweet potatoes she made were chipotle flavored, but since I didn't have those on hand, I used sweet red peppers instead.  Here y'all go!

STUFFED SWEET POTATOES:

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 medium chicken breasts 

2 c spinach

3 roasted red peppers (from jar)- chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 clove garlic- minced

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 squeeze lemon

1 tsp cumin 

salt and pepper to taste

mozzarella cheese *optional* 

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES: 

Start out by preheating the oven to 350. 

Wash sweet potatoes and poke holes with a fork to ventilate while heating. 

Once washed, place sweet potatoes in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. 

FOR THE CHICKEN: 

Cut chicken breast in half length wise. 

Season with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. 

Add oregano and cumin to season *optional*

Bake for 25 minutes 

--you can do this while the sweet potatoes are baking!--

In a medium bowl: 

add chopped peppers, oregano, garlic, lemon, cumin, and salt and pepper. Mix together and place to the side. 

When the chicken is done, in a medium size pan, add chicken and red pepper mix. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add in spinach. 

Cook until spinach has wilted. 

Once the sweet potatoes are done, (soft enough to stick a fork through) cut in half, and scoop out the center. Just enough so the sweet potatoes can still stand alone. 

Add chicken filling to sweet potatoes (top with cheese if you choose) and throw back into the oven for about 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted, or food is warmed! 

Wanna adapt it to cook for just two?! Here's a fun tip: use only one sweet potato and save the chicken mix for lunches throughout the week. You can make a mashed sweet potato with the scraped out inside as well :)  

For the Right Reasons

Living with a newborn is not the easiest (fun...yes, easy...nay). Sleeping in the same room doesn't make it any easier. Since my sister's mother-in-law, Susan, is staying with her until her husband gets home she gets the guest room, which leaves me sharing a room with Emily and sweet baby Sam. Don't get me wrong this isn't me complaining for a second! I really do love it. It gives me stories and memories I'll have for a lifetime. Not only that, Susan does so much during the day, she deserves a night of sleep. This is also the best form of birth control for myself. Uhhh...true. Lately, we've been going through 1-2 hour sleeps throughout the night so the exhaustion just kinda follows you around. 

In attempts to combat the exhaustion/get me out of the house, I meet with a trainer once a week. This past Wednesday was supposed to be one of those days, however it started rough. That morning I woke up twenty minutes before my session, and ended up being ten minutes late. I'm kind of a freak about being punctual, so this already put me in an aggravated mood. When I got there, my trainer decided to tell me he forgot the gym keys. Well there was that. I woke up late and tired, AND I wasn't gonna get in the workout I wanted. There was only one thing I needed: Target. 

On my way home I stopped there thinking I would just kinda walk around and see if anything caught my eye. I went to the book section and saw that they had "For the Right Reasons" by Sean Lowe. Emily, a huge Bachelor fan, was all about Sean and Catherine. I had seen that the book was out and was interested so I decided, eh, why not?! I have the time, and I want a good read. So I bought it. 

Let me say this, there are few books that I have just sat and read without any distractions. This book was one of them. I started the minute I got home, continued in the car waiting to pick up the little girl I nanny, at the dinner table, in bed. I read it in about two days. Don't get me wrong, the fact that it's not a hard read or a long book helped, but there was also something about Sean's story that was so captivating to me. I honestly think it's because a lot of what his life was is what I feel like I am going through currently. Transition. Oh the dreaded transition.

I never made this known to people, but a main reason I decided to come to California was because I had just gotten out of a complicated relationship. This guy and I had been seeing each other for about a year, but never made anything official. That alone took a really huge emotional toll on me. Then I found out there was another girl in the picture and that didn't help matters. I was ready to go all in with this guy. I always urged him to just believe in us, believe in the love he had for me, and that was it! He spoke sweet nothings to me, and I believed every second of it. Anyways, enough about him. During that year, my relationship with God went from subpar, to a constant conversation. I don't necessarily enjoy the fact that I had to go through heartbreak to really lean on Him, but I believe it is what I needed to reconnect.

Reading Sean's story gave me such a renewed sense of hope. One that had been dwindling, and I wasn't sure how to get it back. He touched on past relationships and why they didn't work out; how he found himself in a super huge lull before going on the Bachelorette; and how Christ was the constant throughout it all. The book helped me to open my eyes on life, and love. Okaaay, I know what you're thinking. It's silly that this girl is learning life lessons from a pretty boy Bachelor. And it's true, I thought the same thing. But this pretty boy bachelor actually has a lot of wisdom if you open yourself up to it. Through his stories, I learned you can't force someone to love you. You can't meet them halfway (which was my number one mistake). You need to be confident in what you want, and not settle for less. I also learned I am doing nothing wrong in the least about putting my confidence and hope in the Lord, knowing that He in the end will provide the desires and happinesses of my heart. My absolute favorite part of the book was the prayer Sean would pray everyday going to work. He would pray, "'God, you know I don't want to live a normal life. If this is your will--if you really want me to sell insurance--I'll do it. But there has to be more.'" There is no doubt Sean found his more. 

When I came to California I thought I would find adventure, and a future, but I truly believe I found something much greater; myself. It's exciting to be able to say I am finally confident in who I am, and it's okay to still be searching for my more. 

Now here's my plug: If you're looking for a fun, easy read; something inspirational; a quirky love story, look no further! For the Right Reasons is all of that in one. 

Honestly, the only time I looked up 

Why Paleo?

Throughout the past couple years, dieting "fads" have been in circulation. There's the whole idea that going gluten-free is good, there's the age old being vegetarian or vegan, and more recently, many people have jumped onto the paleo diet trend. This diet aims to mimics the eating habits of those in the paleolithic era; only the freshest (grassfed) meats, fish/seafood, fruits, and vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils are apart of this way of eating. Foods that are omitted include cereal grains, dairy products, refined sugars and oils, processed foods, potatoes, and certain legumes. Seems pretty drastic, huh?
I remember when I first heard about the paleo lifestyle. I was a sophomore in college, and the student athletic trainer I was assigned to shadow, Nic, had introduced it to me. I really looked up to how healthy and fit he was so I figured it was a pretty legit thing. Then, he told me the rules. HAH! Is this guy serious?! Of course he was. Then he gave me six pounds of qunioa he had at his apartment in attempts to limit temptation. The idea of being paleo was simply that to me, an idea. That was of course before I decided to create a healthier lifestyle for myself.

When my mom introduced the Whole30 Paleo Challenge to my sister and I this past January it was indeed a change. When I read the restrictions I knew this would be close to impossible for me. Not because I didn't have the willpower, but because I knew my body well, and I knew it would have a difficult time adapting to the change. The most important part, I believe, in making a dietary change is going about it slowly, yet effectively. You do not want to subject your body to any type of shock or depravation.

The hardest part of the paleo challenge was taking out grains. Unfortunately, the full paleo diet does not include quinoa. Lord, have mercy...what am I going to do?! Not only do I luuuurve my grains, I also know that this is where I get many of my carbohydrates from. Carbs are perhaps the most understood micronutrient in the bunch. We all learned it when Dolly Parton mimicked it on Steel Magnolias, "carbs are the enemy!" FALSE! Carbs are your greatest source of energy. It is essential you learn to love them and appreciate them, however do not abuse them! I could go into a whole nutrition lesson about carbs, but I will instead post a lovely Pinterest chart on the difference between simple "bad" and complex "good" carbs.

And then I saw no beans....okay, okay. Jokes over now, right? Not only do I love beans, my January/February edition of Health Magazine confirmed that beans are indeed good for your heart! They help to lower cholesterol (as do whole grains and legumes, ps). Therefore, I decided to go about this challenge differently. I decided to go about it eating more clean, than paleo. Thus I became "pseduo-paleo" as I like to describe it. I decided to adapt grassfed- produced meats, fresh fish and seafood, and unrefined sugars and healthy oils into my diet, as well as knocking out processed foods. What I did however keep that is not paleo are healthy grains like quinoa and whole-grain bread (very seldom, especially if it includes bananas and nut butter), and beans.

I am not paleo, and until I've decided to make a full change I won't even pretend to be. I do however strive to make healthy and fresh choices with everything I eat; that doesn't include Girl Scout cookies. You're welcome.

About Me

Hello all! Well, I have done it. I have decided to try my hand at blogging. Why, Sophia, why did you decide to do this? Here I am, the girl who cried days and days over her senior thesis paper; the girl who, honestly doesn't know when to use a semicolon; the girl who always leaves out words in so much as Instagram posts has decided to create her own blog. Strange, I know. But do not fret, I do have my reasons. Either I am growing up and am more aware of things around me, or blogging really has become the "in thing." My sister is a Navy wife and is totally in with the military blogging crowd, and it has kind of sparked a bit of a fire in me.

I graduated from St. Edward's University in December of 2014 with a degree in Kinesiology emphasizing in Athletic Training. When I enrolled in college I was the definition of an awkward 18 year-old who had no idea what life had in store. Throughout college, working with different athletic teams and being around a world of fitness, I began to really fall in love with the idea of helping others, and that started with myself. I entered college at 5'5" 135 pounds. Not bad right? Let's not even discuss what my body fat percentage was. I grew up playing basketball but stopped once I hit high school and didn't exactly entertain the idea of working out much. Once my freshman year was over I was tipping the scales at 140 pounds and needed a change, and quick. Being in the athletic training world, I was around constant motivation and inspiration. It forced me to really look at myself and see the changes I wanted to make. 

The summer of 2012 started my "lifestyle change," if you will. However, as a student athletic trainer, traveling with teams and eating like an athlete (when I merely sat on the sidelines) really caught up with me. From May 2012 to January 2015, I hit many bumps. Lemme tell you, the roller coaster of motivation is a real thing. Either way, I continued to push on. I've done two rounds of Sean T's Insanity videos, I pushed myself to workout at hotels while on the road, and have made many dietary changes.

Starting in January, I moved to San Diego to live with my sister who was expecting her first child while her husband was deployed. Since I was newly graduated, I decided this would be the best way to face (or ignore) the dreaded transition phase. On January 7, 2015 nephew number three was born! For the first month of his life, our mom stayed with us. She had just finished a "30 day paleo challenge" and urged us to continue with this dietary change. My sister and I, always looking for challenges and healthier living were all in! Throughout that time, we experimented with the best and healthiest foods, and recipes. With a simple month change (not neglecting exercise that is), I was able to feel way more energized, lighter, and all over healthier. As of this morning, I am weighing in at a happy 122 pounds, and 18% body fat.  

Originally, I wanted this blog to be about health and fitness, but then I decided to create it to be about all around wellness. Follow me as I discuss fun new recipes, products, challenges, but all around life and fun! 

So without further adieu, I present to you the journey of the Pseudo-Paleo Princess. Come along with me! I promise I won't disappoint :)