Way to go Karen! So yesterdays end of school celebration was too much temptation for me sugar-wise (which I had anticipated) so I am not punishing myself. However, it did get me thinking about the specifics of no sugar:

1. Does this apply to all non-fruit sugars? Bread, pasta, rice?
2. What about salad dressings?

Just curious where everyone is drawing the line on sugars.

How is everyone doing today? I'm trying to persuade the hubs to go swimming with me.

Angie

Heather, your daughter is so adorable! Thanks for the b pic.

About the sugar--I didn't set any hard, fast rule. What I do is look at ingredient labels and if I see corn syrup or sugar, I don't use it. I don't count natural sugars in fruit. I didn't become morbidly obese by eating oranges. Trigger foods for me include foods that have a high glycemic index, so pasta, antthing with white flour, potatoes--sugar conversion foods. For the mini challenge, I'm avoiding sugar and limiting sugar substitutes. I'm avoiding trigger foods just because they cause sugar cravings.

So far I'm really liking this mini challenge because it's so short--I KNOW I can do this! It's not easy, and, of course, this weekend is just full of temptations! But I like knowing that I DO have control and willpower and can use it. I think about how people with diabetes have to make restrictive choices every day, or my uncle who has such terrible cholesterol issues he had to give up so many of his favorite foods. These are life and death choices, right? Well, I need to see my own choices in that light. I'm not going to die tomorrow if I eat a donut, but every time I put something l like that in my mouth, I really am choosing death over life.

I know some people will argue that I need to make room for" treat" food in my life. Even my eating disorder shrink thinks so. What I want to do is learn to make some really healthy, delicious" treats" (like the ice cream made ny blending frozen banana and almond butter), something more natural and organic, more paleo, made with honey or organic maple syrup, not the processed crap that I have been poisoning my body with.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I just had a late lunch with hubs and am heading into the pool for laps. Hopefully tomorrow will be a swim in the lake day as the temps are supposed to hit 71! Yay!

Karen in Maine

I'm having the worst PMS ever. My girls don't ever want to sleep. Hubby and I are both overtired and cranky and we keep snapping at each other. It doesn't help that hubby has convinced me to let our 2-year-old sleep in bed with us. Yes, she's sleeping better but I'm sleeping worse.

Between the stress and PMS, today I'm alternating between so hungry I can eat a horse (and craving sweets like crazy) to so nauseous I don't even look at food.

I just have to make it through the next few days and it'll all work out.

Hi all! This weekend is off to a fun but not healthy start. I went to a baby shower earlier and just grabbed the food without really thinking about it (little sammiches, fruit salad, mini cupcake, mimosa, barely a protein in sight). I didn't go crazy or anything, but I could have made better choices. Thennnn we went to a friend's housewarming where I had a beer. I'm about to go to the gym to do some walking. I'm just frustrated at how easy it is to eat an enormous amount of calories if you're not being super vigilant. I'm struggling to find a good balance between obsessing and being mindful.

On the plus side, I got a new armband for my phone! My old one was falling apart, leaving icky black gunk on my arm, and had a metal part that would dig into my skin if it was at the wrong angle. So hooray for that!

Heather, your daughter is too precious!

Had a nice day int he city at the paper store. Bought lots of fun papers and then went home. Had lunch at Baja Fresh and didn't have a chance to look at the online nutritional information before ordering so used a few more calories then expected but I have no regrets. Took both bikes into the bike store to have them tuned up and purchased a helmet, light and lock. Now I am ready to hit the road, but I might go to the road safety demonstration workshop first. Need to get some work done and then go for a walk as the fathers day 5k is tomorrow.