Healthy Living Week 2

15 days  down, 31 to go!  A third of the way there……

Before I get into the details – I want to shoe this picture of the amazing Pairdd meal that I made last Thursday. Details on what Pairdd is and how the fabulous the meal was will come up later this week. 

Salmon w/ quinoa, kale, chickpea and craisin salad — Pairdd

Week 2 was much harder than Week 1. I knew it was going to be more of a struggle, but I really didn’t think it would be this hard. I think my body is finally realizing that I am depriving it of jelly beans, Starbursts, diet soda and other processed treats. And it’s rebelling. I really have no want to eat the overly processed junk again because I know I will feel miserable after. It just tastes so good. My brain is craving it, not my body.

So it’s a body over mind challenge for this week. I just have to treat food like fuel, which doesn’t mean I’m going to eat cardboard, but does mean that I have to train myself that I don’t need those extra snacks and treats.

I also had a setback with my back this past week. I went to the Dr. on Friday and was told that it’s not a pinched nerve or anything with my spine but I did something to the soft tissue and need to take it really easy. No running, no back related workouts. So since Friday, I have been trying eat extremely well (two dates don’t really help that cause) and do any workout I can do that doesn’t hurt the back.

Situps are out as it’s the bending action that really hurts it. So I have been working on toning my arms. That’s about all I can do this week. I really hope the pain goes away and I can get back into it soon. I think I was using poor form and that’s why my back got hurt. I plan to watch form videos on YouTube to make sure I am doing the workout right.

Not to mention, I tend to overdo things. When I jump into working out, I go all in and end up with very sore muscles for a week or so. It’s a great feeling that makes me feel progress that I can’t yet see.

So I have found that iced tea and Jamaican Lemonade are getting me through the afternoons at work.

Cafe de Arts

Salads are becoming my friend, like this Chicken Ceasar salad from Cafe de Arts. I used to eat the entire thing, but now I portion it out for myself and eat only half of it.

I am making wiser decisions when I am out with friends too. I might want the bacon cheeseburger and fries, but I can’t have that if I want to lose the weight and be healthier.

So if I want to “indulge,” I still choose something better for me and then I don’t eat it all. I will take some home and let my friends try it – like these Reuben Egg Rolls from Bullwinkles – delicious but I didn’t eat them all.

So here’s to Week 3 and getting back into the swing of it and not letting my mind take over!