21 Day Sugar Detox- 4 Days Strong

On Monday I started a 21 day sugar detox and I wish I could say it is no big deal. This is hard!!!!!
I was okay on day 1 but day 2-4 were not so easy. I was eating fruit daily and allowing myself dark chocolate just about every day. While I never gained weight from eating this way, I wasn't losing anymore weight either. I decided that I have 23 days to work on my beach body before our OBX trip and I wanted to feel good. I know what you are thinking- you eat Paleo so you aren't eating sugar anyway. Right but I this is cutting out way more:

• No Sweeteners (even natural)- Honey, Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup, Raw Cane Sugar
• No Fruits
• No Dairy

I am trying to teach my body not to depend on sugar as a meal replacement or a quick snack when I am hungry. We should be filling our meals with vegetables and proteins. When I was eating it daily I noticed that I was always hungry and always needed to eat. I felt bloated and was having some image hiccups because of the bloating.

So here I am at the last few moments of day 4. This was the worst day so far and I am praying tomorrow is better. Today I was on edge from about 2pm-8pm. I was short tempered, easily irritated, tired, under my eyes got real dark, I was tired, cold and honestly just wanted to cry.
I am not sure if this was solely detox related or if the other factors in my life played into this (menstruation, last few days of school before summer, etc...) either way, it was not a good day and I have a headache.
I came home made a yummy Chicken, balsamic red peppers and onions Flat bread for Brandon and I. Then I packed our lunches and once I was able to finally sit down, I noticed my mood change a little.

I am proud that I have made it 4 whole days but I am really praying it gets easier because I do notice less bloating and my stomach has a little more definition. I was able to keep my size 4 Capri's on despite being that time of the month! I am not very motivated to workout but I have been playing a lot with my kids- running, playground, monkey bars and pull up bars. When I come home though, I want to cook, pack my meals for Lunch and then go to bed. Watching Brandon cut up a delicious pineapple tonight in the kitchen was not very helpful but he looked like he was enjoying it and I couldn't bring myself to be grumpy with him.

In need of prayers and encouragement- 17 days to go!!!!

I will post some meals after my first week is complete.

Are you wasting your strength?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/inspiring-elementary-schooler-cerebral-palsy-runs-amazing-400-154523256.html

Watch this video, cry and realize that sometimes getting up off the couch to do a lap around the block shouldn't be a chore. Be thankful for what you have and don't let your health slip away by sitting back and wasting your good legs, your strong back and  your strength. Watch this video and think: How easy do I have it? What is "Matt's" goal now that he has achieved that 400M? What is my goal? Have I been selfish with the body I have been given? 

I cried when the coach walked out to encourage him and then I lost it when the whole class began walking and cheering. What a great encouragement for that little kid! 

Get off the couch, get up and move! 

From the words of children

     Some days it takes a child to make you feel special and encouraged. I have been coaching GOTR (girls on the run). An after school running club that teaches girls 3rd-5th grade about relationships, self- esteem, compassion, how to get along and being active and healthy. I have a great support system at my school and amazing girls to run with. They are all so special and have unique personalities that sometimes clash in their home lives or school days but on the track, they are awesome! Today we did our practice 5k and had over 25 people come out to support or run. I was running with several people and found myself running at an even pace with one girl. This girl was a walker 12 weeks ago. She and I started talking and I started telling her how proud  I was of her for becoming a runner and having such a positive attitude all the time. She began sharing her story with me. She said "Mrs. Brown, I love running and I have so much fun coming here. I am lucky because I have so many people encouraging me. My sister is a runner and we run together once a week and she is my buddy runner for the 5k. It is hard for me with asthma but things are getting better with that because of running. My sister was born early and has not medical issues. I was born on time and I have had a rough life." She went on to tell me about her asthma issues and then she surprised me with "I had a kidney transplant when I was 3 and they are surprised I am doing so well. Probably why my parents cry every time I cross the finish line."  


        I was having a little pity party week and feeling bad about my image and a few other things in my life. This morning a dear friend of mine and I chatted about it this morning. She encouraged me enough to make it through my day and stay on track with my no sugar goal. But tonight, I got the best encouragement from this little girl. She ran her whole 5k counting her blessings, thanking me for running with her, cheering on others and smiling. She truly is a great girl and I learned that just because my stomach isn't flat, it is nothing. People have bigger problems in life and I needed to be reminded that it is how I feel inside and not how I look. Thanks to this girl and my friend for showing me that today. It was incredible seeing the support of co-workers, community and family come out today for just the practice. Every girl had a smile on and they even chose to get up and run the last lap with the last girl coming in. Talk about support system and team work.


      Who encourages you? What helps you when you are having one of those days (or in my case...weeks)? 
               
                    

Where is the Magic Fairy Dust?

              I wish I could tell everyone that there is Magic Fairy Dust that will make life 100% perfect by eating healthy, working out and making good choices when it comes to your lifestyle but... It would be a total lie.  


             Brandon and I have made drastic changes in our lives in the past 2 years. We started working out, started competing in triathlons and races, we completely changed our eating habits and we are making healthier choices for us. Along with the healthy eating and exercise, we have also been learning to live life with "margin". Getting rid of things in our lives that bring us down or clutter up our home or time. We've de-junked our home and put ourselves on a debt free budget plan by Dave Ramsey and Mint. My parents started doing Dave Ramsey a few years ago and shared it with all of the kids. I saw how tough it was for my parents but knowing the benefits that it will provide them when they do finally get debt free, it was worth it! Dave has really helped us to ask ourselves "Do you need it? Do you want it? Will this make your quality of life better?" Usually the answer is NO! I transferred from my job in Falls Church because it was taking hours away from quality time with my husband and quality time for myself. We weren't able to cook together, train together or even hang out with our friends as often as we would like. My quality of life was poor- couldn't sleep, I couldn't keep a consistent diet or exercise plan. We knew that had to change and I was lucky enough to switch to a fabulous school 15 minutes from home. Our quality time has increased, my health has increased, energy has increased and I feel great. Life is really good for us right now and I know that we are living life with "margin". A friend of mine has a quote on her g-chat status that reads: "Have nothing in your home that you don't use" - you can take that to literally mean your home but I took it to mean my life in general! :) 


            With all of these positives in our lives right now, you would think that I would be floating on a cloud all day every day! But it just isn't true- I still have fat days (yup, a size 6 and I still cry sometimes about my image) I have always had to deal with my self-image issues and just because I have dropped some pants sizes- it doesn't mean that will just poof go away. I might have lost weight but I still feel like the same size 12 girl that I've always been. 
If this is you:
                   1.) Don't get discouraged, just remember it's all in how you feel, not in how you look. 
                    2.) Don't eat a bowl of ice cream and cry- go to the gym and take a kickboxing class and beat the snot out of your crying!! *this worked for me tonight*
                    3.) It is okay to feel this way especially if your weight loss was quick and drastic. 


I still get sad- most of it is because my sister lives in Australia and some days I just miss her so much that it ruins my whole day. Love you Christina!! :(


Today was one of these days, I can say this though, since the changes- these days are very rare and they can usually be fixed with a phone call to my sister, a workout at the gym or making myself some comfort food from my childhood. (This always reminds me of my mom and my awesome family growing up.)


So tonight I- talked to my sister through Facebook, went to kickboxing and made a salad that my mom always made for us. 

Mommy's Summer salad

Ingredients:

1 Cucumber

1 tomato (or 3 tomatoes on the vine)

1/4 Red onion

Process:

Cut the cucumber into fourths and then into bite size pieces. 

Cut the tomato into bite-able pieces 

Slice the onion into thin long slices. Then cut the long slices in half. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Arugula (optional)

Place all of the vegetables in a bowl and toss. Pour balsamic on top of the vegetables (about 1/4 cup) depending on how much dressing you like.  

Top with arugula for texture and color.