Four days in Chicago, and my entire life feels as if it's changed. When I stepped on the plane on Thursday, I had no idea how altered I'd be leaving. And it's all because of this little nugget, my nephew, Charlie.
Upon arriving, I was a motivated person, ready to begin an arduous journey with it's ups and downs and frustrations and successes. But as soon as I met Lil C, I knew I needed to push myself harder. For the next three days, I made a schedule for success, changing bad habits and organizing my thoughts into something more of a cohesive plan. Because after spending four days with a 2 month old, and having my heart expand more than I ever thought it possibly could, I needed to ensure that I'd be able to chase after him in the coming months, play with him on the playground in the coming years, and watch him grow into an amazing man in the coming decades. I made a promise to myself that NOTHING would prevent that. Especially not myself.
So, I gave my big sister, V, free range. As a Type A, health obsessed doctor, V had already made the strides she felt were most important, and I asked her to be my Obi Wan and help me educate the healthy girl inside me. The first thing on her list to tackle - meal planning. V had seen my post about my bad cheat day and had also been upset by it. She knew that cravings were bound to happen (even at her healthiest, she's still obsessed with gummy bears and jelly beans more than any other person I know). But she wanted to let me know that I could plan for cravings, if only I were able to get into a routine where I knew what I'd eat for every meal.
For our first outing, she took me grocery shopping - something I'd actually done with my personal trainer all those moons ago - and showed me her basic list, along with her specific list for this week's meal plan. She explained that the easiest way she's maintained her health, time, and budget, is through repetition. She asked if I minded eating the same meal a few times a week (I didn't). So, we came up with two breakfast options and a lunch that could be portioned out for my whole stay. Breakfast alternated between scrambled egg whites with 1 link of chicken sausage, 1/4 avocado, and a spoonful of fresh salsa (V-ism #1: Just because you're eating well doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor) and steel cut oats cooked in nonfat milk with a handful of frozen berries on top. Lunch for the weekend was chicken breast, quinoa cooked in chicken broth, and a sprinkle of feta cheese over mixed greens (V-ism #2: The most important thing I learned in medical school was to eat more vegetables).
After food prep came the interview stage. V wanted to know everything. Which restaurants did I frequent? Where did my job order lunch from regularly? What foods was I currently cooking for myself? What were the foods I regularly craved? We broke everything down thoroughly, coming up with healthy substitutes for the foods I was already eating. I couldn't believe how easily she "fixed" things. Make sure in the beginning I'm tracking everything I eat so I can really learn how much to consume in a day (if anyone uses MyFitnessPal, you can follow my intake at charincharge!), sub in quinoa for pasta or rice, goat cheese and feta has a strong enough flavor to just use a sprinkle on top, if I really want a drink--buy an expensive/good bottle of wine and portion it out to last a week, etc etc etc. The substitutions continued. We came up with a four week meal plan, weekly shopping lists, suggestions for snacks and possible healthy "treats" like the nicecream (blended frozen bananas with 1 tbs chocolate chips on top) so I wouldn't feel like I was depriving myself. Although I felt slightly overwhelmed, I was grateful to have someone organize my thoughts for me.
The most obvious but amazing trick, however, came about on night one. We were going to meet her friends out for dinner, and I immediately panicked. Going out was NOT part of the extensive food breakdown we'd done before. But V opened the menu and told me to pick three potential options for dinner that night. She said the most effective way to curb bad decisions is to plan, and she's not wrong. By picking a few healthy options before hand, I didn't feel cornered into making a decision right then and there, but I knew I wouldn't go "off book" and make a poor choice at the restaurant. Brilliant, right? As we were out, though, her husband and friends ordered some dips to start with - a hummus with potato chips and some sort of cheesy spinach dip with tortilla chips. I lamented internally. I knew I'd have to watch them eat this delicious food, and I'd be sipping on water miserably. But, I was shocked to discover that V had asked if they had any veggies to dip into the dips, as opposed to chips, and I was presented with a plate of raw broccoli (which was amazingly delicious with the hummus!). I looked at her, confused, and she said simply, "Most people want to see you succeed. If you ask for a healthy substitute, they're going to help you out." And it's true. Though I have always laughed at the high maintenance girls who ask for 100 substitutions and changes to a menu item, I became her. And to my surprise, no one showed any annoyance to my requests. No scoffing or eye rolling to asking for grilled chicken instead of breaded, or dressing on the side, or extra salad instead of toast. V was right - people did want me to succeed. And because of that, I was shocked at how damn EASY it was.
Meals suddenly became way less important, less of a stress on my mind, and it allowed me to spend the weekend focusing on what I really wanted to--my family! I spent tons of time singing with Charlie, reading him stories, and making him smile. I spent more time with my sister than I ever have since she graduated high school in 2002! We watched movies, went shopping, cooked, and went on long walks around the city (at least 10k steps a day!). And, I even got to spend some quality time with her husband, who is in the process of doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) running. We went down to their apartment gym and worked out together. I was so motivated and feeling so damn happy that after my 45 minute walk on the treadmill (switching between 3.5 mph at incline 10, and 4mph at incline 1), I did a quick 20 minute full body kettlebell workout (3x12 squats, deadlifts, side lunges, and lateral dips). In fact, I was so elated that I didn't even notice the giant exploded blister on my heel until halfway through our sushi feast (this was for all three of the adults).
Though that forced me to take the next day off from working out (I attempted a walk with V, and when I came back to the apartment, her husband gagged at the sight of my very bloody sock...oops?), I still feel amazing. Refreshed and with a new perspective, I feel ready to take on the next leg of my journey. NYC for the next two weeks with my momma. As always, let's keep doing this!
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