Deployment countdown

May 8, 2012 by Jessica | 1 Comment

This deployment is coming up so fast! Seems like just yesterday my honey and I were on our first date and his deployment was 7 months away. Now, we’re in the semi-final countdown and I must say … it sucks.

I find myself missing him even more now than when he was recently out of country for 10 days – and he’s only an hour away! I’d love to spend every minute I can with him, but between my job and his training schedule, I look at the calendar and all I see are weekends flying by and then D-day.

As odd as it sounds, I know I’ll be fine once he’s gone. It’s the lead-up to it that’s going to kill me. The weekdays drag on, but the weekends (when I do get to see him) go by so quickly. There’s just not enough time to do the things we wanted to do before he left.

Part of me wants to cut myself off from all things military in the next few weeks. The near-constant drama on some of the support sites drives me bonkers. All it does is make me paranoid about things I don’t need, or have time, to worry about.

But at the same time, there are some amazing friends and women out there who I really look forward to talking to and conversing with and have amazingly positive attitudes.

Perhaps it’s time again to clean up my Facebook and Twitter feeds.

I apologize for the randomness of this post. But this is exactly how my brain works these days …. *sigh*

What’s on your deployment bucket list?

April 24, 2012 by Jessica | 0 comments

I saw someone use the phrase “deployment bucket list” a few months ago on Semper Fi Momma and thought: “GENIUS!” I had already been making a list of things I’d like to do/accomplish/experience while my honey is downrange, but had never heard that term. It’s  perfectly fitting, though.

With deployment “D-day” quickly coming upon us, I’ve been spending some more time thinking about the things I’d like to do. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

  • run a half-marathon (in September)
  • take a cooking class (or four)
  • go Paleo/Primal for at least a month
  • take a photography class
  • hot yoga at least twice a month
  • attend the Healthy Living Summit in Boston (in August)
  • be a tourist in my own city (check out museums, parks & restaurants)

What’s amazing is how the Universe is practically giving me these opportunities! The other day I found a deal on photography classes ($35 for a 2-hour class). Then the dates and location for HLS were announced and plane tickets are less than $200. (Plus, I have a few friends who are planning to go as well.)

And if that wasn’t enough … one of my very best friends, Laura, is planning to come do the half-marathon with me! I think that’s only fitting because she ran my first race with me and has run with me every time I’ve added a new distance.

What are some fun things you’ve done while your honey was deployed?

Deployment soundtrack

April 19, 2012 by Jessica | 1 Comment

There have been a few songs lately that I’ve heard that make me think “omg, this is my life!” Especially with my honey spending so much time out of town for training and pre-deployment … stuff.

Do you have any songs that remind you of your honey during time apart or deployments? 

You do what you gotta do.

April 12, 2012 by Jessica | 0 comments

Moving day is quickly coming upon me. A few weeks ago I checked out an apartment near my work and fell in love. (It’s got a screened porch and doesn’t charge monthly pet fees!) I was beyond excited about this becoming my new home.

I’ve been daydreaming all week about having my own space but also wondering how in the heck I’m going to fit a 3-bedroom house worth of stuff into a 1-bedroom apartment. (Just WATCH me get creative!)

When I told my honey I had signed the papers and was going to be moving in a few weeks, he said those dreaded words: “I’m going to be out of town that weekend.”

Bummer.

But, as much as I’d have LOVED to have him help me move – who doesn’t want a big strong man to do the heavy lifting? – I moved on to Plan B: hiring people. (That was really Plan A, but don’t tell him that. All men want to feel needed. :) )

You see, that’s one thing I learned from my mom. With the military, you can never count on your guy being home to do the heavy lifting (or moving, or fixing). Sometimes, you have to get creative and find a way to do it yourself.

Which is also why I fixed his TV last week.

And why, apparently, I’m getting to drive the Uhaul truck – because out of my mom, dad and I, I’m the one with the most experience driving a truck.

Just call me Jill … Jill-of-all-trades.

Cutting back on sugar FAQ

April 6, 2012 by Jessica | 0 comments

After my month of cutting back on sugar, I got a lot of questions about how I did it and asking for suggestions. I decided a FAQ would be helpful. Got a question not answered here? Leave a comment and I’ll get to it right away!

*Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. If you have specific questions, please consult your physician or a registered dietitian.*

Since I drink tea and/or coffee in the morning, is Stevia the best substitute or honey?

I don’t know much about stevia, and I tend to lean more toward “whole” foods, of which I’d consider honey. The thing is, your body knows what to do with honey. Stevia – no matter what plant it comes from – has been processed in some way. My opinion is to stay away from anything that’s been processed too much from it’s natural state. Better yet, slowly use less of the sweetener until you can drink your tea/coffee plain!

What should I eat instead of cookies? I am a cookie or sweets addict but I know they are terrible for you. I have been counting calories so this has been helping a little but I still get cravings. HELP!!

I totally understand how you feel. One thing I learned while becoming a health coach was to “crowd out” the bad food with good food. For example, have some fruit or other food so that you’re not hungry for cookies. Yes, I know how difficult this is! If you tend to reach for sweets as a “reward,” try rewarding yourself with something healthy – like fruit you wouldn’t normally buy. (I love pineapple, but hate paying a lot for them. When I feel I need to reward myself with some kind of sweet, that’s what I buy.) Also, really check in with your emotions – are you REALLY hungry? Or are you bored/upset/sad/stressed? I tend to feel a sugar “craving” when I’m stressed out. It makes sense because studies have shown eating sugar releases dopamine, which makes you feel good. When I first started working at the newspaper, I would run to the soda machine any time I got stressed. Eventually, I was able to switch to a tea I really, really liked that made me feel calm during stressful situations instead of reaching for the soda – effectively “crowding out” the sugary treat.

Is honey an OK substitute? I like honey in my tea and on toast. How about those sweeteners like Truvia or Splenda? Are they no-no’s?

Personally, if I were your health coach, I’d prefer you to use honey. Local honey would be even better. As I said, honey is much closer to a “whole/real” food than Truvia or Splenda. My general rule of thumb: If it’s made in a lab to taste like something else, it’s probably not good for you.

Where are the common “hidden” sugars that nobody thinks about because people associate the foods as being healthy? Eg: fruit, fruit juices

Excellent question! There are a LOT of hidden sugars in foods. Fruit obviously has sugar, but it also contains a lot of other good vitamins, minerals, and fiber that your body knows how to process. Fruit juices are tough – if you must, always look for ones that are 100% juice. It’s important to read labels. 1 tsp of sugar = 4 grams So, that yogurt with 26g of sugar? It has 6.5 teaspoons of sugar in it! For a great illustration, check out Sugar Stacks.

OK, so what CAN I eat? 

I have a sweet tooth, so I ate a lot of fruit during my month without processed sweets. As I said before, I’d rather eat REAL food than processed cakes/cookies/pies. If you need something a little more “shelf-stable” to keep in your desk, I recommend Larabars or That’s It. fruit bars as both are made with real fruit/nuts and their ingredient list is extremely short.

What other questions do you have on cutting back on sugar? Have you tried? Let me know how you’re doing it!

Reality check: It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.

April 4, 2012 by Jessica | 0 comments

Ever have one of those days when you suddenly realize how many things you’re juggling and panic, wondering oh.my.god.how.am.I.making.this.all.work?! and trying desperately to not drop anything?

I had a day like that recently. It doesn’t take much for me to have a mini-panic attack and wonder how I’m doing it all. One would think that after 10 years working on deadlines as a journalist, I wouldn’t be so affected by an e-mail detailing some minor work that needed to be addressed ASAP.

But, it does. I’ve never dealt well with criticism – even when it’s only perceived criticism. My parents used to tell me that they could look at me a certain way as a child and I’d break out in tears.

I definitely had that feeling the other day. Part of me wanted to reach for some carbs (my comfort food of choice), another part of me wanted to crawl in a hole and hide until it went away. And yet another part of me wanted to complain about the injustice of it all. (Dramatic, much?)

A few hours – and a very refreshing conversation with my honey – later and I was already feeling silly for having overreacted so much.

Especially when, when it came right down to it, the task I was panicking over took all of about 15 minutes to remedy.

Lesson for the day: It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.

Sugar-free March recap

April 2, 2012 by Jessica | 0 comments

I’ve been putting off writing this post for about a week and I didn’t know why. Until I came into work today and saw this 60 Minutes video linked up on FB. The timing was too perfect.

If you didn’t get to see it, I urge you to check it out. There’s a lot of information in there that I think is really important.

Barring a few little slip-ups conscious decisions on my part to indulge, my month without “added” sugar went by pretty easily.

The hardest part about giving up sugar in March wasn’t the actual sugar consumption, but trying to explain WHY I would want to give up sweets.

I heard a lot of comments – mostly thrown out in a joking manner – like “I could NEVER give up sugar!” or “Why would you ever want to do that? No cake? No candy?” Others commented on my super-strong will power (like when I sat through 3 people having dessert at lunch one day).

But the longer I went without sweets, the less I wanted them. Even today, the thought of hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts (of which I ate 8 of on my wedding day 4 years ago), makes me physically ill.

I’ll admit – I wasn’t a complete saint through this month. In fact, just this past weekend I broke down and had a Pepsi to help combat a wicked migraine that was lingering for a second day. And I’ll admit, it tasted dang good.

But the yogurt I had a week before? WAY too sweet. I couldn’t even eat three bites! And the Pure Organic bar I had 2 weeks ago? I think I ate half before it was too sweet.

My taste buds have obviously changed. And I’m OK with that.

Will I continue with my sugar-free/sweets-free living? Probably for the most part. I still have a sweet tooth, but fruit has been quenching that craving lately. Even some fruits are starting to taste too sweet! I’m sure I’ll indulge every once in a while for special occasions, but for now, I’m happily living without the cookies/candy/cakes.

Got a question about cutting back on sugar? Leave your question and I’ll write a post!