One Down!

You survived your first full week and weekend on the Challenge, you spent countless hours in the kitchen last week chopping, roasting, grilling, and storing, and you've been in and out of the grocery store at least three times.  Monday morning is suddenly the sunrise horizon, a bright mark instead of the dreaded beginning of the work week.  A new week gives you a new hash-mark off your ten week challenge!

During the first minute of a 40 minute workout, you become acutely aware of the kinks, the pains, and your weaknesses.  As the minutes roll on, you become strong, tired, energized and confident, frustrated.  The ten week challenge delivers all the same emotions, but you have passed through the initial shock, the sugar crashes, the cravings, and the learning curve.  Did you cheat? Maybe you did, but remember, the slate is clean, the week is new, and you have another opportunity to hash out another week of clean, portioned eating.  Some of you have told me your sugar-crash stories, and most of you should have had one by now.  If you haven't, don't worry, it's coming.  The good news is that once you have it and power through it, you've survived. 

Week two brings confidence, better time management, and a little more experimenting with flavor. You already know what the day's cooler of food looks like, and chances are you know exactly how many eggs and vegetable servings are in your fridge at this very moment.  If you get a moment today, google some paleo recipes.  Try new flavors, and stop by the store and pick up the new spices if they aren't already in your cabinet. 

Remember why you took on this challenge.  Is it summer weather and summer clothes? Is it to combat lurking high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Is it to become stronger and faster? Or maybe it's a blend of all the above unique to you.  This week, you will start to feel the physical changes.  You can look forward to sleeping like the dead, equalized energy throughout the day, clearer skin, joints moving like well-oiled machines, headaches and phlegm off to greener pastures.  Think about how you felt two weeks ago, bloated on processed food, beer, and dairy.   If you are checking a scale, stop it.  It will take more than a couple of weeks for the pounds to drop.  You will begin to notice things like belt settings changing, pants getting baggier, or if you have them, boobs not fitting quite the same in your Victoria's Secret. 

I challenge you to find a new recipe and try it.  Before Paleo, I might have used cumin 3 times/year when I made chili.  Now, we buy it in giant size from the latin american grocery section, and use it almost daily.  I've added, ground coriander, turmeric, herbs de Provence, smoked chipotle pepper, and all kinds of other seasonings to my spice cabinet.  Eating Paleo is not restrictive, it's delicious.  Yes, your portions seem restrictive, but they are actually natural and real, not overstuffed and oversized in the manner we've all grown accustomed to. 

Talk to each other, share your frustrations and accomplishments.  I'm happy to help, and you have plenty of resources in Dave, Amanda and Cindi too.  Keep chomping through, and I can't wait to hear about the little successes along the way for you!