Plantar Fasciitis

A couple of months ago, when I was on another health kick, I decided to start running again. I say again, because in the summer of 2013 I started the Couch-to-5K program and got about half way through it before remembering how much I HATE running. However, I know running has a ton of health benefits and so I ventured to try again. This time around I took a different approach and used the Running for Weight Loss app. I really enjoyed the first few times using the app, and running around Dallas, but after a week of running I started to feel the pain. Not the pain of used muscles, but a stabbing pain in my right foot. It was Plantar Fasciitis. I was aware of my condition, and used to this pain, but running seemed to exacerbate and inflame the area far more than I had expected. The recovery time between runs, with work just normal activity threw me off my schedule and the longer I continued to run, the worse the pain was. It got to the point where every step was a struggle, and on my last run I didn't make it 5 minutes walking before heading back home. I was disappointed in myself and I feel like I let the people who were following my progress down. But in the end, it was me who could feel the pain, not them. Couple that with my continued dislike for running and I decided to give it up altogether.

Image credit http://1.usa.gov/1S5DH8V

Living with Plantar Fasciitis isn't fun. My feet are in constant degrees of pain and depending on the day, and the days before activities, sometimes I can hardly walk. There's no cure, only remedies which help a bit but not completely. But the point of this blog post isn't to whine, or for sympathy. Rather, I just wanted to let everyone know that while I am a quitter, I have my reasons for doing so. Running is great, but it's just not worth the devastating effects to my body.

The good news is that I have another form of exercise which I absolutely LOVE and while it does inflame my heel, the adrenaline from playing masks all pain. I talk of course, of volleyball. I recently got back into it after a very strenuous summer and am now playing two nights a week, a women's league and a coed league. I'm hoping next season to play three nights a week. The further good news is that volleyball offers more remedies to manage the pain. I can wear compression socks and supportive shoes while playing and ice once I get home. It doesn't always suppress the pain completely, but at least I can get up without limping the next morning.

I know I have a tough road ahead of me, one riddled with pain and frustration. But knowing that I'll be able to exercise and have fun at the same time is worth a bit of pain. And with this new diet I should see weight loss results soon which will mean less weight on my feet, and therefore, less pain. I'm so excited to once again share my life with you all and to start this new chapter of my life. I don't need a beginning of a year, or some other major life event to make these changes. All I needed was some inspiration from a very dear friend of mine to see that the weight loss could indeed happen and that the only person stopping me was myself. I just hope that in the end, I can be the same source of inspiration for others.

Learn more about Plantar Fasciitis here.

Protein and Healthy Fats

Yesterday, a good friend of mine told me her ‘secret’ to losing 150 pounds over 2 years and it inspired me. So today, I start my journey towards my weight loss goal of 150 lbs. I currently weigh 237 lbs. I know the road will be long and difficult but it’s worth it to become more healthy. She told me that the key to her success was to limit the intake of sugar and carbohydrates every day and eat more protein and healthy fats. My biggest issue will be the sweets. They’re my weakness but I know that to be successful, I have to cut them out entirely. I’ve tried before, and failed. But this time around I’m determined to focus on my goals and keep the sugar down.

I usually start off strong. Mornings start with coffee and a small amount of almond milk creamer. I don’t usually have anything to eat, but that has to change. I bought Hemp Protein Powder to make morning smoothies, but I haven’t found a delicious pairing just yet. I’ve been working a lot lately, so lunch is eaten there. I tend to ‘forget’ lunch so I can buy Jamba Juice, which I love, but it just has so much sugar. Therefore, I need to make my own lunch from now on! Dinner is where I fall short. I have a tendency to overeat and binge on sweets. Until today I kept a stash of sweets in my car so that I wouldn’t go out and buy and binge on my way home from work. But I realize that I can’t live like that. Plus, the sweets that I am eating aren’t even vegan and it makes me feel guilty because I’m lying to myself, my family and anyone I brag that I’m vegan to.

Today’s eating went really well, and I’m proud of myself. I ate high protein, low carb, low sugar and I found that my appetite was satisfied throughout the day AND I didn’t crave sweets AT. ALL. Below are my macros for day 1 and man, am I excited for day 2.

Seven Days, Day One

Today is day one. My alarm has been going off for the past two hours. Gonzalo isn't in the bed next to me and my neck is sticky from the Tiger Balm applied last night. But I'm up; and today is the first step in new routine for a healthier + happier self.

It was at my second meeting with my graduate advisor, the meeting both Zalo and I went to, that an idea was planted. He told us that it only takes 7 days for a habit to form, for someone to fall into a new routine. He then said that the majority of us are most productive in the morning and for me, this couldn't be more true. But for those of us who work early in the morning, like myself, getting things done before work is more difficult than it sounds. For me there were two options: 1) Continue the current routine of wake up, go to work, come home and do everything else you need to do that day, feel guilty for not getting everything done, sleep OR 2) wake up earlier, get some stuff done, go to work, come home and get a few more things done while being able to spend time with family and/or relax without falling into a guilt-trap. So I chose to change it up.

I went to bed last night at 8pm and even though I did have some trouble falling asleep I woke up this morning at 5am, an hour later than planned, but earlier than usual. I made my coffee, a healthy breakfast and started in on my work. The mystical "work" I keep referring to is my thesis. I'm probably about half-way done with it at this point but still have a lot of work ahead of me and my time is running out. I graduate in March 2015 and with school starting in less than a month I know my time will be even more precious come October. I'm hoping that with these few extra hours in the morning, I'll be able to chip away at that amount of work left to be done and be in a good spot to stop when school starts. Obviously I won't quit working on my thesis altogether, but I have to be realistic, especially knowing the course load I'm taking Fall and Winter term. My saving grace is the almost-month-off we have for winter break. Not saying I'll be doing finishing touches, but hopefully I'll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

// Same name, new direction.

In the past 9 months, so much has changed. I came back from an truly amazing study abroad experience with SEA where I learned so much about the oceans and myself and came away with a group of friends I hope to see a whole lot more of in the future. It was business as usual for awhile there; going to school, working, playing volleyball and settling back into the normalcy of everyday life. But during spring break, it all changed. 

I became an intern with COASST in the newly formed marine debris program, helping to develop procedures for citizen scientists to collect debris and the accompanying data. In April I became the Secretary for The Coastal Society at Oregon State University and even though we're in our infancy, the organization as a whole isn't, and it won't be long before we start gaining some ground and become a presence at OSU. In June I achieved my biggest accomplishment so far; I became the Beach and Highway Cleanup Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, Newport Chapter and since then have coordinated a number of beach cleanups and awareness events as well as made contacts with local people and businesses alike. With this position also comes the role of Zone Captain for Solve, which coordinates the Beach Captains for the big beach and riverside cleanups Solve hosts biannually. 

Needless to say, I am becoming a name in my field, marine debris. I have given presentations, hosted cleanups and personally surveyed and sampling beaches along Oregon's coast. I am proud of the work I am doing, and so I've decided to transform this blog into a place where I can advocate for change and raise awareness about issues that are so near and dear to my heart, such as microplastic debris. I invite all to be skeptical and ask the hard questions about any issue I raise. Keep being curious and if you have any questions please post them in the comments below! 

Living the dream...

Life lately has been pretty phenomenal, and I have so many things to be grateful for. I guess if I was religious I would be thanking God...since that isn't the case, I guess the thanks can go to myself and you know what, I deserve them. Ever since high school, I have been working my butt off to envelop  myself in the subject of marine debris. And though I can't recall what started this obsession, I have worked very hard to get where I am today and to become sort of a name in the marine debris community. 

Currently I am a part of three different non-profit organizations, of which all are dedicated to the cause of marine debris. The first, and the one I have been involved with the longest, is Solve (formerly SOLV). Solve is...

"...a non-profit organization that brings together individuals, business groups, and service and conservation groups through volunteering and education to restore our natural spaces and take good care of this great state of which we are all so proud. SOLVE facilitates Oregonians of all kinds coming together to volunteer, focusing on beach and illegal dump cleanup, planting native trees, removing invasive plants, and other environmental maintenance projects. SOLVE annually creates an average of 50,000 volunteer opportunities in 185 communities all across this diverse state, and has provided around $60,000,000 in service to Oregon since 1997."

To me, Solve is the organization I have been volunteering with since I was in high school. They organize the largest and only major beach cleanup in Oregon and I am proud to have once been a volunteer, a beach captain and now a zone captain. That is my first accomplishment, taking on more responsibility with one of the great Oregonian non-profits and I'm so excited for the fall beach clean up!  

The second non-profit is COASST, and I am one of their marine debris interns. COASST is...

"...a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state, tribal and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups. COASST believes citizens of coastal communities are essential scientific partners in monitoring marine ecosystem health. By collaborating with citizens, natural resource management agencies and environmental organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into effective marine conservation solutions. " 

To me, COASST is a cutting edge non-profit, ahead of the game and trying to make valuable Basically I am helping them develop standardized procedures to collect marine debris on beaches nationwide, maybe even globally! My main task is to give feedback on the small debris portion, as I am interested mainly in microplastic. 

My most recent accomplishment, and biggest by far, is my new position with the Surfrider Foundation, Newport Chapter. I am the new Beach and Highway Cleanup Coordinator and let me tell you, I am so flipping excited. I've already gone to one event, the Otter Rock 'n' Roll which was a youth surfing competition and beach cleanup. Although I didn't lead that one, I have an upcoming post-fouth-of-July beach cleanup on July 5th in Newport partnering with the Cetacean Society! I can't wait and I will be plugging this event like crazy on Facebook to try and drag my friends out to the beach for a good cause!!

Lastly, and certainly not least, I am continuing to work on my thesis. It has changed quite a few times to many different and unforeseen circumstances but I am certain that I have found "the one". I will be working with Dr. White, an associate professor at OSU to develop standardized procedure for collecting microplastic in order to establish a baseline of information from which we can measure change. We will also be building kits which we can give to anyone who is interested in gathering data. This procedure will be easy and relatively hassle free and should give us an idea of how much microplastic debris actually inhabits our beaches. Of course the procedure will be developed here, in Oregon, but should be able to be applied to any beach, oceanic or not. 

All in all, it is an exciting time. I'm truly living the dream and doing what makes me happy and I feel like all of this school is finally starting to pay off. 

If you're interested in visiting any of the above non-profit websites click the names below! 

SOLVE

COASST

Surfrider, Newport Chapter

A New Leaf

No one ever tells you how much change you experience in your early twenties. I turned 23 two weeks ago and I feel like a completely different person. I'm more mature, logical, steady and I'm seeking more out of life than I used to, like traveling. I also have a lot more going on in my life right now, and that is the understatement of the year. Let's see...

• my one year marriage anniversary is this Tuesday;
• I'm working part time, going to school full time;
• I'm completing research for my honors thesis;
• I'm an intern with the Coastal Observation And Seabird Survey Team (COASST), the newly created marine debris side;
• I'm the secretary/treasurer for The Coastal Society at Oregon State University;
• I'm planning on graduating from OSU next Winter term and
• I have a meeting for a [possibly paid] summer research job this week.

Add to that the fact that I am a proud mama of two beautiful baby-dogs (and one asshole parrot) and I still manage to play volleyball at least twice a week with some extra gym time when I can. 

Now this all sounds a little 'braggy' but that's not the point of this post. The real point is to say I think I've finally found a way to get my shit together. I know I have a lot on my plate, but it's all stuff I love doing. I tried to free up my schedule a bit, but I just can't get rid of anything. So I had to make a choice; either get my shit together or make some sacrifices. I chose the former. 

This decision manifested itself when I went to Canada for my 23rd birthday. That trip was supposed to be amazing, but I ended up moping and staying in my hotel room a lot. I did get out and have a good time, and I don't regret going, but let's just say if I could do it over again, I would. ;) I hit a real low in the hotel room, alone and in a different country. I wasn't happy with the way I was living my life and ever since I got back I have made conscious decisions to change, and I sought help. What I thought was depression turned out to be intense situational stress, which can mimic many of the signs for depression. Now that I knew what was wrong, I could focus on ways to change. I started with volleyball. 

As much as I love volleyball, it is a big source of stress for me and I never knew why. Then one day it came to me; I was spending way too much time focusing on how others were playing instead of focusing on myself. So I got selfish. Now when I play I don't worry when someone on my team fucks up because ultimately, I can't control them, I can only control myself. Once I stopped focusing on others, my play improved and my attitude stayed in the positive. Now I'm actually pleasant to play with (or at least I think so) and I can actually see my skills improving again. 

Surprisingly [and thankfully], this change came easily. The difficult part now is applying this attitude to other areas of my life that cause me stress, such as driving...I'm working on that! Other sources of stress aren't as easy to control, such as the stress from looming assignments or thesis deadlines, but I've found that once I eliminated those other stress factors I had more time and energy to devote to more important areas of my life. 

I guess you can say that things are looking up. I'm learning how to listen to my body and take cues when I'm stressed, which will help me make healthier decisions. I'm learning how much I can handle, what I'm comfortable with and what my true interests are. Best of all I think I'm finally feeling comfortable in my own skin, at the ripe old age of 23, and let me tell you, it feels great. 

An overwhelming desire to sing

Ever since I went out a few weeks ago and sang karaoke I haven't been able to get my mind off of it. I've always loved to sing, and since I drive so much I have ample time to perform, for myself that is. But lately, it's just not enough. More and more I get the insatiable urge to go sing, to perform in front of others and I'm worried that if I don't quench these urges then I will regret them for the rest of my life. And that's a big deal. 

To remedy this I've been out two more times, both times singing, just one song due to wait times. The first time I was pretty drunk and even though I sang well (Beyonce's "Listen") and was complimented, I needed to know that I could sing sober too. And that's what I did last night. 

I went to a local gay bar and put in my name for the queue. I had to wait about 20 minutes but finally my name was called. I was excited but oh so nervous and it made my body sort of freeze. My voice, however, was on point and I sang my heart out. Sure, it was worse than when I'm alone, sitting in my car but that's to be expected. Sure, my legs almost gave out from being so nervous and I looked like a weirdo, as I just stood there, gently rocking back and forth, fidgeting with whatever I could get my hands on. But the point is that I did it. I sang Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" completely sober in front of a crowd, at a gay bar. I was applauded, complimented and cheered; and it felt so good. Am I celebrity material? No. Will I get famous? Probably not. Did I have fun doing something I love? Fuck yeah. And that's what matters to me. 

Stay tuned because as soon as I figure out how to play music from my phone and use the record feature on my camera, I will be posting videos on my blog of me singing in the car. I've overcome my fear and I really want to hear what people have to say; even the assholes. 

Much love to all my followers and regular readers. Please share my blog and comment below! 

That's it. I'm done.

With sweets that is. Oh and cheese too. Now I know those aren't the only two reasons for my weight gain, but darn it, they're not helping. Before leaving for SEA I weighed an unhealthy 240 lbs and when I got back I was a slightly healthier 217 lbs, quite a drop. But since I've been back I've gain back more than half of what I lost and I've had it, I'm done gaining, it's time to lose. 

My plan is to give up sweets entirely, no moderation about it, I'm going cold turkey. I know I can do it, and my friends from SEA (at least those in B house) know I can do it too, even in the face of extreme temptation, such as a never-ending bowl of Halloween candy...so it's time, once again to give up the stuff. I just can't eat a few pieces of candy or just a little bit of homemade peanut butter cookie dough, it's all or nothing with me and I know myself too well to try the moderation game. 

So you might be wondering, umm, you mentioned cheese too...yeah, I eat a lot of cheese. I'm a vegetarian, so what, you wanna fight about? No? Me either. Basically I eat too much cheese and I need to cut down, and drastically. I don't think this will be too hard as my husband is vegan and so once I'm out of cheese I just won't buy it again. We'll see just how "easy" it actually is though...my biggest cheese addiction is nachos. They are probably my favorite food and I usually eat them in the most unhealthy way: lots of chips, lots of cheese and a bit of salsa on top. Sometimes I get fancy but not too often. This meal is easy and delicious and is the biggest reason why I eat so much of it, but that's the problem, I tend to over-eat when I have nachos, one of the biggest diet faux pas. 

All in all what I'm trying to say is that I'm going to need your help. This isn't going to be easy, especially in the beginning and especially at work where I'm surrounded by candy. All. Day. Long. I'm going to begin to rely on this blog as a food diary of sorts, or at least that's the plan. I hope to get words or stories of encouragement, tips, tricks, friendly advice, etc. I'm counting on you all and let me tell you, I need all the help I can get. So please, share my blog post on Facebook, Twitter, the general interwebs. I would appreciate it so much! Love you guys! 

State of the Game

The game being volleyball; and the state being terrible. 

But really, volleyball has sucked lately and usually leaves me in a worse mood than the one I started with which is the opposite of what I want. I want to play and have fun and also get a good workout in, that's not so much to ask, is it?!? 

There are a few reasons why volleyball has had the suck factor lately. The first, and biggest, is the fact that I'm playing below my skill level. My team is just not working hard enough and it's because they just don't have the skill set to do so. Which leads into the second, and just as large, frankly, problem: my anger or rage if you will. 

I used to blame my anger issues on the fact that my entire family is hot headed, like that made it okay. Stupid, right? Since living on my own and getting married my temper has calmed a lot and I've even gotten a tattoo right on my wrist to help calm me in times of great rage. So I'm not a hopeless case, I have gotten markedly better; but lately volleyball has been getting under my skin and undoing all the work I've done these past few years. I'm not proud of my anger and I know the negative effects it has on myself and everyone around me, not to mention my relationship with my husband and my physical body as well. That's what's annoying about this whole thing, I know what my problem is and I even know how to [temporarily] fix it, but in the heat of the moment I am unstoppable. 

With all of this being said I am using you, my few readers, as a source of accountability. I am getting help. I will not let my family's anger control my life anymore. I will no longer be known as Rage Sage. I will get well and be happy. I will have fun again. As you as my witness, I will overcome. 

I'm giving it a week.

It's been almost three days since I've last washed my hair and let me tell you, I've almost had enough. My hair feels gross; so heavy, oily and thick (but not in a good way). I'm doing all I can to keep my head up and stick with it. So I've decided: I'm giving it a week. If I don't see some sort of improvement by this Thursday I'm using the good stuff, the Dove shampoo and conditioner I have waiting on the sidelines, yearning to be used. Haha, but really, I don't know if I can take this. 

I'm sure it's super healthy for you and whatnot but what has shampoo and conditioner ever actually done? And I'm talking about the good stuff, not the cheap crap that could make your hair fall out (hopefully nothing like that actually exists). It's definitely something worth looking in to...maybe a later post...

Either way I've about had it. This might work for some but I don't think it's right for me. Especially with all the exercising (volleyball) I do. Right now my hair sucks. Hopefully it will get better but if not, I will have lovely, nice smelling hair come Thursday night.