Time for Post-Game

30 Days, and over 3000 views on this blog – THANK YOU!  I hope it’s been helpful and entertaining, but most of all it has helped you to realize you aren’t alone in your struggles or your successes.  This entry comes amidst a big struggle and success – a struggle waking up for work after only 5 hours of sleep, following the success of a fantastic Superbowl game! I hope you were able to watch it – it was probably the first year that the game was better than the commercials.

With only 2 days left in the Challenge, it’s time for some reflection on the past 30 days and decision-making moving forward.   What have you learned and what will you do? Reflection is easy, because I think everyone can report positive changes.  What have people said to you? Have you heard more compliments, or have others made fun of you and been cynical about your changes?

Haters = Motivators.  Chris has a T-shirt with that on it, and I love that saying.  We have two choices when people try to beat us down in any aspect of our lives: Rise above, or believe them and fulfill it. I choose to be motivated further, to allow someone’s negative words to make me better or stronger.  On the flip side of that, give credit where credit is due.  If you notice someone else is showing improvement, give them a fist bump, a high five, a hug or whatever.  Don’t hold back, because your words only propel them harder in their journey to be better.  When others say, “Are you still doing that crazy diet?” laugh, and say,” yeah, I’m still eating clean foods and feeling pretty good about it.”  I’ve heard that question at least 20 times in the last week.  It’s easy to call it “crazy,” because it shows crazy discipline, crazy attention to details, but help you to feel crazy awesome. 

I am feeling good before weigh-in and measurements.  I’m nervous, because my BEFORE pictures are out there for all to see, something I agreed to do in a moment free from rational judgment.  I certainly hope that after 30 days of hard work, there is a relatively noticeable difference.  I feel confident that there is, but even on The Biggest Loser there are weeks where contestants don’t lose even a pound.  I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s results! Some of you have said that you are going to keep the challenge going for yourself, that you feel you want to ride the momentum a little longer.  GO FOR IT!  I’m looking forward to putting my measuring cups away for a while, but I am committed to remaining 80-90% Paleo.  I don’t want to stop feeling energetic, rested, low-stress, and overall healthy. 

Challenges abound, and they will always be front and center in our lives, sometimes in major but usually in minor form.  At the beginning of this challenge, I asked, “How am I going to do this when I’m going on a ski vacation in the middle of it?” “How are we going to have any fun on Superbowl Sunday?” “How are we going to go all those weekend nights without socializing and drinking?” I faced those challenges, and beat them.  I remained Paleo in Colorado, I had a great Paleo superbowl, and we socialized mostly without drinking – on a few occasions we had some NorCal Margaritas and hung out with good friends.  We all have challenges in front of us, and it is much easier to eat a conventional American diet than a Paleo diet, but we’ve all demonstrated that we can eat well as long as we plan for it.

My next big challenge is finding a healthy Paleo balance for my family.  My kids have stimulated the Taquito, Chicken Tenders, and Dominos economies while Chris and I were on the challenge, because we were overwhelmed in our own food preparation.  Now, as we enter the next phase, they will be eating more Paleo along with us.  I will make sure that the meals I can control for them come from quality meats, organic vegetables, and tons of flavor.  I’m sure they will still order their $4 Cluck Deluxe at school, and I won’t stop them.  It’s a long journey, and I’m in it for the long haul with them.

If you feel you still want Zone structure, get Barry Sears’ book The Zone, and read about the next phases.  He has several phases to the diet, and you can follow his plan while keeping it Paleo.