Day 3 of 40 - They Told Me I Had This Coming!

As they were releasing me from the oral surgeon's office on Monday they told me to expect today to be worse than the first couple of days. They weren't kidding! OWW! My ear, jaw, mouth, etc. all feel like I got into a fist fight with Hercules and meds aren't really helping. Hopefully this means that tomorrow I'll be back on the upswing. HA! Get it!?! Sorry!!

My daily food still leans toward liquid or soft stuff. Last night I BBQ'd some pesto shrimp skewers for dinner. So yummy!! Breakfast has been Creamy "S" coffee and lunch has been a protein shake. Sheer food excitement around here. On the plus side, I'm already down 3 pounds from my highest weight post vacation.

I was knocking on that evil number's door that I swore I'd never visit again. Talk about an eye opener. Doing this half way isn't working. My body requires me to go all or nothing. It's no secret now that my PCOS controls a large portion of how my body gains weight. Even if I watch my calories, I'll gain while eating sugars or starches. Eliminate whites, sugars and alcohol and, while it's still not magically quick, I will lose weight and watch the inches melt off. Sounds simple enough right?? *sigh*

It's not so much that I miss sugar or starches. I really don't. In all honesty, most of our treats are THM-friendly, even when we're not 100% on track. For those joining the game a bit late, by THM-friendly I mean that they don't include regular sugars, artificial sweeteners or white/wheat flours and are often gluten free or dairy free, but most definitely sugar free. I struggle when it comes to the sides. I LOVE french fries! When I'm not at home I'm easily tempted by cookies and donuts and cupcakes... oh my! Reality is.... my willpower sucks when tempted, plain and simple. I'm working on that though.

So, what are we doing differently to kick off this 40-Day Spring Challenge?

• We have fruits and veggies readily available with a protein side - cheese sticks, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc. 
• We have on-track sweet treats on hand for those "just gotta have something sweet" moments that we know will come and go as we detox from the naughty stuff. 
• We have a meal plan set and groceries purchased.
• We have a backup plan for days when we know our schedule is tight.
• I pre-pack my lunches the night before so I'm not scrambling and grabbing whatever I find in the fridge.
• I'm tracking what I eat - more than anything this is just to keep me accountable.
• I'm also scheduling my workouts on my calendar so they don't get skipped.

Funny enough, I won this little book at my sister-in-law's baby shower and thought I would put it to good use during this challenge too.

I'm hoping that by tracking all of this daily for the entire challenge, I'll be able to clearly see the full-body changes that I know happen when I am 100% on track. My other hope is that it reminds me why I don't want to STOP eating clean once I'm on a roll. I always feel horrible when I eat things my body is not a fan of, yet I punish myself anyway!

It's clear from my weight and my measurements that I'm basically starting over again. I wish I didn't have to say that, but it's true. Thankfully I'm taking control before it gets completely out of hand. I haven't gained everything back and I know that my current gain on the scale is more bloating and water retention from poor choices for a few days than it is a permanent fat gain due to months of poor choices.

So, I'm starting at ground zero. I took new measurements. I need new pics, but haven't felt up to doing them. I will tonight! Moving forward it will be one day at a time. No comparing to previous months. Just forward progress and looking ahead. I know my weight will be a battle the rest of my life, so there's no point in looking back. The past is the past. Life is life. I have plenty to look forward to and plenty to keep me motivated.

Here's the breakdown...

• 17 days until... "I'm Back" aka The Moose Run 10K (May 7th)
• 30 days until... Our Annual Panther Pant 5K race (May 20th)
• 65 days until... My absolute favorite race of the season - Midnight Sun Midnight Run 5K (June 24th)
• 67 days until... Ashland Duathlon if I want to check my triathlon progress, minus the swim (June 26th)
• 94 days until.... Shell Lake Triathlon (I think I've decided on this one as my absolute, but may do one a week earlier if they don't cancel it) (July 23rd)
• 136 days until... Shell Lake 9 Miler (September 3rd)
• 192 days until... Monster Dash Half Maraton (October 29th)

Throw in two karate belt tests (June & September), all of the classes to meet requirements for those and the training for these races... I need to FUEL my body!!! That will be my focus. Eat for fuel and train to avoid injury. FOCUS!!

Okay, moving on... How about today's "What I Love About Myself"? I think today's post pretty much sums up what I love about myself today. I love that I can bounce back. I don't let much keep me down. Actually, I refuse to let anything knock me down for long. I'm learned over the years that I have a deep, deep strength and that my parents weren't kidding when they told me I can do whatever I put my mind to. I may lose sight of that myself sometimes, but never for long. I love that no matter what, I believe in myself and my strength at the end of the day.

So, let's put that strength to good use. I'll have to sit out of karate tonight due to this dang tooth and I think I'll stay out of the pool to avoid putting extra germs into my mouth with the public pool water. I do plan to get out and run and bike this week though! Tomorrow I'll aim for an easy 2 miles. Friday I'll up it to 3.5 miles after work, then I'll push for a bike ride and a 4.5 mile run over the weekend. Like I said... You can't keep me down for long!