Day 32 of the Challenge, and Napoleon Hill

I got home from vacation and the vita-mix is here!  I wish I didn't have to open the box but there is probably a receipt I'll want to keep.   Now I realize most of you won't win it and I'm sorry about that.  But as you make continuous improvements to your health, you will be winning the most valuable award of all!  And for those struggling, I've been inspired by this audiobook called "Napoleon Hills Keys to Success."   I'm actually surprised by how much I like this.  It's kind of old-fashioned in values and a bit "American-centric" so non-Americans might be a bit put off sometimes (but only sometimes I hope).  and yet, well, I did grow up with these values so it does speak to me.  Plus it presents some very positive values that were missing in my upbringing and that makes it much more appealing to me and adds some healing to some old feelings.   Anyway, getting to my point, here is a quote from the audio tape: "Every adversity carries a seed of an equivalent or greater benefit....Defeat may be a stepping stone or benefit."   Look at your obstacles and defeats, not as failures, but as the seeds of even greater success!  Seriously.  This is absolutely true.  You will learn more, you will have more insight, and by solving your problems, you will discover new things.  So if you have not done so well on this challenge, take that as an opportunity to benefit, yes, benefit from this experience and sow the seeds of success.  (Plus, you can do better on the next challenge!).

In fact I will have some learning and future successes to sow based on my modest overeating today.   On weekends I tend to let myself eat in a less ordered way to provide contrast with my more structured weekday meals.  I think that's okay, though perhaps I should revisit that.  

This morning I had yummy oatmeal wtih oats and raisins soaked overnight, heated in the microwave, let sit while showering, then added frozen cherries and blueberries and heated again.  Yum!  

Then I just ate haphazardly from about 11 am until 5 pm.  I was doing major food prep, 6 frozen smoothies for housemate, freezing lots of garden collards, and fixing tomorrow's meals for me and housemate.  oh, I did make a nice salad:

This had fresh local spinach and cabbage, really good local red sweet pepper, edamame, nuts and seeds, and D'angou pear vinegar.  Just a simple salad but very yummy because of all the fresh local ingredients.

Then I ate a ton of carrots, and also went crazy with the frozen mango which I love, and nibbled on the smoothies.  I also had some kiwi berries.  Those were yummy.   and some sugar snap peas.  Those were not great.  They haven't been great for a while.  It's not the prime season for them I guess and I should stop getting them.  I did keep track of everything I put in my mouth and it came up to more than my usual amount of calories.  But tomorrow's meals will be less than my usual amount--not on purpose but my fruit isn't ripe yet so tomorrow is lacking in fruit.  Today made up for that so I guess it just averages out.  I will go shopping tomorrow at a store with lots of fruit samples so I plan to score some there.   I will post tomorrow's food tomorrow so I don't confuse myself or you.  Here's today's summary:

Total calories 1762,  protein 52 g (10%), fat 28 g (14%), carbs 359 g (76%), fiber 74 g.