I have to admit, I am LOVING my workouts! I’ve found I need to do three sets of everything, and tend to do exercises in a mini-circuit of three. Now to the real game-changer . . . nutrition.

I don’t have a sweet tooth, lucky for me! But . . . I realize that I have something pretty much the same, and that is a craving for starchy carbs (one step away from sugar). They’re just so easy and satisfying, no? Mmmm, a piece of rye toast with butter. Or the Egg & Cheddar breakfast sandwich at Starbucks (instead of Oatmeal, which is much better but you can’t eat that while driving). Okay, there’s another confession, I don’t always eat mindfully. Who am I kidding? Most days, I’m slipping in food between classes & clients.

CHOCOLATES?

So back to the dark chocolates. I have a bowl of these at the studio, I refill it just about every other day, so I know others like them. It was getting so that I would take one or two as I left the studio, twice a day, maybe toss a couple in a pocket for a quick lift. Right – that’s 6+ per day. Enough said, they’re taboo. I promise I will not eat the lovely Swiss dark chocolates for the next 8 weeks. Wow, you readers are tough.

My ‘easy cheat’ time is at night, after I get home from the day. I usually work from 4:30ish to 8 or 9. I try to have a small meal prior to the evening work, which gets me through it fine. But, when I get home, then I feel like I deserve another meal, or at least a decent snack. Once again, avoiding the carbs here is really tough. A couple of scrambled eggs seems perfect – but not every night! Rice cakes are okay, but eating an apple seems like penance somehow. Steamed broccoli, green beans or edamame are good. Something about the hand moving continuously to the mouth!

FOOD DIARY

I’m going to commit to a food diary for the next 5 days. I do find that that keeps me in check, staying honest with what I’m consuming. I did a good shop today bringing home arugula, avocados, cherry tomatoes, pepitas, zucchini, red peppers, tofu. Sounds like a good stir fry tomorrow, with leftovers!

Let me know your ideas for cleaner eating, please! Recipes? Shopping lists? Tricks for the cheat time of day?!

Keep up the faith, we can change, rejuvenate and heal ourselves with exercise, good food, mindfulness and simplicity!

Sandy