Friday, June 6, 2008

Feeling Good!! And I knew that I would!!

My presentation in class went really well last night...I definitely think I got an A!! Compared to everyone else, mine was the best and I'm not just saying that because it's mine, I'm saying that because it's true!! So now we have our final in 2 weeks but our professor gave us a "cheat sheet" of what we need to study and it's almost the exact questions he's going to ask us so it'll be a breeze.

On the food and exercise front, I just haven't been doing well this week. I ran on Monday and that's it. Then for food I've had brownies, cookies, donuts, cake, ice cream, Diet Coke, calzones, lots of wine, just a bunch of processed crap that's not good for my body and my mind. So for the next 8 days I'm going to challenge myself to an 8 day restart. My body just needs to be cleansed of all these chemicals and processed stuff I've been giving it. I felt so gross, icky, tired, and irritable yesterday after 3 days of eating crap. I need a restart so that's what I'm giving myself.

So I sat down and wrote out the next 8 days and my plan for every single day. The general "rules" I'm going to follow during the next 8 days are:
1) No Diet Coke!! I don't even like the taste anymore so why am I drinking it??
2) One processed/artificial food a day. I consider a processed/artificial food to be something with more than 6 or 7 ingredients in it.
3) Alcohol--none during the week. I can have 2 today, 2 tomorrow, 2 on Sunday, and 2 next Friday but none during the weekdays.
4) Vitamins every day!!
5) Exercise schedule--set up for each day.
6) I'm giving myself 3 "cheats" for the next 8 days.
My reward, besides feeling much better mentally and physically, will be a mani/pedi and eyebrow wax next weekend!!

*Side note: I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Diet Coke, processed foods or alcohol but I know for myself, I feel better when I limit the intake of those things. I let them slowly creep back into my diet and then I started consuming just those things. And that makes me feel disgusting.*

Also, I feel as if things in my life (diet, exercise, apartment, office, mind, etc.) have gotten cluttered over the past couple of months so I'm de-cluttering my life. Yesterday afternoon I cleaned my office and Lysol-ed all surfaces. I organized my folders and got the piles of paper on my desk off of my desk. Today I've already cleaned out the fridge and I'm going to de-clutter some other things around my apartment and get things organized a bit better. And get rid of some things I don't need/use. Mentally, I can take on the world when things around me are organized. As for de-cluttering my mind, I've got a hair appointment this morning and getting my hair cut always relaxes me (I'm a bit like a puppy, I love to have my head rubbed).

I've been getting bored with my food lately (which is part of the reason I hit the processed stuff so hard, I was just bored and wanted something new to eat). So I've already been to the grocery store this morning and picked up some "exciting" foods--raspberries, starfruit, greek yogurt, Ezekiel bread, cinnamon raisin peanut butter--to try some new things and to eat some of my favorites that I don't buy that often due to expense. I came home, fixed a breakfast of oatmeal with a side of starfruit and sat outside on the balcony reading the paper and enjoying my breakfast sans computer but with my new favorite coffee flavor, blueberry cobbler. I've got a special but healthy meal planned for dinner tonight with my honey. Life is good!!

Amazing what an action plan can do for a person...yesterday I felt so down-in-the dumps and pessimistic and now with a plan for decluttering my life, I feel fantastic!!

Today's Plan:
Activity: walk or bike ride, yoga (which I've already done this morning)
Breakfast: Oatmeal with 1 banana and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB, 1/2 starfruit
Snack: Greek yogurt, Quaker mini's--Cinnamon Streusel flavor
Lunch: Strawberry poppyseed salad from Panera
Dinner: Brats or burgers (neither is fantastically healthy but we need to eat them up), Green beans and carrots, Salad, Mini Angel Food Cakes (homemade and already done!) with Berry-Peach sauce (again, homemade and already done!)

6 comments:

SeaBreeze said...

I hear you, about the Diet Coke's. I never really got enough sleep, so I used to resort to Diet Coke and Diet Energy Drinks and I had to cut myself off of them 4 or 5 weeks ago. My sleep has been WAY better since and the people who had to contend with my week of crankiness have forgiven me.

Your plan for the next 8 days seems very well balanced!

Jen said...

I giggled about your disclaimer (regarding the processed foods and diet coke) you are too cute!!! While some people have those a lot...they aren't exactly "healthy" so you are right!! I am pretty bad for eating them though!!!

And I am glad you explained what you consider processed food...I struggle with that because I don't quite know WHAT to consider...but I think that's interesting!!!!

Awesome job on your presentation girl!!! I am so proud of you!!!

Martalu said...

Hooray for As! What class is it?

I'm feeling much better after just 3 days of clean eating. It's true that limiting processed foods will increase your energy and mood, so good for you!

It's hard working and going to school and trying to eat right and exercise. You really have to expend a lot of energy to get it all done, but it's worth it in the end.

HOORAY!

Jaime said...

OK, blueberry cobbler coffee? That sounds just plain crazy. Where do you get such a thing?

And, cinnamon raisin PB? That sounds awesome! Again, where did you get that?

You lucky Americans!

Heather said...

Congrats on the presentation! I love presentations, and I hear you on the processed/chemical foods, I need a detox like something else! lol

Sara said...

yay for a great presentation!!

And your plan looks great - I fully say out loud that diet pop and processed food are really bad for everyone!! But you are much nicer than me!!