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"A hurdle is an obstacle between you and your finish line. The only way to win is to JUMP over it and keep running towards the goal line with all of your determination." -Dom Spain
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This is an ongoing blog that covers my entire journey on my 30 Days No Alcohol Challenge. Check out Days 7 & 8 HERE if you missed my last post. Enjoy!
Day 9
10:15am - Better Energy - It is so great waking up full of energy in the morning because I didn't have wine with dinner. I didn't think wine had as much of an effect as it did on my sleeping patterns until I removed it from my diet. Amazing start to the morning with my Lemon and Cayenne water. That stuff really wakes you up in the morning. It is my new "thing". I decided to start my day today by getting out of the house early and going over to Panera Bread to write and research. It feels really good to be around people but still be by myself. It's a different feeling than being in my place writing alone. My energy levels are higher throughout the day when I start the day out and about early. There is something invigorating about the morning rays on my face that amplify my spirits and energy.
I'll go to the beach to go for a cardio walk after this if the weather holds up. Summers in South Florida are always like gambling in Las Vegas. When it comes to betting against the rain in hopes of a beach day, the odds are not in your favor. I feel pretty good today! Happy, thankful, focused, peaceful. I am looking forward to exercise and the rest of the day's happenings. I was avoiding caffeine for a few days so that I could clear my bloodstream of stimulants as well as alcohol but... Panera just smelled so good I decided WTH! I signed on for a 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge. Caffeine is optional.
2:30pm - My Body is Improving - It totally rained. Odds...not...in..my...favor. I packed up, walked to the car and started driving towards the beach. The closer I got, the harder it rained. I could only laugh at the irony of it. Instead, I went to buy a scale for the house today and took all my measurements to begin my lean down diet. My body is responding so well to nutrient absorption. I have noticed my skin is more clear and my nails are growing like weeds. It hasn't even been two weeks and I can see a significant difference. I usually have very dry skin that peels and I would have to use a lot of moisturizers throughout the day. My nails would grow very slow and when they did finally grow long they were flimsy. I notice that I have had to trim and file my nails twice this week alone. They are so strong now that I accidently scratched myself and I keep hitting them on things. That is a problem I haven't had sense I was pregnant with my son. I also notice a huge shift in my appetite. I am hungry all the time right now so I know my metabolism has kicked up a knotch. One negative is that I am craving sugar so much more than I usually do. I am trying to take care of the cravings with pineapples and other fresh fruit and/or dry fruit whenever possible. I know what you're thinking. No, I am not pregnant. Now that my body is burning more efficiently. I'm planning to kick my workouts into high gear beginning on Day 15 (Monday).
8:45pm - Workouts Are More Consistent - I ended up going for a 4.5 mile jog at sunset. If I wasn't on this challenge I probably would have gotten the scale and a bottle of wine, gone home in the rain and poured a glass and called it a rainy day reschedule. Nope! Not me! I kept my promise to myself. We got out a bit earlier than we normally do so that we could go for a longer jog and make it back by just before nightfall. I pushed my heartrate harder than I have been and it felt incredible. My shins were not loving it. I think I find myseld suddenly in the market for a good pair of running shoes. My stamina is great. It's my shins that fatigue before my lungs do. If I want to really improve my cardiovascular performance I am going to have to invest in the proper tools for the job. Now, where do I find attractive running shoes? Apparently, my fashionable $100 Nikes aren't made for running. I am open to suggestions.
Day 10
7:45am - Earlier Mornings - I enjoyed Panera so much yesterday I decided to come even earlier and have breakfast with my best friend before work today. Sunrise is the only thing I find more beautiful than sunset. I am happy to have so much energy and to feel great this early in the morning. I have been doing consistent bouts of light to moderate intensity cardio, core exercises and stretching to continue rehabilitating my hip and sciatic injuries this past 10 days. I am ready to take it to the next level and start to see some physical changes in my weight and leanness. I will post before and after pictures, of course. I took the before pictures on Day 4 when I realized I wasn't drinking and committed to this challenge. I will post them in my final blog post on Day 30.
9pm - Better Self-Esteem - I did finally manage to go for a cardio walk on the beach. Being in that environment on a fun, busy evening, there was a part of me that momentarily thought, "That looks like a good time". For a moment I just wanted to sit down and watch the sunset and listen to music and enjoy a beer. Then I looked around at all the people who's eyes were glazed over, talking too loud, laughing too hard, staring at me in my workout clothes trying to maneuver my way through their drunken maze, standing there with their beers, blowing cigarette smoke everywhere, completely oblivious as to how in the way they were to families and exercisers passing by. It made me wonder how many times I have been that jerk standing in the way, oblivious to others around me while I was having a "good time".
All in all, I was happy to be totally aware of my surroundings. I was moreso proud to be completely aware of myself in a chaotic environment. Cardio was so much fun! I walked/jogged 4 miles and watched a gorgeous sunset. I enjoyed the crowd and the music and I was still my goofy self, dancing to the spanish music and goof dancing to random disco music some guy was blasting. My ''Staying Alive'' imitation is pretty spectacular. I am just being my naturally quirky self without the influence of drinks. I had become very shy without a couple drinks. The longer I go without my beloved wine the more I remember that I am a super dork and a total ham even when I am sober as the day I was born . This last 9 days has been a period of rediscovering who I am at my core. I felt accomplished tonight for my positive mindset and awareness. I even got to go play in a ocean after because we finished our walk faster than we had planned and had some time left on the meter. It was all very rewarding. Life is about choices. If you make good ones, good things tend to happen. If you make bad ones.....well, you catch my drift. I am having a nice clean dinner tonight to wrap the evening up. Lots of greens, seeds, vegetables and lean protein. I will be having my signature wine replacement; sparkling water with fresh sliced fruit. I am looking forward to a good night's sleep and starting Day 11 with a spark!
Day 11
12:35pm - Stress Seems Less Stressful. I received a notice that the building was going to shut our water off for repairs from 9am- to noon so jumped out of bed at 7am to run to the store to get some things I needed for later. I took that ridiculous scale back and returned it for a better one. If I take my weight 5 times in 5 minutes there is no way I should 5 different weights. Digital scales only from now on. I am not thrilled that it reads 150.6lbs today. That puts me 5lbs heavier than the other said but it must be correct. I am pleased with the new one as far as consistency. I put it through the 5-in-5 test. It passed. I will exchange this one for the body fat scale I really want since they didn't have in stock again. I am not sure why but I can't seem to get my mind to focus for long today. I had a cup...or two of coffee, I had a great breakfast and I slept well. I can't put my finger on why I am darting from thought to thought today. I must have googled about 30 things in the last couple hours. I have had a difficult time even blogging today. My mind is a bit foggy. It must be PMS or something because I am very short tempered and lethargic today. I am pretty sure that it's hormones. That would explain the weight gain from yesterday. The tabs list at the top of my screen has about 10 tabs and I have two browsers open so there is another browser for a whole different set of searches and tasks. What is the opposite of coffee....other than alcohol? Tea, it is.
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| Me doing my favorite yoga pose after 4 miles of cardio yesterday. |
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