Thoughts from 1 Week of #Whole30

January 25, 2016 - lynne 5 Comments

Last Monday, I officially started my first ever round of Whole30. For those not familiar, per the website, Whole30 is a ‘nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.’ (source) The plan cuts out dairy, gluten, added sugar, alcohol, legumes and encourages high-quality meats, veggies, eggs and other Whole30 approved ingredients.

At the suggestion and encouragement of my friend Gretchen who started a #RunningWhole30 community group, I decided to look into the plan. I’ve been looking for a ‘reset’ for a few months (isn’t everyone, after the holidays?) and after reading the book, I understood the science/reasoning behind it. I picked my start date, January 18th, so that I could enjoy alcohol at a MBA school party a few days prior, and created a mini-meal plan for my first week.

It’s only been 7 days – which feels like not enough time to have opinions since I’ve only just started – but I do have some thoughts to share for others who consider starting a round of Whole30:

Reference the Timeline. But don’t hold yourself to it. I’m a gal who doesn’t have a sweet tooth and I also don’t eat much dairy or pasta/breads so I didn’t go through a lot of the hangover/kill all the things emotions. Yay! But it also made me question if I was inadvertently eating something I shouldn’t be. Nope! Just not having a severe reaction – and that’s kosher!

Enjoying to cook. I’m learning to enjoy cooking and this past week has really helped further this. There aren’t many grab-and-go options for Whole30 so the plan requires a lot of cooking and meal prep. I’ve never been great about these things (because I don’t like to plan or prepare ahead) but I’m getting the hang of it and enjoying cooking. Although, I do wonder if my simple meal tastes good because I’m hungry? Or because I did a good job cooking?

Tired of cooking. As much as I’m enjoying cooking, I’m also really tired of it. It requires much more thought and attention than I’ve ever put into my meals before. With the limited free time I have in a day, spending it thinking about how I can make a Whole30 compliant meal is not how I’d choose to use it.

It gets easier. Last weekend, I spent an absurd amount of time researching what is/is not allowed, pulling recipes from the internet and browsing the aisles at three (3!!) grocery stores to find compliant ingredients. After 7 days in, I feel like I have the hang of it and feel less stressed about being 100% ready to go on Sunday night. (Which is good because I opted to ski yesterday instead of meal plan!) The point is, once you get a few days under your belt, it’s easy to figure out what you like/don’t like, what can be paired together, how to make breakfast better (add breakfast potatoes!), etc. I know that I really like to eat sausage with spicy brown mustard, kale/salad and fruit for lunch and until I get tired of it, I’ll keep eating it.

Missing non-compliant food. It’s ONLY been 7 days which makes this feel a bit ridiculous but I miss knowing I can choose to eat a burger with fries or a chocolate chip cookie if I wanted to. I rarely choose to eat cookies but know that I know I can’t for the next 21 days, psychologically, I feel like I’m missing it. I do really miss beer – it’s only been 7 days but with the winter storm, an afternoon of skiing and the Broncos game last night, I really missed drinking a beer during/after these things. (To be fair, my body feels better that I *didn’t* drink a beer during these things so I guess that means it’s working!)

One day at a time. Right now, 21 days feels really, really far in the future but I know it will pass quickly. My mentality is to plan to be Whole30 compliant for today and only today…for the next 21 days. After skiing yesterday, I was really grumbly about not being able to warm up with a burger and a beer after I was done (it’s practically tradition!). But instead, I went back to my car and ate a banana I’d brought for the ride home. Womp womp. But I’d told myself in the morning to make Whole30 choices that day and that day only. I have pretty strong willpower but in situations where I’d rather not eat Whole30, I remind myself it’s just for today.

So! 1 week down, 3 more to go. According to the timeline, day 10-11 are days people feel most like quitting (that was me, yesterday) but I’m committed for the long haul. And I’ve got a delicious pork loin cooking in the Crockpot so Day 8 will be a breeze. Onward and upward!

6 Reasons To Love Winter

January 21, 2016 - lynne 1 Comment

I unabashedly love winter. In Colorado, most everyone was in this boat, too; in Pennsylvania, it seems I’m in a much smaller boat.

Yesterday afternoon, as fat flakes started falling from the sky, I found a break in my phone calls and blocked off my calendar so I could lace up my shoes and hit the pavement to run in the snowfall. This Pittsburgh winter has been weirdly mild so when the snow started, I couldn’t keep myself inside.

But realizing not everyone loves winter, I wondered, what exactly IS it that makes me so happy when the mercury dips and the days grow shorter?!

These are some of the reasons I love winter as much as I do:

+ Super fun winter recreation activities: Skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing. I only learned to ski a few years ago – proof that you’re never too old to learn to ski!

+ Limited time offering: winter activities require snow and cold weather; there’s only 3-4 months (12-16+ weekends) to get as much winter fun in before the weather begins to warm up.

+ Fewer people: except for skiing/snowboarding, you’ll likely find fewer people on your favorite trails. With the right gear (microspikes or YakTrax, proper layers, etc), hitting the trails in the winter is just as much, if not more, fun because you’ll have the place to yourself.

+ Bundling up and snuggling close: I love putting on my big winter coat, cozy gloves and hat to go outside and play. Once I’m back inside, snuggling up under a heavy blanket next to my puppy or husband is my favorite.

+ Hot showers: After a chilly run or long day skiing, you just can’t beat the heat from a piping how shower – or jumping in a hot tub at a ski condo!

+ big bowls of chili: Alex makes THE best chili and we eat it a couple times a month through the winter. Easy to make, easy to clean up and super delicious, topped with lots of hot sauce, of course.

So, my fingers are crossed for at least a few more bouts of snowfall here in Pittsburgh in the remaining weeks of winter to be able to spend time enjoying snow sports. But in the meantime, I’ll be enjoying the other reasons to love winter…starting with a fresh batch of chili.

One Little Word: Resilient

January 2, 2016 - lynne 4 Comments

Since 2012, I’ve been picking a word for the year to use as my spirit guide, helping me navigate the days and weeks in the upcoming year. Previous words include: perspective (when wedding planning), create (when I had copious free time), focus (when I was ready to make a shift) and last year, light (when I knew the road ahead wouldn’t always be sunny).

This year, my word jumped out about a month ago. In the midst of me feeling sorry for myself and frustrated about something that wasn’t exactly as I would have picked for myself, I wondered when I’d lost my ability to adapt, to go with the flow. 2015 was a year I spent digging my heels in to avoid the change ahead, like a dog on a leash who refuses to walk past something scary ahead, instead of embracing the new experiences to come.

Of course, it’s perfectly normal to be sad and mourn the ‘old life’ but I was disappointed in my ability to see the silver lining in moving. Me! A gal who moved to Atlanta twice by herself for an internship in college! A gal who moved across the country solo after college on her own to a new state! And this time, I moved with my most favorite person, to a city that’s close to my family (and where they put french fries on all foods!), and I spent much of my time feeling pouty about it.

And thus, the word.

Resilient: a person who is able to withstand or quickly recover from a difficult situation.

Not that I expect the next 12 months to be difficult, per se, but I do know there will be challenges ahead and I want to remember to handle them with more grace and flexibility than I did in 2015.

In the next 12 months, Alex will be interviewing for and securing a summer internship (likely not in PGH), I will continue traveling to/from Denver for work and we will begin evaluating our post-MBA-school options and location. (And 6+ months after that, B-school will be over and the next adventure begins. WUT!)

I’m getting too far ahead of myself but remembering to be resilient throughout the upcoming year will be key to my happiness and making the most of the short time we for sure have left in Pittsburgh. There will be bumps, there will be U-turns and there will be inadvertent literal bridge crossings (because it’s not Pittsburgh if you don’t end up on the wrong side of a river from time to time) but this gal will be resilient through it all.

2015 in Review

December 31, 2015 - lynne Leave a comment

A lot happened over the past 365 days and I’d be remiss if I didn’t catalog it here since much of it was captured on lgsmash.com, when this blog was just a twinkle in my little brain. 2015 was challenging but a lot of great things happened too! Putting this together helped me put it in better perspective. Despite the change, it was a pretty darn good year.

JANUARY

We kicked off the new year with great friends in Ouray, CO, where we ice climbed for the first time. Later in January, we took an ice climbing class with the Colorado Mountain Club and added it to the list of ‘really fun things to do in winter’.

FEBRUARY

Annual ski trip with our friends! Each year, we pick a new mountain and all rendez-vous for a long weekend of skiing, laughter and great food (one friend is a 4-star executive chef!). This year, we skied at Park City, UT and despite low snow conditions, we had a blast.

MARCH

Rang in the last year of my 20s with Korean BBQ and my youngest brother spent his spring break from teaching in Denver, visiting me. During March Madness, Alex went to Vegas for the first time (and made a bet that the Bengals will win the Super Bowl. What seemed far-fetched at the time has at least a glimmer of a possibility this year!).

APRIL

Ventured to Pittsburgh for the second time for CMU’s Welcome Weekend. Made the decision to move with Alex and proposed a ‘working remotely’ situation with my company.

MAY

I spent many of my mornings with a standing climbing dates with my girlfriends. For Memorial Day, Alex and I drove out to Salt Lake City to spend the weekend with a good friend and I ventured out to Red Rocks for pre-work workouts with the Bold Betties gals a few times.

JUNE

Spending as much time in Denver with friends as possible before moving. Happy hours, dinners, afternoons at the park and a concert at Red Rocks (Ryan Adams – a dream come true!). Camped a weekend at the Sand Dunes with Lucas, Nancy an our dogs. Time felt fleeting.

JULY

Alex quit his job at the beginning of the month and we wrapped up all loose ends. After packing our apartment, we went to our last show at Red Rocks – the Avett Brothers. Over the past 5 years, we attended the Avett Brothers show every summer – the first year was our engagement weekend! – so it was a perfectly bittersweet way to say goodbye close our Colorado chapter. We said goodbye to great friends and coworkers and hit the road for 2 weeks of road tripping.

AUGUST

We arrived in Pittsburgh and I began working remotely. Alex started school mid-August and we worked hard to adjust our new schedules and lifestyle. August included a few trips to IKEA, meeting new friends and MANY wrong turns across Pittsburgh’s thousand bridges.

SEPTEMBER

I tried my first OrangeTheory class and was immediately hooked. Traveled to Breckenridge to celebrate the upcoming wedding of my oldest friend, Sarah, and traveled to Cincinnati to stand up in another friend’s wedding. Struggled a lot, emotionally, this month.

OCTOBER

Really appreciated my proximity to Cincinnati and remote working situation when my mom had her first of 2 knee replacements and I spent a week at home, helping around the house. Alex and I ventured to Florida for Sarah’s wedding and enjoyed an afternoon on the beach between rehearsal and wedding festivities. Alex thrived in school and I started to get the hang of working remotely.

NOVEMBER

Watched the Bengals beat the Steelers at Heinz Field. I did an unlimited 30-day trial at a nearby yoga studio and notice a positive shift in my mental/emotional wellbeing. Why am I not doing this every day of my life?! Alex and I spent Thanksgiving home in Cincinnati, our first Thanksgiving ‘home’ in 4 years, and I ran a 10k with my youngest brother.

DECEMBER

My mom had her second knee replaced. I spent a week in Denver for work and skiing and then we spent a week with our families for Christmas. I’ve spent much of the past few months cultivating friendships in Pittsburgh and as the year ends, I’m feeling grateful for the ladies in my life – both near and far.

Looking back, there are a lot of great memories and I’m thankful for the experiences 2015 brought – both happy and sad. Without the low, the highs don’t mean much, right?

But, I’m looking forward to more smiles and less tears in 2016, no matter how much the tears and low points mean for personal growth. 🙂

Cheers to smiles and 365 more days ahead of us!

Ending 2015 On A High Note

December 23, 2015December 28, 2015 - lynne 1 Comment

Man, this year!

This time last year, Alex found out he was accepted into 2 excellent MBA programs and in the 365 days since, it’s been a ride. Perfectly happy with our life in Denver and really excited about my then new-ish job and it’s potential, I was not jazzed to think about what 2015 would bring for me, personally, or our little family.

After much deliberation and consideration, I decided in April to tell my company that I was moving to Pittsburgh with Alex. In my heart, I always knew it was the right decision but I dragged my feet, knowing that moving away from Denver would likely mean a stunt in my career growth. It’s been hard to reconcile two very different, seemingly mutually exclusive things: if I moved to Pittsburgh, I’d be limiting my career and sacrificing growth; if I stayed in Denver, I would be sacrificing my relationship with my husband. I felt like I was between a giant rock and an un-budging hard place and couldn’t ignore the weight of the decision.

Fortunately, my company allowed me to stay on as a remote employee and I moved to Pittsburgh in August. We spent 2.5 really great weeks on the road as a last hurrah of our dual income/same schedule life before landing in Western PA. We camped at the Grand Canyon, stayed a few nights in Vegas, swung back through Colorado to pick up Philly and ventured east, seeing friends and family along the way. (More here.)

The first weeks and months in Pittsburgh were rough, emotionally. I’d ‘lost’ everything I knew and loved in Denver and was in a new city, working remotely, with a husband who was already in the thick of his MBA program and had very little free time. I felt sad and sorry for myself a lot in those early days.

Adjusting to the ‘remote employee’ life has taken some time but I’ve finally found a cadence that works for me for right now. I’ve found friends and am learning how to get around in Pittsburgh with less reliance on Google Maps. I cry a lot less tears these days than when we first arrived – so that’s a plus! But many days, I miss our ‘old life’ in Denver: the city, the community, our friends, our routine.

This past week, I was back in Denver for work and it was especially wonderful as Tuesday brought a snow storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow before the system moved out (PA has been too warm this winter – it’s 65* today!). I spent a week working in the office, staying in an AirBnB in my old neighborhood, eating at my favorite restaurants and feeling so happy to be back. We had a company-wide meeting to discuss 2015 and where we’re going in 2016 – all exciting things! – and celebrated our incredible growth with a really fun holiday party.

In my year end review, I earned a promotion and I’m not ashamed to admit I found myself wiping tears – happy tears, this time! After a hard year, emotionally, and questioning how working remotely would affect my career, it felt really great to know that I’m not ‘out of sight, out of mind.’

To cap off a great week, I spent Saturday flying down the mountain with my girlfriends at Keystone. It was such a blast to be with the friends I’ve missed, catching up and laughing the whole day.

I boarded my flight home on Sunday with a full heart. The week in Denver was one of the best I had in 2015 and was a great way to close out this year of change. I’m excited to spend the next 2 weeks with my husband, family and friends and celebrate the holidays; I’m even more inspired to welcome 2016 and hit the ground running.

I have big goals for making life in Pittsburgh feel more like my own; it’s hard to not feel like 2 years in grad school mean living in limbo while we bide our time before the next adventure. I’ve let myself feel that way for these first 4 months and it’s not helpful or accurate. There is a lot I can do to thrive in PA while we’re here. Gotta bloom where you’re planted, right?

So in 2016, I have no doubts there will be a lot less tears in store and I can’t wait to get started.

Snapshot: Working Remotely at Home

December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 - lynne 3 Comments

When I moved to Pittsburgh, I began doing something that I think many of us dream about doing, at least on occasion: working from home. As I travel back to Denver this week for work, I thought I’d share a bit about what working from home while still employed by a company looks like for me (vs. working from home as a freelancer or managing your own business).

I am extremely fortunate to work for a company that is willing to be flexible and allow me to work remotely when I moved across the country. When we knew Alex would be attending business school in Pittsburgh, Alex and I spent many hours talking about the pros and cons of me moving to Pittsburgh with him or staying in Denver. Ultimately decided the right decision was for me to move with him and I approached my manager with a proposal for how I could continue to stay on the team while working from Pittsburgh.

I’ve been working remotely since August and finally feel like I’ve found a rhythm. Because my company is based in Denver and my territory is west coast based, I generally still work on MST hours. And while I sometimes go to a co-working or shared office space, I spend many of my days working out of my apartment.

(As a caveat: I work for a high-growth tech company that is growing like crazy so these hours are on the long side as we hire into the growth.)

Here’s what a typically work-from-home day looks like for me:

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8-8:30a: Wake up, walk Philly, take Alex to school on days he has to wear a suit (all other days, he rides his bike).

8:30-9:30a: Drink coffee and eat breakfast, check work email from last night’s late arrivals. I’ll usually spend a few minutes straightening up (laundry, dishes, hanging up coats, etc) or taking inventory of the fridge to plan dinner before I really hunker down for the day.

9:30a-1:30p: Work. Much of my day is spent responding to client emails, joining internal or client calls and giving direction to my team. I have 1 direct report so we spend a few minutes each afternoon (morning, her time) talking through priorities.

1:30-1:45p: Lunch! Before I know it, it’s 1:30p and I’m starving. Usually I scrounge around in the fridge for something quick and healthy and will build a kale salad and sandwich or reheat leftovers.

1:45-6p: Work. Because I work with west coast clients, a bulk of my client calls and an influx of emails are later in my afternoon. I try to take a 10-15 minute break to walk around the block with Philly and get some fresh air but some days, we just take a quick break to the back lawn of our apartment.

6-7:30p: Meet up with a friend for a workout – most days this is either hot yoga or an Orangetheory Class, both within a 5 minute commute of my apartment. On Wednesdays, I try to meet up with a local run club up the street with a handful of friends and business school spouses. As often as possible, I try to work out with a friend as much for the social aspect as the accountability aspect.

7:30-7:45p: Shower and start dinner. Alex is usually still at school until about this time so we tend to eat dinner much later these days. Most nights, we make an effort to eat dinner together and connect but some nights, he is stuck at school until late so we’ll eat separately.

7:45-10:30p: Back to work! Trying to get a few more items crossed off the to-do list to wrap up and prepare for the next day. I try to make a conscious effort to turn off work mode by 10:30p.

10:30-11p: On some lucky nights, Alex also takes a break from school at 10:30p and we watch an episode of something on Netflix (currently: Longmire). If not Netflix, I will spend a few minutes reading articles/blogs, writing my own blog or generally just winding down from the day.

11p: This is generally the earliest I go to bed but it’s often later. As you can gather, there isn’t much free time for Alex and I to spend together so I often sacrifice sleep to hang out for a few minutes.

And then, it starts all over again.

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Overall, I am grateful to have the opportunity to work remotely. There are obvious challenges – lack of interaction, sad ability to sit inside all day without realizing it – but there are also advantages like a quiet work space and built in puppy snuggles.

This week, though, I am beyond excited to spend to take time off from Remote Employee status and spend a full week in Denver with coworkers and fun company events on the agenda. You better believe I will be soaking up every minute of it!

Philly’s 4 Year Adoptaversary

November 23, 2015 - lynne 5 Comments

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a Philly story this week as this little pup joined our family just a few days before Thanksgiving in 2011.

4 years ago, Alex proposed in July and moved to Colorado in September. In October, I had the first of two knee surgeries – the second slated for December – and when I was back on my feet between surgeries, we did the most logical thing and started to think about growing our family…with a fur-child.

When a young bulldog named Petrie was added to the Denver Dumb Friend’s League website, we knew we’d found our dog. I mean, what are the odds?! I called to set up an appointment for us to meet Petrie that night but, when we showed up, we learned that Petrie would not be our dog – he was bigger than our apartment at the time would allow.

Instead, we looked at a few other dogs, the last of which was Philly. She was the right size, not a puppy, already house + crate trained and very, very timid but the staff assured us that she would warm up to us after a few weeks in her new home. We signed the paperwork and brought our pup home the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take a few weeks for her to warm up; it took nearly 3 years. The early days were frustrating because we wanted so much to connect with this dog, for her to love us as much as we wanted to love her. But whatever happened in her prior life had traumatized her so much that she rarely left her crate, refused to make eye contact with us and lived in an extremely nervous state of mind.

But through the years, we’ve learned what is especially scary to her (large items on the floor, wind blowing through the house, being clipped to her leash without a human on the other end) and have done our best to eliminate these aspects of life for her. We’ve also learned what she does love (being outside, running, car rides and chewing a rawhide) and have done our best to incorporate these as often as possible.

As she’s grown and slowly come out of her nervous shell, we’ve celebrated her progress and cheered her on. After 2.5 years of never making a peep – no barking, no whining – she recently began barking excitedly when we return home. It felt like such a ‘real dog’ milestone – she *does* care and *is* excited her humans are back!

We’ve taken her camping and hiking (her favorite), trail running, canoeing (not her favorite), on long road trips and into hotels. It may have taken her 3+ years to warm up to us but the journey has been so worth it when we compare who she was on the first days and weeks we adopted her to the pup she has grown into now. She is the sweetest, most loyal and obedient dog I’ve ever met and I’m thankful we brought her home and gave her the chance at a new life.

I share this story to not only introduce Philly to this blog but also to offer perspective on adopting a pet. It’s hard work, for sure, no matter what your pet’s prior life story is. Many times in the early days and first year we questioned if she’d ever be the dog we’d dreamed about. There’s only so much treat bribing one can do to encourage bonding with a dog and we’ve realized that, while the treats helped, this dog really just needed time. Time to learn that humans aren’t scary and that it’s okay to let her guard down. (But she still gets lots of treats.)

If you, too, are struggling to connect with an adopted pup, don’t give up hope! Keep showing her love and kindness, keep sneaking her treats and letting her jump up on the bed with you – even if she stays for just a second before hopping back off. It’s working and she’s learning. She’ll get there – she might just a bit more time.

Fall Colors in the Midwest

October 20, 2015 - lynne 1 Comment

When we decided to move to Pittsburgh, I was really looking forward to experiencing fall in the Midwest again: the vibrant leaves in reds, yellows, oranges; the chilly mornings and crisp afternoons; snuggling up under blankets. (side discussion: Pittsburgh is Midwest or East Coast? I call it Midwest – we are less than an hour from Ohio and West Virginia – but people in Pittsburgh seem undecided; there are arguments for each side.)

Now, I don’t know if this fall is typical of Pittsburgh or not but it’s been exceptionally great fall weather this season. There have been some rainy days, some gray days, but many of the days have brought bright blue skies, warm afternoons and chilly evenings. It’s felt like quintessential fall and I definitely dig it.

Of course, when I went out the other weekend to hike and look at fall colors, it was not one of those blue skied days; a cold front was rolling in so it was gray and a little drizzly. But even still, the leaves popped and looked so beautiful.

This is certainly not to say fall in Denver was anything to gripe about – I loved it! But Denver has a very different fall in my experience. It’s not usually the slow decline from summer to winter…it’s a long summer that bleeds into a warm (sometimes hot!) fall that quickly jumps straight into frigid winter temps and then bounces around between warm and cold for a number of weeks before settling on winter.

And Denver just doesn’t have the same ratio of deciduous tress as the Midwest so there are far fewer opportunities to see the beautiful reds and oranges of fall. (Though, in the mountains, Aspen trees turn the mountain-sides a glittering gold that is absolutely stunning. #tradeoffs). Even compared to Cincinnati leaves, Pittsburgh colors trump. +1 for Western Pennsylvania!

We may not stay in Pittsburgh forever but I am certainly glad we’ll be here for at least 2 years of fall weather.

Currently, September

September 23, 2015September 29, 2015 - lynne Leave a comment

…savoring the rare free time my husband has in his schedule (like last night’s impromptu and wonderful date night, thanks for the free tickets to Jersey Boys from Yelp!)

…working from home this week because my bike brakes are broken (boo)

…missing the girls I spent a ridiculously fun bachelorette weekend with in Colorado and

…counting down the days to Sarah’s wedding!

…spending 2 hours a week at OrangeTheory Fitness classes (I’m hooked!)

…planning fall hikes and camping to scope out Midwest fall color in the coming weeks

…beginning to plan and think about upcoming winter, spring and summer trips

…wishing someone would come over and make me dinners (and breakfasts and lunches)

…drinking kombucha like it’s my job

…loving the Ryan Adams 1989 cd

…appreciating that our family is within driving distance while we live in Pittsburgh (and looking forward to a visit this weekend!)

…starting to truly feel settled in Pittsburgh (finally!); with work, with the new routine, with life (better late than never!)

lynne petre

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