Why Galentine's Day is Important

"EL TECHO IS LIKE THE FBOY YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE....

...that makes you wait forever, and as soon as you walk away, he texts you asking you to come back." We died laughing. Untentionally all dressed in dark shades with heels and boots, we walked from El Techo rooftop bar to Limon Rotisserie about two blocks away. 

The Galentine's Day game plan was dinner at El Techo, but after almost an hour and a half waiting for a text that read "your table is ready", we decided to move on to the next restaurant. A wait for a roof top view didn't seem as important as finally sitting down to eat, so like any fboy in our lives, we said on to the next. Luckily, we didn't come short of good food, good company or good conversation. This was our 2nd annual Galentine's Day celebration and we can count on this to be an annual thing.

Reasons to Celebrate

If you aren't already convinced, here's a few of our favorite reasons to start that group chat already, and start penciling it in annually:

“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, Leslie Knope and her lady friends leave their husbands and their boyfriends at home and just kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus, frittatas!”

— Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

1. GET YOUR LADIES IN FORMATION

Galentine's Day is a holiday made popular through an episode of Parks and Recreation and preached by main character, Leslie Knope (my spirit animal). It's no surprise that it became something people really celebrated! You can search it on Pinterest; brunch party inspiration and cute free printables pop up immediately. With as much girl hate that goes on in this world, it's about time we found a way to celebrate our female friendships. If significant others get one hallmark day in the year to shower you with love, so should your females. So reason #1 is that simple: get together because it's ladies celebrating ladies.

Remember, like Valentine's Day, your love and appreciation for them should not only be celebrated once a year. Find ways throughout the year to show appreciation for your female friendships. Even texts, written notes or small personal gestures and favors go a long way. 

2. #Nofilter talk

There's just some things you can't talk about around guys, because bluntly, they don't understand. So if you want to whine with wine, bitch about body parts or just have a vent session about any topic that just doesn't interest the males in your life, now's the time. Take it and run with it cause your girl gang is all ears.

3. THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Galentine's Day is a perfect time to try something new! Do something out of the ordinary. This makes for both: great memories and photos. Last year, we saw 50 Shades of Grey when it was released and drank fishbowl cocktails until we couldn't anymore. This year we went to modern Peruvian restaurant, Limon Rotissierie for a family style dinner.

A few quick ideas for your next Galentine's Day

• take a class | Paint Nite, cooking, dance, terrarium making, etc.

• get outside | Go on a hike or have a picnic in the park

• over food | Host a brunch party, straight Parks and Recreation style: girl talk over waffles. Or easily, try a new restaurant you've never been to before. You can never go wrong with this, especially if it's brunch, or anything else that involves wine or mimosas.

#TBT Galentine's Dinner 2015 with the fishbowl cocktails

4. REMEMBER WHEN...

In between the bites and sips, our girl gang couldn't stop laughing about everything from our last Galentine's Day memories to recalling other shenanigans that happened the other calendar months in between. Always thinking back on your past times together will make you realize how far you've come in your friendship, and will motivate you to have more fun times together in the future. 

5. empowering your girl gang

On our way to Limon, someone on the street called us a "girl gang". Damn right. But the only violence these ladies are doing is killing it in their careers. It's nice to surround yourself with others that empower you. Individually, our work ethic is on point, we pursue our passions and we keep ourselves put together. As a whole, we're supportive of one another's successes, as every group of gal pals should be, even if we don't get to see each other regularly. 

Celebrate the successes each of you experience, big and small. If someone adopted a puppy, or finished a home improvement project...cheers to that. If someone got a raise, promotion or new job...cheers to that. Graduated?...cheers to that! Everyone has got their own goals and there is always something to celebrate. It's all about having supportive people in your life that are there for you, every peak and valley of life. That means you also GENUINELY being happy for them in return and always supporting them in all their endeavors. Being a good friend is not much of a secret, but that's how you keep the good ones close. 

source: buzzfeed

So in short: genuinely love your gal pals, have fun with them and support one another along the way. Make time to show them your love and appreciation, especially when this holiday rolls around in February.

Finding Balance After Binge Eating

I've been quiet since 2013 but I'm no longer afraid to speak up about why I chose not to compete in the National Physique Committee bikini competitions. In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, I'm going to share my story to shed light on my struggles.

In 2013, I hired a coach and followed an extremely restricted diet, 900-1000 cals/day to be exact. (NEVER AGAIN.) For once in my life, I saw impressive progress in my physique and eventually my passion for fitness unleashed into an all-out obsession. After the first 12-weeks, I was hooked, and decided I wanted to compete in an NPC bikini competition. But in the process of my competition prep, I ran myself into the ground, and took each detail from my coach's plan to heart. Crying over any one extra bite of food "off the plan". The harder it got to turn food down, binges increased and the more I mentally beat the shit out of myself. I would secretly eat everything in my fridge, without realizing how quick I consumed it all. My memory was numb, and my stomach was an empty pit. I knew It spiraled out of control the moment I saw my face in the mirror with tears rolling down and chocolate covering half my face. This chaos resulted in daily binge eating and orthorexia.

By all means, I did try to work it out with my coach, looking for solutions, but at that point my conditions were too severe. I put my bikini competition goal on hold and knew I had to go to therapy and focus on recovery.

Battling compulsive eating, and orthorexia is no joke, and it still happens to many fitness-driven individuals, but it's an easy problem to overlook. It disguises itself in one's strength to follow through with their "prep plans". At least that's why I let it get so bad. I told myself "you're just finding a reason to give up" but it's important to identify the fine line between mental illness and perseverance. I urge you that the moment you question whether you should be feeling so bad during prep, reconsider the plan before it's too late.

I still respect the sport of bikini bodybuilding, and still admire it's athletes/coaches. It is no lie that a champion needs the strongest mental capacity to survive this sport. And I won't lie and say I didn't learn a lot of positive things out of this process too. I learned I could stick to a plan. I learned to work out in the weight room with the big guys. I learned to prep healthy meals on my own. I learned to not make excuses. I learned I was capable of success I never knew I could accomplish. I will never take any of that for granted.

...but for me, a 900 calorie plan wasn't the way. If succeeding as a bikini competitor meant throwing my health, relationships and other aspirations away... I had to be completely honest with myself and let this one go. At least I knew, it wasn't my time to pursue it. I'm not saying never, but I know there's another way of getting there.

Two years later, I still find it difficult to get back on a strict exercise/meal plan, but through this struggle I found inner strength.

Actually, that goes for ANY type of plan. I gave myself the mental break that I deserved. I've finally embraced that there are multiple ways to maintain a healthy weight without tearing yourself apart, including flexible dieting, and switching up different activities for exercise.

My struggle helped me genuinely understand the importance of balance in one's life.

MY health and wellness is still important to me. Hell, I'll still hold it down in the weight room, and work towards my best health and be in the best shape of my life! You may not see me posting too many gym selfies/meal prep pictures anymore though.  Maybe a post here and there, but I realized I abused social media to add an additional pressure so I wouldn't fall off course. I now realize my journey is for me, and me only, as it always should have been. :)

This happens more often than you think. Be aware, eating disorders do not discriminate. Help a friend if you see these signs. He/She may need you more than ever.