I am so excited about the response to the 88-day Challenge! I told y’all that I wasn’t going to post on the progress until NEXT Monday (the 21st) but I just had to acknowledge the energy and enthusiasm behind this challenge. For those who expressed interest, I just wanted to let you know that YOU are a huge part of this, as well. For not only am I going to report back to the world, but Imma check in on YOU. So often I’ve felt like I was alone in the past on quests like this, but knowing that I have highly-intelligent, motivated compatriots on my side just makes this more exciting and more possible.
On Monday, I went for a killer run– inspired by the momentum I had created for myself… and then on Tuesday, I went for an hour-and-a-half hike– all of which was a great start to this adventure. On the home food front, however, I had not set myself up for success… my pantry was still full of my favorite goodies/weaknesses. You know the expression, “out of sight, out of mind”… well, for me, if it is “in the house, then it is ON [my] mind.” As I’ve mentioned before, I use a great app on my iPhone to track my eating and after analyzing it Tuesday afternoon, the prevailing trend that I noticed was that my weakness is snacks. Not that I needed an app to tell me that, but sometimes it takes seeing it on “paper” to get it.
I am all about working WITH my weaknesses… which is a skill I am still exploring and learning… But, as G.I. Joe said, “KNOWING is half the battle.” If you can identify a problem and find a solution that works WITH you instead of against you, then you, my friend, are AHEAD of the game. So, I walked down to Trader Joes and stocked up on snacks that I enjoyed but that aren’t crazy calorie monsters– sorry, milk chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels. Eating plain baby carrots (although I love baby carrots) makes me depressed. It makes me feel like I am deprived. Which is silly, I know. But, that feeling is another thing that I am dealing with. So, instead of typical “diet” foods, I got yummy (to me) snacks. Edamame, watermelon with lime, whole wheat mini-pitas, hummus, cucumbers (mainly so I can make these awesome things on the right)… 
The only reason I even mention this is that in order to do great things, you have to set yourself up for success. Only YOU can do it. Only YOU know the tools you need for YOUR project. Why make your journey any harder than it has to be. Set yourself up to succeed. Try and foresee obstacles and plan ahead. I know this is all no-brainer stuff, but sometimes you get caught up in your own complacency and habits that it is hard to remember how you should be doing things. You cannot do the same things over and over and expect different results. So change it up… but be nice to yourself. Honestly access what you are capable of and work WITH YOURSELF… not against yourself. Again, I am no role model… but I have read enough self-help literature to know that this is true and to know that it is something for which I strive. Life is hard. Change is harder. Make your journey as painless as possible by setting yourself UP right– by assessing your needs and surrounding yourself with things that will help you– whether it is healthy snacks, bins for organizing, or finding a supportive friend. You can’t build a house without tools and you can’t drive a car without gas. Give yourself what you’ll need to GO. So, LET’S GO! Until the 21st, y’all…*
*except for the fact that I’ll be posting in between now and then, of course… 🙂
