Real Food Challenge – Take 2

Last fall Kate & I participated in a (self-imposed) 30 Day Challenge. She went Paleo, I went dairy/grain/sugar/alcohol free. Well, we've decided to do a round 2. And 3...

Yep, we are embarking on a 60 Day Challenge. That brings us right up to our wedding, so this is going to be tough.

We struggled a bit with defining this challenge because there is so much going on over the next 60 days. Then again, that's also one of the reasons we wanted to do it. It is so easy to be swept up in the go-go-go, and we'd like to make sure that we're treating our bodies well. We want to show up on our big day feeling our best. And fitting into our wedding clothes.

I was really strict about not "cheating" during the first challenge. I wanted to make sure I could do it, so I stuck closely to the rules I set out. And even though I know small deviations wouldn't have changed the overall  results, I also know that even small betrayals can lead to a slippery slope. Now that I know I can eat cleanly for 30 days straight, I'm more eager to find the right balance for everyday life. I don't want to feel deprived. I don't want to struggle with eating something on the "no" list, or consider it a "cheat." And I don't want to feel like I'm missing out on celebrations...like cake at our wedding shower, a Champagne toast at our rehearsal dinner, or a bachelorette trip to New York. (You can bet your bunnies that I will be eating bagels and pizza in NYC.)

So how do I say that we are setting up a challenge along with a caveat that we don't have to follow the rules? How 'bout I say we'll stick to the rules most of the time, and I tell you whenever we don't? Just to keep it real. And then I can look back and assess whether or not we ate any better with the less stringent system.  Besides, no one's keeping score, right? The goal is simply to make healthy decisions on a regular basis.

Aside from that, we are pretty much following the same guidelines as during our 30 Day Challenge. There are 3 exceptions:

• Tequila and red wine are acceptable. Although we could go 60 days without any alcohol, we don't really want to. We chose tequila and red wine because they are widely accepted as being paleo-friendly. They are grain free, unlike beer and other spirits, and 100% agave tequila has a low glycemic impact. Cider beer will be our emergency backup.
• Canned beans are acceptable (for me. Still no beans for Kate.)
• I will continue to use non-dairy powdered coffee creamer. I just can't handle giving it up at this time. Maybe I'll change my mind in a few weeks.

My 60-Day Challenge looks like this:

• all fruit is ok
• all vegetables aside from potatoes are ok (sweet potatoes are ok)
• eggs are ok
• nuts & seeds are ok
• grain-like seeds are ok (quinoa, millet, amaranth, & buckwheat)
• legumes are ok (canned are acceptable, but strive to soak & cook from dry)
• no dairy
• no soy (aside from coffee creamer)
• no grains
• no sugar (honey and agave are ok)
• no alcohol aside from tequila & red wine

Kate's 60-Day Challenge looks like this:

• meat = strive for free range, grass fed, nitrate-free, and uncured (no lunch meat or cured bacon)
• all fruit is ok
• all vegetables aside from potatoes are ok (sweet potatoes are ok)
• eggs are ok
• nuts and seeds are ok
• no dairy
• no soy
• no grains or grain-like seeds
• no legumes
• no sugar (honey and agave are ok)
• no alcohol aside from tequila and red wine

I made a little Venn diagram showing how our respective challenges overlap. And because I love math.

Not too different, which is good news for meal-planning.

Along with the eating part of this challenge, I will be keeping close track of my workouts, weight, and measurements. My goal is to run 3 times per week, go to Body Pump 2 times per week, and do push-ups and ab work at home 2 times per week (on non-Body Pump days.)

I'm hoping to see some results come June. If nothing else, it should be a good distraction from pre-wedding jitters.