One of the best parts about the nutrition challenge that I've been participating in at my Crossfit gym, is the facebook support group that our coach created. It's been a great resource for recipes and tips, as well as for admitting to and coping with our struggles as we work to change our lifestyles for the better. It definitely hasn't been an easy process, and as I've mentioned before, I've definitely not been perfect. Below is what I posted for the group when our coach asked for our feelings about how we're doing almost 4 weeks in. This past weekend was a major struggle for me. My husband received the unfortunate news of his grandmother's passing the weekend before, so on Wednesday we packed up the car after work and immediately left for Wichita, KS to be with his family for the funeral and for an extended weekend filled with some much-needed togetherness in such a tough time. In celebrating the life of a very loved and influential woman, I let it become a free-for-all in terms of what I ate and drank, so knew that I needed to share with the group what I felt about and what I learned from how I behaved that weekend. Here's what I posted:
I've definitely had my fair share of slip-ups, but in general I feel really good about the direction I'm headed. My main goal for participating was to really get motivated to make better choices about my nutrition; and, despite my imperfections, I'd definitely say I'm well on that path. I've stopped drinking pop, and my sugar intake has dramatically decreased. I've discovered that my biggest challenges arise when I find myself in a situation that is difficult to plan for. For example, the family function that I mentioned in a different post. My husband and I left for Wichita immediately after work on Wednesday to be with his family for the next several days, and I actually packed the food I had made earlier in the week into a cooler and brought it with me. But then that only lasted so long, and when it ran out I felt as though I were sort of at the mercy of what they had in their household. Now, I know nobody forced me to have that brownie or the little bit of pasta! And I did my best to balance it out with a boatload of veggies. But I realized how much harder it was to resist without my plan and what I had prepared! If I know what I'm having in advance, I'm much better at sticking to it than if I'm left to make a decision on a whim. Especially when the "bad" choices are all displayed buffet-style on the counter! However, now that I know this, I'll do my best to take control of the situation. For example, I could have asked for a quick ride to the grocery store. I watched a documentary yesterday where they talked about shifting your mindset from "I CAN'T have that" to "I CAN have that, but I don't WANT it." That seemed to click with me. I'm going to test that out this weekend!
So, there it is. I have another big test this weekend. My husband's parents bought a table at a fundraiser event for his alma mater. This fundraiser event will of course be filled with opportunities to make choices for good or bad. But I'm going to try to change my mindset. Because it's not really about "good" or "bad." It shouldn't be about what I can't have. It should be about what my body deserves. So here's my goal for that night:
1. Two glasses of wine. Max. Enjoy the taste and really savor each glass.
2. Meat, veggies, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits ... make choices based on what my body will respond to favorably. I won't be doing it any favors by overloading it with a bunch of sugar and processed crap. Yeah, I CAN have that fancy-schmancy dessert, or that dinner roll. But I don't WANT it. My body doesn't WANT it. Inflammation? No thank you. Increased blood sugar and insulin response? No thank you.
3. Everything in moderation: there may be a square of dark chocolate waiting for me at home ;)
I'll try to post a follow up to say how this goes!
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