Challenges can do the body good

I'm a little over half way through Phase 1 of my 12-week fitness challenge. As much as I've enjoyed focusing on my fitness, I have been a little concerned about the amount of time needed to dedicate to this program. In fact, I have almost been frustrated with myself for committing to it because it leaves very little time for the list of projects I wanted to tackle with little r starting school. Fitness was always on the agenda, but I was looking more at a regime that allowed me to do it all from home...

I was telling all of this to Big R on our walk home from taking little r to kindergarten, and almost as if he'd had husband training on saying all the right things, he tells me that he can definitely tell a difference already. Now that's exactly what this girl needed to hear to stay focused on the goal. It IS a lot if time, but as my mom so kindly reminded me, time spent at the gym working out is NOT wasted. I also remember that one of the reasons I'm doing this now is because I may never have this kind of time again - or at least for a long time.

So, I haven't had significant weight loss yet, only a few pounds, but I am noticing changes in my body. Phase 1 is not about weight loss anyhow - it's about building muscle. Jamie Eason makes it very clear that she wants all caloric intake to go right to muscle production, which also means no cardio. I'm surprised by how much I miss running, and it's something I'm really looking forward to in Phase 2.

The challenge is also about eating well. This has been difficult for me. I'm not sure why because I have made the move toward healthy choices for me and my family awhile ago. All I can figure is that it's mental for me. More veggies also means more shopping time, and I dread shopping. Although I will say that I have been rather proud of my cart these days. When was the last time you looked at your cart and wanted to give yourself a pat on the back because it was full if nothing but produce, lean meats, and eggs - nothing processed and very little packaged. I'm finding that I'm noticing other people's carts now, too, which is something I never paid any notice to before.

This is what Jamie Eason has done to me. Here is my typical lunch:



Spinach leaves, arugula, Avacado, scallions, chopped walnuts, bulgar and lemon-olive oil dressing. Very tasty and refreshing, I might add. And the bulgar helps give it a little extra something to help it stick longer. I guess I can thank being at home for this. Making this to pack for a lunch the next day isn't impossible, but preparing it in my kitchen to eat at lunch is definitely a perk I haven't had in a long time.

Some parts of the eating plan are a little arduous. I have to eat my weight in egg whites and I cannot have hardly any dairy. But this has inspired me to be creative with my meals. The other night I was actually sick of eating salad so I created this:



Talk about tasty and it couldn't have been easier. If nothing else I have become super hyper aware of what I'm putting in my body and I think twice before eating something that doesn't resemble a vegetable.

Knowing that I need to keep this up long after the 12-week challenge is over, I'm being realistic about certain things. Instead of saying "no" to everything, I am doing things in moderation. Wine and beer only on weekends or special occasions, only a bite of desert when we are out for dinner instead of ordering my own, and things along those lines. So far it's working.

I hope to create a couple dozen healthy meals for my dinner rotation and train myself how to shop smart. I also broke down and bought one of those veggie choppers because it takes a long freaking time to cut veggies! And let's be honest, who wants to break out the food processor and clean it every day and for every meal?! (and I have to plug it into a transformer that is the size of my head - just not worth any saved effort...)

Not sure how all this will turn out come May when I have hopefully completed this challenge. I will say that it's teaching me things about myself, so even if I don't look like Jamie when all is said and done (because that is the goal, right???), I will feel like a different person from the inside out.

I promise to keep you posted on my progress.

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