Time To Be Selfish

I know I have had quite an advantage over others when it comes to trying out and practicing my new life style.  As someone who works from home, I am able to make my own schedule and make time to fit in my workouts and healthy eating.  After a few months of being able to focus on me, me, me, I finally got a taste of what this new life style has been like for others as they try to fit it into their hectic lives.

My trip out of town was followed by two weeks of Joe's awesome sisters being in town followed by a week of my good friend, Laura, being in town for a convention.  Add that all up and it has been almost an entire month of me not being able to be totally selfish in my time and eating habits.  I think I have eaten out almost every day in the last month.  I did cook a few dinners at home when Joe's sisters were in town, but ultimately, we jam packed their visit and were often out exploring Colorado and too busy to cook at home.

During this time, I was able to see my relationship for cheese with what it really was as I think I tend to eat it more in restaurants than I do in my own cooking.  And I was able to live in a no-diet way and allow myself what I wanted when I wanted.  So I have also been practicing not making myself feel guilty about those choices.  I have eaten and let it go.  (Still my favorite practice.)  Unfortunately, I have also really neglected my activities.  Yes, there was some hiking and white water rafting mixed in our adventures, but they weren't always daily and I am starting to feel the effects of being inactive.

Yesterday, I took Laura to Red Rocks and we walked the stairs and bleachers from the bottom to the top and did 100 wall push-ups.  It felt great!  And it really got me excited to get back into the game.  I am ready to start some new routines and to get back into some old ones.  The kitchen is calling me and the fridge is saying, "Feed me!  I'm empty!"  So today, with all guests sadly gone, I am reclaiming my selfishness and restarting my new habits.

My Plan:

1. Create meal plan and shopping list for the rest of the week.  
2. Research new 'cheese-free' recipes to make at home.
3. Go back to aquatics tomorrow morning. (I'm sure they've missed me!)
4. Plan to walk the stairs/bleachers at Red Rocks 2x a week.  (Tuesday and Thursday?)
5. Get back to my strength training.  (Alternate upper body and lower body workouts starting with upper body today.)
6. Starting tomorrow (because of dinner plans with friends tonight), do not eat out of the house until at least next Monday or Tuesday. (Save money!)

I would also like to point out that I really enjoyed my conversations with Laura while she was here.  She follows a vegetarian and mostly vegan diet and she had some good insight and advice for me in my food struggles.  She suggested that once I have been dairy free for a few weeks to then test if it is purely lactose that I am sensitive too, or casein as well.  There are cheeses out there with casein, but not lactose that I should try.  They are tastier than the totally vegan kinds and I will be able to find good substitutes with casein cheeses.  She also picked out a butter substitute for me that is vegan and really good!  It melts and tastes quite lovely on my english muffins.  So thank you Laura for the inspiration and ideas!