Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Tempted & Tried

Time for an update on the “30 Before 30” Project.

Let me just say this:  last week kind of sucked.

Last week, I was tempted.

Appropriate, I suppose, considering it was the first week of Lent, right?  As I listened to our minister Nancy’s sermon on Sunday morning, all about Jesus being tempted for 40 days by the Devil, I reflected on my past week of temptations, and how relevant it all felt to me.  Last week was Week #6 for me, and it was my toughest so far, by far.

Jesus - Temptation of Christ - Eric Armusik

First of all, I should tell you all that I’ve given up French fries for Lent.  Some might argue that that’s too easy, considering I don’t eat fries all that often to begin with; however, the challenge lies in eating out at restaurants.  One of my goals with this new healthy eating lifestyle was to choose salad over fries whenever possible.  I have been unsuccessful thus far on the few occasions when I’ve eaten out.  By giving fries up for Lent, I plan to change that.

fry4

Now all that being said… Fries were not the issue last week.  At all.

But I was tested. 

Not once, but twice.

The first time, a friend texted me, inviting me to join a group of them for wings at the Ladysmith Hotel for dinner that night.  For those of you who know me, you know what a treat Ladysmith wings are to me.  And the timing seemed perfect, since the thought had crossed my mind a few times lately that I haven’t been to Ladysmith for wings in ages.

The problem was that I had already planned on a light supper and going to Fit Club that my coach, Jared, was hosting that evening.   And one of Chalene Johnson’s tips in committing to a healthy lifestyle is to plan your work-outs, and not let anything de-rail you.  Act as though your allotted time for exercise is a very important appointment that you cannot cancel.

chalene

It took every ounce of willpower in me to text my friend back and tell her that I couldn’t go, because I already had plans.

The very next day, a new test presented itself.  I had a healthy breakfast with my mom as usual, and had packed everything I needed to make my daily Shakeology meal for noon at work that day.  That evening, the plans were to get together with all of my family for a nice lasagna dinner that my mom had prepared.  All meals of the day, accounted for.

When I got to work, the ladies informed me they were heading to Shawville to run some errands that morning, and were planning to bring back lunch from Cafe 349.

Crap.  Another of my favourites.  And I was so tempted.  I had almost convinced myself to give up my Shake for the day, because A) The Cafe choices are generally healthy sandwiches, soups & salads, and B) It was Valentine’s Day, and damn it all if I wasn’t allowed to treat myself!!!

I had even looked their menu up on-line to peruse, really feeling my arm being twisted, practically tasting my favourite Jalapeno Turkey Bacon Club panini will all the melty Brie cheese…

And then the little voice in my head started. 

You’re already going to have a treat today, silly.  You LOVE your mother’s lasagna, and there will be Caesar salad and garlic bread and cherry cheesecake, and you’re probably already going to surpass your calories for the day just with that meal.  If you splurge on lunch too, then you’ll be WAY over.  Save the Cafe for a treat another day.  This is a test.   Pass it.

I did.  I had my Shake for lunch instead.

And of course, I felt proud of myself for passing both of these tests.  For sticking to my plan, and not allowing myself to waver, even though the temptation was strong.

Now, before you all go feeling sorry for me for depriving myself, you should know that my week was far from perfect anyways, food-wise.  I kept up with my work-outs, but even with the refusal to treat myself on those two occasions, there were still way too many “treats” last week. 

There was the small bag of chips I shared with Caden while watching a movie on Monday; there was the pancake supper on Tuesday night (I had much smaller portions than I normally would, but still, it was pancakes with butter and maple syrup and ham and beans and salads and cake – far from healthy!); there was Mom’s delicious lasagna supper on Valentine’s Day, along with the V-day cookies my sister put out that I ended up having one or two (or three) of; there was dinner out at the Aylmer BBQ after Caden’s hockey game on Sunday – no fries, but a massive plate of delicious Chinese food.

I was FAR from deprived, to say the least.

But there were also a few victories, to balance things out.  As I said, I worked out 6 days, following the TurboFire schedule, and each week that I do this successfully I consider a huge accomplishment.  During my Stretch 40 class on Sunday morning (basically a Yoga work-out), I held myself in plank position every time I was supposed to, when prior to now I was always dropping to my knees or flopping on the floor.  I also didn’t miss a day of The Assertive Girl’s Arms & Abs Challenge, which I started this month as well, and I can definitely feel the benefits of building my upper arm & abs strength in my work-outs from doing the daily push-ups and mountain climbers.

arms and abs challenge

When I weighed myself this morning, I had dropped another 2 pounds (a total of 19 over 6 full weeks), and my mom chastised me this morning for my pants being too baggy and sloppy to wear to work.

Little by little, I’m getting there.

I just need to keep passing these tests.

***

Linking up today with Impulsive Addict and Shawn for Talk To Us Tuesday!

Talk2Us

14 comments:

Stacy said...

Good job on passing the tests Jill...now I am thinking, want to plan a girls movie night?? Ya know, out for supper, popcorn and all that good stuff?? Not trying to be cruel, but I was really thinking of doing that sometime soon!

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Jill! You're obviously doing well if the pants are baggy :) Keep it up!

Nicole said...

I need some of your motivation! Hey how long are the workouts in the program you're doing?? And what did you eat for breakfast? My friend sells Arbonne (which most people think is makeup but it's more) and they have a 30 day tip off plan. We've been doing the shakes for breakfast and then for lunch on Sunday as well, before Sunday Night dinner. We're doing a Biggest Loser contest in our SND crowd and this week I gained 2 lbs. i thought I might just cry.

VandyJ said...

Every time you pass a test it makes the next one easier to pass right? No? Damn, I wish that was how it worked.
Keep hanging in there and keep you goal in front of you--lifestyle changes are hard, but oh so worth it.

Kasey said...

Yay for you for keeping with it and passing those tests! Keep it up girl!!! Visiting from seriously Shawn...thanks!

Impulsive Addict said...

Ok, your willpower is AMAZING! I would have failed both tests. Unless I eat at home, I cheat. Every time. I totally suck at diets. But your results are wonderful! Good for you for sticking to it and killin' it by working out too.

Keep it up, girl!

Mrs. Match said...

Great job!! I bet that feels so good. Pretty soon you can reward yourself with new clothes! :-)

Fight the urge for the fries. When lent is over, try sweet potato fries that you bake. Little bit better for you and I think tastier than french fries.

Limefreckle said...

great job at avoiding temptation! I've been participating in a blog link up called "weigh in Wednesdays" and it's really helping me keep myself accountable! It's a struggle, losing weight has got to be the hardest thing in the world to do! But didn't you feel great when your mom commented that your clothes were too baggy? Nothing feels better than baggy clothes...especially if they used to be tight!

Stacie said...

Awesome job, girl! And I know you will be able to resist those fries, too!

Anonymous said...

Yay you! I'm so happy for you! Pretty soon those won't be tests at all because you'll know they're not even an option anymore. Keep on keepin' on. I know you're going to reach your goal!! :D

Amy said...

Baggy pants=:)))

HickChickBritt said...

Wow, that is awesome! It is so so so hard for me to pass up food! I know I would have caved if I were you. Congrats on the little victories, they will all add up to a big victory!

Nancy said...

Goodness, Jillian! I had no idea that you had given up fries for Lent....the Spirit must have been whispering in my ear when I was writing my/our sermon. Personally, I quite dislike preaching about temptation as I have my temptations too :)

You are triumphing, keep it up! So proud of you!

I have this weird craving for roast sucking pig that we used to get at banquets in Germany. Know anyone who can bring that to our next pot luck, lol!

PS....we are having a wonderful time, but this is likely my only time on the internet...give my love to all on Sunday.

Ochi Bernadas said...

Hey, I'm a new follower! Found you at TBH!

I'd love it if you can follow me back :)

xoxo
ochibernadas.blogspot.com