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Please Pass Me a Tangerine (or is it a Clementine?)

tangerines-resized-600This challenge thing is pretty awesome. I’ve been issuing challenges to myself, and, oddly, not only have I accepted them, I’ve also been successful with them. Go figure.

Today it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I was starting to experience a shift in my mindset. I found myself reaching for a tangerine as a snack (or clementine… what’s the difference? anyone?) and I thought to myself that I was actually shifting my thought patterns.

The old me would have deemed a tangerine (or clementine) too much of a hassle to eat. After all, you have to peel it. The current me finds that line of thinking absurd. It’s not more difficult than opening a package of chips. Ok, well, maybe slightly more effort is involved, but really, it’s not much. Besides, the tangerine (or clementine) is so darn sweet and delicious.

Sweet. That’s my big issue. I’m pretty much a sugar junkie. I have to stay away from the sweet stuff, because when I start I have a hard time stopping. I’ve written about my Hot Tamale addiction before, but it’s really not an addiction… it’s more of an issue. If I have them, I eat them. If I don’t have them, I rarely go out of my way to get them. The truly addicted would move mountains to get a fix, but that’s not me. Know why? Because there are so many sugar-laden alternatives. It’s not the Hot Tamales that are the issue, it’s the sugar.

Yes, I know that tangerines (or clementines) are full of sweet, delicious, natural sugar. I’m okay with that. It’s the processed stuff that makes me nuts. I know this, and slowly I’m facing this particular demon.

No, it’s not crack. It’s not meth, or a fifth of vodka, or a needle full of heroin (do you even say that? a needle full?) but still, it’s an issue. I’m working on it, a little at a time. Every day it gets a little easier to make better choices. Every day I move a little closer to a full-on commitment to becoming my best me. Every day I make decisions that are becoming easier and easier. One challenge at a time, one week at a time, I’m working my way to a better, healthier, slimmer, fitter, more amazing me.


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Week 4 Challenge – Quitting the Drive-Thru

Drive-ThruWell, so far, so good.

I still haven’t set foot in Starbucks (or gone through the drive-thru) since I issued myself the week 1 challenge. I still have managed to eat fruits and vegetables every day since I issued myself the week 2 challenge. And I survived an entire week of drinking no more than one soda per day. In fact, yesterday I didn’t even have one.

I like these challenges. Each one gets easier as time goes on, which is really the point. Hopefully they’ll become habits, replacing the poor habits I spent years developing and honing.

Of course, just because I’ve been doing these things doesn’t mean that all of a sudden I’m living a fit and healthy lifestyle. My sweet son was the first to point out that simply skipping Starbucks or passing on a soda means nothing if I pull into McDonald’s for a shake instead. Which I did. Once. So that leads me to the week 4 challenge.

I don’t even want to type this one. I’m afraid I’ll fail. But I won’t know until I try, and I won’t try until I issue the challenge. So… the week 4 challenge is to stay out of the drive-thru. Any drive-thru. Even if it’s only for my son. If we want fast food that much we’ll have to park and go in to get it. I don’t see that happening often, but I’m not ready to swear off fast food entirely.

Wish me luck this week. It means that I have to plan ahead for breakfast. That’s where I usually trip up. We rush out the door feeling like there’s no time to eat, but then I zip through BK, which takes just as long as breakfast at home would have, and for less money and significantly fewer calories, not to mention sodium and fat grams.

I can do this. Of course I can. I’m Wonder Woman. I’m powerful. I’m strong. I’m hungry. I’m off to find some breakfast and head to work. Let me know if you’re joining me this week in boycotting the drive-thru.


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Healthier Living Challenge Number 3

I started with the Starbucks challenge, and it worked. I still haven’t set foot inside a Starbucks since I decided to go cold turkey (and no, I didn’t go through the drive-thru either!). That’s two weeks without those delicious (calorie laden, expensive) drinks. I hardly even shake as I drive by anymore, either.

Then last week I laid out the fruit and veggie challenge. Granted, it wasn’t very specific, but that’s okay. For me, it meant increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in my diet by mindfully eating them every day. I did that too. Not a day went by this past week that I didn’t eat my fruits and veggies. Could I have eaten more of them? Certainly. But I could have eaten less, too, and I choose to concentrate on the small victories.

In the past week I’ve consumed the following: tomatoes, onions, peppers, zucchini, crookneck squash, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, celery, apples, tangerines, oranges, a tangelo, pineapple, spinach, lettuce, and raisins. Do raisins count? No? How about craisins? I had those too. And you know what? They were good. All of them.

So what to do about next week?Diet_Coke_with_Lime

1. Stay out of Starbucks (it’s getting easier and easier)

2. Keep eating the fruits and vegetables

3. Cut down on soda (or, to be true to my roots, pop)

OUCH. I can’t believe my fingers actually typed those words. I love soda. I drink soda every day, usually more than one a day, so my challenge is to drink no more than one soda on any given day. This will be difficult! Still, I think it will be a good challenge, and one that will benefit my body and wallet. Even though my soda of choice is diet, it still can’t possibly be good for me, and it definitely costs more than water. It’s a win-win situation, and a challenge I’m ready to attempt.

Are you with me on this one? Anyone else want to cut down on soda this week? Join in and we’ll drink our water together.