Nothing Unhealthy–Day 8

So week two began and with it, a mound of laundry roughly the height of my son.  That ain’t no bull people…

(the shame)

Thankfully, it was a designated family work day. 

Lucky for me, AB tackled this pile with brute force – and by nightfall, seven loads were cleaned and put where they belong. 

Thank you for all the encouragement and kind words about my foot.  It is feeling a bit better, and if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I’ll likely try to get outside and walk. 

I was reminded by doing some research today, that the goal of this challenge is not about how much weight you can lose in a month.  That’s not even the point of the challenge.  The point is to put good health practices into your routine for a month.  The goal is to see if they stick after the challenge has ended!  It’s not a diet.   It’s not a competition.  It’s just a personal challenge.  It’s a self-discipline, as are all of the challenges I’m doing here.  It’s about pushing yourself out of the routine, beyond your comfort zone, and seeing if you can find ways to improve your life and the lives of those around you.  Just in the past week alone, I have had many deeply thoughtful moments.  Many times when I have asked myself “who are you doing this for”, the answer varied – but at the end of the day, I can only do it for me.   Not only for the benefit of weight-loss – but surely that is a wonderful by-product of healthier living.  The true benefit is my overall health and wellness.  How I feel.  My energy level.  The long-term impact of a healthier lifestyle – not just for me, but for my husband and children and those who love me. 

I once heard someone say “at the end of the day, make sure your excuses are believable to you”.  Truly, they haven’t been for a long time…I’m just lazy.  That’s the truth.  The state of my health is a result of my own poor choices and lack of willpower.  So there it is…

Today’s Menu:

Breakfast:  Greek Yogurt with strawberries & granola. 

Lunch: The most wonderful homemade roasted tomato marinara with pasta.  AB really took his time creating this beautiful pasta sauce and used all fresh produce (three kinds of tomatoes, fresh zucchini, squash, and onions), herbs, and other delish ingredients.  It was so tasty and I kept thinking…”how will I ever eat from a jar after this?”  (after thinking "how will I ever avoid two helpings!?) He also whipped up an awesome ragu using a lean ground turkey.  Seriously….who could fail this challenge with AB in the kitchen?  Now I ask you!

Dinner:  We went the leftovers route.  Lots of items piling up and we didn’t want food to go to waste.  I had (eek!) more pasta, this time with just a little salt and pepper, a handful of grapes, and some carrots dipped in low-cal Caesar dressing.  And when I say “dipped” – I mean sparingly.  As in, hardly at all.  Yay, me!  The carbs though…too much pasta for one day.  Double eek!

No desserts and no snacking.  Also?  I cleaned the master bathroom and scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees.  Listen up, my friends.  This is no joke – this scrubbing the floor by hand.  I thought I was going to pass out after 20 minutes.  But afterward, I noticed something strikingly similar to working out – I had worked up a sweat, an increased heart-rate, and felt flushed.  Whoever said cleaning isn’t akin to working out – clearly hasn’t had to clean my bathroom.  Triple eek!