Lessons Learned from the Paleo Challenge

As the Paleo Challenge is coming to an end, I reflect back on what I have learned over the course of this "experience":

1. Some people are blessed with the ability to cook - the rest of us should become really good friends with those people.
2. I am terrified to eat anything I cook, but after I get over that first bite, I can handle the rest.
3. Seafood for breakfast 7 days in a row isn't that bad.
4. A craving can last for 29 days. On day 30, you look at your accomplishment and wonder if you want to give up everything you just gained.
5. Eating out is difficult - not because of the choices available, but because ordering requires a lot of special requests and you get a lot of weird looks.
6. "Season to taste" means you better put something else in this because cheese is not considered a seasoning.
7. Cinnamon goes with EVERYTHING.
8. Your coworkers used to think you were crazy. Doing a Paleo Challenge during the holiday season confirmed it for them.
9. Nothing served at a bowling alley resembles paleo...except the bacon and eggs.
10. You look at people eating fries and cheese balls differently. First, you wonder if you can get over the table fast enough to get the basket out of their hands - which, of course you can, you do CrossFit. But then you realize you don't NEED to have them...but you can almost taste the gooey battered goodness while you stare at your chicken salad.
11. Buying jeans right before the challenge was a mistake. A big mistake.
12. Eating clean may not mean you can eat as much as you want, but, hey, as long as it's within the rules, why not?

So - after 30 days, I've dropped 11 pounds and 1.5% body fat. Pretty happy with the successes and I'm going to keep going. Although I don't really care about the weight loss (or at least it's not a major concern), it feels good to know I'm healthy and that I had the willpower to do it.

This proves, with exercise and proper nutrition, that a person can reach their goals and make the changes they want to in life. Dieting is overrated, eating clean and healthy will come naturally. Honestly, after 30 days of no sugar, I'm not really even that excited to dig into a caramel roll. Now, I'm not saying I won't indulge every once in a while, but, for right now, I'm going to buy new jeans!

Congrats to all of my fellow Paleo Challenge contestants - GOOD WORK!

When "good enough" just isn't enough...

When I was a kid, your parents expected the world from you. You were expected to give everything you had on the T-Ball League and to run your little legs off during Track and Field Day in elementary school. Those blue ribbons meant everything when you were seven years old.
Times have changed. Now, as long as you "try" everything is going to be okay. But nothing defines "trying". You can try a new food and if you don't like it, spit it out. But did you really try it? Or did you just go through the motions so you can say you tried it? Slogans like "it's not if you win or lose that matters, it's how you play the game" have allowed people to live with good enough. As long as you make an attempt at doing something, the world is happy. What are we saying when we take the losing team out for pizza just because they tried? They lost - do they really deserve a celebration? Sure, they tried and did a good job, but we are teaching those people that it's okay not to succeed or reach your goal. Is that really the message we want to teach? If you are always getting a reward - win or lose - then what's the point in putting forth the extra "umph" to be successful? 
In a society where mediocrity is par, we look up to those who have achieved greatness. People who have reached their goals are put on pedestals and idolized by the rest of America. But why? It's not only because they put their heart into their goal and did everything they needed to achieved it, but because so few people are putting themselves out there and actually doing. If succeeding at your goals became the norm, then more people would climb the tallest peaks across the world, write the novel they've always wanted to write, become a great baseball player and the "elite status" would then be raised to the next level. 
The point is to keep raising the bar and to reach that bar in everything you do.  Instead, we continually lower the status quo so more people can feel successful. Trying is not getting by. You can try with all your heart, but when you actually get out and do it with all your heart until you succeed, you will feel true accomplishment and become an elite.
Pave the way for yourself. Continually exceed your own expectations, raise that bar, and learn to live with everything you have. 

The Driving Conundrum

South Dakota has some of the worst drivers of any state I have driven in. It's almost like drivers here are not aggressive enough and are just on the road for a Sunday drive. As a former parts runner, I spent hundreds of hours on the road during high school and in my first few years of college. This not only gives you a LOT of time to think and many opportunities to critique other people's driving skills. One of my duties was to train new people. Maybe this is where I get my stellar backseat driving skills (or maybe they come from my father...), but it absolutely amazes me how people do not get in wrecks almost every day. I've ridden with some pretty horrific drivers, and some pretty good ones, but don't be offended if I always offer to drive when we go out. It's not that I don't trust your skills, it's just that, well, I trust mine a lot more.
So, here are some random thoughts about driving....
My Baby
My pickup is one of the few possessions in my life that I don't mess around with. Now, it may not be the nicest one around, but it's part of me, it's mine, it's like my first child. Don't ask to drive it. If you need to go somewhere, I'd be more than happy to take you. If I REALLY feel like I can trust you or I'm just in a really caring mood, you might get the keys, but that only happens once a year, and, well, I've let a few people drive her already this year, so it might be a few years until I'm feeling generous again. 
Parking
If you ride with me, you have two choices - I will either drop you off at the door or you can walk from the absolute back of the parking lot with me, regardless of the weather. I have two very capable legs (some may argue with that) and don't really want to park next to the rusty Metro with two huge dents down the side and a missing headlight or the lady with a purse, diaper bag, and two screaming kids. There are way too many bad things that can happen. So, I am perfectly content taking up two parking spots (more if necessary) in the back of the lot. What really gets me is when some guy with a beater pulls up and parks right next to me. Uhhh...sorry sir, there are several other spots for that you can park in. Maybe he does it just to tick me off or maybe he's just not all there up top, but really? Don't mess with the Ford.
There are also some parking strategies known by few:

• Don't park close to entrances, especially during crappy weather because people will slide into the side of your vehicle. 
• Pulling all the way through so you have a quick exit plan is a good idea, until someone pulls up so close behind you the tailgate won't open, so park strategically.
• Park near shopping cart returns - there is less of a chance of a cart-car accident in these locations. 
• Parking where only one person can park next to you limits the chances of getting a door ding.

Waving
I usually have a thousand things on my mind when I am driving. It drives me crazy when you see someone you know and they walk up to you and say "Geez, didn't you see me at the (Insert name of place here), I was waving at you!" I really, REALLY want to respond with "No, I saw you" and just walk away. I apologize for not seeing you, but if I did, I surly would have waved to you. I had a voicemail on my phone one day that I still don't understand...."Hey, it's me. I just saw you sitting at the stoplight talking on the phone. I waved but you didn't wave back so I figured I'd call and say Hi since I haven't seen you in a while. Well, guess I'll talk to you later!" HHmmmmmmm...
Keys
I don't know exactly how it happens. I am right handed. The ignition switch is on the right side of the steering column. But whenever I am looking for my keys, they are in my left pocket. 
Four-Way Stops
Drivers in this town are not nearly aggressive enough, or they just aren't in a big enough hurry. I avoid four-way stop signs as much as I can because I usually wind up making someone mad. Is it really that hard to figure out who's turn it is to go? I'm all about the honor system, but really, if you are going straight north and the car headed the other way is going straight south, you have every right to go when they do, even if you just pulled up. If no one is going, don't get mad at me when I do, because I'm not going to sit there and wait for everyone else to make up their minds. Politeness gets you nowhere at four-ways...
Ice and Snow
I love driving in the winter. Partially because there are fewer cars on the road and partially because it's fun. I have four-wheel drive and my pickup loves the snow. A common fact is that you don't put it in four-wheel drive until you need it. If you get into trouble when you're in four-wheel drive, well then, someone's gonna have to come get you. But, if you have a reserve after you've gotten into trouble, you can usually get yourself out of it. I know how to get myself out of most winter driving situations, with only the occasional pucker factor. 
If you are only going 20 mph in a 45, I will pass you, probably at 35. Don't get mad. Don't assume I am overdriving conditions. Just assume I know what I am doing and don't want to get rear-ended by the semi that's doing 45 and coming up behind you. 


Happy Driving!