Well y’all, here we are, the end of week number one. We did it. No cheats. Six classes attended. I’d be lying if I told you I was one hundred percent thrilled with the results. I’ve thought about it, and my mind goes to a few things:
- weight loss isn’t linear. I weighed myself about half way through the week, was so stoked on the number and then felt pretty bummed when that poundage didn’t match / appear more than the number I saw today. I am setting myself up for failure and also with an obsession that isn’t healthy. I need to shake this.
- this is probably why during the challenge they only let us weigh ourselves / get percentages at the half way point and the end. Motivation lives in those high loss numbers and seeing my numbers today kind of just makes me wish I did eat all of the cheese on that charcuterie board on Saturday; it would have been worth it.
- It really wouldn’t have been worth it. I need to trust the process.
Current losses: down 3.2 pounds, .5 BMI and 1.8% body fat
A week in food.
If you have an older brother like me (you don’t, mine is the best) he is full of the advice you need to become a better adult. Invest in that high rate savings account, don’t buy more than you can afford, you aren’t someone’s catalyst, don’t feel guilty about spending money on tires or mattresses and good abs are made in the kitchen.
We’ll focus on the last one.
In my opinion, the most challenging part about this challenge is the food. There’s very few things you can eat (when looking at the whole wide world of deliciousness) and it’s easy to get bored and frustrated. I started the week with good ol’ tried and true – chicken breast. But, well, you know, this chicken can’t have any oil and is essentially just baked with a sprinkle of seasoning to help give your palette some kind of beacon of hope. Broccoli, raw, with no delicious partner in crime of ranch dressing to accompany it. And our savior, the sweet potato. I ate this on Wednesday and Thursday. It was Friday, however, that I realized the importance of portions and frequency of meals. You see, Wednesday and Thursday were hella stressful at work. I actually don’t think “hella” is a real life word in the dictionary, but I didn’t get a spelling error so there ain’t no stopping me now. I digress. I was so overwhelmed at work I ate one meal in the day. By the time I got home I was exhausted. I fell asleep. I did it again. Come Friday in class I could not get my body to function. Any movement felt like I was in quicksand, which is definitely a thing I thought I would encounter more in my adult life as a child. Well, here I am kid me, quicksand is something called malnutrition. I vowed I’d progress more responsibly throughout the week. The amount of food you’re allowed to eat on the challenge is actually quite substantial, there was no reason to withhold it from myself. Friday I took myself out to sushi, as tuna sashimi is basically the only thing I can have out there in the real world. Normally I don’t invite this delicacy in to the diet so soon, but I needed it. My usual guy appeared with those heavenly slivers, set them down, looked at me and said, “you on that diet again?” I pulled out my amino acids and poured them in to the half moon where soy sauce should live, “yes.” On Saturday I made the chili that will save your soul throughout this entire thing. Also, it makes a gazillion servings (6), so it’s a meal preppers dream. I cried cutting the onions but not as much as I did inside when I sat just a few hours later, and for several hours, one foot away from a 3 x 3 table covered in snacks and cheese galore – without touching it. Sunday I ate sashimi again (this is the g d life you guys) because I spent the day with my mom, and again, in the real world one small splash of oil on any food may throw me completely off course. Monday and Tuesday were filled with more chili, these “cookies” that taste good enough to trick your brain in to thinking it’s a treat and then also sashimi for dinner because mother effin’ yolo y’all and also because I have never been good at following my brother’s rule number two. Which brings this food diary to today. Spoiler alert: there’s still chili.
To survive this thing, you’ve to stop romanticizing food. You’ve got to start looking at it for what it is at the core, nutrients to feed your body. To sustain you. To keep that skeleton of yours out of the quicksand. Shift your focus.
Things that were in front of my face this week that I did not eat, but normally would have:
- Three, yes three, different cakes in the office. Including: one from Porto’s (kill me), one that was my favorite kind of cake and one THAT I MADE and did not lick my fingers once in the process.
- Said Saturday snacks.
- Some chocolate brought back from Europe.
- Beers.
- Wines.
- Any beverage that wasn’t water or a zero calorie beverage.
- Something delicious that Simon made for his lunch and offered to share.
And well, that’ll do us for this week. Here’s to keeping myself on solid ground, taking care of this single body I have and, as always, trying to at least follow some of big brother’s rules.
the length of waves 