Sugar 1 Lindsay 0

So, I failed the 2 week sugar challenge.  Not that I was ever 100% - I gave myself a little slack.  But I've come to learn that the body gets what the body wants, one way or another.  And for the most part it is out of your control-your body may even revert to auto-pilot and when you come to you realize there was mutiny on the ship and you are no longer the captain.  Whether it's passing out when you least expect it after hours of insomnia, somehow driving to the park instead of your intended destination of Bed, Bath & Beyond or last night returning to Grand Central in an excited frenzy- influenced by 2 pitchers of "Razorback Ale" and celebrating your home town 1600 miles away from it - and grabbing a Peanut Butter Cliff Bar for the ride home it's bound to happen one way or another.  Granted this is a small slip up.  But after another autopilot incident on Friday involving an inhuman amount of questionable peanut butter from the coffee shop across the street I'm going to go ahead and call it.  But it's okay, I'm still going to finish out as planned through Tuesday and I can definitely say I learned some valuable things by focusing on this challenge over the past week and a half:
1. I can survive without sugar or sweets - in fact I don't even seem to crave it (except when I saw this delight)
2. I no longer chew gum 24/7 at work
3. Eating fruit throughout the day keeps your blood sugar and energy at a steady level.  Which is important for me as I lose focus pretty easily.
4. Green breakfast smoothies are awesome
5. I think when my body is deprived of sugar it just craves bread 50X more - but this could be a fall/winter thing too
6. When life becomes busy it's much harder to focus on treating yourself well.  The last week work has brought on some late nights and stress and suffice it to say I have neglected treating myself well, cooking and posting updates to this blog

It's a beautiful Sunday morning -a 60 degree sunny fall blessing. I took it slow this morning and enjoyed a delicious bowl of banana, almond oats with an egg white & almond milk on the side.  I was supposed to go on a bike ride, but when you get out of the habit of riding it's much harder to get the gear together and out the door.  I did the next best thing and ran 3.2 miles (a PB since the IT Band struck in the Spring) watching locals take Sunday strolls and make stops at the local bakery.  Now if I can just peel myself out of this chair and into the shower I'm going to stroll on over to the local coffee shop myself.  I do love sunny Sunday mornings :)

Homely

It's been a crazy week.  One of those weeks where is starts to hurt to look at a computer screen and you're no sure if you have the strength to hold your neck up with the weight of you head.  I've had similar feelings towards the end of a 50+ mile bike ride..so I guess you could say it was a marathon of a week, something like that.

My house is finally starting to shape into a home.  Tonight, as a guy FINALLY installed a new ceiling in my bathroom, I went town on the new TV stand I bought.  I was so focused in on it I couldn't stop, even to partake in beloved food or water.  But now, I am happy to say I have finally unpacked my LAST box.  I did it in under a year (barely).  So I'm pretty proud...
It looks pretty, but I definitely am no craftsman - I had to unscrew and re do multiple parts..  But I'm pretty confident by my next piece of furniture I'll be a pro.

Sugar (less) Sweet Update!
I'm happy to say I've made it clean the last two days.  I even made it through Thursday pub night without indulging in one of these pretty ladies:

Today's breakfast smoothie was definitely my favorite:

1/2 Banana, 1/2 Mango, Almond Butter, small slice Avocado, Soy Milk and unsweetened Cacoa Powder - YUM!

The real test will come this weekend.  I'm heading into the city for Saturday night and Sunday.  The ultimate place on indulgence :).  Of course there are many things to indulge in besides sugar...we'll see..  I'm going in to catch a Dance Festival Performance at the NYC City Center.  It's called Fall for Dance Festival and features performances from different dance theater companies.  Definitely interested to see what it's all about.  While I'm there I'll also get to see a college friend and the NYC Marathon on Sunday morning.  Glad I get that extra hour on Sunday!  Wonder if any runners will forget to change their clocks and show up at the wrong time?

This time of year, getting close to holidays..talking about making my house a home..and seeing this picture go viral on Facebook definitely have me feeling a bit nostalgic for home.  I am finally starting to feel the bitter truth of the approaching winter.  I'm not sure I'm ready for it.  I was counting on this amazing Northeastern Fall - Come on CT, LOOK, AR is stomping your leafy style!  I have one weekend before Thanksgiving that I am reserving for a hiking trip to Vermont(hopefully).  If anyone has any suggestions on places I should go, postem to me!

Home Sweet Home

Stay beautiful my southern friends

Sugar is Evil - Day 3

So suffice it to say I have not been 100% successful at no sugar challenge after just 2 and a quarter days.  Day 1, I forgot I had a make up Rum & Coke taste test for our tasting panel at work.  Which is sad because in any normal day of my life I don't consume either of those two things(thank you college for ruining rum for me).  Day 2, dinner out with a friend...Beer + Bread, general weakness/love of mine :)  We'll assume the bread had no sugar added(right?)  But, I'm not considering this a total failure as I'm pretty happy with the success I've had otherwise and I'm going to push forward.

One part of this challenge, as I mentioned it's done by another blogger at graciouspantry.com, is to substitute 1 meal a day with a nutritional smoothie.  I chose breakfast because, let's face it, a smoothie just is NOT going to cut it for me for an entire meal at any other point of the day.  The first two days were pretty tasty..today..not so much.

Ew

Second best option

Day 1: Smoothie: Banana, Soy Milk, GoodBelly Probiotic Coconut Water, Kale, Bee Pollen
Day 2: 1/2 Banana, Blueberries, Almond Milk, Slice Avocado, Kale, Almond Butter, Bee Pollen, GoodBelly
Day 3: 1/2 Mango, Kale, Slice Avocado, Green Tea, GoodBelly, Flax, Bee Pollen

I think you really need some sort of milk or yogurt to make a morning smoothie any good.  That and really blending up the Kale is essential.  Today there was just way too much chewing involved when drinking my smoothie.