2014 30 Day Challenge

Every time I take on an Arbonne Challenge, I emerge a lesser version of my self, a happier, healthier version of me.  Nearly 2 years after my first, I am undertaking the 30 day Challenge.  I've kept up some of the great habits I've learned and when I feel icky, I slip on the healthy challenge habits like an old friend and get back on track.  But I am ready again to do this, along with a friend.  Can doing it with a friend make it more successful?  I'll find out!

I'm aiming to eliminate:  wheat/gluten, dairy, yeast, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, caffeine, soy, artificial anything.  I've cleared out my stockpile of chocolate which is usually my downfall.  And I am armed with some recipes designed to make the challenge even more beneficial.  Honestly, though, the recipes aren't all on my YUM radar so I will need to make some changes to that.  

Additionally, I am starting a 30-day crunch challenge.  Up this morning, 20 crunches, crunched. 

Water prior to breakfast, done.  Coffee machine, dormant.  Armed with a fizz and hoping that the shake for lunch will transport and be tasty at lunchtime.  

Day 1 - Bring it on!

Day 2 of the rest of my life...

I am totally rocking the water!  However, I was out of bananas and couldn't take all three kiddos I had yesterday to the store JUST to get me bananas.  Really, I should have because that fruit helps carry me through the day!  Ultimately, smore's bites and a glass of wine both after 8 were yesterday's downfall.  Instead of fruit.  But the veggies... those I got!

Post-Challenge Day 1

Otherwise known as the rest of my life...

I started this post when I finished the Challenge... two weeks ago.  But I didn't get very far.  The original writing from 2 weeks ago is in black... my notes about really how this has gone since then are in blue.

So during the challenge, I kept a notebook and I have found this to be an incredible tool for being true to myself.  Things that have worked...

1. Bible - I like starting my day off with a blip of reading from the bible.  I would like that to turn to prayer rather than read and run.  So that will continue.  Apparently I am highly motivated by that point and being the high point scorer.  Not continuing, but will now consciously work on it.
2. Exercise - I did discover machines for dummies in the gym and I have started training for the 5K.  I would like both of those to continue.  I got sick with an infection and my lungs were involved which meant I was unable to work out as much as I wanted.  However, I am back working toward the 5K.  I still have hopes of being able to run it, but it is going to require some hard work over the next three weeks.
3. Affirmations - not sure how I would continue to affirm myself except to make sure if I am using stinkin-thinkin, turn it around.  I should probably type up my affirmations in one spot and keep them someplace where I can read them.
4. Memorizing - not likely.  Don't remember the first one I did memorize but didn't believe in fully.  Didn't memorize the one I believed in.  What?!  It is what it is.
5. Diet Plan - For lack of a better way of putting it, there were 13 steps for healthier eating, 14 if you included the cleanse of the second week.  To be honest, I didn't notice a difference in my digestive tract during the cleanse.  Of the 13 steps, many make excellent sense:

• Water Steps - drink half my body weight in water, adding more for work-outs, 12 oz before eating anything in the morning and only drink water/tea/fizz tabs.  All three make sense.  But that coffee is coming back.  Brought back my coffee.  On days that I don't drink the 12 oz before breakfast/coffee, I have a hard time getting my water in AND I feel lousy and dehydrated later in the day resulting in much water drinking after dinner and many trips up in the middle of the night.  That part is a dislike, getting up several times in the night.
• No eating after 8 pm.  Should be a no brainer.  However, if you are on prednisone and up half the night, an appropriate, healthy snack is necessary.  Cause dinner at 5/6 and then not going to bed until 1 or 2 am means, hungry girl at midnight.  
• No snacking.  Disagree with this plan.  Planned healthy snacks are a good thing.  Of course, unhealthy snacks, like eating chocolate, not a good thing.
• Vitamin.  Smart plan.  I am continuing it though I am aware that the whole vitamin debate exists.
• One plate of food.  Most of the time!  This is really an important habit!
• No processed sugars/no fake sugars.  So I am shooting for no fake sugars and minimal sugar.  Realistic.
• Organic meats.  I get it.  I do.  But, I just cannot afford it.
• 5 veggies/3 fruits a day - when I hit this, I make SO FEW OTHER mistakes.  Trying to keep up fruit at breakfast, fruit and at least one veggie at lunch and fruit for snack in the evening.  

Writing things down really works for me so I am going to try to keep that up, also.  I am looking for life changing habits, not short term results.  

Challenge Day 14 (SATURDAY)

Last day.  And it was one of my lowest for points in the whole thing because I had date day with my husband.  Spent SO MUCH time in the car that I was fearful about drinking all of that water and having to stop, stop, stop and stop.  And we ate out and I chose the All You Can Eat Salad/Pizza/Soup bar.  Chose Salad, twice!  Only ate 2 pieces of PIZZA and they were thin (all though still not "healthy" pizza).  Should have skipped the soup.  SO FULL, though.  And we'd taken a beer tour where we got free beer, so...
Finished the day with a sandwich and a milkshake.  SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL!!!!  But I am FINISHED with the cleanse and I must say, I'm not really sure that it made a big difference.  Perhaps it did, but I just don't know what it was.

Affirmation
I am destined for success as I can do anything I put my mind to with the love and support of family and friends.  And if I seek out the right tools with which to succeed.

I'm not sure in the end that I lost any weight.  However, I do feel healthier, I am still committed to making some of these steps habits.

Challenge Day 13 (Friday)

Almost done.  I am interested in seeing what I do when I "finish".  Will I go all hog wild?  Will I have created some new healthy habits to keep me going?  I fear the first, but pray for the latter.
So, good intentions aside, unless you call house cleaning and cleaning out a work out (I don't), no work out today.

So happy to see just one remaining cleanse packet in the box!  However, if it is Friday, it is happy hour by the tennis courts, so I didn't drink only water today.  On the plus side, I didn't come home and keep drinking wine!  One glass, please and thank you!

Affirmation:
A certain bad habit I have is drinking diet soda and not once during this challenge have I craved it.  I hope I have broken its hold on me and that is a good thing because I've read the studies and I believe that drinking diet soda leads to break downs in other healthy eating habits.

I'll be solid with you, I miss my chocolate.  I wish I didn't but I do.  Perhaps, that is a challenge for another day.

Challenge Day 12 (Thursday)

Ya know how I knew it was day 12?  I only had 2 more Cleanse packets in my box after I took out today's dose.  It made me happy.

We mixed it up today with a water workout... my legs are dying from the 5K intense training, so a water workout made sense.  I had poor planning today with running here, there and everywhere, but I still managed to get in my veggies by making spaghetti squash with homemade marinara for dinner and a little grilled chicken thrown in for protein.  I had forgotten how easy and quick it really is to make spaghetti squash!  I have another really good recipe that I'll have to pull out and use with the other half.  YUMMY!

Today's affirmation gave me pause... how brave and unfearful you are.  Brave isn't really an attribute I would normally list, however, as I think back over the years, I have had to be brave for my children.  I am brave when I get my flu shot first so that they will line up behind me and get theirs.  I am brave when I hold Rosie the Tarantula at the Butterfly Pavilion because in inspires my children that it is okay to hold creepy spiders.  I am brave when my children need school support and aren't getting it... I teach them to advocate for themselves by modeling appropriate behaviors in asking for the help they need and deserve.  I have horrible nightmares about horrible things happening to my children, but I don't tell them.  I keep the fears to myself and allow them to go out into the world to learn and be and grow.  I suffer from mental illness, but I don't keep it in the closet; I share my tale to help others and to model for my children that to face our weaknesses is a strength.

I am brave and un-fearful because I am a MOTHER and in everything I do for my children, I am bravely teaching them to be brave.

Challenge Day 11 (Wednesday)

Triumph!  I solved the problem!  I need to NOT take my vitamin first thing, NOT drink 12 oz of water and my shake, and NOT forget to use TONS of ICE in my Cleanse, before drinking my Cleanse.  Let's break that down...

1. First thing in the morning, I take my vitamin with my early morning 12 oz of water, but cannot chug it down because I puke the water back up.
2. Next, I have a banana and a ready shake because I have so many of them that need to get used before expiring.  So even though I LOVE making a protein shake, this is my routine for now.
3. Then I make my Cleanse and take it with me to swim practice/the hospital/wherever I go when I leave in the morning and I choke it down.

Today, I didn't do that...

1. I made my Cleanse with 2 pomegranate fizz sticks and a LOT of ICE.  I never usually use ice because I usually do not like cold cold drinks.
2. I ate a banana and put my shake in the car and vitamin in my pocket.
3. I put my Cleanse and an empty cup for water later in the car and left.  Traffic light, drink Cleanse; next light, drink some more.  And more.  And more.  Then, it was GONE.  I was not nauseous.  And I wasn't whiny about drinking it.  Cold and first, it went down smoother.  Great?  No.  No way.  Not at all.  But it did go down better.

Then, 5K training work out followed by machine work on arms.  I shared my KNOWLEDGE about the DUMMY machines with my work out buddy and showed her where the other bathroom was!  I was in a very sharing mood!  

Affirmation:  I am a good wife - I rub my husband's back at bedtime though I find it tedious.  It means so much to him.  I am a good mother - I have volunteered for lots of stuff I do not enjoy in order to set a positive example and to do the best for kids.  I am their mother first, friend second.  I am a good friend - in good times and in bad, I SHOW UP.