Tag Archives: challenge

Shake out the Sugar

by

When I was in college, a friend of mine had a post-it note on her campus card. It said one word: NO.

I remember asking her about it; she explained it was her way of reminding herself not to use her card to buy cookies. And it worked because that girl did NOT buy cookies.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the word NO. It feels restrictive to me. Don’t tell me what I can’t do, tell me what I CAN do.

However… maybe a little restrictiveness could go the distance? Especially when it comes to food. Because I’ve gotta tell you, my pants are feeling a bit tighter than usual.

Self-control apparently went the way of the dodo during the month of December. And maybe a little bit of November too.

Okay, a lot of November.

I can’t even call them “holiday pounds” because these 8 pounds have been creeping on slowly over the fall/winter. I’m fully cognizant that when you don’t work out as much and “treat yo self” with goodies, your body says “Oh hey, I guess we need a little extra padding for the winter.”

We do not, body.

Kyle has had great success with the Whole 30 and it’s something I might consider in the future. For now, I’ve decided to try something a bit less restrictive than the Whole 30, yet still restrictive. Because apparently, I need some rules.

21daychallenge

I created the graphic, not the challenge. However, if you DO know who created the challenge, give me a shout!

This is happening. Not today though. Because tomorrow I head to Florida for a few days of quality time with BROOKE, and for the Disney World half marathon. Starting today would just be cruel and unusual punishment for everyone involved.

Therefore, I’ll be starting the No Junk Food Challenge on Monday, January 12th. And when I say challenge, it’s definitely going to be because we have things like this in the house…

candy

We “won” this movie basket. Oy!

The candy won’t be my biggest issue though. Oh, no no. My biggest vice is/has/and always will be ice cream. That will be the main challenge of the challenge. Also, not listed but something I’ve added in is alcohol. And that, will be a challenge because I like to enjoy wine with my dinner.

Apparently, I’m a creature of habit because I posted this exactly a year ago.

Meridith of a year ago knew what she was talking about and Meridith of today will be following the same mindset!

  • More water, less bazillion calorie drinks.
  • More homecooked, less takeout. More veggies, less cookies. Smaller meals throughout the day and smarter choices.
  • More movement, less non-movement.

When I put my mind to something and give myself parameters, I can and I will thrive! And so, it’s with that knowledge and a bit of restrictiveness that I move forward for the next month. Let’s see where I land! I’ll be checking in (accountability is a beautiful thing).

Bec and Brooke are joining me for this challenge. The more the merrier so if you’d like a couple of accountability partners, give a shout in the comments!

If you see me in Florida this weekend, and I happen to be eating ice cream, drinking wine, and trying a cronut for the first time (that’s not technically a donut – see totally starting early!), please try not to judge me too harshly. Also, come say hello and we can share!

What’s your game plan for the next 21 days? Have you ever tried a cronut? (I’m slightly intrigued by this phenomena but not really a donut person so I’m not sure I’ll like it.) Who should I look for at the Walt Disney World marathon weekend?

Throwing Down

by

You guys, I’ve been struggling. A lot.

Just over a month ago, I posted about my potential attempt at a (mostly) vegan lifestyle.  I gave up meat and dairy, and within a couple weeks, I was feeling amazing. My weight was dropping, my eczema cleared up and things were… regular (sorry).

And then cheese. Because it’s cheese. Actually, it was a cheese factory. Or, The Cheesecake Factory, to be more specific.

I went out for a girl’s night with my bffl and thought ‘I can relax for one night and get back on tomorrow.’

Tomorrow didn’t come. Well, it came, but it came with ALL THE DAIRY.

And with all the dairy (and meat and overeating and slacking and CHEESE – hello, vicious cycle), came the weight right back on and the general feeling of grossness.

NOT OKAY.

So, as of today, I threw down the gauntlet with myself. 30 days. Full accountability to diet, exercise, tracking my food and making healthy choices for thirty days. No bullpuckey. (Look Mer, no cursing!)

Here are the rules:

No Dairy – That means no cheese, no ice cream, no Pinkberry, no cheese, no butter, no yogurt, no CHEESE.

No ‘meat’ – Eliminating beef, pork and poultry. Still eating fish and eggs. Let’s not even talk about bacon.

No heavily processed foods – I say heavily processed because some of my staples, like almond milk, tofu and whole grain pasta are definitely ‘processed’. Basically, cutting out things with ingredients that sound like things from a 10th grade chemistry textbook.  And keeping things like pre-made veggie burgers/meat replacement products limited. No take out/fast food/convenience food. Note, this doesn’t mean no going out to eat. Just not at any place that only serves crap.

Water – 8 cups a day BARE MINIMUM.

Exercise – 5 times a week, 3 of them being good, fast walks. Not focusing on running right now. I know I have a half marathon to train for, and I have a plan for that. But for now, in the ridiculous heat, I’m going to work on bringing up my walking pace so that when I do start running again, I’ll be ready for it (as opposed to now where I just sort of jog slowly and wheeze). The other two workouts are for strength training or Zumba classes. Or swimming. Or whatever way I feel like moving my body. Just moving it. Period.

Tracking on My Fitness Pal – Every day. Every bite. Every lick.

No alcohol – I know. I KNOW.

No excuses – None. At all. These are the rules, and they will be followed. For 30 days. Because while all of that is a lot, none of it has to be forever. Once I complete this personal challenge, I’ll see where I am and decide what I want to do from there.

Because it’s only 30 days. (Please remind me of this when you see me in the cheese aisle at Trader Joe’s).

So, tell me folks, what could you commit to for 30 days? What is that one thing that you let get in your way? What’s your weakness, and would you be willing to hold yourself accountable to turning it into a strength for a month?

If you think you can do it, and you want to join me in this 30 day throwdown, DO IT. And if you think you can’t do it… well, then, you’re right.

Keep Bec company?  Challenge yourself? Please, tell her in the comments below that you want to join her crazy train. She really likes company. And, apparently, cheese.