Last week I told you I was planning to go sugar-free, carb-free for the month of April, as well as exercise five days a week. Today is day five and it is going pretty well. I have to adjust some of the recommendations from the 21-Day Sugar Detox guide that I am loosely following because I do eat a vegan diet and have to depend on some whole grains for adequate nutrition, but I am using them sparingly. Days two and three were headache days for me, (sugar withdrawal most likely) but that passed pretty quickly. It is amazing how much better I feel already (and I know this to be true so why do I have to re-discover that sometimes) without sugar and carbs. I have more energy and even more motivation to get out of bed. And I am cooking again, which is always helpful, both to my waistline, and my mental/emotional state.
Workouts have been a bit tougher because I am still fighting an injury to my hamstring. I did run and lift one day, did physical therapy one day, and walked this morning. I struggled with pain the rest of the week, so tried not to overdo it. Hopefully I can get out and run again tomorrow.
The biggest challenge I have faced so far is breakfast. As in, what to eat for breakfast. I don’t eat meat, eggs, or dairy, and am refraining from carbs (which includes cereal, oatmeal, etc.), so what’s left? Not much. I have decided that almond butter on celery makes for a great breakfast that keeps me full until lunchtime. I do occasionally have a few almonds mid-morning as a snack, but it isn’t something I must have.
The other thing I have worked on this week is tracking my food at MyFitnessPal.com again. It really does help to see exactly what is going into my mouth every day. I am much more conscious of it when I am typing it in and looking at it on a screen on a regular basis. I even re-set my start point for weight loss so I can once again see when I am making progress. The scale has already been moving down this week, but I won’t officially log my weight again until Monday.
The next hurdle I face is a conference I will be attending in Estes Park, Colorado next week. I will leave Wednesday and will not be back until Sunday night. And meals are provided. And I can’t seem to get an answer about whether or not there will be any options for special meals. So, I will be packing my veggies, almond butter, almonds, and anything else I can think of to help me get through the week and weekend.
That’s how my first week has gone. How about you?