Self Magazine "Cleanse" - Part 3

A few pics that Susan sent me from our pumpkin run:

Crossing Cedar Creek - about 3ish miles in

Our usual turn around at the river overlook - 4.2 miles in

She told me to stop slouching - at Claysville Store (which wasn't open to tempt us with fried chicken) - starting to not enjoy myself here - probably about 7 miles in



Giving the Hartsburg pumpkins a "thumbs up"! 10.4 miles!

I was definitely feeling our long run.  I skipped a strength workout or two this week.  I know that is something I need to really work on this winter.  Just have to try to find the motivation.  And motivation was definitely waning the further into the week that I got.  I think this was just too radical of a change for me.  I'm not sure what freaks eat this crap, but most of it won't cross my kitchen again. 

I've always wondered if I wasn't giving some of the food items that people talk about or that I see in healthy eating magazines a chance, but I think it just doesn't measure up to my Midwest upbringing.  I made the best of it finishing up this weekend with a couple repeats to just get through (and to use up the insane leftovers - it is tough when you are the only person eating this stuff because there is no way you can buy just the amount you need for one person and try all of these different foods).

Saturday:

Breakfast: strawberry banana smoothie with greek yogurt - close to my "normal" recipe (though I usually use regular yogurt)

Workout: Had promised my daughter we'd do a ride out to the National Guard on our bikes as part of her Girl Scout challenge.  She did pretty good on the way out - kind of fell apart and was in full on tears by the time we were half way up the Wavco hill and had to get off and walk. 

Still happy about 2.5 miles in (all downhills and flats)

My last awkward selfie with my phone that did not have a forward camera

Lunch: Asian chicken cups again (using up the leftover fixings) - I didn't love them quite as much the 2nd time, but I will still add it to my overall rotation.

Dinner: We had a super crazy busy day/evening and I didn't get around to dinner until 8 PM.  But I was starving so I had the small leftover piece of salmon plus a little bit of elbow noodles with beef and marinara sauce that I had fixed for my kids that they didn't eat.  I did resist the McDonalds that my son and mother-in-law had.

I barely sat down all day between a half dozen loads of laundry and a ton of errands - Walmart, cemetery, Shoe Carnival, Old Navy, back home, took one kid home from a sleepover at our house and dropped another off for one, back home, back to Old Navy to return one pair of pants, to Best Buy to replace my dying phone, to Gamestop for my boy, to Dicks because I had a gift card (no purchase made), back home, back to pick up mother-in-law from mass, took her and the boy to McDs, drove her back to her assisted living facility, drove back home.  Whew!  So there was no time for another workout - plus I was too pooped!

Sunday:

Went to mass at 8:30 and then husband and my son voted to go back to McDs for breakfast.  ugh!  So I had a fruit and maple oatmeal for 290 calories - not exactly on the "plan", but an overall healthy choice.  By the time we got done, the morning was nearly over.  I headed out to Best Buy to exchange my phone case for a fun pink Otterbox.  I puttered around a little with my new phone.

Lunch: Tried this soybean/dried cherry/barley pilaf that was horrible.  I couldn't choke much down and finally gave up and ate the rest of the elbow noodles with marinara and lean beef. 

Then my daughter came home from her sleepover and I tucked her in for a nap for about 40 min until I had to get her grumpy butt up for basketball practice.  I should have ran while she was at practice, but I didn't get my act in gear to change clothes.  It was a beautiful day.  I could have gone for a  walk, but I watched the girls try to remember plays from last year (without much success - I think the coach may have been reaching a little).  We went shopping for her Halloween costume (she's going to be a pirate) and came on home.

Dinner: Had a lot of hope for the roasted broccoli, baby potatoes and rosemary chicken with yogurt sauce.  Everything tasted fine, but it wasn't anything to write home about.  Plain grilled chicken would have tasted just as good to me.  I did like the veggies (though again - plain would have been fine).  I roasted the broccoli a little too long because I cut my potatoes too large.  Oops.  Oh well - it was still edible.  Mixed up some Crystal Light raspberry lemonade since I was getting sick of water. 

Wasn't looking good for a workout so I texted Stacy and she agreed (fairly late) to go for a run.  We just did the neighborhood for about 3 miles.  Better than nothing even if at 8:30 at night in the dark (though at least the moon helped this time).

So one week on a diet that I probably wouldn't do again - no Coke, no margaritas or wine, more consistent exercise (which I will try again) and foods that must appeal to someone, but just not this meat and potatoes girl.  It was a worthy experiment, but I think I will go back to my previous approach of just trying to focus on getting in more produce, less processed stuff, smaller portions and more exercise.  It was a lot less stressful.

MMNW (last week): 165.0
MMNW (this week): 162.4 - an awful lot of work for such small movement.  I had really expected for it to be closer to 160-161.  I know it isn't all about the number, but I really had hoped for this to be a bigger "reset".  I guess it is better than gaining.  It definitely kept me more mindful of what I was putting in my mouth and more focused on getting some kind of movement in every day which is good since most of the time my job involves a lot of desk jockey time.

Back to regular programming this week though I did have some Bare Naked granola and almond milk this morning for breakfast.