So last night was so- damn- hard. Beer is one of my favorite things and I typically use it and look to it when I'm getting stressed out and overwhelmed. When my mind takes off and I get very critical of myself it's one of the things I turn to that helps me relax, chill out, slow things down a bit, and just calm down. Well.... I had an anxiety-ridden day yesterday (thanks, work and anxiety-depression brain for the one-two combo!) and then it was trivia night. A few thoughts...
It is WAY easier to avoid bars/pizza joints/etc. when you're on the Whole30. You're not tempted and you aren't sitting around looking at all the people (or your own S.O.) having a nice time enjoying their lovely, beautiful, tasty autumn pumpkin beer that just came out for fall season... Sigh. But that being said, I wouldn't recommend missing traditions or even fully avoiding doing the things you enjoyed before the Whole30. Go out to a bar once or twice. I haven't been to a restaurant yet, but I won't be avoiding them for the sake of ease or fear for the next 27 days (not that I'm counting...!). Even though I was only on day 2 while going to the bar, I still feel like I learned something about my tendencies and just how strong my instincts/habits/drive is to grab a beer at the end of the day. It was a challenge, but one that made me look inward (of course, only after realizing how much I was looking outward at other people drinking and eating chicken fingers and fries). So in conclusion (for now), I wouldn't recommend seeking out places that will tempt you and be mentally/emotionally difficult, but don't avoid them altogether. See what you learn. I'm curious to see how next Thursday goes... Will it be easier? More difficult a full week in? I think this is going to have a more profound mental/emotional effect on me than I realized at first.... Breakfast - 2 "mom-elettes" (sausage, spinach, pepper, onion) Lunch - Spinach and chicken salad with guac and plantain chips Dinner - Sauteed pork tenderloin with mustard sauce, sauteed apples and cabbage on the side (with cinnamon on the apples, and those were in coconut oil, yum!)
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Technically, the title is in reference to my main lesson learned yesterday... Day 1 of the Whole30 and I had to go to the grocery store after work to get the last few things I couldn't stomach paying for at Whole Foods the other day (but I swear it was worth it because the "naked" rotisserie chicken is a life saver for lunches already!). So there I was, stocking up on lemons, celery, veggies, more veggies, apples galore, a couple more veggies, and lots of meat (yay sale section!) and I could hear the French bread calling my name. Oh and the yogurt! My favorite dear plain non-fat Greek yogurt... It cried out, "Why have you forsaken me?! But I'm healthy remember?" It was a little rough.
So today I brought monkey trail mix with me to store in my desk drawer at work to avoid such 4-5pm hangry now sugar-free she-beast episodes. Lesson learned. Breakfast:
Snack(s):
Lunch:
Dinner:
Breakfast: ~1/2c sweet potato sauteed in olive oil, over easy egg, avocado, tomatoes, s/p
Snack: Apple and almond butter Lunch: Spinach, chicken, avocado, strawberry, almond salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil/lemon dressing Dinner: Sloppy Joe potatoes with ranch Why I'm willing to do this... First, I've had on my "Day Zero 101 List" for two iterations of Day Zero 101 lists that I want to complete a dietary cleansing challenge. I want to push myself and help strengthen my willpower muscle. This is honestly the biggest draw for me, personally. I'm at a point in my life where I have to be highly self-motivated in order to reach my professional goals and I know that opportunities are going to happen only if I create them. I freely admit, I'm not the best at this. I have bursts of motivation and dedication but it's hard for me to progress at a sustainable pace. Let's just say I'm not a proverbial distance runner... From how my education was structured (go to class, take a break, practice, class, then fit in homework/thesis/etc. on my own time- not 9-5...) to my sport (I'm a volleyball player, so we operate in short intense bursts of all-out intensity) I work most comfortably in a burn-recover cycle. Unfortunately that is not going to be sustainable throughout my career. So the biggest reason for me doing this Whole30 is to exercise my will power, and show myself that I can sustain through a semi-long term challenge- it will give me confidence and I bet I'll even learn some skills/tips/techniques I can apply to other areas of my life. Second, I want more energy throughout the day and particularly when I get home from work. Like my partern said, I want to be good at work and great at home. But I struggle being great at home when after a long day of work I feel like most of my good energy has been sapped and I need to recover... Finally, I want to lose weight, reset my sugar tolerance, and feel sexy in my own skin again! Plain and simple. The last 6-8 months have been a whirlwind with a new job, new town, Matt moving in... my exercise and diet have been on a roller coaster ride. Some days are great and others are a sugar slug bomb. This will give me the opportunity to level out my physical well-being. (Not to mention, I'm curious to see how my body reacts to no alcohol for 30 days... No clue the last time I did that! And I know some of the extra pounds are "liquid pounds..."). Wish me luck! |
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