Clean Eating Challenge: Days 5-11

Click Here to read about Days 1-4.

I came across this picture as I was committing to the Clean Eating Challenge. This picture says a lot, and it can be applied to many areas of life. For me, it was exactly what I needed to build myself up for the challenge. Would it be hard? Would I have to step out of my comfort zone? Would I succeed? The answer to all of these questions is YES!

Here are a list of changes that I've noticed 11 days into the challenge:

• My energy level is still going strong! I feel energized when I wake up and all the way until bedtime. I used to feel my body shutting down around 8:30pm, but not anymore. On that note, I do fall asleep just fine when I'm ready for bed - meaning, the added energy is not keeping me awake.
• I thought I slept well before (when my kids didn't wake me up in the middle of the night) so I was not expecting a change here, but I definitely sleep more soundly now. I wake up ready for the day, and not groggy like I used to. I don't want to hit the snooze button anymore. I've even waken up twice before my alarm went off because my body was fully rested! This is seriously amazing considering I have a 5, 3, and 1 year old!
• I've lost weight and inches, but I won't reveal those numbers until the end.
• We do a LOT more dishes, which makes sense because we're not eating out and we're preparing more fresh foods from home. I used to think having three cutting boards was pointless, and now I'm struggling to keep them all clean!

My biggest challenge this week:

• On Day 8, I drove past a restaurant ... ok, I was like 1/2 a mile from it, but I knew that it was there ... and I thought, "we need to eat there this weekend." This was the first time that I've had a thought like that. I then went on to think of what I would eat. And, then I switched to a more healthy meal, but I still slathered lots of honey mustard on that salad ... yummm ... wait stop!
• This challenge is about discipline. Discipline is defined as:
• Training to act in accordance with rules
• Activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill
• A rigor, or training effect of experience, adversity
• This challenge is about capturing your thoughts, remaining focused, and keeping the end goal in sight.
• Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize

Product Reviews:

• I'll be real honest here. The first time I tried a Fizz Stick in my water, I hated it. Hated. It. I'm a good old fashioned water drinker, and I don't like "fancy" stuff in my water. I now know that I didn't use enough water and the fizz stick completely overwhelmed the drink. So, on my second try I used a lot more water and I let the drink sit for about 10 minutes so that some of the "fizz" would wear off and it was great!
• I fill a 30oz Nalgene bottle with water every morning. Once my first bottle is gone, I refill it with about 20oz and I add a Fizz Stick. This is my "treat" for getting the first 30oz down. Once that's gone, I refill the bottle with another 30oz of regular water and finish the day with that.
• Last Friday, I forgot to take a Fizz Stick to work so my "treat" was good old water again. Big bummer!

If you are interested in this challenge, then please contact me! I would love to help you start your journey to a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to have 10 people on my team each month, but I won't stop at 10 if it means changing a life. My Feb team is almost full, so please let me know if you would like more information about this challenge. I belive in you!