Alliteration Aside -- Finding Out I’m a Foodie and Fitness Freak

Calling myself a foodie and a fitness freak might be the strangest juxtaposition you’ve heard this week; yet, I believe it to be true. I think it is very possible to be both. I have a passion for food, but a deep infatuation with staying fit and healthy. What also might seem strange to you is that these two loves of mine seemed to sprout up about the same time.

A little over a year ago I set my sights on losing a few pounds and trying to slim down for an upcoming summer cruise, but mostly for my October wedding. *As an aside, if you are ever interested in losing weight, but just can’t seem to find the motivation, get married. I have found nothing motivates weight loss like a wedding – specifically, yours.* Once I was motivated, I first started counting my calories and logging them in a journal. Yes, this sounds silly, but writing them down makes you accountable AND helps you visually see everything you have put in your body. Tracking calories is amazingly eye-opening. You might THINK you know how many calories you consume in a day, but, honey, you have no clue until you make yourself wholly accountable FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE. EVERY SINGLE ONE people! They add up amazingly fast, as I quickly figured out. I started making healthier, lower calorie swaps and that, along with  a twice-a-week spin classes (which are also extremely effective), I was able to lose weight and slim down. Now, I am no longer losing weight, just attempting to do the best I can at maintaining my current weight. Unfortunately, I have slacked on spin classes and have not been back since my wedding. However, I do my best to get in some exercise whenever I have the energy to do so. But, weight loss and weight management is achieved in the kitchen, not the gym. Working out all day will get you nowhere, until you begin to make healthy eating choices.

However, losing the weight and having a slimmer physique has come with more criticism than compliment I have found. The only person who never was critical was my husband and I deeply appreciate him for that. The comments came from just about everyone else though. Family, friends and co-workers seemed to dish out the critical blows more often than I expected. I wouldn’t say that all the comments were mean, just, what I would consider, impolite and feeling-hurting. I think the most irking comments were “Are you even eating?” (This was almost always said after they saw me eat, which I found strange), “Your neck looks really small and weird” (Oh how nice, thank you) and “You look like you are 11” (Uh alright, hopefully that will come in handy when I’m 50). I know I look different, but I don’t believe I look unhealthy and I can assure you I am not unhealthy. I take care of myself and eat plenty, as my husband can whole-heartedly attest to. I also often eat his food when he is not looking. (Shhh…don’t tell him). He can also tell a scary tale of when he almost lost his hand after he attempted to take a bite of my IHOP omelet. He now knows not to take anything from my plate unless I am finished or I am no longer gripping a fork, knife or other sharp object.

This leads me to my other love: food. I feel strange saying I love food, but it comes with being a foodie. Now, I think I first need to clarify what I mean by "foodie." Most people probably hear “foodie” and think it refers to someone who likes to eat and likes to eat A LOT. This is not MY definition of a foodie. A foodie is not someone who just enjoys pigging out on anything and everything. A foodie, to me, is someone who enjoys the experience of eating. It goes beyond the food. Granted, the taste of the food is part of the process, but it is also the presentation of the food. For me, I also take into consideration the environment of where the food is consumed. I have been known to turn down a slightly better tasting meal for a better, more inviting, comfortable or interesting atmosphere. Appreciating all of these elements (flavor, visual appeal and atmosphere) is part of being a true foodie. A foodie values all of these things - equally, I would argue. The holy trinity is achieved when all of these elements have been perfected and a glorious, bright light shines down from the food heavens and all is right with the world.

Currently I am on a foodie quest of sorts. I am on a mission to try every local eatery in and around the Tulsa area. I have a running list on my phone of every dining establishment I must try. I even have them conveniently labeled under either “Easy-Eating” or “Date Night Dinners” – I am aware of how dorky this is. My husband is my co-pilot on this journey and has done a fabulous job enduring some not-so-fabulous meals, but he has also been privy to a large number of delicious dinners. The problem is I add restaurants to my list faster than I check them off. Another problem is the majority of the places we visit are wonderful and, a lot of the time, we want to go back there instead of trying something new. My current obsession is Café Ole on Brookside. I cannot seem to get past their wonderful outside patio, perfect margaritas and deliciously-strange cream cheese queso. They, my friends, have achieved the holy trinity. My husband and I go there almost every weekend. In fact, we are headed there tonight.

So, if you are curious how I seem to manage my foodie soul and maintain my health, I will enlighten you. What has turned me into such a foodie is the fact that the “splurge” of eating a fabulous meal and getting to enjoy the experience on the weekend becomes a reward for healthy eating during the week. I stick to healthy eating Monday through Thursday and do my best to work out when I can. However, the weekends become a time to lay off the “diet” (I shouldn’t call it a diet; it’s not. It is my normal eating. People don’t stick to diets, but they do stick to healthy eating habits) and not worry about calories. I focus on enjoying the meal, the environment and the company of friends and family. Yay for the weekend!

So, Let's Try This Again

            Hey! I’m back from my semester-long hiatus. As you might expect, once this blog was no longer an “assignment,” I let it fall by the wayside. However, as this semester comes to a close (halle-flippin’-luiah), I might pick up this blogging thing for the summer; or, at least, until my summer classes start. Just so you know, I’m taking two…Why I do this to myself I am not quite sure.

 I have always known managing school and work is a difficult task. But, I have also found that managing school, work and a happy married life is even more challenging. I have quickly discovered (as my husband has) that they really mean that “for better and for worse” stuff. Unfortunately, I am – most often – at my worst. I have always believed in God, but I have become more passionately convinced of His glory since He so graciously paired me with the only man on this planet who can handle my moods and random bouts of stress-induced tears.

            Recently, I have undertaken yet another dreadful task: job hunting. My current job is really not that bad, regardless of how much I may say otherwise. I work with a “quirky” bunch, but they provide me daily entertainment and teach me lots of life lessons. They work well with my school schedule and pay good for a part-time gig. However, I am realizing that it is time for me to move on and look for something that will make me happy. I want a job where I get to use all the knowledge, skills and smarts (I hope I have these, but it is yet to be definitively determined) I have acquired over my college years. I am deeply interested and intrigued by public relations. I just know that is where I belong. I love the creativity of it. I love how you are able to use that creativity and direct it towards a goal. I love the fast-paced environment. I love the variety.

            So, I naively started on a quest to get my dream job. I know myself as a pessimist and, most definitely, a realist, so I was surprised at how I believed this quest would be a brief one. A couple rejections into the process and I was defeated. I mean, what is with all these people wanting “experience”? ;) I really was hoping my sparkling performance in my undergraduate and graduate studies would supplant this so-called “experience” they all seemed to be seeking. This has to be the biggest mystery of all: How are you supposed to gain experience when no one will give you the chance to get some?

            A few more rejections later, I finally received some good news and a huge life lesson. I was accepted as a summer intern for a local PR firm, and I am extremely grateful that I was selected. I think, as much as I didn’t want to admit it (and I still don’t want to), I had a superiority complex. I thought my bachelor’s degree and my current graduate studies would somehow make an employer forget about that little thing called “experience.” I thought I could walk in anywhere and they would just fall over backwards with sheer delight at my educational history, long work history (I have plenty of work history, just not in communications) – Oh – and my enchanting personality. What in the world was I thinking? Yes, that beautiful job where I would have benefits, a lovely salary, my own desk, freedom to make decisions, mild authority and respect, and a reason to wear heels to work would have been utterly delightful; but, what lesson would that have taught me? Yes, it would have been easier; yes, it would have been wonderful; but, most likely, I would have been setting myself up for failure. I NEED experience; I NEED guidance. And I am thrilled (that is not sarcastic) I have been granted this opportunity. I am looking forward to my internship and I intend to gobble up every little thing they have to teach me. Here’s what I know: Humble pie is an acquired taste and it’s my advice you learn to savor the flavor.