An Emotional Day 4 Leads to Some Tough Choices

On day four, I felt like I was being hit from all sides. Work, family, friends…there were more issues then I could handle today. And my first inclination was to get home and have a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate. WHAT?! I was appalled that that is what I was craving. Until I realized that my mind was craving the stress relief, and not my body.  And then I remembered the Chocolate Cherry Bomb recipe on Kristen’s Raw blog.  Is is possible? Could I satisfy the craving while eating healthy and staying on plan.

Chocolate Cherry Bomb - WF Challenge Style

Raw Cacao - pretty tasty stuff

I was sure going to give it a try. I went to my local health foods store and bought Raw Cacao, and threw 2 Tablespoons into the blender with raw spinach, water, Trader Joes’ frozen cherry berry blend and a banana.  First sip out of the blender did not taste that good. The chocolate flavor was a little bitter…and honestly I just wanted creamy and rich.  I think if I had used soy or almond milk, I would have been able to achieve this.  Maybe after the challenge ;). Instead, I added a few raw cashews, and seemed to help with the rich flavor.

So I wasn’t totally impressed with the beverage, but it certainly helped cure the craving.  What I was impressed with was how much energy I had after I drank it. I felt like zooming out of the house and going for a run.  I made way too much tonight, and have a glassful left. And can’t wait to drink it tomorrow morning on the way to work.

Day 3…And The Work Week Challenges Begin

I thought it would be hard to stay on plan during the work week, but I found that if you plan ahead, and have many food options on hand, you should be fine.

My original plan was to eat left over steel cut oats for breakfast. But when I took them out of the fridge, and remembered what it was like to eat them fresh and hot, I just couldn’t choke them down.  So instead, I just drank coffee on my hour long drive to work.  Not a good idea. It threw my appetite off throughout the day.  I snacked on some fruit and nuts in the morning and afternoon, and as a result a minor work crisis, I forgot to eat lunch.

Food during the day - verdict: NOT ENOUGH

Also not a good idea.  Usually when this happens (and it happens from time to time) I am about to pass out I am so hungry. But yesterday I didn’t really have an appetite. I can’t decide if it was the work stress, or that the whole foods are keeping my fuller longer.  Either way, I am not pleased with my food choices yesterday, and know I need to make better ones in order to stay healthy on this challenge.

On another topic, I did have my weigh- in last night, and it went pretty well. Down 1.6 pounds.  I even had the opportunity to share my experiences with the WF challenge. The group thought it was cool, but a little nutty.  Then I shared that it was hard to feel satisfied eating only my points allowance.  And my leader gave me a big “a ha” moment. It’s like I’m doing the old core program, so I should just eat until I’m full, since I’m eating only filling, wholesome foods.  Duh! Why didn’t I think about that? So going forward, I am not going to count points, but focus on eating enough wholesome foods to feel satisfied.

So all in all, feeling pretty good about the challenge.  It’s starting to feel like 30 days is going to be a long time…but I am determined.