Tomorrow starts another 28-day challenge on the E2X website. I like the Captain's challenge because it's presented in a positive way to me, in terms of what to eat, which is simple: vegetables, fruit, whole intact grains (intact means, not ground to a flour), beans and lentils, and no-salt spices. They also allow polenta and whole-grain pasta in modest quantities. Especially this time of year, this is quite a bounty to choose from. I like the challenge mainly for the community of others who also want to eat this way; it makes me feel less likely to question myself.
The only drawback with these challenges is the day before. I started their last one a week late and so my version ended yesterday, which meant today could be considered my day off. uh-oh, a day off, AND one day before the next one starts. I was fine until the dessert party (I'll tell you right now I did okay so you can cheer for me, ha). I had planned to bring fruit salad and I knew a friend was going to bring these date-nut balls. I thought, oh, that will be a nice treat before the challenge starts, so I planned to have some. I did okay, and thank goodness, decent manners imposed a limit on how many I could eat (I ate 5 and they were small). But the real temptation were my favorite vegan cookies from the co-op. I thought, hey, it's your day off, the Challenge starts tomorrow. geez! I hate when that "I'll start tomorrow" syndrome rears it's ugly head. Anyway, all is well and the temptation window closed when the party ended and I came home to a house with no real temptations.
Today I ate things I won't be able to eat on my trip starting tomorrow. Breakfast was snow peas, some fresh figs, and I nibbled on delicious fruit while making the fruit salad for tonight's party. Lunch was a big bunch of lettuce from the garden, and some grapes. Dinner was a largish baked oriental yam and sugar snap peas. Dessert at the party was fruit salad and 5 small date-nut balls. oh, and then I had some rice and peas when I got home--I think you'd call that emotional eating, but the consequences in this case aren't too bothersome.
