Whole 30

Tomorrow I start the Whole 30 nutrition challenge with my Crossfit gym. That's 30 days of strict paleo eating... meaning no dairy, no grains, no beans, no sugar! The premise of Whole 30 seems to be eliminating foods that can cause allergy and inflammation for some people. I have often made fun of this type of person who would attempt to eliminate so many food categories from their diet. It seems so hipster, so health nut, so gluten-free. But here are my thoughts:
A. It's only 30 days, not a lifetime commitment.
B. Maybe I am irritated by some of these common foods and just don't know because I've never let myself be without them!
C. If nothing else, I know sugar is the devil, so knocking that out can't be bad.
D. I've been wanting focus on eating whole, non-processed foods, and well, there is virtually no other way to do Whole 30!
E. This will be a good experiment to add to my nutrition repertoire.
F. Why not go all in?!

The real challenge is going to be when I go to Nashville in the middle of October for Brad and Jordan's wedding, but hopefully by then I'll have my bearings. Tomorrow I have to do a baseline workout and take measurements and before pictures. At the end of 30 days, the person with the greatest progress wins a free month of Crossfit, a massage, and a bunch of other stuff. I could win!

Crossfit

Well, due to the strong urging of my brother, I tried out a Crossfit class last week. I didn't die, so I started my 6-week intro class series today at Crossfit Eminence. I learned several squatting techniques, some variations of sit ups and push ups, then I did my "actual" workout. I'm pretty sure it lasted less than 10 minutes, but exertion + altitude + out-of-shapeness = want to pass out and/or throw up. But I did neither, so back I go tomorrow.

At the gym, they have a chalkboard wall where people write short-term goals they want to achieve. I knew mine immediately. So, a few days ago I bought this amazing, red, 80's style prom dress with puffy sleeves to zombify and wear for the Thriller performance on October 29th. It doesn't quite zip up in the back, probably by a good two inches, but I bought it anyway because it was a) an amazing, red, 80's style prom dress with puffy sleeves, b)only $8, and c)something I figured I could rig up on the night of the show if it wouldn't zip ;). Now my goal is for the dress to zip and for me to be able to breathe...and dance.

Erin and Jason and I have been talking about food and nutrition lately and wanting to "get right." We'd already talked today about doing menus and eating real food. Conveniently enough, my Crossfit gym is starting a 30-day nutrition challenge Monday, and you'd better believe I'm doing it! It might suck, but I figure if you're gonna go in, go in, and also I think it's good experience for my nutrition studies. Hopefully my practice here in the Fassl home will set me on the right track for personal nutrition coach, food shopper, and chef! What a dream job!

Exploring

Today I went exploring. I wanted to find a local coffee shop to study at...and I did! I went to Boyer's Coffee shop. It's close to the house and a great study place! Sadly they only have daytime hours. When I pulled up I was surprised to see a sign announcing free coffee week so my cup of Rocky Mountain Thunder roast was free!  :)
Then, I wanted to go find postcards. Several people told me 16th Street Mall was the place to go. My phone decided to act up, but I managed to find it all by myself! I ended up walking almost the entire length of 16th street before I found post cards, but it was a beautiful, sunny day! I only had an hour and 9 minutes worth of change to put in the meter, so I booked it back using the free bus that runs the length of 16th. It felt a little like exploring in China...except I could read signs and understand most everyone.  :) I made it back to my car with 16 minutes to spare and only cursed the lack of oxygen twice.  ;) Success!

So much goodness...

Wow, I'm just overwhelmed right now about how this week has gone! I've been in Denver for a week and look at all this provision:

-I got a job! I'm working online for the fabulous Tammy Rochelle again doing concert bookings and random other Amytastic things.
-I survived a Crossfit class at high altitude!
-I met a wonderful Christian community via Randi Johnson.
-I got to participate in Erin's girls night out with ladies from her small group and had some freaking awesome sushi.
-I finalized my observation dates for my Food Systems Management class.
-I went to the Mercury Cafe dance, and (without asking anyone to dance) danced over half the songs - way to ask, Denver!
-I learned half of the Thriller dance for a Halloween performance.
-I went to a BBQ at Ya Ping's house, thanks to the Mankes, and met some great local dancers.
-At said BBQ, I met a dietician who was not only familiar with my program, but actually completed it herself! I now have a real dietetics contact in Denver! What a blessing!

You just can't make this stuff up. I'm amazed at how things are falling in to place, and it really confirms and reaffirms my feelings that I was supposed to move here. I'm excited to see what else unfolds! Stay tuned ;)

A Space of My Own

When I visited Erin and Jason in August, my future room looked something like this...

A few days after I arrived in Denver, the room looks like this!

They did such a great job, and it's so wonderful to have a space again. Over the past month, I've slept on several air mattresses, had a few nights on a couch, and had all my possessions packed up in my car. It's so nice to be able to claim this spot and breath a little.

Social Butterfly

Here are some exciting things that are in the works here in Denver!

-I'm meeting Randi Johnson tonight, a friend of friends, and having dinner with the intentional community she's living with.
-I'm checking out the dance at Mercury Cafe tonight!
-Tomorrow I have my first Crossfit class. Eek!
-Tomorrow night I'm going out for sushi with Erin and the ladies of her small group to celebrate her birthday.
-Saturday I'm hopping in on classes to learn the Thriller dance to perform at a Halloween dance next month!
-Saturday night, thanks to Susan Manke, I'm going to a BBQ with some local balboa dancers.
-I just found a church (through Erin through a random conversation at Starbucks) that is having their first service on Oct 6. It reminds me of Ethos.  :)
-I think I have finally nailed down my two 9-hour food service observations! One at my school, and one through a nearby school district that has switched to non-processed foods in their cafeterias!
-I'm volunteering at Lindy Diversion in October here in Denver to get a free dance pass!
-I've signed up to volunteer at a place called Cooking Matters which is essentially my dream job. They offer cooking classes and nutrition education to low income families!

All of that and I've been here less than a week! You just can't say the Lord doesn't provide!  :)