Eat. Pray. Eat Some More. Love.

There are two scenes in Eat Pray Love that I am completely in errr... love with? The first scene includes Julia Roberts and her new blond friend that she has met in Italy dining out for lunch, enjoying what appears to be some of the most amazing pizza ever. Julia's friend only eats one piece and looks on as Julia's character devours every bite. She asks what's wrong and explains that she's gained a ton of weight in the last few weeks and can't fit her jeans. Julia responds with a ground breaking response:

This is probably my most favorite scene in the entire movie. Now some of my friends might say, "Yes, Kate. So why are you wrapped up in weight?". I've been doing a full body cleanse Monday. I'm doing pretty well and adjusting slowly. I've eliminated alcohol, red meat, processed sugars, and carbs. Sound s like a lot but my lunch today was packed with a turkey burger, an arugula salad and homemade dressing (yes! I made homemade dressing. What?!). 

Over the holidays (and in my last 7 or so months of being fully single again) I've turned to food for celebrations and for social outings with friends. When I ate a box of Nerds for breakfast last week, I knew it was time to make some change. 

Years ago I found myself in a relationship where all we did was eat. I weighed in at a whopping 218 lbs. Yes, it's true... and to my good friend in Miami please continue to hide (or burn) those photos from that trip when we were all big and round. At that weight I was not healthy. The weight on my body made it hard for me to run and I just didn't take good care of myself. 

Now, 40 lbs lighter I'm still not satisfied but I'm feeling a lot better than I did before. 

Moving into the new year and my 30th birthday (big what?!?) I'll choose to enjoy food more, not become obese (again), and I'll not equate my food with how many calories I've burned the previous day.

I will not torture myself for eating a piece of bread or having a glass of wine. But I'll stop myself before I eat the entire loaf of bread and the full bottle of wine.

Let this be a lesson that while a guy will never walk out on us when they're exposed to our "muffin top"we should not walk out on ourselves.

S.G.

I'm a nice person.

It's been a little over a month since I returned from my volunteer trip in Africa and it feels like years. I received an email from a friend I made on the trip asking me, "Wo ho te sen?" which means "How are you?" in Twi which is the native language in Ghana. My heart ached for the two and half weeks that I spent teaching some very rambunctious 3rd graders and carrying bricks to build a new school. I winced when I thought of the days where we carried bowls of water on our heads from the well and drops of water would fall down my face. I secretly think I had major stomach issues from a couple of those drops falling in my mouth. I digress.

Returning back to the U.S. and ramping up rather quickly for Thanksgiving and Christmas I found myself out and about in the city with this intense need to consume. "I have to buy things," I kept telling myself. And so I found myself at the grocery store, TARGET, the mall, trying to find things that I needed and getting rid of things that I don't.

The holidays bring out the best (and worst) in many of us. I found myself at the grocery store buying cream cheese for a raspberry cheesecake (it was in fact delicious by the way) and I graciously thanked the woman behind the counter and wished her a happy holiday. I smiled, walked back to my car, hopped in and drove home.

I remember when I wasn't so happy. When a trip to buy cheesecake felt like the end of the world.
Now things are quite different.
I'm filled with love and faith.
I gave a homeless person $20 on my way to my Dad's house on Christmas day.
I believe in the good in people again.


Experiences from my younger days molded me into the person that I am.
Bad experiences hardened me from opening up and taking risks.
Every day that I move away from those experiences, is a new day to take a risk.
A new day to share love.
The farther we move ourselves from those people, that behavior, whatever those "bad" things may be, the more we move back over to good.

It's been a good amount of time since I've been in a bad thing.
The days and months away have me finding myself and getting back to the true person I am.

I am hopeful and giving.
I am selfless and loving.
I believe in the good in people.
I am a nice person.